#long lost lovers

[rememberwhouare]

Richonne hit #2 today on Netflix. Experience the best apocalyptic love story ever! Andrew and Danai really did it this time for us. They are the power couple of the apocalypse universe. They are the ones who love....They are The Ones Who Live!

"Love doesn't die"

Watch "The Ones Who Live" on Netflix.

[moonfawnx]

i’m in the process of finishing long lost lovers pt2 and halfway through i realised that instead of Castor, i’ve been typing Carlos cause it’s the name of the guy i’m talking to💀

[boozereblog]

Where I Buried You cw: grief, reunion, whump Ocs: Blue (Seth), Jake, Holly Not Beta read, free for inspo

Jake opened the door, still smiling at his wife. His smile froze and turned into parted lips, his eyes in shock when he turned to see a figure coming up his steps.

They just stared at each other for a long while. Blue felt his knees go weak, so he stopped mid-step, standing awkwardly halfway up the steps. He thought he had prepared himself enough, even if his hands had been shaking as he rang the yard bell. But actually seeing Jake in front of him, with body stiffened up and his expression horrified, looking down at him, that was something he could never prepare for, he decided. The feeling was physical, like someone stabbed him in the chest, or the feeling of being stranded in the middle of the ocean, but it’s August during a heat wave, and your body is freezing but your head is on fire.

“Who is it, honey?”

An arm appeared wrapping around Jake’s before anything else and Blue was suddenly thrashed underwater. A tall slender woman, with strawberry blond hair stood next to him, her hands wrapped around him casually, as if it was simple for her. As if she did it all the time. Like she didn’t know that she was holding the most precious thing he’s tried to protect his entire life.

Her face became anxious as she looked at the stranger at the door and then back at her husband.

“What’s wrong honey?” She said to him softly “Who is this?” She directed this at Blue.

Blue smiled a big toothy grin, too sudden, too quickly, but his demeanor seemed easy now, his body moved again, in a manner of someone who’s never met you before.

“Hey there ma’am! I was just about to explain to your husband here that I’ve seemed to have wrecked my car.” He gave a low chuckle, as if embarrassed. “ I was just wondering if there was someone who could help me out here. Have been walking for quite a while, but” He flailed his hands in exasperation “Haven’t had any luck. Haven’t seen a station in miles!”

She seemed to relax a bit and didn’t retaliate when he called him her husband. He’d been right then.

His relaxed act would have been extremely convincing if her husband didn’t feel like he was about to burst if she moved him under her touch.

“Right.” She began curtly but her words eased as she continued, her smile back on her face “Yes, you’d be right. ‘Tis rather remote around these parts. But you can go down to Bill’s, it’s just a short walk from here,” She pointed down the street to her left, her other hand still wrapped around Jake. “I’m sure he could fix her right up. What’s your name again?”

“Seth ma’am” he replied with no hint of a delay.

“Right, well, Seth, I’ll be sure to give Bill a call then, try and make him give you a discount.”

She laughed and gave a quick look to her husband. Jake actually looked back at her this time as if he just woke up, or was waiting to wake up. He did really look like he thought he was dreaming.

Her smile faltered, just for a bit at his expression, but she looked back to Blue again, her grip on Jake getting firmer, moving him towards her slightly. Maybe she did know what she had then.

“Will she need towing, Seth?”

“No, no, I think I can move ‘er up. Thank you Ma’am You’ve been really helpful.

Blue gave another look at Jake, who hadn’t spoken a single word during this entire exchange. It dawned on Blue that this might have been the biggest mistake of his entire life.

“Right, I should get going then. Don’t want it to get dark. Thank you Miss…”

“Holly.”

“Thank you, Miss Holly.” There was a bit of a pause as Blue walked backwards down the stairs, keeping his easy demeanor intact “You two make a lovely couple.” He said, looking at Jake, his voice faltering slightly. If she noticed, she didn’t show it. Then he turned around and left. Jake watched him close the yard door behind him and disappear.

---

Holly had to practically pull Jake from the door as if he had gone catatonic. She closed the door and pulled him aside.

“Darling,” She cupped his face with her hand, making him look at her. “Who was that?”

Jake’s eyes were glassy and distant, but they teared up at her words when he managed to focus on her. “Uh. Just–” He shook his head. It couldn’t have been him. His thoughts screamed, It just looked like him. Down to his bones it looked like him, but it was not him. It can’t be.

“I just don’t feel very well, I should–” It can’t be Him. He nudged her slightly and she moved aside, her expression mimicking Jake’s now, worry written all over it. “I’ll go take a shower.” Was the last thing he said before he practically ran up the stairs.

---

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

He’s dead.

The sound of the water running seemed muffled and far away as it fell on him. He was so distracted he almost went into the shower clothed. He actually did, but noticed his body feeling weird and misplaced and realised it` before he turned the water on.

It can’t be. His mind kept screaming at him. There was no rational train of thought and all the while the only picture he could see was Blue at the end of his front door steps.

He forced himself to act like he was showering. He automatically and methodically put on shampoo. Then rubbed. It’s not him. He washed it off, cold water falling in his face mixed with shampoo. He said his name was Seth. Then put shampoo on his hand again. But what if it was.

No.

What if it was. What if it was. What if it was.

All pretence of composure broke at that and he kneeled in the shower, his hands trying to grip at the tiles on the wall. He didn’t realise when he had broken into sobs, but tried to quiet down when he did, his body rocking back and forth in defiance. What if it was him. What if he’s not dead. How. How could he not be dead. He’d looked for him. He did, he’d looked. He’d looked everywhere, he’d done everything–

He buried his face and his hands that slipped up and gripped his hair tight. His body was locked and tangled like a knot.

—-

It was late when Holly felt Jake moving beside her on the bed. It was four in the morning. She looked at the clock on her nightstand.

She’d checked in on him multiple times in the shower and then when he got out. He looked stricken and distant. When she realised she did all she could, she decided to lay down and wait for him to join her. With every hour passing more agonising than the last, her mind went to all sorts of places. She simply couldn’t figure it out. She hated problems she can’t solve. And this random stranger this random Tuesday morning was now her problem too. She just didn’t know the scale of it.

But for now, her husband was in bed with her, which was a good enough sign to her and she turned, laying her arm on top of him.

And then she remembered.

---

An hour or two had passed before she heard Jake’s breathing fall into a slow rhythm. After assuring he’s asleep, she gently untangled herself away and got slowly to her feet.

She felt herself out of the room, not wanting to turn on the light in case she accidentally woke Jake up and headed towards the attic ladder. She pulled down the ceiling hatch, suppressing a cough when the dust fell on top of her. Having no flashlight or her phone in hand, she decided to risk turning on the hallway lights. After a moment of consideration, she climbed up. She tried the light switch, but of course, the lamp wasn’t working. She decided to stay regardless, the light from the hallway and the windows lighting the space enough for her to move safely around the tiny room.

It took more time than she would’ve liked, but she found Jake’s box of things he refused to throw out over the years. Her hands fumbled inside the box quickly, not knowing exactly what she was looking for. She pushed over a broken desk lamp, a few Christmas decorations, a piece of clothing of some sort, books, a box, socks–

A box.

She paused, and forced her hand back to find the box again. She did and pulled it out slowly.

She hesitated opening it, guilt forming in the back of her head, but it didn’t last long. She did open it, only to find a bunch of papers inside. Curious, she took them out, she couldn’t see well, but they seemed like letters. Not formal letters, those from the post, just folded pieces of paper kids would give around in class and such. She couldn’t read them, but she chose to ignore the fact they were probably love letters. And then she felt something different. At the bottom of the box were papers that felt different to the touch. Pictures.

She took one, her heart missing a beat. She was too afraid to look, really. She cursed herself for not sparing time to get a flashlight and with the picture in hand, she pushed herself closer to the open hatch, trying to catch some of the light coming from the hallway. She stretched her hand a little down the hatch and she finally saw it.

It was a picture of Jake, young, probably early twenties, holding a feminine figure by the waist, who looked back at him lovingly, laughing. His ex-fiance. His dead ex-fiance, Blue.

Who now, clearly, goes by Seth.

[chucklepea-hotpot]

actually „going separate ways absolutely heartbroken after confessing your feelings (and kiss each other, resolving years of tension)“ is the BEST trope ever

[thegifstories]

|Send Your Location|

Moriah Nadir wasn’t just any shapeshifter.

He was the most powerful shapeshifter the world had seen in a millennium and I hated his ass. It wasn’t hard to do being that he was an egotistical-power-hungry-dunce who had been promised to me before I was even born. Our two bloodlines united would create the ultimate other being, one neither fae or shapeshifters or humans had ever seen the likes of. The problem? I couldn’t stand to be near his ass. So I spent the better part of the last five hundred years or so hopping from one continent to the other whenever his power got too close. The last few years I hadn’t felt it at all holed up in my Brooklyn loft which allowed me to get comfortable. It wasn’t until my lights began to flicker and my magic began to hum underneath my skin that I realized what a mistake that was.

“Shit.”

There was no time to throw up a glamour or even a simple incantation because in seconds he was stalking through my foyer. His eyes frosted over from the amount of energy he had used to find me. 

“Is that any way to great your husband?” he asked, his tenor voice raspy as always. 

“I could always welcome you the way I did in Greece,” I replied coolly, referring to the time I stabbed him in order to get a way. 

“Perhaps but that time I was chasing you. This time you called me,” he smirked. 

To that I had to laugh. I would never, ever, reach out to him willingly. “I did no such thing,” I said, as he stalked closer. 

His arms were corded in pure muscle underneath rich umber skin, pulsing vibrantly as he trapped me between his chest and the counter I was seated at. Instantly, I inhaled the sweet Egyptian musk layered with lilac that reminded me of home. A land I hadn’t graced with my presence since adolescence. 

“Ah but you did. For the last two months every time you closed your eyes you projected to me. Did you forget that we have a soul tie?” he questioned and instantly my cheeks grew warm with embarrassment. 

I chalked the nightly visions I had been having of him lately up to loneliness and nothing more. There were times I wondered what our lives would be like if I had simply given in to what was expected of me but it was too late for all of that. If I knew our soul tie allowed him into my mind I would have been more guarded of my thoughts. Who knew how much he had seen? Who knew what I had called out for specifically? Soul ties were complex and allowed the people connected to them access into the other person in ways immortals still didn’t have names for. 

“There are plenty of things our soul ties allow us to do,” he said.

Rolling my eyes, I slid from my seat and pushed past him to head into my room, “Stop reading my mind, you don’t have permission.”

“I don’t need it but I will respect your wishes,” he said, a vast change from the Moriah who threatened to have me locked up in his chambers a few centuries ago. Maybe age had evened out his temperament. 

“Well now that you see that I’m fine, you can return to do...whatever it is that you do,” I said, not even bothering to look over my shoulder to see if he was following me.

His energy wrapped around my frame like humidity on a summer day making all of my nerves come alive with electricity that only seemed to be reserved for him. Any other time I could fight against his presence but now I felt my body leaning into it. Calling out to it. 

Grabbing my left hand, he gently pulled me into him before wrapping his arms around me from behind. Nuzzling my neck he inhaled contentedly before murmuring into my skin, “Or I could stay and you can finally stop fighting fate.”

“My purpose is far greater than bearing your child,” I huffed, pushing my way out of his arms. 

“I never said it wasn’t! I would have helped you do anything you wanted but you pushed me away. Continue to push me away,” he growled. 

“Yeah while our families berate your leadership and talk down on me. How long would you have lasted?!” I turned, yelling. 

Being in a position of power meant nothing when you had to report to the Kingdom’s court. They would have blocked anything he tried to do for the good of the people if they didn’t have an heir immediately. That’s why I ran. I wasn’t prepared to be somebody’s mother. Even now at my big age, my maternal instincts were as fleeting as the wind. 

“I have waited six hundred and thirty two years, seventy three days, twelve hours and eight minutes,” he yelled back, stalking towards me until the backs of my thighs hit the bed. His eyes clouded over with emotion and I could feel the elements of a storm brewing inside and out. In response my aura began to glow in reds and pinks. When he wanted a war, I prepared for battle, that was how our souls operated. 

He came closer until our foreheads touched.

“I waited for however long I thought it would take me to convince your stubborn ass that I love you. It is that love that has covered your absence over the years and it is that love that will bring you home now, whether it is kicking and screaming or willingly. I. Want. You. Home,” he said, his lips hitting mine as he spoke. 

“I’m afraid,” the words fell from my lips before I could realize I had admitted something of value to him. “I have spent all this time fighting for myself and my right to exist simply as myself and not as an extension of you. I cannot be your shadow or a mere portal for your children, to be discarded after they are here.”

“I would never ask nor expect you to be my shadow. All I ever wanted was to walk by your side and nourish the power that I know is within you. So that you can step into your true purpose which is running our kingdom and leave the mortal world,” he said. 

Tears slid down my face as I tried to take in his confession. “You run our kingdom.”

“Only in your absence. You are the true ruler and that will remain so even if we never have children. My existence is to make sure you thrive, to protect you and to guide you. We’ve tried it your way and now we will try it my way,” he said, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb before crashing his lips into mine. 

Lightening filled the room as we began to hover from the ground. His teeth sunk into my neck as one swipe of his hands did away with the two piece lounge set I had planned to wear to bed. Magic surged to the forefront, making every kiss and caress on my body ten times more intense. In mere seconds my clothes has been torn from my frame. There would be plenty of time for foreplay later. This moment was about proving a point. I understood that from the moment he entered me and we crashed into the wall. 

“Moriahhh wait,” I cried, pushing at his shoulders.

Everything was so intense, the feel of him pulsing inside of me, his fingers gripping on my ass and his lips which attacked mine often. He cut off my plea with his tongue as his hips rolled forward.

“No,” he growled, biting down on my bottom lip. “I have waited for lifetimes. The time for waiting is over.”

Each of his words were punctuated by the roll of his hips and his dick hitting me in places that had not been reached possibly ever. All I could do was succumb to the feeling and let him mark me the way it was destined to be. My eyes watered as he sent me careening over the edge of ecstasy. A scream left my throat that might’ve left a mortal deaf but not him. He took it as an affirmation and worked to live up to it. Tears streamed down my face and he felt them across his cheeks. 

“That’s it my love. Keep going,” he encouraged, his hips never losing their pace or precision. “Tell me, what does it taste like?”

A cry hiccuped in my chest as I realized the answer to his question. 

“Hmm,” he goaded, placing a bite against the column of her neck. One of his hands crept up and slightly applied pressure to the spot where his lips had been. “Answer me. What does our love taste like?”

“The salt from our oceans, hana berries the ones that grow in the south...our favorite, lavender...we taste like home,” I sniffled.

“Exactly, home is this, in my arms, us, where you belong,” he said, slowing down his strokes so that he could speak clearly.

The change didn’t help much, I was already so close to falling again and his hand on my neck was helping. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead against, we shared breath and suddenly everything felt so right. Something in me shifted into place and he felt it. 

“My love open your eyes,” he commanded.

Apparently the shift was not solely internal. Around us our magic fused together, the color of our essences combining into an electric purple. The soul-tie between us arranged by the Gods was fortified. My heart was beating as I latched our lips together once more needing something to help ground this new reality. He poured his strength into me. His will. And before I knew it, we were both completely undone. We fell endlessly and mercilessly until my apartment was in complete shambles. By the time we were finished, he was placing featherlight kisses on my collarbone as we assessed the damage.

“Did we really have to go through the wall?” I groaned as he placed a kiss on my hip.

Water spewed like a fountain from the broken sink in the kitchen that miraculously was not flooding the floors. The refrigerator had landed somewhere close to the couch while my TV barely hung on the wall. I’m sure it’d be crashing soon to join the clutter of the entertainment system below it.

“It’s not my fault you never learned how to separate your feelings from your magic,” he chuckled.

Rolling my eyes I said, “Well when we get home you can teach me.”

He smiled up at me and the sight of it made my heart flutter. “It feels good to hear you call it that and not ‘that fuckin’ golden cage’”

I laughed as I brought him up to me by his shoulders. “Oh our palace is still very much that but I meant the next time I was in your arms because that’s where my true home is.”

Wrapping his arms around my waist, he murmured into my neck, “Let your lessons begin.”

[neon-junkie]

HIIIIII UR NEW WILLSCUELLA FIC WAS SO CUTE I WISH THERE WAS MORE WILLSCUELLA CONTENT *CRIES* THANK U THOSE BOYS ARE ALL THATS KEEPING ME GOING. ID LOVE IT IF U WROTE ABOUT THEM MORE!!

THANK YOU <3  when I managed to glitch into the rdr2 Mexico map the other week, I went up onto that big cliff north of Diez Corona and just gormed at my TV cause the view up there is so pretty ;-; so here’s a lil RDR1 Willscuella fic based off that sight I saw the other week

"Nue.. new... neuo..." Bill continues to grumble, attempting to pronounce a non-English word. Javier knows by now that Bill's never going to get it, even if he broke the word down and took his time with it, but Bill continues to 'attempt' his pronunciation. "Bill... come on," Javier sighs, slowing his mount down slightly so Bill can catch up to him. They'd been riding inline whilst passing north of Diez Corona, traveling down the somewhat busy roads as they headed further south, trying to get as far from New Austin (and John) as they can. Javier had paddled across the river, sneaking into the state to pick Bill up and save his ass, and the two had only just returned. Bill was adamant about paddling the canoe on the way back, saying it's the least he could do since Javier had agreed to bail him out, so Javier relaxed and enjoyed the sight of Bill struggling to paddle them to the other side. Bill's still got his eyes forward, his brain ticking away as he continues trying to figure out how to pronounce the name of the state they're in. Javier had told him off for just calling it Mexico, and said that if he was going to stay here a while, then the least he could do was learn a little bit of the language. "Let's try it again, huh? Say it with me, Bill. Nue-vo Par-ai-so," Javier says slowly. "New... Neuo... Shit!" Bill grumbles again, exhaling heavily. Javier sighs, rolling his eyes dramatically as he steers off the road, finding his own trail amongst the dirt. "Aye, I give up with you, Bill," Javier tuts, peering over at Bill. He knows that Bill's probably never going to get it; he's known Bill for well over a decade, a very long decade, and even after things had gone south and they'd split off, Javier still ended up helping the larger man out when he needed it. "I don't blame you. I would, if I were you," Bill agrees, staring at the dirt rather than where they were heading, letting his mount lead the way. 

"We'll hitch the horses here. I want some lunch," Javier says as he comes to a halt, hitching his horse on what's left of a tree and taking some food from his saddlebags. Bill does the same, almost standing on another cactus in the process. That's not the first time he's gotten close to hurting himself, though he's managed a few times since they'd arrived. Bill pulls some food from his own saddlebags then peers his head around, realizing that Javier has wandered from his sight. He notices Javiers pointy sombrero and follows it, realizing that Javier had continued forward a few paces, heading down onto a small ledge. Bill takes a seat next to Javier, using the small ledge as shade as they lean back against it. He finally lifts his head up to notice where they were and the sight below them. They'd been traveling along a cliff, overlooking the vast Mexican landscape. There's an array of buttes below, surrounded by the dry desert and an odd sprinkle of plants. The heat can be seen radiating from the earth, small waves rising from the sand, making Bill rub his eyes just to ensure he's seeing things correctly. Javier notices the way Bill's looking at the landscape. He thought Bill had seen it all before with the dryness of New Austin, but Bill had never seen a butte before, nor how the earth was a vibrant gold shade rather than the dirty sand shade of New Austin. "You like what you see?" Javier asks, his mouth half-full with his food. His manners had gone out the window a long time ago, though Bill never bothered much with his. "Yeah, s'pretty," Bill tells him, finally dipping his head down to open the packaging to his food. "It's different to what I'm used to, I ain't seen stuff like that before," Bill comments as he points to the buttes, the large rock formations dotted about the landscape. "Yeah, Mexico's a beautiful country. I've told you that many times before, but now you get to see it for yourself," Javier says with a soft laugh, his mind flashing back to all those years ago where Javier would tell stories about his homeland around the campfire, enjoying the way his former gang members faces lit up as he described the landscape. "Finally," Bill nods, his gaze fixated on his food, but Javier snaps his head across to give Bill a confused look. "Finally?" Javier repeats. "Well, yeah. You has always said how pretty it is, 'n' now I get to see it for myself," Bill says with a shrug. "I never thought you cared for those stories? You never really said anything when I told them." "I didn't really know what to say, plus the others would always jump in with their questions 'n' stuff," Bill shrugs again. Javier pauses for a moment, going over all those events in his head. Bill seems unphased, focused on eating, whilst Javiers mouth remains empty as he thinks about his flashback. Javier eventually decides to remain silent, unsure of what to say, unsure if he should ask the many things that have been on his mind since they went their separate ways. Javier finally picks up once he's finished his meal, leaning back against the rock, his eyes gazing out at his mother country. "Bill?" he asks. "Mhm?" Bill replies, finishing off his food. "Did you ever think you'd end up here? As in, did you ever think you'd visit Mexico?" Javier questions. "Not really..." Bill answers. He opens his mouth again but quickly shuts it, his facial expression becoming focused as he runs through a few other answers in his head. "I thought... well, maybe..." Bill trails off, unsure of the right words. "You mean, you thought you would, but not like this?" Javier asks. "Yeah, not on these terms. Not on Marstons terms," Bill agrees, his brows furrowing slightly at the thought of John. "Yeah, I understand..." Javier sighs. He pauses for a moment, coming to terms with what he knows is going to happen. "You know, John isn't going to stop until he's got us." "Not unless we get him first," Bill says with a confident laugh. "You might be able to do that, but I can't..." Bill looks over at Javier, questioning why he won't stand up for himself. "Why?" he asks. "He's family, you know," Javier shrugs. "He ain't much family if he's tryna kill you." "I guess you're right." Javier and Bill remain in silence, enjoying the shade whilst it lasts, gazing out at the landscape and watching the clouds pass by. They both want to talk about the elephant in the room, about the way they split up all those years ago. Bill's eager to question why Javier even decided to help him in the first place, and Javier wants to ask why Bill contacted him, though he already knows it's because Bill has nobody left. Though Javier doesn't know that Bill's attempted to contact him before, he's written letter after letter but ended up scrunching up the paper and tossing it into the fire, never able to find the right things to say. "You wanna get going?" Javier finally speaks up, breaking the silence. "Sure," Bill nods in agreement. Javier's about to get up but Bill speaks again. "Can we... like... we know we is gonna die here. So, could we just.. you know..." Bill asks with a shrug. He keeps his gaze away from Javiers, not wanting Javier to see his flustered and unconfident face, nor wanting to see how Javier will react. Maybe Javier will push him off this cliff for asking such a thing, but Javier surprises him instead. "I know what you're asking," Javier tells him, his eyes wide. He doesn't bother hiding the smile on his face, nor the soft laugh he lets out. "Yeah, we can, Bill," Javier agrees. They both know their ends are near, but if they can enjoy their final moments together, then at least they'll die happy. They look at each other, a pair of old, tired men, gazing into each other's eyes like a bunch of lovestruck children. Javier removes him sombrero, setting it on his lap as he shuffles a little closer to Bill. He knows by now that Bill never removes his hat, he's always been so self-conscious of his balding. A pair of slightly chapped lips meet Javiers, and the two almost freeze up in the moment. It's been so many years since they'd last seen each other, even more since they'd kissed. Though they fall into sync, remembering just how they both like it; the right angles, the specific tilt so their noses don't bump, the soft biting to Bill's bottom lip that always drives him crazy. Bill reaches up to run his fingers into Javier's hair, short jagged locks that he's definitely cut himself. He remembers the way Javier would swat his hand away whenever he used to try that, not wanting to mess up his ponytail. The two stay connected for some time, attempting to catch up on some of the years they've missed, though they've got a long way to go to make up for it. Javier eventually breaks the kiss, knowing Bill could sit here for hours with his lips locked with the younger man. "Come on, old man," Javier says with a laugh. "Old man? You can't talk," Bill replies, his voice grumbly as always. "I haven't got any grey hairs yet, unlike you," Javier teases, stroking his thumb over the grey patch to Bill's moustache. Bill lets out a frustrated whimper but lets Javier have the last laugh, knowing he's in the right. Javier puts his sombrero back on and stands up, leading the way as they head back to the horses. The pair mount up, Javier leading the way as they continue on their travels. Their eyes catch each others every so often; Javier always smirks, making Bill's cheeks flush red, just like how they used to flirt across camp all those years ago. Javier can't help but smile every time he overhears Bill still trying to pronounce Nuevo Paraiso under his breath. He'll get it eventually.

[orchidscript]

Amid the Ruin - Chapter 29

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22833406

The wine was going down easier now.

As it should be , Rhy thought, scanning the small crowd before him. It was an old vintage, properly cellared, a rich ruby red. A bottle from the Southern coast of Arnes that his mother had loved, prized, and collected. Rhy was now, finally, enjoying the fruits of her labors.

Kell had tried steering him off the alcohol completely, but Rhy brushed him off. He hadn’t had a real drink in months and Kell’s paranoia wasn’t going to keep the young king from indulging that night. Negotiations between all four nations began first thing in the morning. Rhy had already sworn off the bottle until the proceedings had concluded.

But tonight, he was halfway through his fourth glass. Feeling loose and warm, Rhy was in better spirits than he had been in a long while. The delegates from Faro and Vesk had arrived in the last three days. All introductions had gone smoothly and no one was unhappy with their lodging. The new Maktahn king was being well-received, as Rhy knew he would be. All of them having witnessed the predatory Dane twins first hand during the last meeting, Holland Vosijk was a refreshing change. His little princess, Nasi, was quickly charming her way through every foreign entourage, even warming up the naturally cold-spirited Col Taskon.

And none of the guests had noticed Kell’s sneaking around with Holland. Simply old friends from the war as far as anyone else knew or cared to know. Rhy trusted his brother to be discreet, and Kell could hold secrets like no one else he knew.

Things were going well.

And still Rhy was unsatisfied. Impatient. Still waiting for one man’s arrival; hoping against reasonable hope that he would stride through the ballroom doors as if the last half-decade had never happened.

Isra had said his ship had docked the day before, that he had indeed been on the manifest and his younger sister had been the one to receive him at the docks. The man was in the city, was home, but knowing that wasn’t enough for Rhy. He had been on pins and needles, waiting anxiously to set eyes on the long-lost Alucard Emery.

All the worry he’d felt when the letters went unanswered, then stopped entirely. The consuming despair when he’d learned the Goldfish had been sunk. All the agonizing sadness that had twisted around his heart when it dawned on him that Alucard could be dead, gone for good. Volatile, tumultuous emotions Rhy had long since learned to beat down, dull himself to, and ignore entirely.

It had all come back, flooding him fast enough to make him nauseous.

A tidal wave of paralyzing fear, followed by another one of crippling joy, so strong Rhy could hardly contain them. The only other trusted ear he had was Kell, who found Alucard irritating on a good day. So Rhy kept it bottled, all of it, and held it tightly in his chest. As soon as he was safely behind closed doors, he thrilled at letting it all pour out.

[Click Here to read the rest]

[theguildedtypewriter]

Friday Fact: WIP Dreaming of Electric Sheep

The song “Another Chance” by My Brightest Diamond is the song that plays in my head when I think about Breech and Doppelganger finally being able to make love in the book. When their old connection is reignited and a new one is formed from everything they’ve been through. It’s noir sounding and a little heartbreaking but so sexy and slow. It’s perfect. Sweet girls. Too bad it takes practically the entire book for them to get there.