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wuthering waves ⢠SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING GOLD TO REMEMBER YOU
luuk wants to see you one last time before you leave lahai-roi.
ft. luuk herssen x f!reader
wc: 4.1k
đ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
warnings: self-indulgent & canon divergent. a pinch of angst. yearning luuk (shocker!) and use of ichor that most likely contradicts canon. did i mention this is canon divergent? â explicit smut. soft & unprotected sex. cunnilingus. handjob. table sex. (kinda) praise kink. mid-coitus explicit confession. luuk loves it when you pull his hair. i think the aftercare is cute hehe <3 no fucking, just making love đââď¸ â not proofread!!
notes: FIRST EVER SMUT FIC !!! iâd been wanting to try writing smut for a while now & i think this turned out much better than i couldâve thought <3
notes 2.0: whimpering wastes â whimpering luuk â ugh⌠the only psychiatrist that makes me more mentally illâŚâŚ i need him
despite the far distance between the academy and your destination, you run your motorcycle at a leisurely pace, taking in the scenic landscape of lahai-roi bathed in the sunlight of spring and committing to memory as much of it as you can.
thereâs a heaviness pressing down on your chest as you count down the days before you have to leave. you try your best to stay in the present, as per lucillaâs advice, and go through your remaining days one at a time. and you can attest to its effectiveness.
that is until you receive a message from luuk on wavesline.
luuk herssen: hi, golden girl.
luuk herssen: are you free?
luuk herssen: we havenât had the chance to catch up. iâm at the âworkspaceâ if youâre up for it.
you: as long as you have waffles
luuk herssen: consider it done.
you: then iâm on my way!
luuk herssen: haha. iâll see you soon
luuk herssen: :-)
itâs only then that the full extent of your reality sinks in and you become painfully aware that despite the time youâve spent with him, youâve never addressed⌠well, non-threnodian-related matters.
and you canât blame luuk either. none of the recent occurrences seemed to be the right time and place for your personal woes.
soon, you spot luukâs silhouette from a distance where he waits by the shore just outside his secret workspace. you hit the gas and at the revving of your engine, luuk turns to your direction, immediately beaming at the sight of you.
âyou didnât have to wait for me out here,â you tell him as you hop off your motorcycle.
âi wanted to,â he says with a shrug. âhi.â
âhi.â
luuk steps aside, outstretching a hand towards the entrance that leads to his workspace. âafter you.â
as soon as youâre inside, a odd sense of homesickness washes over you. your eyes roam the space, taking in the dim hallways faintly illuminated by the huge monitors scattered about, the thousands of books that crowd every shelf in the room and even more of them stacked on the floor. youâve always been aware of them but itâs only now that youâre truly noticing.
having coming back from the voidspace renewed your perspective and brought about newfound appreciation for the most mundane of things. one wrong move can take every bit of their normalcy away from you.
you relish in the stillness of luukâs private space, a stark dichotomy to the chaos that awaits you outside.
âi didnât think iâd see this place again,â you speak, simply thinking out loud but luuk responds anyway.
âwe all knew youâd make it back. it was just a matter of when.â
you grin at him. âyou have too much faith in me. maybe i should do it again.â
âiâd prefer it if you didnât,â luuk banters but thereâs truth underneath his playful tone. still, it gets a chuckle out of you. then with conviction, he adds, âyou know weâd all find a way to get you back, one way or another. no other outcome would do.â
luuk states it as if rescuing you was solely a collective goalâand it was. but when neither of you say anything after that, the silence hangs in the air and a voice nags at the back of luukâs mind.
if i am to lose you someday, at least, let me choose how.
when the quiet becomes too much to bear, he changes the subject. âhowâs aemeath?â
âsheâs fine. better than i expected, actually. itâs like she was never gone.â you briefly pause to ponder over your next words, âshe told me sheâs going to stay in startorch for a while to finish her studies. can i ask you a favor?â
âiâll look after her while youâre away,â luuk promises, already hearing your unspoken request.
âthank you.â
you smile at him warmly but luuk notices how it doesnât quite reach your eyes. with a voice much quieter than before, he asks, âhow are you?â
âiâm⌠okay. i mean, aemeathâs back so mission accomplished for now. but dealing with everything else, it gets heavy sometimes,â you admit, âbut i also know iâm not carrying it alone.â
ânever,â luuk promises.
you stare at each other, eyes charged with something both of you are too careful to name.
âi know you didnât just ask me to come here for the waffles,â you jest. âwhat is it?â
luuk chuckles, mostly to himself. âitâs nothing.â
âyou said it yourself, this place doesnât have ears. you can talk to me.â
âi was just wondering how long before i see you again.â
seemingly embarrassed by his admission, his gaze drops to the floor as he digs his hands into the pockets of his coat. you hear the faint rustling of plastic wrappers and you realize heâs fiddling with the small stash of candy he carries everywhere, a futile attempt to release his nerves into something.
an epiphany dawns on you. for the first time in a long time, luuk, who is known for his steady calm and composure, looks completely vulnerable. so emotionally bare and unguarded in front of you.
âif it makes you feel better, iâm not forgetting you this time,â you quip in attempt to keep this conversation lightâeven youâre starting to crumble under the weight of your reality, if youâre being honest. but even if you canât control the cards youâve been dealt with, you can still choose how you play them. âluuk, iâm still here. we can still make the most of our time before i go. you can miss me later.â
with the courage heâs never been able to muster before, he reaches for your hand. âiâm afraid the second you walk out of here, iâll miss you already.â
âyouâre making it really hard for me to say goodbye, you know?â
luuk chuckles. âi wasnât planning on making it easy.â
then as if an idea pops into his mind, luuk takes off his glove, revealing the tacet mark across his palm. you never really had a good look at it up to this very moment and to say youâre mesmerized is an understatement.
under what looks like an open wound, you see his golden blood flowing and radiating from within. you wait for an explanation from luuk but it doesnât come. so with bated breath, you watch as he wills his ichor to take shape right before your very eyes. you throw a quick glance at his face but his expression remains neutral, gaze fixed on the aureate liquid as it solidifies in his hand.
you donât get the chance to ask what it is because soon, held between his fingers is a gold ring.
luuk gives it a quick inspection until heâs satisfied with it before covering up his tacet mark with his glove once more. with your permission, he takes your hand and slips the band onto your ring finger with utmost care.
âluuk?â
he canât help but grin at your confusion. âiâm not proposing. itâs just⌠something to remember me by.â
he knows solaris is far from seeing the end of the lament but without the threat of aleph-1 striking lahai-roi anytime soon, perhaps he can allow himself the indulgence in the thought of living a future where youâre both happy and free to give into your heartâs desires without the guilt for acting so selfishly. a future where neither of you still have to tiptoe around your feelingsâitâs distant but not impossible.
and as long as youâre alive, thereâs no reason for it to not exist.
maybe that sliver of hope can be enough for now.
âperfect fit,â luuk murmurs. he continues to toy with the gold ring on your finger before bringing it to his lips for a delicate kiss.
you twist your hand so your palm cradles his cheek and almost instinctively, he leans into your touch, basking in the one thing he begrudgingly craved since your reunion. at least, in the privacy of his workspace, he can let himself have that.
no words seem accurate for the emotions swirling inside you so you donât say anything at all. you slide your hand to the back of his neck and pull him in for a chaste kiss. when you feel his breath hitch at your sudden gesture, you giggle against his lips.
just as youâre about to pull away, he recovers from his daze almost in the same instant, his hands immediately finding purchase on your face as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. the second you match his fervor, his grip descends to your waist before it settles on the small of your back to pull you flush against him.
you gasp at the closeness, feeling the warmth eminating from him in a way you never have before, and luuk takes the opening to slide his tongue into your mouth, pouring all unspoken feelings into it.
for someone with hands so nimble and precise, luuk isnât sure how to hold you, the tips of his fingers trembling along your curves as he maps out your body and burns it into his mind to the best of his abilities. not once in his life did he think he could ever have you so pliant in his hands.
âluukâŚâ you breathe out as you melt into his touch.
luuk backs you up to the nearest wall as his lips move away from yours, trailing down your jaw and along the expanse of your neck, his wet mouth leaving goosebumps in its wake. you raise a hand to the back of his head, tugging his hair at times as the pleasure spikes within you and he hisses at the delicious sting, reciprocating it immediately with a light nip at your skin before he soothes the spot with a stroke of his tongue.
a moan slips out of you and whatever it is that still tethers luuk to his sanity is now completely severed.
he pulls back for a brief moment and with his teeth, he takes off the glove that doesnât conceal his tacet markâdespite your forgotten memories, youâre certain that it is the hottest thing youâve ever seen in your long life. unable to contain your arousal, you take it upon yourself to bring your lips together once more, moaning into his mouth when he slides his bare hand between your legs.
ânghâŚ.. luuk.. pleaseâŚâŚâ you whine, gyrating against luukâs fingers over your bottoms to chase your release but heâs perceptive to your needs. without pausing his ministrations on your core, his kisses move lower until heâs on his knees, his mouth just about where you need him the most.
with his face now level with your crotch, he groans at the sight of it glistening with your slick. he wastes no time ridding you of your lower garments completely and burying his face between your legs. he licks a fat stripe between your folds before his lips latch onto your clit, humming in satisfaction at the taste of you.
overcome with pleasure, your hands begin to pull at the tufts of luukâs hair more aggressively and it only spurs him on. you almost double over at his vigor but heâs quick to lift your leg to his shoulder and stabilize you.
it doesnât take long before youâre teetering over the edge, your climax fast approaching and it only intensifies when luuk slips his tongue inside you. you scream his name and itâs almost instinctive the way youâre pulling him further into your pussy and humping against his face. still, luukâs pace doesnât relent. along with the lewd cries that escape you, his groans and the smacking of his lips against your squelching cunt fill the room.
the last thing you feel is luukâs hand squeezing your thighâa signal for you to let go for himâthen youâre cumming, gushing into his mouth which stays latched onto you as he slurps up your juices, down to the very last drop. only when you start whining from overstimulation that he pulls away from you.
setting your leg back down, luuk gets up on his feet and youâre grateful his hands donât let go of you. otherwise, your knees wouldâve given out.
you momentarily shut your eyes in exhaustion, resting your head on luukâs shoulder as you try to catch your breath. you hear him whisper, âhold onto me.â so you do. you snake your arms around his neck and his hands move to the back of your thighs to lift you up.
next thing you know, heâs carrying you to another room and sitting you atop his desk. âtired?â
if youâre being honest, you are but youâre not going to tell him that. not when you feel his bulge poking at your thigh.
without a word, you simply slide your hands away from his neck, moving at a slow descent and over the ridges of his abs, relishing in the way his muscles contract under your touch. after a few agonizing secondsâfor luukâone of your hands settles on his belt while the other palms him through his trousers.
âtake it off,â you tell luuk and he obliges in a heartbeat, pulling down the waist of his slacks along with his underwear just low enough to free his erection. the instant your grip closes around his girth, he lets out a guttural moan. he turns putty in your hand, leaning against your body as he nuzzles into you where he groans into your neck.
you give his cock a few pumps before he starts bucking up in your hand, lost in the pressure of your touch. with your free hand, you gently pull him by his hair so youâre face-to-face and you take in his current stateâhis glassy crimson eyes, his flushed cheeks and swollen lips, all beautifully framed by his blonde locks that now stick to his skin with sweat.
âyou look so good like this,â you whisper in his left ear before giving his helix earring a soft tug with your teeth. something snaps in him at the praise and soon, heâs closing a hand over yours, guiding your grip to tighten around him. his head drops to your shoulder once more as occasional whimpers fall from his lips and straight to your core.
with your fingers in his hair, you rake your nails lightly against his scalp and his body immediately shivers at the sensation.
âhngâŚ. feels so good,â he shamelessly moans as his hips speed up frantically. after a few more thrusts, you squeeze his cock, ultimately giving him the release heâs been chasing. as he spills into your hand, you feel his load spurt over your thighs.
you donât let go of him but he doesnât seem to mind as he stays snuggled into you, heavily panting against your skin. and the warmth of his breath does nothing but add to the ache you already feel in your nether lips.
desperate for any relief, you urge luuk to step even closer, bringing his tip to nudge against your clit and you both shiver at the contact. despite having just reached his climax, luuk grows hard once more. he removes your hand from his length, taking it upon himself to slide it between your folds, spreading his cum with it.
as you throw your head back in pleasure, luuk lies you down on his desk with his body hovering over you then he takes your swollen lips into a searing kiss. the friction of his cock against your core doesnât cease and he happily swallows the moans you spill into his mouth.
ângh.. luuk pleaseâŚ..â
âtell me what you want.â
you spread your legs wider, making as much room for him as you can. âput it inâŚâ
luuk doesnât need to be told twice. he slowly sinks into you and as soon as the head breaches your hole, you moan in unison. when heâs finally enveloped in your warmth, your back involuntarily arches at the same time luuk curls into you, both of your desires being taken to new heights.
âare you okay?â luuk forces the words through his teeth because truth be told, heâs not faring any better. while you take your sweet time getting used to his size, heâs losing his fucking mind at the tightness of your walls around him.
after a few seconds, you trap him between your legs again, locking your ankles together to keep him as close as possible before youâre motioning for him to move.
the first roll of luukâs hips is slow, almost experimental. still, it almost knocks the wind out of you.
âdoes it hurt?â luuk asks through labored breaths.
you simply shake your head, pulling at his hair for the nth time just for the sake of holding onto somethingâanythingâbefore you completely lose your wits and succumb to the fullness only he can provide. âkeep going.â
luuk thrusts a few more times before the discomfort turns into unadulterated pleasure and he finds the rhythm that has you whimpering beneath him. a constant stream of curses spill from both your lips, the sounds of your skins slapping and your wanton moans now completely unrestrained and it doesnât help that luuk eggs you on, âfeels so good inside youâŚâŚhngâŚ.â
âluukâŚnghâŚ. just like thatâŚâ you babble on and on. the sight of you unraveling like this and itâs because of him awakens a new hunger in luuk. he grips your waist as he picks up the pace, eliciting more obscene noises from you, âfuck- right there⌠ahh!â
your grip on his hair doesnât loosen even at the slightest and thatâs enough to tell him heâs doing something right. he hits the same spot inside you over and over, the desk beneath your bodies scraping against the floor in time with his thrusts.
in the split second you regain lucidity, your focus shifts on the man before you. the man you never allowed yourself to adore until this moment. you canât help but wonder what memories you chose to erase but maybe itâs true what people sayâwhat the mind can forget, the heart never does.
itâs the only explanation you deem logical as to why after your âfirstâ encounter, there was already a brewing connection you couldnât resist and youâve been irrevocably drawn to him ever since.
before you can contain your emotions, tears already well up in your eyes and luuk doesnât fail to notice.
his movement slows down, his visage now etched with concern but you immediately ease his worries, pulling his face down to crash your lips together as you thrust up into him, making him gasp into your mouth. without a second thought, you blurt out, âi love you.â
luukâs brain momentarily short-circuits at your direct confession. this isnât the ideal situation he had in mind but heâll be damned if he doesnât say it back.
âi love youâŚâ he resumes his pace with renewed passion as he rolls into you deeper. âi love you⌠fuck- âm so in love with youâŚâ
ângh..love youâŚ.. so muchâŚ.â you chant, as you repeatedly lift your hips to meet his thrusts.
keeping one hand on your waist, he brings the other hand to intertwine with yours.
his eyes once again land on your finger, now adorned by the glimmering gold that came from the very ichor that flows through his veins. a fleeting thought comes to mindâeven if neither of you spoke your love for each other out loud, he wonders if words are truly needed at the moment. or even at all.
because what could be a bigger act of love than the irony of his blood being that of the gods yet here he is, completely at your mercy?
âiâm yoursâŚâ the words slip out of him before he can stop them. he captures your lips again, pouring into the kiss all the love heâs harbored for you, hoping itâs enough to make up for when you leave until youâre back in his armsâhowever long it takes. âiâm all yours...hngâŚ. never been anyone elseâsâŚâ
his words only fuel your arousal and tears continue to fall from the corners of your eyes at the pleasure. as you inch closer to your climax, you wind your legs around luuk, digging your heels into his buttocks to push him even deeper into your cunt.
âluuk- ughâŚ.âm so closeâŚâ
ânghâŚfuck⌠me tooâŚâ luuk begins to crumble under the overwhelming sensation of your pulsating walls, his hips becoming erratic as he continues to plow into you. his hand once holding your waist flies to your crotch as his thumb rubs fast circles on your clit. âlet go for meâŚwanna feel itâŚâŚ..â
soon enough, youâre crying out from the toe-curling orgasm, coating luuk in your essence as you continue suck him in and his release shortly follows, pumping a few more times before his body tenses up and he spills inside you, filling you up with his seed.
as if all life has been sucked out of him, his body drops onto yours, almost smothering you with his weight but youâre too exhausted to care. for a moment, you bask in each otherâs embrace in silence, save for the huffs from your lips.
luuk is the first to speak. âstay tonight.â
âokay.â you donât think twice granting his wish. âi canât go back to the academy looking like this anyway.â
luuk puffs out a laughter. âlet me get something to clean you up with.â
he finally pulls out of you, giving you a quick peck on the lips in apology when you wince at the sudden emptiness.
for a moment, he leaves the room and comes back with a washcloth in hand. upon noticing his jeans already fastened back to his waist, you assume heâs cleaned himself up so you sit up to take the cloth from him and do it yourself but he moves it out of your reach. âjust sit still for me.â
he leaves you no room to protest as heâs already crouching down before you and with delicate hands, he begins to wipe off your mixed fluids that have now dripped out of you and made a sticky mess between your legs.
as if his ichor-made ring is enough surprise for one day, he proves you wrong by suddenly fishing out your stained underwear from the pocket of his coat. you shoot him a look, an eye brow raised dubiously, but he just shrugs.
âi couldnât just leave it there,â he explains, cocking his head to direction of the hallway where he just had his first taste of you. âthe floorâs dirty. thatâs unsanitary.â
the feigned seriousness in his tone pulls a hearty laugh out of you. âright. because everything we just did was so hygienic.â
right away, you notice heâs only wearing one glove.
âwhereâs the other one?â you ask with genuine confusion but he only looks at you knowingly, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. glancing past him, you crane your head just far enough until you see his glove on the unsanitary floor of the hallway. you snort at his hypocrisy. âso much for being sanitary.â
âi only wear that on my hand. this, howeverâŚâ he trails off, sliding the underwear up your legs for you, before he continues, ââŚgoes here.â he shoots you a wink as he places a lingering kiss on a spot on your inner thigh thatâs dangerously close to your crotch.
youâd be lying if you said youâre immune to his charms. judging by the boldness in his expression that only becomes more and more blatant with each passing second, you can tell that he, too, knows exactly his effect on you.
resisting the urge to jump his bones, you wilfully ignore the throb between your legs and give him a playful kick on the shoulder, creating some space between the two of you as he stumbles backwards. with a laugh, he holds onto your ankle for support before standing upright.
luuk leans into you, closing the distance with a kiss thatâs more innocent this time. you canât help but smile against his lips when you mumble, âyou said you love me.â
âi do,â he reiterates in between kisses. he refuses to pull away until you take it upon yourself to break the kiss then a cheeky grin stretches across your face. âwhat is it?â
âiâm hungry.â
luuk is briefly stupefied before heâs smiling himself, amused by you. he simply shakes his head at your implied request but his gaze is nothing short of adoring.
âiâll go get your waffles.â before luuk turns away, he places a soft kiss on your forehead as he teases, âso spoiled.â
wuthering waves ⢠SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING GOLD TO REMEMBER YOU
luuk wants to see you one last time before you leave lahai-roi.
ft. luuk herssen x f!reader
wc: 4.1k
đ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
warnings: self-indulgent & canon divergent. a pinch of angst. yearning luuk (shocker!) and use of ichor that most likely contradicts canon. did i mention this is canon divergent? â explicit smut. soft & unprotected sex. cunnilingus. handjob. table sex. (kinda) praise kink. mid-coitus explicit confession. luuk loves it when you pull his hair. i think the aftercare is cute hehe <3 no fucking, just making love đââď¸ â not proofread!!
notes: FIRST EVER SMUT FIC !!! iâd been wanting to try writing smut for a while now & i think this turned out much better than i couldâve thought <3
notes 2.0: whimpering wastes â whimpering luuk â ugh⌠the only psychiatrist that makes me more mentally illâŚâŚ i need him
despite the far distance between the academy and your destination, you run your motorcycle at a leisurely pace, taking in the scenic landscape of lahai-roi bathed in the sunlight of spring and committing to memory as much of it as you can.
thereâs a heaviness pressing down on your chest as you count down the days before you have to leave. you try your best to stay in the present, as per lucillaâs advice, and go through your remaining days one at a time. and you can attest to its effectiveness.
that is until you receive a message from luuk on wavesline.
luuk herssen: hi, golden girl.
luuk herssen: are you free?
luuk herssen: we havenât had the chance to catch up. iâm at the âworkspaceâ if youâre up for it.
you: as long as you have waffles
luuk herssen: consider it done.
you: then iâm on my way!
luuk herssen: haha. iâll see you soon
luuk herssen: :-)
itâs only then that the full extent of your reality sinks in and you become painfully aware that despite the time youâve spent with him, youâve never addressed⌠well, non-threnodian-related matters.
and you canât blame luuk either. none of the recent occurrences seemed to be the right time and place for your personal woes.
soon, you spot luukâs silhouette from a distance where he waits by the shore just outside his secret workspace. you hit the gas and at the revving of your engine, luuk turns to your direction, immediately beaming at the sight of you.
âyou didnât have to wait for me out here,â you tell him as you hop off your motorcycle.
âi wanted to,â he says with a shrug. âhi.â
âhi.â
luuk steps aside, outstretching a hand towards the entrance that leads to his workspace. âafter you.â
as soon as youâre inside, a odd sense of homesickness washes over you. your eyes roam the space, taking in the dim hallways faintly illuminated by the huge monitors scattered about, the thousands of books that crowd every shelf in the room and even more of them stacked on the floor. youâve always been aware of them but itâs only now that youâre truly noticing.
having coming back from the voidspace renewed your perspective and brought about newfound appreciation for the most mundane of things. one wrong move can take every bit of their normalcy away from you.
you relish in the stillness of luukâs private space, a stark dichotomy to the chaos that awaits you outside.
âi didnât think iâd see this place again,â you speak, simply thinking out loud but luuk responds anyway.
âwe all knew youâd make it back. it was just a matter of when.â
you grin at him. âyou have too much faith in me. maybe i should do it again.â
âiâd prefer it if you didnât,â luuk banters but thereâs truth underneath his playful tone. still, it gets a chuckle out of you. then with conviction, he adds, âyou know weâd all find a way to get you back, one way or another. no other outcome would do.â
luuk states it as if rescuing you was solely a collective goalâand it was. but when neither of you say anything after that, the silence hangs in the air and a voice nags at the back of luukâs mind.
if i am to lose you someday, at least, let me choose how.
when the quiet becomes too much to bear, he changes the subject. âhowâs aemeath?â
âsheâs fine. better than i expected, actually. itâs like she was never gone.â you briefly pause to ponder over your next words, âshe told me sheâs going to stay in startorch for a while to finish her studies. can i ask you a favor?â
âiâll look after her while youâre away,â luuk promises, already hearing your unspoken request.
âthank you.â
you smile at him warmly but luuk notices how it doesnât quite reach your eyes. with a voice much quieter than before, he asks, âhow are you?â
âiâm⌠okay. i mean, aemeathâs back so mission accomplished for now. but dealing with everything else, it gets heavy sometimes,â you admit, âbut i also know iâm not carrying it alone.â
ânever,â luuk promises.
you stare at each other, eyes charged with something both of you are too careful to name.
âi know you didnât just ask me to come here for the waffles,â you jest. âwhat is it?â
luuk chuckles, mostly to himself. âitâs nothing.â
âyou said it yourself, this place doesnât have ears. you can talk to me.â
âi was just wondering how long before i see you again.â
seemingly embarrassed by his admission, his gaze drops to the floor as he digs his hands into the pockets of his coat. you hear the faint rustling of plastic wrappers and you realize heâs fiddling with the small stash of candy he carries everywhere, a futile attempt to release his nerves into something.
an epiphany dawns on you. for the first time in a long time, luuk, who is known for his steady calm and composure, looks completely vulnerable. so emotionally bare and unguarded in front of you.
âif it makes you feel better, iâm not forgetting you this time,â you quip in attempt to keep this conversation lightâeven youâre starting to crumble under the weight of your reality, if youâre being honest. but even if you canât control the cards youâve been dealt with, you can still choose how you play them. âluuk, iâm still here. we can still make the most of our time before i go. you can miss me later.â
with the courage heâs never been able to muster before, he reaches for your hand. âiâm afraid the second you walk out of here, iâll miss you already.â
âyouâre making it really hard for me to say goodbye, you know?â
luuk chuckles. âi wasnât planning on making it easy.â
then as if an idea pops into his mind, luuk takes off his glove, revealing the tacet mark across his palm. you never really had a good look at it up to this very moment and to say youâre mesmerized is an understatement.
under what looks like an open wound, you see his golden blood flowing and radiating from within. you wait for an explanation from luuk but it doesnât come. so with bated breath, you watch as he wills his ichor to take shape right before your very eyes. you throw a quick glance at his face but his expression remains neutral, gaze fixed on the aureate liquid as it solidifies in his hand.
you donât get the chance to ask what it is because soon, held between his fingers is a gold ring.
luuk gives it a quick inspection until heâs satisfied with it before covering up his tacet mark with his glove once more. with your permission, he takes your hand and slips the band onto your ring finger with utmost care.
âluuk?â
he canât help but grin at your confusion. âiâm not proposing. itâs just⌠something to remember me by.â
he knows solaris is far from seeing the end of the lament but without the threat of aleph-1 striking lahai-roi anytime soon, perhaps he can allow himself the indulgence in the thought of living a future where youâre both happy and free to give into your heartâs desires without the guilt for acting so selfishly. a future where neither of you still have to tiptoe around your feelingsâitâs distant but not impossible.
and as long as youâre alive, thereâs no reason for it to not exist.
maybe that sliver of hope can be enough for now.
âperfect fit,â luuk murmurs. he continues to toy with the gold ring on your finger before bringing it to his lips for a delicate kiss.
you twist your hand so your palm cradles his cheek and almost instinctively, he leans into your touch, basking in the one thing he begrudgingly craved since your reunion. at least, in the privacy of his workspace, he can let himself have that.
no words seem accurate for the emotions swirling inside you so you donât say anything at all. you slide your hand to the back of his neck and pull him in for a chaste kiss. when you feel his breath hitch at your sudden gesture, you giggle against his lips.
just as youâre about to pull away, he recovers from his daze almost in the same instant, his hands immediately finding purchase on your face as he tilts his head to deepen the kiss. the second you match his fervor, his grip descends to your waist before it settles on the small of your back to pull you flush against him.
you gasp at the closeness, feeling the warmth eminating from him in a way you never have before, and luuk takes the opening to slide his tongue into your mouth, pouring all unspoken feelings into it.
for someone with hands so nimble and precise, luuk isnât sure how to hold you, the tips of his fingers trembling along your curves as he maps out your body and burns it into his mind to the best of his abilities. not once in his life did he think he could ever have you so pliant in his hands.
âluukâŚâ you breathe out as you melt into his touch.
luuk backs you up to the nearest wall as his lips move away from yours, trailing down your jaw and along the expanse of your neck, his wet mouth leaving goosebumps in its wake. you raise a hand to the back of his head, tugging his hair at times as the pleasure spikes within you and he hisses at the delicious sting, reciprocating it immediately with a light nip at your skin before he soothes the spot with a stroke of his tongue.
a moan slips out of you and whatever it is that still tethers luuk to his sanity is now completely severed.
he pulls back for a brief moment and with his teeth, he takes off the glove that doesnât conceal his tacet markâdespite your forgotten memories, youâre certain that it is the hottest thing youâve ever seen in your long life. unable to contain your arousal, you take it upon yourself to bring your lips together once more, moaning into his mouth when he slides his bare hand between your legs.
ânghâŚ.. luuk.. pleaseâŚâŚâ you whine, gyrating against luukâs fingers over your bottoms to chase your release but heâs perceptive to your needs. without pausing his ministrations on your core, his kisses move lower until heâs on his knees, his mouth just about where you need him the most.
with his face now level with your crotch, he groans at the sight of it glistening with your slick. he wastes no time ridding you of your lower garments completely and burying his face between your legs. he licks a fat stripe between your folds before his lips latch onto your clit, humming in satisfaction at the taste of you.
overcome with pleasure, your hands begin to pull at the tufts of luukâs hair more aggressively and it only spurs him on. you almost double over at his vigor but heâs quick to lift your leg to his shoulder and stabilize you.
it doesnât take long before youâre teetering over the edge, your climax fast approaching and it only intensifies when luuk slips his tongue inside you. you scream his name and itâs almost instinctive the way youâre pulling him further into your pussy and humping against his face. still, luukâs pace doesnât relent. along with the lewd cries that escape you, his groans and the smacking of his lips against your squelching cunt fill the room.
the last thing you feel is luukâs hand squeezing your thighâa signal for you to let go for himâthen youâre cumming, gushing into his mouth which stays latched onto you as he slurps up your juices, down to the very last drop. only when you start whining from overstimulation that he pulls away from you.
setting your leg back down, luuk gets up on his feet and youâre grateful his hands donât let go of you. otherwise, your knees wouldâve given out.
you momentarily shut your eyes in exhaustion, resting your head on luukâs shoulder as you try to catch your breath. you hear him whisper, âhold onto me.â so you do. you snake your arms around his neck and his hands move to the back of your thighs to lift you up.
next thing you know, heâs carrying you to another room and sitting you atop his desk. âtired?â
if youâre being honest, you are but youâre not going to tell him that. not when you feel his bulge poking at your thigh.
without a word, you simply slide your hands away from his neck, moving at a slow descent and over the ridges of his abs, relishing in the way his muscles contract under your touch. after a few agonizing secondsâfor luukâone of your hands settles on his belt while the other palms him through his trousers.
âtake it off,â you tell luuk and he obliges in a heartbeat, pulling down the waist of his slacks along with his underwear just low enough to free his erection. the instant your grip closes around his girth, he lets out a guttural moan. he turns putty in your hand, leaning against your body as he nuzzles into you where he groans into your neck.
you give his cock a few pumps before he starts bucking up in your hand, lost in the pressure of your touch. with your free hand, you gently pull him by his hair so youâre face-to-face and you take in his current stateâhis glassy crimson eyes, his flushed cheeks and swollen lips, all beautifully framed by his blonde locks that now stick to his skin with sweat.
âyou look so good like this,â you whisper in his left ear before giving his helix earring a soft tug with your teeth. something snaps in him at the praise and soon, heâs closing a hand over yours, guiding your grip to tighten around him. his head drops to your shoulder once more as occasional whimpers fall from his lips and straight to your core.
with your fingers in his hair, you rake your nails lightly against his scalp and his body immediately shivers at the sensation.
âhngâŚ. feels so good,â he shamelessly moans as his hips speed up frantically. after a few more thrusts, you squeeze his cock, ultimately giving him the release heâs been chasing. as he spills into your hand, you feel his load spurt over your thighs.
you donât let go of him but he doesnât seem to mind as he stays snuggled into you, heavily panting against your skin. and the warmth of his breath does nothing but add to the ache you already feel in your nether lips.
desperate for any relief, you urge luuk to step even closer, bringing his tip to nudge against your clit and you both shiver at the contact. despite having just reached his climax, luuk grows hard once more. he removes your hand from his length, taking it upon himself to slide it between your folds, spreading his cum with it.
as you throw your head back in pleasure, luuk lies you down on his desk with his body hovering over you then he takes your swollen lips into a searing kiss. the friction of his cock against your core doesnât cease and he happily swallows the moans you spill into his mouth.
ângh.. luuk pleaseâŚ..â
âtell me what you want.â
you spread your legs wider, making as much room for him as you can. âput it inâŚâ
luuk doesnât need to be told twice. he slowly sinks into you and as soon as the head breaches your hole, you moan in unison. when heâs finally enveloped in your warmth, your back involuntarily arches at the same time luuk curls into you, both of your desires being taken to new heights.
âare you okay?â luuk forces the words through his teeth because truth be told, heâs not faring any better. while you take your sweet time getting used to his size, heâs losing his fucking mind at the tightness of your walls around him.
after a few seconds, you trap him between your legs again, locking your ankles together to keep him as close as possible before youâre motioning for him to move.
the first roll of luukâs hips is slow, almost experimental. still, it almost knocks the wind out of you.
âdoes it hurt?â luuk asks through labored breaths.
you simply shake your head, pulling at his hair for the nth time just for the sake of holding onto somethingâanythingâbefore you completely lose your wits and succumb to the fullness only he can provide. âkeep going.â
luuk thrusts a few more times before the discomfort turns into unadulterated pleasure and he finds the rhythm that has you whimpering beneath him. a constant stream of curses spill from both your lips, the sounds of your skins slapping and your wanton moans now completely unrestrained and it doesnât help that luuk eggs you on, âfeels so good inside youâŚâŚhngâŚ.â
âluukâŚnghâŚ. just like thatâŚâ you babble on and on. the sight of you unraveling like this and itâs because of him awakens a new hunger in luuk. he grips your waist as he picks up the pace, eliciting more obscene noises from you, âfuck- right there⌠ahh!â
your grip on his hair doesnât loosen even at the slightest and thatâs enough to tell him heâs doing something right. he hits the same spot inside you over and over, the desk beneath your bodies scraping against the floor in time with his thrusts.
in the split second you regain lucidity, your focus shifts on the man before you. the man you never allowed yourself to adore until this moment. you canât help but wonder what memories you chose to erase but maybe itâs true what people sayâwhat the mind can forget, the heart never does.
itâs the only explanation you deem logical as to why after your âfirstâ encounter, there was already a brewing connection you couldnât resist and youâve been irrevocably drawn to him ever since.
before you can contain your emotions, tears already well up in your eyes and luuk doesnât fail to notice.
his movement slows down, his visage now etched with concern but you immediately ease his worries, pulling his face down to crash your lips together as you thrust up into him, making him gasp into your mouth. without a second thought, you blurt out, âi love you.â
luukâs brain momentarily short-circuits at your direct confession. this isnât the ideal situation he had in mind but heâll be damned if he doesnât say it back.
âi love youâŚâ he resumes his pace with renewed passion as he rolls into you deeper. âi love you⌠fuck- âm so in love with youâŚâ
ângh..love youâŚ.. so muchâŚ.â you chant, as you repeatedly lift your hips to meet his thrusts.
keeping one hand on your waist, he brings the other hand to intertwine with yours.
his eyes once again land on your finger, now adorned by the glimmering gold that came from the very ichor that flows through his veins. a fleeting thought comes to mindâeven if neither of you spoke your love for each other out loud, he wonders if words are truly needed at the moment. or even at all.
because what could be a bigger act of love than the irony of his blood being that of the gods yet here he is, completely at your mercy?
âiâm yoursâŚâ the words slip out of him before he can stop them. he captures your lips again, pouring into the kiss all the love heâs harbored for you, hoping itâs enough to make up for when you leave until youâre back in his armsâhowever long it takes. âiâm all yours...hngâŚ. never been anyone elseâsâŚâ
his words only fuel your arousal and tears continue to fall from the corners of your eyes at the pleasure. as you inch closer to your climax, you wind your legs around luuk, digging your heels into his buttocks to push him even deeper into your cunt.
âluuk- ughâŚ.âm so closeâŚâ
ânghâŚfuck⌠me tooâŚâ luuk begins to crumble under the overwhelming sensation of your pulsating walls, his hips becoming erratic as he continues to plow into you. his hand once holding your waist flies to your crotch as his thumb rubs fast circles on your clit. âlet go for meâŚwanna feel itâŚâŚ..â
soon enough, youâre crying out from the toe-curling orgasm, coating luuk in your essence as you continue suck him in and his release shortly follows, pumping a few more times before his body tenses up and he spills inside you, filling you up with his seed.
as if all life has been sucked out of him, his body drops onto yours, almost smothering you with his weight but youâre too exhausted to care. for a moment, you bask in each otherâs embrace in silence, save for the huffs from your lips.
luuk is the first to speak. âstay tonight.â
âokay.â you donât think twice granting his wish. âi canât go back to the academy looking like this anyway.â
luuk puffs out a laughter. âlet me get something to clean you up with.â
he finally pulls out of you, giving you a quick peck on the lips in apology when you wince at the sudden emptiness.
for a moment, he leaves the room and comes back with a washcloth in hand. upon noticing his jeans already fastened back to his waist, you assume heâs cleaned himself up so you sit up to take the cloth from him and do it yourself but he moves it out of your reach. âjust sit still for me.â
he leaves you no room to protest as heâs already crouching down before you and with delicate hands, he begins to wipe off your mixed fluids that have now dripped out of you and made a sticky mess between your legs.
as if his ichor-made ring is enough surprise for one day, he proves you wrong by suddenly fishing out your stained underwear from the pocket of his coat. you shoot him a look, an eye brow raised dubiously, but he just shrugs.
âi couldnât just leave it there,â he explains, cocking his head to direction of the hallway where he just had his first taste of you. âthe floorâs dirty. thatâs unsanitary.â
the feigned seriousness in his tone pulls a hearty laugh out of you. âright. because everything we just did was so hygienic.â
right away, you notice heâs only wearing one glove.
âwhereâs the other one?â you ask with genuine confusion but he only looks at you knowingly, a ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. glancing past him, you crane your head just far enough until you see his glove on the unsanitary floor of the hallway. you snort at his hypocrisy. âso much for being sanitary.â
âi only wear that on my hand. this, howeverâŚâ he trails off, sliding the underwear up your legs for you, before he continues, ââŚgoes here.â he shoots you a wink as he places a lingering kiss on a spot on your inner thigh thatâs dangerously close to your crotch.
youâd be lying if you said youâre immune to his charms. judging by the boldness in his expression that only becomes more and more blatant with each passing second, you can tell that he, too, knows exactly his effect on you.
resisting the urge to jump his bones, you wilfully ignore the throb between your legs and give him a playful kick on the shoulder, creating some space between the two of you as he stumbles backwards. with a laugh, he holds onto your ankle for support before standing upright.
luuk leans into you, closing the distance with a kiss thatâs more innocent this time. you canât help but smile against his lips when you mumble, âyou said you love me.â
âi do,â he reiterates in between kisses. he refuses to pull away until you take it upon yourself to break the kiss then a cheeky grin stretches across your face. âwhat is it?â
âiâm hungry.â
luuk is briefly stupefied before heâs smiling himself, amused by you. he simply shakes his head at your implied request but his gaze is nothing short of adoring.
âiâll go get your waffles.â before luuk turns away, he places a soft kiss on your forehead as he teases, âso spoiled.â
wuthering waves ⢠YOU DECIDE TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH AFTER AN ARGUMENT
ft. aalto & mortefi (separate)
note: first set of headcanons with paragraph breaks because i got too carried away that they turned into full fics lmao anyways it wasnât really an argument in mortefiâs but like. the spirit of the prompt is still there <3 â not proofread !!
youâre in the kitchen with a cup in hand and your nightly tea down to its last few sips, when you finally hear the front door open, signalling AALTOâs arrival. from a distance, you can make out the shuffling of his shoes as he takes them off. then heâs calling out your name.
âiâm here,â you answer back.
his golden eyes light up at the sight of you followed by his signature smirk that tugs at the corners of his lips. normally, it wouldâve made you swoon but itâs been like this for the past two nightsâyou feeling worried and sick to your stomach from waiting for him to come home just for him to arrive late in the evening with no explanation. all lax and breezy like itâs no big deal.
but youâre not having it tonight.
âwhere have you been?â you ask, voice restrained to the best of your abilities so you donât sound accusatory.
âi had to meet up with a client. it ran longer than i expected.â
âwould it have taken so much of your time to send me one text?â you try your best to sound benign but a sharpness in your tone still slips out and it stops aalto in his tracks. âor did you forget that someone was waiting for you at home?â
âi told you not to wait up for me,â aalto retorts, starting to sound defensive and your scoff at his response only adds fuel to the fire. his patience is quickly running thin and he knows itâs the exhaustion seeping into him physically and mentally thatâs making him act like this. still, he canât help but snap. âyouâve known about my job since you met me. why are you questioning me now?â
thereâs an immediate silence that follows.
âwowâŚâ stunned by his argument, you simply gulp the rest of your drink before turning away from him. âsorry for wondering if my boyfriend is still fucking alive.â
the finality in your words reels aalto back to his senses but before he can stop you from walking away, youâve already retreated to your bedroom.
aalto runs a hand through his hair, tugging at his silver locks in frustration as he curses himself. he waits for you to come out of the room so he can properly apologize. when he realizes you wonât, he heads to the bathroom for whatâs supposed to be just a quick shower.
staring blankly at a wall, heâs stood still under the cool water in an attempt to wash away the icky feeling in his gut as he recalls the words he spat and left a bitter taste in his mouth. for a moment, he thinks the cold shower is effective until he shuts it off. now without the soft thuds of water hitting the bathroom floor and drowning out the voice in his head, his mind spirals once again with thoughts of you.
aalto puts on his clothes in a hurry, hoping youâre still up. heâs going to fix this before the days ends.
however, when he exits the bathroom, his initial plan is soon forgotten. youâre already back in the living room, setting up a makeshift bed on the couch. he doesnât even think twice before vanishing into mist and reappearing on the cushion before you can make yourself comfortable.
you only look at him, unimpressed. your silence prompts him to speak first. âwhatâs all this?â
you assume his question to be rhetorical but aalto doesnât move an inch until you answer him, âitâs late. i just want to sleep.â
âthe bedâs more comfortable,â he reasons with you. his knack for persuasion has never failed him but this time, itâs ineffective. he hastily adds, âi can sleep here. besides, i have to leave first thing in the morning. i wouldnât want to wake you up.â
âanother client?â the bluntness in your tone is enough to make aalto wince, immediately reminded of your argument. âall the more reason for you to take the bed then. gotta make sure youâre well-rested.â
still, he doesnât get off the couch. you sigh. âaalto, iâm tired.â
âthen letâs go to bed,â aalto pleads. âbaby, pleaseâŚâ
âweâll talk tomorrow.â
when aalto realizes you wonât budge, he finally lets out a defeated sigh and vacates the couch. âokay⌠good night.â
âgood night,â you say without looking at him. from your periphery, you can see him taking small and slow steps to your bedroom as if waiting for you to change your mind. you donât.
the hours that pass arenât too serene. apart from your heated argument replaying in your head, aalto walks out of the room from time to time for various reasonsâexcuses, rather. you know thatâs his indirect way of checking if youâre still awake.
on the first hour, he âneeded to use the bathroom.â
an hour later, he shuffled to the kitchen for a glass of water because he âwas thirsty.â but it was still a failed attempt to get a reaction out of you.
now, itâs the third hour and aalto once again emerges from the bedroom but this time, he doesnât seem to have an alibi. he simply lingers by the door as he gauges your mood. youâve never seen him look so uncertain that for a second, you forget about your fight. âwhy are you still up?â
âso are you.â
you donât reply to that but the tension in the air seems to have dissipated so aalto gathers the courage to approach you. he takes the spot on the center table right in front of you despite the large space on the sofa. heâs still assessing the situation but to his relief, when he takes your hand, you let him.
âiâm sorry,â he begins, soft but sincere, âwhat i said⌠that was a shitty thing to say. i was tired and i know thatâs not an excuse. i didnât mean any of it. i swear.â
you donât answer right away as you ponder over your response. âi know you canât tell me much about your work and iâm not asking you to. i donât need to know what you do or who youâre with because i trust you. i just want to hear from you when youâre gone the whole day so i know youâre okay.â you briefly pause to release a shaky breath as you feel the tears well up in your eyes. when you speak again, the words come out weaker. âi just need to know youâre safe.â
youâve been stellar at keeping your tears at bay but as soon as aalto wraps you in his arms, the dam breaks and your worries from the past few nights finally find it release through your sobs. aalto whispers into your hair, âi know. iâm so sorry.â
you stay that way for a bit, crying and relieving yourself of anxiety in his embrace as he continuously mutters apologies and assurances. when you finally calm down, aalto pulls away slightly, his hands finding purchase on your face as his thumbs gently swipe across your tear-stained cheeks.
âtell you what,â he says, his tone still tender but thereâs a lightness to it now and the mischievous glint in his eye is ignited once again. âwhen all of this is over, iâll tell you all about it. down to the smallest details, even if it takes me all night. after all, verbal tea is just as good as herbal, am i right?â
you giggle at his familiar cheekiness, the sound all nasal and wet but itâs the happiest youâve felt in days. âwhere did you learn that?â
âi heard it from one of the kids in encoreâs storybook club.â aaltoâs genuine response gets a cackle out of you and itâs only then it hits him that this is the first time heâs heard your laughter since he got home tonight. completely powerless to the sudden urge to kiss you, he doesnât even put up a fight and crashes his mouth onto yours. when he feels you smile against his lips, he whispers, âi missed that.â
âshit!â you accidentally spill tea on the papers on MORTEFIâs desk, prompting him to immediately get up before the drink can drip onto his coat.
you assumed he was going to pull another all-nighter, as he had been doing the previous nights, hunched over his table in the corner of your shared bedroomâonly taking short breaks when he needed a quick meal, a quick nap, or a quick trip to the bathroom.
it was already late in the afternoon and mortefi has yet to express any signs that his work was close to completion so you decided you wanted to do something nice for him.
well, now youâre certain that his tasks are nowhere near done.
âiâm so so sorry,â you squeak out as mortefi salvages what he can from his work.
âiâll take care of it,â he says without sparing you a glance but you insist.
âiâll clean it up.â
this time, he looks at you.
âjust go,â he utters, not hostile but clipped. you know that tone too wellâthis isnât up for discussion. all you can do is leave, eyes brimmed with tears and your heart with guilt.
a few hours pass and heâs barely left the room. you also havenât checked if he needed anything. in fact, you havenât spoken to him since.
itâs close to midnight when you gently knock on your bedroom door before entering with caution, âiâll just grab my things.â
mortefi looks up at the sound of your voice but maybe itâs the fatigue finally catching up to him because he doesnât process your words right away, only following your movement with his eyes. when he realizes youâre reaching for your pillows and blanket, something in his brain finally clicks. âwhat are you doing?â
âiâm going to sleep on the couch,â you reply without looking at him as you pretend to busy yourself with your beddings.
âwhy?â
âyouâve been really busy. i donât want to distract you.â
âiâm almost done,â he tells you. you finally look at him, bracing yourself for the moment he mentions the chunk of his research that you ruined but he doesnât. itâs as if the very thing thatâs been eating at you barely crossed his mind afterwards.
you only mutter a meek okay. but after a short stretch of silence, you speak again, âdid you have to redo everything?â
with the feebleness lacing your voice, mortefi suddenly becomes fully aware of your body languageâsave for the pillow in your arms, youâre basically hugging yourself. like youâd hide from him if you could. that makes him get up on his feet en route to you.
as the distance between you gradually shrinks, you mumble, âi can help rewrite your notes.â
itâs a lame offer, you know it, but how else can you possibly make it up to him when you barely have any knowledge on his expertise? heck, even at times he explains his research in laymanâs terms, it still doesnât make it all any easier for you to comprehend.
the instant mortefi reaches you, he takes the cushion acting as a barrier between your bodies and tosses it back onto the bed. soon, youâre pulled into his comforting embrace. âit was an accident. itâs okay.â
knowing mortefi, he rarely grants his colleagues the privilege of being treated with such level of leniency and patience. and you wouldâve found it funny how uncharacteristic it was of him to speak those words had it not been you who caused the accident.
âiâm sorry,â you mutter, unable to steady the quiver in your voice. you feel mortefiâs hand runs up and down your back at a soothing pace. âi shouldâve been more careful.â
âitâs okay,â he repeats, âit was just a few pages.â
âare you sure?â
âyes.â
âyouâre not mad anymore?â
âi never was,â he assures you, slightly pulling away so heâs looking at you directly. he feels a pang in his chest at the sight of your watery eyes. âitâs just been really hectic lately and iâm trying to meet a deadline. iâm sorry i took it out on you.â
still ridden with guilt, you can hardly tell if the pensiveness in his visage is from exhaustion, disappointment, or just his face. âyou still look upset.â
âwell, iâm not exactly ecstatic about it.â thereâs no bite in his tone but nevertheless, the honesty stings and mortefi doesnât miss the way you deflate at his words. he pulls you back into his arms and flush against his body, pressing a tender kiss on the top of your head in an attempt to ease your nerves then he reiterates, âiâm not upset.â
âpromise?â your words are muffled as you nuzzle into him.
âi promise.â
âokay. but i am serious about rewriting your notes.â
you feel the rumble of mortefiâs chest against your cheek when he chuckles. âi never said i wasnât going to take you up on that offer.â
PSA to fic readers, it is so hard to freak a fic writer out with your comments. we are just as crazy about the fic as you are.
tell me you love it. tell me it made you slam your laptop shut. tell me you brought it up at your college lecture about kink. key smash in all caps. quote the passage that made you think. i promise, weâll love it.
we spend hours thinking about it, writing it, editing it. there is no such thing as over enthusiasm when youâre talking about our fics to us. we are sooooo weird about them, i assure you. you are just matching my freak. the freak bar is already set so high. feel no anxiety about enjoying something and letting the creator know.
wuthering waves ⢠âI CAN HOLD THE WORLD IN MY HANDSâ
how they react to you saying you can hold the world in your hands then gently cupping their face
ft. aalto, luuk, mortefi & brant
AALTO has just gotten back from his recent travel and heâs rambling on and on about the places he went to, people he came across, and the one time he got himself inâand out, he emphasizesâof trouble. you swear youâre all ears but at some point, your focus shifts to the man himself and the conversation is pushed to the background. before your mind can drift any further, aalto boops your nose. âwh- huh?â you snap out of your daydream. âgot distracted there,â he says with a chuckle, âstay here with me.â âsorry,â you turn sheepish, âi was just thinking.â âcare to share?â aalto prods, tilting his head in curiosity but his voice playfully shifts into its persuasive lilt like heâs playing broker, âi can keep a secret.â with a smile, you roll your eyes at his joshing but you show him anyway. you raise your hands to cradle his face in your palms, immediately noticing the slightest hitch of his breath at your gesture. you remain quiet for a moment as you relish in the satisfaction coursing through you for catching such an elusive man off guard. âiâm gonna need you to be more specific than that,â aalto quips when he regains his composure and it gets a hearty laugh out of you. so you tell him, âi can hold the world in my hands.â in a matter of seconds, you watch how the smile on his lips widens to a grin then it morphs into his signature smirk but just before the brazenness fully takes over his visage, aaltoâs already turned into mist to release himself from your hold, appearing behind you before you can blink. soon, heâs snaking his arms around your torso. âwould you look at that?â he drawls, resting his chin on your shoulder, âso can i.â
âyou look like you have something to say,â LUUK speaks up, breaking the prolonged but comfortable silence between the two of you. earlier, he invited you over for coffee and now here you are, sat across from the blond and peering over your cup as you admire him silently. âi donât know what you mean,â you tell him but the playful smile on your lips says otherwise. luuk chortles at your blatant lie, âyou do realize i read people for a living.â when luuk only gets a chuckle out of you, he asks again, âwhat is it?â âdo you think i can hold the world in my hands?â your random question renders luuk absolutely stupefied with his mouth hanging open but not a single word comes out. with a giggle, you quip, âyou asked.â despite his confusion, the ever so patient doctor decides to humor you anyway, âokay. show me.â his attention on you now is so steady that itâs starting to make you self-conscious at the cheesiness of it all but you still grant his request. you lean over the table with outstretched hands until they softly land on each side of his face and luuk is speechless once more, so uncharacteristically stunned. you await his reaction, expecting him to blush but instead, you catch his teeth digging into his bottom lipâheâs holding in a laugh. embarrassed, you pull away from him and settle back into your seat but youâre laughing yourself, âjerk. i was trying to be sweet.â at that, luuk finally laughs with you. âit is,â he says, reaching across the table to take your hand, âit was just unexpected, is all.â he brings your knuckles to his lips for a peck but not before teasing, âyouâre always so serious.â you gasp in mock offense, âi can be fun!â
MORTEFI has been holed up in his lab for hours, a faint scowlâwhich looks almost identical to his resting faceâetched on his visage as he stares at stacks of paperwork. âyou busy?â it was a stupid question because he obviously is but he doesnât seem to mind. he momentarily takes off his glasses to rub the strain from his eyes before he addresses you. âi have time. did you need something?â âwellâŚâ you act as if youâre deep in thought, âiâm conducting a study myself.â âoh?â he perks up at your statement and you feel a sense of satisfaction surge through you. âyup,â you proudly confirm, walking over to him as he follows you with expectant eyes, âiâm trying to see if i can hold the world in my hands.â before he gets the chance to ask, youâre already bringing up your hands to his face in a gentle touch. mortefi clearly is at a loss for words. he fails to come up with a response, resorting to a slight shake of his head but heâs obviously amused by you from the way a smile begins to tug at the corners of his lips. âyou look really stressed lately. i just wanted to loosen you up a little,â you tell him almost apologetically for taking up his time but he only meets your gaze with soft eyes. thereâs a gleam in them that oozes adoration but his tone remains neutral when he plays along with your jest, âi suppose the result of your experiment is rather⌠favorable.â âgood,â you beam before giving him a peck on the nose, ânow iâll leave you to your actual research.â mortefi simply chuckles but before you can pull away and peel your hands from his skin, he leaves a tender kiss against your palm.
a slow day at work, BRANT would call days like thisâdays when he can take you out at sea to breathe in the breeze and listen to the sloshing of the waves. itâs not often that youâre granted this serenity. âa penny for your thoughts?â brant sidles up to you. without his crew and the air of captaincy surrounding him, he appears more boyish. endearing, you mentally note. âitâs peaceful out here,â you reply, âi like it.â âiâm glad,â he beams at you before presenting a paper scrollâyellowing, tearing at the edges and most definitely old, âlook what i found.â he presents you a map with childlike wonder, his eyes turning into a fuchsia sea of stars, âwhat treasure do you think weâll find?â unbeknownst to him, you couldnât care less about any of it. âwho needs treasure when i can have the whole world?â brant responds with a chuckle, âthe whole world, huh? well then, i better start informing my crew about that,â he adjusts his hat in a very captain-like manner before bragging, âitâs gonna take some extra work but nothing that the fools canât do.â itâs all jest on your part but you doubt if brant shares your sentiment. still, you giggle at his enthusiasm, your heart filled to the brim with adoration as you hold his face with gentle hands. âsilly,â you coo, âi already have it right here.â for a moment, he looks taken aback by the spontaneous gesture but itâs not long before heâs taking your hands to spin you in place while he dances around you in some sort of unorganised waltz. in a fit of giggles, you manage to ask him, âwhat are you doing?â brant doesnât reply in an instant but gradually, he slows down until heâs come to a halt and standing before you once more, âwe both know the world revolves around the sun.â
tokyo revengers ⢠TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE ft. keisuke baji
you fall in love with a certain gang member in his timeline and you promise to find each other in yoursâten years later.
wc: 1.7k
about: reader is a time leaper and the trigger is a kiss on the lips <3
warnings: just some mild angst in the beginning. nothing heart wrenching. also not proofread lololol
note: this has been in my notes since 2022 and iâm soooo fawking glad itâs finally done and posted. i feel free
from the sidelines, you quietly watch as toman wraps up their last meetingârather the last meeting youâll be in attendance as theyâve unanimously decided that the safest course of action for you at the moment is to travel back to the futureâyour present.
you knew how important this assembly was going to be. you didnât mean to tune out at least half of it but at one point, the gang was in the middle of bidding you a proper farewell and your gaze had landed on baji where he was stood with his division. as though he could sense your eyes on him, heâd met them with his own and neither of you had been able to look away since.
many months ago, you wouldnât have had a single clue what was going through bajiâs mind. if thereâs one thing heâs good at, itâs masking his true feelings behind piercing eyes and cunning smilesâbut maybe thatâs the very thing that drew you to him in the first place. you crave his unpredictability and the thrill that emanates from him feels endless.
but like all good things, this, too, has come to an end.
inaudible chatters start to buzz through the air as toman members disperse into smaller groups but baji makes a beeline for you.
âhey, captain,â you say with as much mirth as you can muster but he only gives you a smile that doesnât quite reach his eyes.
â10 years is a long timeâŚâ his tone is sullen, so unlike him that you utter your next words without giving it much thought.
âwhat if i stay?â
itâs only then you realize how selfish it is of you to even consider it an option.
youâre not oblivious to the fact that the gangâs second division captain has a completely different standpoint from the man youâve grown fond of. youâre also certain that he will always pick loyalty over self-interest.
ultimately, baji is tomanâs before he is yours.
âiâm the one doing the waiting so donât worry about it,â he tells you, though the reassurance sounds more directed at himself.
as your time together gradually runs out, the clearer it becomes in your mind how you two never truly had a chance.
despite his free spirit, bajiâs been apprehensive of getting you involved with him because the last thing he needs is word about you going around and in turn, rival gangs using you to get to him. so your feelings stay as isâjust feelings.
as you make the most of these last few minutes before you jump back to your present, you canât find it in yourself to tie him down. not ever but especially not now.
âkei, promise me something.â
âanything.â
âpromise me that if you meet someoneââ
âitâll still be you,â he cuts you off. heâs not about to hear you give him away before heâs even had the chance to be yours so he leans closer until thereâs barely a millimeter between your lips. then he repeats himself with conviction, âit will still be you.â
before you can protest, baji closes the distance between the two of you in a searing kiss, triggering your 10-year time leap.
one second, itâs as if youâre surrounded by complete darkness then youâre suffering from a splitting headache the next. you suppose thatâs a sign your time leap worked.
it takes you some time to regain your lucidity but just as the pain in your head is beginning to subside, youâre brought back to your senses by the shrill ringing from your phone.
still on the edge of your disoriented state, you fail to register the caller id. you simply take the call. âhello?â
âhi. i wanna see you.â your heart jumps at the voice and any sense of confusion in your system leaves your body. âare you home?â
baji.
your breath hitches but you quickly compose yourself before baji can detect any hint of hesitation from you. âuh⌠yeah, iâm home.â
âalright. see you soon.â
as soon as he hangs up, you pace around your apartment, letting various scenarios play out in your head so you donât overlook any possible way this can go. sure, you always planned to find baji in this timeline. you just didnât expect youâd get thrown into this situation immediately. however, you find it odd that baji doesnât seem fazed at the very least. itâs almost as if no time has passed at all.
you start to doubt if youâve truly arrived in your timeline but you donât get to dwell on it any further because the doorbell soon rings throughout your home. when you swing the door open, youâre met with the immediate grin on bajiâs face at the sight of you.
âhi there.â he holds up a small bag of takeout, leaning against the doorframe in a posture so lax which is an absolute contradiction to your frantic state. âi got you your favorite.â
âoh. you, uhâŚâ not a single coherent thought is going through your mind right now. you donât know what to ask. you donât even know what to say at all. âyou didnât have to.â
âof course i did,â he counters, sauntering over to your dining room to set the tubs of food on the table. you donât say anything else after that but you mustâve been quiet for a beat too long because baji unexpectedly looks at you with an inquisitive glint in his eye as he begins to examine your tense demeanor. you suppose he still has a knack for reading people. âyou okay?â
âmhm,â you reply with a quick nod, a little too immediate for it to be a natural response.
baji doesnât seem convinced. he walks over to you, putting a hand over your forehead before gently cupping your face to study your expression. âyou seemed out of it on the phone. are you sure youâre okay?â
unfortunately for him, his question fails to earn an answer.
but fortunately for you, you finally find an opportunity to ogle and get a closer look at him.
heâs lost the baby fat in his cheeksâhis jawline and cheekbones are now a bit more defined, making his face look more sculpted than it already was before. other than that, he still has the same long hair up in a ponytail, the shorter raven locks messily framing his features. same piercing eyes. same swoony smile.
god, was time incredibly kind to him.
âyou lookâŚâ gorgeous, you want to tell him. instead, you say, ââŚthe same? kind of. i mean, your face is⌠sharper?â
you want to kick yourself for your inability to think up some adjectives. despite being a decade older, youâre definitely not a year wiser.
it only takes baji a brief moment to catch on before a shit-eating grin is stretching across his face so brazenly that it makes you suspicious.
âkei?â
âso youâre back,â he drawls.
thereâs the confirmation you neededâthe time leap did work. but why is baji so chill about it?
âkeisuke,â you say more sternly which elicits a deep chuckle from him. âwhat happened in ten years?â
âyou knowâŚâ he begins with a cadence that makes you weak in the kneesâyou have to quickly remind yourself about the bigger matter at hand. âyou usually call me babe.â
huh?
with your lack of response, baji takes it as his cue to continue, âdo you wanna know what happened after we kissed? or should i just skip to our first date?â
our first-
âwhat?!â you shriek.
the utter shock in your face makes baji cackle.
âdid you really think i was just gonna sit around and do nothing? turns out ten years is more than enough time to win you over,â he begins to explain, occasionally interrupted by his own laughter. âin my defense, i tried to wait. keep my distance and all, but youââ he emphasizes with an accusatory point of his index finger in your direction, ââcouldnât. apparently, you and other you have one thing in common. iâm your type.â
youâve always deemed baji as the loyal one but right now, you might just give him a run for his money.
âi asked you out?â
âwhat?â baji sounds offended, almost competitive even, as if the very idea of it was ridiculous. âi asked you out. you just liked me back. what kind of man do you think i am?â
in that instant, you catch a glimpse of the younger baji. considering that the memory of your goodbyes is still clear and fresh in your mind, it almost makes you laughâperhaps the boy you had to leave behind ten years ago is still somewhere inside the man standing before you now.
and deep down, you know you wouldâve asked him out then if the circumstances were any different. for a brief moment, you let yourself wonder if he wouldâve been just as offended.
âso⌠weâre dating?â the words feel weird on your tongue. not that youâre complaining.
âyup.â
âfor how long?â
âa little over two years.â
you swear you feel your eyes bulge out of your skull at the revelation. âwow⌠okay.â
âyou donât look happy,â he teases.
âi am!â your rebuttal comes out a bit too defensively, prompting you to take a sharp inhale and reverting your voice to its neutral inflection. âi am,â you repeat. âitâs just⌠a lot to process.â
âtake your time.â
baji presses a soft kiss on your forehead and thatâs when it hits you.
âhave we kissedâŚ? since⌠you knowâŚâ
ânot on the lips. i had to make up some no-kiss rule just in caseâwhich other you hated, by the wayâbut now that you mention itâŚâ he steps even closer, forcing you to walk backwards until youâre backed up against the kitchen counter and caged in his arms. âiâm gonna need you to refresh my memories.â
âwhat if i go back to the past?â
âiâll kiss you there too,â he speaks with so much certainty it makes your heart flutter.
âthen weâd just keep going back and forth,â you joke.
âthen so be it.â with his face just merely inches away from yours, his voice dips in volume. just enough for you to still catch his words when he says, âi waited a long time. i think i deserve it.â
you roll your eyes but you donât bother to fight the smile tugging at your lips. âitâs not waiting if weâre already together⌠babe.â
the playfulness in bajiâs eyes gradually dies as his gaze on you softens into something more sincereâexactly how it always did ten years ago each time he looked at you. âi promised itâd still be you, didnât i?â
tokyo revengers ⢠YOUâRE TOO DRUNK TO RECOGNIZE YOUR BOYFRIEND
ft. manjiro âmikeyâ sano, ken âdrakenâ ryuguji, keisuke baji, takashi mitsuya, rindou haitani, ran haitani & shuji hanma
warnings: alcohol and a very hammered reader. the boys are more responsible than you <3
this is one of the rare occurrences wherein MIKEY actually shares his food. when youâve finally given up on fighting him for the last bottle of alcohol, you start whining about your sudden hunger so he slides his plate of nachos over to you. he watches you eye it for a second before you drag your gaze up to him. âi have a boyfriend you know?â you tell him, your attempt to be menacing coming out pathetically as the attitude dripping from your tone is dampened by your slurred speech. mikey doesnât need the club to be well lit. the strobe lights already illuminate your face enough for him to get a clear view of your glassy eyes and flushed cheeks. âi know,â he confirms with a tinge of exasperation, âbecause itâs me. mikey. your boyfriend.â he emphasizes his last words, his last effort to knock some sense into you but you only let out a cackle which catches him off guard. ânice try but mikey never shares his food.â
âthatâs enough.â DRAKEN snatches the last of your many drinks for the night before you can gulp it down. being the perceptive boyfriend he is, he can already hear the complaint thatâs about to slip from your tongue so heâs quick to pull you by the wrist, up from your seat and out the door. âwhere are you taking me?â you ask as clearly as your drunken state can let youânot so much but enough for your boyfriend to understand. âhome.â at his curt reply, you yank your hand from his grip with a strength that startles even tomanâs former vice president. âwhat the hell are you doing?â draken hisses lest you make a scene in public. âiâm calling my boyfriend,â you warn him, âbet he can kick your ass.â âyeah? iâd like to see him try.â he dismisses your empty threat, reaching for you once more to guide you to the exit but upon hearing a few whispers from prying strangers who are clearly getting the wrong idea, he stops in his tracks and turns to no one in particular, no longer caring about whatever commotion he may cause as his voice booms over the loud music: âiâm the boyfriend!â
âlet me go!â you relentlessly thrash around, yelling out threats of calling your boyfriend, while BAJIâthe boyfriend in questionâpulls you into an empty alleyway to avoid any possible public humiliation for the both of you. âfuck,â he huffs out a breath, âwhen did you get this strong?â some time in the night, heâs tuned you out telling him off, on a sole mission to stop you from drinking more than you already have. and heâs relieved he managed to get you out of the barâthat is until he hears a weird noise coming from you. âwh-â baji doesnât get the chance to utter a single word as you begin to throw up. in a panic, he hastily puts your hair up with his spare tie before rubbing soothing circles on your back. your hair looks real messy, he notes, but thatâs the least of his worries. âyou feeling better?â he checks on you after a while, only to be met by more retching, making him grumble to himself, âand i get an earful when i drink too much.â
MITSUYA is helping you get on your feetâsweet boyfriend he isâbut as soon as you find your footing, you give him a hefty shove. âi have a boyfriend, jackass!â you seethe, too drunk to recognize him, and all he can do is sigh as he regains his balance. âyes. me.â something clicks in your brain at his response and you squint your eyes to get a better look at him. âtakashi?â âhi, love.â and just like that, you perk up, your mouth stretching into a wide grin. âtaka,â you squeal, excitement coursing through your veins when you recognize your boyfriend, âhiiiii~â he laughs at the shift in your tone and takes the opportunity to slide an arm around your waist once more. âletâs get you home okay?â âmhm.â you wrap your arms around him and he lifts you with ease. mitsuya assumes youâre fast asleep until a few minutes later, you mumble something against his skin, âsomeone tried to flirt with me but i said no.â a chuckle bubbles past his lips as he adjusts his hold on you. âreally?â âmhm,â you nod into his neck as you snuggle closer, âi only love you.â âi love you more.â âlove you most,â you reply before soft snores fall from your lips and your breathing evens out.
youâre rambling about RINDOU to rindou himself, going on and on about the reasons that made you fall in love with him. and while youâre occasionally interrupted by your hiccups, he patiently listens to your every word then he hears a âbut.â the ways you describe him next are less flattering, less romanticâhow he tries so hard to act indifferent to your cooing as if the tips of his ears donât instantly turn red. or how he has a permanent scowl etched on his face. and other things you already tell him even when youâre sober. âheâs really lucky he doesnât have any wrinkles yet,â you add with a giggle. âyouâre really annoying when youâre drunk, you know that?â rindou deadpans. despite the lack of lighting in the club, he doesnât miss the shock washing over you, your eyes getting mistier by the second. âwhat?â your voice comes out shaky and your bottom lip starts to wobble, making rindou release another groan. âfor fuckâs sake.â
in spite of your insistence to stay at the club, RAN easily managed to drag you to his car. this isnât his first rodeo. as an older brother, he has had to deal with rindou when he was blackout drunk. âwhere are we going?â you mumble as you begin to stir in the passenger seat. âhome.â âi wanna see ran.â your boyfriend throws you a quick glanceâyour eyes remain closed and the rest of your words are incomprehensibleâbefore he focuses back on the road. amused by your drunken state, he plays along. âalright, weâre going to ran.â the stretch of silence that follows is cut short when you speak again, âiâm thirsty.â so ran makes a quick stop at a convenience store, coming back shortly with a bottle in hand. he unscrews the cap before he gives you the drink, âcareful.â you take a big gulp, instantly grimacing at the taste and it elicits a snort from your boyfriend. âwhat is this?â âwater.â
âwant more,â you slur. across from you, HANMA watches as you clumsily reach for the empty shot glasses on the table, flipping them upside down as if more alcohol will magically appear. heâs not going to lieâhe finds it funny. entertaining, even. and if the circumstances were any different, he wouldâve even encouraged this behavior. but heâs your boyfriend now and if thereâs one thing he truly cares about, itâs you. drunk out of your wits, you donât notice when hanma slides out of the booth until heâs soon presenting two more glasses to you. even though the contents are the same, he asks you to choose, âwhich one?â âhmm⌠that.â before you can get your hands on your drink, hanma intercepts and downs it in one go. youâre about to protest when he throws you over his shoulder and chugs the other drink out of your sight before heading for the exit. âletâs go.â
kpop demon hunters ⢠AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER
alternate ending where nobody dies <3
ft. huntrix & saja boys
wc: 2.6k
notes: not proofread and 100000% self-indulgent <3
couch! couch! couch! couch!
mira and zoey chant in chorus as huntrix march to the living room of their shared apartment. for as long as they can remember, itâs been their post-tour ritual. the moment things wrap up, itâs time for couch! couch! couch!
and they definitely need this hiatus now more than they have ever had in their entire career after that battle against the saja boys and gwi-ma. itâs been nearly two weeks since that night but rumi still remembers it just as vividly.
âcouch! couch. couchâŚ.. couchâŚâ mira and zoey trail off, their voices diminishing with their mantra, when they notice rumi on their side being awfully quiet and deep in her thoughts.
âearth to rumi.â
rumi snaps out of her reverie at the sound of miraâs voice. âhuh?â
âare you okay?â zoey asks.
âyeah,â rumiâs voice comes a bit out too perky before she clears her throat, her tone now more level as she tells them, âiâm fine. just tired, i guess.â
âyou sure?â mira questions dubiously, though nothing short of concerned.
âyup.â a short answer with two thumbs upâitâs all rumi provides to squash miraâs doubts because the less she talks, the lower the chances sheâll mess this up.
because how does she even explain to her best friends that the saja boys werenât sent back to the demon world after the incident like they initially thought? yeah, theyâre well and now free to roam the earth shortly after they escaped from gwi-maâs clutches.
on top of that, rumi most definitely cannot begin by confessing that she met up with jinu in secret.
to be fair, rumi herself assumed the demon boyband had been thrown back to their realm and sealed off after that duel but a few nights had passed, jinuâs furry companions appeared once more on her balcony to relay another card which looked incredibly similar to the previous ones jinu had sent her prior to all their late night rendezvous.
so as much as her mind had tried to scream some common sense into herâafter all, she did see jinuâs physical form vanish in front of her very eyesâshe followed her gut and accepted the invitation, her heart filled to the brim with hope that it was him waiting for her at her destination.
rumi rode on the tigerâs back en route to the supposed meeting place which turned out to be an empty alleyway. it was dark out, taking rumi a few seconds to scan her surroundings before a manâs voice broke through the quiet.
rumi froze in placeâsheâd recognize that voice anywhere.
the man didnât acknowledge her first as he cooed at his pet. âyou found her? good job, buddy.â
âjinu?â rumiâs voice quivered and her knees buckled at the mere sight of him, the thread holding her together since his disappearance almost snapping.
jinu didnât close the distance between them just yet, both staying where they stood but a smile began to curl at the corners of his lips as he joshed, âiâm not gonna lie. iâm expecting a hug this time.â
through her tears, rumi couldnât help but laugh at his request but it was also out of relief. like a weight had been lifted off her chest, whatever sheâd been holding in finally finding its release and she could breathe again.
she sprinted her way to jinu who easily caught her in his arms and for a moment, they stayed that way, finding solace in each otherâs embrace.
âyouâre back,â rumi uttered weakly before she completely succumbed to her emotions. while she sobbed, jinu couldnât help but rub her back soothingly but not without a few chuckles which earned him a light jab on his chest. âstop laughing at me.â
âiâm not,â jinu countered but he was laughing harder. âi just didnât think youâd miss me so much.â
âshut up,â rumi grumbled.
jinu never let go of rumi while she cried, only speaking once more when her sniffles began to subside, âthank you for saving me from gwi-ma.â
âi wouldnât have done it if it werenât for you,â rumi mumbled.
after gwi-maâs defeat, jinu could no longer hear his voice ringing in his head yet everything he had done to aid the demon king in his schemes still played in his mind like a stark reminder of the lengths heâd gone to betray the woman before him. heâd given all he had left to make up for it yet he still couldnât deem his sacrifice enough for his repentance.
jinu was mortified and ridden with guilt down to his core but having rumi in his arms, he realized it was a shame he didnât feel burdened to carry. heâd do anything for her.
âiâd give you my soul again and again if i could,â jinu vowed. âitâs yours.â
unable to find the perfect words to say, rumi pulled away slightly, just far enough to look at his face and take in his features as if to sear his image into her brain should fate take him away from her again. her eyes traced the patterns that snake across his skinâfrom his neck, down to his arms and when her gaze settled on his wrist, another reminder came to mind.
âand i believe this is yours.â she reached into her pocket, fishing for the flower bracelet the old lady had gifted her. with everything else that had happened, that night felt like a distant memory now. rumi took jinuâs hand to put the bracelet on him before throwing him a lighthearted glare, âdonât lose it this time.â
jinu smiled. âi wonât.â
âso what do we do now?â rumi asked, her tone sounding more serious. âi have to tell the girls. i promised themâno more secrets.â
âthen letâs do that,â jinu agreed a little too eagerly, much to rumiâs confusion. she was expecting him to be cautious, at the very least, yet he seemed⌠excited? âand tell them we said hi.â
whatever else rumi had planned to say instantly flew out the window. ââweââŚ?â
âwowâŚâ jinu drawled, a shit-eating grin now plastered on his face. âi know you were never a fan but acting like we never existed? you wound me, rumi.â
rumi was starting to perceive what he meant. she just needed him to say it explicitly but he only gave her a wink, blatantly amused by her confused state.
âdonât worry about it.â jinu ran a thumb over the wrinkle between her brows. âjust talk to your friends.â
so here she is⌠about to talk to her friends.
ah, screw it.
âactually,â rumi speaks up, âi do have something to say.â
âplease donât release another single during couch time,â zoey whines.
âi wonât,â rumi says, chuckling.
zoey sighs in relief. âokay, go on.â
âsoâŚâ rumi pauses for a second to form the words in her head, âyou already know about me being half-demonâŚâ
âyeahâŚâ mira confirms, slowly growing suspicious of her sugary tone. in that instance, rumi wishes mira wasnât so perceptive sometimes.
âand you guys still love meâŚâ
âof course, we do,â zoey replies.
âwhat did you do?â mira interrogates at the same time.
âdonât freak out,â rumi tells them slowly as she gently nudges them to take a seat. âokay. here goesâŚ.â
without saying another word, rumi goes to grab an empty bin from a corner and brings it to the middle of the room before she carefully sets it on the floor⌠all just to tip it over.
unsure of what theyâre supposed to be seeing, mira and zoey are sat quietly, their snacks now forgotten as they watch rumi with the most dumbfounded expressions sheâs ever seen on their faces.
for a few seconds, nothing is happening but before any of them can ask, a soft light begins to shape into a circle on the floor nearby, gradually growing brighter, and soon, a huge white tiger emerges from it along with its companion, a three-eyed hat-wearing bird.
rumi doesnât explain but neither mira nor zoey can find it in themselves to ask anyway as they gape at the animals that just materialized from their floorboards. despite being accustomed to the life of a demon hunter, they wouldnât have suspected that in a million years.
in complete contrast to the girlsâ shock, the tiger doesnât seem to pay any of them the slightest attention as it makes a beeline for the bin to put it upright repeatedly and failing every single time. it isnât long before rumi lends a hand and the feline shifts its focus on mira and zoey.
they finally get on their feet. they donât look terrified but theyâre definitely on alertâwell, mira is.
âwhat is that?!â
âthis is derpy,â rumi calmly gestures to the tiger then she points to the bird, âand this is sussie.â
âoh my gosh! can i pet it?â zoey squeals, eyes blown to the size of saucers in wonder.
âzoey, no!â mira pulls her back. âthey could be demons.â rumiâs lack of reaction ultimately confirms her suspicions. âTHEYâRE DEMONS?!â
âwellâŚâ rumi momentarily considers if they are demons before deciding, âthey were created with demon magic.â
âso you have demon magic?â
ânot me⌠jinu.â
âjinu?â zoey looks puzzled. âfrom the saja boys?â
mira appears just as baffled. âokay, hold on. if heâs gone and thoseâŚâ she gestures animatedly at derpy and sussie, âcreatures only exist because of his magic, why are they still here?â
a forced grin stretches across rumiâs face which earns her a raise of an eyebrow from mira, âabout thatâŚâ
âcan we come out now?â a manâs voice comes from rumiâs room.
âwhat was that?â mira asks to no one in particular.
âpipe down,â another voice scolds, âshe said sheâd give us a signal.â
âthatâs a different person,â zoey notes.
ârumi, what is going on?â mira questions, the natural sharpness in her gaze becoming even sharper yet not enough to cut through the thick tension in the air.
rumi slaps a hand over her face, squeezing her eyes shut as she pretends to ignore the inquisitive looks from her friends. she just wants to get this mess over with.
she finally addresses the boys in her room. âyou guys can come out now.â
so the saja boys do, looking just as humanlike as the day huntrix first met them, save for their demon patterns that mirror the ones scattered all over rumiâs body. theyâre not as striking as they used to be theyâre still prominent.
with a gasp, mira turns to rumi accusingly. âyouâve been hiding them in your room?!â
âNO!â rumi shrieks defensively.
âthen what the hell were they doing in there?!â
before rumi can get a word out, she can already hear how utterly stupid her answer is going to be, âi told them to enter through my balconyâŚâ
âwhat were you thinking?!â mira hisses. âyou couldnât ask them to just meet us somewhere else instead of inviting them to where we live?!â
jinu chimes in, mostly in rumiâs defense. âweâre not here to cause any trouble. you have my word.â
mira glares at him. âiâm not talking to you.â
âif we met up with them in public, there could be a dating scandal,â rumi reasons with her.
âit wasnât a problem when you were meeting up with him.â despite miraâs refusal to mention jinuâs name, she doesnât sound hostile but sheâs clearly light years away from enjoying this encounter.
âmira, please. i just need you to trust me on this one,â rumi pleads before she bargains, âif they betray us again, iâll kill them myself. i promise.â
âwhat?â jinu squeaks.
miraâs gaze slides over to jinu as she continues to address rumi. âincluding him?â
âyes,â rumi answers in a heartbeat.
ârumi!â jinu protests but rumi gives him a lookâjust go with it.
mira smirks at him, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes but it immediately dims when she notices abby and romance making their way over.
âyou know, a dating scandal could be fun,â abby cheekily suggests, âwhat do you think?â
âi think you should go to hell.â
âfeisty,â romance comments as he gives mira a sultry once-over, âcanât wait to see a lot more of that.â
mira dramatically wretches as she retreats to her room but not before telling them, âdonât follow me.â
still, abby and romance trail after her until mystery is left alone with zoey.
âheyâŚâ zoey says sheepishly.
âhi.â mysteryâs greeting is brief but tender. zoey supposes that evil or not, he has always been the quiet one amongst the saja boys.
but she really, really hopes heâs not evil this time.
âi realized iâve never really heard you talk before,â zoey tells him before she jokes in an attempt to break the ice, âi remember you growling and barking at the fans.â
her teasing doesnât land as mystery sounds genuinely apologetic, âsorry.â
âno!â zoeyâs voice rises in pitch as she backpedals then she clears her throat. âsorry. i mean, no. itâs fine. i was just kidding. actually, i should be the one saying sorry. i talk too much sometimes.â
when mystery doesnât respond right away, zoey immediately assumes sheâs weirded him out. she deflates at the thought of it, faking a giggle when she adds, âsee?â
âi donât mind,â mystery mumbles, his eyes cast downward as he refuses to meet zoeyâs gaze. despite his hair covering half of his face, the blush across his cheeks isnât hard to miss.
âoh.â zoey is stunned. she didnât know what she was expecting him to say but it definitely wasnât that. itâs the first time huntrixâs main lyricist is rendered absolutely speechless and by the looks of it, sheâs a hairâs breadth from losing her sanity.
âkeep it together, zo,â rumi jests which breaks her friend out of her daze.
âcan we keep him?â zoey blurts out as if the saja boy in question isnât standing right next to her.
rumi only laughs before sheâs pulled away into a corner by jinu.
âhi there.â
âhi,â rumi reciprocates his coquetry before she quips, âso what part of âiâll give you a signalâ did you guys not understand?â
âblame abby,â jinu retorts, âbut you have to admit. that went well.â
rumi agrees. âprobably the best way it couldâve gone.â
âbut you were joking, right?â
âabout what?â
âkilling me. youâre not really gonna kill me,â jinu boldly claims but his brazenness instantly crumbles when rumi doesnât respond, âyouâre not gonna kill me, right?!â
âyou look nervous,â rumi teases, âare you planning something?â
ân-noâŚâ jinu stutters, seemingly caught red-handed. and just like that, he notices rumiâs body go rigid, her playful demeanor now gone and taking its place is a hint of a frown slowly manifesting on her visage. in a panic, he hastily admits, âitâs not what you think!â
upon seeing the look of concern on rumiâs face, jinu holds her close, not giving her a chance to inch away from him. âlisten⌠how does a first date sound?â
it only takes rumi a second to understand what jinu means before sheâs rolling her eyes but sheâs elated. âi donât know how you used to do it 400 years ago but that is not how you ask a girl out.â
âyou put me on the spot!â laughing, jinu pulls her flush against his body. âyou havenât answered my question.â
rumi beams as she replies, âa first date sounds nice.â
out of the blue, zoey gasps as she exclaims, âheâs eating our food.â
rumi follows zoeyâs line of sight and catches the culprit who seems unfazed by the accusation as he continues to go through their kitchen.
if thereâs one thing huntrix will protect with their life other than their fans, itâs their food.
with her eyes locked on baby saja, rumi sighs. âthat one is going to be a problem.â
merry christmas to those who celebrate!! âŁď¸đ to everyone who doesnât feel so festive this holiday season, iâm sending you love and warmth for the rest of 2024 <3