#we're almost done !!! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

baronessblixen · 5 months

Text

O Holy No (8/10)

Today's prompt: sex toys for Christmas

Summary: A family gathering and a surprising present. (wc: 1,080)

Tagging @today-in-fic

No one says a word about him and Scully having spent the night in the same bed. Neither of them had meant to fall asleep, but it happened. By the time he woke up, it was already too late to pretend he hadn’t slept in her room, and he was too cozy to slip out anyway. He eyes Bill but Scully’s brother has turned into a docile giant who is currently busy trying to feed his son breakfast.

“Did you sleep well, honey?” Mrs. Scully asks, kissing her daughter’s cheek. Maybe he was too quick in thinking there wouldn’t be any questions. After all, Mrs. Scully is a Catholic. Mulder hides his nervousness by pouring himself and Scully a cup of coffee.

“I did. I’m sorry we didn’t come back down again. We were tired.” Even Matthew falls quiet, watching the adults and their strange behavior. It’s quiet in the kitchen, no one looking at anyone. Clearly, they don’t believe he and Scully had sex upstairs while they were down here having dinner. At least he hopes they don’t.

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t have the heart to wake you.” Mulder watches her, still silently sipping his coffee. “I came in to check on you,” Mrs. Scully admits almost apologetically. “Today is going to be a busy day and I’m glad you got some rest.” He can’t be entirely sure but he thinks Scully’s mother winks at him. An actual wink. He needs another cup of coffee. A stronger one.

“What do you mean by busy?”

“Did Dana not tell you? We’re having a big family Christmas celebration today,” Mrs. Scully says.

“Won’t be more than 20 or 30 people,” Bill says as if that weren’t a lot.

“30 people.” Mulder glances at Scully, who chuckles.

“I’ll be with you the whole time,” she says softly, and that’s the only thing he needs.

The 20 to 30 people turn into a good 40. Mulder has lost count of how many people he’s said hello to. At first, he made sure to remember their faces and names. Now he’s lost. Most of them are Scullys. There are a few people from Tara’s family here, and a few neighbors and friends who aren’t related. Mrs. Scully introduced him as ‘Dana’s boyfriend and partner’ and at some point, translation must have been lost cause someone asked if he was the boy toy and another one called him Dana’s husband. He can live with both.

“Scully, your family is…” Mulder is cornering her, even though she’s carrying a tray with snacks for the kids. They’re already on edge, waiting for their presents. But he needs to spend two seconds with her before he can set her loose again.

“It’s not always like this,” she says. “Next year, it would be…”

“It would be what?”

“I didn’t mean to assume you’d want to do this again.”

“Scully, these people think I’m your husband. Or your boy toy, depending on who you ask. I will be here. If you want me here.”

“I do.”

“Then it’s settled.”

“Let me get this to the kids and then I’m with you, okay?”

He just nods, watching her put the tray down and interact with the children. She smooths Matthew’s hair and helps him sit down so he can snack with the older kids. They’re all beaming at her and Mulder knows exactly what that feeling is like. She catches him watching her but he’s not going to pretend he wasn’t.

Instead, he just smiles. She walks over to him and he puts his arm around her, just standing there, observing. Scully gives him a few tidbits about this cousin or that and as he just listens to her while she’s leaning against him. There's just this; no danger anywhere near them, nothing to take him or her away from here. He realizes - surprised himself - that he's happy.

Their moment doesn’t last long, because the kids get whiny, wanting their presents. So everyone gathers in the living room and the children are handed gifts. Wrapping paper flies around like confetti, some kids squeal, one of them cries, and it’s a new kind of mayhem. When it all slows down, and the kids are playing, the adults start exchanging gifts too. Mulder glances at Scully, because he didn’t bring anything. The only gift he has is for Scully and it’s still in his bag.

“Scully, I don’t have any presents for anyone,” he whispers into her ear.

“Don’t worry,” she assures him, patting his hand. “It’s the Scully version of a White Elephant exchange. Everyone brought a gift and everyone gets one. No one knows who it’s from.”

“Did you bring something?”

“Of course,” Scully says.

“The right present this time?” he teases her and chuckles. “What is it?”

“It’s a scented candle.”

“Very original, Scully.” She gently elbows him and he just laughs again, deciding to stop teasing her and waiting until it’s their turn.

Scully’s scented candle isn’t the worst or most unimaginative gift. There’s an ugly angel figure, a bottle of what Mulder is pretty sure is cheap wine, and his own personal highlight is an ashtray shaped like a lung. Then it’s Bill’s turn. Everyone watches excited as he unwraps the elegantly wrapped box. He lifts the lid and then falls quiet.

“What is it?” Tara asks, trying to see inside.

“Show us, Bill,” someone else says. He takes it out of the box and no one says a word for a good ten seconds.

“What is it?” One of the older ladies readjusts her glasses.

“It’s a chew toy,” Bill says, clearing his throat. “A chew toy for dogs. Next!”

“Scully,” Mulder murmurs. “That is- is that?”

“A purple dildo? Yes, it is.”

“Who brings a sex toy to a White Elephant exchange?” Mulder asks, scanning the crows. No one here looks guilty. No one is blushing. Bill has put the purple dildo back into the box and is looking for a good spot to hide it. “I want to say hello to them.” Scully laughs quietly next to him. “What do you think Bill will do with it?”

“Mulder, I don’t want to think about it. That’s my brother.”

“What if…”

“What if what?” She looks at him.

“What if we snatch that gift?” Her eyes grow wide.

“You’re not serious, are you?”

But he just grins, trying to come up with a plan to steal that very special Christmas gift.

#ficmas2023 #oholyno #we're almost done #msr #xf fanfic #my writing #my fic

33 notes · View notes

a-small-writer-in-a-big-world · 5 months

Text

it just hit me that there are only three chapters left of the roommate series

#the roommate series #i might have to make it 16 depending on how long the chapters are going to be #but wow #we're almost done #holy shit

23 notes · View notes

redrobin-detective · 1 year

Text

Happy holidays to those who hate this time of year and to everyone walking into bad family events, I wish you luck and happiness.

#about to head over for the annual christmas present opening with my folks #a massive source of trauma my whole life #im anxious and shaky but if i just let my ma do whatever bizarre thing she wants #hopefully i wont cry or storm out this year #take care yall #we're almost done

172 notes · View notes

astralisbelle · 1 year

Text

Dead Man's Hand 14 - The Queen of Air and Darkness

Dead Man's Hand Masterlist tags: engineer!reader, gambler!reader, loose canon timeline, eventual smut, fluff, action, casino aesthetics, touch starved reader, touch starved din, reader and din get on each other’s nerves, also they’re idiots, defrosting ice king din, cinderella vibes, everybody loves grogu

chapter summary: The final game: the stakes are higher and the competition is determined. She has more to lose than just some money and beskar.

Only three people sit at the table in the center: her, Hadira, and the dealer between them. The servants give the Mandalorian a chair to sit on against the wall, giving him full view of the game.

Grogu’s pram floats close to him, but he too watches the game despite its confusing nature for him. After the tournament, Din thinks he’s gotten a better handle on the ins and outs of sabacc.

The dealer at the table introduces the stakes, including the five ingots of beskar and the various pieces of the Mandalorian’s armor, represented by special chips of a silver finish. A female servant brings a tray carrying a small, metal canister: a new deck of sabacc cards, as is casino tradition. The dealer opens the box and shuffles the deck. He allows Hadira the cut the deck, then her.

It begins.

The dealer slides two cards to each woman and sets the deck in the middle, taking the top card and facing it up. They make their bets, take their turns, and get into the flow. Chips click against the table and cards are tossed while both women keep up their sabacc faces, their eyes like impenetrable safes.

Hadira is good. In the first few rounds, she manages to throw her off, earning herself two pieces of Din’s armor. Her heart races as she watches Hadira slide the silver chips towards herself, not even allowing her stoic expression to fall for any hint of victory.

He won’t say anything, but Din’s nerves are also spiked to hell. Beskar passes through the table like common scrap and she doles out hundreds of credits for bets as if they’re nothing. But she’s good. Good enough to bomb out a trust fund kid and a Hutt. Good enough for someone to nearly murder her for threatening their win. Good enough that the champion of the tournament extended this invitation because the chance of beating her was too worthwhile to pass up on.

Hours pass, rounds finish, but now it comes down to the final one.

In the hand pot, three pieces of his armor and two ingots of beskar sit along with forty-thousand New Republic credits. In the sabacc pot, two ingots of beskar, the rest of his armor, and ten-thousand credits. Everything rides on this hand. Two cards each…

“Draw phase,” says the dealer. “Lady Vossall?”

“Draw.” He hands her a card.

“Miss?”

She looks at the three cards in her hands. A Five of Flasks, a Three of Sabers, together only a mere score of eight. “Draw.” When given her new card, she takes a look at it. It takes all of her willpower for her eyes to not widen and maintain her composure.

The Idiot.

She already has a Three of Sabers. If she gets a two in any suit, then she has the unbeatable hand. “Miss, any discards?” ask the dealer. Before she tosses her five away, her hand hovers it. A few twos have already passed. There’s a decent chance it’ll never come and if she keeps drawing and discarding, then Hadira will know that she almost has a good hand and change her strategy. She inhales. Breathe. You got this.

“Discard.” She hands the Five of Flasks back. If that two isn’t in the next card, then she can kiss it all good-bye… including Din and Grogu.

Now comes the final draw. Din is on the edge of his seat, sweat forming on his brow. He has no idea what she or Hadira has and if that makes it better or worse.

“Lady Vossall,” says the dealer. “Please show your hand.”

She lays down her cards: a One of Flasks, Two of Flasks, Three of Staves, Four of Coins… and a Mistress of value Thirteen. A clean total of twenty-three: Pure Sabacc. The servants murmur and whisper. That’s a Pure Sabacc, Din notes. There isn’t any way to beat that, is there? His stomach sinks.

“Miss.” The dealer turns to her. “Your hand, please.”

She glances down and keeps her cool. First, she puts down the Three of Sabers. Then, she puts down the Idiot. The air is deathly still as she reaches for the final card. She faces Hadira and looks right at her as she faces it up:

The Queen of Air and Darkness, valued at negative two.

An Idiot (zero), a two, and a three. Idiot’s Array, the only hand that can beat a Pure Sabacc. “Game,” she says, her game face dropping entirely.

Din jumps out of his chair. “Dank farrik!” he exclaims, energy flowing from his voice. While the servants applaud, she leaps out of her chair too, laughing in jubilation as she rushes to him, arms extended. Jumping into his arms, he spins her around. Din laughs too, hugging her tight enough that her feet don’t reach the floor. She cups the sides of his helmet, hoping that he can see just how happy she is in this moment.

“I won!”

“You did it. You almost killed me, but you did it.”

She squeals, squeezing him one last time before he looks around and a hesitant grunt leaves him, realizing that everyone is staring. Trying not to appear too eager, he sets her down and crosses his arms. As soon as they make some space between them, Grogu immediately leaps onto her chest, making high-pitched coos of delight. She hugs him tight, giving him a little kiss on his head before turning back to Hadira. The Twi’lek has a satisfied smile on her face as she stands up and walks up to her.

“The Mandalorian speaks the truth. You are a true competitor.” She holds out her hand. “I am honored to have played with you.”

She takes Hadira’s hand and gives it a firm shake. “As am I. I am… forever thankful that you’ve allowed me to play. I’ll never forget this, Lady Vossall.”

Hadira pulls her hand back and snaps her fingers. “Oh, believe me, child. This will not be the last game between us. You can expect invitations to my private games in the coming years. In the meantime…” A servant approaches them with a tray. “This is all yours. Nine-hundred and eighty thousand credits, every piece of the Mandalorian’s armor…” Another servant approaches with the chest that she saw back in the tournament. “And five ingots of pure beskar.” She hands Grogu to Din and takes the chest, noting how heavy it is, and opens it. When she sees the beskar inside, so shiny and pure, it steals her breath away. Of course, the Imperial symbol ruins the would-be perfection. Soon, she thinks. Soon, it will melt away and never have that ugly imprint on it ever again.

“It’s beautiful.” She shows it to the Mandalorian who nods in agreement.

“It is.”

“And… one more thing,” says Hadira. The dealer gathers all of the cards on the table in one sweep, shuffling them and sliding them into the canister. He closes it and presents it to her as well. “I would like you to have the deck.”

“A-Are you sure? It’s a really nice deck.”

“I play by casino rules. Once a deck has been cut and used, I never use it again. I insist.”

“If you’re sure.” She sets the chest down to take the deck of cards. Popping it open to peek inside, she runs her thumbs over the tops, stopping when she sees the Queen of Air of Darkness. A smile creeps up on her face. “There’s just one more thing I have to do.” She turns to Din and takes Grogu from his arms, setting him on the floor. “Can you hold onto this for me?” she asks him, showing him the canister of cards. He clutches it between his hands and babbles. Then, she takes the chest and stands before Din.

She had been thinking about this moment for days, fantasizing how she would finally give him this chest. Would she tease him? Would she make it overly formal? Every possibility leaves her and she just goes with what feels the most natural. “I… I am proud to give you—”

Din puts a finger on her lips. “No.”

“H...huh?”

He drops his hand to his side. “Keep it for now. You won this beskar. It is yours.”

“Y-Yeah, but I won it for you… I’m so confused, you wanted this, didn’t you?”

He chuckles. “You’ll see what I mean.”

---

From the windows of the Razor Crest, she watches them drift further and further away from Canto Bight. She is so different from the girl that arrived here a week ago, dirty, frightened, and nervous. The chest of beskar sits in the cargo hold, along with the entire winning pot adding to the credits she already won, the total amounting to just under a million credits. She lost a lot of money in the last game, but she won all of the beskar — a fair trade. Though she does still wonder why Din didn’t accept it.

After the Mandalorian makes the jump, he cradles Grogu in his arms and take him to the cabin to set him down for the night. She remains in the cockpit, one heel on the edge of the seat with her hands holding it in place, her eyes watching the stars of hyperspace.

He comes back and sits down, relaxing in his chair. Alone again.

“So…” she begins. “Where are we going first?”

“We’re going to the Mandalorian covert. There, you will present the beskar to the Armorer.”

“The…” She has no clue who that is, but they sound important. Very important. “Sh-shouldn’t it be you? I’m not a Mandalorian.”

“I want it to be you,” he says. “You played the game and won it. The beskar is yours.” He tilts his head. “This is the Way.”

“...Alright.” She nods. “I’ll do that. So, the covert, then Tatooine to give Peli her share, then…” She sits back.

Din rolls his shoulders back. “You haven’t decided where you wanted to go?”

“Well, it’s a little more complicated than that.” If only she could say it so easily, but she fears the many reasons that he would reject the notion. She can feel Din waiting for a response, the darkness of his visor staring her down. Well. Now or never. “Okay.” She sits up. “You wanna know where I wanna go? More than anywhere else in the galaxy?” He waits. “I want to go with you.”

Din sits up. “With… me?”

“I know what you’re going to say. That it’s dangerous, blah blah blah, but one: you still take Grogu with you everywhere and two: I can learn how to defend myself. And I won’t be a load either! I’ll do maintenance on the ship while you’re out hunting and whatnot and I can also watch after Grogu too. That’s reasonable, right?”

Din is silent, as per usual when he weighs his options. He hates to admit it, but everything she said is… reasonable. Having a mechanic on the ship would save him a fortune in most repairs. Grogu already is very attached to her, and having someone to look after him in this profession would take a load off his shoulders. But most of all, it would mean having her with him. That’s the selfish part. He lowers his head and her smile drops, expecting his rejection. “You… You don’t want me to go?”

“That’s not it. I…” He swallows. “I do want you to go. But, I don’t understand what you get out of it. You wouldn’t be able to settle down anywhere. You’d live job to job, danger at every corner.”

She shrugs. “But we’d go somewhere different all the time, right? See the Outer Rim? See everything I’ve never seen. And I’d get to…” She blushes, facing away. “I’d get to be with you. And Grogu.”

“...Yes. Grogu… he likes you a lot.” He glances back for a moment. “But I.” She faces him, worry in her brows. “I can’t make you happy.” Now she just looks at him confused. “I live by the Creed. That and Grogu are the most important things to me.”

“Oh, Stars.” She rolls her eyes. “You don’t think I know that? I’m not asking you to pick me over either of those things.”

“That doesn’t bother you? You wouldn’t… you wouldn’t be able to see my face, to know what I look like.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “It doesn’t bother me. Besides…” She tucks some hair behind her ear. “All of those things. Your Creed. Grogu. Your dedication to them both. That’s what I like the most about you. I could never see you without them.”

Din’s heart pounds and he wonders if this is all some dream. It’s almost too good to be true, but both are aware of the risks if they go forward, how hard this life would be. Then he starts to imagine it. Maybe they would settle in a place for a little bit of time while he hunts and she works. Hell, her sabacc skills could still come in handy too.

Just maybe, this clan of two could indeed be a clan of three.

Din knows that she’s awaiting his response. He stands up, reaching for the buttons to turn off the lights in the cockpit one by one until the only light comes from hyperspace. Then, he walks to her and takes her hand, guiding her to stand and walk with him back to his chair. “You sure this is what you want?”

She squeezes his hand. “I’m sure.”

He sits down and pulls her to sit on his lap. “Keep your eyes closed,” he says.

She nods, doing as he says. Din slips his helmet off, admiring her face illuminating by hyperspace. He caresses her cheek and pulls her in for a sweet kiss. She returns it, holding his head between her hands. For these few precious moments, they simply let their foreheads touch, their noses brush against each other, their smiles tickle each other’s lips. “Is a kiss all I’m getting tonight?” she teases.

“You’re gonna wake the kid,” he says, pulling his helmet back on.

“I can be quiet.”

“I wouldn’t let you be quiet.”

She opens her eyes and smacks his shoulder, immediately regretting it thanks to his armor. As she shakes out her hand and makes a sound of pain, he laughs. “You gotta entertain me somehow, Din,” she says, slipping off him so he can turn the lights back on.

“Sabacc?”

“Are you kidding me?” She plops down in her chair. “I’ve literally been playing sabacc for days.”

“You can always teach me to play better.”

“Mmm. Sure, I can try.” She reaches for her deck of cards and pauses when a cruel idea pops in her head. “Hey, Din.”

“Yeah?”

“Would you play strip sabacc?” she asks, grinning while her hands shuffle the deck.

“What’s strip sabacc?”

“Oh. Well.” She pulls up a crate between them to act as their table. “This variation will really teach you, of all people, how to play. You don’t bet money, so to speak.” Her voice carries a sultry air that makes him lift a brow.

“So what do you bet?”

She passes him two cards and smirks. “Clothes.”

#the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian #din djarin #din djarin x reader #the mandalorian fanfic #work: dead man's hand #we're almost done #crying cat face

94 notes · View notes

akallabeth-joie · 9 months

Text

The Blue Castle, Chapter 42

Barney is BAAAAACK! Took him long enough

“Redfern had not said anything of the kind, but Uncle Benjamin thought he was that sort of a fellow. Valancy knew he was.” When you’re being a self-serving jerk and manipulating people, but inadvertently get something right and help people instead...

“Rubbing his hands and chuckling, he retreated to the kitchen...” Ok, Uncle Benjamin’s attempt to be a scheming mastermind is just hilarious. As his conundrums are not.

“She wore an ugly old brown-and-blue gingham, having left all her pretty dresses in the Blue Castle.” The same brown gingham she put on in chapter 2, or was this just her old wardrobe staple? Obviously the pretty dresses belong in the happier life of the blue castle and can have no place on Elm Street, but, what was Barney supposed to do with them? How did he find this apparent contradiction between her not packing (she means to come back? she’s not actually moving out?) with her note to the contrary? I’m also now reflecting on Valancy’s luggage. We know she took a trunk and satchel with her to Roaring Abel’s when she first left Elm Street. I can’t find that she explicitly packs or brings anything with her to the Blue Castle (and all her clothes mentioned thereafter, except perhaps for the pair of ‘sensible shoes’, are pretty new things she’s bought for herself), though it would seem out of character for her to just leave her old clothes for Abel to deal with. At the same time, she doesn’t want to clutter up her blue castle, so why would she bring things she doesn’t want there? Perhaps she discarded her unwanted old things after she married and started wearing pretty clothes (and/or the older things wore out over the course of the year). At any rate, she apparently left some old clothes at Elm Street. [Not sure where I was going with this ramble.]

I understand why Barney’s upset she was missing, but I will point out that he was the one who stayed away all day until midnight.

Shaking Valancy is just not cool, and this incident is the one problem I have with Barney.

“Valancy,” he said quietly, “Father couldn’t have told you everything because he didn’t know it. Will you let me tell you—everything?” More exposition time! I like how LMM gave Barney and his father such different perspectives that they can both tell the same story and Valancy gets completely opposite conclusions from it.

It’s sort of weird that everyone Barney meets seems to be determined to tease him for how he’s rich. He mentions the toadies (as well as Ethel), but I want there to be a group of social misfits he can band together with and make friends.

“ I had to believe you loved me—really loved me—not my father’s millions. There was no other reason why you should want to marry a penniless devil with my supposed record. And I was sorry for you. Oh, yes, I don’t deny I married you because I was sorry for you. And then—I found you the best and jolliest and dearest little pal and chum a fellow ever had. Witty—loyal—sweet. You made me believe again in the reality of friendship and love.“ I’m glad these two found eachother, but I also think they’d both benefit from some therapy.

Oof, the conflict between low-self-esteem and implicitly accusing someone of lying to you.

“You darling!” she said. “You do mean it! You do really love me! You wouldn’t be so enraged if you didn’t.” ....I guess? They sort of lost me here. Just kiss and make up already.

“Dear little Doss! He would send for his lawyer right away and alter his will again. Doss should be his sole heiress. To her that had should certainly be given. Mrs. Frederick, returning to her comfortable belief in an overruling Providence, got out the family Bible and made an entry under “Marriages.” Mrs. Stirling and Uncle Benjamin finally do something nice for Valancy, but I’m awarding no points since they’ve doing it for selfish reasons, and won’t actually help Valancy (she’s financially secure now and doesn’t need his money; she’s loved and accepted by Barney and doesn’t need her mother’s grudging approval for it).

No Stirling Scoreboard update, because I don’t think their actions here have any actual effect on Valancy, and are done for purely selfish reasons.

#the blue castle #blue castle book club #we're almost done #this has been a fun read through

12 notes · View notes

spockvarietyhour · 1 year

Text

#AHS Apocalypse #Wilhemina Venable #Myrtle Snow #Apocalypse Then #Danny watches AHS Apocalypse #we're almost done

49 notes · View notes

theawkwardwriter64 · 1 year

Text

DEATH MATCH POLL PT3!!!

Those who moved on are Watts and George!!

#murdoch mysteries #llewellyn watts #george crabtree #cbc murdoch #we're almost done #then i shall draw the winner!!!

26 notes · View notes

ashenhallow · 7 months

Text

#TF2 #Team Fortress 2 #IT'S ETERNAWEEN #THE ETERNAL HALLOWEEN #Pt. 3 #We're almost done #Or maybe not #it IS the eternal halloween after all

4 notes · View notes

sereia1313 · 2 years

Text

Chapters 161-170

Read it on Ao3, Dokuga, or FFnet for daily updates!

Summary: Some memories fade with time, lured away by a passing breeze. Others are so ingrained in our hearts that we cling to them with every fibre of our being. To the point where it’s all we remember.

Inspiration: "Forget Me Not" by Marianas Trench

Brandish

The peace didn't last for long, Shippou poking his head through the doorway to request entry. Kagome moved away from the tree, allowing Inukimi and Kagura the space needed to keep the former calm.

Especially when Inuyasha and Kouga showed up, eyes bugging out of their heads at the sight. Kagome barely had time to get between them, preventing Tessaiga from reaching full form.

"She's fine—different," she said, patting her friend's hand.

"Is this what you were doing last night?" Kouga asked, not taking his eyes off Kagura.

"She was deliberately disobeying orders," Sesshoumaru said, a smirk tugging at his lips when she whirled on him.

"Since when do I take orders from you?" she snapped, hands on her hips.

His smirk widened as he lowered his head, fangs nipping at her ear. "Since you agreed to be mine."

Umbrage

Heat crept up the back of her neck, but she raised her chin, trying to ignore the feel of his cheek sliding against hers as he pulled back.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to do what you say all the time."

His smirk remained intact. "I look forward to the challenge."

Kagome had a feeling he wasn't talking about being reckless anymore, and she struggled not to squirm, jerking slightly when Inuyasha pretended to gag.

"I'm glad he finally pulled his tail out from between his legs, but do ya have to do that here?"

This time, the heat reached her face, and she gave her friend a sheepish smile.

Grandiose

"There isn't going to be some over-the-top announcement, is there?"

"Hell if I know." Inuyasha looked over at his brother, who was still hovering over the females at the far end of the garden. "I didn't grow up around full youkai."

Kouga grinned, wrapping an arm around Inuyasha's neck. "Just do what I did: yell it into the cave while everyone's eating."

Inuyasha shoved him away, his face as red as his fire-rat. "That was before I'd even agreed, ya bastard."

The wolf just laughed from his spot on the ground. "Didn't stop ya from saying yes, though."

"Keh!"

Kagome joined in on Kouga's laughter, his arms once again going around Inuyasha's neck. The sound caught Sesshoumaru's attention, and she gave him a soft smile. She didn't need anything fancy.

He was enough.

Adjure

Her apology to Shippou for not sticking around to eat his kill was interrupted by a jaw-cracking yawn, the first rays of sunlight, and Inuyasha's subsequent transformation, reminding her that she hadn't slept yet.

"I'm fine," she said as Sesshoumaru ushered her out of the garden.

"If you argue, I will be forced to take drastic measures," he replied, giving her a sideways glare.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she stopped, eyes gleaming. "Like?" Her question turned into a squeak as he lifted her into his arms, not breaking stride as he continued down the hallway.

She could've protested, but she'd known what was coming and just snuggled into his embrace, once again glad for knocking off his armour.

Demeanour

"I thought you were taking me to my room," Kagome said, looking around.

"Why would I do that?" he scoffed, placing her on his bed.

"Aren't there rules about this?" She was honestly curious. Kouga had literally announced his intent, and nothing had changed—aside from Inuyasha's level of embarrassment.

"You speak as if I am not the one who makes them." He stepped over his armour, removing his wrecked outer haori.

Kagome's eyes stayed riveted to his form, watching as another layer was stripped and thrown away, revealing a collection of stripes along his shoulders, ribs, and wrists.

"How many do you have?" she blurted.

Assiduous

The eyebrow he raised seemed more suggestive than usual, and Kagome felt heat creep into her face.

And yet she didn't look away.

"Would you care to count them?"

She swallowed thickly but nodded, and he chuckled darkly before changing direction, the new yukata he'd grabbed falling to the floor. He reached the edge of the bed, then crawled towards her on all fours, Kagome staring up at him with wide eyes.

"It will involve a thorough inspection."

Nodding again, she pulled him down, fully expecting the heat to build quickly, but he kept the kiss soft and gentle, and she released him with a questioning glance.

"You require sleep."

Panache

He chuckled at her pout, then tucked her against his side, and as much as she wanted to protest, now that they were alone and the excitement of bringing Kagura back had passed, Kagome felt herself waning.

"Can I count them tomorrow?" she asked, tracing the one along his ribs.

"Hnn."

Smiling against his skin, she pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. "It might take us a while, I need to be thorough. I could get it wrong the first time."

His chuckle floated through her hair. "It is likely that you will get it wrong more often than that, but I will be patient through each examination."

"Really?"

"No."

Conciliate

She was still smiling when sleep claimed her, Sesshoumaru tightening his hold as her breathing evened out.

She never once pulled away, her body nestled against his even as the sun rose to greet the day. The kit wandered by midday, hovering nervously before Sesshoumaru sent out a reassuring wave of youki.

His mother sent up a similar wave, still not comfortable with being inside the shiro, her power wafting through the room on an early afternoon breeze.

"I would not be the only one who would storm the gates of hell to get you back, Kagome," he murmured, kissing her temple. "Let us not anger the gods anytime soon."

Mawkish

She hadn't realized how tired she was until she woke to darkness, soft moonlight filtering through the balcony.

Kagome shifted, her body sore from being stationary for so long, her movements stilling when Sesshoumaru's arm tightened around her.

It was a strange sensation, waking up next to someone, though not unwelcome considering it was him, and she nestled closer, having no desire to actually get up.

"You require sustenance," he murmured, though he didn't move either.

"In a little bit," she said, closing her eyes again. He was warm and comfortable, and given the choice, she might've stayed there forever.

He felt like home.

Facsimile

The loneliness following her around since she'd first arrived hadn't disappeared completely, but here, wrapped in his arms, a smile tugging at his lips, Kagome didn't feel so alone.

"Mother and Shippou have been concerned about your well-being," he said, fingers drawing soothing circles on her back.

"They know I'm safe with you," she replied.

"Indeed."

She stretched, her body pressing against him. "I should probably bathe."

He nodded, raising an eyebrow when he went to remove his arm, but she rolled over, half draped across his chest.

"Care to join me?" She shivered at the look in his eyes, the sensation a delicious reprieve from the shadow that had been following her. "I think the lighting in the bathhouse will be better to count your stripes with."

#sesskag #forget me not #sesskag drabbles #daily drabbles #sereia1313 #creator: sereia1313 #sereia: my stories #sesskag fanfiction #sesskag fanfic #dementia #dementia tw #mental illness #angst with a happy ending #team happy ending #hurt and comfort #memory loss #we're almost done #things are getting steamy

3 notes · View notes