Halloween And Loki?! MY FAVOURITE COMBINATION!!! This Was So Wholesome🤭

PERIODDDDD!! I love when the reader stands on business🙌🏼 We ain’t tolerating disrespect over here💅🏼

꒰— BUSY WOMAN ꒱

꒰ summary ꒱ no matter how many times theo said you were the exception, you found yourself to be a sad part of the majority. wait, sad? who said that?

꒰ content/tw ꒱ theo nott x reader; 18+ mdni, some sexual implications, angst if you squint, a bit of gaslighting/general toxicity, alcohol, cursing; theo is a player, reader has a spine

꒰ word count ꒱ 2.8k

꒰ note ꒱ for i had a strong need for a reader who knows her worth, i simply decided to make it happen. felt insanely good writing this, and i hope you’re going to feel equally as good reading it!

It was a little ironic, you thought, how this was the exact situation you’d laugh at yourself for ending up in just a few months ago. You were so confident, so sure of yourself, having sworn off players, fuckboys and the likes of them until the day you die. Yet there you were, in the middle of a Slytherin party, watching Theodore Nott, your boyfriend of three months, crowd an awfully willing and giggling girl against the wall. His hand was resting just inches away from her arm, and her hand was touching his shoulder in a manner that couldn’t be considered just friendly even by the daftest of the world.

You’d be a fool to say you didn’t expect this. But fuck, apparently you were a fool, because you genuinely believed… You shook your head, getting yourself rid of the annoying little thoughts that started swarming your head like hungry flies flocking to a fresh, steaming pile of shit. That’s what Theo’s words had always been, evidently.

You took a sip of Firewhiskey; it was strong, tickled your throat just right, and settled in your stomach like a hot blanket, providing a small sense of comfort to your tumultuous inner world. Settling down on the armrest of a random chair, you silently observed the scene on the other side of the Common Room. Theo leaned in, whispering something into the girl’s ear – probably something cheesy in Italian, since that made them, no exceptions, fall at his feet like dominoes.

A huff escaped your lips, an alcohol-induced breath of air that confirmed it – months ago, you looked exactly like that girl, and every other girl, for that matter. You fell for his irresistible, disarming charm, for the sweetest honey that spilled from his lips in the form of promises and confessions in the middle of the night, for the gentle, cotton-soft touches of his fingertips against your flushed skin. You fell hard, thinking he was going to catch you, just like he assured you again and again and again. But when you hit the ground, you only found ice-cold concrete, littered with cutting shards of shattered expectations.

⟡

“Of course you will.”

You rolled your eyes, the sarcasm leaving your mouth without any second thought. Of course, Theo would say that, of course. Exactly what a player says whenever he needs to get a girl number forty five into his bed.

Theo seemed to have read these exact thoughts in your incredulous expression; he took a step forward, placing a hand on your waist. It was a warm, gentle touch, different from what you had seen before, when you’d inevitably stumble upon him making out with yet another… someone in a darkened corridor. And you hated thinking that – you hated realising that he was, indeed, different with you, even if it was a facade.

“I promise,” he repeated, keeping his voice quiet and confident, but even through the perfect mask, you could see it – a small flicker of vulnerability, barely there but there nonetheless. “I’ll treat you right, tesoro. I will.”

“How can I trust you?” You sighed, grabbing his hand and slowly but firmly taking it off your waist – however pleasant, you deemed the touch unnecessary, since it was making great work of skewing your perception. Theo’s fingers clenched in the air, but obediently stayed by his side.

“I’d take an Unbreakable Vow, but I don’t think you’d appreciate it.” He offered you a weak smile, but his eyes were visibly darting around, searching your face for something – understanding, acceptance, trust, perhaps? His hand twitched at his hip, eager to touch you again, but he didn’t dare lift it – a small act you couldn’t help but appreciate at the moment.

“You’re right, I wouldn’t.” You couldn’t hold back a laugh – he really was a bit dramatic, and yet, his every word was filled with calm confidence, like he was completely sure about everything he was swearing to you. “Guess I’ll just have to wing it, huh?”

“Guess you will,” Theo answered with a chuckle of his own, though his expression went back to serious the next moment. “You don’t have to trust me right now, but I’ll make you, okay? I promise.”

⟡

You believed him then. Despite yourself, despite your strong conviction that you had it all figured out, that you saw right through his charming antics – you believed him. And now, watching him flirt with that random, unknown girl without as much as an ounce of shame, you realised it was in vain. And strangely, you felt… nothing.

You should’ve been enraged, right? You should’ve been angry, should’ve stormed right over there, pulled him away from the girl and made a loud, explosive, emotional scene. But you just didn’t want to. It felt wrong, not wanting. You loved Theo, or at least you thought you did. However, witnessing him break the very promise that made you give your relationship a chance had you reconsidering the foundation of your feelings.

Minutes ticked by, Firewhiskey made its way down your throat in slow, calculated sips, the bass of the party made the floor vibrate. And yet, you made no attempt to move from your place on the chair’s armrest. Theo was still there, looking dashingly handsome and making the girl giggle and blush and twirl her hair around her dainty finger. You were still watching, thoughts were swirling inside your head like little tornadoes, but somehow, you felt a lot calmer now. Your mind went from messy and hectic to steady and composed, and it felt… nice.

In the past, you thought moving on from love would be hard, gut-wrenching and heartbreakingly painful. That’s what everyone said. That’s what it was supposed to feel like. They were all wrong, you realised. Well, maybe not. Maybe moving on from real love was exactly like that. But what you felt for Theo didn’t seem like real love anymore. Not when he acted like he forgot about your entire existence the moment he noticed a pretty girl somewhere in his proximity.

Apparently, Theo had a sixth sense. He must’ve felt your eyes on him – and your gaze wasn’t even intense; it was absentminded, as if it just happened to land on him while you were surveying the room. You saw his expression change in real time, from the flirty smirk he had been wearing for the last ten minutes to the slight hint of annoyance evident in the crease on his forehead, to then quiet resignation and a small, sheepish smile tugging the corners of his lips up. He excused himself to the very disappointed-looking girl and started making his way towards you, wading through the pool of bodies swaying to the beats of some generic pop song.

Your eyes never left him as he approached. They weren’t stormy, didn’t hold any hidden emotional turmoil, since there was none – neither in your heart nor in your mind. You took the last sip from your glass and placed it on the coffee table next to the chair, every movement precise despite the tipsiness coursing through your body from the Firewhiskey. Maybe the fact that you were already settled on a decision diluted the alcohol in your bloodstream. Maybe you just grew out of being a lighthead.

“Hi.”

Theo’s voice was quiet, almost too quiet to be heard over the deafening music. He tried placing his hand on your thigh, like he usually would whenever you were together, but you shifted away from his touch. His jaw ticked, and if you didn’t know better, you’d think a flicker of hurt flashed through his face. The awkward smile disappeared completely; he was now serious, just like on that night he promised to make you trust him. What a shitshow that was.

“Look—” he started, the words to explain himself already at the tip of his tongue. But you didn’t really need to hear them, so you cut him off before he could continue.

“Spare me, Theo. Spare us both, actually.” You placed a hand on his chest, pushing him back just slightly – he was standing too close to you for someone who couldn’t even remember he had a girlfriend a couple minutes ago. You quickly realised you shouldn’t have touched him in any way, since he immediately interpreted it as an olive branch, his hand clasping around yours.

“No, I won’t spare us,” he muttered lowly, his eyes briefly skimming from left to right to see if anyone was listening in. It was unnecessary – the music was too loud for anyone to hear you unless they were literally in your faces. Then, he leaned in, closing the distance you had just created. “I know what you’re thinking right now, tesoro, and I can’t have you thinking that.”

Your eyes were rolled before he could even finish the sentence. You didn’t expect anything less dismissive than this, and still, he managed to surprise you.

“No, Theo, no. Don’t even go there,” you said, somehow managing to wriggle your hand out of his grasp. His followed, trying to chase yours, but as soon as you hid it behind your back, he stilled, realising he’d be making a scene in the middle of the Common Room. “We came to this party together. You went off alone, acting single, flirting with another girl. Seems pretty transparent to me.”

It was Theo’s turn to roll his eyes, as if he was offended by the mere fact that you not only noticed his escapades, but commented on it as well, making him look like a fool. He was a fool, and maybe deep down he was also aware of the fact, but he wouldn’t admit it to you. And honestly, you didn’t expect him to. You knew he would deflect, you knew he would find excuse after excuse just to get out of this situation consequence-free. You had had time to mull over it while you sat there, watching him commit emotional fraud right in front of your eyes, and at that point, you simply didn’t care.

“You don’t get it, tesoro,” Theo muttered, still up close in your personal space, which you immediately rectified by leaning back. He gritted his teeth in frustration at your continuous attempts to keep you both as apart as possible, but continued. “That girl? She means nothing, okay? You know you’re the only one who matters to me. I know you do.”

His eyes – they were stormy as he gazed into yours. They were dark even in the flashing lights of the party, usually blue as the ocean, but now deep, almost black from how much his pupils were dilated. But as you looked into them, you didn’t feel the same shiver going down your spine, you didn’t feel the flutter in your belly that made his presence so exciting, so madly intoxicating, you didn’t feel your heart speeding up. It was rather comical, you thought, how quickly your love dulled down after you saw Theo easily dismissing every promise he had ever made to you when he thought you weren’t watching.

“Theo.” You looked at him with an eyebrow raised, in a way a mother would look at her son who tried convincing her he didn’t eat the cake while his mouth was covered in icing sugar. “It might seem shocking, but it doesn’t actually matter if she’s nothing to you.”

Theo’s brows creased together, and you could see he was at the ready to retort, his lips parting.

“You were flirting with her. Plain and simple. You were, and don’t even try to deny it, I believe my own eyes,” you continued talking without giving him the opportunity to speak. “And what did you promise when we just started dating?”

Theo’s lips sealed shut, and he looked away, catching the hint. He knew exactly what you were talking about. He promised to make you trust him, and that included putting a stop to going after every frilly skirt in sight. Or any skirt, or jeans, or anything at all that was another person, anything that meant he could be interested in someone else.

“I promised…” he muttered under his breath, each word leaving his mouth like a heavy weight. Not because he was genuinely remorseful, but for a much simpler reason – he hated admitting to his shortcomings, since that would put them out into the world and make them that much more real. But something in your calm, steady voice, in your confident expression made him say it anyway. “I promised I’d make you trust me,” he mumbled, glancing up at you just to turn his gaze away again.

“And is flirting with another girl very ‘trustful’ of you?” You cocked your head to the side, your arms crossing over your chest; Theo saw it as defensive, and you? You just didn’t know where to put your hands.

He stayed silent. Because he knew, his rational mind knew that the answer was a firm, resounding ‘no’. It was not, in any way, shape or form, trustful. It was, for all intents and purposes, the exact opposite. He couldn’t say it out loud, though. Fuck him, he never could.

“See?” You shrugged, taking his silence as confirmation. “It’s very much not. And I can’t be with someone I don’t trust, Theo.”

His head snapped up, his hand shooting forward to grab your arm, as if you could disappear at any given moment. And you were planning to, which is why you looked at him with a hint of annoyance in your eyes.

“You can’t just leave, tesoro,” he whispered, leaning so far in that his lips almost brushed against your ear. The music was still booming around you, and you kind of disliked the fact that he could use it as an excuse to stand so close. “Let me…” Theo took a deep breath, letting it out as a warm puff against your skin. “Let me apologize, baby… Let me show you how sorry I am.”

There was the ‘baby’. The nickname he pulled up whenever he got in the mood, or whenever he wanted you to do something he knew you wouldn’t immediately agree to. His hand started gliding up and down your arm, light as a feather, and usually, that combination would have sent your body into a frenzy and force your mind to turn off.

“Come on, tesoro, let me in...” His lips tickled the shell of your ear as his fingers danced along your arm, moving to the slope of your neck, where his thumb found your pulse point. “You’re the only one for me. I’ll show you, okay? If you just let me, baby…”

For a split second, you felt that flutter in your stomach again. Theo always knew exactly what he had to do to make you feel it, and unfortunately, it had a habit of working in his favour. You had half a mind to hate yourself for it, but you knew better – it was just a physical fucking reaction to an attractive man you’d been in a romantic and sexual relationship with for three months. An image flashed in front of your eyes – the image of him flirting with that girl, the sight you had the displeasure of witnessing just a bit earlier. And suddenly, the annoying butterfly inside you had its wings brutally ripped out.

“You showed me enough.”

You stood up from the armrest of the chair you had been occupying and took a step to the side. Theo’s expression turned from seductive to desperate in a blink of an eye. His fingers dug into your arm once again, but you pried his hand off of you, and he remained rational enough not to make a huge, borderline violent scene.

“Tesoro…” he tried once more, searching your entire face and body for any signs that you weren’t completely giving up on the relationship. But you shook your head, just once, unwavering in your decision.

“Goodbye, Theo.” Your expression didn’t change, your eyes didn’t soften at the sight of his tightened jaw, his pursed, slightly downturned lips. “I won’t waste my time waiting for a change from someone who didn’t plan to change to begin with.”

With that, you turned around and disappeared into the crowd, the moving bodies swallowing you in an instant. You didn’t turn around even once, knowing it wouldn’t be a great decision for you right then. You didn’t see Theo practically falling into the chair, quietly breathing in and out and burying his face in his hands. You had no idea that at that very moment, he fought with himself not to unravel right there, in the middle of the fucking Slytherin party.

nav. masterlist.

The way the red flags are right there but the reader can't put her finger on them😳 I'm so excited to see what else happens!

Deep in the Woods: Part 1

Pairing: Soft!Dark Lumberjack!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Fic Summary: A relaxing getaway in the woods may become your permanent home when you catch the eye of a lumberjack.

Series Masterlist | Part 2

Chapter Summary: You encounter your grumpy temporary neighbor while attempting to chop some firewood.

Chapter Word Count: Over 3.3k

Chapter Warnings: DARK AU, bits of MCU canon, cheating mentioned (reader's ex), grumpy x sunshine trope, invasive behavior, reader is too trusting, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning and a bit rude at first, okay?), more warnings to come.

A/N: A new dark AU inspired by @darkficsyouneveraskedfor 's ask. ❤️‍🔥 Thanks to @targaryenvampireslayer for cheering me on! ❤️ Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby , but any and all mistakes are my own. Bucky edit by the beautiful @nixakimbo . Divider by the talented @firefly-graphics . Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

The sun shining in the sky was deceiving as you hauled a large piece of wood to the tree trunk. It was chillier than expected, and the cold would only get worse once the sun went down. Your cabin had heat, but you'd be stuck if it went out and you didn’t manage to chop some firewood. Making a fire you could handle. Chopping wood?

That was another story.

“Okay,” you smiled, setting the log upright and adjusting your gloves before you grabbed the axe. You gripped the handle tight, raising it above your head. “I got this.”

The blade hit the log almost dead center. Unsurprisingly though, it barely pierced the wood. You hunched over, tugging at the axe, nearly losing your balance in the process. “I still got this,” you huffed, shaking out your arms and swinging again.

The next swing went deeper, but only by an inch. The swing after that, you nearly missed completely. Sweat beaded on your forehead, your body warming despite the chill in the air. After a moment, you dropped the axe and stared at the log with your hands on your hips. It was nowhere near split.

“I don’t got this,” you sighed.

“Who the hell are you?” a gruff voice asked from behind you.

Your heart leapt to your throat as you spun around, and it raced even faster when you spotted a figure just a few feet away. He was a large man, and one of the most handsome men you had ever seen. He would likely tower over you if he stepped closer. His dark hair hung messily past his shoulders, while his perfectly trimmed beard gave him a rugged edge. The flannel he wore strained against the biceps of his muscular arms, one of the shades of blue matching his thunderous eyes.

Was he glaring at you?

“Hi,” you smiled, trying to sound friendly as you gestured toward the unchopped log. “I was just trying, and failing, to chop some firewood. I hope I'm not disturbing you.”

He kicked a small twig away with his boot. “I didn't ask what you were doing. I asked, ‘Who the hell are you?’”

Your smile slipped. Maybe he was local and didn't like outsiders, though something about him seemed familiar. “Oh, yeah. Right,” you said, giving him your name and nodding to the cabin nearby. “Mr. Hunter rented the place out to me. I’m staying for a couple of weeks. Just got here this morning.” You hoped the place wasn't double booked.

He relaxed a fraction, but his glare didn't disappear completely as he took out his phone and dialed a number. You heard a ring as he put it on speaker. While he tapped a foot impatiently, you weren't sure what to say or do.

“Howdy, neighbor,” a raspy voice answered on the other end.

“Did you rent out your place?” he asked, keeping his eyes on you when your face got hot. You wanted to yell that you wouldn't lie about something like that, but that didn't seem like a good idea.

“Yeah. Pretty lady. Paid in full upfront. Clean background, too.” You looked at your feet. It was weird to listen in even though it was on speaker. And did he say “clean background”? What did that mean? “Why? Is she-”

The man hung up the phone. “Didn't think he rented his cabin out anymore,” he said more to himself than you.

An awkward silence filled the air. “Yeah, well, apparently he does. I booked it a couple of months ago and he left a code to get in and some instructions for the place,” you explained, trying to smile again as you looked around and breathed in the fresh air. “It’s a really nice place and the view up here is gorgeous, like something out of a photograph. Do you live nearby?”

He grunted and jutted his chin out. “My cabin is the next one over to the left.”

“That’s nice,” you smiled more, grabbing the axe again. “And it was very interesting meeting you, temporary neighbor, but I should try to finish this up.”

Before you could blink, the man was directly in front of you with one hand on the handle. He was even bigger up close. “If you’re thinking of taking another swing at that log, don't,” he barked at you, snatching the axe from your hands. You weren’t sure if it was his tone or him grabbing it from you that made you flinch. “This isn't a toy, it’s dangerous. And from the looks of that log you have no business trying to do that to begin with.”

Your cheeks burned again. It was bad enough that this guy didn't take your word for staying at the cabin, but the last thing you needed was for some stranger to lecture or humiliate you, and a grumpy one at that. “Yeah, well, if my cheating asshole of a boyfriend hadn't been balls deep in his colleague, we wouldn't be having this conversation. He'd be out here chopping firewood and I’d be inside cooking, which is something I'm actually good at, thank you very much,” you snapped.

Your tone surprised him enough to let you take the axe back. “I didn't…” he trailed off when you held up a hand.

“You don't know me and that’s fine, but I’m trying to be friendly and that's more than you can say,” you continued, his nostrils flaring. He didn't have to be nice to you, but he didn't need to be rude either. “And not that it’s any of your business, but I'm stuck here by myself, I’m trying my best to make it work, and I don't need some random stranger out here giving me a hard time for no reason.”

Your eyes burned as he stared at you, but you squared your shoulders and held your head high. You spent enough time crying over a prick who wasn’t worth it and you refused to shed another tear because you deserved better than an unfaithful asshole. And you sure as hell wouldn't cry in front of some hot grump with a chip on his shoulder.

The man’s pensive look dissipated more of your sudden anger and his tone softened considerably when he asked, “You’re really out here by yourself?”

You tensed up. It wasn't smart of you to broadcast that you were all by your lonesome. “Yeah, for now,” you said, your voice softer, too. Maybe you could convince a friend to stop by for a day or so. “I know I’m not good with an axe, but I tried. I just wanted some firewood in case the heat went out for any reason,” you said, your shoulders sagging. “So if you don't mind, can I please finish up?”

He nodded, taking the axe more gently this time. “Let me,” he offered, your eyes wide at his change in demeanor. “And step back. I don't want you to get hurt.”

Once you moved out of the way, he lifted the axe and split the log down the middle with expert precision. With his view on the task at hand, you swept an appreciative gaze over him. The guy was a bit of a grump, but he filled his jeans out well. “I’m sorry I snapped at you, mister,” you told him, getting a grunt in response. “My problems aren't your problems and I didn't mean to get so defensive about my lack of wood chopping skills.”

“You can call me Bucky,” he said, grabbing another log. “And nothing to be sorry for. I didn't exactly lay out the welcome mat for you.”

“It’s… Wait, Bucky.” Your eyes widened in realization. “Bucky Barnes?”

He froze before he brought the axe down again. “Heard of me?”

“Of course I have. You helped save the world,” you smiled. Years back, an alien warlord had wiped out half of the population. Not only did a group of heroes called the Avengers help reverse the wipeout, but they stopped the monster with the help of many others across the galaxy. Bucky was one of those people. No wonder he seemed so familiar. “You’re a hero.”

A tortured one at that. You remembered seeing a few articles about him. A former prisoner of war turned brainwashed assassin turned hero. He was pardoned for the crimes committed while was brainwashed, and rightfully so in your opinion, and he went on to use his skills and expertise to help others.

What was he doing out here in the woods?

“Not really a hero anymore,” he said, brushing his hair back with his forearm. “Now I’m just a lumberjack who values his privacy.”

“Oh.” That answered your question. “I guess valuing your privacy explains why you didn't roll out the welcome mat,” you teased, wringing your fingers together. You felt kind of bad again for snapping at him. Given his past that you were aware of, it made sense why he would've been suspicious of someone new popping up near his home.

He stopped to glance at you. “Guess it’s my turn to apologize,” he said.

You blinked, not wanting to lose yourself in his deep gaze. “No need. I figured you were just a local who didn't like new people around.” You smiled at the pile of wood he made. “I think you chopping firewood for me is the perfect apology. You saved me a lot of time and trouble.”

He hummed, putting the blade in the tree trunk once he finished. “You said you cook?” he asked, wiping his gloves on his jeans as he faced you.

“Yeah. I actually have a stew keeping warm right now,” you replied, shifting on your feet when he stared you down. “Are you hungry? I made plenty.”

“Sure,” he shrugged.

“Okay.” Your smile faltered when you walked toward the cabin with Bucky close behind. Was it a good idea to invite him in when you didn't exactly know him? The guy was a hero though. No reason to be suspicious.

The aroma of seasonings, beef, and vegetables greeted you as you opened the door and set your gloves on the entry table. “If you don’t mind taking your boots off, that was one of the instructions,” you told him, removing yours and hanging your coat on the hook.

While the cabin wasn’t large, it was in great condition. It was also extremely clean and tidy. The guy who owned it likely didn’t want dirt on his floors.

“Yeah, God’s kind of picky about that stuff,” Bucky said, putting his gloves on top of yours. You caught a glimpse of his metal hand, but you quickly looked away. It wasn’t polite to stare.

“Wait. The G in G.B. Hunter stands for God?” Your brows pinched as you walked toward the kitchen. “What the hell does the B stand for?” you muttered to yourself.

“That’s really what it stands for. He’s a bit of a strange guy, but a good neighbor when he’s here,” Bucky said, following close again. He was practically on top of you. “So, your boyfriend. He-”

“Ex-boyfriend,” you corrected him, inhaling deeply as you lifted the lid from the warm pot. The scent brought a smile to your face and pushed a bit of the bitterness away. “What about him?”

Bucky grabbed a couple of bowls from the cupboard. He knew where the spoons were, too, so he was at least somewhat familiar with the place. You weren’t sure how that made you feel. “How long were you two together?”

“Almost a year,” you replied. A waste of about twelve months and it wouldn't be fun to start over again.

He set the bowls on the counter before he grabbed a couple of drinks, sweeping a look over you. “Did you catch him cheating?” he asked curiously.

You froze, the image of your ex scrambling to cover himself and his colleague up as you walked in taking over your mind. You had to blink multiple times to make the image go away, but it didn’t stop your stomach from turning. “Yep,” you answered, your throat tight. Why did he want to know? “Tried to give me some lame excuse that it wasn't what it looked like, but I slapped him and said we were done. I can forgive a lot of things, but cheating isn’t one of them.”

“Loyalty is a good trait to want in a partner,” he mused.

“It is, but it’s a trait he didn't have apparently. At least we didn’t live together,” you continued, taking a breath. It hurt and felt good to talk about it. “We were supposed to come up here for a getaway and I debated cancelling the reservation, but I figured it would be a good way to clear my head.”

The kitchen felt warmer and you figured it was because you were close to the stove until you realized Bucky was right at your back. You went rigid when he inhaled. Maybe he was just smelling the food. “I’m sorry you had to go through that,” he whispered, his breath hot against your ear.

You gripped the ladle until your hand ached. “Not your fault,” you whispered, keeping perfectly still. If you moved forward, the stove would burn you. If you moved back, you’d be right against him. It was a small kitchen, but there was no reason for him to stand so close.

You didn’t exhale until he moved to set the drinks on the table. “You got a job?” he asked.

Clearing your throat, you nodded, thankful for the change in topic. “Yeah, data entry. Not too exciting, but it’s decent pay and I don’t have to go into an office or deal with traffic.” You scooped a generous portion of stew into a bowl for him, just in case he was really hungry. “As long as I have my laptop and an internet connection, I can get the job done.”

“Must be nice,” he commented, but it sounded more admirable than sarcastic. “You said you and your ex didn’t live together. Do you have a roommate? Pets?”

You side-eyed him. The tone was casual, but what was with the multiple questions? “I live alone because my apartment is about the size of a shoebox,” you said. It was cozy though and yours. “Nice thing is the rent is cheap. Sad thing is the building is pet free.”

He took out his phone as you got your bowl ready. “I have a cat,” he said, shoving the phone close to your face. It was a photo of a beautiful white cat sitting by a window. It was endearing picturing a burly man holding such a delicate creature. “Her name’s Alpine.”

You smiled at the image. “She’s really beautiful. I’ve always loved cats.”

He smiled a little, too, but it went away as fast as it appeared. “She’s very particular with people, but you’re welcome to meet her.” He took the bowl from your hand to carry them to the small table nearby. “She might like you since you’re sweet.”

Heat rolled up your neck. “That’s nice of you to offer, but I wouldn’t want to impose,” you said. It wasn’t like you had any plans during your time there, but he had done enough by chopping the firewood for you.

His jaw ticked. “If it was an imposition I wouldn't have asked.”

“Oh, I wasn't trying to imply anything,” you promised, your stomach twisting in knots. It wasn't your intention to upset him.

“Are you allergic to cats?”

“No, I’m not,” you answered.

He set the bowls on the table and leveled you with a hard stare. “Then I think you should meet her,” he said, pulling out a chair for you. It sounded more like an order than a suggestion. “Sit.”

You hesitated before you sat down. “Okay then,” you said. Maybe he was trying to make up for being rude earlier by welcoming you in some capacity. “Does tomorrow work?”

His lip curled up in a smile, giving you a nod, too. “Tomorrow. Early afternoon,” he replied, taking a seat. How did he still look so big sitting down? You watched him blow on a spoonful of stew before he took a bite, his eyes shutting with a groan. It was a deep, primal sound and you shouldn't have liked hearing it. “This is… really good.”

You beamed, unable to help yourself. You took pride in your cooking. “I’m glad you like it,” you said, digging in, too. “So, you said you’re a lumberjack now. How long have you been doing that?”

He hunched over a bit as he took a few more bites, like he hadn't eaten all day. “About nine months. Tough mission happened and I had to walk away from it.” He shrugged dismissively. Did the mission have a bad outcome or was it just the straw that broke the camel’s back? It wasn’t any of your business. “Came out to the woods with Alpine, started chopping down trees to work out some of my frustration, and it somehow became my new job. The woods suit me better than the city anyway.”

“Yeah? How so?”

He shrugged again. “It’s quiet, peaceful. No judging or prying eyes,” he answered, pushing the now empty bowl away. It almost sounded like he was hiding from the world. “And I don’t mind working with my hands. Can chop trees down pretty fast and it doesn’t take long to get the logs to the sawmill. Even built some of my own furniture in my place.”

“You build your own furniture? That’s so cool,” you smiled. It took a moment, but he smiled back a little. “Being a lumberjack sounds like hard but satisfying work,” you added. You admired him for being a hero, but also for his new, humble lifestyle.

“Yeah, it is.” He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. “This might be rude to ask, but you wouldn’t mind making us lunch tomorrow, would you? I can cook, but it’s nothing like yours.”

You bit the inside of your cheek. Part of you took it as a compliment that he liked your cooking, but something in his stare made you want to squirm. Could it be the assumption that you were going to have lunch with him when all he said was that he wanted you to meet his cat? “I don’t mind,” you smiled. Maybe the guy was a bit lonely and just wanted someone to share a meal with. You could sympathize with that. “Anything in particular you like? If I don’t have it, I can go to town and-”

“Surprise me, doll.” The chair scraped along the floor as he pushed himself up, towering over the table and you. “And don’t bother going to town. Whatever you have here to cook, I’ll eat it.”

“I’ll surprise you then.” Your brows pinched as he went back to the kitchen. He walked around like he owned the place. “Oh, help yourself,” you said when he stopped at the stove for another bowl.

He paused to look back at you. His blue eyes looked a shade darker and you couldn’t help but shiver. “I plan to,” he stated.

You gave him a smile, discreetly patting your pants pocket to make sure you still had your phone on you. It wasn’t like you needed to call anyone for help, but you were all alone and had to be careful. You were still going to have a nice time though. It would be a relaxing trip and you could catch up on reading, relaxing, whatever you wanted.

Besides, Bucky was nearby just in case. The guy didn’t seem to have a complete sense of boundaries, but he wasn’t a bad guy. He was a hero. You didn’t have anything to fear.

Right?

Oh, our reader did herself no favors by answering truthfully that she's all alone. I wonder how Bucky will play this... Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

smash - draco malfoy

summary: draco malfoy? smash. except you say those words a little too loud. wc: 0.9k+

Immersed in the magazine in front of you, you only caught bits and pieces of the conversation Harry, Hermione and Ron were having around you, the great hall otherwise mostly empty. It wasn’t everyday the three of you had free periods together, but when you did, the conversations were always entertaining.

Especially when Harry started complaining.

You halted your focus on the magazine at the sound of Harry’s sassy and oddly loud voice. It was as though he wanted himself to be heard. Hermione scoffed from in front of the boy and you pulled the corner of your page up slowly, pretending to still be immersed in your reading.

“At this point, Malfoy is just following in his fa-” “Malfoy?” You asked, humming apprehensively, “Smash.”

From the slytherin table, sat right behind you, Draco’s head snapped backwards, his mouth parting in surprise before he forced his features into a confident smirk. Theo, Pansy, Mattheo and Blaise held matching looks at the bombshell you dropped so shamelessly.

A silence overtook your three friends at your comment, jaws slack and faces frozen in shock. “What!?” Harry spluttered. You flicked over to the next page, shrugging your shoulders as you scoffed carelessly. “Yeah, you can complain about him all you want, but that is one attractive man.”

“If you felt so strongly about the matter, you should’ve spoken sooner.”

Your head shot up and you slammed your magazine shut at the familiar voice, your eyes widening in panic. Ron, who sat facing you, grimaced at you softly. Clearing your throat, you spun around on the bench, kicking your legs over its side. Leaning your elbows back on the table cooly, you replied “Why would I have spoken sooner if you weren’t around to hear it?”

Draco grinned and you cocked your head to the side, holding eye contact, challenging him to keep your gaze. It was silent as you stared at each other, apart from Theo’s loud exhale and Mattheo’s chuckle before he turned his attention back to his cup of tea. Finally, Draco gulped thickly, eyes momentarily flickering to look back at his friends.

Humming apprehensively, you stood up, tucking your magazine under your arm and slinging your bag over your shoulder. “Makes sense you’re not a gryffindor,” You started, eyes trained on Draco as he stiffened up. You leaned closer to him, bringing your voice down to a whisper. “Find me when you’re brave enough to do something about it, Malfoy.”

And with a toss of your hair over your shoulder, you strutted out of the great hall, grinning as you heard a clatter of things behind you. Draco rushed to catch up to you, tripping over his feet as he followed you all the way from the great hall to the girls’ bathroom you dragged him into, pushing him against the wall and pressing your lips to his.

Draco groaned, immediately flipping your positions around so he had you cornered between his body and the stone wall, and he separated himself from you momentarily to ask you “What was that you said earlier?” before moving his kisses down your neck and instantly sucking on your skin to leave bruising hickeys that Harry will most definitely question.

“What? Find me when you’re-”

“No, before that.”

“Um, smash?” Draco chuckled against your skin, trailing his kisses back up your neck and towards your lips. “Would you let me take you on a date before that?” You felt your cheeks go hot at the embarrassing whimper that escaped your lips at his question, but nodded your head nonetheless.

Draco pushed himself off you with a satisfied smile, smoothing his uniform down as he stated “Good. Now, I believe you have a lesson.” You gasped deep in your throat at the realisation that he was correct, hearing the halls outside fill with chatter as students were released from their classrooms.

“Sunday. Hogsmeade.” He told you, pushing the door to the bathroom open and walking past the group of girls who were coming into the room, giving him judgemental looks as he passed them. But then they turned to you, and they were immediately gasping at the revelation of you and Draco being together. You giggled nervously, slipping out of the bathroom when they turned to look at each other, the gossip already beginning to spread.

Meanwhile, in the great hall:

Harry’s jaw dropped lower than he believed possible as he watched Draco stumble to reach you. He shook his head “We cannot let that happen.” Hermione scoffed, “Oh yes we can, and we will. I want all the details when they’re done.”

At the sounds of disgust both Harry and Ron expelled from their mouths, Hermione sighed disappointedly. “Right. I forgot you’re not girls.”

“Hey, Granger!” Hermione turned to the voice that had called out her name and she stared back nervously at Pansy Parkinson, who had a surprisingly welcoming smile on her face. “You can come discuss it with us, if you’d like. I’m a girl, and you’d think they are too based on how much they love the drama.” Hermione laughed whole-heartedly as Pansy nodded her head towards the boys around her with a joking roll of her eyes.

“Will that work if we’re getting different sides of the same story?” Hermione questioned, crossing her arms over his chest in mock rivalry. Pansy hummed, standing up and gathering her belongings. “I get his side of the story, you get hers, then we exchange?” Hermione grinned.

“Perfect. But I think she’ll want to join.”

Pansy winked. “Even better, I want all the filthy details.”

taglist: @ravisinghs-wife, @starry-remus, @pain-in-the-ashe, @hiireadstuff, @treefairy-28, @superlegend216, @kitkatkl, @juliet-017, @boromoony, @fl0weryannie, @tiaajosephin, @dream-alittlebiggerdarling, @dearlizzies

𝐴𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 ; peter sutherland | one-shot |

summary: the hours after peter's night shift are definitely better than the hours during.

pairing: shygf!fem!reader x teasingbf!peter sutherland.

trope: established relationship.

genre: fluff + romance.

warnings‼️: suggestive (kissing, making out, touchy feely while kissing, etc.) but still sfw.

word count: 1,149.

random disclaimerrr: been on this train since 2023 😝 HE GOT EVEN FINER HELP 😭😛 he got me jumpin’ like boom shaka-laka boom shaka-laka ohhh 😛 happy reading! ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ ♡ © 2025 @jks1uv

You’re in that baby pink silk set he likes. It’s nothing fancy; just a spaghetti strapped cami top with a lacy outline and a pair of matching shorts.

He likes it because of how you look in it.

The baby pink brings out your skin, makes it appear glowy. Your eyes pop out and contrast with the shiny material nicely.

All claims of pure flattery but it’s all for you.

Color theory is real and Peter is living proof of that.

You lean against the doorframe with your arms crossed, watching your boyfriend wearing that outfit you like.

A tight-fitted navy blue long-sleeved shirt paired with the softest grey sweatpants ever.

His hair is dried up from the shower he took earlier and you can still smell the hotel citrus mixed with hints of his Polo cologne.

You think about how good he looks; a clean shave giving him the softest, smoothest face. He's currently manspreading on a chair, looking over some documents placed in his lap.

His biceps entice you to look, to stare and admire.

His strength has always captivated you. The attraction is deeply rooted in the way he makes you feel safe.

The tattoos decorating his arms fuel your fascination.

His sleeves are pulled up a bit, revealing a taste of his forearms and its veins. Peter rakes a hand through his hair and rubs the back of his neck, deep in thought.

The muscly arms make another appearance and you can't take it anymore.

You walk over and hike yourself up on the table, right beside his pile of papers.

“I was wondering when you were gonna stop staring at me creepily and say what’s on your mind.” He comments without looking up from the file.

You look down and play with the hem of your top, growing shy at his observation. A small smile lines your lips and you don't dare meet his gaze when he sighs and sets the file down beside you.

He stares at you for a moment before continuing. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“I'm good on pennies, actually. But, thank you.” You murmur.

Peter slides his chair in front of you and you don't miss the way his legs are still far apart, like he's expecting you to step down and sit down any moment now.

He’s leaned back all nice and comfortable, watching your every move.

He notices your eyebrows twitch up a bit when he fills your line of sight. He doesn’t miss the way you’re still fiddling with the hem of your top, trying to occupy your mind. Peter sees the way your wandering eyes light up when he’s giving you attention.

He decides not to tease you anymore and leans forward. His hands are on your knees, pushing them apart so he can stand in between them.

Your spine straightens itself and you slowly breathe in when he brings his face closer.

You’re acutely aware of his hands being on either side of you, caging you in.

You blink up at him and meet those chocolate eyes.

“Don’t go all shy on me now.” He’s soft with his teasing.

You smack your teeth and can’t help the grin that graces your lips. Your head tilts back a bit but he’s persistent; he tracks its movements.

Peter bumps his nose into yours, provoking you to meet him all the way.

You want to kiss him but you’re too shy to make the first move.

If only you were a telepath.

“You gonna kiss me or what?” He’s bold with his demands.

You pretend to mull over the thought, shrugging slightly and humming in uncertainty.

“Uh huh.” He says, obviously not buying it.

Testing the waters, Peter leans in just a bit to keep you guessing.

You have your gaze set on his plush lips and you think about how soft they look. Inviting, too.

You lean in thoughtlessly and he can’t find it in himself to deny you.

He finally kisses you and you sigh in relief.

You blindly wrap your legs around him and pull him in, your fingers run through his hair and he groans at the contact.

The vibrations make your lips tingle a bit and you meekly chuckle, breaking this kiss.

“I can’t stand you.” Peter breathlessly admits.

You both know he’s all bark and no bite but you’re curious.

“Why not?” You ask.

“You’re so…” He looks back and forth at your eyes and is captivated by your honey flavored lips.

“Distracting.” He settles on this but you are, and you know it.

“You’re wearing that set that you know I like,” He rubs the soft material against his thumb.

“And the chapstick.”

“What about it?”

It’s a Burts Bees moisturizing lip balm but with a new flavor: honey. You knew he’d like it but you didn’t expect this reaction from him.

“It’s nice.” He whispers before pressing a chaste kiss to your soft, sweet lips.

He grips your waist and lifts you up, you resume your previous position and wrap yourself around him; cocooning your body into his.

He steps backwards and plops down on the bed, worshipping you.

His touch is electric, fingers dip under your shirt and sprout goosebumps in their wake. His knuckles gently caress your hips before squeezing them with affection.

Your heart flutters at his actions and you’re putty in his hands. Your eyes close involuntarily and you sigh and gasp as the last bits of consciousness whither away at his touch.

His forehead presses against yours and you feel his silent notions of care and adoration for you. Peter kisses down your jaw and can’t control the sparks of devotion that lick into your skin.

You’re overwhelmed with emotion by his affection, by his kisses. By him.

It’s as if a heavy weight is set on your chest and can’t be lifted unless you speak.

You take charge of the moment by tilting your head back and angle his face away from your neck.

His pupils dilated to the max combined with his rosy cheeks makes for a pretty sight.

“What’s wrong?” He whispers.

Peter adjusts you in his lap and the way he handles you with such care and strength has you craving for more.

“Nothing, I just…”

You leave the ghost of a trail on the apples of his cheeks and his warm hand comes up to envelop it. He kisses the side of your palm and it makes you giddy inside.

“I just really like you. A lot.”

He blinks as a warm smile spreads over his face. He stares up at you for a second before gently pushing you down onto the bed.

Your excitement shows in your squeals and giggles as he leaves kisses all over your face and holds you close to him.

The hours after his night shift are the best hours of his life, he thinks.

I’m obsessed😈

AU | ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ!ᴛᴏᴍ x ꜰ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

˚.☾⋆✧ Blood Lust.

Short Summary: When you stir awake in the middle of the night, you notice Tom hasn’t come back home. Strange noises downstairs lead you to investigate, but what—or who—will you find as you do?

Warnings: 18+ only! Vampire!Tom, hunter and prey, biting, marking, blood play, nipple play, incredibly feral Tom Riddle, breeding kink, choking, praise, unprotected p in v, implied murder (side character).

A/N: FINALLY it’s out. Thank you so much for your patience, life’s a mess atm. Love you, always <3

wordcount: 3,2k

You wake.

Not by choice, but rather from the sound of a window shutting forcefully somewhere downstairs. You still, holding your breath as you listen intently, however, you are left waiting. All you can hear is complete silence. Silence that feels almost eerie now, in the dark. When you hear nothing suspicious for another minute, your focus shifts.

It must be around midnight, you think, and a quick look at the clock confirms your assumption.

It’s 23:50.

Then you hear it—the wind. You exhale sharply, closing your eyes again. It’s just the wind, you tell yourself. The wind must have shut a window downstairs. And just as you are about to drift off to sleep again—

Your eyes shoot open.

You had checked all the windows before going upstairs.

Your arm searches for something next to you—someone. However, a few taps later, and you realise the bed is cold and empty, sheets in the same place as they were when you went to bed.

He isn’t here. 

Or better—he hasn’t come back.

You sigh in defeat, sitting upright on the soft mattress, the silky sheets crumpling under the shift of weight on them. Your palm covers your mouth as you yawn, slipping into your slippers you placed next to the bed. Your legs carry you towards the nearby window, and you rest your hands on the ledge as you glance into the starry night sky, which is clearer than usual today.

In that moment, realisation hits you.

It’s a full moon.

Another loud noise has your body tense involuntarily, tearing you from your thoughts—this time it’s something shattering on the ground, similar to a glass. You walk towards the door, about to turn the key when your arm drops again.

Every fiber in your body tells you no—stay in bed, don’t go and check. Why would you? Tom isn’t home, and if there really was someone, he wouldn’t want you to get yourself in danger. Right?

You shake your head. But there is another voice inside of you, clearer than your own, telling you to check—

So you do.

You turn the key in the lock, pushing the handle down before peering through the gap.

Darkness.

A sense of relief washes over you, and you step outside, a small candle in your left hand lighting your way. The wooden planks creak under your feet, and you stop every few steps to listen—but all that greets you is silence, silence that carries an intimidating undertone.

Even as you walk down the stairs, there is nothing too unusual. The dim glow of your candle does little to illuminate your surroundings, and it really does a better job exposing yourself to any possible intruder than the other way around, but it’s better than nothing. Finally, you reach the lowest level of your shared home, stepping onto the cold marble floor tiles.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

A shiver runs down your spine as the ticking of the living room clock has you stop momentarily, an eerie tension forming in the air, growing thicker the closer you get to it. You have been wanting to get rid of the clock for a while, telling him how irritating the ticking is, especially when you pass it at night—but he is oddly attached to it.

So you kept it.

With the help of the flickering candlelight, you are able to make out an object on the floor near the living room—your favourite vase—that had dropped and shattered into a hundred small pieces. You sigh softly, crouching down to pick up the pieces, however, soon the inevitable happens—you cut yourself.

A sharp hiss spills over your lips as the porcelain breaks your skin, a drop of blood running down your finger. You curse yourself for not being more careful, looking around to find something you can wrap around the wound.

The emergency kit. In the kitchen.

Standing back up, you make your way, though you don’t get far before your breath catches in your throat and your body freezes in place. A pair of glowing, scarlet eyes advances towards you, their intensity burning through the night’s darkness better than any candle in your possession would.

You shouldn’t be scared. It’s Tom.

However, something about his presence feels different today. The energy he radiates seems stronger, needier. More feral, more unhinged. More dangerous.

Before you know it, he is there, right in front of you.

Though the light of your candle dims when he stands before you, it doesn’t take long for you to take in the state of him. Pupils dilated wide, intently focused on you, his breath coming out in short, ragged huffs. And there is blood. So much blood. The crimson color staining his lips and chin, seeping into the white cotton fabric of his robes. His eyes wander, stopping at the bleeding cut on your finger before they trail back up—slowly.

“Tom?” you whisper, eyebrows drawn together in confusion—and fear.

He doesn’t reply.

Instead, he reaches up to your cheek, brushing over the soft skin ever so lightly, barely even touching you at all. His thumb then wanders under your chin, slowly tilting your head up so you are met with his glowing red eyes. Still, he doesn’t speak—instead, he leans in, his lips meeting yours just to place a singular, feather-light kiss on them. Enough to make you taste what he’s been up to—although you’d rather not think about it. His hand leaves your cheek, grazing over your jaw and throat until he stops at your neck, pulling you in closer.

When his fingers press down on your pulse point softly, feeling your elevated, rushed heartbeat under his touch, a smirk tugs at the corner of his lips. Tom’s head dips then, his hot breath skimming over your ear, the tension between the both of you building rapidly. And then, a small, an almost too silent huff leaves his lips—

“Run.”

Now, obviously, this isn’t meant to be a game for you to win. It has never been. With his heightened senses and supernatural strength, you cannot escape him, and you never will. Both of you are aware of that. But the thrill of it all—it is intoxicating for both of you. So whenever he does tell you to run—you are more than happy to obey.

So you take a step back, and his arm drops to his side. One more quick glance at him, how his chest rises and falls in anticipation, how his lips are slightly parted, revealing his sharp fangs—

And then you run, as fast as your legs carry you.

He gives you a head start, knowing you won’t make it far either way. It’s dark, but he doesn’t need light to find you. The smell of your fresh blood in the air is enough for him to locate you, even if you were a mile away. He could distinguish your blood from a thousand others, and God, he would always find you.

After all, you are still his favourite prey.

With that thought, he turns to leave the kitchen, following the soft sound of your heartbeat. He can feel how quick it beats, trying its hardest to supply your body with enough oxygen. The closer he gets to you—now walking up the stairs—the stronger the scent of your blood becomes. The more he craves you.

You shriek quietly as the door to your shared bedroom flies open, your breathing stilling in an attempt to keep him at bay for just a little longer. Though you know it’s over when you hear a low scoff from outside of your closet, the door opening as a strong hand wraps around your wrist, pulling you out.

“Too easy,” he growls, lips crashing onto yours, capturing you in a heated kiss. “Too fucking easy.” Suddenly his hands are all over your body, practically tearing your clothes off your body. The buttons of your blouse pop off the fabric, clattering as they hit the floor, rolling off. You barely have time to complain before you stand bare before him, and his hungry eyes are drinking you in.

Tom takes a step closer, and you squirm slightly as his cold hand softly trails over your delicate skin, pulling you in as he reaches your waist. “Been thinking about you all day. Now you are mine.” He purrs, smirking against your lips before he kisses you again, biting down on your lower lip, drawing a soft gasp from you.

“Who— who was it?” You breathe, gaze lowering to the bloodstains on his clothes, a sly grin forming on his face at your question.

“Remember Knockturn Alley? How his eyes lingered on you?” He answers, trailing kisses along your jaw.

Of course. What else.

You sigh. “Yes, I do.”

“Mhm.” He mumbles, lips back on yours, not giving you the chance to question him further.

Never breaking the kiss, he pushes you backwards until you are sprawled out on the now cool, silky sheets, not wasting another second before he joins you. One hand softly wrapped around your throat, he tilts your head to gain better access to your neck, his ragged breaths hot on your skin as his head dips, greedily trailing kisses along your jugular vein.

Your soft moans only seem to spur him on, sucking marks into your skin, your neck, collarbone, and breasts until you are nothing more than a whining mess beneath him. Only then does he pull back slightly, humming lowly in approval as his glowing eyes wander over the artwork of bruises he’s left behind on your skin.

He savours the way you melt under his touch, so good and pliant for him, anticipation building at the thought of finally tasting you. “Doing so well for me,” he mutters, brushing a strand of hair from your face, before dipping back down to continue his ministrations.

Then, for the first time that night, you feel his fangs on your skin, grazing over your neck ever so lightly—a gentle reminder of what’s to come, of the flaming hunger beneath his composure. Your body twitches at the contact, breath coming out shakily as you cling onto his shoulder, feeling his muscles under your touch.

A smirk creeps onto his face at your reaction, placing an open-mouthed kiss directly onto your pulse point. “So afraid,” he drawls, tilting your head just a tiny bit more, before you feel his pointed teeth again, not yet piercing your skin, but lingering, waiting.

“I am not—“ you try to defend yourself, however, his palm closes over your mouth, cutting you off.

“No more talking back.”

As his instinct takes over, you feel it. The familiar sting of his fangs sinking into the tender flesh of your neck, drawing the first drops of blood with a breathy groan as he tastes you on his tongue, some of it trickling down onto the sheets and your cleavage. A cozy warmth spreads through your body, easing the pain, intensifying the pleasure he is providing you with.

“Tom— oh God—“ you whimper, hands tangling in his brunette locks, softly tugging on his roots as he continues feeding on you, soft sucking noises filling your shared bedroom as he greedily drinks your blood, a tingling sensation spreading through your body.

But before he gets too lost in the ecstasy, he pulls back with a low growl, fangs forcefully retracting from your neck. For a moment he just glances down at you, chest heaving with ragged breaths. “Taste yourself,” he breathes, head dipping down until he’s a mere inch away from your lips. “I want you to taste yourself. How fucking sweet you taste for me.”

He doesn't give you much of a choice, because as soon as you open your mouth to voice your complaint, his lips are on yours, the metallic taste of your own blood flooding your senses. His hand tightens around your throat, cutting off just enough air to leave you dizzy, while the effects of his bite send your mind spiraling. Your knuckles turn white from how hard they are gripping the sheets, your body struggling to process the overwhelming sensations all at once.

But there is something you do notice. Very clearly even.

How painfully hard he is. How he can’t help but grind himself against you.

“T-Tom, please,” you whimper as he slowly pulls back, admiring the mess he’s left on your lips, thumb shakily swiping over them.

“You are ovulating.”

“I know, I—“

He groans. A low, almost desperate sound somewhere from the back of his throat. “Fuck, sweetheart. You know I can’t— fuck— hold back. Not when—“

Merlin help you.

Your hand is on his neck, never breaking eye contact as you pull him closer once more. Shaking your head, you place a kiss on his tensed jaw. “Don’t hold back.”

Another sharp inhale, and his hand is back around your throat, pressing down, not to restrict your airflow, because you can breathe very well—as well as you could breathe under the effect of your vampire’s bite—but rather your blood flow.

“Don’t wish for something you cannot handle,” he warns lowly, but you shake your head again. “God, Tom, please— I need you, just— take me.”

“Fuck—“

With your mind already blurry as a result of his bite, you only faintly notice the sound of his belt hitting the wooden planks of your floor with a thud, followed by the rest of his clothes. Before you realise it, he slips between your thighs, body pressing flush against yours. His lips wrap around your nipple, gently dragging his sharp teeth over the sensitive bud, drawing a sharp gasp from you at the intense sensation, which sends a jolt of pleasure straight to your core.

It doesn’t take long until you feel him prodding at your soaked entrance, pressing another kiss to your lips before he pushes inside of you with a low groan, and it’s rough, it’s careless, mirroring his burning hunger for you. He doesn’t wait, no, he buries himself to the hilt with one singular, powerful thrust, tip brushing against your sensitive cervix, your brows drawing together at the sudden, sharp yet delicious stretch on your walls. A choked moan rips from your lips, body arching beneath him, which is apparently sign enough for him to pull back slightly, only to thrust back inside harder.

His head dips, breath hot against your neck as he continues sucking and biting marks into your skin before his fangs break through your flesh once more, a low, satisfied hum falling over his lips as he stills his hunger on his favourite human—you.

He soon sets a steady rhythm, your eyes rolling to the back of your head as his tip brushes over your most sensitive spot with every thrust. The flickering candlelight in the otherwise dark room illuminates the sharp features of his face each time he raises his head to take a breath, your blood dripping down his chin over the sides of his neck.

“Can’t get enough of you, fuck—“ he groans, picking up his pace when he hears your soft moans, his fingertips sinking into your waist, hard enough to leave bruises as he pulls you back into his thrusts, stopping your body from moving forwards with every snap of his hips.

Few things in this world can make Tom Riddle lose his self-restraint.

But the way you squeeze him so tight, walls fluttering as you try to accommodate his length, soft whimpers falling over your lips, all while the flavour of your blood has his mind spinning with pure ecstasy—certainly has him on the verge.

Because fuck—you are just so gorgeous, he thinks. Covered in his marks and his only, painting a canvas of his lust on your body, he just needs you to be his, forever. The bite would come, the bite to turn you into a vampire yourself, but for now—he’ll still savour the irreplaceable taste of your blood. Instead, he’ll make you his in other ways.

Tom’s eyes darken at the thought, lips slightly parted, and suddenly he has a desire other than satiating his primal hunger for your blood—he wants, no, needs to fill you—stake his claim on you.

You can practically feel the last bits of restraint he has left fading, messily feeding on you while he buries his cock deep within your walls with every sharp, perfectly angled snap of his hips into yours, deliciously dragging over all the right spots as he pounds into you relentlessly.

“Too much, Tom— please—“ you whimper, just as your consciousness threatens to slip, ears ringing and vision growing cloudy. He is barely able to stop himself in time from draining more of your precious blood, fangs tearing from your skin with a low, guttural groan. He tilts your head then, having you meet his strict, intense gaze. “Not yet, look at me. Fuck— look at me as I fill you up.”

Only with half-lidded eyes do you manage to do so, legs weakly wrapped around him as he takes what he needs, mercilessly slipping in and out of you, his brunette curls sticking to his damp forehead as he chases his release.

“You are going to be good for me and take it,” he pants, thrusts growing more erratic as you feel him twitch inside of you.

“Every.” thrust “Last.” thrust “Drop.” thrust

“Yes— fuck please, Tom.” You gasp, and with a few more sharp snaps of his hips, he spills his release deep inside of you, groaning lowly as he paints your walls with thick, white ropes of his cum.

You too come undone with a weak shudder of your body, your walls fluttering around his length, hands slipping from his shoulders. Pleasure and pain melt into one, stars dancing in front of your eyes as your vision grows blurrier with each passing second.

Tom lets you regain your consciousness, staying situated between your thighs, his cock still buried deep within your walls as he gently laps his tongue against the puncture wounds on your neck, cleaning most of the dried crimson liquid from your skin.

The next thing you remember is his fingertips tenderly massaging shampoo into your scalp, warm water surrounding your sore body as he has you resting against his chest in the bathtub. The scent of fresh rose petals and orchids fills your nostrils with a deep breath of yours. You hum softly, eyes fluttering closed again, letting him take care of you.

A flicker of satisfaction sparks in his eyes as he dries you off in front of a mirror, gently patting the towel over the bite marks and bruises he’s left all over your cleavage.

“So gorgeous, covered in my marks. And all mine.”

“All yours.”

tags: @belladonnaheartsthemoon, @riddlebella, @jo1818

I love how you articulated the complexity of the reader’s feelings towards Logan. I particularly appreciated how the reader did not just fall into Logan’s arms at the expense of their own complicated emotions. You gave both characters space to work through their own battles and even in the end, you perfectly depicted how healing is an ongoing process. This piece was so raw and REAL! Thank you for that!❤️

Empath

logan howlett x fem!mutant reader - angst, some fluff, reader has empath powers, logan is a softie, mutual pining, xavier cameo, no y/n used, no reader description

You have empath powers leading you to get overwhelmed around Logan so you try to avoid him until you realize you can't.

prompt idea from @Silverskyeline from their logan promptober: #5-longing

“Just stop!” Your voice rang out, sharp and desperate as if you could somehow silence the whirlwind inside your mind. Your hands clenched into fists at your sides, knuckles white, but it did nothing to hold back the wave of emotion crashing over you.

Xavier’s voice, calm but firm, echoed softly in your head. "You must fight it. Control it. The emotions will consume you if you don’t."

You swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling over you, but it didn’t ease the storm raging inside. For months now, you had been fighting—struggling to control the empathy that threatened to pull you under. Every emotion, every fleeting thought from the people around you clawed at your mind, but none had hit you like his.

Logan.

You hadn’t expected this when you first walked through the mansion’s doors. Sure, you knew the man was intimidating, with his broad, rugged features and those piercing hazel eyes that seemed to cut through every defense you had. You didn’t know how deeply he carried his pain. You didn’t know it would bury itself in your chest the moment his gaze locked on yours.

The first time you saw him, the world shifted. A fire had sparked under your skin like something about him was too much—too raw, too intense. And then it happened.

His emotions—heavy, bruised, and relentless—flooded your mind, unfiltered and overwhelming. The sheer weight of his misery and anger, the years of grief, regret, and heartache, hit you all at once, knocking the breath from your lungs. You had felt your powers spiral out of control, dragging you under. Every wall you’d carefully built around your mind shattered in an instant.

Now, standing in the quiet of the mansion, it was happening again. You could feel him—sense him even though he wasn’t in the room. The memory of his pain clung to you, thick and suffocating, threatening to drown you if you didn’t find a way to shut it out.

“Focus,” Xavier’s voice urged, the gentle command reverberating in your mind. “Feel, but don’t let it overwhelm you. You can control it.”

You tried. You squeezed your eyes shut, forcing yourself to breathe through the rush of emotions, through the heat rising in your chest. But it wasn’t enough. You could still feel Logan’s anger simmering beneath the surface, his anguish, the weight of the world pressing on him—pressing on you.

A choked sound escaped your throat as you gripped the edge of the desk, your fingers digging into the wood. “I can’t—” you whispered, the words barely audible, thick with frustration.

Xavier’s presence in your mind was steady, unshakable. “You can. You must. Find the source. Recognize it. Let it pass through, not into you.”

How could you? Logan’s presence lingered, as if he was right there, behind you—watching, waiting. You could almost hear the gruff edge of his voice, feel the weight of his stare, the way his emotions cut through your defenses without even trying. How could you separate yourself from something so powerful, so consuming?

Images of Logan flashed through your mind—those haunted eyes, the lines of worry etched into his face, the silent weight he carried with every step. You had never meant to connect so deeply with him. But it was there. The moment you’d let your guard slip, his entire being had flooded your senses, and you hadn’t been able to push him away since.

The room spun around you, the air thick with tension. Sweat beaded on your forehead as you fought to regain control, fought to suppress the storm Logan had stirred up within you. It was like trying to hold back a flood with your bare hands.

Then, there was a knock. The sound reverberated through the room like a lifeline, cutting through the chaos in your mind. You turned sharply, eyes wide, heart pounding in your chest.

The door creaked open, and there he was. 

He stood in the doorway, his presence filling the room with the same intensity you had felt from the moment you’d met him. His expression was unreadable, his gaze hard but searching as it locked onto you. Even from across the room, you could feel the weight of him pressing against your mind—the grief, the anger, the quiet torment that lived inside him.

It hit you like a tidal wave again, but this time, you couldn’t hold it back. You gasped, clutching the edge of the desk for support as your knees nearly buckled.

Logan’s brow furrowed, his hands curling into fists at his sides as he stepped forward, the scent of earth and steel following him. “What’s wrong?” His voice was low, rough like gravel, but there was something else there—something softer.

You couldn’t answer. The emotions swirling within him, within you, were too strong, too overwhelming. All the pain, all the years of torment—it was like reliving them through his eyes.

“Focus,” Xavier’s voice broke through, firm and steady. “Don’t lose yourself. Not to this.”

You couldn’t focus. Not with Logan standing so close, his emotions bleeding into yours, his pain threatening to swallow you whole.

Logan’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching as he moved closer, his rough hand reaching for yours. “Hey.” His voice was quieter now, the edge of his frustration replaced with something else. “Look at me.”

You forced yourself to meet his gaze, the world narrowing to just you and him, his hazel eyes burning into yours. For a brief moment, the chaos inside you stilled, as if Logan himself was anchoring you, pulling you back from the brink.

“You’re okay,” Logan murmured, his voice low but certain, that rough edge softened by the weight of his concern. His hand lingered near yours, a tether in the storm. For a split second, it almost felt like you could breathe again like maybe he was right.

But the chaos inside you flared again, pulling you under. You shook your head, getting to your feet and backing away from him, the words catching in your throat. “I can’t—” Your voice trembled, barely a whisper as you tried to pull yourself together. Panic clawed at your chest, the emotions too thick, too heavy. You couldn’t stay there.

Without waiting for Logan’s response, you turned on your heel, stumbling out of Xavier’s office. The door closed behind you with a soft click, but it wasn’t enough to shut out the swirl of emotions still raging inside your mind.

Why? Why, after all this time, did one person—one man—have so much control over you?

You could still feel the echo of Logan’s presence, like a heavy weight pressing against your ribs, his emotions lingering in the air around you. Every time he was near, it was like drowning in his pain, his raw grief and anger consuming you, pushing everything else aside until there was nothing left of you but him.

Your breath came out in ragged bursts as you hurried down the hallway, each step echoing louder than the last. You wiped at your eyes, trying to shake the way Logan’s voice had clung to you, how his gaze had burned through every defense you’d tried to put up.

It wasn’t fair.

You barely knew him yet the moment you’d felt his emotions, it had been like stepping into a fire—intense, all-consuming, impossible to ignore. You hadn’t been the same since.

I have to stay away from him, you thought, quickening your pace. It’s the only way.

Logan wasn’t just any person. His pain, his grief—they were too strong, too heavy for you to handle. You’d spent years trying to control your powers, fighting for some semblance of balance, and then Logan showed up and tore through all of it like it was nothing. He didn’t even have to try. His very presence was enough to unravel you.

You slowed as you reached the garden, the cool air hitting your face like a shock, grounding you just enough to steady your breath. You stood there, gripping the railing, your knuckles white as you tried to compose yourself.

The thought of avoiding him entirely seemed like the only solution. You couldn’t be near him without feeling everything—his loss, his frustration, his anger. It was too much. Too overwhelming. And if you were honest with yourself, it wasn’t just the emotions he stirred up. It was how he made you feel.

There was a flicker of something more—something dangerous—beneath all that pain. Something that tugged at you, pulled you closer, even when every part of you screamed to pull away. It was as though you were drawn to him, even knowing the storm he carried.

But it didn’t matter.

You couldn’t afford to get lost in someone else’s emotions. You had to focus on control, on yourself. The only way to do that was to avoid Logan—no matter what it took.

The mansion was a labyrinth of memories, of people who knew too much, and you didn’t have time to linger. You needed space. Distance. You needed to get as far away from Logan’s pull as possible before you lost yourself completely.

With a deep breath, you turned, determined to put as much distance between you and Logan as you could.

You kept your distance, retreating into yourself as the days blurred together. The mansion, once a place of refuge, now felt like a maze you couldn’t escape—every hallway, every room seemed charged with the lingering presence of Logan. His scent, his voice, even his silences weighed on you, making it harder and harder to breathe.

It wasn’t that you didn’t want to see him. Quite the opposite. That was the problem.

You avoided him at all costs. If you heard his boots echoing down the hallway, you’d slip into the nearest room, pressing your back against the door until the sound faded. At mealtimes, you sat far from him, your eyes focused anywhere but on the seat he occupied. You even rearranged your training schedule, hoping to avoid crossing paths in the Danger Room. It was exhausting, but it was the only way you knew to protect yourself—from his emotions, from your own.

Logan noticed.

At first, it was small things—his eyes lingering on you when he thought you weren’t looking, the way his brows furrowed in quiet confusion whenever you abruptly left a room. You caught him staring more than once, his expression dark and unreadable, but you never stayed long enough to figure out what he was thinking.

He didn’t chase you, though. Not at first. Logan wasn’t the type to force a confrontation unless he was pushed to it. But you could feel the shift, the tension between you growing thicker with every passing day. Every time you turned away, every time you avoided his gaze, the air seemed to crackle with something unsaid, something unfinished.

And it hurt.

You didn’t want to admit it—not to yourself, not to anyone—but each time you pulled away, it hurt. There was a part of you that longed to be near him, despite the chaos he stirred inside you. A part that craved his presence, even as it terrified you.

But it was safer this way. You couldn’t handle the storm that followed Logan wherever he went. His emotions were too raw, too powerful, and you knew if you let him get any closer, you’d lose yourself in them completely.

Xavier, of course, noticed everything.

He had tried to help, guiding you through your training, and offering advice, but even his calm voice in your mind couldn’t quiet the turmoil. He’d seen the way your eyes darted away from Logan’s, the way you tensed whenever you sensed him nearby.

“You’ve been avoiding Logan,” Xavier said one afternoon, his tone gentle but firm as he spoke to you in his office. His eyes were kind, but you could see the concern behind them. “It’s not a solution, you know.”

You sat across from him, your fingers twisted tightly in your lap, avoiding his gaze. “I just… can’t be around him,” you said softly, the words spilling out before you could stop them. “Every time I’m near him, I feel everything. His pain, his anger—it’s too much, Professor.”

Xavier’s expression didn’t waver, his hands folded neatly on the desk. “I understand, but pushing him away won’t help you gain control. If anything, it might make things worse.”

You bit your lip, the weight of his words sinking into your chest. He wasn’t wrong. You knew that. But how could you explain that it wasn’t just Logan’s emotions you were afraid of? It was your own. The way your heart raced whenever he was near, the way you felt that magnetic pull to him despite everything. How could you be expected to control your powers when you couldn’t even control the way you felt about him?

“I think… I think it’s best if I leave the mansion,” you said suddenly, the words surprising even you. They hung in the air between you and Xavier, a tangible weight.

His brows furrowed in concern, but he remained calm. “Leave? Do you truly believe that will help you? Or are you running from something else?”

You swallowed hard, your chest tightening. “It’s the only way I can keep my distance. I’m not… I’m not strong enough to handle this. Not yet.”

Xavier studied you for a long moment, his gaze steady, but you could feel his hesitation. “If you leave, you may be running from the very thing that will help you grow. You’re stronger than you think.”

You shook your head, standing abruptly, unable to meet his eyes any longer. “I don’t know if I am.”

The moment you left his office, the weight of your decision pressed down on you. Could you really leave the mansion? Could you walk away from everything—everyone—including Logan? The thought gnawed at you, but it felt like the only way to escape the endless pull toward him.

Later that night, you found yourself in the garden again, seeking solace in the quiet. The cool air wrapped around you as you sat on the stone bench, your fingers tracing the worn surface beneath you. Even here, alone under the stars, you couldn’t escape the thought of him.

And that’s when you sensed it—him.

He stood at the edge of the garden, his silhouette barely visible in the dim light. His presence washed over you like a wave, the emotions swirling in the air before he even said a word. You could feel his confusion, his frustration—his longing.

He stepped forward, the gravel crunching beneath his boots as he approached. You kept your gaze on the ground, unable to face him, but you felt him sit beside you on the bench, close enough that the warmth of his body cut through the cool night air.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Logan said, his voice low, rough with the hint of something else—something more vulnerable than you’d ever heard from him before.

Your heart raced in your chest, but you didn’t look at him. “I had to,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “It’s too much.”

Logan let out a slow breath, and for a moment, neither of you said anything. The silence between you stretched, thick with unspoken words, until finally, Logan spoke again, his voice softer this time. “You think I don’t feel it too?”

You froze, your breath catching in your throat. His words hung heavy in the air, the weight of them sinking into your skin. He wasn’t just talking about your powers. He was talking about you. About the pull that existed between the two of you, the connection that scared you more than anything.

“I can’t…” you started, your voice trembling. “I can’t handle it.”

Logan turned his head, his gaze burning into you, even though you still couldn’t meet his eyes. “I never asked you to,” he said quietly, but there was something raw in his voice, something that made your chest ache. “But you’re not the only one trying to figure this out.”

His words sent a shiver down your spine, the vulnerability in them cutting through the defenses you had so carefully built. Slowly, you turned your head to look at him, your eyes finally meeting his.

And there it was—the storm in his eyes, the same one you felt every time you were near him. But beneath it was something softer, something that made your heart tighten. Logan wasn’t just frustrated. He wasn’t just angry. He was hurt. He was longing for something too.

For you.

“I don’t know how to be around you without losing myself,” you whispered, your voice cracking. “I feel everything when I’m near you.”

Logan’s gaze softened, his expression shifting into something gentler, something you hadn’t seen before. “You’re not gonna lose yourself,” he said, his voice rough but certain. “Not with me. Just focus on my voice.”

The air between you was heavy, charged with the weight of everything you hadn’t said. You could feel it—both the fear and the pull, the undeniable connection that had been there since the moment you met.

For the first time, the thought crept into your mind—maybe it was worth the risk. The pull between you and Logan was undeniable, a tension that lingered in the air every time you were near him. Even now, as that thought took root, fear churned in your chest.

Logan sat beside you, not pushing, just there—steady, grounding, the quiet force of his presence like an anchor in the storm swirling inside you. His silence wasn’t demanding, but it was full. You could feel him waiting, his gaze heavy on you, the heat of it sinking into your skin.

You closed your eyes, turning away from him as the ache in your chest grew sharper. “You carry your grief so strongly,” you whispered, the words barely loud enough to be carried by the night air. The cool breeze brushed against your face, but it did nothing to ease the heat rising inside you, a mix of your own emotions and his. “Even now… even when everything’s still, I can feel it.”

You opened your eyes and looked down at your hands, fingers trembling as they gripped the edge of the bench. “It invades my skin.” Your voice wavered, raw with the weight of the truth you were trying so hard to avoid. “I can usually turn it off—control it—but with you... it’s different.”

Logan’s breath hitched beside you, and though he didn’t say anything, you could feel the shift in him—the tension winding through his body. His emotions pressed against yours, not in words but in the way his presence seemed to swell around you, pulling you closer despite the distance you tried to create. You didn’t need to see his face to know that what you were saying was cutting deep.

For a moment, silence stretched between you, thick and suffocating. The garden felt smaller, the night sky above pulling tighter around you.

Logan’s voice, when it finally came, was low, gravelly—almost a rasp. “I don’t mean to... put that on you.” He shifted slightly beside you, the movement was subtle but full of unspoken frustration, the kind that came from years of living with a weight too heavy for one person to carry alone. “I don’t want to make this harder for you.”

You turned your head slightly, just enough to see him out of the corner of your eye. His broad shoulders were hunched, his hands resting on his thighs, the tension in his body barely restrained. His jaw was clenched, the lines of his face etched with the same pain you’d been drowning in ever since you’d met him.

“You don’t have to do anything,” you whispered, your voice trembling as you spoke the truth you’d been avoiding for months. “You just are, Logan. You exist, and I feel it. All of it.”

He looked at you then, his hazel eyes catching yours in a way that made your breath stutter. The intensity of his gaze was like a flame, burning through every wall you’d tried to build. His pain, his anger, his longing—they were all there, swirling in those dark depths, and you couldn’t look away. It was as if he was letting you in, showing you everything he’d been holding back. The grief, the years of loss, the way he’d been carrying you in his thoughts ever since you came into his life.

Beneath it all, there was something else—something that made your pulse quicken and your chest tighten. Longing. Desire.

Logan’s hand twitched as if he wanted to reach out and close the gap between you, but he didn’t. He stayed where he was, watching you, waiting for something—anything—from you.

You swallowed, your throat tight. “It’s too much,” you whispered, barely able to keep the tremor out of your voice. “I can’t handle it.”

Logan’s expression darkened, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to argue, to tell you it wasn’t too much, that you could handle it. But he didn’t. Instead, he shifted again, his hands curling into fists on his knees. The restraint in his posture was palpable, and the weight of it made the air between you thick with tension.

“I’m not askin’ you to take this on,” he said quietly, his voice strained, rough with emotion. “You don’t have to carry what’s mine.”

“But I do,” you shot back, your voice breaking with the frustration and helplessness that had been building inside you for weeks. “I don’t have a choice, Logan. I feel it. Every time I’m near you.”

Logan’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he watched you, and for a moment, you thought he might get up and leave. Yet he stayed, his gaze locked on yours, the intensity in his expression nearly unbearable.

“I don’t want you to go through that,” he muttered, his voice barely above a growl. “Not because of me.”

There it was—the vulnerability he never let anyone see, laid bare before you. The weight of his words sank into your chest, and for a split second, you wanted to reach out to him, to tell him it wasn’t his fault. That none of this was his fault. The fear that had been gnawing at you for so long kept you rooted in place.

“I can’t,” you whispered, your voice cracking with the weight of the decision you were making. “I can’t do this.”

Logan looked up at you then, his eyes shadowed, a flicker of hurt passing through them. He didn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes—raw, unguarded—said enough. You had made your choice, and it was like a blade between the two of you.

You stood up abruptly, your legs shaking beneath you as you took a step away from the bench. Logan’s eyes followed you, the pain in his gaze unmistakable, but he didn’t try to stop you. He just watched, his hands still curled into tight fists on his knees.

“I need to go,” you murmured, not trusting yourself to look at him again.

Without another word, you turned and walked away, your heart pounding in your chest as you left him sitting there, alone in the garden. The weight of his emotions still clung to you, heavy and suffocating, but you kept moving, forcing yourself to put distance between yourself and the man who had come to mean too much.

As you disappeared into the shadows of the mansion, you could still feel his gaze on your back, the unspoken words between you hanging in the air, thick and unresolved.

Months passed, and the space between you and Logan became a chasm neither of you dared cross. The mansion, though vast, felt smaller with the constant tension that hummed beneath the surface, the unspoken feelings and unresolved emotions hanging in the air like thick fog. You threw yourself into your training, determined to master your powers, to gain control over the chaotic swirl of emotions that threatened to overwhelm you at every turn.

Xavier had been patient, his calm voice a constant guide in your mind, helping you learn to block out the noise—the steady hum of other people’s emotions, their happiness, their pain, all of it—and reclaim your sense of self. It wasn’t easy. Each day felt like a battle, but slowly, the tide was turning. You were getting better. Stronger.

Through it all, you kept your distance from Logan.

It wasn’t hard, at first. He gave you space, honoring the silent agreement between you, and though your chest tightened every time you sensed him nearby, you resisted the urge to look at him. You had learned to anticipate the shift in the air when he was around, a subtle awareness of his presence that you couldn't escape. But you didn’t let it show. You couldn’t.

Logan, for his part, had kept his word. He didn’t force himself into your space. He didn’t approach you with questions and didn’t push for answers. He remained a ghost in the background—silent, watchful, but never overstepping the boundaries you had set.

Still, something in the air had changed. You couldn’t pinpoint it, but you felt it every time he passed by, or when you caught glimpses of him training in the distance. He seemed quieter, more composed, as though the weight he carried had shifted ever so slightly.

One afternoon, as you were walking through the corridors of the mansion, lost in thought, you sensed Logan before you saw him. The air felt heavier, tinged with something familiar yet different. You paused for a moment, heart quickening, your mind bracing for the usual wave of emotions that always came with his presence.

But this time… it was different.

You glanced up, your eyes landing on him as he approached from the other end of the hallway. His gaze caught yours briefly, and for a moment, the world seemed to be still. He looked... calmer, more at ease than you’d seen him in months. The tension that usually clung to him like a second skin was still there, but it was muted like he had found a way to hold it back.

You blinked, your heart beating a little faster as you took him in. There was something different about him, something you couldn’t quite place. You could still feel the undercurrent of his emotions, but they weren’t pressing down on you the way they had before. They were quieter and more controlled.

Logan slowed his pace, his eyes flickering over your face, studying you as if he were searching for something. He didn’t say anything at first, but you could sense the change in him. It was subtle but unmistakable.

He stopped in front of you, the space between you suddenly feeling much smaller than it had in months.

"Hey," he said, his voice low and rough, but there was something softer underneath. The usual edge in his tone was absent.

"Hey," you replied quietly, unsure of what else to say. Your hands fidgeted at your sides, your senses still on high alert, but the overwhelming tidal wave of his emotions you expected never came. It was like a dam had been built between you and the storm that usually surrounded him.

There was a brief silence, thick with unspoken things. Logan’s gaze didn’t waver, and the longer you stood there, the more you realized how different this felt.

“You seem…” you trailed off, searching for the right words. “You seem different.”

Logan’s lips quirked into a half-smile, the kind that barely touched his eyes but softened his expression. He nodded slightly, rubbing the back of his neck—a gesture you recognized from all the times he’d been uncomfortable and vulnerable.

“I’ve been working on it,” he said quietly, his eyes never leaving yours. “On myself.”

You blinked, surprised. “What do you mean?”

Logan exhaled, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he spoke. “After everything… after the way I made you feel, I figured maybe it was time I got my shit together.” He paused, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before returning to you. “I didn’t wanna keep unloading all my baggage on you.”

Your heart squeezed painfully at the raw honesty in his voice. He was always guarded, always hiding behind layers of anger and pain. But now, standing in front of you, he seemed... stripped down. Bare.

“I didn’t know you were...” You swallowed, trying to find the words. “I didn’t know you were doing that for me.”

Logan’s eyes softened, his expression serious. “You didn’t ask for any of this,” he said, his voice low. “I can’t take away what I’ve been through, and I know I can’t stop feeling the shit I feel, but... I’ve been trying to keep it under control. For your sake.”

You stared at him, the weight of his confession settling over you like a blanket. He had been working on himself—not just for him, but for you. So that his emotions wouldn’t overwhelm you. So that you wouldn’t have to carry the weight of his pain.

“You don’t have to do that for me,” you said softly, your voice trembling just enough for him to notice.

Logan’s jaw clenched, but there was no anger there—only resolve. “Yeah, I do. I hurt you, and I don’t wanna do that again.”

Your chest tightened at his words, a mix of emotions flooding through you. The distance you had put between you and Logan had been necessary, but hearing him say that he had been working on himself, not just for his own sake but for yours... it stirred something deep inside you.

For months, you had been avoiding him, terrified of the connection that sparked between you every time you were near him. You realized that maybe things had changed. Maybe he had changed.

Maybe you had to.

“I don’t know if I’m ready,” you whispered, barely able to hold his gaze. “I’m still trying to figure things out.”

Logan nodded, his eyes steady, but not pressing. “I get it. I’m not askin’ you to jump into anything. Just... know I’m working on it. I’m working on me.”

You felt your throat tighten, the vulnerability between you suddenly too much to handle. Without another word, you nodded, offering him a small, grateful smile before stepping away.

As you turned to leave, you felt Logan’s gaze on your back, the same steady presence you had come to know so well. It felt lighter like you didn’t feel the need to run. 

The days passed slowly after your conversation with Logan, and though things between you weren’t quite the same, there was a new sense of ease. You’d catch glimpses of him in the hallways or outside in the courtyard, but this time, it didn’t send your heart racing with panic. You didn’t rush to hide.

You could feel the change in him—a calmness that hadn’t been there before. Though the air still hummed with something unspoken between you, it was different now. Less overwhelming. More... manageable.

You’d spent the past few days throwing yourself into training, trying to focus on controlling your powers. The Danger Room became your sanctuary. It was the one place where you could lose yourself completely—where you could practice blocking out the world and hone the control that had been so elusive.

This particular afternoon, the simulated environment was set to a barren desert, the harsh sun beating down on your back as you worked through a series of obstacles. You were panting, sweat dripping down your temples as you ducked behind a boulder, trying to steady your breathing.

You pressed your hands to the ground, feeling the earth beneath you, and closed your eyes, focusing on quieting your mind. Xavier’s voice echoed in your memory: "Feel, but don’t absorb. Let it pass through."

A sudden presence cut through your concentration—strong, familiar. You tensed, your senses sharpening. You didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. His presence was unmistakable.

He stepped into the simulated environment, the door closing behind him with a soft hiss. You opened your eyes and turned, standing as he approached. His boots crunched against the desert sand, the heat radiating off his body as he drew closer.

“Mind if I join?” His voice was low, rough like always, but there was a softness to it—an offer, not a demand.

You hesitated, your heart beating a little faster, but the edge of fear you used to feel around him wasn’t there. You met his gaze, those familiar hazel eyes steady and calm. After a moment, you nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”

Logan gave a brief nod in return, stepping up beside you. He didn’t say much—he rarely did—but his presence was enough to shift the air between you. For a moment, neither of you moved, the silence filled only by the distant hum of the Danger Room’s mechanics. Then, Logan spoke again, his voice quieter this time.

“You’ve gotten better.”

You glanced at him, surprised by the compliment. His eyes stayed on the simulated landscape ahead, but you could feel the sincerity in his words.

“Thanks,” you said, your voice softer than you intended. “Still a lot to work on.”

Logan grunted, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “We all do.”

There was a pause, the weight of his words lingering between you. You stood side by side for a moment, the desert stretching out before you, the heat pressing down.

Without warning, Logan shifted into a fighting stance. His claws remained retracted, but his body was tense, coiled like a spring, his eyes watching you carefully. “Wanna spar?”

You raised an eyebrow, blinking at him in surprise. “You want to spar with me?”

Logan’s lips curved into a grin, that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. “What? You afraid?”

You snorted, shaking your head as you stepped into a stance of your own, facing him. “Not even a little.”

Logan’s grin widened slightly, and he gestured for you to come at him. You moved quickly, feinting to the right before striking low, trying to catch him off guard. But Logan was faster, sidestepping your attack with ease. You spun, swinging again, but he blocked, catching your wrist mid-strike. The strength in his grip was firm but controlled.

“You’re still telegraphing your moves,” he murmured, his voice teasing but not unkind.

You narrowed your eyes, pulling back and aiming a quick jab to his side. He deflected it again, but this time you caught the faint look of approval in his eyes.

For several minutes, the two of you moved in sync—an unspoken rhythm building between your strikes and his counters. Logan never fought with full strength, but there was a focus in his movements, a quiet determination. You could feel the way he was holding himself back, not to overwhelm you but to challenge you.

At one point, your foot slipped in the loose sand, and you stumbled. Logan moved quickly, catching you by the arm before you fell, his grip steady as he pulled you upright.

“You alright?” he asked, his voice low, but close—too close.

Your breath caught in your throat as you met his eyes, realizing just how near he was. His hand lingered on your arm, his fingers rough but gentle, and for a moment, the sparring session faded into the background. The air between you thickened, charged with something more than just the adrenaline of the fight. His eyes—those deep, stormy hazel eyes—locked on yours, and you could feel the heat of his body so close to yours.

“I’m fine,” you murmured, though your voice wavered slightly. You swallowed hard, trying to focus, but the pull between you was undeniable.

Logan didn’t let go immediately. His grip loosened slightly, but his thumb brushed lightly against your arm before he pulled back completely, stepping away.

You took a shaky breath, your heart still racing from more than just the sparring. You could feel the energy between you shifting, the air thick with unspoken things.

“I didn’t mean to...” Logan started his voice rough but laced with something softer, something hesitant. He glanced away for a moment, his brow furrowed as if he were searching for the right words. “I’m trying not to overwhelm you.”

You looked at him, feeling your chest tighten. There was something raw in his expression, something vulnerable beneath the gruff exterior he always wore. The man who had once flooded your mind with unbearable emotions was now holding himself back—for you. Trying to give you space, trying to be better.

“I know,” you said quietly, your voice softening as you met his gaze. “I can feel it.”

Logan’s eyes flicked back to yours, and for a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of you, standing there in the simulated desert, the weight of everything unsaid hanging in the air. There was a tenderness in the way he looked at you, a quiet longing that tugged at your chest, stirring something deep inside.

The moment stretched, neither of you moving, both of you caught in the tension that lingered between you.

The familiar fear crept back in—just enough to remind you of the risks. Of what could happen if you let your guard down. You took a step back, breaking the connection, your heart pounding in your chest.

Logan noticed the shift, his eyes darkening slightly, but he didn’t push. He just gave a small nod, stepping back as well, though his gaze lingered on you.

“I’ll see you around,” he said quietly, his voice rough but sincere.

You nodded, watching as he turned and walked out of the Danger Room, his silhouette disappearing into the hallway.

As the door hissed shut behind him, you stood there, the simulated desert stretching out before you, but all you could feel was the lingering warmth of his presence.

Weeks had passed since that sparring session in the Danger Room, and though the distance between you and Logan had remained, something had shifted. You had felt it in the way your thoughts kept drifting back to him, in the quiet moments when you found yourself wishing he was closer. The intensity you had once tried so hard to avoid had softened, but the pull toward him had only grown stronger.

You were tired of running. Tired of pretending you could keep your feelings locked away. Because the truth was, you wanted him. You wanted Logan—his presence, his strength, his comfort. The way his eyes lingered on you with a quiet intensity that sent shivers down your spine. The way he held back when you needed space, yet was always there, watching, waiting.

You couldn’t avoid it anymore.

It was late, the mansion quiet as you made your way down the dimly lit halls. Your heart pounded in your chest, each step carrying the weight of what you were about to do. The decision had been building for weeks, but tonight, you couldn’t fight it anymore.

You needed him.

You stopped in front of Logan’s door, your hand hovering over the handle as a rush of uncertainty washed over you. What if he didn’t feel the same? What if everything you had built up in your mind was one-sided? But then, you remembered the way he had looked at you in the Danger Room, the way his voice softened when he spoke to you, how he had worked so hard to control himself—for you.

With a deep breath, you knocked softly, your pulse quickening as you waited. A moment later, the door creaked open, and there he was—Logan, standing in the doorway, his expression shifting from surprise to something unreadable the moment he saw you.

“Hey,” he said quietly, his voice low and rough like it always was. His eyes searched yours as if he could sense that something was different tonight.

“Hey,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. You hesitated, your fingers twisting nervously at your sides. But you weren’t here to run away this time. “Can I come in?”

Logan’s brow furrowed slightly, but he stepped aside, gesturing for you to enter. As you crossed the threshold into his room, the familiar scent of leather and wood filled the air, grounding you and steadying the whirlwind of emotions swirling in your chest.

He closed the door behind you, the soft click echoing in the quiet space. A single lamp dimly lit the room, casting long shadows across the walls. You stood there momentarily, feeling the weight of his gaze on you, his presence filling the room like a quiet storm.

“What’s goin’ on?” Logan asked, his voice gentle but filled with curiosity. He crossed his arms, leaning slightly against the doorframe as he watched you, waiting.

You took a breath, your heart hammering in your chest. This was it. The moment you’d been avoiding, the feelings you’d kept at bay finally rising to the surface.

“I’m tired of this,” you said softly, your voice trembling just enough for him to notice. “I’m tired of avoiding you. Of pretending I don’t feel this.”

Logan’s eyes darkened, his posture stiffening slightly as your words sank in. He didn’t say anything, but the air between you crackled with tension, thick with the weight of everything unsaid.

“I’ve been pushing you away,” you continued, stepping closer, your voice gaining strength as you spoke. “Because I didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t know how to deal with you—with how you make me feel.”

Logan’s gaze flickered, his arms dropping to his sides as he straightened. His jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck tightening as he swallowed hard, but he didn’t interrupt. He just waited, letting you speak.

“I can’t do it anymore,” you whispered, your voice barely audible now, the vulnerability in your words making your chest tighten. “I don’t want to keep pretending I don’t care. I... I have feelings for you, Logan.”

For a moment, the silence stretched unbearably between you. The confession hung in the air like a fragile thread, and you held your breath, waiting for his response.

Logan exhaled slowly, his eyes never leaving yours. There was something raw in his gaze that mirrored the longing you had been feeling for so long. He took a slow step forward, his presence filling the space between you, and when he spoke, his voice was low and rough, barely more than a whisper. “You have no idea how long I’ve been waitin’ to hear you say that.”

The words hit you like a punch to the chest, the intensity of his confession stealing the breath from your lungs. You blinked up at him, your heart pounding so loud you were sure he could hear it.

He took another step closer, his gaze burning into yours, and this time, there was no hesitation in his movements. Slowly, carefully, he reached out, his hand brushing against your cheek, his touch warm and rough against your skin.

“Logan...” you breathed, your voice trembling as you leaned into his touch, the warmth of his palm sending a shiver down your spine.

Logan’s eyes darkened, his thumb brushing gently along your jaw as he stepped closer, his body inches from yours now. “If you want this... if you want me... I’m here,” he murmured, his voice thick with the weight of his emotions. “But if you’re not ready, just say the word, and I’ll back off. No pressure.”

You swallowed hard, your chest tight with the feelings swirling inside you. “I want you,” you whispered, your voice barely audible. “I’ve wanted you for so long.”

Logan’s breath hitched, and before you could say another word, he closed the distance between you, his lips crashing against yours in a fierce and tender kiss, a release of all the pent-up longing that had been building between you for months.

His hand cupped the back of your neck, pulling you closer, and you melted into him, your hands gripping the fabric of his shirt as the world seemed to fall away. The kiss was intense, filled with all the emotion neither of you had been able to express, but it was also careful—Logan holding back just enough, making sure not to overwhelm you.

But it wasn’t long before the rush of emotions became too much.

A wave of heat flooded through you, a tidal wave of longing and desire mixed with Logan’s own intense emotions crashing into you all at once. It was too much. Your powers flared, and you felt a surge of everything—his grief, his pain, his need—pressing into your mind.

You pulled back, gasping for breath, your chest heaving as you tried to steady yourself. “I—I can’t—” you stammered, your voice shaky as you stepped back, overwhelmed by the intensity of it all.

Logan’s eyes widened, his hands dropping to his sides immediately, giving you space. “Hey, it’s alright,” he said softly, his voice calming, reassuring. He reached out but didn’t touch you, his gaze filled with concern. “You’re okay. We can take it slow. Whatever you need.”

You closed your eyes, your hands trembling as you tried to gather your thoughts, but Logan’s voice grounded you and pulled you back from the edge.

“I’m not goin’ anywhere,” he murmured, stepping closer, but still keeping enough distance to let you breathe. “You’re in control. I’m just here.”

You opened your eyes, meeting his steady gaze. The intensity was still there, but it was softer now, more patient. He wasn’t pushing. He was waiting.

“I want this,” you whispered, your voice trembling but certain. “I just... need time.”

Logan nodded, his eyes softening as he gave you a small smile. “You’ll get all the time you need, darlin’,” he said quietly, his voice filled with a warmth that made your chest ache. “I’m not in any hurry. I’ve waited this long... I can wait a little longer.”

The tension between you shifted, the moment softening into something quieter, more intimate. You weren’t rushing. You weren’t running. You were just... together. Finally.

I love how you depicted the complexity of Tom’s emotions🙌🏼 This was so fun to read!!

Hidden thoughts

Pairing: Tom Riddle x F!Reader

Summary: You're allowed to take a deep dive into Tom's mind for the first time because he'd never admit things out loud.

Warnings: Slight angst, fluff, smut.

a/n: English is not my first language.

Tom Riddle is insatiable. For what, you don't think he even knows. Every time he comes, he demands more of you, soon there will be nothing left of you that he doesn't know inside out. But even that won't satiate him. It wouldn't satiate you, either. It's always push and pull. He's always there, lingering, and before you know it, he's coiled around you like the serpent he is, ready to suffocate you if you make a wrong move. His grip isn't painful in the least, but it's enough to bind you. He gently tugs your head back, compelling you to rest it against his shoulder. His velvety voice brushes against your ear:

-"Have you missed me today?"

-"Terribly" - you respond, as usual.

His eyes narrow, dark and unfathomable: "No need to lie to me."

You sigh: "But it's what I do best."

He spins you suddenly, turning you to face him, trapping you between his arms. His lips curl cruelly.

-"It’s not the only thing you excel at. You’re good at many things."

He brings his hand to your face, and though he gently brushes the backs of his knuckles across your cheek, there is nothing sweet about the gesture. He cups your chin, holding it firmly between his thumb and forefinger.

-"Being irritating foremost among them."

-"What is it that you want this time?"

Tom looks down at you, his gaze steady and unblinking. He tilts your head up a fraction, as if studying you from a new angle. The muscle in his jaw clenches, straining under his pale skin.

-"I want to know what’s going on inside that pretty little head of yours."

His voice is cool, but there’s a hint of mockery beneath it. Nimble fingers drift from your chin, tracing a path up the side of your neck, his nails deliberately scratching you as he does.

You bring his hands to your temples, which isn't necessary for the spell to work - he can invade anyone's mind just fine with legilimency without touching, but the weight brings you some comfort as you let the occlumency fade away. A brief look of surprise flickers across his features at your gesture, but he doesn't move his hands away. Instead, his eyes search your expression, the touch of his hands becoming a gentle caress as he sifts through the layers of your thoughts. It's an intrusion, a violation of your most intimate thoughts, but it feels almost tender.

-"Interesting...", he murmurs to himself. One of his hands moves down, tracing the outline of your lips with his index finger.

-"You’ve been practicing. You aren't allowing me any further in."

He lets go of your head and your thoughts, the brief connection severed. He slowly takes a step back, his gaze still fixed on you. Something about the way you look at him⎯unguarded, open, unbothered by his intrusion into your mind⎯stirs something unfamiliar within him. It grates at his nerves, like a stone in his shoe when he's walking. He isn't used to you being so docile.

-"You could have shut me out if you wanted to. I can feel you holding back."

You tilt your head to aggravate him more: "I could've, but I didn't."

He crosses his arms, leaning against the wall. He can’t help but fixate on your expression. You’re too calm, too collected for his liking. Tom can handle defiant you, rebellious you, even violent you. But he has no idea what to do with you like this.

-"Are you doing this on purpose? Acting like..." He motions with his hand, searching for words, "...this, just to rile me up?"

You inform him: "You're more honest when you're riled up."

He walks over to you again, prowling like a stalking cat. He stops just a few inches away, towering over you.

-"You’re not playing fair."

-"Neither of us ever do, my love." - You retort immediately.

You know the endearment hits him like a punch to the gut even if he never lets it show. He leans in, bringing his face close to yours. His breath is hot against your skin.

-"We’re not so different in that regard. I suppose the question is" ⎯He takes your chin in his hand, the pad of his thumb tracing the plump curve of your lower lip. "What are you planning?"

You lean against him: "Always analyzing. Always suspicious."

-"Can you blame me, when the subject before me is such a shifty, maddening creature?"

-"The subject before you is very fond of you. She'd like to receive it in return."

His hand slides from your chin, tracing the column of your throat. He feels your pulse beat faster under his touch, a soft flutter beneath his fingers. He leans even closer, bringing his nose to your temple, his lips grazing the shell of your ear⎯a gentle whisper of a kiss there. "She’ll have to earn it, first." He drops his hand, sliding it around your waist and pulling you against him.

You slump against him: "Don't be so cruel. My mind is restless today, as you've just seen."

Tom's arms wind around you, pulling you flush against his chest. He tilts your head back just enough to meet your gaze, his eyes dark and unwavering in their intensity. "Your mind is always restless, my dear. Are you looking for comfort today?"

You nod, resigned: "I'm hoping it might help."

-"Is that all you want? Usually, it takes more than that to quieten your mind."

Your head rolls to the side. He brings his hand up, tangling his fingers in your hair and keeping your head tilted back. He continues to kiss your neck, savoring the way your pulse quickens under his lips. He nips at a sensitive spot at the base of your throat, hard enough to draw a moan from you, almost in warning. His other hand slides down, tracing along the curve of your buttocks.

-"You’re being awfully sweet today, darling."

-"Don't get used to it."

He grins against your skin, his grip on you tightening, almost bruising. He moves his mouth lower, leaving a trail of kisses along your collarbone, his hand at your backside pulling you closer still as his lips graze your chest. "I wouldn’t dream of it." He continues his ministrations, deliberately slow and unhurried. He can feel your body responding to his touch, your breathing growing shallower, faster. You start to relax.

He slowly walks you back until you feel the edge of the grand piano press against your legs. Then, with a deft, forceful move, he sweeps you onto the lid. His hands slide up your thighs, spreading your legs apart as his lips find the exposed flesh of your shoulders. "Much better."

-"On the piano?" - You can't help but inquire.

"Mhm." He nips at the sensitive skin under your ear, a dangerous thrill coursing through him at your breathless response. He pushes himself between your legs, pulling your hips flush against his crotch as his lips make a slow, deliberate trail down your neck. "See? Perfect height."

You groan. He grins against your skin and pushes your legs even further apart, his strong thighs wedging themselves between yours. He rolls his hips, slowly, agonizingly slow, his fingers digging into your hipbones as he brings his lips back to your neck again, sucking and biting at the sensitive flesh there. He brings his hands around, pushing the fabric of your dress out of the way. "What do you want, dove?"

-"You." You promise yourself not to beg him, as you do every time, even though if you end up breaking it more often than not.

He pushes the fabric of your dress up around your hips, his fingers slowly, teasingly tracing the inside of your thighs.

-"You’re going to have to be more specific."

-"I need you to touch me." You stop the 'please' before it slips out out of habit. This isn't about manners, it's about surrendering. You refuse to do it in a pathetic way.

He smiles, his fingers moving higher, closer to where you need him most. He kisses your neck softly, nipping at the sensitive spot under your ear. His hand slides further up, his thumb brushing against you through the thin material of your underwear. His voice, a low, sinful whisper: "Here?" He moves his hand higher, his fingers toying with the edge of your underwear. "And here?"

You snap: "Just take off the damn thing."

He leans back, watching you. A wicked look gleams in his eyes as he suddenly grips the fabric of your underwear and tears it away from your body with a sharp, fluid motion.

-"I was going to take my time with you. But I suppose I can be persuaded."

He can’t help but let out a low grumble of desire as you guide his hand to where you want it. He pushes his hips closer to yours, keeping you pinned against the piano. He slides a finger against you, slowly at first, before adding another. He brushes his mouth against your neck, biting down hard.

-"You’re so sweet when you’re behaving. I almost wonder if I should give you what you want."

-"Oh, that's good." You can only half-listen to him at this point.

His fingers curl inside you, seeking that sweet spot he knows will drive you insane. He keeps a steady, deliberate pace, his tongue darting out to trace the edge of your ear.

-"You’re being so good, dove. Tell me more. What do you want?"

-"Faster, please."

He almost smirks to himself at the pleading tilt in your voice. He obliges, his fingers moving faster, deeper. His free hand glides up from your hip, caressing your thigh, teasing you as his lips continue their assault against your neck.

-"Gods, you’re dripping, dove. You want me that much?"

-"You know I do. No need to be so smug about it, you..."

He tuts, adding a third finger. He wants to feel you clench around him, to hear the sweet sounds you make as he teases you right to the edge. His lips find yours, his kiss demanding. He bites your bottom lip, pulling away with a sinful smirk. "You’re being such a good girl today, dove. Keep it that way. No biting, no scratching, no insults. And I suppose a reward will be in order."

You mewl gratefully. He moves his mouth back to your neck, scraping his teeth over a sensitive spot there before moving lower, towards your chest. He pushes the fabric of your dress out of the way, his lips dancing over the soft, exposed flesh. He works his fingers relentlessly, intent on bringing you to the brink.

-"You taste so good, love. So sweet."

You never mention that he switches from dove to love during such moments. He'll stop if you give an acknowledgement, you're sure of it. Just as well. He never mentions that you sometimes call him Tommy while in a haze, either.

-"...I'm close...I can't..."

He lets out a deep, satisfied chuckle, his lips curving into a proud smirk against your neck. It's always a little victory for him. He moves a hand up, pulling your head back, exposing your neck to his lips again. "Yes, you can, dove. Let go."

You moan and writhe on the piano before settling a little in the hazy aftermath. He slowly withdraws his fingers, his breathing ragged as he tries to retain some composure. He pulls you close, wrapping an arm around your waist and holding you tight against his chest. His lips find your hair, pressing a soft kiss to your temple.

-"You're making this too bloody difficult for me, love."

You're unsure what he means but offer: "I can take you."

His grip around you tightens, his hand clenching on the flesh of your hip. His lips graze the shell of your ear, his voice a low murmur: "Here? On the piano?"

You shrug: "You said it was the perfect height."

He pauses for a moment, his eyes sweeping over your body as you lie back on the piano. You look delectable like this, spread out before him, a sight he has become all too familiar with. But your sweet, cooperative behaviour is something he isn’t used to. He wants to test how far your submission would go, how much you’d let him get away with. "Turn over."

You hesitate only for a second before turning over carefully on the sleek surface. He trails a hand slowly up your spine, his fingers tracing over the expanse of your back. "Good girl." He lets his touch roam further, caressing the curve of your buttocks and the top of your thighs, before moving back up to your hips. "Lift your hips."

He grips your hips, pulling you back towards him, his front flush against your back. He brushes his lips against the nape of your neck, his cock already straining against the confinements of his trousers.

-"Are you ready for me, love?"

-"Yes."

He groans at your obedient response, the last of his self-control snapping as he hastily unbuckles his belt and removes his clothes from waist down before driving himself into you. You inhale sharply. He moans, burying his face against your neck, nuzzling at the sensitive skin there as he sets a steady pace. The sound of his breath, laboured and uneven, washes over your body. He leans down, kissing your back, his hand sliding down to the dip in your lower back, pushing you deeper into him. "Fuck, you feel so good..."

You choke on a moan. He pushes a hand in your hair again, pulling on it to tilt your head so he can bite down your shoulder, his pace growing more relentless, less controlled. He gently shushes you when you whimper. "You can take it, dove...I know you can."

You brace yourself on the piano and he lets a low sound of approval. The sight of you, spread out before him on the black glossy surface, is something he wants to remember forever. He moves his hand from your hair, bringing it to his mouth, coating his fingers in his own saliva. He moves his hand down, bringing it around you again, his tongue darting out to taste your skin once more. He slides his fingers into your mouth, his voice a low murmur against your neck: "Suck."

You close my mouth around his fingers. He lets out a ragged breath and removes his hand, finding its way to the sensitive spot between your legs. "God, I love your mouth."

In any other circumstance, you'd chuckle, but his hips moving deep along with his fingers rubbing your clit makes it impossible. His mouth moves against your neck again, his tongue following the line as it works its way up to your ear. He kisses softly behind it, his breath hot against your skin, his fingers never ceasing their movement between your legs. You try to draw it out as long as you can before you reach the breaking point, but eventually...

-"Tommy..."

He lets out a shuddering breath at the sound of his name on your lips, a sound so sweet it’s almost obscene. He moves his body and readjusts the angle, his length hitting a spot that has you almost weeping from pleasure, he clenches his jaw to rein in the desire within him.

-"What do you want, love? Say the words."

-"Let me cum...please..."

His breathing hitches at the sound of those words, the sheer need in your voice going straight through him, shooting sparks of white-hot heat to his core. He buries his face against the back of your neck, his lips tracing your skin with a desperate hunger. His fingers move faster, rougher over you, the pace and the pressure designed to bring you right to the edge again.

-"Look at you, sweet girl. So needy for me. How can I say no to that?"

You gasp in relief, body almost convulsing. You tremble as the sensations wash over you, not being able to keep myself upright anymore. He steadies you with an arm around your stomach, gently easing you back down on the piano, his body hovering above yours. "That’s it. Fuck...that’s it." He lets out a shuddering moan as he finishes, bracing himself on the piano, above you. He lets his breath even out, his body still trembling slightly as he comes down from the high he’s been riding. After a few moments, he moves and lays down next to you, resting his head on your bare stomach. He lifts a hand, tracing his fingers slowly over your skin, a touch almost tender and reverent, so different from the rough way he touches you usually.

You rest your hand on his cheek. For a while, Tom stays like that, quiet, content, the only sound the soft, even breaths he takes. Finally, he opens his eyes, his dark gaze meeting yours. He studies your face quietly, taking in every little detail. Your eyes, half-lidded and glazed over, your flushed cheeks, your messy hair, your parted lips. Tom feels the tangle of strange emotions that’s settling in his chest, constricting, almost uncomfortable, but he's somewhat gotten used to it at this point, and he’d loathe to break the moment.

His hand tightens around yours as he watches you watch him. Tom can’t help but notice the quiet, tender expression on your face. It makes him uneasy, in a way. The look in your eyes... It almost makes him want to squirm.

-"Why do you look at me like that?"

-"Like what?"

-"Like that. All soft and fond. Why?"

-"How else would I look at you." It was more of a statement, even if it was phrased as a question.

Tom's eyes narrow slightly, his frown deepening at your response. He’s still unaccustomed to the gentle, tender thing in your eyes. He’s still not used to the way his heart clenches a little when he looks at the soft smile on your lips. He hates that he welcomes the the warm, syrupy sweetness in his chest, the strange fluttering sensation the sight of you makes him feel. All these things he tried to forsake but ended up wanting more of, like the greedy, foolish weakling he was.

-"What do you mean?"

You look down at his disheveled, unguarded face, lying on your stomach. "What else do you think I'd rather look at like this?"

Another frown. He’s used to being the one to unravel you, to render you a panting mess at his mercy. He’s not sure how to handle the sweet, honest words that you’re saying. He’s not sure how to react to the flutter of his heart that your words cause, so he does the only thing he knows how to:

-"You must be in a right state of mind if you’re spouting lies."

You swallow several sharp responses and make sure to stop guarding your mind with occlumency for a moment and catch his gaze. He meets your eyes, noticing the lack of barriers in your mind. He studies your expression carefully, almost expectantly, as if looking for trickery or deception. Instead of what he’s looking for, though, all he sees is earnestness, honesty. It disarms him. His expression becomes tighter than before, and he looks away. "You mean that."

You contain a sigh. "Of course." It's not easy with him. But you know it's not easy with you either. It's not easy with either of you. Yet it's somehow never too difficult, too heavy, too draining either. It’s sweet, but it’s terrifying.

His fingers are still laced with yours, tight to the point of pain. "You…you say these odd things on purpose."

You correct him softly: "Not odd, right."

You sit up and take his face in your hands. You tap a finger on his forehead. "Open up." You gently push with legilimency.

Tom frowns up at you but obeys anyway, lowering the barriers in his mind. He can’t help the small jolt of surprise when he feels the brush of your thoughts against his own. You glide through his mind as carefully as you can, trying to calm it instead of sharply prodding as you'd do when if you needed to invade someone's thoughts.

He’s quiet, almost tense, as you move through his thoughts, unused to the feeling of someone being in his brain. Your gentle touch, like the light flutter of a bird’s feathers, slowly starts to soothe the agitation and unease that’s been gnawing at him. Against his best efforts, he leans into your touch, almost instinctively.

You try to focus on the feelings he mostly feels around you. As you move through his thoughts, you find yourself enveloped in a tangle of messy, conflicting emotions. He’s had a lifetime of practice in controlling and concealing his feelings, but with you, things get… chaotic. There’s an intoxicating mixture of desire, possessiveness, protectiveness, frustration, anger, need, and affection. A dizzying array of unfamiliar, unidentifiable feelings, all triggered by your presence in his mind. You push at the unfamiliar ones. You feel Tom resist at first, pushing back instinctively, his mind trying to slam up the barriers. When he realizes what you’re doing, though, he lets them down, his thoughts and emotions spilling across to you. You feel an unexpected rush of satisfaction from him as he realizes that you’re genuinely interested in what he’s feeling. He pushes a little of the unfamiliar feelings to the forefront, allowing you to explore deeper. Tom pushed a happy memory of you in front, of a recent Christmas. Deceiving little...You put the memory aside, going deeper.

As you go deeper, your mind is assaulted by a maelstrom of images and feelings - some fragmented, others as clear as if they were happening right now. There’s flashes of memories - you, your face, your body, your smile, your touch - but mostly, there’s intense, raw emotions. A need for you that’s almost desperate, a protectiveness that borders on obsession, an affection so sharp it’s almost painful.

You latch on the affection and go further. The raw, intense affection comes to the forefront again, powerful enough to make your heart skip a beat. As you explore deeper, you come across another, similar, yet different feeling - a kind of fondness, gentler and quieter than the former, almost as if he’s hesitant to acknowledge it. It’s there, though, in his subconscious, buried deep and tangled up with a myriad of other feelings. All just for you. You hesitate after encountering the gentle fondness, not knowing which direction to search for. What were you hoping to encounter? Love? This was probably the closest thing to love he could feel. You almost didn't want to search further, doubt creeping in that you'd come up empty.

You sense a flicker of understanding pass through the chaos in his mind. He knows you’re searching for something, and he’s almost… resigned, as he realizes what it probably is. Despite the resignation, there’s a little spark of hope, a small, unexpected ember of something he never even dared to contemplate before. The hope fades, though, replaced by the usual tangle of feelings. After a moment, you feel him push a thought gently into your mind. You catch the thought, curious. He’s being careful to keep the thought quiet so as not to distract you from your exploration of his emotions, but you catch the edge of his thought all the same. It’s a simple question - Can I show you? - as well as a reluctant feeling of uncertainty. Your agreement comes in stopping exploration and waiting where he'd lead you.

You feel something shift, and then there's a strange sensation, like you're moving through his thoughts. You’re suddenly in a memory, watching the scene unfold as if you’re watching a film. You see an image of yourself, sitting at the piano. You look content and relaxed, playing a soft, melancholy tune, completely absorbed in the music. The memory seems to be from his perspective, and there’s an inexplicable feeling of peace and comfort emanating from his thoughts as he watches you, an affectionate smile on his face.

This can't be it, you think. This moment was nothing special. For all his past resistance to it, he felt love there? Doubt seeped out of you again. There was another brief flash of thoughts, almost like communication between his conscious mind and your own - It is. This moment is important. Just watch and see. The memory continues, and you watch as you finish playing the last notes of the piece. A smile graces your lips, and it’s as if a light goes on inside him, as if the sight of your smile is the most beautiful thing he’s seen. There’s affection, admiration, but mostly, there’s…love. Deep, intense love.

It's almost enough to make you lose focus and and grasp of the memory. He keeps pushing you forward, sending you through another memory, this one more recent. But it’s blurry around the edges, as if the memories have already faded a little. It’s a night you fell asleep together in his bed, tangled in each other, limbs intertwined, your head laying on his chest. You look peaceful and content as you sleep, and as he looks down at you, a surge of affection and love fills his mind, the feeling washing over you like a wave. It's overwhelming. You sense him take a moment to gather himself as he continues, sending you through another - this one is more recent, much clearer. It’s the other night, when he’d woken you up in the middle of the night, pulling you out of a nightmare. He’d held you, wrapping you up in his arms as you shivered, your head tucked under his chin. He’d whispered soothing words into your hair, reassuring you, even as you clung to him tight, your hands tangled in his shirt. He’d whispered: "I’m here. You’re safe. You’re safe".

He moves you through another memory - this one from a few nights ago, when you’d sat with him in the garden, the warm night breeze rustling your hair. You’d been laughing, telling him about something you’d read in your book. You looked carefree and beautiful, your happiness and mirth palpable in the air, and as he watched you, his mind is filled with a mix of protectiveness, affection, and love. He’d been completely enthralled by the sight of you, hanging on to your every word. Your heart soars. He shows you another recent one. It’s of breakfast this morning, a mundane moment. You’re sitting across the table from him, eating quietly, your eyes drifting thoughtfully out the window, when he looks up from his food to watch you. There’s a small, fond smile on his face as his eyes rake over your features, taking in every little detail. As he looks at you like that, there’s a peaceful feeling that fills his chest, a tender, quiet sort of love, one that’s so deep and powerful, you can almost drown in it.

You feel yourself slipping away from his mind. Snapping back to reality is jarring. You realize tears have been falling down your cheeks. Almost startled, you wipe them away. Tom's face is carefully neutral, but it’s not hard to see the raw, vulnerable feeling in his gaze. He hasn’t said anything, but it’s clear that your reaction matters to him. For a moment, he just looks at you, his mind carefully shielded, giving you no indication of what he’s thinking.

You let out a breath: "I love you so much."

His breath catches. He studies your face intensely, searching for any sign of insincerity, but your eyes are clear and honest, your expression unguarded. After a moment, he nods slightly, accepting the words without arguing, though he doesn’t say the words back. Instead, he grabs your wrist, pulling you closer, his arms encircling your body as he buries his face against the crook of your neck.

Eventually, you mumble: "We should get off the piano."

With some reluctance, he pulls away, shifting back from the piano. He stands up, holding a hand out to help you off. You climb down. He steadies you as you stumble against him, your legs still feeling shaky. He can’t bring himself to let go immediately though, one hand on your waist, the other on your shoulder, as if making sure you don’t fall over. When he finally does pull away, there’s a small frown on his face. The vulnerability earlier has disappeared, replaced by a more familiar, impassive, unreadable expression.

You kiss his cheek in thanks. He’s silent as you do so, his expression still guarded, but there’s a slight, almost imperceptible tensing in his jaw as if he’s trying to keep himself from reacting. After a moment, his hand comes up to your chin, tilting your head up so you’re forced to meet his gaze. You peck him on the lips. He doesn’t react at first, staying still like a statue. It only lasts a moment, though, and then he’s wrapping an arm around your waist, drawing you against him, pulling you flush against his chest. His hand grips your jaw, the other tight at your waist, holding you close. He kisses you hungrily, passionately, almost desperately, like he’s trying to pour all his mixed feelings into the kiss. Then as if nothing has happened, he straightens up and murmurs: "We should clean up." He draws his wand and the residue of earlier activity disappears off the piano.

He watches as you put your dress back on, his eyes tracing over your bare legs, then trailing up your body to where your dress still shows evidence of your earlier passion, the hem of your skirt slightly wrinkled. After a moment, he clears his throat.

You look up: "Yes?"

He keeps his voice carefully neutral, trying not to let the desire in his eyes bleed through his words. He nods at your disheveled appearance: “You look a little unkempt, my dear.”

You scoff: "Oh, apologies, darling. Perhaps you should assist in bathing me."

He raises an eyebrow, a smirk on his face, obviously not expecting that response. He strides over to you, closing the distance between you in a few quick steps. "It’d be my pleasure."

You slide away from him before he can grab you and dart to the bathroom. He lets out a huff, watching as you practically run away, bemused. He considers chasing you, but then he realises you’re heading to the bathroom, and he follows you instead.

Note: I didn't mean to violate a piano but a couch would be too boring and I didn't want to condemn the Reader to crawl on the floor in this one. This is my first time publishing smut so grant me some mercy, I'm very embarrassed.

OLD HABITS

slytherin boys x gn!teacher reader (platonic)

↳ 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 : 2k

𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦 : you graduated three years ago, but the slytherin boys still talk about you like a myth. now you’re back… as their professor.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

you were a legend.

not in the grand, historical sense. not the type to be etched into portraits or remembered in dusty school records. no, yours was a different kind of legend. one passed around in whispers in the common room. in smoke trails drifting out from the edge of the astronomy tower. in escape routes down secret staircases no one else dared to use.

so when word spread through the great hall that you were back : alive, employed, and walking the halls as the new magical beasts professor, it caused the kind of silence that could only mean something big was coming.

theo was the first to break it.

“you’re joking.”

“nope,” said blaise, who had overheard one of the hufflepuff girls talking about how hot the new professor was. “apparently they walked in with a hippogriff and didn’t flinch when it tried to snap.”

mattheo leaned forward. “didn’t they teach us how to charm open the back entrance to the owlery?”

“no, that was fourth year,” muttered draco. “third year was the time they found that wine cellar under greenhouse three.”

“that was good wine,” said lorenzo, almost reverently. “and they shared it. with us.”

pansy raised a brow, amused. “I thought they’d disappeared into some forest job in eastern europe.”

“they did,” theo said. “came back with a scar and a lot more patience.”

“and now they’re teaching,” mattheo added, mostly to himself.

draco just smirked and folded his arms. “they better not act all serious and authoritative towards us.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

you walked into your first class five minutes early, boots muddy, sleeves rolled up, a little bit of wind in your hair. the creatures for today’s lesson : bowtruckles, nothing dramatic, were already perched on your arm like old friends.

and very familiar faces were waiting for you.

some taller. some sharper around the edges. but still the same underneath.

you took them in : mattheo lounging at the back with that practiced look of boredom, theo twirling his quill lazily, draco sitting like he ran the school, blaise leaning back in his chair with that half-smile, and pansy pretending she wasn’t waiting for you to acknowledge her first.

your mouth twitched. “well. Look what the castle dragged in.”

mattheo’s eyes lit up instantly. “I knew it.”

you raised a brow, setting the bowtruckles gently on the desk. “did you miss me, riddle?”

he shrugged with zero shame. “you’re basically the reason we survived until fourth year.”

“I was more of a cautionary tale than anything.”

“you were our hero,” theo said bluntly.

“I taught you how to siphon firewhiskey out of Slughorn’s reserves once.”

“yup. that’s what i call a heroic act.”

you rolled your eyes, but your smile gave you away. “right, sit up. eyes front. you’re not fourteen anymore.”

draco lifted a brow. “youu’re not that much older than us.”

“three years is a lifetime when you’re a teenage boy,” you said dryly.

they laughed, and for a second it felt like no time had passed at all.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

the class was easy. you always had a knack for creatures and a talent for explaining things without sounding like a textbook. the bowtruckles behaved. the students (your old group especially) hung on your every word like they were waiting for you to pull a trick from your sleeve.

you didn’t. not yet at least.

but after class, when the rest of the students filtered out and the sky began to soften into gold, mattheo lingered.

he leaned against the side of your desk, arms folded, posture lazy but eyes bright.

“so,” he said. “you’re a professor now.”

“apparently.”

“didn’t see that coming. honestly? I figured you’d get arrested for breaking into the ministry. or disappear into a dragon preserve and send us mysterious postcards.”

“I almost did.”

mattheo laughed, low and real. you hadn’t realized how much you’d missed that sound.

you gave him a look, then jerked your head toward the door. “still use the second-floor corridor to sneak out after curfew?”

“of course,” he said. “your map still works.”

you blinked. “you still have my map?”

he looked smug. “theo kept it. said it was the closest thing we had to a holy text.

you shook your head, but warmth spread through your chest like firewhiskey. you hadn’t come back expecting much. maybe respect, maybe curiosity. but not this. this instant, easy pull back into the space you'd carved out years ago.

you were still part of them. in a way.

mattheo kicked at the floor with the toe of his boot, then said, more quietly, “it’s kind of weird, seeing you here. like… full circle or something.”

you nodded. “feels weird. but not bad.”

he glanced up at you again, and for just a second, he looked younger. not the too-cool seventh year with a devil-may-care grin, but the fourteen-year-old you once caught crying on the roof after a letter from home. the one you handed a cigarette to without asking questions, just sat next to until the shaking stopped.

and he remembered that. you could tell.

“I’m glad you’re back,” he said, softer now.

you just reached into your pocket, pulled out a lighter. the same beat-up one they all used to sneak from your satchel, and held it up between two fingers. mattheo’s face split into a grin. “you brought it.”

“old habits.”

he chuckled and took it, turning it over once in his hands before slipping it into his coat.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

that night, you found yourself walking the familiar path to the astronomy tower. out of curiosity, maybe. or memory.

and you weren't surprised to find them there : your slytherin crew, sprawled out under the stars like they used to be. someone had brought snacks. someone else had smuggled up firewhiskey. theo had dragged a blanket out, and Pansy had already claimed half of it.

“well,” blaise said, lifting his drink, “look who still knows the way.” mattheo just smiled and patted the space beside him.

you sat, and it was like nothing had changed, except everything had. you were older now. a professor. a mentor. anauthority figure.

but to them, you’d always be more than that.

you were the one who taught them how to live a little. to bend the rules without breaking. to find their own way. and now you were back. maybe that’s what real influence was : leaving a mark so deep, even time couldn’t wash it out.

as the night stretched on and the stars spun lazily above the castle, someone passed you a flask. you didn’t ask where it came from. just took a sip, and passed it back, and let the quiet laughter of your old shadows fill the air.

“I should be giving all of you detention, you know that ?”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

a/n : first gender neutral reader fic, hope i did okay !!!

This did wonders for my love of vengeance😈

mercy upon ourselves

See my full list of works here!

Summary: Your multiversal duty of punishing perpetrators of infidelity in their afterlife takes an interesting turn when you see that the betrayed party is one of your variants | loose 'sequel' to 'all will be alright in time'

Pairing: Loki (God of Stories/Time) x Reader; Will Ransome x Reader (different Reader)

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: 18+ | talks of infidelity; steamy moments at the end; (technically) mass murder; Cora Seaborne (yeah she's a warning); Will Ransome (in this case he needs to be a warning, too) [let me know if i missed anything!]

Things to be aware of: this loosely takes place in the RTC 'multiverse', but no prior reading of the series is required; Reader is the goddess of fidelity

Dick-tionary: steamy moments (but not outright smut) starts at "Loki let out a low chuckle"

Your duty as goddess of fidelity, in theory, was simple enough. Upon the death of a betrayer, you were to choose their punishment in their eternal afterlife. After your first few thousand cases, they all began to meld into the same old tale, often feeling as if they all even wore the same face.

That was until this particular story. Where the face of the deceased and betrayed wife held…your own.

Before you could even call out to him, Loki was by your side in a heartbeat, laying his hands gently on your shoulders and pressing a kiss to the back of your head. "I can sense your unease, little Princess. What troubles you?"

Together you looked through the glowing branches that surrounded you, each telling the story of a different timeline, a different universe. Until you finally found the one which held the case you needed to review. The universe where your echo had died of a broken heart upon learning that your husband, Loki's echo in the form of a Reverend William Ransome, betrayed you to have an entanglement with a newcomer in your quaint village of Aldwinter.

"This is no variant of mine," your husband seethed. "I could never belittle our love like this, the thought alone pains me."

You took his hand in yours, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "I know, husband. This timeline is simply…a fluke. Our echoes, our variants? They are not reflections of ourselves. His flaws and failures are not your burden to bear."

"Failure," he repeated, his top lip curling up in a sneer as he looked upon the faces of his variant and his mistress, living together under the same roof, sleeping in the very bed that your variant breathed her last. "That is precisely what this branch is. Perhaps it should just drift away…to wither and rot."

"Loki we should not punish an entire universe for the mistake of one man. There are still countless lives within this branch--"

"And your variant is no longer one of them because of the mistake of his one man. He deserves to suffer."

"And he will," you reassured him. "His suffering falls within my purview. It is my Norns-given duty to see to it. And while I know we both would relish in watching as this pathetic coward of a man sees the end of days upon him, I cannot in good conscience have it be at the cost of an entire universe. But perhaps the village that was complicit…the village that stayed silent to protect their precious reverend's reputation."

"What do you have in mind, my love?" He pulled you close to him, embracing you from behind, hands caressing your sides. Soothing himself from the unease of seeing how his variant dared take you for granted.

I was made to be yours. Words that resonated so deeply into both your souls. Words he used when he first confessed his love to you. The same words you yourself uttered when your memory spell had broken and you found him that fateful day eons ago.

The same words you both used within your new vows when he returned to you. And used ever since.

And somehow this insipid trifling man thought himself above those words? Dare even spit them back in the face of the same entities that weaved your two souls together so intricately that it bled through every timeline and universe known to him?

All the suffering in the Nine Realms would not be enough for this William Ransome as far as he was concerned.

"Well, husband, we are in a rather…unique circumstance," you mused aloud, a little sound of contentment slipping from your lips when he pressed a kiss to your temple. "I bear the same face as this Y/N Ransome…and they reside in a town that is riddled with a rather superstitious lot. And my variant…she deserves her revenge, does she not?"

Had it not been for the gloomier and grayer than usual state of the sky, it seemed a typical day in Aldwinter. It had been years since the spectacle that was your passing occurred, and the townsfolk had finally began to warm to the presence of Cora Seaborne. Sure, she and William would still get looks out of the corners of their eyes, especially when she would emerge from the house in a dress that people could have sworn was yours, but other than that, no one made any trouble for them.

Not to their face. Not anymore.

The cold heaviness of regret had made itself at home in the pit of your widower's stomach ever since that day, the day that he betrayed you. No amount of rationalizing could have him absolve himself of his sin. Any which way he went with his internal arguments, they would all land in the same place.

The blame fell entirely on him. And he would have to live with the consequences of what he'd done for the rest of his days.

In the form of the tombstone that would steadily erode with the passing of time.

And in the form of the new family he was all but strong armed into taking on, if only to spare himself more scandal and ridicule. He'd already lost the respect of a good number of the congregation, this would smite the number down to a paltry handful if he turned his back on his then pregnant mistress.

Though despite all their efforts at maintaining what they thought they'd found with each other, they had lost the babe. Twice. As if God Himself willed it so that no child would ever result from their treachery. A fitting punishment, as far as Will was concerned.

Love may not have been a weakness, but lust most definitely was. Lust was what drove him to commit the treachery that led to the loss of love.

He should have resisted. Walked away. Ran, even.

Perhaps if he had, you would still be here, serving as a bright ray of sunlight even in the dark gray overcast over your little town. Perhaps your children wouldn't have turned their backs on him and he would be allowed the privilege of getting to see them build their own families, lead their own lives.

Instead all he had was darkness and silence. And he had no one to blame but himself.

"William!" Cora's shriek traveled across the marshes.

Moments like these, he preferred the darkness and silence.

He tried to take in a breath before turning to face her, the picture of a doting partner. "What is it, Cora?"

"The look--the looking glass, I saw--"

Her stammering was cut short by the sound of Matthew frantically ringing the alarm bell. "TIDE INCOMING! EVERYONE GO INSIDE! GET TO SAFETY!"

One of the fishermen in the approaching boats stumbled forward until he fell limp in the reverend's arms. "The waves, they be the size of mountains. Bigger even. God is angry with us."

"No," Matthew wheezed, coughing out sea water. "That wasn't God, out there in the waters. Not our God. That was some sorceress, some witch. Demoness. We must find safety." He began to usher every villager he could find into the church. "She don't look like the type that shows mercy."

"She?" Cora spoke, pointing a shaky finger at the curate. "You…saw her face? Tell me does she look like--"

"Enough talk about the evil looming in on us, Mrs Seaborne!" he snapped, pointing his finger at the Ransome house. "Go home. May this evil, whoever and whatever she may be, have mercy on us all."

"What was that, Cora?" Will hissed as they made their way home. "You look completely beside yourself."

"I could have sworn I saw Y/N's face in the looking glass," she said shakily, gulping for breath, shuddering when she said your name aloud once more. "Will, she looked angry. Vengeful."

"You're not making any sense, Y/N is gone," he said tersely, a familiar lump forming at the back of his throat as he forced himself to acknowledge your absence from his life. He ushered her along, trying to ensure that she at least would not stumble too harshly. "I laid her into the ground myself, gave her eulogy."

"I know," she huffed. "But I also know what I saw, that was no hallucination, Will--"

"I've read texts that there are some pregnancies that alter with the minds, the perception of the expectant mother. Perhaps this is simply one of those cases," he waved off. "Look, Cora we're almost home. We can wait out the storm and then when this is all over you can rest. We all can."

She simply nodded and they cross the marshes back to their home, only to find Francis, pale as freshly pressed cardstock, awaiting them by the door. "Mother, F-Father, there's a woman--" he sputtered out, pointing at the open door.

And then you stepped out. "There you are. Cowards."

William's heart stopped in his chest watching you walk out of your old home, what seemed to be billowing fabric drenched and clinging to your skin, hugging every curve that his hands had longed for since your passing. Even soaking wet, your dress proudly gleamed a brilliant emerald green, and there was a glow that seemed to radiate from underneath your skin.

You were no longer of this earth. You were something…more. Something above them all. And it showed in the way you held yourself, in your gaze as you looked upon the marshes that held your former home. As you looked upon the husband that survived you, your upper lip curling in derision as you saw the bump protruding from Cora's stomach.

"Y/N…" he whispered your name, your sheer presence bringing him to his knees. "Sweet wife, you have returned--"

"Hold that rancid thought," you silenced him, raising your hand in the air as if grasping for something. In an instant, his words ceased, feeling as if his tongue had swollen and became as heavy as lead in his mouth. "You do not get to call me your wife, Reverend Ransome. Not since you sullied your vows and laid with this London whore."

Cora took a step toward you, opening her mouth as if to defend herself, or perhaps her lover. But you put a stop to that as well, raising your other hand in her direction, and suddenly she was forced to sink to her knees as well. "Please, Y/N," she pleaded with you. "Let us take this inside there is a tide coming--"

"Do you mean this tide, friend?" you spat the last word out, as if it tasted bitter on your tongue. Suddenly the tide was steadily approaching the shore, rising to a height that would completely engulf and decimate Aldwinter once it bore down on them. And you rose from the ground, floating well above the roof of the Ransome home, the reverend, along with his lover and her son, looking up at you in sheer horror.

"What do you want from us?!" Francis yelled into the sky, reminding you of how mortal worshippers would look to the sky and beg the gods for explanations. For miracles.

"I do not wish for you to give me anything, young Mr Seaborne. In fact, I wish to offer you all…a choice." You turned your gaze to the kneeling couple. "Get in the water. And perhaps I shall spare this town."

"Y/N please, this town is full of innocent lives, no matter what has happened to you I know in my heart that you would never wreak this kind of devastation upon--"

"What has happened to me?!" you repeated, your shrieking tone piercing even through the deafening sound of the tidal wave still standing tall, waiting to descend. "Your lustful indiscretion cost an innocent life, William Ransome. There is no innocent life in this town. Not anymore. The people here chose to stay silent, to keep your affair a secret for the sake of preventing a scandal. Though that didn't seem to work out the way you'd hoped, did it?" You motioned toward the wave with a jerk of your head again. "Get in the water."

The wave grew even more violent, already taking in the fishing boats and pulling it into its dark abyss.

They both stubbornly stayed still, still kneeling on the muddy marsh ground staying silent. The tramp's hand twitched toward the vicar's, but his moved upward, as if wishing to reach for you.

It was always you, she realized bitterly. She may have him now, but only as a result of his momentary lapse in good judgment where his body chose another's. But his heart…his heart would always choose you.

When presented with any semblance of a choice, Will Ransome would crawl back to you on his hands and knees in a heartbeat. And now she must lie on the bed she made. The bed they both made.

Only when you pointed toward her son, her dear Francis, and he was lifted up from the ground, kicking and struggling in mid-air, did both of them make a noise. Calling out to you, pleading for you to put him down and stop the madness. "This is the last time I will repeat myself, adulterers. Get in the water. Or your boy here suffers first."

"Y/N, stop this," Cora spoke, rising to her feet. "Are you not tired? It has been so long, years, even. Francis was still just a little boy when you last saw him. He is a grown man now, how long will you let anger consume you?"

Even from this distance, you could see the ire in Will's features, clearly ticked off with the words that came out of his lover's mouth. "My darling, please. What must I do to atone for my transgressions towards you? I will promise you anything, do anything. Whatever you wish for, it's yours, please can we just go home?"

You lowered both Francis Seaborne and yourself down to the ground, the young man running immediately to his mother, quivering like a leaf in the wind. The disgraced vicar reached his arms out toward you, every muscle tensing and freezing in place when you rose your hand into the air again. "It is the actions of philanderers like you that make the mortals look down on me, consider me a lesser god."

"God?" Cora repeated in a sharp exhale. "Don't be ridiculous, Y/N--"

"Fools like you don't realize what awaits you on the other side of your mortality, where the fate of your eternal afterlife…falls to me," you cut her off, not bothering to hide the smirk that tugged at the corner of your mouth. "Adulterers doomed to suffer an endless loop of the consequences of their actions."

"My wife--"

"Is dead, Mister Ransome," you bellowed. From the corner of your eye you could see villagers gathering at their windows, the horror in their expressions as they began to speculate on what exactly had come to terrorize their quaint little town. "You killed her, there is no use in denying it. Your foolish, licentious choices brought her to her grave. For that alone, you will suffer once your feeble human life reaches its conclusion."

"If you are not Y/N Ransome, then who are you?" Francis asked, voice shaking as he held on to his mother. "Why have you come to wreak havoc in our lives?"

You walked toward the town's vicar, tears in his eyes as he watched you move closer. He reached for your hands, looking like a wounded pup when you swatted him away. "I am the goddess of fidelity," you answered simply. "When betrayers like you and your mistress cease your time on this mortal plane, you and everyone complicit in your torrid affair will be at my mercy."

The tide rose even higher, looming menacingly over the town in a dangerous arch, blocking out what little light they once had from the sun beyond the clouds. You grasped William's chin harshly, fear evident in his eyes, heart thundering against his chest.

"But your actions, your infidelity in particular…upset my husband," you spoke, holding his gaze as you  hissed the words inches from his face. "And for that, I am willing to bend the rules and begin your suffering ahead of time. Put forth the events that will thrust your pathetic souls upon my doorstep."

You rose from the ground again, rage for your fallen variant coursing through you as you heard them plead for forgiveness. For mercy.

"P-Please Y/N…" Cora sputtered out. "I will leave the town and no one will ever hear from me again, just please let me leave with my boy."

"No," you droned. "You have asked what you can do to atone, I presented you with a choice. Now I know how capable you both are of making choices, you've made several together, some of them even on the very ground you stand on. Which leads me to believe…you have made your choice. Stubbornly bargaining your way out of my wrath, out of your suffering. At the cost of this town you call home."

"You truly aren't Y/N Ransome, are you?" she spat out, a look of entitled indignance on her face. "The Y/N I knew wouldn't be this ruthless. She would have shown mercy--"

"Oh but I am showing mercy, you unworthy tart," you spat back. "For ruthlessness is mercy. Upon ourselves." With a flick of your wrist, the tidal wave was finally let loose.

And the little town of Aldwinter sunk into the water.

Before the tsunami crashed down and took you with it, Loki conjured a portal and pulled you back to safety, a bit of water splashing into your bedchambers before it closed. With a wave of his magic the water evaporated into the air, and your soaked dress was dried.

"Husband…" you spoke, a wide smile gracing your features when your eyes met his. You both were on the floor, the god cradling you in his arms as he pushed your hair away from your face.

"My darling wife," he breathed out, his own smile mirroring yours as he picked you up in his arms, carrying you to the bed. "Your flair for the dramatic has you reckless as ever."

He sat you on the edge of the bed, handing you a goblet of wine that did a quick job of warming you and canceling out the effects of the damp cold of Aldwinter.

"You should rest, my love," he said softly, moving to position himself behind you to undo the braids in your hair, carefully working his fingers through the wet strands. "This is the first time you wielded your newfound powers as a goddess, I can imagine your body feels overworked…and famished."

As if on cue, your stomach grumbled, causing your husband to chuckle and press a tender kiss to your cheek. "How did you know when to pull me back?"

"To start, I must admit that I was watching the spectacular show you put on, avenging your variant with such vigor," he whispered into your skin. His hands found their way to your shoulders, working away at the knots. "And our souls' threads are intertwined, little Princess. I can always feel when you need me. I was made to be yours."

"And I yours," you sighed contendedly, leaning against him when he wrapped his arms around you. When he cupped the side of your face, holding you as he pressed his lips to yours, you all but melted into his embrace. "I love you," you mumbled against his lips.

"And I love you," he murmured, continuing to kiss your lips as he maneuvered you to lie down on the bed. With a wave of his hand, the fabric that covered your skin changed to something much lighter, more sheer. One of your sleeping gowns, you surmised. "Rest, dear heart. I shall arrange for food to be brought to us for when you wake."

Your body was all too eager to obey the softly spoken command. The rest of you, however…well, after the ordeal in that despondent village on Midgard, the rest of you ached for your husband's touch. To wash away the muck of the marshes.

Loki let out a low chuckle, kissing along your clavicle as his hand roamed the side of your body. "I can always feel when you need me," he repeated, his tone holding a much more lustful intent than moments earlier. "And much as I want nothing more than to indulge in making love to my beautiful wife, I cannot, should not, be so selfish and ignore her body's need for rest." He made his way to your lips, allowing himself the tiniest sliver of decadence as he licked into your mouth. "You'll need your strength for what I want to do you later tonight."

Your breath hitched as images flashed in your mind of your husband teasing and pleasuring you, claiming your body repeatedly well until after the sun rose the next morning. In multiple places throughout your marital chambers. Constantly finding or making the time to bring you to orgasm in the midst of pampering you.

Suddenly it made sense why he would choose to deny you now…in exchange for a much more delicious reward just a few short hours away.

"Would you stay regardless, husband?" you asked weakly, already feeling yourself succumbing to the exhaustion and the slumber that your plush sheets promised. "Hold me?"

You weren't able to see the loving smile that graced your husband's face from your request. You only felt the soft kiss on your forehead before he positioned you to lay in his arms. "Gladly, my darling." He conjured a book into his free hand, ready to begin reading to you when a stray question entered his mind. "What of their souls, Y/N? What hellscape did you design for them?"

"I gave them what they deserve," you grumbled, shifting your position to hold him closer, your arm draping over his stomach as you laid your head on his chest. "Each other. They are doomed to spend their afterlife together, with Cora knowing that his heart longs for his late wife. And William having to watch from the sidelines as my variant finds new love. You have a stray echo that never found his fated, by the name of Pine. I presume by now they've found each other, starting a story of their own."

A/N: Hang on what's this…? Did I tease a future story at the end there? 😳 Why yes…yes I did 🤭 Ngl this year felt like I didn't get a whole lotta stories done especially in the latter half, but hopefully with everything finding a bit of balance, 2025 will look a bit different and I can set aside more time for story writing 💖

Ooh, and also I def got the idea to make this because of the "Get in the Water" song

'everything' taglist: @simplyholl @loopsisloops @imalovernotahater @coldnique @loz-3 @huntress-artemiss @salempoe @vickie5446 @athalialaufeyson @lokiprompts @kats72 @kikster606 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @lokixryss @thomase1 @mischief2sarawr @lovingchoices14 @lunarnights95 @goblingirlsarah @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @creationsbyme @maple-seed @mjsthrillernp @ladyofthestayingpower @mygfloki @sititran @glitterylokislut @ozymdias @fictive-sl0th  @lokidbadguy @mochie85 @silverfire475 @joyful-enchantress @elizabethmidnight2017 @holdmytesseract @smolvenger @gigglingtiggerv2 @lokidokieokie @lunarnights95 @superficialdomina @kmc1989 @november-rayne @goddessofwonderland @buttercupcookies-blog @peaky-marvel @lokiified @tom-hlover @dryyoursaltyoceantears @herdetectivetheorist @alexakeyloveloki

I love reading this series🥹 Gets me all warm and fuzzy on the inside!

Happy Birthday

professor logan howlett x professor fem!reader - established relationship (y'all married), cute, fluff, teasing, no y/n used, no reader description, your an english professor, logan is a history professor - imagine days of future past logan with the white streaks in his hair

It's Logan's birthday and you surprise him with a gift. (This is pre-marriage).

read on ao3 or continue reading here: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty...

Logan hated celebrating his birthday. After nearly two centuries of being alive, the day had lost any real meaning—just another mark on a calendar that didn’t matter. It wasn’t like he had much to show for all those years, anyway, and he’d long since grown tired of people making a fuss about it. But the mansion had a way of making sure no one went unnoticed, and every year, without fail, someone would pull him into an impromptu celebration he hadn’t asked for.

So, when he woke up that morning and found the mansion unusually quiet, he figured maybe they’d finally given up. No "Happy Birthday" shouts from Bobby in the hall, no balloons taped to his door, no cupcakes left on the kitchen counter by Ororo. He shrugged it off, feeling a little relieved, even if there was an odd, hollow feeling in his chest.

By the time he finished teaching his second class, Logan’s mood had settled into its usual gruffness. He was just starting to clear off the chalkboard, the faint squeak of the eraser filling the room when he heard the familiar click of heels approaching from down the hallway. He glanced toward the slightly ajar door just as you appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a small, secretive smile.

"Hey," you said, a little breathless as if you’d hurried there. "I was gonna stop by sooner, but…" You gave a half-shrug, your eyes sparkling with a bit of mischief. "My class got chaotic, and then I had to—well, doesn’t matter."

Logan’s brow furrowed as he took in the sight of you, your arms tucked behind your back in a way that seemed almost... suspicious. "Why are you standin’ like that?" he asked, his tone gruff but tinged with curiosity.

You chuckled, stepping further into the classroom and finally bringing your hands forward. Resting in your palms was a small, neatly wrapped gift—a simple package, the paper a deep blue, tied with a piece of twine. "I know you hate your birthday," you began, your voice warm but a little hesitant, as if you weren’t quite sure how he would react. "But I thought… well, I thought you might like this. And before you say anything, yes, you have to open it. Complaints can wait."

Logan stared at the gift like it was some foreign object, his expression caught somewhere between surprise and discomfort. He didn’t reach for it right away, his eyes flicking up to meet yours as if trying to gauge whether or not this was some kind of joke. "You didn’t have to do that," he muttered, the words gruff and almost defensive. He wasn’t used to anyone making a special effort for him.

"Obviously," you replied, rolling your eyes playfully as you took a step closer, extending the gift toward him. "But I wanted to."

There was a beat of silence where Logan just stood there, staring down at the little package as if it held some kind of secret he wasn’t sure he wanted to uncover. Finally, with a reluctant sigh, he reached out and took it from your hands. The paper crinkled softly as his fingers brushed over it, and for a moment, he just held it there, like he didn’t know what to do with it.

"Well?" you prompted, crossing your arms and raising an eyebrow. "Aren’t you going to open it?"

He gave you a look, half-exasperated, but there was a flicker of softness in his eyes that hadn’t been there a moment ago. "You’re not gonna let this go, are ya?" he grumbled, though there was no real bite to his words.

"Not a chance," you shot back, a smile tugging at your lips.

With a huff, Logan started unwrapping the gift, peeling back the paper with a mixture of impatience and curiosity. Inside was a small leather-bound journal, its edges slightly worn, like it was made to be carried on long journeys and tucked into coat pockets. The leather was a deep, rich brown, and the pages inside were lined, perfect for jotting down thoughts, sketches, or whatever might cross his mind.

He stared at it for a long moment, his thumb running over the cover as if testing the texture. "A journal?" he asked, his voice uncertain.

"Well, I figured you might need somewhere to put all those thoughts you keep to yourself," you said lightly, though your voice held a touch of sincerity. "Or sketches, or… I don’t know, angry rants about how annoying the kids are." You shrugged, your smile softening. "Thought it might come in handy."

Logan was silent, his gaze still fixed on the journal. His jaw clenched slightly, and for a second, you thought maybe he was going to brush it off with one of his usual gruff remarks. But then he looked at you, and there was a flicker of something in his eyes that caught you off guard—something unguarded, almost vulnerable.

"Why'd you…" he started, then shook his head, like he wasn’t sure how to ask the question. "No one’s ever really bothered to get me somethin’ like this," he admitted, his voice low and rough.

You took a step closer, your expression softening as you searched his eyes. "Well, I did," you said simply. "Because everyone deserves to feel special on their birthday, Logan. Even if you don’t think so."

He swallowed, the words throwing him off balance. He glanced down at the journal again, turning it over in his hands as though trying to understand what it meant. "I don’t know what to say," he muttered, the gruffness back in his tone as he tried to cover up the unfamiliar emotion creeping into his voice. "I ain’t exactly good at this… 'thank you' stuff."

You just smiled, a warmth spreading through you as you reached out and touched his arm, the contact grounding and reassuring. "You don’t have to say anything, Logan," you replied softly. "Just… try using it, okay?"

He nodded, his gaze finally lifting to meet yours again, and for a heartbeat, the world outside the classroom seemed to fade away. There was a change in the air, something unspoken passing between you—an understanding of the beginnings of something neither of you had quite figured out yet.

Logan cleared his throat, glancing away with a small, awkward shrug. "You’re somethin' else, you know that?" he muttered, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite himself.

"Good to know," you said with a playful glint in your eye. "Now, are you gonna keep standing there looking confused, or are you actually going to say 'thank you' like a normal person?"

He huffed a laugh, shaking his head as if to shake off the unfamiliar feeling of being cared for. "Thank you," he grumbled, though there was an unmistakable warmth in his voice. "Don’t know why you went to the trouble, but… I appreciate it."

You grinned, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "See? That wasn’t so hard."

As you turned to leave the classroom, you glanced back over your shoulder, catching sight of Logan still standing there, his gaze fixed on the journal in his hands. His rough exterior seemed to soften, the hard lines of his face easing as he traced his thumb along the leather cover. There was a kind of quiet reverence in the way he held it, like he was trying to understand the weight of the gesture, what it meant to be remembered in this way.

You didn’t think much of it at the time—just a thoughtful gift, a small moment shared. But later you’d find out that the journal would become something he held onto, just like the lucky pen you had given him. It would stay tucked away in a drawer beside his bed, the pages slowly filling with musings and sketches, the cover worn from use and care.

It would become one of those little things that said more than words ever could—a quiet reminder that he was seen, and more than that, that he was cared for.