#keiks works

[thepeonysbackup]

I think Mindswap!Lucifer would be a good one (Seriously wouldn't mind if you made mindswaps for everyone, they genuinely are too good). I could imagine him really wanting to fuck while mindswapped but not going through with it became he wants to be respectful of you and your body, cut to later where he's telling you how to use his tongue as he finally can feel what won over both of Adams wives.

Oh, the way you won me over with this...

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who...

Pairing: Lucifer Morningstar x Fem!Reader

Request: Yes/No

Word count: I don't feel like it :]

[[Okay this was way fucking longer then it needed to be, but wow, the thought festered into a wonderful dream and so here, have this!!!!]]

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who's magic trick backfires into a curse for a week. Who apologizes profusely to you from your own body, having to lightly cran your gaze up in order to see yourself.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who has to look down at you now, giddy excitement welling up from finally towering over a being for once as the almighty being he was. Who realizes in that moment that a woman was what he was towering things in, looking down at his feet in a defeat of sorts, or trying to look at his feet, he couldn't see them because of his.. your..(Hehe, bewbs)

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who actually embraces the various outfit choices he has now, who raids your closet for interesting textures and patterns with fascination at how many of them he can create. Who takes a neatly dressed night on the town with you as a means of apology for what happened.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who tosses and turns the first few evenings alone at the hotel. Uncomfortable goosebumps welling over his new sensitive skin that he rubs with the flats of his palms to warm up, resulting in a worse feeling too awful for him to even think of doing to you without such consent!

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who refuses to take off his underwear (even if its just a few strings) in the shower, who in his right mind can't imagine betraying your trust in such a way. (Who makes sure you don't miss out on your normal facial routine neither.)

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who longs for his presence while drying your body's hair suddenly. Whos eyes blink as a shivering warmth pools in his stomach as the thought of his eyes linger in his mind, his own eyes, eyes.. His face, smiling.. Not smiling, smirking. Who feels the warm direct itself differently as he wanders to the doorway of the bathroom to open the door and allow the steam to dissipate so he can think properly.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who gives in to his need of his presence on the final day, who slinked into his own quarters once everyone was asleep. Who slipped into his bed beside himself to cuddle, hand tracing over the night shirt he felt you chose for him.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who tugged at you, shook you even with a whine. Who woke you with a pained sounding tone as he called your name, “Come on your body's outta fucking control..” right into your ear. Who urges you to let him have this, just this once, or twice, fuck maybe he'd need three rounds.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who quaked under the touch of his fallen divinity, hand so strong in its gentle caress. Who kissed like you were his life source, as though your body craved no other being even if he wanted to. Who hands tore accidentally at the nightshirt his body was dressed in, unapologetic in his wake to reveal himself to your body's lecherous eyes.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who starts you both off slowly, watching as his body lays submissively beneath yours. Who surges with an energy beyond his own fathoming mind to take what he needs. A feeling easily shifted as his body erupts with a furious growl of rouse, flipping him over with a frightening ease onto his stomach.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer whos back is pressed down in a lovely feminine arch, legs spread as his curvaceous body's rear is positioned in the air, face pressed squirmishly into his own pillows after nearly several days in a pool of your own scent that you so audaciously claimed to be a bed. Whos teeth break the skin on his bottom lip from how hard hes biting it as you slither his tongue into your heat, curling up into the spongey bit right at the entrance.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who cries like a bitch in heat, sobbing into the sheets blissfully as he feels the depth in which his tongue is able to delve into your quivering heat after only a few pointers, a few simple blubbers of surprise even. Whos hands claw at his sheets with full force to tear himself away from this foreign coil rising in his stomach, making for hands to snake up and snag tightly at his wrists to pull him down and back towards you from underneath him. “Wait! Theres something-”

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who never felt an orgasm wrack through his body (any body) as hard as he felt this one, “C-cumming— M’cumming, m-m'cumming, m'cumming‐ Ohhhh, fuck!! FUCK!!” whos mind goes blank as he listens to your deprived slurps and animalistic groans of wanton desire into the pulsing lady lips of your sopping wet hole, who jolts from the overstimulation of his forked tongue swiping one long stripe from his clit to his tailbone, drawing a shriek as he could only clench around nothing. Now understanding to the fullest extent as to how good he really was with his tongue.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who happily lays flat on the bed upon his back, head hanging off at an angle with his mouth held wide open, looking up at himself with your big doe-like eyes as the tip of his cock lightly nudges itself against your tongue, the salty taste beckoning him to lap lightly before it could go to deep. Who hums eagerly on himself as you slid him into the hilt against your lips before giving you a light gag of encouragement.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who gives the sloppiest throatfuck you'd ever seen, gratefully gagging and pulling your hips into him harder then you already were fucking his face. Who moaned against the loud slapping of his balls against his small nose, eyes fixated like hearts on his cock pulling back and shoving itself forward towards him deeper into his throat.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer whos fixation turns from himself to your body, to how good he feels using you to satisfy these downright pornographic wants and desires. Who revels in the fact that you want him in such a way, anyway, fuck.. Everyway that he can penatrate you at least. Or that you could penatrate him? He didnt care at this point.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who gawks in awe at the sight of you allowing his body to relax completely for once in these last two centuries, who never noticed how truly soft he appeared to others in such a state. Whos light fingers graze the base of his own wings skillfully to watch as you break in composure and trembled above him before finally having gotten to the point where you were about to enter into your own tight clenching cunt.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who never wants to return to his body, who's voice shatters the walls of his fortified room as you plow into your own impure body, legs bent at the knees as your hands hold them in a steel gripped place. Lucifer, who's never seen himself be so rough with anyone, longing for the dirty sounds and raunchy words you were hissing into his ear beneath you. “Fuck- I never thought I’d actually call myself a slut.. But damn- I really look like one when I'm making that fucking face..♡”

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who jolts and pants hard while holding himself above you, him? Who was back into his own body. His body, which was now being gripped in his most vulnerable by you, that was now back in his perfect control.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who basks in your sounds ripped from your already sore and aching throat that was audibly sticky from the loads he'd taken so perfectly. Who roughly takes you back in return for such gracious obedience prior to his cock being buried so deeply in your hole.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who, as he becomes tired, becomes soft slowly with tender kisses and caresses to your head. Who opts to finish in you for the umpteenth time since the sun had rose in missionary so he can kiss you as much as he sees fit for your services. Before going once more with you, you buried under him in a lovely little mating press, pathetic and whimpering as he fills you again and again.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who kisses the cumdrunken blubbering expression from your face, turning you into a crude heap of embarrassment as his fingers worked the thick white creamy liquid back in between your squelching legs.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who carries you to his large and luxurious bathroom that you'd never felt entitled enough to use and draws you a bath in the odd plunge pool off in the corner that was surrounded by quite real looking rocks and grasses from Earth, mixing bubbles, flowers, and dye together so he could turn the waters into a glowing golden gold liquid that lightly stained your body with a transparent glittery sheen.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who tries to stoicly bathe you, scrubbing a glowing light from his magic like one would with a loofah on you until you'd giggle enough to rise laugher from him so he’d embrace you in a newly found loving way. The grime of your prior activities getting whisped away by the steady stream of water falling from the endless sea of water sectioned above you both, underwater life swimming calmly by while your skin was kneaded gently by his praising hands.

Mind!Swapped!Lucifer who didn't allow you to leave his side of the hotel for another week, which rose suspicion with his daughter until she ultimately found you both in a compromising position. “Heeey sweetie, so the mind thing maaaaay have worn off-” — “And it just so happened to be that she didn't mind- You gotta understand-”

(Charlie didn't come out of her room for a week.)

#hazbin hotel x reader #keiks works #keiks piece #hazbin hotel #lucifer morningstar #hazbin lucifer #hazbin hotel lucifer #lucifer x reader #lucifer x reader smut #mindswappedlucifer #keiks creatures of intrigue #keiks is freaking out #keiks asks #hazbin hotel lucifer x reader #lucifer morningstar x reader

[a-cloud-for-dreams]

Hii 🥰

I saw this picture and thought it might inspire a fic or an edit (no pressure 🥰)

omg this cake looks so good!!! i am literally obsessed ty!!! this may be angstier than i thought but:

Once A Shattered Heart

Book: Open Heart (Post Book 3)                     

Pairing/Characters:  Bryce Lahela x F!MC (Chandini Ramakrishnan), feat. Aishwarya Pillai (F!OC)

Rating: Teen     

Warnings: Childhood trauma/Insecurities                 

Category:  Angsty Fuff                

Words: 1.7k

Summary: As Chandini and Bryce work on planning their wedding, he helps her deal with a heartbreak that never healed

A/N:  lol i don't know what came over me idc how tired i am i love angst <333 also a lot of Tamil people have their last names as their father's first names just a random note in case anyone was curious

Of all the things Chandini went through, it was a surprise to find that wedding planning would be so excruciating. Why on earth were there so many things to look through? Venues, guests, catering, and organizing between a Hindu wedding or a classical reception. Not to mention her phone's incessant buzzing. She sighed as she planted her face into one of the couch pillows.

She felt a strong urge to nap after such a day. She would have collapsed on their couch earlier if it wasn't for Bryce helping her. He currently sat at the island calling Keiki and asking her opinion on the table settings.

"Ugh, I don't know Keiks, that's why I'm asking you! I'm 100% sure she would prefer the NAVY blue tablecloth"

She chuckled to herself, keeping her gaze on her fiance. Her charming, hilarious, supportive husband who she still felt like she didn't deserve. He cut the phone call and walked towards Chandini, planting an eager kiss on her forehead. A giggle slipped before she could control herself.

"You're so adorable, you know that?"

"How dare you insinuate I am anything less than bold or intimidating," she retorted before taking his arms and placing them around her cold shoulders.

"Whoa, Nini you're freezing!" he said. Chandini rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you don't have a fever or something? I don't think we can move our wedding to a hospital on short notice."

"I'm always cold. Besides all the sweaters are in the wash because someone keeps stealing them."

"Okay, that was only one time-"

Her phone rang, for what felt like the tenth time that day. Who could it be? She craned her neck to see the lock screen on her phone and saw one person she would never want to see in her life ever again. 

"I...have to go Bryce. After all the work we just did I believe I deserve a nap." She left his arms and he was able to see the woman who kept calling her. 

Oh for God's sake. 

He played the voicemail she sent and physically restrained himself from throwing a pillow across the room. 

"Chandini. I know you are purposefully ignoring my messages and frankly, it's just disrespectful. I'm sure none of your other friends do this to their mothers. I need to speak with you immediately after I meet with one of my clients."

~~~~~~~~

There are moments in Bryce's life where he regrets everything he does during intense moments.  This was not going to be one of them. 

He rang the doorbell to Chandini's mother's condo that she coincidently bought a month after she announced their engagement. He scoffed when she tried to argue she wanted to have more real estate in the Boston area. The woman answered shortly after the first ring and gasped in surprise when she saw her future son-in-law in front of him. 

"Miss Pillai." 

Sometimes, he forgot how similar Chandini was to her mother. From the thick wavy hair cascading off her shoulders to her prominent facial features, not to mention her intelligence. It wasn’t a surprise. Banerji was a brilliant doctor on her mother’s side and that family genius must have passed on somehow because there was something about the woman in front of him that exuded a feeling of superiority. She knew she was better but unlike Chandini, she wouldn’t feel guilty tearing other people down to bring her up. 

She laughed deeply. "Please, Bryce. If we are to be family I insist you call me Aishwarya.” 

He squirmed before continuing, eager to leave back to Chandini as soon as possible to make her a bowl of soup for her potential cold.  "Okay, fine. Aishwarya, you need to leave Chandini alone."

Her facial expressions tightened with anger and stared deeply into his. “Excuse me?”

"She doesn't want you there, and you need to get off her back."

“I can’t believe this,” she muttered, delicately bracing her head with a hand, something Chandini did all the time whenever she was in distress. 

"For the record, she doesn't want Mr. Ramakrishnan there either. Or Ramakrishnan? I guess that's his first name, right?"

She ignored his somewhat rhetorical question and muttered something under her breath. "After so many years she's still being this dramatic."

His blood started to boil against his wish. "Excuse me?" he asked, repeating her tone. 

"I believe your hearing is working just fine, Doctor Lahela. She's so dramatic. She has the audacity to leave and go against her mother’s wishes not even thinking of apologizing. Even you forgave your mother. What is her excuse?"

He balled his hand into a fist at his side. “It’s not an ‘excuse’ to not want to talk to a parent who took her anger out on her daughter because of her cheating father. God, how do you not understand how messed up that is?!”

She wasn’t startled at his exclamatory tone, almost as if she was prepared to make him mad. “I did no such thing! I don’t care for what her cowardly father did. I know for a fact that I raised a poignant, hardworking, and successful young woman or she wouldn’t be where she is today!”

Bryce stepped closer to her and laughed scornfully. “You’re the reason where she is today?! In a career, you didn’t want her to pursue?”

“Don’t speak on things you don’t understand, Doctor Lahela. I admit she would have been a better lawyer but I can admit I am proud that she is a well-known doctor. You would have never met her if it wasn’t for me. It’s simply pointless to deny my role-”

“In what? Making your daughter feel like she doesn’t deserve to be loved? For making her feel like she has to do everything all on her own or she’s a burden?” his hand started shaking, and it took him so much of his willpower to not tremble with emotion.

“It’s not my fault she thinks of herself that way. I don’t know what she did with her father but I know for a fact I gave her all the tools she needed to succeed,” she threw her hands in anger. 

"That doesn't mean she's happy!" he yelled. He took in a deep breath before proceeding. "When I started talking to her for the first time about her family, she never said anything. She always seemed closed off and she never told anyone anything. Do you know what that does to a person? Shoving your emotions so low to the point where you feel weak for being human?"

“I-uh”

“Speechless huh? Not something you see every day in a lawyer,” he jests. She glowered at him, and Bryce could have sworn he saw tears forming in her eyes.

"You don't know my life, Dr. Lahela, and you never will. I have made sacrifices for her-"

"That doesn't mean you didn't make mistakes!" his voice started rising again. "You need to accept that she's not ready to see you right now. Even after helping her in the Martinez trial. Even when she was almost on her deathbed."

He was almost out the door before she spoke again.

"I don't think we'll be getting along as much as I thought, Bryce."

He scoffed. "If it means being on Chandini's side, I'm alright with that..."

The slam of the door sent a ripple of pain through Aishwarya. Was it guilt? Anger? Shame? A text from Chandini popped up on her screen. 

I am tired of arguing with you and Appa. I’m not changing my mind. Please stop texting me.

Aishwarya cradled her face in her hands. She cut a gaping wound in their relationship from the day she was born and now she would bleed the consequences.

~~~~

He made it back to their house and sighed happily when he saw Chandini, making a large pot of soup with baked bread. She heard his footsteps and turned around eagerly. "Bryce, you're home!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're excited. Did you think I would get lost?"

She laughed. "No, I found a cake you would like!" Chandii swiped through messages on her phone Sienna sent her. "She sent me a few pictures from the first bakery we went to together to pick up Rafael's birthday cake, remember? And look at this!"

A glazed marble cake with intentional cuts seeping with candy jewels and a heart-shaped jeweled decoration dominated his vision. He fell in love. "This is perfect!"

She squealed, unexpected for someone like her. "I know! Sienna really did a good job finding a cake, though I should probably request a navy blue color instead..."

Bryce wrapped his arms around Chandini as she was talking, desperate to hold onto this moment forever. "You're amazing, you know that, right? I'm so excited to wake up and spend the rest of my life with you." He kissed her nose softly.

She smiled, sniffling to hide any unwarranted tears. "Well, at least I'm glad I'm marrying someone with excellent taste."

Perma Tags: @peonierose, @jamespotterthefirst, @choicesficwriterscreations

#this might be my favorite thing i've ever written tysm peonie!!!! #i have another fic for my babies almost done soon! feat. kehlani because i can <3 #chandyce🌙 #bryce lahela x mc #bryce lahela #chandini ramakrishnan oc #open heart #playchoices #choices fic writers creations

[zeldaelmo]

Update on the advent calendar!

The thing with the matching Christmas Sweaters / modern BotW AU ✅ collab with Flutefemme

Dismissed/ AoC ✅ collab Bahbahh!

Dismissed ch. 2 ✅

Dismissed ch. 3 ✅

It may be winter outside (but in my heart it's spring)/Oot kids ✅ collab with srahviola

Believe/ Hylink ✅ collab Toby

Believe ch. 2 ✅

Believe ch. 3 ✅

Close enough/ TP ✅ collab onewingedsparrow

Fairy Magic/ TP ✅ collab JimmyJims

A rare find/ modern AU ✅

Of pines and pining/ BotW (✅)

Royal Icing/ Sequel to Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast, Love ✅ collab with Keik

Sneaky Snow Attack/ AoC  ✅

One night in December ✅/ modern AU

The Pen Pal Plan ✅ general Zelda AU

The Pen Pal Plan ch. 2 ✅

The Pen Pal Plan ch. 3 ✅

The Pen Pal Plan ch. 4 ✅

The Pen Pal Plan ch. 5 ✅

Link_inofficial_23

Snowboarding on Snowpeak with TP Zelink (or Oot???)

Regency winter ball

Regency winter ball pt 2

The numbers with a ✅ are finished, the rest are working titles. 

You see that some of the stories have collabs with artist, that’s still an option! Let me know what you’re interested in, and we’ll figure something out!

Some of these will shift around and I might end up mashing some of the prompts together, but that’s what’s planned/finished at the moment!

#zelink #advent calendar #I need this post to link it to my Ao3 #I'm just organizing my stuff #Don't be bothered 😆

[vivaresmala]

Btw this isn't his Magus form just a casual outfit

𝔗𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔫 𝔗𝔞𝔪𝔞𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔦𝔥𝔦

Name: Tristan Ureitamashii

Katakana: トリスタン たましい憂い

Voice Actor:Tasuku Hatanaka (Japanese)

Nickname/s: Tri, Little Goody two-shoes

Twisted from: Magical girls (more specifically M/d/ka Magica, M/ho/ Sh/uj/ S/te/ and M/hou Sh//ujo Ik//sei Keik//aku)

Gender & pronouns: male, he/him

Age: 17

Sexuality: Pansexual

Birthday: June 6th

Star sign:  Gemini

Hair colour: Rasin Purple

Eye colour: Fandango Pink

Height: 190 cm

Homeland: Briar's Valley

Family: ???

Personality: Tristan is a very kind and gentle person, who doesn't like talking to other students as he is very shy and socially awkward, he spends most of his time in the School's garden studying or playing with animals, you can find him there even in the middle of the night. Tristan tends to put himself down, even when talking to others.

He is also very reckless, and that often puts him in more trouble, especially when he "works". In his Magus form, he is a little more cheerful and open.

Affiliation: RSA, Reikyu

Occupation: Student, Magus

Grade: 1st year

Best subject: Defensive magic

Club: ///

Hobbies: taking care of wild animals, practicing spells

Talents: very flexible, quick learner

Trivia:

✧Tri still hasn't developed a Signature Spell, and although he has powerful magic, he struggles to learn to use it.

✧He is always followed around by a weird little creature he calls Reikyu. It never talks, and isn't Tristan's Familiar

✧In the Main Story, we meet ihim during chapters 2 and 5 (I still have to decide wether he makes an appearance in chapter 6 ) to take the overblot stones Grimm eats

✧His main weapon is a shotg/n (cough cough It is a mix of Mami's and Aya's), his secondary (and less harmful) weapon is a staff

✧Tristan knows a lot about overblots, more than a normal student should

✧He is a big fan of Neige (only second Rook) but he limits himself to watching Neige from afar

His school uniform which I'm too scared to draw again (+ Reikyu in their human form and not understanding the concept of having to attend class ^^)

#Tristan Ureitamashii #twisted wonderland #twst #twst oc #twst original character #oc #twisted wonderland oc #twisted oc

[bex-la-get]

22 for B&S, if you are feeling evil it could be interrupting their first time 😂

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Nonny, you are an evil genius. I love this, let's do it!

From this ask list.

22) A kiss that is leading to more, but is interrupted by a third party.

"Wanna get out of here?" Bryce asked.

The party they'd been at had been going for hours and they'd both be lying if they said they weren't tired and socially drained. Sienna fought back a yawn and nodded, stepping closer to him.

"Yeah, let's go."

Bryce wrapped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "Wanna go back to my place? It's quieter."

Sienna nodded, unable to fight back her yawn this time. "Yes, please."

Saying their goodbyes, they made a quick exit out of the party and onto the streets of Boston. Linking his fingers with hers, Bryce flagged down a taxi and the two of them climbed into it, making their way back to his apartment. The ride back was quiet, with Sienna’s head on Bryce’s shoulder, and their fingers entwined tightly. He placed a soft kiss on her head and she gave him a sleepy smile.

When they entered his apartment, fingers still entwined, they collapsed on the couch, heaving exhausted sighs from the evening.

Sienna snuggled into Bryce’s side, tucking her legs underneath her. Bryce wrapped his arms around her and held her close, kissing her temple. “Can I get you anything?” he asked.

“Uh uh,” she replied, “Just you.”

Smiling, the two of them held each other close in a comfortable silence. After a moment, Sienna tucked her face into Bryce’s neck and began peppering gentle kisses along it, towards his face. As she reached his cheek, Bryce turned his face and met her lips with his, kissing her slowly and languidly.

Sienna cupped his face with one of her hands as the kiss began to grow in intensity, Bryce’s arms tightening around her midsection and pulling her closer. Bryce’s tongue slipped into her mouth as he savored the taste of wine still on her tongue. Sienna lifted herself up and straddled his lap as her fingers ran through his hair, their lips never parting.

Bryce’s hands slipped under her skirt and tightened around her thighs with the intention of picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom, when the lock in the front door clicked.

Sienna jumped in surprise and nearly flew off of Bryce’s lap, putting several feet of distance between the two of them. She blushed and gave him an apologetic smile as the door opened and Keikei walked into the apartment.

Bryce silently cursed his sister’s appearance and made quick work to cross his legs, hiding the uncomfortable tightness of his pants. “Keikei. What are you doing here? I thought you were in Martha’s Vineyard?”

Keikei sighed and dropped her keys in a nearby bowl next to the front door. “I was. Then Marie got sick and we had to call the trip early. Being on the beach isn’t as fun when one of your friends is running a 100 degree fever.”

“Is she okay?” Sienna asked, regaining her composure.

Keikei nodded. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. She took some meds and slept most of the drive back.”

Bryce frowned. “Sorry your trip was cancelled early, Keiks.”

She shrugged. “It is what it is. What about you two? You had a party tonight, right? How’d it go?”

“Good,” Sienna answered, blushing again.

“You okay, Sienna? You look flushed,” Keikei asked.

Sienna nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. Though, I might have a few too many glasses of wine at the party. If you’ll excuse me for a minute.” She quickly made her way into Bryce’s bedroom and closed the door behind her, leaving the Lahela siblings alone.

Keikei looked after her for a moment then shrugged, swinging her bag over her shoulder. “Well, I’m in desperate need of a shower and then I’m going to bed. Night, Bryce!”

“Goodnight,” he replied. He waited until Keikei closed the door to her bedroom before adjusting himself and standing, following Sienna’s path to his own room. “Si?” He asked, knocking gently on the door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” came her reply.

Entering the room, Bryce found Sienna sitting on his bed, legs tucked underneath her. He smiled and sat down next to her. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Listen, I’m sorry if things got a little intense before. I should have asked what you wanted and—”

Sienna shook her head and cut him off. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Bryce. I— I wanted things to keep going. I just— I’m sorry for panicking when Keikei walked in. It was a weird reflex.”

He chuckled. “No, it wasn’t. The last thing I want my sister to see is what we were doing so you made the right call.”

She giggled and laced her fingers with his. “I guess we’ll have to pick up where we left off another time. Preferably without your sister in the next room.”

“Agreed,” he nodded, smiling. “But you’re welcome to stay the night, if you’d like? I have some spare clothes you can borrow.”

“You don’t mind?” She asked.

Bryce leaned over and kissed her softly. “I would love it.”

Sienna smiled and nodded. “Okay.”

Quickly changing and getting comfortable, the two of them snuggled up into Bryce’s bed, and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

A/N: This kind of took a weird turn but I hope you liked it anyway.

Tagging separately.

#bexwritesstuff #Bex answers #50 types of kisses prompt #bryce x sienna #bryce lahela #sienna trinh #open heart fic #asked and answered #anonymous asks #anonymous prompts

[eleanorbloom]

Marry My Lover (Bryce x Eleanor Proposal Headcanon)

A/N: Well, I thought I wouldn't do it because I was too invested with this fic, but I've been thinking adult life is so fucking hard that maybe I'll never find the time and inspo to finish this fic, so... well, why not realease it to the world as headcanon/very-poorly-written-fic. If later I find the inspo, maybe I'll write it, maybe not, but I think posting this will lift a heavy weight off me.

Please forgive me my grammar mistakes and poor english, I mean, I know it's not poor, but I went really basic here, other way I would've never finished writing this lol

Tagging my WYR readers, in case you're interested in reading this @curiousconch @romereadingshop @utterlyinevitable @lahellacute @chocopeppermintcake

Also this is sumbission for @openheartfanfics Weekly Trope Challenge, week 2: Weddings & Proposals (@openheartheadcanons)

Marry My Lover

Bryce had wanted to propose to Eleanor for a while, considering both spontaneous and prepared ways to do it.

One of the first ideas was proposing on a visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, as it was the place of their first date. But none of their shifts let them assist for a couple of weeks, so he decided to look for something less complicated.

As he saw their annual meeting with the gang was coming, he decided he would propose on that occasion. Surrounded by friends, the people who helped them get together and supported them in the most difficult times both personally and as a couple.

So he would propose at Donahue’s. With a song, no less. Marry Me by Bruno Mars. A cheerful song, Eleanor loved Bruno Mars and simply matched with the tone he wanted to have on the proposal. Happy and spectacular. He wanted to make her feel the luckiest, most loved woman on earth.

So when he decided what he would do, he shared the news with Sienna so she could help him orchestrate the event. He would arrive a bit later than Eleanor, Sienna would keep her distracted, and then whoop, Bryce would appear at the center of the bar singing the song.

On the day of the meeting, Bryce was in the locker room when he received a text from Sienna: “All set, B! We’re waiting for you”. He breathed deeply, excited and a bit nervous at the same time.

They had talked about marriage, about a life together thousands of times, but it was different just taking the step and doing it, of proposing marriage. Marriage. Damn.

But at the same time, it was just a confirmation of the love they had for each other. Their love that had grown exponentially, to unknown highs and depths in the three years they had been together, and he was sure that their love would keep growing and getting stronger with each day.

After getting ready, he texted Keiki: “Hey Keiks, are you there already?” “Oh, yeah, hidden in the parking lot, super spy.” “Awesome, I’m coming out of the locker room I’ll be there in five” “Okay”

Bryce didn’t want her to miss it for the world. Keiki would kill him if he let that happen. Luckily for both Bryce and Keiki, she was studying close to home, more than close. Cambridge. BS in Physics at MIT, so as she was living just a few minutes away from Boston, they saw each other pretty regularly, once a week or once every two weeks depending on how busy the three were.

Keiki was excited about it, but there was just this strange smirk on her. Bryce thought it was just the fact that her brother would propose to Eleanor at last.

Once at the bar, he greeted their friends, Elijah, coming from Chicago, Jackie, from Baltimore, and Sienna coming from New York. Aurora was the only one living in Boston, working at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as attending and part of the new Diagnostic Team there.

Everyone was happy but at the same time with this strange smirk, like they were hiding something.

“And Elle?” he asked.

A few moments after the question was made, a guitar started to play. He looked at the center of the bar, and found Eleanor, on a yellow dress, and matched hatband playing guitar and singing: We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January And this is our place, we make the rules And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?

Bryce couldn’t believe his eyes. His ears. His skin. How a shiver ran down his spine, making tingle every inch of him; how his stomach fluttered at the sight of her there, beautiful and singing and… Surprising him.

It was Lover by Taylor Swift, because, how not, his girlfriend was a Swiftie since High School, so once a Swiftie, always a Swiftie.

Bryce knew almost every song of the last two albums she had released in the last couple of years because they had blasted the speakers of their home for weeks. Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close? Forever and ever, ah Take me out, and take me home You're my, my, my, my lover

After singing the chorus, Eleanor handed the guitar to Rafael, who continued with the melody, and took the mic in one hand, singing the second verse as she started walking slowly towards him. We could let our friends crash in the living room This is our place, we make the call She took his hand on hers and softly pulled him to the center of the bar

And when Eleanor sang “And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you”, both chuckled knowingly, because they knew how true that was, wherever he goes, he enchants.

I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

It had been three summers indeed and nor he or she couldn’t imagine a summer without each other.

Eleanor kept singing, every word with meaning, it was like the song was written for them, especially “I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover” Because who else on this planet was a magnetic force but him?

Bryce was beaming the whole song, smiling, laughing, biting his lip, showing how happy, flattered, incredulous and in love he was.

He couldn’t believe his luck. To this day, after more than three years, sometimes he still couldn’t believe he had the chance to love so much and be so loved. So happy, so free, so understood. And he would probably live this luck, this love, forever and ever with her.

When the song ended, Eleanor took out something from the pocket of her yellow dress. A velvet box. When she opened it, a silver ring with a diamond at the center shined under the multicolor lights of the bar. Eleanor took his hand in hers and kissed his knuckles softly before asking: “Bryce Lahela, mi amor, we both know we want to spend the rest of our lives together. In these three years you have made me nothing but happy. The happiest luckiest woman alive. I want that for the rest of our lives. Would you marry me?”

“Yes,” he said, eyes sparkling, shining so bright with emotions, with love, with adoration, with happiness, “Yes, babe, yes! The only thing I want is to spend the rest of my life with you!”

Everyone cheered, Sienna was crying, Kyra too, and even Keiki had shed a tear.

Eleanor put a ring on his finger and both kissed sweetly in the middle of the bar.

After a few moments, Bryce kissed her hand and chuckled, “Well, now it’s my turn.”

Eleanor stared confused at him, and when she heard him shouting “Música maestro!” she understood.

Eleanor couldn't believe it either. When the notes of Marry Me by Bruno Mars started playing, she covered her mouth with her hands just like Cecilia Bolocco when she won Miss Universe in 1986. “No way, love!” she squealed.

After a few verses, Bryce took her hand and turned her to the wall, where a video was playing. Videos of colleagues, nurses, even patients, with thumbs up singing along “Don't say no, no, no, no, no, Just say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah” Then, her parents showed up in the video, beaming as they sang along too. Even her grandparents from Chile, Ricardo and Ofelia, appeared in the video asking the same.” “Oh my god,” Eleanor couldn't hold it anymore and simply let the tears fall. Tears of joy, of happiness.

Then Bryce started to walk around the bar, singing with a persuasive tone, asking the patrons to join him in his singing, as if he had to convince her to marry him. Friendly patrons would nod and show their thumbs up and sing along for a couple of seconds.

Once the song ended, Bryce bend on one knee and took the velvet box out of the pocket of his pants, where a beautiful rose gold ring was there, with a round diamond at the center and smaller at the sides. “Well, you won me. This was my idea too, but you were faster, or maybe you had friends who took your side and decided to help you instead of me.” Everyone chuckled. “Or maybe she just asked before you did,” Jackie teased. “Either way, I’m honored and flattered, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to propose to you. I mean, I’ve dreamed about this day practically since I met you.” “Awww, mi amor.” “I want all summers with you and all winters, especially winters so you can keep me warm on snowy nights.” Eleanor giggled, her eyes full of tenderness, “Of course, my love. Summer, fall, winter, spring, all of the seasons and all of the years I have left on this planet.” “Good. And you, Eleanor Andrea Bloom, would you marry me?” “Yes, my love, mi amor, sí, sí, yes!” Bryce put the ring on her finger, and again, people cheered and clapped. Keiki and Jackie whistled.

When Bryce and Eleanor got off the stage, the gang approached them, filling them with congratulations and hugs, and just love for the happy, recently-engaged couple. they disclosed how everything had happened -Eleanor indeed had asked help first, she had been practicing guitar for more than a month with the help of Rafael.

After a while, Bryce took Eleanor’s hand and led her to a quiet place so they could have a moment for themselves. They smiled and laughed without saying anything, still processing what had happened and trying to understand the happiness they were feeling. their hearts were simply overflowing with happiness and love. “You know? I can say people, mostly women, have asked me a lot of things in my life, some of them shocking, some of them rather cute, but never had a woman proposing to me, so this is a first. You're definitely a keeper.” “Oh, that's why you're agreeing to marry me?” she asked, feigning offense. “One of the four hundred million reasons, babe.” Eleanor smiled pensively, earnest, “You deserve everything, my love, everything. And that includes being proposed, because, damn, we’re too far from gender stereotypes and toxic masculinity.” “I agree.” “And because I really wanted you to know that I wanna marry you, and spend the rest of my life with you, just as much as you do.”

Completely spellbound by the sincerity of her love, now and always, Bryce simply bit his lip and leaned to plant a sweet kiss on her lips.

There was nothing else to do but be happy.

____

Ps: Here pics of Bryce and Eleanor engagement rings. I had the idea of a collage, but it would've also taken me a day to finish it, lol sorry

Thank you for reading! ❤

#bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #bryce x mc #open heart #playchoices

[appiomofchoice]

Hand-Me-Downs: Part 13

Note/Disclaimer: The last chapter, excluding the epilogue! A tiny bit bittersweet in some ways but not in the most important way. I hope you enjoy. :) 

Series Synopsis: (Enemies/Rivals-to-Lovers AU) Second-year surgical residents Darcy Allen and Bryce Lahela didn’t come to Edenbrook to make friends, and certainly not with each other. But when the path to greatness requires teamwork, they are forced to work together—and to cast aside the personal baggage keeping them apart.

Part 13 Synopsis: A date, and lunch with the nose wipers.

Word count: 1649

Rating: 16+ to be safe

Tagging: @lucy-268 @mvalentine @seriouslybadchoices @anotherbeingsworld @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @thegreentwin @ejustlurkshere @lahellacute @monstercyclops

~

Part 13: Meant to Be

Read on AO3

~

It still wasn’t clear which date this was---first? second? third? seventy-sixth, if all those skills lab lunches counted for something?---but Friday couldn’t come fast enough. After Bryce drove Darcy home from the hospital, they finally finally exchanged phone numbers, and he texted her every day with a countdown. He liked her. He wanted her to know it.

(And maybe she liked him too. “Stop being cute,” she’d responded once she realized that he was counting down. It was a reaction that made him grin. He knew he was hot. But she thought he was cute.)

Finally, the day arrived, and so did Darcy, right as Keiki---having accepted Bryce’s bribe---was leaving to amuse herself at the mall for a few hours. 

She came bearing a tote bag of vegetables, which she promptly dropped. She cursed under her breath when she did.

“Hey, it’s no big deal,” he said with a grin, trying to hide his worry. She claimed she’d let go of her dream of being a surgeon, that she was a new and evolved Darcy, that she was okay---but he wasn’t so convinced, and he was at a loss as to how to help her here. “I’ll rinse ‘em, and you can tell me what to do from there.”

Dary nodded, offering a smile. “The garlic and the onions get chopped and sauteed.”

“Chopped and...what?”

It was a learning experience, but a fun one, save for the frustration on Darcy’s face every time she dropped something. But in the end, they had stir-fry, which wasn’t actually too hard to make.

They sank into the couch to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and Bryce silently regretted not tidying up more when he saw the clutter on the coffee table. Darcy had been in his apartment before, but that was different. He hadn’t wanted to impress her---at least, not in every way, the way he needed to now.

“What’s this?” teased Darcy, swiping a brochure from off the table as she balanced a bowl in her lap. “Are you going back to school?”

“They’re for Keiks,” he answered. “She’s...having a hard time at school right now.” Part of him wanted to leave it at that. “Mostly because she’s way smarter than everyone else,” he added, which was true.

“And you think she wouldn’t be at one of these places?” she asked with a small smile.

“Of course she would be. But she just wants to start over.” He hesitated. “Some kid found out about our parents and now everyone’s calling her ‘jail baby.’”

“That’s awful,” she said with a grimace. “I...” She looked at him. “I’m so sorry.” And it wasn’t just about Keiki.

“You know it’s different, right? You kept my secret. Even when you hated me. And the only name you called me was Lahela, which...is my name.” He grinned. “And ass, which highlights one of my best features.”

“Still---”

“No, not still,” he interrupted. “We’re good, Darcy. We’re so good.” A flash of self-doubt crossed his mind. “We are, right? Because I know I---”

“Don’t you start,” she said, reaching over to take his hand. Bryce felt a wave of comfort wash over him at the gesture. “We’re good. And so are these schools...according to their brochures.”

He grinned a little sheepishly. “Did you know that every boarding school website has the words ‘best boarding school in the country’ written somewhere? That, and tuition that could send me back to med school twice. I don’t know how I’ll swing that.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

Of course he had to. “She deserves this.”

“I know,” she said quickly. “I just mean... Why don’t you ask your parents to cover it?”

Because he wanted to prove that he could do this without them, because he’d recently found out that they were worse than he realized, because the only thing that had changed Darcy’s mind about him was the fact that he never, under any circumstances, asked them for help... The reasons stuck in his throat, too many to come out, so he just stared at her with a lifted brow. “Darcy, I’ll figure it out. Without them.”

“I know you want to take care of everyone, and especially your sister, but you can’t shoulder everything by yourself. Especially this. They owe you this.”

He frowned. “What they did to you---”

“---sucks. But this isn’t about me. It’s about you and Keiki.”

He stared at her, still confused, still conflicted.

She gnawed on her lip before continuing. “When I said that we’re good? We’re good. All the way good. I’m not just tolerating that you’re a Lahela, or bullshitting you because you’re a good kisser. I’m not repressing disgust every time I remember who your parents are. I like you---all of you---Bryce Lahela---and whether or not you ask your parents for help, or forgive them for what they put you through, I’m still going to like you. Trust me. I tried really hard to hate you because of your parents, and as much as it seemed like I succeeded...” She shook her head. “I was fighting a losing battle from the minute you looked at me.”

He had to kiss her for that, leaning in the moment she finished speaking. Her soft lips met his without hesitation, pulling away only a second later with a light chuckle. 

“Wait, I spilled stir-fry on---”

“I don’t care.”

“You sleep here,” she reminded him, a small smile on her lips as she darted forward to meet his once more, quickly. “Let me clean it up.”

“No, let me,” he insisted.

“Rock-paper-scissors for it,” she proposed.

But a spasm made her hand flex suddenly in a star-shape at the moment of truth. “Fuck.”

“Be patient with yourself,” he said gently. 

“I want to be. I just hate feeling so helpless. I hate...” She sighed shakily. “I hate knowing that I’ll never do surgery again.”

“It’s not over yet,” he insisted.

“There’s an eighty percent chance that it is. Confidence isn’t enough this time.”

“I guess it’s lucky that I’m confident enough for the two of us,” said Bryce with a grin, which faded slightly at the serious look on her face. “Too much? I’ll drop it. Scalpel jockey or nose wiper, I know you’ll shine either way.”

“You don’t have to drop it,” she said softly. “Thank you for believing in me. I...” She shook her head, a nervous smile flashing across her face. “Just. Thank you, Bryce.”

“Always,” he answered. “Thank you for...more than you could possibly know.”

~

Darcy and Bryce were something now, or maybe they had been something for a while, but in any case, it made Darcy’s invitation to join “the gang” for lunch after physical therapy especially nerve-wracking. She wasn’t used to caring about what people thought about her, but she wanted them to like her. Not only because of Bryce...but they were about to be her new coworkers. Superiors, even, while she was completing the intern stage.

“But only for four months,” she clarified to Elijah, who’d asked. “I’ll be on track to finish with you guys.”

The gang today consisted of Elijah, Sienna, Jackie, and Aurora. Bryce would join them after his surgery, which couldn’t come fast enough. They were friendly and kind, which meant she was going to ruin everything. 

Sienna grinned at Jackie. “See? She won’t really be an intern, so the no-intern policy doesn’t apply.”

Jackie made a noncommital hum.

“We had a blast with Sothy,” defended Elijah. 

“You had a blast with Sothy,” Aurora pointed out. “The rest of us didn’t sleep for a month and had to remind him to close the fridge when he was done with it.”

“Hence, the no-intern policy,” said Sienna with a smile at Darcy. And, maybe seeing the confusion on her face, added, “Bryce said you were thinking of moving out.”

“And that you live in a closet under the stairs, like Harry Potter,” added Elijah with a grin.

“I am,” she answered. “And I do.” After the maitotoxin incident, the cramped space of her current room felt too much like what she’d imagined a coffin would feel like. “I really don’t mind finding somewhere else. Especially if I’m about to be one of your interns.”

“Not mine,” corrected Aurora. “I’m transferring to Mass Kenmore.”

The group went silent at this reveal---and Darcy, seeing their shocked faces, knew this was a reveal.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” continued Aurora, a little bashfully. “And after...” She met Darcy’s eye. “Whatever. I’m staying in the apartment. The only difference is that one of you will have to deal with Ramsey.”

Jackie’s eyebrows leapt up. “Wait, does that mean---”

“Resident rankings are back,” confirmed Aurora. “First prize is my spot on the diagnostics team.”

“Is that open to all internal medicine residents?” Darcy couldn’t help asking.

“Stay in your lane, intern,” laughed Jackie.

“My lane leading all the way to the top of the rankings?” she quipped.

Jackie cracked a smile. “Okay. You can move in with us.” 

“You might need to sleep with one eye open,” teased Elijah.

The rest of lunch was less exciting but more comfortable, and by the time Bryce slid into the seat beside her, she felt enveloped in a blanket of warmth and belonging and purpose. Like fate, or maybe the opposite. The universe had handed down some kind of destiny, and as a surgeon, she’d tried to shape it with her own hands. She didn’t know exactly what this was---the result of ripping up her own past and trying to mold her life into a shape she wanted, or her life snapping into place like a rubber band after accepting her circumstances, or some combination of the two. All she knew was that, with Bryce beside her, and with friends she could lean on, she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

#series: hand-me-downs #open heart #bryce lahela #bryce x mc

[storyofmychoices]

A Very Lahela Christmas: Kanaka Hau

[Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley Masterlist]

Characters: Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela Book: (pre) Open Heart Word Count:  <1,000 Prompts: @choicesmonthlychallenge #siblings ; @choicesdecemberchallenge decorations

Summary: In a prequel to Open Heart, Bryce and Keiki spend an afternoon together celebrating the holiday. *family fluff* Kanaka Hau means ‘snowman’ in Hawaiian.

☆  ☆  ☆  ☆   ☆   ☆   ☆

The warm rays of the midday sun danced across his smooth, honey-golden skin. He basked in the heat of its glow, letting it settle deep into his core. 

“You coming, Lahela?” a call came from down the shore. A group of teenagers chatted away, surfboards grasped under their arms. 

Bryce drew in a long breath. The salty scent of the sea lingered in his lungs before he answered. “Not today,” he offered reluctantly. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Before he had time to listen for his friend’s reply, a tug on his arm by an exuberant almost-four-year-old demanded his attention. 

“Bryce! Bryce! Bryce! Let’s go!” 

The young girl was no match for her older brother, but she still dug in her heels, attempting to pull him forward. The determination on her innocent face drew a laugh from him. 

“Okay, Keiks! I’m coming!” 

Bryce resigned himself to being dragged after his sister, carrying a tote with shovels and pails in his alternate hand. 

“What about here?” 

“Hmm,” Bryce pondered, watching her excited eyes grow wider. His large hands patted her head, tousling her dark wavy hair. “I think it’s perfect.”

Bryce set the tote down and knelt nearby. He sifted his hands through the cool sand. “Feel it,” he instructed his sister. “Feel how it’s cooler than the sand we walked through. But not as squishy as the sand closer to the water. This sand is just wet enough. When you build something, you want to make sure your sand isn’t too wet or dry.”

Keiki gave little consideration to her brother’s words, hastily grabbing the first shovel and pail she saw. She plopped down beside him; her little legs sprawling out in front of her. Using two hands, she grasped the tiny shovel and dug down, scooping sand into her bucket. 

Following her lead, Bryce filled his own pail, packing it down. He was careful to fill it completely and tightly to ensure the structure would be strong and maintain its form. Steadily, he flipped the container on its head, patting the sides and top to help free the sand structure within.

Once her pail was equally as full, Keiki stood to get into a better position to flip hers. Some of the sand spilled out as she pushed the bucket on its side before flipping it upside down. With one grand gesture, she pulled the container away, expecting a perfectly sculpted shape, but instead, found a messy pile. Her feet stamped in the sand, tears threatening to spill from her eyes in disappointment. 

“Hey, Keiki. It’s alright. Come here.” He held out his hand for his sister. She folded her arms across her chest and shook her head, sniffling back her sadness. “I could use your help.” He patted the top of the bucket again. 

Intrigued by the sound, she drifted closer, moving to the rhythm he was creating. 

“You like that?” He smiled, watching her body twist. He drummed a more consistent rhythm on the pail, watching as the light returned to her eyes as she danced to the beat. Soon the salty tears were a distant memory and her laughter was all that remained. 

When she had completely calmed down, he pulled his container away, revealing a perfectly sturdy structure. He gave it one look before knocking it over to Keiki’s delight. “I like your way better. Let’s start by just making a big mountain of sand. Do you think you can do that?”

She nodded excitedly and began pushing the sand around her toward the center where their combined piles now mixed. Together, they worked to create a sand mountain as tall as Keiki. 

“I think that will do it.”

“That will do,” Keiki repeated, nodding in agreement. 

Bryce knelt beside his sister. “Can I give you a really important job? I need you to pat the sand gently to make it smooth and harder.” He modeled slowly so she could watch. “Then, I will start sculpting it. We’re a team, Keiks!”

She got to work immediately, smoothing and packing down the sand. Bryce’s practiced hands slid gracefully across the cool sand, molding and carving as he went. He created two creases, which he then rounded on either side of the line, creating the illusion of three, round, oval shapes. 

Keiki bounced in her step, watching as her snowman came to life. 

“Do you have the pebbles and shells we collected?”

“Right here,” she ran to grab the bag in which they had put their decorations. She pulled out the shells first. 

Bryce created three small impressions going down the center of the second oval. “Place one shell on each of these. But be careful, don’t press too hard.”

She followed his directions, adding the shells, then the pebbles for his eyes and mouth. He carefully stuck the two sticks they had collected on either side for the arms and added a red Santa hat on top. 

“Now, the carrot!” She cheered, holding it up as if she were ready to stab the sand sculpture with it.

“Let’s do that one together,” Bryce suggested, not wanting her to be too forceful. She might be little, but she was mighty. He guided her movements as they positioned the carrot at the center of the top oval.

“He’s perfect.” Keiki threw her arms around the sand structure. Bryce flinched, instinctively closing his eyes, half expecting it to crumble under her adoration, but the sand snowman stood firmly. “I love you, Mr. Snowman!” 

Without warning, she flung herself at her brother, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you, Bryce! Thank you!”

“You got it, Keiks!” He pulled her closer. The sun was nothing compared to the warmth and comfort of her embrace. “I love you, too.”

☆  ☆  ☆  ☆   ☆   ☆   ☆

A/N: In my head, I’m going to write a series of ficlets/drabbles (at least 3) for a Lahela Christmas, but my brain doesn’t always cooperate and let me write (at least recently), so here is to hoping!  🤞

Perma tags: @lilyoffandoms ; @raleighcarrera ; @mfackenthal ; @the-soot-sprite ; @virtuallytakenby​ ; @zeniamiii ; @whimsicallywayward15; ; @xjustin-ethansgirliex ; @caseyvalentineramsey; @trappedinfanfiction; @anotherbeingsworld ;  @tyrils-star​​ ; @nikki-2406; @princess-geek ;  @katrinegrey ; @lucy-268 ; @gardeningourmet

Bryce //  Open Heart Tags:  @thearianam  ; @burnsoslow​ ; @mvalentine​  ; @rookie-ramsey​ ; @missmiimiie;; @jamespotterthefirst ; @adrianadmirer ; @bitchloveskcbaseball ; @nyastarlight ; @doriansapprentice ; @brycesgirl; @bratzlahela; @loveellamae 

#bryce lahela #keiki lahela #open heart #open heart 2 #bryce oh #bryce lahela x keiki lahela #bryce x keiki #fan fiction

[browneyedmissy]

Keiki In Real Life

Story Summary: Her brother was essentially a stranger to her and the prospect of meeting the people most important to him intimidated the hell out of her.

Chapter Summary: Keiki meets her brother’s girlfriend Casey and wonders whether she made a mistake coming to Boston.

Author’s Note: Oh god this has been in my drafts... since June. Which might have been around the time that Keiki was introduced? I think I mostly like this. I’ve been in such a dry spell when it comes to writing and stories that I just needed to finish something so if you see me using the same words a few times whooooooooooops. I swear there was a post that inspired this somewhere and if I find it I’ll link it!

I’m sneaking a recommendation in here, go read Estelle’s social media AU because it is literally the best serotonin right now.

The first time she met her brother's girlfriend, she learned a few... things about Bryce’s sex life she'd rather not know.

The girlfriend was cute, Keiki observed as she gave her a once over. Soft, wavy brown hair pulled up in a ponytail, warm brown eyes and little dimples that framed her smile.

She also at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed but before either of them could say anything they heard Bryce's voice as he came through the elevator with an armful of groceries.

"Keiki," Bryce said in an exasperated tone, "What did I tell you about-"

He froze when he recognized the girl talking to his sister and he dropped his groceries.

"Case, aww shi- I mean shoot."

Keiki rolled her eyes. "You know, I'm sixteen. I know a lot of curse words by now. In fact-"

"Keiki." He shot her a warning glance before his eyes settled back on the other girl. He shifted back and forth on his feet, a trait he used to do when they were young, Keiki observed. "This is my girlfriend, Casey. Casey, this is my sister, who is going to go inside for a moment.”

Keik glanced at Casey who couldn’t mask the surprise on her face. Bryce hadn’t told Casey about her, Keiki noted. A small part of her wanted to open her mouth and talk back but Casey seemed nice enough.

"Fineeeee." She sighed, drawing out the last syllable. She closed the door behind her, the sounds of her brother and his girlfriend's voices, muffled through the door. She caught her name a few times and she shut her eyes for a moment, wondering whether coming to see her brother was the right thing to do. 

She had just settled herself into a show on the television when Bryce and Casey came back inside.

"Keiki, Casey's going to stay for dinner." He announced, sending his girlfriend a grateful look.

"Good, that means less chance of the apartment burning down." Keiki retorted. She watched as Bryce’s eyes narrowed for a second and prepared herself for an argument. They hadn’t spoken much since she had gotten there and she didn’t know why she felt the need to be so mean to him.

Before he could say anything, Casey interrupted.

“Come on Bryce, you can help me in the kitchen.” She glanced at the groceries that Bryce had bought. “Keiki, is pasta okay?”

“That’s fine.” Keiki replied, holding her brother’s eyes for a moment before turning back to the TV.

"What can I do, chief?"

"Chop and sauté the vegetables." She directed as she found his pots and pans.

There was a silence from the kitchen and Keiki heard Casey try to hide a cough at Bryce's lack of response.

"Where'd I lose you, babe?"

"Sauté." Her brother said sheepishly.

Keiki snorted from her spot on the couch and stretched out. "How'd you get through college?"

"Dining hall and take out. The Thai place down the street loves me." Her brother shrugged.

Casey glanced over Keiki’s way, giving her a thoughtful expression. “Keiki, will you take over for your brother? Bryce, can you boil the water for the pasta?"

"Oh, that I can do." Bryce grinned as he pressed a kiss to Casey's cheek. Keiki glanced at the TV, suddenly not interested anymore and made her way to the kitchen.

As Keiki stood at the cutting board and watched her brother, she noticed how much more relaxed he was. His smile when he had been in high school had always been over polite as if everything he did was on display. His brow had been furrowed most of the time when she saw him at home, in between his shifts at the hospital as if he didn’t know what to do with her.

But Casey- he looked at her with bright eyes and a perpetual grin on his face. Keiki couldn't remember the girls he had dated but it was as if every bit of him was drawn to her.

She felt her heart suddenly twist as panic began to fill her. Bryce didn’t need her here. He certainly didn’t want her here, not when he had pretty Casey who moved through his kitchen as if she knew it like the back of her hand. She wasn’t sure what she wanted or what answers she was looking for when she had bought her ticket, just that she needed to get out of the house.

“Keiki?” She blinked as Casey came into focus. Bryce had started setting up the table and Keiki had been blankly stirring the pasta sauce. “I think the sauce is ready, if you want to eat.”

“Uhh, yeah.” Keiki frowned, trying to collect her thoughts. “I, uh…”

“Hey.” She felt a warmth on her shoulder and she looked up into Casey’s kind eyes. “There’s more time to talk later, okay? For now, let’s have dinner.”

-

After dinner, she had claimed fatigue after dinner, still feeling unsettled. She wasn’t ready to talk, wasn’t ready to put words to how she felt, standing in the kitchen and Casey and Bryce hadn’t stopped her.

But Keiki hadn’t adjusted to the time change yet and some nights, especially when Bryce was at work, she would just lay in bed, listening to the sounds of the city. She glanced at her phone, 3AM blaring back at her in white light.

Keiki groaned and crept quietly to the door.

She had stepped into the kitchen and was reaching into the cabinet to get herself a glass for water when she heard a sound. She jumped around to see that Casey had stayed and she and her brother were fast asleep on the couch. They both didn't quite fit but despite that Bryce had an arm wrapped around her middle and their breathing was soft and peaceful. Keiki watched as her brother shifted and nestled himself closer into Casey before his breathing evened out again. He had a smile on his face, even while he was asleep and he just seemed to be... content.

Keiki blinked, suddenly feeling dampness at her eyes.

The selfish part of her was angry. She was angry that her brother was able to move on so easily to this life without her where he had a pretty girlfriend and didn't have to spare a thought for their parents- or for her. She could have screamed all of the feelings of abandonment and neglect that she felt but couldn’t explain while he played house in Boston.

And the other part of her wanted to be happy for him. He was lighter and more carefree than he ever was in even her rose-colored memories. These moments were saved for Casey and that peace he felt was something she yearned for.

She didn’t belong in Hawaii with her classmates that hated her and her parents that controlled every part of her life. She certainly didn’t belong here in this apartment with her successful surgeon brother and his new life.

Abandoning her water, she quietly crept back into the bed, staring at the shadows on the ceiling until sleep finally claimed her.

#bryce lahela #keiki lahela #open heart #missywrites #did you all forget bryce has a sister pb sure did #my brain is tired does anyone else wanna see the many wips i have lol #including a lakehouse distant shores au that i abandoned whoops #also using the outline feature in docs has changed my life

[terrm9]

CHAPTER 8 - Closure

Never in her life would Chiara expect to find herself getting ready for engagement party of Harper Emery, of all people. But alas, neither would she think that her biggest accessory to the said party would be a wooden cane and yet here she was.

She felt equally nervous and excited about both, the process of getting ready and also the fact that after almost three months, she was going to spend the whole evening in the company of so many people. Considering the fact that Decembers in Boston were disgustingly cold compared to those back in San Francisco, Chiara decided not to test her own ability to not to freeze in the tiny, back cut out navy blue dress she wanted to wear initially, instead reaching for tight, long sleeved emerald green ones. She also succumbed the idea of wearing a thigh high boots, since she still needed to use a cane in spite of walking steadily. She grabbed the pair of black Doc Martens instead, put her hair into purposefully messy bun and stepped into the living room, where Sienna and Jackie were already waiting for her.

“Look at yourself!” Sienna smiled widely when she first noticed her. “Ready to blow some minds tonight?”

“Please, Sienna,” Chiara laughed shortly. “It just felt nice to put some make up on after such long time.”

“Well, you definitely dress to impress, Chiaris,” Jackie nodded, grinning. “I personally prefer undressing to impress, however. Is Lahela joining us?”

Chiara shook her head, going through her purse once again, making sure she wasn’t forgetting anything and without looking up, she shrugged: “He decided to spend tonight with Keiki.”

It was only a half truth. He was spending his night with Keike, but also with Kyra, who wasn’t feeling very well and wouldn’t really enjoy an evening spent at a party. The something going on between Bryce and Kyra, whatever it was, wasn’t exactly top secret, but Chiara knew that Bryce hasn’t told anyone about them yet and she didn’t feel like she should just spill it now.

“Whatever. Aurora is already there and she just texted me saying that the place is full of old doctors and even older teachers, so we really need to hurry up and get drunk with her.”

Sienna grabbed her coat and looked at Chiara, her face concerned.

“Are you sure you want to take the T, Chiara? We can always call a cab.”

“Thanks, Si, but I really want to take the T. I am going back to work in two days, remember? I kinda have to handle the basic life at this point.”

˜

It only took them about 20 minutes to get to the place where the party has been held and it was only when Chiara stepped through the main door that she fully realized that she would probably be meeting Ethan tonight.

Before she could drown herself in the sea of panic, nervousness, doubt and even sadness, she almost got crushed in a hug.

“Chiara, it’s so good to see you! We are all so, so happy that you are getting back!”

Chiara had to take two steps back and blink several times to match the face to the voice and the arms around her.

“Ines,” she smiled wholeheartedly. “I am the happy one. I missed you all. Yep, even you, Zaid,” she laughed as she noticed the older doctor to roll his eyes at the sentimental scene in front of him.

“I haven’t missed you at all, Ray,” he responded without missing a beat. “But I am glad to see that you are doing well.”

He took a sip of his drink and returned to the conversation he had with Ines before and as hard as he tried to look casual, Chiara knew very well that he just told her he actually did miss her.

˜

Ethan Ramsey was sitting at the bar, watching the crowd of people that all came to celebrate the happy couple. He really wanted to go home already, not feeling any of the happy vibes reaching him. The picture of scotch, book and comfort of his bed, was enough for him to dream about leaving, however he couldn’t bring himself to actually do so. It wouldn’t be impolite towards Harper and her fiancé, as he already congratulated them and the speeches were told and nobody really cared about the grumpy doctor at the bar. He stayed because he believed he’d see Chiara somewhere among the crowd, he hoped to at least catch a glimpse of her. Two hours ago, Ethan spotted Dr. Varma dancing with Aurora Emery and so he expected to see Chiara nearby, but two long hours have passed and she was nowhere to be found.

Just as he started to concede the possibility of her not coming to the party, the familiar voice behind his back startled him. He turned around abruptly on his bar stool and suddenly found himself staring in those beautiful green eyes, the eyes that were wide with surprise as they stared back at him.

“Chia- um, Dr. Ray. Nice to see you,” he nodded towards her, remembering her wish to keep things professional.

“Hi, Ethan,” she smiled softly as she grabbed the glass of wine she ordered and his shoulders visibly relaxed when she called him by his first name.

Chiara wished to go home. As happy as she was for Dr. Emery and Mr. Banks, she felt her legs slightly trembling after the pressure she kept putting on them for the last three hours and her head was hurting. Clearly, she was overwhelmed by all the noises and fellow doctors wanting to talk to her and foreign teachers asking her how did she – so young and beautiful – ended up with a cane. All she dreamed about was her bed and medical journal and some lovely, slow, silent music in the background. Sienna promised to take her home anytime she wanted but seeing how much she was enjoying her time with Danny on the dance floor, Chiara couldn’t bring herself to ask her to leave. And so, she decided to at least order a glass of wine and just observe the others from a corner of the room.

The possibility of meeting Ethan at the bar hasn’t crossed her mind even once, when really it was the only place she could imagine him spending the night at.

He looked as handsome as ever and it took Chiara by surprise. She believed she could face him and maintain the cold distance she decided to put between them this time. She wasn’t prepared for him, dressed in black button up shirt and black pants, to look so unfairly awesome.

“You look like you are attending a funeral,” she blurted out, trying to save herself from telling him how attractive he looked.

“I hate parties almost equally much,” Ethan replied, observing her from head to toes, admiring her beauty. Her cheeks were blushed pink, few strands of her hair sticking out of her bun, the dress flattering both, her figure and her complexion.

You look so beautifully alive, Rookie.

“Why are you here then?”

“Because I respect Harper and, as much as it may surprise you, I am sincerely happy for her to find the right man. Well, I would definitely be happier if the amount of “darlings” and “sweethearts” in their speeches was radically decreased, but nonetheless, I am happy for them.”

Chiara, despite trying to keep her expression cool and distant, had to laugh at the dissatisfied expression on his face as he said the words darlings and sweethearts.

“You hate nicknames in relationship. Obviously.”

“Yes, obviously,” he repeated. “I mean, they have their names for a reason.”

“But you call me Rookie,” the pointed out, sipping slowly on her wine.

Ethan’s expression softened immediately, remembering the first time he called her so.

“I called you Rookie on your first day in hospital, because I didn’t know your real name back then. That’s the difference. These two, I mean, Harper and Thomas are pretty decent names, why can’t they just use them?”

Ignoring his rage about Harper and Thomas not using their actual names, Chiara couldn’t help but tease him.

“Yeah, you didn’t know my name back then, but now you do, and you still call me Rookie. So I guess the nicknames are not all that bad.”

His cheeks blushed in dark pink colour as he realized that she was indeed right. He gave her a nickname and they both grew so fond of it, that he didn’t want to stop calling her that.

Clearing his throat, Ethan decided to change the topic before they would tangle themselves too deep in the memories and therefore regrets.

“So, have have you been doing?”

Chiara wasn’t looking at him as she answered: “I like to think that I am doing fine”

“What exactly does that mean?”

She shrugged, not really wanting to elaborate. She only wanted to talk to him about work and the money she owed him, the concept of the “how-has-life-been-lately” talk not fitting into her plan.

“My back doesn’t hurt much anymore, only when I stand for too long or sleep on one side for too long. The legs are fine, except the stability in my left leg – I don’t trust myself with it enough, I guess. That’s why I’ll have to use this little friend of mine-” she chuckled as she lifted her wooden cane up, “-a little bit longer than I initially expected. Other than that, I am totally fine.”

“And the nightmares?” he couldn’t help but ask, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

“Manageable,” Chiara responded way too quickly and before he could accuse her of lying, she changed the topic. “Honestly, I think I should be the one to ask you if you were okay. I mean, this is 16 ounces glass you are holding in your hand and it’s filled with pure liquid. So you’re either drinking insufferably huge amount of vodka or you are drinking water, which in your case, is just as weird. Are you sick or something?”

Ethan couldn’t suppress his laugh anymore, hearing Chiara like that reminding him all the conversations they had while she was in the hospital.

“It’s water, which, for the record, I drink quite often, since as a doctor I know how important it is. And as much as I’d prefer whiskey tonight, I came here by car. Therefore, I just have to stick with the water until I get home.”

Chiara laughed at the tone of his voice, indicating just how very much he already wished to be home with a glass of said whiskey in his hand.

It was Ethan’s turn to observe the crowd, not knowing if Chiara still insisted on keeping their distance or if he could finally talk to her about all those things he wanted to talk to her about.

Chiara’s whole chest was tight, and she felt her heart breaking all over again at the sight of him. She missed him so much and she wanted to forget all the hurt he caused her and all the trust issues she’s had, because this light conversation they just managed to have, that was her relationship with Ethan. Laughs and teasing and caring for each other. For him to hate sweet couple nicknames and for her to tease him about not drinking alcohol in the middle of the party, it simply felt so natural.

This is who we are. This is what we could be if only he could stop leaving me in the dark. If only I could trust him.

The tears threatened to fall out of her eyes and she was thankful for the fact that Ethan wasn’t looking at her. She quickly blinked them away and took a deep breath before speaking again.

“I was actually hoping to talk to you?”

Ethan’s head snapped back at her, his expression surprised and also somehow… pleased?

“You were?”

“I wanted to let you know that I am officially getting back to work on Monday. I missed a lot, so if you have some work for me to catch up, you can send it and I’ll get through everything until then.”

“Please, Chiara,” he smiled softly at her, falling for her even deeper at those words, seeing how dedicated she was. “You’ll catch up just fine on Monday. Enjoy these two free days, the work will wait for you.”

“As you wish,” she shrugged, knowing better than to try to persuade him. “I also wanted to let you know that I haven’t forgotten about the rents you paid for me and as soon as I am back to work, I will pay everything back. Just give me another week or so, please.”

Ethan didn’t want her to pay him back. He didn’t miss the money and the fact that he could do at least something for her made him feel good. But just as Chiara knew about his stubbornness, Ethan knew about hers and so he knew that when Chiara Ray made her mind about something, there was no point in persuading her otherwise.

He was about to nod when he noticed Chiara wincing in pain and gently massaging her lower back.

“So much about no back pains,” he frowned. “Don’t you want to go home?”

“I’d really like to, but I am forbidden to go home without Sienna’s supervision, and she is having such a great time. I don’t want to make her leave, so I guess I’ll just drink wine until she decides to go home.”

“I was about to leave. I can take you,” Ethan offered without a second of hesitation.

She knew she shouldn’t accept. She knew that it was her idea to keep a distance and that stepping into Ethan’s car would ruin her dedication to maintain it. But in this moment, she also knew they both deserved a closure, the talk about them. The talk where both sides could talk and explain.

She hoped for them to be best friends again.

Chiara missed Ethan.

“Okay,” she nodded. “Let me just text Sienna. You can go first and I’ll follow you in a few minutes, so that people don’t talk about us leaving together.”

“Please,” he laughed loudly, for the first time in the evening. “People already are talking about us.”

“What?” she gasped, eyes wide with shock.

“I think it started at the softball game, when I’ve gotten a little bit too protective over you. That and the fact that not once in my eleven years at Edenbrook I attended a softball game. Until you asked me to play,” he chuckled, but after a brief moment his expression hardened. “And well, my, uh… breakdown in the E.R. after your accident, my visits by your bedside, I guess all of those things sparked the rumors.”

Not sure if she felt more amused or embarrassed, Chiara sent a quick text to Sienna, explaining that Dr. Terminator would give her a ride home and after putting her phone back to the purse, she grinned at Ethan: “Let’s give them something fresh then, shall we?”

Ethan put his hand at her lower back lightly and with a smug smile on his face lead her out of the party neither of them wanted to attend in the first place.

˜

The car ride was peaceful, Boston streets unusually quiet and empty, fresh snow reflecting the streetlights, making the street look brighter than it really was.

Ethan was being extremely careful to make sure the ride was smooth, not braking abruptly, not taking sharp turns. As okay as Chiara pretended to be, he was a doctor after all, and he knew that dealing with trauma came in waves. That anything could trigger a bad memory back.

His thoughts were disturbed by a sudden cry coming from Chiara’s mouth.

“Ethan, stop!”

He slammed the brakes, sighing with relief when he made sure that there was no car following them, as his sudden braking would definitely cause a crash. He turned to Chiara startled and despite wanting to respect her wishes, he reached for her hand.

“What is it, Chiara?”

“I am sorry,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “I just felt like the opposite car was about to crash into us.”

At this point, her whole body was trembling, her breaths short and shallow. She was at the beginning of hyperventilation, her face ghostly pale.

“Just let me park and we can step out of the car, okay? We’ll catch some fresh air and everything will be alright,” Ethan squeezed her hand and slowly pulled out, parking the car by the carb as soon as he could. Turning the engine off, his whole figure turned towards Chiara.

“You haven’t been in car since the accident?”

After taking a few deep breaths to steady her senses, Chiara look at Ethan and with a weak voice, she replied: “Only once, when Bryce drove me home from the hospital. But that was at the noon and I could see the whole car on the opposite side of road. I could see that the car was in its own lane, I could even see the driver. But now it’s night and it’s dark and the only thing I see are the two front lights getting closer and closer and…” she trailed off, not able to finish the sentence as her lower lip was trembling again.

Ethan cupped her cheeks with his hands and with voice so soft it broke her heart, he whispered: “It’s okay, Rookie. You are okay, you are safe. We don’t have to continue, we can just sit in the car until you feel better, okay?”

She nodded, leaning into his touch as she closed her eyes. The comfortable silence in the car was only disturbed by occasional car driving by them and for the first time in almost two weeks, Chiara felt safe.

“I guess we should talk,” she muttered into his hand.

“About work? Because as I said, there’s no need-“

“About us,” she cut him off, straightening on her seat.

Ethan raised his eyebrows in surprise, but soon his expression was utterly vulnerable.

“I would like that very much. Do you want to talk here in the car? Or at your place? Of course we could go to my place, as it provides more privacy, but I am fine with whatever you want. As long as you feel comfortable,” he felt the hotness creeping on his neck, realizing very well how nervous he must’ve sounded.

“Your place sounds fine,” Chiara smiled at him, amused as she, too, realized just how nervous he suddenly was.

˜

As they stepped into Ethan’s apartment, the first thing he made sure of was that Chiara was sitting comfortably on his couch.

“Can I offer you something to drink?” he asked, making his way to the kitchen.

“I’ll have whatever you are having.”

“Uhm, I am not going to have anything, so I recommend you to change your mind.”

“You came home to have scotch.”

“Yes, but that was before I knew that you would join me. I’ll be taking you back home,” he shrugged, pouring himself another glass of water.

“I’ll just take a cab,” she rolled her eyes. “Get us both some good scotch, please.”

“There’s no way I am letting you take a cab,” he shook his head. “I promised you a drive home and I intend to give you that.”

Chiara wanted to fight him, to tell him that she was a big girl and didn’t need to be supervised all the time, but she came here to talk about them and so she let the topic of whiskey go.

“I think it’s rather fair to both of us to know where we stand, now that I’ll be back to work and things will go back to normal.”

Ethan joined her on the couch, his expression thoughtful as he kept looking not at her, rather at the coffee table. He nodded slowly and even though he realized that it was not a gentleman thing to do, he started to speak before she could say anything else.

“I am sorry, Chiara. If I am to tell you only one thing tonight, I want you to know, most of all, that I am truly and infinitely sorry for everything I’ve ever put you through. I am sorry for leaving you when you most needed me, for running away when things got hard, for pushing you away only to pull you closer. I now see just how huge coward, how huge asshole I’ve been all that time. And I know very well that one damn ‘sorry’ doesn’t make up for everything I’ve caused you to feel. But still, I am sorry.”

“You weren’t all that bad, you know,” she grinned. “I have forgiven you a long time ago, Ethan. I don’t hate you, obviously. I am not even angry. And I missed you. I mean, there’s no better target of my teasing than you, old man. What we had, while I was in the hospital, it was more than I’ve ever imagined we could be. Being close friends with internal jokes and deep talks, I miss that, Ethan, but I am so afraid to trust you, because every time things got actually good between us, you’d take a step back. So I need you to tell me what you want and once it’s said Ethan, I need you to stick to your words. No matter what.”

Ethan stood up and started to pace nervously around the living room, preparing himself to tell Chiara everything he wanted to tell her for such a long time.

“Not so long ago I told you that there was no such a thing as unconditional love or soul mates. That I am not capable of love, because I don’t believe in it in the first place. But sweet Lord, seeing you in the I.C.U. after the accident, believing that I would never see your eyes open, that I would never hear you laugh again, it made me think. And as terrible as I am at expressing my emotions and my feelings, I no longer feel that way. I know now that whatever it is that you feel for me, it’s unconditional. It must be, because otherwise you would just give up on me already. And I know that what I feel for you, whatever it is, is unconditional too.”

He took a deep breath and sat back down on the couch next to her, taking her hand into his.

“For a long time I believed that the thing I wanted the most was to have you all to myself. To selfishly call you mine. But now I know that is actually not what I want the most.”

“Oh?” she interrupted him for the first time, her expression visibly pained.

“What I want more than anything in this world is for you to be happy. You deserve the whole world Chiara and you deserve to be happy and nothing else but happy. And I know myself. I am broken man, destroyed one. Cynic. Asshole. Unable to express what he feels, enable to show affection. No matter how much I care for you, there are still men out there, that would be so much better at expressing it. Even though they wouldn’t care as much as I do, they would show you just how much they do. If we were together, we would have to keep our relationship a secret. I wouldn’t be able to take you out for a dinner, to accompany you to the parties as your plus one. You deserve so much better than me, Chiara, and I want you to have the best.”

There was a long pause after that. Chiara was staring at the wall, obviously way too deep in her thoughts, considering everything Ethan has just said. Her brows were furrowed, her fingers playing with the hem of her dress without her mind actually realizing so.

After what felt like forever, she turned to Ethan and looked straight into his eyes.

“You don’t get to decide what’s best for me, Ethan. As noble as it is, for you to want me to be happy even if it’s with someone else, if you selfishly want me all for yourself, just say it, damnit. I can decide if that’s what’s best for me.”

The fire in her eyes as she looked at him made Ethan’s throat dry. Before he could compose any meaningful sentence, Chiara added: “But remember, I need you to stand by what you say. I need you to keep your words this time, Ramsey.”

“Well, then I selfishly want you all for myself, Rookie,” he smiled at her, the fact that she didn’t retreat the hand he was holding giving him a tiny bit of hope. “And I wish I could be the one to make you happy.”

“You mean it?”

She wanted to come with a comeback, with response that would break this tense, vulnerable, raw atmosphere, yet she needed him to ensure her that he wouldn’t change his mind in the morning.

“I mean it. With all my heart, if there’s something of it left. I mean it with my whole being, Chiara. If you ever decide to give me, give us, a chance, I promise not to give up on us, not to leave, not to push you back. I can't promise you happily ever after and I can't promise to never disappoint you again, because I likely will disappoint you again. However, I can promise to learn how to change. I promise to work on the relationship harder than I’ve ever worked on my degree.”

They both laughed, knowing that such promise meant more than any other could mean.

“Well, in that case, it’s a good thing that I selfishly want you all to myself too, Dr. Ramsey,” her words almost a whisper as she let them out.

For the first time ever, their lips met in a kiss that didn’t taste like regrets, doubts and sorrow.

For the first time ever they kissed with hope and promises and happiness.

#open heart #open heart choices #open heart fanfiction #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #pixelberry #play choices #sienna trinh

[thepeonysbackup]

◇Satisfaction◇

Pairing: Alastor x Fem!Reader

Summary: THE LAST PART TO DRY HUMPING??? Thank you guys for liking my dumbassery? Craaaaazy to think any of you would liked this weird brain shit I got goin on in this blog.

Warning: Smut, pure, unadulterated smut. Smut smutty smut smut smut! (Just enjoy-)

Word count: Noneeee! Just made this

That pleading look in your foggy eyes, “I'm afraid I won't be going back on my word, Darling. But I will let you have the release you crave.” He explained while moving his hands from your chest and wet, squelching cunt to your waist, from there he drew your body forward and watched as you jolted and squirmed with a noise of embarrassment from your enjoyment of the feeling. His wicked grin grew, eyes narrowing as his smile twitched until you able to see the blackness that was his gums, “Mm-” Your hips jerked against him, hands coming up to his shoulders as a brace as you began to move yourself, no longer needing Alastors help in the matter as strings of moans and blubbering gasps started up again. Satisfied with your eagerness to please yourself from his teasing attacks on your most sensitive area, he leaned further away, back falling flat onto the grass as his ears flattened against his hair and he growled at the feeling of your wet juices flowing over his pants, your knee grazing his bulge that was oh so noticeable. But not to you. “Fuck- Al.. ‘S not enough.. It's not- I can't..!” You whined, body bending forward so that you were hovering over him, hair coming undone from its once firmly tied place, framing the two of you like a curtain as the radio demons claws slipped behind your head to bring you further down. Your body was laying atop his, hands gripping the grass near the sides of his head as his lips caught you in a kiss that broke your mind in half from the unexpected action and surprising amount of affection placed behind it. He plunged his tongue as far into your mouth as he could, his other hand continuing its guidance of your lower half as your eyes rolled back into your head, and your body began to twitch harder. You were right there, and all he had to do was push you all the way. How lovely for him, to have you in this bind, and not even one with your soul but with your mind. Your leg hiked up and slung over his other thigh, your heat pressing firmly on his straining bulge before you finally could hear a noise bubble from beneath Al's static that crackled. A noise resembling a glitched moan left him, noise transferring into your mouth which you reciprocated as he bit down onto your tongue, blood falling onto his lips which he lapped desperately up before you both flipped over.

“I really am impressed,” Al hissed into your ear as his lips trailed down your neck, fingers working deep into your clenching heat as his other hand kneaded the flesh of your breast from underneath your knitted button-up sweater, “You lasted far longer then I believed you would, but alas you didn't meet my true expectations.” His fingers curled, two digits rocking into the spongey spot right near your entrance, drawing a cry from your lips at the teasing. “I fear you haven't earned me inside you just yet.” Finished with a nip to your ear, tweaking your peak with a roll of his forefinger and thumb as your ground down into his other hand, whines and soft gasps continuing to climb in volume as fireflies hummed and blinked around you both. He'd brought you into the swamplands of his pocket dimensional room, his tie, belt, and cane strewn halfway to where he had worked you up from at the door. Your body relaxed flat against the deer demons chest upon his lap so he could have his way with you as he pleased. It was torture though, the edge that was just close enough to reach always furthering itself as he'd slow his movements or move his thumb from your swollen clit to stop that thread from snapping in two. “N-no- I- But!-” You writhed, hands feverishly trying to find a place to rest as the repetitive edging was starting to become to much. “No, Al.. I'm sorry, I never- I didn't mean—” He hushed you, grinning lips placing another kiss on your skin before he managed to switch your position on his lap, making your legs straddle a single thigh so he could see that begging expression.

You felt the soft grass, hair messy against it as you panted against the man above you’s lips, your legs being tugged upwards as he broke the kiss and buried his face into your shoulder so he could rut down between your legs at a quick pace. “How..” He breathed heavily, eyes failing to focus properly on your blissful expression, “How dare you do this to me.. You filthy thing..!” Those words were dripped in malice, anger from the pleasure you were providing for him when he had only wanted you to break for him. You had, but at what cost to his own pleasure. This grotesquely marvelous feeling he'd detested with his entire soul finally feeling as it should, like he needed it to feel as his hips pushed harder, the throb becoming nearly unbearable. He was there, the gooey warmth finally adding to the damp spot that had nearly dried and then some as it seeped slightly through the fabric, the white stickiness gently coating your lady lips as he continued to rub against you until your own climax hit you like a truck. With a groan of sorts, hands holding him into your chest while your body arched, you came undone against him and allowed your mind to fade as he pulled himself flat down against you with a sigh before darkness consumed you.

#keiks piece #hazbin hotel #keiks works #hazbin hotel alastor #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel x reader #keiks creatures of intrigue #alastor #alastor altruist x reader #alastor altruist #alastor hazbin hotel #alastor smut #alastor x reader smut #hazbin hotel x reader smut #hazbin hotel smut #smut

[zozammer]

Learning Learning

Trying to create some power moves in the wake of a fairly incomplete week. They’re piling up. All my incomplete tasks and unmastered lessons. Feel like shit right now. But I need to make myself feel better.

“Don’t try so hard.”

“Don’t try to be someone you’re not.”

“If you can’t do it, give up!” 

The last one is Freud.

Let me organise and list down the incomplete tasks for my readers:

1) finishing my very simple book that has been stretched for 2 months now.

2) a wedding invitation, though I’m making it right now. This has to get out.

3) Have not attended a single yoga class in the past week and the guilt is surmounting. I miss my mat, but the time isn’t right or I’m not making it right.

4) Have not gone for a swim since Tuesday and I seem to be falling back on my daily goals.

5) my drum lessons are ending with my current teacher due to personal differences. I am personally feeling a bit relieved, sad, and anxious at the same time. If I had to choose, I’d pick relieved.

I need to get better. Way better. I’m nervous and hopeful about working with a new teacher. Not enough hours in the day. Learning the drums and controlling anxiety lol. Nature clash.

6) Hunting for digs with my shoestring budget, and badgering my accountant for papers so I can get the ball rolling on my other pursuits. 

7) Giving up on RTOM Black Hole mesh heads and a Mapex Mars, and settling for a dirt cheap student band set on a resale site because adulting and priorities. Waiting out the summer since moving in to a new place is going to ching ching ka-ching the way to the not-so-full-anyway piggy.

8) My pending submission for my online class is long overdue. It’s been three days.

9) My pending office work and deliverables are due Monday. That’s actually the most important thing.

I am falling back.

... I think the termination of my drum classes really kicked it for me. I’ve been trying to train my brain and my body, but I haven’t been able to get up before sun’s out and that’s made all the difference in managing my time.

On Learning:

I am currently trying to Pay Attention.

Thoughts, desire, analysis, rumination, lethargy, fear, negativity.  

All these dull the brain. All these babies, I guilty of smoking in the past decade (no typo, that’s how I’m saying it). And now I’m trying to be a better student but it’s a bit hard remoulding a brain when you’re older (not impossible, very possible).

The pre frontal cortex needs activation. Well, a key to healthier firing and opening of neural pathways is optimism. 

Now that I’m getting back up on the horse, it’s taking a lot more effort. I found my drum classes so frustrating today. I’m slightly turned off. Sometimes people can turn me off a subject. Fundamentally, haste is the enemy.

But I’m trying to change how I view learning, lessons, and growth. Which is why, the minute I got home, I googled a bunch of lessons online. I felt in control again. I told myself that it was time to grow thicker skin. Can’t do without it, sorry baby girl.

Self-study. Practice. Practice. Curiosity. Persistence. Presence (this one is so hard, but I’m so much better at this than I was 3 years ago). Visualisation. 

And most importantly - stop talking. Stop thinking. Wastes energy.

The fact that my reading is poor currently, strikes much fear in me, because there’s just so much to learn, with that skill in hand. And I’m thirsty all the damn time for more knowledge and skills to pick up. My auditory, visual, and logical comprehension need boosts; I wonder if the flax seeds are helping. I really want to get better at it. 

(... Since I want to, I will.)

http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/speed1.html 

bought a book by the Princeton Review last month. Will read it once I’ve actually finished the aforementioned tasks. Something tells me I have to start timing my activities in fascist fashion. 

Is this post causing you anxiety? I apologise.

This -...

or let go. 

Let go and see things as they are. Pay full attention. 

Be present 

in the here and now, 

every day. 

ffff....aaaaaahhh......  Let’s try.

Again tomorrow.

It’s a yogic practice to thank Patanjali for all that one learns in the day, and to try again tomorrow.

Trying to finish one or two of these tasks before I go to bed. Feel better about the week and the day. Completion is a great feeling. Get your shit straight, Keik.

#learning #time management #learning blocks #drums #mapex #adulting #get your shit straight

[spoilersgr]

Privacy Overview This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

#LIFESTYLE #Άκης Πετρετζίκης #κέικ #ΣΕΦ #συνταγή

[dragonandtiger]

Digimon 00 - Fragments - 36

The Ryuzaki residence was alive with music and activity, guests filling all the luxurious rooms as they enjoyed the massive party hosted by Jin and Mina. From entertainment to food, the two spared no expense, ensuring that their guests would have much to do - and much to talk about afterward.

It was something that Keiko still wasn’t used to. While there had certainly been parties at the Makura residence, she was never allowed to really attend. She’d make an appearance, perhaps put on a performance for that woman to receive praise over, and then rushed out of sight, like a bird put back in her cage. She certainly wasn’t allowed to enjoy any of the food, even if the party was supposedly for her own birthday; it would’ve ruined her strictly regimented diet.

The feeling of watching on as the other children devoured her birthday cake as she was ushered away immediately after snuffing out the candles was one that she would always remember. And that memory was the reason why her plate was currently covered in nothing but cake - all of the cake.

Nyamon watched her partner with an amused smile. Her own plate wasn’t too much more balanced, with a hearty helping of confectionaries for herself, but she at least snagged a few pieces of choice meat to go with her sugary morsels. “Take your time, the food’s not going anywhere.”

“The best slices are always taken first,” Keiko said sagely despite the giddy smile on her face. “I just made sure I was the one to take them.”

“From every cake here,” Nyamon replied wryly.

“Exactly,” Keiko giggled before scooping up a buttercream rose with her fork and popping it into her mouth.

Nyamon chuckled before she turned her attention to her own plate. “Well, no one has a right to complain, so…”

“If someone does complain about my baby sister, they’re going to find themselves missing a few teeth afterwards.”

Keiko immediately turned to see Akane approaching from behind her. She began to say her sister’s name through a mouthful of buttercream, only to stop and cover her mouth on instinct before swallowing.

Akane had her arms full, not of food, but with a toddler in each arm. Keiko already knew Sera to the right, prompting her to unconsciously tucked her hair back over her shoulders, but the child in Akane’s left arm was one less familiar - a little boy Keiko only remembered being mentioned before.

The little boy was small, shockingly pale, with short, fluffy black hair and light gray eyes. He wheezed as he breathed, a little plastic tube attached to his nose that trailed off to somewhere behind him. Colorful bandages with smiling cartoon characters peeked out of his sleeves and pants, and some sort of pack bulged underneath the back of his shirt.

Keiko lost the sweetness of the buttercream on her tongue as she stared at the sickly little boy. “That’s… Tsuyosa, right? The boy you’re… nannying?” She faltered on the term, not sure if that was the correct way to put it.

Akane smiled in spite of Keiko’s reaction. “That’s right. This is Kigaru’s pride and joy.”

Keiko paused for a moment to remember the name, brow furrowing. “Kigaru is your husband… Mamoru’s friend, right? The guy who owns that big company?”

Akane nodded with an affirmative hum, enthused by the guess. “Right, right! He’s my friend too. The five of us have gotten very close since Tsu and Sera were born.”

Tsuyosa stared at Keiko intently, tilting his head slightly. His eyes were bright with fascination, as if he were scrutinizing her with great interest.

Keiko noticed Tsuyosa staring, that both babies were watching her. She also noticed how their clothes, well dressed but rumpled, matched in shades of purple and light blue, and that Sera held a stuffed doll with a crazy looking smile. The scrutiny made her feel more than a little self-conscious, as she had no idea how to interact with children so young that they could barely talk.

Nyamon turned to smile at her partner. “I guess children can’t help but like you.”

A gruff snort came from beside Keiko and Nyamon as Narakumon crossed his arms. “Who knows what these undeveloped humans think at this age? Do they even have thoughts-”

Tsuyosa turned his head to look at Narakumon, causing the Digital God to stop mid-sentence, stiffening beside Keiko in shock. Tsuyosa gave a small blink as he tilted his head in the opposite direction, then returned his gaze to Keiko.

Akane noticed Keiko’s awkward stance and let out a quiet chuckle. “Would you like to spend some time with these two?” She giggled again at the startled look on her little sister’s face. “Babies aren’t scarier than Digimon, are they? Don’t worry, they’ll be less intimidating once you get to know them.”

Mortification flushed Keiko’s cheeks with heat. “I-I’m not scared of them!”

“Excellent,” Akane said before nodding her head to the side. “Then let’s go to the playroom. They’ve been excited to play with their cousin Sakura all day.”

“I guess s…” Keiko paused, brow furrowing. “Wait, their cousin?”

Now it was Akane’s turn to look sheepish. “Ah, that’s…” She faltered for a moment before rambling out an explanation. “Well, Kigaru has always been like a brother to my Mamo-chan, and I’ve been helping take care of Tsu so long that he’s started calling me ‘Mama’ and treats Sera like his twin more than a friend.” She let out an embarrassed laugh. “Sera’s actually started calling Kigaru ‘Papa’ too like Tsu, and both of them call Mamo-chan ‘Dada’. It’s so cute that none of us have the heart to tell them otherwise, and we kind of enjoy being co-parents for each other’s kids.”

Keiko was silent for a long moment as she let Akane’s explanation sink in. “Oh.”

Nyamon blinked at that before she tilted her head. “Well, if it makes everyone happy, who cares? Blood isn’t the most important thing when it comes to bonds. Sometimes, it means nothing at all.”

Keiko nodded, her confusion fading into something much more solemn and certain. “Right. I’m not even the same species as Papa and Mama, but I won’t trade them for any other mom or dad in either world.”

Narakumon glanced at Keiko, his expression softening even as a light flush of embarrassment appeared on his face.

Akane relaxed and let out a breathy laugh. “Exactly. So go ahead and think of Tsu as your nephew too, okay? I’m sure that’d make him very happy.” She looked down at the children, her smile widening. “Hey, hey, can you two say ‘Auntie Keiko’?”

“‘Ntie Keike!” Sera chirped as she reached out towards Keiko with the doll, who grasped onto it with some reluctance. “‘Ntie! ‘Ntie!”

“Auntie Keiko,” Tsuyosa said after a pronounced pause. His voice was somewhat raspy, much like his breathing, but was still clear enough to hear.

Keiko swung the doll a little, eliciting a giggle from Sera who tugged on it and tried to swing it even further. However, her attention was more focused on Tsuyosa, as she stared at him in bafflement. She was used to babytalk from Sera and Sakura, and Tsuyosa appeared to be around their age, yet he spoke with surprising confidence in the shape of his words. “Wh… how old is Tsu?”

“He’s going to be two in a couple weeks,” Akane said before pausing to readjust her hold on the children. “And Sera is going on 18 months now.”

“He’s pretty smart,” Nyamon said, with a blink.

Akane winked. “Indeed he is. That’s what you get when your daddy’s a genius.”

“He’s wise beyond his years,” Narakumon said softly. He stiffened again when Tsuyosa glanced in his direction, though he softened a moment later. “He’s been through many things.”

Nyamon turned to stare at Narakumon, but he refused to meet her quizzical gaze.

Keiko considered what to say, but noticed Akane’s attention drift. She followed her sister’s gaze to some people staring at them. Although this party had been thrown by her family, there were others invited as well for one reason or another, and the certain looks those people were giving them told her that even her siblings had social obligations with judgemental people. It left her skin crawling, reminding her of the parties that woman threw.

“Come on,” Akane said cheerfully, snapping Keiko back to the present. She smiled as her little sister turned back to face her. “Let’s get to the playroom before these two start getting restless.”

Keiko looked back down at the tiny children and nodded in spite of her reluctance.

---

The playroom at the Ryuzaki mansion was very large and filled to the brim with toys of all sorts. With so many guests, there were already children running around, laughing and chattering as nannies and au pairs tried to keep up with their charges.

Keiko felt distinctly out of place in such a setting. She had never really been allowed to play with other children at any age, so it left her awkwardly trailing behind her sister as Akane set Sera and Tsuyosa down onto a plush couch.

“There we go,” Akane said in a singsong tone. “Now, you two wait here with Auntie Keiko while I look for Sakura, okay?”

Sera instantly climbed to her feet, bouncing up and down on the couch. “Sakura!” she shouted above the din, waving her doll around. “Sa - ku - ra! Sakura! Sakura! Sakura!”

The answer came quickly, as Sakura’s voice chimed out like a bell across the room. “Seeeeeeraaaaa!”

Akane blinked then laughed as she watched her little niece race past the other children towards them. “Well, I suppose that works too.”

When Keiko saw Sera leap off the sofa, she instinctively cried out, startled, but was surprised to see her little niece tumble into the fall and recover quickly, racing off on surprisingly steady legs to tackle Sakura into a hug. “Wow…”

Akane chuckled wryly and gestured Keiko to sit in the seat Sera just vacated. “That’s Sera. She’s very active.” She straightened up and dusted off her pants. “Well, I better keep an eye on those two before they try sneaking off to get into some mischief. How about you and Tsu sit and talk? You can read him a story if you like.”

Keiko glanced at the bookcase Akane gestured to and placed her plate of cake on one of the higher shelves, out of reach of little grabby hands, before finally sitting down. “Okay, sure, but doesn’t Tsu want to play too?”

Akane smiled, though there was sadness in her eyes. “Yes, he might, but if not, I’m sure he’ll be happy to spend some time with his long-lost auntie, right Tsu?”

Tsuyosa silently nodded, a timid smile on his face.

Keiko wasn’t sure how to respond to that, and watched as Akane hurried off to the other side of the playroom where Sera and Sakura were already trying to scale a rather sizable slide the wrong way.

Rather than race off after Sera, Tsuyosa instead moved closer to sit beside Keiko. He was silent and mostly still, save for a small movement to reach over and grip her hand. His own hand wasn’t big enough to take it in his own, so he ultimately grasped her pointer and middle finger with his tiny hands.

The action startled Keiko and left her feeling even more at a loss for what to do. She faltered, hesitating for a long, uncomfortable moment, before clearing her throat. “So, uh… What do you like to do, Tsu?”

“Sit,” Tsuyosa replied after a moment. “Read.”

Keiko’s eyebrows shot up. “You already know how to read?”

Tsuyosa nodded.

“Wow,” Keiko muttered before her expression softened to something fond. “You should meet my friend Ken-chan sometime. He’s a genius too, like you.”

Tsuyosa tilted his head before he gave Keiko a soft smile.

Narakumon watched Tsuyosa intently, his expression troubled. However, he opted not to voice his thoughts, instead mulling in silence.

Unfortunately for him, Nyamon was paying attention this time, catching the expression on his face. “What is it?”

Narakumon paused at that and shot Nyamon a quizzical glance, which was met by Nyamon’s cool stare.

“You’ve been acting weird,” Nyamon replied, flicking her ear.

Narakumon’s expression grew annoyed, though it softened again when Keiko turned to look at him. Even still, he hesitated with his response. “The boy. He can… sense me. Somewhat.”

“Eh?” Keiko blinked before she looked at Tsuyosa and followed the little boy’s gaze as it lingered on Narakumon again. “What does that mean, Papa? Not even the other Chosen Children can see you like this.”

“It means he has a high affinity for Darkness… and by extension, death,” Narakumon replied. “Though not nearly on the same level as you.”

Keiko stared at her adoptive father in disbelief before she looked back at Tsuyosa. “So then… Tsu could become a Chosen Child of Darkness… like me?”

“It’s… possible,” Narakumon said, reluctantly. “Though unnecessary.”

Keiko nodded slightly, furrowing her brow. “I guess so. Chosen Children aren’t natural after all…”

Narakumon gave a small nod, though his frown increased. “Still, for his affinity to be so well-developed this early in life…”

Keiko felt a quiet sense of unease settle in from the tone of her papa’s voice and she turned back to Narakumon. “Do you think bad humans did something to him too? Like when they made me and the others Chosen Children?”

Narakumon’s gaze shifted to the tube attached to the boy’s nose, and the little device it in turn was attached to by his back. “No. I believe… that life in general has been cruel to him.”

“What do you mean?” Keiko asked quietly, though a part of her felt that she would regret asking.

Narakumon looked like he was about to respond before he stopped. He gave a small shake of his head before he looked away. “It’s nothing. Nothing for you to be worried about… for either of us to be worried about.”

Keiko frowned and straightened up, leaning closer to Narakumon as she slapped her hand down on the armrest of the sofa. “Papa, I’m not going to stop worrying just because you told me to. Tell me what’s going on with Tsu.”

Narakumon was silent for a moment before he lowered his head. “He’s simply… a rather ill child. I’m sure his early years have been rough. But his parents are doing what they can, so there’s no point in getting involved.”

Despite the reassurance, Keiko felt herself being wound up all the more by Narakumon dancing around the subject as the gears in her head spun towards an increasingly sinister suspicion. “Tsu’s my nephew, so I’m already involved.”

“You just met him,” Narakumon replied.

“That doesn’t matter,” Keiko said firmly as she slapped her hand down on the armrest again to emphasize her point. “Blood doesn’t matter. Tsu is family too, Papa.”

Narakumon was about to retort when he paused, noting several women suddenly glancing at them both rather intently. “Keiko, we’re being watched.”

Though annoyed by the change in topic, Keiko looked to where Narakumon gestured. Three well dressed women, socialites by the look of them, were leaning close to each other just outside the playroom. Even over the sound of squealing children running around and playing, their “whispering” was far too loud not to be intentional.

“Look at that one,” said the woman with pearls around her throat.

“Oh, I know,” her replied companion with extra big lips. “Talking to imaginary friends at her age? Her mother must be so embarrassed.”

Keiko’s cheek twitched.

“Oh, my god,” a third women with too many rings on her fingers gasped, cutting the others’ gossiping off harshly. “Is that who I think it is? The little diseased boy?”

At her words, the other two stopped and turned to gawk again, focusing past Keiko to Tsuyosa. They immediately recoiled at the sight of him, and again when he stared back, clustering closer together like a herd of animals forming a line of defense against a predator.

“They actually let him in here!?” the puffy-lipped woman asked, with no small amount of indignation. “With all the other children!? What if he infects them?”

“And that’s their little sister too, isn’t it?” added the woman with pearls. “How completely irresponsible! She already looks so pale… could he have gotten her already?”

“Well,” the woman with too many rings huffed. “I’m getting my au pair to get my sweet little Hirono and Ichigo out of there right now.” She then strode off into the room, giving the sofa with Tsuyosa and Keiko a wide berth.

Keiko growled, curling the hand Tsuyosa wasn’t holding into a fist so tight it quaked. She had heard such talk far too often in the darkest period in her life, and she did not have any patience to listen to it now. The only things holding her back was her unwillingness to ruin her brother’s party and her promise to Akane to keep a close watch over Tsuyosa. She had to bite her tongue not to at least snarl out scathing insults to the gossipping biddies and cause a scene.

Tsuyosa interrupted Keiko’s thoughts as he squeezed her hand tightly, though clearly with little strength. He didn’t look up at her, instead staring at the ground. “Papa says I can’t get other people sick too. I’m not bad.”

Those words, spoken with such tired sadness, were a knife that pierced Keiko’s heart. “Tsu…” She glanced over at the women, seeing that two were still watching them. With a disdainful sniff, she turned away from the socialites and pulled Tsuyosa gently into her lap. “Hey, Tsu,” she said with a little more volume than necessary. “How about I read you a story? A nice long story.”

Tsuyosa paused at that before he looked up at Keiko. He was silent for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. “Okay.”

Narakumon watched the exchange, and found himself ironically thankful for the obnoxious interruption. It had drawn not only Keiko’s attention away from him, but Nyamon’s as well, and saved him from a conversation he did not want to have with his daughter.

As a god of death, he knew the signs - he knew what to look for. And he also knew when there were just some things better left unsaid. Besides, as he kept telling himself, it wasn’t as if it was any of their business.

Death came to everyone equally.

---

The moon filtered in through the drapes in Keiko’s room of the Ryuzaki estate, casting its gentle light on the floorboards. Everything was still as darkness settled in, like a comforting blanket to ease everyone to sleep. In such comforting surroundings, it was only too easy for Keiko to fall asleep in spite of the fact that she wasn’t back home in Crystal Tower. After the party, with Akane and the children staying over, she was reluctant to leave just yet. Fortunately, Nyamon curled up beside her on her bed, she was able to sleep easy.

At least, until the peacefulness of the night was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of heavy footsteps and loud voices just outside her door.

Keiko was up and out of bed in an instant. In her adrenaline-fueled, half-asleep state, she at first thought she was back in Crystal Tower in the middle of some sort of crisis in the Digital World. It was only when she charged out into the hall dressed in pajamas with Nyamon close on her heels that she woke up enough to remember where she was, which added a new kind of fear.

Although the Ryuzaki estate was vast, Keiko’s bedroom was right next to the guestroom where Akane stayed with the children after the party. The door to that room hung open now, and the sound of a child crying and adults talking rapidly drew her close.

Inside was chaos.

Pacing on one side of the room was man with wild, long blonde hair streaked in purple, who Keiko belatedly recognized as her sister’s husband. Mamoru fretted about, carrying Sera in his arms and patting her on the back as he murmured what were supposed to be soothing words to his daughter, but the little girl continually wailed, inconsolable.

On the opposite end of the room, Mina was seated on the bed, cradling Tsuyosa in her arms as Akane knelt beside him, injecting needles one after another into various places on the poor young boy’s body. To Keiko’s horror, she saw Tsuyosa’s skin had turned blue in places, his raspy breathing more like ragged gurgling as he struggled for air even with a large oxygen tank on a cart nearby now hooked up to the tubes in his nose.

Nyamon stared at the scene in horror, her ears canted back. “What the hell’s going on!?”

“I’ve already called Kigaru, he’ll meet us there,” Jin’s voice came in loud as he was marching down the hallway to the room, distress clear in his voice even as he tried to keep it even and authoritative, as if he were in charge of the situation. “Everyone just stay calm!”

Mina was unruffled by the chaos happening around her as she kept Tsuyosa propped upright against her to prevent him from suffocating. She turned her gaze away to Keiko and Nyamon and spoke like the crack of a whip. “Keep the doorway clear! The paramedics are coming.”

Keiko jerked at the order, but did as she was told, darting into the room with Nyamon right behind her to stand out of the way next to Mamoru, despite how Sera’s mournful wailing hurt her ears. “What’s happening?” she asked, raising her voice to be heard over Sera’s crying as she plugged her ears with her fingers. “What happened to Tsu?”

It was Akane who answered, though she never looked Keiko’s way and constantly kept pulling items out of an unusually large open medical kit on the nightstand. “It’s fine, Keiko. Everything is fine. Tsu is going to be fine. This happens all the time. We only called an ambulance to get to the hospital faster, but this is nothing new for us. Don’t worry, everything is going to be fine.”

It was obvious to Keiko that Akane wasn’t just trying to convince her everything was “fine.” Unfortunately, it was also clear that there was nothing she could do to help; there was no foe to defeat, no castle to destroy and rescue the helpless child before her. All she could do was stay out of the way and listen to her niece cry as the paramedics arrived and spirited Tsuyosa away.

In the end, only Keiko, Nyamon, Mamoru, and Sera remained once the chaos disappeared - or rather, moved on without them.

By that point, Sera had finally tired herself out from crying, only occasionally letting out a sniffle and a tiny wail of “Tsuuuu…”

Mamoru sighed wearily as he rubbed his daughter’s back, bouncing her in his arms. “It’s okay, Sera, it’s okay. Tsu will be home soon enough.” His blue eyes turned apologetically to Keiko who looked skeptically back at him. “Really, it’s going to be okay. This has happened more times than you think. Tsu’s a fighter - he’ll be back home again in a few days.”

“No,” Narakumon’s voice cut in, not that Mamoru or Sera could hear, with the finality of a tolling bell at a funeral. It caused Keiko and Nyamon both to turn and stare at him. He stood beside them, staring out the window with his back to them. “He will not.”

“Papa?” Keiko asked quietly, her heart filled with dread. She completely ignored the confused look Mamoru gave her as she took a step towards her father.

“The boy will not be coming back,” Narakumon said, not looking at Keiko. “This man needs to not fill his daughter with false hopes that will only be crushed when her brother never returns.”

Keiko froze mid-step, her entire body going cold.

Nyamon’s eyes widened as her ears canted back.

Mamoru looked towards the window, but saw nothing. He cocked his head to one side then the other. “I… suppose you must be talking to your father right now? Narakumon, sir, er, that’s your name, right?” He paused, but the empty space offered him nothing. “Well, anyway, my apologies for not being able to have a proper conversation with you, but I was thinking that since you’re the digital manifestation of a god, perhaps, if it’s not too much trouble, would you mind lending Tsu a little of your strength?”

Mamoru turned to Sera and used a tissue to clean her face. “I know it’s asking for a lot and it’s probably outside your particular skill set - you being a god of data and computers and all - but from one father to another, I hope you understand why I thought I’d ask anyway.”

Narakumon stiffened but said nothing, staring out the window at the moon.

The tense silence settled over Keiko like a lead weight, threatening to suffocate her. The earlier conversation with Narakumon came back to her with an all new, terrible clarity. “You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you, Papa? That’s why Tsu could see you.”

Narakumon didn’t respond at first, mulling over his words, before he finally spoke. “I am a god of death, Keiko.”

The implication hit Keiko hard, rendering her speechless.

Narakumon could feel his daughter’s stare piercing through his back, which was all the more reason that he refused to turn to face her. “The spark of life in Digimon is not much different than the one found in humans. And even though this is not my world, I am still able to sense said spark… and see it grow dim. That boy’s spark… is all but extinguished.”

Keiko slowly started to shake her head, denial welling up within her. “There’s got to be something we can do for Tsu! How do we revive the spark? Tell me what to do, Papa!”

Narakumon paused at that. It was a struggle to find the words to continue, but somehow he did, keeping his voice even. “This is the natural order of this world. Death is a part of it.”

“Screw that!” Keiko snapped, clutching her fists. “The Digital World makes its own natural order, and Mama overturns death all the time!” She threw her arm out to her side. “I’ll go find Mama’s Chosen Child and drag her to the hospital to help Tsu if I have to!”

Nyamon gave a sharp nod as she crossed her arms. “It wouldn’t be that hard to find her.”

The sound of crying began anew, as Sera reacted to Keiko’s shouting. Mamoru rubbed his daughter’s back again, but kept casting a troubled gaze towards Keiko and the empty space.

“I’ll… take Sera to another room to calm her down,” he muttered before hastily leaving. It was clear to him that he was in over his head in this sort of situation and his priority needed to be to his daughter right now. “Please excuse us.”

Narakumon felt a spark of irritation at Mamoru’s interjection, as the conversation was stressful enough as it was, but allowed himself to be mollified by the man’s departure. He let out a deep sigh through his teeth as he tried to get his thoughts in order. It was hard enough trying to talk reason to his daughter when his own feelings refused to match with what he knew was logical. “The girl has no experience with using Tenraimon’s power. As it is, she’s using it to heal her own body’s sickly nature. You know that.”

Keiko flinched, her eyes sliding askance as a twist of guilt hit her, but she refused to look away for long. “Then Mama can lend Tsu her energy dire…”

An abrupt idea silenced Keiko before she could finish her thought, the gears turning in her head as she stared intently at Narakumon. “Papa, you said Tsu could be Darkness like me, right? Is that only because he’s about to die?”

Narakumon grimaced at that before he finally turned to face his daughter, his expression stern. “Keiko.”

“What if you made Tsu like me?” Keiko pressed, stepping closer to Narakumon, placing a hand on her chest. “What if you share your power with Tsu, would that save him?”

Narakumon’s expression grew exasperated as he let out another sigh. “Keiko, he’s a random human child that-”

“He’s my nephew!” Keiko snapped. “He’s family, and I’m going to save him, blood or no blood!”

Narakumon went silent as he stared at Keiko for a moment before he lowered his eyes, his expression twisting unpleasantly.

“She’s not thinking anything that you weren’t already thinking,” Nyamon said with a snap of her tail. “If you really didn’t care, you wouldn’t have that sour look on your face.”

“I have a responsibility to the Digital World,” Narakumon said softly. “And involving more humans would be…!”

Keiko closed the distance between her and Narakumon, taking her father’s hand in hers and squeezing tight. “He’s already involved, Papa. He’s not just some random human. He’s your family too. You’re his great-uncle.”

Narakumon paused before he looked at Keiko’s hands in his own, which seemed so small. It was hard to imagine that such delicate, small hands could wield so much destruction if he hadn’t been the very reason they could. And yet, despite carrying such capacity for destruction, they were still capable of so much kindness.

“It was… surprising,” Narakumon murmured. “The way he looked at me… tried to look at me. Even though he couldn’t see me clearly, he still at least sensed me and… wasn’t afraid.”

Keiko’s eyes softened as she smiled a little at Narakumon. “I haven’t spent much time with Tsu, but he’s really sweet. I’m sure he’ll love you too, just like I do, once he gets to meet you.”

Narakumon didn’t respond immediately as he stared down at Keiko’s hands, then let out a weary sigh. “You are an extremely ill-behaved Chosen Child, do you realize that? And so infuriating.”

Keiko’s smile turned wry as she let out a mischievous giggle. “I learned from the best, Papa.”

Narakumon chuckled softly before he finally lifted his head. “I believe it would work, yes. He has an affinity for my power, so-”

Keiko’s eyes lit up and she tugged Narakumon towards the door before sprinting off ahead. “What’re we waiting for? Let’s go!”

---

It didn’t take long to make it to the hospital using a couple Digital Gates. In fact, Keiko and Nyamon arrived not long after the ambulance arrived. Even finding the room in the emergency ward where Tsuyosa had been placed had been a simple matter after Narakumon checked the computer system. The only difficulty was getting past orderlies and nurses that tried in vain to stop a girl and her cat from tearing through the hospital’s ER.

The chaotic sound of doctors barking orders and beeping machines were drowned out by the door to the room slamming open with a well placed kick from Nyamon. She and Keiko ignored the shock of the medical staff inside, focused entirely on Tsuyosa lying in a bed with various tubes hastily inserted into his small body.

“You can’t be in here!” one of the doctors shouted.

Keiko brushed past the man and batted away the hands of two nurses trying to see her out. There was no time to hesitate. Tsuyosa looked even worse than before, only breathing now with the assistance of a machine, as the erratic chirps of the heart monitor grew only more spaced out.

“This is the only warning you’re getting,” Nyamon said as she followed her partner, her tail snapping out to smack one of the nurses that got too close. “Stay out of the way!”

Keiko called upon the Darkness and allowed it to consume her. The staff backed away from her as the light faded around her, alarmed by this child for more than the intrusion. The darkness crackled at the edges and grew beyond her body into the shape of the god of death with black wings unfurled.

The machines went completely haywire. The heart monitor pulsed so rapidly it turned into a high shriek. The lights flickered sparratically until one blew up, then another. The breathing machine lost its rhythm, and Nyamon hastily removed it before doing the same with the wires from the monitoring equipment.

Keiko placed her hands - and the shadow of Narakumon’s - on Tsuyosa’s pale chest and let the Darkness consume the dying boy completely.

One of the nurses fled into the hall, screaming as the lights went out completely and the equipment died. The only illumination in the room came from the flickering fluorescent bulbs in the hallway and the moonlight that shone in Keiko’s eyes.

Narakumon paid the panicking humans no mind, focusing instead on the small heartbeat in his hands. It was so faint, and the boy so fragile. He could feel the boy’s life trying to flicker away through his fingers and it reminded him that what they were about to do could very well finish him off - it begged the question of what right he had to make such a decision. But he was the god of death, and who else but he had the right to make such a call? The boy was doomed regardless. His choices were to die in a few hours with the assistance of various cruel machines or possibly live on his own, for as long as the Darkness within him would allow.

Besides, as much as Keiko was protesting Tsuyosa’s fate, Narakumon couldn’t deny… that he had wanted to save the boy, too.

With that in mind, Narakumon guided his power through Keiko, using his daughter as a medium to safely transfer it into the small boy, filling him with the Darkness he possessed. As the aura that had engulfed Keiko spread to the tiny child, the crest of Darkness slowly began to appear upon the boy’s forehead. The inverting silver moons glistened like the moonlight in Keiko’s eyes, before they illuminated Tsuyosa’s gray eyes with an ephemeral glow.

The faint heartbeat within Keiko’s grasp began to pulse a little quicker with each passing second, growing stronger. What had once felt so fragile was gaining strength right under her fingertips as the color returned to Tsuyosa’s face, the blue giving way to pale peach as he breathed easily on his own.

Detached though she was from herself, Keiko could feel her strength fade. The act of transforming Tsuyosa, of purging what was toxic and wrong within him far exceeded any act of violence she committed, and drained her of far more than what it took to grant Nyamon evolution to Ultimate level.

It was only when Keiko had given all that she could that she stopped, collapsing as the world around her disappeared into darkness.

---

From a dreamless sleep of darkness Keiko slowly awakened to a body heavy and sluggish with fatigue. A single thought was the spark that ignited her determination to resist the siren song of sleep coaxing her back into the realm of unconsciousness. She wanted - needed - to know what happened to Tsuyosa.

The first person Keiko saw upon forcing her eyes open was the comforting sight of Nyamon. Her partner instantly relaxed as their eyes met before giving her a wry smile.

“Good morning,” Nyamon said. “Or afternoon. Whichever you prefer.”

Keiko barely spared a thought to wonder how long she had been unconscious before she returned her focus to what was most important. “Tsu…?” To her annoyance, her voice came out faint, thick with fatigue, and she struggled all the more to shake the sleep from her body.

“Not here,” Nyamon said as she flicked her ear before she turned to stare off to the side. Keiko followed her partner’s gaze to find herself staring at the door to her bedroom, which was slightly ajar. “Your sister and brother’ll be busting in any moment now, once they notice the sound of your voice.”

As if on cue, Akane peered through the crack in the door. Upon seeing Keiko’s face, she threw her door and rushed inside. “You’re finally awake! Oh, thank goodness. We were worried. You’ve been asleep for a long time.”

“You really gave everyone a scare,” Jin said as he appeared behind Akane, hurrying inside. “Especially the doctors.” He paused before his expression grew wry. “Especially the doctors.”

“Is Tsu alive?” Keiko asked, unable to focus on her siblings’ relief when her thoughts were still filled with worry for Tsuyosa. She tried to push herself upward, cursing her body as it rebelled against her and demanded more rest.

Akane’s expression softened before she sat down on the bed and reached out to brush the hair away from her sister’s annoyed eyes. “Tsu is fine, Keiko. Don’t worry.” She let out a breath that could’ve been a laugh or some other more enigmatic emotion. “I don’t know what you did, but the doctors are saying his health is the best it’s ever been.”

“Which, you can imagine, just freaked the doctors out even more,” Jin said, with a chuckle. “They don’t understand what happened. And while I’m not entirely certain myself, I can imagine… it’s Digimon business, isn’t it?”

“I made Tsu like me,” Keiko said. With a sigh, she relaxed on the bed, relieved by the knowledge that her gambit had worked.

“She connected Tsu to Narakumon,” Nyamon elaborated. “It’s complicated, but it means Tsu will get better now.”

“The Digital World is sustaining him now,” Narakumon said as he appeared beside Keiko, looking down at her. “He’ll always have a weak constitution, but with the Digital World nourishing his flesh, he no longer has to fear his body’s impending collapse. He will live.”

“Good,” Keiko sighed, a smile gracing her face as she closed her eyes. “That’s good.”

Narakumon paused at that as he mulled over his next words before his expression grew serious. “You expended a great deal of energy to achieve this miracle. And while it does mean that the boy will survive thanks to your efforts, you… will not be able to fight until you recover.”

Keiko’s eyes snapped open as she fixed her adoptive father with a sharp look.

Narakumon was quick to lift his hand, cutting off Keiko’s protest. “Your body is taxed to nearly it’s limits - you’ve been asleep for days. You’ve only just now regained enough energy to wake. For that reason, you must be cautious and reserved in what you do until you fully recover. Is that understood?”

Although Keiko felt a surge of stubborn pride flare up inside her, it just as quickly fizzled out, drained by the fatigue still demanding more time for rest. “I understand, Papa.” She fought back the need to yawn, but ultimately could only minimize it. “I’m just glad I could save Tsu.”

Akane and Jin shared an uncertain look. Although they believed their little sister when she spoke of her “Papa,” it was always unnerving to watch her have a conversation with empty air. Still, that didn’t stop them from being ungrateful for what this unseen entity had done for Keiko, and now for Tsuyosa.

“Well,” Akane said after a moment’s thought, “thank you, Keiko, for saving Tsu.” She looked in the general area that Keiko had been looking, searching for some sign of Narakumon that continued to elude her eyes. “And thank you Lord Narakumon.” She clapsed her hands together and bowed her head. “We owe you for everything you’ve done for our family.”

Narakumon paused at that before his face turned red and he quickly looked away. “I-I didn’t do it for the praise of some human!”

Nyamon smirked. “He’s blushing.” Her smirk widened when the digital god of Darkness turned to glare death at her.

Akane couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

A gentle knock drew everyone’s attention to the open door. Keiko was immediately greeted by a man she didn’t know. He was tall with chocolate brown hair and gray eyes, which were tinged with exhaustion if the heavy purple bags beneath his eyes were anything to go by. He looked fairly disheveled, as if he had thrown on the first set of clothes he could find - in this case, black sweats and a white silk shirt - before rushing out the door.

While the sight of the man was disorienting, Keiko quickly forgot him in favor of what the man held in his arms - Tsuyosa. The little boy looked far better than he had on the hospital bed, though he still sported the hospital band and blue pajamas with purple bunny print. He looked even better than the moment he and Keiko first met, as he no longer had a breathing tube, bandages, or even bruising left behind.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the man said with a weak smile. “But Tsu kept demanding to see his Auntie Keiko.”

Keiko immediately felt a jolt of energy at the sight of Tsuyosa and she tried once again to sit up, smiling wide at the sight of the little boy. “Hi, Tsu. You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”

Tsuyosa turned to stare at Keiko before he reached out his tiny hands towards her, making grabbing motions. In response, the man holding the little boy walked in to the room and placed the young boy on the bed beside Keiko.

“You look like shit, man,” Jin said, as he shot Kigaru a crooked smile.

“Thanks,” the man said, cheerfully. “I call it my ‘I’ve been at the hospital for three days’ look.”

“They actually let you take Tsu home, Kigaru?” Akane asked, shifting her gaze between Kigaru and Tsuyosa while the little boy grasped onto Keiko’s outstretched fingers.

“Oh, not at all~!” Kigaru said, still brightly. “They wanted to keep him longer for observation, but I told them that three days was enough. If they couldn’t give me a good reason why to keep him there beyond their own ignorance, I’d be taking him home. If they couldn’t figure out why he was healthy after three days and no other health complications came up, then they were wasting my time - and his. My son has spent enough time being hooked up to machines while sick, he doesn’t need to experience it when he’s not.”

Akane sighed with no small amount of relief, placing her hand on her chest. “I’m glad to hear it. It drove me crazy that they refused to tell me anything about how poor Tsu was doing.” She paused to look at Keiko. “They almost wouldn’t let Jin and me take you home after what you did at the hospital. They really wanted to study you.” She smile turned wry. “Good thing we got that paperwork pushed through to get Jin to be your legal guardian, huh?”

Keiko nodded uncomfortably, though her attention was still mostly captivated by Tsuyosa. She didn’t care much for doctors or their interest in the Digital World after the stories she heard from Narakumon and Tenraimon.

Nyamon smirked as she puffed up her chest. “I would’ve told them no anyway. With my claws.”

“I would have destroyed them all, if they had tried,” Narakumon said with a huff. “I would never-” He froze when Tsuyosa suddenly looked up to stare at him. However, unlike before, the boy focused directly on him, their eyes meeting. It rendered Narakumon speechless as Tsuyosa gave a small blink before reaching up to point at him.

“I see you,” Tsuyosa said.

Nyamon’s ears shot up as she stared at Tsuyosa, then Narakumon.

Instead of being surprised, Keiko smirked and tapped Tsuyosa’s hand to draw his attention back to her. “That’s my papa, Narakumon. Since I’m your auntie now, that makes him your great-uncle. It’s because of him and his power that I was able to make you better.”

Tsuyosa tilted his head, as if considering Keiko’s words. “Great-Uncle.” He glanced between Keiko and Narakumon before he turned his full attention back to Narakumon, a bright smile on his face.

Narakumon felt his heart skip a beat before his face turned bright red. “Y-you don’t need to look so happy.”

Keiko couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course he does! He finally gets to meet his great-uncle who saved him and his auntie. You’re a real hero, Papa.”

Narakumon made an incoherent noise in his throat as his blush deepened before he quickly disappeared, fading out of view.

Tsuyosa blinked. “Ah, Great-Uncle left.”

Keiko continued giggling even as she squeezed Tsuyosa’s hand gently. “Your Great-Uncle Narakumon does that a lot.” She winked. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it, Tsu.”

“I suppose we all will eventually,” Akane added with a tentative smile. It was unnerving that some sort of spectre they couldn’t see could just pop in and out at will around Keiko, but she wasn’t about to let something as silly as that get in the way of her appreciating everything Narakumon did for their family.

“I admit I don’t fully understand everything that’s happening,” Kigaru said as he stood in the doorway, watching the exchange. He then gave Keiko a weary smile. “But I do know this… you saved my son’s life - both of you. I… can’t deny that he would have died if not for you. I owe you more than I can ever repay… but I definitely intend to try.”

“I didn’t save Tsu to get anything out of it for myself,” Keiko said, almost offended by the idea. “I saved Tsu because he needed saving. I’m the Chosen Child of Darkness, and that means I have a duty to save the weak and innocent from anything that wants to destroy them.”

Kigaru stared at Keiko before his expression softened. “Thank you...”

“Why don’t you take a rest?” Jin asked as he reached over to grasp Kigaru’s shoulder. “Go take a nap. We’ll watch Tsu while you sleep in an actual bed.”

“And before you argue, you won’t be the only one napping,” Akane said with a crooked smirk. “If Sera can be convinced to nap instead of waiting up for Tsu, so can you.”

“And there’s plenty of guestrooms for you to choose from,” Jin said wryly. “Now take your pick and go to sleep.”

Kigaru glanced about the room before he gave a wry chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. “Alright, alright… I can’t argue with you all at once. And a nap does sound really good right now...”

“Night-night, Papa,” Tsuyosa said as he reached up his right hand to wave at Kigaru. “Nap time.”

Kigaru smiled gently as he returned the gesture. “Night-night, Tsu…” Slowly, and reluctantly, the man lingered a moment more before he finally left the room, slipping off to find some much needed rest.

Tsuyosa watched his father leave, then turned to Keiko. He gazed at her with wide gray eyes that sparkled with life and curiosity.

Keiko smiled at the little boy and reached out to ruffle his hair. “I know what you’re thinking. You feel something big inside you now. Something bigger than anything. That’s because you’re Darkness now, like me. That means you’re going to grow up strong and protect anyone who needs help.”

Tsuyosa smiled at that. “Okay, Auntie Keiko!”

The relief Keiko felt at seeing Tsuyosa wore away at her energy and reminded her of just how badly her body cried out for more rest. Frustrated though she was at still feeling tired even after sleeping for three days, and for the restrictions now placed on her for the foreseeable future, she didn’t regret her actions for a moment. Taxing herself to such a degree was a small price to pay to save an innocent baby’s life.

It was what Chosen Children should do, after all.

#Dreaming To Reality #fragments #digimon #Digimon Adventure 02 #digimon adventure

[appiomofchoice]

Hand-Me-Downs: Part 9

Now on AO3 :)

Note/Disclaimer: The part is based heavily around a canon event, of course, with some modifications that I thought made more sense for this universe. Keiki calling Bryce during surgery is definitely based around a single line in @/writinghereandthere’s series Do you fear death?  (Linked to the part with the line in question, but I recommend the whole thing---it is powerful and incredibly well-written.) (Also: yet another cliffhanger!)

Series Synopsis: (Enemies/Rivals-to-Lovers AU) Second-year surgical residents Darcy Allen and Bryce Lahela didn’t come to Edenbrook to make friends, and certainly not with each other. But when the path to greatness requires teamwork, they are forced to work together—and to cast aside the personal baggage keeping them apart.

Part 9 Synopsis: Darcy lets go of the anger that has been poisoning her since childhood, to make room for the toxin which is poisoning her now. Bryce tries to hold it together.

TW: mention of brain tumor, life-threatening situation, death of minor characters

Word count: 2207

Rating: 16+ to be safe

Tagging: @lucy-268 @mvalentine @seriouslybadchoices @anotherbeingsworld @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @thegreentwin @ejustlurkshere @lahellacute @monstercyclops

~

Part 9: I’m Slipping Under

Title from Toxic by Britney Spears.

~

“Why?” 

It was a question that Darcy didn’t ask often. Why? had rarely brought her any solutions. It was the reason she ultimately chose to be a surgeon, instead of a diagnostician, for whom why was the central question. 

Why did she lose her house? Why did her mother have to work so hard? Why did her father leave? Why the hell was there a Lahela at Edenbrook? Why did she hold his family against him for so long? 

Why did she feel like she had a colony of bees stinging her throat? Why did she feel so nauseous? Why were her arms so itchy?

Why was she going to die like this? 

Like the senator, who had no pulse beneath her fingers, and like the senator’s intern, convulsing on the floor as a result of his own attack, and maybe like Bobby, who was hanging onto consciousness by a thread, and to whom ice water tasted burning hot.

The intern supplied the answer, in his final, wheezy monologue. “He’s not...a hero...destroyed...my family...killed my brother...” He turned his face---shining with hatred and the oily substance that was killing him---to Darcy and Aurora. “I...poisoned him... God gave him...cancer...karma... But you...had...to save him...”

Darcy felt sick. Not just from the biological agent.

She had spent her entire life angry---angry with her mother, angry with herself, angry with the Lahelas, angry with Bryce. Angry about things that anger could not change.

And now, she would be killed by anger, rotting for years in someone else’s chest. That was why.

And there was nothing her hands could do to stop it.

~

“Dr. Lahela,” said the scrub nurse, “your phone keeps ringing.”

Bryce’s first thought was that it could be Darcy. Which was stupid, considering that they never exchanged phone numbers. He didn’t know how she managed to burrow so far beneath his skin when they weren’t even friends. When she didn’t even like him.

 “Dr. Lahela?”

“Sorry, Georgiana,” he said, brought back to the operating room. He was cutting out an appendix, and somebody---not Darcy---was calling. “Who is it?”

“Keiks,” she read. “Oh, they’re calling again---”

A million nightmare scenarios flashed across his mind. “Put it on speaker, please.”

She did, holding out the phone for him to speak. Before he could, his sister’s panicked voice came through---

“Bryce? Bryce, are you there? Please---”

“I’m in surgery, Keiki, what happened? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she sniffed. She was really worked up about something. “You weren’t answering! I thought... Oh my God, are you really there?”

“I’m really here,” he assured her. “Right in the middle of blood and guts, exactly where I like to be.”

She gave a watery laugh. “Oh, gross.”

“What’s the matter?” The last time she called him sounding so upset, she was six years old and he had just left home for the first time. Nothing was wrong then; she just missed him. “Aw, didja miss me, Keiks?”

“There was an assassination attempt on Senator Farrugia,” she answered shakily. “It’s all over the news. They released a spray in a room, the senator’s dead, nobody knows what it is, and there were two doctors, and I thought...”

His heart stopped in his chest, and he removed his scalpel from the abdomen before he could do any damage. His hand was shaking. That was Aurora’s patient. That was Darcy’s patient. 

(And it was Darcy’s patient because he told her to take the surgery. He told her to take the surgery. If she was there, he had put her there, because he told her to take the surgery---)

Back up. It didn’t have to be Aurora and Darcy in that room. It could be anybody. Anybody at all. Maybe Thorne from plastics had wandered over. Or Landry, trying to steal his patient back. 

His hand still shook, unconvinced. 

What the hell? He didn’t need anything complicated here. He could do this surgery with his eyes closed, just like Darcy with her stitches in her sleep.

“Bryce? Are you still there?” 

He faked a smile, even though she couldn’t see it over the phone, or behind his surgical mask. “Hey, don’t worry about me,” he said, projecting smooth confidence. “I’m okay. Better than okay---I’m me.”

“Okay,” she said, not sounding wholly convinced. “Love you, Bryce,” she added.

That helped, a little. “Love you, too, Keiks.”

Georgiana hung up the phone, her own hands shaking, her eyes wide. “An assassination attempt here?”

“Not helping, Georgiana,” he answered, closing his eyes. 

Time for the old tried and true. He was millions of miles away, lying on his surfboard, the drops of water evaporating on his skin, his fingers drawing lazy shapes in the ocean water the same shade of blue as Darcy’s eyes.

Trying not to think about her wasn’t working---which he should’ve guessed, considering he’d spent the last three days trying and failing to dig her out of his thoughts. Leaving her alone. Not wanting to play the game. 

(But God---he’d really enjoyed the game.)

So maybe he needed another approach. What would Darcy say, if she were watching him in the gallery?

“What’s the matter, Lahela? Can’t even finish a simple appy? You did enough of them while I was performing all of your surgeries. And better than you, too.” 

Not what you said a few nights ago, Allen. I believe your words were ‘brilliant surgeon.’ 

He recalled the expression on her face when he told her about the CABG, speechless with envy and awe. Her smile after Rafael’s surgery. The way she looked outside of her house at two in the morning, sleepy, walls down. The way she said his name.

And finally, he opened his eyes, heart rate back to normal, hands steady.

~

The senator was dead (and apparently not the champion of the little guy that Darcy believed him to be). The intern and Bobby had been wheeled out to receive round-the-clock care...unless the clock ran out. And it probably would, because thanks to Bobby’s new symptoms, the diagnostic team had managed to come to an answer: Maitotoxin poisoning.

The only problem was that there was no cure. 

As the three hazmat-suited doctors explained that they would be working on a cure, that this wasn’t the end of the line, that they’d already made significant progress by identifying the toxin, Darcy couldn’t hear them. Her mind was still fixated on her scrubs, which she’d traded for a hospital gown. She wondered if the federal agents would have to burn them. 

She still had Bryce’s star tucked in that pocket. She wanted it back. 

As soon as the door shut behind the team, Aurora let out a giggle, and then another, and another, until it spiralled into full-on laughter. A new symptom? Delirium? (Unlikely. Darcy’s dose had been slightly higher, so she was getting hit with symptoms first: scratching her arms nearly until she drew blood, mouth tasting like metal, feeling like her teeth were falling out...)

“You okay?” she asked, without thinking. And then she had to giggle, too. Because what a stupid question. “Apart from...everything?”

Aurora was laughing so hard that she was gasping for breath. “It’s just... I just... spent two years trying to stand on my own as a doctor! To stop being compared to my aunt! And now...I will never get to! I was so worried about it, and it doesn’t matter! I’ll just be a wacky footnote in her biography! Dying with the president of her fanclub in an assassination attempt!” 

Darcy winced. Bryce wasn’t the only one she’d treated unfairly. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for treating you as a gateway to your aunt. If catching the lead poisoning is any indication, you’re a pretty great doctor yourself.” She sighed. “I just...didn’t realize the weight of a name.”

Aurora’s laughter wound down enough for her to nod. “Thanks. I’m really, honestly over it, Darcy.”

“Dying will do that,” noted Darcy, who didn’t have the strength to carry the anger she’d been holding for most of her life. 

~

He found Sienna, Danny, and Jackie gathered at a nurses’ station near the room in question. They filled him in:

Yes, it was Aurora and Darcy in that room. 

No, there was no cure. 

A lot of doctors were working on one.

Don’t worry.

The senator was dead. The intern was on his way there. So was Bobby---and Bryce’s stomach lurched violently at this, thinking of their morning chats and the advice he’d given him about Keiki and the offers to drive her home from school. He hadn’t even considered that Bobby would be involved. 

“I should have realized,” mumbled Danny, who was wrapped in a tight hug from Sienna. “I gave Aurora the test results. Maybe I should have...”

“You didn’t know,” said Sienna soothingly, stroking his hair. 

The sight was sweet, but achingly so, so Bryce looked away---where he saw Harper Emery getting zipped into a hazmat suit. And he wondered... Without thinking, he was at her side, ready to ask about where she’d gotten one. 

She shook her head without waiting for him to speak. “You’re not fighting me on this,” she said sternly. “There’s one suit left, and you may be Aurora’s friend, but I---” And here her voice broke. Suddenly, she wasn’t Harper Emery, surgical goddess and potential mentor, but Harper Emery, terrified aunt. “---was there when she was born. I changed her diapers. And I pushed her into medicine, pushed her to be the best, pushed...too hard, perhaps.” She looked at him. “So you’re not getting this suit. If you want to help, you can scrub in with Andrews in OR 1. Craniotomy. I can’t...”

Neurosurgery. Finally. 

But all he could think about was how excited he would be to tell Darcy about it.

“I don’t think I can either,” he said quietly.

She gave a sympathetic grimace behind the transparent hood. “Page Garcia about it, please,” she said, before disappearing into the decontamination tent.

He sent the page---after all this, neither he nor Darcy would be the first resident to scrub in on a brain surgery---and then he stepped close to the window. From far away, it was hard to see through the plastic covering, trapping the toxin inside. But up close, he could see Harper wrapping Aurora in a clunky hug, and Darcy watching awkwardly.

He wondered if anyone had called her mom.

She looked sick---dark circles under her eyes, face even paler than usual. Long scratches ran up the lengths of her arms, and she kept scratching. 

He wanted to hug her. He wanted to go back in time and hug her every other time he’d been tempted. 

She said something he couldn’t hear, and then Harper was drawing a curtain around herself and Aurora. How weird, to be on display for the whole hospital in a moment like this.

Would Darcy even want him here? After everything he and his family had done to her? After everything he’d said?

It didn’t matter---she looked away from the Emerys and her eyes landed on his. He quickly schooled his face into a cocky grin as she stumbled over to the glass.

“If you stay in there too long, I’m gonna rack up so many cool surgeries,” he teased.

She stared at him---not annoyed, not angry. Defeated. There was no fire there. 

It suddenly hurt to keep smiling, but he did it anyway.

“Bryce,” she said, voice hoarse, as if it hurt to speak. And it hurt to hear it. He would take a bitter Lahela over the empty way she said his name now. “I’m so sorry. I’m so---”

“Stop,” he said.

“I should have never---”

“Stop, Darcy.”

A flicker of anoyance crossed her face. “Will you shut up and let me apologize to you?” 

He shook his head, a little relieved. If she was strong enough to fight against him, she was strong enough to fight this. “We’re not doing that.”

“Don’t tell me how to die.”

“You’re not dying,” he said firmly, finally feeling the smile slide off of his face. “We’re not exchanging last words right now. That’s not happening.”

“There’s no cure.”

“And there was no way to remove that tumor, until we looked at it.” He paused, flashed a smile. “Until I looked at it.”

It was risky to bring that up now, but the corners of her lips twitched. “Don’t forget that I gave you the idea.”

“But my brilliant brain put it together,” he countered.

She chuckled, and her eyes met his through the glass. And then any hint of a smile faded from her face as she gazed at him. “You’re not like your parents,” she said finally, so softly he almost couldn’t hear. “You save lives. You work hard. Your victories really are your own. You are a brilliant surgeon and a good person and I’m so sorry for not realizing it sooner.”

It sounded like goodbye. “Don’t say anything you’ll regret when you get out of there,” he said, his heart flooding with panic. “I won’t let you live it down.”

She smiled weakly, and then she pressed a hand over her mouth, looking sick as she stumbled away. He felt his heart cracking. It couldn’t end like this.

The curtain flew open, and Harper rushed to help her to the bathroom, while Aurora wandered over to the window. She hastily wiped tears from her eyes. He’d never seen her cry.

“You’re getting out of this,” he told her, plastering a smile to his face. “You both are.”

~

If the last thing Darcy ever did was argue with Bryce about credit for a surgery that neither would ever perform, she could live with that. 

(Or not, as the case might be, as she slowly drifted out of consciousness.)

#series: hand-me-downs #open heart #bryce lahela #bryce x mc #tw: brain tumor #tw: life-threatening situation #tw: death

[storyofmychoices]

A Very Lahela Christmas: Hala Kahiki

[Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley Masterlist]

Characters: Bryce Lahela, Keiki Lahela, Mrs. Lahela Book: (pre) Open Heart Word Count:  < 600  Summary: In a prequel to Open Heart, Bryce helps  Keiki celebrate Christmas in her own way. *family fluff* Hala Kahiki is Hawaiian for “pineapple”

This takes place around the same time as A Very Lahela Christmas: Kanaka Hau

Prompts: @choicesmonthlychallenge​​​ Sibling Appreciation ; @choicesdecemberchallenge​​​ Christmas

🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍

“She just wants to help decorate the tree.” He attempted to hold his temper, knowing it would do little to help his cause. 

“We must have a sense of decorum, dear. Your father pays good money to have our house curated for the holidays,” Mrs. Lahela explained, sipping her tea indifferently to her son’s discontent. 

“At least let her hang the ornaments she made on the tree?” 

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “It would offset the whole composition. You know how these interior designers on, putting their heart and soul into things. I couldn’t have their work disturbed. Keiki will understand one day.” 

“No. I don’t think she will.” Bryce scowled. His long hair tossing to the sides as he shook his head in frustration.

“Where are you going?”

“Out.” The teenager grabbed his weathered leather jacket from the back of the couch and left without another word.

🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍

His knuckles rapped gently against his little sister’s door. “Can I come in?”

The four-year-old sat in the corner of her grand bedroom, brushing the hair of one of her many American Girl Dolls. Shelly, her stuffed sea turtle, rested against her leg on the floor beside her. Her face lit up upon seeing him. “Bryce!”

“Hey, Keiks. Whatcha doing?”

“Making her look nice for the party.”

“She looks beautiful.” Bryce sat beside his sister, placing a paper bag to the side. “Which one is this? Hmm. Looks like Jess McConnell?” 

“She’s so pretty.” Keiki marveled, brushing the Japanese-American doll’s dark hair. “What’s that?” 

“This?” He questioned, reaching for the bag he had set down moments earlier. A smile grew across his features, hoping his sister would like his idea. “I got us something.”

“A present?” Her eyes widened and her body began to tremble with excitement. “Can I open it?”

He slid the bag closer. “Go on.”

She stood to get a better view. Her face wrinkled in confusion at the sight of the dark green leaves poking out from the two pineapples in the bag. 

Noting her bewilderment, he removed the pineapples, along with two strands of LED lights. Carefully, he unwrapped one of the strands, and then, draped it through the crown and down the body of the fruit. His younger sister watched curiously as her brother stood and brought the fruit to her night table. He plugged the strand into the outlet, the brilliant display of lights glowing to life. 

Her eyes widened again, the multi-colored lights drawing her nearer. 

“I thought you might like your own special Christmas tree! It’s Shelly sized! And, you can decorate it how ever you want. No one can tell you differently.” 

Keiki ran to her school bag and pulled out the ornaments she had made in class. She slipped them over the thick leaves of the fruit. Sucking her lower lip, she beamed excitedly at her new treasure. “It’s so pretty!”

His fingers slipped over an ornament of a surfboard she had colored, pulling it off the tree. He watched her gaze fall with its removal. “Do you think I could keep this one?” He gestured to the pineapple still on the floor. “I have a pineapple too, and mine looks a little lonely.” 

“You like it?”

“I love it!”

Her palms pressed against her cheeks as she danced happily in place. “Our trees will be beautiful.” 

“Yes, they will,” he agreed, happy to have given his sister a place where her ornaments could be on display and appreciated for what they were: gifts from her little heart, and that was more beautiful than any impeccably designed Christmas tree.  

🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍

Perma tags: @lilyoffandoms​ ; @raleighcarrera​ ; @mfackenthal​ ; @the-soot-sprite​ ; @virtuallytakenby​​ ; @zeniamiii​ ; @whimsicallywayward15​; ; @xjustin-ethansgirliex​ ; @caseyvalentineramsey​; @trappedinfanfiction​; @anotherbeingsworld​ ;  @tyrils-star​​​ ; @nikki-2406​; @princess-geek​ ;  @katrinegrey​ ; @lucy-268​ ; @gardeningourmet

Bryce //  Open Heart Tags:  @thearianam​  ; @burnsoslow​​ ; @mvalentine​​  ; @rookie-ramsey​​ ; @missmiimiie​;; @jamespotterthefirst​ ; @adrianadmirer​ ; @bitchloveskcbaseball​ ; @nyastarlight​ ; @doriansapprentice​ ; @brycesgirl​; @bratzlahela​; @loveellamae

#Bryce Lahela #keiki Lahela #Bryce Lahela x MC #open heart #open heart 2 #bryce oh #fan fiction #bryce x keiki #bryce lahela x keiki lahela