#please he has so many assignments hes going to go on a three day hike about it

[cyberdragoninfinity]

happy 3/3 i didnt have time to do a big illustration so i sent trey to college <3 someone help him

#please he has so many assignments hes going to go on a three day hike about it #yugioh zexal #trey arclight #michael arclight #iii arclight #ygo spinoff college au #will draw the other college au arclights on their days too <3 theyve been cookin for a WHILE #ygoart #dana art

[ptergwen]

love is more than a word

w/c: a very ouch 3.6k

warnings: so so so much angst and an unhealthy (ish) relationship

summary: after nearly four years together, peter has stopped trying

a/n: listen y’all i don’t know what came over me when i made this but i think it’s the saddest thing i’ve ever written? uh try to enjoy tho

-

you never thought this would happen, but you’re getting tired of peter. it isn’t your fault. that cliche it’s not you, it’s me line doesn’t apply here.

at first, you actually did find yourself believing the it’s me part. you’d came to the conclusion that you expect too much from peter. he goes to class, he works, patrols, sometimes parties, takes you out when he can. he’s got a lot going on for a full time college student, which is a busy life to lead on its own.

it’s why you don’t complain when he wants to spend the night in and order a pizza instead of cooking together like you’ve been wanting to try. it’s why every time your friends ask you two to hang, you have to reluctantly explain that peter is passed out at eight o’clock on a saturday.

there’s a lazy “wanna make out?” some nights, if peter isn’t yawning when he steps through the front door. even that has lost its enjoyment. kissing peter doesn’t give you the rush it used to, the taste of his strawberry chapstick not flooding your senses and intoxicating you. it’s become predictable. comfortable. boring.

peter is boring.

you’ve slipped into unspoken routine. say your hello’s, work on separate assignments in different rooms. peter eventually yells something like “babe, you hungry yet?” across the apartment, his passive way of asking you to make dinner. you usually order takeout because why make an effort if he doesn’t?

you might watch one of the ten movies peter has liked since before the start of your relationship. he’ll usually fall asleep during it. no surprise there. his overpacked schedule exhausts him, which you’ve talked to him about spreading himself too thin. peter is too nice and can’t say no, so this is where it leaves him.

the main reason you’ve stayed with him is that he can’t take care of himself. he’s clueless about paying the bills, sorting his laundry, simply remembering to drink water. peter wouldn’t be able to go a week without you. he even says it himself.

“crap, i totally forgot about these,” when you picked up his special ordered textbooks from your school library. “can food go in the garbage disposal?” a rare time you didn’t wash the dishes. “thank you, y/n/n. you’re literally a lifesaver,” whenever you do a task for him that someone in their 20s shouldn’t need assistance with.

you didn’t used to mind much. he watches over the city every night. you felt you should return the favor. spider-man could use some help, too. after the almost four years you’ve been together, peter has become completely dependent on you. it only got worse when you moved in together your junior year. you’re concerned how he’ll manage later in his adult life.

you’d think he’d be a little more passionate about your relationship considering how much he needs you. you know peter still loves you, of course he does. that’s not what the problem is. he’s become content with the mutual feeling, so he doesn’t try anymore. he expects the spark to keep itself lit.

no more random joke of the day texts that he used to send you. he stopped surprising you with your coffee order in the morning, the one that he memorized the first time you two went to a starbucks. what you initially found most endearing about peter was that he remembered every little thing you told him.

he put whatever energy he had into showing you that he listened. he’d do it all with rosy cheeks and that toothy smile of his. it seems now like he’s under the impression that being in a long term relationship means none of that matters anymore. there’s no need to impress you, keep you guessing, make you feel special.

tonight is your breaking point. as you go over all of this in your head while peter lays peacefully next to you, you can’t take it. you’ve been making so many excuses for him. you lie to yourself. you’re desperate to believe this is okay and normal and you can work this out, and you can love whatever version of him this is.

but, you can’t. you can’t do it. you need to tell him now because if you sleep on this, you’ll end up feeling bad and be stuck under these suffocating blankets forever.

“peter?” you whisper his name, your back turned to him in bed. you haven’t cuddled each other to sleep in a while. his arms don’t make you feel held now, they make you feel trapped. you’ve been forcing yourself to ignore his look of hurt when you reject his open embrace.

“peter?” you speak louder after a moment of silence, except for his occasional snores. a loud one escapes him before they stop altogether. his eyes stay shut as he mumbles out a, “uh... huh?” your heart is thudding through your entire body. you take a breath in from your nose. “i wanna break up.”

the breath you let out next is one of relief, those three words that have been scratching your throat for months finally out. peter slowly turns his head over his shoulder. he blinks rapidly at your motionless figure. you’re still not facing him.

“what?” is all he says. his voice is surprisingly steady, the confession not yet registering with his sleepy mind. his eyes are burning into you. “i wanna break up,” you repeat and squish your face further into your pillow. peter suddenly sits up, flicking on the lamp on his side. he tries to sling an arm around you. you move further away until you’re at the edge of the bed.

“i’m serious, peter. everything we had, it’s gone.” your words cut through him harder than literal knives he’s been stabbed with. “i- i don’t understand. where is this coming from?” he rakes a hand through his mess of curls. you turn onto your back, looking up at peter. his eyes are fixed on your lower half.

he’ll most definitely cry if he meets your eyes. he really doesn’t want to cry, not ever again when you won’t be here to make him feel better.

“it’s been coming,” you almost scoff at him as you prop yourself up against your pillows. peter’s teeth tug at his lower lip. “all we do is this.” you gesture to your bed, slapping your hand down at your side. “i get tired,” he speaks quietly, refusing to look at you. “i know you do, peter. i know, but you’d be a lot happier if you ever listened to me.”

your statement comes off as condescending to him. he works up the courage to look you in the face. “are you kidding? all you do is boss me around, and i take it. i’ve never once complained.” anger is coursing through his veins and voice. at the situation, that he’s about to lose the one stable part of his life. you’re getting pissed, too.

“that’s because you can’t do anything yourself!” you throw the blankets off you and swing your legs over the bed in one motion. peter hops out of bed entirely. “my whole life, i’ve been on my own half the time,” he spits as he comes over to stand in front of you. “sorry for taking you up on your offers to help.”

your peter would never spew that shit out. he wouldn’t guilt you for something he’s in the wrong about. this peter takes you for granted. he has no clue how fucked he’d be without you.

the first time you spoke to peter was on your way to history 227. you’d recognized him from your class, much more interested in the pretty boy taking notes with his tongue stuck out than whatever war your professor would lecture about.

he was carrying some books, a pencil case that didn’t fully zip, and a five subject notebook. you watched him do his balancing act through the halls until his legs started to wobble. a knowing smile on your face, you tapped his shoulder. it was a gentle one so you didn’t scare him and make all his things fall over.

“can i carry something for you?” you laughed out and pushed one of your backpack straps up on your shoulder. peter only stared at you, his doe eyes prompting you to reach for his pencil case. “uh, no, it’s fine. i got it. see?” he proved that to you by hiking everything up in his arms. he gave you a smile of his own.

“are you sure? we’re going to the same place,” you’d checked again and pointed at his impressive pile. “i’m not gonna steal your sharpies.” “really, i’m fine,” peter insisted with a heart clenching chuckle. “you can have one, if you want,” he offered and attempted to unzip his case, one handed. you put your hand over his to stop him.

“wait until we get to class,” you let go of him, leaving the tips of peter’s ears a shade of pink you’d later fall in love with. “i’ll sit with you.”

peter was once determined to do things on his own, to be self-sufficient. it used to be something he was proud of. now, he’s completely incapable of holding his independence.

“we’re done, peter.” your tone is short, you getting to your feet. “you’d probably forget how to fucking breathe without me, but call it bossing around, i guess,” you laugh bitterly and go over to your drawers. peter’s face falls as he grabs your wrist, stopping you when you pass by him. “where are you going?”

no answer. you pull yourself out of his grasp with your lips pressed into a stern line. peter follows you step by step over to the dresser. “wait, wait. don’t leave, baby. please,” he begs you, getting onto his knees beside you. you’re pulling random clothes out as quick as you can. a science t-shirt peter outgrew is in your hands.

peter used to give you all his old clothes. the signature smell of his cologne lingered no matter how many times you washed them. they kept you calm on nights he was out late patrolling or away on missions. peter would sport a smirk whenever you wore them out in public, pulling you closer to him and complimenting the look.

it started when he was packing for his first mission since you two had begun living together. he’d realized he became too buff to fit in some shirts. remembering how many times you’d giggle at their funny sayings, peter gave them to you. you threw one on and thanked him with a peck on the cheek. it became your tradition.

peter would set off for a new continent, but a piece of him would stay home with you.

the stretched out hoodies and ripped sweatpants just sit in your drawer now. another meaningful thing discontinued. whatever he doesn’t want goes to may for donations now. the memory of what they used to mean to you makes a fit of rage burst through you.

you slam down his ‘find x’ shirt in the space between his knees and yours. you’re on a mission of your own this time. you aren’t going anywhere until you get rid of all the stuff that went from him to you.

“y/n, don’t do this. i- i love you. i love you.” peter chokes out, tears filling his eyes. his vision is clouded while you toss more clothes to your side. “i love you, y/n/n,” he whimpers again, and this time you briskly push the drawer shut. the whole dresser shakes. this is the most emotion either of you have shown in the past few months of your relationship. it’s a little too late.

“love is more than a word, peter. you have to back it up with actions.” you’re doing your best not to cry. the memories of how loved peter made you feel play in your mind. he briefly wipes under his eyes and shakes his head. he’s so oblivious. “i thought i- i did.” “exactly, you did. you gave up at some point.” your voice gets weaker as a tear drips down your chin.

you didn’t plan on breaking down when you imagined this moment. part of you wishes you could give him another chance. most of you knows it wouldn’t do any good for you or peter. you’re not right for each other anymore. he outgrew some sweatshirts, you outgrew him.

that takes you all the way back to it’s not you, it’s me. it’s really both of you.

for the last time, you pull peter in for a hug. the two of you need this. he loops his arms around your back, keeping them loose around you as he tucks his face into the side of your neck. you’re a mix of tears and sharp breaths with your chin on his shoulder. you bring a hand up to the back of his head, grabbing a fistful of curls.

he sobs right into your ear, effectively destroying whatever composure you had left.

even though you’re not in love with peter, you haven’t stopped loving him. somewhere inside of him is the goofy boy who asked you out on a post-it during class. the kindhearted man who gave so much of himself to the world and saved enough for you. the one whose fingertips left goosebumps on your skin with every touch.

seeing him like this, having caused it feels like a dull pain rippling in every part of your body. you’ve been there to soothe him during countless breakdowns over the years. you managed to stay strong for all of them. this is the only exception. he lost people, felt down about life, made mistakes. you were there to pick up each piece and put them back together.

the one mistake peter made that you can’t fix is not loving you right. you became his rock, his anchor whenever he let grief and sadness rule over him. you’d get him back to himself. he could’ve at least bought you flowers once in a while, or done anything that showed his gratitude. every iteration of awful put together isn’t enough to describe how he feels.

“i’m so- i’m so fucking sorry, baby. i don’t deserve you. i never have,” peter murmurs as he cries, wetting your skin that his face is still pressed into. your fingers pull roughly at his hair. hot tears overflow from your own eyes. “i should’ve done more.” his voice cracks on the last word. “that’s all i wanted to hear, pete,” you breathe out and pull away from him.

“does that mean you’ll stay?” he croaks, arms still wound around your body. his eyes are hopeful when they lock with yours. a frown pulls at your lips. “only for tonight. i should... one of us should sleep on the couch.” “oh,” his voice is gravelly, so he clears his throat. “i’ll do it.” you’re not going to fight him on it for once.

peter removes his arms from your waist, you sitting back down on your thighs. you give him a blink and you’ll miss it smile because you can’t keep one for long. it’s to let him know you’re not mad. you were at the start of this conversation, then he took accountability. you also came to terms with the fact that the downfall of your relationship was a joined effort.

there are more factors than peter not giving you what he should have. time, different goals, new outlooks on life. you can’t hate only him because a whole bunch of things lead to this.

instead of a smile, since he physically can’t put one on his splotchy face, peter brushes the pad of his thumb over the corner of your lips. he gets up to leave the room, but you stop him with a “wait!” he freezes in front of you. you get out a hoodie from his pile of old clothes and stand up. “it’s cold.” you put it in his hands, earning a grin that he didn’t think was possible.

“thanks, y/n,” peter sighs and holds the hoodie against his chest. “goodnight. um,” this is the part where he’d usually say i love you. “sleep well, okay?” the replacement stings for both of you. you’ll have to learn to fall asleep without hearing that phrase first. as much as you didn’t feel it anymore, you’d become used to it. “you too, peter. night,” you say softly.

you head back to your bed while peter walks out the door. he glances at you once, and you’re already settling under the covers. he shuts the door behind him before finding his way to the couch.

your bed has always seemed too small. it’s gigantic without peter. you aren’t sure how you feel about that yet.

peter lays across the couch, the hood that doesn’t quite fit him pulled over his head. he’s only wearing it because you gave it to him. you doing that not even five minutes ago was how you backed up your love with actions. it’s so easy. silent tears spill from his eyes at the realization.

he wishes on every star that he could’ve figured out he wasn’t doing enough sooner. you’d be together right now, had he just caught on. there was a time he prided himself on knowing you fully and completely. how to turn you into the shy one with certain combinations of words, what your schedule was each week so he could plan his free time around it.

your relationship became something he thought would last unconditionally. if only he was able pinpoint the exact moment he went wrong.

you’re right in the other room. he can go in there and bawl, plead for you to take him back. how could he do that and claim to love you, though? you’ve made it clear you‘re over him.

the best way for peter to show you he loves you is by letting you live your life, without him in it.

-

you don’t see peter again for weeks. he moved back in with may, and you got to keep the apartment. you were the one who took all the care of it, anyway.

your semester ended at the perfect time because peter isn’t in any of your new classes. the city is too big to bump into each other. you’re free from the hold he had on you, which would’ve been four years long since yesterday. you’ve been good at picking up his broken pieces for too long, and now it’s time to pick up your own.

for all the hangouts you missed on his behalf, you made up for it. you called mj the day after your breakup and met for lunch. she never explicitly said it, but she took your side. peter had a feeling because when he had the same idea as you, to lean on his friends for support, she never reached out.

betty is indifferent, ned stays cordial with you. his real loyalty is to peter. you can’t blame him.

peter hasn’t been doing well since you broke up. he’s not eating enough, he can’t focus on work of any kind. you were right when you said he would forget how to breathe without you. he often wonders how you’ve been.

he finds out today.

you’re walking around campus, heading in the direction peter just came from. he has a class in the building your last one was. the two of you are on the same sidewalk, opposite sides. he almost doesn’t recognize you.

mj is on one side of you, a guy he’s never seen before with an arm around your shoulders. you’re all laughing about whatever dumb thing your professor said during the lecture. your hair, which is done in a new style, flows behind you in the spring breeze. a smile takes place on your glossy lips. the smile is directed towards that guy. your new boyfriend, peter assumes.

you look amazing, and not only physically. you seem happy with your small group of people. peter hadn’t been able to give you that happiness in years, so it’s nice to see you got it back somehow.

he must have stared too long because you notice him. you fall behind mj and your potential boyfriend, both of them wrapped up in discussing your next project. peter stops walking. you do the same. he’s not sure if he upset you, or what’s going on. his instincts tell him to apologize. his mouth stays closed.

that infectious smile of yours appears once again. you thought about peter yesterday, it being your anniversary and all. you’d only let yourself remember the good things. they outweighed the bad ones when you look back on everything.

“aye, grandma! get over here!” mj calls to you, your boyfriend nudging her side. “take your time, y/n/n. i’m not in a rush to write seven long ass pages.” you laugh to yourself at the two of them. peter fiddles with the zipper on his jacket. it’s from the drawer of things you used to wear. “one sec!” you yell back.

“hey,” you turn to face peter, who’s giving you a tight lipped smile. “how’ve you been?” “i’m okay. just, you know,” he shrugs and clasps his hands behind his back. there’s a short silence before peter says, “you seem good. really good.” he smiles for real this time. “yeah, i am. i hope you are, too,” you tell him and genuinely mean it.

you’d like to catch up soon, but it’s not right yet. you both need more time. “i’ll see you around?” you’re already starting to walk, backwards so you can see peter. “uh, sure. bye,” he gives you a quick wave and continues on his way.

you get back to mj and your boyfriend, his arm returning to your shoulders. they waited for you by the stoplight. “what’d ya get up to over there?” he teases, mj suspiciously watching your face for any tells. you carefully think through your answer with a grin. “love.”

#tom holland #peter parker #tom holland fluff #tom holland angst #tom holland smut #tom holland imagine #tom holland x reader #peter parker fluff #peter parker smut #peter parker imagine #peter parker x you #peter parker x reader #spiderman #marvel #peter parker angst

[kinkandkreep]

Hello, sorry if I'm bothering you but could you please do a daily life for eren , mikasa, and armin please. Like what they do in the morning to what they eat Etc...

Hey hun! So sorry that this took so long to get out, I've had it ready for ages but I wasn't sure if I was happy with it or not. Finally, after some tweaking, I decided not to keep you waiting any longer. So, here it is! A day in the life of Eren, Armin and Mikasa.

A/N: I'm not used to writing Mikasa (and I'm not really a fan of her character) so if things seem a little wonk on her part, please excuse that. I tried my best.🥲

Eren:

Eren has a fairly typical day for a 19-year-old boy

He usually likes to get up pretty early, about 6, and go for a quick run or do otherwise non-strenuous exercise before showering and going back to bed

Which may seem a little strange or backward but that’s how I see it in my head

After sleeping a few more hours, usually about 3, he likes to get up and go eat something

Eren’s not the healthiest eater, but he knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and as such, he should be mindful of what he eats at least during this time

He likes fruit (his favorite is strawberries) so he typically has something like oatmeal with fruit, cereal with fruit, or a fruit bowl

He doesn’t like to eat too many carbs or too much protein in the morning, otherwise, he’ll feel too full and sluggish for the rest of the day

After breakfast, he finds a way to pass the time until lunch

He’s pretty active, as is usual for a boy his age, so this generally entails going out with friends to do some sort of activity, like hiking or, eventually, going to a cafe to grab lunch and hang out

When that’s all wrapped up, he likes to go home and laze around a bit before beginning any coursework he may have

(I headcanon him as either in training to become a Marine or a Pediatric Nurse Anesthetist, as I’ve stated previously, so whether or not he has any schoolwork is up to you)

Once he’s reached a satisfactory stopping point in his work, it’s usually dinner time, so he goes and tries to whip up something quick, light and healthy enough before he begins the majority of his leisure time for the day

He customarily tries to go to sleep at a reasonable hour, especially if he has classes or work ( I honestly imagine him working as a nail tech; he’s surprisingly apt at it and gets super good tips) the next day, so I’d say turning in at around 11 is pretty normal for him

And that is a day in the life of one Eren Yeager! :)

Armin:

Armin is a morning person (surprise, surprise) and he likes to get up bright and early

He likes to “rise with the sun” as Eren would say

He doesn’t like to eat immediately after waking, but he does drink a full glass of water before he cleans up and begins his studies

He prefers to get a head start on whatever it is he has scheduled to do for the day, which typically includes time blocked out for leisure, hanging with friends, and, of course, time to work on any assignments or projects

After about an hour and a half of steady, ardent work, with breaks in-between of course, Armin decides it’s finally time for breakfast

He, like Eren, likes to eat lightly in the morning, and his heaviest meal of the day is generally lunch since he knows it’s not good to eat heavy right before going to bed

He has a preference for things like fruit salad, or yogurt and some sort of light carb like bagels or...bran muffins

Nothing too sugary though, or else he’ll get the jitters

After breakfast, it’s back to studying for at least a little bit before he decides to take a break and maybe go out with his friends for lunch or to do some other activity they have planned for the day

I headcanon that Armin is a tutor, and he usually tutors in the afternoon, so after lunch, on certain weekdays he heads over to his student’s house to begin their lessons

Lessons customarily take anywhere from an hour to three, and by then Armin’s ready to head home so he can finish up his own work and grab something to eat

Once home, he’ll add the finishing touches to any assignment and then head down for dinner

After dinner, he’ll wash up and head to bed!

Mikasa:

I imagine Mikasa to be a deep sleeper, so she usually rises pretty late in the day

Later than Eren and Armin anyway

At around 10 is when she typically gets up; following that, she washes up and then heads down for breakfast

She is a slightly heavier eater when she wakes than her male counterparts, so I'd say she typically eats a more full breakfast, maybe something like waffles and eggs

After breakfast, she likes to hit up Armin and/or Eren and see what they have planned for the day

If they've got an activity she can participate in before lunch she'll usually tag along then, but otherwise, she's comfortable just chillin' by herself until lunchtime

Chill time typically entails reading or catching up on shows or her favorite YouTube channels

She likes to cook, so some days out of the week are her designated 'cook for everybody' days, where the boys, Sasha, Connie, and Jean come over to have lunch at her place

She's not a bad cook, so everyone enjoys and saves a little money

Once that's done, or if it's not one of her cooking days and she eats alone, she’ll begin working on any assignments or head to her job

(She works as a secretary for her school’s counselor/psychologist)

Once home, she tidies up before beginning work on dinner, and if she hasn’t spoken to the boys any during that day, they’ll do a three-way call as they continuing working on or finishing up any assignments

After that, it’s lights out!

(If it’s not been made clear based on some of the wording I used, all three are college students. As I’ve mentioned previously, in my mind Eren is either in the process of becoming a Marine or studying to become a PNA, so regardless of which path he took, his degree would be in some sort of science. Armin, again, at least in my mind, is studying to be a travel photographer at an art school and Mikasa is going to school to become a personal trainer. This particular day they didn’t have any classes, which makes this slightly less than an average day, depending of course on which career or degree path they take/are taking. Hope you enjoyed anyhow!😁)

#eren yeager #eren jaeger #armin #armin arlert #mikasa #mikasa ackerman #aot #attack on titan #snk #shingeki no kyojin #ema #ema headcanons #day in the life

[courtlyharlequin]

Breathing Room

Warnings: fluff, no plot just brainrot,  lowkey horn knee, feral and angry Taku coming from nine o’clock because I squeezed too much of her favorite tropes into this

Summary: Humans are strange. Their hobbies and customs are bewildering, but nothing Jade couldn’t handle as he was quick to adapt. Sometimes, he might even partake in said activities. Case in point with hiking. And you, knowing Jade for a decent amount of time as his significant other, came to terms with the fact that he would decline a request to participate in something that didn’t pique his interest. So when you proposed that he play the pocky game with you, you were certain that he would decline. But he didn’t.

A/N: Happy birthday to the Jade simp, @takuyakistall​~! I’m so sorry that this was posted late but you’re already wary of that and thank you for supporting me through such a tough time. Ahhh life just doesn’t want me to simp for my hair wife! I tell you this a lot but I’ll say it again: I’m quite attached to you since you were my first tumblr friend. I didn’t have any in real life or online friends who like twst before meeting you so you mean a lot to me as my first. You always make me laugh whether it be bullying you or rotting over our mains together. Even when we get serious, I still love talking to you. You’re that amazing.  I hope you have an amazing day, one just as amazing as you are. Eat lots of cake and pocky. I love you ♡

“Jade,” you said, tugging at his sleeves.

He sighed through his strained smile as he set down a glass he was polishing. He tucked his hair behind his ear and dusted off his slacks as if he was brushing away invisible crumbs off the garment. It was an ungodly hour. He was working overtime for Mostro Lounge. Today was unusually busy. As vice prefect, Jade took it upon himself to bite off more than he could chew. And he could chew a lot actually. He was a moray eel with two sets of jaws and an immense appetite. In his human form, he only had one set of jaws yet the appetite remained.

The lounge was deserted. Students shuffled to the mirror chambers and headed to their respective dorms to retire for the night. Jade, on the other hand, was sitting on a barstool with an array of glasses and creased brows. You sat by his side, doing your assignments and engaging him in idle chatter here and there. He had promised to help you with your alchemy homework, but alas his duties called for him. In a way. You didn’t mind per se since he helped you understand the material within minutes during his short-lived breaks.

They were about three minutes long and Jade only took two breaks ever since his shift started. You weren’t an expert at reading people like he was, but even you could tell he could use some rest or a pick-me-up at least. Perhaps the latter. Jade was stubborn. He wasn’t going to head to his bedroom until he was done.

“Yes, (y/n)?”

You reached into your book bag and pulled out a small box of biscuits– pocky to be exact. You held it in front of his gaze. He cocked his head.

“Let’s play the pocky game.”

“Maybe later. We can play after I finish. Or tomorrow. It’s late so you should return to your living quarters and get some rest,” Jade said as he turned his attention to his task.

“Please? Think of it as a break. Your last one was about three hours ago.”

“Well, if you put it like that then I shall indulge you, my dear.”

Heat rose to your cheeks as he spun the barstool to make direct eye contact with you. You avoided his gaze as you opened the box, selecting a random stick of pocky and holding it in front of him. He took it and examined it with a perplexed expression.

“What is this?”

“Pocky.”

“Which is?”

“It’s like a cookie biscuit thing with a chocolate covering,” you said, getting yourself your own stick.

“I see. So this ‘pocky’ edible.”

“Yes,” you nodded, biting the pocky.

He mirrored your actions. You watched him chew it thoroughly. His eyes wandered around the ceiling of the lounge. You held your breath as he closed his eyes and exhaled.

“It’s delectable.”

Your shoulders relaxed and he chuckled under his breath. It would have been disappointing if Jade didn’t like pocky. That would mean you couldn’t persuade him to play the pocky game. You looked into his eyes lovingly while he nibbled on the remainder of the stick.

“And what is ‘the pocky game’?” Jade mused.

You took out another biscuit. His brows arched as you waited for him to swallow the last bit of his current pocky stick.

“The objective of the game is to be the last to hold onto the stick as we each take a bite and move closer to the center. Whoever is the last to pull away wins. You take one end and I’ll take the other. I’ll let you have the chocolate end because it’s your first time playing.”

“My, my how kind of you. I almost thought you were the headmaster. All you needed was to comment on your kindness.”

“Ha ha,” you deadpanned.

He brought his hand to chin. He feigned curiosity.

“Though… if you wanted to kiss me you could have just said, (y/n),” Jade gave you a toothy grin, ones he shot at the poor unfortunate freshmen souls that tried to escape the conditions of Octavinelle’s yearly exam contracts before chasing them down the hallways with his brother.

“I-I.. It would be more fun?”

“I jest, my pearl. There’s no shame in wanting to engage in intimacy. I shall indulge you. Though, I have a feeling that I will win every round– seeing as you get flustered even when I embrace you without warning fufu~”

There was not a shred of innocence in his voice. Jade knew where this was going. He was going to do everything in his power to win. He was good at that sort of thing, small ministrations that drove you wild.

When he found out that you were sensitive to neck kisses, chaste or not, he greeted you every morning outside of your first period threshold with a peck on the side of your neck. The first time he did that, you were reduced to a puddle of empty thoughts, a spasm of spiraling emotions and heated cheeks. The following incidents featured your hand instinctively shooting to the spot he kissed, cheeks still hot and bothered. When you had adapted to his rhythm, he kissed your neck in the halls, during lunch, and when he walked you back to your dorm. They were spontaneous and sporadic. They ceased when winter began and you wore a scarf around your neck all day, every day. Of course, that was months ago. The routine faded as your relationship developed. Jade had his share of teasing and came to understand that setting your nerves on fire on a daily basis despite your protests wasn’t exactly healthy. He also came to understand how people might get the wrong idea from neck kisses. He teased you for hours on end for being so lewd, but digressed when you were on the verge of tears due to embarrassment. That didn’t stop his other methods of teasing, but at least you were free from public surprise neck kisses.

Jade loved to tease. He was good at it too. He knew you and your ticks like the back of his hand. You were certainly going to lose this game, but it was better not to let your true feelings show and give him the upper hand.

You inserted the biscuit between Jade’s lips and took a deep breath before taking your end. It was more so a hybrid of a deep breath and a yawn. It was late after all.

Jade’s eyes widened and the stick broke in half. Your eyes widened as well.

“You’re supposed to hold onto the stick for a long as you can, silly.”

He closed his eyes: “Yes, my bad. Shall we try again?”

“One to zero,” you said as you slipped a biscuit into his lips.

“Did that count?”

“Of course it does.”

He pouted as you inhaled and exhaled deeply before taking your end of the pocky. It snapped immediately.

“Jade,” you whined, drawing out the last syllable of his name.

“Apologies, my dear. It seems to be instinctive for me to bite the stick.”

“You can bite. It’s just that the pocky keeps breaking in half whenever you bite it. Maybe try to be more gentle?”

“Two to zero.”

“You’re so cruel, (y/n).”

You giggled as you handed him the stick. He pursed his lips and held the stick out for you to take a bite from your end. You closed our eyes and opened your mouth to take a deep breath once more and the stick snapped before you knew it.

You looked up at Jade to see the pocky awkwardly sticking out of his hand which was covering his face. Mostro Lounge’s dim lights made it difficult to make out many details, but you were positive that Jade Leech was profusely blushing.

“Jade?”

“C-Could you not do that*?”

“Do what?���

What could have possibly reduced him to such an adorable state? He’s usually so composed. He was never this flustered. Out of all the times you tried to get him to break, he was resilient. And here you were, not having any idea as to what you did to make him blush.

“O-Open your mouth.”

“Pardon?”

A yawn escaped from your lips. Jade spun the bar stool around and stared at the glasses with sudden interest.

“Could you not do that?”

“Yawn?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

He mumbled something under his breath.  

“Jade?”

“(y/n), you should have just asked for a kiss.”

The eel stood up curtly from his seat. He towered over you and his eyes glowed in the dark lighting. He pulled out a pocky stick from the box in your petite hands and slipped it in between your lips. There was a small pause before he came crashing down. If he hadn’t been holding your shoulders so firmly, you might’ve fell over from the force that he exerted. He came barreling towards your lips. You weren’t sure if he had even bit the pocky. You felt it snap, but when you parted your mouth to allow his tongue to entangle with yours, you could not find a single trace of the biscuit. The flavor lingered in his mouth, but the pocky itself was nonexistent. Did he swallow it whole?

He did not leave your mind to wander too far from him. He kissed you hungrily and nipped at your lips. His sharp teeth grazed your flesh and you mewled into the kiss. You could hear him growl faintly as he held onto your waist. You wrapped your arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. He tiled your head for a better angle. You pushed him away. You needed to catch your breath.  A string of saliva fell from your lips.

“Jade,” you gasped as he nuzzled his head in the crook of your neck.

“It would be in your best interest if you don’t do that again, especially during mating season. I don’t think I’ll be able to control myself next time. I might break you in half, dearest.”

Your cheeks flushed as you nodded absentmindedly. Mating season?

He bit your neck.You yelped and wriggled out of his embrace.

“Jade!” you hissed, clutching your neck.

“Consider that a small price to pay,” he chuckled.

You huffed.

“I win this time,” he said.

“Yeah, yeah…”

He packed the glasses onto a shelf.

“You’re free to go now. I’ve finished here so you don’t have to keep me company anymore. Would you like me to escort you?”

“No, it’s fine,” you said, trying to stifle a yawn.

“Goodnight, (y/n).”

“Goodnight, Jade. See you tomorrow.”

Though you had agreed not to yawn, it escaped your lips. Luckily, your back was facing Jade as you exited the lounge so he didn’t see you yawn, but rather heard you yawn. You heard a distant bang on the counter as well as a faint “dammit” from a voice you knew all too well.

It took every fiber in your body to restrain yourself from turning around. You knew all too well that if you turned around, he would’ve rushed towards you and snapped you in half just like a pocky stick. It was best to give him a little breathing room even if you were hot and bothered yourself.

*Note: To initiate the mating process, moray eels open their mouths very wide at each other to signal the start of it. This trait carries over to when (y/n) yawns as Jade took it as a sign for his eel-y instincts.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland imagines #twst imagines #twisted wonderland oneshot #twst oneshot #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #jade leech #jade leech x reader

[whereisten]

Heal

A Kun fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!

Summary: Doctor Qian Kun is a young and successful doctor who works miracles. And you are no exception when you become his patient.

Pairing: Doctor! Kun x female reader

Genre: romance, angst, fantasy, horror

Word Count: 5.6k

Warnings: blood, manipulation

(A/N: Thank you guys so much for your support with our Halloween fics! Hope you enjoy the adventures of y/n and Doctor Kun!)

___

You were no stranger to visits to the Neo Hospital in your hometown. When you were a baby, you basically lived at the hospital. You were prone to colds and fevers. You always experienced body aches and fatigue. You were born with a chronic autoimmune disorder that left many doctors baffled. They were only able to provide you with medications to alleviate your pains temporarily. You were confined to stay at home, to be homeschooled by your parents, and make friends online. Your childhood was far from normal.

You were a college junior now and you’ve been strictly online. If it wasn’t for the Internet, you probably would’ve lost your mind by now.

You had contact with the outside world but not physical contact. It’s what you longed for the most.

You resented your family. Your older and younger siblings could go out whenever they pleased. How did they get so lucky? Why were you the only sibling that got the short end of the stick?

Everyone in your family always interacted with you carefully, using hand sanitizer and always washing their hands prior to helping you with something. They treated you like a fine, porcelain doll that had to be preserved. It was irritating on your best days and unbearable on your worst. You felt like an abomination sometimes.

However, throughout the years, you would rebel. You would run away from home when your parents eyes wandered for a moment. The farthest you’d get before getting caught was the park. You were lucky that you didn’t develop any harsh symptoms from those times you ran away. However, you would be punished for taking such risks. You’d get your phone and internet privileges taken away for a month every time.

Last week, you succeeded in your most ambitious escape yet: you made it to Target to buy the new Ariana Grande CD. You thought that the one trip to Target couldn’t hurt you. By no means was it crowded and no one got into your space.

Well, you were wrong to think that you’d be fine.

Now you came down with a fever and you’d been placed on bed rest at your all-too familiar Room 1196 on the eleventh floor of the hospital.

You resented your body. A lot of people could recover from a fever and carry on with their day-to-day lives but you? Not so much.

Your parents made a whole spectacle of getting you to be seen by the best doctors but these doctors couldn’t help you the way you’d hoped.

However, this time, you awoke the next morning after your intake and felt...nothing.

Like you never had a fever in the first place.

You spent the morning checking your social media. Your crush/online classmate Sicheng was on a weekend hiking trip with his friends. He was with a bunch of beautiful, healthy people in North Carolina. You were even more bummed to be in the hospital now.

You wondered what life would be like if you didn’t have your condition. Where could you have gone? Who would you be now?

You’ve always wanted to go to the beach by yourself. To the supermarket. Hell, across the street. You wanted to go somewhere. Anywhere. Without anyone coddling you and watching your every move.

You wished for freedom from the body you were born with. To find a new one, somehow.

Because you had no hope for your current body to change.

“Y/n? Can I come in?” A male voice was heard from the door.

“Sure.” You sat upright on the bed.

The person at the door entered and he was the prettiest healthcare provider you’d ever laid your eyes on. He had warm, brown eyes and a radiant smile. His dark blue hair was wavy.

Suddenly, you regretted not brushing your hair that morning.

He donned a lab coat with the hospital’s name on it. His name tag was in a lanyard: Dr. Qian Kun, MD, DOM, PharmD.

He looked very young...And to have all of those titles? Your head was spinning.

He frowned as he saw how confused you looked. “Are you alright?”

You nodded. “I am.”

He sat on the chair beside your bed. “It’s nice to meet you, y/n. I’m Dr. Qian Kun but you can call me Kun.”

You blinked a few times. “Are you really a doctor?”

He laughed, confused. “What?”

“You don’t seem that much older than me…”

He sighed. “I get that a lot. I’m twenty-four. I graduated early from university...Earned my titles...Now here I am.”

“That’s amazing. You are probably the youngest doctor ever.”

Kun shook his head. “Afraid not. Bala Ambati became a doctor at seventeen.”

You shook your head. “Still...You have three doctorates. That means triple the sleep deprivation. Hats off to you.”

Kun chuckled as he looked at your information in his clipboard. “Your vitals have improved a lot since yesterday.”

You looked down at your hands. “Yeah...That’s impossible…”

Kun shook his head, noting how down you looked. “It is possible, y/n.”

You met his gaze. “How?”

He smiled. “Are you familiar with oriental medicine?”

He sure was charming, you thought. You reminded yourself to answer his question. “No, I’m not.”

Kun got up from his seat. “Well, there are many different practices that a doctor of oriental medicine can utilize, like acupuncture, meditation, and herbal therapy...To restore harmony to the human body. I specialize in herbal therapy.”

“I see…”

“I have created an herbal mixture that has worked efficiently to get my patients back up on their feet.”

Incredulous still, you managed to say, “That’s great, Doctor.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“I mean, Kun.”

Kun resumed, “And I‘ve provided you with the herbal mixture and from the looks of it, the results have quickly taken effect.”

You were speechless. “That’s…”

“I know it’s hard to believe, y/n. But sometimes doctors fail to find other alternatives to help their patients. Which is why I’m glad I’m your primary physician now.”

“Wait, what about Doctor Morris?” Doctor Morris had been your primary physician since you were five years old.

“She’s retired. I’ve been taking on a couple of her patients now.”

“I see…”

Kun looked out your room’s window and smiled to himself. “You don’t trust me.”

“Don’t take it personally. I don’t trust any medical professional. No one has been able to understand my condition yet so…”

Kun replied, “You’ve been let down too many times.”

“Exactly. Doctors just can’t figure me out.”

He turned to you and grinned. “Allow me to prove you wrong, then.”

___

At the recommendation of Doctor Kun, you were assigned to stay in the hospital for the next few weeks to see how the herbal mixture would affect your body if you took it for a longer period of time.

Every passing day, you felt more alive. It was weird to say this but you felt more alive at the hospital than you did before. You were beginning to suspect that Kun’s herbal mixture was actually working.

The herbal mixture was made of feverfew among other medicinal herbs. It had certainly done the trick to reduce your fever overnight. You wondered just what this mixture was made of.

You just finished your online linguistics lecture and closed your laptop. You found Kun waiting at the door. “You free?”

You nodded. “Yes.”

He sat down next to you and pulled some of your favorite candy out of his pocket.

He put the candy bar in your hand. His fingers lightly touched your palm. Your face warmed up at his proximity. “Happy Halloween, y/n.”

Your eyes nearly bugged out. How did he know you loved Twix? You took the candy bar into your hand and almost cried.

“Y/n?” He asked, worried.

You wiped a tear away. “Sorry...It’s just that this time of the year is hard because...I want to celebrate it. Go out and trick or treat...I know that time has gone for me but I hate that I missed out, you know…”

“Y/n…”

You sniffled and took a bite of the chocolate bar. “My parents never wanted me to feel like I was missing out so they would bring the holiday home to me. I was never in need of M&Ms, Skittles, Twix, or Sour Patch Kids…They even helped me make the best Halloween costumes. We would watch a bunch of horror movies all month long...But I wanted to be a kid. I wanted to go out with my friends and go door to door…”

Kun’s heart went out to you. He hated seeing you so down and so deprived of a life that everyone should have. “Y/n, you will be able to do all of the things you want to do in life.”

You looked at Kun and he had a determined look on his face. “How can you be so sure?”

“I’ve worked with people with conditions like yours...They thought they would be attached to the hospital forever one way or another. But with my methods, I was able to help them turn their life around. And now they’re living normally and fully.”

You sighed. “I’m happy to hear that...I just don’t think I’ll be one of them.”

Kun placed his hand over yours. “Trust me, y/n. I won’t let you down.”

You met his eyes, then, and you smiled. “Thanks, Kun. I’ve gotta hand it to you. You’re my favorite doctor.”

He beamed. “Is that so?”

You nodded. “Yeah...None of the other doctors ever gave me so much as a lollipop Even though that seems to be the norm on TV…”

Kun chuckled. “There’s more where that came from, y/n.”

___

It has been a month since you’ve entered the hospital. The medical bills were covered by an anonymous benefactor. Your family didn’t have to worry about the financial strain of your hospital stay.

Your family came to visit you and they were stunned at how radiant you looked. They were surprised at how much more ALIVE you looked when they expected you to be weak and miserable because you were at the hospital. Something about you was different.

“Doctor Kun is a miracle worker, isn’t he?” Your dad asked.

“I heard he’s a sight for sore eyes, too...Don’t you think so, y/n?” Your older sister Sydney teased.

You mom shook her head and helped fluff your pillows. “How are you, sweetheart?”

You smiled. “I’m better, actually. I think Kun’s methods are working.”

“Oh, are you two on a first name basis?” Your sister joked.

You rolled your eyes. “He told me to call him Kun. If you saw him, you’d feel weird calling him Doctor, actually.”

“He’s quite young, y/n. He graduated from a top university in Beijing at age 10. Then, he went to medical school right after. He’s been a practicing doctor for a couple of years now. He’s unbelievable,” you dad said.

Kun entered the room, then. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I’m Doctor Qian Kun. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Your mom was in love with him. Your dad was in shock at how young he was. Your sister wanted his number. You broke their stunned silence. “Kun, these are my parents Donna and Andrew. And this is my sister, Sydney.”

Kun greeted them. “I’m glad you are all here so I can tell you the good news.”

Everyone was shocked at the phrase “good news”. What good news could he possibly have to share?

Kun continued, “Y/n, your vitals are working at optimum level and we want to see how well you can fare by discharging you.”

You asked, “What?”

Kun smiled. “You can start having a normal life...In which you can attend in-person classes, go to the supermarket, take up a sport…”

You weren’t sure about the last thing he offered but everything else he suggested made you jump out of your bed. “Serious?”

Kun’s smile grew. “Yes.”

Your parents gave each other looks.

Your dad started. “Doctor, are you sure about this...y/n has lived all of her life in our home. The only outside world she’s ever known is our backyard and this hospital.”

Kun nodded. “I am sure. I’ve worked with several patients with similar cases as y/n’s and I would like to put the effect of the herbal mixture to the test. If there is any risk, she will immediately be brought back to the hospital and I will up the dosage for the herbs.”

After a few more minutes of discussion, your parents reluctantly agreed to take you home. To alleviate their concerns, you promised to consult with Kun once a week so he could monitor your progress.

You would be going home tomorrow and you had been given the green light to live a normal life. Outside. Go to classes. See your friends. Go to the beach. Buy fruits at the grocery store.

You packed up your belongings and Kun visited you one last time before you left. “Hey.”

You smiled brightly at him. “Hi!”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better than I ever have, honestly. And I have you to thank for that. Look, I’m not sure if this will work out in the end but the fact that I can take the chance and go out there...Thank you.”

Kun ruffled your hair. “I’m here for you, y/n.”

You did admit to yourself that you’d had a little crush on Dr. Kun but who were you kidding? He was so out of your league. You’d had a friend in him and you would always be thankful to him. “I have something for you.”

Kun’s eyes widened. “For me?”

“I wasn’t sure it’d get to my house in time but my mom got the package today. I told her to bring it today when everyone visited so…”

You pulled out a small gift bag with Kun’s present inside.

Kun smiled. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” “You’ve done a lot for me, Kun. I may have my doubts but I don’t doubt your intentions. And they're nothing but good. You’ve been doing so much for me. You’re setting me free...In a way.”

You handed the bag to Kun. He pulled out a little wrapped box from inside. He looked at you as he mocked suspicion.

He removed the wrapping to find a pair of AirPods. He gaped. “Y/n…”

You smiled. “For whenever you need to escape the noise…”

Kun had told you that sometimes he would get overwhelmed with his duties at the hospital and you’d asked him what gave him comfort. He told you it was music. So you figured something as light and portable as AirPods could help Kun calm down whenever he needed it throughout the day.

He smiled brightly at you and surprised you by wrapping his arms around you. “Y/n, thank you...You shouldn’t have…”

You froze. Kun’s toned body was against yours and you could feel the racing of his heart. Your heart probably beat twice as fast. You felt yourself get warmer and warmer. You pulled away from him, his hands on your arms.

He blushed. “Sorry…”

You cleared your throat. “Don’t worry about it…”

Your dad returned to the hospital room. “Y/n, you ready?”

Perfect timing, dad, you thought.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”

___

It may have been the second semester of your junior year but you felt as nervous as an incoming college freshman as you entered Neo University’s grounds for the first time. You were meeting some of your friends for the first time ever.

It was one thing to see them on the screen but your heart accelerated thinking of what it would be like to see them in the flesh.

You’ve been doing well so far with the herbs Kun had sent you home with. You were able to go grocery shopping with your mom. She was still considering whether or not you could go to the beach yet. You hoped that your progress would continue so she would say yes.

You felt healthier than ever. You could breathe well through your nose. You felt no body aches. You were ready to cartwheel across the quadrangle.

First, you had to learn how to cartwheel, though.

“Y/n!!!!!” Jungeun called out to you.

Your blonde best friend ran up to you and jumped you from behind. “Ah!”

“Jungeun!” You gasped.

She laughed. “You said I could touch you so I wasn’t about to hold back.”

You hugged each other tightly.

“Y/n, it’s so good to see you!”

You and Jungeun have been friends since middle school so you were already a sobbing mess on your first day.

“Stop crying, y/n or else I’m gonna…” She started crying, too.

“Enough with the tears, already,” Dejun added.

You and Jungeun hugged Dejun to bother him, then.

He laughed. “Y/n, welcome to Neo U.”

“Thanks,” you said, smiling.

You three went to your seminar together and you were just so in awe of being in a classroom, you had trouble focusing on the lecture. You were even more distracted when you saw that Sicheng was in the same class.

He recognized you and waved. You were yelling so loudly on the inside.

Before this semester, you had the occasional online class that you shared. You saw Sicheng for the first time a year ago and your crush on him grew from there. He was one of the most popular guys on campus, according to Jungeun. You had a group project with him last semester and he was so...Perfect.

He was intelligent and down-to-earth. His smile was so sweet and his eyes pierced into your soul. He was talking poetry. It felt like you were seeing your favorite celebrity in person.

When class ended, you went to lunch with your friends and Sicheng joined you.

“How are you, y/n?” He asked.

“I’m great. Never been better,” you replied.

He smiled. “I’m glad. If you ever need anything, please let me know. You have my number.”

You nodded. “Of course. Same here. If you ever need anything. I’m here for you, too.”

Sicheng chuckled. “Great.”

When you finished lunch, Jungeun couldn’t stop poking fun at you. Sicheng left early for a club meeting. “I’m surprised he didn’t ask you out, then!”

You rolled your eyes. “Ask who out?”

Dejun added. “Me, of course.”

Jungeun continued. “The ‘you have my number’ couldn’t have been more obvious. He wants you in his dorm yesterday.”

You frowned. “And what would we do? Fix his bed?”

Jungeun and Dejun laughed. Jungeun added, “The opposite, y/n.”

Your face heated up then. “Oh.”

Since you have basically spent most of your life either at home or at the hospital, you never even considered the possibility of a love life. You tried to convince yourself that dating sims would’ve been enough.

“Don’t worry, y/n...You and Sicheng can take it slow...He’s no incubus who is trying to take your soul,” Dejun offered.

“True,” you said.

That was if Sicheng saw you that way in the first place.

___

A few weeks had passed. You’d been seeing Kun regularly to check in and everything had gone as expected. You were fine. You weren’t exhibiting any flare-ups. So long as you kept taking the prescribed herbs, you would be fine.

“How is everything, y/n?” He asked.

“Pretty good, actually. School is still school, even if it’s in person. But I got to go to a skating rink for the first time.”

He laughed. “How was it?”

“I am terrible.” You showed your legs. “It explains these bruises.”

Kun shook his head and chuckled. “I’m glad you’re getting out more, y/n. Try and take it one step at a time.”

“Oh, geez. I wish you said that sooner. I already joined a blood cult and I’m getting married next week.”

Kun rolled his eyes as he finished taking notes from your consultation.

“How is everything with you, doc?”

Kun’s eyes widened. “Me?”

“Surely, you’re not always at the hospital.”

Kun sighed. “Well, y/n...it just so happens that I’ve taken residence up on the top floor. The whole floor is my apartment. Don’t really get to spend much time there because I’m almost always on call.”

Your jaw dropped. “What? Kun, that’s abuse. You shouldn’t be working so many hours. It’s against the-“

Kun couldn’t help his smile appearing.

“You sneaky bastard,” you said.

You both laughed, then.

Sometimes you forgot Kun was a successful doctor. Sometimes he felt like your infinitely smarter senior at college.

He was a million worlds away from yours.

Kun answered, “Well, I’m doing fine, y/n. I meet up with friends once in a while and go white-water rafting.”

“That sounds like fun!”

Kun shook his head. “It’s challenging but exciting. I get a rush every time I go.”

You thought out loud. “I’d love to try it sometime…”

Kun pat you in the back. “When you are at one hundred perfect, I’ll give you the green light. Sounds good?”

You nod.

___

You’d wrapped up your midterm and you were ready to head home and take a nap. You walked through the student quad.

“Y/n!” Sicheng called out to you.

You turned around and found Sicheng running towards you.

You smiled, already warm in the face. “Hi.”

“I was wondering if you were free right now…”

“Really? Me?”

He smiled, confused at your question. “Yeah, you. Want to go to the movies with me?”

You nodded. “Absolutely.”

Sicheng drove you guys to the movies. He bought the tickets and the snacks. He let you pick the movie. You picked The Blair Witch Project. It came out over twenty years ago but the theater was doing a limited time screening of it.

You and Sicheng couldn’t shut up throughout the whole movie as you whispered to each and made each other laugh. You’d almost gotten kicked out of the theater.

You left the theater together and he asked you to dinner. You said yes. You were starting to think that this was a date.

“Y/n, this is a date, right?” He asked you at dinner.

You stopped eating your chicken parmigiana and looked at him with big eyes. “I think...Is it?”

Sicheng sighed. “I wanted it to be…”

You laughed. “Oh, thank God. I thought it was all in my head for a second. Maybe you were this nice to all of your friends.”

He pointed out, “I am not this nice to my friends, I can promise you that.”

Sicheng drove you home and kissed you goodnight before you entered your house. You felt like you were floating on a cloud now.

___

Two days later, there was a campus alert that Sicheng had gone missing. His face was all over the news. The last time he was heard from was when he told his best friend Jaehyun that he was going to ask you out to the movies. The last time he was seen was when he took you home.

Sicheng’s car was found a mile away from the dorms. The key was still in the ignition and his wallet and phone were left behind.

You were brought into the police station for questioning and you told them everything that happened the night Sicheng disappeared.

You were worried. What could have happened to him? Would he be alright? Would he be able to come back home? You missed him so much.

You took an evening stroll around your neighborhood to try and calm down. You reached the park where there was no other soul in sight.

Suddenly, you felt a tingly sensation in the back of your neck. You felt that someone was following you.  

You began to walk faster. Suddenly, you were pinned to the ground and everything turned black.

___

You woke up in Room 1196, then. Wait...It wasn’t 1196...It was a different room in Neo Hospital. The room was dark and you could only hear the sound of your breathing. It grew more hysterical with each second.

You felt a burning sensation in your neck. You cried out in pain. You cried out, “Help me, please.”

“Y/n…” You recognized Kun’s voice.

You nearly yelled out in pain but restrained yourself. “What...happened?”

“An animal attack,” he started.

You frowned. “What?”

Kun sighed. “It was good that I was there to help you in time, y/n…”

“What?”

Kun moved your hair out of your face. “I was in the neighborhood when I saw the beast attack your neck.”

“A beast?” You frowned.

“Sicheng, was it?”

Your eyes widened. “How do you-“

“You can’t hide anything from me, y/n...You know that’s not how our relationship works.”

“What are you talking about? Ahhhhh.” The pain was getting to be too much for you.

“Can you put two and two together, y/n? Sicheng bit you.”

You shook your head furiously. “No, he wouldn’t-“

Kun snapped his fingers and Sicheng entered the hospital room. His bright expression nowhere to be found. His eyes were a bright red and his lips had traces of blood on them.

“Sicheng?!” You asked.

Sicheng smiled, showing fangs in his teeth. “Hi, y/n…”

“Oh, my God!” You started.

Kun grew annoyed. “Alright, that’s enough pleasantries for my taste. Go.”

Sicheng walked away at his command.

You began, “What the-“

Kun smiled brightly at you then. This time, his straight white teeth displayed his own fangs. “Y/n...Sicheng has put you in a bit of a bind, hasn’t he?”

You tried backing away from Kun and getting off of the bed but it was almost as if the pain kept you from moving.

Kun ran the back of his hand down your cheek. “When a newborn vampire bites you, the bite is lethal...You could die anywhere between minutes and hours...It depends on the bitten, really…”

You flinched at his touch. “What...did you do to me?”

Kun inched closer to you and you winced. He lathered up the blood that leaked from your neck down to your collarbone.

“What had to be done, y/n. From the moment I first saw you, I knew that I had to have you.”

You cried out in pain. “Somebody help me, please! Sicheng, please!”

Kun, annoyed over you mentioning Sicheng, shut the door to the hospital room. “It’s useless, y/n. Sicheng wouldn’t be in this mess if he hadn’t infiltrated what is mine. Now Sicheng must endure the consequences and be at my mercy. I turned him so now he looks to me for instructions. Until I release him...Perhaps in the next millennium...”

You sobbed. “Kun, please make this pain stop! I can’t take it!”

He cooed. “I know, baby. I want to help you. Just say the word and I’ll make the pain go away.”

The pain dominated your senses so you couldn’t process how exactly he would make it go away. “Okay! Just do it!”

Kun got up onto the bed and straddled you. He leaned down towards your neck and bit into you.

You cried out again but this time the excruciating pain turned into a euphoria so glorious, you never wanted it to end. You wrapped your arms around Kun as he continued to drink your blood.

___

It was morning when you had woken up. You were in Room 1196 now. You shot up from your bed and found Kun seated right beside you.

“Good morning, darling,” he started.

You glared at him. “Bite me. Oh, wait, you already did.”

He smiled. “I see your energy is up. That’s good to see.”

You rolled your eyes. “I’m going home…”

Suddenly, you stopped right at the door and your throat started to burn. Your senses heightened and you could sense that one of the nurses was walking right past your room’s door. You wondered what she would taste like if you caught her by surprise right then and there and…

What the holy hell were you thinking?

Kun sighed. “Don’t kill Joyce. She’s the most competent nurse on the staff.”

You ran into your bathroom door and looked at yourself in the mirror.

But you couldn’t.

You put a hand over your mouth and sobbed. “Kun!!!!!”

Kun joined you in the bathroom. “Ah, yes. You won’t be able to gain access to your reflection for another twenty years.”

“Twenty years...What is going on?”

“But what else, y/n? I turned you. To save your life.”

“Turned me into what, Kun?! Say it!”

Kun smiled. “Darling, you already know. Just admit it to yourself.”

You cried. “No…”

“You’ve always wanted a new body. A new life, y/n. And I’ve given it to you. I’ve made you the most powerful creature on this damned planet: a vampire.”

You fell to the ground. You could feel your fangs against your tongue.“Kun! Why did you do this to me? What did I ever do to you?”

Kun sat with you on the ground. “Because I love you, y/n. I never want to be apart from you again.”

You spat in his face. “You made me into a monster.”

Kun, unbothered, wiped your spit away with the sleeve of his coat. “I did not. I made you the best version of yourself you can be. Time for you has become infinite. Your body is immune to all illnesses now. You can see clearly. Your metabolism is in top shape. You are a goddess now.”

You shook your head. “Kun, take it back.”

He chuckled. “You’ve seen enough movies to know that that’s not how it works, y/n...You are mine now. Forever. Just like Sicheng. Just like a lot of the staff in this hospital.”

You shook your head rapidly. “Like hell I’m yours.”

“Y/n, I have been very generous up until this point. Using my blood to help you overcome your chronic condition. Funding your hospital bills...The least you can do is submit to me....”

It was hard to process all of the truths he just delivered. “Your blood?”

He laughed. “You mean you couldn’t taste my blood in the herbal mixture?”

You were about to throw up.

He chuckled darkly. “Admit it, y/n. You loved it.”

“Fuck you, Kun!”

He smiled. “We’ll get to that…”

You sneered. “You are despicable.”

His smile faded. “And you are testing my patience…”  He snapped his fingers at you. “On your knees…”

You stayed on the floor with your arms crossed across your chest.

He frowned as he snapped again. “On your knees, y/n.”

“I don’t think so,” you said.

Kun looked taken aback. “What? How?”

You got up from the ground and looked at him. “I will never submit to you for as long as I live..” If vampires were even considered living.

You ran quickly out of the hospital room, realizing you had superhuman speed now. You were able to leave the historial without facing any temptation to bite someone.

But your thirst had to be satisfied somehow and you had to find a way to quench it without hurting anyone.

___

[2 years later]

You’d skipped town not long after you turned. You sent letters to your family without a return address so as not to risk their safety.

Dear Mom and Dad,

I’m so sorry I ran away. I had no choice. If I didn’t leave, you all would’ve been in danger. One day, I hope to explain it all to you but in the meantime, live your lives fully and love each other. Don’t take anything for granted. I love you so much and will see you again.

Love,

y/n

You had become an infamous blood bag bandit as you moved across the country, running away from Kun. He would occasionally try and track you. Or he would send his henchman like Sicheng to do it for him.

You were lucky so far. You had never attacked a human being and sustained yourself on some blood bags you were able to nab from donating trucks.

The reason why you didn’t submit yourself to Kun that day was indeed because of his blood. Consumption of his blood made you immune to his influence. He couldn’t have you like he had wanted all along.

Kun had been obsessed with you from the very beginning. When you were discharged from the hospital the time you met him, he continuously stalked you. At college, at the grocery store, at your home...It would explain why he was able to send Sicheng to attack you.

He always knew where you were back then.

Kun commanded Sicheng to bite you then and put you at risk of dying. Kun’s plan was to save you, make you his vampire queen, and control you.

It was a shame he failed to see that his creation of medicinal herbs was the one thing that would lead to his plan’s failure.

You were immune to his commands and you weren’t going to stick around and see how else he would try and “win you over”.

According to your research, in all public records, Kun was now twenty-six. A blatant lie since he couldn’t age. So you wondered how long he would remain in your hometown. You kept a careful eye on your family every now and then. You’ve made some contacts to track your family occasionally, as well.

Kun had stooped low and you prayed he wouldn’t stoop even lower to get you.

You worked hard every day to work on your rapidly growing vampiric abilities. You couldn’t stick around anywhere for too long without arousing suspicion.

Now you weren’t confined to one space anymore.

You were confined to running.

You hoped to one day bring it this madness to an end and take Kun down. Save Sicheng and Kun’s other minions.

And for you to truly be free.

[Fin]

#Kun #qian kun #wayv Kun #Nct Kun #kun imagine #Kun scenario #Kun boyfriend #Nct boyfriend #wayv boyfriend #nct x you #wayv x you #Nct x reader #wayv x reader #Nct romance #wayv romance #nct halloween blurb #nct halloween #wayv halloween blurb #wayv Halloween #Nct fantasy #wayv fantasy #Nct horror #wayv horror #kun scenario #kun blurb #nct yandere #wayv yandere #kun yandere

[your-daily-biaswrecking]

Serva me, Servabo te

save me and I will save you

pairing: photographer!Taehyung x f.reader (oc)

more characters: Jimin x Yoonji

genre: angst, slight enemies to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut

word count: 4.6k   |  reading time: 25 min

summary: Somehow you end up having to share a Victorian Manor (that may or may not be haunted) with a person you really dislike: Kim Taehyung

warnings: nothing specific in this chapter, some swearing and toxic traits

A/N: Amy= Army= reader:)

All chapters | Masterlist   |  Read on AO3

Chapter 1: The tragic state of affairs

An hour and a half long car drive and you still managed to be in the middle of nowhere. You could almost swear the dirt road was leading to nothing, but the occasional sign swore otherwise. You sighed. How had you gotten yourself into this, again? Oh, yeah.

-9:34 pm, the day before-

A loud thud followed by an inhuman growl produced from the deepest pits of hell reached your ears in the kitchen. I guess you couldn't ignore her any longer. You leaned past the door,  peeping at your roommate cocooning on the floor.

"Uh... You good?" She immediately started mumbling with fiery passion and you couldn't understand a single word. That meant no. "What did Jimin do this time?"

Yoonji sat up, turning her spine abnormally to look at you. "He's an idiot," you managed to hear.

You pressed your lips together and nodded. "Right. You guys broke up. Is he still bothering you, what is it?" You walked to her and squatted down to her level. You noticed her cheeks were bloody red and stained with tears, her mouth giving you a pout. But you were unbothered.

"He won't let me go tomorrow," she complained.

"The Manor you guys had booked?"

"Yeah!"

"Why won't he let you go?"

"No, I mean... He says I can go but he says he'll go too and I don't want to see him," Yoonji mumbled while wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

Your immediate thought was to tell her to just go since they were going to make up eventually anyway. Seriously, the two of them broke up and got back together like twice a week. Sometimes it looked more serious, sure, but you had fallen for it too many times to believe it now. You would only be sure the two of them were done for real when... Well, actually, never. "So, you don't want to lose your vacation but you want to have the whole house to yourself?" you asked and she nodded. "Well, since you both paid for this, I'm sorry to tell you, but he has just as much right to go as you. You should have thought about that before you broke up over- what was it again? Dumplings?" I mean, this had to be some type of kink or something at this point. They had to be into breaking up and chasing each other all the time. Maybe it was the make-up sex, who knows.

Finally, one of the road signs pointed to the right for a turn. 200 m it said. You breathed out in relief; you were starving and so sleep deprived, you feared you'd drive your car into a ditch by the road. In front of you stood a large gate with an astounding metal design. It was open and you carefully drove in. Your breath hitched the moment the house came into view. What house? That was a whole palace! With three floors, a garden bigger than the nearest park to your apartment, and about a million windows adorning its two wings. So caught up in the drama, you hadn't even had the chance to see a picture to prepare yourself for the beauty of the Victorian artifact. Your jaw on the floor, all you could do was laugh.

Say, how had you managed to get here again? Right, right...

-11:04 pm, the day before-

There was a soft knock on your bedroom door and you hummed in reply. Yoonji burst in with great contrast to her knocking, dashing for the foot of your bed and plopping herself on it with nerve. You paused your texting on your phone momentarily to turn your eyes on hers, noting her tears were all dried up now, a frown in their place.

"I told him I'm not going 'cause I don't wanna see his stupid face," she announced.

The corners of your mouth turned downwards. "Good for you. I'm sure the house isn't worth it, you can do your vacation elsewhere."

"But now he says he's not going..."

You thought about it for a second, then got back to your texting. "Great. Isn't that what you wanted? Now, you can go."

The girl leaned over your legs, trying to catch your attention again with wide eyes full of conspiracies. "But... What if he's bluffing?"

You paused again. Damnit, why was this even making sense? You'd say Jimin is not capable of doing something like that... if you actually thought it to be true. "So, don't go." You looked at her again to make sure your point was getting across. "Yoonji, don't go. That way no matter if he goes or not, you still won't see his stupid face."

A middle-aged woman dressed to fit right into the aesthetic of the Manor greeted you on the big steps of the entrance with something like the enthusiasm you only show your favorite aunt on Christmas. "You must be Ms. Min Yoonji," she called before you even had the chance to reach her.

"Must I?" you replied, immediately following it with a peal of fake laughter.

The woman chuckled and walked towards you. With a closer look, you noticed how youthful her face looked, and how undeniably pretty she was. Definitely looking like a noblewoman who would be in charge of something like this mansion. "Welcome, I'm Mrs. Kim. I'm glad you're here, your partner is already inside," she said.

Oh... So he was bluffing.

You smiled. "Thank you. The place looks stunning."

"Oh, I'm hoping you'll get to enjoy all of its beauty to the maximum this week you'll be spending here," the woman said as she guided you towards the entrance." Just to let you know, every room is at your disposal, the kitchen is fully equipped and with every kind of food you might crave. Housekeeping is daily and with a very discreet staff. I have already given a tour to your partner."

You pushed the heavy door open and walked in, immediately hugged by a heavy but warm atmosphere with a strong, musky scent. Right across from you, there was a big, double staircase with a magnificent chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. All you could do was look around with a stupid face. Jimin was getting Yoonji this type of vacation and she had the audacity to fight with him? How had they even afforded this? You totally understood why your roommate was throwing a tantrum wanting to come here. Why had she even let you come instead?

-12:56 am, the day before, or more accurately, this day but super early-

"Amy... Amy..." You were startled awake, barely making out the silhouette of Yoonji hovering above you in the darkness. "Were you sleeping?" she whispered.

You exhaled and pushed her away, groaning. "Yoonji, a piece of advice: if you have to shake someone for them to answer you, yeah, they were sleeping!"

"Sorry," she said but definitely didn't mean it. She scooted you over to sit next to you. "Hey, so... I was thinking. Maybe you should go."

Be it the sleep or your roommate speaking utter nonsense, all you could think was: "What?"

"Well, I don't wanna go in case Jimin goes, but I also don't wanna let him have the house to himself -you know, out of spite- so maybe you should go." Yoonji blinked at you expectingly but it was still too complicated for you to process. "I mean, you're gonna have a good time, Amy. The house is amazing, I promise, this is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity, okay? I thought if I let you go then we could also be even for the time you did that assignment for me and got me an A? What do you say?"

You frowned, starting to shake your head. "Yoonji-"

"Please, I just want you to annoy him by just being there, you know? Also, he might not even go. Then you'll have a whole Manor to yourself for a whole week! You can take your books with you and enjoy some time away from society, right? Pretty please..."

Your frown deepened, but you started to think about what she was saying. "You really would rather just give up your vacation to a Victorian Mansion or whatever it is to your roommate than let Jimin have it to himself?"

"Absolutely, yeah."

Well, you couldn't think of a reason to say no to that.

Mrs. Kim finished her welcoming speech with a smile. "In the library, you will find a map of the hiking routes of the forest. There is a mushroom picking one that I wholeheartedly recommend. Of course, anything you might need, you can always pick up our vintage phone -it works perfectly- and call us any time of the day and night."

You gave her a genuine grin and nodded. "Thank you very much, Mrs. Kim!" And after that, the beautiful woman opened the door and left. Where to, you had no idea, since you doubted there was any kind of civilization nearby.

You dragged your suitcase to the bottom of the staircase, about to lift it and go find one of the surely many rooms to occupy. But in the silence of it all, you noticed a fire cracking in the background. So silent, it felt like you and the fire were the only things alive for miles. Yet Jimin must have been roaming somewhere in this Manor.

Huh... He still hadn't shown up at the entrance to check if Yoonji had come? Surely, he must have heard the commotion made but you two ladies.

You released your grip on your suitcase and slowly walked towards the room the fire seemed to be coming from. You wanted to find him and enjoy his face when he would see you instead of his girl- well, ex-girlfriend. You passed through a small hallway, little rooms with cabinets and bookcases until you reached a slightly ampler room that had a lit fireplace. It looked like a sitting room, with a pair of scarlet, velvet armchairs and a matching sofa. There was a large, thick carpet that covered almost the entire floor, and an ebony coffee table in the middle. On the right, a window that expanded from floor to ceiling, but was however half-hidden behind a rich curtain.

You were about to go towards the fireplace before you noticed the slim man standing tall by that window. Looking outside, turned opposite to the entrance. You almost didn't notice him as the colors and textile of his outfit matched the room so well. His brown, a little wavy hair tucked messily behind his ears, light silver glasses sitting low on his nose, hands in his pockets. He was wearing a sweater vest over a beige shirt and baggy trousers and was standing like a model. Something very off about him that you didn't immediately recognize.

"Oh." The interjection left your lips without your command. And at the sound of your voice, he turned around to face you.

-10:46 am, this morning-

You had left your apartment more than a long time ago, Yoonji was expecting that you would have arrived by now and waiting for your news. Had Jimin gone too? How had he reacted? She tried calling you a couple of times but was only met with voicemail. Maybe you didn't have a good signal up in the mountains. Oh, no, how would you keep her up to date now?

Her cellphone buzzed and she rushed to see the message she assumed was from her roommate. It turned out to be her ex.

"You didn't go, then?"

Yoonji laughed. How wicked of her. He must have just seen you arrive at the Manor, instead of her. So he was lying about not going, just as Yoonji had predicted. She flipped her hair from her shoulder dramatically and quickly typed her reply.

"Of course not, I told you I wasn't going."

She couldn't stop giggling like a little girl.

"Cool... Just so you know, I felt bad wasting this already paid vacation, so..."

Yoonji rolled her eyes, still giggling.

"Let me guess. You went by yourself?" How pathetic... He really thought his little trick would work.

"No."

Wait, what?

"I myself didn't go..."

Yoonji blinked.

Come again?

Your eyes widened when you realized the man in front of you wasn't Jimin. The man in front of you was...

"Kim Taehyung? What are you doing here?"

He was about to open his mouth to reply when your phone interrupted you. Without taking your eyes off the man and with a deep frown on both of your faces, you took it out of your pocket and answered. Yoonji's voice started ringing immediately from the other end.

"Amy! Finally! I've been trying to call you for ages. Did you arrive yet? I wanted to tell you Jimin isn't coming. He said he let Tae go." You rolled your eyes. "Can you hear me, Amy? The signal is so bad... Amy, the idiot did the same thing I did and sent Taehyung! Remember Taehyung? Jimin's best friend?"

You sighed. "Yeah... Way ahead of you. He's standing right in front of me." Your eyes traveled down his arms as he moved to fold them over his chest, tilting his head at you.

Yoonji let out an exasperated cry. "Ugh, man! So he told the truth... Look, I'm so sorry I got you into this. Amy, can you hear me? I hope you have no problem with him there. I know you guys are not close- wait, have you guys met? You have, right? Okay, I know you're not close but it'll be fine, right? Just don't pay attention to him and do your thing, yeah darling? Act the same as if Jimin were there, or as if you were alone. Amy, that's fine, right? You can do that, right? How is the house, is it awesome and totally worth it and you're totally not mad at me for sending you there with Tae? Huh? Amy?"

You sighed again. The signal was indeed bad. So you just hung up, hoping your roommate would blame your rudeness on that. Hiding your phone away again, you eyed Taehyung from head to toe. He was still glaring at you as if you'd stolen something from him. Well, I guess if he thought he'd have this whole place to himself, it was kind of like stealing. But that was only because he just happened to arrive first. Both of you had the same claim over the place. Or, well, neither of you did.

"Right, so..." you started since he didn't seem to be reacting any further. "I guess we'll have to stay together."

Suddenly, Taehyung started moving. His eyes still piercing yours and not a word out of his mouth, just a steady charge towards you.

"I-I know you didn't expect me-" you felt the need to mumble quickly, "-but I didn't expect you either!" Taehyung stayed silent, getting closer. "Okay, maybe we lied!" you exclaimed, your feet stepping behind each other. "But you guys lied, too!" There wasn't any more room to move and the man was now right in front of you, leaning into your personal space. "Taehyung, what-"

"Who are you?"

You were caught off guard. "What?" You thought he was joking, but he stayed looking at you with a serious face. "What do you mean who am I?" you sounded offended. "We've met before!"

"Have we?"

"Couple of times!"

Taehyung scanned your entire face before he shook his head. "I don't remember you."

Now you were offended. "I'm Amy!" you announced loudly. "Yoonji's roommate."

At last, he pulled away, his mouth opening in understanding. "Oh... Right, I knew Yoonji had a roommate by that name." He moved farther away but turned his head to you again. "I don't think I've seen you before, though."

You rolled your eyes and slipped around him to escape the place you had been trapped in earlier. "Alcohol does that sometimes," you snorted at him.

Taehyung rubbed his chin, looking at you differently now. You tried to avoid his eyes, examining the room more closely instead. The paintings on the walls, the black encyclopedia on the shelves, the candelabra and tea set on the small table. Every detail was thought of inside the house. "Why are you here, though?" he asked.

"Same reason as you, I assume."

He licked his bottom lip in the act of releasing a small chuckle. "Did you owe a favor to your best friend, too?"

You took out one random book and browsed its thin, yellow pages. "Actually, she owed me."

Taehyung raised his eyebrows in response, then started occupying himself with the little things around the room, as well. "They're ridiculous, aren't they?" You hummed in agreement and put the book back, moving along. "Do you think they might be done for real now?"

"No way." You moved to the smaller window behind the sofa and pulled its curtains away to look at the view. A hill decorated by a dense forest. "Yoonji is over her phone 24/7 waiting for him to text her."

He chuckled again. "I know for a fact Jimin is not taking this seriously. He laughs every time she texts him."

"As he should! She's a drama queen."

"Thank you!" Taehyung called out as if he had been struggling with this for a long time. With two long strides, he appeared next to you and forced you to look into his eyes. "Jimin gets mad at me every time I say that, but she is, isn't she?"

You were a little taken aback by how eager he seemed to be to find this one thing in common between the two of you: having had enough of your friends' relationship. You nodded with an amused smile. "Extremely."

He shook his head, pushing his hair back with a hand. "I honestly don't get how they make it work. Aren't they tired?" He turned serious again and looked at you with big eyes. "I could never have something like that. When I like someone, I want it to be Titanic, not Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

It took you a few seconds to reply, a little lost in his intense stare. But you shrugged. "I kind of get it. It keeps it fun and interesting. They've been together for three years now and yet it's still not boring. Like, they confess their love to each other every other week."

But he insisted. "I wouldn't need all of that to remind my girl how much I love her."

This was getting a little uncomfortable. He was a little too close, and a little too serious. So you leaned back and maneuvered around him, walking towards the door. "Alright, you do your thing with your relationship, they can do theirs." You turned to look at him right at the same time he did. "So, we'll be staying here together, right? I hope that's okay."

Taehyung shrugged just one shoulder. "If it's fine with you," he almost whispered.

You nodded once. "Well, as long as there is not only one bed," you smiled at your joke but he just frowned. You guessed he didn't read fanfiction. You cleared your throat. "The house seems big enough for the two of us, I'm sure we could go about our separate vacations without getting in each other's way."

"Sure, if that's what you want."

You nodded again and pointed to the door. "Should we choose our rooms?"

He clicked his tongue and moved past you. "Sorry, I have already chosen the big chamber on the east wing since I didn't expect company. You might want to get a room on the west wing to avoid me more efficiently." Taehyung walked quickly down the corridor without waiting for you, or even checking if you were following. Not that you had to be following, obviously. You thought he sounded a little annoyed, but you couldn't think of a reason why. If it was you being there, he'd have to get used to it 'cause you weren't going anywhere.

"Cool," you simply replied and followed. The man appeared in your line of view again only after you got in the lobby. He was standing by the staircase, looking at your abandoned suitcase. "I got it," you said automatically, only realizing he hadn't offered to carry it after he looked at you weirdly. You cleared your throat awkwardly, needing to change the subject. "Do you know where the kitchen is? I'm thirsty."

He motioned towards the corridor opposite the one you had just come from. "Down the hall, there's a small one," he said and started jogging up the stairs with his hands in his pockets.

You exhaled the moment he was out of view again. Being around him took up more of your energy than you expected. Which wasn't ideal for a vacation. The whole situation, to be honest, being isolated with Kim Taehyung in an old, strange house, wasn't ideal. You wondered if he felt so put out by it as you did while you walked around the house to find the kitchen. Definitely, you thought. He didn't want to be there with you, it was certain. Not necessarily because he'd shown something like that up until then, but because you knew exactly the type of guy he was. I'll tell you one thing: it wasn't a coincidence that you had such close, common friends, yet barely knew each other.

The kitchen was bigger than your living room, yet it was characterized as small? A long counter stretched all along the wall on the left, with three windows over it that overlooked the garden. There was an island in the middle and cabinets around the rest of the space. A very pleasant room, bright and with light colors on the furniture that went well with the green that posed on the window panes like self-illuminated paintings.

You put your whole face under the faucet and swallowed the very cold -cold like it was just now coming from a nearby river- water. After cleaning your dripping face with your hands, you did a short inspection. The cabinets and the fridge were filled with all kinds of foods, Mrs. Kim was right. You guessed that should have been the case, considering there weren't any markets anywhere close. But that also meant you had to cook all of your food. You and Taehyung. What were you going to do? Cook different meals or share?

That was a future problem. Now, you had to find a room. You dragged your suitcase up the stairs making a little too much noise and turned to the west wing without hesitation. There were a few rooms to choose from; a double room with navy blue wallpaper, a smaller one with a balcony, a more princess-looking room with a small bed and a boudoir. You picked the next one. It had a canopy, queen-sized bed with thick, purple curtains that matched the ones on the big window across the door, and a wooden wardrobe that looked like it was taken from the set of Beauty and the Beast. There was a small fireplace too, although it was not lit, it was still decorated.

A big smile appeared on your face at the sight of the cozy room. Perhaps the house would be worth it after all. Right before walking in, you quickly looked to your left, thinking you saw something, but when nothing was there you walked excitedly inside and closed the door. You tried opening the window to let some fresh air in, but it seemed to be stuck. Or maybe you just didn't know how to do it. It looked fragile and so you let it be, deciding against causing an accident. Instead, you took your clothes and your things out, organizing them around the room to make it more personal, and when you were done, you hoped on the rather tall bed with the softest mattress you had ever felt in your life and called your friend.

"Girl, you owe me big time after this!" you whisper-shouted at her when she picked up, still not certain of how soundproof the building was and not wanting to risk Taehyung hearing anything.

Yoonji giggled from the other end of the call. "Hey, girl! How is the Manor looking so far?"

"Oh, that part is fantastic," you said genuinely. "Still in awe you were stupid enough to let this thing go. But don't try to change my mind like that," you scolded her. You knew her too well for her manipulation to work on you. And she knew that, which is why she giggled again. "Why, oh, why is Kim freaking Taehyung here, Yoon?"

You could almost hear her pout. "Oh, babe, you know I didn't know he'd be there! It's not my fault."

"Well, yes, but when I agreed to do this, it was between having the place to myself or sharing with your boyfriend. I would–"

"Ex-boyfriend!"

"–much rather have Jimin here to annoy instead of stupid Taehyung annoying me," you said, rolling your eyes. You stared at the door then, thinking you'd heard something, but dismissing it as just the old house making noises.

"Oh, c'mon. Don't call him that. It's not his fault he got into this, either."

"You know how I feel about that boy!" you insisted.

"He's actually nice, Amy."

"To you. Because you're his best friend's girlfriend. He doesn't–"

"Ex-girlfriend..."

"–give a fuck about anyone else," you mumbled, playing with your hair. "Anyone who is beneath him and his stupid, rich ass is not worth being nice to, you know?"

Yoonji hummed. "I don't think he's that rich, he's just kind of famous. It's not the same."

You rolled your eyes and groaned. "That's not the point here." You got up and looked out the window. Air had picked up and was making the trees around the garden dance passionately. "I don't feel comfortable around him, so now I have to spend a whole week being weird and worried I might run into him no matter what I do."

Your roommate clicked her tongue disapprovingly at you. "Girl, I say give him a chance and get to know him. Who knows, you may become friends and when you get back we can all hang out together."

You smiled, raising an eyebrow even if she couldn't see it. "I thought you had broken up with Jimin, how are we gonna hang out all together?"

"Ah!" It really must have slipped her mind, too, which made it all that funnier. "You're right, don't become friends with him. You will never see him again, anyway," Yoonji was quick to correct herself.

You sighed, still smiling at your silly friend, as you propped one leg up on the window sill and leaned your head against the glass. "Can't I just leave, say, tomorrow?"

"Amy..."

"Too tired today," you added with a yawn.

"I think you should stay. First of all, if you leave, Jimin might come, and him with his self-proclaimed soulmate there would just make my blood boil, so we can't have that. But second of all, and most importantly, you are at a gorgeous Victorian Manor and all you do is complain about a gorgeous boy living with you. Things could be worse, Amy. He could have been an asshole and ugly." You burst out laughing. "So just enjoy it, okay? Fuck him and enjoy your stay. You won't ever get a chance like this again, Jimin paid for most of it, you know we could never afford that."

You rolled your eyes again, but as lovingly as you could. "Fine..." you succumbed to her words. "I guess I could put on my cute dress and go pick mushrooms and forget about the other guy."

Yoonji cheered. "That's the spirit! Go be a cottagecore fairy, baby, you deserve it."

"God, I hate you."

"Love you, too!"

Yeah, you should enjoy what you could from this. Maybe Taehyung wouldn't be such a pain in the ass. Not very likely, but maybe.

Next chapter

#kim taehyung #taehyung fanfic #bts #bangtan #v #fanfiction #multichapter #taehyung x reader #taehyung x oc #enemies to lovers #slow burn #agnst #bts x reader #serva me servabo te #save me and i will save you #chapter 1

[yanderecandystore]

may i please get a small fic about the loveshrooms?

I didn't expect anyone to like the idea, but I'm so glad you did!

I was going to bring a Yan Bakugou into the mix but- I felt like I could end up disappointing you in a way so I'll just leave it as a ambiguous character, what do you think?

Also, love shrooms is actually a really good name lol!

TW/Tags: loss of sanity and mentions of depressive thoughts // fungal contamination and mentions of diseases (and quarantine) // none gender specific (neither the reader or the character mentioned have their gender assigned) // touch starving // victim blaming mentality.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

In need of help [Yandere!Virus/Fungus x Reader - Short Fanfiction]:

They were laying in their bed, wondering what the hell was happening with their body. It's been a week since they started to feel this way, endless headaches, hot burning skin temperature yet a feeling of always being cold dominated them, as if they were naked in the middle of a blizzard.

One day they started feeling dizzy while they were at work, so their boss has told them to go back home and rest, and they haven't gone back to their jobs in a full week because of some random sickness they got!

That's what they thought back then, they thought that this was all just a little flu that had ruined their days, but no, it turned out to be something completely more different than that.

They have heard about some sort of disease outbreak happening in their town, something that was still fairly new and mysterious to even the highest of doctors and world leaders. It was so sudden, out of nowhere people started to show symptoms of some sort of new illness, something that develops slowly yet quietly.

The contaminated would feel all that they were feeling right now, if not worse, since a lot of contaminated have shown some weird aggressive behavior randomly. Those that were contaminated were told to limit their contact with other people, some were privileged enough to be able to stay in hospitals receiving professional care, but they couldn't do that, they didn't want to believe that they were contaminated by some stupid looking fungus.

They just… Really, really didn't want to see a doctor, even if the symptoms are getting worse and worse, something forced them to keep their mouth shut. They didn't want to go to a hospital, they didn't want any doctors or scientists experimenting on them, they didn't want to be trapped inside that pearly white hell.

They heard rumours about servers experiments being done inside each hospital available, which caused the contaminated to get even more desperate to get out of there.

The thing is, no one knows if the contaminated were the ones who had decided that they didn't want to stay there, or if something else was dictating that decision.

Apparently, the cause of such distress was a little mushroom species that have only been discovered after the first incident happened. An incident where the first contaminated to fully develop the parasite had attacked someone in the streets (well, allegedly attacked, since there is no proof of the guy actually hurting someone, but it doesn't matter now since he was eliminated before he could attack someone). After that the contamination had spread wildly, it was as if the existence of such a dangerous thing had just been announced and out of nowhere, the damn thing had taken a hold of people's lives.

In one second everything was fine, and then in the next they were stuck at home, feeling hopeless. At least they don't have to be the lab rat of some crazy doctor and scientist. Until now, it has been pretty easy to hide the fact they were contaminated, key words being "until now", guess what happened?

"- Fucking- itchy fungus." They yelled as they continued to scratch their itchy arms, there were visible pink and red blotches around them, and on top of that they were now hurting because of how much force they were using on their itchy arms.

They have learned that it takes too many weeks for it to develop marks around the contaminated bodies, and that the mushrooms spread and thrive in cold habitats.

And guess who was the idiot that has come back from hiking in a snowy forest about two weeks ago? Yeah that 's right! This imbecile right here!

"- Ugh, what the hell do you want from me?" It's been three days since they started talking with the fungus growing inside them, since they noticed that indeed, the fucking thing comprehends human communication somehow.

Or maybe they were just insane.

This was basically an everyday routine, the mushroom would get agitated, they would ask it what it wanted, and in a brilliant moment of concentration they would remember exactly what the mushroom wanted.

"- Pizza again? Come on, you're going to make me spend all of my savings on some lackluster pizza?" They said while looking at their colorful arms, they needed to cover them if they wanted to see anyone else soon.

You see, ever since they started to stay inside their house to not spread the contamination, they have been ordering pizza at a very terrible place that sold only the most boring pizza they could have ever eaten. No flavor at a cheap prize!

It seemed like the stupid fungus had taken a liking to the terrible taste of nothingness, so they had decided to obliged with the fungus wishes.

"- Stupid parasite, you're lucky I can't beat you for making me waste so much in daily deliveries." They continued to be grumpy about it as they put some clothes on, normally they love to spend their time alone naked, and apparently the fungus also agreed with the decision. What? It's their apartment, they can be naked if they want.

They took their phone and typed the number to the pizzeria, well, at least they never take too long to deliver their mediocre pizza.

"- Hi, it's Anthony's Pizzeria, how can I help you?" They heard a familiar voice come from the other side of the call.

Oh.

"- What-!" They yelped, almost causing the call to accidentally end right there and then.

It's you, it's your voice! They know it it's, they are sure of it!

"- … Uhn, hey, are you okay-"

"- I'm f-fine, sorry!" They have interrupted your question, they were so caught up about your voice that they forgot to order the pizza.

Oh but your voice! Your voice was so different in the call than in real life, it's so… Interesting! Yeah, that's surely the word they were looking for!

They have called so many times yet this was the first time you were the one to pick up! They guess that because of the contamination and quarantine stuff going on, they were low on staff and you were the one receiving the orders.

After all, you were the only person that worked there that would deliver their pizza every single time. It became such a normal thing that you two even know each other's names!

[Y/N], it's such a beautiful name, it fits the owner. Although they think you're pretty unlucky to have to work at a terrible place and also do deliveries to an unwelcoming neighborhood.

That's the reason why you're the one to always bring their pizza, it's because you're the only worker that they are willing to risk in such a terrible place. Fortunately, their only client around this area is them.

When they were about to finish their order, they asked if you were the one that was going to bring the pizza.

"- Yeah, it is me. You know, low on staff and all, why do you ask?" You ask them with that welcoming voice of yours. A hint of happiness graced your tone, you were happy that it was them ordering again.

Although you still think that their obsession with mediocre pizza is a little concerning, you ended up forming some sort of friendship with them. An odd one for sure, but you're still happy about it.

When you first met them, they would always give you some really scary vibes. They were so, well, cold and closed off. Never smiling, never giving tips, always in a terrible mood, etc.

But recently, they started to treat you with so much respect, even joking about your job with you. The first time you saw them smile, you thought you were seeing a completely different person.

You're still glad you found this new version of them. They look happier and you felt good for them. Maybe they have found their own happiness.

To hear your confirmation was the most exciting thing they could have heard all day! They were sulking in this disgusting room all day, yet hearing that you're coming makes them feel alive!

They can't even hide their excitement, you can hear them being happy and giggly over the idea of you coming over. Even if technically you're only coming there to deliver them their order and all.

When the call ends, they soon are brought back to reality. When they were talking to you, they felt like they were in the best place on Earth, yet when they looked around their apartment they could only observe the clues of a disgusting creature living in this dirty ass place without ever cleaning it, not even once.

It's a depressing sight, yet they have learned to deal with it. It was normal for them to be lazy and an absolute pig, although they are aware that even pigs are a lot cleaner than them.

They should at least take a shower before you come in.

And just as the idea of you being anywhere near them came into their mind, their personality had switched again, from a grumpy depressed loser to… to…

To whatever the hell they are right now!

Seriously, they were feeling like shit all day, yet at the moment the opportunity to see you comes up, they feel like their day it's already 100 times better!

They feel their heart pounding at an incredible passing, the water of the shower hitting their skin helping their temperature to cook down. They don't even feel so cold anymore, they feel- Powerful!

They feel better than the last time they saw you, which was yesterday, so it doesn't even make sense for them to miss your presence the way that they do, but still!

Apparently even the fungus seemed to be happier about this situation, as their arms weren't itchy at all and the headache they were feeling seemed to have stopped.

They thought the thing was only awaiting its meal, as all living creatures do when faced with the opportunity to get food without any efforts put into it.

It was as if the motive to actually fix a little bit of this place had suddenly appeared at the mention of your arrival! It was uncommon for them to do such a thing, even for a guest, and their neighbors can testify.

Not that they would want to be involved in their life either way, their neighbors know how unpleasant they can be, even to those that live near them.

To think your presence has such an impact on them and their life, even though they never experienced anything like this before, their sudden change in mood never really crossed their minds as being bad or unconventional. It just… Happens.

And- It doesn't feel bad at all.

Maybe this lonely loser is finally understanding the importance of healthy social interactions! Good for them?!

After getting out of the shower and putting their clothes back on, they straight up jump out of the bathroom to complete their next task, which was making their apartment seem a little more *pleasant", at least for someone that was looking at it from the other side of their door.

But before they could do much, their apartment bell rang and you called them from the other side of the door. You did something, however, that would soon be proven to be a bad decision.

You have decided to call them by their name instead of the usual "your pizza is here" or whatever the hell you used to scream so the customers could hear. You thought that you had spent enough time with them to be able to use their name in a friendly manner, which was nothing wrong with that, dearest! Is just that-

They haven't been able to hear people say their name in such a friendly way in a long, long time. It's both refreshing and terrifying how they craved that form of attention.

And what is just as terrifying is how fast they throw their body towards the door, like a desperate addicted trying to reach their dose of dopamine. But that comparison it's absurd, right? It has nothing to do with the current situation.

Oh no, wait-

"- [Y-Y/N]!? You came in e-earlier than I thought! How is everything going??" They would welcome you in, but the truth is that they haven't been able to finish all of the cleaning. Basically, they took all of the garbage that was in front of the door's view and put it deeper in their apartment.

Just like sweeping dirt under the rug, you were only able to see a moderately good looking apartment behind them, yet in reality, all of the dirty dishes and clothes that were previously laying around there, were now shoved under some tables in a desperate need to impress you.

Even if a little bit.

Because of how suddenly they opened the door and came into view, you got yourself a little spooked by the taller figure in front of you. They always looked pretty scary in your eyes, yet recently you started to notice that they have a softer side.

You can't help but associate them with big scary dogs, you guess that they only put some sort of facade to keep themselves appearing to be tough and strong and "scary". You can't lie that they got you pretty good the first time you met.

You answer them, telling how hard it has been to work in an awful pizzeria while the world is burning and a weird disease suddenly has been discovered out of nowhere. They tried their best to continue the small talk, yet it seemed like they didn't need to do much because soon enough you were babbling about your life.

They loved it, you were always so talkative, even to a complete stranger. They wanted to pay close attention to you and what you were saying yet they simply couldn't! Your presence was so overbearingly sweet that they thought they would have a heart attack!

I'm being serious though, their heart started to accelerate out of nowhere and a weird feeling started to arise inside their hearts. They felt so weird and uncomfortable because of the sudden sensations yet- It felt so good in a way.

They felt alive for once, they felt- They felt like they were capable of anything!

Yet they still felt like they needed something more than just… This, whatever the hell is giving them such a wonderful feeling. Could it really be you, the cause of such wonderful emotions to bloom?

Your skin looked so soft, your smile was so gentle even when you were focused on giving them their order, you looked like you cared for them so much that when you noticed their odd behavior you put your hand in their shoulder.

This one, simple little contact managed to get a hold of them and their thoughts, their breathing now way faster and frantic than before.

How long have they been without a human touch? They are pretty sure it wasn't long, yet they still feel… Shamefully needy.

They can't tell what's worse, trying to convince you that they were okay, or trying to convince themselves to not do something stupid. They didn't know what it was, but there was a suspicious feeling crawling up their spine, the feeling that if they didn't control themselves something bad could happen.

They lied of course, saying they were just- Dizzy and a little tired, that they were doing everything on auto pilot, and even if you end up believing them, the moment you take your hand away us the moment they regret not giving in to whatever odd urge they were having a couple of seconds ago.

You were soon about to leave, they didn't even notice that they were holding the pizza box and almost let it fall from their loose grip.

"- H-Hey, wait! [Y/N] I-" they sounded absolutely pathetic, they sounded desperate for your attention but at least it seemed like you didn't mind or simply didn't notice their tone of voice.

You were causing so much frustration yet you remained oblivious to their suffering.

"- Do you… Perhaps, want to hangout later? I-If you're not busy, of course…." They sounded like a teenager who just confessed their crush on someone, well, if they were trying in that situation, normally the other person would at least be aware of their feelings.

But no, of course they aren't and of course you only see their offer as a way to call you for a friendly date.

People sweet and naive like you used to get on their nerves, they used to ignore your type of person yet-

Here they are! Being pathetic and stuttering, the only good thing to come out of this interaction was that you accepted their offer.

At least you're kind enough to accept to meet this poor thing again in a more private scenario. Not in your daily "customer and worker" type of interaction.

And as your form goes away at each step you take, the intrusive thoughts start to come in again. Those thoughts, those pains from earlier, everything was starting to get back.

It really does seem like you're the cause for their problems. Their headaches, their low self-esteem thoughts, the stupid fungus itching their skin, all of that was your fault… Somehow.

In someway or another you were the one that would always show up in their dreams, in their intrusive thoughts. They closed the door to their apartment while slowly placing the pizza on their coffee table, since now their mind was starting to come up with the solution to their daily pains.

This is not about pizza, this is about you! About how you consume their mind, even when you aren't present.

Although, every time you're near them, they feel so much better, like all of their issues have gone away.

That 's it! You're not only the source of their problems, but also the solution! Oh, that 's perfect! They know exactly what they need to do to make sure you cure them.

Yeah… YEAH! YES! They won't need to suffer every day waiting for the next time to see you, they can simply have you by their side, right??!

Please, please tell them, please tell this mad person that you'll cure them of the same thing you contaminated them with!!

Please… They feel so, so cold and lonely. Their only company is a parasite who seems to agree with this person's mad, delusional thoughts.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

#yandere #sheep stuff #sheep's stuff #yandere x reader #yandere fanfics #yandere fanfic #yandere short fanfiction #yandere virus #yandere mushroom #yandere zombie #special delivery request #special delivery short fanfiction

[crystaljins]

River lead me home | 04

Characters: Kim Seokjin x reader

Word count: 8.6 k

Synopsis:  Ever since coming to the human realm when you were child, nothing seems to fit, and this was just supposed to be a simple roadtrip to help you find yourself.

Is that too much to ask for?

Spin-off to A long journey home

Rating: Teens

Genre: Adventure, fluff, angst

Notes: Omg I actually forgot twice in a row to post this LOL. It’s getting posted now at least!! I feel like I’ve had the sort of week where I’m extra tired. Idk.

Anyway I’ve been writing these HP prompts people sent in recently and I’m having so much fun! If you’re someone who sent it in, I promise I got your prompt! I’m just slowly but surely making my way through!!

Tags: @blue1928​

Masterlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 FINAL

It’s clear that you’re on your best behaviour after Jin agrees to travel with you. 

After your detour to rescue Jin, the river is now a seven day walk away. A few days’ worth of hiking will take the three of you to a village on the outskirts of the forest, where you will be able to purchase a second bedroll and more food and water supplies. After that, it is a steady trek past the Mountains of Delaria, at the foot of which you will be able to see the radiant night sky, clearer than in any other part of the realm. Following that, it is a hike through the murky swamplands, and then finally once the three of you cross the golden plains, which grow many unique species of metallic flora, you will finally reach the edge of the river. 

One would think that you’d be excited to be on such a journey, especially given the motives that went into going on it in the first place, but instead you are intent on making Jin feel like you’re an overbearing bodyguard instead of his friend. He feels like at any moment in time you are one leaf crackle away from pulling out a broomstick and sweeping a clear path through the forest for him to walk down. You flinch at the slightest thing- a bug lands on him and you feel the need to do a full body check for injuries. A twig pokes him and you’re ready to pull out a flame thrower. It’s clear you’re on some kind of self-assigned mission.

And it’s sweet, it is. If he stops and thinks about it, you’re obviously trying to make up for past transgressions. It’s nice, to know that you value him enough that his harsh words are motivation to treat him better rather than just cutting him out of your life. 

But. For goodness’ sake. It’s getting to be a little out of hand. 

“You’re shivering.” Jin groans, his voice raspy with sleep. You turn your head from where you are huddled at the base of a tree to where Jin has raised his head from his lying position to glare at you. He’d only been joking when he agreed to take your bedroll, but you’d insisted. And now it’s been a few hours and it’s not like he can get a wink of sleep with you shivering from cold a few metres away.

“I’m not.” You insist through chattering teeth, even as you hug your knees closer to your chest and release an indignant exhale that puffs against the cold air in a cloud. Jungkook, who is sound asleep in the pocket of your jacket, releases a loud snore. Jin groans and sits up, swaddled warmly in your bedroll. 

“I told you to take the bedroll!” He snaps. He doesn’t mean to be quite so harsh in his tone, and he instantly regrets it when you cower like a scolded puppy. It’s too reminiscent of times past. He always makes you flinch away when he’s just trying to make you understand. Why he’s worried. Why the things you do are reckless. What it means to the people who love you were they to lose you. But he can’t seem to separate the fear and anger that comes with that sentiment and what has resulted is you constantly thinking he hates you. Which isn’t true! He’s not mad and he doesn’t hate you... he just feels bad. And in all honesty... You can’t honestly expect him to sleep peacefully when he knows you’re miserable, can you?

“You said you wouldn’t sleep on the forest floor and I don’t have enough money for that inn we passed.” You mumble. You’re no weakling. You had promised yourself this was going to be the best trip of Jin’s life and so that’s what it’s going to be. You weren’t about to make him sleep in the cold when you’d dragged him to this realm against his will in the first place. Jin is silent for a moment, scrubbing a hand over his face. 

“I didn’t want you to give up your bedroll. I thought you were only joking when you said that.” He mumbles, shuffling closer. He stares at you for a long moment. He’s been procrastinating bringing this up with you all day because honestly, he feels awkward and he doesn’t know where he stands with you. Everything is weird and messed up- there’s so much history and hard feelings between the two of you, but at the same time you both care too much to give up. What has resulted is this weird limbo where the two of you are walking on eggshells around each other. But he doesn’t think he can last another moment of your overbearing actions, let alone another few weeks.

“Listen, (Y/N), I get that you want me to have a good time on this trip. I do. But really, you don’t have to try so hard. I actually would not enjoy it if you froze to death when there’s a perfectly good bedroll for you to use right here.” You bite your lip and stare at Jin. His hair is messy, and his eyes are squinted from sleep. He’s rolled up in your bedroll like a burrito and he looks comfortable and warm. You’re struck by the thought that it would be nice to curl up beside him, but you push the thought down as quickly as it arrives- you’re good at pushing away those kind of intrusive thoughts.

It’s difficult to articulate the feelings that have you on edge, but they largely come down to this: You don’t want Jin to keep seeing you as a burden. It’s not like it’s new news- a certain incident in highschool springs to mind- but it’s never occurred to you until his outburst just how frustrated he is by your relationship. But now that you know, you cannot bear the thought. The bruises and swelling have long vanished. Those are the last remnants of the attack on him by the Saishtas, but though they are almost gone, every now and then you see him stretch his shoulder in discomfort and you are reminded anew; to Jin, you are a pain. An inconvenience. An unwanted responsibility.

“I know.” You finally say. “But I really, really want you to have a good time. I don’t want you to keep thinking of me as this annoying brat you have to look after all the time.”

That’s why you asked him to come with you to see the river. You want to prove to him on this trip that he doesn’t have to constantly be responsible for you. You’re not an untrained puppy. And, if you’re being really honest, you want to go back. To the times before things got messed up between the two of you. Back to when you were kids and your biggest concern was what bugs you would catch at the river near your village or who could climb to the treetops faster. You just... you keep remembering his face, the night your mother announced her engagement, and his words won’t stop playing on repeat in your head. “I’ve let you step all over me our whole lives”, he had said. You... don’t want to be that person to him. Not anymore. 

Jin feels guilt eat at him when your brow furrows. It’s clear that his earlier words to you at the portal are affecting you profoundly. Which had never been his intention- he had been hurt and confused and had lashed out. He doesn’t actually think you’re selfish and immature. You have your moments, for sure, and he’s not about to go singing your praises off roof tops any time soon, but the level of guilt and self-loathing you are experiencing in response to his earlier outburst is more than he intended. 

You flinch when you feel pressure at the space between your brows. Jin is pressing his index finger into the crease that has formed there in your moping.

“Relax.” He sighs. “You know we could have just shared?”

He unzips the sleeping bag and spreads it and shuffles forward until he can spread it over the two of you like a blanket. He leans against the tree trunk you rest against as well. You find yourself huddling in closer to him, just on instinct, because as embarrassing as it is to admit to yourself, you’re freezing. And Jin’s body heat feels like the inside of a toaster.

Jin clears his throat awkwardly. He hadn’t expected you to cave quite so easily and curl into him like that. A peaceful moment of silence lingers in the air, however, until he breaks it.

“(Y/N).” He says slowly. “I know things have been awkward between us, and I know that over the past few days we’ve said a lot of things to each other, but I want you to know you don’t have to try so hard.” 

“I do.” You insist. “Jin... every word you said about me earlier was true. I’ve been so selfish, and immature and you’re the one who’s had to suffer because of that.”

Jin chews at the inside of his cheek for a moment, before dropping his gaze. 

“I was wrong to say those things.” He finally says. “You can be immature and selfish sometimes, but I shouldn’t have said it like that. And I shouldn’t have said those things about your father. I know... I know you’re trying, (Y/N). And it probably seems like I’m really harsh on you and only seem to nag you all the time, but that’s because I know you’re so much more than what you let yourself be. So please. Just relax, and be yourself. I’ve known with you my whole life- I don’t want a personality transplant.”

When he finally gathers the courage to look at you again, you are gazing up at him with round, watery eyes. The look in your eyes is a little overwhelming. It’s the same look you always give him; like he’s a hero, who can only do right. He bites his lip- there it is again. That urge, to live up to the image he knows you have of him in your head. 

“I never thanked you, you know.” He says suddenly, changing the subject in an attempt to overcome that urge. You merely continue to gaze up at him. Jin is always handsome in a way that is otherworldly, but up close he’s simply overwhelming. You can just barely make out his face, but even in the meagre light, your heart still does a weird pulse against your ribs when you meet his dark eyes.

“For what?” You finally say, and it’s a struggle for you to keep your voice even under the weight of his gaze. He shrugs and smiles, pulling you in close enough that you have to shift to avoid crushing Jungkook in your pocket. 

“For saving me.” He says. “I think I was too shocked earlier to say it, but I really thought I was going to die back there. So, thank you.” 

“You were in trouble because of me.” You point out. “It wasn’t bravery. If anything had happened to you, it would have been my fault.” 

Jin nods, pressing his lips together awkwardly. He doesn’t know what he can say to convince you otherwise, so he forgoes giving you an answer. Instead, he reaches his hand up to press against the side of your head until you are forced to rest lay your head down against his shoulder. 

“Go to sleep, (Y/N).” He whispers. “We’ve got a long journey ahead of us.” 

He feels your body relax beside him, and your head sinks against him. He cannot resist the smile that slides onto his face, and he turns his head away, lest you look up and see it. He’s missed moments like these. They are few and far between, especially as of late since you’ve been avoiding him more and more. In the silence that follows, he thinks you may have finally fallen asleep, but then you break it.

“Jin.” You say softly. The words are hardly more than a whisper, almost lost in the exhale of your breath. If he weren’t a guardian with enhanced hearing, he surely would have missed them. 

“Yeah?” He asks, allowing his head to drop so that it rests against the crown of your head. Tomorrow he will wake up with a kink in his neck, but it’s almost worth it.

“I’ve been avoiding you.” The confession holds a lot of weight for you. For just yesterday, you had had every intention of letting Jin fade from your life. Of letting your insecurities and sense of inferiority guide you. You had hated him, the way he made you feel, the way that you could never be around him without remembering all the ways in which you did not and could not measure up to him and the kind of people he liked to keep company with. But at the same time... you cannot hate him. You want to despise him, to let the feelings of jealousy and misery consume you, to continue to mope if your pity party, but this is Jin. The person who has been there for you in your darkest moments even if he did not want to be. The man who could not leave you, even when he should have. The man who had cradled you like you were something precious as you fell through into this realm.

“I know.” He sighs, turning his head away to gaze up at the fractured glimpses of the stars above. “I was letting you.” He confesses right back to you. The words hover between you and it forces you to confront how messed up the relationship has become between you. If you continue to do nothing about it, you really will lose him. 

But you don’t want that to happen. You know that now, after everything the two of you have endured together. You want him in your life. And it’s not too late to fix it all. You really, truly believe that.

“But I don’t want to avoid you anymore.” You announce, and Jin snorts. 

“I figured, since you pretty much begged me to spend the next two weeks with you and the fruit fly.” He observes, and you smile and look away. “Now go to sleep. We have nearly two weeks of hiking ahead of us and I have every intention of making you carry me if my feet hurt.” He sniffs. You can’t resist one last parting shot before allowing yourself to drift off, however. 

“Thank you.” You call softly, right when he thinks you’ve fallen asleep. He stirs slightly and glances down at you in surprise. You shift and peer up at him with sleepy but warm eyes.  And something about the look makes his throat feel tight and the tips of his ears feel hot and he is once again struck by the thought that you suddenly don’t look like the annoying little girl that he’s known all his life. 

Sleep doesn’t come easy to him that night. He’s not really sure why, other than the fact that he feels strangely aware of the way the warmth of your body spreads to his beneath the cover of the bed roll, and the way your shoulders rise and fall in steady comforting breaths. It must eventually lull him to sleep, however, for when he rouses, you are still fast asleep, but Jungkook peers at him with amusement from his position on Jin’s outstretched knee. Jungkook lies flat on his stomach which his legs kicked up in the air like he is a young girl at a sleepover about to spill the secrets of her latest crush to her friends. 

The pleased, almost catlike smile Jungkook gives as he rests his chin in his hands and kicks his legs back and forth has Jin instantly on his guard. He and the oversized mosquito don’t get along at the best of times, and Jin knows Jungkook well enough to discern that a look like that on the pesky pixie’s face only spells trouble for Jin. 

“So...” Jungkook begins, drawing out the “so” for an obnoxiously long amount of time. Beside him, you still snooze peacefully, unaware of the trouble that is about to unfold. Jin shifts slightly so that he is in prime position to glare at Jungkook with full power, taking care not to jostle your head where it rests against his shoulder. 

“What?” Jin asks. To his credit, he doesn’t snap or anything like that, which is rare when it comes to Jungkook. He has the unique ability make Jin lose his temper, which is usually a rare occurrence. (Excluding any involvement with you, of course) 

“Nothing. You just look very comfortable.” Jungkook observes, with a pointed look at your sleeping form. You shift and tuck your head more securely against Jin. His gaze flicks back for a moment, distracted by the movement, and when he turns back to Jungkook, Jungkook’s tiny smile has widened. 

“Jungkook...” Jin calls warningly, although he is unsure as to what he is cautioning Jungkook against with the edge in his tone. He just knows that he will not like whatever comes out of Jungkook’s mouth next. 

“When’s...” Jungkook has to pause in a fit of snickering, struggling to get the words out because he really thinks he’s that funny. “When’s the wedding?”

Jin is silent at Jungkook’s little joke, and Jin’s lack of response has Jungkook almost rolling off Jin’s knee with the force of his guffaws. The noise is loud enough to cause you to stir in your sleep. Jin ignores this, however, because he knows from past experiences that your bed could literally be on fire and you’d remain asleep. 

When Jungkook finally calms down enough to stop laughing, he pauses at the glare present on Jin’s face. 

“What?” He questions, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Is it really that offensive?” Then his expression turns mischievous. “Does it hit too close to home? Me implying you like her in that way?” His wings raise him up in the air so that he is eye level with Jin, and he lounges mid-air, idly examining his nails. 

“No.” Jin snaps, shifting uncomfortably. The weight of your head against him, previously comforting, now seems to weigh him down. He feels pinned in place, and his lungs feel stiff like they are refusing to expand. “I’m just astounded at how you can make such a ridiculous joke. I’d never like her.”

Jungkook shrugs, spinning around in the air so that his back points to the ground like he’s lying in a hammock, and folds his arms behind his head. 

“I mean if you’d seen the look on your face when she got sucked into the portal, you’d probably be thinking the same thing as me.” Jungkook points out. Jin grits his teeth- he cannot explain the sudden unease he feels, the way Jungkook’s words seem to burrow under his skin and make the world seem off-kilter. It’s not like people haven’t made jokes about him liking you before- some of his exes have even dumped him because they were so unsure about how he felt towards you. But this makes him uncomfortable, for some reason. The way that Jungkook watches him, seemingly nonchalant, but concealing sharp, observant eyes, just gets to him.

“Wouldn’t you have been concerned if your friend was getting sucked into a dangerous portal?” Jin retorts, oddly defensive. Jungkook taps his fingers ponderingly against his chin. 

“My friends are you, Taehyung and (Y/N).” Jungkook reminds him. “You’re literally members of the most feared species in this entire realm. I wouldn’t have to feel concerned. But that’s off topic anyway. Even if I were hypothetically human and could have something like a friend... I don’t think I would have pulled the same face you did in that moment.” He sits up and meets Jin’s gaze steadily. He’s serious in a way that Jin has never really seen Jungkook be before. “You looked like your entire world was about to end.” 

Jin is silent because he has no defence against Jungkook’s observations. He’d looked that way because he’d felt that way. He’d tried so hard, in that moment, to walk away from you. To leave you to your own devices. But then he’d been struck by that feeling- the fear of losing you. Of not having you in his life. It’s a similar feeling to dangling over cliff face by his fingertips.

“I’m just saying,” Jungkook announces, as reclines lazily in the air once more. “You go on dates with literally any female with a pulse... why not with the most convenient female you know?”

Jin stares in consternation at Jungkook because he is absolutely floored by the absurdity of Jungkook’s statement. Dating you would be anything but convenient. It would be the most troublesome, headache inducing investment of his life.

Suddenly, you shift once more, bringing up a hand to curl into the material of Jin’s shirt, and he allows his gaze to fix on you, on the way hair hangs in your face and your lashes rest against the apples of your cheeks. Dating you is amongst the stupidest suggestions Jungkook has ever made. Because dating you means... well, because it means risking you. Risking you seeing him differently, risking you seeing all the ugly things about his personality that you’re currently blind to... it means risking your position in his life. Because as it stands, you are already avoiding him and pulling away from him - if he were to date you and then things didn’t work out... he’d never see you again. 

This is all hypothetical of course. Jin isn’t even interested in dating you. He doesn’t and probably never will see you in that way. 

“Listen, Jungkook,” Jin finally says. “Maybe you got the wrong idea, but let me make it clear for you: I have never, and will never see (Y/N) in that way. She’s just someone I have a responsibility towards; nothing more, nothing less. Besides, back home I have a queue of women waiting for me- do you really think I’d settle for someone like her?”

The words sound harsh and rattle around in the air and Jin regrets them as soon as he says them. But he can’t take them back, once he’s said them, and the words are true. Or at least, they have to be true. Jungkook shrugs like he couldn’t care less, which, really, based off Jin’s knowledge of Jungkook, is probably true. 

“If you say so.” Jungkook says dismissively, and Jin is saved any further answer or uncomfortable answer by you rousing slowly. You blink sleepily at Jin a few times, and he only just manages to catch you by the forehead when you go to lean your head back against him and settle back into sleep. 

“Not so fast.” Jin scolds, secretly grateful for the distraction and wanting to dwell on something other than the unpleasant churning in his stomach Jungkook’s words have triggered. “No more sleeping.”

You groan and push away from Jin, ready to curl up on the forest floor. 

And Jin misses the disbelieving look Jungkook shoots the two of you in his distraction. Because he can’t see what Jungkook sees in that moment, and that is the thinly veiled affection and warmth that lingers in his eyes despite the scolding that follows. 

Jungkook sighs and shakes his head- Jin will figure it out eventually. 

++

The journey after that night is supposed to go smoothly. After your chat with Jin that night, you feel that a burden has lifted from your shoulders. You never realised how something as simple as talking to Jin could clear the air. It wasn’t so much the things that were said, but just the way that you now know that Jin is no longer holding it against you. It gives you hope, that things can be normal- you can be friends once again. So as the three of you set off, you expect the journey from there to be the light-hearted, soul-searching endeavour you had set out to have. 

Only, from that night Jin starts acting strange. It’s weird- you had felt so relieved and freed by your conversation, but it seems to have had the opposite effect on Jin. He is tense and cranky, always snapping at Jungkook. He’s never rude to you, at least, but he is oddly reserved. The three of you start to approach the edge of the forest- the bluish peaks of the Mountains of Delaria peak through the canopy overhead and the tree start to clear, but Jin’s mood does not seem to clear. You can’t find a cause or rational explanation for it.

Perhaps it doesn’t help that Jungkook seems to thrive on Jin’s irritation.

“I spy... with my little eye.... something starting with “T”.” Jungkook hums, right beside your ear where he is seated, cross legged on your shoulder a couple of days after that night. You spot Jin’s eye twitch slightly in the way that it does when he is really, truly annoyed. Today he has been especially on edge, and with each passing moment, Jungkook’s grin widens and Jin’s ire increases.

“Tree?” Jin suggests with gritted teeth, and Jungkook’s eyes widen. 

“Wow that’s the third time you’ve guessed it on the first go!” Jungkook cries, his voice laden with admiration. You have no doubt that it isn’t a genuine admiration. Jungkook is absolutely taking advantage of the older guardian’s foul mood.

“It’s the fourth time you’ve used “tree” as your word!” The outburst comes so suddenly that you flinch and Jungkook nearly tumbles off your shoulder. You wince- you had been trying to ease the tension that hovered in the air with a simple game, but you guess after four hours, Jin’s patience has run thin. It’s better than the conversation earlier that morning, where Jungkook was talking about his favourite romcoms and Jin’s hands kept twitching like he’s just barely restraining himself from going after the irritating creature.

“That’s not true.” Jungkook argues and you know he’s pushing it purely to be contrary. “Two rounds ago the word was “twig”!” 

You reach out hastily to plant a hand on Jin’s shoulder, hoping to placate him before he grabs Jungkook and launches him like a javelin across the forest floor. Jungkook would probably enjoy it, but you don’t know that he’d survive it. Jin blinks in surprise at your hand, like he’d forgotten you were there.

He then very subtly shrugs off your hand, in such a gentle manner that you almost feel like you imagined it. It’s weird- you don’t know why such a simple and meaningless gesture hurts, but it does. You quickly withdraw your hands and flex your fingers in an attempt to shake off the embarrassment.

“L-let’s try a different game!” You suggest in a desperate attempt to salvage things before Jin actually goes looking for bug spray. He glares at you for a moment, but then his expression softens just slightly. He takes a long, slow inhale and squeezes his eyes shut, and when he opens them again, his expression is calmer. 

“What did you have in mind?” He asks at last.

“It’s a word association game.” You explain hastily, knowing Jin’s temper is hovering by a thread and one wrong word will launch him into a Jant. “We count to three and then say the first word to come to mind. And then we have to say a word associated with the words we just said, until we guess the same word. Ready, Jungkook and I will go first, we play this game all the time.” 

You shoot Jungkook a warning glare to remind him to behave. You then inhale deeply and prepare yourself.

“Three... two... one...” you count down. “Leaf!” You cry in the same moment that Jungkook shouts “Tree!” In top volume. 

You aren’t quick enough to stop Jin when he makes a furious grab for Jungkook. You’re not sure how you get Jungkook out of that situation alive, because things go a bit blurry after that. And you still don’t have an explanation for Jin’s behaviour.

And if it were just his crankiness with Jungkook, maybe you could justify it. Jungkook, after all, is very annoying. But it’s his attitude to you that really baffles you. He suddenly treats you like you have the plague- he’ll accidentally brush your hand and then suddenly scramble away until the two of you are walking a metre apart. He refuses to share the bedroll again- instead he curls up on the cold forest floor and shivers the whole night, and any attempts to get him share like that first night have him responding with such vehemence you have to stop yourself from tearing up in hurt. You wish he’d just explain.

Finally, things come to a head right at the very edge of the forest, where the three of you will finally be able to enter a village and restock supplies and pick up another bed roll. The confrontation comes in the form of Jin screeching like his life depends on it. Of course, you are instantly on your guard, searching out the danger he faces and ready to fight off any intruders alerted to your location by his scream. But you fail to locate any obvious threats to Jin, who continues to dance about wildly, still in near hysterics. 

“What’s wrong?” You cry, managing to grab his shoulders and barely evading his swinging arms. Jin regards you with eyes on the verge of dislodging from their sockets, his face red with exertion and veins popping in his neck. And then his gaze drops down to his trouser leg. 

Instantly, the fight leaves you when you notice the most exquisite beetle you have ever had the fortune to lay eyes upon. Gaze filled with wonder, you instantly drop to a crouch and stretch your hand towards Jin’s leg, allowing the tiny creature to disembark from the dark grey fabric onto your outstretched hands. The sight of it brings back fond memories instantly, of playing in the sunshine with Taehyung, chasing such beetles in the hopes that you could keep them as pets. The term for them was “rabjou” but Taehyung and you had dubbed them “gem bugs”, for the shimmering structures that protruded from their carapaces, catching the light and scattering it in the way that a precious diamond might. You observe the shimmering ruby carapace as the beetle makes a slow march across your index finger, before turning to Jin excitedly, momentarily forgetting his odd behaviour.

“Look Jin!” You cry, holding the beetle close to him until he nearly goes cross-eyed trying to keep it in sight. “It’s a gem bug! Like the ones we used to play with when we were kids-“

“He doesn’t look so good.” Jungkook notes suddenly, in the same moment that Jin’s eyes roll into the back of his head and he crumbles in a faint. You barely have time to catch him with one arm, holding the other aloft in an attempt to protect the gembug, and it is then that you recall why Jin is not in any of your memories of the time spent chasing these bugs. 

Because he’s deathly afraid of any and all bugs. 

The bug spreads it’s wings and quickly alights from its perch upon your finger, leaving you to clean up the aftermath of its presence. You stare in horror, wondering how to handle this situation, but Jin starts to rouse a few moments later, much to your relief. His eyelids flutter and his head lolls in your arms. He blinks a few moments, staring up at you with bleary, disorientated eyes. A puzzled, dopey smile curls at his lips. But then full consciousness hits and his eyes bulge with horror.

And then he’s scrambling away from you like he’s been burnt by you. You didn’t even know the crab-like scurry he does backwards out of your arms was physically possibly. His eyes are so wide and panicked that for a second you think that maybe the bug has returned. But after a quick check over of your body for any unusual flashes of red, you realise that it’s you that Jin stares at with such alarm and panic. 

Something in you feels like it shrivels. Maybe it’s your heart. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact emotion. But just a few days ago, you had finally felt like things could be patched up between you and Jin, but now that he’s acting like this... maybe the gap is insurmountable. Maybe there’s just been too much damage. Maybe there’s no avoiding losing Jin from your life. You haven’t felt this hopeless since that incident in highschool all those years ago.

Jungkook lands on your shoulder and quirks an eyebrow when he notices the hurt expression on your face. 

“Why do you look like that?” He asks, ignoring Jin who is busying himself with getting to his feet and brushing the dirt from his clothes. 

“Like what?” You ask, quickly angling your head away. 

“I dunno... like you’re constipated or something.” He observes. “Or like someone punched you in the stomach.”

You bite your lip as you gather yourself. Jin has turned away with Jungkook’s observation. You are probably pulling that face because you are upset. But there’s no use in being hurt or frustrated by Jin’s actions- you need to understand them. You’ve spent long enough sitting and moping and being miserable, and you know now that the only way the two of you are going to get through this is if you don’t let his odd behaviour slide. You square your shoulders and stare at Jin, long and hard. His shoulders have gone tense and his back is facing you- you can see the tension written into every line of his posture. 

“Because I’m upset.” You announce assertively. You whirl on Jin, then. “What’s wrong with you?” You demand. Jin shoots a furtive glance at you and shoves his hands deep in his pockets. 

“Nothing.” He mumbles. “It was a bug.” His gaze flicks to Jungkook, who watches him curiously. You have a feeling Jin’s not talking about the gem bug. Annoyed, you step forward and press a hand onto Jin’s shoulder, forcing him to turn and face you. He avoids your gaze though- his eyes dart around like a they’re in a pinball machine, despite your best efforts to look him in the eye. 

“Jin.” You call sternly, folding your arms in what you hope is an imposing posture. Jungkook sits cross-legged on your shoulder with his ankles grasped in his hands. He looks like he’s watching an entertaining soap opera. “You need to explain. Why are you acting like this? You’re cranky with Jungkook and you’re treating me like I have the plague. Are you... are you still mad about the stuff we talked about the other night?” Your tone wavers just a little. Jin’s eyes widen and he meets your gaze. He looks so uncertain when he does so- nothing at all like the confident, clever Jin you’ve known all your life. It makes you pause. “Did... did I do something wrong?” You question and he hangs his head, scrubbing a frustrated hand over his face. 

“No! Nothing like that. I’m... I’m sorry if it feels that way.” He corrects hastily. “I just...” he buries his face in his hands and the tips of his ears go red, before he raises his gaze to glare openly at Jungkook. “Jungkook made a stupid joke and I was trying to prove him wrong. I’m sorry- it was stupid of me to take it out on you.”

You blink in confusion, while Jungkook starts snickering at Jin. You pluck Jungkook off your shoulder by the back of the tiny hoodie he’s chosen to wear today so that you can stare at him. He dangles from between your thumb and forefinger.

“What’d you say?” You question suspiciously. Jungkook shrugs and grins like you’ve just gotten him a great Christmas present. He makes no effort to break free from your hold.

“Just wanted to know when the wedding is.” He says, and he still finds the joke as funny as the first time he said it. You stare blankly at him, however. 

“What wedding? My mum’s?” You ask. Jungkook’s jaw drops. 

“No!” He cries out, as if the idea is offensive to him. “Yours! With Jin!” 

Jin has dropped his gaze and glows an interesting shade of red, and you can’t say you understand the situation. 

“We aren’t getting married though?” You point out. You shoot a look at Jin and the tips of his ears are nearly purple. They only tend to go that colour when he is really, truly embarrassed, and rare are the situations where Jin is embarrassed. “Are we?”

Jin splutters in horror for a few moments. 

“Absolutely not!” He blurts, the words choked and frantic. You’re taken aback by his vehemence. Is the concept really that horrifying? You shake the thought off as quickly as it comes and instead focus on the matter at hand; Jin was acting strangely because he was trying to prove he has no romantic feelings for you, it seems. Which... you already knew that. You’ve known that since you were in high school. You hate recalling that incident, but in that moment, it resurfaces despite your best efforts.

You had overheard him having a conversation with some of the other seniors in your school about how you how you have the same amount of appeal as an un-toilet trained puppy. Strictly “not girlfriend” material. It wasn’t a life-changing revelation or anything. And it’s not like you’d had feelings for him at the time. But you can’t deny that things had changed since that day. Jin had firmly been rooted in ‘strictly friends’ territory, and you’d been very, very careful to never let him out of the box he had placed himself in. And you’d done a really good job of never letting the memory bother you- after all, you’d long ago shirked the embarrassment and sadness of that day, and it annoys you that all these years later Jin is resurfacing the feelings of that time when you’re trying. so. hard. to fix things between you. You blink back the hurt tears that threaten to well in your eyes. You’re better than this- and you’ve never wanted him in that way, anyway. At least not since you’d overheard that conversation, you hadn’t.

“You could have just said something.” You mutter resentfully, and even you are surprised at the barely suppressed anger in your tone. Jin whips up his head like he’s been electrocuted. “Like I get it. I’m not girlfriend material. I’m not... I’m not trying to be your girlfriend anyway. And Jungkook’s a dummy who likes to push your buttons. You... I’ve been sitting here panicking over what I could have done wrong and it’s because I’m that gross to you that you need to prove to Jungkook of all people that you don’t like me?”

“Wait-“ Jin protests. “I didn’t mean it like that- I just-“ 

“It’s fine.” You cut him off and to be honest, you can’t really articulate why you’re so torn up over that. It’s not like he even did anything that bad. Just like that incident, back in highschool- he hadn’t said anything bad. He just pulls away when you touched him. He has just been making it very clear how he feels about you. But... it just feels like so much more than something simple as him not wanting to touch you. It’s not like you’re new to the idea anyway. A lot of girls in highschool and a lot of Jin’s girlfriends have always been jealous of your friendship with him and have been quick to point out the ways in which he clearly views you as a friend. And it’s not like you wanted anything more. Or well, maybe a small part of you did, but you were also smarter than that. You had better things to worry about then the fact that Jin doesn’t like you. And everything you’re doing is because you want him back as a friend. You’re not greedy. But... something still hurts. Even after all these years. Even hearing it afresh. “Just forget it. It’s not a big deal. We can just... go back to normal.” 

Not that you even know what normal is with Jin at the moment. Everything is so off-kilter and you’re so confused by everything. You swallow deeply, willing the hurt feelings away. 

“(Y/N),” Jin calls guiltily. 

You wince- not because of the tone of his voice, however. You wince because in the next moment you feel a weird stabbing sensation in the side of your neck. Confused, you raise your hand to your neck. What you find there is an odd, feathered device, tapered to a sharp point that is currently speared into the muscle of your neck. Jin’s eyes widen as he stares as it, and you pull it from your neck. You wince as blood droplets start to flow down the side of your neck. The feathers are a brilliant red, the colour of blood, and the thin pointed tip glistens with your blood. You’ve never seen anything like it, and a weird nauseous feeling floods through you, starting at the wound in the side of your neck and flushing outwards.

“Is that...” Jungkook questions, but then Jin is interrupting him with a pained cry. He flinches violently as a feather device whistles through the air and lodges in the side of his neck. He mirrors your actions- he plucks it from his neck and scrutinises it. You don’t think he’s realised it, but he’s started to sway a bit, much like you have. The nauseous feeling worsens, and Jin has gone pale.

“I think it’s a…” Jin trails away, squinting his eyes and shaking his head as he struggles to focus on it. His voice starts to slur. “It’s a tranquiliser dart-“

The three of you exchange fearful glances and that’s really all you have time to do before your vision swims. And then everything goes black. 

++

When you come to, you are instantly struck with the thought that there have been far too many kidnappings on this trip. You groan in pain, your head still swimming, and find that you have been restrained. Blinking open your eyes, you’re in some kind of encampment- the ground is thick and sponge-y and the houses seem to be made from woven twigs. If you had to describe it… they were almost like birds’ nests. The area is darkened- the foliage here is thicker and almost entire blocks out any light. Lanterns of blues and pinks line the path to compensate for the lack of light. On the edge of the area you see a muddy creek curling around the encampment. It’s more swamp-y than the forest you lost consciousness in.

Behind you, Jin also groans, and that’s when you realise you’ve been tied so you’re back to back with him. Neither of you can move your arms. And there’s a noticeable lack of the sound of fluttering wings. Your eyes go wide.

“Jin,” You gasp in horror. He grunts, trying to adjust his position so he’s more comfortable but he just ends up pushing you forwards. “Where’s Jungkook?”

“The pixie is here.” An unfamiliar, high-pitched voice calls. Your eyes widen at the interruption, and you turn your head to find a humanoid figure. Well, humanoid in that it stands on two legs and seems to have functioning arms. But if you were being pedantic about what living creature it resembles, you would have to say it’s more birdlike. Complete with a thick, yellow-ish beak like it’s an eagle, and brightly coloured plumage coating its entire body, apart from the white feathered head. It wears clothes- loose, airy fabrics like it’s straight out of a live-action adaptation of Aladdin, in a rich purple that compliments the bright red of its feathers. A brilliant plume of feathers sprouts from the top of its head and flows downwards like a waterfall. And held aloft in a clawed hand, protruding from the appendage that is a weird cross of an arm and a wing, is a small glass jar, with Jungkook snoozing obliviously within its depths.

“Jungkook!” You cry. Your eyes widen in horror. You immediately begin to scrabble around wildly, but with your arms pinned to your side with the coarse rope, and your back planted against Jin’s, you realise you aren’t going anywhere any time soon. You gaze around the camp, suddenly aware that this bird creature is not the only one- the sensation of being watched creeps along your skin and dozens of pairs of golden eyes peer at you, concealed safely in the shadows of the camp.

“Give him back!” You demand. Your feet stir up the soft, loamy soil you are seated upon as you kick about wildly, trying to stand, or loosen the bindings that hold you in place. Jungkook is no doubt the most annoying being in existence, but he’s also a precious friend and you couldn’t stand if anything happened to him.

“Calm down, Guardian.” The imposing, birdlike creature calls. “We will return this creature to you, eventually. We needed some leverage for you to hear out our request, for we knew we could not bind you for long.”

And it’s right- already with your frantic flailing, the ropes have started to fray and stretch. Jin does not seem to be as panicked as you, but he does remain still in a way that allows you to pull forward against the bindings, stretching them forward.

“Will you hurt him?” You demand. The bird-like creature turns sharp, hawklike eyes to the jar, peering curiously at the unconscious pixie.

“We will hurt him if you give us reason to hurt him.” It finally answers, tilting its head at you. The move is quick and fluid, like the way an owl’s head flicks around easily as it watches for prey.

“Hypothetically,” Jin cuts in quickly. “What would it take for you to deal with him without a reason from us? Just hypothetically.”

His back is to you, so he doesn’t see the way you glare, but you quickly turn your attention back to the bird-person, gazing up with imploring eyes.

“Anything. We’ll do anything- please. Don’t hurt him.” You beg. You are surprised by the ferocity of the protectiveness you now feel. The only time you have felt a similar amount of concern for him is the time he almost got eaten by a dog. The bird-creature glares down at you for a moment, still dangling the jar with Jungkook in it by the handle. It then combs its claws before the brilliant crest of feathers that flows from the top of its head and cascades down its body like a ponytail and steps forward. It crouches down low until it is eye-level with you.

“The two of you have brought the Saishtas into our territory.” It informs you. “And the Forest Spirit hates Saishtas. They are a foul, disrespectful beast and have been corrupting our swamplands.”

You cower away slightly- the sharp tip of the beak that hovers centimetres from the bridge of your nose could easily gouge out your eye and you’d be defenceless to stop it if this creature choose to do such a horrible thing. You can feel the way Jin’s back has gone rigid with tension behind you.

It straightens then, walking around the two of you to peer curiously at Jin. You crane your neck, trying to keep it in sight, but you can’t turn your head around far enough. Instead you feel Jin flinch.

“Our chief went to placate the Forest Spirit, and she has been taken captive. Luckily for us, two guardians came stumbling in our territory like it were designed by the fates.” It comes back around to face you and folds its feathered arms. The feathers flare outwards like sleeves of a baggy coat. “Rescue her, and we will return your… pixie to you.”

You glare at the creature, staring forlornly at Jungkook. It’s a dangerous request this bird is making. In theory, you could probably snap these ropes with enough exertion and make a grab for Jungkook. But you do not know why he is asleep or what measures they have put in place to ensure you can’t take Jungkook back by force. And you can’t risk his safety.

“What if we don’t want the pixie bac-“ Jin starts, but is quickly cut off by you throwing your head back to headbutt the back of his head. “Ouch! I just meant hypothetically- I was reviewing all our options before we-“

“We’ll do it.” You say hastily. “We agree to your terms. We’ll rescue your chief. Just please… don’t hurt him.”

Something in the posture of the bird-creature softens.

“Of course we get captured by Psittanurans.” Jin mutters resentfully as the creature, a Psittanuran if Jin is to be trusted, bows deeply to you. “Just our luck.”

“You have our word.” The Psittanuran informs you, ignoring Jin’s mumble. “We will not allow harm to come to the pixie, so long as you do not allow harm to come to our chief.”

It makes an odd, clicking noise, snapping its beak together and two more Psittanurans appear, wielding knives. They are in similar attire, brightly coloured, airy clothes, but all are in slightly different colours. One’s feathers are warm, an earthy brown with a deep pink plume of feathers atop the crown of its head, while the other is a midnight blue, like a peacock. They make quick work of releasing the bindings around you, and you and Jin quickly get to your feet. Jin rubs at his arms, looking quite sulky- he’s probably upset over being kidnapped yet again.

You glare at the main bird, the instigator, as it steps out towards you and reaches a clawed talon towards you. It presses the tip to your forehead, and you wince at the slight pressure.

And then your eyes widen as images flood your head- a dark cave, a bone white cliffside, their chief held captive, and Saishtas, lurking behind every corner. And the whole time, an overcast presence lurking behind every step of the journey- you can feel its churning fury, bubbling beneath the surface, and you shudder. When you open your eyes, the Psittanuran gazes down at you curiously.

“Do you understand what you must do?” It asks. Your heartbeat is in your throat and you’ve broken out in a cold sweat- you are not sure you have the strength to overcome this beast, let alone rescue the chief. Your gaze flicks to Jungkook, who has been so soundly asleep that you suspect it is actually some form of enchantment that keeps him slumbering.

Jin must sense your fear because you feel his hand slip into yours. His palms are slick with sweat, and there’s a slight shake to them. You realise then that he’s been absolutely terrified this whole time. You spare him a glance, and he meets your eyes head on.

You don’t know why, but you feel your heartbeat calm when he meets your eyes. It’s an impossible, terrifying task before you, but he’ll be beside you the whole time. That’s what the look in his eyes reassures you. No matter what happens or has happened between you, despite your fight, despite the weird state of things right now, Jin will be by your side.

You swallow deeply and nod at the Psittanuran.

“I do.” You solemnly agree, unsure what the journey ahead may bring.

But you have to save Jungkook.

#castlebangtan #thebtswritersclub #kim seokjin x reader #jin x reader #seokjin x reader #writing

[what-big-teeth]

Protect (Male Naga ; Fic Raffle)

And the fic is completed! As per the request of @teacupfullofstars​, this story features a plus-sized reader and a male naga. I had loads of fun writing this (the proof being the 9 and 1/4 pages saved to my Word processor)! So I hope you guys enjoy this one as well! Female Reader (POV) x Male Monster If there was one job perk you adored, it was traveling. 

Since your employment, your career took you across vast oceans and past numerous borders. And with every site you visited, you experienced various cultures, met interesting people, and saw amazing creatures—mythical and common—up close. All while diligently ensuring the wildlife you worked with would no longer be at risk. 

Not too shabby for an endangered species biologist, all things considered. 

But this go around? Probably your most difficult assignment as of yet. Not because of the dwindling number of sun eagles you’re attempting to save. Or the stifling, scorching humidity coming in from the Bay of Bengal. 

No, it’s all due to one of the wildlife sanctuary’s guards: Karan. 

Which is why you’re preoccupied with hoping he isn’t assigned to the main expedition today. 

“Really?” your tentmate drawls. “You know you can’t keep doing this, right?” 

You sniff and finish applying anti-chafing balm to your plump thighs, all while Maura gathers the silk spilling from her gland for the expedition.

“Considering how this awkwardness isn’t my fault, I can and will keep avoiding him.” 

Maura sighs, stopping the flow of silk once she’s braided it into a long thick rope. She tucks a white strand of hair behind a pointed, deep gray ear. 

“Considering how he and the other guards are sharing a campground with us and he’s their leader, good luck with that.” 

Part of you knows she’s right, which is why you bite your bottom lip…then quickly apply a layer of lip salve. Best to not get chapped lips during your stay in the jungle. You pull up your pair of breathable pants and tuck your socked feet into your hiking boots. 

“We’re close to finding the source behind the sun eagles’ dwindling numbers. So I can, seeing as we’ll be done here in a few days.” 

“Sure thing,” Maura says, heading over to the tent flap with her arms full of thick silk. “As long as you’re not asked to help boost the population with a breeding program.” 

Maura’s comment makes you pause in the middle of pulling on your neutral-colored, long-sleeved shirt. You know there’s a good chance you and your colleagues will be asked to help multiply the sun eagle population. And even though you’ll be paid handsomely by the government, is it really worth the naga-shaped headache? 

“Missy?” It takes a moment to identify the deep, male voice outside your tent. “You and Maura ready to go?” 

The tension winding up in your body rushes out like a flood. It’s only Bashnog, one of the guards.

“Give us a few minutes and we will be!” 

Someone else “tsks”. The sound has just a bit of susurrus to it. 

“We cannot afford to waste any more time,” Karan says, matter-of-fact. “Please meet us by the campground’s southern edge.”

“Speak of the devil,” you mutter. 

“Pardon?” 

“Nothing!” You scoop up the bottle of sunscreen at your feet. “We’ll be out soon!” 

With a final huff of air, Karan slithers away, rustling the leaves and sticks on the ground outside.

Maura glances your way, smirking as she opens the tent’s entrance. 

“What was that about avoiding him again?” 

You groan. Loudly.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------

The humid, summer air engulfs you as you tighten the straps on your daypack. With the way sweat gathers in your sports bra, you already know that personal, manual laundering will be a must tonight. Not only for you, but for your human peers and non-human colleagues that don’t handle heat so well. 

Bashnog spots you from the campground’s edge and waves a deep green hand in greeting. He smiles, one of his chipped tucks gleaming in the dimmed sunlight. 

“Sleep well, Missy?” 

“As well as I could, Bash.” 

Ever since you met the muscular, jovial orc three weeks ago, Bashnog took to calling you “Missy”. You didn’t mind as long as you could give him a nickname. Hence, Bash. 

“You’ll be back inside a properly air-conditioned hotel when this is all over,” he says, chuckling. 

“It’s not the summer heat that’s really bothering me...” 

You covertly lean to the left, looking past him. 

Karan stands near the front of the group, surrounded by the other sanctuary guards. He doles on instructions, his rich brown face as impassive as ever. You can’t recall ever seeing him smile during the time you’ve known him. Which, honestly, is a shame. 

With his tidy, yet short jet-black hair, high-bridged nose, and muscular body, you know he’s caught an eye or two. Especially since any guy in a sharp uniform tends to draw appreciation. And the yellow and brown scale pattern of an Indian rock python on his serpentine half compliments his skin tone. 

Hell, you’d be lying if you said he wasn’t attractive. But that spark was snuffed out the moment he stiffened then slithered away after first seeing you. Honestly... 

“Missy?” 

You turn your attention back to Bash. 

“You’re Karan’s closest friend. Are you sure I didn’t do anything to offend him?”

Learning the cultural norms and expectations of both humans and non-humans came with the job description. And yet, no matter how hard you wracked your brain and sifted through your memories, you couldn’t think of how you could’ve upset him. 

“Swear on my stronghold, Missy,” he says grinning. “You haven’t. Come on, we should join the others.” 

Well, that was totally unhelpful. You settle on taking Bash’s words to heart, doing your best to ignore the shred the doubt growing in your mind.  

He takes his place besides Karan while you head over towards Maura, who’s a few feet away, her arm threaded through her long coil of rope. As you walk past one of your male colleagues, Jamison, he lets out an insufferable groan that catches your ear. 

“…bad enough we have to deal with the black widow drider,” he mutters, “but we have to deal with having her in the front? She’ll only slow us down.” 

‘The black widow drider’ being Maura and ‘her’ being you. You stop where you stand and whirl to face him, ready to unleash a few choice words. But someone else beats you to it. 

“I didn’t know demeaning your co-workers was a particular talent of your, Jamison. Perhaps I should let your employer know.” 

Jamison jolts backwards only to land on his ass. Karan stares down at him through pinpoint slits surrounded by a warm gold. He crosses his arms, unknowingly showcasing the dark patches of scales dotting his skin. 

“T-that…” Jamison swallows loudly. “That isn’t—” 

“Enough. Discrimination of any sort has no place on this reserve. Fall in line where you’re meant to go. And stay silent.” 

Karan hisses out the last of his command, showing a hint of fang. Jamison clambers to his feet and darts away, kicking up leaves and dirt a hurried rush. That leaves you standing before Karan, your mouth awkwardly parted. You close it with a soft click and clear your throat.  

“Uh, thank you,” you say. Because that’s only thing your stunned mind can manage right now.

Karan nods then says your name. You wonder if you’ve both made some sort of breakthrough…

“You’ll be positioned up front behind me and in front of Maura during the expedition.” 

…and wished you hadn’t. 

“B-but,” you begin, almost floundering, “Bash is your second-in-command! Isn’t that his usual spot?”  

“It is. But one of my men, Arnolds, hasn’t been seen since the start of this week. We’ll have to make due with what guards we have.” 

Your mind recalls the tall, American expatriate with the charming crew-cut and even more charming personality. Unlike present company. 

“If you think that’s best,” you say, sighing. 

Karan nods, a resolute light in his eyes. There’s no point in disagreeing now, so you dip your head in reply.  

He calls out to Maura and calmly gestures for you to follow along. You do, taking part of the rope Maura offers you after she gives a portion of it to Karan. As she doles out the rest to the others while they fall in line, Karan ties his part around his waist then faces the group. 

“Everyone! We’re close to determining the cause behind the sun eagles’ endangerment. I believe this will be the first of many forays into their nesting grounds.” 

His eyes scan the group with purpose then meet your gaze.  

“As their territory veers off the public path, Bashnog and I have determined the best way to link the group together is through the use of rope made of drider silk. Please quickly tie your portion around your waist so we can move out.” 

No need to tell you twice. Once you’ve tied a secure, tight knot about your thick waist, you adjust your daypack and wait. After one of the guards taking up the rear gives the word, Karan instructs the group to follow. 

The trek down the public pathway is familiar as you’ve taken it quite a few times. But this is the first time you and your colleagues will head into the jungle. After about a fifteen-minute hike, Karan slowly comes to a halt before a gap in the dense tangle of tall trees. He holds up a clenched fist, a signal towards his men. 

“From this point on,” he yells above the teeming noise, “you biologists will be in uncharted territory. Working together with us will guarantee our quick arrival at the nesting site and future success. Remember this.” 

After a small pause, he pushes onward and you follow before the silk rope pulls taut. You have to take larger than usual steps to avoid tripping over the thick underbrush. But this isn’t your first go around with having to hike across cluttered terrain, albeit in a different climate. 

Talk about foresight; no wonder Karan enlisted Maura’s help yesterday. You turn back and look at her, hoping to start a conversation to pass the time. But she shakes her head, then juts her chin forward. Towards Karan. 

“Seriously?!” you hiss at her. 

Karan clears his throat. You bottle up the sharp annoyance bubbling up inside you. 

“Is there a problem?” 

And feel it dissipate. Instead of his usual no-nonsense tone, his voice is calm. Almost gentle, even. Strange… 

“No,” you say, licking away the beads of sweat gathering on your upper lip. But that’s a lie and you know it. “Actually, there is.” 

Karan turns his head slightly in your direction to indicate he’s listening. You flex your damp hands a few times and take a soothing breath.

“I know you don’t like me,” you say with a bit more edge than planned; screw it. “But it’s hard to apologize for an offense when I don’t even know what I did.” 

You brace yourself when Karan looks at you over his shoulder. Instead of the anger you expected, his features are twisted with confusion. 

“I never said anything about disliking you.” He glances away with a frown then sighs. “If anything, I—!” 

His clawed hand closes around your wrist in a vice.  

“Get down!” 

You fall onto your front, pulled down by his sudden movement. The rope tied around your waist goes taut then slack. Everyone else must be following Karan’s lead. 

Shots ring out. Your pulse hammers inside of your skull and your teeth sink into your bottom lip. Quick footfalls burst out from the thick foliage around you, overtaking the sounds of wildlife. Then a series of sharp clicks; your blood runs cold.  

“Never thought I’d see the day when the great Karan was down on his face,” a familiar voice says. “Will wonders never cease.”

Karan shifts his head up. He lets out a low, angry hiss.  

“Arnolds?!” 

Your eyes flit up in spite of your fear. Stomach dropping, you realize it is him. He adjusts the strap of the massive, loaded gun he holds in his hands with a smirk. “The one and only, boss.”

Then, as if to twist the knife further, he snaps his fingers. One of the unfamiliar men steps towards him and holds up a bloody sack. He reaches inside and partially pulls out a mangled, black wing. You swallow the bile and anger building in your throat. 

This is the cause of the sun eagles’ endangerment. Karan’s sharp claws gouge deep rows into the ground.  

“Why throw in your lot with poachers?”  

“Money, obviously. It’s one thing to have a nice little stipend from the government.” Arnolds smirks cruelly.  “But it’s another to find a growing need among the Black Market. You and I both know how valuable sun eagle feathers are for their incendiary properties. And the bodies of their deceased elders have been used to make tonics for ages. But as of late, there are high spenders who’d pay top dollar for a dead, stuffed bird.” 

Arnolds steps closer to Karan and kneels in front of him. 

“So I thought, ‘why not meet the needs of the important few while lining my pockets as well’?”

“You bas—” 

You hear a sharp click and glimpse a thin, black barrel being pressed against Karan’s temple. 

“Now, now,” Arnolds says. “There’s no need to be rude.” 

His cold blue eyes dart over and meet yours. 

“Especially when the cute little biologist you’ve been carrying a torch for can have a little accident.” 

You freeze, but a breath still escapes you. 

“What?” 

A sharp bout of laughter pierces your ears. 

“Doesn’t matter now,” Arnolds says. “Tell me what you think of this headline, Karan. ‘Top sanctuary guard found deceased on site; endangered species biologist goes missing’.” You press your body closer to the ground as Arnolds pins you in place with his sharp gaze.  

“Gotta keep the supply of sun eagles happy, healthy, and viable, right?” Arnolds stands. “Take her. Kill the rest.” 

Everything happens in a blur. There a knife against the silk rope. Foreign, clammy hands dig into your arms. Maura bears her fangs. You peer up into the barrel of a gun. An enraged hiss, an injured scream. A shot rings out. Darkness envelops your vision and you know no more.

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

You come to thanks to an insistent beeping… and something cool rubbing the inside of your forearm. You shift and the coolness gentle grasps your wrist. Someone whispers your name. 

“…Karan?” you mutter. 

“I’m right here,” he says gently.  

Squinting against the fluorescent light hurts more than it should. Doesn’t help that your head is pounding, too. But it slowly subsides and you come face to face with Karan. His red-rimmed golden eyes peer down at you and he smiles. 

“Hey there,” he whispers with a croak.  The corners of your lips lift just a bit. 

“Hey yourself. What…what happened?” 

Karan strokes your skin and explains. In the ensuing chaos, the sanctuary guards were able to fight back against Arnolds and his men. Maura was quick to down the more dangerous of the armed poachers with her venom, while Bashnog was able to disarm the majority.  

Panicking, Arnolds fired his gun and shot you. Thankfully, the bullet ended up passing through a non-vital area. But the shock of being injured made your mind shut down temporarily.  

“After that,” Karan says, “I saw red. When I came back to myself, Arnolds was downed with bloody claw marks across his stomach. I carried you back to the camp while Maura tended to your wound. Bashnog informed law enforcement of Arnolds’ plot. He and his remaining men were taken into government custody. And you…” 

His voice quivers. You gently pull your arm out of his grip then lace your fingers with his, being careful of his claws. He squeezes your hand. 

“I’m still here,” you say.  

“But you may not have been,” he whispers. 

Tears trail down his cheek, catching on the smaller scales dotting his face as he says your name. 

“I have never hated you. The reason for my off-standish behavior during the first day…that wasn’t the first time I saw you.” 

Karan inhales a silent breath then releases it.  

“A week prior to your arrival, I was made aware of the biologists who would come to sanctuary. Files, including photographs, were sent my way.” 

His eyes find your and hold your gaze.  

“Seeing your photo took my breath away.” 

Heat surges into your cheeks as you try to speak. But Karan gently presses the pad of index finger against your lips.  

“Please, let me finish.” You nod as your pulse speeds up. He pulls his hand away from your face and you shiver. 

“I did all I could to deny my attraction to you. After all, such a thing in a professional setting wouldn’t be conducive to our work. But when I saw you in person that first day, my interest in you grew tenfold. If I hadn’t turn and left at that moment, I feared I would’ve said something horribly foolish.” 

“Karan…” 

“So. To answer your question, I have never once hated you. If anything, you have been a constant thought in the back of my mind. And when at the forefront, you made the worst of days much more bearable. That is the truth.” 

You swallow at the lump building in your throat and smile. 

“That explains a lot,” you whisper as if sharing a secret with him. “Mind if I say something?” 

“What is it?” 

“The feeling is mutual.” 

He smiles, and it’s as warm as you knew it would be. Backlit by the lights above, he slowly leans down towards you. You close your eyes, consenting and waiting.

 A sharp beeping interrupts the moment, making your cringe. 

Karan hisses against the noise. The door to your hospital room opens and a male nurse rushes in. All while Maura and Bashnog peep inside from opposite sides of the doorjamb. The nurse begins chastising Karan, and it’s the first time you’ve seen him startled. You can’t help but laugh as the nurse starts pushing him towards the entrance, saying he can visit later, after you have calmed down. But there’s no way you’re letting this chance pass by. 

“Hey Karan!”  

He looks at you over his shoulder.  

“How does a date sound?” 

He grins.  “Perfect.” 

And you can’t help but silently agree.               

#monster boyfriend #monster/human #monster romance #exophilia #naga #terato #100 follower raffle #hope you all enjoy! #female reader #fem reader

[ampleappleamble]

—

It was a day's hike to the cliffs, and a day's hike back. Pallegina went anyway, of course.

It was a good opportunity to assess the members of this ragtag band she was joining up with, as combatants and as people. Overall, she was fairly impressed with their martial skills– their tactics and group cohesion were sound, but she was sure to make note of their evident lack of formal training and quality equipment. She'd found herself pleasantly surprised at their generosity and inclusiveness, sharing food and drink and smoke and stories as freely with their feathered newcomer as they did with one another. No one had even brought up her "divine heritage" until they'd been sitting around the campfire that first night, and the aumaua who'd broached the subject had actually managed to look appropriately bashful as he'd done so. Although in retrospect, an Avian Godlike woman in a brotherhood of paladins probably wasn't too outlandish a concept for these kith, considering that their squad leader was apparently an Awakened Watcher.

Pallegina had been fielding annoying, invasive questions posed by strangers about her body and her soul for her entire life, but Axa was a newly-minted freak, it seemed, and so was not quite sick of talking about it just yet. And her friends weren't either: with minimal prompting, Aloth had recounted her nightmares and her past life memories, Edér had remembered her staring at the tree in Gilded Vale for nearly half an hour, Kana had practically rhapsodized about her conversations with ghosts in caves and in dungeons. And the next morning, as the group stood on the bluff overlooking the sea, Sagani had handed Axa a misshapen little lump of adra, and Pallegina had watched as the orlan peered through it and into the In-Between.

She'd been told the woman was a Watcher, and she'd more or less accepted it as truth, but the paladin hadn't exactly been expecting a demonstration just yet. After a few minutes of watching the little woman sway to and fro in the wind, apparently mesmerized by the adra carving the dwarf had given her, concern for her wellbeing had compelled Pallegina to approach and take her by the shoulders, attempting to shake her out of it before she wobbled her way over the cliff's edge.

"Everything... all right in there?" she'd muttered, lightly slapping the little woman's cheek.

"Adra arch," Axa had rasped in reply, violet eyes wild and unfixed. Sagani had gently pried the carving from her fuzzy hands then, smiled compassionately at the other two women before asking Edér where in the Dyrwood an adra arch might stand.

That was... very strange. But stranger things have happened, Pallegina had reminded herself. She'd kept reminding herself of that as they'd made their way back to the city, as she listened to the others' stories of reincarnated souls and mysterious cults, dead brothers and ancient tablets and a haunted castle this eccentric little woman called home.

Ambassador Agosti had been less than pleased to receive his agent nearly three days after Verzano had been cut loose, and accompanied by a pack of disheveled strangers no less. But Axa was nothing if not a fierce defender of her troops, it seemed, and although she'd made a valiant effort to keep her comments civil, eventually Agosti had frayed the little woman's last nerve with his dismissive arrogance and insinuated threats, finally ending up on the receiving end of a tongue-lashing himself for once. Pallegina had known then that she'd chosen her new companions wisely, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning at Agosti as he stammered and sweated under the orlan's indignant outburst.

Her amusement at Axa's antics had been soundly quashed, however, by the new assignment laid upon her shoulders, one that she had dreaded might be in the works but had hoped would never actually be implemented– the negotiation of a new trade agreement between the Vailian Republics and Eir Glanfath, one that took blatant, vicious advantage of the Dyrwood's badly weakened state due to the Hollowborn crisis. It made sense in the short term, financially and practically, for the merchants of the Republics to step in and take the reins where the Dyrwoodans would not. But what gave Pallegina pause were the long term political implications of essentially kicking the Dyrwood while it was down, especially now at such a crucial juncture in the deciding of the country's legislation regarding animancy. If the Ducs Bels willfully chose to make an enemy of the Dyrwood now, it could have long-reaching consequences that could do untold damage to the Republics in the years to come, particularly for the animancy community. Animancers were already under attack in this country, superstitious types blaming them for causing this soul plague by somehow invoking the wrath of the gods, as well as for their ill-fated attempts at curing the nation's blighted children. Would the people of the Dyrwood, fiery and reactionist as they were, still tolerate animancy at all should the Republics, animancy's shining champion, stab them in the back while they were at their weakest and least reasonable? What would become of Vailian animancy without competition to keep them sharp, or collaborative efforts to keep them abreast of the latest developments? Even if animancy was permitted to continue in the Dyrwood, its practitioners would be loathe to share their discoveries with their Vailian counterparts, leading to an inevitable stagnation in the soul sciences– or even worse, the Republics could potentially fall behind the Dyrwood, languishing in the past while the Dyrwood moved ahead, forging the future without them...

No. This was not permissible, not after all the Republics and its animancers had done for her. But still, she had her orders. Now all she had to do was carry them out, one way or another.

"Twin Elms is a good long way from here," Sagani reassured her afterwards at their table at the Charred Barrel, swirling her ale around in her tankard and feeding her fox under her chair. "And Axa'll find more than enough distractions along the way, I'm sure. Plenty of time to come up with some sort of... creative interpretation of your orders."

Pallegina tried to smile, but only produced a weak grimace. "Then I hope our Watcher friend is more 'creative' than I am. I have many strengths, but subterfuge has never been one of them. And one can only openly defy the powers that be so many times before their patience runs out." She stared pensively into her wine as she spoke, couldn't help but think of Verzano's fate, Agosti's warnings.

"I'll drink to that," Edér mumbled around his mouthful of roast pork and potato, raising his cup in a commiserative gesture before knocking it back. "Axa ain't much for bullshittin' folks– not as far as I've seen, anyway– but she's got a knack for solvin' problems, and for pushin' her luck 'n' gettin' away with it. If anyone can finagle some kinda deal that'll keep your ducs happy without totally screwin' over the Dyrwood, I'd wager it'd be her."

"Elegantly stated, Edér," Aloth deadpanned, rolling his eyes and pushing his food around on his plate. "Speaking of Axa, she's been away from the table for quite a while now..." The elf lifted his head, anxiously scanning the throng of diners, drunks, and debutantes. "If I recall, she only said she wanted to catch up with Ingroed and Nonton, but I don't see her at the bar anymore."

"Ingroed and Nonton?" Pallegina glanced around idly and spotted the little woman almost immediately– that bold red hair was unmistakable, even when mostly obscured behind the fat asses and round bellies of the taller kith surrounding her. "More friends, I assume?"

"Couple of folks from my hometown, Gilded Vale. She helped 'em outta a rough spot." The blond man glanced over at the bar, smiling at his former neighbors.

Kana looked up from his dinner, face flushed with drink. "Ah! Are those the ones who set a trap for the dead man in the bear's den?" He beamed at Pallegina, practically glowing with enthusiasm. "You must have her tell you the tale, my lady. A truly inspiring account of our Watcher's unique insight at work. She learned of their betrayal from the spirit of the victim, you see! But there's a tragic twist–"

"Hey, now, don't spoil the ending, big fella, you wasn't even there. Let her tell it." Edér had caught sight of Axa too, just as she'd turned away from the well-dressed elf she'd been speaking with, and he beckoned the redhead back to their table with a wave of his hand. The stranger watched her go, nervously fiddling with his ostentatious jewelry as she sauntered back to her friends, while Pallegina tried to remember where she'd seen him before, his eyes widening in alarm as he caught her staring at him.

"Talking about me behind my back again?" Axa sighed, grinning and shaking her head as she clambered back into her seat. "Gods, I can't leave you scoundrels alone for a second. They didn't tell you a bunch of ghost stories, did they?" She winked at Pallegina, and the paladin noticed just how tired the orlan looked.

"Only the true ones!" Kana laughed a bit too loudly– not atypical of him, but the alcohol certainly amplified his natural exuberance. Aloth delicately scooted his chair away from the overly jolly giant, vexation plain on his face.

If Axa noticed anything unusual, she didn't mention it, only chuckled and took a long drag from her pipe. "Found out where your adra arch might be, Sagani. Turns out it's somewhere over by Twin Elms, believe it or not." She glanced up at Pallegina, a cautious little smile on her tawny face. "Unfortunately, I've also heard tell that the road leading there is badly flooded right now due to inclement weather. So it looks like we'll have some time to kill before we can head over that way."

"Belfetto," Pallegina sighed. She appreciated the attempt to cheer her up, letting her know she had time to decide how to handle the Ducs' request, but she had a feeling that the longer she dwelled on her predicament, the more it would weigh on her mind.

Aloth leaned close to the little woman. "I take it this means we're to head for the catacombs on the morrow, then?" He looked simultaneously anxious and eager, as though preparing to take on a task he knew to be important but especially onerous. A familiar burden, Pallegina mused.

"Ah... perhaps," Axa replied, looking away quickly. "There are a few other things I'd like to tend to first, though, if you're all amenable. I was just talking to that elf over there, the one in the fancy robes with all the gaudy jewelry, and he's asked me to do him a favor. See, he has this friend who's a courtesan at the, uh, at the Salty Mast..."

She winced as everyone at the table put down their forks and goblets and gave her their undivided attention.

Pallegina downed the rest of her wine.

—

#pillars of eternity #fic wip #poe anthem infinitum #writing pallegina really takes it outta me #so serious and dutiful #gotta get back to my strengths: dick and fart jokes #and making everyone else react to axa's wacky antics

[roguesandsaviors]

Wanting In

Fandom: Sicario

Characters: Matt Graver, Alejandro Gillick,  Charly Dunn (OFC), Kate Macer, Reggie Wayne

Pairing: None

Summary: There was a third member that joined the team that Matt Graver created. She holds different views on the ending events of the movie than Kate did.

Word Count: 2,064

Rating: SFW

Warning: Explicit language, mentions of violence, references of drugs related to movie events

****************************************************************************************

Kate was less than pleased. We were being used. It was never about us making a contribution to the team. Nothing more than a technical necessity. We were the means to an end for the operation. Sure, it rubbed me the wrong way but in the end, what was done was done and the job getting finished was more important than my feelings on the situation. Something had to change and if it took means that were less by the book then so be it. Kate and Reggie didn't have that sort of view as we suited up.

Relegated to the back of the squad, I checked over my weapon a couple of times. The military team assembled would likely take care of any bodies that we ran into but that didn't mean someone couldn't slip through. I didn't want to be caught unaware and unprepared. 

There was a quiet anticipation that rippled through the men. I felt that creeping chill up my spine, a surge of adrenaline exploding in preparation of what was to come. A sure gun fight and nothing got the blood pumping more quickly. The SUVs stopped in the middle of nowhere, guided by the eye in the sky towards the entrance to the tunnel. Cracking my neck, I exited the car and took my spot towards the rear of the group. 

The hike to the entrance was uneventful. Alejandro was sent in first, quickly followed by the head of the military team. I felt like I was practically chomping at the bit, especially when the ringing of gunfire in a confined space started echoing out. Forgoing caution and reminders to stay back, I pressed ahead of Reggie and Kate. Sweeping in every direction I could, there was nothing. The gunfire hadn't stopped. 

A turn came up and a quick sweep to the left had me nearly face to face with one of the runners. His weapon was quickly aimed at my chest. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, watching as his body fell. 

"Shit." 

"You good?"

"Good." I responded quickly to whoever had asked before we moved on. Clears began to be called out as the gunfire ceased. Just as I went to turn to regroup, I noticed Kate heading off. This wasn't going to be good. My choices were to let her fuck something up or go follow her and try to stop whatever it was that she thought she could do. Making the decision, I took off after her. If the others wanted to be pissed about it, oh well. 

She didn't seem to realize that I was following her. A concerning fact for numerous reasons. She exited just ahead of me and I had to double time in so I didn't lose her. 

I exited the tunnel and nearly groaned. Alejandro had an officer at gunpoint while Kate was attempting to hold him. I raised my weapon and settled it squarely on Kate. 

"That's enough. Drop the weapon Kate." I took a leap of faith in the fact that Alejandro wouldn't shoot me too. It didn't seem like the style of the operations but I had been wrong before. A few tense moments of silence passed.

"He has an officer Charly."

"Who is carrying drugs in the back of his squad car. He's corrupt and part of the cartel. Drop your gun Kate." She refused to, shaking her head. It only took her turning her head towards me for a moment for the opportunity to arise.

The shot was fired and Kate went down. I relaxed, dropping my weapon down as Alejandro moved over to her. The bullet had hit her kevlar. He wasn't looking to kill, just incapacitate her for some time. I could hear her gasping from over here. That sort of shot hurt and smarted for weeks.

"Don't ever point a weapon at me again." I didn't make a move to stop the operative as he got into the car with the officer and drove over. Moving over to Kate, I attempted to help her up. She was still gasping for breath. 

"That was real fucking stupid," I grumbled before hauling her to her feet. She shoved me back immediately. 

"Stupid?! He had that man at gunpoint. Do you know what he is going to do? None of this is okay!" 

"I know full well what he is going to go off and do. We need to get you back. Come on. Before they send the guys back in." I reached forward and grabbed her by the vest. "Besides, it's gonna be a good idea to get your chest looked at. Kevlar stopped it but that doesn't mean it didn't crack a rib."

"How are you okay with this?!" She was still pissed. Each and every word had a gasp between it as she struggled to get her breath back.

"Because it's not our call! Wake the fuck up Kate. You think the stash houses we raid, or the homes used to hide bodies after the fact are making a damn bit of difference? Because if you do, please fucking enlighten me on where I can see it. I don't. More people are dying every day because those fuckers are allowed to do as they please and live like kings." I wasn't in the mood for her bullshit and just wanted to get back. "Come on. Before they come back looking for us." I grabbed her by the vest again and began to pull her back through the tunnel. 

We made it back just as the men were coming back towards the tunnel. Kate, still trying to recover from the bullet, tore from my grip and lunged at Matt, landing a hard looking hook. I groaned and looked towards the sky, the night was over but she demanded to cause trouble. 

Reggie moved forward only to be shoved to the ground by a few of the other guys while Matt worked on grabbing Kate and trying to calm her down. Eyes were on me and I held up my hands, not intending on causing any trouble. 

"Good work guys." I moved passed Reggie plastered to the ground and gave Matt and Kate some privacy.

*****

Standing next to Matt as he unloaded his gear from his body, I shook my head. Kate and Reggie had already left, Kate pissed off by what had happened and what she had seen while it just had added a whole gallon of gasoline to the fire for me. Was it legal? Not really. Did I give a shit about that? Absolutely not.

"I want in. Not that halfass fucking bullshit Matt. I don't wanna be kept around for shit that you can't pull unless you have someone to use as a puppet." He wasn't looking at me but it was obvious he was listening. I would have said the same to Alejandro if he was there too. He was still across the border, taking care of business. "I'm sick of spinning my wheels. I can take out bad guy after bad guy in the streets before breakfast and I have three more taking their place by fucking lunch. This? This is making a difference and I want part of that. I don't care what I have to sign or what lies I gotta tell, fuck I'll dig my own grave." The past couple of days had been a hell of a ride and more eye opening than I expected. It had served as a reminder that it was possible to get more things done than what my current restrictions allowed. Kate may not have been able to wrap her head around that, she may have wanted to do everything by the book to a tee. The other side wasn't playing by those rules. It was kill or be killed and only that mentality was going to give us the chance to get a grip on this thing before it became any worse.

There was a smirk on his face when he finally turned to look at me. Hip propped against the SUV, he crossed his arms over his chest. 

"What makes you think we're adding to the team?" He held the cards and he knew it. I had to quell any frustration at the smirk and the ploy. He was dangling bait in front of me and I couldn't bite. At least he wasn’t playing the gender card. I knew that there weren’t a lot of women that were willing to get their hands as dirty as he surely did on a constant basis. 

"It isn't a team. You take assignments and build from there." A hand ran over my dirty, sweat stained face, nearly cringing at the feel. That wouldn't serve my cause though. "I'll up and quit my position now. Resign and not think twice about. Sign whatever paperwork you want me to. I gotta do shit that matters more, that actually hits where it counts. Otherwise the bullet I take in the streets means shit. At least if my head gets cut off, it means I've pissed someone off and hopefully taken a few of the assholes down with me." A moment of silence settled between us, only broken by the grunt of a soldier or the like storing their gear and getting into their SUVs. 

"Get in the car." It wasn't an answer and as much as I wanted to push for one, it was better not to. There were only so many boundaries I could press at the moment. Biting the inside of my cheek, I slid into the backseat without another word. Steve and Matt were both silent as the engine was turned over and we took off. That was a rare occurrence over the past several days. Further proof that things were likely done. 

The desolate, nearly pitch black desert landscape went flying by outside the window. Not that I could see any of it but it gave me something to concentrate on rather than the question looming overhead.  There was no way to know what was happening in Matt's head. He didn't exactly have the power to make that call. I knew that. But he had the influence to make it happen. A shower and a beer sounded about good right then as the adrenaline rush began to die down. The job was accomplished and it meant that we could relax for just a bit. 

Arriving at the motel, the car was still in silence. The desire to throw a fit was strong, press and demand but that wouldn't be how I won this. No, I had to head back to my apartment, get myself cleaned up and wait. Slipping from the car, I knew it wasn't entirely over since I would have to sign paperwork and Matt didn't seem keen on getting any of that done tonight. Without another word, I headed to my car and settled in. There was a moment where I couldn’t drive away, stuck in that shitty motel parking spot as the entire situation washed over me. I would stick by what I had told Matt but there was a second of panic over what I had witnessed and seen now that the adrenaline had fully worn off. That wasn’t unusual, even on shit I did on a normal day. The implications of this were far bigger though and it couldn’t be ignored. Flexing my hands against the steering wheel, I let out a slow breath. There was nothing to be done about it now and it didn’t change the fact that I wanted it more than ever.

The drive home was quiet. I didn’t feel like putting on music or even talking this whole thing out with myself. Sometimes hearing the pros and cons aloud was helpful but not now. I was in the shower when the phone rang. The ringtone was odd though. Poking my head out, I could see a light coming from my pocket. Curious enough, I stepped out of the shower and crouched. There was a phone, one that wasn’t mine, nestled into a pocket of my pants. 

The caller ID came up as “Pick up the fucking phone”. Frowning, and against some better judgement, I pressed the answer button.

“Hello.”

“Wasn’t sure you would actually listen and pick up.” Graver’s voice echoed through the speaker. “So you want in.” 

#sicario #Matt Graver #Sicario fanfic #Matt Graver fanfic #Josh Brolin #Josh Brolin characters #my writing #my fic #my oc

[hb-writes]

Can be get a little look at chapter 23? 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

It doesn’t matter if later you delete it and don’t put it in ffn

Ask and you shall receive! I’m actually just about ready to post the full thing (maybe tonight?)

LLB: Chapter 23 - The Deductionist (a preview) 

A knock sounded off the door at number six and Clara sat herself up a bit straighter, clearing her throat as Finn came through.

“Please, do come in, my good sir,” Clara said before turning to Isiah. “Isn’t it just as I said, Dr. Jesus? Our visitor has come at the exact moment his message said. Most prompt.”

“Yes, yes, this is most excellent, my dear friend,” Isiah said. 

“Elementary,” Clara answered as she turned back to Finn. “Please do shut the door, young chap. You must have a most terrible chill. I can tell from your red cheeks and the shivering of those shoulders. Come in, sit with us here by the fire. We’ll hear your story. Don’t leave out a single detail. I’m sure you won’t mind the presence of my good colleague, Dr. Jesus." Clara waved towards Isiah. "His expertise is as much needed as mine.” 

Finn nodded, walking into the room, hat in his hand, and he lowered himself onto the settee. “Well, my problem began about three days ago…” 

Clara and Isiah nodded, each of them in an armchair near to the fire, peaky hats on their heads, stolen tobacco pipes hanging out of their mouths. Clara wore her brother’s stolen coat, the extra length of black wool pooling on the floor. 

“Wonderful, now remember, don’t leave out a single detail. We'll need to hear it all, even the details you believe to be most boring and utterly ordinary.”

“Well, three days ago, that was um…Thursday,” Finn said. “I bought some sweets from Hinkley’s, shared a few with my sister, three sweets, so there were four left, but then I checked on Friday and there were only three. And then on Saturday, it was just crumbs left.” 

“It sounds to me like the sister did it, mate," Isiah answered, breaking character. "I've heard a rumor that girl likes her sweets.” 

Clara smacked Isiah on the arm. “That's quite wrong, doctor. The sister is a deliciously tempting answer, but an obviously incorrect one. Tell us, how many others are there in your home?”

“Well, it’s me and my sister and our brother Tommy, but there are people here all the while.”

“Tell us more of these people,” Clara answered.

“My family runs a betting den, so there's always people about.”

“Ah, a gambling den! Fascinating, yes, doctor?” Clara said, turning to Isiah.

Isiah snorted, smirking as he rolled his eyes. "Right, fascinating."

"Indeed," Clara said. "Ever so fascinating." 

Clara stood, clasping her hands behind her back as she paced the floor from the front door to the threshold of the dining room. "Are there any other fam—"

Tommy nearly crashed into his sister when he came through the open doorway and Clara stumbled back over the extra length of coat trailing on the floor. She thrust out her hand and grabbed onto Tommy to steady herself.

"What're you doing home?" he asked, holding her hand as she got herself untangled from the coat.

Clara's lips formed a small circle, a trace of surprise passing as Tommy pulled the pipe from between her lips.

"Oh, uh, Grace told me to finish my work at home, said to bring my assignment to her later."

"She sent you off early?"

Tommy had been about to go check in on them, had been planning on bringing Arthur to the Garrison anyway.

Clara nodded. "She had an errand. And I already did the work." She reached out for the stolen pipe but Tommy continued to hold it out of reach. "So, it's really alright for me to be playing with Finn and Siah even though—"

"I don't want to play this game anymore, Clara," Finn said. "Let's just go out on the lane. Everybody's out."

"But, Fi—"

"What are you playing?" Tommy asked, glancing again to the confiscated pipe.

"Nothing," Clara answered.

"Doesn't look like nothing."

"We're practicing," she answered.

Tommy continued to look at her, offering nothing more than his silent petition for elaboration.

"She's playing Sherlock," Finn answered, interrupting their staring. "Playing pretend."

"We're practicing deductions," Clara clarified, the description sounding more dignified to her than pretending to play at detective. "For instance, I know you've just been to see Uncle Charlie."

"And how would you know that?" Tommy asked.

Clara pointed to the thin coating of mud at the bottom of his boots. "Aunt Polly'll be cross with you for getting it on the carpet."

"And I'm sure John'll be cross with you for stealing his coat," Tommy answered.

Clara hiked the jacket up on her shoulders, folding her arms over her chest. "I've only borrowed it."

Tommy hummed. "Borrowed it without asking, I presume."

"He seemed very busy," Clara answered. "And John doesn't mind."

#little lady blinder #clara shelby #peaky blinders #peaky blinders fanfic #asks

[twistedintern]

Kyuu’s Chronicle - Entries #1-6

Entry One

“Everything happens for a reason.”

...That was, up until recently, a favorite adage of mine. Through good times and bad, I would think back to those five little words.

Everything happens for a reason.

Struggle.

Success.

Waking up inside a sealed coffin after an unremarkable night’s rest.

...Hello, Lady Fate? Might I be able to file a tiny complaint? WHAT THE FLYING EVER-LOVING F*CK? 

You don’t just up and isekai a normal adult woman into the middle of some Harry Potter-grade magical college without providing her with purpose, know-how, and a means of returning home! I am NOT the token light novel hero with a personality that screams ‘lovable fish-out-of-water,’ alright? SHEESH. I could’ve been injured, kidnapped, or worse....

Fortunately--yes, there’s always a silver lining, Kyuu. Remember that--while I now know I could’ve ended up as mincemeat at the hands of delinquent students, I was first happened upon… by a cat. That cat was accompanied by a pair of men. Well, I knew one of them was a man. I couldn’t make out his features clearly in the dimly-lit chamber before he left, but he sounded and held himself like a middle-aged man would.

His companion, though? Different story entirely. When he lifted his lamp to get a better look at me, providing me with some much-needed light with which to take in my surroundings…

Feathers. Gaudy shiny things. A suit, tie, cloak, a grand hat.

Two piercing yellow lights shining from a beaked half-mask.

...Mere inches from my face.

I had never fought so hard to suppress a scream in my life.

Entry Two

A bit of time has passed since that, um, eventful night. Because I’m really bad at keeping diaries, I’ll just give a recap:

I have never wanted to go home so badly in all my life.

The individual I met back then--he introduced himself as Dire Crowley, by the way; a fitting name if I do say so myself (I still flinch whenever I see him or hear him call my name. God, he’s so weird)--turned out to be the headmaster of this place. ...Um, what was it called again?

...Right! Night Raven College. He tells me nonstop how prestigious this place is. He’d better not be exaggerating, though that seems to be his general way of talking about things that matter to him.

(I hope he’s telling the truth: if so, it’s only a matter of time before word gets out that I don’t belong here. He won’t believe me whenever I tell him I’m from another, altogether separate world.)

In the meantime, Crow Man has me holed up in a rather spacious (and quite homey) tool shed a short hike away from the central plaza of the school.

I wish I knew why he’s always so hellbent on emphasizing how terribly kind he is when it comes to doing things for others. Normally, I’d consider that sort of behavior to be incredibly suspicious. I mean, I know administrative heads of these kinds of institutes have it tough and are largely underappreciated, but it really feels like he’s hiding something...

Entry Three

Crowley invited me to his office today, and for once, he was the least remarkable thing in the room.

I have never been so shocked in all my years. So much so that I fainted as soon as I processed what I was seeing. (I don’t faint.)

Portraits flanking his seat, seven in total, suspended midair by magic forces beyond my understanding.

The no-nonsense Queen of Hearts

Scar, the usurper lion king

Ursula, the sea witch

Jafar, the sultan’s scheming right-hand

The beautiful and vain Evil Queen

Hades, lord of the dead

Maleficent, the preeminent sorceress of all that is wicked

When I recovered consciousness, I nearly shrieked. 

“THEY’RE YOUR ‘MAGNIFICENT SEVEN’?”

Crowley responded with a simple nod of the head. Hadn’t I seen their statues on the main street? He wished to know why I was surprised.

“I… KNOW THEM.”

Crowley blinked before affirming that yes, I ought to. Very few people in the world don’t. Then I reminded him I wasn’t from this world.

Fast-forward, crow man drags me to some grandiose “Hall of Mirrors” and asks the principal spirit what my deal is. (Why didn’t he do that sooner…?) The spirit (which also looks eerily familiar) validates my entire argument: that I’m a magic-less adult from outside their realm.

And Crowley? Crow Man? He and the mirror spirit might as well have been discussing the weather, because he didn’t seem bothered or troubled by the revelation in the slightest!

Entry Four

A few days later, Crowley made a formal announcement that I would be joining the staff of the college. …As an intern of sorts.

Huh? Excuse me? Did a bird man really just make an executive decision to take me on as his servant?!

For some reason… I’m not as pissed about this as I feel I could be. After all, I’m painfully aware of how I have zero business at Night Raven; it was well within his rights to kick me out. The least I could do is make myself useful.

Crowley (I never thought I’d be calling a bird my boss, but here I am!) sat me down later over a light lunch to tell me about the men I’d be assisting in the days ahead:

Mozus Trein, Professor of Magical History

Very serious, highly respected. A good judge of character with zero tolerance for poor work ethics (yikes!)

Divus Crewel, Professor of Alchemy and Magical Sciences

Exacting, charismatic. A celebrated fashion designer (???) whose wrath has earned him admirers and foes alike

Ashton Vargas, Professor of Kinesiology (I guess he’s the PE guy)

Passionate, persistent. Is known for his narcissism, but is a dependable team player when it counts

Sam, Proprietor of “Mr. S’s Mystery Shop”

The go-to man for all your buying needs. Is a bit on the eccentric side, but that’s part of his charm

Maybe this won’t be such a lousy arrangement after all....

Entry Five

Allow me to amend my earlier statement ever so slightly:

THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST ARRANGEMENT IMAGINABLE.

My first day on the job has been nothing but one disaster after another. These men are unreasonable, larger-than-life characters with the most obtuse expectations and tendencies I’ve ever met! Why oh why couldn’t I have been made younger in the process of this whole isekai-ing business? A great many students, as I’ve now come to learn, aren’t half bad. (The remarkable ones among them certainly left a lasting impression…) What’s more, they actually seem terrified of these fellows birdbrain assigned me to aid.

Divus Crewel is not my type of person AT ALL. He’s vain, cold, and completely unforgiving. He tore at me from the get-go, his cold grey eyes boring into me as he informed me how drab my sense of style was. The headmaster spoke so highly of me; he thought it fair to assume that I would be a remarkable presence having come from a world apart. I know well his type: petty and shallow. (Bastard thinks he can wear fur like that in his line of work? Tch.)

Ashton Vargas was, unsurprisingly, the textbook definition of a musclehead. He chewed me out for my poor physical constitution and demanded that I join him for early morning jogs around campus followed by intense cardio. Not for nothing, but exercise is not my thing. Naturally, he’s so into himself that he didn’t bother listening to me when I tried to politely turn down his invitation.

Sam… where do I even begin about that piece of work? ‘A bit eccentric’? Only a little? Way to downplay things, boss bird! The guy is a bonafide freak. He’s all about making sales and nothing else, and he’s as sketchy as rotten fish smells. And get this… his shadow? The thing has a mind of its own, and he does nothing to keep a reign on it. I couldn’t tell if he was joking, but as soon as he started talking about his “friends on the other side” with a snicker and a twinkle in his eye, I hightailed it out of there. I am never going back to his place of business ever again, even if it kills me.

I haven’t even met the last person the Headmaster told me about, but if he’s anything like his colleagues--or worse--Crowley might as well throw me to the sharks and put me out of my misery. Going by the information that… crow so generously shared with me, he doubtless feels like someone who’s going to see right through me and utterly crush what little self-worth I have left.

Please, I just want this nightmare to be over already....

Entry Six

So… um, hold on. I need to gather my thoughts. Deep breaths, Kyuu. Deep breaths.

Today was… nice. I can’t believe I’m saying any of this but… I’m kind of happy.

Although I had initially considered skipping my appointed first meeting with Professor Trein, I decided to suck it up at the very last minute and take whatever fate had in store for me head-on. I do not regret my decision in the least.

Where do I begin? I was so damn nervous when I knocked on the door to his office. A voice urged me inside, but the first thing that greeted me wasn’t the voice’s owner… but a cat.

This fluffy black and white feline, its expression demure, ran up to me immediately and took to rubbing against my leg. It was the cat from that fateful night I woke up inside a coffin! He held still and stared at me expectantly before issuing a rawl. I looked up to find a stern man, dressed in antiquated robes, regarding me with an unflinching glower. I was paralyzed with fear--I’d screwed up, hadn’t I?

Then he smiled at me. “It has been a while, Kyuu. I was expecting you.” He was the other person from that night! I just nodded my head dumbly and followed him inside. I could see how one could find him intimidating, what with his piercing visage and strict, commanding aura, but for me there was something almost comforting about his olden mannerisms.

We had a delightful talk over freshly-brewed tea. He asked me about myself, and I was stunned to learn that he and I had many things in common! He was positively amazed how quickly his beloved cat (who’s name is Lucius, by the way) warmed up to me. All the while, I was fondly reminded of my university days where I would spend hours on end talking with one of my favorite history professors after class.

I eventually opened up to him about my catastrophic first day with his colleagues. He expressed sympathy, but at the same time he was quick to point out that perhaps I was taking things too personally, and that I had jumped to conclusions without putting things in perspective. Knowing my tendencies, I conceded that he was probably right.

#twisted wonderland #twisted-wonderland #kyuu's chronicle

[thiswasinevitableid]

#5 Sternclay please? SFW or NSFW, doesn't matter to me. Thank you!

I went NSFW, minor CW for light D/S and a brief mention of suicide.

5 Should I update my outfit again? I think they like my new boots but the cape didn’t get the reaction I was hoping for 

“Okay, I want your honest opinion.” Barclay turns towards the communication screen.

On the screen, Indrid Cold raises an eyebrow, “My honest, unvarnished opinion?”

“Yeah.”

His friend throws his silver haired head back and cackles, the kind of supervillain laugh that makes Barclay jealous, “Oh, oh my friend, that is the most absurd get up I have ever seen on any hero, villain, anit-hero, supermodel, or psuedovillain.”

Barclay sags, “that’s kinda what I figured.”

“I mean, the tight black tank-top? The black pants? Those boots, goodness, did you get rid of your modified hiking boots?”

“No. Pretty sure he liked those.” He mumbles.

“Ah haaah.” Indrid tents his fingers, leaning forward with a grin, “still pining for your man in black, I see.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Barclay, I doubt changing your outfit is going to bring him over to your point of view. And what happened to the trans-pride patterned flannel top you got for the last time? I recall you being proud of how it flattered your physique?”

“He didn’t even mention it.”

“Wasn’t he chasing you off government property at the time?”

“So? He’s commented on things like that before. Uggggh.” Barclay slumps down in his command chair, “How did you get the Ranger to move things to the next level?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean.”

Barclay stares him down. Indrid stares right back. 

Finally, his friend sighs, “My wires got crossed during a fight and I kissed him instead of headbutting him. Not one of my prouder moments. Though it has decreased the number of fights in my life and increased the number of orgasms.”

“Don’t think that’ll work. No offense to the Ranger, but Agent X is all business. I try kissing him, he’ll taze me or some shit.”

“Well then, you’ll have to get creative. Perhaps...oh drat, he’s early.”

Barclay’s about to ask who when a crash echoes offscreen. 

“We should catch up again soon, Barclay.” As the feed goes dark, Indrid turns and shouts, “You green-clad nuisance, I just had that door fixed!”

Barclay shuts off his end of the communication, stands and stretches as he regards the security feeds from his cameras scattered through the woods. Being fifty miles from the nearest town was supposed to make him feel safer; lately it makes him the frustrating combo of lonely and paranoid. 

Then again, does it really count as paranoia if Agent X is always on his tail? The man is intelligent, and has government resources behind him. If he wants to find Barclay, Barclay has a bad feeling he’ll be found.

Worse, he suspects he wouldn’t mind being found.

That’s part of why he’d called Indrid. Yes, he wanted feedback on his new look, but Indrid is one of the few people he trusts to understand his situation. They each chose cryptid aliases (Mothman and Bigfoot). They fell into villainy through similar channels; Indrid from being chased out of towns with (usually figurative) pitchforks one too many times when he was just trying to help, Barclay because he’d learned to survive mostly on his own and grown tired of seeing certain kinds of evil rewarded while things that didn’t even count as evil were harshly punished. But Indrid also understood what it meant to get a crush on the very person who was hunting you. 

He knows the affection is one-sided. Agent X is the put-together, cultured, cosmopolitan; Barclay is not (were you to ask his friends, they would argue that being tidy, well-read, and widely traveled shakes out to the same thing).

The elevator ride from his underground hideout to the main cabin is brief. Another ding in his villainy score is that he really loves his rustic, cozy home, and only uses his fancier tech for work. What’s the point of a suite in some skyscraper? You can’t even have a proper back porch. 

Maybe he should start a fire in the fireplace, or read that stack of food magazines he has squirreled away. He could reheat dinner too, homemade green onion pancakes and bao for one. 

In any case, he’s not going to get anything serious done tonight, as he doesn’t really scheme in the way his fellow villains do. His actions are a tad more impulsive, in response to the government or certain corporations doing corrupt shit. Besides, the forecast calls for a snowstorm, and he’d rather not get stranded in the woods. 

After settling on the couch he picks up the top magazine, a travel issue. 

Twenty romantic getaways off the beaten path

Hmmmm, would Agent X like the beach? Or is he more of a mountains guy?

He should read a different article

8 recipes to cook for a special someone

What the fuck, this is supposed to be the travel issue, not the valentines day issue.

After sorting through the pile, he grabs the Halloween issue from last year and heads upstairs. He needs to sleep, only partially because sleep might keep him from daydreaming about his arch-nemisis. 

The black boots come off and he sets them in his closet. Hops onto the bed and stretches out.

Somewhere in the middle of a fascinating article on cast iron pans, he falls asleep. 

When he wakes up, his arms are trapped above his head and someone else is reading his magazine.

“I’d been meaning to read this issue. Their writing is always excellent.” Agent X looks up, smiling mildly.

“Glad I could help. Now help me back by untying me.”

Agent X sighs, “You know very well I can’t do that.”

“So what, you break in here just to read my shit?”

“Of course not. Actually, I didn’t choose to come this time.” he stands, producing a slender, silver device from his sleeve, “In fact, I’m being reassigned.”

“Wait, how the fuck is that even a thing? You’re a ‘hero’ you pick your enemies.”

“No, I’m a government agent. And they’ve decided that you are not nearly a large enough threat for me to keep chasing you. Never mind that I devoted years of my life to the endeavor.” Barclay finds the bitterness oddly flattering. As the agent talks, Barclay moves his hands; there’s a reason he taught his security AI ASL. The mirror behind his enemy flickers to life, showing him a video feed of the Snowspeeder Agent X used to get there.

“They were going to assign me to chase The Mothman, but his nemesis is….very territorial and they decided that was not a wise move.”

Barclay can’t help snorting out a laugh. 

“This isn’t funny.”

“Trust me, that bit’s hilariou-oh shit” he registers the solemn look on Agent X’s face, “Are you supposed to fucking kill me?”

The tricky thing about a nemesis who wears glorified sunglasses is that it makes his face hard to read most times, but right now he looks horrified.

“No. I, I was allowed to decide how best to handle you as a threat, and I do not believe you’re that dangerous. So I’m just going to install a tracking chip in your spine and be on my way.”

“Like hell you are.” Barclay curls in defensively, signs “destroy.” In the mirror, the snowspeeder silently explodes.

“Barclay, please, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

“Don’t fucking tag me like some wild animal then.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

Barclay growls, “That’s been your line for three fucking years. You’ve got choices, agent, we all do.”

“You’re right. And you could have chosen something other than a life of crime.”

“Don’t act like you know what I choices I was given. And don’t come any closer with that thing.”

Agent X takes a half step before Barclays feet connect with his chest, sending him clattering into the dresser and the tracker pen under the bed. 

“Shoulda tied those too agent!” With all his might he yanks on the cuffs snapping the wrung of the headboard.

“Is this really how you want our last interaction to go?” Agent X stands, nightstick coming free from his belt. 

“Nope.” Barclay charges him, the agent sliding gracefully out of is path. Just as they pass, Barclay spins, cuffs connecting with the agents hand.

They glow green, accepting the fingerprint. 

“Damn it.” The Agent turns on a dime, launching at him.

“Three years, agent, I know your gadgets as well as you do. Sorry about the speeder.”

He points at the mirror and Agent X glances away momentarily to look.

“Shit.”

“Yep. Have fun getting back on foot. If you stop fighting, I can loan you a snow-cat.”

Agent X turns the stun function of his nightstick on in response. 

“C’mon really?!” Barclay growls, pounces before the agent has a chance to react, and hurls him into the mirror. 

It shatters, and the agent falls, crumpled and clutching his arm, to the ground. Barclay straddles him, pinning him on his stomach, immaculate black suit ripped in the back.

“Okay, let’s try this again: You’re going to stop attacking me, break that tracker thing in half, and then I’ll give you the keys to something that can get you out of here.”

“I can’t, I cannot fail this mission.”

Barclay does his best, wicked smirk, “In that case, I get one more thing for all the trouble you’ve caused.”

With that, he rips off Agent X’s mask and goggles. 

The face beneath them is better than he ever envisioned: sharp cheekbones, blue eyes, movie star handsome in every way.

His gaze is unflinching, enraged, and when his fingers curl minutely Barclay grabs his hand and pries it open.

In the center is white, cylindrical pill.

“Is this...fuck, is this a suicide pill?”

“Yes. Now give it back.”

“Not a fucking chance.” He stands, crosses to the window and chucks the pill out into the night, “Christ, agent, do you really think I’m going to torture you?”

When he turns back, arms crossed, the veneer of Agent X’s expression cracks, and he presses his face into the floor with a shuddering gasp. 

“It’s p-protocol. If, if my identity is compromised.”

He wants to be moved by the tears in that voice, but he’s still pretty pissed. 

“You’d swallow a pill for them, just like that. Shit, they really do brainwash you guys.”

“It’s not that.” The agent raises his head, spits out blood, “I still have family. If an enemy knows who I am, they could go after them for leverage. Ending my own life keeps the people I love safe.”

The fight goes out of him and he sighs, “Look, I’m not gonna go after your family, I promise. I won’t share your identity either; I know you’ve probably figured out the identities of people I care about and haven’t ratted them out. Consider this a thank you for that.”  

“They’ll terminate me anyway.”

“That’s fucked up.”

“That’s protocol.”

“Fuck protocol.”

The agent giggles, the sound increasingly hysterical, “I’m quite the triple threat; in one move I lose my job, my safety, and my purpose. I guess I live on your floor now.”

“I’m not gonna make you live on my floor.”

“Your holding cell, then.”

“Uhhhh” Barclay rubs his arm, “I don’t have one. It’s not like anyone besides you has ever tried to infiltrate here.”

“Please tell me you have a guest room.” The agent is still hiccuping laughs.

“Yeah. I can fix it up real quick for you.” 

Agent X sits up, wincing, “You’re really letting me stay?”

“I mean, yeah? No way I’m sending you back to people who we know will kill you. I know you think I’m a villain, but I don’t really want people getting hurt. And I respect you as an adversary, not to mention I actually kind of like you,  Agent X.”

“Joseph.” The agent slowly drags himself up onto the bed. “It’s just Joseph now. Joseph Stern.”

“Don’t seem like there’s much ‘just’ to you, Mr. Overachiever.”

Joseph tries flipping him off, only to flinch when he moves his arm. 

“Good lord, I thought that wasn’t a real mirror, why is there so much glass in my skin?”

“Uh, you know how when you drop a cell phone and the screen kinda-splinters and you can get bits of it in your fingers? That’s basically what happened to your back. Uh, sorry.”

“It was in self defense.”

“Will you let me help? I got lots of first aid stuff.”

Joseph nods and Barclay hurries into the bathroom to grab one of the two dozen med kits scattered around the house. 

“On your stomach.”

The other man rolls over, and Barclay gets to work on his back. Joseph remains stoic the entire time, until Barclay begins dousing the cuts with disinfectant, at which point he hisses. 

“I know, I hate this shit too. Dunno why people are always inventing new torture devices and interrogation techniques, this’d do the trick on most people I know.”

“Very true. It’s alright, pain is deserved when you fuck up as royally as I did tonight.”

“Hey, none of that, okay?” Barclay says gently, easing the tatters of Josephs shirt off, “That pain isn’t a punishment, it’s something I’m doing to keep you safe and so you can heal. You don’t deserve to be hurt, Joseph. And I’m sorry for all the times you ended up that way because we fought. I know it comes with the territory, but that doesn’t mean I can’t apologize.”

Silence as he finishes bandaging that well-developed back, and as he cleans up the debris from the fight and the aftermath.

“In that case” Joseph murmurs, “ I’m sorry too. For, well, for any time during the last three years where I hurt you.”

“Apology accepted.” Barclay sits down on the bed, facing his guest, who turns his head to smile weakly at him.

“What happens now?”

“No clue. I can heat up some dinner, and there’s lots of books here, and some movies. Even got a couple of video games for when friends visit. Or you can sleep, if you want.”

Joseph gives him a curious look, “I meant to ask, is this what you wear at home all the time?” 

Barclay blushes, “No, uh, I was just trying out a new costume. Usually wear, like, my flannel shirts and stuff.” 

Joseph cautiously rolls onto his side for a better look. A prolonged, hungry, better look.

“What do you think?” Barclay keeps his eyes fixed on the headboard and not on the lines of muscle on Josephs stomach. 

“I think you look like you should be cruising the Folsom Street Fair looking for some gym bunny who’ll call you sir.”

“Is that a...good thing?” 

“Yes.”

When he meets those blue eyes, their pupils are wide.

Barclay chuckles, “You gonna call me, ‘sir, babe?”

“Only if you want me to.”

The bed dips as shifts to be next to Stern, “Nah, but I’ve been dying to fuck you since the Pipeline Incident.”

“Lord, Barclay, that was a year ago. But the answer is yes.” Stern tries to sit up, but Barclay rests a hand on his shoulder, kissing his cheek.

“I just patched you up, babe, so how’s about we keep this simple for tonight?”

“Oh, okay, uh, how should we?” Stern is blushing, head dipping in slight deference, and it’s the most gratifying goddamn thing Barclay has ever seen. 

“Get those pants off, lay on your stomach, and put your ass in the air.” He sits back so Stern can obey, which he does as quickly as possible.

“Good boy.” Barclay rumbles, sitting behind him, “Shit, all that superhero training makes for an amazing ass.” He rubs it possessively, Stern moaning softly at the touch. 

“Thank you.” 

“Think it’ll look even better with my handprints on it?” The question is breezy as he drags a nail along the right cheek, waiting for Sterns permission.

“Yes.” Stern whispers into the pillows.

Barclay swats the right side, “What was that?”

“Yes!” Stern cries out, wiggling his hips in response. 

“Much better.” He hits four more times, two for each side, Stern yelping with delight at each one.

“Now, let’s get one thing straight,” He grabs Sterns hips, pulls his ass against his crotch, grinding slowly, the pants for his definitely not for work anymore outfit just tight enough to give excellent friction from the movement, “I get the feeling you get off on a little pain. And I sure as hell like watching you squirm from it. And” he smacks his left side, for fun, “I bet you think you deserve this.”

Five slaps, fast and with more force behind them.

“Yes, yes, Barclay, please.”

“You’re right, you do. But not because you deserve to be hurt, or to suffer. You deserve to feel good, Joseph. And the second this stops feeling good and you start using it as punishment, I stop doing it. We clear?”

“Crystal.” Stern whimpers at the next slap, and Barclay bends forward to loving kiss a line up his throat and nuzzle his cheek. 

“Good boy. You okay to touch yourself--hah, that answers that.” He laughs as Sterns right hand disappears beneath him and his mouth parts in a moan.

“Fuck, Barclay, I, I’ve, nhhnn, I’ve wanted this so long.”

“Me too babe. God, Joseph, you got any idea how fucking incredible you are?” He finds an angle that lets him continue rutting against his ass and kissing his neck and face without touching his injuries.

“No, perhaps you can say more?” Stern grins 

Barclay growls, delivers a particularly hard slap, “Oughta make you stop jerking off since you’re fishing for compliments but, fuck, babe, you look so goddamn hot when you’re moaning and twisting around under me, shit, I love hearing your voice, and your smile makes me forget my fucking name and fuck, fuck, yeah, ohyeah.” He tugs Stern close as he comes, keeps pouring out increasingly jumbled praise as Stern tenses in his arms and comes across the covers with the most erotic sound Barclay has ever had the good luck to hear.

“Lord almighty I needed that.” 

Barclay chuckles, guides them both down into a comfortable cuddle, “Glad I could help. You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“Okay, lemme rinse off and I can make us dinner.”

By the time he’s out of the shower Stern has stripped and remade the bed with clean covers, and takes his hand as they head downstairs. Barclay reheats the leftovers and makes them tea while Stern reads to him about fifty of the best new restaurants in the west. 

The next morning, the FBI’s villain control division receives word that Agent X has been killed in the line of duty. 

Three weeks later, they learn that Bigfoot has a new partner: the man in black. 

#sternclay #agent stern/barclay #TAZ Amnesty #superhero au

[lunarfox22]

Bloodied and Broken - Part 2

Pairing: Loki x OFC (of color)

Warning: Violence, language, blood, mentions of suicidal thoughts, angst, fluff

Words: 1721

AO3: Bloodied and Broken by lunar_fox22

FFN: Bloodied and Broken by lunarfox22

Summary:  Loki has fallen from the Bifrost, a disgraced prince. He meets Angela Lawrence, a SHIELD agent who helps him, but can he let go of his scorn? Or will he betray the only person who is on his side?

A/N:  I'm moving these over to my new writing works tumblr. Please forgive any confusion!

Part 1 - Part 3

Masterlist

Angela Lawrence was a busy woman. Director Nick Fury saw to that. Lately she’s had her hands full overseeing the cleanup/rebuilding of the small-town Puente Antiguo, New Mexico and keeping an eye on Dr. Jane Foster, who was now stationed in Albuquerque. Most of her time was spent going between the two towns and managing things.

She didn’t mind it too much. Angela was curious by nature, and the fact that mythical legends had landed her on Earth excited her. When she wasn’t working, she would return to the little house she had rented between the two towns and read up on Norse mythology to learn as much as she could. That was probably why Director Fury had assigned her to this. She was very thorough in every task he had given her. Whether it was a hit job, espionage, or just leading a team, she always made sure she did it perfectly. Well it’s that and the fact that Agent Coulson had his hands full with the defrosting of Captain America.

The sun was almost set leaving the sky a stunning mix of blues, purples, and oranges. Angela watched the sky as people left the building where they were temporarily housing the residents of Puente Antiguo who had lost everything in the robot attack. She did this every day, she was often the first one to arrive during the work day, and she was the last one to leave, just to make sure everyone had what they needed.

When every SHIELD agent had left Angela said her goodbyes to the residents, got into her black SUV, and left to go to her house. It wasn’t her only house, but she had rented it to make this mission easier. This mission could take months, so she currently lived in a small, 2-bedroom house on the outskirts of Albuquerque, and it was a good 30-minute drive there and back from Puente. But it allowed her to easily go from Dr. Foster to here.

She was halfway home, listening to some pop station, when she noticed a bright light falling from the sky. Quickly, she pulled the car to the side of the road and watched as the light landed not far from where she was. Was it a meteor? A piece of satellite? She put her hazards and hopped out of the car to find out.

After a short hike towards what was now a small crater in the ground, she stopped dead in her tracks. In the crater wasn’t a meteor or a piece of satellite like she figured there would be. There was a man. There was a whole ass man, lying unconscious or possibly dead in the crater.

Shaking her head as if it would really help her see clearly, she stared at the man for a brief moment before lowering herself into the crater to go check on him.

As she walked towards him, her thoughts frantically raced through her mind. He couldn’t be human; he would have burned up in the atmosphere. Could he be an alien? What were the chances that an alien would land here three months after Thor landed here? Could he be a super soldier? Or something like The Hulk? Whatever he was, she would have to find out later. Right now, she needed to see if he was alive.

Now that she was close, she could get a good look at the man. He was pale, with long raven hair. He was lying mostly on his back, one arm was sprawled out under him, and the other bent to his side. She could tell he was tall by how long he was. And he seemed kind of thin, like he hasn’t eaten in a while. She could already see scrapes along his face from what she assumed was when he landed and skidded across the earth.

She lowered herself close to his body, she reached out to check his pulse. Before she even reached him, he let out a low groan. That answered that question. So, the man was alive. She continued to reach for his neck and find his pulse. It was beating faintly, but she could feel it slowly getting stronger the longer she checked.

“I think you’ll survive,” she whispered to the man.

She pulled her hand away, squared her shoulders, and took a deep breath. Right. Now to see where else he was injured.

He wore some weird armor like outfit made of gold metal and green and black leather. It was hard to tell if he was bleeding or not. Her hands slide down to his chest and to his side, checking for any reactions. The moment her hands came in contact to where his ribs would be green eyes shot open and he groaned in pure agony.

She ripped her now bloody hands away, “Sorry!” She really hadn’t meant to cause him that much pain.

Green eyes flashed and looked at her, “Stay away!” he growled out.

She heard an accent, so he wasn’t from here.

She held her hands up in a surrendering gesture, “I’m just trying to help you.”

He stood up abruptly, making Angela scoot back quickly. His vision swarmed and dizziness hit him like Mjolnir hitting his chest. He stumbled a bit and held his aching head. By the Norns, how far did he fall?!

Angela stood up slowly trying not to move too quickly. When he began to stumble again, she went to his side to steady him only to have her hands slapped away.

“I said, ‘stay away’ or can you not hear?!” He hissed at her. His side was in excruciating pain and her holding it did not help.

“And I told you I was trying to help.” She replied calmly and returned to his side. When he hissed in pain she let go and went to the other side. When he didn’t do anything, she steadied him.

Loki’s vision filled up with black dots, but he kept his gaze on her. From the looks of it, she looked mortal. Perhaps Midgardian, but he wasn’t sure. “And what can you do?” He sneered at her. He doubted she could truly help him; most mortals were incompetent.

Angela paused briefly. What could she do? She couldn’t take him to the hospital, that’s for sure. He was an alien. He looked human, but for all she knew he could have two hearts. And the public wouldn’t respond very well to an alien. Especially after what happened after Puente. She thought about taking him to SHIELD, but then thought better of it. They would interrogate the guy instead of allowing him to heal. They would probably study him like a science experiment. At the moment they were on high alert after Thor and his brother’s little spat and whoever this was didn’t deserve to be treated like that. She could take him home and help him. Angela was experienced with injuries, having sustained a lot over her lifetime and had to fix many other people’s injuries. She had medical supplies there as well.

“I can heal you,” she replied.

He pushed Angela off with a considerable amount of strength for a heavily injured person. He stalked away a few feet, albeit with a limp. He looked back at her skeptically, “Why?”

Angela blinked in surprise. Why? Why was she helping this man? Not even a man, this alien. Logically, she should take him to SHIELD. Aliens did just destroy an entire town. But as she looked at him, standing there holding his side in pain, she couldn’t do it. She knew what they would do. So why? “Because I can help you,” she answered.

He scoffed, then clutched his side in pain. “There’s always a reason,” he said before swaying once again.

Angela quickly was by his side again and placed one of his long arms around her shoulder. “Alright, big guy. We’re going to my house.”

It wasn’t difficult to keep his tall frame up, until they got to the part where she had to pull him up and out of the ditch. For a thin guy, he was heavier than she expected. However, the further they walked, the more he leaned on her and more pain shot throughout his body.

She flicked her eyes up to look at him and say the pain etched in his face. “Hold on,” she whispered, “we’re almost to my car.”

The moment they reached her black SVU, she leaned him against the side of the car. She quickly opened up the back door to let him in. She turned back to him and saw him leaning against the door with his eyes closed, seemingly taking a breather. She gently touched his arm to get his attention. She guided him to crawl into the backseat of the car.

Loki crawled in and let his head rest against the seat. He heard the door next to him slam, and then a few seconds later another door open and slam shut. He could feel his consciousness slowly slipping away from him. His eye lids were getting heavy and the black dots were getting bigger and bigger. He could vaguely hear the woman speaking to him, but he couldn’t make out the words. His eyes finally closed and he was out.

Angela looked in the back to see him out. It wasn’t that surprising, seeing how much blood he had lost and how injured he was.

As she pulled off, her mind went back to the question the man- well alien had asked her. Why? Why did she do this? She peeked in the backseat at him, and sighed. He needed help. And it seemed like he didn’t get much kindness in his life judging by his response to her. This had to be the most reckless thing she has done so far. She had an unknown alien in the back of her car. He was weak, but he had enough power to push her. Who knew how powerful he truly was? Who knew how dangerous he was?

It didn’t matter now. At the moment he was hurt and needed help. He would probably die if she didn’t help him out.

She sighed. She had a busy day, and she was going to have a busy night.

#loki x oc #loki x ofc #loki/oc #loki/ofc #loki #loki odinson #loki laufeyson #loki fanfic #bloodied and broken

[shirewalker]

Mamma Mia! - A Nikolina Fic

Nikolina Appreciation Week 2020 ♛ Day 9: Free Day

Summary: While Alina's travelling through Ireland, she ends up sharing a bedroom with the handsome and charming Nikolai. After a night with the best sex in her life, Alina has a choice to run off or stick with the hazel-eyed charmer for a little longer. Her mind says one thing, her body another.

Eventually, her heart will also have a say in the matter.

Pairing: Alina/Nikolai

One-shot

Rating: Explicit

Also on AO3

Mamma Mia!

Ireland was a paradise. Green lands as far as the eye could see, beautiful architecture, country side roads to get lost in, rainstorms… But Alina was a bit tired after three long days of hiking through the Irish lands. Resting at a local b&b would be perfect…

“Did you say Starkov?” The teenager at the front desk asked.

Alina looked back at him and felt a little uneasy as she noticed his barely hidden panic. “Yes…?”

He gulped visibly and nodded. “I’ll… There’s a problem with the system. Can you… can you wait in the restaurant area while I talk with my supervisor?”

She nodded slowly, wanting whatever was happening to be taken care of, and fast. She wanted nothing more than to sleep tonight. “All right, I’ll sample the food.”

The boy was off before she had finished her sentence.

--

The restaurant was small, but cosy. Alina sat by the fire, happily enjoying a cup of hot chocolate as she kept an eye on the door to the front hall. It had been nearly twenty minutes since she’d been practically abandoned by the young teen without as much as a room key. Her body was beginning to grow antsy, the hot chocolate and the fireplace keeping her a little relaxed.

“What the hell is taking them so long?” She mumbled under her breath.

A familiar mop of brown hair walked in and she instantly stood straighter. But the teen didn’t walk towards her. Instead, he made a beeline for a young man sitting at the far corner, his golden hair shinning under the warm lights of the room.

Alina frowned in confusion as the teen whispered something to the stranger before the two walked out of the room.

She was ready to get up and demand her room when the stranger was back. And walking straight towards her. Another stranger walked not too far behind, sporting an expression of panic similar to that of the teenager.

“Miss Starkov, I presume?” The blonde stranger greeted her with a dazzling grin that had Alina momentarily losing her footing.

“Ye-Yes…? And you are?”

The stranger winked as his grin turned mischievous, as though he was privy to Alina’s reaction to his smile. Well, that was enough for her to scoff at him.

“Name’s Nikolai, my lady. And it seems we have a conundrum in regards to our sleeping quarters for the night.”

Alina blinked fast at him, caught by surprise with his elegant but effortless speech. And that’s when the other stranger approached them at last and bowed a little with his head, “A thousand apologies, miss. It seems there was a glitch in our system after last night’s storm.”

“Okay… What does that mean?” She asked, already feeling a knot of dread forming in her stomach. How was that related to her reservation and this Nikolai dude?

The stranger wrung their hands, “I’m the manager of this place and we’ve never had this happening. We pride ourselves in a service of high quality!”

“Please, tell me what’s going on.” Alina said, desperate for any word that made any sense.

“Well…” The manager started.

But Nikolai stepped in when silence began to stretch, “It seems we both got assigned the same room, miss Starkov.” He flashed a sheepish smile, “And the place is entirely booked.”

Her mouth hanged open. This couldn’t be happening. She’d made a reservation especially to avoid this kind of situation! “But… How?”

The manager shook his head, “We don’t know miss. It’s a grave mistake we didn’t notice until you arrived. Since we already had given mister Sturmhond his key… The system…” He trailed off.

“Point is, we got the same room.” Nikolai offered.

“And there’s no spare?” Alina asked, wishing the answer had changed in the last few seconds.

The manager shook his head, “I’m afraid not. And I checked in with the closest b&b and they’re booked too. There’s a festival happening this weekend and many patrons already arrived…”

“Where am I supposed to sleep? But… wait! Who made the reservation first? Shouldn’t they get the room then?” She demanded, hoping she was the winner.

Nikolai shrugged, “They can’t see. The glitch erased some files, including the ones that could tell us that.” He paused, watching the manager for a moment, “Will you give us a moment, please?”

The manager nodded and left with a quick apology and an offer of paying for all of Alina’s expenses.

“I have a suggestion.” Nikolai said without waiting a beat. He touched the chair in front of her and waited until Alina had nodded before sitting down. And snatching a butter cookie from her plate. “Delicious…”

Alina cleared her throat, annoyance rising as the man continued eating the stolen cookie. “You were saying?”

“Ah!” He dusted his hands and leaned forward, “How about we share the room?”

Her stomach somersaulted upon hearing those words. “What?”

Nikolai raised his hands and chuckled, “I have no ulterior motives, Miss Starkov. I swear I am only suggesting us sharing the room for the night. I was told you were planning on staying just one night. Unless that was incorrect?”

Alina huffed a breath, crossed her arms and leaned back, “Yes, one night. And call me… Alina. Miss Starkov is so… formal.” She said with a grimace. Only her teachers had ever called her that.

A pleased grin stretched on his face before Nikolai spoke again, “Alina. A beautiful name…” He paused for a moment, his eyes – hazel, she noticed – watching her for the duration of his silence. Then, “Like I was suggesting, it would be just a platonic share of the bedroom. In fact, I wouldn’t mind sleeping on the floor, so long I’m provided with enough blankets.”

Alina opened her mouth several times to speak, but no words came out. It was a ridiculous situation and it just kept getting crazier and crazier. She stood in a flash and grabbed her phone, “I have to make a call. Excuse me.”

“Of course. I’ll order seconds.”

--

“So… is he hot?” Genya’s voice came through the phone, metallic and a bit distant with the bad reception.

Alina rolled her eyes, pinched her nose and let out a long, slow sigh. “Genya…”

“Come on. Answer me this. Then I’ll tell you what you should do.”

“I know what you’re going to say.”

“Oh? So does that mean he is hot?”

Alina looked over her shoulder, as though Nikolai could hear her from the other side of the b&b. “Genya, be serious.”

“He’s either drop dead gorgeous to the point your panties are soaked already, or he’s an ugly troll and you don’t want to be rude. Either way, I’ll need your honest opinion ASAP.”

She let out a tired sigh, “Fine. I guess he is… attractive. If you’re into that look.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. What does he look like? Describe like one of your rejected calendar photos. The ones that are too good for the projects.”

“Really?”

“Go!”

“He’s tall. And blonde.”

“Wow, and to think you’ve made a business out of making unique and beautiful calendars…”

“He’s so tall I could rest my head on his chest, ok? His hair is thick and blonde. It looks like liquid gold, I swear.” She finally relented, still keeping her nicest, most poetic words to herself. Her friend didn’t need to know his hair glowed in the firelight.

“Mhmm… I’m liking the view. More. Muscles, voice, eyes. Jaw!”

“Genya…”

“Alina…!”

“I guess he is well defined. Looks like it. A deep voice, could narrate books. Hazel eyes.”

Genya started to hoot from the other side of the line and Alina regretted, for the umpteenth time, having called this best friend. Maybe Zoya would have been a better choice.

“Girl, you better bang that. He sounds like your dream man.”

“He’s not my dream man.” She grumbled through gritted teeth, “He’s insufferable and full of himself.”

“Looking like that? I’d be surprised if he wasn’t. Go on, take the offer and take things to the upper level. Have fun! You did go on that trip to have fun and adventures, and fun adventures fit the bill.”

“I’ll take the room, but everything else isn’t happening. You… Go kiss David.”

“Love you! Bye! And please have hot great sex with your hot stranger!”

Alina sighed and put her phone away, reading herself for this next conversation.

--

“I can’t tell you how happy I am that you accepted this deal, because if I did it would sound wrong and you would probably kick me between the legs.” Nikolai flashed what Alina was beginning to suspect to be his signature grin, and unlocked their door. He signalled for her to enter, with a little bow and an extended hand, “After you, my lady.”

She rolled her eyes and entered, only to stop short at the sight of the bedroom. The photos didn’t do it justice. Sure, it was a small room, but it was comfortably luxurious. A four-post bed, a small wardrobe and a vanity to one side, a couple of large and comfy looking armchairs to the other side, next to a table. Which sat next to a window and… “A window seat!” She let out in surprise, excited to see one in person.

Nikolai closed the door and smiled at her, “A fan?”

She tried to control her excitement with a roll of her eyes, “I just… Always wanted to see one in person. Movies make them look so… interesting.”

He nodded and took off his coat before moving to the bed. He sat on it and bounced a couple of times, chuckling to himself in delight at a seemingly positive result. “I bet you’ll have a fantastic sleep on this mattress, Alina.”

She narrowed her eyes, “Yes. Me.”

Nikolai feigned a shot to his heart and collapsed onto the bed, “Oh, you wound me!”

“Good. Now get up and find your blankets.”

Nikolai stood with a playful grin and booped her nose on his way to the wardrobe, “Pure sunshine, aren’t you?”

She swatted at him and moved away from his magnetic field. It had… unwanted effects. “I’m not here to be sweet to you.”

“No, and I wouldn’t expect you to. Still, sunshine fits you.” And he left it at that, starting to whistle some off-tune melody as he found thick blankets and stacked them on the floor.

Alina searched for her pyjama and rushed to the bathroom, “I’ll go change, don’t you dare walk in on me or peek through my stuff!”

“I wouldn’t dare doing such a wretched thing.” He called back, his tone serious for a change.

--

Alina took her time changing, hoping Nikolai would take the hint and get changed in the meantime as well. She brushed her hair and then her teeth, she stared at her reflection and paced around. She peed. She washed her hands. And when she had no more excuses to stay locked in the bathroom, she walked out.

And straight into a hard chest, wrapped in teal.

“Woah there!” Nikolai caught her in his embrace just as she was tilting backwards with the momentum.

She blinked at the threadbare t-shirt that hugged his chest, barely hiding the very well-toned muscles, and realised with a start that he was holding her in his arms.

“Off!” She jumped away and tried to hide the blush on her cheeks, “A bit handsy, no?”

Nikolai chuckled and raked a hand through his hair, the movement drawing Alina’s attention to the sliver of toned muscle that peeked through the crack between his shirt and pants. “I was merely making sure you didn’t hurt yourself, sunshine. I was going to knock to check if you were well when you suddenly barge out and nearly barrel through me.”

Alina shook her head, ignoring the way her body got excited at the sight of Nikolai’s, and climbed onto the large bed, “Whatever, try to keep them to yourself next time.”

“I swear I’ll only touch you with your permission, Alina.” He said, his tone almost reverent. “Goodnight, sunshine.”

She almost demanded he stop using that word, but that would involve a longer conversation. So she just mumbled a reply and laid down, her back turned to him.

--

Sleeping was impossible.

Genya’s words kept Alina awake. And knowing Nikolai was lying right next to her didn’t help her case at all.

She wasn’t going to sleep with him! She simply wasn’t! That would be… That would… be… Alina tossed and turned, cursing her luck for this position she had been forced into.

All she’d wanted was a nice adventure by herself through the Irish lands. And to sleep in a comfy bed at night, wherever she stopped. None of her plans had involved any sort of sexual endeavours.

And yet…

Nikolai showed up.

And Genya dropped that bomb of an idea on Alina’s lap.

If only she could put the entire blame on her friend. But if she were being honest with herself, she had… flirted with the idea of having mind-blowing sex with a hot stranger at some point. If only to cleanse herself from her terrible ex. Plus, she often wondered what proper sex would be like.

And Nikolai looked like he knew his stuff.

“Nikolai…” She whispered into the darkness, torn between wishing him asleep, and hoping him to be awake.

A stir, then, “Yes?”

“Are you awake?”

A low chuckle, rough with sleep, “I am now. What is it?”

“I…” She started, only to quiet a moment later. What was she doing? And what was she going to say?!

Fabric rustled as Nikolai sat up, “Alina?”

She took a deep breath and looked his way, finding his hazel eyes even in the darkness of the room. “I don’t know how to do this.” She admitted.

He frowned a little and cocked his head, “Do what?”

A sudden heat took over her body and she bit her lip, wishing this impossible man would make the suggestion first. But silence stretched on, and he kept his distance. She tossed her blankets away and sat on the bed, facing him with a sudden braveness that she hoped would last long enough. “Ask you to sleep with me.” She finally let out in a tiny voice, her heart hammering faster and faster.

Nikolai parted his lips for a moment, eyes wide at her words. Then his face softened a little before a playful grin curved his lips, “I think you just did, sunshine. Although I’m sure you were very against us touching just a couple of hours ago.”

She groaned and looked away, suddenly embarrassed she’d asked at all. “If you’re going to mock me, I’ll have you sleeping in the bathtub. And it’s a tiny one.”

He chuckled, the sound huskier than before and quickly sending her heart into cardiac arrest. “My apologies, sunshine. I was just…” He stood with a grunt and walked towards her. “Lightening the mood. You sounded a little… Nervous.” He looked down at her with a strange look, his eyes taking in her flushed cheeks first, then her parted lips, and lingering there for a long moment. “If you want, I’ll do whatever you wish. But if you’re not sure and you feel like you have to…” He lifted his hand, but it dropped away before touching her, “I don’t want you doing anything you don’t want to do, Alina.”

She straightened and stood as well, her chest grazing his as there was little space left between them. “I want to do this. I just didn’t know how to propose it. It’s not as easy as asking if you want to have a drink. Like, ‘Hey! Want to have sex tonight?’” She tskd and crossed her arms, or tried to, as his proximity made it impossible for Alina to do so.

He touched her chin with his finger and tipped her head a little, his eyes boring into hers with a spark of amusement and… desire. “If you do want this… Then yes, I’d very much like to have sex with you tonight, sunshine.” The words echoed all around them, hanging in the air for one lingering moment.

And then he was kissing her, his lips crashing into hers as the two finally gave in to the mutual attraction that sizzled between them.

Nikolai tasted of stolen goods in the middle of a kitchen raid. Delicious and sinful. His mouth was soft and warm against hers, nipping and pulling and massaging her lips until she was trembling from head to toe and clinging to his shoulders as though her very life depended on it. She kissed him back with as much passion, pouring into him a kind of lust she hadn’t felt until now, her body aching to know his with utter intimacy. Their tongues teased each other, tasted each other, explored each other.

She moaned into the kiss and Nikolai eagerly drunk all the sounds she made, his hands holding her so close she could hardly breathe. Saints above, Alina had never been kissed like this. It was… like heaven. A sinful kind of heaven, if she were being honest.

The kiss was broken into a million of kisses that Nikolai trailed across her jaw and down her neck, peppering her feverish skin with promises of a long, long night. Alina moaned his name as she raked her hands through his hair and his mouth travelled lower, tasting all that he could of her exposed skin.

“I adore your pyjama, sunshine… But…” He rasped against her collarbone, giving it a playful bite as his hands sneaked under her shirt and slowly climbed up, up, up.

“It would look better on the floor?” She replied, eyes rolling in their sockets when he brushed his thumbs over her nipples, instantly making them pinch and ache for more.

He hummed in agreement and quickly freed her of the pesky layer. A bite of cold air teased her skin, only to be quickly smothered when Nikolai leaned down to kiss her breasts.

“God…!” She moaned louder, fingers digging into his scalp, toes curling into the carpet.

His chuckle teased her nipple, “You really think so, sunshine?”

“Oh… shut up.” She managed to let out. Then she was tugging on his shirt, pulling it up in the blind, demanding it to be gone. “I need you to strip. Make this even. Now.”

Nikolai chuckled again and silently answered her request, tossing his shirt away without a glance. “Better?”

Alina took in the sight of his toned torso, lean muscles and softly tanned skin greeting her, making her mouth water. She nodded dumbstruck before leaning in to kiss his chest, and trail down, savouring each bump of soft skin and the way all of this had her panties soaked through and through.

Nikolai let out a surprised gasp when Alina reached his pants and pulled everything down. “Alina…?”

She peeked up and licked her lips, “I want to taste you.” And that was all she said before taking him in her mouth.

She played him at length, licking and sucking until Nikolai was trembling all over and begging for her. His hand was knotted in her hair, carefully guiding her through his wishes as she moved and savoured him until he was close to breaking point. “God… Alina…” He let out, his voice strained, “And you… and you didn’t know how… how… OH!” He let out a loud groan and bucked his hips against her, shuddering hard as Alina finally broke him.

They were breathing heavily by the time Nikolai had pulled Alina back to her feet, his eyes darker than the night sky as he watched her lick her lips clean. “That was amazing.” She said, reaching out to touch him with a finger. She trailed it up and down his length, savouring the way Nikolai shuddered under her touch.

Nikolai cupped her cheek and let his hand wander to the nape of her neck, tilting her head just a little bit, just enough for him to lean down and brush his lips against hers, “You are a wicked vixen, sunshine. I can’t wait to taste you.”

Then he had her on her back, hair splayed all over the sheets as he slowly kissed her torso, sucking on her nipples at length until her voice was nothing but a pained sound. “Please…” She begged only to have him travel lower and lower, freeing her of the rest of her clothes and parting her legs. Oh saints… This was it. He was going for revenge. Sweet, sweet revenge. “Nikolai…” She let out in a gasp when he began kissing her ankle.

“I’ll make you feel so good, sunshine. So incredible… No one else will ever, ever compare…” He breathed against her skin as his mouth travelled up her leg, closer and closer to her pounding centre. “And I bet you taste divinely, don’t you?”

She nodded, even though at that moment she wasn’t sure about what, as her mind was nothing but a puddle, every rational thought destroyed by the simple anticipation of Nikolai’s tongue inside of her.

A gasp escaped her lips at the first touch. It was a soft, playful swirl, just enough to have her heart pounding hard against her chest. She clawed at the sheets when he did it again, this time slower and deeper. A longer taste, a longer tease.

“Nikolai… Please… God…!” Her moans answered each and every lick of his tongue, her hips arching with him, her body begging for release.

But Nikolai wanted to stretch her thin, and so his teasing was slow and torturous, pushing her close enough to the edge, but never over it. Oh, no… Never over it. And Alina hated it. And she loved it. She swore sex had never felt this good, not to her and to no one else.

Then, at last, Nikolai was pushing over the edge, and Alina was crying out for him, coming undone with the force of a thousand stars exploding at once.

--

“I knew you’d taste divinely, Alina…” Nikolai rasped against her lips once she was rational enough for them to continue their little rendezvous. He pulled her under the sheets and braced himself over her, his hazel eyes shining brighter than ever.

Alina took in the dark swirls of brown and the wisps of green, their shade reminding her of crushed emeralds. God, were his eyes even real? Who had eyes like his?

“Speechless?” He teased her and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, “Already? And here I was hoping…” He kissed her other cheek and reached between her legs, “To hear you call my name again, and again…” He dipped a finger and teased her for a moment, long enough to have her wet and ready.

Her breathing laboured, Alina licked her lips and reached for his hair, fingers playing with the luscious locks, “You wish, Nikolai. I’m just getting ready.”

He hummed and leaned in to kiss her with a long kiss, hot enough to set fire to the sheets around them. Then it was over and he was sinking into her with a satisfied groan, “Saints… You feel… Heavenly.”

Alina bit her lip and wrapped her arms around his neck with a nod, “You too. God… You feel… So good. So… good.” She mumbled compliments after compliments as he adjusted himself, his touch teasing her body in the best of ways. “That better not be your only condom, Nikolai. I want more.”

“Already?” He chuckled, “Then I better make sure you’ll still want it after we’re done.” Then he started to move, and the whole world faded to nothing.

Nikola’s rhythm was slow and steady at first as he drew in and out with painstakingly patient strokes, making Alina feel every little second of it. She held onto him hard with laboured breathing and hooded eyes, gasping and moaning yesses and mores and his name. Oh, his name…! Alina had never experienced sex so good she wanted to say nothing but her partner’s name. But here she was now, being banged so thoroughly by this man that her tongue knew nothing but his name.

“God!” She cried out when he picked up speed, his hips rolling harder with each thrust. He went deep and hard, and Alina swore she saw stars every time. Every. Single. Time.

“Goddess…” Nikolai replied with a chuckle and a kiss to her lips, its softness a paradox to his dirty, dirty moves. “You are… a goddess, Alina… So incredible, I can’t believe you’re real…” He rasped against her cheek, his forehead pressed to hers, effort drawing a deep line between his eyes, “I think I’ll die tonight.” He added just before delivering a stronger and harder thrust.

Alina’s moan was loud and echoed all around them, her blood so close to igniting all it would take was a spark. “Please, Nikolai… Please…!” She begged, wanting him to destroy her. She’d never wanted an orgasm to ruin her existence as much as she wanted one now.

“Your wish is my command, sunshine…” Then he was rocking his hips harder and faster than ever, the bed groaning under their heated encounter, and then… at last…

Alina was crying out a moan, his name, something in between. And Nikolai cried out as well, shuddering hard as the two rode the remnants of their orgasm, their bodies so spent for now that they were mere husks of themselves.

--

“Well… I guess it was worth it going with your idea.” She said after a while, wrapped in Nikolai’s embrace as they rested before their next round.

He hummed, “I always say that anything worth doing always starts as a bad idea, sunshine.”

“So you agree it was a bad idea?” She asked over her shoulder, arching an eyebrow at the impossible man.

His chuckle was warm and earnest, “You thought it was, Alina.”

She rolled her eyes and settled back, “You’re so cocky.”

“Yes, you complimented me quite a lot just now, thank you once more.”

Alina pushed her elbow back and grinned satisfied as Nikolai let out a grunt. Then, he rolled her over and began kissing her neck with only a wink as a warning, and Alina soon forgot all about his insufferable streak.

“I don’t want tonight to end, sunshine…” He whispered, his breath teasing her pulse as he planted slow and hot kisses up the column of her neck, “I want to stay in this bed forever, with you.”

Her eyes fluttered closed and her hands blindly searched for his hair, her fingers playing with the soft locks as his kisses drew closer to her mouth. “The night is still young…” She whispered back, putting aside any thoughts about the next day. Tonight was about tonight. The future had to wait.

“What do you want me to do now, sunshine? Tell me and I’ll do it.” His breath was on her lips now, warm and teasing, holding a kiss just out of reach.

“I want you to kiss me right now…” She said, “Then I want to be on top. I want to ride you, Nikolai, slow and hard.”

“Hm, slow and hard? And here I thought you’d want it hard and fast…” He chuckled and pecked her lips, “But I’ll grant you your wish, Alina. Anything to hear you make those sweet, sweet sounds.”

Then he was kissing her slowly, his mouth speaking in a language that ignited her blood bit by bit. He massaged moan after moan out of her, their bodies pressed together as lust slowly built up between them. Nikolai broke the kiss just to trail a line straight to the hollow below her jaw, where he grazed her skin with this teeth before pressing a long, slow kiss that had her gasping for air. Saints above, this was pure, delightful sin. And Alina wanted more.

“Nikolai…” She rasped, “Come on, you insufferable man…” His chuckle only made her more eager, “I think it’s time I’m on top.”

Without a word, Nikolai hooked a hand around her knee and flipped them over. Alina let out a yelp before putting her hands against his chest to keep balance. Nikolai flashed a grin at her, “That… Was adorable.”

She slapped him lightly, “Shut up.”

“I’ll sit up instead, hum?”

Alina blinked in surprise but she didn’t stop him as he adjusted himself under her, their bodies barely touching each other. She eyed him, already hard and ready for the taking, and warmth pooled between her legs, her body desperate to ride him.

“You look ravenous, sunshine…” He said, “Ready to risk any… Accidents.”

Alina blushed in spite of herself and awkwardly reached for his pants, from where she’d seen him withdraw his previous condom. “You’re so full of yourself…” She muttered as she offered the item, “Two?”

Nikolai shrugged and readied himself, “I admit I grabbed just one, the second must have tagged along.”

“Haha, yes, of course. They just couldn’t be separated.”

A mischievous glint burned in his eyes. He circled her waist and pulled her closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper, “Much like us, Alina.” His gaze dropped to her breasts, which were right in front of him, should he just angle his head a little lower, “I wonder what sounds you’ll make when I suck those…”

Alina let out a shuddered breath and watched him lean in, his eyes flicking to hers just before he took one nipple in his mouth. She held onto his shoulders, a moan on her lips, when his tongue circled the tender flesh. Then she clung harder when he gave her a playful bite. And then she let out a shuddered cry when he sucked hard, his mouth playing her like a master musician. “Nikolai…” She let out, “Please…”

“Your call, Alina… When you want…” He rasped, his tongue teasing her nipple endlessly, “But I’ll take my time with this, sunshine. You make the most beautiful sounds.”

Her hand shakier than ever, Alina reached down and sank into him, her body happily taking in his hard length as she slowly adjusted her position. A grateful sound came out and she wasn’t sure just who had it belonged to. Then she started to ride him, rolling her hips slowly, sinking her body deep.

Nikolai kept playing with her breasts, teasing her with his tongue, giving her a rhythm to move to, driving her mad with pure, raw lust.

“Oh…!” She dropped her head back and rode faster when he sucked hard on her other nipple. His hold tightened and he let out a groan. “Yes…!”

“Alina… Oh… Alina…!” His hot breath fanned her skin, goosebumps following suit.

And Alina moved. Going down hard, feeling every second of it, relishing in every touch and sound. Her skin could be glowing for all she knew. This truly was the best sex she’d ever had in her life, and frankly… Nothing would ever surpass it.

“Nikolai…!” She gasped, feeling the edge so close, so close… And then she was falling hard, crying out a wordless sound as she clung hard to him and rode her high to the very last drop, taking extra satisfaction in the way Nikolai fell apart under her, his growl like music to her ears.

Saints be blessed. She would have to be carried out of the bed after this.

--

Rain fell at a lazy pace all around her. Alina eyed the street, nerves making her foot tap endlessly as she waited for the next bus. It was early in the morning and she’d been told one would arrive in the next half hour. Still, she wanted it here faster.

If not, she might be tempted to go back to that room.

“Damn it!” She cursed under her breath. Last night had been, quite possibly, the best night of her life. Nikolai had put to shame anyone that claimed to be great in bed. Which meant Alina wouldn’t be able to leave his arms if he had woken up before her.

So, when she woke up first… She snuck out.

Better to be the jerk that leaves without a word than be the stupid one that wasted their trip in bed with some guy. Even if that guy had her body singing with great sex.

She eyed her watch and groaned. If that bus didn’t arrive soon…

“You missed breakfast.”

She let out a yelp and whirled on the spot, eyes widening as she came face to face with Nikolai. Who, much to her chagrin, was beginning to be rather soaked. And was here. Before she could leave for good.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

A corner of his mouth curled up a little, “I meant actual breakfast, but the other kind could be in the menu as well.” He paused, cocked his head and eyed her bags, “Though I suspect that’s exactly why you’re up so early.”

“I… Look… I have a trip plan.” She explained, as though those few words were enough.

He nodded and passed a hand through his hair, pushing dripping locks away from his face. Alina felt her breath falter at the gesture. God, could this man stop being so attractive?

“Does that mean you don’t want to repeat last night?”

Alina looked away, her cheeks burning hotter than the sun, “We can’t repeat it. We just happened to share a room. You’re going your way and I’m going mine.”

“What if we aligned our trips?” He stepped closer, “We’d have company, we’d save in lodgings, etcetera…”

“And we’d repeat last night over and over again?” She arched an eyebrow, hoping her nonchalance masked the way his words had her body shivering with anticipation.

His voice dropped an octave, “Come back to bed, sunshine. I assure you it’ll be worth it.” He reached for a lock of her hair and took in a slow breath, “We’re both traveling aimlessly through Ireland… Why not share the journey?” He chuckled, “And yes, sex would be included in the package. I’m certain one night wasn’t enough. It wasn’t for me. God… You were…” He trailed off as he finally let go of her hair. “What do you say, sunshine?”

She blinked like a startled deer, “Why do you keep calling me that?”

He shrugged, “It suits you.”

“Oh.” She paused, “That’s it?”

“Well,” He winked, “You were a ray of sunshine from the moment we met, hard to avoid calling you that.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Of course.”

“I mean it with all my heart, Alina. Sunshine… Suits you.” It seemed there was no way to have him stop using the nickname.

“How long are you going to be here?”

Nikolai shrugged again, “Don’t know. However long I wish. And you?”

She frowned, who the hell went on a trip without planning an ending date? “I… Well, a month. Give or take.”

“Wonderful!” He smiled a smile brighter than sunlight and Alina found herself struggling for a reason to be angry at his outburst. “So… What do you say, Alina?”

“What if I refuse?”

“I’ll be disappointed, of course. But you are free to go your way. I just… Hoped we could continue what we started.”

Alina looked away and chewed on her lip. She barely knew him. Not that this fact had stopped her from banging him thoroughly. And saints… It was so damn good!

Oh god. She was going to regret this.

“Fine, we can… Stick together.”

--

Alina chewed on the inside of her cheek as she looked at the packages in front of her. Why the hell were there so many options? She looked at the hasty scribble on her palm and then at the prices. Whatever, she’d pick the averagely priced and leave.

“Hmm… Afraid we’ll run out of condoms, sunshine?” Nikolai’s breath tickled her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

Her stomach flipped on its head at the softness of this gesture. Then she took a shaky breath and looked over her shoulder, their noses brushing ever so slightly, “Doesn’t hurt to be prepared, does it? Plus, you…” She dropped her voice to the tiniest of whispers, “Well, we spent a lot of them last night. And this morning. So, unless you have an endless supply in your bags, we’re taking these.”

He arched an eyebrow and a corner of his mouth curled up in a playful grin, “We?”

She pushed him off and then placed the package of condoms and another of pills in his hands and gestured towards the register, “Actually, you pay. I’ll be waiting.”

Nikolai chuckled and, with that insufferable grin of his, leaned down to peck her lips before walking away to pay for their things.

“Ah, I remember when my sweetheart would look at me that way.” An old voice spoke from the entrance to the next aisle.

Alina turned towards it and saw an elderly woman dressed in a classic outfit, the demure aspect of it clashing with the bright blue of her hair. “Huh… Like what?” She asked, her stomach flipping like crazy once more.

“Like I’d put the sun in the sky.” Then she chuckled, “And like I was the sole reason he ever got a boner, the rascal.”

Alina’s eyes widened as those words came out, “I…”

The elderly woman chuckled, “Oh, we did some naughty things…”

“Right…” Alina didn’t know what to say. The lady seemed nice enough, but Alina really didn’t want to stand there, listening to the woman’s sexcapades. “I’ll just…” She gestured to Nikolai, who was walking back.

“Of course, go one and have fun with your man.”

“He’s not…” She started, but then she gave up and shook her head. There was no point in telling the lady she and Nikolai were just sex partners. Nothing more. Even if he was rather… tender and sweet with her. Which wasn’t a thing she’d expect from a colourful friend.

“Ready?” Nikolai arrived and took her hand before turning to the lady and greeting her with a dazzling grin, “Good morning, madam.”

“Madam? Oh, he’s a keeper.” The woman smiled and winked before finally leaving Alina alone.

--

“Nice lady.”

“Huh?” Alina’s mind had been somewhere far away, distracted with the old lady’s misinformed opinion on her and Nikolai’s relationship.

“That old lady.”

“Ah, yes. She thought we were a couple. Almost told me details of her own sexual life.”

Nikolai shuddered visibly, though rather dramatically for it to be more than him poking fun at Alina’s face. “Wouldn’t want that, would we?”

“Stop! Do you really want to hear about old people’s sexual lives?”

He paused then made a face, “No, you’re right. No one wants that.” Then he looked at her from the corner of his eye and a wolfish grin grew on his lips, “A couple, huh?”

Alina felt a blush heat up her face, “She probably saw what we were buying and you teasing me and made assumptions.”

Nikolai didn’t answer. Instead he brushed his thumb across her knuckles, the soft gesture distracting Alina from literally everything else. He always did this. Somehow, Nikolai knew exactly how to put Alina’s mind at such an ease, the world could collapse on itself and she wouldn’t even notice.

They’d been together for two weeks now, their original travel plans having been aligned so far. And in that time, Nikolai had been an unexpected force of nature in Alina’s life. He wasn’t just really, really good in bed. He was also a great company overall. Talking with him was a paradox of rolling her eyes and feeling like there wasn’t a thing in the world she couldn’t talk about. But it wasn’t just that, it was the comfortable silence they fell into as well. Past relationships… One in particular, had been riddled with heavy silences that threatened to suffocate her.

Nikolai was a breath of fresh air.

And it scared her.

“You’re awfully distracted, sunshine. Something on your mind?” Nikolai’s voice interrupted her wandering thoughts, a tinge of worry underlining is otherwise nonchalant tone.

She shrugged, “Just thinking.”

“Hmm…” He looked at her, “Nothing’s wrong, is it?”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, “Stop worrying so much, Nikolai. Nothing’s wrong.”

His voice softened, “Can you blame me for worrying?”

No, she couldn’t. The first time he’d caught her this distracted, Alina had accidentally stumbled on a memory post from her old facebook. Somehow, she’d gotten an email and in her early morning drowsiness, Alina hadn’t realised what she was clicking and ended up staring at a post she’d made on the day she’d broken up with her high-school-the-university boyfriend, Mal. It was about her planning a surprise, a very cryptic but excited post about big plans. Plans that never came to happen as she stumbled on him cheating on her in some orgy-like frat party. He wasn’t even sorry. In fact, he’d blamed his cheating on her, for neglecting his needs.

Nikolai had returned from grocery shopping to find her curled up in bed, her phone thrown on the floor, tears dried on her face.

She hadn’t planned on letting him see her like this or letting him know of what had happened, but Nikolai had been so worried about her that Alina couldn’t lie to him.

“Tell you this…” He started, his voice a little more cheery, “How about we have a picnic by that lake we saw over the hill with the ruins? It’s very secluded and rather beautiful. We could spend the rest of the afternoon lost in there.” He added a wink for good measure.

Just like that, Alina’s mood shifted. She rolled her eyes but smiled nevertheless, “Are you really suggesting sex by the lake?”

“Well…” He drawled, “If we get in the mood…” With a tug, Alina was in his embrace and Nikolai was brushing his nose up her neck, his hot breath teasing her skin and blood, “I won’t deny your wishes, sunshine.”

Her eyes rolled in their sockets as a soft moan escaped her mouth, “What if someone sees?”

“That’s the bonus of a secluded spot, it’s not easy to be seen.”

She pondered the idea, her mind fighting her body and heart’s will. Then, “I guess a picnic sounds fun.”

--

“A calendar maker, huh?” Nikolai asked, his voice riddled with awe and wonder. “Do you just handle the photos or do you do everything?”

Alina rolled onto her side and shrugged a little, “Mostly everything, though I have a friend that helps with the grid designs. But I don’t do just photos for the calendars, sometimes I paint too.”

“Hmm, what a talented woman you are, Alina…” He said with a smile, his hazel eyes locked on the path his hand was drawing up her torso, his fingertips drawing invisible shapes that had goose bumps trailing all over her skin, right through the layers of fabric she was wearing.

Alina felt a shudder break through her control. Nikolai had this effect on her, even when the steamiest thing they had done all afternoon was kissing, he managed to turn her on with just one look.

“Hum…” She cleared her throat, “I just work hard on what I do.”

Nikolai arched an eyebrow and leaned in, close enough for his breath to tickle her lips, “But you can’t cultivate talent with just hard work, sunshine.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, thumb lingering on her skin, “You need…” His thumb moved to her lower lip to trace it, “Passion.”

“I thought…” She let out, feeling a little breathless, “You said you wouldn’t seduce me into sex here…”

“I love it when you quote me…” He brushed his lips over her cheek and pressed a soft kiss, “But I was going to suggest us returning to our room and getting… cosy.”

She took a hold of his collar and pulled him down for a heated kiss, “I like that.”

--

A few days later, and with most of the trip being divided between exploring the land and sleeping together, Alina and Nikolai were holed up in their room. A blessed storm had given them the perfect excuse to stay in bed all day, and Alina couldn’t have been happier about it.

Although she would rather die before admitting such a thing.

Before admitting she loved being wrapped in Nikolai’s embrace and just stay there. Saints help her, she wasn’t in love but by all the stars… She was growing dangerously fond of him. Maybe even… falling for him.

A soft kiss was pressed to the back of her neck. “Should I order food?” Nikolai asked, his voice groggy from sleep and sex.

She nodded and looked over her shoulder, “Please do. You spent the hell out of me.”

His chuckle was equal parts delight and mischievous, “And we can’t go for the next round if we don’t get some food in your system, can we? And may I add… I love knowing I’m the one responsible for your current state.”

She rolled her eyes and elbowed him lightly, “Of course you do, with that ego…!”

With another chuckle, Nikolai got up and ordered some food. During that time, Alina thought of the impending end of her trip and how it felt too… short. She was terrified of the possibility of falling for his man but… She also wanted to see where it could go. If… If he wanted to see it too.

“You know…” She waited to until he looked over his shoulder, his eyes catching hers in the room’s dim light, “I could extend my trip. You’ve helped with the money part, so my trip budget still has room for extra days…”

Her heart soared as she saw Nikolai’s eyes light up with something akin to pure bliss.

Then it sunk when that bliss shuttered and he looked away, his mouth forming an ominous straight line.

“Alina… There’s…” He cleared his throat and raked a hand through his hair, “I… There’s something I should have told you sooner. About me.”

Dread wrapped a cold hand around her throat, “What are you talking about?”

He set his jaw and looked away before taking a deep breath, “My name isn’t Nikolai Sturmhond. That's an alias I use when I want to go incognito.”

She frowned, “Why? Who are you then?”

His hazel eyes flickered to hers, something akin to pain burning in them, “My name is Nikolai Lantsov, sunshine. I’m the crown prince of Ravka.”

Alina felt the world slow down to a lazy crawl. He was… And she’d been… She’d been having hot, dirty sex with the prince? And in all their conversations to… to get to know each other… He’d never…

She was about to ask him why he’d hidden the truth like that when he spoke again, “And there’s something else, Alina… I’m… Well, this trip… It was sort of my last hurrah.” He focused his gaze on the floor, “As per agreement with my mother.”

“Agreement on what?” She let out in a whisper, anger and pain and confusing dripping from each word.

His gaze flickered to hers again for once brief moment, “On me accepting an engagement to a woman of her choice.”

That meant… That meant he was engaged. To someone else. All this time… All this time he’d been involved with her, he’d also been engaged to marry someone else. She felt sick. And hurt. And betrayed.

“Sunshine…” His voice trembled. But she wasn’t about to let his vulnerability win her over, not anymore.

“Go away.”

“Sunshine, please…”

“And stop calling me that!” She snapped at him and aimed a pillow at his head, “Sleep somewhere else and call pet names to someone else, you bastard!” Her voice broke and she looked away, “Sleep in the bathtub or the floor, for all I care. But I don’t want to see you ever again, Nikolai.”

Silence, heavy and unbreathable, settled between them.

Then Nikolai took a shuddered breath and nodded, “I’ll… I’ll go. I’ll see if I can find another room.

And then he grabbed his clothes and left the room with one final glance that Alina refused to acknowledge. She was too busy trying not to cry.

The sound of the door locking softly behind him felt like a canon going off in her ears. Shattering her to pieces.

And then she cried.

--

A few days later…

She sat in Genya’s couch, nursing a mug of hot tea as her friend bustled about the kitchen, looking for some special cookies. “I swear I had them here! Bought them just for you! Aha! Here we go.” She sang the last word and sat down next to Alina, offering a box of cinnamon cookies shaped like stars and moons and even foxes.

Alina grabbed one and bit on it half-heartedly, her mind far away from this room.

“Alina… What’s the matter?”

She frowned in feigned confusion, “What are you talking about?”

Genya rolled her eyes and pursed her lips to one side, worry marring her features, “You’re a bit off. You’re not paying attention to much. And you came back from your trip a week earlier. Not to mention this is all such a stark opposite to how you sounded during your calls from Ireland. You seemed so happy you could barely contain it. Like…” Genya gestured at the air, “I could hear the smile in your voice! Then you return early… Like this. Something’s wrong. Tell me, Alina… I can’t help you feel better if you don’t tell me.”

Alina shrugged and looked away, “Turns out the trip wasn’t as fun as I thought.”

“Really? That’s it?”

“That’s it.” She said. And then the TV betrayed her with news on… him.

Alina took in a sharp breath as his smiling face took centre stage with the headline about his...

“The prince is finally getting engaged?” Genya asked aloud, “I honestly thought he’d avoid that for as long as possible… Alina?”

Alina couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Those words. The beautiful woman in his arm. Her eyes grew blurry and she quickly wiped them. She wasn’t going to cry over him again, never again.

“Alina…” Genya touched her arm gently and slowly managed to get her attention back, “Tell me.”

She swallowed down and took in a shuddered breath, “He lied, Genya. He pretended to be just some guy when he was…” A sob surprised her, “When he was the prince! And engaged!” Her voice cut through the air, her heartache too strong for an even voice.

Understanding dawned on Genya. The next moment the TV was off, and she was pulling Alina into a tight hug and whispering comforting words to her friend. It’ll be all right. It would be all alright…

--

Six months later

Alina’s laptop was rudely snapped closed, and she barely had time to take her hands away or risk losing fingers.

She looked up offended, her eyes turning to slits at her red-headed friend, “Genya! What the hell?”

Genya placed both hands on her hips and shrugged off Alina’s anger, “You need a break, Alina. You’ve been drowning yourself in work, work, work!”

Alina looked away with a huff and crossed her arms, “I’ve been working, that’s all. You know it’s a busy time.”

“Ridiculous excuse that we both know is weak as heck. You’ve been drowning yourself in your work ever since you can back from that trip. And you need a break. A serious one, not just a prolonged lunch with the girls.”

She rolled her eyes and tried to reach for her laptop. But Genya snatched it away in a blink. “Hey! That’s mine! And I don’t need any break, Genya. I’m doing perfectly fine.”

“Yeah right, and I’m the queen of Ravka.” Genya sighed and her eyes saddened a little, “Alina, you’re one of my best friends and I hate seeing you like this.” Then she snapped her fingers and winked at her, “Which is why you’re coming with me, Zoya, Tamar and Nadia to Scotland!”

Alina blinked twice, fast and confused, “Scotland? Are you kidding me?”

“Nope. And you better pack fast and well because we leave tomorrow.”

Alina watched in horror as Genya walked away with her laptop in hand, “Really? And you’re kidnapping my laptop to make sure I go?”

“I’m putting it back in your study and locking the door. You’re not taking it with you. Now go,” She looked over her shoulder with a grin, “Pack your things, we’re going on a trip!”

--

Alina eyed the cottage Zoya had rented for their trip. It was… fantastic, if she were being honest. It made her want to stay there forever. But for consistency sake, she kept her frown on for a little longer, grumbling at Genya once more on how she didn’t need to be coerced into leaving her home.

“You needed a change of air. Like we all did. And it’s been a while since we’ve had some girl time anyways.” Genya offered with a wink and walked through the front door.

Immediately they were greeted with warmth. The fireplace in the living room was running at a lazy pace and heating up the place quite nicely. To their left an arch in the wall led to the kitchen, where a round dinner table sat. Right in front of the door was a set of stairs that led to the first floor, where the girls found four small rooms. The ideal amount, as Tamar mentioned with a wink in Nadia’s direction.

“Wait until you see the beds, then you can decide if it’s great or not.” Zoya said with an arched eyebrow. She entered through one door and made a non-committal sound, “If they’re all like this one, we’re not bad. I’d prefer a larger bed but…”

“Why? You can’t sleep if it’s not in starfish position?” Genya bumped her shoulder and moved to the next room with a chuckle.

Zoya pursed her lips, “I like to have space, Genya. And I don’t sleep in starfish position.”

“Of course. You sleep in vampire queen position.” Alina let out, finally letting go of her frown as the warmth of the place and the company of her friends finally melted away her mood.

Nadia snorted behind Tamar as Zoya settled her cold blue eyes on Alina. Then, a corner of her mouth tilted up and she nodded once, “Touché.” She paused, “This one’s mine.” Then she was putting her things on the bed.

Before long the girls had all picked their rooms and were settling downstairs with a batch of freshly made coffee.

A bird chirp startled Genya just as she was reaching for a cookie. She reached for her phone and in a blink her face lit up.

“What’s gotten you so happy?” Alina asked.

“I bet it’s David.” Zoya replied with a wicked grin, “Ever since Genya got his number they keep trading actual letter-length messages every day. You know, the whole reason she stops listening to us for five minutes straight during our lunches.”

“I do not!” Genya complained. But Alina grinned nevertheless, very aware of Genya’s new beau and constant distraction. Tamar and Nadia chuckled into their mugs. Genya frowned at everyone’s reaction for a moment before continuing to read her message. Then her bright smile returned, “David invited us to stop by!”

Stop… by? Alina frowned, confused with this statement. Wasn’t David back in Ravka?

“Stop by?” Nadia voiced Alina’s question.

Genya nodded, “Yes! He’s staying in the area with his friends as well. He invited us to stop by this afternoon!”

Alina cut a glare to her friend, “So… Girl time, huh? When were you going to tell us about this?”

Genya flashed a sheepish smile, “I swear I didn’t plan this trip with him in mind. But when I said I was going away for a couple of weeks… Well, he said he too was coming here.” She shrugged, “I swear!”

A long pause followed. And the Zoya put her mug away and sighed, “I guess we’ll be visiting David.” She eyed Genya, “Why on earth did he invite us all if you’re probably looking for some makeout time?”

Genya’s freckled disappeared in the blush that coloured her cheeks, “We’re not, Zoya! And he specifically mention all of us. He wants to show us the place he’s staying in.”

“I take it it’s not a cute cottage like ours.” Tamar offered.

Genya shook her head, “It’s like an old mansion. He says it’s exciting!”

Zoya snorted, “David’s exciting can be very different from my exciting, Gen.”

“Shut up! And go get ready. And bring your boots, I don’t think we’ll need to take the car.”

--

All right, David had friends in high places.

That was all Alina could conclude upon seeing the ancient house, a mansion that looked more like a castle than anything else. And it was in pristine condition. The gardens were exquisite, not a leaf out of place. The windows looked freshly refurnished and the main door looked like it could handle two wars.

The hall was… breathtaking. Two tall windows from the stairs offered a rainbow of coloured lights as the morning sun filtered through the sainted glass in almost magically places beams of light. The carpet lining the floor and the stairs was old, but it seemed to be in better condition than half of her towels back home.

David took the girls through a quick tour around the ground floor before settling with them in the kitchen, where he started to make tea. His eyes seemed to constantly find Genya, no matter where he stood, and Genya… Well, she couldn’t keep her own eyes off of him. Even if he was having a conversation about types of weapons with Tamar.

“Really, the amount of metal wielding techniques is staggering. I swear…” He chuckled and double checked the water, “It’s an adventure to study them all. At least those that we have information on.”

Tamar nodded, “Yeah, I know what you mean. Those swords…” she let out a breath and laced her fingers through Nadia’s, “I hope you let me take a closer look at them, David. I want to pry them open. Metaphorically speaking.”

“Of course. I’ll just have to ask Nikolai about it.”

In that moment, Alina looked back from the scenery sprawled outside and focused back in the conversation, “Did you say…?”

And just then, another voice carried through the corridor, “David! Can you tell me where you left those reports on…” Hazel eyes. Beautiful as the last day she’d seen them. “Alina…?”

She stood there frozen. “Nikolai…”

--

“ALINA!! Please stop!” Genya rushed after her, carrying a large, black umbrella after Alina had run off with their own. “Alina!”

Alina stopped and whirled on the spot, clutching her umbrella so hard her knuckles turned white, “Did you plan this?! Did you know he was here?!”

Genya halted, her face distorted with pain and regret, “No! I swear! I told you the truth about David’s trip and invitation, Alina.”

“Then what about Nikolai?! You must have known, since you’ve been dating David for a while now!”

“I…” Genya started and looked away, “I knew of him. But I’d asked David if he’d be around. He said Nikolai was busy in his study and wasn’t about to leave any time soon.”

Alina set her jaw, “Well, he did. And you still kept this fact from me. What were you hoping to achieve, Genya?”

Genya bristled, “Nothing, Alina! I just wanted you to get out of your head and take a breather! When I found out he was here I… I couldn’t just cancel our trip. Not after we were settled in!” She breathed hard, then a spark came to life in her eyes, “But maybe it’s good!”

Alina dropped her voice to a cold whisper, “Good?”

“Yes. Maybe this is the chance you two have to clear the air! You two broke things off so fast, without any closure… Maybe this is your chance to get it, Alina.”

She shook her head and looked away, tired of seeing that place in the backdrop. Tired of that tiny hope that Nikolai would too follow her… “He had his chance, Genya. He ruined it. I… I want to go back to our cottage. Please.”

Genya seemed keen on saying more, but then she nodded, “Ok, let’s go home. I’ll… I’ll plan another visit with David.”

--

That night Alina barely talked at dinner, letting her friends talk among themselves. Then she left for bed early, hoping a good night sleep would help her feel better.

“So… He’s not as impressive as the magazines make him out to be.” Zoya said after Alina’s door was closed.

“That’s your takeaway from today?” Genya said.

Zoya shrugged, “What? I’m just saying. He’s good looking, but I wouldn’t take him for a spin unless I was desperate.” She paused, “Not that I’m saying Alina made a bad choice. They clearly have sizzling chemistry.”

“Should I let Harshaw know that meeting the prince in person has only strengthened your relationship or…?” Tamar asked as she arrived from the kitchen, a bottle of scotch in her hand, a tray with glasses in the other.

Zoya scoffed and crossed her arms, “We’re just…”

“Sex buddies.” Nadia finished, “Oh Zoya, you know we know that’s not the truth.”

Zoya scoffed again, “We’re not talking about me.”

“No, we’re talking about how Alina and the prince looked as though struck by lightning.” Tamar poured the scotch and passed the glasses around. “I know you didn’t plan this far ahead, Genya, but now that the pieces are in place… What’s your plan?”

Genya chewed on her lip, “I don’t know. I don’t want to force Alina to do anything she doesn’t want to do, but they clearly need to talk it out. We’ll be here for a couple of weeks, maybe we can look for chances and let them happen?”

“You’re not scheming? Are you ill?” Zoya barked a laugh, “Seriously, Genya?”

Genya flinched, “You saw how angry she was when she thought I’d tricked her. I can’t actually do it now.” She sipped on her scotch and made a face, “Eugh, can’t believe you guys like this…” she set it down and looked up with a grin, “But that doesn’t mean I won’t nudge them together if I get the chance.”

“That’s the Genya we know.” Zoya chuckled.

“Let’s just hope things work out, I hate seeing Alina like this.” Nadia said.

The girls agreed and silence settled for a moment. Then conversation started again and they talked until the late evening, about anything and everything.

--

A couple of days later, the girls were invited for a dinner at the castle. It would have been extremely rude to refuse, so Alina found herself sitting at a long table of dark wood and eating food she suspected had been made by Nikolai himself.

The man that haunted her sleep sat at the head of the table. Alina, thankfully, had people between them at the right angle that she could easily pretend the hazel eyed bastard wasn’t even in that room.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and soon she found herself wandering around the house, doing her best to avoid accidentally mingling with him.

Her wandering feet took her to a study on the first floor. Three walls were covered in shelves, which were full to the brim with books and all kinds of trinkets. She peered at the spines. There were old books, worn out books, barely read books, tiny books and massive books. The collection was a kaleidoscope, a far cry from the kind of shelves Alina would have expected to find in a study like this one. Especially one belonging to a royal.

And then there were the trinkets. Old spyglasses and pocket watches. Hand painted mugs full of cliché tourist souvenirs from around the world. Dried flowers in glass bells. And…

“It can’t be…” She gasped. With a trembling hand, Alina reached for a small pebble sitting in front of an old Irish atlas. Its surface was rough, made of a myriad of colours. But that wasn’t what was so special about it. What was so special were the figures painted on its surface.

One side had a bright yellow sun. The other had a grinning fox.

She’d painted it by the lake that day… Nikolai still had it?

“I was wondering if you’d left early…”

Alina whirled on the spot, her heart jumping through hoops at the sound of Nikolai’s voice. And then at the sight of him.

“I…” She cleared her throat and put away the stone. “I needed a moment alone.”

He nodded and stepped into the study, hands in his pockets, eyes guarded. “I can see that.” A pause. His gaze roamed her face, her body, back to her face. As if he was making sure she was real. “How are you?”

She worked her jaw and looked away, “Fine.”

“Alina… I’m sorry.” His voice broke a little, “I did it all wrong and I hurt you… Please…”

She shook her head, “No. Stop. There’s nothing you can say that will change what happened.” Then she stormed out of the room, making sure to avoid touching or looking at him. She would be a fool to give him a chance, a fool! There was no way she’d let him slither his way into her life again, no matter how hard her heart wanted it.

--

Their first week of vacations passed in a blur. The girls went hiking and exploring and visiting nearby towns, having all the fun that Genya had promised back in Ravka.

Alina could almost forget Nikolai’s presence so near, her attention distracted with fun adventures spent with her closest friends.

But of course, even her friends had separate plans sometimes.

“Oh, I hope David doesn’t arrive late. I booked us a spot and really don’t want to miss it.” Genya chewed on her thumb, worry all over her face.

Zoya scoffed, “Relax, you have plenty of time to arrive at the museum.” She looked at her phone, “And I have to leave if I want that spa exclusive…”

Tamar and Nadia had left for a romantic date. Which left Alina.

“Are you sure you don’t mind walking back home?” Genya frowned again.

Alina nodded, “I’ll be fine. I have the boots and the umbrella. And Zoya will take the groceries back home with her.”

Zoya nodded, “Yes, I will. Still, I could drop you off…”

Alina shook her head, “I could use the walk. Go on, have fun. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Her friends nodded and hugged her goodbye before Alina set out towards their cottage, a long walk ahead of her. She eyed the stormy clouds rolling in. Maybe a brisk pace would be better than the original idea of a calm stroll…

--

Maybe running would have been better.

Alina clutched the handle of her umbrella and hopped over a large puddle, skidding on the muddy road for one horrifying moment. Saints, what was she thinking? This was Scotland! It rained like crazy, just like in Ireland. Yet she’d thought she could outrun the storm and get home in one piece.

Hilarious.

A car honked, nearly startling her into another puddle. Then it rolled by her. She turned to it, tossing aside any fears of being caught by a mass murderer. Right now, a ride would be wonderful.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” She hissed at the rolled window, staring straight at Nikolai’s beaming face.

“Good morning to you too, sunshine!” He said, his mouth parted in a perfect smile. “Want a ride? It’s a terrible storm out there.”

She ground her teeth for a moment. Was it worth it? No, it wasn’t.

“Fine.” Then she quickly hoped into the car and demanded him to drive. In silence.

“How are you, Alina?” His voice broke the silence after a few minutes.

She looked outside and worked her jaw, “Fine.”

“Is that your favourite word of the moment?” He said, sparing her a quick glance before he turned into a side road.

“I’m doing just fine, Nikolai. Do you want me to whip out a thesaurus to give you a different word with the same meaning?”

He nodded, “All right, I believe you.” Silence settled as Nikolai drove slowly through the storm, the downpour so heavy they could hardly see anything in front of them. “I…” He started but his voice died out. He tried again a couple more times before shaking his head, clearing his throat and tightening his grip on the wheel, “I’m sorry, Alina.”

Her heart stuttered. She swallowed down thickly, but still refused to give him an answer.

It didn’t seem to bother him much, as Nikolai started again after another moment, “I did it all wrong. I should have… I—I shouldn’t have kept the truth from you like that. Yet I did, and I hurt you and I can never forgive myself for hurting you so much.” He shook his head again and passed a wild hand through his hair, “I’d wanted to tell you but how could I? Was there a right time? A right way? And how could I tell you who I was without jeopardizing the little heaven we’d made for each other?”

“I deserved the truth, Nikolai…” She finally replied, her voice little more than a whisper, hoarse with the effort of holding back unexpected tears.

He nodded, “You did, Alina. You did… And I knew that. I just… I didn’t know how to tell you. Everything would change once I did. Every single relationship I’ve had, no matter how short or long it was… It was always ruled by my blood. My heritage. My inheritance. I never knew for certain if the person I was with actually cared for me or for my crown. Then I met you…” His voice gained a lightness that had Alina’s poor heart swelling a little, “You didn’t recognize me. And you had no problem in calling me out whenever and wherever. You…” He chuckled, “You were a force of nature that had waltzed into my life. And you were so brilliant and beautiful and I…” A woosh of air escaped him, “I was dazzled. Stunned beyond words.”

Alina swallowed down slowly and dared a glimpse towards him. Nikolai was staring straight ahead, keeping his eye on the road, but a nostalgic smile tugged on his lips, making her wistful for those days they shared together.

“Of course, I didn’t expect anything to happen that night. Yes, I had hopes we could share a meal the next day, maybe suggest we stay together a little longer but…” he bit his lip, “Well, nevertheless, something did happen. You rocked my world.” A pause, “The next days we spent together were a dream. Though my identity hung over my head I couldn’t… I didn’t want to lose you. What we had. I know it’s silly, but with you I could be myself entirely. No roles, no secrets. Myself.” He took in a breath, “But then that night you said you could stay longer… And I knew I couldn’t keep it up. I had to tell you.”

Finally, Alina looked away, unable to ignore the pain that night still provoked in her. “I get you wanting to be normal for once but… You’re engaged, Nikolai. You shouldn’t have gotten involved with me in the first place!”

He let out a bitter laugh, “It was hardly an engagement, Alina. It was an arrangement my mother had been working on for months. It wasn’t even agreed on officially during my trip. It would become official once I returned. It became official.” He added in a small voice, “I barely knew her, it was barely a relationship what I had with her… But you…” He looked her way, she could feel the weight of his gaze, “What I had with you was something. It was a relationship. It had meaning.”

“Whatever you’re trying to get at… You’re engaged, so stop it.”

“I’m not engaged, Alina.” Her heart stopped beating, “I broke it off over a month ago.”

She looked at him, shock and distrust making it hard to breathe normally, “But just before I left the news were all over it. Some venue or something.”

He shrugged, “It’s not official yet, but we parted ways and I told my mother how I felt. She isn’t happy, but she accepts that I’m my own person and I deserve to choose my wife on my own terms.” He sighed, “This trip was a getaway trip. I wanted time for myself, to plan what to do next. I brought my friends along because I didn’t want to be alone. Then one day you show up…” He stopped the car.

Alina could see the cottage just ahead.

Her heart raced wilder and faster than a tropical storm tearing down the world. Nikolai’s apology and revelation… It was too much. How could she…?

“Alina?” He called after her as she suddenly fled the car, not caring for the storm that hailed down on her. “ALINA!”

Much to her chagrin, Nikolai left the car as well and raced after her, his voice almost drowning in the storm raging around them. He caught her hand and she whirled on him, “I can’t do this! I don’t know how!” She screamed.

Confusion marred his face, “Do what?”

“I can’t…! I don’t know how to hate you anymore! I don’t know how to hate you when you apologised like that, when you said you weren’t engaged anymore!” She punched his chest and let her tears fall freely at last, “You wormed your way into my heart then broke it, you bastard! And I was happy with hating you when you were a lying, cheating royal ass.” A sob shook her body and Nikolai gingerly held her closer, “I liked the way you called me sunshine. The way you made me smile so easily. I liked it so much when you held me close…” She let the words come out after keeping them locked up for so long, “The way you made me feel so good whether we were having mind blowing sex or just hiking through the wilderness. I let myself feel safe with you…” Her voice died a little, “I thought you were different.”

“Alina…” His eyes shinned with a thousand emotions, regret and pain and something warm shining brighter than the rest, “Sunshine…” He added, much to her stupid heart’s delight, “I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

She shook her head and punched him again, with less effort put into the punch, as if her body had already forgotten how to hate him, “I don’t know…” She looked up at him, hardly noticing the downpour drenching her every belonging, “Why didn’t you try to find me?” She finally said, her voice tiny and lost.

Nikolai’s mouth curled up in a sad smile, “You didn’t want me around, Alina. As much as I wanted to fix things, to make it up to you…” He sighed and pushed away the hair that was dripping to his eyes, “I owed you that much. To… To let you go.”

She stared up at him, unable to form any coherent thought. A million things raced through her mind, a million thoughts, a million dreams and wishes and memories. It was a confusing storm raging inside her heart, in sync with the storm raging outside. Yet one thing stood out amidst it all. Nikolai.

The way he made her feel, the way he looked at her… She wished nothing had happened that day. That they were still on that trip, living a dream together.

“What now?” She said.

A hopeful smile danced on Nikolai’s lips as he stepped forward and pulled her closer. “I’d like another chance, sunshine. A chance to make it up to you, to…” He lifted a hand and brushed his knuckles over her cheek, “To have something special with you again. I know it was short lived, but we had something special, Alina. We could… We could try again.”

Maybe it was naïve of her, maybe it was stupid… But maybe it was also the kind of leap of faith one had to take once in a while to live a full life.

She nodded, “I’d like that.”

Nikolai smiled a smile that rivalled the sun. Her heart lurched. And then he was kissing her and her heart forgot how to beat normally.

--

They stumbled into the cottage amidst kisses and laughter, the two of them drenched to the bones. Nikolai pulled her in for another heart stopping kiss before closing the door behind them and tugging her towards the living room, his hands and lips never straying too far from her body.

“How about I get the fire started?” He said between kisses, a hand releasing Alina from her coat.

“Is that… Oh…” She lost track of her thought when Nikolai kissed her neck, right where her blood pulsed hard. God, he hadn’t forgotten. She let out a breathy moan as he kept teasing the sweet spot, and after a while, she finally managed to finish her sentence, “Right… Was… Was that an innuendo?”

Nikolai’s chuckle warmed her skin before he stood straighter, a smile lingering on his lips. He reached for her hair and pushed it away from her face with a tenderness that stole her breath away. Then he poked her nose and winked, “I meant the fireplace, sunshine. And I certainly hope that other fire is already started, considering the way you just reacted to my kisses.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re such an idiot.”

He hummed, “Yes, I know. About that fire…” He wiggled his eyebrows and tugged on her sweater, “We need to get rid of these soaking things before you catch a cold.”

She bit on her lip and let him take away another layer of clothes. Then she grabbed his hand and towed him up the stairs, “My room, Nikolai. I don’t know when the girls will come back, but I really don’t want to risk them catching us in inappropriate positions.”

“Inappropriate?” Nikolai gasped, though Alina could hear the grin in his voice, “Everything I do with you and to you is appropriate by miles, sunshine.”

They reached her room and she shut the door quickly before turning back to him, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I missed your ridiculous speech so much.”

Nikolai’s mischievous grin softened as he cupped her face between his hands and leaned in to press a soft, lingering kiss on her lips, “I missed you.”

Her heart threatened to melt at the way his voice softened just then. “I missed you too.” She whispered back, letting out a breath when he trailed a line of hot kisses down her neck.

Then he was gone, making a beeline to the small fireplace that stood at the corner of her room. Within seconds, Nikolai had lit up a fire, a feature that always took Alina at least one minute of several failed smoky attempts.

“How the hell did you get it to start so fast?” She asked dumbly, slightly offended at the wood and kindle.

Nikolai stood with a playful grin, “I’m just that good at starting fires, sunshine.” He leaned in to poke her nose when she rolled her eyes, “Really good. Fantastic, even.” He eyed the rest of their clothes and tsked, “We should take care of these.” Then, before she could say another thing, he was undressing himself.

She watched in lustful awe as he revealed his body bit by bit. Holy saints, he was still a vision. And she had missed it very, very much.

“Need help?” He asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes, as if he knew exactly how dumbstruck his naked self drove Alina. She dumbly nodded, not caring for one moment if he had to do all the work. She loved being undressed by the insufferable idiot. Especially when he was naked already.

Soon Nikolai had left Alina in nothing but her panties, his fingers trailing playfully along their waistband. He’d undressed her clinically, barely teasing her until this point. His hazel eyes were dark with unguarded desire, his luxurious lips flushed with all the times he gnawed them.

Alina felt every single cell in her body shimmer with the way he watched her. The way he took his time observing her body, as if this could be the last time he got to see her. Then he leaned in and kissed her slowly, a hand cupping the nape of her neck while the other pulled her flush against him. “You’re so beautiful, Alina…” He rasped against the kiss and slowly tugged her towards the bed, “So incredible…” He laid her down and slowly trailed along her jaw, each kiss placed with extra care.

All along, Alina fought for breath, her heart hammering so fast and so hard it was a wonder it had even time between beats. “Nikolai… please…” She rasped, eyes shuttered as his hands and mouth took their time mapping her body, touching her, teasing her, tasting her.

She let out a gasp when Nikolai took a nipple between his teeth and sucked on it at length, licking and teasing it until all Alina could let out were moans after moans. Then he did the same to the other, a hand slowly snaking between her thighs to tease her pounding centre. It didn’t take long before Alina was crying out for him, his name holy on her lips as her body combusted with raw pleasure.

“My sunshine…” He said in a whisper as he braced over her and leaned in to kiss her cheek, “My beautiful, wonderful, magnificent sunshine…” He brushed his nose against hers, the touch so soft and tender it had her heart overflowing, “I love you so much, Alina… So much…”

Oh.

That was… That was almost too much. Almost.

She dragged her hands through his hair and pulled him closer for a kiss, “I… I love you too, Nikolai. I…” she let out a surprised chuckle, “I guess I hadn’t realised it until now.”

He pulled away for a moment, a smile full of wonder lighting up his face, “I cannot put into words how happy that makes me, sunshine. To hear you say those words, to know you feel the same…” He shook his head and kissed her again, a smile on his lips, stuck forever as it seemed. “I want to kiss you forever, sunshine. Forever…” Then, without waiting another second, he sank into her and Alina lost herself in the moment.

They moved together slowly, languidly. Remembering each other’s body, each other’s likes and needs and desires. They kissed at length and whispered little nothings, moving a little faster little by little. Soon their rhythm had gained speed, the two giving in to their mutual desire, to that need to come undone together at last.

Alina moaned loud with each thrust of Nikolai’s, her hands dragging through his hair and down his back, her hips meeting his movements with enthusiasm. It felt so good, to be with him like this. So… good…

“Yes... Yes… Oh… God…!” Alina cried out a wordless sound when at last she rolled over the edge, the orgasm crashing into her in full force as Nikolai thrust hard into her with his own undoing, her name a prayer on his lips.

They rode their high together, holding fast to each other. This was, without a doubt, the best night in Alina’s life.

--

Later that day, the storm had lost some of its strength, though the wind still howled through the trees and the rain still battered against the windows.

Alina laid in Nikolai’s arms, her heart full to the brim with happiness. She’d just returned from the bathroom to find Nikolai carefully setting their clothes over her chairs so they’d dry a little faster. She didn’t know what about the scene made her so emotional, but something about the way he took extra care with the task had her heart swelling twice its size.

Then there was the sight of him butt naked, of course.

He’d sensed her, flashed his trademark grin and led her back to bed.

“I don’t want to fall asleep yet.” She mumbled, eyes trained on the fireplace, her heart beating happily as Nikolai passed his fingers through her hair, the gesture so soft it took her breath away.

“Why not?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know. I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find out this was a dream.”

Nikolai remained silent for a too long moment. Then he kissed her crown and held her closer, “How about a dream come true, sunshine?”

She looked up. Those eyes of his were beautifully illuminated by the firelight, yet there was another fire burning in their depths, adding an extra shine to those unforgettable shades of green and brown and golden. It was though he was daring reality itself to ruin their moment, their happiness. He would fight it barehanded, just to prove Alina this wasn’t a dream. That in fact, it was a dream come to life, at last.

“That sounds… perfect.” She finally said.

A soft smile unfurled on his lips as he leaned in to kiss her forehead first, then her lips, “Indeed.” He kissed her again, “So, now that I’ve thwarted your fears… how about a little nap?”

Just on cue, a yawn broke through. Nikolai chuckled while Alina groaned a little, but still allowed him to tuck her in, “I’ll be needing seconds.” She said.

Nikolai’s eyes earned a lewd sparkle, “And thirds, I bet.” He brushed his thumb over her lower lip and kissed her cheek, “Not to worry, my sunshine, I will satisfy every need of yours. After we rest.”

She nodded. And anything he might have said after was lost, as sleep quickly took over.

--

The sun had just set by the time Alina emerged from her bedroom, hair in a tangled mess, cheeks permanently blushed. She padded down the stairs and straight to the kitchen where she hear Nikolai buzzing about.

He beamed at her the moment Alina came into view, “Hello, sunshine. Sleep well?”

Alina nodded, “Yeah, like a rock.”

“Guess those seconds and thirds will have to wait a little longer,” He said with a chuckle. Then his eyes travelled down her body and a look of recognition illuminated his face. God, how could someone be this gorgeous? “Is that my old shirt?” He nodded at her outfit of choice.

Alina shifted her feet and played with the hem of her makeshift pyjamas. It was his shirt. That old, threadbare teal t-shirt he’d worn so many times and that Alina had ended up stealing whenever she didn’t feel like looking for anything else. “Yeah,” She said, keeping her eyes down as embarrassment took over, “I found it in my things when I got home and I…” She shrugged, “I couldn’t throw it away.”

Nikolai settled down the spatula he’d been holding and pulled her in with a soft tug. Alina stumbled into his embrace and settled her hands on his chest, feeling his warmth and the way his heart drummed so happily under her touch. “I always thought it looked better on you.” He nuzzled his nose against hers, “I’m glad you kept it.”

“Me too,” she admitted in a soft voice.

He dropped his head to the crook of her neck and pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her small frame. “I want to ask you something, sunshine…” His voice was muffled against her skin, and he sounded very… nervous.

“What?”

“Will you go out with me? On a real, official date?”

Saints. He was nervous!

“Didn’t we basically do that back in Ireland?” She said with a chuckle.

“We’re rekindling,” He mumbled, “I have to ask you out like a proper lover.”

Lover… The word send chills up her body, made her heart skitter and her lady bits shiver in excitement. God, she was weak for him, wasn’t she?

“Not boyfriend?” She heard herself say.

Nikolai looked up, eyes wide with surprise, “I was thinking of asking that after a date, sunshine.” His lips trembled with a nervous smile that threatened to burst through, “Unless you want to make that decision already?”

She chewed on her lip, “I…” A pause, and his smile dimmed a little, “It’s such a big decision…”

Confusion replaced his guarded hope, “What do you mean?”

“Well… If we make this official… Everyone will know. Your mother, the kingdom, the media… It’s basically a prelude to marriage.”

Nikolai looked on at her for a moment longer, and then he beamed at her, “Thinking of marriage already, sunshine? Was I that good earlier today?”

Alina smacked him, “You’re so insufferable, Nikolai!”

“Yes, it’s part of my charm.” He winked for good measure.

“I meant…” She fumbled with her words. What did she mean? Her mind was a mess of confusion. “I… Ugh. I meant that… What if we do date? But then it ends? It’s not like an ordinary relationship, Nikolai. Everyone will keep tabs on us. On you. You’re their future ruler. And they’ll be waiting to see if I… if I…” Her voice trailed off as the future towered over her. God. If things worked out perfectly between them… She’d be queen.

Nikolai tilted her chin up and bored his big eyes into hers, “Yes, sunshine. That’s all true. But I don’t want you to worry so much over what ifs and a distant future.” He stroked her cheek and trailed his hand to the nape of her head, “I love you, Alina. I… I hoped we could see where this could go.”

“But what about…”

“I know. It’s all… overwhelming. But what if we think on it together? As a couple? Instead of ending things before they start?” He looked down, deep golden eyelashes fanning over his skin, “I don’t want you to leave my life again, Alina. Call me selfish, but I want to know. I want to be with you, give you the love you deserve or die trying.”

His voice was full of intent. As if he could carve it all into the fabric of time itself.

Alina couldn’t help a chuckle, “Die trying? This isn’t some high fantasy tale, Nikolai. No one has to die for anything.” She leaned in and pressed her forehead to his chest, “You’re right. I’m scared of trying. I’m scared of getting hurt again…”

“I won’t hurt you again, my love. I’d rather…”

“Die?” She finished for him and Nikolai let out a breathy chuckle.

“Yes.”

“You’re so dramatic.” She paused, then… “All right. I… We can go on a date. See where this goes.”

She looked up to find Nikolai beaming brighter than the sun. Saints, he was too beautiful! They leaned into a kiss when suddenly the front door burst open.

“We’re home!” Genya yelled into the house, only to stop short upon finding Alina and Nikolai in a tight embrace, both wearing very little. “Oh saints! Forget that! We’ll be in our rooms! Quickly!”

Before Alina could utter a word, her friends rushed up the stairs, with Nadia carefully avoiding looking their way when she closed the door, and just like that they were all alone once more.

Alina blinked twice. Then she hid her face in Nikolai’s chest and groaned, “This is so embarrassing!”

His laughter was light and full of happiness, “For whom?”

“Me!”

“I think your friends were happier to see us together than anything else, sunshine.”

“They still caught us ready to pound!”

“Pound?” Nikolai leaned back and arched an eyebrow, “Were you about to… pound me, Alina?”

She groaned and tried to hide again, “Don’t get any ideas! There’ll be no… such thing now that they’re home.”

Nikolai nodded and placed a chaste kiss on her blazing cheek, “But there’ll be breakfast. Up you go, I’ll follow you with the tray. Go on!”

--

Another night, another dinner at Nikolai’s.

This time Alina had wandered back to his study not out of a need to get away from his watchful gaze but because she would miss this place.

Her eyes found that painted rock once more and she was reaching for it when a voice sounded from the door.

“Hiding from me, sunshine?”

She could hear the smile in his voice. She rolled her eyes and turned to him, “I was just… reminiscing.”

His gaze fell on the rock and he walked towards her, “I remember that day. You couldn’t get enough of me.”

She scoffed, “You sound as if I was all over you.”

Nikolai poked her nose then kissed its tip, “If I remember it correctly, you were.” He said with a lewd smile. Then he sobered up and laced their hands together, “What’s on your mind? You looked far away just now.”

Alina shrugged, “I was just thinking how we got here.” She chewed on the words, “We were just… just having sex.”

“Surely you remember the rest?” Nikolai added with a dramatic gasp.

“Sure, I mean, yeah there was a little more. But it was mostly just…” Alina trailed off, slightly distracted with the thumb Nikolai kept tracing over her knuckles.

“Sexual activities?” He offered with a grin.

Alina rolled her eyes and pushed him lightly, “Come on, Nikolai. Be serious.”

“I’m always serious.”

She cut him a glare, “Really?”

Nikolai’s grin grew into a small beatific smile.

Alina groaned, “You are, without a doubt, the most insufferable man I’ve ever met.”

His smile lit up.

“What? No more clever replies?”

Nikolai leaned in, “Why? Do you want me to? Because I can easily—”

“No!” She hurried to smother his mouth with her free hand, “I’m good. Just… Let me finish this, ok?”

Nikolai captured her hand and placed a soft kiss on her palm, “Of course, sunshine.”

She shook her head, “You’re really one of a kind…” Before he could say anything else, she added, “I’m just… I can’t believe where we started and where we are now, ok? It all feels… Too fantastic. Like a dream.”

“A good one, I hope?”

She bit her lip and nodded slightly, “A really good one. I…” Oh, words failed her so much right now… Alina took a deep breath, “I loved these last few days. I had fun in our dates. And I love you…” She said, the words coming as easy as air with every ticking second, “I guess… I guess I’m trying to say I want to face it all when we get back. I don’t know how it will go but I don’t want to miss out on us.”

“Oh, Alina…” Nikolai cupped her face and leaned in to press the softest tender kiss on her lips. He leaned back a little, letting her see his eyes, how they shined with love and unshed happy tears, “I love you so much, my sunshine. I promise you I will stand by your side through it all. I will never leave you alone, in a metaphorical way of course.” He added with a wink, to which Alina couldn’t hold back an eye roll of her own. Then Nikolai was wrapping his arms around her and pulling her deeper into his embrace and he added, his voice rough with emotion, “I will fight for us, Alina. For you, always.”

She swallowed down thickly and played with a button of his shirt, “Wow… If this is your ‘Let’s be boyfriend and girlfriend officially’ speech, I think I’ll need a chair if we ever take the next step.”

Nikolai beamed at her, “I’m glad you love my speeches so much, they all come from the heart.”

“You seriously expect me to believe you don’t rehearse them?” She asked with an arched eyebrow.

He winked and hugged her tighter, “Now that’s a secret you’ll have to earn, my beloved Alina. And I have a few ideas on how you can do it.”

She laughed, “We can’t skip dessert!”

“Are you certain?”

She shook her head, “Fine, I guess we can.”

Nikolai flashed his trademark grin and pulled on a book at random, quickly opening a secret passage Alina hadn’t seen yet.

She gaped at it, “Seriously?”

“Come on, sunshine. We can’t miss any second.” He took her hand and led her through the house, her heart stomach doing never-ending somersaults in anticipation of what would come next.

Nikolai looked over his shoulder, a blissful smile on his face, and she couldn’t help but smile back at him. They were doing this. Seriously doing this. Together. Officially.

Saints, she couldn’t wait for this adventure.

#nikolina #grisha fic #nikolinaweek2020 #alina starkov #nikolai lantsov #grisha #the grisha trilogy #grishaverse #my writing #otp: I want to kiss you #mine:nikolinaweek #I decided to post this for free day haha #it's LONG btw 16k words #today's only post from the looks of it lol