It-Happened-One-Fic

She/Her. A writing side blog of @welshoot for reader-insert fics. Header and icon are both art from @thegoldenshi-shi. Also can be found on AO3 @it-happened-one-fic. Requests are closed!

[it-happened-one-fic]

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If you have any questions or need clarification please feel free to send an ask, I don’t bite.

Requests are closed!

 I currently write for Genshin Impact , Twisted Wonderland Honkai: Star Rail and Saint Seiya (Original and Lost Canvas). Please note that this list of fandoms is apt to change. Any such changes will be noted on this post.

I do not write NSFW, I would get embarrassed if I tried so I only write SFW.

I do not write polyamory, if you request multiple characters they will be written as separate fics.

I do not write yandere.

I do not write crossover fics.

I write platonic and romantic fics. If you send a request in involving a child, I will assume it is platonic.

I only write reader-insert fics. NO canon x canon save for as a side-ship in a reader-insert fic.

 I write gender-neutral reader mostly. If pronouns are not supplied within a request, I will default to a gender-neutral reader.

Asks are welcome, but it may take me time to get them done as I am a college student. As such I request you be patient with the writing of fics, as I want to give you the best work possible. If requests are closed it will be stated at the top of my page.

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[it-happened-one-fic]

Dancing Through The Stars - All Too Clearly - Aventurine - Balboa

Author Notes: It's kind of fitting that Aventurine got a style of swing dancing. This fic actually served as a bit of an exploration of Aventurine's character and how he might interact with Reader-chan. Bluntly put, I feel like he would be kind of difficult to trust in a great many ways. Simply because he often appears to have some form of scheme. Even if that scheme is just letting off some steam. The performance in this fic was inspired by Alice Jeng and Blake Thiessen's Balboa performance for the California Balboa Classic 2025 finals. Furthermore, this fic Written to the song “The Cult of Dionysus” by The Orion Experience. Just like the rest of this series, reader is female. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like to read more of this series, the fics can be found here: Dancing Through The Stars Master-List.

Type: Female reader/ sfw/ dance/ fluff/

Word Count: 1306

A bored Aventurine was a very, very dangerous thing simply because it could lead to any number of things. Similarly though, a bored Aventurine was one of the reasons you would end up interacting with the man in question. After all, he often only seemed to come around when it most suited him for a variety of reasons.

But today you found yourself walking down the streets of Penacony, not entirely sure where he was leading. Especially since the two of you kept bypassing any and all of the places where he would usually go to gamble. 

You felt your eyebrows arch as he cast a grin back your way as he gestured to a dance hall, “Here we are.”

“You wanted to go dancing?” You tilted your head slightly and he let out a hum, linking your arms together and pulling you closer as he inclined his head. 

“You don’t mind, do you?” There was a lilt to his tone that made you honestly wonder if he really cared if you minded at all. But he held your gaze anyway, a distinctly cocky smile on his face as if he knew how you would respond before you ever shook your head with a slight shrug.

“No, I’m just surprised. This isn’t your usual scene after all,” You waved off his amusement as you slipped away from him and started forward. Idly pondered why he’d bring you here of all places.

Your interactions with Aventurine were often somewhat wary and filled with him showering you with random gifts until he moved on. And you never knew why he did it because you simply couldn’t see what he had to gain. Unless interacting with you was some sort of bizarre escape from his day to day life? And if that were the case, then perhaps all of this, including this trip to a dance hall, was simply for a change of pace.

You clandestinely glanced his way as he strolled into the place next to you, flipping a tip over to the man at the door who fumbled to catch the glistening coin as Aventurine chuckled before glancing over your way. Easily catching your gaze as he tilted his head with a smile that had his eyes narrowing, “Lighten up. It’s important to have fun and relax. I thought you might like this better than a casino.”

Your eyes widened at his words and he laughed, an easy sound as he stepped in front of you and simultaneously pivoted to face you with his arms held out as if to gesture to everything present, “So, what do you say we dance?”

He swung out one hand toward you as he spoke, his eyes almost seeming to glow in the dimmer lighting of the dance hall.

You hesitated briefly, before taking his hand. A move that had his smile spreading before  he pulled you toward him and led you out to the dance floor as a new song started up. And for a moment you were almost  in awe of his timing, because it really was like he’d somehow known exactly when a new song was about to start.

His hand squeezed yours as he tilted his head, the motion causing his earring to jingle merrily, “Know how to dance the balboa?”

Distantly, you nodded. You knew it well enough, at the very least. You just wondered if he would adhere to the rule of not breaking hold or not….

He hummed, giving a slight jerk of his head as if to tell you to step closer even as you were already closing the distance and wrapping your arm around him so that your hand rested his back in a sort of loose embrace while his hand pressed itself to your lower back.

The two of you shifted, slow at first before steadily gaining speed as you stepped lightly around the floor. And as you moved, your hold slowly loosened to give the two of you more and so that you were no longer pressed to Aventurine’s chest.

He chuckled, and somehow it sounded different than his other laughs. A little less harsh and a little more natural and easy. Like there was nothing riding on this. And you supposed there really wasn’t.

Despite everything you felt yourself smile slightly as you watched him closely, rotating with him as your footwork continued to speed up.

He stepped back slightly, letting go to let you give a short spin before he caught hold of you again. Shifting around you before holding up your hand in a silent direction to twirl under his arm before he stopped you. Putting you to one side of him and causing you to giggle slightly at the way he pressed a hand to your back instead of holding out to one side.

You shifted though as he danced around behind you, turning to face him one more time and easily freeing yourself from the tangle of limbs he’d set up for you, only for him to hold your hand up once more. Twirling you rapidly as if the two of you were in some sort of competition with one other.

This time you were the one behind him as you came to a stop and you half-snorted at his mischievousness as he pivoted in a quick spin on his heels. But you supposed it really only made sense for Aventurine to be a playful dancer. And in that sense, the balboa was a good fit for him. It’s just you never would’ve expected to find yourself dancing like this with him.

You stepped lightly together as you found yourself at war with yourself over whether to just enjoy yourself or to puzzle over what exactly was happening here. After all, there were no real gains to this interaction for him. Or at least there weren’t any that you could see.  And for that matter, Aventurine truly seemed to be enjoying himself.

He slid across the floor, holding out one hand as his gaze darted back toward yours with a wide smile and you felt yourself smiling back at him even despite your confusion.

He gripped your hand tightly and you mirrored his motions as you both swung out with one leg between the two of you before rapidly spinning on one foot with your joined hands swinging over your heads reactively. 

And then he was tugging you back toward him and trading positions with you. Rotating so that one second you were behind him and he was in front of you before reversing it as you looped in and out of one another’s hold and field of vision.

His hand pressed to your waist, sliding as he pivoted around you before holding your hand and twirling you until you came to a stop and held up your hand for him to twirl under. And the very instant he was back around, he was wrapping an arm tightly around you and pulling you toward him only to lift you at the last second as he spun with you. 

You rotated across the floor that way, with you letting out a startled laugh before dissolving into giggles as the two of you went. 

Time seemed to rush on before you were finished with a few more twirls and speedy rotations before he was hugging you to him with one arm while you leaned back as the music ended.

And even though you were no closer to understanding exactly why Aventurine would occasionally show up in your life for reasons known only to him, you were certain that he’d definitely enjoyed himself this time. If nothing else, his alight eyes and heaving chest as he caught his breath and grinned at you while continuing to hold you in a half hug told that story all too clearly.

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[it-happened-one-fic]

Meet You There - 20. Bluffing

Summary: There were a million ways your confession to Wriothesley could go awry, but there was no way you were prepared for what you saw or what happened. One thing was for certain though. The memory of this night was going to haunt you for a very long time.

Type: Female Reader/ sfw/ second chance romance/ somewhat slow burn/ romance/ fluff/ angst with comfort/ pining/ some drama/ includes platonic interactions

TW: Gang Violence (This is the chapter!), mentions of death

Word Count: 2334

Meet You There Master-List

I glanced down at the short but very awkward line of texts that filled my screen. 

I’d done precisely what I’d told Kaveh I would do. I’d texted Wriothesley and arranged to meet up with him. And now here it was, time for me to leave work and head off to where we would meet. And I was most definitely nervous.

I’d told Neuvillette not to worry and that I was meeting up with Wriothesley, so he didn’t have to come and pick me up. Which was news that he’d taken very well, though he’d also been sure to wish me the very best of luck and reassure me that all would be well.

I pocketed my phone and took off down the street, walking at a steady pace as I inhaled deeply. No matter how it went, this was a conversation that desperately needed to happen. And, in reality, it shouldn’t be that bad. No worse than the revelation from last night had been, at the very least.

I still couldn’t decide if I was disappointed or proud of myself though. Even after learning that Wriothesley had not only gone to jail but had gone to jail after being rightfully accused and pleading guilty on two counts of murder because he’d killed his parents, I was still ready and very much wanting to give a relationship a shot.

Bluntly put, it was a good thing I was okay with the color red, since there were certainly some crimson colored flags there. 

I guess Alhaitham was right and I really was attracted to problematic men. 

I could argue, of course, that Wriothesley had moved past what he’d done, and in many ways he had. He’d done his time, literally, and gotten out on good behavior.  And beyond that, his behavior was kind of understandable considering everything else he’d told me about his foster parents.

But none of that really changed the fact that he still had quite the backstory on him and certainly wasn’t who a parent would dream of their little one getting married to.

Still, I’d already discovered I wasn’t actually that nervous about my decision. I was more nervous of how he would react and respond. After all, I highly doubted he was expecting my response to his painful history to be me telling him that I really liked him and really wanted to go out on a date with him and give a romantic relationship a shot.

I hummed, letting muscle memory more so than anything else lead me to our old hangout spot before I stilled with a frown as something clattered off to the side. Not especially loudly, but still noisy enough that I heard it and noted it as something odd.

The clattering sound was followed by yet another soft sound, this one almost like a whimper, and then a voice I now found familiar.

Lyney sounded almost frustrated as he spoke in a hushed tone, “Father, is this really necessary?”

 I hesitated, frowning to myself slightly as another sound came that sounded distinctly like a low groan and had me tensing. And almost before I actively gave any thoughts to what could be occurring,  I found myself turning fully to head over. 

A part of me questioned what I was doing, because I really didn’t need to know what was happening and I doubted it was anything good. After all, I’d already  heard that Lyney’s father, Arlechinno, was somehow connected to the gang activity in some way. But even then, I peered around a corner cautiously before freezing as my eyes widened in immediate horror at what I saw. And I suddenly knew exactly what the cause of that groan had been.

It was a man whose mouth was surrounded in blood that still dripped to the ground from where he was being held up by one woman in a white pants suit while another in a dress complete with flared skirt leaned forward to cup his chin as she spoke to him in a soft, but purely frigid tone.

I couldn’t make out any words and, frankly, I didn’t want to. In fact, every muscle in my body seemed to be pleading with me to run. But I stood frozen in place as I took in every ounce of the scene. Somehow unable to look away despite the fact that I very much needed to leave.

In truth, though, I never should’ve even let curiosity get the better of me and looked, and I was actively cursing myself for letting myself be nosy when I knew far better than that.

There was a small lump of flesh on the ground and as the man let out another wordless, whimpering sound I realized, with a surge of horror and bile, what was causing him to sound exactly like that. He had no tongue. Or he didn’t have one any longer, at least.

I gagged silently, willing myself to not outright hurl, but the motion cost me almost immediately.

“Hey!” I flinched at the harsh call and jerked upright to see two men who emerged from the shadows further behind the women. One of them held a bloodied knife as he pointed at me and both women turned. But, perhaps worse than that were the other two more familiar figures that came into view.

Lynette’s eyes widened while Lyney stood frozen, staring at me in silent horror. As if he truly could not believe what he was seeing.

In front of them, the taller woman’s eyes narrowed slightly and she let out a hum before glancing between me and the twins while the other woman glanced over her shoulder with a coy, “Oh?”

Her dark eyes were cold as she scanned my form before she lifted her chin delicately, “Bring them here.”

Lyney all but flinched at her words, a look of horror crossing his face as I stumbled back, realizing immediately what her words meant as the two men started forward. One of them already speaking in a warning tone, “Now don’t you even think about running….”

He’d barely even finished before I’d turned, slipping in my frenzied rush as I took off while they shouted behind me.

But there was no way I was staying there, no matter what they said. 

Witnessing any amount of gang violence never ended well and that seemed far more than what I would expect from a few teenage thugs. That seemed more organized and deadly. More like what one might expect from the name that had been floating around months now.

The Fatui.

I skidded around a corner, not even taking the time to chance a glance behind me. I didn’t have to anyway. I could hear the thudding of too-heavy boots on the ground behind paired with hissed orders in a foreign language.

And all the while, even amid my blind panic, some intelligent part of me was scolding myself. Because I knew better than to go peeking around corners and being nosy. It didn’t matter if I’d heard Lyney’s voice or suspicious sounding groans that indicated something amiss was happening. I should’ve just ignored it. 

After all, I’d been warned. Lyney was suspected to have connections with the Fatui. And now it wasn’t a suspicion anymore. I had confirmation.

I scrambled along, barely picking up on their shouts as the two men realized I was headed directly for the police station. And I could only pray I would make it before it was too-late. Because even if Lyney and Lynette were there, I did not want to face those two women back there. Much less the men who were currently giving chase.

I rounded another corner, practically slinging myself around it only to slam into someone and fall backwards with a shriek before I was caught by two warm hands that grasped my shoulders.

“Woah, slow down! What-” The familiar voice cut off as soon as I looked up and made eye contact with comfortingly familiar eyes that had me practically sobbing in relief.

And for a brief moment, there was only surprise in Wriothesley’s face before his expression changed at impressive speeds to a deep frown as he visibly scanned my face and his grip on me tightened, “What’s wrong?”

I didn’t even have time to respond since I could still hear the heavy footfalls from not far behind me and blind panic surged through me once more. Causing me to push frantically against Wriothesley, “No! We need to go! Before they catch up!!”

My voice sounded oddly wet to my own ears as I looked behind me in terror, and all too quickly the two men appeared. Slowing to a halt as they caught sight of me and Wriothesley as I pressed myself against him in some blindly desperate attempt to get away from them.

One of them seemed to catch on faster than the other as his gaze darted between me and Wriothesley. A smile curved across his face as he stepped forward, quickly tucking his knife behind his back as gestured vaguely toward me with the other hand, suddenly all charm, “Ah, there you are. You must’ve been so startled. I apologize if we frightened you, but we can explain everything.”

I shook my head, feeling my throat tighten inexplicably as I pressed myself closer to Wriothesley, still pushing at him only for him to not give even an inch.

Instead, I found myself being guided around him until I was standing behind him as he reached down as he took my hand, frowning at the two men, “And what seems to be going on here?”

At odds with Wriothesley’s usual tone, there was no levity to his voice time. Not even any mocking amusement. It was just harsh seriousness that left no room for argument.

I glanced up at him, then back at the men before I stepped back. Further hiding myself behind him and squeezing his hand in a silent signal I could only pray he understood before I tugged my hand from his and quickly whipped out my phone. 

I would’ve far preferred to continue to high-tail it to the police station, but if it’d come to this, then I would make do.

Cyno had given me advice in the past, and I could only pray it worked as I punched 911 in and held the phone up to my ear, listening for the tone.

The moment I heard a woman’s voice asking announcing that I had indeed called 911 I punched speaker button and leaned around Wriothesley

The man looked at Wriothesley, his smile becoming slightly strained as a flash of irritation went through his eyes before he continued, “Ah, it seems we scared your friend. I’m afraid this has all been a misunderstanding, though. Anything she told you can be explained, I assure you.”

“Is that so?” Wriothesley’s tone remained unmoved and he shifted, blocking me further from the men’s view as the one snuck a glance my way. “I’m sure you can explain why you were chasing her with knives then?”

The 911 responder tactfully fell silent at the sound of Wriothesley’s voice and I felt myself exhale softly. Doing my best to ignore the way my hands trembled even as they cradled my phone.

The one man, the actor, shot a look at his companion’s way as he hurriedly shoved his knife behind his back a little bit too late.

The sight which had Wriothesley letting out a snort as he crossed his arms, though never taking his eyes off the two men even as he spoke to me, “How long were they chasing you?”

I shook my head, wondering if he somehow knew I’d called 911 even as I answered, “From the crossroads. They had a man there. He- He was hurt.”

“We had a disagreement with another friend of ours. That’s all you saw. I admit it looked bad, but-”

“You had cut his tongue out,” My tone was strained as I cut the man off and he grit his teeth. No longer even trying to hide his glare as he glowered at me from around Wriothesley.

“Quite the disagreement,” I could hardly believe my ears as Wriothesley casually quipped at them and I looked up at him in disbelief.

But his words had certainly had an effect as the other man, the one who’d stayed silent this entire time, stepped forward, “Enough. Hand your girlfriend over or we’ll have to give you the same treatment our ‘friend’ got.”

Wriothesley opened his mouth but I beat him to it this time. Pressing a hand to his arm as I glowered at the man, doing my best to not tremble as I stared him down, “Don’t even try it. I’ve already called the police. They’ll be here before long.”

The two men froze at my words and it wasn’t until silence hung in the air that I realized how heavily I was breathing.

It was loud. Too loud.

“She’s bluffing,” The more confident one scoffed, shaking his head as he revealed his knife once more and Wriothesley shifted. Subtly pushing me back even as I gritted my teeth.

“Wanna bet?” My words were all but spat out and I watched as the two men stopped again. And suddenly I could feel Wriothesley’s eyes on me.

I held up my phone though, showing them the lit up screen that still showed the active line.

One of them cursed, stepping back before pointing at me, “Don’t think we’ll forget about this, стерва”

I almost grimaced as I watched the turn and take off. Disappearing into the night and leaving the two of us alone. Staring after them until Wriothesley turned to look at me. His eyes scanned my face as he frowned. And all at once, he’d returned the Wriothesley I was more familiar with as his concerned gaze met mine and he asked the most infinitely simple question even despite our complex circumstances.

“Are you alright?”

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Taglist: @mrssylus, @the-resident-demon

Translation disclaimer! I do not speak and/or read Russian. Google Translate and web searches were used for the word стерва which appears to essentially the Russian word for a common insult that rhymes with witch and can also refer to a female dog.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Wouldn't Dream Of It - Saga

Summary: Saga has turned out to be difficult to write, and I'm really thinking I'm going to blame the fact that he's just too tragic, blue, and beautiful. I did want to balance his more serious nature with the fact that I think he wasn't a stick-in-the-mud either. Rather, I feel like it was just that he was the more reasonable sibling when compared to Kanon. This is my first try at writing him though. So I am hoping to get a little more comfortable writing him with time. I didn't really listen to any specific song while writing this. Reader is gender-neutral, I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-neutral Reader/ sfw/ fluff/ teasing/ set before everything went horribly wrong/ Aiolia is a wee one

Word Count: 1162

Saga blinked as you leaned over him, holding an umbrella over his head as you looked down at him. Casting an admittedly odd looking shadow on the ground that had him looking up at you with an admittedly tired but mildly amused looking expression as you smiled, “Is getting drenched part of saint training?”

Saga snorted at your words, shaking his head before he looked back down to continue whatever it was he was doing, “If it were, Kanon would be the Gemini gold saint instead of me with how much time he spends swimming around in the ocean when he should be practicing.”

You pressed your lips together, suppressing your smile that threatened to spread at his casual blasphemy against his brother. But it was true Kanon spent far more time swimming and messing around than he ever did training. If anything, he was an expert at skipping out on practice.

Saga didn’t even bother looking back up as he questioned you softly, “How is Aiolia?”

“Aiolos just got back and put him down for his nap. He’s the one who told me you were out here,” You explained idly, opting to step down to the step Saga was sitting on and crouch down next to him to better watch what he was doing as you leaned over to keep you both shielded from lazy rainfall.

It looked like he was prepping some form of target, most likely for more training tomorrow. Though whether it was for Aiolos to practice with or for one of the younger trainees like Shura or Aphrodite you didn’t know. After all, Saga always seemed to keep stuff prepared for everyone to use if he noticed it was needed. It was one of the reasons he was deemed so reliable by literally everyone in Sanctuary. Even if he had a bad habit of neglecting to keep simple things like rain in mind if it was only going to be him that got affected. Of course you doubted the rain really bothered him that much.

Saga hummed in response, nodding slightly at your words as he continued casually repairing one particularly abused target before his eyes slowly slid your way. He almost seemed to hesitate before he spoke, a slight smile slipping onto his face, “You don’t have to stay with me.”

You shrugged, never taking your eyes off his work even as you gave a shake of your head, “I’m not doing anything else. And I’d just assume wait until the rain lets up before I head back toward town.”

You paused, glancing his way with slightly arched brows, “You know how slippery and muddy it can get on the path between here and there.”

He nodded slightly, his motions gradually slowing as he focused on you rather than the target, “You could probably ask Shi- the Pope if you could stay the night. I’m sure  he’d allow it since he’s already talking about having you put in charge of caring for Athena once she appears.”

You’d already heard about that plan. It would mean you moving to live in Sanctuary to take care of Athena full time. You’d go from being the nanny who took care of Aiolia while Aiolos went about his gold saint duties to being the nanny who took care of the goddess of Sanctuary. It was plan that the Pope himself had put forth and that also had Saga, Aiolos, and Kanon’s full support. Not to mention the younger gold saints to-be.

You shook your head though, smiling at you even as you rejected Saga’s suggestion, “I could, but I'm not actually living here yet. And it’s not that big of a deal to walk back even if it does get muddy. I just don’t want to deal with the mud and rain at the same time.”

Especially if the rain got worse. You didn’t mention it, but the sky seemed to get steadily darker rather than lighter, and you didn’t care for the thought of navigating that steep path in a deluge.

A drizzle of rain was something, but an outright downpour was another. Especially with how steep some of the hills were along the way.

Saga glanced away, his gaze falling back on the target in front of him once more, but he didn’t resume his work. Instead, his finger tapped at the wood and fabric idly as he gazed at the painted lines with a thoughtful expression in silence. 

And you just waited, because you knew if you did he’d eventually tell you what he was thinking. Because that was obviously what he was doing. Attempting to find some form of solution. As if he could fix the weather if he thought about it hard enough.

And, as predicted, his gaze met yours once again as he tilted his head, “Since you’re going to be waiting already then… I could walk you back to town if you like?”

You felt your eyebrows lift slightly before you smiled, almost not believing what you were hearing, “Don’t you have to report to the Pope about how training went when you get done?”

There was a slight laugh to your voice that had him shrugging and looking away, suddenly very interested in his work, “I can do it when I get back.”

You almost laughed outright at his words, because frankly it sounded more like something Kanon would do. Saga was always the one who was dutiful about his jobs. Making sure he always trained, always thoughtful in his instruction to the trainee gold saints, always ready to give  his report to the Pope in a timely fashion…. He even covered for Aiolos when the young Sagittarius saint needed to take care of and/or spend time with Aiolia but also had some duty to complete.

You nudged him playfully with your shoulder, “You’re sure? You won’t feel guilty later?”

This time you earned yourself a slight grin that reminded you that while Saga wasn’t as wild as his brother, he was by no means a stick in the mud that couldn’t get into trouble right alongside his brother and Aiolos when the mood struck, “Hardly.”

You exhaled a laugh, nodding even as you relented in your gentle teasing, “Alright, I’ll take you up on that then. Once the rain lets up.”

His gaze turned back toward the target as he calmly finished his work, lifting one shoulder and causing you to snort at his unbothered response, “Or before.”

“No need to run me off,” You sat back slightly, adjusting the umbrella’s handle that rested largely against your shoulder, faux-insulted even as you smiled at the  humor that lingered in his voice.

He looked over as he sat back next to you, evidently done with his work as he relaxed. His shoulder brushed lightly against yours as he met your gaze once more with a fond smile that still held a quiet amusement in response to your teasing, “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

[it-happened-one-fic]

Love Potion #9 - 20. Worth of Your Trust

Summary: The more Deuce had thought about it, the more he really wasn’t sure about his own place in this entire mess. Was Ace right and he was being affected, or was nothing wrong at all? He didn’t feel different, but he couldn’t deny he’d been thinking about you a lot. So where did he stand in all this, and what did you think about his position?

Type: Female reader/ series/ sfw/ romance/ fluff/ angst with comfort/ pining/ some drama/ includes platonic interactions

Word Count: 886

Love Potion #9 Master-List

Deuce shifted awkwardly, looking down at the instructions for the spell you, Ace, Grim and he were supposed to be working on together.

In reality, he wanted to shift closer to you and get a better look at the instructions, but he also didn’t want to make you nervous. After all, he was one of the individuals supposedly affected by the love potion. If he were in your shoes merely standing next to him would make him nervous.

When he’d asked, Trey and Cater had both advised him to just act normal. And while Deuce didn’t think shifting over closer to you would be anything out of the ordinary by any means, he also couldn’t be sure.

What if it really wasn’t normal at all, and he was being spurred on by the potion that Ace insisted was affecting him?

Deuce knew himself well enough to know when he was overthinking things. But he also knew you well enough to know that something was bothering you. Ever since you’d come into the room you’d seemed down. And Deuce didn’t think it was because of your new guard that Grim had told him and Ace about. 

It was bound to be awkward suddenly having a guard, of course, but that wasn’t nearly enough to get you depressed. Not like you were right now.

Of course, you might’ve been down about the fact that Jamil had apparently told you Kalim was being affected. But somehow Deuce doubted that too. 

Sure, it was perfectly reasonable for you to be upset about that, but you were also a tough person as evidenced by how you’d handled overblots. So Deuce didn’t think it was just Kalim that had you down and out.

Deuce’s main fear, as selfish as it was, was that he was the reason you were down. That perhaps the simple act of seeing was too much of a reminder of the situation you were in.

It was a horrible thought. But what would be far worse would be if you felt like you couldn’t trust him.

Because Deuce supposed that, in so many ways, the fact that you trusted him meant the world to him. It made him feel like he really was making progress. Like he was no longer that punk who everyone avoided, but was someone who was worthy of your trust and friendship.

And losing that now… Deuce knew it would kill him. You’d become far too important to him to just let something as precious as the friendship he had with you slip away.

But, Deuce also didn’t know what to do. Avoiding you would help make sure that you didn’t feel uncomfortable around him. But Deuce also didn’t want to abandon you right when you needed support the most. Plus, he honestly didn’t think he’d be able to keep avoiding you up.

“Earth to Deuce, earth to Deuce. Hey!” Ace elbowed him sharply in ribs, eliciting a frown from Deuce as he rubbed his side and shot a look over at the redhead who was rolling his eyes. “Three guesses what you were thinking about. Come on, Trein just called Y/n away because you were being a weirdo.”

Deuce felt his eyes widen at this companion’s words. Was that true? Was he acting weird?

He looked down to see Grim slinking along after Ace, apparently perfectly happy to leave you to your own devices. So maybe you were alright? After all, Grim did care about your well-being in his own way.

Deuce looked over toward where you were standing in front of Trein, listening to whatever the frowning teacher said. Your only response was a few head nods before you slipped out the door, pausing to give Ace, Deuce, and Grim a tiny wave.

Your eyes seemed to catch on Deuce’s as he stared back at you, feeling lost and guilty. But you merely lifted your shoulder in half-shrug with a reassuring smile slipping onto your face, almost like you were trying to tell him he wasn’t at fault. Like you somehow magically knew what Ace had said just mere moments ago.

And maybe you did. You knew what Ace was like just as well as Deuce did and you’d definitely heard him and Ace bickering. Neither one of them had ever been particularly quiet about that.

But then, being reassuring was also just how you were. Somehow, you always knew what to do to reassure those around you, including Deuce, and you never hesitated to give people that support, even if you were sometimes a little bit awkward about it.

And Deuce felt like that was what drew people to you. After all, even that awkwardness could be sort of cute in its own way.

His own fond thoughts registered with him as you slipped on out of the room though, almost causing the boy to reach up and cover his mouth in slight surprise.

Was he being affected by the potion? Having such thoughts about how you were so likeable and even cute was rather condemning. But did that mean he had ingested the potion?

 He’d always thought you were one of the nicest people in the school, but Deuce didn’t know if he could trust himself anymore. And if he couldn’t trust himself, then could he really expect you to?

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Taglist: @turningmad, @followingthefanfiction, @star1ightbite, @yuu-twisted, @the-resident-demon, @magical-girls-can-bake, @yvres, @voque11ssue, @twisted-whatever

[raymurata]

AO3's been so swarmed with spam scammers lately 🙃 soul crushing to get a "you've got a comment" email and it's just someone trying to sell you AI art.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Meet You There - 19. The Intelligent Choice

Summary: You knew from the very instant you saw Kaveh that you would get questioned. What you weren’t expecting was for him to guide you to your next decision.

Type: Female Reader/ sfw/ second chance romance/ somewhat slow burn/ romance/ fluff/ angst with comfort/ pining/ some drama/ includes platonic interactions

TW: Gang Violence (only explicit in one, later, chapter), one mention of death

Word Count: 1027

Meet You There Master-List

Kaveh was staring at me from the couch with wide eyes and I almost let out a sigh. But I glanced around clandestinely, ignoring his expectant gaze as I scanned the space in search of our landlord and friend.

“Alhaitham’s still out. I wasn’t expecting for you to be back yet either,” Kaveh’s tone was gentle as he explained, and I nodded. Finally glancing his way with a tired smile as he shifted in his seat before timidly questioning me, “So, how’d it go?”

I walked around the couch and flopped down wearily on the cushion next to him before meeting his gaze as I lifted on shoulder in a half-shrug, “He told me everything.”

Kaveh nodded, leaning forward from where he’d pivoted to face me, “Mhm, and?”

I faltered, not even sure of what to say since I definitely felt like I shouldn’t say anything. After all, what Wriothesley had told me was huge and not something I imagined he wanted getting shared with just anyone.

Kaveh frowned, straightened in his seat as he visibly scanned me worriedly, “That bad, huh?”

I managed a weak smile, but nodded slightly, “I’ll admit, it’s pretty bad.”

Kaveh’s eyebrows arched, “But?”

I let out a soft, if weary laugh at his tone as I shook my head slightly, “But I’m not entirely surprised.”

Obviously, I hadn’t expected what Wriothesley had told me, I couldn’t deny that there had definitely been warnings as to the fact something had gone down. I just never could have been prepared for exactly how bad that something was….

Kaveh’s lips were pursed as he eyed me, his gaze searching for any nugget of information before he finally spoke again in a perfectly tense tone that carried the undercurrent of suppressed rage, “Did he cheat on you?”

I let out a startled laugh, completely caught off-guard by his judgy tone and words before I shook my head. Still giggling as I spoke, “Kaveh, we would’ve had to have been together for him to cheat on me.”

There was a smile on Kaveh’s face as he rolled his eyes dramatically before leaning forward, a certain level of earnestness re-entering his gaze, “So it's serious enough that you don’t feel like you can share it?”

I pressed my lips together as I looked at him apologetically, but nodded. Silently confirming his words.

He let out a sigh, not looking surprised in the least as he nodded, “Well, I can’t deny that I want to know, but I won’t push. If you feel like you shouldn’t share it, then that’s that.”

I smiled, about to open my mouth to thank him only for him to continue with a pointed look, “I am going to to be pushy when it comes to what you’re planning on doing, though.”

Kaveh frowned at me as he spoke, and I felt myself smile. Feeling oddly touched by the concern he was showing even despite the fact that I was getting questioned. 

And said questions were hard.

 Wriothesley definitely had reasons for what he’d done. Strong reasons that I could understand surprisingly well. 

In fact, it was almost unsettling how accepting I actually was of what he’d done, even if I did understand why he’d done it. The only real thing that had me faltering was what all of that must’ve done to him.

I hadn’t commented on them since I’d wanted to respect his privacy, but he had a lot more rather large scars than he’d had before he’d left. And that was just considering the physical ones. I could barely imagine the emotional ones, but there had to be some trust issues there now that hadn’t been present before. How could there not be after he’d experienced a betrayal of that level?

I finally gave Kaveh a smile that even felt awkward, “I… don’t really know. I think I know what the cautious, and maybe even intelligent choice would be. But I don’t know if that’s what I want to do.”

I almost cringed as I spoke, fully recognizing how ridiculous I sounded.

Despite my own reaction to my words, though, Kaveh shook his head, smiling nostalgically, “You know, back before Wriothesley’s unexpected disappearance, a lot of people were jealous of you two.”

I blinked, caught wholly off-guard yet again by what he was saying before I finally shook my head incredulously “What?”

Kaveh laughed lightly at my disbelieving tone before nodding, as if to confirm his own words, “It’s true! While the rest of us were muddling around in our own romantic dramas the two of you made it look so easy. And it felt unfair to a lot of people. Myself included.”

Kaveh paused, shaking his head slightly before he looked my way, “I don’t know what he told you Y/n, but while being smart about things is important, so is doing what feels right.”

I inhaled, swallowing slightly at both his soft-spoken words and the fond way he smiled before I nodded, finally managing to respond, “Thanks, Kaveh.”

He nodded, an easy smile on his face as he tilted his head, “So you know what you’re going to do now?”

I bobbed my head, the singular motion paired with my smile pulling a full-fledged grin out of him, “Atta girl! Now what are you waiting for?”

I faltered as he gestured grandly, and I felt my smile grow amused, “Kaveh?”

He nodded, his eyes bright with anticipation as he even sat forward, “Mhm?”

I shook my head amusedly at him, “Wriothesley’s at work right now.”

I watched as Kaveh visibly faltered, his eyes going wide as his arm retracted awkwardly, “O-Oh.. Right.”

I laughed lightly, taking pity on him as I grinned, “I’ll talk to him tomorrow. Maybe not first thing, but after work at least. I know he’ll be off by then.”

I would have a lot to tell him, that was for certain, and confessing would definitely be awkward considering how long it had been in coming. But it was high time I told him. Especially after he’d come clean with me. 

So I was ready. And no matter how he responded, I would accept it.

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Taglist: @mrssylus, @the-resident-demon

[it-happened-one-fic]

Dancing Through The Stars - If All Went Well - Dan Heng - Waltz

Author Notes: So, this is my first piece for Dan Heng. I put a fair bit of pressure on myself with this one simply because I like Dan Heng. So, in that sense, I was really glad he got the waltz, which is a dance I'm a bit more comfortable with as a prompt and is a oldie-goldie in terms of styles. The performance in this fic was inspired by Alexis Ren and Alan Bertsen’s Waltz to the song “Water” by Bishop Briggs on Dancing with the Stars week 8 season. I also wrote and edited this piece while listening to "Water" by Bishop Briggs.

Just like the rest of this series, reader is female. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like to read more of this series, the fics can be found here: Dancing Through The Stars Master-List.

Type: Female reader/ sfw/ fluff/ dance

Word Count: 1938

You stood next to Dan Heng, wondering exactly how you’d gotten yourselves into this situation. 

Simply put, the two of you were undercover at a very nice party watching as Caelus and March got a rather unfortunate degree of attention.

Just like Dan Heng and you, they’d been taught by Himeko and Welt, so you could only assume nerves had kicked in the moment they’d hit the dance floor because there was definitely something wrong.

And, besides their embarrassment, that would’ve been okay. Both Caelus and March could handle a little bit of embarrassment. The problem was that they were managing to make everyone suspicious as to how they’d gotten in.

After all, the whispering wasn’t exactly clandestine.

You leaned over to where Dan Heng was shaking his head, either impressed at how bad it looked or disappointed by how much they were messing up, “What should we do? People are starting to get suspicious.”

Your words were hushed but he nodded, glancing around with those ever-clear eyes of his as he let out a long-suffering sigh, “That’s our cue then.”

You felt yourself tense at his nonchalant words, knowing all to well what they meant but not liking it one bit.

Because there was a reason Caelus and March were the ones that had gone out there to dance. It was because you were not confident in your dancing ability.

But you also knew there was no way you were getting out of it now. You’d already tried everything you could before you’d ever reached tonight. Well, save for outright begging Himeko simply because you knew there was no way she was budging on the matter. Caelus and March had been your last hope.

But that hope had crashed and burned all too quickly. Because while they certainly were distracting everyone, they were doing it a bit too well. There was no way anyone would be willing to talk to you and Dan Heng, much less let any information slip, while the two of them were dancing like that on the dancefloor.

Dan Heng’s hand found yours and he looked your way until you nodded, if uncertainly, before he started forward. Leading you through the crowd and to the dancefloor proper.

All you had to do was get the attention off of Caelus and March and make your way to the other side of the dancefloor. You were just trading jobs. They would work on getting information while you handled the distraction. If all went well, people would want to chat after you got done dancing.

But that ‘if’ felt massive as you stared down the dancefloor.

There was no hesitation in Dan Heng’s motions though as he casually moved the two of you through the crowd, with people shifting out of your way as they glanced back at you in quiet surprise. And in mere moments, you were clear of the crowd and he was turning to face you. A steady yet expectant look in his eyes as you inhaled. Doing your best to ignore your own nerves as you pasted a smile onto your face.

A quick dance. That was all you had to do. A quick dance that managed to get the attention off the evolving tragedy that was March and Caelus that you could still see over Dan Heng’s shoulder.

He held up your interlocked hands as you stepped towards him, your free hand finding his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around you. His hand resting gently against your back. Somehow reassuring even as you exhaled shakily, doing your best to steady your nerves by focusing on both him and the rhythm of the music.

You squeezed his hand lightly and his eyes briefly widened before his face softened. A slight smile slipping onto his face.

And then he startled you, raising his arm so that you spun lightly as he let go of you, only to feel him stop you with his back pressed to yours and you felt yourself frown in confusion. Almost turning your head to question him, because this was not the choreography Himeko had laid out for the two of you.

But then you felt his fingers tangled with yours, a sensation that, despite everything, had a smile slipping onto your face as you curled your fingers into his.

Your arm swung over your head as he moved, half twisting to look at you before you were moving your arm to spin him in response, almost playfully.

But his arm crossed over in front of you, letting go of your one hand only to grab the other and hold it out as you reached to rest my hand against his other one that now rested on your waist as the two of you faced the same direction.

And as easily as that, with just a few arm motions, people were already starting to glance your way. Murmuring softly at how fluidly you were moved, interpreting one another’s cues as easily as if you were outright telling the other one what to do.

The two of you danced backwards, shifting to the side before he let go and you spun. Putting yourself so that you were now  facing him with one arm wrapped over his shoulder and around him while his arm remained wrapped solidly around you.

You continued to rotate together around the floor, slipping into the easy rise and fall of a waltz. But the simple fact of that matter was that, despite your own lack of confidence, dancing wasn’t actually all that difficult. Or at least it wasn’t after one had been taught the steps.

Plus, when one had a reliable partner, it got even easier. And Dan Heng was nothing if not reliable in every sense of the word.

His free hand reached over, grasping yours gently before he let you go with his other arm to twirl you again. 

You stopped yourself with a hand on his shoulder as you gave a light kick back. Largely just to adjust the skirt of your dress that hung most of the way to the floor.

His hands rested on your waist, ready to spin you back across the floor as you mentally recounted the motions that came next in the dance before you gave him the slightest of nods. 

And this time you danced away from him before he caught you by your arms that extended behind you. Causing you to stop with the light pulse of the music. Keeping both of you in rhythm as he pulled you back and you leaned with motion. Fighting the urge to giggle as you all but laid against him before sliding down towards the ground before you were straightening and turning to face him in one smooth motion.

And not once did his hands leave you as your arms crossed in front of you before he spun you rapidly. Your arms swinging up over your head to stay locked in his hands before he finally let go so he could wrap one arm around you. And you mirrored his position as you spun together, the motion almost dizzying as your gaze locked with his steady one.

And distantly you realized, as the two of you slowed and your hands shifted to lock back together in a closed hold, that at some point you’d forgotten to check on March and Caelus. But now your attention stayed on Dan Heng as you waltzed across the floor together.

 People shifted to stay in a ring around you as they watched in silence. As if they were somehow in awe despite the fact you weren’t doing an overly complicated dance.

Just a vaguely showy waltz with some of the tricks Himeko had taught you. But then, she had told you that just a few tricks could elevate a dance from average to seemingly amazing.

Dan Heng lightly tapped your back and you inhaled, recognizing his signal as one you’d gone over. But he was right, the music was lulling preparation for something. 

So you slowed, matching the song’s pacing as he spun you and you extended one leg. Leaning into your posed position before he pulled you back up. The motion startling you and causing you to press into him as you raised one leg in a desperate attempt to keep your balance. 

You were just lucky that it looked like a planned part of the dance.

“Nice save,” His words were exhaled and you glanced at him, pressing your lips together in a slightly strained smile as you gave the smallest of nods. 

His eyebrows arched, but he twirled you nonetheless. His arm sliding down to lock around you as his hand pressed firmly into your side before he lifted you. Matching the song’s sudden heavy drums as he spun with you. One arm around your waist while his other hand continued to hold yours. Evidencing exactly how easy it was for him to lift you.

And even as he sat you down with effortless slowness, there wasn’t even the slightest tremble to his arms. Which in some ways felt a bit unfair, but you couldn’t say you were upset. You far preferred the thought of being picked up by someone who could hold you easily than someone who might accidentally drop you.

You touched down and he twirled you almost immediately before catching both of your hands in his as you stepped backwards before closing the distance between the two of you as your arms locked around each other and your chests pressed together. And this time it was him gliding backwards and guiding you with him as you rotated.

Your motions gradually seemed to speed up until you were having to grip him tightly and kick out lightly to shift your skirt out of your way as it stubbornly tried to wrap around your legs.

He spun you, trading places before you both shifted. Swinging your arms as you both briefly shifted to stand side by side before spinning back towards each other and trading places again to repeat the same motion.

And then he was twirling you back towards him and walking across the stage with you before easily wrapping an arm around you and leaning you backwards into a dip as you wrapped your free arm around him. One hand grasping his neck as he leaned over and around you while your other hand grasped his arm that held you aloft as the music ended.

Polite applause resounded and you felt a smile slip onto your face before you giggled slightly. Your nerves slipping out in the form of laughter and causing a small smile to curve across Dan Heng’s face as his forehead pressed gently to yours before he pulled you back upright. Straightening with motion as his hand slid down to lock with yours once more.

Across from where you stood, you could see March bouncing up and down excitedly as Caelus saluted us with a comically serious expression, having been far more successfully than expected since he even had the piece you’d needed the information to get to in his hand that was pressed against his hip.

“Looks like they made it,” Your words were largely exhaled, and Dan Heng nodded in agreement as you both started to make your way through the crowd where they stood.

He glanced your way though, a small smile on his face that almost had you going still as he nodded, “And so did we.”

You paused before nodding your agreement and feeling yourself smile in response as your voice came out oddly soft in relief, “Yeah.”

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[it-happened-one-fic]

Not So Bad - Camus

Author Notes: Camus has been a bit awkward to write for, because there I've discovered there are a lot of different ways to characterize and interpret him. Which is fun, but does make room for decision-making in how to write him. I'm still not sure that I'm entirely pleased with his characterization here, though I do think he can be a little playful in his own way. As a little personal hehe I listened to the song "Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato while writing this. As a side note, Kurnik is a Russian pie (I've always had it as a Chicken pie with rice, eggs, and onions, but there are other variations) which I found out today is actually a traditional wedding pie in some areas of Russia and, on occasion was serve to the tsar himself. Reader is gender-neutral in this. I hope you enjoy!

Type: Gender-neutral Reader/ sfw/ fluff

Word Count: 1071

There was something distinctly absurd about having to pull on a jacket despite it being right during the hottest months of summer for the sake of going into Aquarius. 

But it was definitely necessary. It was always perfectly frigid there, no matter the time of year or the temperature of the day. A side effect of Camus’s power, you supposed.

Though you and Milo had debated numerous times if it was absolutely necessary and wasn’t something Camus could control.

Either way, though, there you stood. Tugging on your jacket and gloves while idly wondering if you should’ve also grabbed a scarf. All while trainee saints were quite literally passing out from heatstroke in the nearby training area.

And the very moment you stepped into the temple of Aquarius, you felt the now familiar temperature drop that had been promised by the flutter of chilly air that had slipped out the door when you’d first opened it.

You had to suppress a shudder as you closed the door behind you. Shutting out the sweltering heat and closing yourself in with the air that genuinely felt like it should be coming off of ice.

And in some ways, you supposed, it could be argued that it was. After all, Camus wasn’t known as the ‘Mage of Water and Ice’ for nothing.

But rather than any ice or a frosty wonderland, all you found was Camus, in a tank top of all things. Almost like he was silently laughing in the face of the cold despite his unbothered expression.

And it was almost disgusting that, as ever, he was quite simply unbothered by the frigid temperature of his zodiac temple and thereby stood in stark contrast to your bundled-up form. It was probably for the best that he handled the cold so well, though. It would be too cruel to have a person with normal temperature preferences staying here, after all.

He let out a sigh upon seeing you, with one judgmental eyebrow lifting as he crossed his arms, “It really isn’t that bad.”

“Says the guy who’s had special training to go along with a cosmo that helps you ignore the cold.” Your petulant response came immediately, and he pressed his lips together in a way that made it look like he was about to scold you. 

But instead, he just looked away. Apparently finding something more interesting to look at despite the fact he largely appeared to be staring at a wall now. “Well, it’s better than out there.”

This time you snorted at his words as you walked over, your arms wrapped tightly around yourself in a feeble attempt to preserve body heat, “More like it’s on the opposite end of the spectrum. I almost got temperature whiplash from just stepping in here.”

You paused, coming to a stop next to him and almost frowning at the subtle gleam to his eyes that indicated silent amusement despite his largely pristine mask of nonchalance.

You didn’t bother fussing though, instead opting to deliver your message, “There are some bronze and silver saints who are wanting to know if you’ll be coming by the training arena today. I think they want to show you something.”

“Or challenge me to a sparring session.” Camus’s tone was perfectly dry, but you didn’t doubt his words. There was almost always some bronze, silver, or trainee saint who was hoping to challenge a gold saint.

Sometimes it was as innocent as curiosity or genuine hope for a learning opportunity. But there were also more nefarious instances, like how people used to gang up on Aiolia. 

Though that was largely due to his relation to Aiolos.

But you weren’t overly concerned in this case. Because while you certainly didn’t want to see Camus get hurt, you also knew he could handle himself perfectly well. After all, it was by no means any mistake that he was a gold saint, and his ability to allow his cosmo to drop the temperature of a space to the extremes you were currently feeling was proof enough of his abilities.

“Is Hyoga there?” After a moment he questioned you calmly, and you watched him in quiet amusement before you shook your head. In all fairness, Hyoga was Camus’s student. It made sense that he’d be more open to lesson giving or sparring if it were with him. But you also couldn’t help but be amused by his favoritism.

“No, I didn’t know any of them.” You paused, watching him silently before you continued with a slight tilt of your head, “Will you be going?”

Your breath fogged in the air as you exhaled, and for a moment his eyes followed the foggy condensation as it spread and then dissipated in the frosty air before his gaze slipped back toward you. His eyebrows arching, “Are you wanting to watch me spar?”

You huffed out a slight laugh, curling your glove fingers into your sleeve as if digging for further insulation from the cold, “Hardly, I’ve seen you beat other saints plenty of times. I was just thinking if you were going to be that close by, I’d make extra for supper since I was planning on Kurnik. Hyoga might enjoy some, if you want to invite him too.”

Your words were largely nonchalant, but they caught his interest and he gestured slightly, “We could always eat here instead.”

You outright frowned at his words, your nose wrinkling at the thought, “Camus, it's frigid in here. The food will get cold and we’ll… Well, I’ll be uncomfortable.”

He let out a huff, glancing away from you, “Think of it as an escape from the heat outside, then. Besides,” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stepped forward. Closing the distance between the two of you with one smooth motion and causing you to stumble backwards slightly as he gave a slight tilt of his head. His gaze is still holding yours, “It’s not so bad once  you get used to it.”

And then he was shifting around you and walking on, as if that were precisely what he’d intended to do all along and that brief moment of proximity had been wholly been by accident.

You whirled to look after him as he walked off no doubt making for the training arena. 

You pressed your lips together in suppressed frustration, feeling oddly like he’d somehow won. Even if you couldn’t quite place how. 

[it-happened-one-fic]

Love Potion #9 - 19. Means Nothing

Summary: Being a guard was easy. It took training and staying by your Lord’s side, and Sebek had been practicing ever since his youth. But actually protecting someone? Suddenly, in the face of a love potion and mounting emotions, it seemed impossible. Especially when Sebek himself seemed to be one of the things hurting you.

Type: Female reader/ series/ sfw/ romance/ fluff/ angst with comfort/ pining/ some drama/ includes platonic interactions

Word Count: 1085

Love Potion #9 Master-List

Sebek had heard Lilia talking to Lord Malleus last night. He knew that the prince and heir to the throne of the Briar Valley was slowly succumbing to the love potion that had infected his body like a horrid illness.

And that was why Sebek had redoubled his efforts to make sure that his feelings towards you did not change. Because they shouldn’t. There was no way he could have ingested a love potion without detecting it. 

Lord Malleus’s fae lineage had helped him to detect it. Why would it be any different for Sebek who also possessed fae blood? 

And all of that meant that Sebek couldn’t go around hearing whispers about how it was a matter of time until he fell for you. Hearing such things would only weaken the resistance he’d mounted against that accursed potion that he most certainly had NOT ingested.

So he quite simply had to put down any and all assertions that he had any feelings whatsoever for you. It was better for you to mean nothing to him than for him to betray Lord Malleus’s trust or to betray yours.

Because having feelings for you would be a betrayal to both of you. You, who trusted him enough to let him into your home. And Lord Malleus, who himself now bore feelings for you, even if those feelings were only incited by a potion.

He glared down at the smaller Ignihyde freshman who’d just been whispering and snickering behind Sebek’s back about how it wouldn’t be long before Sebek was behaving like a blushing school girl from some anime. 

It was the same student who’d been talking about it ever since the announcement had occurred. The same student who’d first proclaimed that Sebek had no doubt been affected.

It would have been suspicious if Sebek hadn’t known that this fool had no talent for potions. There was no way he could have made a potion that could affect even Lord Malleus.

So Sebek had whipped around with a snarl on his lips. “I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU! THAT HUMAN MEANS NOTHING TO ME AND THE POTION HAS CHANGED NOTHING!” He thundered down at the smaller man who at first quailed, shrinking back in his seat until Sebek had calmed slightly. 

And then smug words slipped out of the  smirk that curled across the fool’s face once more, “Better watch what you say. You might hurt your sweetheart’s feelings.”

Before Sebek could even react, the student’s eyes widened almost comically as he sat back, his tone somehow turning even more mocking, “Oh! But I almost forgot.” 

The young man leaned back forward, gloating up at Sebek even as his companions reached out to stop him, seeing the writing on the wall even as he continued heedlessly, “They're not your sweetheart. They belong to your precious lord.”

Sebek honestly thought he heard something snap. Something that was no doubt the only thing that had been holding him back as all of the frustration, fear, and anger came pouring out all at once and onto his classmate.

A rolling, distinctly guttural sound emitted from his throat that had the entire class going still and looking towards Sebek as he glowered down at the student in front of him. The young man went still, his face going pale as Sebek’s hand curled into a tight, white-knuckled fist that itched to wrap around the fool’s throat and sling him across the room.

Sebek’s hand trembled under the effort that he exerted to not lose his temper and fully snap. The last vestiges of his reason straining to hold him back before a hand descended on his shoulder and a familiar too-calm voice sounded from behind him.

“Sebek. A word.” Sebek almost ground his teeth at the sound of Silver’s level voice before he whipped around and followed the other young man out into the hallway. Better to listen to him than to attack the whelp behind him.

“What?” Sebek’s singular word was clipped as Silver turned to face him, the knight’s face impassive as ever while he crossed his arms. But amid that impassivity Sebek could clearly see the disappointment on Silver’s face and it was beyond infuriating.

“I understand that you’re doing your best to control yourself, but you should think of the Prefect a little bit more before you speak.” Sebek frowned at Silver’s words, shaking his head in confusion only for Silver to continue. 

“We were in the hallway. They heard you.”

Those words were all it took to cause Sebek to feel his heart plummet. You’d heard him. You thought that you meant nothing to him.

The reasonable part of Sebek whispered that you knew better than that, but the less reasonable part was inconsolable. It replayed the Ignihyde’s students mocking words: “Better watch what you say. You might hurt your sweetheart’s feelings.”

 But Sebek knew what he had to do and he couldn’t waver. Not when doing so could mean inciting even greater sorrow for you.

But even so, Sebek was at a loss. Much of what he had been doing was in the name of protecting you and your fragile feelings just as much as it had been about not betraying Lord Malleus. But now, even in his attempts to protect you, he’d hurt you.

“You’re lucky that they're a good friend and understand you,” Silver’s words slowly brought Sebek into the moment, causing the younger man to look up at the knight who was still watching him with that same expression.

“But you should think about if what you’re really doing is protecting them or yourself.” As ever, Silver was relentless and left Sebek little room to argue as he turned to go. Walking away as he headed off to his class. 

But Sebek could respect that, even if it frustrated him endlessly. Silver had after all been ordered to protect you by Lord Malleus. And if that was what Silver was doing, then Sebek had to accept it.

It was obvious now, though, that there was a hole in Sebek’s plan. A hole made up by your feelings that he had hurt already despite his intentions. Because even though he’d been asserting that you, a little human, meant nothing to him it was quite possible that you actually could mean everything to him. And Sebek didn’t know what to do now that he had realized this. Because that simple truth could very well be the undoing of everything Sebek had been trying to save.

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Taglist: @turningmad, @followingthefanfiction, @star1ightbite, @yuu-twisted, @the-resident-demon, @magical-girls-can-bake, @yvres, @voque11ssue, @twisted-whatever

[thegoldenshi-shi]

Lightning Plasma

[it-happened-one-fic]

Dancing Through The Stars - A Million Words - Mydei - Argentine Tango

Author Notes: I'm honestly kind of torn with this chapter. A bit part of me is not satisfied with it, but it's also time for posting so here it is. I suspect a part of the reason I'm not satisfied is Mydei's characterization or something. If just feels sort of off, which could be the dance's fault since it was randomly selected. The Argentine Tango can be a little fussy when it comes to characterization though. Anyhow, the dance in this chapter was heavily inspired by Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu’s Argentine Tango to “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse on Season 21 of Strictly Come Dancing. Just like the rest of this series, reader is female. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like to read more of this series, the fics can be found here: Dancing Through The Stars Master-List.

Type: Female reader/ sfw/ pining/ dance

Word Count: 2413

You exhaled, glancing around at the darkened room that was filled with the swaying forms of dancers as you idly pondered how you’d managed to land yourself in this situation. But dancing with the crown prince of Kremnos was certainly an odd thought. Especially considering the fact that he was better known for war and fighting than any form of arts.

But there had always been more to Mydei than just his warrior side. You’d known that for years now. Even with that knowledge, though, the thought of dancing with him of all people was admittedly rather awkward.

It wasn’t hard to spot him amid the crowd of people, leaned against the wall in the shadows of the room. And there was no denying the way your gaze trailed toward him all too naturally.

His eyes flicked up to look your way, somehow seeming to glow with a faint golden light even from across the room before he straightened and started forward. Crossing the space purposefully, as if no one else mattered as you walked toward him silently.

And you had to hand it to Aglaea. She’d set the scene perfectly. No one would be able to ignore the prince as you both emerged into the middle of the room. Surrounded by a ring of people whose dancing started to trail off alongside the gradually lulling music. A marked contrast to yours and Mydei’s purposeful strides.

You stopped short though as you reached the middle of the space while he continued, starting to walk right on by you. Not stopping until his back was to you as you glanced only slightly over your shoulder toward him, though you avoided looking fully at him.

How long had it been since you had last seen him? 

Aglaea contacting you to request that you dance with Mydei in a performance that would reveal his return to the entire city had been surprising enough without even considering how much time had passed since you’d seen him. Which had been none other than the very same day that he’d left to face the black tide with little promise of returning.

You swallowed slightly as your fingers twitched, almost itching to reach back and brush against his. To just go ahead and get this started so that you could move on the way you always seemed to end up having to try to when it came to Mydei.

After all, it seemed like for better or worse he had some sort of doomed fate. Everytime things looked like they were taking a turn for the better, they’d slip back the other way.

You didn’t get the opportunity to take the first step though as he turned. And, almost instinctively, you pulled your hand away from him and toward your chest as your fingers curled into your palm. 

Distantly, you could hear a woman singing softly. Her quiet lyrics melting into the moody music that seemed to feel the space with a weighty somberness that was somehow drowned out by the raw amount of your attention Mydei managed to hold despite the fact he hadn’t said anything.

But, even without words, there was a heaviness to the atmosphere that had you pressing your lips together before you leaned lightly to the side and spread your arms. Feeling him catch you all too easily and guide you in a largely controlled fall toward the floor as one of your legs stretched out beside you while the other bent under you.

And then he was guiding you to the side and pulling you back up as you simultaneously turned to face him in one fluid motion that ended with you standing once more. Almost nose to nose with the man in question even as you kept your gaze downward. Determinedly avoiding eye contact as his hand caught yours while your other palm braced itself against his shoulder and he cupped your side.

You exhaled softly as you both knelt. Your bodies lowering together in one long motion. And when you straightened, you barely met his gaze. Your eyes flickering up to meet his before you stepped past him. Doing your best to ignore the way his hand reached over to gently catch you even as you move on by him.

And silently, you almost cursed Aglaea for picking an Argentine Tango, of all the dances, for you to dance with Mydei.

You understood the logic behind the dance, of course. Not only did both of you know this style, but it was also a moody sort of dance that could hardly be ignored when it was performed well. But the weighty emotions and story wove by such a dance always involved being in close proximity to your partner.

Proximity that was, in this case, almost painfully close considering you were dancing with Mydei whom you hadn’t seen or heard from in years but who somehow managed to have haunted you all this time.

You largely knew what was coming, but somehow your breath still caught slightly as his hand, warm as ever, closed around your wrist and tugged you backward into a twirl that ended with your arms wrapping around his shoulders as you caught yourself against him.

The motion paired almost perfectly with the jarring drum beat that slammed itself into the previously quiet music. Changing the tone of the dance floor and startling the other couples who’d been unprepared for the sudden beat change. Just as Aglaea had planned.

But she wanted all eyes on you and Mydei. No one could miss his reappearance. And even now you largely wished they’d just gone ahead and had some sort of parade or something instead of this. Because this felt cruel and unusual. Especially since Aglaea knew about your relationship with Mydei.

You barely had time to consider any of that though, since you could feel the way Mydei’s gaze sought yours even as you kept your head stubbornly turned. Casually tracing a pattern on the floor with the toe of your shoe before you stepped to the side with him. 

Both of you kicked back with one leg as he subtly pivoted you. And, predictably, you reacted to that motion. Briefly looking his way to see where he was taking this dance only to find your gaze colliding unforgivingly, and perhaps condemningly, with those perfectly gold eyes of his with their too-sharp pupils. Always too perceptive and unflinching in the way they held your gaze.

He gave a tug that was almost gentle despite the way it caused you to swing over in front of him with an exaggeratedly long step that fell perfectly in time with yet another beat in the rhythm of your music.

And then you started into a slow circle of careful steps that landed mere inches from one another as you stayed painfully close, but in pristine dancing held with the prince. 

And this time your gaze didn’t leave his. Almost as if you were entrapped by his stare despite the way you lifted your chin. Refusing to quail or tremble no matter the emotion that threatened to well up within you at the mere sight of him. Here, and safe. Miraculously unharmed by the war he’d been waging all this time against the seemingly unstoppable black tide despite the fact no one had known anything about his whereabouts or well-being until he’d stolen back into the city under the cover of night.

You weren’t sure even now if you were the one who’d avoided seeing him or if he’d been avoiding you up until this point. And perhaps it had been a bit of both. After all, he’d largely implied that you were not to wait for his return when he left. 

In his defense though, you knew he hadn’t expected to ever return, and he didn’t want you pining after a dead man. Though that was precisely what you’d been prepared to do.

You had tried though. You really had. But moving on even when he wasn’t around had proved impossible. And now, for reasons even you couldn’t put into words, you felt oddly guilty for having even tried.

You pivoted again, but this time he spun you in a swift, almost abrupt circle before pulling you against him. 

He stepped forward, sending you into a dynamic crouched position that had you leaning back and looking up at him as if you physically could not look away from him.

And maybe you couldn’t. Because something unnamed, but potent flickered in the silence between the two of you. Something that wasn’t even shattered as he stepped back and you slid into an upright position once more. Stepping lightly with him before he turned and you spun with him. Your legs rigid as if you were a doll that would spin so long as someone cranked the key that controlled the mechanisms which guided you.

At some point you’d leaned closer to him. Close enough that you could practically exchange breaths as he danced forward, sending you stepping backward in retreat before, on impulse, you spun.

Breaking eye contact and looking away from him as you felt yourself breathe again in that brief moment of separation even as his arm wound around you. Staying locked with yours as if he utterly refused to let you go.

And then he was pulling you back to him. His expression more complex now as you swallowed thickly. Refusing to meet his gaze once more as you pushed yourself to focus on your footwork instead.

But again he interrupted by grasping your arm before he swung you down into a dip that had you grasping his shoulder by instinct. Looking toward the ground as your body crossed over his in something akin to a lunge as he supported you easily with his hands splayed across your back. Brushing against where your skin was exposed by your dress even as he pulled your back upright.

And as you faced him again, your hands were cupping his face, with your fingers stretching into the strawberry blond hair that hung to his shoulders as it faded into a brilliant red.

You exhaled softly, your breath trembling before your hands slid away from his cheeks and down his shoulders, where one of his hands caught yours with infinite gentleness as his expression softened. Something akin to apology there, though you weren’t quite sure what it might be for.

How long he’d been away? His sudden appearance here? Your involvement? Or, perhaps, the way he’d pushed you into this strangely tense interaction filled with far too many unspoken emotions.

He let you go, seemingly releasing you into the crowd as the music lulled while people stared. Almost like they were afraid of interrupting this strange moment where it honestly felt like it was just you and Mydei.

You swallowed though as he stepped back, his eyes staying locked with yours as you squared your shoulders and nodded. A silent indication that you were ready as he stepped back into the center of the ring in one fluid motion that stood in stark contrast to the tales of all the blood he’d shed.

You took off as the drum beat hit. Leaping toward him before locking your arms and legs around him in an embrace as you tucked your head against his shoulder and he spun with you. His arms wrapping tightly around you as he stopped with his head pressing against the side of yours as he supported you with carefully controlled strength and let you down.

Your feet touched lightly onto the ground and you slid apart, with his hand sliding down your arm until it locked with yours and pulled the two of you back together.

And all at once everything seemed to fall in place as you matched the beat perfectly. Mirroring one another’s steps as you danced lightly around the encircled space. Your eyes locked with one another as a million words sped between you in the space of seconds.

You pivoted with him again, one leg extended to cross over his before he easily swung you up so that you could cross both legs against his hip as you sat lightly on his slightly bent leg before he swung you back down and you rapidly spun to the side. 

Snapping into yet another dynamic position that left the two of you with mere inches between you.

Your hand left his to brace itself against his shoulder as he gripped your back steadily. Swinging you between his legs so that you slid smoothly against the floor as the music lulled again.

And everything about it seemed so impossibly careful and precise as he pulled you back upright and your hand found his again before he lifted you to spin. Holding in a careful position that had you mere inches from the ground before he set you back down and twirled you.

You stopped with your back to his chest this time, though. Watching as his arms crossed yours over your chest while his hands stayed tangled with yours. Not letting go until the very last second. And only then did they shift to rest lightly against your stomach and shoulder as you felt his head turn to rest against yours. His lips just shy of your ear as he exhaled and his breath fanned across your cheek in the silence that remained in the aftermath of your performance and fading strings of the music.

And then slowly, the applause started and you came back too. Your breath catching slightly as his hand tightened just briefly on your shoulder. Almost like he too had been momentarily startled by the reminder of your audience’s presence before he stepped back and you straightened. 

Lowering your arms and doing your best to pretend that nothing at all had just happened. There had been no brief moment of rawness where there had been too much said in just a few glances.

But even then, as you lied to yourself, you couldn’t deny the way your gaze trailed its way back to him as he stepped forward to bow slightly in a swift recovery that perfectly concealed whatever it was that had just happened between the two of you.

Though after a moment, he did look back at you. A certain weightiness still present in his golden eyes as you finished recovering and nodded. Managing a smile as you looked toward the crowd and mirrored his bow.

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[it-happened-one-fic]

Meet You There - 18. A Considerate Man

Summary: There were moments where you were truly struck by the kindness of others, and the silence that Neuvillette allowed to rest easily between the two of you as he walked you home was welcome.

Type: Female Reader/ sfw/ second chance romance/ somewhat slow burn/ romance/ fluff/ angst with comfort/ pining/ some drama/ includes platonic interactions

TW: Gang Violence (only explicit in one, later, chapter), one mention of death

Word Count: 937

Meet You There Master-List

I had to hand it to Neuvillette. I did not have to wait long for him to appear. I’d barely gotten my eyes somewhat dry when he’d appeared, and I was genuinely grateful for his ever-calm presence. Even if it did feel distinctly uncomfortable to be interacting with anyone after crying my heart out.

His gaze swept over me as if he were confirming my well being, and I idly wondered exactly how puffy my eyes were as he spoke with a gradually softening gaze, “I take it Wriothesley finally told you everything?”

There was nothing judgmental about his tone, but I was still glum as I met his gaze and I nodded.

“So you already knew everything about his foster parents?” My voice came out painfully soft, as if I couldn’t muster any real volume after sobbing my heart out mere moments ago.

Neuvillette simply nodded though, seemingly unbothered by my quiet tone and instead, wholly accepting of both it and my current state, “Yes, I knew even before he came back here. He requested that I didn’t say anything to you, though. He wanted to tell you himself.”

I nodded silently, feeling the weight of Neuvillette’s gaze on me even as his words settled into the quiet around us.

I’d already known, of course, that the trust between Wriothesley and Neuvillette was implicit. But it did still sting a little bit that Neuvillette had known about everything that had happened while I’d been kept in the dark.

I understood that sharing what I’d just learned had to be hard for Wriothesley. Even just listening to it had been difficult, and I hadn’t even been the one who’d suffered all of that. But, selfishly, I still felt oddly frustrated and maybe even almost jealous that he’d confided in Neuvillette but kept silent with me. Even if I knew that was wrong. Wriothesley had every right to pick and choose who he talked to about what had happened to him. And even if I felt incomparably close to him, that didn’t mean he felt the same way about me.

But knowing that logically didn’t change that childish moodiness that I felt. Though it did make me feel that much more ashamed by it and frustrated with myself.

“It is often difficult to share matters that reflect negatively on yourself, such as how Wriothesley’s actions led to his guilt and conviction, with those you care about the most.”

Neuvillette’s voice slipped into the silence easily. Somehow breaking it in the most gentle way possible with  his words that were both too understanding and too perceptive despite simultaneously being filled with a gentleness that had my eyes widening even as I looked up at him once more.

But to say that I felt wholly understood in that moment would be putting it lightly as Neuvillette’s gaze held mine with that characteristic calmness of his. And it really was like he somehow knew without a shadow of a doubt what had been bothering me. And he probably did, considering how clearly he’d addressed my unspoken feelings. 

He continued in that same soft tone that made me wonder if he was afraid of doing more harm than good with his words even as he spoke, “Wriothesley was worried about how learning about what he did might change your view of him and he didn’t want to place the weight of that knowledge on you either.”

He paused, a quiet sigh slipping out of him before he continued his explanation with a slight shake of his head, “He said you would worry.”

I swallowed, doing my best to ignore that lump that was now rebuilding itself in my throat as I blinked through the wetness that stung at my eyes, "I was going to worry either way.”

My voice wavered slightly and Neuvillette nodded with a small smile, agreeing with me easily, “I had thought so myself, but…”

He trailed off, holding his hand out to help me up and I nodded, reaching up and letting him support me as I got to my feet before I met his gaze again and nodded. My hand left his and I followed him quietly as a comfortable silence settled between us as we strolled along.

In some ways, I wanted to question him, but I also didn’t entirely know what to ask. Wriothesley had already told me everything. And all things considered, I wasn’t sure if I had it in me to fully address what I’d learned. I was both exhausted from the shock, horror, and heartbreak of it all that silence felt more comfortable.

So we walked on in silence almost the entire way back home until Neuvillette finally glanced my way, his gaze scanning my face before he spoke with a measure of uncertainty that wasn’t usually present in his tone. And I almost wondered if he were trying to reassure me, or remind me of what I already knew, “Wriothesley is a considerate man, and he does care about you.”

I felt a smile tug at my lips before I nodded, my own voice coming out unexpectedly soft, “I know.”

Neuvillette paused, watching me closely before he finally nodded, seemingly satisfied as a small smile started to appear on his face. And I almost wanted to ask what he saw even as he spoke, “Take care of yourself, Y/n.”

I nodded, smiling at him as I rested a hand tiredly on the doorknob, “Yes, and thank you, Neuvillette.”

He inclined his head politely before turning to leave, and I watched him go for a brief moment before turning and heading inside.

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Taglist: @mrssylus, @the-resident-demon

[it-happened-one-fic]

Change - Kanon

Author Notes: Surprisingly I wrote this in almost on sitting, though I did edit this fic quite heavily. I'm still learning how to characterize each of the Saint Seiya characters. I though I'd crutch a little on Kanon's backstory in the same way I did with Aiolia. Unlike with Aiolia though, I didn't have a specific song I listened to while writing this.

Type: Gender-neutral Reader/ sfw/ light angst/ comfort(?)/ Pining (less for him and more of the past??)/ Mentions of Aiolos, Saga/ Post-Sanctuary and Poseidon arc/

Word Count: 1373

You watched droplets of water chase each other across the window as the rain pattered down outside. Turning the carefully gardened, steady incline that was Sanctuary into a mass of wet grass, muddy paths, and unhappy trainee saints. 

You really ought to be focusing on the vegetables you’d been chopping for supper, but instead you kept finding your gaze tracing it way back to the window where you could gaze out across Sanctuary and at the sea beyond.

But it was a dismal day. It had rained hard all day yesterday and all night before trailing off into a more gentle shower throughout today as if in apology for absolutely soaking everything in sight.

And you could only think of one saint, or saint associate, who would be enjoying this.

Namely, Kanon.

But Kanon had always been oddly hydrophilic, even before his time with Poseidon. Perhaps that was why, after getting over the shock that he was still alive and wasn’t M.I.A, you really hadn’t been that surprised that Kanon had ended up serving under Poseidon.

After all, even when you were both younger Kanon had been rather wily and ruthless. The idea of him tricking, and even using a deity, wasn’t really that outside the realm of possibility. 

And beyond that, it had never been odd to see him near the sea while skipping out on training. So in many ways, Poseidon seemed like the obvious choice for him. Even if it had been a betrayal of Sanctuary.

But now he was back, having washed back in like he was carried on the very same tide that had carried him away.

Though you couldn’t deny that his own actions had played a role in pulling him away from Sanctuary. But Kanon was seldom wholly innocent.

And perhaps that was why you were left feeling just as muddled as the view you had out the rain splattered window that you were currently looking through.

In the past, you’d always gotten along well with Kanon. You’d never been one of the trainees or saint-hopefuls but you had, perhaps inevitably, ended up interacting with Saga, Kanon, and Aiolos quite a bit before everything had gone down.

Which was why it had all been quite so horrific when everything had happened. 

Because while Sanctuary had never been perfect by any means, you never could have predicted it all. In fact, you weren’t sure anyone could have.

After Kanon and Saga had disappeared and Aiolos had died, it had quickly become obvious that anyone who’d associated with the so-called ‘traitor of Sanctuary’ and didn’t outright state Aiolos was a horrible person, was viewed as untrustworthy at best. So, you’d ended up moving to the village just outside of Sanctuary. 

You would sneak in, as much as felt safe, and leave things for Aiolia and others who remained sympathetic to Aiolos. But for the most part you kept your distance.

And then things changed. Five bronze saints and Athena herself came to Sanctuary, cleared Aiolos’s name, and uncovered a massive plot which involved Saga having a secondary personality which took over not only his life, but the entirety of Sanctuary.

And just like that, Aiolos was a traitor no more. He was the hero of Sanctuary.

Shortly after that, you’d ended up getting invited back to Sanctuary to help in restoration works, as someone who remembered how things had once been run. 

You’d hesitated initially, but you’d eventually come back. Returning to the place you’d been raised alongside so many other orphans, even if you’d never possessed the abilities necessary for being a saint. You just helped provide advice for managing Sanctuary based on how you recalled things and helped the new Athena with looking her very best at all times now.

But despite being back, something had still felt wrong. Almost as if something had been missing, even though you knew you could never return to the peaceful days of your youth.

It hadn’t been long though until the entire Poseidon fiasco had happened, which led to the present. With Kanon being back, and you knowing the full extent of his crimes.

You glanced over as the door opened, feeling your eyebrows arch as the man in question walked in. Glancing around, before he spotted where you were sitting as an easy, if troublesome smile spread across his face.

And for a split second it was like nothing had changed. In mere moments Saga would be coming in with a wary frown to make sure Kanon wasn’t causing trouble, or Aiolos would come running in with his usual energy to inform both of you that the kids were doing something they shouldn’t or that he needed you to watch Aiolia for a bit.

But things had changed. You were both older, and both Saga and Aiolos were long gone now.

“Figured I’d find you here,” Kanon plopped down across from you easily, one arm draped over the back of the chair as he tilted his head slightly, and despite yourself,  you almost snorted.

“You got lucky. I’m pretty sure I’m only here because Aiolia made sure I got this house back when I moved back here. Otherwise I probably would’ve been living closer to Athena's chambers.”

He nodded, seemingly unbothered as he glanced around, “I guess things haven’t changed as much as it looked at first glance.”

You almost frowned, but he continued without hardly even waiting for you to respond. Gesturing in your direction idly, “You’re still here, Sanctuary is still running stubbornly on with training day-in and day-out….”

You glanced away, opting to glance back out at the steadily muddying world outside rather than continue looking at him. Ghost of the past that he was.

“You sound bitter,” You’d barely started before you paused, half-wondering if your summation better suited yourself than it did him before you continued in a softer tone. “A lot has changed.”

“You haven’t.”

You frowned again, looking back his way only to find Kanon smiling at you in an amused manner that was perfectly characteristic of him.

He sat forward, crossing his arms and half laying on the table between the two of you as he grinned, “You still don’t trust me. You, Saga, and the Pope were always the ones that knew better than to trust me completely.”

You huffed out a half of a laugh, gesturing vaguely to him as if he were all the evidence you needed to prove your point, “Well, we weren’t entirely wrong, were we?”

At odds with the possibility of him getting upset, Kanon just shook his head. That grin of his never leaving his face. But he had never been one to deny his own cunning and often ruthless nature. In fact, he sometimes almost seemed to revel in it.

Sort of like now, as his eyes glimmered at you with undisguised humor, “I didn’t say you were wrong. I said you hadn’t changed.”

A part of you almost wanted to take offense at his nonchalant words. After all, you rather felt like you’d matured at least a little bit over the years. But instead of bickering, you tilted your head. Crossing your arms and matching his stare, “What about you? Have you changed?”

His gaze held yours, a steady sea green that continued to glimmer despite how dim and overcast it was outside. And then he finally shrugged, a lazy motion, as he closed his eyes and severed the connection, “Who knows. With a little luck, maybe.”

A  smile tugged at your lips, the twitching motion only encouraging him even as you inhaled lengthily, “And if not?”

He scoffed slightly, leaning back in his chair, “Then I guess we’re lucky you’re still here. After all, you still know how to handle me.”

You snorted, looking back down at the vegetables in front of you, “Glad to be of service.”

This time you didn’t look up when he responded, the sarcastic lilt to his tone matching the one you’d just used on him, “Glad to have you.”

But you did smile this time, despite yourself. Though he probably didn’t deserve it as you continued to sit together, listening to the rain patter down on the roof as if absolutely nothing had changed.

[it-happened-one-fic]

Love Potion #9 - 18. Brand-New Guard

Summary: It was going to take a little bit to get used to having a guard, but at least with it being Silver things might not get too awkward. After all, the sleepy young man had always seemed like a particularly nice individual. 

Type: Female reader/ series/ sfw/ romance/ fluff/ angst with comfort/ pining/ some drama/ includes platonic interactions

Word Count: 1850

Love Potion #9 Master-List

I opened my eyes with a frown, blinking up at the ceiling of my room and finding myself almost wishing the day away despite how wrong I knew that was.

But wishful thinking would, unfortunately, not solve anything and another day of dealing with the love potion drama awaited me.

I paused, glancing towards the mirror to see my own tired looking face, but I couldn’t say I was surprised. I hadn’t slept terribly well after my conversation with Malleus. Especially since I’d sat on the porch for quite some time, not quite able to cry from mere frustration, but also not quite able to muster the energy to stand and enter the house.

Grim never had woken from his snoozing on the table and I left him there last night. Passing by him in a dissociative state as I’d gone upstairs and finally crawled into bed well past midnight.

I could only imagine what expression I was wearing when I finally left my room and went down the stairs to face the day ahead of me. Grim trotted over, a complaint ready to fly out of his mouth before he stopped, staring at me with wide eyes that were filled with both confusion and a distinct level of concern. No words left his mouth as I drifted by him and toward the door, picking up my bag of homework as I went and leaving him to follow me.

In truth, I kind of wanted to say something to him. To talk to my feline companion and use conversation as a distraction. But I also couldn’t find anything to say. 

I could’ve told him about Malleus’s words from last night, but I really didn’t know what to say on that front. Plus, I didn’t even know if Grim would understand exactly how upsetting it was. After all, Grim was known to have some very odd views that didn’t always exactly align with how humans thought of things.

But what Malleus was doing, as understandable as it was, was exactly what I’d been afraid of. 

He was going to be avoiding me, and I feared that the others might start doing the same. And, if I were totally honest, I didn’t know if I could face that.

 I’d come into this world on my own and slowly gathered friends to surround myself with. It had helped to block the loneliness and fear of being in an unfamiliar place that I knew nothing about.

I’d always thought I could handle being alone but… It seemed that loneliness had a way of creeping up on a person, and I didn’t want to have to face it once more.

It was true that I wouldn’t be totally alone. I would have Grim, the ghosts, and the teachers, but I would miss those who avoided me while simultaneously understanding their actions. 

And the idea of Malleus already being affected to the point he felt he needed to avoid me was frightening. Because Malleus had always seemed so powerful even despite his often immature or amusing behavior.

I opened the door silently and saw something that snapped me out of my daze and had my eyes going wide.

Silver was standing there on the porch, propped against one of the supporting columns, fast asleep. 

I blinked at him in surprise before looking down at Grim who only looked up at me with an equally surprised expression.

 “What’s he here for?” It was only when my cat spoke that I realized I hadn’t actually told Grim about Malleus implementing a guard for me. He’d been so excited about the food when I’d gotten home last night that I hadn’t told him about anything that had happened at the meeting.

“Hornton ordered him to watch over me while this entire potion mess is going on…” I trailed off, looking back towards the sleeping young man uncertainly as I scanned his form, “How long do you suppose he’s been there?”

Grim shook his head, slinking around me as he went to go and investigate the sleeping knight, “No clue, he’s asleep though.”

I nodded as I trailed after the cat, finally reaching out to gently shake Silver awake. It was a relief when his eyelids fluttered open and he looked at me with sleepy eyes that I now noticed, for the first time, were a purple that seemed to swirl with hues of light blue. Giving them an enchanting appearance that was not unlike an aurora borealis.

“Prefect….” His voice was quiet and still a little thick with sleep as he continued to blink himself awake and slowly straighten before he glanced around. A frown slipped onto his face as he looked back towards me, “It appears that I must have fallen asleep again… I apologize.”

“You here to walk us to school?” Grim wasted no time in questioning the young man and I frowned at my cat, about to scold him for being quite so blunt before Silver nodded, looking between the two of us as he replied.

“Yes, Malleus wished for me to escort you until the love potion issue has been resolved. He told you of this, correct?” He looked at me questioningly, his tone still easy and calm. Forcing me to relax at least a little bit from my earlier frustrations and nod.

“Yeah, he did. I’m sorry for the trouble,” I shifted the bag on my shoulder idly, bracing myself for the awkwardness that would be having a guard.

Silver merely shook his head at my apology, resting his wrist against his wand that I now noticed hung at his side like a sword, “It’s no trouble and you are in no way at fault.”

He stepped off the porch, looking back at me as he waited for me to follow only for his gaze to fall on my bag. He held out his hand, still utterly relaxed and calm despite the tinge of strangeness that this entire interaction had held so far, “Allow me.”

I frowned slightly, staring at him in confusion until I figured out what he was talking about, “Oh, my bag. Thanks, but it’s fine. I’ve got it.” I waved him off as I joined him on the ground and started off down the path that would eventually take us to the school building.

We walked in silence, with me and Grim occasionally exchanging glances as we silently discussed exactly how awkward this entire ordeal was without any words having to pass between us. 

I’d known that being watched over would be weird, but having a silently stoic bodyguard like Silver made it all the more strange. I really didn’t know how Malleus handled it all the time.

But then, he did actually know Silver, so I supposed he had a leg up in that sense.

The silence was only broken by the time we reached the campus’s main building and Silver suddenly spoke up, “You walk this far everyday?”

It was an obvious question, but Grim responded nonetheless. Obviously relieved that the heavy silence had been at long last broken, “Yeah, I can’t get the stupid mirror in our room to activate so we have to take the long way.”

I nodded, pitching in to help with the explanation as I glanced back at where Silver walked behind us, “Crowley said the mirror’s probably busted, but has never checked it out for us.”

Silver slipped up alongside me, glancing at the two of us with that same unreadably stoic expression he always wore, “I can check it, if you would like. It would be a small matter.”

I blinked at him, startled by his offer before I tilted my head in confusion, “I thought that was hard to do?”

He shook his head, “No, it's just that most people don’t know the technique used to test mirrors. Fa-... Lilia, taught me some years ago, so I can do so with ease.”

I shifted, pondering my options before at last nodding with a slight smile, “It would be nice to just be able to use the mirror to come here. I’ll just have to move it from its spot over the fireplace.”

At my words Silver frowned, it was an almost imperceptible motion, a mere twitch of his lips, “I’m afraid you can’t. The school’s magic mirrors must stay in place for them all to connect properly…. But, did you say it was over your fireplace?”

I found myself smiling at his confusion as I opened the door to my classroom. Perhaps interacting with Silver wouldn’t be as difficult as I thought.

My smile fell though as soon as I got ready to enter the class since Sebek’s voice, obviously incensed, could be heard from the classroom right across the hall, “I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU! THAT HUMAN MEANS NOTHING TO ME AND THE POTION HAS CHANGED NOTHING!” 

I stood silently, my grip on the door knob tightening ever so slightly. But I knew exactly what ‘human’ Sebek was talking about. 

Grim made an annoyed sound and started to say something but I stopped him with a shake of my head and small smile, “It’s alright, Grim.”

My feline companion all but scowled up at me but stayed silent, instead opting to slink into the room ahead of me as I pulled the door open.

I sighed slightly at the cat but didn’t say anything, instead turning to look at Silver who was watching me with an unreadable expression once more. Almost as if he were gauging my reaction to Sebek’s outburst.

“Thanks for walking me here. I’ll be fine now, so you should probably get to class,” I paused, frowning slightly as I had to force Sebek’s words out of my mind. 

I was sure that he didn’t mean it anyway and I needed to focus on the matter at hand, “Do I need to wait for you in my classroom, or can I just go about my day as usual?” 

Silver shook his head, shifting slightly but maintaining his relaxed yet ever-perfect posture, “I’ll be by to walk you back to your dorm, walk you between classes, and I’ll accompany you to the cafeteria. I’ve already spoken with the teachers to ensure my schedule going forward allows it.”

I nodded at his explanation, realizing that I’d have to explain to the others that Silver would be hanging around with me now. At least until we got the entire body-guard schedule sorted out.

“Alright, thanks again Silver. I guess I’ll see you later,” I waved with a polite smile and turned to join Grim at my table where he was already gossiping with Deuce and Ace, no doubt about our brand-new guard.

 I was stopped though as Silver called out and caused me to stop mid-step, “Prefect.”

I turned to look back at him only to see him looking at me with his head tilted slightly, “Please don’t take Sebek’s words to heart. He doesn’t mean them.”

I felt a small smile slip onto my face, touched by Silver’s comforting words before I nodded, “I know. Thank you Silver.”

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Taglist: @turningmad, @followingthefanfiction, @star1ightbite, @yuu-twisted, @the-resident-demon, @magical-girls-can-bake, @yvres, @voque11ssue, @twisted-whatever

[it-happened-one-fic]

Dancing Through The Stars - Connect the Dots - Welt Yang - Paso Doble

Author Notes: Welt doing the paso doble felt like both a good fit and a weird one. He rather oddly intense, all things considered, but also very chill. So balancing that felt kind of awkward. The performance in this fic was inspired by Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell’s Paso Doble to “Run Boy Run” by Woodkid on Strictly Come Dancing season 2. Just like the rest of this series, reader is female. I hope you enjoy!

If you would like to read more of this series, the fics can be found here: Dancing Through The Stars Master-List.

Type: Female reader/ sfw/ fluff

Word Count: 1536

You had honestly almost laughed when Himeko had suggested you dance a paso doble with Welt for the distraction at the party. Because while the paso doble was a very showy dance, it also wasn’t the first dance that came to mind when you considered Welt Yang, of all people.

Especially considering his perpetual use of a walking stick….

And yet here you were, after what seemed like ridiculous amounts of encouragement from March, getting ready to dance the paso doble with Welt solely to provide a distraction while the others went about their business.

And, as ever, while Welt had been somewhat caught off guard by the suggestion, he was as put together as possible while he stood next to you. Calmly cleaning his glasses, though you did catch the slight sigh that slipped out of him.

But then, it seemed like Welt was always getting pulled into some form of shenanigans. It was just that this time it involved dancing with you in front of a large number of people.

You glanced his way, quietly watching him as you fidgeted with your detachable skirt that Himeko had gotten for you with a sly wink. But then Welt was an odd man. 

At times, he seemed completely normal, if a little tired, and often you felt like you knew him well. He was, in many ways, a paternal figure to some of the other members of the Express, like Sunday, and he had a knack for art that you’d discovered while harassing him one day.

And in moments like those, he seemed perfectly ordinary. Easy to get along with, generally laid back, and reliable, though perhaps in not such a dramatic way as some others.

But then there were other times where Welt would catch you off-guard, and that was when you would realize exactly how enigmatic he really was. Because, frankly speaking, no ordinary man should be capable of things that Welt was.

You weren’t going to ask though. After all, there were certain things you didn't bring up, and you had always gotten the feeling that something unpleasant had happened to Welt in that past, even if he didn’t necessarily let on that was the case.

As if sensing your idle, drifting thoughts, he glanced your way. His eyes studying you before he tilted his head and leaned ever so slightly closer, “Are you ready?”

His question came out surprisingly soft and had you blinking slightly before you nodded, smiling awkwardly as you gave a vague wave of your hand, “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just zoning out.”

The briefest of smiles flickered across his face as he straightened, giving a slight nod of his head before he looked back toward the dance floor and his smile dropped. Replaced by a frown that was paired with a tired sigh that almost had you smiling. But then, Welt was the long-suffering sort.

You linked your arm through his and leaned over, smiling at him as he glanced your way before you started forward with him beside you before you parted. Facing each other as the one song faded out and the room darkened.

A fact that had several other couples murmuring in confusion. But Himeko had promised that she’d see to it that you had everything you needed, including an appropriate song. Somehow you felt like the lighting change had more to do with March, or possibly Caelus, though.

You and Welt simply faced each other, waiting patiently until the beat hit, at which point you began clapping. Slapping your hands against your thighs, together, and around in varying circles as a spotlight hit the pair of you.

And as simply as that, you had everyone’s attention. With murmurs rippling through the crowd. You even heard one woman off to the side curiously mention that she hadn’t heard anything about any performances being put on this evening.

A chord from the piano rang out and you both stepped forward. Your arms spread so that your left one arched around Welt’s where he stood posed beside you.

He circled his arm, whipping you into a twirl that had your dark skirt flaring dramatically until you came to a stop beside him. Now facing the same direction as him as you gripped his extended arm that was held out in front of you like some form of barrier.

And then you started the dance in earnest, stepping to the side as you both swung one arm in a dramatic motion. Shifting from pose to pose in a way that carefully matched the relentless beat of the music that backed you.

But that was the nature of the paso doble. It was an innately dramatic dance that made use of powerful motions done to an almost march-like beat as the dancers wove a story, usually one of a matador in a bullfight.

Welt turned, his hand catching yours as his other pressed against your back. Putting the two of you into closed hold while your other hand rested against his shoulder as the two of you danced across stage, at first slowly and then with more speed.

And then, almost as quickly as you’d come together, you separated. Dancing as you faced one another with dramatic posed motions that mirrored one another. 

You found yourself looking directly at him, almost blinking at the focused expression on his face that was at odds with the relaxed smile or tired frown you usually saw. It was an expression more reminiscent of the one he wore when scolding someone, but still more intense than that.

Your wrists crossed in between you as you both lifted your arms. Crossing them in front of you like you were blocking one another until his hand caught yours and spun you over so you were beside him once more.

And that was your cue. You reached down, walking around him with purposeful steps as you hurriedly detached your skirt and flipped it over to him. A move that had audible murmurs was again rising from the audience as he flipped it around like a cape.

But you’d all agreed. It was an easy distraction that extended your little impromptu performance and bought more time for the others. And, to top it off, it fit in nicely with the overall tone and theming of the paso doble.

You both spun across the stage, sliding past each other as you swung your arms dramatically. And when you turned to face Welt once more, he was no longer holding the fabric. Having tossed it to the side as he squared his shoulders and walked towards you. Striding across the dancefloor with the purpose that usually wasn’t found in the ballroom and seemed more suited for an opponent.

But when you met in the middle once more, you didn’t clash. Instead, you just re-entered closed hold and started across the floor at a rapid pace that matched the now flashing lights.

As you reached the other side you both spun in place, matching each other perfectly before snapping almost immediately back into hold and rotating before he leaned you back into a swift dip.

You were only lowered for a few seconds though before you were straightening and pivoting. Now dancing backwards before you slid into rotations that had you both leaning to the side as you raised and lowered your extended arms to the beat before parting. Facing one another and swinging your arms in dramatic circles as you stared each other down.

It was the part that you’d gotten tickled and started laughing at almost each time you’d practiced. But this time you kept a straight-face. Focusing on the performance rather than the rather ridiculous level of melodrama inherent to the motions.

You pivoted to the side, standing next to Welt once more as you both lowered your arms. And you glanced to the side, noting the signal Dan Heng was giving to let the two of you know they were done paired with March who was leaning around him to snap a quick picture of the two of you.

It almost had you rolling your eyes before you glanced over to see Welt meet your gaze before he gave a slight nod. Apparently having noticed the two of them as well.

He reached over, extending both hands for you to grab, and you spun. Exchanging places with him until you were just holding one of his hands. 

You barely glanced his way for confirmation before you spun on your own. Twirling toward him before throwing yourself back at the last second and getting caught by his arm securely wrapped around your shoulders and holding you up as the final resounding beat of the music rang out. 

Almost immediately applause rang out and you felt yourself let out the breath you’d been holding. Reaching up to grasp his shoulders as you straightened, feeling him pull you the rest of the way up before you spun out.

Meeting the audience with a bright smile, as if you really had just finished a performance and hadn’t been serving as a distraction at all.

You just hoped no one would connect the dots when this was all over with.

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[it-happened-one-fic]

Meet You There - 17. A Thousand Emotions

Summary: There were a million and one things you could have expected from your conversation with Wriothesley, but you weren’t sure you could have ever been prepared for what you learned. And in the face of that  painful truth he shared with you, your words failed you. Leaving you to flounder as you tried to respond.

Type: Female Reader/ sfw/ second chance romance/ somewhat slow burn/ romance/ fluff/ angst with comfort/ pining/ some drama/ includes platonic interactions

TW: Gang Violence (only explicit in one, later, chapter), one mention of death, Wriothesley's backstory

Word Count: 2429

Meet You There Master-List

Despite what I’d thought last night, today had come all too quickly. And while I usually looked forward to spending time with Wriothesley, I couldn’t entirely say that was the case this time.

Still, I practically leapt to my feet when the doorbell rang. Earning me glances from both Alhaitham and Kaveh who’d been sitting with me all this time in silent support. After all, I’d ended up telling them what had happened last night. There hadn’t been much of a way for me to get out of that considering the interrogation that had occurred the moment I’d got back and they’d taken a look at my expression.

I awkwardly bade them farewell before Kaveh could have a chance to feed me anymore, ‘It’ll all work out’s or anything of that sort.

He meant well, of course, but there was also only so much a person could take. Something I was reasonably certain Alhaitham recognized judging from the looks he’d been giving Kaveh.

But, in truth, it was hardly any better when I got outside. 

In fact, it might even be worse.

Things were still awkward at best between Wriothesley and I. And while that was understandable, that realization didn’t really help the current situation. Especially since I had a feeling that this wasn’t a conversation either of us had been looking forward too.

He held up a hand, managing a tired smile as he broke the weighty silence that hung over us, “Hey.”

I bobbed my head, smiling tiredly in return as I echoed his greeting. Genuine, if weak, amusement creeping into my tone even despite the situation, “Hey.”

The corners of Wriothesley’s lips twitched up just a fraction higher at my tone before he gestured to the side, “Do you remember that park we used to meet at during semesters when our classes didn’t line up?”

I nodded, feeling my smile spread wryly at his words, “Of course I do. How could I not after how much time we ended up spending there?”

He nodded in agreement, and a small part of me wondered if he was thinking about those afternoons we’d spent together. Often not leaving until it started getting later in the day, with the light fading and essentially forcing us to move along. We’d talked about almost everything under the sun there. Usually laughing and picking on each other.

Though there would be those moments where comfortable silence would dominate the old playground in the center of the park as we would simply exist peacefully in each other's presence. As if nothing else mattered.

“I thought it might be fitting to talk there. For old time’s sake, if nothing else.” I felt my smile, slight though it had already been, falter at his words. Not liking the somber undertone in his voice at all.

It only seemed to confirm my fears about how this conversation would go and what the result might be.

I stayed silent though, trailing my way along behind Wriothesley even though I knew the path just as well as he did. After all, even after he’d disappeared from my life I’d still stopped by here. 

Perhaps it had just been a habit, but I’d never been able to shake the feeling that if he did come back, I would somehow bump into him there. Ridiculous as that seemed, but perhaps I simply became a little more senseless when it came to him.

That certainly seemed to be the case in light of how long I’d put off this conversation.

I still wasn’t in any rush to reach our location, though, and something about his slow gait told me that he wasn’t either. So we walked along in silence. Neither one of us apparently feeling up to the task of breaking the weighty silence that had settled itself over us once again.

But even then, with the heavy atmosphere around us, I felt myself smile slightly as we walked up to the park.

It was nostalgic to be here, with him, again. But somehow I feared that rather than a new beginning, this could be the end of everything that I’d been desperately clinging to.

Wriothesley came to a stop and I glanced his way, watching as he tilted his head at the swing set, a wry smile flickering across his face, “I guess it might’ve gotten repainted to help with the rust, but other than that it doesn’t look like anything’s changed.”

I nodded, lifting one shoulder in a half shrug, “Some things don’t change even after time has passed and other things have changed around it.”

I paused as Wriothesley met my gaze, searching for words before I finally continued with a vague hand gesture. Breaking eye contact with him as I looked back toward the swingset, “I think that’s okay, though.”

He smiled at my awkward finish, but nodded slightly. Seemingly signifying his agreement despite how awkward I felt I had ended up sounding.

“Having a steady constant like that can be a boon. Sometimes things like that are what get us through the most difficult moments in life.”

There was a deeper meaning to his words. I had no proof, but I could feel it as I nodded my silent agreement before walking over and plopping myself defeatedly into one of the swings. 

I pushed myself idly as Wriothesley followed me, letting out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “So last night… I should apologize for the way I goaded you into bringing up the rumors about me.”

I hummed in response, nodding slightly, “Thank you, but I can’t say I really blame you for pushing the matter. I have been kind of dancing around the subject.”

Wriothesley’s hand wrapped around one of the swing’s chains just above mine and he leaned over, giving me a subtly amused smile, “Hey, I’m a big boy now. I know when I’ve messed up.”

I snorted, shaking my head at his antics, “And I’m mature enough to know we both messed up. It takes two to tango after all.”

I paused, looking back forward as I felt my grip tighten on the swing’s chains. And even now, as ridiculous as it was, I was painfully aware of the short amount of distance between my hand and his.

I swallowed thickly, “Besides, I should apologize too. I can’t deny that what I’ve been hearing has been concerning.”

I had to fight the urge to grimace at the silence that followed my words. But it was true, even if it was horrible of me. All the rumors and gossip had steadily made me wonder if maybe something really had happened during the time I’d lost touch with Wriothesley.

And when he responded, his tone had lost all of its levity, “I’d be worried if you hadn’t been concerned. Because it’s true.”

I twisted, looking up at him with slightly widened eyes as his words confirmed my fears, but somehow still caught me off-guard.

He simply met my surprised and no doubt distressed expression with an apologetic smile before he shook his head slightly. And I watched as he let go of the swing and walked forward. Putting his back to me before he spoke, “Do you remember what I told you about my foster parents?”

I frowned, nodding slightly as I stood, torn between following him and staying put, “About how there was trouble and they needed help?”

He let out a hollow sounding laugh, but nodded, “I guess I should apologize about that too, because that was a lie.”

He paused and I watched him silence until he finally shook his head, his voice coming out softer this time, “Or perhaps it would be better to say I omitted the truth.”

He looked back at me with a smile I could only describe as bitter as something unpleasant flickered in those pale eyes of his, “You see, I was the issue.”

I shook my head in disturbed confusion, my gaze locked onto his as I searched his face for any explanation, “Wriothesley, I don’t understand. How were you the problem? You weren’t even living with them at that time.”

His gaze held mine, and for a moment he simply stayed silent. But then he spoke, “Bluntly put, they lost control of me.”

I outright frowned at him in utter confusion, but he continued in a flat tone, “It turned out that my parents weren’t really foster parents at all. They were taking in orphaned children, but it wasn’t to help them find families. It was to sell them.”

His words were perfectly blunt, leaving no room for misinterpretation, but I still felt myself freeze in shock before I finally managed to shake my head in horrified disbelief.

My mouth opened as if to speak, but nothing came out as my words failed me. 

But what could I say? What could I ever say in response to that?

I didn’t want to believe it, but I had no real reason not to, and I could see in his eyes he wasn’t lying. And even without that as evidence, I knew he would never lie about something like this. Even if he had changed in the time he was away, I was confident of that.

He exhaled, explaining exactly what had happened during our time apart in a dry tone that bordered on being emotionless even despite what he was saying.

“I had reached the end of my ‘sellable period’ when I went home for my visit. It turns out that all of the children who reached that age, all of my older siblings, and all of those who found out about what happened before me ‘disappeared.’ And that was what they had planned for me. Unfortunately for them, though, I found out about it before they could make sure I was handled in the same way my siblings had been.”

Something told me I knew exactly what ‘disappeared’ and ‘handled’ meant, but I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t even sure if I could, much less what I would say. So I just listened in silent horror as he continued. His tone growing more and more bitter the longer he spoke.

“I escaped and ended up living on the streets for a little while, but I knew I couldn’t leave things as they were and the officials….. Well, they wouldn’t listen. So I went back and I handled it on my own.”

He paused, meeting my gaze from where he’d looked away as he'd spoken. He swallowed, his throat visibly bobbing before he finished, “When the police got there, I’d already killed them and passed out from my injuries. When I came too in a hospital, they were already preparing for my court appointment. I pled guilty, did my time, and got out early for good behavior.”

I stared at him as he finished, feeling oddly like I was frozen in place. But I was still at a loss for words.

I’d thought I’d prepared myself for what he might say, but instead, I’d been caught wholly off-guard. And I wasn’t sure anything could have prepared me for everything he’d just told me.

It sounded like something out of a horror novel or a true crime series. Not something most people would ever encounter in day to day life, and certainly not something to expect from a long time crush.

As if acknowledging my shock, Wriothesley nodded, a tenseness still radiating from him even despite the way he held up one hand as if to stop me from saying anything, “I’m not going to try and defend my actions. That’s why I pled guilty. But I’m also not going to lie. I don’t regret what I did. I couldn’t just leave things the way they were when I knew more children… more of my siblings would suffer.”

He paused, frowning slightly as he looked my way in an almost apologetic manner, the tenseness starting to slip from his frame as he looked at me before continuing with a certain kind of strained tone sliding into his voice, “You don’t have to say anything, nor do I expect you to make any decisions immediately.”

I pressed my lips together and managed to nod, finally finding my voice again past the steadily growing lump in my throat. Though even with that, I still only managed five words which were in no way enough to respond to what he’d just told me, “Thank you for telling me.”

My voice came out soft, and a brief, though weak smile flickered across Wriothesley’s face before it faltered, “I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you. I knew I needed to explain after essentially ghosting you, but…..”

He trailed off with a shake of head before he drew himself up straighter and met my gaze directly, taking on a more direct tone, “I already called Lettie and asked him to walk you back home, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

He paused, shifting awkwardly before continuing, “We- We don’t have to talk until you’re ready. I’ll wait. If you need me, just call.”

I nodded, murmuring a ‘thank you’ again as if I were some sort of demented stuck record.

It wasn’t until Wriothesley grimaced slightly and said he had to get to work that I stepped forward and called, almost desperately after him, “Wriothesley!! Take care!”

It was possibly the most pathetic thing I could’ve come up with to say after everything he’d just told me, but he paused nonetheless. Turning to look back at me with a more genuine, if small, smile on his face as he nodded, “You too, Y/n.”

I pressed my lips almost painfully together. Not sure of what to do or say, but still filled with a vague sense of desperation as I called out to him again, “And I will get back to you! I might not know what to say right now, but I will!”

If I wasn’t horribly mistaken, he let out a half-hearted chuckle as he nodded before waving farewell and turning to go. Leaving me to sort out everything he’d just told me along with my feelings.

And maybe it was for the best that he left me there, because I certainly couldn’t think while he was standing there in front of me. Guilty of far more than having kept a few secrets or told a few lies.

And it wasn’t long after he’d disappeared that I sunk bonelessly to the ground. Trembling as a thousand emotions took over.

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