sideblog of @erenophilic

this is where i pile up my tbr list, im 18 don't block me

[erenophilic]

oh? a visitor? how curious... i shall tell you that you've wandered past the gate of zee's dreamland. i'm totoro and i manage the dreams around here. i watch over her as she sleeps and murmur into her ears the possibilities of what if zayne said this or what if xavier did that. ≽ܫ≼

want me to tell you more about the dreamer? her name is zee. 18, she/her, desi, infp-t, she dreams a lot and i make sure all of it ends up here. 𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊

you can wander freely in the dreamland, just follow the rules first. remember, the soot sprites are watching you. 🌷

now that you know who she is. let's dive into her dreams together, shall we? ..... ao3

most recent dreams:

nobody would ever know (zayne x fem!reader, smut, wc: 1.1k) you're beautiful (zayne x gn!reader, fluff, wc: 0.5k) drawing on his hand (sylus x gn! reader, fluff, 0.6k)

oh and one more thing. free 🇵🇸🇸🇩🇨🇩. if you're not actively against genocide, we don't share the same dreamland. dni. totoro doesn't like you.

credits: line divider by @uzmacchiato , totoro divider by @pixopix , flower divider by @/diviniyae, pics from pinterest

[miscellaneous-misty]

#sylus could fix me with some exhibitionism 😏

say more 🎤

i think sylus would absolutely love exhibitionism! this is mainly my own headcanon based off sylus' 4* memory 「Nightglow」 + the fact that sylus isn't really the jealous type (one of my fave things about him <3)

i read nightglow a while ago when it came out, so forgive me for the vague description or possible inaccuracies as my memory is quite fuzzy. i remember him and mc were at a party and she was wearing the necklace he gifted her. the other partygoers talked about how mc is "sylus' woman."

first of all, i really love how we were referred to as "sylus' woman" and not "sylus' girl." usually, women will refer to their partner as "my man" but never "my boy." "boy" solely has a friendly connotation to it, while "girl" is used in a friendly or romantic context. "girl" isn't on equal footing with the word "man" and is infantilizing imo. outside of a kink context, i really hate that phrasing. the fact that it was translated as "woman" is very meaningful to me. it shows we're on equal footing with sylus and avoids infantilizing the player.

in that scene, it's clear that sylus likes people knowing about our relationship with him. he likes that people know we're together and he likes that we wore the necklace he gifted to us. in that sense, i feel like sylus is possessive of us without the jealousy that possessiveness is normally portrayed with. it's rare for the romance genre to depict this. he's so secure and confident in himself and his relationship with mc that jealousy is rare for him.

of course, there is the 「Sweet Bitterness」 voice call where sylus accidentally ate the meal that was meant for us. the server left his contact information with the food because he wanted a chance to meet up with mc. sylus decides he'll order the same meal for you and turn down the server on your behalf. jealousy is a normal human emotion that even sylus isn't completely immune to. however, the jealousy he experiences is pretty minimal compared to the other LIs imo.

possessiveness also inherently involves the actual or perceived presence of a third-party. there's no reason to claim ownership of something if there's nobody else to threaten that ownership. you wouldn't worry about your favorite book being stolen if there's nobody else around to steal it, right? similarly, the act of pda is not just about showing your partner affection, but also showing others that both you and your partner are taken and together. part of it is about affection, but part of it is also about showing off that affection to others.

how does this all connect to exhibitionism? well, i think sylus would enjoy showing you off but would never allow someone else to touch you. in the voice call, he doesn't care about the meal or the kind gesture in itself, but the server's attempt at meeting up with mc is what bothered him enough to want to turn the server down himself in person. i think he enjoys the feeling of "possession" shared between you and him. he wants to show off that you belong to him, and he enjoys it when we show off that he belongs to us. he wants us to "claim our territory" for ourselves, aka claim him for ourselves.

i think he'd enjoy semi-public or fully public sex. he'd enjoy the risk that comes with being caught during semi-public sex. if it's a bsdm club or alternate universe setting where exhibitionism/public sex is allowed, he'd love to show off your body and the way you belong to him. what better way is there to stake his claim on you and your claim on him than to bite, mark, and have sex with each other in front of others? creampie, bondage, toys…there's so many different ways where he (or you) can show off your control & possession over each other + how you own him and he owns you. it's like a public claiming of territory, proof that you and him only belong to each other, and that you're both proud of that fact. you and him are kindred spirits with your possession, claiming, and ownership of each other. i definitely think sylus' character and his dynamic with mc ties in perfectly with exhibitionism!

also, if you feel insecure or anxious about your body or relationship with sylus, well, there's no better way to show off how much he loves you than proudly fucking and showing you off to the world <3 if he was really ashamed of you, he would hide the relationship. so to prove that he's not ashamed of you, he's gotta show off his beautiful partner ofc 😏 he's the luckiest man in the world to have you :>

sorry i wrote a whole essay LMAO i could yap about this forever but i'll stop for now cuz this is way too long and rambling already

[miscellaneous-misty]

Temptation's Embrace

cw: gn!reader, suggestive, biting, garter belts, mdni

dividers by @droideplane + @cafekitsune | header by @astralles

It's warm.

Sylus' strong arms are wrapped around you, holding you closely to him. Your head rests on his chest, allowing you to hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Your skin is pressed against his skin under the blanket, clothes scattered on the floor from last night. A special kind of intimacy reserved only for you and him.

Sylus slowly unwinds his arms from around you, gently shifting you off his chest so he can sit up and leave the bed. Immediately, the space feels much colder without him. You rest your arm on the now empty space in the bed, grasping the silk sheets lightly. You hear him quietly shuffle around the bedroom, the soft sound of fabric rustling against skin. You open your eyes, your vision adjusting to the darkness of the room. Despite it being morning, the N109 Zone hardly has any natural light.

Your eyes drift over his figure, toned muscle carving his back and thighs like a work of art, a marble sculpture crafted with tenderness and strength by the gods. You watch as he pulls on a pair of black boxer briefs, feeling a twinge of disappointment as the fabric covers up his figure. He slips his arms into the sleeves of a white shirt, buttoning up the front one by one.

"Sy…" you mumble, your voice groggy from sleep.

Sylus glances over his shoulder to look at you, your body curled up in the messy sheets, one leg sticking out from underneath the blanket. The corners of his mouth curve upwards. He approaches you, resting his hand on your head as he leans down. His lips are featherlight against your forehead, amusement dancing along the melody of his voice.

"You can sleep in longer, kitten," Sylus murmurs. "I'll make breakfast for you before I leave."

His touch abandons you once more. You hum in half-hearted agreement, the icy tendrils of loneliness grasping at your heart. You watch as he opens the nightstand drawer, pulling out two black belts. Your brow furrows at the sight. They look different—too small for the waist or hips, with extra straps in the middle. Any sense of drowsiness suddenly vanishes as you watch Sylus wrap one of the belts around his left thigh, tightening and buckling it into place. He grabs the extra straps and clasps them to the hem of his shirt. The realization strikes you like a hot iron, lighting your body aflame.

"Are you," you lick your lips, "wearing garter belts?"

Half-dressed in nothing but boxers and a dress shirt, with belts strapped to his thick thighs—Sylus looks like a meal you want to devour. Defenseless, willing bait, meant only for you.

"Yes."

"Are you riling me up on purpose?"

Sylus smirks, his gaze still focused on the belt. "What do you think, sweetie?"

"I think you're an evil tempter," you reply, staring as he secures the second belt on his right thigh. "An incubus of the worst kind."

Sylus shakes his head, laughing. He turns to face you, resting one knee on the mattress as he leans forward. His fingertips trace your jawline, brushing away a strand of hair from your face. "Are you going to succumb to the temptation, kitten?"

You hook your finger on one of the straps, tugging it towards you. You grasp the back of his thigh, surging forward. Sylus' breath catches in his throat, feeling your lips kiss his inner thigh. Your teeth graze the soft flesh before sinking in, biting the meaty, juicy fat. Sylus inhales sharply, gripping one of the pillows. You release the flesh and drag your tongue around in a circle, feeling the indentations of your teeth marks on his skin before pulling back. You look up at him with a smirk, savoring the sight of his red ears and flushed face. "Yes. Always."

Sylus' breathing is uneven now, courtesy of your sinful touch. He looks at you with dark eyes filled with desire, his irises like garnet glinting under the light of the moon. You're the only one who has this effect on him, the only who can stoke his desire from smoldering embers into fierce firestorms of greed. He grabs the back of your neck, tilting your head upwards to meet his lips in a searing kiss. You wrap your arms around him, embracing him with all that you are just as he embraces you—with love, lust, and devotion of the most ferocious kind.

seeing so much sylus on my dash yesterday and today made me want to finish writing a fic about him 🥹

i've had this fic idea in my drafts for a while now. it was inspired by this luke card from tears of themis:

men wearing garterbelts is so sexy 🤤 i need more!

ty for reading /ᐠ > ˕ <マ ₊˚⊹♡ masterlist

[naomiarai]

the shower is incredibly hot and full of steam. the water makes a loud, steady drumming sound against the glass walls, hiding the two of you from the rest of the world.

sylus is sitting back against the marble bench under the spray, looking totally relaxed. you are standing right between his knees, your hands completely full of thick white foam as you work the shampoo into his hair. you’d insisted that you do it for him, and sylus who lets you do anything to him, even if he teases and plays around first, agreed. you take this chance to boop some foam on his nose and poke at his adam’s apple.

“are you actually washing my hair, or are you looking for an excuse to touch me?” sylus purrs, his voice deep and relaxed but has that familiaer teasing note to it, sending a rumblr down your spine.

“keep talking, sy, and i’ll, oh, i don’t know, accidentally get shampoo in your eyes,” you reply smoothly, digging your fingers a little harder into his scalp.

sylus lets out a low, satisfied chuckle. his gleaming red eyes close and his heavy shoulders drop. he loves when you touch him. under the rushing water, his large hands rest loosely on your bare waist, holding you steady like an anchor.

once his silver hair is full of stiff, thick suds, you get a playful idea.

instead of rinsing it out, you use both hands to pull all of his hair straight up. you shape the white foam together until you’ve big, perfectly sharp shark fin right on top of his head.

“there,” you giggle, leaning back just a little to look at him. “the real apex predator.”

sylus slowly open his eyes and looks at you through his wet lashes, realizing what you’ve shaped up on top of him. a slow, wicked smile spreads across his handsome face. his ruby eyes glimmer with the heavy amusement you know so well.

“a shark, sweetie? again?” sylus murmurs, because yes, this was certainly not the first, and probably not the last time.

“i think you look absolutely ridiculous. again,” you tease with a big grin, laughing as you lightly tap the fin.

sylus lets out a breathy laugh, his grip on your waist tightening instantly under the water. before you can even try to step away, he easily hauls you forward, pulling your front flush against his solid, wet chest. he doesn’t care about the shampoo at all as he buries his face directly into the warm crook of your neck, his messy hair tickling your skin.

​“sylus, stopppp, your hair is going to get ruined!” you laugh, your hands grabbing his shoulders for balance.

​“let it,” he mutters against your skin, pressing a warm, heavy kiss right against your pulse point that completely steals your breath away. his powerful arms lock securely around your middle, trapping you in his heavy heat. “you wanted to play, kitten. now you stay right here.”

[hirayalia]

safe with you

fluff! valko being a cutie and letting his guard down whenever he's around you, i love him hehe

you sit next to valko in his office, watching as he reads a report. he sits with one hand in his fluffy hair, with the other hand turning over the paper.

you hear a knock on his door as the person lets themselves in with valko's permission. “sir, apologies for interrupting. i have more reports for you to read.”

“thank you, please just leave it on my desk.” he says, gesturing with his head on where to leave the reports.

you notice as his hand that was previously in his hair is now over his stomach. the person leaves, and his hand now dangles by his side.

another knock on the door. “apologies, sir. i know your assistant handed you reports but these reports also need your attention.”

“thank you, you can leave those on my desk.” he smiles, his hand now back protecting his stomach.

the receptionist leaves, and your boyfriend leans back in his chair, his arm supporting his head on the headrest.

“valko?” you ask.

“yes, peach?” he lifts his head, his full attention on you.

“why do you keep covering your stomach whenever someone comes in?” you tilt your head, your eyes flicking to his stomach.

“hm.” he replies, placing the stack of papers down. “what do you know about dogs and showing their stomach?”

“that they only show their stomach whenever they are feeling submissive?” you raise an eyebrow.

“yes, that is one option.” he scans your face, waiting for you to mention the other option. “do you know the other reason why?”

you shake your head.

“it means i feel safe with you, peach. i can allow myself to feel vulnerable with you.” your face softens.

“come here, you big puppy.” you bring your arms out, and he pulls your chair towards him as he inhales your comforting scent.

taglist: @snowypi @starkissedxav @mrsqins @jellyelle @violasepals @xinghuisknight @shionsunny @txtworlddom @erenophilic @vxnillabxn @maimaily @thealunari @xaviersmeowjesty @spacekittiesmeow @berrylus

[erenophilic]

Valko was not supposed to be back until morning.

You knew that. He had told you that he had to leave because staying with you during his full transformation in the supermoon might get dangerous.

You had been telling yourself this over and over again ever since he left. You knew his safety is guaranteed as long as he's with his pack but it still didn't stop you from crying about it at two in the morning, curled in bed with his t-shirt held tightly against your chest.

You didn't notice the balcony window opening. You only know he's back when a familiar warmth settles behind you, followed by a familiar chin nuzzling into your neck.

“You’ve been crying all night?”

And then you're turning, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, pressing your face into his neck, kissing his jaw, his cheek, the corner of his mouth and crying harder all while smearing the wet mess of your nose on his face, which was not a very cutesy combination but you were past caring about all that.

"Easy there, princess. I just came back and it looks like you're trying to drown me in your snot."

You snort and immediately wish you hadn't, given the current state of your nose. You hit him, wiping your nose with the back of your hand. "Shut up, i hate you. I was so scared you'd get hurt or that you'd never come back to me because... because you realised how different i am from you.”

You feel stupid saying that out loud but you were actually scared, scared that his transformation would make him realise just how disparate their two worlds are, and how convenient it is for him to stay away from your kinds.

He turns your face to look at him. "I will always come back to you because I love you." He says, wiping the tears from your eyes, his lips meeting yours in soft feathery kisses. "No matter how much distance the world tries to put between us. No matter what forces decide we don't belong in the same story, I will find my way back to you. Every single time."

His words overwhelm you completely. The intensity of it all makes your body give out, your face falling back into his chest as you cry for an entirely different reason now, hands fisting tighter in his shirt like you can physically keep him here. His arms come around you, holding you like he can't bear the thought of a world where the two of you aren't together.

By the time you pull back to look at him, your eyes are dry, every tear spent until your heart is satiated and only then you notice the scratches along his jaw, the dried blood at his temple you had just been kissing.

"Val, you're hurt-"

"It'll heal, princess. I just need some time.”

"You're weakened right now, it'll take longer, you could get infected and spread rabies to me."

He looks genuinely offended at that. "That's foul. I'm not a dog."

You shrug. "You bite me all the time."

"You steal and sniff my clothes all the time," he says, pointing at the t-shirt still clutched in your hands, "but that doesn't make you a perverted thief, or does it?”

A triumphant smile spreads across his face. But you can't let him win.

"Who's the good boy?" you say instead. "Who wants belly rubs?"

"Me! Me-" His ears pop out, tail wagging before he's even finished the sentence. Then he catches your expression and stops, sitting very still and attempting to look like none of that just happened.

You raise a teasing eyebrow and he pouts, thoroughly defeated.

"Come on, puppy." You're already moving for the first aid kit. He follows, dropping onto the edge of the couch, and despite the pout, his ears are still slightly raised and his tail still wagging hopefully for belly rubs.

[erenophilic]

You're in bed with a book, deliberately not looking at Valko when he slinked into your room ten minutes ago because you know what he did this afternoon and you are still mad about it.

"What do you think you're doing?" You've been ignoring him all day but it was hard forcing yourself to focus on the words on the page when a 6'2" wolf man is rolling around in your laundry, trying to get your attention.

Valko stops half roll, tangled in your pile of clothes, "Reading like you."

"You're lying on my clothes."

"I am not lying on your clothes," he says while very obviously lying on your clothes.

"Please go away, i don't want to start a fight." You don't have the energy to do this right now.

"I'm not trying to start one." His fluffy ears pricks up which successfully indicated you he isn't giving up. "This is just how scent marking works in our pack."

You want to drop him off at the abandoned pet shelter. "You're so immature."

His ears drop. "Okay, fine. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have scared away the dog.”

"You scared off Tara's dog in her own backyard.”

“I didn't do anything. I just stood there when I should've bitten him instead.” He says the last part under his breath.

"He was shaking, Valko.”

"I got jealous, okay?" His tail droops and ears turn flat. "You were petting him."

"That's not a reason to scare a golden retriever half to death."

"It felt like a very good reason at the time.”

You give him your deadliest glare, the one that would normally scare off any normal person but he's Valko and he's not normal, so he takes it as an invitation instead and crawls on the bed, dropping his head into your lap. “Ugh. Fine, i will apologise to her and her dog.”

“Good boy.”

“Okay then pet this good boy.”

You pinch his nose, and his teeth follow your finger to bite in protest but he melts immediately the second your fingers move to scratch behind his ear, his tail wrapping around your ankle possessively as he hums in satisfaction.

[viinem]

anniversary shenanigans

pairing: caleb x rafayel

cw: minimal cursing, slight angst, misunderstanding galore, it's really a bunch of fluff though dw

wc: 1,860

a/n: happy pride month to all my girls, gays, theys, and everybody in between <3 this fic is the result of being a queer applefish main (holy stereotype 😭) special shoutouts to @rafayelkisses @starkissedxav @viamese @hirayalia for being amazing friends and betas i love you guys so much 🥹

Seven weeks.

That's all the time Caleb has. Until what, one might ask? His first anniversary, of course!

Skyhaven golden boy Caleb Xia has been dating Linkon's finest artist Rafayel Qi for 10 months and 13 days (yes, he's been counting), and he's still unable to wrap his head around the fact that not only does he have a boyfriend, said boyfriend is also one of the most coveted and well-known men on Mother Earth. Money, fame, glamour; you name it, Rafayel has it. So what is one supposed to get as an anniversary gift for the man who can get, well, anything?

The answer comes to him in the form of a social media ad.

Linkon Art Museum

Ever wanted to try your hand at the visual arts? Join classes at the Linkon Art Museum today!

You can't get the perfect gift for someone who can get everything, but you can sure as hell make one.

———

For someone known for being so confident, Caleb is feeling extremely jittery and nervous as he slips into his chair in the museum's conference room.

"Welcome, welcome! Everybody, welcome to our very first class! Today, we'll be covering the basics of watercolor, and at the end of these six weeks, you'll have yourself your very own watercolor painting!" The eccentric art teacher claps her hands and starts class.

And so begins the next 90 minutes of mental torture.

The very first lesson consists of familiarizing themselves with art and canvas techniques: wet-on-wet, color gradients, and simply learning how to use water on paper. He's crumpling up his sixth failed attempt at a sunset gradient when the instructor strolled over and took a seat across from him.

"Need any help?"

Caleb gives her an unimpressed look, "I'm a pilot. I excel in the sciences, not… whatever's happening here." He vaguely waves his hands over the mess on his table before running them through his hair in clear frustration.

She nods her head in agreement, "I can see why you're struggling. Why don't you take a break and tell me about yourself and why you joined the class?"

And take a break, he does. For the next ten minutes, he talks about his job, his boyfriend, but most of all, his fears that he won't be able to make their anniversary special.

"I just- I'm worried he won't like it. I know I'm just making myself paranoid and that he'd probably still appreciate the effort, but it's our very first anniversary, and I want to make it memorable for us," the pilot groans, evidently on the verge of tears.

"Well, don't worry! That's what I'm here for," the lady beams at him and rubs his hand to comfort him. "I'm not gonna let you down, and you don't want to let your boyfriend down, so why don't we work together to make this the artistic masterpiece you're dreaming of?"

———

For the next few weeks, Caleb attends class diligently and uses all 200% of his energy to focus on his angel of an art teacher's lessons on painting techniques. He almost feels bad for taking up all of her time during the classes, but he quickly gets rid of those thoughts by thinking of the look on Rafayel's face when he finally shows him the artwork he's been working on for so long. He's also been spending almost all of his free time watching videos and trying to master the art of watercolor.

Yeah, he really wants this to work.

Caleb is heading out for yet another session when he hears Rafayel's voice drift over from the living room, "Leaving again?"

"Yeah haha, you know how the friend group gets on the weekends," Caleb is praying to anyone who will listen that his panic doesn't escape through his voice.

Rafayel walks over and frowns, "I just feel like you haven't been spending any time with me lately. You're always either at work or with your friends instead of just taking a rest day with me."

"If I spent a whole day with you, neither of us would be getting any rest," he smirks and kisses the Lemurian on the top of his head. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. I love you."

Caleb catches a faint I love you too from inside before he slams the door shut on his way to his final class.

———

Caleb's best friend picked up after a couple rings, "Hey Rafayel! Haven't heard from you in a while! What's up?"

Rafayel chuckles, "Hi Gideon. I just wanted to check in on you and Caleb and everyone else. He said you guys were hanging out today?"

"No we're not… I actually haven't seen him in-person in a while. Even when we talk, it's just a few texts before he goes MIA again."

"W-what?" Rafayel's brain (and mouth) is going at 100 miles per minute. "He literally just left the house in a hurry like 'You know how the group meets up on weekends' or whatever bullshit he said."

"Have you tried checking his location?"

"I would if he didn't have it turned off every time he left the fucking house! Our anniversary is literally in a few da-"

Gideon starts panicking, "Okay, how about we take a deep breath? Maybe he's just out preparing a surprise gift?"

"For TWO months?" Rafayel screeches.

"You know how he is!" Gideon's grasping at straws. "Just- Just give him some time and confront him after tomorrow. I can promise you, it is absolutely not what you're thinking."

"Okay." he hangs up and flops onto his bed, letting out a deep groan.

———

The next time Caleb heads out for his lesson, Rafayel is prepared. With his handy sidekick, no less.

Emcee sighs, "Trust me, you're just overthinking it! Caleb is not that kind of person."

She's met with a nasty side-eye, "Well, you try basically being long-distance with your pilot boyfriend, and now that you finally have him, he's leaving all the time!"

"I think I know my brother better than you. You're literally wasting gas by just waiting in the car for him to show up."

"I think the fuck no- wait he's leaving."

As soon as they spot Caleb's car, the two commence their… investigation and immediately begin tailing him.

Ding! Caleb glances at his phone.

pipsqueak 🍎: ABORT ABORT

pipsqueak 🍎: WE'RE LITEARLLY FOLOWOING YOU

pipsqueak 🍎: ABORT MISSION

pipsqueak 🍎: I REPEAT

pipsqueak 🍎: ABORT MISSION !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shit.

Meanwhile, Rafayel sneakily tries to peek at Emcee's phone, "Who ya texting?"

"Nunya," she turns his head away. "Keep your eyes on the road."

"Meanie," he huffs.

As Caleb attempts to lose his spies, he turns into an unassuming neighborhood, much to his lover's devastation.

"He probably has a friend here! Please don't cry," Emcee rubs Rafayel's back as she tries to comfort her friend.

"You know what," he immediately stops crying and glows as if he had an epiphany. "We don't need men! Fuck men!"

Emcee cheerfully nods in agreement, only to internally curse her brother out and lament her entire situation.

———

Luckily for Caleb, he managed to escape from them and still make it to his final-ever class on time.

Caleb holds up his finished watercolor painting: a breathtaking ocean in a sunset, a metaphor for his and Rafayel's bond and relationship.

"I knew you could do it! I'm truly so happy for you," his beloved art teacher gives him a quick squeeze on the shoulder before drifting away to praise the other students.

Finally. His hours and hours of anguish and frustration had paid off, and he'd created (what he thought) was the perfect gift for the love of his life. He was already giddy just thinking about how he was going to reveal it, completely unaware of the storm brewing in his boyfriend's mind.

———

Rafayel's aloof mood hasn't escaped Caleb, as he repeatedly questions him on the drive home from their dinner date.

"Caleb, I told you I'm fine! I just didn't sleep well last night," Rafayel exasperatedly answers.

"No, this isn't you not sleeping well. This is something else entirely. You've been so quiet all day, it feels like you didn't even want to celebrate today," Caleb pulls into the driveway and turns to look at the man in the passenger seat. "Please. Tell me. What's going on?"

"Well, maybe you should be telling me 'what's going on,'" Rafayel jumps out of the car, eager to get away from his boyfriend.

Caleb freezes in shock, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You tell me!" Rafayel throws his hands up in annoyance. "You've been the one lying to me about where you've been going for the last couple of months. You've barely been spending time with me. I mean, what are we doing? What's going on?"

Oh.

Oh.

Oh no.

It hits Caleb like a bucket of bricks.

"No. Nononono you've got it all wrong I promise. Let's just go inside and I'll show you what I've been working on."

Caleb leads Rafayel to a little corner in their closet, where he pulls out the framed watercolor painting he had been working on.

"W-what's this?" Rafayel speaks through his tears.

Caleb rubs the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish, "It's my gift to you. I wanted to make you something, and I wanted to keep it a surprise, so I lied to you instead. Sorry."

"Caleb, this is beautiful!" The artist chokes out. "This is a masterp- hold on I'm gonna hang this up in our bedroom first."

"Don't lie to me! It's not that good!" Caleb laughs and pulls the artist back.

"Lies. This is objectively better than anything I've ever made." Rafayel punctuates his statement with a kiss on Caleb's lips.

After hanging up the painting, he isn't able to hold back his contagious giggles.

"What's so funny?" Caleb asks with a chuckle of his own.

"It's just," Rafayel pushes Caleb towards the opposite corner of the closet. "If you'd looked around a little, you would've found your own gift."

The pilot raises an eyebrow, only to raise the other one too when he sees what his boyfriend got for him.

"No. Fucking. Way. Where'd you even find this?" Caleb stares at him in awe as he sees the limited-edition model airplane he's been wanting for ages.

Rafayel holds a finger up to his lips, "Magicians don't reveal their secrets."

"I love you so much," Caleb emphasized with a passionate kiss.

Later in the night, after they set the plane on display right next to the painting, Rafayel embraces Caleb from behind and kisses the back of his head.

"You know, for someone so book smart, you're sure as hell pretty stupid.”

"Wha-," Caleb turns around, a scandalized look on his face. "You're pretty stupid."

Rafayel pouts, "Well, if you'd let me finish, I would have said that you could've drawn me a crayon stick figure and I'd still love it."

"Absolutely not," Caleb kisses his forehead. "The love of my life deserves nothing less than the best."

"I guess I lucked out then. I already have the best."

The two lovers end their night with interlocked lips and starry eyes.

a/n pt.2: anyone catch the tucker carlson snl sneak…

© property of viinem. do NOT reuse, repost, or feed my work into AI generators.

taglist: @erenophilic @starkissedxav join the taglist

[hirayalia]

sweet talk

fluff! pre relationship, loverboy zayne answering your questions asleep and confessing in the process hehe, not my best work but i wanna post something so here you go <3

parking the car, you expect a quiet thank you to come from zayne. turning to face him, you notice the subtle rise and fall of his chest as he sleeps.

“this is what you get for eating too many sweets.” you say under your breath, reaching to unbuckle your seatbelt.

“i only had three milk teas today.” you pause, realising that the sleeping man talks.

“you really are something, doctor li. your brain is still working even whilst you sleep.” you chuckle, watching as he nods in his sleep.

“yes. a doctor should have an active mind.” he replies, looking ever so serious as he scrunches his eyebrows in agreement.

“let's test our magnificent doctor's mind, shall we?” zayne nods. “tell me three of the desserts you ate today.”

“milk teas, macarons and a slice of cake.” he says.

“how many bottles of water have you had today?” you ask, preparing for a disappointing answer.

silence. “one and a half.”

“feeling guilty, are we?” zayne places his hands over his lap as an act of self reflection. “do you like me more than desserts?”

“of course.” he replies without hesitation. “desserts give me temporary happiness. as long as you stay by my side, i can forever be happy.” he confesses.

“i'm glad you consider me to be a good friend, zayne." his eyebrows furrow.

“i don't want us to be just good friends.” he says, his head leaning against the headrest.

“really good friends?” you ask.

“i want to be your boyfriend.”

“you can't just tell me you like me whilst you're asleep zayne!” you exclaim. “if i tell you i like you back, will you even remember?”

“yes. i remember everything about you.” you feel the heat rush to your cheeks.

you grab his hand, shaking him awake. “zayne.”

his eyes flutter open, widening as he makes eye contact with you. he looks away, adjusting his tie as he clears his throat before facing you.

“i meant everything i said. i want to be yours, and yours only. will you let me do that, darling?”

taglist: @snowypi @starkissedxav @mrsqins @jellyelle @violasepals @xinghuisknight @shionsunny @txtworlddom @erenophilic @vxnillabxn @maimaily @thealunari @xaviersmeowjesty

[miscellaneous-misty]

Needy Bunny

check pinned post byf ♡ mdni ♡ ao3

cw size difference + kinda dom/sub undertones? (femdom reader x subby xavier vibes), dry humping

*reader is smaller and shorter than xavier + reader calls xavier "baby" and "bunny"

imagine teasing xavier while you're wearing nothing but his hoodie.

the hoodie is baggy on you and hides your figure. the sleeves are long enough to reach past your fingertips. you look so cute and soft in xavier's clothes. for him, what makes it special is the fact that nobody else gets to see you like this except for him. nobody else gets to see you feeling lazy and comfortable enough to just lounge around the apartment all day wearing nothing but his sweater. xavier is the only one you would do that with.

for you, what makes it special is how easy it is for you to tease him when you're dressed like this.

when you climb into his lap with your hands slipping under his shirt and the hoodie riding up your naked thighs, it drives him crazy. xavier's large hands come to rest on your waist, feeling you rolling your hips against him.

"you're so easy, baby, getting hard this quickly. such a needy bunny." you giggle breathlessly, nipping at his ear. "so pathetic."

xavier grasps at the hem of the hoodie, desperate and pleading. he wants to pull off the hoodie and see your body. he wants to feel your skin and trace his hands over your curves. "please, my star, let me—"

you smile, cheerfully cutting him off. "no."

xavier lets out a high-pitched whine, gripping tightening. he can feel your pussy grinding against his cock through the fabric of sweats, your lips leaving gentle kisses along the column of his throat, occasionally teasing the skin between your teeth like an animal playing with its mate. your hands caressing his stomach and teasing their way up to his chest. you pinch his nipples, making him gasp quietly, rolling and squeezing the hardening nubs between your forefingers and thumbs. "be a good boy for me, and i'll consider it."

xavier whimpers, looking up at you with pleading eyes. you pinch his cheek, laughing.

oh, you're going to have so much fun with him.

not enough femdom reader fics out there imo so i wanted to write a lil smth to add to the pile hehe ty for reading! ૮꒰ ྀི >⸝⸝⸝< ྀི꒱ა ♡

sorry i couldnt go into more detail i was procrastinating assignments to write this but now i gotta lock in lol

bunny dividers by @/diviniyae and mdni divider by @/cafekitsune ♡ masterlist

[hirayalia]

hands on treatment

fluff, suggestive! zayne being the most patient man ever and putting up with your shenanigans hehe, inspired by that one scene in zayne's new card

you sit in bed, your head resting on the headboard as your husband reads through some dissertations. he looks ever so focused— but unfortunately for him, you begin to feel restless.

removing your hand from under the covers, you watch as his eyes flick back and forth between the screen as he occassionally types.

he blinks ever so slowly, and if being married to a doctor has told you anything, it's that taking a break from screens is always a good thing.

you fight back a smile as you move closer to your husband, resting your head against his chest. zayne hums in satisfaction, gently patting the top of your head as a reminder that he will give you more attention in due time.

ever so slowly, your hand moves towards his face. he clicks a few buttons on the screen and notices your hand moving closer to him in the corner of his eye.

your fingertip presses into his cheek, watching as his skin dips slightly under the pressure. he continues his work as if nothing happened and you take it as an opportunity to repeatedly poke his cheek.

“so pretty.” you mutter under your breath, squishing his cheeks.

“–ank you, darling.” he responds, turning his head to finally face you. you grin, knowing that your husband is finally taking a break and remove your grip from his now reddened cheeks. “what does my beloved need?”

“well...” you say, taking a finger and tracing his jawline. “as your physician, i would like you to take a break.”

“of course. how do you think we should proceed with this treatment?” he replies, waiting with concerned eyes.

“this treatment is very hands on.” you save his work and put his laptop on his side table.

“i'm going to need your full cooperation here.” climbing onto his lap, you press your hand against his chest. “patient presents with increased heart rate and flushed cheeks.”

“please, doctor. do whatever it takes to make me feel better.” he pleads.

“only the best for my patient. let's begin with treatment, shall we?” pressing down against his lap, you hear small whimpers and begin the treatment.

taglist: @snowypi @starkissedxav @mrsqins @jellyelle @violasepals @xinghuisknight @shionsunny @txtworlddom @erenophilic @vxnillabxn @maimaily @thealunari @xaviersmeowjesty

[ellarksworld]

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: THE OUTSKIRTS MONSTER HAS ENTERED LINKON CITY! CITIZENS BEWARE! 🚨

Pairing: alpha werewolf!Valko x hunter!reader

MDNI, dubcon, alpha & his newfound mate, he’s just wild under the moon! basically I have no idea of his personality (I mean he just appears like a few hours ago.)

The warning from OTTO pings on the terminal, a distant, rhythmic blip that feels irrelevant. There’s no way a wanderer would climb all the way to a high-rise floor in the center of Linkon City. The deep forest outskirts are miles away, safely contained. We’re in the middle of a neon-lit grid, for fuck’s sake.

So why is someone standing on the balcony?

A rare Supermoon hang heavy outside, casting a cold glow through the floor to ceiling window. The plan is simple. Sit on the couch, let a mug of hot chamomile take the edge off a brutal shift, open the window to enjoy the cold night ajr and watch the sky until sleep takes over.

Then the light shifts. A massive shadow blocks the moonbeams, swallowing the room in darkness.

Years of basic Hunter experience kick in instantly. The air pressure change, a thickness that doesn't belong in your apartment. Adrenaline surges, a command to reach for the firearm on the counter, but the intruder's reflexes are way faster than you.

A heavy weight collides with your chest. The impact drives the air straight out of your lungs, slamming your back hard against the floorboards. Before your vision can clear, huge, solid hands pin your wrists to the floor.

Your breath hitches, eyes straining in the dim light to make sense of the 'monster' hovering above. The pale moonlight catches the edges of a mess of vibrant, short crimson hair, but it is the eyes that lock you in place—bright, predatory gold, glowing with a human intelligence. Yet, the sharp, triangular ears twitching on his head, the tail swishing back and forth and the low, vibrational rumble rattling in his chest say otherwise.

He bares his teeth, exposing his long, sharp canines just inches from your face.

"You..." His voice is a gravelly, low rasp, his chest rising and falling against yours. "You smell... different."

"The fuck—get off me!" You throw your weight to the side, trying to break away, but he doesn't even budge. He feels solid like rock, trapping you with effortless, terrifying strength.

With a low grunt, he drags your hands together, shifting his grip to lock both of your wrists above your head with a single palm. The sudden constraint force a sharp hiss past your teeth.

"Feisty," he murmurs, his gaze dropping, tracking the rapid rise and fall of your chest beneath your loose nightgown. The focus in his eyes narrows as he leans lower, his nose brushing the column of your neck, inhaling deeply. "On second thought... it’s intoxicating. What are you…?"

"I’m the one who’s supposed to be asking questions, you bastard," you spit back, your heart hammering against your ribs. Fighting the physical disadvantage is useless, but showing fear to a predator is worse. You’re trapped in a thin silk gown, completely unarmed.

He tilts his head, a dark, sharp grin pulling at the corner of his mouth as your defiance hits him. "You're not shaking. I like that. Let's see how long that bravado) lasts."

His grip tightens, his warm palm burning against your skin. Outside, the city lights flicker, completely unaware of what is happening on your living room floor.

With a sharp tug, he rips the neckline of your nightgown. The fabric tears with a harsh ripping sound, exposing your bare breasts to the cool air, the tip instantly pebbling under his gaze.

"Stop—" you gasp.

He ignores you. He leans down, slowly licking from the bottom of your mound to the tip. He pulls back with a soft, wet sound, lips smacking. You arch your back, the rough texture of his tongue sending a sharp jolt of heat straight through you.

"Stop? Sounds like you’re enjoying this," he growls low, his golden eyes dark.

"Fuck, I’m not—"

Before you can finish, his hand slaps your clothed cunt. You yelp, your hips jerking against his palm.

"Really? It’s wet down here," he laughs. He hooks his fingers into your underwear and pulls the damp silk aside, rubbing his long nails over your wet slit. He inhales the scent in his fingers deep and the air leaves as a shudder. "The scent comes from right here… fuck…"

He grins, pupils turn to vertical slit, then pins your hands tighter, and lowers his head to eat you without a single second of hesitation.

"Oh, fuck…!"

"What a nasty mouth. Up there and down here," he mutters against your skin, his tongue striking hard against your throbbing clit. "Both are—fuck—I can’t hold back…!"

He lets go of your wrists and quickly pulls down his pants, revealing his large, throbbing cock. The tip is big and red, slick with pre-cum. His hands grab your thighs, opening wide and rubs it against your wetness, coating himself in your watery arousal.

"Wait—no—that’s too—"

He pushes forward in one deep thrust, bottoming out completely. Your body arches violently as his tip reaches your cervix in one go.

"Shit, hah, where have you been all my life?" he grins, eyes glowing gold. "My mate. Finally found you."

He starts moving in a heavy, hard rhythm. Your folds move in and out around his massive cock, thrusting so deep and hard making it feel like he’s rearranging your insides.

"Uh… ahah…"

"That’s it. Don’t fight it. It’s yours," he snarls, driving harder. He hits your sensitive spot over and over, forcing cries from your throat. "Let go. Don’t hold it. Scream for me!"

Your fingers dig into his shoulders, nails scratching his skin as a sudden, intense climax shatters through you. You scream, your legs trembling from the intense release. The man roars, locking his hips against yours as he comes deep inside you, his chest heaving.

You both lie there for a minute, breathing heavily in the dark.

Slowly, his tension fades. He leans down and kisses you. It isn't rough, but surprisingly gentle and wet, a tender marking of your lips that catches you off guard.

Then he moves to your neck. His sharp teeth sink deep in between your neck and your shoulder, piercing the skin and leaving a heavy, throbbing red mark of his teeth to claim you as his.

"You—I’m going to kill you!!" you choke out, still want to move to grab the gun but your legs are still weak, shaking.

He pulls out and stands up, tossing his black shirt over your sticky body.

"Valko." He looks down at you one last time. "Remember my name. I’m going to come back, and when I do, I expect you to be more eager in spreading your legs than today."

He turns, jumps from the balcony, and disappears into the night.

I’m so excited! While this story will become ooc for sure but for now I’m going to let it out of my system 🍷✨

After The Mark (side short) - Next Chapter soon! ✨

[starkissedxav]

valko strongly dislikes claw machines!

a/n: hello gang …. valko fluff … take it please …. i would say sorry for being ooc but baby there is no character </3 so i hope u guys enjoy this LOLLL im very excited for his lore !!! valko lovers this is a safe space ,,, inspired by this post hehe thank u dani for ur genius mind <3

wc: 1k | masterlist

“I’m starting to wish I could say no to you,” valko grumbles, brows drawn together in frustration as he stands much too close to the glass of the claw machine. his gaze only intensifies as he moves the claw a centimeter over, narrowing his eyes as he presses the button. “cmon, cmon,” he mumbles under his breath, groaning loudly and throwing his arms up when the stupid puppy plushy immediately falls out of the claws grasp.

“this is so stupid! I should just buy this place and give you the plushies,” he frowns, amusement flickering in his eyes as he turns to see you keeling over in laughter. a small smile graces his features as he stares at you, “my suffering is not meant for your entertainment, dollface.”

“okay, okay,” you calm yourself down, stepping closer to the much taller man, his fluffy tail immediately brushing against your legs, as if beckoning you closer. “why don’t you try using your evol? no one’s around anyway,” you wiggle your eyebrows at him, seeing the small smirk appear on his face.

“that’s cheating,” he hums, leaning closer to you as you roll your eyes playfully.

“fine, stay on your high moral ground. i guess ill just have to go home empty handed” you sigh dramatically, smiling as soon as his fluffy ears droop at your words, tail falling quickly.

there’s a low growl in valko’s throat as he closes his eyes for a moment, opening them and laser focusing on the game in front of him.

“I can control metal, this machine is metal, there’s no way i can lose,” the cocky smirk on his features makes you giggle. his chest is puffed out slightly, tail slowly wagging behind him.

you can see the metal claw change shape slightly, molding around the plushy as it wraps around it. and as quickly as he opens his mouth to boast, the plushy falls from the machines grasp and back into its original position.

“what?!” he barks out, yellow eyes practically glowing in frustration as he immediately swipes the game card again, using his evol once more. and coming up empty.

after the nth try you have to pull valko away from the arcade game, especially when he starts shaking the machine out of frustration.

“it’s okay val i didn’t want the plush that bad anyway,” you console him, patting his back as his ears are drooping on his head. your soothing words make his tail wag ever so slightly, ears peeking up when you slide your hand into his and pull his body closer to yours. “i already have the only cuddly puppy i could ever want,” your words make him grin softly, leaning down and pressing a small kiss to yours temple.

“‘M not a puppy,” he mumbles, eyes gleaming in adoration as you tilt your head back and laugh.

“okay tough guy.”

two days later you open your front door and see valko holding the cursed puppy plush, tail wagging rapidly behind him and ear twitching in excitement as he presents it to you.

“oh my god!” you squeal, taking the plus from his hands and hugging it tightly, “i can’t believe you got him!” valko smirks at you, shrugging his shoulders.

“you said you wanted it, can’t have my doll go without something she wants,” he leans against your doorframe, nonchalant demeanor immediately melting away as you throw yourself at him.

valko catches you instinctively, arms curling around you and face burying into the crook of your neck. you press a flurry of kisses to his face, eliciting giggles from the man. his fluffy tail is a blur as you thank him over and over.

when your feet finally touch the floor again, you’re pulling him inside your apartment. “when did you even get a chance to go? thought you had a bunch of meetings,” you pay the spot next to you on the couch, valko joins you quickly.

he hums in satisfaction when he curls up next to you, eyes fluttering shut as you card your fingers through his burgundy hair, scratching at the base of his ears.

“skipped them, if it’s important enough I’ll hear about it,” his words are muffled as he nuzzles his face deeper into your side, taking in a deep breath and relaxing at your scent.

“how long did it take for you to win the plush?” the question makes him tense up, and his tail immediately tucks between his legs. “valko…” your voice makes a small whine leave his lips, yellow eyes staring up at you begging for mercy.

“you love me right?” he asks sheepishly, afraid of being scolded by you.

“very much,” you reply, kissing the top of his head and scratching his ears. he melts into your touch.

“even if i bought the place and spent all day perfecting my evol to get your plush?” his tail wags slowly behind him, the shyest smile you’d ever seen paints his features. you can’t even be mad at him.

“my silly boy,” you chuckle, patting his head before cupping his cheeks and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. he’s on you immediately, body completely covering yours as he melts into your soft touches.

“i did good right?” his eyes are wide and pupils blown as he stares down at you, eagerly awaiting your approval.

“pfft you’re shameless,” you giggle out, pressing a kiss to his lips before pulling away and grinning up at him. “good boy valko,” you murmur, laughing when he peppers your face with kisses and soaks in your praise.

“so you’re a pro claw machine player with your evol now?” you ask, valko settling at your side once more. his eyes avert your gaze, you can’t help but laugh.

“i had to watch a video tutorial, my evol was useless,” he pathetically admits, burying his face completely into the crook of your neck out of embarrassment. you hold back your laughter.

“aw, my big bad wolf lost to the evil claw machine,” you coo sympathetically, valko lets out a high pitched whine.

“don’t be mean to me, doll” he mumbles, you can feel the pout on his face. you hold him a little tighter as you smile.

“i still love you all the same handsome,” you’re quiet for a moment before speaking up again. “should we go on a walk to cheer you up?” his ears perk up at the words.

taglist: @hirayalia @violasepals @txtworlddom @mrs-lixiaqin @pjselee @luvyizhou @colonelkaboom @xyzsbaobei @ellavelysworld

[indiewritesxoxo]

MR. PERFECT

nah, he'd win!

a collection of my green-flag gojo fics where all he wants to be is yours!

ac: @hunnismokah sparkle div cr: @pixopix second div cr: @tsumiinum

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ true love waits starring NERD!GOJO

ꨄ︎ what's mine is yours + what's yours is mine starring BODYSWAPPED!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ sunday morning starring FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS!GOJO

ꨄ︎ get stuffed! starring TEACHER!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ snapshots starring CHILDHOOD FRIENDS-TO-LOVERS!GOJO

ꨄ︎ marriage material starring BOYFRIEND!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ snowed in starring YETI!GOJO

ꨄ︎ cotton candy starring BOYFRIEND!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ camgirl starring ROOMMATEGOJO

ꨄ︎ break starring EX-HUSBAND!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ second base starring VIRGIN!GOJO

ꨄ︎ the king's cock crown starring EMPEROR!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ chew toy starring DOG HYBRID!GOJO

ꨄ︎ slimed! starring SLIME!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ the aliens are cumming + four dicks, one human starring ALIEN!GOJO

ꨄ︎ dorky guys finish first starring NERD!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ gift wrapped starring BOYFRIEND!GOJO

ꨄ︎ no. one party anthem starring ROCKSTAR!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ cut your heart in half starring MAGICIAN!GOJO

ꨄ︎ sperm donor of the year starring BEST FRIEND!GOJO

ʚ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎ɞ coupled up starring YEARING!GOJO

ꨄ︎ cat-fished starring SNOW LEOPARD HYBRID!GOJO

[erenophilic]

“I'm not that scared little meimei anymore, Caleb. I've grown up, horror movies don't scare me now.” You had a feeling you would regret saying that.

“Hmm, is that so, pipsqueak?”

You regret it immensely as you grip his sleeves with both hands, trying not to tear the fabric off when a jumpscare makes your heart leap out of your chest.

“I wonder what happened to the scared widdle meimei of mine.”

“Shut up, Caleb.” Your nails are now digging his bicep.

"She was very cute by the way, so tiny and so terrified. She used to hide inside my jacket during the scary parts." He tilts his head toward you. "Now look at you. So brave, so grown~”

"I will bite you."

He laughs and continues to watch the movie. Then someone on screen mentions ‘dark shadows’ and you scoot closer to Caleb, your grip tightening. "It's not true right? There's no such thing as dark or faint shadows. Not having a dark shadow doesn't mean you get possessed easily, right?"

Caleb hums thoughtfully. "I don't know but I do remember your shadows being faint ever since we were kids.”

"You're lying."

He shrugs. "I'm just saying what i observed-” he goes silent without finishing his sentence. You take that as a win and exhale, but something doesn't feel right. He's too still, frighteningly still.

Then you notice his eyes, fixed on something behind your head and goosebumps start to erupt in your entire body. "What is it, Caleb?”

He says nothing. "Caleb, what are you looking at?” your voice quavers.

"Don't look back, pips."

Your blood goes cold. "What is it?” your head starts to turn.

"I said don't look back.”

Your head snaps back forward, eyes filling up embarrassingly fast as you ram your face in his chest, gripping his shirt in both fists. "Caleb I swear if it's something bad I'll-”

He starts laughing. “I’m sorry, I'm sorry, I was just playing with you, pips,” he says, stroking your hair to calm you down.

You hit him. “Caleb, you dummy. It's not funny.” He’s still laughing as he catches your wrists, so you use your forehead to hit his sternum instead. “Ow- pips,” he groans. The impact rattled your teeth but the satisfaction overpowered. This stupid idiot deserved it.

"I'm not sleeping with you tonight as your punishment.”

"What if a real ghost comes into your room?"

You practically shudder at the thought. "While you're all alone in the dark~” he continued, voice dropping lower and slower.

"Stop!”

"And no gege to protect you~" You jump on him fast, arms around his neck, legs around his waist and bury your face in his shoulder. “Gege, I'm scared.”

“There's my meimei.”

[snoozer-crow]

🍎 caleb coming over to help you with executive dysfunction!!! (and even if you're having a rough day, he'll still help with whatever you can accomplish as you are.)

he extends a hand towards you, where you're curled up in bed, wiggling his fingers a bit and joking about his arm getting tired. you always end up taking his hand, allowing him to help pull you up and wrap an arm around your shoulders to guide you towards the bathroom.

even if you whine a bit and complain that you don't want to, he turns on the water and helps you step out of your clothes while it heats up. he strips his own clothes quickly and steps into the shower with you, keeping a point of contact with you at all times so that you don't feel so lost and alone.

he helps you wash yourself off, rewarding you for accepting his help with a scalp massage that has you melting into him as he takes care of your hair, always careful to be gentle. he's especially soft when he washes your face, his thumbs rubbing the soap into your features. sometimes his smile slips while he does so, replaced by a slightly furrowed brow as his gaze travels across your face alongside his fingers. you can't help but wonder what he's thinking about.

while he washes your body, his touches are chaste and affectionate, his hands warm and so big against your smaller form. he always lets you help him wash if you want to, kneeling down to help you reach his head and always laughing a little at your pout as he does so.

after the shower, you're quickly bundled up in a fluffy towel before caleb shakes his hair out like a dog, giving you a goofy grin if you protest being caught in the blast range. he coaxes you to brush your teeth on your own at first, but if you still fight him, he has no problem with doing it for you.

once you're all freshened up and feeling clean again, he makes sure to give you a break, scooping you up and curling you against him. sometimes you each do your own activities, but sometimes you just lie against him, your head resting on his chest, your eyes closed as you listen to the vibration of his voice, softened as he reads you a story.

and once he prompts you to get up to do work alongside him, he's always careful to gauge your reaction. if you start to tense up, your fists balling up in your shirt as you avert your gaze from his, he softens. he doesn't make you beg if he can tell that work is the last thing you want to do. he'd never make you beg, not for something like this.

before you can speak up in your wobbly voice to ask him if you could please, please not start work yet, he smothers your cheeks in kisses, catching your delicate little tears.

"pipsqueak, hey, hey. you don't need to beg. you never need to beg with me. let's make today a rest day, okay? don't beat yourself up for it. i'll still be here tomorrow. i'm not goin' anywhere, you know that. you've got time. and i'm proud of you for pushing through everything to take my hand. you don't have to earn my love, baby. you'll always have it. no matter what."

instead of work, he's happy to help you rest without the guilty ache that normally accompanies it.

and the next day, when you're feeling more prepared to get things done, he rewards you with kisses and snacks every step of the way. he's so, so proud of you for pushing through the haze to grip his lifeline.

[starkissedxav]

... WHICH COULD MEAN NOTHING

SYNOPSIS: rafayel compliments you and has a nickname for you and holds your hand and openly flirts with you... which could mean nothing

tags/warnings: rafayel x fem!reader, fluff, reader is both oblivious and refuses to accept love, lowkey yandere/stalker/manipulative!rafayel if you squint, reader thinks she's undeserving of love, happy ending, I think that's it! wc: 6.6k

a/n: hi hi!! I finally got around to working on a raf drabble that turned into This,, I hope u guys enjoy !! I liked playing around w the dynamic between reader and rafayel hehe I hope it comes across !!! thank u to my gorgeous wife tee and my beloved brother in arms emmy for proofreading !! PLEASE let me know what u guys think !! reading ur comments and tags genuinely keeps me going hehe,, okay enough yapping, I hope u enjoy :3

masterlist

It was the first exhibition you were working security for him. You hovered around him the entire night, smiling when he’d shoot you pleading glances. You shook your head at him and continued to scan the room. It was a nice event, you’d have to remember to compliment Thomas's work the next time you saw him. Everything went smoothly, and Rafayel was surprisingly cooperative the entire night. 

You bit back a smile when you watched Rafayel's eyes sparkle underneath the spotlights, explaining his pieces to every sponsor and guest as he made his way around the room. The thumping of your heart made your face flush as you watched him smile and gesture wildly towards the canvas, mimicking the brushstrokes he’d used to capture the raging sea. He stole a glance back at you, smirking a little when he caught you staring. You tore your gaze from him, blinking quickly and regaining composure as you stood a little straighter. 

 When the night came to a close you waited for a moment off to the side, laughing to yourself as Thomas all but shoved Rafayel to shake hands with the VIPs. After he finally finished, he made his way in front of the largest canvas in tonight's showing. You pushed yourself off the wall you'd been leaning against, standing next to him and looking at the painting alongside him. You clasped your hands behind your back, rocking slightly on your heels, glancing at him from the corner of your eyes.

“Did you know I started this piece a year ago?” His words echo slightly in the now empty room. The lights pointing straight at the painting cast beautiful shadows across his face. You only hum in response, reading the title card next to the painting. 

The Sea’s Love.

“Good thing it sold for the highest then,” you joke lightly, still focusing on the painting ahead of you. Rafayel turns his head slightly, gaze focusing on you. 

“When I first started painting it, I was fueled by anger and frustrations,” he states, voice neutral as he continues to watch you. “I was so angry, I felt like I would never be able to feel truly happy, like I’d never trust enough to be able to love again.” Rafayel pauses for a second, eyes shifting back to the painting you were so engrossed in. “I abandoned it after three days of working on it.”

Your brows furrowed slightly, focus finally tearing from the art to the artist beside you. 

“You said you finished this in six days though,” there’s genuine confusion on your face as you continue, “and you said you were inspired by feelings of hope and love, not anger.” 

Rafayel hummed, a soft smile playing on his lips as he leaned closer to you. “I did. Somewhere along the way I realized I could love again, but it doesn't mean those negative feelings just vanished overnight.” 

“So your anger and fears, they still live alongside the way you love and devote yourself to whoever your beloved may be.” It was less of a question and more of an observation. You cocked your head at an angle, eyes tracing every brushstroke. 

“Exactly Miss Bodyguard. Love is like the sea, filled with beauty and serenity, but also storms and chaos. That's what love truly is, messy and heartbreakingly wonderful."

It was nice to talk to Rafayel when he was in his element and not making your job next to impossible. You smiled at the explanation, nodding your head and turning to look at him, his eyes met yours. 

“That’s nice, I like that.” 

“I picked it up again a month ago. I found new inspiration, one that invoked the more ‘positive’ influence of the painting.” He’s quiet for a moment, eyes lingering on you enough to make your face flush, “right after I met you, actually.” His eyes never left yours, and the last couple words make heat rise quickly to your cheeks. The room felt too hot all of a sudden, and you were quick to break eye contact first. 

“I think they’re about to shut the lights off, let’s get you home before Thomas tries to pitch you a commission for a sponsor,” you smile, turning on your heel and taking a deep breath. So he picked up his painting about love and the complexity of it after he met you? So what? It doesn’t mean anything, just a coincidence, a one off chance that will probably never occur again. 

Rafayel smiles behind you, watching as you wipe your hands nervously on your pants. You were flustered, cute. He takes one last glance at the painting, focusing on the middle right, where he’d hidden your initials among brushstrokes.

 

It was hard for you to say no to people. Even harder when ‘people’ was Rafayel staring at you with wide pleading eyes, and you were saying ‘no’ to an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy to visit his aunt for the weekend. 

“Miss Bodyguard, what if EVER gets me on the flight there? Or my stalkers figure out where I’m staying and kidnap me? I’ll be defenseless and all alone and you’d be none the wiser!” Rafayel gives you his best pout, and damn it was good. 

“Rafayel, I promised my friends I’d go to dinner with them already,” you sighed, guilt creeping in your chest as your mind ran wild with possibilities. What if something bad did happen to him? What if he really did need you there?

“Fine, when you see on Linkon City News that world-famous artist Rafayel Qi was found dead on the Italian coast, you better not cry.” He huffs softly before getting up from his spot on the couch, heading to his back porch as the sun begins to set. 

You frowned at his words, quickly following him outside. “If you’re worried about security you could always hire someone else! I’m sure anyone would-”

“I don’t want anyone, I want you.” For a moment a flicker of something flashes in his eyes, it leaves before you can place it. Your stomach flips at his words, and you have to remind yourself he doesn’t mean those words in the way you secretly hoped he did. This was a professional relationship. As professional as a pouting diva artist and overworked hunter-turned-security detail can be, at least. 

Rafayel leans on the railing that heads to the beach, chin propped in the palm of his hand as he scowls. He knew you’d feel guilty if he sulked for long enough, and sulk he did. “I’m sure my dumb seagulls will miss me when I’m dead in three days time, we never finished our final choir act y’know.” 

You rolled your eyes, pulling your phone out and sending a profuse apology to your group chat. You can’t make brunch Saturday, the job you took as a side quest is requiring you to travel for an event this weekend. 

“Watcha writing? You should look up caskets near us, help me choose one since I’ll be dead in-” you cut him off by flicking his forehead. “Ow! What was that for? You’re supposed to protect me!” 

“You are so dramatic you know that?” Rafayel can’t help but smile, knowing he had you right where he wanted you. “Stop smiling, you ruined my weekend plans,” you furrowed your brows at him, looking out into the ocean as the sun slowly sunk deeper into its depths. The oranges and pinks never failed to take your breath away. 

“I promise I’ll be on my best behavior Miss Bodyguard.” 

You were going to kill Rafayel. You had to find him first, but then you were going to kill him. This was poor foresight in your end, you had to admit. You really should’ve put two and two together when Rafayel took you dress shopping and picked out only items that matched his suit. 

“I thought you were just visiting?” You’d asked, zipping up the dress and looking in the mirror.

“Well yes, but she has this charity event she’s putting on, told me to come and support the cause,” he mumbled, eyes glued to his phone as he scrolled mindlessly on social media, he smiled when he saw your moments posts.

“What’s she donating to?” You asked as you smoothed the dress out, fixing your hair a bit and twirling to see how it fit. 

“Combating human trafficking,” he replied, it wasn’t a total lie. 

“Oh that’s nice.”

The sound of the curtain opening made him snap his head up. He thought his nose might start bleeding soon.

“What do you think? I feel like maybe it’s too much? I’m just security so I shouldn’t be flashy in the first place,” you slowly shrunk into yourself, Rafayel was quick on his feet. 

“It’s perfect,” he breathed out, his fingers ghosting over your shoulders, itching to finally touch your skin. It took every fiber of his being to pull away, he swallowed hard before shaking his head. “You’re my security, you have to look the part, don’t want you embarrassing me with a boring outfit do you?”

You shook your head, smiling slightly as you caught your reflection in the mirror. “It is really pretty, isn’t it?” Your eyes were focused on the detail of the gown, Rafayel was focused on the details of your face. 

“Very beautiful,” he agreed softly. 

“Miss Y/N?” The voice pulled you out of your haze, a nervous smile on your lips as you focused back on the woman in front of you. 

“My apologies, what did you say?” Your eyes shift nervously around the room, hoping to find the familiar purple haired man you’d arrived with. 

“How long have you and Rafayel been together?” The question would’ve been harmless, had you actually been in a relationship with the artist. You were grateful for the amount of training the association made you do on remaining stoic under pressure. 

So with a gentle smile you replied, “only about a month,” the lady cooed at you, going on about young love. The second your eyes met with Rafayel’s across the room, you quickly excused yourself. Rafayel smiled at you, then he realized your eyes were narrowed at him, his smile seemed to grow when you roughly grabbed his arm. 

“Where the hell did you go?!” You hiss at him, making sure your voice wasn’t too loud. 

“Miss me already cutie? I was just giving the staff my piece for the auction, doing my part or whatever,” he smiled at you, trying to hide how much he loved how angry you looked. 

“Okay first of all do not call me that,” Rafayel pouts at your words. “Second of all I’m here as your security, to secure you, make sure you’re secure. How do you suppose I do that when you run off behind my back?” You smack him lightly with your purse, hitting him harder when he lets out a string of ‘ow's that cause guests to turn and look at the two of you. Both of you give them convincing enough smiles to turn away. 

“Third of all, why did some random lady ask me how long we’ve been together?” 

Rafayel’s cheeks turn a hue of pink as you ask your third question, a nervous chuckle leaving his lips as he looks at you with the softest eyes you’d ever seen. No, stay strong. 

“Okay! Okay! I’m sorry for running off. I just had to give them the canvas I donated or else Aunt Talia would have me gutted. I promise I won’t do it again cu- Miss Bodyguard,” he begrudgingly corrects himself, you thank him under your breath. “As for the last question, hypothetically, how angry would you be if I told my Aunt that you were my girlfriend and everyone accidentally found out? Hypothetically.” 

It wasn’t an accident, he’d asked Talia to put you down as his plus one, and next to your name on the guest list were the words ‘Rafayel’s muse.’

“Hypothetically you don’t pay me enough to fake date you,” you bite back, hoping he can’t see the flush on your cheeks or hear how fast your heart is beating. “Hypothetically,” you sigh out, pinching the bridge of your nose and closing your eyes for a moment before looking at Rafayel, “if you have a good enough reason for it then I won’t quit.”

“Well, if everyone knew you were my bodyguard they’d know to target you, and then without you I’d be a defenseless fish out of water.” You hate how quickly he replies, and you hate how much of a point he has. You can only grumble, muttering something about a raise before taking a flute of champagne, chugging it down, and slipping your arm into Rafayel’s. 

He pulls you closer to his side. You steal a glance at someone’s program, seeing that underneath the piece Rafayel had donated was your name, and next to it were the words ‘to my one and only muse.’ It must all be part of the ruse, the way he complimented you and stole glances at you throughout the night was just to sell the act. 

And when he takes the heels off your feet and carries you from the cab to your hotel room, you take it as him just being nice. The way his eyes linger on you for a second too long when you say goodnight at the door probably means nothing. 

You stare up at the hotel ceiling, repeating it to yourself until you can convince yourself of it. 

It means nothing. There’s nothing there. 

You wish the butterflies in your stomach and the thumping against your rib cage got the memo. 

Rafayel takes you into the city the next day, buying souvenirs for the two of you. His hand brushes against yours more times than you can count, you hope he doesn’t notice the way your breath catches in your throat. (he does).

When the two of you arrive in Linkon again you turn to say goodbye to Rafayel, finding him already looking at you. 

“I really enjoyed being with you this weekend,” his words catch you off guard, mouth slightly agape as you scramble to find the meaning behind his words. There’s no way he means fake dating you, that would never happen. You smile at him and nod in agreement. 

“So did I, I’ll see you around,” you reply, not thinking too much of it, you can’t let yourself. Before you can turn to hail a cab, his hand envelopes your wrist, his mouth opens slightly, like he’s going to say something. 

“What is it?” You ask, scanning his face for a moment and ensuring nothing was wrong. He’s quiet for a moment, still holding you in place. 

How does he stop you from leaving? How does he keep you with him for as long as possible? 

“Let me give you a ride home, airport cabs are way too expensive,” he finally says, his voice as relaxed as it always was. You want to punch yourself for thinking he would say anything else. 

“It’s okay Rafayel, if you’re that worried about my finances just give me a raise,” you tease, waving goodbye and easily slipping out of his grasp. You feel your chest tighten as you close the door behind you, letting out a small sigh. Fake dating for a weekend didn’t mean anything, him falling asleep on your shoulder during the plane ride was nothing. 

There’s nothing there, you remind yourself. You bite the inside of your cheek as you stare at the clouds, as much as you wished there was, there wasn’t. 

You needed to go out on a date. It was starting to get ridiculous. So you did what any sensible person does: bought bottles of wine and invited your friends over to curate your dating profile. Hours later through flushed cheeks and barely contained giggles, it was done. Now all that was left for you to do was swipe on whoever you liked and hope you’d match. 

It didn’t take long for you to realize that half the people on there only really wanted one night stands and nothing serious. With most of them starting off with terrible pick up lines and the rest jumping straight to “dtf?” You were seriously giving up hope, until finally you came across someone who actually struck up a conversation. 

Two weeks later you found yourself fidgeting with your outfit, changing for the third time and fixing your hair one more time. You jumped as your phone buzzed on your bathroom counter top. 

[incoming video call from Rafayel]

You answered on the second ring, phone still on the counter with only the top half of your head showing as you fixed your mascara. 

“Hey Miss Bodyguard wanna come over? I need your opinion on this art piece I’m working on,” he pans the camera over to a colorful canvas before re-centering his face, you can see his brows furrowing as he watches your actions. “What are you doing?” 

“Sorry Rafayel, I can’t today I have plans already,” you blink a couple times before finally feeling satisfied, fluffing your hair and grabbing your phone. “I don't think I'm qualified to give opinions on art, but I can swing by tomorrow after work?” You watch as Rafayel’s eyes widen, his mouth opens slightly as he stares at you. “Hello?” 

“Do I have an event I didn’t know about?” Rafayel questions, swallowing hard as he blinks rapidly, drinking in your appearance through his phone screen. God, you looked gorgeous. 

“No, no, just going on a date is all,” you mumble, embarrassed beyond belief as your cheeks heat up.

“A date?” Rafayel feels his world stop, blood going cold. 

“Yeah figured I should put myself out there y’know? It’s been a while and I’ve been- anyway whatever, good luck with your painting!” You smile brightly before hanging up. Rafayel thinks his phone might crack from how tightly he was holding it. You absolutely could not go on that date. 

You needed this date, you had to get over your feelings for Rafayel. Taking a deep breath you finally exited your apartment, locking your door and heading for the cafe you’d agree to meet at. 

When you arrived at the cafe you sent your date a quick message, telling him you’d be seated in a booth near the back corner. You tapped your fingers against the table, looking around the room as you checked your phone. It’s fine, people run late all the time. 

Ten more minutes passed, and you figured it wouldn’t hurt to order your drink while you waited. You stood nervously in line and glanced at the door with every ring of the bell, heart sinking when it wasn’t your date. The thumping of your heart slowly subdued, and you felt silly for getting your hopes up so much. 

With slumped shoulders you slid back into the booth, checking your phone one more time as you sipped on your drink. Nothing. The door opened again, the small bell on top of the door rang as your head shot up. 

It wasn’t your date. You sipped your drink slowly, opening your phone and staring at the last text your date had sent you. 

‘See you soon! :)’

It’d been thirty minutes already, you’d texted him with no response. Just your luck you get ghosted on your first date back on the dating scene. With a heavy heart and a bruised ego you threw your now empty cup in the trash can, stepping into the warm summer air and taking a deep breath. Maybe it was a sign.

You didn't move when you got in your car, staring blankly at your steering wheel for a moment. The sound of your phone vibrating made your heart rate pick up, quickly checking the screen. 

[incoming call from Rafayel]

You take a deep breath, muttering a small prayer under your breath before answering. 

“Hello?” 

“You know it’s terrible etiquette to answer your phone while on a date right?,” you can hear his teasing tone, it makes your stomach churn. 

“It uh- ended early,” you lie, “what’s up?” 

Rafayel grins at your words, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he places an ice pack over his knuckles, walking back to the couch. 

“I ordered way too much takeout, what are the odds you wanna swing by and grab some? We can put on that movie you told me about last week,” Rafayel adjusts the bouquet of flowers he got you during his side quest earlier. 

You’re quiet for a moment, this was definitely not going to help squash your bubbling feelings for the artist. But you were starving, and you didn’t want to wallow in self-pity just yet, not when your hair had turned out so nicely. 

“Did you finish your painting already?”

“I can work on it tomorrow,” he huffs out, “c’moooooon cutie, come over and help me finish this food, please?” 

“I’ll be there in 15,” you reply, biting back your smile as you shake your head and hang up. 

You unlock his front door with the key he’d given you, calling out to make sure he knew it was you entering. Within seconds he rounded the corner, a smile on his face as he greeted you, clad in a hoodie and shorts. The sight never failed to make your heartbeat race. 

“You look beautiful y’know,” Rafayel says softly after the two of you finish eating. You’re sitting on opposite ends of the couch, your eyes are glued to the TV stuck on a loading screen. “He’s an idiot to not have realized what a catch you are, cutie.” 

You don’t have enough fight in you to protest against the pet name, you know he doesn’t mean it romantically. You're too emotionally drained to think about the fact that you never even told him how the date went

“Thanks Raf,” you say softly, had anything been playing he wouldn’t have heard it. 

“I’m Raf now?” The man grins, cheeks dusted pink as he repeats the nickname. You can’t help but roll your eyes at him. 

“Don’t make me take it back,” you groan as he scoots closer to you, leaning his head on your shoulder and letting a content sigh leave his lips. Maybe it was because you already felt vulnerable and Rafayel just so happened to be there for you. Maybe it was because he handed you a bouquet of flowers when you walked in the door. You don’t know why you say it, but you do. 

“I should’ve known better than to think I’d find someone on a fucking dating app,” you scoff, laughing slightly as your gaze settles in your lap. Rafayel sits up straighter, a sympathetic smile on his face. 

“Hey,” his voice is feathery, his touch even more so as he lifts your chin for you to look at him, “dating apps are stupid, I could’ve told you that for free.” He smiles, you can’t help but reciprocate it. 

“You’re amazing, you know that? Anyone would be lucky to have you,” his face is closer to you than you ever remember it being, “I would be lucky to have you.” There’s no playful undertone in his words and no pout on his lips as he stares at you. His eyes flicker down to your lips for a fraction of a second. 

“Rafayel,” you breathe out, eyelashes fluttering as everything becomes too much. What was happening? Could this mean-

The sound of the movie abruptly starting makes you jump, the sudden realization of how close you were has you clearing your throat, scooting away from the man you so desperately wish to be closer with. 

He almost kissed you. You almost kissed him. He was there for you after a terrible date, with flowers and your favorite food. Which could mean nothing, and for the sake of your already aching heart, you tell yourself it does mean nothing. Because it was Rafayel and you were just, well, you. 

It was hard to quell your feelings after that night. It was harder for you to ignore how pretty Rafayel was, how charming his smile was and how well you and him got along. It was damn near impossible to ignore just how much you liked him. 

You tried to brush off his offhand comments, immediately deflecting and not allowing yourself the pleasure of entertaining the idea. This was Rafayel. The most handsome man you’d ever seen in your life, he was funny and kind and caring and he did not have a thing for you. 

“Hey cutie, what do you say we grab a bite after this?” He winks at you during an exhibition, you want to kill the butterflies in your stomach. 

“I can’t, sorry Rafayel,” you say simply, giving him a small smile and hoping he’d drop it. He doesn’t, of course he doesn’t. 

“C'mon! We can go to the place you’ve been wanting to try! I saw your moments post about it,” he narrows his eyes at you, crossing his arms and leaning forward. 

You take a small step back. Rafayel wants to grab you by your waist, he digs his fingers into the fabric of his shirt to stop himself. 

“I already have some food I have to finish up, maybe next time?” You smile nervously, palms already sweaty from how intently he was looking at you. His purple bangs falling gently across his forehead, you fight the urge to brush them out of his eyes. 

Rafayel only spoke to you again when parting ways after the exhibition, turning around and causing you to almost bump into his chest. 

“Y’know I’m here for you, right? Whenever you want for whatever you need,” the words catch you by surprise, making your heart thump louder in your ears as you smile at him. 

“O-okay thanks,” you reply, moving to walk past him, he grabs your wrist, staring at you like he was going to say more. He opens his mouth before closing it again, shoulders slumping and letting out a small sigh. He lets go of your wrist, savoring the way the warmth of your skin felt on his. “Let me know when you get home, Miss Bodyguard,” he smiles softly. 

“Okay,” you breathe out, eyes lingering on his lips for a second too long. You turn on your heel quickly, the mantra you’d always repeat to yourself when it came to Rafayel already looping in your mind. 

It probably means nothing. The look in his eyes wasn’t anything, it couldn’t be. Your heart tugs the further away from him you get, God, you wish it did. 

You decided you were going to be brave. After almost a year of debate, you were going to take a leap of faith. 

With shaky fingers you hover over the dial button, taking a deep breath before tapping your screen and putting the phone to your ear. It only rings once before you hear the same voice that always makes your stomach flip. 

“Well to what do I owe the honor of you calling me first, Miss Bodyguard?” Rafayel smirks on the other line, leaning back in his seat as he puts the phone on speaker, mindlessly twirling a paintbrush between his fingers. 

“I need to ask you something, and I want you to promise that you won’t judge me or laugh at me or- are you already giggling?” You furrow your brows, nerves slowly replaced by that familiar feeling of enamored frustration only Rafayel managed to bring out. 

“You can’t tell someone to not laugh at something, everyone knows that just makes them want to laugh,” he states, “but fiiine, I won’t laugh.” 

“Do piercings hurt a lot? I know you have a bunch and I’ve been wanting to get one forever and I’ve been so scared but I really want one.” You rush your words out, pacing around your living room before staring out your window and flopping backwards on your couch. 

“You thought I would laugh because you’re… scared to get a piercing?” Rafayel cocks his head slightly, pausing his movements as he sets his brush down, grabbing his phone and smiling softly. He can picture you already, your face is probably warm, nose scrunched and lips pouting as you look to your side in embarrassment, shrugging your shoulders. 

“Well, yeah,” you mutter, nose scrunched and face hot as you stare away from your phone, as if he could see you through the camera. 

“What kind of piercing do you wanna get? The pain depends on the placement but also everyone’s pain tolerance is different.” He hears you hum on the other end of the line. 

“I wanted to get my nose pierced, is that lame?” Your face is hot, embarrassed to be so scared of something so many people did. 

“You’re gonna look great with it! It shouldn’t hurt too much, when are you gonna get it?” Rafayel has to take deep breaths as his imagination runs wild. The thought of you with your nose pierced, he closes his eyes for a moment, willing himself to calm down as he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. 

“I don’t know, I was kinda thinking of getting it soon, rip the band aid off,” you smile, sitting up from your position on the couch and checking the time. “Are you busy right now?” 

“I’m never busy when it comes to you,” Rafayel replies easily, wiping his paint stained hands on a nearby rag before standing up. 

“Do you think you could come with me? To get the piercing?” You’re covering half your face with one hand out of embarrassment. You’re fully prepared for him to laugh at you, say ‘hell no!’ and hang up on you. Okay, that might be a little extreme. 

“I’m already on my way, cutie,” he replies, you can hear the jingling of his keys before you let out a small, ‘okay’ and hang up. You stare at the floor for a moment, then a wide smile breaks onto your face. You break out into maniacal giggles, burying your face in your hands before biting your bottom lip. 

Rafayel knocks on your door in 15 minutes time, hair falling perfectly and cologne wafting into your senses the moment you open the door. You look up at him with a shy smile, having never noticed just how built the man was. He crowds your space as he leans against the door frame, smiling and holding his hand out for you to take. 

“Are you ready?” He asks, you nod, hesitantly putting your hand in his. You ignore the way your whole body reacts to the simple touch. You’re too in your head to notice the way his face goes red as his hand envelopes yours. 

Rafayel was enjoying this way too much for your liking, but you were too nervous to make any remarks as he walked into the piercing shop with your clammy hand in his. 

“Hey what can I help you guys with today?” The man asked, looking between the two of you, “matching tattoos maybe?” He grins, you can’t help but let out a nervous chuckle. 

“Maybe next week, right cutie?” He chuckles when your eyes go wide and you elbow him. 

“I wanted to get a nose piercing,” you tell the man, and two consent forms later you’re seated in the piercing chair, fidgeting with your t-shirt nervously as you talk to Rafayel. 

“It’ll look good right? I won’t look stupid with it?” Rafayel smiles at you and nods. 

“You’re gonna look stunning, Miss Bodyguard,” he mumbles, walking from his position across the room to your side. “Who knows, you might even inspire me to paint more pieces about you.”

You smile at him, then the words process in your mind. “What do you mean ‘more’?”

“Alright! I’m gonna go ahead and mark where the piercing will go and let me know if you like the placement!” The piercer walks in, saving Rafayel from having to answer your question. Reluctantly you tear your gaze from him, smiling at the piercer and sitting still as she marks your nose and hands you a mirror to check. You nod in approval, handing the mirror back as she preps the area. 

Rafayel is staring at you intently, your heart is racing, fear coursing through your veins as the piercer turns to grab the needle. 

“Can you hold my hand?” You ask quietly, Rafayel all but jumps at the opportunity, intertwining your fingers with his, like he was always meant to be by your side. 

“Alright, you ready?” She asks and you nod, eyes focused on Rafayel’s pretty blue-pink ones. “Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for me.” You do as you're told, feeling slightly embarrassed by how sweaty your palm is against Rafayel’s.

“Deep breath,” he says softly, eyes glancing between your gaze and the needle, squeezing your hand as she punctures the cartilage. “Good girl,” Rafayel praises, thumb stroking the back of your hand in soothing circles as your eyes water slightly. You blink rapidly, a stray tear slipping out as they insert the small stud in place of the needle. 

“Alright you’re all done!” The piercer smiles at you, letting you know to head up front to pay. You thank her quickly, turning to Rafayel who still had a tight grip on your hand. 

“How do I look?” You smile at him. Rafayel doesn’t say anything for a second, eyes scanning your features as his thumb swipes the stray tear from your cheek. 

“Beautiful,” he whispers, squeezing your hand before helping you out of the chair. He’s quick to beat you to the register, immediately handing the receptionist his card before you have the chance to protest. 

You’re too flustered by his compliment to fight back, opting instead to simply thank him as he places his card back in his wallet. Rafayel doesn’t say anything, his hand slotting back into yours. Both of your faces are burning hot, with neither of you addressing it until your hand leaves his as he holds the car door open for you. 

“That wasn’t as terrible as I thought it was gonna be!” You gush as Rafayel slips into the driver's seat. He watches from the corner of his eye the way you stare at your reflection in the sun visor mirror.

“You did a great job! My brave girl,” he says smoothly, left hand on the steering wheel and the other coming to squeeze your arm gently. Your body is on fire at the small contact, and you’re having a hard time rationalizing this into nothing. 

He holds your hand during your piercing, tells you he’s painted pieces inspired by you, that could mean nothing. But now he’s calling you his girl? Your mind is scrambling and you can only land on one conclusion. 

“Rafayel?” 

“Cutie?” He purrs back, he can all but see everything in your head clicking into place, his heart thumping against his chest as your gaze bores into your lap. 

“Do you like me?” You check to see if the passenger door is unlocked, in case he laughs in your face and you have to jump out of this moving vehicle. You think about the logistics of it, you’d most likely survive, mainly surface injuries, you’ve fought off hordes of wanderers, you could take jumping out of a car. What you couldn’t take, is the artist you’ve been crushing on for a year calling you delusional. 

“I thought that much was obvious, I’ve been flirting with you since I met you,” Rafayel lets out a deep chuckle, turning to look at you briefly. Your mouth is agape, eyes wide as you stare at him in disbelief.

“What?!” You shriek. Rafayel only laughs harder. 

“Did you think I just went around complimenting everybody? Calling people cutie and my muse?” Your silence makes Rafayel’s mouth drop. “Are you serious?!” He exclaims, parking the car in front of your apartment building before turning to face you fully. 

“I didn’t want to assume things! I just rationalized everything that happened,” you defended, “I just kept telling myself it meant nothing and you were just a flirty person!” 

“So when I gave you a key to my house?” 

“I’m your bodyguard so you gave it to me for security purposes,” you explained, and Rafayel had to hold back his laughter. 

“I told you there’s no one in my life that I’d want with me other than you, and that’s the conclusion you came to?” Your face burned as you tried (and failed) to defend yourself. “Okay and the time I told you that you were the reason I started painting with lighter tones and images of hope and love instead of despair?"

“You said that you did that after you met me, not that-” saying it out loud makes it seem obvious, embarrassment coursing through your veins as you realize the mental gymnastics you’d been doing all year. 

“I practically professed my love for you the night you got stood up, how did you rationalize that?” His head cocks slightly, a smug smirk on his face as he wonders what radical conclusion you’d landed on. 

“That you’d never have feelings like that for someone like me,” you shrug your shoulders, not daring to meet his eyes as you finally come clean. The true reason you’d brushed his every move off, the one thing driving the mantra you’d always told yourself. 

“Someone like you?” Rafayel repeats, his heart clenches at your words. He doesn’t say anything else, the restraint he had for the past year is thrown out the window as he reaches over the center console and angles your face towards him. 

“Do you like me?” Rafayel asks, his breathing erratic as he stares into your eyes. You give him a small nod, about to say something else before you’re cut off with his lips on yours. You tense for a moment, body catching up before your brain does as you melt into the kiss, hands weaving in the soft purple tresses at the nape of his neck. You whimper slightly when Rafayel pulls away and nips at your bottom lip. 

“Please tell me you can’t rationalize that,” he mumbles, you laugh, letting your head rest on his shoulder. 

“If I try hard enough-” Rafayel takes your face in one hand, lifting it up and kissing you once more, careful to not hit your freshly pierced nose. 

“I want you,” he mumbles against your lips, “you drive me crazy– you’re the only one I want– I want you all to myself, as my lover and as my everything,” he punctuates each statement between kisses, slowly turning rougher as you move in sync with him, tugging gently on his hair. 

When he pulls away, the only thing connecting the two of you is a string of saliva between your lips, which Rafayel quickly wipes with his thumb, licking it clean. You bite back a moan. 

“Am I clear enough now?” He smirks. You gulp, nodding. 

“Do you wanna- we should probably- come on let’s head inside,” you finally sputter out, quickly opening the car door and heading to your apartment. Rafayel is hot on your heels, relief filling his body when you turn around and shoot him a shy smile as you unlock your door. 

Rafayel crowds your space the rest of the day, kissing every inch of you, telling and showing you just how badly he’s been wanting you. He whispers sweet words to you as he brushes your hair out of face, his fingertips trace your sweaty skin, eyes staring at you like you were the most precious work of art ever created…. which could mean nothing. 

But you know better now.  It means the feelings you’d been shoving aside this whole time were reciprocated ten fold. It means he loves you, with every fiber of his being.

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