#for get me out of here reaction. but really. and he'd never admit he enjoyed it. but watching it _with mike_ was...a Lot of fun

[marvey-sideblog]

#marvey #suits usa #suits #suits tv #harvey specter #mike ross #gabriel macht #patrick j adams #harvey x mike #mike x harvey #t mobile #tmobile #t-mobile #mike bought the tickets. either told harvey they were seeing a different film or it was left a surprise. then when they're sat down and #the trailers have started. mike says they're actually here for the latest chick flick rom com. hence harvey's god what have you got me in #for get me out of here reaction. but really. and he'd never admit he enjoyed it. but watching it _with mike_ was...a Lot of fun #bc mike is his absolute weakness #<3

[bonny-kookoo]

I’m obsessed with my princess. I’ll take a late night snack if you have one 🥹👉🏻👈🏻

Since I've been yelled at to make more brat tamer kook content: Here you go, some sweet tension!

Jungkook has come to learn that you know very well how to get under his skin by now.

And you also, not just on occasion, make it a fun game for yourself to see how much you can annoy him before he snaps. Maybe because he's been pretty lenient with you compared to how he would normally like to go at it. He can't really do much about it either- his wolfblood constantly telling him to put you back into your proper place in the pack.

A pack he doesn't have, but that doesn't mean his instincts know that too.

Jungkook doesn't have many canine hybrids as friends, except maybe Yoongi. But since he's bonded to his own partner, Jungkook doesn't really feel any sort of need to care for him like he does with you- though he's not too sure why he's starting to get so attached to you either.

You're just friends- and even that would technically be a stretch to say. He doesn't know you, and you don't know him either.

But he can't deny the fact that he really.. enjoys this game of push and pull you two constantly seem to engage in, every bark sent into your direction only momentarily causing you to follow his word. Maybe you're instinctively able to really figure out if he's being genuinely angry or upset at you, or if he leaves room for you to try and test him on his threats, because otherwise, he'd not be too sure as to why you're just so good at walking that line with him.

And sometimes he has to admit, his fingers are itching.

Just like today, where you're just constantly annoying him by either repeating his words for no reason, or by making his job absolutely impossible. Though, taking care of you at your apartment and making sure you're getting the hang of normal everyday life-tasks wasn't really in his job description, to be fair. He's not even getting paid extra for this.

Why is he doing this again?

He's not sure, but he also can't really think about it for much longer, because right now, you've overstepped the line. There's no way you don't know what you're doing, and no one can blame him for physically acting on this, because how dare you.

You just bit him.

And he's reacting accordingly, at least if someone was to ask his instincts in that moment, a hand on the back of your neck pressing you down into your couch, while you growl to yourself. And the second he realizes what he's doing, he wants to apologize-

when he notices your tail wagging. Even this right now, is still a fucking game to you.

"Don't tell me you're pissed just cause I nipped your arm there." You laugh, probably sensing that he's not serious yet. "Boo-hoo. Now lemme go, I wanna watch TV-" You start to struggle, successfully slipping out of his grip- but he's not done yet.

He can't let this stand.

So just as you're ready to slip off the couch, he grabs you by your waist, just to pull you back, his body entirely covering yours, keeping you in place while he bites your neck.

Scruffs you, like the spoiled, unmannered pup you are.

And the reaction is almost instantaneous- compared to how on other occasions you've simply accepted and reluctantly agreed to his scolding, right now, you're fully submitting, tail between your legs underneath him, a soft whine coming from you. And it's now that he realizes, he's never had the upper hand over you, never had you under control at all.

You've always simply let him win.

Once he lets go of you, ready to apologize for acting so harshly, you instead crawl onto his lap, clinging to him, quietly. Visibly in need for his comfort again, desperate to get back on his good side.

Oddly how he remembers himself acting when he was younger, and scolded by his own parents.

Suddenly, you're not all that bold anymore, not even apologizing, simply leaning into him, rubbing your cheek against his clothes whenever he stops holding you. It all happened so quickly that he doesn't even process it that much right now, but all he knows is that whatever happened definitely got the message across for you.

"I'll never bite again.." You mumble into his shoulder, hiding away from him, and he laughs, running a hand up and down your back.

"No, it's fine. It just caught me off guard." He explains himself. "I'm a wolfdog mix, so I apologize I reacted like that. I couldn't really help it." He offers you, and you nod.

"No, I was being mean." You defend him. "Can I continue cuddling you? Or do you want to leave?" You ask, giving him the genuine option to go- and he knows, he probably should.

But instead, he shakes his head, and sits a bit more comfortably.

Holding you until you fall asleep, while he watches some random TV channel in your apartment.

#bts imagine #bts fanfic #bts fic #jungkook imagine #jeon jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook imagine #bts jungkook imagine #hybrid imagine #bts jungkook fanfic

[rae-writes]

Yo that only fantoms caught me off guard,feel like they will bring mc on the tv for an interview and they will be like "so about that alleged sex tape, were those yours?" i wanna know so fucking bad if they will literally look at each other with knowing looks or just laugh it off lololol🤩🤩

based on this post right here // I'm going based off maybe the brothers and mc were doing a livestream on devilgram (definitely asmo's idea) and one of the comments was a question about the videos that were posted // nsfw mentions...obviously

[feigning ignorance]

Lucifer will brush it off smoothly, denying any knowledge or recognition of this because he knows that people know it's you and him. There's no questioning it, really, but he refuses to speak about it simply because he thinks that videos like these should just be enjoyed without any prying questions about it (but he'd make another if you asked...he kinda actually wants to.)

Belphie won't even acknowledge the question- or your sly grin- because he doesn't get why people are blatantly asking about it when your faces were purposefully not in the video. If they know, they know, and he knows a lot of them know who's in it, but either way, it's none of their business. It's just a video for enjoyment (thaat he has saved to his phone because holy shit you really got him with that one-)

[bashful, isn't outright denying it, but isn't outright agreeing]

Levi's face goes beet red the moment he sees mention about your little video and is a stammering mess. That in itself kind of answers the question, for those that didn't know it was you two, but he still never voices his opinion on it. He's used to how things work on the internet, so he's more in his element than some of his brothers, so as long as his face isn't in the frame, he doesn't really care who knows and who doesn't (also bc he was already planning on making another one with the roles reversed, call him a degenerate, but he's into that shit)

Beel has no shame in the video, or in people knowing who it was, he's just little shy because he really enjoyed making it and seeing the wild reactions in the comment section. He'll give you a little smile and do a little innocent shrug at the camera because no one doesn't know it was you and Beel- he literally can't be mistaken. (And, hey, if they loved it so much, he's down with making another one.)

[Immediately gives a shit-eating grin/smirk and confidently agrees]

Mammon perks up at the mention, eyes shining and mouth curving into the most smug, sexy little grin as he blurts out a cheerful 'yep!'. Like Beel's, there's no way anyone doesn't catch on to the fact it was you and him, and even if they didn't, he's all too happy to admit to the video. It was hot, he's confident in himself and his gorgeous mc, and he knows you both ate up the attention that comment section brought (practically aching to do another video and maybe he'll even do a collab this time.)

Satan's acknowledgement is smooth and almost teasing as he agrees that it was him and you. He doesn't care that the video was taken in the RAD library because your faces weren't in the video, so even at his admittance, he can't get in trouble without solid proof. He loves the fact that anytime a demon walks by you two in the library, if they've seen the video, their faces flush down to their necks. He takes pride in having you like that, wherever he pleases (and he'd love to do it again...maybe this time on Lucifer's student council chair.)

Asmo would never deny it because you both looked so gorgeous! And his face is literally in it, I mean...he was so excited to film and post the video, especially having you as his partner, it was like a dream! He welcomes any questions people may have about it and is over the moon at the attention it's still getting. Outright teases the fact that more are in the making and hopes they'll all look forward to it (especially a certain video plan with another sorcerer he's in a pact with)

#obey me x reader #om x reader #lucifer x reader #mammon x reader #leviathan x reader #satan x reader #asmo x reader #beel x reader #belphie x reader

[cheeseceli]

When their S/o is taller than them

Pairing: skz!Ot8 × Gn!Reader (individually)

Genre: fluff, reaction

Request: what either skz or bts would be like with a tall s/o? (5’8”) and while I’m here I just want to say I really love your writing and I look forward to reading your fics <3

Warnings: one kill joke in lee know's, not proofread at all, I think that's it.

A/n: thank you so much for the lovely words 🤍 as a (kinda) tall girl I love to think about this lmao. BTS version here !

Bang Chan

Hugs all the time. He just LOVES how your hugs seem to be different (and better) than anyone else's. Maybe it's because of your height or for the simple fact that you are you but he adores how warm and safe he feels in your arms. His favourite hugs from you are the ones that you either back hug him when he's distracted and put your chin on his shoulder OR when you hug him normally but add a kiss to the crown of his head. He falls more and more in love with you after every hug.

Lee Know

You know he's never gonna admit this but he loves the height difference. Your teasing gets 200% more efficient just because of it (but he'll kill anyone who points out how his ears are getting a little too red). When you guys were just friends but he already had a crush on you, he'd get truly flustered if you got closer than usual, like you were towering him - and he still does, he just likes to pretend he doesn't tbh lmao.

Changbin

We all agreed that this man would have and love and support a taller s/o to the extreme. He's like your personal cheerleader, always making sure to let you know that you are BEAUTIFUL and he loves every single detail about you - your height included. The first to tell people to shut up if someone ever comments on the height difference with a rude tone. Like, he will NOT accept someone trying to say shit about your relationship, especially when it's something he loves so much.

Hyunjin

It doesn't matter if you're one centimeter taller or a whole ruler taller, he's in love and he thinks that your height makes you look ethereal even. If you're up to it, he'll definitely buy you high heels and encourage you to wear them on any occasion that's possible. Finds it kinda fun how he has to tilt his head up in order to kiss you and always ends up giggling over this, even after years of doing it. He's just that enamoured, can you blame him?

Han

Oh he's enjoying this a bit too much. Feel free to reach all the tall shelves for him and open every can/jar. He has the babygirl reputation for a reason lmao. Jokes aside, I think he'd really enjoy a taller s/o, no matter what your height is. Has literally no patience to outsiders "teasing" and making rude comments about this dynamic, he'll quickly shut them up. (Also, get prepared to lift him up if you're strong enough like that video of him with lee know because when I said he's enjoying this I meant it😭)

Felix

HE LOVES IT. You can't tell me that he doesn't get all flustered and giddy over the height difference, I won't believe you if you do. One thing that I believe he'd love to do would take mirror pics with you. Like, the way that you can see that you're taller in the picture just makes him smile for some reason (he's whipped). His phone's wallpaper is most definitely a picture of you two like that. I also believe that he thinks it's cute the way he has to tiptoe to kiss your cheek (it is).

Seungmin

You can be the taller one, but he's the one defending you and giving you the royalty treatment all the way. One thing that I think he'd love tho is to steal your clothes. So like, if you left a sweatshirt in his place or something like this, don't expect to have it back so soon. He actually loves how he is just kinda engulfed in your (indirect?) warmth and he has something bringing him closer to you even when you're not near. And he kinda likes to flex that "this is from my partner" lmao.

I.N

Other one to get all shy over the height difference but never let you know about it (actually, you'll know. It's just so obviously shown in his face, just don't let him know that lol). But besides the casual flustering state he finds himself on at times, he really doesn't mind it. I'd say he barely notices it. When he does tho, he finds you extremely beautiful, like those ancient greek statues, and even sexy if I may.

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

Moodboard (pics) by @haelyubi

Reblogs and feedback are appreciated!

#celi headcanons #stray kids #skz fluff #skz #stray kids fluff #stray kids soft hours #stray kids soft thoughts #skz x reader #skz x you #stray kids x reader #bang chan #bang chan fluff #felix #felix fluff #i.n #i.n fluff #jeongin fluff #han #han fluff #seungmin #seungmin fluff #changbin #changbin fluff #lee know #lee know fluff #hyunjin #hyunjin fluff

[cosmicluvcore]

To be human part 1

Rottmnt Leo x reader, gender-neutral, friends to lovers, jealous Leo

Summary: Leo has the biggest crush on you, but he's afraid that you'd never date a mutant, so with the help of a cloaking brooch, he plans to become your perfect human boyfriend!

Part 2 here

☆

Okay I have to be honest. I saw someone with this idea, but I have no clue where it came from originally. If you know who I should credit, please tell me!!

Anyways, this concept gave me way too many ideas hope you enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leo wasn't great at dealing with his feelings.

He'd been crushing on Y/N for far too long, the terrapin couldn't even remember when the whole thing started.

A few loving glances and a flirty joke or two had suddenly burst into the thought of Y/N keeping him up at night. He wasn't great at hiding it either, blushing like an idiot when they smiled his way.

Leo knew he needed to tell them sooner or later, but he hadn't worked up the courage yet. A part of him hoped they secretly felt the same way and would confess to him, but there'd been no sign of that happening anytime soon. Leo wanted to confess, he really did, but... what if they didn't feel the same way? What if it made their friendship weird? What if he looked like an idiot? What if they never wanted to speak to him again?!

There were just too many 'what ifs' for his liking.

So Leo had decided to take the easy way out, hoping that Y/N would just see how great he was, then he wouldn't have to deal with any uncomfortable conversations. He started going out of his way to impress them, saving them on missions, being overly nice, letting them win in video games, giving them his last pizza slice, (which is very valuable by the way!)

Not that he'd ever admit it, but Leo had spent an embarrassingly long time researching 'how to get your crush to like you back'.

He'd bought a cologne for Pete's sake! But no matter what he did, they never seemed to notice.

~

It was a ordinary evening. Leo and the others sat in the projector room watching a movie. Raph, Mikey and Y/N were sitting comfortably on the floor surrounded by blankets and pillows. Meanwhile, Donnie and Leo took the couch, popcorn in their hands. They were watching some random action movie. Leo wasn't really paying attention.

He was more focused on Y/N.

Y/N had started fawning over the male love interest and that began to spark a little- scratch that, a LOT of jealously in Leo's heart. Every scene that guy appeared in they were freaking out, gushing over him like he was the best thing since sliced bread.

The blue-masked turtle scoffed to himself as the character appeared again, narrowing his eyes at the screen.

What was so great about this guy anyway?

Leo was twice as charming as him, he was the one with good looks, great one-liners and clearly the best ninja skills. This guy barely spoke a word and Y/N was blushing like crazy. But as he kept watching the film, something clicked in his mind.

He was human.

That's something Leo could never beat. Sure, 'biologically' he was part human, but he didn't exactly look like it. The turtle shifted a little in his seat, the uncomfortable feeling of insecurity settling in.

"Leo? Are you good?" Donnie asked, snapping him out of his thoughts for a moment.

"Me? Yeah, I'm great," Leo replied quickly, glancing away from his brother's gaze,

"It's just that this movie sucks, never letting Raph choose again!" He lied, that playful smirk returning to his face as he saw his eldest brother's reaction.

"Hey!" Raph called out from afar.

As the movie continued, Leo sighed deeply and took another handful of popcorn, chewing the kernels absentmindedly and leaning back in his seat. Was that really why Y/N wasn't interested in him? Because he wasn't human? There wasn't much he could do about that, it's not like there was just some magic spell that could-

Leo's face lit up as an idea popped into his mind, cloaking brooches. Yokai used them, April's slime friend had one, so they must be easy to find. Leo's mind started spinning with possibilities. If he could get his hands on a cloaking brooch, he could be human and finally get Y/N's attention! But, where would he get one?

~

For once, Leo was distracted as Y/N entered his room. Usually he'd be all over them chatting up a storm, but he was sitting on his bed glancing away from them.

"Leo?" They asked softly, watching as the turtle was startled by the interruption.

"Hey, what's with the jump scares?" Leo joked with a playful chuckle,

"I thought we were friends." He said in mock offense, leaning onto his back and over-dramatically draping his hand over himself.

Y/N couldn't help but laugh at his shenanigans, "I just came to check on you drama queen, you're being weirdly quiet today."

Leo blinked at their observation. Jeeze, was he that obvious?

"Ohh well you know, I was just thinking about Raphs' riveting movie choice tonight." He replied casually, quick to make up an excuse.

I mean, technically, it wasn't a lie he had been thinking about the film.

Y/N rolled their eyes at that, "You're just salty it wasn't your choice tonight, besides that movie wasn't so bad." They replied, calmly leaning against the door frame.

"Ooh really? You're just saying that because you were all over the male lead," He retorted, grinning smugly as he watched their cheeks flush, "You, my friend, are biased."

"Well- Can you blame me? That guy was a total stud." Y/N blurted out defensively.

"He was alright, I guess. Just totally not as hot as the real stud in the room." He said with a cocky smirk as he gestured towards himself.

Y/N let out a laugh at that.

Normally, Leo wouldn't take such a tiny thing to heart, but his ego took a hit from the way Y/N laughed at him. He was the type to eagerly take any opporunity to see them smile, but this time it felt like they were laughing at him. Scoffing at just the thought of him being attractive to them, it was this newfound level of insecurity that he didn't know how to handle.

"Alright Leo, seems like you're biased too." They said with a chuckle.

"I simply speak the truth." He shrugged in reply, trying to ignore the painful realization.

Thankfully, Y/N didn't seem to notice, "Well, I'm heading home. I'll see you around."

"I'll see you." Leo smiled, waving as he watched them go.

After the coast was clear, Leo let out a long annoyed sign. He leaned onto his back, letting the soft cushion of his bed comfort him as insecurities began to plague his mind.

He needed a cloaking brooch.

#Spotify #rottmnt #rottmnt x reader #rottmnt leo #rottmnt leo x reader #rottmnt leo x you #rottmnt leo x y/n #rottmnt x you #rottmnt x y/n #gn reader #gender nuetral reader #gender nuetral #rottmnt tbh #To be human #Tbh #rottmnt to be human

[eternalmarvel]

MK1 BI-HAN X READER ~ belong ~

an: hello everyone ❄️ decided to write some more small fluff / filler content ! i swear there's not enough bi-han love man LETS KEEP THOSE FANFICS AND HEADCANONS ROLLING 😈also i came up with this idea while i was h!gh as hell so please excuse me if the idea itself seems a bit weird this is why i need requests from people because i am TOO lazy to think of any good ideas on my own

if u guys want something different to spice things up like headcanons or smthn just ask :-) honestly i don't know how good i'd be at writing smut so it's not of priority right now but if people request it i can certainly try

anyways i hope u guys enjoy some fluffiness to kick off the winter szn !!

note; bi-han and reader are married in this story + a little bit of toxicness but it's not from bi-han

++ this isn't proofread so sorry for any mistakes

~~

you had been married to bi-han for about a year now. your duties separate from the lin kuei often required you to travel far and abroad where you couldn't see your husband for weeks at the time. you didn't complain too much at first, but it got a bit frustrating after some time -- nothing that you couldn't overcome though. on the other hand, bi-han was IRRITABLE. it felt like the whole stronghold was walking on eggshells around its grandmaster, careful not to say or do the one thing that would set him off. he was sexually frustrated and grumpy on incomprehensible levels. everyone around the clan noticed how much angrier he had become. he'd bark orders at an unprecedented rate and mean mugged everyone who came across his path. even having the kitchen staff make all his favourite meals from when he was younger did nothing to wipe the horrible scowl painted on his face. when you were at the lin kuei stronghold, you and bi-han collectively sat down with the rest of the ninjas for dinners -- something that bi-han often avoided before meeting you. however, with a bit of nudging from you, he started to participate in group dinners more, even enjoying them (though he would never admit to this). there would still be a grimace on his face, but having you beside him made everything more palatable anyway. when asked why he seemed a little more irritable than usual, he stormed off and dismissed the question.

"i am the grandmaster, i will NOT answer to you."

smoke had realized that soon enough the only way to get him over his mood fluctuations and have some semblance of peace would be to get you back at the dojo. your phone's ringtone blared alarmingly, and you picked up the call in annoyance.

"tomas? what are you calling me about? can it wait? i'm really busy right now."

smoke lets out a sigh of relief now that he's gotten ahold of you.

"(name)! we really need you back at the lin kuei. bi-han's really ...cranky without you there," he whispers the last part, almost like he's scared bi-han will snatch him up out of nowhere. you pay no heed to tomas' concerning remarks, continuing to write down on the ledger on your desk.

"i'm sure my husband is just a little overwhelmed with his duties right now, this has nothing to do with me. give him some slack. he's fine."

smoke spoke with more urgency now.

"(name), he really is frustrated because of you. today, frost said '(name)’s hair' but he thought she meant '(name)’s here' and i swear i thought i saw his eyes gloss over like a dog seeing its owner for the first time in forever. ever since he found out frost was talking about your hair and not about you actually being here, he's been giving frost dirty looks. i think she's starting to get pissed off now that i think about it..."

you put down your pen and look up at the curtains of the hotel room in front of you, sighing. it was more serious than you previously expected. your face twisted in cruel humour, and you knew it'd be funny to use this opportunity to prank your husband and see what his reaction is.

"you know what tomas. i'm sure i can get out of these meetings and make it back to the stronghold by tomorrow dawn. i'll come back."

tomas sighs, finally unanxious.

"thank you, (name)! i knew you'd pu-"

"but i wanna play a prank on him. and you're gonna help me observe and set the environment."

tomas sighs once again, but out of exasperation.

"i don't wanna participate if it's too extreme. i've already caught the brunt of bi-han's verbal torment this week." you chuckle at his expense. "don't worry tomas, i'll make sure he doesn't hurl an ice pick at you. this prank is harmless, i promise. it's just for me to see his reaction." "fine. what are you planning on doing?" "sit tight and don't stress. i'll tell you when i'm on my way back."

you had informed tomas of the most perfect plan. you'd get back to your husband -- not long enough that he'd go back to his normal, serene state when he was with you but enough that he'd manage to calm his heartrate a bit. you were planning on inviting the daughter of a family friend of bi-han's family when he was younger. she had eyes for him all these years, still pointing to hints that she would pursue him despite the fact that he was now married to you. you would invite her over and have her bug bi-han (dare you say, flirt) and follow him all around the stronghold. you wanted to see if that so-called sexual frustration that tomas was referring to earlier really mattered in the case of every woman or if it was exclusive to only you. was it toxic? perhaps. could it be considered manipulative to use his father's family friend's daughter who had probably loved him for the last 10 years to get him closer to you? most likely. would you love every second of it nonetheless? absolutely.

you didn't inform bi-han of your arrival. as far as he knew, you were still going to be a few weeks out from coming back. you walked in through a secret back entrance bi-han had only told you about just in case the stronghold was ever attacked and he needed to get you out safely. you walked through the corridors and heard your husband's hoarse voice coming from the large drawing room across from you. you walked in quietly and sneakily, but obviously not subtly enough considering bi-han had his eyes immediately on you.

"(name)....," he almost whispered, his eyes widening.

you give everyone in the room a wave, including the senior ninjas, which they kindly return with a nod of their own.

"clear the room," bi-han asserts hastily. his tone isn't as harsh as it was before. the ninjas comply almost immediately when they've noticed his demeanor soften up a bit, realizing that you've worked your magic. as soon as the last ninja is out the door, bi-han is by your side in a half of an instant, taking your face into his broad hands.

"hey," you say softly. you were tired from your trip, but being in his presence and ironically his warmth doubled the exhaustion and fatigue your body had attempted to so valiantly fight off.

"you didn't inform me of your early arrival."

you smile into his palm, your head tilting a bit as you rest your own palm on his hand.

"wanted to surprise you, my love."

he looks at you intensely for a few seconds before snapping back to reality.

"i will excuse myself from my duties today. perhaps i can get kuai liang to take over for me."

"why, bi-han? we can catch up late. i don't want you neglecting your duties because of me."

a small scoff escapes his lips.

"it's been much of the other way around. we have not seen each other in weeks. the lin kuei can do without its grandmaster for a few hours."

you look at him mischievously for a brief second before you hear the faint sounds of footsteps outside the drawing room. your plan was coming to fruition before your eyes. rina had come along just on time.

"actually, bi-han, i think we might have a change of plans. rina is coming over today!"

bi-han shifted his gaze from you to rina, who was standing out in the hallway. it was safe to say he was unamused.

"rina. i wasn't aware you were going to be here. it seems as though i've been misinformed on MANY fronts," he says, side-eyeing you. you pay him no mind, bringing rina closer.

"i have to deal with a bit more business-"

bi-han looked at you in disbelief. who the hell did you think you were, the president? a grandmaster yourself?

"--BUT i promise it won't take too long. rina wanted to catch up with you too, so i thought why not kill two birds with one stone?," you say, trying to resist the impending smirk on your face. bi-han was clearly displeased but you gave his arm a squeeze and whispered, "just a few hours," and he knew he'd have your company again in no time. he sighed quietly, before slightly nodding again.

"if i must."

you disappeared to find smoke and left bi-han with rina to do god knows what. you found tomas sparring with some of the newer initiates out in the courtyard and ran up to him, dragging him away from kombat.

"h-hey!," smoke exclaimed.

"c'mon! i finally got bi-han to agree to meeting with rina. now we gotta go hide around the place and see how he reacts with her around."

"this is ... not nice.." smoke remarks uneasily.

you roll your eyes. yeah it isn't nice, but it's funny and it's not like you actually meant any harm by this prank. you and tomas make your way to the blindspots around the lin kuei and spot bi-han walking as rina edges closer to him. you guys get in close enough to try and make sense of their conversation.

bi-han walks into his room and changes into a new hanfu, the same shade of dark blue he often wears. the collar part of the attire is folded, and rina brings her hand closer to fix it but just as she’s about to mend it, bi-han grabs her hand.

“what do you think you’re doing,” he lowly seethes, his eyebrows furrowing in anger.

rina shakes him off, annoyed. “i was just trying to help you, calm down!”

“unless i ask for your assistance, it is not required.” he says stoically before making his way down the corridor again. you and tomas both exchange a strange look. you didn’t want rina dead by the end of this prank. silence is shared between bi-han and rina for the next minute before the latter pipes up again.

"you haven't seen your wife in a while, huh?" rina asks coyly. bi-han turns to look at her for a second before turning back around and keeping that stern look on his face.

"no. her business keeps her away from m-the stronghold quite often,” bi-han remarks quietly.

“you know most wives stick with their husbands and don’t just leave them on their own for weeks on end. perhaps there may be something that you aren’t aware of…,” rina whispers before her statement trails off.

bi-han stops in his tracks and turns around yo face her.

“do not think to insinuate such horrible things about my wife again so shamelessly. you forget your place when you spew these things -- do not forget, SHE invited you here as a token of her hospitality. i did not."

rina chuckles. at first glance, it would seem that she does this sarcastically at first, but it seems like those words really stung rina.

"i'm leaving."

"you know your way out."

tomas sucks a deep breath in while you look down in defeat.

"ooh, boy. alright, i think you were right." "you needed a prank to prove that?!"

you wave tomas away.

"i will make sure there are no further casualties," you say to tomas, as you give him a small hit on his arm and make your way to your marital bedroom. on your way there, you see rina coming your way. you have to pretend like you didn't just witness your husband eat up this poor woman. you smile and put your hands together, bowing to her.

"hey rina! how's it going? i wa-" she puts her palm towards your face and continues walking away.

"i don't wanna hear from you." you watch her as she leaves, staring off into the distance momentarily and sighing. thank god she was an asshole or else it'd be really hard not to sympathize with her.

you walk into your bedroom and see bi-han on the bed. it seems he's getting ready for a bath -- he has a robe-like hanfu loosely draped around his body with his chest visible and and legs exposed. his hair is down and he is reaching for his back like it's aching.

"done with all my duties." you say innocently, your arms behind your back.

bi-han only looks at you momentarily and not even fully before going back to closing his eyes and mending his backache. you walk up to him carefully before sitting down beside him, using your hand to gently knead his back. he lets out a small groan of relief at your gesture.

"you've probably missed my massages all week," you say coyly.

"they were not the thing i missed."

you feel a blush creeping up on your cheek. being away from you for so long made him starved, like a dog meekly asking his owner for more rations. you felt horrible for being away for so long.

"i won't leave again for a while. i promise. we have lost-time to make up for," you say quietly. you prod at his hand and he envelops your hand in his, grazing the outside with his thumb.

"i'd rather not have lies spoken to me for the sake of momentary comfort."

you get up and gently move his right leg further to the right so you can sit on his thigh.

"now you know i can give you more than momentary comfort," you say smirking (but still VERY nervous).

in the blink of an eye, bi-han flips your body over and pins you to the bed, planting a long and voracious kiss at your lips. you bite at his lower lip and he responds by wrestling your tongue with his own. after what seems like an eternity of your mouths fighting for dominance with each other, you break the kiss as a string of saliva follows your mouths.

"you know, i saw everything that unfolded with rina. i think it really is safe to say we belong to one another."

bi-han looks at you with a hint of amusement. "i should have known you didn't have pure intentions with inviting her over." he slips his hand down your frame, erecting shivers from you. he plants small kisses trailing down your midsize.

"perhaps the rest of the lin kuei should know the grandmaster's wife isn't really as much of an angel as she lets everyone think she is."

#bi han #bi han x reader #bi han x y/n #mk sub zero #mk1 #mk1 2023 #mk1 bi han #mk1 x reader #sub zero #sub zero x reader #bi han x you #bihan x reader #bihan x y/n

[writingdisposal]

I can't stop thinking about Vox.

There two ways to think about Vox as a regular love interest. You could think that because this might be his first time ever genuinely liking someone, he'd stumble over his words and struggle to charm their little crush. He is just so overwhelmed with these new emotions. He doesn't know how to act, especially when his old tactics don't result in the expected reactions from you.

This version is cute, but I feel like, it's inaccurate to his character. I can agree that you might be his first genuine crush, but I don't think he'd get nervous that badly.

The first times these emotions rise up, he swallows them down. Yeah, yeah, a pretty face walks by. Of course, it'll peak his interest, but he can't lose sight of his goals and that is to broaden his influence. He will only have to confront his crush once you both get to talking.

"The name's Vox," he lowly spoke, placing a gentle kiss on the back of your hand, "It's a pleasure meeting you." Quickly you take your hand back, not hiding your disinterest. "Oh please, the pleasure is all mine," you reply, noting his smile becoming a little straint, "Let's skip right ahead to business. I don't like wasting my time." "Ah, just the way I like it. Follow me," he said, gesturing you to his office. Vox held open the door, a charming gaze looking back at your stunning face. Up until now, no smile or joy was presented in your attitude, but as you passed him, you shot him a small smile, "Thank you." It made Vox's breath hitch. His eyes widened and his body tensed up a little, yet his smile stayed the same.

An airy chuckle escaped his lips, "No need to thank. Its common courtesy really." "In a place like this? It's rare," you countered, sitting down and waiting for him to follow. Vox quickly shut the door and sat down across from you. Talking to you was easy, especially when a laugh or two snuck in-between. Vox found himself relaxing, enjoying the sound of you voice more so than the actual deal.

This when it hits him that he has a crush. The realisation doesn't stop him or makes him stutter. The only clue you might have of him catching feelings is that he keeps adjusting himself in his seat or talks a little faster. Honestly, nothing else changes. His tone, voice, body language, smile and eyes don't change a bit. Nothing is less or more genuine than before, because Vox is a competent business man first before he is anything else. Over time it'll appear more clear... to others that is. You will stay oblivious because that is how Vox wants it to be. It's going to be far more likely for someone else to tell you that Vox has feelings for you than for him to admit it. Vox isn't a coward about his feelings per say. He will drop you hints when the moment is right, but that is all he is giving. He likes the moments spend together more than anything and if this is all he can get out of this that is just fine by him.

Of course, he wishes for more, but if it isn't what you want, then this is just as good for him. That attitude might change though if you get interested in another demon or spend less time with him. Days that should have been spent together become days where he roughly fucks some whores to let his frustrations out. Those days will also have him casually checking his cameras scattered across town, just to see if you're fine or with someone he should worry about. Naturally you have no idea of this occurring because Vox doesn't want the image of the "suave and charming business man" to slip away. He fears, he can't be this vulnerable with you, at least not now, because you might reject him outright and completely severe contact. So he will continue talking to you, exchanging witty comebacks as well as a flirtatious comment here or there.

Also I think this is clear from the beginning, but just to have added it, Vox would never use his powers on you. It feels forced and that's no fun. He will however use his power to maybe impress you, only if the situation suits it of course.

Ok, that's it. No more thoughts available rn.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin vox #hazbin hotel vox #hazbin hotel vox x reader #vox

[littlemissaddict]

Just a little idea that popped into my head while I was trying to sleep. And while I love reading reader x single dad! fics as someone who doesn't want kids I just feel it's not something I've come across in fics yet (it probably has been done and if you have any recs please send them my way)

Also this drifted away from my original idea and I'm too lazy to correct it so please enjoy whatever this has turned into.

"And then Ella" Steve was replaying the story animatedly across the table from her. They were on a first date, after having bumped into him at the grocery store last week where he had surprised her by asking her out.

"Sorry you've lost me, who's Ella" she asks, interrupting him but it was hard to follow the story when she had no idea who she was. She had figured she was another friend or something as it was the first time her name had been mentioned all night where as she'd heard all about the kids he used to babysit, his best friend Robin and the metalhead who had been adopted into the group but Ella was new.

Steve's face fell and she worried her question had upset him, had he already talked about her tonight and she'd missed it so now it had come across as she hadn't been listening. Oh god, it had been going so well and now she'd messed it up with one simple question.

"Have I not told you? I could've sworn I told you?" He asked, there was no accusations in his tone. Instead, he sounded more confused. She shook her head in answer to his questions and he sighed, "I could've, it's the first thing I tell people, how could I have not mentioned her" he was muttering more to himself than her.

She offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she reached across the table to rest her hand over the top of his where at some point he'd clenched his napkin in his fist. He looked up at her touch, "it's okay you don't have to tell me if you don't want to" she reassured him. It may have been a first date but he didn't have to tell her his whole life story in one go, she hoped there'd be a few more where they could learn more about each other.

"No, she's someone I like to be up front about, I need to know before I get involved with anyone so they don't freak out and leave when they do eventually find out and then I'm left picking up the pieces" he explains and her heart bleeds for him, thinking about Steve thinking everything is going well only to be left picking the pieces of his heart up after they leave but she also can't help the anxious feeling building inside of her.

"Ella's my daughter"

Her face falls as soon as the words slip past his lips, a reaction she's quick to cover but not quick enough as Steve sees.

"I know it's a lot to take in especially when we're just getting to know each other that's why I like to make it known straight off the bat but tonight, I don't know I guess I just got so caught up in the excitement of being here with you that I forgot and that sounds terrible that I'm admitting to forgetting my own daughter but it's been a while since I've actually been excited for a date and well you've made me feel like a teenager again which I guess is why" he rambles, his eyes closing as he rubs his fingers against his temples before he looks back at her. "Please say something, even if it's just to tell me I'm an idiot" he all but pleads.

"Steve" she whispers. Her mind is going at a million miles a minute as she processes his confession and her own feelings. "I don't know, I really wasn't expecting to be discussing kids on a first date" she admits, "but since we're being up front then I can't lie but kids have never really been in my plans for the future and I know your not asking anything from me right now but I've enjoyed myself tonight and I really want to see where this goes but," she pauses glancing at Steve and she can tell that he's expecting her to tell him that she doesn't want to be with someone who already has a kid and the acceptance of it is written all over his face which is heartbreaking because he deserves love she's just not sure if she's the one.

"If this did progress, if we did get together I just don't know if I'd fit your expectations or even hers" she admits, already feeling like she'd be a disappointment to the both of them when she couldn’t fill the mother roll that she thought he was expected her to fill. "I just don't want it to get to the point where we realise that maybe it won't work and then we're left as you say picking up the pieces" she finishes with a sniffle, god please don't let her cry.

And Steve, wonderful Steve, leans even further across the table, his large palm cupping her cheek as a small smile graces his lips. "I have no expectations, this would be new for both of us as its only ever been me and her for the longest time, all I need to know is if you'd be willing to try, take things slow until we figure out us and then when you're ready then we introduce Ella, we could just even say your a friend if that makes you more comfortable" he tries and she melts under his touch, his gaze.

"I'm terrible with kids" she adds, giving him one last out to change his mind but he just chuckles.

"They're a learning curve, trust me but she's a good kid" he promises with a nod that somehow has her feeling at ease. Kids may have not been in her plan for the future but maybe one wouldn't be so bad.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington oneshot #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington angst #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things

[bluberryfields]

"What the hell did you just do?"

Part 2 of whatever. Continuing on with Tadfield Manor scenes, we get to the infamous "Wall" scene. I know it has been analyzed by many so far, but that's never stopped people in the world of literary analysis from spewing their own thoughts on well-reviewed texts. Also, I just want to.

Okay, so once they enter the manor building and see the management training branding, Crowley decides to "help out" and make all of the paintball guns into real machine guns. He snaps his fingers and points double finger guns at the passing "soldier".

Aziraphale is dumbfounded. "What the hell did you just do?

Such language, Angel! And no physical reaction to it like Crowley did when he said "Heaven's sake" in E6. Huh.

Crowley, meanwhile, is thoroughly pleased with himself. They want to battle? He's happy to oblige.

This plus the scare in the courtyard lets us see Crowley enjoying the few perks of being a demon. It's fucking adorable.

Aziraphale cannot comprehend how Crowley - who just miracled a stain away on his coat because it bothered him - could do something so thoroughly evil. And with a jaunty step!

If Aziraphale had pearls, he'd be clutching them so hard.

To which Crowley takes the opportunity to once again point out the flawed binary system of morality. We the audience will see this argument again in the Body Snatcher minisode, so it's fun to see how these two keep having the same old debates throughout time just with different causes with which to start from.

Pointing out hypocrisy while slinking down a hall? Crowley, you delicious tramp.

Aziraphale is still thoroughly horrified, but Crowley concedes with a sigh that everyone will, in fact, be fine. To me, his tone is a mix of disappointment at him not being quite as much of a bastard as he paints himself. He can't really hide his true self from Aziraphale.

I love how he can't stop moving his body. Snakes gonna slither.

Then here is it. The big moment. Smug little Aziraphale feels the need to mention how nice Crowley is underneath his demonic persona.

We now know that this is a reoccurring exchange, where Crowley must defend his title of Big Bad Demon in front of Azi's kind compliments. There's serious consequences to Crowley being labeled "nice" and Azi knows this by now. So why does he keep bringing it up? To provoke Crowley? To finally break him into admitting Azi is right? It's not like Azi can protect Crowley from Hell's wrath, but he pushes anyway.

I thought Crowley was the shit-stirrer in this relationship.

And now my favorite part. Sister Mary shows up and rightly implies these two are about to nail each other through the drywall. But when she recognizes Crowley, he stops her in her tracks.

The sass! It's off the fucking chart! Only an Angel could withstand such a display!

Aziraphale just straightens his clothes and lets the sass go unchallenged because he's still has a bit of self-preservation instincts left.

So I already talked about the "Luck of the devil" line from Aziraphale here, but it truly is a fun moment in the context of the whole scene. Crowley is worked up from the "nice" comment and Aziraphale's seeming refusal to stop analyzing him.

Horny Aziraphale is sassy and Crowley looks like he wants to bite through a door frame.

So, obviously, I've spent way too much time rewatching these scenes, but I do find it so interesting how we see so much of their relationship on display within just a few minutes. The different personality traits to draw them together while also pushing them apart.

The way Aziraphale knows how to work Crowley, who in turns knows how to indulge appropriately. (*cough* bullet catch *cough*)

The way Crowley happily taps into his demonic toolbox to spread a bit of chaos without actually causing serious harm. (*cough* Job *cough*)

The way Aziraphale reflexively tows the party line of Heaven even in the face of Crowley's demonstrations of humanity's instincts. (*cough* all of time *cough*)

And basically the way they bring out the best (and sometimes worst) of each other. Some might say they're a team. Or a group. A group of the two of them.

#good omens #crowley x aziraphale #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #david tennant #michael sheen #aziracrow #aziraphale x crowley #good omens meta #the cutest chaos goblin #luck of the devil #sassy aziraphale #supernatural sass #microcosm of the universe #nice is a four letter word

[heartandfangs]

I OWE YOU— PART FIVE.

GENRE Roommates AU, Playboy!Jake, Virgin!Reader, BestFriend!Heeseung, Heavy Smut, Slight Angst, Fluff (if you squint)

PAIRING f!Reader x Jake/Jayeun, f!Reader x Heeseung

WARNINGS 18+ ONLY, Cursing, Possessiveness, Manipulation, LOTS of jealousy, Implied one-sided feelings, Unresolved feelings, Trash talking, Alcohol, Flirting, Slight slow-burn, Morally-grey characters, Sexual inexperience, Sexual tension, Anxiety, Making out, Teasing, Finger sucking, Grinding, Breast worship, Brief rimming (very brief), Fingering, f!Receiving Oral sex, m!Receiving Oral sex, SoftDom!Heeseung, Sub!Reader

WORD COUNT +13k

SUMMARY In which you realize that your playboy roommate and your best friend share one common thread: their uninhibited desire for you. With Jake giving you the cold shoulder, you choose to indulge the latter this time around… consequences be damned. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE Even if you're not caught up with the series, if you love Hee, you'd enjoy this part alone. 🫠  It came out a lot more romantic than I intended, but Heeseung's character just brought it out of me and it's not even in his own series– that's how badly he's been coming for me! 💗 But tbh it was a long time coming and set up in part 3, so letting soft dom Heeseung have his reign here. I added extra smut for you all which is why it took a week more than I said it would to post, but I think it was worth it. Fucking enjoy 🫶 I'm officially deceased, you’ll find me in my coffin ⚰️ (See end of work for cont. A/N)

YOU WISH, Part I, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Masterlist

© 2022, Heart and Fangs. All rights reserved. Do not translate or post anywhere.

TAGLIST @skzenhalove, @axartia, @stbwe, @duolingofanaccount, @writingmochi, @thejjrl@fan-zhan, @kazuhugs, @sweetnightleeheeseung, @rpkth, @btskpop17, @markleeisdabestdrug

It perturbed you how much your body yearned to be near Jake Sim.

Seemingly, Jake shared the same sentiment, despite having vied for your attention one day and then ignored you entirely the next, right after you rejected his kiss during your last encounter. It must've been the tipping point after you cruelly renounced your heated first kiss with him, chalking it up to anything but feelings despite you initiating it. 

However, you were nearly beginning to wonder if you called it too soon; his feelings for you, that is. Not to say that you were in love with him; you knew better than that. But after much thought and a healthy amount of denial on your end, you were beginning to realize Jake had fallen for you in a twisted sense.

It was a challenging notion to wrap your head around. If he had, at what point had Jake fallen and why?

After all, that wasn't what Jake was about.

Your rejection of his romantic advances drew such a strong reaction from him, though, like the man wasn't sure what to do with himself. As if it was his first time dealing with such feelings, but he had to have gotten his heart broken at least once, right?

Although, it really seemed like Jake was infatuated rather than in love– because you were the sole one he'd yet to get his hands on from the start.

So, the dissonance in his behavior made sense after what had transpired between you two in that short time frame. Callousness was a reaction you hadn't anticipated coming from Jake– and you would never admit out loud that it hurt.

The ghost of Jake's touches lingered on every inch of your skin and had you rutting into your pillow late at night when the vivid memories of him persisted. A consequence of your carelessness, even though you knew what you were getting yourself into. 

Jake had shown you facets of himself you hadn't even known existed beyond his mischievous persona and capricious way of living. He'd push your boundaries in ways that irked you but also expanded your little world. It was such an intriguing dynamic, one you could imagine yourself exploring further with him… perhaps without strings attached.

You never thought you'd come to consider such a thing, especially after how cold you've been with Jake and how precious things like first kisses once were to you. 

Although Jake never verbally expressed it, he clearly thought otherwise and seemed to want you romantically. He was growing attached to you in ways he hadn't shown to have been in the past.

One kiss– and suddenly yours and his intentions swapped. How was that even remotely possible for him, let alone for you?

Two weeks had gone by begrudgingly slowly and each day was like a hellish repeat of the day prior, consisting of an unbearable tension you hadn't known was possible to exist between two people.

Jake would either rise earlier in the day or stay in later than you just to avoid contact. If either of you did happen to pass by each other in the common areas of the flat, no words were exchanged, and god forbid you made eye contact.

It was a good thing life had many distractions. 

Being a working member of society meant that you were more than eager to get out of the four walls of your bedroom after being at your desk all week. Saturday evening arrived like the answer to your prayers, and since you didn't go out much, you intended to have as much fun as you could within your means.

A notification sounded from your phone, informing you that the Uber you were currently in was approaching one of your favorite speakeasies. The sound pulled you out of your thoughts, the blur of buildings starting to look familiar. 

By recent habit, you tapped on your photo album to indulge the source of your guilt and irritation. Turns out when Jake stole your phone those couple weeks ago, he filled your gallery with ridiculous selfies— several blurry, taken at hilarious angles, and others, obnoxiously flirtatious, as if he intended to get a rise out of you.

He was shirtless in all of them, which only made your nerves hum, and your palms sweaty.

One photo in particular always made you feel hazy– Jake had fallen over your sheets, sweatpants hung low on his hips, and a veined hand wrapped around his neck like a choker, his demure, heavy eyes telling of his arousal for you.

Fantastic— As if you needed a fucking souvenir photo for that day.  

In frustration, you slammed your head back on the headrest, drawing a concerned look from your Uber driver in the mirror. The car had come to a momentary stop in a free parking space. 

"Sorry," you quickly apologized and hurried out of the car onto the busy streets of downtown.

A red neon sign that read Deities & Denizens glowed several feet above you, indicating that you were at your stop. You glanced at your reflection in a tinted window and smoothed your fingers over the soft velvet fabric of your dress, ending at the tops of your thighs.

The black dress dipped sharply to reveal the skin of your decollete, the panels wrapped and tied to the side of your waist. Its long fitted sleeves would keep you warm, as would your trusty thigh-high, suede boots you'd chosen for the night.

Thin, woven strands of leather kept them tied behind your thighs, and at the end of each dangled a silver horned charm. The heel gave you a couple of inches of height without compromising comfort, along with the false hope that you might have a chance at appearing less like a child next to Heeseung.  

You pocketed your phone into your dress and ran your fingers over the simple diamond choker resting at the base of your neck; it was a lovely gift from your mother, who you hadn't seen in a long time, and you've only worn it out on occasion.

A gust of wind from the cars driving by swept your hair, and the bustling street activity along with the chatter of people caused a thought to intrude on your mind.

What if I had taken Jake instead?

With a frustrated huff, you dropped your arms to your sides and yanked open the door to the venue.

Why would I even think such a thing? I'm here to spend time with–

"Hey."

To your left stood the man of the hour with his arms crossed over his chest.

Immediately your face brightened upon seeing Heeseung, who gave you a small smile in return.

"What are you doing over there brooding against the wall for?"

"Waiting for you, of course," Heeseung replied.

Well, you set yourself up for that one.

"Yeah, I know– Sorry I'm a bit late."

Although Heeseung was as much of a wallflower as you were, his exquisite fashion sense consistently garnered attention from anyone in close vicinity. Dressed head to toe in black with a sleek leather coat and dress boots, he must've been drawing glances from strangers since he arrived, even appearing slightly intimidating to you despite knowing him.

Heeseung pushed off the wall and made his way towards you. He easily pulled you into his arms as you rose to the tips of your toes, barely able to thread your arms around his neck in a warm embrace without his help.

Immediately, you appreciated the proximity; after all, it was the first physical human contact you've had in weeks. Almost wanting to just fall limp against Heeseung, you opted to rest your cheek against his shoulder and take in the scent of his cologne. He smelled of warm musk, and subtle spice layered over crisp apples, reminding you of a crackling fireplace amid the cold woods.

Heeseung felt you relax against him and rubbed comforting circles against your back in response. 

"You looked a little distressed there; something happen along the way here?"

Coming to your senses, you slipped your arms from his shoulders, but his hands settled on your hips, keeping you close. It startled you slightly, being able to feel the outline of his natural bulge press against you. 

Breath catching, you replied, "...No. It was just a weird Uber drive. You know how those can sometimes be."

"Next time, let's just meet at your place, and we'll go from there together," he looked into your eyes, and you thought you imagined his thumb slowly dragging over the curve of your hip.

Gosh, Heeseung feels different.

"You're sweet," Taking his hand, you tugged him along to the back of the restaurant, "Next time."

His skin was warm to the touch, and you willed your palms from getting sweaty. 

Heeseung leaned down, his warm breath tickling your ear, "You look beautiful tonight."

Even amongst all the noise, his gentle voice managed to send shivers across your skin.

"It's nice pretending to be a participating member of society once in a while," You smirked up at him, fighting the urge to shy away.

"It is nice, sometimes,” he agreed.

As you weaved between groups of people and servers alike, the aroma of the food spread on each table made your stomach growl.

"This place is pretty cool; the vibe reminds me of the 1920s," He looked over his shoulder, eyeing the busy old-fashioned bar drenched in warm lights, "Is this not where we're sitting?"

"Remember, it's a speakeasy– which means the bar we're going to is hidden further in," You turned around and stood in front of him as he came to a halt, "And you have to find it."

The both of you found yourselves in the middle of a dim hallway, luxurious glass cases filled with massive blocks of ice on trays to your left, rows of large steel kegs lining the furthest back wall behind you, and a mysterious door on your right. 

An amused smile tugged at Heeseung's lips as he brushed by you and reached for the gold door knob, the most obvious choice.

He peered into it curiously before shutting the door, "That is a fancy bathroom."

You chuckled, stepping aside to watch him further explore the space while taking in… well, him. 

Somehow Heeseung had grown since you last saw him in person; his shoulders had broadened, filling out his leather coat, and the slight angle of his jaw was more mature. A stranger probably wouldn't have guessed he'd move with such grace across the stage with his long limbs, but you knew how exceptional of a performer he was. 

Everything from his subtly styled hair to the steel toe of his boots was impeccable; Heeseung naturally exuded an intriguing aura that people picked up on even when he wasn't on stage. Perhaps it came with the familiarity of being in the spotlight. You've never been the sort to care to perform in front of others, and with Heeseung, you've never had to.

Heeseung curiously ran his hand over the wall of steel kegs and shot you a questioning look.

"You're hot," you hinted.

"Am I?"

You rolled your eyes as Heeseung held his hand out to you with a glimmer in his eye, "Come on."

Without a second thought, you took his hand in yours.

Jake wove his palm over a flickering candle, hunched over his chosen glass of amber poison. Its heat stung, but only when he stayed put for too long. 

It was no different with his sexual encounters.

He was reminded of how candlelight spilled over your serene expression in the bath and the mess of feelings that overcame him after your last tryst weeks ago. How he left you on your knees in that tub after everything— after he used you.

A pang of guilt throbbed in his chest, so he swallowed a mouthful of his drink, enduring the burn down his throat. 

"So, handsome. What are you headed after this, my place or yours?" A perfectly manicured finger reached out to trace the back of his hand, and he instinctively retracted it. 

… Instinctively?

"I don't have any plans, and I'll likely be keeping it that way for the rest of the night."

The woman huffed and shot an irritated look at him, then glared across the table at Jake's more relaxed companion. 

Jake glanced over at Sunghoon, who had an arm draped around another random woman that suddenly appeared at their table about twenty minutes prior, already sipping on her third martini.

As the woman at Jake's side downed her drink, Sunghoon shrugged at his friend’s prickly demeanor. "Really, Jake? Hey Jay, can we get another—"

Said bartender quickly approached their table from the bar and directed a threat to the man under his breath, "I will personally slip cyanide into your drink if you order another Zombie, Sunghoon."

"It's for Jake; look at him. The poor guy needs to get fucked up a bit," Sunghoon insisted, brushing his fingers through his bleached locks, "And then maybe he'll tell us what the hell has been going on."

Jay gave the younger man a good look, taking in Jake’s unusual stony expression before nodding and rolling up his sleeves, "…Fine."

Just as Jay turned back to the bar, he paused in his tracks. 

Sunghoon followed the bartender's line of sight to a young woman dressed in black, never mind the man next to her. 

"Is she a regular?" He asked Jay.

Jake didn't bother to turn around or listen in to the ongoing conversation, fully caught up in his vehement thoughts about you.

Jay's attention snapped back to the task at hand, and he began pouring a couple of glasses of water behind the bar. "Even if she wasn't– don't even think about it."

"Why, you got dibs?" Sunghoon probed.

"No. She's just never come off as the type that'd give you a chance– Plus, she's brought company, for once."

Jay approached Sunghoon's short-term object of interest for the night, who was admittedly his favorite regular and her plus one, who Jay– if he were being honest with himself– was a bit envious of.

Heeseung's expression upon entering the speakeasy was absolutely priceless. His mouth fell agape upon noticing the long wall lined with rows upon rows of skulls to the left where you both stood. The walls reached the incredibly high ceiling, decorated with obscure framed paintings and portraits of people staring down at the unsuspecting diners.

On his right, several deep, inverted shelves that were tucked into the walls displayed an impressive stock of spirits and booze for the clientele's ailments. People occupied each booth and table, yet it wasn't nearly as noisy as the restaurant outside.

The room was bathed in warm, dim lighting from the individual tea lights scattered along the tables and the grand candle-lit chandelier hanging at the center of it all.

"It's like something out of Disneyland, isn't it?" You said.

"Feels like a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion," He agreed, "It's right up your alley."

"Exactly," you smiled, tugging him to your reserved seats at the closest end of the bar.

On queue, a familiar face approached you.

"Hi, Jay."

"___," He greeted, replacing the reservation plaque on the marble counter with two glasses of water, "It's been a while, and you've brought company this time."

"I have! Meet my best friend, Heeseung."

"Hello, best friend," Jay nodded at Heeseung, who returned the gesture.

"Hello."

That drew a chuckle from you just as Jay brandished a menu with a flourish and slid it across the counter, "Let me know when you're ready, love."

"I will," you said shyly, unable to help yourself when interacting with the bold bartender.

Heeseung rapped his knuckles against the marble counter while looking after Jay as he walked off. He observed you closely as you studied the small, gold foiled menu. 

You slid a hand over your stomach as it growled, "I swear, I'm about to order one of everything."

"The menu's not that big," Heeseung propped his chin up on his palm, "Why don't we?" 

"Really?" You grinned, "You gonna help me finish it all?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yeah, yeah– keep thinking you put it away better than me," You drawled, finger running down the list of specialty cocktails to choose from, "What are you thinking drinks-wise?"

"Since you know what's good here, why don't you choose for me?"

"Aw, you trust me to get you something nice and sweet for your baby taste buds?"

Heeseung pouted, "I don't have baby taste buds."

"Yes, you do, Mister I'd like extra, extra sugar in my milk tea, please."

Heeseung gently nudged you sulkily, and you mischievously made a big show of nearly slipping off your stool. Just as he caught you, your hand shot out to grip his arm and steady yourself, a bit surprised to feel his muscles flex under his jacket.

"Geez! I almost fell on my ass."

He pulled you back onto your seat with ease, "You did not—"

"Ready for some drinks?" Jay suddenly reappeared after seeing your arms flail from across the room.

You straightened up, a smile plastered over your face. "Oh, yes. He'll have the Love Note, I'll have the Fallen Angel, and we'll get one of everything off the shareables."

Off to your side, Heeseung looked curious at the names of the cocktails you rattled off. 

"I'll put those in for you…"

You thanked Jay, but it appeared he wasn't finished speaking with you.

"… So, I received an anonymous request. This shot is from the hottest guys in the room," Jay sighed loudly, holding a glass filled with a creamy citrine liquid, "And they want you to go figure out who it is."

You stared at Jay, and he visibly cringed. "Hint: it's not me."

Heeseung gave Jay a tight-lipped smile, clearly not amused.

"I completely understand if you don't want to tip me." The bartender set the single shot glass down in front of you and quickly turned on his heel to tend to other guests. 

"What the hell?" Too curious for your own good, you scanned the dark room over your shoulder.

It was only a matter of seconds before you met the sharp gaze of a handsome young man with silver hair who sat on the opposite end of the room. A woman accompanied him, and another man with his back turned to you. 

The man facing you whispered something to his companion before sending an enticing wink your way. The girl at his side sent you a nasty look at the attention you were receiving, causing you to avert your eyes.

Unsettled and feeling a heat work up your neck, you were glad Heeseung couldn't see your face.

Then his dark haired companion turned your way, appearing somewhat lethargic until his sights settled on you. The same mixture of disbelief spread across both your faces.

Jake.

Heeseung paused. "Isn't that your roommate?"

"Yes," Your stool creaked as you turned back to the counter and stared down at the shot. It smelled sugary and citrusy; Heeseung would probably like it. "Yes, and I have no clue what's going on right now."

Jake's appearance at one of your favorite bars had to be coincidental. It wasn't his idea to send a shot over and get your attention, right? Did his friends even know what you looked like? He's never had them over except girls, and you've never taken any photos together, but it's possible Jake spilled everything to them… 

Shit. Did he actually? You hadn't even told Heeseung yet, but you hadn't exactly been planning on it.

Heeseung blinked at you in silence before his eyes narrowed in on your roommate. The last time they'd seen each other was through your laptop's screen, and Jake had been all up in your space if he remembered correctly.

Clearly, something had gone down between the two of you.

Jake couldn't take his eyes off you, even as you tried to duck your head out of sight… until he felt Heeseung's scrutinizing stare.

If looks could kill.

"Shall we people watch for old times sake? I'm sure it'll make them uncomfortable if they see us whispering to each other while staring at them," Heeseung suggested. 

You couldn't help but laugh out loud despite your nerves. 

In college, there had been countless nights you'd spent together in boba cafes while people-watching and whispering made-up stories of strangers' lives for fun. 

Perhaps it was a bit juvenile and silly of you two, but the stories you two spun had you doubled over in laughter by the end of the night. The two of you always did it on the down-low, but Heeseung must've been feeling a little bolder today. 

"…What do you think about the guy with my roommate?" You asked distractedly, preferring to speculate about Jake's friend rather than himself.

Heeseung spun your stool back around, so you both faced the suspected try-hards of the night. When his hand rested on the small of your back, you straightened up in your chair.

"He's likely a player if the guy's hanging around your roommate. Probably still in college and wants to hang with the big boys. I wouldn't be surprised if he pulled that stunt with the shot— tacky birds of a feather flock together." 

"Damn, you're not pulling any punches tonight, are you?" 

"I don't feel inclined to these days… it's an easy read."

Sunghoon's expression slowly shifted into a frown as he convened with Jake, who'd quickly turned his back on you.

You snickered, "I'd agree with you. The silver-haired kid probably secretly has a mommy kink."

Heeseung choked on his water, sending you into a fit of giggles only feeling a bit apologetic. He quickly recovered himself, shaking his head at you in disbelief.

"Sure you didn't pregame before meeting me here?"

"Hey, I'm here to have all the fun with you tonight!" You said.

"Right… So, what’s in our drinks?"

You shot him a sly look at how quickly he changed the subject but decided to go along with the flow.

“Love Note’s got vodka, gin & crème de violette. It's like a cloudy purple and looks a bit mysterious, but it's partly fizzy and tastes like candy. Even the presentation reminds me of you; you'll see when it comes," Heeseung found himself bashfully glancing down at his lap as you continued, "Fallen Angel supposedly has crème de menthe with gin & sugar in it. Not sure how that combination is with lime, but I thought, why not give it a try? Sometimes the names of drinks are enough to get me to taste it."

"Is menthe essentially mint? Kind of sounds like a toothpaste cocktail—"

"Don't even start," you warned, pressing a finger into his chest. 

Heeseung chuckled and you pursed your lips, the two of you sitting back to observe your surroundings again in comfortable silence.

To your annoyance, your eyes kept wandering back to Jake; you had to force yourself from staring at his back, feeling the weight of his unexpected presence on your shoulders. 

Giving Heeseung your full attention was challenging when so many things were pressing on your mind. Part of you wanted to leave after seeing Jake, but you didn't want to ruin your night with your best friend.

And even though you didn't owe Jake anything, you also felt the pressure to say something after weeks of silence, but you weren't sure what, and this certainly wasn't the place to do so.

Suddenly, the tips of Heeseung's fingers began tracing lazy shapes across your back as if he knew you'd drifted away in your thoughts. His touch sent tingles sparking across your skin, causing you to press your thighs together.

Oh gosh, what was he doing?

You felt Heeseung staring at you with a knowing look, and in a panic, you quickly reached for the forgotten shot on the counter before giving it a quick taste.

"Lemon drop. Try it," You tipped the glass towards him. 

Heeseung's long fingers curled around yours as he took the glass and knocked it back.

While Heeseung ran his tongue over his lips in consideration, you hadn't realized you were licking at your own, mirroring him. "Tastes like sour candy and vodka. I would've gotten you something different."

"Like what?"

"Just champagne, and lots of it," He said simply, setting down the empty glass.

"Quit making me out to be a drunk," you bumped his knee with yours and gave him an accusing look that had him beaming.

A chic string of notes filled your ears and drew your attention to the corner of the room; a live band had shuffled in and begun playing a sultry-sounding number that was a bit on the R&B side. Heeseung's hand dragged across your spine, causing you to squirm.

"___. Want to dance?"

You hunched your shoulders, at the thought. "Heeseung, you know I'm no good at dancing. I haven't had enough to drink yet to get into it. I really can't–"

"Dance with me," he whispered lowly.

The cocky look he gave you said you had no chance of skipping out this time. That this would be very different from the times you'd stubbornly stay on the sidelines whenever he found himself in the middle of a dance floor at the occasional family party you dragged him to.

Without a crowd to hide in, this just might be the first time in a while that Heeseung would push you out of your comfort zone. Whatever happened to the boy who let you have your way?

He threw his coat onto his seat and was already gently pulling you forward. With stiff limbs, you stumbled over to the small dance floor while hiding your face by staring at the tips of his leather shoes. 

Suddenly, you felt his warm hand brush the sides of your cheek as he delicately tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, the slightest frown pulling at his features.

"What?"

Honestly, Heeseung didn't like seeing you like this, believing that you deserve the spotlight with how beautiful you looked… And perhaps for a more selfish reason.

His gaze turned chilly as he spotted your obnoxious roommate, keenly aware of his nuisance of a friend that sent you a shot, even picking out the slick-haired bartender who seemed to have garnered your warmth. 

Heeseung turned back to you, releasing a deep breath that you didn't think much of, "I was just thinking about how popular someone is these days."

You merely scoffed, “Never.”

"Why not?" He challenged.

You gave him a look as though the answer were obvious, "I'm me."

Heeseung sighed, and decided to let it go for the time being.

Oblivious girl, he thought.

On the other hand, he found it cute how your hands tried to find somewhere comfortable to rest, frantically running over his arms and shoulders in a fuss. 

With a chuckle, he caught your shaky hands before placing one just above his chest and clasping the other with his own.

"Are you trying to tickle me?"

"No, my anxiety is just through the roof right now," you admitted.

"Let's just sway," Heeseung held you by the waist and turned you around; that way, you could only see the band playing over his shoulders rather than the curious crowd, "Easy. You can do that for me, right, love?"

He's teasing me, isn't he?

When you said nothing and merely bit your lip, looking up at him cheerlessly, Heeseung grinned and pulled you tighter against him in reassurance. 

"I hate you," You uttered while furrowing your brows at him.

That was far from what he was hoping to hear from you that night.

"... I've missed you." 

In the blink of an eye, his expression suddenly turned troubled, and you were taken aback at his seriousness. It was difficult to discern the reason for the affliction in his eyes.

"I've… missed you too." 

There was no doubt that he could feel your heart beating wildly through your rib cage while you followed his lead, stepping side to side at a pace that was way too slow for the song. Regardless, Heeseung didn't seem to care about being behind one bit, proud that you were slowly catching onto the rhythm he set for you.

The odd look in his eyes lingered, even as he masked it with a smile and praised you.

"You've got it." 

However, he placed too much trust in you when he spun you around in a twirl, your stomach lurching when you felt the heel of your shoe catch on the floor. 

You cursed as you rocked backward, trying to brace yourself to meet the hard floor. The room swirled and then went still at the oddest angle in your vision.

To your relief, Heeseung's hands effortlessly supported your back and secured your wrist, suspending you in mid-air. At the angle he held you at, the room appeared upside down, and you found that you couldn't pull yourself up without his help.

"Heeseung–"

"Relax, ___," Heeseung's lips brushed against the pulse of your neck, an unexpected moan slipping past your lips, "I'm not going to let you fall."

Oh fuck…

Blood rushed to your head and downwards— pulse throbbing between your thighs as he finally pulled you right side up, securing you against him. With Heeseung pressed between your legs for the second time that night, you realized you didn't need several drinks to make you feel intoxicated.

Your surroundings were a blur as he led you across the floor, oblivious to Jake's steely eyes searing into you with longing from across the room.

"Heeseung," You repeated, more urgently this time.

The man noticed the shift in your tone and although you tried to sound intimidating, the underlying neediness in your voice nearly set him off.

The two of you stumbled into the back hallway, the live music growing quieter, and the sound of blood rushing through your ears suddenly audible. Heeseung steadied you by the waist as he pressed near, your back quickly hitting a wall as you did your best to quiet your pants. 

Deeply affected by the culmination of his touches and whispers against your skin all night, you struggled to get your thoughts in order.

He just–

"What is it, ___?"

Taken aback at his nonchalance, you searched his eyes, almost crumbling under the intensity of his stare. You glanced at your boots, needing a distraction with your heart rate rapidly picking up.

"M-my boot is untied."

Heeseung blinked while you reached down to fix it, but he was much quicker than you.

Lightly dragging his hands down the sides of your body, he dropped to his knee, presenting you with an indulgent view of him at your feet.

Heeseung's nimble fingers grazed the skin of your bare thigh, causing your teeth to tuck against your bottom lip as he adjusted the suede fabric in place. He reached behind your leg and caught the thin leather tassels to tighten in a pretty knot, the horned charm dangling against your calf. 

His hands never left your skin, even as his gaze flickered up at you.

You could only stare back, the concept of time arresting for you both. The slightest of Heeseung's touches made your core clench in want, thoughts devolving into a jumbling mess of insistent urges. 

He saw it all over your face, but you still tried to suppress it.

"I could've–"

Before you got another word out, Heeseung tenderly pressed his lips to the curve of your thigh, his warm palms sliding over your skin. 

Oh.

Your last shred of self-control slipped from your grasp upon feeling arousal drip down your inner thigh, your hands slapping over your mouth in shock. Heeseung pulled back his hand to inspect the wetness, assuming it to be sweat… until realization hit him.

"___," He said darkly.

"Fuck– I'm so sorry–" Wanting more than nothing but to disappear into thin air, you tried to get past him only to be caged in by his arms. 

"Where do you think you're going?"

When you clutched at his shoulders, he sought your undivided attention with piercing eyes that you refused to meet. 

"I'm sorry, I can't..."

Heeseung's voice softened as he moved his hand to thumb at your lips. "It's okay, baby. You can't what?"

To stay or to leave; your mind and body battled.

This is your best friend. 

"I can't keep it together anymore," your voice fell to a hush, but he caught it all. 

With a shaky breath, you slid your hands down his chest, feeling his taut muscles underneath his shirt– sensed him shudder with the difference in how you touched him this time.

When your gaze fell to his lips, Heeseung leaned forward until you pulled him against you, not an inch to spare between your bodies.

Once your lips slid together, you noted every detail about how he kissed you, how his tongue tasted bright and sweet as he heavily caressed yours in a way that made your mouth water. The kisses he gave you were deep and coaxing, never quite overpowering but certainly leaving you wanting so much more.

And the way he held you, no differently than the self-assured manner in which he did out on the dance floor, had you wondering why you never entirely gave yourself over to his embrace in the first place.

You hadn't noticed you were pressing your hips against his until he gripped beneath your thighs, hoisting you into his arms. Naturally, your legs wrapped around his waist, hands threading around his neck to run through the soft hair at his nape. 

Your eyes fluttered when he quickly rolled his hips into your core, your whiny moans muffled against his mouth. He was already so hard, and you were dripping.

"Oh, you like that."

"Hee—" You pulled away to catch your breath, but Heeseung merely dipped his head to press sweet kisses above the swell of your breasts, running his tongue along your gleaming choker. 

"Too much, baby?"

"No, but—" His thumbs rolled over your sensitive nipples through your velvet dress, causing more whimpers to leave your lips. "Mmn, fuck— Why are you doing this for me?"

"I could ask you the same question," he peered up at you and began to kiss along the soft line of your jaw, struck by how you melted into his touch, "Why do you think?"

"Hee, I can barely think right now," you huffed against his neck, mouthing a kiss against his pulse in return, "Back lounge, on my left. Hurry."

Once he set off in the right direction, you should've taken a moment to catch your breath but instead, you laved your tongue over the protruding curve of his throat, teasing over his adam's apple. The heat of your mouth drew a deep moan from him, a sound you’ve never heard, full of something akin to frustration and hunger.

Heeseung threw open the door, barely considering his surroundings as he laid you down onto the nearest ruby red couch, pressing you into the luxurious cushions. His hands left your body only to slam the door shut; then, they were back on your hot skin, roaming, and pleasuring, along with his lips. 

The moment Heeseung felt your nails dig into his shoulder blades, he lifted his head from the crook of your neck, voice straining as if he were holding himself back, “Use your words with me, baby. For once, don't leave me guessing what's inside your head."

Oh, you want to tell him you're aching.

That you've been aching inside since your first love left you feeling empty. That although you took back what you wanted from Jake and more, you still felt so unfulfilled for reasons you couldn't place.

Even now, as you realized Heeseung harbored feelings of some kind for you and that you'd been insistently ignoring Jake's odd ways of expressing his own. 

I'm moving too fast again, aren't I? There's a pattern here, you thought, as Heeseung captured your lips sweetly with his.

What did this pattern mean, and what did it say about yourself?

"I don't want to lose you," You gripped his shoulders, "If I let you do this, I'll lose you."

"___, you're not going to lose me." Heeseung dragged his lips against yours again, unable to get enough of you. 

Something deep inside you knew that wasn't true, not because of your lack of faith in Heeseung, but in yourself. Still, you chose to ignore it.

"You can't just do this," You finally got out in between kisses, "It's not fair."

Heeseung chuckled against your lips, "What isn't fair?"

"The way you've been acting all night, this isn't like you."

"Not like me, huh? That just proves we don't spend enough time with each other nowadays."

When your hand gripped his jaw, Heeseung bit his lip and swallowed a groan. "So, you do this to girls often? Flirt with them all night just to have your way with them?"

"No, I'm not like your roommate, ___."

The mention of Jake made you freeze, and Heeseung took note of it, eyes hardening.

"When I touch you like this," Heeseung dipped his fingers between your thighs, dragging them against your lace-covered pussy, and began to rub circles, "When I kiss you—," he licked into your mouth with a sigh, tasting your sweetness, and was delighted when you granted him more access, "— I mean it."

Momentarily, your eyes squeezed shut at the intensity of it all, your hand twisting into the collar of his shirt. 

Heeseung drove his point home when he took your hand and guided it to his lap, breath hitching when you didn't hesitate to palm his hard cock through his pants.

"Only you make me like this," he admitted breathlessly. 

You felt him up, kneading your hand firmly along his thick length. "Since when?"

Heeseung shook his head, inching ever closer, his thumb brushing over your flushed cheek. Those half-lidded eyes of his that bore into you had your panties dripping with arousal. "I don't think you would believe me if I told you, ___."

You were genuinely surprised at the suggestion of his words. 

"... I don't let just anyone kiss me, you know?"

"I know. I know," Heeseung punctuated with a graze of his lips across your collarbone, "So let me do this for you."

He switched from rubbing circles against your clit to dipping his fingers into your entrance through your panties to collect your wetness. Unhurried, the pads of his fingers spread it along the swollen lips of your pussy.

"You're soaked, baby."

You were fast approaching the point of no return for you two, if not already there.

"T-this is going to change things between us, Heeseung."

He paused. "Do you want that?"

There was nothing to be guaranteed about this exchange except for the inevitable drastic shift in your relationship with Heeseung. And even though he told you that you would never lose him as a friend, you questioned being able to guarantee him the same reassurance. Could the two of you come back from this unchanged?

You weren't sure what you wanted to be to him, and vice-versa. All you knew was that you needed him like this, right here and now. 

Why? Why am I like this?

"… I don’t know, I just know I want you." His eyes widened in slight surprise for a split second before they turned roguish, a haze overcoming them. 

"Alright then. Either you tell me what you want…" He tapped on your clit playfully, making your hips twitch "… Or you tell me when to stop."

"I don't have anything like a condom and I’m not on a pill," you admitted, knowing Heeseung would understand, "But do whatever else you want to me, Hee. Just promise me you'll make me come hard, please?"

Heeseung nodded, and it drove you nuts when he took his hand off your pussy to toy with the neckline of your dress while he leaned over your chest. 

"Oh, I can do that for you and more."

His hands slid under the deep collar of your midnight black dress to reveal your swelling breasts and pert nipples. Heeseung parted his lips as though to take one of your tits into his mouth, but his warm breath only ghosted over your nipples, a smirk slowly pulling at his lips as he watched you pull your hair out. 

Now he has the self-control to slow down?

"A-ah, don't tease me, Hee. You've teased me all night."

"You know, I've had that image of you with your pretty set of tits out in your kitchen burned into my memory ever since it happened. Hence, a bit of harmless teasing is only fair," Heeseung kneaded your breasts in his hands before he chose a peak to ripple his warm tongue against.

Inwardly you screamed, never expecting to hear those words come from Heeseung's lips, let alone see them wrapped around your tits. With the way he worked his mouth, you figured you could stay beneath him all night. 

"Haah— what have you done with the Heeseung I know and love?" You whined half-heartedly, embarrassed that he brought up that mishap of you dropping your towel in front of him over that damned video call. 

"I'm still here," He pressed a light kiss to your chin, "But I'm sure with some time you'll come to love this side of me too– So don't shy away from me, ___," he reached up to stroke your cheek tenderly before he leaned back down and switched between engulfing each of your nipples in tight, moist kisses. 

Heeseung would deepen the kiss against your breasts and suckle a little harder each time, provoking your moans to grow louder along with his pace. 

Fuck, you had almost forgotten how amazing this felt like.

Feeling desperate, you caught his wrist to lick a stripe against his palm and along the length of his fingers, needing something to do with your mouth. Heeseung slid two of his fingers past your lips, and you eagerly sucked on them, letting your tongue swirl over his knuckles and messily coat them in your saliva. 

Heeseung's groan rumbled against your breast, causing you to moan against his digits and buck your hips into his waist. His mouth slid off your tit, giving each one a final caress with his tongue, then he tugged you up to sit against the back of the smooth couch cushions.

Your head spun; it was utterly dizzying to be worshipped by him.

"Please, don’t stop touching me," you urged.

"I know, let me give it to you, baby,” Heeseung cooed, “Let me make your aching pussy feel better." 

Once he had you situated and comfortable, he sank to his knees between your legs, and just the rough appearance of him made your clit throb. Heeseung's dark hair was a bit disheveled from your entanglements, and his lips were swollen, glistening in the loveliest way. Then it hit you that he was still clothed from head to toe, to your disapproval. 

"Come here and let me take off your shirt."

Heeseung obediently sat up on his knees, and you leaned over, roughly dragging your hands down the center of his torso, the buttons to his black silk shirt giving under your fingers with a pop. He pushed back your hair to mouth kisses just under your ear, distracting you a bit. 

Once you undid his shirt, you made a point to admire his lean physique, unmistakably that of a dancer's. With too much excitement, you pushed his shirt past his broad shoulders to reveal his sculpted chest and abs.

"Wow," your brows rose as you trailed your touch down his chest, "You're literally ripped."

"It sort of comes with the job…" He glanced down at the carpet, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

There was that shy boy you were all too familiar with, but the moment Heeseung met your eyes again, he'd switched back to his current self, his gaze abounding with desire– and suddenly, you were the one faltering under his attention.

His bulge had remained prominent in his pants and empathizing with his needs, you reached down to touch him. However, he caught your hand.

"Let me take care of you first," Heeseung pulled you into a heated kiss, palms stroking along your inner thighs.

Oh god.

It was impossible to keep track of how many times Heeseung kissed you so far in the night, but somehow, each one felt sweeter than the last. 

"Still wet for me?"

"Yes," you shuddered as he trailed kisses down your stomach, hovering over your clothed mound.

Heeseung slipped his fingers under the lacy waistband of your panties and peeled the soaked fabric back from your pussy. He was enraptured with the way the strands of your slick fell against your skin, the scent of your arousal making his entire body ache.

"So pink and pretty," He sat back and spread his knees to steady himself between your legs, "Have you tasted yourself, ___?"

Flustered, you hesitated to answer, but when Heeseung inclined his chin, the truth came out, "...Yes."

"Naughtier than I thought," Heeseung tugged off your panties from your ankle and shot you a mischievous look when he brought the soaked fabric to his lips, "Bet you taste sweet."

He wouldn't—

Heeseung ran his tongue over the pool of wetness on your lace panties, collecting your arousal on his taste buds. The feverish look he sent you had you reeling.

“Hee…”

"I was right, but I think you're sweeter from the source." 

Speechless, your face burned, and your clit tingled as he tucked your panties into his back pocket and pulled you closer to him by your hips.

"Guess I'll just have to find out."

Heeseung dragged the tip of his tongue around your engorged lower lips, coming teasingly close to your clit just to blow a cold gust of air on it. 

"Oh my god, Hee, please," Your body trembled with unbearable tension as you tried to lift your hips towards him, chest heaving because of his torment on your body. "Don't tease—"

Finally, Heeseung flattened his tongue and sloppily lapped up your slit to capture your clit against his lips. You threw your head back as a moan ripped from your throat, eyes squeezing shut in pleasure. There was no way the sensation of getting eaten out could ever get old to you. Although it was only your second time, you were positively addicted.

And Heeseung devoured you with fervor, the feelings he'd built up for you over the years finally releasing through this outlet of pleasuring you. He continuously rolled his tongue over your clit, and suckled kisses over the nub, the moist sounds mixed with his muffled groans filling your ears.

He felt so soft on your pussy— a perfect mix of gentle and frenzied to push you over the edge. 

"Ahn, fuck, you’re so good at this..." You praised while stroking Heeseung's hair away from his eyes; you were surprised to see the immense fondness in them. 

With a twinge in your chest, you realized there was no way you were his first, not with how skilfully he used his tongue. When did your Heeseung grow up in between graduating from university and the present day? 

Heeseung noticed your expression waver and immediately picked up the pace, pulling you back into the moment. He wriggled his tongue back and forth on your clit, and held you open by your thigh while his middle finger dragged up your entrance.

"A-ah! I haven't yet…"

With much difficulty, Heeseung released your clit with a smack and looked over you curiously. "You haven't what yet, baby?"

"I haven't fingered myself yet," You caught your breath, trying to read his reaction.

"Oh," He considered your words while playing with your wetness by circling his thumb over your pussy, "I'd rather we do what you're comfortable with then, baby."

"Well, I want to try it with you… if you go slow." You nibbled on your lip, trying to control yourself when Heeseung's insistent touches kept you squirming.

"Yeah? I promise I'll be very gentle. Tell me if you don't like it, and we'll stop," Heeseung rubbed his cheek against your thigh, his sweet eyes crinkling as he gave you a pleased smile, "I wanna know all the things that make you tick..."

With that, his mouth was back on your pussy, lovingly working you open and getting you back into the mood, so you were thoroughly soaked to take his fingers.

Knowing how much you liked it, Heeseung reached up to squeeze your tits and rub at your sensitive nipples, eliciting a muffled moan from you as struggled to stay quiet. The combined stimulation of all your sweet spots had you reeling, the start of an orgasm building in your core.

Heeseung pulled back only to cover his index and middle finger with his own saliva as he observed your conflicted expression from under his lashes. 

In that moment, he realized he’s never wanted to ruin you more than now.

Swiping his tongue over his lips, he twisted a single finger against your entrance, mixing his saliva with your slick. At the slightest pressure, your pussy gushed with arousal.

"Hnhn, H-Hee–"

"Relax, baby, you can let me in. I'll go slow, promise. One finger at a time."

Determined to keep from clenching, you released a breath and calmed your nerves, your hands moving to squeeze your tits out of comfort. Heeseung took the opportunity to press into your warm folds, and you felt him nudge even deeper inside you.

"You're doing so well for me, ____. Want me to keep going?"

"Yes," you nodded and felt his knuckles slowly push past your slit to stroke against your velvet walls.

"Oh shit–" You seized around his digit and spilled more of your wetness onto his hand.

"Feel that, how deep I am?" Heeseung felt so hot, rubbing your insides so wonderfully, and it was just the effect of his single finger.

"T-this is intense..." 

"Your body knows it was made to take this," his voice deepened, "See?"

Heeseung took his sweet time, letting you feel every sensation of him slowly pumping in and out of your tightening walls. A surge of wetness accompanied his fingers each time he pressed in, your insides overreacting to his intrusion while you mesmerized him.

"God, you won't stop dripping, baby," he remarked in awe, swiping his tongue along your pussy to lap up your wetness. 

"A-another," you splayed your hands out against the velvet sofa and coerced him with a grind of your hips, feeling as if you were about to go insane.

Immediately Heeseung appeased you; he worked a second finger into your tightness, attempting to stretch your walls that resisted him. So he eased out slightly— pressing back in at the halfway point— and peppered your thighs with kisses. At the same time, he thumbed your clit to give you a break you didn't realize you needed.

Of course, you thought he was only teasing you to death, and two could play at that game.

"More," you untied your dress completely, letting it fall open while you fondled your breasts seductively from above him, "I want more."

"Need more of my fingers inside of you, baby? Is one not enough for this tight pussy?" Heeseung smirked at how quickly your demeanor shifted in comparison to just before he began to finger you.

The intense pressure in his pants persisted, but he was doing his damndest to keep himself in check, determined to see you come undone first. Because the moment you walked into the lobby, he felt it in the air, in the way you nearly dissolved in his arms; you needed this.

"Yes, yes— need more of you," you begged.

So Heeseung didn't hesitate to resume fitting his knuckles past your walls, and once he felt your insides give, he filled you with his fingers. The man didn't give a damn about your slick spilling past his wrist and soaking into the velvet texture of the sofa— he was much too preoccupied with the way your beautiful body writhed under him, testing him.

The stretch of his fingers was perfect, your luscious moans and the deep flush over your skin incredibly telling of your pleasure.

"Ahn, haah, Hee…"

Heeseung curled his fingers against a sweet spot deep inside of you, and laved his tongue over the expanse of your pussy, sucking tenderly at your clit.

“R-right there,” you sobbed, squeezing your eyes shut. 

There was no way you'd last any longer at this relentless pace; you were already arching off the cushions, and Heeseung had to hold your hips down with his free hand to finish you off.

He moaned deeply against your clit upon feeling your fingers thread through his hair to brace yourself against him, his lips and tongue working together to suckle and plunge into your pussy ‘till you spilled your sweetness against him. 

"Oh god, oh god, ohhh god…"

"C'mon, sweetheart," Heeseung sped up and slid his fingers from your entrance only to twist them back in at the perfect angle, "Want you to soak yourself, want to taste you on my tongue for the next week— come on me, baby."

"Heeseung– Hee–" Your hips jerked against his face once, twice— and you nearly blacked out from the ecstasy of his tongue shaking against your clit, his fingers heavily stroking your insides even though you squeezed him like a vice. 

You were falling apart in a way you never have before, the closest you've ever been to being filled, and you could almost cry from the crashing waves of pleasure flooding your body. Everything felt so blindingly sweet; it was incredible.

When your tremors began to subside, you could barely open your eyes and prop yourself up to look at him, taking in one of the biggest messes you've ever been a culprit of— from the soaked cushion underneath you to Heeseung's cum stained lips and chin. His reddened cheeks and jaw were glistening as well and you felt like fainting on the spot. 

Heeseung wasn't quite done with you because he pressed your knees into your chest and buried his hot tongue inside you with a deep squelch. He continued to lap lower between your cheeks, then back over your taint, and along your folds to kiss your swollen nub.

"Mmmn," He hummed against your skin teasingly, and there was no way you could hold yourself up anymore, so you fell back with a breathy moan, fingers tugging on anything of his that you could grab hold of.

"Fuck, Hee!"

An excess of heat spread across your face, body trembling from Heeseung's rather passionate acts. Pleased with your reactions, he sat back and massaged his palms over your legs as helped you stretch them out, a wince pulling at your features.

"Such an obedient pussy. You took my fingers so well for your first time, baby," Heeseung smiled, mouthing along your thigh.

How were you supposed to move a muscle after that? You felt drunk out of your mind.

"T-that felt so good, Hee."

"Yeah? How good?"

All you could do in response was tug him against your lips for a kiss that lasted until you both had to break for air. 

Why was it so easy to kiss him?

Heeseung's eyelids lowered as he stood up and slid against your side. "Huh, so good enough for a second time?"

"Maybe," You shoved at his chest, and he fell back against the sofa cushions while you climbed over him, "It was good enough for me to want to do something about it right now, so I'll let you choose."

You steadied yourself over his lap on the sofa and ran your fingernail along his pant zipper, still a bit shaky from your orgasm. "When you come, do you want my pussy rubbing on your cock or my tongue?"

Heeseung looked genuinely conflicted. "...What if I want a little bit of both?"

"Both?" You questioned, unsure if you should be flattered or taken aback, "For you, I could make an exception… Why, you want me every which way that badly, baby?"

Heeseung grazed your chin with his thumb. "___, I'm just being greedy since I haven't seen you in so long."

"… Tell me, why all of this all of a sudden?"

Heeseung settled back against the couch with a sigh and pulled you onto his lap, quietly considering your question. You let him, but neither of you moved besides his palms caressing over your hips. Part of you was hoping to get some insight into his feelings for you without this being an outright interrogation. 

"It may seem sudden to you, but it's not for me," He admitted, “Back then, I leaped at any opportunity to hang out, like when you'd invite me to study at your favorite boba shop after classes. You were always the focused sort, and I admired you for it, but when we'd sit at those long tables, and you'd lay your head on my lap while you slept— well my thoughts would run wild."

"Seriously?" You smirked, "How wild?"

"Shamelessly so. The depraved side of me thought about you laying on your stomach next to me and quietly unzipping my pants to suck on my cock while no one was looking. The equally terrible, naive side of me wanted to pull a Sleeping Beauty, but I knew I would've gotten my ass beat, and rightfully so."

Holy shit.

"That’s so… I can't believe you thought about me that way," You murmured, despite the reframing of your innocent memories with Heeseung making your face burn.

"I know, but can you blame me? I mean," He ran his fingers up the side of your waist, admiring your figure, "Look at you, you're beautiful."

"I am so embarrassed right now," You admitted under your breath.

He held your hands against his chest and chuckled when you started shrinking away. What else were you supposed to do under such circumstances? Heeseung was the sweetest, but there was only so much attention you could take in a night.

"Hey, don't get shy with me because that's not all."

"It's not?"

"No. ___, you had your shit together, and I was just a kid who probably wouldn't have survived university without you whipping my ass into gear. I always looked up to how you took care of the people around you, even if it was your special brand of tough love."

You stifled a laugh by biting down on your lip, taking in his words. 

"I felt special being one of the few, but I knew you had a reputation for being a bit of a heartbreaker. People who dared to ask you out never stood a chance," Heeseung smiled, then hesitated, "... I never got the chance to tell you, but I got into some relationships after we graduated. One was a little more serious than the other, or so I thought."

He failed to hide the disappointment and hurt in his expression when your features wilted in confusion. It was impossible to identify the untold feelings you experienced in that very second, but most of them had to do with the astonishing fact that Heeseung had fallen in love when you weren't looking; when you should have been looking out for him as his best friend.

"They didn't work out, and it was for reasons out of my control," He glanced at you, and was touched to see your concerned expression, "But you know how it goes sometimes."

Heeseung knew about your first love, which you'd shared with him long ago— but he didn't know about Jake. 

Stunned, your mind raced for something to say in response. Even though you nodded slightly and remained quiet, he could see you processing his words with a forlorn expression.

"It's okay. It's one of those things you come out stronger from, you know?" Heeseung reassured you, even though it should have been the other way around, "I only brought that up because I could never get enough of you back then— even now."

Absentmindedly, he ran his hands down your arms; his even gaze slowly descending your body, making you even more breathless, in your emotional state.

"I always wished you were my first, it made the most sense, but I made my choices. I guess I was too reserved with my feelings and didn’t realize I should be a little more honest with myself until we started doing our own separate thing. It's hard, but I've been trying to be better at that." 

"Heeseung."

Just the way you sighed his name had him lightheaded as if he weren't already hanging on a thread with you in his arms. It was almost too much when you cupped his cheek with your palm. His eyes fluttered shut for a mere moment before they took you in with deep affection.

Heeseung continued, "I know you, ___, so tell me later when you've taken some time to think. Way down the line, after we've caught up and you've given me the time of day to properly express everything to you," He pressed close to you, his lips barely brushing yours, eyes steady, "But please don't make me wait too long. I'm here when you need me... when you want me."

"Like now?" You asked, already knowing his answer.

"Yeah— like now."

With a gentleness that threatened to undo you entirely, Heeseung moved his lips against yours, causing a fluttering in your stomach that was reminiscent of what should have been your first.

So many should-haves and could-haves.

However, Heeseung in all of his abilities was intent on disallowing you to dwell too long on the past. His restless lips on your skin and hard body beneath yours served as a reminder that in the present moment, he wasn't anywhere in the world but right here with you.

The entire expanse of your skin felt ultra-sensitive under his touch because of your last orgasm, but he still pushed your limits. His thumbs rolled over your puffy nipples, the addition of his insatiable kisses bringing them to pleasured peaks while you panted sweetly, and soon enough, you were dripping from between your thighs onto the dark fabric of his pants.

"A-ah," You gasped against his neck and bucked your hips against his waist when you felt him drag his middle finger between your folds and circle your clit. He did it again, swiping at your slit and pulling back a few inches to see your pre-cum string along his fingers.

"Look at you falling apart on me. Your body can't get enough, can it?"

"Can't imagine how you feel, Hee," You shot back, even though you were about to lose it, "You must be aching."

"I just might be," Heeseung grunted and lightly squeezed your jaw, “Think you could take it if I stuffed your adorable cheeks with my cock, baby?"

"Yes,” you breathed.

“Good answer.”

With that, you were quickly undoing the closure of Heeseung's pants, wanting to feel the heat of his cock against your pussy and tongue, in whichever order he wanted. He strained under the layers of fabric, but once you tugged his pants and black briefs low enough on his hips, you dipped past his waistband and seized his cock.

You salivated at the gorgeous sight of him; Heeseung's thick girth was incredibly hot to the touch, pulsing against your hand with considerable length. Your finger traced along the ridge of his tip up to his bubbling slit, wanting to taste him.

You slid off his lap to kneel between his spread thighs, and god, did he look gorgeous staring down at you with darkened eyes and a flush across his cheeks. His bare chest rose and fell irregularly, and his muscular thighs on either side of your body flexed under your ministrations.

"Fuck," Heeseung groaned when the first thing you chose to do was to press a kiss to the head of it, wetting your lips with his pre-cum as you locked eyes with him. You gripped him at the base with both hands and coated his cock with more of your saliva, gliding your mouth along the sides of his length and sucking messily at his overflowing tip. 

He was so incredibly tasty.

"Sucking my cock perfectly," Heeseung ran his hands through your hair, doing you a favor by holding it back from your face. Grateful, you hollowed your mouth around his cock and sucked continuously, ignoring the ache in your jaw from his size, making sure to adequately accommodate him. His shaft slid against your face when you'd lick along his base and mouth at his balls, smearing saliva and pre-cum across your cheeks. 

"Like that, Hee?" You asked around a mouthful of him.

"Ah god— Yes, yes. Wrap your hand beneath my balls and fist my cock with your other hand. Good,” Heeseung reveled at your acquiescence; it showed through his commands and praises, "Suck a little harder; that's it. Show me what you've got, baby."

Heeseung could feel himself grow desperate when you continued to pump his cock with one hand and took his balls captive in your other grip, how you slurped and stretched your lips around them; holding his gaze all the while. Even with absolute self-control, he was slipping under your touch; every graze of your mouth seemed beyond his reality.

Anyone would slip, he reasoned, due to his adoration for you all that you were, from your humanizing faults to the few passions you held dear and everything in between.

But not just anyone could attain your favor as he did– and the darkest part of him wanted to ensure it stayed that way, regardless of who came before him and those who would try to come after.

Pushing the irritating thought to the back of his mind, Heeseung found himself enamored with the view he had of you between his thighs, your eyes glossy with lewd sounds spilling from your throat, pleasuring him with a vigor he knew he didn't deserve. It was officially his second favorite view next to being between your thighs, his face streaked with your cum while you convulsed in ecstasy. 

Mine.

Amid Heeseung's length occupying your mouth, he nudged you off his cock and dragged you up into his lap. 

"Enough of that," He gripped his flushed cock and swiped the tip of it teasingly along your sopping folds, "You're amazing baby, but I just wanna feel you like this. Wanna see your eyes roll back when you come from humping my cock. How's that sound?"

All you could do was nod eagerly, and make pathetic noises of agreement against his damp neck.

He's just as worked up as I am, but he somehow hides it better than me.

Heeseung let his soaked shaft fall against his abs, and then his hands were kneading into your ass, sliding your lower half against the underside of his hard cock. The head of it rubbed against your clit with each thrust, the knot in your core tightening more and more. 

"I want you to look at me when you come, ___."

Your nails dug into his chest, and you shut your eyes tight, feeling dizzier than ever. "No, I can't. That's too much…"

"I wasn't asking," He whispered lowly, nipping at the lobe of your ear.

When you lifted your head to look at him, Heeseung recognized the same helpless expression you wore on the dance floor. It was the one you'd put on during unwanted attention, precisely when overthinking got the best of you. 

"___, it's just me," He cradled your face in his hands and comforted you with a soft peck on your lips, ”It’s just you and me. Look...”

Obeying Heeseung, you watched the way you met each other’s hips in tandem, his red cock peeking out from between your folds with each messy thrust, your bouncing tits framing the perfect view of your deprived body.

“You’re so fucking sexy, baby,” Heeseung tipped your chin back up to look at him, “I’m about to come just from how good your pussy feels on top of me. The taste of your sweet cum nearly did me in, but here I am, letting you get off on me again. It’s driving me nuts—“

Heeseung’s brazen confession made you whimper, your muscles tensing up, “— But I think you love grinding on me, like I’m your big, personal teddy bear to get off on in secret. Is that all I am to you, ___?”

“N-no,” You shook your head and weakly denied his words out of shame, even while your thighs burned from rubbing your slit against his cock non-stop.

“No?” Heeseung had the gall to laugh, albeit breathlessly as he caressed your cheeks, “You’re so cute.”

Just as he saw your eyes start to shake and lose focus of him, Heeseung began to grind his hips deeply against yours, drawing out your orgasm with never-ending stimulation to your pulsing clit. The force of his thrusts was jarring but so perfect as you rolled your hips into him, smothering his cock with your pussy while he watched your lovely features contort into an even more euphoric expression. 

Heeseung just couldn't get enough of your rapturous moans, proud that they most definitely could be heard through the walls. He felt his impending release near just from you clawing at his sweat-stained skin, chasing his lips of your own accord.

"F-fuck—" You choked out when he continuously lifted and slammed you down against his hips despite you being sensitive, his rough fingers digging into your flesh, "Heeseung!"

In a heartbeat, Heeseung was overwhelmed, pure bliss fiercely invading his senses by force after such well delayed gratification. He hid his face against your shoulder with a tempered growl as hot cum shot against his damp chest and abs. 

To your satisfaction, Heeseung's release smeared into your stomach and inner thighs when you rocked into him despite trembling, helping him through his high. With how he held you so tightly against him, you felt like you'd almost burst against his chest, but he loosened his grip on you immediately once he realized his strength in the moment.

"Sorry," He huffed against your lips, "I’m sorry, baby, I thought I was holding back. You just feel so good…"

"It's okay," You swiped his damp hair back from his dazed features, pretty sure that you looked as out of it as he did, "You came a lot…"

With a hoarse laugh, he responded, "Yeah, guess who's fault that is?"

Heeseung's jaw went slack when you dipped your head to run your tongue up his chest to taste his sticky release, and you were immediately taken by his taste. It didn't help that you went so casually about it, swiping remnants of his cum off your lip with your thumb just to suckle it clean.

"... Whatever do you mean? I plead innocence."

God, so help him.

His mind sang three words over and over when his sight focused on your glowing face, but he withheld them, knowing all to well that you weren't ready to hear them.

So instead, he kissed you, for all it was worth, even though he knew it wasn't enough to make up for your past, the old wounds and fresh ones alike.

Still, he had to try.

He had to.

When you both emerged from the lounge and peeked into the main room, it was empty and quiet save for two workers that were on the night shift.

Jake had left, and you were relieved.

Jay was flipping up the stools of the bar so his co-worker could easily mop the floor. At the bar's edge, you spotted Heeseung's coat, your watered-down cocktails, and bags of food that Jay must've thoughtfully bagged for you.

How sweet… and embarrassing!

"Shit. Jay, I really appreciate you packing everything up for us," You slowly approached your belongings, the handsome bartender acknowledging you with a nod, "Um, can we close out with you and finish our drinks?"

"Sure thing, lov–" Jay's eyes darted to Heeseung at your side before he cleared his throat, "Sure thing."

Heeseung slid his card across the marble bar before you could pull out yours, and Jay swiftly took it over to the cash register on the opposite end.

"Hey," you glared up at him, "It was supposed to be my treat. This is what I work hard for."

"Well, the next one's all yours," he said just to quell you.

Heeseung moved his coat off one of the remaining two stools and took his seat facing you. You remained standing at the bar, a little too antsy about being judged by Jay and the employees to take a seat. Afterwards, you did your genuine best to clean the stains out of those luxurious sofas, but god forbid they put two and two together, and you'd never be able to show your face in this establishment again—

"___," Heeseung held his glass towards you, "Cheers."

Looks like you were the only one who was worried.

You forgot that you were starving and even more so after… all that. Drinking on an empty stomach was not the brightest idea, but you didn't want it to go to waste. With caution, you took your glass in hand and clinked it against his, the citrusy peppermint aroma wafting off the light emerald liquid.

You took a sip as Heeseung tried his drink. Minty indeed, but you refused to make the connection with the flavor of toothpaste.

"Verdict?" You asked him.

"It tastes good; sweet although it lost its fizz. I like it," Heeseung eyed the heavy swirl of deep purple beneath the floating opaque cream in his glass, a small grin growing on his face, "Tell me your psychological analysis on how this drink reminds you of me again…"

"Oh, you can forget it," You brushed him off when you knew what he was getting at and instead began to drain your cocktail clean. 

"Wait, let me try," He reached out, and you moved to hand him your drink. Instead, he gently took hold of your jaw and swiped his tongue past your lips, making your stomach flip as if the filth that took place in the past few hours didn't just happen.

"Mm–"

Heeseung pulled back ever so slightly, his voice dropping seductively, "I actually kind of like it. Reminds me of those fruity mints you'd feed me to keep me awake during classes."

"I'm sure that doesn't bring back the greatest memories. Still, you remember the little things, don’t you?"

"Can't help it when it comes to you."

Someone cleared their throat and startled you.

"Hey, thanks for coming guys. Have a great night," Jay returned Heeseung's card but also had something to whisper to you, "Jake covered half of the bill."

Your brows rose, "Jake did? You know Jake?"

"Yeah, he's your roommate, isn't he? I sort of just found that out tonight; we're friends. He said it was to pay you back for something he owed you," Jay said simply.

You nodded dumbly. 

"By the way, this goes for both of you guys,” Jay addressed Heeseung, “Don't mind that silver-haired guy's shenanigans, it's just our dumbass friend’s way of stirring things up on a night out. I only oblige because I get paid."

So, Jay just expressed he thinks you and Heeseung were more than you initially let on, but Jay still didn’t seem to regard differently than normal… Did that mean Jake kept quiet about you two?

"Oh, no worries…” you unintentionally drew out your words while searching for your thoughts, "Did Jake head home a while ago?"

Jay's eyes shifted to Heeseung momentarily, noticing the man's rather impassive expression, "… Yeah, I think he decided to stay over at Sunghoon's place."

You nodded, "I see. Well, thank you for everything, Jay.”

"Thanks," Heeseung said to Jay, with one hand full of bags and the other slipping into yours. 

"… Of course. See you guys around."

This time Heeseung saw you home, the entire way.

You felt the alcohol hit quickly during the Uber ride; usually, it'd take a few drinks, but since you were on an empty stomach, it affected you quite a bit. Besides the tiredness in your muscles a calmness came over you, and you couldn't stop staring at Heeseung along the way.

When Heeseung noticed, he found it amusing but didn't try to start anything with you. He just stared back momentarily and squeezed your knee, leaving his hand there to gently caress your skin. 

It was hard to leave him when you found yourself staring at the door to your apartment, keys in hand.

"It's late…" You stated, and Heeseung looked surprised when he saw your sweet eyes inviting him in. 

Lord, was he tempted to.

He had inkling that you were more to Jake than he first thought, and there wasn't a single part of him that sat right with it. For tonight, at the very least, he could leave you in peace knowing your likely-to-be drunk roommate wasn't in.

Heeseung decided to be forthright with you, "It is late… but if you invite me in tonight, I can't guarantee what might happen."

Even though his words were promising, he was right to warn you. There was only one thing left to do after messing around with him and this wasn’t about having protection or not… What were you thinking? 

Slightly disappointed at yourself, you nodded and slid your hand from his grasp, but he caught it— held it.

"I had an amazing time with you," Heeseung began, "But it almost felt like I didn’t catch up with you enough. You know what I mean?”

Ah, beyond making out, going down on each other and sweet talking… Honestly, with the way things had been going, I’m not really sure if that could’ve been helped. 

“I do,” you said.

“Then are you down to do this again, soon?”

“So like, do what exactly?” You giggled and lifted a brow at him, “Catch up more?”

Heeseung smiled at your tipsiness, “Yes, but how about I take you out to an amusement park or something like that and we have a day to ourselves. You down?” 

“Hee, I haven’t gone to one in so long! Obviously, I'm down.” You bounced excitedly on your toes. 

“Yeah? I’ll ask you again in the morning, alright?”

“Mhmm,” With the alcohol clouding your thoughts, you weren’t sure whether to pull him in for a kiss, a hug or both.

Heeseung being both a tease and gentleman, decided for you and pressed a kiss to your cheek that lingered with heat. 

Damn.

Feeling cheated out, you pressed your body flush against his and hung your arms around his neck under the guise of a hug. You sensed Heeseung tense up and heard his sharp inhale, knowing he could feel every soft contour of your body because you could feel his. He embraced you against his chest— tightly— and released you just in time before you lost it.

Heeseung looked down at you; his eyes heavy and dilated, “Good night, ___.”

Oops.

"Night, Heeseung… get home safely."

"Thanks. Don't forget to eat," He said over his shoulder, holding his half of the food in tow.

"Oh, I won't,” you smiled.

Once you slipped into your dark apartment, you set down the bags to lock up with a sigh. 

The lock clicked in place, then suddenly, you were being pressed up against the door by a warm, hard body behind you, a whiff of hard liquor hitting you first before the intoxicating scent you knew to be—

"J-Jake?"

His arms squeezed you tightly just beneath your breasts, locking you against him. Jake’s soft breath tickled your neck as he buried his face against your shoulder.  

"Missed you, ___."

 –

AUTHOR’S NOTE CONT.

Big thanks to those of you who have been waiting for this and spurring me on to get this up through compliments and feedback! To preface this post, I'll be taking a little break from this series to work on some other ideas I've been thinking of, but how fast I get back to writing this depends on what you guys are wanting too. I might do an 800 follower celebration and take requests also, so stay tuned (I'm 6 followers away lol)!

I've always pictured this to be a slow-burn and tagged it as so since part two. Between this chapter and the series finale�� Jake has an obstacle course to get through before he can win MC's heart. Let's be honest, the boy needs to suffer a little bit of what he put MC through. Likewise, MC has to sort her shit out.

Also, it turns out a lot of you are Hee biased with Jake as your wrecker based on the survey I put out a while ago (just like me hehe). I wonder if some of you are still team Jake after this chapter or has your allegiance changed in IOU? Or both?

Please let me know if you enjoyed it and want more asap or are more interested in new AU’s. Feedback from you has proven to keep me motivated! 🖤⚰️

— P.

#enhypen ff #enhypen smut #jake x reader #jake x female reader #jake sim x reader #jaeyun x reader #jaeyun smut #jake smut #heeseung x reader #heeseung x female reader #heeseung smut #heeseung ff #enhypen au #enhypen hard hours #enhypen scenarios #enhypen imagines #enhypen 02z fanfic #enhypen fanfic #enhypen angst #sim jaeyun x reader #jay x reader #sunghoon x reader #jay smut #sunghoon smut #jay x female reader #sunghoon x female reader #02z x reader #lee heeseung x reader #lee heeseung smut #jongseong x reader

[meownotgood]

devilish. / hayakawa aki x fem!reader, strip tease, kissing scene, slight exhibitionism, slight dubcon (both reader and aki are drunk), reader wears a feminine devil costume, suggestive content, minors dni. word count: 2.2k

You were hoping Aki would show up tonight. 

Honestly, you have to admit you weren't expecting it. He's never seemed like the type to enjoy this kind of scene: people yelling and getting wasted, loud, obscene music blaring. The biggest Halloween party in Tokyo was the last place you'd expect to see someone as reserved and uptight as him, but yet, here he is, just as you wanted, and just as you planned. 

When you were mingling amongst the crowd, you're certain you saw his two idiot roommates partying with the rest — If anything, he probably just came to be their designated driver. Or, so you thought, anyways, because once you approached Aki on the balcony, it was clear to see that he was fucking plastered. 

Since you couldn't find him partying, you were sure he'd be hanging out here. As soon as you step outside, the bare skin on your arms is met with the cool fall breeze, making your hair stand on end. You slide the balcony door closed behind you, muffling the sounds of the party and the music, leaving only the strong bass able to be heard. Then, you approach him, leaning your arms over the railing. Aki has his whole weight rested against it, carefully nursing a cigarette. His eyes dart up towards you, and when they do, his gaze immediately widens. 

"And you're dressed as…" You give him a once-over, cocking a teasing eyebrow. He's wearing his usual uniform: his dress shirt, unbuttoned a little at the top, with his loose tie still hung around his collar. He has the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and his hair remains in his usual neat topknot. "Yourself?" 

Aki's fumbling over his words when he tries to speak — It's uh- didn't have time so… didn't have the time, y'know. They just dragged me here- roommates, I mean. He's practically slurring, his body wobbling when he takes his hand off the railing to pull his cigarette from his mouth. You're not even standing super close to him, but you can still smell the alcohol on his breath, the scent lingering on his clothes. He looks at you through heavy eyelids, and you're not sure if he just doesn't care or if he doesn't even realize he's doing it, but he never takes his eyes off of you. 

When you don't speak for a while, Aki flicks his cigarette and awkwardly comments, "But- but you look good. Really good. A devil suits you." 

It's impossible to fight the playful smile that grows on your face. 

You're wearing a sexy devil costume: red horns atop your head, a red dress with a frilly skirt, and tight, red thigh-highs. It's slim fitting and hugs your body nicely, the dress hugging the curves of your waist and your chest, the fat of your thighs spilling out of the hem of the socks. You've caught at least ten guys staring at you since you arrived, but you didn't pay any of them a second glance. There's only one person you wore this outfit for tonight. 

You were going to wear this outfit anyways, but when you purchased it, you couldn't help but think of him. As you put it on before the party tonight, admiring yourself in the mirror, you couldn't help but imagine no-one but Aki. You've got to say, his reaction so far did not disappoint. 

You snicker, and reply, "Oh? You think so? Hm," You place a finger to your chin, exaggerating a lost-in-thought sort of expression, "So if I'm dressed as a devil, that'd make you the devil hunter?" 

Aki takes another lazy drag out of his cigarette, tilting his head upwards to exhale the smoke into the star-speckled sky. "Yeah, I suppose it does." 

You scooch a little closer to him, until your elbows are touching. Aki doesn't seem to notice. "Well," You peer up at him through your eyelashes, "I'm glad you like it. I was hoping you would." 

"Really?" Aki turns to you for a brief moment, and in the dim light, you swear you can see his cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink. When you lock eyes, he looks away almost as instantly as he looked towards you, his gaze focused on the idle traffic below as he stamps his cigarette out on the railing. 

Before he realizes what he's about to say, he's blurting out, "You wear it for me?" 

You chuckle, and Aki looks up at you again, his eyes wide. "No, no, wait- that's… fuck," He stammers, rubbing his temple when he begins to lose his train of thought, "Sorry, I'm super drunk, I'm not… Can't think straight." 

With an exasperated sigh, Aki flicks his spent cigarette to the ground. In the corner of his eye, he can see you; there's an expression on your face that he can't pinpoint, something nearly unreadable, but with a hint of a smirk tugging at the corners of your cheeks. Something about the way you're eyeing him makes his heart pound faster, a prickle of anticipation twisting up his spine. 

"It's fine," You say with a shrug, "I've had a couple of drinks, too." 

Aki takes a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. A car horn honks when stray party-goers run across the street without looking both ways. You lean in a little closer to him, but Aki doesn't notice until your voice comes out as a whisper, right into his ear. 

"You weren't wrong, but," You cup your hand, leaning in more, the ghost of your warm breath fanning out over his skin, "There's something else I'm wearing, and that one's just for you." 

Aki stalls for a moment. When you pull back, you can see the gears in his head turning, his eyes narrowing as he thinks, the puzzle pieces taking a second to click in his drunken brain. But when he gets it, oh, when he gets it, the way his expression instantly changes is priceless. 

In a quiet voice, your tone ever teasing, you mutter, "You wanna see?" 

"I-" Aki turns towards you; his gaze flickers over your outfit for what must be the hundredth time, but now, it seems a little different. Now, he's examining you with a certain kind of curiosity, a certain sense of desire. His throat feels dry, so he swallows before he speaks again. "Yeah. I do." 

You take a couple of steps away from him, turning so that your back is facing the balcony door. This way, Aki will be the only one to see what you're about to do. 

Aki watches intently as you reach around, grasping the zipper that hides on the back of your dress. He can hear the quiet sound of the zipper being drug down, your eyes locked on his the whole time. When you begin shrugging the dress off your shoulders, he draws his bottom lip between his teeth, biting down. 

You pull it down just enough to show him the dip of your collarbones, and give him a peek of the straps of your bra: bright, vivid red. Certainly enough to make his imagination start to run wild. 

As if on queue, Aki asks shakily, "Can you show me some more?"

You smirk. "Anything for you, devil hunter." 

And you do: you slowly drag the dress down to just above your stomach, gripping it tightly to make sure it won't fall down any further. Aki's breath hitches the second he catches sight of your lacy red bra.

It's gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. It fits your body so well, a spectacle of ornate lace and frills, your breasts spilling out of the top. You look lovely. Aki's hands clench on the railing, and his eyes dart up to the door, making sure no-one else is watching. If you wore this just for him, he wants to make sure he's the only one to see it. 

"I- Wow. You're beautiful." Aki exhales a shaky, trembling breath. "Was this really just for me?" 

You flash him a soft smile. "Yeah. I've been waiting for you to come all night, Aki." 

Aki takes a small step forwards, and when he begins to wobble, he places a hand solidly on your shoulder to keep himself from falling. "Sorry. Is it alright if I touch you?" 

"Of course." You nod, and begin tugging your dress back up, slipping your arms through the short sleeves. "I'm putting this back on though, it's freezing out here."

Aki holds your shoulder, reaching around with his free hand to grab the zipper on the back of your dress — Here, let me help you. He tugs it up, his tall frame leant over yours, his body so close. You rest your weight against his chest when you start to stumble as well, your face buried in his shirt, your arms wrapped around his back. You listen to his heart as it pounds in his chest, beating to a steady, eager rhythm.

When he's done, Aki glides his palm over your shoulder, his fingertips tracing absentminded shapes onto your bare collarbone. He mutters quietly, voice smooth and deep, "You're the most gorgeous devil I've ever seen." 

You lift your head up. Aki looks down, meeting your eyes. You reply, "That wasn't all of it, y'know. There's more I wanted to show you, just can't do it here." 

"Oh?" Aki grasps your chin, tilting you up slightly more. His thumb swipes over your bottom lip, toying with it. "When do I get to see that?" 

You glance towards the party for a moment. There's still a lot of people mingling about, but nowhere near as much as before. You explored the whole apartment earlier. There's one place you know of where the two of you could get a little privacy. 

A brief look of disappointment dawns on Aki's face when you pull apart from him, but it's quickly replaced by a spark of curiosity when you grab his hand and instruct, "Come with me." 

You lead him back inside, shouldering through the crowds of lingering people. He follows you all the way upstairs, and after you've checked to make sure it's empty, you push him into the nearest bathroom, shutting the door behind you. Aki's heart skips a beat when he sees you promptly flick the lock. 

"We should be alone here." 

You turn back towards him, and Aki carefully grabs your waist. The bathroom door shifts when he gently presses you against it.

He's close, really close — You can hear the sound of his breathing, examine every detail of his face. His lips are parted, his earrings glint in the low light, and the deep blue of his eyes draws you in, as if his gaze alone would be enough to swallow you whole. 

After a few moments he slurs, "You're beautiful." His cheeks are flushed red from a mixture of his drunkenness and embarrassment, and his hands squeeze your waist, his thumbs toying with the frills on your dress. "I was hoping I'd see you here too. It was the only reason why I let myself be dragged here." 

You wrap your arms around his neck, your hands clasped together. "I'm glad we managed to find each other, then."

Aki's gaze flickers from your eyes, down to your lips. An enveloping heat rises in his chest, his stomach twists into a tight knot. The twofold echo of your breathing and his seems to drown out the sounds of the party happening downstairs, and the alcohol in his veins, the closeness of your body, your warmth — It puts his mind in a haze, until he can't think, can't muster up anything to say besides-

"I want to kiss you." 

This time, he doesn't try to take it back. He stays as close as he is, and when your response comes swiftly — Then, why don't you? — he's finally lost himself to you, with no escape in sight.

Oh, he will. Aki cups your jaw, his hand trembling ever so slightly. He drags you in slowly, his head tilting, eyes fluttering shut. His lips feel soft when they connect with yours, a bit hesitant, and with your arms around his neck, you pull him in, encouraging him to kiss you deeper.

He kisses you once, then pulls you in for a second, a third; his hands travel up and down your body, palms cold from the balcony railing. You shiver when you feel his hands glide across your bare thighs, fingers toying with the hem of your socks, but you still arch into his delicate touch. Everything is clumsy from the drunkenness, your noses bumping, lips meeting when they manage to — And when they can't, he's placing kisses on your cheeks, your forehead, over the creases of your mouth. 

He mumbles quietly between every one, incoherent babbles of his thoughts: Pretty. So pretty. You're perfect. All for me. My pretty little devil.

You're both out of breath when he finally pulls back. Aki's heart drums hard in his chest, his pupils blown wide, his cheeks warm to the touch when you hold them in your hands.

In a voice barely more than a whisper, Aki says, "You're fun to kiss." 

You chuckle half-heartedly, pinching his cheeks, "I know, but you still want me to show you more, right? Isn't that what we came here for?"

"Yes, I do," Aki sighs deeply, a warm smile forming on his face. "Please." 

#aki hayakawa x reader #aki x reader #aki hayakawa #chainsaw man x reader #csm x reader

[concussed-to-pieces]

Wolves At The Door; Part Four

Fandom: Resident Evil [Village]

Pairing: Eventual Karl Heisenberg/AFAB!Reader

Rating: Holy shit M.

Summary: "I…would you come to bed with me?"

A/N: Welcome all, welcome to our fourth installment! It’s good to be back. Enjoy!

Tag List: @cookiethewriter @amneris21 @topgirl17 @vodkafolie @a-smol-witch @clockworkmidnight @calwitch @silver-quinn01 @velvet-paradox @hijackser @mrs-wolfwood @nonstop-haikyuu @mic-sunderland @somethingthatsaysbubbles @fullofmoonsandstars @stargazerofgoldenwords @imthegreenfairy86 @karlskitten @nitrogennightmare @chunnies @thirstworldproblemss @tartimaar-bloggeth @thesmartbiscuit

Prelude

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

[!TRIGGER WARNING!: This installment contains mentions of blood, canon-typical violence and depictions of mental duress. Stay safe!]

It wasn't a question of whether he was going to heal, he would be fine. The cadou saw to that. The question was more along the lines of whether you would even tolerate him. You had, bare minimum, let him clean the scrape on your shin, but the whole time he cradled your leg he could feel your calf was as tense as a coiled spring. You were insanely lucky to have gotten away from the lycans mostly unscathed, a fact that you voiced before he could. 

Heisenberg had to confess, he had not a clue how he had managed to catch that big bastard before it bit you. Maybe he had, in a desperate moment of stress-induced hysteria, somehow grappled with the entire planet's magnetic fields and halted time for a millisecond. 

Because that's how that works, right? He thought dryly.

You really ought to be dead. Shit, he ought to be dead a few times over.

Karl sighed as he turned this way and that, examining the back of his leg in the mirror of your cramped-but-empty closet. The skin was essentially healed, the only evidence of recent trauma some mild swelling and redness. As for his hand the…venom? Infection? Hyper gangrene? He was never quite sure what to label the effect the various anti-mold measures had, but whatever it was had also receded, so at least his arm's veins didn't look like a roadmap of Stockholm anymore. The back of his hand bore some slight discoloration and tingled a little, but if that was the price to pay for shoving his fist into a lycan's jaws then so be it.

You knocked on the closet door. "Come in," the man called, shifting back from the door so you could actually get it open. "Was just surveying the damage." 

"How does it look?" You asked cautiously. 

Heisenberg shrugged, tugging the leg of his pants back up so you could inspect the area. Truthfully he was a little surprised that you even wanted to know. "Not bad, considering how it looked earlier today."

"Wow, how the fuck-" Karl hadn't expected you to touch him and he nearly jumped out of his skin when you did, your fingers grazing the back of his thigh. You didn't seem to notice his reaction, carrying on to voice your disbelief further. "Hey, if you heal this quick then what the hell was I doing marinating you with that stuff from the Duke for months?"

"I don't really know." Karl admitted. He'd been thinking about that himself. "Maybe it's because I didn't really…remember that I could? Like a mind over matter kind of thing."

"Or you just liked having someone take care of you." You teased, going to leave the closet space. 

Karl moved before he thought about it, grabbing your wrist. You paused, looking at him curiously. Now that he had you here, though, Heisenberg didn't have any idea what he was going to do. And so, in an antiquated gesture, the man raised your hand to his mouth and touched a soft kiss to your knuckles. "Thanks for everything, sugar." He said it quietly, sincerely.

It was a little gratifying to feel how your pulse quickened beneath his fingers even while you waved off his thanks.

…

You stood in the doorway of your room, nervous hands worrying at the hem of your shirt while you tried to convince yourself that this wasn't a big deal and you could just go to sleep.

You'd been trying to sleep, that was the issue. You'd laid there for hours. It was nearly three am and you were still awake, your mind refusing to rest as it turned the events of the day over and over in a ceaseless loop.

You sprinting across the yard, you holding the knife, securing that last talisman, getting knocked down by the lycan-

Over and over, over and over. What if Karl hadn't been there, what if something different had happened, what if he had been too late? 

Then, what if I had refused to help? That thought gave you pause, recalling the distress on Karl's face while he yelled, "if something gets you because I'm out of it-!"

What did he mean by that? He hadn't finished the sentence, and there hadn't exactly been an opportunity to ask questions. Had he meant to imply that something 'getting' you would cause him grief? Was he just irritated that you had been reluctant to let him near? 

Over and over.

"Karl?" You whispered into the living room, feeling a little foolish. He was probably passed out, not a care in the world. 

"By the door," you heard to your surprise. "Can't sleep either?"

You groped forward through the dark, your eyes slowly adjusting enough for you to see Karl's tall silhouette leaning against the storm door. He appeared to be watching the rainfall and you noticed he was actually resting his weight on the staff you had made for him. 

"How'd you tell?" You asked, not really expecting an answer. 

He chuckled dryly. "You're awake and out here. I know, it's a bold assumption to make."

"Oh ha ha." You stuck your tongue out at him. "You're just a card, Heisenberg."

"That's Lord Heisenberg to you." He teased back, and you caught the faint flash of a grin. "What's on your mind?"

You sighed, rubbing your eyes. "Is it dumb to say 'everything'? I mean, I've never been afraid of being dumb, but…well, today was a lot."

"It was." After that incredibly helpful response, Karl went quiet. 

You continued tentatively, "it was almost like…like you were someone else back there." 

The quiet stretched on and on. You weren't sure if he would even bother to answer you so you resigned yourself to watching the rain. Off in the distance towards the mountains thunder rolled, heralding another fall storm brewing.

"The human mind isn't designed to take on so much trauma and stress, not all in one go. I had to–my body had to…change. Drastically. And once my brain reached its limit, it just…closed off everything in an attempt to prevent more damage." Karl exhaled heavily. "At least, that's what I figure happened to me, why I was…why I'd forgotten almost everything." You felt more than saw him tilt his head. "There's a lot of bad memories in here. Ugly stuff. Painful stuff. Things done to me, things I was driven to, but also things I did of my own free will. A lot to…come to terms with." 

"So you've remembered everything, then?" You weren't sure why exactly sadness was your most prevalent emotion, but after a moment you figured it out. He has no reason to stay. He had been waiting for the Duke's return, and now that he had what he was looking for…

"Not quite." Karl suddenly sounded exhausted. "Enough to fill in some of the gaps."

You dropped your hands, fingers back to yanking at the hem of your shirt. 

"I…would you come to bed with me?"

…

Heisenberg blinked down at you, stunned silent at this, frankly, out of character request. You continued your anxious fiddling, your own eyes fixed on the doorway.

"I'm sorry, I just–after today, I don't want to be alone in the dark, that's all." You tried to clarify, and Karl felt like a bastard when his heart sank a little. But…

He could live with innocent intentions, free of calculation and subterfuge. "Buy me dinner first, sugar." The man joked, hoping that it was too dim for you to have noticed the flicker of disappointment that must have crossed his face. He clapped you on the shoulder, feeling how tense you were through that touch. "Let me pick up my blanket. I'll meet you in there."

Karl's legs were leaden. It was a short eternity before he reached his cot, and even longer before he mustered up the courage to grab the bedding he had claimed he needed. Instead of rushing to your room, the man pressed his hands into the blanket, resting his weight on the cot. Shit.

Shit shit shit. 

Karl inhaled a bracing gulp of air, a flash of lightning casting a huge shadow up on the wall in front of him. The real tempest was coming fast, it would seem. He returned to the doorway, latching the storm door shut and then gently closing over the inside panel so he could lock it. That task accomplished, he moved to the sink to crank closed the window beside it. The rest of the windows had been locked earlier, the two of you having nervously checked and double checked them several times before darkness fell. 

Nothing left now but the hard part, Karl thought, loathing the dread that flooded his body. It wasn't even aimed at you for fuck's sake! He just didn't trust himself, that's all. But he could behave. He would behave. For you. For the version of himself that he had gotten a taste of, that you believed in, a gentler, safer Heisenberg.

You were still upright in your bed, the room nearly pitch black. Karl was only able to pick out the whiteness of your undershirt, hovering ghostly over the covers. "Hey sugar," he murmured, trying to keep his tone light. "Where do you want me?" 

"Just hop in wherever, we can figure out logistics later," was your curt reply. Lightning flashed again, allowing Karl to make his way to the edge of the bed unscathed, where he sat to unbuckle his boots and shuck them off. When he laid down, his leg brushed up against yours. 

You were stiff as a board beside him, your arms at your sides and hands clenched into fists. "Do you…uh…" Heisenberg propped himself up on one elbow, extending his other arm out. He wasn't exactly certain how to say it, but after a moment you slid yourself closer and he wrapped his arm around your shoulders when you turned into his embrace. You seemed oddly cold, your body even shivering slightly, so Karl began rubbing your back with firm, even strokes in an attempt to warm you. Must be the adrenal dump. They've had a hell of a day.

"I can't stop thinking about that thing." You confessed after a time, your voice muffled by his chest. Heisenberg hummed in acknowledgement. "I just…it was so big and I felt–I felt totally hopeless. Like I was alone and it getting me was inevitable." You dug your face in even deeper. Karl could feel the chill of your nose through his borrowed shirt. "Not much in this forest scares me."

"You're alright." Karl murmured in what he hoped was a soothing manner. "Nothing's gonna' touch you while I'm here."

"Yeah. While you're here." You echoed, sounding a little nasally. "But when you leave, I-" Thunder interrupted you and Karl felt you heave an annoyed breath out against his chest. 

He had to wait out the rumble of thunder before challenging, "Who said I'm leaving? Do you want me to leave?"

"No." Your hands gripped the fabric of his shirt. "No, I really don't. And that's scary too."

Heisenberg, after having endured Miranda for so many years, was well accustomed to the emotional confusion that could occur when things got murky. He'd been called precious and strong and smart enough times to never again believe that those words were said in sincerity. My wonderful, powerful son. "You wanting me around is scary to you?" You nodded mutely against his chest. "And why's that, I wonder?" The man continued lazily, his fingers smoothing down the back of your neck.

"I don't trust myself not to do something stupid," was your blunt response. Karl had always appreciated a candid approach. "I don't want you to leave. I…I enjoy your company."

"Is that so?" Karl mused, doing his best to keep his tone light, teasing. "That hit to the head must have really rattled you, sugar. Saying all this…s'pretty bold, even for you."

"I know, dammit," you growled, "and don't make fun of me. I'm exhausted and terrified."

"Close your eyes, then. I can feel you staring."

"They've been closed!" You caught one of his hands, yanking it clumsily to jam his palm against your cheek. Karl felt the momentary brush of your lashes against his thumb. "See? Closed!"

"Excuse the slander," he chuckled, sweeping his thumb beneath your eye. "You must be tired to be this touchy-feely with me." You flinched, your arms stiffening, and Karl returned his hand to the back of your neck. "Easy now overthinker, I didn't say it was a bad thing." He whispered, his cheek now resting against your own while his mouth pressed to the shell of your ear. "As long as you don't think it's a bad thing, you can be just as…demanding as you need to be. Let me be your distraction, sugar."

…

You gasped before you could stop yourself and you hoped Karl didn't notice how warm your face had suddenly gotten. That hope appeared to be in vain, because a soft chuckle issued hotly against your ear.

"Interested in the proposition, sugar? I'll behave, I promise." Heisenberg murmured, continuing, "After all, you've tamed me, right?"

"I didn't say that!" You protested hastily, wondering if he was offended. "That was all the Duke, you can't pin that on me."

"Listen, I…" Karl paused. "I don't want you thinking that I'm just in bed with you to get my dick wet. This is all very spur-of-the-moment, even for me. We've had a hell of a day, and I–I don't know a lot of effective ways to cope. You say no and we stop this entire conversation."

Dick wet. Jesus. Jesus. It was unfair how attractive that sounded, considering how crude the sentiment actually was. But him saying it like that, his voice husky and earnest…

"What do you want to do?" You asked, proud that your words didn't shake. 

"Kiss you."

"Only that?"

"Yeah." Karl huffed out an exasperated breath. "I'm tired, sugar."

You couldn't help the laugh that escaped you. "No no, I didn't mean it like that! I've just had other people try to do things that I wasn't ready to do. I'm not complaining, I promise."

Karl rumbled, the noise merging with the thunder that echoed outside. "Only that." He stated firmly.

"What do you want me t-"

"Just lay there and enjoy it." Heisenberg tipped your chin upwards, his mouth meeting yours. "Just relax." He breathed, gently nipping your lower lip.

You slid your hands into his hair, cradling the back of his head. You were working mostly blind, so there was a little fumbling on your part when you guided his mouth back to yours. Karl snickered at the bump of your nose against his cheek, but let himself be moved around. For your part you felt yourself slowly, slowly start to relax, the tension you had been holding in your lower back since the fracas earlier finally loosening as the seconds turned into minutes.

You liked kissing him, you had to admit. Not that there was anything wrong with that in the first place! This was, after all, just a mutually beneficial act between two people who had endured something, frankly, insane. He was offering comfort in (apparently) one of the few ways he knew how, and you appreciated his consideration. 

The rain hitting the roof began to pick up in intensity.

"Thank you," you sighed, then giggled when his facial hair tickled your cheek. You felt Heisenberg pause, the man seeming to hover over you momentarily. On either side of you, his hands balled up in the quilt. 

"Don't." The word was so low you almost didn't hear it, but he repeated it a second later. "Don't." His voice was deadly serious. "You…deserve a lot better than this, sugar. Don't settle for it just because you're scared or lonely."

"I can still be grateful." You replied softly, hearing him huff out an exasperated breath. "Oh be quiet, you're such a nerd. This means more to me than you'd ever believe, so let me enjoy it."

…

You eventually fell asleep to the lullaby of the rain and thunder, but Karl had no such luck. He laid awake until the somber gray of dawn, his mind uneasy with jumbled, disjointed thoughts. 

I could. They would let me. He shoved that particular thought away. There was no point to it. He had offered this as a one-off thing, a way to ease your nerves. His own as well, if he was being entirely honest. Karl had been thoroughly rattled by the day's events. Regaining the majority of his memories in a mad dash, mere moments before having to literally fight for his life, for your life…it had been a long, stressful, exhausting day. 

But it was over now. He could rest, for the moment anyway. He was safe. You were safe. 

So why the hell did he feel like he had started something he couldn't finish?! Why had giving you a few simple kisses ignited some low, persistent ache in his gut? Even now, hours later, his body throbbed and he was extremely, intensely aware of your presence inches from him. Not in the usual way, the amplification of his senses via the cadou, the predator chase. A different way. Softer and yet…sharper, a blade that cut without pain.

Karl had the strangest feeling that this could kill him. You could kill him. He wasn't even certain how, but the surety left no room for debate. Something about you was deadly to him.

The odd part was that he couldn't really bring himself to care. Karl had stared down the gaping maw of death more times than he could count and he had always relished the triumph of overcoming the ensuing carnage. This was no different, for all its lack of obvious threat. He would either be victorious, or fall headfirst into whatever snare had been laid. 

His eyes grew heavier the longer he thought, and at some point he ended up drifting off to sleep.

And he dreamed.

He dreamed of the fight with Ethan, the rain and distant thunder echoing from the waking world. He dreamed of the Duke leaning over him, none of his words making any damn sense. Then, he dreamed of you.

You, binding his wounds and nursing him with calloused hands. You, words always full of your dry wit even as you ceaselessly worked. You, beneath the tree, looking up at him with the shadow of a smile still on your lips–

Heisenberg jerked awake, horrified.

Oh no.

Oh fuck no.

…

Karl was in an absolutely terrible mood, not that you could blame him! He had dealt with a lot, he deserved a day to sulk and lick his proverbial wounds. You also guessed he hadn't gotten much rest, and you felt a little guilty over sleeping so well beside him.

He had three outbursts of varying degrees before you finally shooed him outside, telling him to walk the fenceline until he cooled off. "Go take a nap next to the river!" You suggested. "I always enjoy the peace there."

Heisenberg stomped down the porch steps, his hands jammed in his pockets. "Gonna' go check the snares." He said brusquely, as if you hadn't spoken at all. "See if we have dinner." 

"Alright!" was your cheerful reply, which made him mutter something under his breath before he was out of earshot.

Once he made it to the fenceline however, you dove into your lower cabinets, searching through your preserve jars until you located one that said 'apple'. It had been too long since you had made a plum spice cake, and (fingers crossed) the rare treat would perk up your long-term houseguest. The recipe had needed a bit of tweaking, but you knew it by heart at this point. It was always better with fresh plums, and you substituted out the eggs for applesauce. The tricky part was the sugar, since year to year you weren't sure if you would have it on hand. Worst case, you had just skipped it before and layered the cake with preserves instead. Luckily for you, this particular time you still had a little lump of brown sugar sitting in your sealed container, a tiny victory in and of itself.

Your streak of good luck persisted when you located an unexpected, unopened jar of lard mixed in with the preserves, and you performed a little hop of glee upon realizing it hadn't been simply opened and forgotten about. That would ensure the cake wouldn't stick to the pan! A mild annoyance, maybe, but you wanted this to be perfect. Karl deserved as much, and you did as well. 

After hoisting your flour container out from beneath the counter, you sussed out your measuring cups and the lone large bowl, then got to work.

Part Five

#karl heisenberg #lord karl heisenberg #eventual romance #fix it fic #au #resident evil #re 8 #re 8 village #resident evil village #resident evil karl heisenberg #karl heisenberg x reader #karl heisenberg imagine #re 8 karl heisenberg #slow burn #canon typical violence #a little kith

[ddejavvu]

Professor Hotch for your multi verse monday? please please please pretty please I'd DIE for Professor Hotch. Also my grades would do a swan dive but who even cares about that?

today is multiverse monday! send me any au you can think of :)

--

The door of his office creaks open when you knock on it and your breath hitches as you realize it was never actually closed. You feel like you're intruding, but you hear your professor's strong voice tell you to 'come in', and you step through the door.

Professor Hotchner is sitting behind his desk, his arm in a sling. It's jarring, but not as terrible as you'd expected when he'd taken a week off due to a 'firearm-related mishap'. The email had said nothing more, in fact, you're certain it couldn't have said any less, but you suppose you're just thankful he hadn't blown a hole in his chest.

"I read your email," You start, tinfoil-covered platter in hand, "And I wasn't sure if you were alright. It was, um," You struggle for the words, chuckling sheepishly, "It was a scary email to receive."

He lets a soft smile grace his tired features, a sight you don't normally get to see. "It was a scary email to write," He admits, "I did it in the back of an ambulance with my one good hand."

"Oh my god-" You can't stop yourself from reacting, but he lets out a deep chuckle at your indignance, so you don't bother beating yourself up for it. "A-Anyways, I baked you these. I guess they won't really help, but- but I hope you enjoy them."

You peel back the layer of foil to reveal a platter of brownies. Something in his face softens, and it plants delicate seeds in your chest that bloom into overzealous joy. Your professor is notorious for being stony-faced, too serious for his own good. But with his arm in a sling, dark circles beneath his eyes, and shiny eyes at a plate of brownies, you suspect he's just like everyone else.

"Thank you," He finds words after a moment, glancing back up at you with his striking brown eyes, "Really, Y/N, I appreciate this. A lot, this is.." His eyebrows raise and he exhales through a smile, "This is very sweet of you."

"Of course," You smile sincerely at him, emboldened by his reaction. He gestures to the chair across from him, sleek black armrests shining with the reflection of the overhead light.

"Would you like to sit for a while? I didn't know it before but I'm in the mood for something sweet." He clears off a stack of papers from the spot on his desk you take a seat at. You set the brownies there, and he produces a napkin from somewhere inside of his bag.

He has to use his injured arm, so it's a slow, careful movement. Without thinking you reach out and take it from him, spreading it out over the wood. He thanks you softly, and pulls two brownies from the platter.

"Here," He tears the napkin in two, pushing one of the brownies towards you, "You're welcome to join me."

"Oh, thank you!" You eagerly accept the treat, trying not to seem obvious about watching him for a reaction. The deep, guttural groan that comes from his throat strikes you with a bolt of lightning that goes straight down your spine. It has you shifting in your seat slightly, and you use the brownie to stuff your own mouth.

"These are fantastic," He mumbles, speaking politely around a bite. His massive hand covers his mouth so that you can't see him chewing, and you try not to stare at it. You think it would look similarly fantastic wrapped around your-

"My son is going to be very happy with you," He muses, mouth finally free of fudge. Your eyes widen and flit to a photo frame on his desk, a little boy with a backpack on grinning up at you. You coo, swallowing your own brownie bite.

"He's adorable," And you mean it, the boy is all toothy grin and rosy cheeks.

Professor Hotchner hums in agreement, "Brownies are his favorite."

"I hope he likes them, too." You conclude, sinking your teeth back into the brownie, "You can't go wrong with brownies."

--

The next time you sit down at your desk in class, there's a paper there. It's folded and stuck shut with a green sticker, heart-shaped. You'd have left it alone, considered it an accident, but your name is written in yellow crayon on the page. You peel it open curiously, and your heart melts at what you find.

Y/N, the card reads, in a child's handwriting.

Thank you so much for the brownees brownies. My daddy lets me have one every night after dinner. They are Very good. We think you should start a bakery. I will come Every day after school!

Thank you very much,

Jack Hotchner

One glance up at Professor Hotchner at the front of the classroom reveals him staring up at you, something nervous in his eyes. At your grin, though, his own blossoms, genuine and warm. You hold eye contact for a moment, possibly too long, and then someone breaks your line of sight with him. A student comes up to ask him something, and he's looking away in a daze. You tuck the letter safely into your bag, making a mental note to tell Professor Hotchner that he's got the cutest kid in the world, and that you'll gladly start a bakery if it means you'll see them every day.

#aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner x reader #aaron hotchner imagine #aaron hotchner scenario #aaron hotchner oneshot #aaron hotchner one-shot #aaron hotchner one shot #aaron hotchner headcanon #aaron hotchner headcanons #aaron hotchner hc #aaron hotchner hcs #aaron hotchner fanfiction #aaron hotchner fanfic #aaron hotchner fic #aaron hotchner blurb #aaron hotchner drabble #aaron hotchner dialogue #aaron hotchner fluff #aaron hotchner x reader fanfiction #aaron hotchner au #professor!hotch #multiverse mondays #ddejavvu's multiverse mondays

[1schadenfreude1]

Rewriting Cain Boyfriend to Death 2 Love how the BTD fandom just collectively agreed to adopt EP's characters as our own I am absolutely tormented by the fact that Cain had so much potential but just. does not have the best writing ugh he's too similar to Rire and it kills me SO I am rewriting the fallen angel, lots of headcanons below the cut

Cain's number one motivation for why he does what he does is BOREDOM He's been torturing people in hell for centuries and it's become BORING. He wants something new, something interesting. He wants to see live humans and savor their emotions. Cain misses being human He'd never admit it out loud of course, but he does miss having real human emotions and enjoying human pleasures. Of course he can't be on earth too long while angels are hunting him, but maybe, spending time with humans will help him regain some of that human feeling?

Cain is chaotic evil incarnate LISTEN everyone in btd2 is a silly dork and Cain should be one too. He should have the most unpredictable and immature chaotic energy. Do you trust this face??? You shouldn't

I think he just. does shit without thinking. Like he's been away from real humans for so long that he's sort of forgotten how fragile they can be.

"Oh c'mon little toy you can handle a little boiling water, right? Hello? Human? Fuck. Guess I need a new one." Yeah he's incredibly overpowered but that doesn't mean he knows how to USE that power lmao. He doesn't know how to interact with people anymore. he wants to be human again, but all he really knows how to do is…torture people. he's so dumb.

Straight up contradicting canon here but-- Cain feels bad for killing Abel Asking about Abel makes Cain get SUPER uncomfortable and shut down. He doesn't wanna talk about it. He definitely doesn't feel remorse about it. Nope. No remorse here. Abel is DEAD and GONE and good riddance and he DEFINITELY doesn't have lingering issues about it. Fuck you. Rips you apart with chains.

He loves bullying Damien though They have each other's phone numbers for god's sake. Cain sends Damien gore porn of the people he's killed. Those two try to kill each other on a weekly basis. It's normal for them. Yes that is Damien's severed arm on the living room wall. It brings Cain joy. Don't worry about it. Totally normal thing to say to your sibling

Cain and Rire are rivals I think this is basically canon (based on Darqx's gorgeous art and animatics) but I wanna delve into it a bit! They're both incredibly powerful supernatural monsters, but their main difference comes down to this: Rire is lawful evil Cain is chaotic evil Cain kills people for purely selfish reasons: he wants to see human reactions and feel their emotions again. He thinks that causing pain will help him feel human. Rire kills people because its his job to collect souls. He loves his job and has a lot of fun with it, but in the end its still his job.

Cain is much, much older but Rire is way more mature

Cain is more powerful, but can't do much when he's stuck in Tartarus Rire is less powerful but has much more freedom of movement

Cain likes to play the long game, seducing victims with romance before going sadistic on them Rire is a busy demon; he likes to have fun but needs that soul sooner rather than later

Cain plans long elaborate dates because he's bored and reads too many romance novels Rire's plans are short and brutal, he does what he wants and that's it

Cain loves humans and wants to savor their reactions and emotions Rire hates humans and treats them like disposable toys

Cain is more interested in pain than sex, he won't rape a victim unless he really likes them Rire likes sex lmao. its a power rush for him and it feels good I hope my ramblings make sense lol

#boyfriend to death #boyfriendtodeath #btd cain #cain zeitgeist #character analysis #btd rire #lucien rire #headcanons #btd headcanons

[acefaun]

Yandere Huedhaut

Synopsis: Huedhaut is probably the least suspecting yandere—as should be from the smartest man in the Heavens. He plans and he plots, but no one would ever suspect him to be a puppet master, cleverly pulling all the strings.

🩸Yandere Masterlist🩸 Female Goldfish! Warnings: Gore, Minor Character Death, manipulation, etc.

A/n:  I got suddenly interested in Yandere Huedhaut because of the fact that he'd be so unnoticeably manipulative. And then… I went overboard with a murder mystery and I really wanted to add a wild plot twist(one that I wrote, and then forgot about, and then surprised myself with like half a year later.) I definitely went overboard with Yan Hue. 🫣 Read at your own discretion.  It’s one of my longest one-shots. So I’ll just add a link to the AO3 while I’m here. 

–Word Count: 19,954–

It wasn't entirely fair. Was it? To fall hopelessly in love and then be torn apart by fate. It was insulting and even more infuriating to have reminders of that time. To have the love of your life before you but be unable to have her and be unable to do anything about it. To watch her fawn over every other man that wasn't you.

Life just wasn't fair and I only felt that pain from a distance. Huedhaut never explained to me just what we used to be back when I was a goddess. He always seemed pained in my presence yet he always wanted to be around me when I wasn't working and when he wasn't busy with work from Leon or Karno.

After I was officially safe from the dark king and I had thanked Zyglavis for protecting me, things went back to normal between me and the gods. I was happy with how close I was between the Punishments gods and the Wishes gods, particularly Huedhaut whose company I found soothing. Though, I admit I openly fawned over him and continuously hovered around him simply because I was denying my childish crush on the strong and silent Krioff. But if I had to give Huedhaut any sort of label, I'd definitely call him my best friend. He had been looking out for me since he first laid eyes on me that night those six gods showed up in my apartment.

I hummed happily, my quiet melody the only noise in the hall as I carried my pillow and blanket through the gods’ mansion. I could only imagine how at peace Huedhuat must have been without the racket of the other gods.

“Hey, goldie!” I turned, catching Teorus’ gaze as he caught up with me, matching my pace. “You don’t usually come by this late in the evening. Whatcha doing?”

Walking side by side with the god of Taurus, I guestimated that he was following me to get to his room. I grinned in excitement as I gushed, “I'm staying over with Hue tonight! We're going to be reading books and stuff. It's going to be really fun.”

Teorus tilted his head, but his smile didn't lessen at seeing how happy I was. “I didn't know you liked that kind of thing. I guess I shouldn’t let you keep Hue waiting then if I want to avoid his wrath…” He waved me off as he continued on down the hall to go into his room. “Have fun!”

“Will do! Thanks, Teo!” Mindlessly caught on my conversation with Teorus, I happily slipped into Huedhaut's room, eager for our evening together. It wasn’t like I had to bathe, change into night clothes, or anything since I was already wearing my comfortable pajamas. All I had to do was climb into bed and enjoy a relaxing night with my best friend. “Huuuuue!” 

“One minute.”

I nearly dropped my pillow when I realized he was very naked and just getting out of the pool in his room. My face heated up uncomfortably and I quickly averted my gaze, covering my eyes with my hands. My voice came out shakily as I attempted to scold him, “Y- You could have told me you were... not wearing clothes! Gah! Seriously!”

Faintly, he whispered, “Your reactions are so adorable... I want to be the only one to see you blush like that…” A snap echoed and I cautiously brought my gaze up, finding Huedhaut in his normal Department of Wishes clothes. He greeted me with a smile as if nothing had happened since I carelessly walked into his room. “I’m glad you could come.”

“Y- Yeah!” I quickly shook myself out of my embarrassing thoughts, trying to actively wipe the memory of his shirtless torso out of my mind. “I was super excited to be able to come spend the night. Usually you’re so busy with work.” 

“Of course, I’m always willing to make time for you.” Smiling tenderly, he gestured to his bed. “Get comfortable. I'll grab a book and join you.”

I kicked off my shoes before eagerly climbing onto the bed. Setting my fluffy pillow on top of those that were already there, I pulled back his blankets, plowing into the soft pile of pillows as I made myself comfortable. Cuddling up with my blanket around me to shield me from the cold room, I asked, “Got any interesting suggestions for me?”

Huedhaut smirked as he joined me in bed, pulling me up close beside him as he reclined against the pillows I’d fixed. “I was planning on reading to you tonight. Would you like that?” I nodded eagerly, planting myself on his lap, per his invitation, with his arms wrapped around me and his chin resting atop my head. Things seemed to grow quiet as his hands rested on my sides for just a moment too long and he commented quietly, “I could stay with you like this forever.”

“H- Hue?” What was he saying? Geesh. He didn't have to get all cute like that. What was his deal? Making me blush like that. He was almost as bad as the other gods that liked to tease me. Well, in private, Huedhaut was honestly worse than the other gods sometimes. Curse him and his desire to get reactions out of me for every little thing. 

He nuzzled his nose into my hair as he grabbed the book from beside me. “I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do with you sometimes.” His breathy chuckle blew my hair into my face, but he brushed it away so I could watch as he opened the book in front of us and began to read with me following along. Again, he acted like he did absolutely nothing as we enjoyed a calm night together.

***

I liked Huedhaut and I was sure he was my best friend for more reasons than simply because we were an ideal couple back when I was a Goddess. His company was different from the other gods. He was always so considerate, even when he was joking around. His sarcasm was on the perfect level to make me smile, even when he was clearly saying something offensive. But he was the smartest man in the Heavens for a reason. He always knew what to say and what to do.

But occasionally he was in the Heavens when I had free time on Earth. Such was the case as I was playing games in the living room with Ichthys, Teorus, and Dui. I jumped in alarm at the rate I was losing to Ichthys. “Hey! That isn’t fair! I’m a human! You gotta take it easy on me!”

Ichthys grinned, waving his cards around in glee. “You just made that rule up because you’re losing and don’t want to do a truth or dare.” Dui nodded in agreement with an amused smile. That wasn’t fair! I was sure Dui was on my side…

“Pfft.” I openly glared at Ichthys, “You act like me picking a dare from you is an option. You’d just make me do something to get Zyglavis angry and I don’t have a death wish.”

Ichthys slammed his winning card on top of mine with a joyous grin. “I win! Now, time to answer the truuuuuth!” Turning to Teorus he whispered in his ear. Teorus seemed to take a moment to think before whispering back. I glared at them with intense skepticism. Even Dui seemed the slightest bit curious over what they were planning on asking me. Their faces told me it was going to be extremely personal. Ichthys then finally turned back to me, both gods holding malicious grins as Ichthys requested, “Tell us who you have a crush on.”

My breath caught in my throat, my eyes briefly flickering to the white haired god that sat only a few feet away on the opposite sofa. Krioff was doing his work but he wasn’t deaf. Immediately, I was left glaring at Ichthys. “You can't be serious! What are you, five?” It might not have been that bad if the source of our conversation weren’t nearby. Sure, he seemed like he wasn't listening, but I knew he heard every single thing that was going on between us. “Absolutely not! Geez!”

“That isn't how you play the game!” Ichthys stuck his tongue out teasingly. He would get me to say it before this round was over.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” Teorus reassured with his princely smile. “You can tell us if it’s me. I don’t mind if you love me as much as I love you.”

“Why would she have a crush on you?” Ichthys turned to narrow his eyes on Teorus. “She likes me. She asked me to play this game first.” Turning his attention back to me, he asked, “Are you embarrassed that I'm your crush?”

“That- That isn't it…” I looked away from them, my cheeks feeling uncomfortably hot. I had no doubt Krioff was listening to this whole conversation from where he was sitting and the minute someone mentioned his name he would be onto us. He might’ve been a quiet god, but he was probably just as interested in my answer as any of the other gods. I shut my eyes, but I knew they wouldn’t let me get away with being quiet. The last thing I wanted was to refuse to play by the rules and face their ‘punishment’.

I muttered Krioff’s name quietly as I attempted to avoid getting utterly embarrassed. The three gods only leaned in closer to try and discern my answer. Dui tilted his head and pointed out, “You were so quiet we couldn’t hear you.” Almost groaning to myself, I tugged Dui closer and whispered the name in his ear. His eyes widened in realization. “Kri- mmph!”

I jumped forward and shoved my hands over his mouth in a panic, “Hey! Shut up! Do you want the whole mansion to know?!” 

“That isn’t fair,” Teorus whined, crossing his arms. “We still don’t know who it is!”

But our racket was apparently quite distracting, for Krioff finally looked away from his work to address us, “Do you need help over there?”

I shook my head furiously, my cheeks still quite hot with embarrassment. “No! Nope! Not at all!” Taking a glance at the two gods who were passing through the room, I shot to my feet as I recognized Huedhaut and Karno. My saviour! “Anyway, I’ve gotta go! I’ll get you back some other time, Ikky!” Making a run for it, I caught up with the two wishes gods that were separating further down the hall. “HUUUUE!”

He turned with wide eyes only to have me practically tackle him. Luckily he was balanced enough to catch me in his arms without collapsing to the floor. “What on Earth happened?”

Still feeling embarrassed, I pressed my face into his jacket. The last thing I needed was for him to start teasing me too. “You have no idea how badly you just saved me from an embarrassing situation.” I looked up at him with pleading eyes. “Where are you going? Can I go with you? I need to... get away from Gods.”

Almost as though reading my mind, he smiled in amusement before ruffling my hair with a laugh. “You fell for their trap again and they were teasing you? If only you didn’t give us so many reasons to fluster you.” 

“Et tu, Huedhaut?” I pouted indignantly. “That’s not fair. You can’t make fun of me too! I’ll have no one else to turn to. My very best friend betrayed me.” I whined into his shirt. “Ooooooh, the agony of betrayal. I’m hurt! Really. The pain is too much for me to take. I can’t go on like this. Tis the end!”

“You’re a very dramatic ex-goddess.”

Pausing from my over-dramatic show, I frowned up at him. “You’re a very mean God.” Still, he didn’t lose his smile as he lifted a questioning eyebrow. “Huuuuue, stop smiling like that, you traitor.”

“(Naaaaameeee)!”

I panicked at hearing Teorus calling my name and I paled. Dui probably fed their curiosity and now they wanted to find me. If I didn’t get out of sight soon then I was a goner! Huedhaut laughed at my tortured expression and teased, “A traitor would let you into his room, would he?”

My gaze shot back to Huedhaut and I begged, “Please, please, pleeeease, hide me! I take it back! You’re a really nice god! Pretty please? Bestie? Promise I’ll pay you back! Hue?”

“Fine.” He purposely messed up my hair and snapped his fingers, transporting us to his room. “You can pay me back now.” He leaned closer to me and I backed away with heated cheeks at how sudden the action was. “You really do make the cutest expressions. I want you to tell me what you’re so desperate to hide from.”

I sighed, avoiding his searching eyes as I looked around at his many books, desperate to avoid the question. With his persistent gaze, I groaned. Why did he have to demand answers out of me when I only just escaped one cruel fate? “Fiiiiine. Ichthys started it. We were playing a game and he asked me who I had a crush on and so I told Dui and then you showed up and... I’m really sure he told Ikky and Teo.” I crossed my arms and looked away from him with my blush that was quite obvious to Huedhaut. “Now I’m all embarrassed and don’t want to see them. They’d probably make me do something embarrassing in front of him. I couldn’t even imagine. Ichthys might even tell him!” I rubbed my face, completely stressing out over that last possibility. What would I do if Krioff came to me later? I’d feel really stupid! I mean, I already knew he wouldn’t like me back before I even told Dui his name!

“It’s only fair if you tell me who it is, isn’t it?” I glared at Huedhaut, but he didn't seem to mean any harm in asking. He was my best friend after all. Aside from teasing me, he only ever had good intentions. “I see that look on your face. You want to tell me, don’t you? You already told the three troublemakers. Do you have such little faith in me?” What really was the harm in telling him?

“Don’t laugh... This is super embarrassing.” Not that Krioff was embarrassing… It was simply embarrassing to have a crush on someone who had no chance of liking you back. Taking a deep breath, I shut my eyes. It was just one name. How hard could it be to say one name? As much as he liked to tease me, I knew Huedhaut was a much better person than that. So, gathering up my strength, I admitted, “I like Krioff…”

Huedhaut’s eyes widened. “Krioff?” This was the same reaction Dui had. Why were they so surprised? I hoped they didn't expect me to have a crush on Zyglavis or something! “You’re talking about the God of Aries?” I nodded my head woefully. “He hardly ever speaks to you. How could you like him more than me?”

His voice turned... cold for a moment. My eyes snapped open at his tone and I noticed he was glaring down at me. What was suddenly on his mind? “Hue?”

Saying his name seemed to have snapped him out of his thoughts. He instantly pulled away, realizing he was gripping my shoulders much too tightly for comfort. “Sorry. I was just surprised.” His cold glare was replaced with an affectionate smile as he led me to his bed and sat me down. Though, I had an uneasy feeling in my gut. “Krioff, huh? I never would have imagined you would have an eye for him. He’s such an entirely solitary god. Why don’t you tell me more?”

“M- More?” After that reaction of his, was he sure he wanted to hear more? But after a strict nod from him, I knew I wasn’t going to be leaving until I opened my heart to him. It wasn’t like he was going to go tell Krioff or anything. He never spilled my secrets before. I could trust Huedhaut. “He’s just attractive in his own way. He cares about people in such a unique way. Despite how hard his past was with his family, he’s so strong. He might not say much, but he’s very sweet and I love how adorable he gets when I bring him ice cream. I just couldn’t possibly put into words how amazing he is.” I sighed, leaning back on the bed. 

Huedhaut watched me quietly for a moment before asking, “What do you think Krioff would feel about this?”

“Krioff?” I hesitated, thinking about it. “He's a god...  so I could never see us together. But... he's always had such a tough time with people. I don't think he’d like me back. He’s probably just a thought that I entertain myself with because I admire his story.”

Passing his cool hand through my hair, Huedhaut asked quietly, “Have you ever told him any of this?”

I gnawed on my bottom lip, shrugging slightly as I admitted, “I accidentally told him he was cute once and he looked very surprised.” I covered my face with my hands trying to erase the mortifying memory. “I couldn’t face him straight for like a week after that.” I groaned, looking up at my best friend with a pathetic expression on my face. “What do you gods do? I mean, do you guys even have solid relationships like that? Some of the gods make it sound like committing to one person isn’t something a God could be interested in.”

Huedhaut furrowed his eyebrows before explaining to the best of his ability, “It’s true some gods think that way. However, some of us do prefer to commit to another. For instance, the only woman I’ve ever considered being attached to is the love of my life. I couldn’t tell you what kind of God Krioff is, but we do understand loyalty and values.”

I perked up at that and immediately turned to Huedhaut. “You love someone too?” He never spoke of anyone else. He always seemed so detached from everyone he didn’t need to bother himself with.

A rueful smile crossed his face as he looked up at the skylight. “I do.” It was quiet for a few minutes between us before he spoke again, “She’s beautiful, both body and soul.” As though hesitating to continue, it took a moment for him to finish, “Her name was Clotho.”

I hummed in curiosity. Did he mention her before? “Gee… She sounds familiar. Have you ever spoken about her before?”

Huedhaut shook his head, and before I could ask any further questions, he explained, “(Name)... you were Clotho.”

My eyes widened at the revelation and I quickly sat up to face him. Did that mean... he loved... me? “B- But, Hue, I-”

“I know.” He stopped me short, pulling my hands into his. “You don’t love me. I don’t mind. But, I still want you to know that no matter what happens to you, I’ll always be here for you. It doesn’t matter what any of the other gods say or do, I’ll be here to take care of you. Just as I always have been. It’s been a miracle to simply have you by my side again after all these years.”

With tears filling my eyes at his affectionate speech, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Hue, you’re the best… I promise I won’t go anywhere again!” Holding him tight, I smiled as he wrapped his arms around me in return. “You’re my favorite god!” 

But being my favorite would never truly be enough for him. No. The God of Aquarius wanted more. He needed more. He couldn’t stand these other gods getting all of my time and attention. I should be with Huedhaut every second I wasn’t working. But what was worse was that they had the nerve to tease me, to talk about who I loved with me. He couldn’t stand that they got to see my blushing face that should belong solely to him. 

So, though he had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, he would set his plan into motion. 

Of course, I had no chance with Krioff. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that Krioff simply wasn’t interested in having a relationship. So, Huedhaut would focus his time and energy on the other gods that were in the picture. Those children were keeping me from him. They were distracting me from realizing that Huedhaut was the man for me. Huedhaut was the one I needed to be seeking love from, not Krioff or any other god. 

Namely, he needed to take care of the three trouble makers of the two departments: Ichthys, Dui, and Teorus. Yes, Teorus was in the same Department as Huedhaut, but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered until they were out of the picture. Any threat to Huedhaut’s perfect plans just had to be dealt with. 

It annoyed him that he couldn’t just find a way to kill them. That would be the easiest and the best way to go, resulting in me completely and entirely relying on Huedhaut. But the 12 Gods of the Zodiac were necessary for balance in the Heavens. He couldn’t just get rid of them like that. His plans had to be more delicately constructed.

There were better ways of going about this and ensuring I end up in his arms, after all. Reasonably, he was the smartest god in the Heavens.

***

“Duuuuiiii! I made a pie and it’s your favorite.” I grinned widely, knocking on Dui’s door. He was such a big help keeping Ichthys and Teorus from spilling my secret to Krioff. I had to pay him back with his favorite food. “Hey, Dui! It’s me, (Name)!”

“Oh, (Name), what are you doing here?” I turned and found Dui walking toward me, just returning from a Punishments job. But he paused and his eyes lit up as his gaze found the tray I was holding. “Is that what I think it is?”

I nodded and held it up to him so he could get the full glory of what I created. “Cherry pie! Just the thing to repay you for keeping Ikky and Teo silent. I was wondering if you wanted to have some on the roof with me? It’s a really nice day outside and I wanted to get some sun before the clouds took over. Apparently, it’s supposed to rain later.”

“Of course. We should go before the other two come looking for you.” Dui’s smile was really infectious. Sometimes it was nice to just hang out with him on a peaceful day. 

Ichthys was a bit too playful and Teorus was a little too touchy-feely. But just me and Dui like that? We weren’t such a bad combo. I felt relaxed and happy while he was eagerly eating the pie he loved so much. “So, Dui, how’s work been for you since your mark of sin has been gone?”

“It’s been good, thanks to your help.” He stuffed his cheeks once again before he gave a more detailed reply, “I mean, there’s been a few bumps in the road. Some humans can be pretty stubborn and Shadow Dui’s been trying to interfere where he’s not supposed to. But things are great. I’m getting more done without having a restraint on my powers.”

“That’s good!” I shifted in my seat to take a better look at him. Just looking, I wouldn’t be able to tell Shadow was causing any trouble at all. “I knew I only saw a portion of what you guys could do when I was lending my powers so I thought I’d go ahead and ask. I mean, you guys can go freely between Earth and the Heavens now. It sounds like a lot’s happening. I hope Shadow hasn’t been that much trouble for you? He was alright the last time I saw him. You apologized like crazy after he scared my friend from school, but Shadow was okay.”

“It’s not that bad. We enjoy visiting you, (Name).” I was glad he thought so because I really enjoyed hanging out with all of them too. But then he spoke in a sad tone, in a topic that caught me completely off guard. “I’m sorry about our reactions to Krioff. It’s just... I was pretty surprised. Everyone in the Heavens is so afraid of Krioff and then you, a human, falling in love with him… It surprised me. But, I’m happy. Even if Krioff is too afraid to accept you, I’m at least glad he has someone that loves him.”

“Too afraid?” I mean, I expected him to be insecure due to his past but... afraid? He always seemed so calm and collected. I couldn’t help but wonder how much he still carried on his shoulders.

Dui nodded to my quiet question. “He’s been through a lot. I’m sure you’ve heard. I think he avoids getting close to people because he’s afraid he’ll hurt them. I know he wouldn’t want to hurt you. We all care about you a lot. None of us would want to see you hurt.”

It was so hard to keep my heart from beating so horribly fast when he held my hand and looked into my eyes like that. He was just reassuring me, but if it were coming from anyone other than the kind-hearted Dui I might’ve mistaken it for an intimate gesture. 

I flinched at hearing someone clear their throat behind us and I awkwardly looked at the ground the minute we made eye contact. Though, I still tried to greet the newcomer to the roof, “Ah, Hue. Hey. You don't come up here often.”

“I figured it’s where you'd be. It’s about to rain and I’d hate for you to get sick.” Looking back at him, he was as composed as ever, that small smirk on his face telling everyone around him that he knew better. What was on his mind, I didn’t know, but he looked awfully happy about something. 

I returned a shy smile before I grabbed the pie from the table and asked, “Do you want this in your room, Dui?” All it took was a nod and I was following him off of the balcony followed by Huedhaut who closed the doors behind us. “Thanks for coming get us. I’m glad we didn’t get caught up in the rain.”

He nodded and, before leaving, offered, “If you need anything, I’ll be granting wishes with Karno.”

I waved as he left the hall and I quickly bolted past Dui with a challenging smirk. “I’ll race you! No powers! Last one there has to deal with Ichthys’ next prank!”

“No fair! You didn’t warn me!”

I laughed as he tried to catch up without using his God abilities and I swung open his door and ran in before he could get the better of me. “I made it fir- WAH!” Tripping over a soft surface, I instantly crashed to the floor with a groan. At first, I was under the impression I was covered in cherry sauce from the cherry pie, but as I sat up on my knees my eyes widened in fright and I froze. I hadn't landed in cherry sauce at all… I landed in blood.

“(Name), are you okay?! I heard- Oh my god…” Dui stopped talking as his eyes turned wide as saucers.

I wasn't sure what to do or how to react with Dui standing behind me. Did Shadow Dui do this? My best human friend was dead, killed in the most graphic way possible. Their organs weren't even inside them anymore—were those their organs? There had to be a logical explanation but my mind wasn't working right. All I could ask myself was if I was going to be next. Shadow Dui killed his best friend before. Why would I be any different?

“What the hell…” I froze fearfully as I noted the gruff change from Dui to Shadow Dui. “Shit… goldfish-”

“Don’t,” I interrupted him, trying to keep him from approaching. My mind still hadn’t caught up with me yet. Was this really happening? Please, let it be a horrible prank from Ichthys. 

“Hey, I didn’t-”

“Don’t touch me!” I screamed, pulling away from his touch. Anxiously, I scrambled to escape him, only able to go as far as the other side of the room. “Don’t come near me…” The last thing I needed was for him to finish what he started. “Why…?!” My manic state was enough to make him stop approaching, though I was trapped, the door being blocked by him. What did Shadow do? My voice was too caught up in my throat to scream, but I need help. I needed somebody, anybody to come and help me, to bring my best friend back from the cold world of death. 

“What the hell?!” Shadow Dui hissed, resuming his pacing. His frantic state only served to make me more terrified. A frantic murderer was a horrifying murderer. “This is your shitty little Earth friend! I knew it!” He kicked his chair across his room, making me flinch back into the wall. “I knew a stupid little human would only bring Dui more trouble! If I’d have just killed you back then then Dui wouldn’t get blamed for murder again! I didn’t kill this damn human!” 

I wish Shadow wasn't standing between me and the door. I wanted nothing more than to run out and find Huedhaut. Didn’t any of the other gods know what was going on here? 

The minute Shadow approached me, a cry left my lips, “H- HELP!” It wasn’t long before tears were streaming down my cheeks and I was hiding my face behind my arms. Shadow Dui killed my human friend. “HUE!” I needed somebody, anybody to come and help me, to bring my best friend back from the cold world of death. 

“What the hell are you-” The voice that was speaking from the hall suddenly paused. Scorpio was glaring at Shadow Dui from the doorway. The way Shadow was standing over me didn’t paint a pretty picture. “Damn it!”

With my eyes screwed shut, I could only hear the loud shuffling of a fight, but after that I didn’t hear anything as if I were alone in the room. But, alone or not, I was too frightened to move from where I sat. It was only several minutes later when Zyglavis asked, “Where is (Name) (Surname)?”

There was silence for a moment and I shuffled closer to the corner I had isolated myself to. I made sure I was far enough away from the body. I was thoroughly out of sight in the space between the bed and the wall and I wasn’t willing to move.

It was hard to control the shaking that came with my overflowing tears, but the sound of approaching footsteps only made it feel that much worse. “Woman,” Scorpio called, having found my hiding place. “(Name)!”

“(Name) (Surname)." I sniffled, looking up at the familiar voices. Zyglavis was kneeling in front of me, Scorpio was a short distance behind him, his attention split between me and the… Well, Scorpio had already taken care of the scene. "Are you hurt?" Zyglavis’ question brought my attention back to him. I shook my head slowly and he reached out to reassuringly pat my head. “You’ll be okay.”

“(Name)! (Name)!” My head shot up at the voice of Huedhaut. He pushed past Partheno to get into Dui's room. He didn't falter at seeing the blood. He only paused at seeing blood on me. “Are you hurt? You're covered in blood. Come here.” He fell to his knees beside Zyglavis and pulled me into his arms. “(Name)...”

“Hue…” I whimpered his name softly, burrowing myself into him. Why didn’t he come sooner to save me? Why didn’t he stop Shadow Dui from killing my best human friend? Didn’t any of them know that Shadow Dui did this? Did Dui even know before just a moment ago? 

Zyglavis looked at Huedhaut with a serious expression, his brows furrowed. “Take her somewhere quiet. The Department of Punishments will deal with this.”

Huedhaut wasted no time snapping his fingers, transporting us to his room. Still, I didn’t want to release him as he tried to pull away. He smiled gently as he tried to reassure me, “That probably took a toll on you. I promise I won’t leave your side. I’ll never let anyone hurt you. Will you let me bathe you? I imagine you’ll feel better being clean.” I couldn’t find the energy in me to smile back at him, but I nodded in response. Anything was better than how filthy I felt standing there. “You’d be okay if we used the bath in the mansion, right?” I nodded again, not really thinking about his question.

He kept a close eye on me as he walked me down the halls and to the bath. Usually, it was a shared space, but he locked the door to give me as much privacy as I needed. That’s what it would look like, anyway. He just didn’t want anyone else to see my precious body. That sight was purely for him and him alone. But he wouldn’t invade my privacy just yet. He would wait until I loved him in return. It might take time, but he would have patience.

He was gentle and quiet as he helped me into the bath, rinsing my hair with the warm water as he made sure not an inch of me was unclean after my experience. But he paused as he heard a small whimper from me. Was I going to say something? Evidently, the answer was yes as my broken voice reached his ears, “Why... Why would he do that to me? Was he that upset?”

I turned my head to look up at Huedhaut with watery eyes. I couldn’t identify the emotion on his face but he almost looked guilty. 

He did feel guilty, in fact. He did this to me, but it was for a greater purpose. I was in pain for the time being, but he knew it was only a matter of time before I fell into his arms. As soon as I was his, he would end my suffering. He wouldn’t have to hurt me if I would just surrender myself to him completely. But he wasn’t going to tell me that straight out. Eventually, I was going to figure out that Huedhaut held all the answers to my problems. If only I’d realize it sooner, he wouldn’t have to keep torturing me like this.

But, hiding his true nature, he caressed my cheek, answering me softly, “The other gods are going to get answers for you. Please, don’t worry. I’m here with you. Dui’s in the Heaven’s and he isn’t going to be allowed to return to Earth. I am truly sorry about your friend. That must have been horrible to see. I know it was hard for me to watch Clotho sacrifice her life for Earth. To have someone you care about die... it’s not a good feeling.”

A few remaining tears fell from my eyes as I apologized, “I’m sorry, Hue... I didn’t realize what you went through. It- It just hurts so much, but then I can't even imagine that you took your own stars after-” I was feeling the intense loss of someone close to me, but combined with sympathy for what Huedhaut must have felt, my feelings were just too fragile.

He was surprised as I began to cry again at his words. He was using his sad past to emotionally manipulate me into feeling empathy for him, but it was working better than he anticipated. I didn’t even seem to mind that he held me so much closer despite being naked in the bath. After making me feel guilty about my crumbling emotions, he spoke, “Please, don’t apologize. No one was there to comfort me after you left. But I’m here for you now. I’ll always be here. Now, are you sure you want to be holding me like that while you’re naked? I’m trying to keep you modest but you're making it difficult.”

I was in such distress that I hadn’t even realized what I was doing. It was like Huedhaut just lowered my defenses. Sinking back into the water, I looked away from him with a furious blush over my wet cheeks. “I’m sorry... I just... I don’t know how to handle what I’m feeling.”

Huedhaut nodded his head, trying to comfort me though I turned away from him. “I told you you don’t need to apologize. I know you’re not well right now. I’m just here to help you.” Of course I wasn’t well. Huedhaut was making sure of that. But he was going to do his best to make me smile while I was with him. I didn’t have to fear the bad things with him. “Why don’t we get you out of the bath? I can take you back to my room for the night and I can read you a pleasant book.” He was so thoughtful. Bringing tragedy into my life and then getting rid of it with his kind words and caring actions. I was so fortunate to have a god like him…

***

It was tough leaving the mansion without Huedhaut after that—which I hadn't left Huedhaut’s side since the incident. But, eventually, I had to go back to work, and I swear returning to work was the worst. There was no best friend there to make me smile while we joked and waited for our break. The gods had also fixed it to where everyone thought they had died of natural causes, so I had the sympathy of my coworkers. But it didn’t hurt any less to be so alone.

Over the days, Huedhaut tried to help the best he could and his efforts were appreciated. I smiled more with each book he read to me. He even sent me off to work with a packed lunch so I wouldn’t have to suffer that horribly my frist day back. The other gods also tried to cheer me up of course, especially Teorus and Ichthys. I mean... it was their friend Dui who killed my best friend. It was revealed that Shadow Dui killed them out of jealousy; I had a best friend to brag about but he didn't. Though, it was sort of strange that Shadow would target a petty human best friend over Huedhaut, my actual god best friend. Regardless, Dui was stuck doing time in the Heavens, forever banned from returning to Earth with Shadow Dui.

One day, as I was walking into my workplace, I paused to look at a package that was sitting outside. I knelt down and read that it was from Teorus and Ichthys, they hoped it would give me a smile. Attempting a small smile, I picked up the box and brought it in with me, leaving it in the break room for my hour lunch break that I would get. Surely I could use whatever laugh those two came up with by then. It was always my break hour that I would feel at my loneliest and lowest.

Time flew and I was set off doing different tasks. My mind was lost in everything that had happened the past few days. “I had no idea he was so jealous... But... to... do something like... that…” I squeezed my eyes shut, nearly tripping over the broom in my hands. "Ah- damn it..." But my eyes widened in fright as the fire alarms suddenly went off. Perfect. Just perfect. This was the last thing I needed. 

I was in the storage room, but I knew the way to the exit from there. Dropping the broom, I made a dash for the exit, only to jump back at the flames that were licking the outside of the door. “AH!” I couldn’t close the door back, so I backed away from the tall flames with wide eyes. They were so huge. How could they get so big so fast? The alarm only just went off.

Part of me was reminded of Krioff’s flames. But his flames weren’t so out of control! Still, there was nowhere to run as I fled to the back of the room to give myself time to get help. One of the gods would hear me if I called them, I was sure. “Please, please, please,” I coughed, the smoke steadily filling the room. I sat on the floor, trying to breathe slowly. “I wish there was a way out.” I coughed harder. Shelves began to fall as flames ate at their legs. “HELP!” I choked on my wishes and I covered my face, trying to avoid the ash and soot that was quickly spreading the flames. “P- Please... get me out of here!” 

The fire was moving so fast as it devoured everything it touched. I wondered if my other coworkers made it out. I wondered... if I was going to make it out. I was going to die. It was my turn. 

I closed my eyes tightly, but I heard a voice calling me from within the fire. “(NAME)!” Who the hell was searching for me in a mad fire like that? The smoke was hurting my lungs to the point where I almost couldn’t breathe. Was that someone from the fire department looking for me? “(Name)! Answer me!” No. That voice sounded familiar. Did he come to save me? 

I coughed the minute I tried to call out to him, but I managed to wheeze his name, “Hue!” I screamed as something collapsed beside me, kicking up ashes. 

I quickly covered my eyes to prevent any ash from getting in my face, but I felt a large form wrap around me and instantly I knew I’d be safe from the feel of his arms. “(Name)...” A blinding light took my vision for a moment; the clean air was almost too sudden and I found myself choking on it. “It’s okay. Just take in deep breaths for me.” Was he kidding? I had inhaled too much smoke to take even little breaths without feeling overwhelmed. But he seemed to know that as he tried to calm me, “I know, I know, it’s hard. Just trust me. The air in the mansion will clear your lungs, I just need you to take deep breaths for me.” I tried my best to follow his directions without coughing my lungs out. But slowly and surely, his advice proved fruitful. 

I was also surprised that he took me into the living room of the mansion. The Wishes gods were staring at me with wide eyes, obviously hoping for my quick recovery. Huedhaut was most concerned, however, as he was the one who found me suffering in the heat of the fire. But Leon wasn’t looking at me. He was the only god openly glaring at Teorus as he growled, “That prank that you and the Punishments’ problem child came up with almost got several goldfish killed.”

“I- I’m really sorry... It wasn’t supposed to-”

“Teorus,” Leon interrupted the innocent god, his tone fierce and not to be defied, “Go back to the Heavens. We’ll deal with you both later, but you and that fish are no longer permitted to work on Earth. Your actions put many goldfish lives in danger, you put (Name) in danger.”

Karno sighed, but he had to nod in agreement. “This is the last thing she needed after her best friend…” He paused, not wanting to elaborate in front of me. “I’ll go talk with Zyglavis. Teorus, come with me.”

Before he could get pulled away by Karno, Teorus tried to apologize to me with big, sad eyes. “I’m so sorry, (Name)... We really didn’t mean to do that to you…”

But it was too late to apologize. I almost died—or I could have gotten seriously hurt. Huedhuat was the only reason I was still alive and well. I didn’t look at Teorus as he was taken out of the room.

Tauxolouve noticed that I was keeping my gaze far from Teorus and he asked, “How are you feeling now?”

It took me a moment to understand his question, but I realized that I was breathing a lot easier thanks to Huedhaut coaching me to breathe deeper breaths and get all the smoke out of my lungs. I nodded my head in a gesture saying that I at least wasn’t going to die or pass out on them. Huedhaut snapped his fingers and all the soot that covered me and the floor I landed on was gone. “(Name),” he asked quietly, “Would you like me to take you home?”

As much as home sounded like a comfort... I wasn’t sure I wanted that. I certainly didn’t want to be alone after everything I was put through. Karno wasn’t wrong about that side comment. I just lost my best friend and I almost died soon after. Looking at Huedhaut, I asked shyly, “Hue... do you think you could stay with me for a while? Like you did last time?”

He smiled genuinely as ever. “Of course.” He took my hand and pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me as he snapped his fingers, taking us to my apartment. 

It was quiet between us. Though he was kind enough to offer to give me another bath for the time being and I had to admit I loved the way his fingers combed through my hair as he washed it. It was a sense of peace I couldn’t find with anyone but Huedhaut.

Huedhaut smiled to himself as he lathered shampoo in my hair. He got rid of the three idiots quite simply and he had no doubt that the fire shook me to my core, thoroughly breaking my crush on Krioff. Everything worked out perfectly and here I was, relying on him. Still, there was something else he wasn’t satisfied with. Sure, I was relying on him. But he wanted more than that. He wanted me to love him. Why couldn’t I just say the words he wanted to hear? Was I still holding onto something? Did I just need time to adjust after everything that happened? No, he had been patiently waiting. He sent disaster after disaster toward me and I leaned on him, yes. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted me to do more than lean on him. He wanted to have me. How much longer would he have to wait?

Certain he would have to start planning the next tragedy of my life, he was surprised when I finally spoke up and asked him quietly, “Hue... What am I going to do? That place was my life. I don’t have parents to go back to and my best friend is gone... I’m not going to have enough money to pay rent and I’m going to be homeless.” With each word, it was like my world was shattering to bits and I had no control over any of it. That was why I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I thought I was done crying, but I just couldn’t help it as my world crashed down around me. Huedhuat was the only one holding me up. He was the only one keeping me from succumbing to my sorrows. 

Drying his hands, he began to gently wipe away the tears that fell. This was exactly how he wanted me. He wanted me at his mercy. My life was in his hands and I would listen to his every word. “You won’t be alone, (Name). You can stay with me forever. I’ll love you. I’ll keep you safe. I’ll take care of you. Will you let me?” He knew I had to say yes. There were no other options for me to choose from, just as he had planned. I had no one but him. Sure, the other gods were willing to help, but no one was as desperate as he was. He would be the only one to love me truly. He didn’t care who he had to take out of the picture. He didn’t care how many times he had to make me cry, he’d always be the one to dry my tears in the end.

Despite being naked in the tub, I felt like none of that mattered in my moment alone with Huedhaut. This God was offering to take care of me. He was offering me a place with him. I took his hand that gently caressed my cheek and held it tight. “P- Please, take care of me, Huedhaut. I want to stay with you. I-” I paused, looked away from him shyly. It took a while, but he was the only one there for me. I couldn’t believe it took these tragic events to show me who I should have really fallen in love with. He was the only one to actually make me happy after the disasters I’d been through lately. I knew he loved me and I didn’t want to abuse that knowledge, but maybe that was why I kept denying my own feelings. Finally, I decided to tell him what he'd been waiting to hear all along, “I love you, Hue…”

Huedhaut’s eyes widened slightly, not expecting the declaration. Not that he was displeased. If I loved him then that would make things easier. He wouldn’t have to make me sad anymore. I loved him. “I love you too, (Name).” He beamed, tilting his head. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I’m never going to let you go again. I’m honestly so happy. I want to make you the happiest goddess.” He took a deep breath to calm himself; it would do no good to startle me if he got too excited. “Before I get carried away, I should let you get some rest. I know you had a very tiring day and I don’t want to rush you into this relationship with me. I’ll take things as slowly as you need.” Carrying me out of the tub to dry and dress me, he held me close the entire time, proving his love for me by making sure I was comfortable and not touching me any differently than before I declared my feelings. He was true to his word in taking things slow.

I trusted him wholeheartedly. This was perfect. His carefully made plans weren’t for nothing as he had me lovingly dozing in his arms without a clue to the horribly violent thoughts that swirled through his mind. Of course, he’d never lay a hand on his one true love, knowing full well I’d hate him and go to some other God for safety and comfort. He would never become the bad guy in my eyes. He was all I had left, after all. Huedhaut would do anything and everything to keep me with him. He wasn’t the smartest god in the Heaven’s for nothing. Even if I did find out what he had been doing, there was nothing I could do, was there? But Huedhaut was certain he wouldn’t have to worry about that. I was as ignorant as all the others, which was just how Huedhaut wanted it. I’d be his forever, and considering his perfect plans for the two of us, he would never have to worry about me leaving.

***

It was a few weeks later when I was found sitting in the garden, staring intently at a flower as if it had all the answers in the world for me. Huedhaut couldn’t help but smirk in amusement as he called my attention to him with a single sentence. “That flower must be something special to have you so enraptured.”

“Flower?” I hummed in confusion, glancing up at him. When did he join me outside? Finding the mansion was getting too stuffy, I decided to bring a blanket outside and enjoy the windy shifting of the seasons. But what was Huedhaut suddenly talking about a flower for? Had I been looking at one without realizing? Shaking my head, I unsmoothly changed the subject. “I was only thinking. I’ve been a little worried lately.”

“Worried?” His eyes were trained on me for any sign of distress as he moved closer, sitting beside me on the blanket. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I glanced up to see him reach toward me, his fingers gently passing through my hair. It was his usual way of trying to soothe my anxieties and I couldn’t say it didn’t work as I leaned into his touch. “I’ll fix anything that’s troubling you.”

“I didn’t want to make you worried too,” I excused, though, that wasn’t entirely the truth. I stared down at the blade of grass that I had been picking between my fingers. “I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to bring it up or… how I really wanted to ask. But you’ve been making trips to the Heavens, so I was wondering if you knew how Teorus and Ichthys were doing. I… also wondered how Dui was doing with, um… Shadow…”

His face grew deathly serious, his hand pausing as he started, “If any of them have been bothering you-”

“No, no. That’s not it.” I swiftly saved the three of them from Huedhaut’s wrath. Grabbing his still hand, I tried to reassure him. “They haven’t been trying to talk to me or anything.” It wasn’t that Huedhaut was a violent god—he was very kind—but I knew how scary he could be to others when he lost his patience. “I got over the accident from last month—just maybe not the Dui one… But I was just wondering if they were okay. I haven’t heard anything since they were all banned from visiting Earth.”

Studying Huedhaut’s expression didn’t tell me much—he was always so stoic when addressing topics about the other gods. Then again, Huedhaut wasn’t one for idle nonsense like most of the other gods liked to participate in. The way he caressed my fingers in return told me he still had quite a ways to go before he completely lost patience with them. I was glad I could be there to ease Huedhaut’s stress in the same way he was always there to comfort me.

I was releived when he finally decided to indulge my curiosity. “They’ve been monitoring Dui in the Department of Punishments. He’s on, what you would call, house arrest. They’re being maticulous with ensuring further incidents don’t occur. As for the other two, I’m not sure how Zyglavis has been handling Ichthys’ punishment, but Teorus is handling so much work that I’m not sure he’ll be finished until next winter.”

“I get that,” I muttered, a sigh escaping my lips as I stared aimlessly at the grass. “What they did was dangerous… among other things. But, Hue, that’s not what I’m asking. I want to know how they’re really doing. Are they happy, are they sad, are they lonely? Do they still get to see each other? It feels like my favorite boy band broke up or something.”

The concept of a boy band was lost on Huedhaut, but the thought of those three being my favorite anything made Huedhaut grimace. Still, he wouldn’t just ignore me; he’d never do that. He’d simply do something to try and get my attention off of those three. They were truly an annoyance even when they weren’t around. His best option was to reassure and redirect. “They’re fine. It’s not like being punished has ever stopped the punishments’ problem child from his mischievous nature. Teorus is ever obsessed with his milk and still attracting women left and right. Personally, I believe Dui only reverted to his behavior similar to when he first killed that god friend of his… All is proceeding normally in the Heavens.”

It sounded fairly normal for them—well, as normal as they were before their sins were erased. 

“Then…” I hesitated. I wanted to see them for myself to check on how they were doing, but I wasn’t entirely sure it was the best decision. “What do you think I should do? I want to see them again. I want to see with my own two eyes how they’re doing. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just… want to see that they’re okay, you know?”

“I don’t think so,” he answered immediately, leaving me at a loss for words at how fast his answer came out. It was like he didn’t even give it any thought. But before I could ask him about it, he explained, “I don't do this with the intention of hurting you, I have your best interest at heart. I don't personally believe this will help you. Rather… If you saw Dui, I don't believe you would handle it well. It was fairly traumatic what he put you through.”

“That's true…” I hesitantly agreed. But the Heavens was a pretty big place, as far as I was aware. What were the chances of me actually running into Dui when Huedhaut just said he was on house arrest? 

“Don't look so disappointed,” he encouraged, offering me a smile that was enough to settle any doubts in my heart. “Once I'm certain that you're feeling better, then I'll take you to the Heavens to see them.” 

“Promise?”

“Promise.” 

Scooting over on the blanket, I leaned on Huedhaut’s shoulder, a small smile on my face as well. “Thanks, Hue.” At least I had a loving boyfriend to take care of me. If I were all on my own then I was sure I'd make a huge mistake by rushing to the Heavens just because I was feeling antsy. 

***

My eyes darted frantically over the sheet of paper I held in my hands. I’d been staring at it for the past hour, trying to convince myself that it was some kind of trick, but that wasn't the case. If it were a trick then I wouldn't have heard Dui’s voice in my head just prior to the letter appearing in my hands. 

I thought I was panicking, Dui must have been even more distraught. After all… The letter was nothing nice. I recognized Dui’s handwriting immediately as he described the events of the incident. Shadow Dui didn't kill my best friend. He wasn't even on Earth that day prior to meeting up with me. He claimed such, but I had to check with the other gods just to be sure this was accurate.

But my concern wasn't entirely on Shadow Dui. My concern… was that Dui claimed that the god framing him had to be one of the gods in the mansion, another Zodiac god. But why would any of them have a problem with a human? I wasn't even sure any of them had ever met my friend.

If Dui had an idea on who it might have been then I would have had an easier time handling this. But as it was, I couldn't imagine any of the gods that I trusted with my life capable or willing to murder a human. That made it twice as terrifying knowing I couldn't trust anyone. 

I had thought it would be okay to trust Huedhaut, at least. But… with the way things were, he was on Earth that day too. Unfortunately, Huedhaut was also a suspect. Besides, Dui was trusting me with both clearing his name and seeking justice for my friend. If Huedhaut knew I was tracking down a killer then he'd put a stop to it. He was too protective to let me do something like targeting a god who wasn't afraid to kill humans. 

Whoever it was was clever enough to pin it on Dui, who had a history as a god killer. But wasn't that too simple of an answer for anyone to believe? Sure, the evidence lined up, but it was too perfectly set up. Until the time came that the killer was found, I couldn't trust anyone in the mansion. The murderer was one of the 12 Zodiacs and he was hiding amongst us! 

Aggravated, I crumpled the paper in my hands. I'd have to burn it to avoid anyone else getting their hands on it. I didn't need anyone knowing I spoke to Dui. 

“(Name)?” I flinched, spinning around on my heel to catch the god who snuck up behind me. Huedhaut stood in the doorway, his eyes trailing over me. “Is there a reason you're standing in the middle of the room like that?” He tilted his head as his eyes flickered to my hands. “Is something bothering you? What's that?” 

“Nothing,” I immediately responded, shoving the crumpled letter into my pocket. “Just some notes I scribbled down earlier. I… was bored. So, I was thinking about going find you. Are you busy?”

He hummed before nodding his head. “I came to let you know I'll be in the Heavens tonight. Leo’s given me extra work. I'm tempted to believe he's done this in retaliation for how much time I've been spending with you…”

I tilted my head. This… oddly worked out in my favor. If Huedhaut was busy working in the Heavens then it was unlikely he'd be able to catch onto my investigation and stop me. “But when are you coming back?” 

A soft chuckle left his lips, a smirk crossing his face. “You’ll miss me that much? You're the reason Leo’s making me return to the Heavens. I'll try to be back tomorrow at the latest. Who knows, if you go to bed early, I may be by your side when you wake.” 

I glanced away from him, grumbling quietly, “Stop teasing me and go to the Heavens already…”

Huedhaut tilted his head. “You're sending me off without a goodbye kiss? I'm hurt.” 

“You sound like the needy one.” Huffing, I granted his small request. Though, when my lips connected with his, I couldn't help but lean closer to him, craving just a bit more comfort from my boyfriend. I wished he could help me with this… He’d have this solved within a day… But I couldn’t put this information in the hands of gods.

His laughter was nothing more than quiet hums against my lips. When we finally parted, he caressed my cheek. “So? Do you want to repeat that?”

I rolled my eyes, turning away from him as I abandoned his loving touch. “Go to the Heavens. The sooner you leave the sooner you can come back, you know.” 

“Then I'll be back soon,” he reassured, pecking his lips against my head, wrapping his arms around me from behind before taking his leave. 

It hurt me to think that I had to treat Huedhaut as a suspect when he'd been the only one willing to help me through all my hardships. It had to be someone else and I was going to find out who. I was going to clear Dui’s name and I was going to bring this killer to justice.

My first suspect was admittedly the most expected Zodiac god… The former demon and son of the Dark King himself, Partheno. No one else would make a greater killer and then pin it on Dui. The question… was why?

Luckily, the god in question was in the living room and my eyes immediately locked into him as he worked with Krioff. If it was just those two… I could ask them, and if either one of them admitted something then I’d have an extra god present for support. “Excuse me, can I ask you guys some questions?”

They turned their heads toward me and a smile blossomed across Partheno’s face. For a killer, he was awfully carefree. “You're a rare sight. We hardly ever see you out of Huedhaut’s room anymore.” 

“I’ve been healing,” I vaguely answered. The less they knew, the better. “But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’m here to ask about you two. Where were you the day Dui was banned from Earth? Tell me everything you can recall from that day and everyone you saw prior to that afternoon.” 

As surprised as they were with my line of questioning, Krioff assumed it was a method of human coping—I didn’t bother to correct him since that excuse was useful to me. Both Partheno and Krioff had similar stories. They were in the Heavens that day doing work. A useful tip they gave me was that they had seen Dui in the Heavens that morning: once leaving Zyglavis’ room and another time walking through the palace. 

Similar to me, they found this all quite puzzling. That day didn’t make much sense, but Dui’s guilt probably got in the way of him denying anything. He confessed to the murder because he was a murderer.

But along with an explanation from Tauxolouve who joined us, it was easy to put together that Dui had been in the Heavens up until the point of meeting me in front of his room with the cherry pie. In the few hours he was on Earth, he had spent his time solely with me. I was also familiar with the appearance of old blood; that scene was very fresh—I could recall it clearly enough, as much as I prefered not to. Shadow Dui never would have had the time to meticulously kill my best friend in such a manner. 

Thankfully, the gods that I visited were all more than willing to cooperate, all completely under the guise that I was ‘coping’ with the events of that day. As far as I knew, Huedhaut, Aigonorus, Ichthys, and Leon were the only ones who didn’t have any witnesses to vouch for their whereabouts—not that I was able to really talk to Ichthys or Teorus personally.

This entire investigation might’ve been easier if I were able to question Dui himself, but such a feat wasn’t possible. Unless…

“Scorpio?” I apprehensively asked, “Do you think you could take me to the Heavens to see Dui?”

His eyes narrowed, scanning me carefully for an answer as to why. As much as he glared, an answer didn’t come to him and he was only left with his assumptions. “What the hell do you wanna do that for? If you think vengeance is going to-”

“That’s not it,” I quickly defended myself. Though, I knew he’d only continue to get the wrong idea. Holding out my hand to prove my pure intentions, I quietly admitted, “I want to help him. I… Well, you care for Dui too and you didn’t sound suspicious… So, I guess I can tell you. I don’t think he killed my best friend, and I think he’s being framed. But I need to know what he knows. I need to talk to him.”

His face scrunched up into a scowl, turning away from me. “Shadow Dui killed that goldfish. He’s awaiting his sentence from the King. You’ll get into trouble messing with things you shouldn’t.”

“Do you really think Shadow killed my friend?!” I tried again, desperately trying to change his beliefs. Seeing that he wasn’t going to budge, I pressed, “Did the Department of Punishments even investigate this?”

“Dui confessed.”

“But it wasn’t Dui!”

He turned around to face me and we stared evenly at each other. Sighing, Scorpio took this moment to warn me, “If it wasn’t Dui… you’re searching for a god who murdered a human without a clear motive. You sure you wanna risk your life for this?”

My eyes trailed down to the floor, my hand falling back to my side. He wasn’t wrong. Besides, it was hard to imagine any of the gods actually killing a human—even Dui who was known as a god killer. Biting my lip anxiously, I uttered, “There had to be a reason it was my friend that was killed. That coupled with my workplace burning down… the timing was ironic, don’t you think? Isn’t my life already at risk?”

The silence was thick between us as I let him absorb my words. I wasn’t sure what the Department of Punishments was doing, but I knew Huedhaut would catch on if I let this linger too long. But I couldn’t let him shield me like a child when I had a fight to win. 

“Tell me what you want to ask Dui. I’ll help, but I can’t take you to the Heavens.” He paused. “I don’t think your killer would be too happy about you meeting with your framed god.”

My eyes shot up to meet his. At least he was starting to get on the same page as me, even if he made a very valid point. So, I made sure to tell him every detail about the investigation, even my thoughts on who were the most suspicious gods with no valid alibis that I could personally verify. In all, he seemed to take my concerns very seriously before he left to return to the Heavens. We would find the killer…

This back and forth went on for days, and unfortunately, Scorpio had yet to find anything incriminating from the three gods detained in the Heavens. While they had alibis for themselves, it didn’t clear any of the other three suspected gods, nor did it give me any clues as to who it could have been. For all I know, Aigonorus could have been sleeping, Leon could have been avoiding Karno, and Huedhaut could have been doing his work alone as usual. I wanted to deny that it was Aigonorus with how gentle he was as a god, but I also didn’t want Huedhaut to still be under suspicion. 

I grumbled quietly, shoving my face into a pillow. Being a detective was hard with so little clues. What motive would those three have to kill a human, anyway? Well… Leon had a short temper, but he wasn’t as murderous as he always seemed. Still, blaming Leon seemed better than blaming Huedhaut. I needed to figure this out soon.

***

Huedhaut glanced over to me, his eyes trailing over my still body, picking up on the subtle rise and fall of my chest. It had been a while since he had seen me sleep. On the nights when he was able to be on Earth and ‘sleep’ with me, all I seemed to do was toss and turn and sigh every other minute.

He knew for a fact that this had been going on ever since he found me with that piece of paper that one afternoon. If he had been smarter, he should have taken it to see for himself. It only seemed to have made a rift between the two of us.

Huedhaut sighed, knowing he had to figure this out soon, lest I fall ill with whatever was bothering me. So, without addressing me on the matter, he left to find another god that might know more. After all, he wasn't blind. He knew I was speaking to the other gods behind his back. 

His eyebrows furrowed. With that line of thought… Could the rift between us be because I was cheating on him? 

No, impossible. That didn't make sense either. He knew me better than that. Still, it didn’t hurt to make sure… He'd only get answers by asking. Since I was fast asleep in his bed, I wouldn't notice him missing. 

His decision made, he left his room, determined to question the next god he came across. One particular god that he came across, just so happened to be the very god I had been speaking most to. It was time to get answers from Scorpio.

***

This… This was golden. Huedhaut wasn’t a fan of nonsense that got in his way, but after questioning a few gods who had been interrogated by me… he was livid. Though, at the same exact time, he was extremely pleased and head over heels for me. 

Based on all the information he received about my recent whereabouts, he realized what I was doing: I was investigating the murder. He was proud that I was actually succeeding in finding out clues. If he was being honest, it just made him love me even more. I was such a smart goldfish to be following his trail so closely. To have narrowed down the list of suspected gods to only him, Leon, and Aigonorus was quite the feat. He knew I was worthy of having the soul of his goddess.

As proud as he may have been, he was still entirely livid that it had even come to this. He didn’t want me to see him as the bad guy. However, at the same time, he wanted to see if I could actually put all of this information that I was gathering together. He was morbidly curious to test my intellect; and if I did happen to find out it was him behind it all along… Well, that would be troublesome—more so for me rather than him.

Besides, I had questioned almost all the other gods. Why hadn’t I asked him anything about it yet? Or… did I already have my suspicions? That could explain the wedge that made itself between us. Well, if I didn’t speak with him soon, he would have to do the honors and open the conversation himself. 

***

It wasn’t fair… I’d been holding off asking Huedhaut anything about that day; praying that I could find the killer beforehand. Only… I cleared Aigonorus of suspicion. He was visiting his goats that day, so he wasn’t on Earth at all. The only verification was that his goats weren’t bad at communicating even if they didn’t speak English. 

And while none of the other gods saw him during that time, Tauxolouve told me that Aigonorus mentioned going to see his goats that day, which proved to be more useful than he thought since that narrowed it down to two other gods—for the time being, anyway. If all else failed, Aigonorus was alone that day and I had every right to further inspect him and his goats.

Leon, on the other hand, was also found innocent, if his paperwork was anything to go by. He had been doing his work in his room that day, a rare sight, but believable with the actual paper evidence that littered his room. Karno was there to verify just when Leon was given this huge mess to work on. The time frames matched and so Leon was in the Heavens the whole time. 

At this rate… Huehaut was the only god without an excuse… But he was also the only god I never questioned. 

Huedhaut had been taking good care of me since all of this started; I didn't want to associate him with this at all. Besides, as far as motives went, what reason would he have to do this to me? I felt like Leon would have more reason to kill my best friend than Huedhaut who was always calm and composed and loved humans. 

Still, there was no getting around this much-needed conversation. Maybe I could lighten the mood a bit before dumping everything on him. So, later that afternoon, I went to his room—our shared room now—to find him where he was reading on his bed as usual.

His eyes flickered to me as the door cracked open for me to confirm he was in there. And who was to say he wasn't sitting in his room reading that day? He was the one who came to get me and Dui from the balcony before the rain started and I hadn’t noticed anything unusual about him then. His hair was kempt, his clothes and hands were free of blood, and his voice held just as much love and compassion as usual. 

“Something's bothering you,” he spoke, causing me to flinch out of my thoughts. I couldn't be getting distracted around a potential killer and arsonist—I winced, feeling horrible associating Huedhaut with those terms. “(Name), come here. You don't look well.” 

“I'm fine,” I quickly excused, only to shake my head after. There was no point in lying when I'd later tell him the heavy news. “Actually… I have something to ask you, but… it's a little heavy. I was wondering if we could go outside and stargaze; maybe you could bring something to drink to lighten the mood?”

He was surprised by my line of requests, confused that I didn't just outright ask him, my trustworthy boyfriend, if he killed my best friend. Still, he jested, “If you wanted to propose to me, you could have just said it. There's no need to take the roundabout way of asking for my hand in marriage.” 

“H- Hue!” I stuttered, and he smirked, having me exactly as he wanted me. I argued, “That's not- I didn't come here to-” I huffed, turning away from him. “I don't have time for you making fun of me. This is serious!”

“I was also being serious,” he lightly commented, determined to distract my mind from seeing him as a bad guy. “If there's ever a time you're ready to start a family with me, I'll ask you to marry me. I missed my chance with Clotho… But you're in my life, (Name) and I want to have all the best moments with you.”

This caused me to falter. How could someone out to ruin my life go and say all these sweet things? There's no way it was Huedhaut! I wasn't going to accept that as an answer! Still, I had to ask… “I'm sorry, what I'm doing is important right now… I'll meet you on the balcony, ‘kay?” Sending him a terse smile, I retreated from his room. There was one person I had to speak with first… I needed to get my facts straight. 

Trailing back to Scorpio’s room, I gently knocked. As a Punishments member, I was sure he could help me solve this. Though, I was surprised when Zyglavis was the one to open the door for me. My eyes widened and Zyglavis asked in confusion, “(Name) (Surname)?”

“I…” I faltered, “I need to talk to Scorpio…”

Scorpio hummed, glancing over Zyglavis’ shoulder before nodding. “Yeah. Come in. Zyg, you might wanna hear this. This stupid woman has been trying to prove Dui’s innocence by finding the killer of that goldfish. So, let's hear what else you found.”

They were polite enough to offer me a seat as we sat around Scorpio’s desk, but that didn't lessen the tension as I announced, “In the past week, I narrowed the suspects down to three gods, and of those three, two don't have entirely valid alibis. Well… I haven't asked the final one for an alibi yet, but I figured discussing it might narrow my thoughts.”

Zyglavis crossed his legs, requesting, “Let's start with the god with an alibi. What did you find and is it a sound excuse?”

“It's Leon,” I nodded. “That day he was busy working in the Heavens. It wouldn't have checked out, but there was evidence. He wasn't granting wishes, he was taking care of backed up paperwork. As Karno and Vega were managing Leon’s work, they were able to vouch for him. He was in the palace that day.”

Scorpio scoffed, crossing his arms. “I'd say Karno would stick up for him if they were both in on it; we know that rabid lion doesn't like Shadow Dui. But Vega wouldn’t have kept it to herself. Altair would have told us if something wasn't right.”

“Agreed,” Zyglavis nodded. That got Leon off our radar of suspects, much to my disappointment now that we were nearing Huedhaut’s name. Starting again, Zyglavis tried, “Now, who is the god with an alibi that you're uncertain of?” 

“The first one… is Aigonorus. Though, I can't wrap my mind around what the motive would be. Before meeting me, granting wishes of humans was just a job and I'm pretty sure he'd never have associated with us otherwise.” My reasoning was sound, and the two gods had to agree with me. Still, there was his alibi to consider. “No one had seen him that day, but he told me he wasn't around the palace or on Earth; he was visiting his goats. Which, his goats aren't horrible at communicating and verified that he was with them. But it's the same issue as with Leon and Karno. His goats would vouch for him regardless, don't you think?”

Zyglavis nodded to my suspicions. “It is true that Aigonorus has the power to communicate and manipulate animals. It's worthwhile to keep him as a suspect to go back to. At least until you can rule out your final god. So, who is left without an alibi?”

I stared at the floor, too anxious to bring up the name now. Saying it would only make it feel that much more real to me. I didn't want Huedhaut wrapped up in all of this, but it was useless to go around it when he was one of the last suspects.

Scorpio sighed, quietly admonishing, “Stupid… You can't be biased about it. It doesn't matter how you feel about him, you can't protect him like Karno would for Leon or like those goats would do for Aigonorus. Do you think it's Huedhaut?” 

The question itself stung, making my chest ache in pain. I couldn’t cling to my biases forever, and they were both staring at me and waiting for an answer. “I thought about it… But Huedhaut loves humans. What would his motive be…? If he loved me so much, why kill my best friend? He only ever had the best intentions for me.”

Zyglavis’ eyebrows furrowed. “Your affections aside, you haven't addressed him about this, have you? Why is that?”

“Well…” I hesitated. “I knew if I brought it up with him that he'd want to stop me. He's really protective and I knew tracking down a killer would be dangerous. So… I never told him I was doing this. I asked to talk with him later tonight… That’s when I'll ask him about it.”

“You never told him…?” Scorpio’s eyes narrowed. The situation was awfully suspicious as he revealed, “Huedhaut already asked me about it. He knows.” 

“He… knows?” I faltered. Clearly, he couldn’t have been that concerned if he was letting me carry on without mentioning it. But that didn’t make him look good. “He never said anything… He never tried to help either.” He’s the smartest god in the Heavens. I knew he would either stop me or help me if he was aware, but he hadn’t said anything at all regarding what I was doing. Did that mean he didn't care… or that he was hiding the truth?

Zyglavis sighed, offering a word of advice, “I think it’s time you set aside your feelings and focus on the reality you may be facing.”

But… I was too terrified to accept that this could be the truth. “He…  I can’t.” I slouched in my chair, avoiding their pointed gazes. “I can’t. He… I’m too close. Besides, there’s no motive! He loves humans! He loves me!” 

“You’re the motive, then,” Scorpio bluntly figured. “You’re the only one tying any of this together. It wasn’t random—your workplace, the human closest to you.”

Zyglavis nodded in agreement, following Scorpio’s line of thought as he explained, “You would think this string of misfortune would continue regardless of who was with you. However… since you’ve fallen into his arms, all has been well, hasn’t it?”

“He’s going to have an alibi,” I instantly replied. There’s no way he wouldn’t have an excuse, a reason for not being on Earth during the time. 

Scorpio hissed, “Don’t be freaking biased about it. You need to do the right thing if he’s the one. You wanna stay with a killer who backed you into a corner with loving words?”

“N- No…” I stuttered, but I was extremely hesitant to do what had to be done. After all Huedhaut had done for me… did I have what it would take to point him out as the one behind all of this? Well… if that was the case, I wasn’t sure I had the heart to support him for everything he’d done to me. He simultaneously ruined and saved my life all at once. “You’re right. I’ll do my best. If he says anything, I’ll call you for help. I… have to take this seriously. For Dui, for Ichthys, for Teorus, and for all the other gods that were pulled into this mess. I will get to the bottom of this. He hurt a lot of people…”

Zyglavis laid a hand on my shoulder, directing my attention to his serious expression. “We’ll be here for you. You can handle this.”

***

I could handle this; I could handle this. I repeated that thought over and over again in my head as I walked through the doors of the balcony. Just as I suspected, Huedhaut was there waiting for me. There was a cute little table set up with a bottle and two wine glasses. 

Ordinarily, my stomach would have been fluttering with butterflies, but now it was stirring with anxiety. Well, that’s what the alcohol was there for. “Sorry I’m a little late,” I apologized, stealing a seat beside the table. “You know how the other gods like to talk when they catch me.” 

“That’s understandable,” he replied simply, fixing our drinks. “After all, they must be curious as to how your investigation is coming along.”

I froze, my eyes glued to him. He had never mentioned my activities before. His timing was ironically scary. He drank from his glass, only sparing me a glance as I took the filled glass from the table and drank from it. I was too nervous to get any words out, so I waited until I was half way through the glass before I finally commented, “I thought you’d be more concerned about me searching for a killer.”

“I am,” he confirmed. “Though, as I understood, you neglected to tell me about this because you didn’t want me interfering. However, if I thought for a moment that you were in harm's way, I would have stepped in. I’m not sure if you recall, but I can see your future.”

My eyes flickered back to him. How could I forget that little detail? He would have foreseen all of this. “Then tell me,” I requested, “Do you know if I’ll find him?”

His pause was way too long for comfort, but he finally nodded sharply. “You do.” The corners of his lips curled up as he unexpectedly praised me, “You’re so intelligent, I admire that about you. Even up against twelve gods, you don’t dare back down. I don’t think this excitement would have been stirred by yourself, however. So, can you tell me where this all started?”

It was strange how he was talking as if we were having a completely normal conversation when the topic was something that wasn’t exactly light. Still, I answered him, “It started a few weeks ago when Dui warned me that I was in danger. I didn’t think too hard about it… until I realized there was more to the story than what we saw.” I paused. “I checked everything and everyone. They all have alibis. Almost… all of them…” I emptied my glass, filling it with more wine for a second round—all until my cheeks were burning. “I didn’t come to you because I thought I’d find him before it came to this. But you’re the last god… I have to know… where were you that day?”

Finally, the question came out and Huedhaut had a well-rehearsed answer. “I was doing my work until the time came where I went to retrieve you. I knew you’d get sick from the rain if I left you out there. Then I proceeded to leave to meet with Karno.” 

My eyes narrowed as I lightly sipped on my wine. Thankfully, it was already proving to have a calming effect as my anxiety wasn’t rearing its ugly head. His response only left for one question. “Can Karno or anyone else verify that you were doing your work that morning?” 

“I was alone,” he revealed, though being alone wasn't unusual for him. “But you can ask the other gods, I changed the water from the reflection pool that day. The gods using it would have noticed.”

I nodded slowly. “I'll have to ask them.” Hesitantly, I added an apology, “I'm sorry I'm doing this to you. You’re just the only god I haven’t spoken to.”

“You don't have to apologize,” he replied, offering me a soft smile. “Please, don't feel guilty about this. I wouldn't feel so proud of you if you weren't working so hard to free your friend. I'm only worried about you and how you might feel with the answer you find.” 

“I won't be happy,” I muttered onto the rim of my glass. “I haven't found him yet and I'm already heartbroken about it. To think one of the gods I love and trust would ruin my life… I don't want that person to be you.” Pulling the glass from my lips, I stared into the vibrant liquid, swishing it around. “Would you tell me if it was you?” 

“No,” he honestly replied, making my heart break further. “I don't believe any god would admit to wrongdoing—especially to a human.” 

“Even if that god loved me?”

“Especially if that god loved you.”

It was clear that we were both walking around the question. I didn't want to know if he was the bad guy in my life. But I had to find out—not for my sake, but for Dui. “Huedhaut,” I said, and he flinched upon hearing his full name fall from my lips. “I've gone through every single god to get here… And you've been the least forthcoming with what I want to know. Why can't you be honest with me?”

“I've always been honest with you. I've never lied to you,” he sighed, placing his half-empty glass on the table. “I'll give you your answers when you start asking the right questions.”

I pursed my lips together. “What was your motive?” Did he even have one if he was the killer…? This conversation was giving me chills.

“You.” 

So… Scorpio was right on the money, wasn’t he? He did all of this until I was in his arms, just as he seemed to want. Now that I was where he wanted me, all of the bad things suddenly stopped.

For some reason, I didn’t feel as anxious as I should have been in the presence of a killer. If anything, it felt as if we were having an average conversation. Was this because of the alcohol? The gods had some pretty strong stuff and I was thankful for its ability to keep me calm as I pressed him, “Why? Couldn’t you just accept that I didn’t love you at the time? If you would have waited and done things the right way, you wouldn’t be in trouble with Zyglavis and Scorpio right now.”

“If I had waited, you would have ended up with Krioff,” he revealed, making me falter. Everything he did was to ensure I didn’t end up with the man I really loved. He drew me away from my home on Earth as well as the other gods. “Don’t look upset. Aren’t you happy with me? I’ve cared for you after every grievance and I’ve provided everything you’ve needed. Didn’t I bring you a delightful drink and agree to join you tonight? You’ve impressed me.” He smiled fondly. “My smart little goldfish followed a trail that not even the other gods could follow. I’ve rewarded you with all the answers you were looking for. So, what reason could there be for you to look so miserable?”

“Don’t act like this was all a game! You hurt people,” I hissed, glaring at him. “I don’t know what you expected to happen here, but I knew I might find something I wouldn’t like. And… I can’t say I’m sorry, Huedhaut… but I’m telling Zyglavis.” 

“But he already knows, doesn’t he?” Huedhaut asked, tilting his head as if he were actually confused with me. “You told him already. Your frequent meetings with Scorpio means that Zyglavis already knows. So then… we have to wonder why they aren’t already here.” Shrugging his shoulders, he commented, “Maybe you’re the only one concerning yourself over things that gods are frankly indifferent to.”

“That…” I trailed off. He was right, wasn’t he? No, no, no. I shook my head furiously. “They want to prove Dui’s innocence as much as I do. They’re not indifferent to this.”

“Okay, then,” he calmly replied, placing his glass on the table. “You seem to know quite a bit about us gods for only being with us a handfull of years.” 

“I don’t,” I quickly disagreed. Well, he was probably being sarcastic again, but my mind couldn’t keep up with him. Once again, my mind was stuck on the why. “Why’d you blame Dui? Why’d you kill my best friend like that…? Not even the Dark King was ever so cruel…”

His quiet hum hardly met my ears, but he looked entirely unbothered. Well, if he was slightly irritated, he did a good job at hiding it behind a mask of disinterest. “Tell me, could there have been a better choice of god? He’s a god-killer, isn’t he? Besides… I knew if he was framed with a minor crime—like what Ichthys and Teorus had done—you would easily forgive him over time. If seeing his face brought up a rather gruesome memory… I wouldn’t have anything to worry about, would I?”

“That don’t make’ny sense…” I slurred, my eyes narrowing on him. 

The corners of his lips curled up. “Are you already so intoxicated that you can’t think?”

“No,” I hurriedly denied, only serving to make him more amused. “If Krioff was th’only one… why’d you gotta hurt my friends for?”

He tilted his head, his eyes scanning over me. “Do you mean to ask why I didn’t choose to frame Krioff instead?” Following a drunken nod, he pursed his lips, wondering if he should have let me drink so much for such an important conversation. “That would have been a waste. After all, with your attention on me, there was never any time for you to interact with him. He wouldn’t pursue you without you first pursuing him. I did all that was necessary.”

“But…” I paused, my eyebrows furrowing together. “Why… them? Why I’thys an’ Teo an’ D- Dui?” 

“They were the ones keeping you from me, weren’t they?” He inclined his head with a knowing smirk. “It isn’t like they got into any real trouble. Being sent to the Heavens is less than a smack on the wrist. I was merciful enough for you, wasn’t I?”

I suppose the entire situation could have been worse, but aside from the state of those three, he still killed a human and he still manipulated me. “You…” I growled, trying to come up with the right words. “You jus’ a cruel god… horr…ible…” I blinked furiously, trying to keep a clear head. 

For the first time since we’d been together, it was the first time I’d called him a cruel god and meant it. Now I’d done it. He wasn’t so amused when I was taking my intoxicated frustrations out on him. “I think you’re a little drunk. You should get some sleep and we can talk about your new arrangements in the morning.” Knowing I’d refuse his kind advice, he stood, electing to return me to our room himself.

However, as soon as he moved to lift me from my chair, he froze in place, shocked at the warm sting that crossed his cheek. He was too stunned to move before he heard me hiss, “Don’touch me!” His eyes finally flickered back to me, his heart aching at the hatred in my gaze—my gaze that was fighting desperately to stay trained on him. “‘m not goin’ with you! You ruined ‘vryth’ng!” My head drooped, leaning against his torso for a moment before I was able to pull away and hold myself up again. But somewhere in my drunken mind, I knew something was wrong with this situation… “Wha'd you put in it…?” 

“You shouldn't worry so much over things that are only meant to help you,” he replied, his fingers passing through my hair, a soothing gesture. “I knew you'd be in distress, so I gave you something to help you relax. Have I ever done anything that wasn't in your best interest?”

“You killed ‘em…” I slurred, trying to keep my watery eyes open.

Seeing my disoriented state, he lifted me into his arms with ease, to carry me back to his room. I may have been scared of my situation, but at least I could no longer fight or hit him. Still, he didn't wish for me to hate him. “It should soothe your heart to know that I did not have hand in your friend’s death. I merely used them as a plot device and, what you might call, character development.” Sure, I was already half asleep and sniffling back tears, but he continued explaining nonetheless, “Your friend was murdered by humans. The result would have been the same. I simply… thought to use them in a more beneficial manner.”

In other words, regardless of anyone being accused of murder, my friend died for reasons outside of godly influence. Still, I stuttered a second accusation, “You b’rned m’ work…” He was an arsonist no matter how that went. It didn't matter if it was by godly powers, he still almost killed more than a handful of people. 

“Did you forget?” He gazed down at my face that had a few trails of tears. “Ichthys and Teorus managed that. It was their gift that burst into flames, and not by my doing. The only part I played… was in simply putting the idea into Teorus’ head to make you smile again.” And it worked for a time; I seemed so very happy with Huedhaut up until Dui’s intervention. “These gods put useless concerns in your head.” He sighed. “Well, we'll have to fix that.”

“Huedhaut?” Karno called, making Huedhaut pause. Though, Karno’s concerned eyes were glued on me. Eyebrows furrowing, he asked, “Is (Name) alright?”

“She's been distraught,” Huedhaut answered honestly. “It’s understandable; Anyone would be distressed after a failed attempt of proving their friend innocent. You know (Name) was close with Dui. I can't blame her for taking her anger out on me when she's in so much pain.”

A soft sigh left Karno’s lips as he gazed at me with soft eyes. Slowly, his eyes trailed back to Huedhaut. “She's lucky to have you. I can't imagine how she might have taken everything if she'd been alone. But…” He hesitated… “Is she drunk?”

“Ah…” Huedhaut’s gaze flickered aside. “I granted a wish. Though, had I known the conversation would be so heavy, I'd have given her something lighter.” Studying my restless expression, he added, “I'm sure she'll be better in the morning.” 

The corner of Karno’s lips curved up into a soft smile as he watched the two of us; he loved how caring Huedhaut was to his loved ones. “Keep taking care of her, Hue.” 

Giving his friend a nod, Huedhaut happily took me to his room. Likely, he’d have to deal with me having a hangover, but he’d be ready to deal with that when it came. Gazing down at me peacefully sleeping on his bed, a blush coated his cheeks. He was happy that he’d never again have to stress about losing me. As soon as this ‘investigation’ matter was well behind us, we’d be much happier and Huedhaut couldn’t wait for that day to come.

***

My head pounded with the fury of a thousand horses stampeding against my skull… But the rays of light that shone through the windows above certainly didn’t help, despite the beauty with which they illuminated the room. With a quiet groan, I turned over in bed, shoving the pillow over my head to block out the piercing sunlight. 

The sound of shuffling did not escape my notice and shortly after, I heard his voice. “It’s nearly noon. You had a little too much to drink last night, but I made something to help counter that, if you’re willing to come out from hiding.” After a silent moment with neither of us moving, he snapped his fingers and I tensed up. I waited for anything to physically happen to me: for the blanket and pillows to be removed, for me to be dragged out of the bed, or maybe even for the entire bed to just flip on its side and force me off. But… none of those things happened, and after another moment, Huedhaut finally added, “I’ve blocked the windows for the sun. Come out.”

My heart was still racing and my head was still pounding as I hesitantly crawled out from under my comforting place beneath the blankets. Gazing warily at Huedhaut, he presented me with a cup which I gazed at with just as much suspicion. Still sizing each other up, I probed, “Put something in that one too?”

He pursed his lips. “It’s to help your hangover. Unless you’d rather I leave you in pain…” He paused before adding, “I wouldn’t wish to do that.”

“Why?” Tense silence surrounded us as I glared at the floor, my eyebrows scrunched together in mild pain. “You’ve done it before…” 

“I’d never hurt you,” he repeated, trying to convince me. 

Unfortunately, I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle him until this headache was gone. Frustrated, I snatched the glass from his hands, gulping down the bitter liquid and praying for it to work quickly. Though he looked pleased with my acceptance, I no later knocked him down a peg, accusing, “You’ve always hurt me, I just didn’t know it. I wanted to be with Krioff, you ruined that. You banished my friends to a place I’m not allowed to go. And the only thing I get from the other gods are looks of pity!” With a wrathful scream, I threw the glass at him, missing by a hair and having it shatter across the floor behind him. “You’re always hurting me!”

“I’ve told you,” he mentioned quietly, not reacting to my rage with rage of his own. He was calm as always. “Everything I’ve done is for your own good. However, I’ve done nothing to harm you. I’ve given you all the answers you desired and still you refuse to understand. Who would you have turned to if you had found out your friend was brutally murdered and the murderer gone unpunished? I took care of everything for you.” 

“Shut up,” I whimpered.

“Your workplace burned, yet no one was injured. How is that?” Huedhaut continued to press. “Had I not been there for each of these instances, you’d hate no one but yourself. I grant all your wishes, only with the hopes that you might acknowledge my efforts. I love you. I’ll do anything for you… but I will not hurt you.”

Staring at the shattered glass, I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you even feel guilty for manipulating me?” Did he hurt as much as I was hurting?

The corners of his lips pulled upward. “I can’t feel guilty when you’re well. I can’t feel guilty knowing I have everything I ever wanted and I now have the opportunity to give you the best life.”

“But you’ll never give me what I want…”

His smile turned rueful in a flash, but he didn’t look remorseful. “I can’t do something that would hurt you. You want the life you had before… but that’s an impossible wish that even a god couldn’t grant. All you can do now is accept what I’m giving you and move on. We were happy before, weren’t we?”

I hated how he was the smartest man in the Heavens. It didn’t matter that I knew everything he’d done, he wasn’t guilty of any kind of sin. He didn’t kill that human and he didn’t set my workplace on fire. He didn’t force me to leave my home to live with him. He simply manipulated all of these elements until everything stood in his favor… until I willingly ran into his arms. 

Never once did he let me suffer alone. Even now, he wasn’t lashing out at me and he wasn’t trapping me in his room. …was he?

Warily gazing at him, I shoved the blankets off of me, crawling from the bed. However, before I could race for the door, his arms wrapped around me and I frantically clawed at his arms so he would release me. “Calm down,” he advised, not budging until I stopped fighting against him. Only once I stopped trying to pull away from him did he remove his hold. “Go the other way. You’ll walk straight into glass and hurt yourself if you go that way. Then you’d be bedridden, wouldn’t you?”

Even now… he was still caring for me and ensuring my safety. But… he wasn’t disabling me from leaving. Carefully trailing around the glass, I finally escaped the suffocation of being around Huedhaut. I blinked, standing alone in the hall. Did he really just let me walk away knowing what I know? He… He had to know something I didn’t know. 

Too anxious to stay put, I wandered straight into the living room where I was desperate to tell Zyglavis everything I knew. Someone had to be able to do something. Only… I was disappointed when Zyglavis finally opened his mouth to comment on my findings: “We can’t do anything.”

“W- What…?” My eyebrows furrowed together. “What do you mean you ‘can’t do anything’? Of course, you can! He confessed!” 

“He confessed to being involved; and yes, it may have been in… less than moral ways… However, he hasn’t committed a sin; there were no heavenly laws broken.” Zyglavis’ eyebrows were also knitted together in frustration. “What’s more is that we have no evidence of these activities, regardless of his admittance. You have also admitted that he isn’t keeping you here against your will, so he is not under any wrongdoing by housing you in the mansion.”

Tense silence followed his explanation until finally, I slowly said, “Then he’s going to get away with everything… and Dui’s still going to be held accountable for killing a human! Can you live with that?”

“No,” Zyglavis said as if it didn’t bother him. Pursing his lips, he explained, “We will address that matter with Huedhaut. Counting on his cooperation, we will find the human responsible for this murder and punish them accordingly. As there was no divine intervention of human life or death, Dui will be proven innocent, though there is nothing we can do about the… unfortunate placement of the human.” Seeing that I was dispirited with his answers, he offered, “Being that Huedhuat is a member of the Department of Wishes, such admonishments should be in the hands of his minister. And, being that this is a serious matter… I advise you to take this issue to that wild lion and hope the consequences are what you desire.”

Slowly, I asked, “Is that the best we can do?” 

Pursing his lips, he nodded firmly. “I apologize. But should you find anything else that might prove him of having sinned, return to me and I’ll do what I can to ensure you get the justice you seek.”

I knew it… If anything, Huedhaut probably looked like nothing but a nice god who was only trying to care for his partner. There was nothing anyone would be able to do.

While I was lost in thought, Leon walked into the living room with a deep frown. Clearly he had overheard the conversation, but all he could do in response to my depression was comment, “I knew he wouldn’t be able to let go of her so easily. But just like her, you fell in love with how caring and clever he is. You’re completely ensnared, aren’t you? You can deny it so fervently, but you can’t even fool yourself.”

He stared at me, but seeing that I didn’t readily have a comeback, he took a seat in the living room, determined to ignore Zyglavis as he relaxed during his time away from Karno and the Heavens. 

I would have immediately left the tension in the living room, but if I was being honest with myself, I no longer had a place to go. Dui, Ichthys, and Teorus were in the Heavens, no one else was there that would willingly take me in, and I would not return to Huedhaut—he didn’t deserve it… I didn’t deserve it.

Leaning back on the sofa, the living room was quiet and peaceful. It was something I thought I could appreciate, until my eyes widened upon finding Huedhaut entering the room. For a moment, I was certain he was there for me. However, he didn’t even glance at me—nor did he give me a wink of attention. My staring didn’t seem to affect him as he spoke calmly with Leon about work. I willingly broke up with him and he was being respectful of my space and wishes.

It was as if he didn’t care that all his efforts to have me went to waste. He wasn’t even remotely bothered by the way things turned out. If I could forget about everything he’d done, then things between the gods felt like they hadn’t changed at all. 

Zyglavis met my gaze as if silently checking on me, but he just as quickly looked away, as if he had seen exactly what Leon was describing a few moments prior.

I wasn’t sure how to take the situation between me and the gods in the living room, so I quickly fled, wanting to leave the mansion if only for a moment. But as I sought out the door, I ran straight into Karno who was quick to catch my outstretched arms. 

“(Name),” he called my name, offering me a concerned smile that made my heart ache. Though, his eyebrows soon furrowed in genuine worry at my lack of reaction. “What’s wrong?”

I stared at him for a moment, silently deciding that if there was any god to stay with, I wanted to stay with Karno… Luckily, he gladly accepted to take me in with the condition that I tell him what was going on between me and Huedhaut. Of course, I explained my situation and earned his ready sympathy. 

His arms were always open to me… and he offered the same warmth and kindness as Huedhaut always did… Only… Karno wasn’t Huedhaut. 

Still, I was grateful for his acceptance and eagerness to help me, even if he could only give a similar solution to Zyglavis and offer to do his best in discussing the issue with Leon.

Karno was the reason my week without Huedhaut went as smoothly as it did. It was peaceful, quiet… Yet… it was, above all else, painful. So many times, the truth was waved so obviously in my face: Karno wasn’t Huedhaut, and Huedhaut could not be replaced. My heart ached every time I walked past Huedhaut in a hall, or saw him working in the living room, or walked past his door. Even looking at a book made the longing grow more painful.

It made it worse with how he never so much as spared me a glance. It was as if… I didn't exist to him anymore. Rightfully, I should have been glad for all of this… but why did it hurt so much? 

I hated how Huedhaut created an irreplacable spot for him in my heart. Or, thinking more deeply on it, maybe that spot had always been there. Maybe, to make myself feel better, I could place the blame on Clotho… After all, this could have been considered her fault. If it weren’t for her love for him, maybe I wouldn’t be so hopelessly attached to the most deviously clever god in the Heavens. 

A couple of weeks later, I was on the verge of a breakdown when I finally gave into my initial urges to see Huedhaut, desperate for the love and affection I'd been neglected—and had been furiously avoiding. Only, Huedhaut wasn’t in the mansion as I had hoped, he was still in the Heavens.

Unfortunately, the minute Leon spotted me trailing through the mansion on a search for something—or rather, someone—he huffed in amusement. He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he was humored by my desperation to see Huedhaut after such a short time apart. He knew better than to think Huedhaut didn’t have me wrapped around his finger.

Upon returning, the sought-after god was surprised to find me trailing him to his room. He suspected it could have been a coincidence and that I just so happened to have been going in the same direction as him. But he was the only one in the hall when I spoke, “I’m sorry…” His eyebrows furrowed. What was I apologizing for? “You were right…” I paused. “I can’t go back to the way things were before. I- I thought I could go back and start again, but it’s not that easy. And- And Karno tried to help, but it only feels worse because it’s not you. And I’m stuck knowing things I wish I’d never found! I wouldn’t hate you so much if I didn’t know you’d done all this…” I paused for another tense moment, wondering if he was considering my words. He had at least paused to listen. “We were happy before… but I can’t stand you touching me anymore… and I hate hearing your taunting voice, because I can’t do anything.” 

“What did you come here for?” He appears dispassionate, as if he didn’t care for my insulting explanation. “You broke my heart by leaving me for other gods. You’ve hurt me where I’ve never hurt you. Why should I do you a favor?”

“I’m not asking for a favor… I’m apologizing. You- You don’t deserve one. You…” I trailed off. “I don’t want to keep suffering like this. You have no idea how confused I feel!”

“I know,” he simply answered. Of course, he knew. He always knew. “Knowledge is a cursed thing that few can resist—especially curious humans.” That last bit was a jab at your desire for answers. “Fortunately, I can help you,” he offered. Snapping his fingers, a glass ball appeared in his hands and he looked down at it, inquiring, “You wish for me to take your memories? I can put them in here… a safe place to serve as a reminder…”

He didn’t elaborate on what he meant, but I could only gather that, should I wish to suspect him of any wrongdoings in the future, he’d have my horrible memories of these past few months stored away in a bubble. It was smart, as always. He had a clever solution for the problem he was responsible for. 

“Yes… Please,” I begged, finally surrendering in this long game of mental chess. 

A considerate smile crossed his features. “Well, you know what to say.”

Confusion filled my gaze before I finally apologized, “I’m so sorry for hurting you, Hue… But I’m hurting too. Cant’ you help me fix this…?” I trailed off at seeing the look in his eyes. It was a familiar look, a knowing look that said I was missing something.

After a brief moment, he assisted, “You know what you have to say…”

I faltered at how obvious it should have been. Finally, I prayed to him, “Hue… I wish I could forget everything we’ve done so things could go back to the way they used to be.” 

I gazed at him with begging eyes, a sense of relief overcoming me at seeing his pleased smile. “Finally… Everything will finally return to as it should be.” Lifting his hand, he finally snapped his fingers and the world was overtaken by a bright light. 

***

Huedhaut was reading a book some time after having laid me comfortably in his bed. Taking one’s memories isn’t an easy process, but Huedhaut had prepared himself for this very task, and it had gone off without a hitch. 

He was only waiting patiently for me to wake up when he paused, hearing me call out his name softly. His gaze flickering to me, light seemed to fill his eyes once again. “Ah, my love. You’re awake already. I thought you’d sleep longer.”

This, unbeknown to me, was a test. Though, according to the blush that colored my cheeks, Huedhaut was happy. He knew he didn’t usually refer to me as ‘his love’ unprompted. So, he was greatly pleased when my shy response was, “Geez, H- Hue… I love you too. I…” I trailed off, curling further with the blanket around me. “I guess I am pretty tired,” I relented. “But can you come lay down with me? I… I feel like I miss you, for some reason. I had a weird dream that I can’t seem to remember.”

His soft laugh was music to my ears as he joined me in bed. “You needn’t worry, (Name)... I’ll always be by your side, even every single time you miss me. Just let me know if you do remember that dream you had. I’m so curious to know what it was about…” At the end, he added with a love-struck smile, “My love…”

#star crossed myth #star crossed myth fanfic #star crossed myth yandere #star crossed myth imagines #scm huedhaut #fanfic #voltage fanfic #zodiac signs #zodiac gods #department of wishes #yandere #yandere x reader #minor character death #tw: death #tw: violence

[nix-writes-mcyt]

i simp for scar wayyyy too much so may i ask for a scar x reader fanfic if thats ok <3

Here you go friend!

Sales Tactic

Oneshot Contains: Fluff, a lot of flirting. I mean a lot of flirting. ----------------------------

After years with the Hermits one would think you'd learned what to expect by now. But no. That is in fact not the case.

When you had woken up it had been just like any other day. Living quite out of the way it wasn't often you saw Hermits around your area. You'd seem them throughout the day in your travels around the hermitlands, but it wasn't often people came over to your area.

There wasn't really much need to, after all you spent a lot of your time out and around others. Days like today were reserved for work on your base. But when you had caught sight of a wagon parked in your front garden it was quite clear it wouldn't be a quiet day.

With curiosity getting the best of you, you made your way over to the sales vehicle. It's only occupant was sat leant back, signature red hat adjusted on his head to cover his eyes. It was quite clear Scar was asleep, arms folded over his chest and all.

Waking him up wasn't difficult. You just outstretched your hand and gave his hat a little poke, causing it to topple off his head. The shift in light was what woke him up, Scar looking more than a little caught off guard.

"Oh, Y/n," he says, hand over his heart, "you startled me, I must have dozed off." Scar chuckles. You hum, smiling softly as Scar leans over to pick up his hat, placing it neatly back atop his head.

"I was just enjoying the atmosphere you've created, even with so much behind the scenes unfinished. These exteriors are gorgeous, just like you." Scar takes your hand, bringing it up to his lips.

The kiss almost makes you swoon, you can't say you've ever been so enamoured with so little. But then again this is Scar, Mr. Goodtimes. The owner of Swaggon Co. Co-owner of Boatem Inc. You could go on but that's enough titles for one man.

Regaining control over your thoughts you find that Scar has moved around you and stands on the stairs to the chests of the wagon. His hand is extended to you, which you take. He's such a gentleman.

"Now, I heard that you were in need of some more supplies to continue your build. So I went out of my way to pick some up, and here I am. But first, tell me your vision for this place." Scar gestures to your base, or rather the exterior of it.

You give him a pretty simple run down of your ideas and thoughts, most of which Scar simply hums in response to. He listens carefully, offering pieces of advice here and there. He's a builder himself after all.

You wouldn't have thought he'd pay so much attention to your words, but you can't complain. Not while looking into those beautiful green eyes of his anyway.

Once you're finished Scar produces a cyan shulker box, placing it down in front of you. "Go ahead, take a look. I believe these items are just what you need." His signature smirk gives you your doubts, but Scar proves you wrong.

The box is full of all kinds of blocks you need, even things you hadn't thought about before telling Scar about your vision. When you look back up at him he has a very knowing facial expression.

"All we have to discuss now is the matter of payment." Scar says, smirk turning into a smile that causes your heart to skip a beat. For a second you just stare, you can't help yourself.

Then, as you come to your senses it hits you. "You're trying to swindle me for everything I own."

Scar chuckles, "No.. don't be silly. I would never. Not when it comes to you anyway." "So you admit it." You cross your arms with a smug smile.

"It only works in this case if you find me attractive." Scar states boldly, catching you completely off guard. You stutter and stumble over a few words, watching his eyes twinkle in delight at your reaction.

"Do you find me attractive, Y/n?" You know he knows the answer. His confidence and the way he said your name tell you that much. Yet you nod anyway, how could you not answer him?

"Would it surprise you to know none of this was a sales tactic?" Scar asks. You don't need to say a word for him to know you don't believe him. "Check the name of the box."

You open the shulker once again, peering at the little tag area. It reads 'Its all free not a sales tactic. The second 'c' is cut off by the character limit to name the box, but the message is still clear. He planned this from the beginning.

"I told you." Scar says, matter of factly. You don't know what to say, realising that he was actually just straight up flirting with you the entire time.

He looks pleased with himself, which you can't deny he should, because that really is impressive to pull off.

"Well then, now we've figured out what's really going on here I have a proposition for you." "Go on." You're eager to hear what he has to say, Scar taking your hand in his once again.

"I'm a business man, Y/n, and I'd like to offer you the deal of a lifetime. One I don't think you'll be able to refuse." His tone is playful, thumb rubbing the back of your hand gently as he silently asks you not to freak out.

"Join me, become my partner. This can be our home, together, and we can travel on the Swaggon to make our fortune. I can't think of a better travelling companion, nor a nicer place to stop and call home than this."

You furrow your eyebrows, leaving Scar looking puzzled. "That's quite the hard bargain you drive there, Mr. Goodtimes." Picking up on your playful tone you watch him relax, blushing ever so slightly.

You note how cute he looks like this, how soft his smile is now compared to his confident flirting earlier. Which is more attractive you can't seem to decide.

"Things of great value are the hardest of bargains." He says. "And just how great is this value?" You tease.

Within an instant Scar's face is deadpan serious. He leans in close, the green in his eyes shining so bright as he whispers "Priceless."

You let out a shaky breath, watching his eyes scan your face. He looks so pleased with your response. "Sold." Is the only thing you can get out.

Scar's other hand, the one that isn't in yours, finds your waist as he moves to stand fully in front of you now. "I have another proposition for you, Y/n." He says, waiting for you to acknowledge him before he continues. Which you do, with a nod.

"A kiss, in exchange for nothing." Scar once again awaits your response. "I have a counter offer." "Oh?" Scar asks, his hand on your waist pulling you closer to him.

"You get a kiss, I get a kiss." You say. Scar smiles, "now there's an offer I can't refuse."

You place a gentle kiss on his lips, short but sweet. As you move away Scar pulls you in for another kiss, deeper but no less gentle or sweet than yours.

You pull away with a smile on your face, Scar exactly the same. "I knew today would be a good day for business." He jokes. "I'd expect no less from such a well renowned salesman such as yourself."

Scar smiles, you leaning in to place a tender kiss on his cheek. It really has been a good day, Swaggon Co not the only thing benefitted by the outcome.

#scar x reader #goodtimeswithscar x reader #gtwscar x reader #hermitcraft x reader #mcyt x reader #swaggon!scar x reader #scar #request #demi-writes-fics #hermitcraft #mcyt #hermitcraft season 8 #goodtimeswithscar #gtwscar #boatem #BTM inc #swaggon co