Ninjago Villian Aesthetics

Ninjago Villian Aesthetics

Headcannons for the Madrigal Grandchildren Couples

Author's Note: Everyone here is 15 or older

LONG POST

Isabela & female character

Dolores & Mariano

Luisa & male character

Camilo & female character

Mirabel & male character

Antonio & female character

Isabela

Isa was never really interested in a relationship ever since Mariano

She was finally allowed to grow what she wanted for the first time since she was 5 and she spent the first couple of years reconnecting with her family after Casita fell

She was 22 when she was supposed to be with Mariano

She was 25 when she met you

You were a traveler who had stumbled upon Encanto, a botanist (studier of plants) searching for new plants to catolouge

It was a match made in heaven

The first time Isa saw you flowers burst from her hair and made a trail right to your feet

You look up from the flowers and your jaw drops as you see the most gorgeous woman in front of you, blushing bright red as you meet her gaze

You walks up, introduce yourself, and it's a done deal

Both of you are so captivated by each other, with their knowledge of plants, beauty, magic, and each other in general that it doesn't take much for you and Isa to fall in love

The first time you kissed Isa on the cheek was in public, and a rose bush exploded

Camilo and Mirabel would not stop teasing her about it

Isa is the one who works up the courage to ask you out after the urging of her family. The first time you kissed her flowers bloom along the length of Encanto, and everyone knows you said yes

Eventually you decide to stay in Encanto and become a member of the Madrigal family

Dolores

The Guzmans and Madrigals have always been close family friends

Dolores had been in love with Mariano since she was a child, he was the whole point she asked for a vision from Tío Bruno. She was heartbroken when she saw he would end up with Isabela

After the vision, she becan to pull away from Mariano - which was difficult. He was always over, and would always hang out with her and Isa

Dolores crushed from afar, often using her chores as an excuse whenever Mariano would approach

She craved his presence after she pulled away from his friendship, so she settled for listening to him (Callatè Camilo, she was not a creep -)

Mariano was confused and a little bit hurt when Dolores pulled away - was it something he did? His mamá always said he talked too loud. He liked Dolores, and he missed her quiet presence whenever he would talk about his poetry to her - Isa always got bored when he did.

Dolores would always go soft when Mariano would lower his voice when speaking to her, tell her about the newest novel that came out, show her his poetry he was composing that she already heard him whisper about it late at night

After Casita fell, Dolores and Mariano began spending lots of time together, relearning everything they knew about each other

Also, Mariano is the one that says "I hear you" and she says "And I see you" because for the first time, Mariano is hearing everything she has to say about him and Dolores has had enough of just listening to him and is right in front of him, telling him how she feels

Isabela is the best wingwoman ever

One of the reasons Isa didn't want to be with Mariano was that she grew up idolizing her parents quiet love; Mariano was the total opposite, with loud PDA, grand gestures, ect. This is why Dolores is more suited for Mariano - she grew up with her parents not being able to take their hands off each other and can't picture love any other way

Dolores put a kibosh on the whole "5 babies" thing. 3 kids was the highest she was going for, and Mariano eagerly agrees because who is he to deny his amor?

Dolores wants to take it slow when she's dating Mariano. She gets married midway through 23, and has a daughter at 24. She is 27 when she has another girl, and is 31 when she has a baby boy.

Félix, Camilo, and Antonio are thrilled to be an abuelo and tíos. Pepa is the only one to start clouding over when being called abuela because she doesn't want to be old

Luisa

After Casita fell, Luisa spent the time finding herself - her likes, hobbies, ect. She began growing her hair out, wear more jewlery, and wear more feminine dresses without fear of ripping them due to excessive work

Luisa knew that some people in the Encanto had talked about her body - how tall she was, how big she was, ect. It wasn't insulting, but there were some comments that did stick with Luisa throughout her teens and into adulthood

When she was younger "Luisa gets bigger everyday" was a common phrase in the household. One time Abuela said "We'll have to find the tallest person in Encanto for Luisa, or else she'll never get married!" and that always stayed with her

At the end of the day it doesn't matter to Luisa though. She has good days and bad days just like any other girl, and "she glows cause she knows what her worth is."

She met him when she was 20 years old

She was out lifting things for the final chores of the day when she feels a light tap on her shoulder

Luisa turns around and is met at the sight of a handsome young man, head brushing the top of her chest as he whips out the most beautiful bouquet of flowers she's ever seen

At first, Luisa thinks they're for Isabela (because they're flowers, and no one's ever given Luisa any flowers, and like hell was a man her age giving flowers to Mira)

The man and Luisa are both bright pink when he explains they're for her, and in a rare bout of confidence, Luisa flirts with him

This goes on for a while, the man showering her with gifts and compliments, Luisa flirting and sending him swooning

He starts joining Luisa when she's relaxing, and Luisa grows to love his company. Their dynamic is chattermouth and appreciative listener who loves how much they talk. He insists on helping her with her chores so she can get more time to relax, and Luisa always insists on him joining her with a blush

You can definitely imagine Luisa demonstrating her strength to him and he just whips out a wedding ring and asks her to become his wife because he is utterly weak for this woman

Luisa is sitting at the dinner table, smiling as she brushes her lips along the latest batch of roses he sent when she sees her Tía Pepa and her Tío Félix flirt, and suddenly she sees him

Luisa instantly sets out to find him, and when she does, she bends down and presses the most loving, tender kiss on his lips. Luisa carries him bridal style when his knees give out

Camilo

Camilo was 18 years old when he first began to notice her

He was in the town square with his Tía Julieta, helping cheer up some of the injured children while shoveling his face with food. A red skirt flashes by his vision, and thinking it was Dolores, he turns around and freezes

She was just finishing up her chores, strands of hair escaping her messy bun as sunlight bounced off her tan skin. She's honestly the most beautiful person Camilo's ever seen, and the arepa drops out of his mouth

Right as he begins to follow her, a shout of his name suprises him, and he turns to see a fuming Pepa thundering about the missing arepas. While he's getting chewed out, he turns around to catch one more glimpse of her, but she's gone

Later that night, Camilo can't stop thinking about the girl and sets out to find her the next day. It's easier than he thought it was - after he saw her yesterday, it's like he sees her everywhere: in the market getting groceries, in the square finishing her chores, ect.

He goes up, introduces himself, and is blown away: she's captivating. She's fiery and strongwilled, sassy and sarcastic. She matches Camilo’s quick wit with her own so easily it surprises him, and is unafraid to call him out on his pranks and is unimpressed by his shapeshifting

He was desperate to be her friend, so he wasted no time finishing his chores so he could spend time with her. He would tell jokes and shoot cheesy pickup lines after her, and while at first she considered Camilo overrated and a nuisance … he did manage to amuse his way into her heart

After they become friends, her and Camilo had this thing where they flirt and give each other bedroom eyes almost constantly, and they know that they like each other ... they’re just too afraid/awkward to actually do anything about it.

Everyone in the Madrigal family knows about them, and it drives them crazy. It gets to the point where Camilo acts lovesick when she’s not around - subconsciously thinking about her and bringing her up in conversations

Camilo will just be sitting down for family dinner, piling arepa after arepa on his plate, and is unaware of his family’s stares until he sits across from Isa. Isa clears her throat with a smirk matching Dolores’ and shows her primo a mirror (why she brought a mirror to dinner he’ll never know) and Camilo’s eyes widen in horror. In his reflection is her face. Camilo had unconsciously shapeshifted to look like her during family dinner (and Ay Dios Mío, does the family tear into him that day).

Honestly, Camilo was such a ladies man in Encanto, the family was starting to wonder if he was ever going to settle down. Seeing Camilo panic-shift and grow flustered at even the sight of this girl is the best thing to have happened to Isabela. She’s going to get back at Camilo twice as hard for teasing her with the whole Mariano situation

Not only do this girl and Camilo flirt and have fun with each other, they can be serious and confide with each other when needed. Camilo finds himself pouring about his deepest insecurities to her, and she listens, never judging how he feels, giving him the most caring and attentive face he’s ever seen, proving that she is listening to him, totally and completely

Camilo can listen for hours as she talks, feeling light as a feather listening to her voice, and watching her hands move as she gestures. This girl is the only person to make him blush. He's flirted with tons of people, done tons of things with people, and none of them make him feel the way she does

They weren’t each other’s firsts, but they were each other’s bests, her challenging Camilo in the best way and him showing her the brighter, looser side to life other than work

Mirabel

Mirabel is 20 when she met him

After Casita fell, she spent all her time dedicating herself to her family and making sure the town was independent. She helped her Abuela through her trauma, helped integrate Bruno into society after 10 years, and helped her entire family learn that they were more than just their gifts after decades of being taught otherwise. So you can see there was a lot on her shoulders for a 15 year old

Years passed since that fateful day Encanto broke and things were going well for that small town. Outsiders were more welcome and the community was more self-sufficient than ever. The Madrigal family was allowed to become a normal family, growing larger and larger now that the grandchildren were growing up. 

Mirabel was walking around town, enjoying the candlelit night of Encanto when she heard the most magical voice sing 

A musician is playing in the square, and people were crowding around him despite the late night. After Mira realized she wouldn't make it through the crowd, she quickly begins scaling a palma de cera Isa planted in town, desperate for a look at the voice.

She shoves some fronds out of her way and sees the most handsome man playing on his guitar, singing in his magical voice. He tips his head back and his eyes meet Mira's. She almost falls out of the tree, and once she steadies herself he seems to be smiling at her as he plays, eyes sparkling 

After he finishes the song, he meets her as she ungracefully slides down the tree. Mirabel's face is hot as she offers if he wants to take a walk and get a snack. He agrees

Mirabel stumbles home in a daze, and she finds herself rambling to her mamá about him with a flushed face. Dolores overhears, which mean Camilo knows, which means that the entire family knows about her crush by dinner time 

 The family is definitely overprotective of Mirabel - she’s the baby of the family and their miracle. They got to make sure the guy she’s seeing is worthy of her and can handle the chaos of the Madrigal family 

Whenever they’re alone in a room you can always count on Antonio watching them with death eyes, Dolores eavesdropping, and Isa, Camilo, and Luisa ready to break down the door whenever they sense something inappropriate going on 

Their favorite moments are the quiet ones, where Mirabel is sewing or doing embroidery, while he is gently strumming along to his guitar and writing down lyrics 

He is pleasantly surprised when he finds out Mira can play the accordion. When Mira sings his face turns bright red as he stares at her in awe. She starts dancing and he wants nothing more than to kiss this girl

He always makes sure to murmur soft endearments and compliments in Spanish. Although Mira knows her worth now, she still likes to hear how much she is needed and loved 

Abuela always smiles when she sees them together because after Mira told her how they met, all she can see is her and Pedro

Antonio

Antonio is 15 when he met her

It’s been 10 years since Casita fell, and ever since then the Madrigal family has been growing and growing, with Dolores’ marriage to Mariano and the birth of their children and the rest of the grandchildren falling in love

Antonio met her when when his jaguar fell sick. He had tried to give him Tía Julieta’s cooking, but that only worked on humans, not animals. Antonio was starting to panic when Mirabel reminded him of the new family that moved in that happened to be veterinarians

The vets came to Casita to have a look at Parce, and Antonio is struck when he sees how pretty she is when she walks through the door 

The girl and her papá heal up Parce, and it was like he was never sick at all, zooming around and nuzzling the humans in thanks

When they are about to leave, Antonio grabs her hand without even realizing it, and they both freeze. Shyly, Antonio offers to show her around his jungle room and his heart jumps when she agrees 

Since then her and Antonio have become good friends; they both adored animals - she was fascinated by how the animals were drawn to him while he was fascinated by how she cared for them

Seriously, Camilo once walked in Antonio’s room to see an anaconda draped over their shoulders - he almost had a heart attack. (But why can’t we hold her, she’s friendly -) 

Her and Antonio complimented each other in the best ways; she was bright and bold, and was able to draw Antonio out of his shy shell and he was able to gently calm her down when she would get too excitable 

Pepa would always start whenever drizzling she saw both of them together - her little Toñito was growing up and falling in love, and him and her reminded Pepa so much of her and Félix she would always start crying

Antonio loved being her friend, so when he found himself falling in love with her, he panicked and began drawing in himself. Parce and the rest of his animals wouldn’t allow it. Antonio was embarrassed and mortified to see his animals not-so-subtly set him up with her - the coatis and toucans would steal their belongings so they would have no choice but to see each other, Parce would pointedly act extra affectionate with her, and there was that one time his anaconda literally wrapped herself around their waists to make sure they stayed together

The rest of the family thought it was adorable and would absolutely not help 

She is the one to confess to him, in one of those quiet moments where Antonio was not surrounded by animals and her not feeling the need to fill the silence and enjoy the peace. She isn’t one to dance around a subject unless she’s oblivious, so out of nowhere she just says that she likes Antonio

Antonio has to wait for the meaning to sink in, but when it does, he sees her staring straight ahead, her face slowly turning red. Shyly, he says he likes her too. It’s an innocent and sweet confession, and when she leaned over and kissed him, it was the same as well

All the ways Zoey says "I Love You."

"Multiples just means there's more Mike to love!"

Zoey loves Mike, even though ... he isn't always Mike. But that's okay, because she loves the different people who live in his mind just as much.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mike — Touch

I couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment when, because it had crept up on me — Mike had crept up on me — and the love I had for him left me breathless. 

It hit me one day when Mike and I were sitting on the couch watching a movie that I didn’t really know when I fell in love with Mike.

I never forgot that moment on Total Drama, when Mike had held my hand, my heart beating faster than a hummingbird as he looked at me with his beseeching eyes as he told me the truth about him and his alters, about how he really liked me and how he didn’t want to lose me. 

I held his hand, my eyes soft and understanding as he told me somethings he’s never really told anyone before. I think what really shocked him was how I understood. I didn’t look confused or freaked out, I didn’t tell him to back off or slap him. 

I had merely laughed at how silly the situation was, because I really, really liked him and he really, really liked me and I had leaned into him telling him how much I loved oddballs. 

Maybe that’s why I fell for him, because he was so different. 

Mike was one of a kind. 

I love him. 

I’d do anything for Mike; as long as he’s here with me, as long as I can hold his hand and smile back at him, I’d go to the ends of the earth for Mike, and he’d do the same for me. 

I turned to look at Mike, who’s shoulder I’ve been using as a pillow during our movie and he turned to look at me with that cute grin of his. I smiled back, my thoughts slowing as our faces moved closer and closer, until our foreheads were touching. 

It was quick, only a short moment where I leaned over and pressed my lips against his, but it felt like all the love just rushed through my body in a single flash. I sighed against his lips, trying to emulate everything I felt through touch alone.

“I love you.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chester — Acts of Service

I won’t lie — Chester was hard to talk to. 

Chester only came out when Mike was frustrated, so usually meant the old man would complain about whatever circumstances and groan about today’s youth whenever I would talk to him. 

However, I was determined to get through to the old man and actually get him to enjoy himself.  

“Are you having fun, Chester?” I asked as I struggled to secure a wriggling worm to my fishing pole. 

“Eh, fun is for the youth.” Chester swatted his hand irritably. “Back in my day, it was either work and survive or shrivel up and die. We didn’t have any time for this “fun” nonsense ‘cause we were always working so hard. You lazy youngsters are havin’ fun all the time ‘cause you ain’t workin’ as hard!”

I cringed, not sure how to respond to that, before I decided on optimism. “Well, you never know, you might have fun fishing! This was my grandfather’s favorite hobby when I was a kid.”

“And where’s your grandfather now? You dump him in an old folk’s home?” 

I went quiet, staring at the hook and worm in my hands. “No. He— he died. When I was a kid.”

Chester, fortunately, seemed to somber at that, making no more complaints as he dropped his line into the water and let it sink. 

“Sorry.” I shook myself out of the memories of my lonely childhood. “I didn’t mean to bring down the mood. I just … miss him.” Looking at Chester, I smiled. “You know, I think if he was still alive, you and him would be good friends.” 

“Friends?” A spark seemed to light in old Chester’s eye, before he quickly extinguished it with a grumpy scowl. “Meh, I don’t have any friends. Those silly things are for young whippersnappers just like yourself.” 

“I don’t know, anybody can be friends with anybody. I, for one, would like to be friends with you.” 

Chester stared at me with his one eye, not quite glaring and not quite scowling, before he turned away with a huff. I bit my tongue trying to keep away the hurt. It’s just one day, I reminded myself. It’s only been one day. You’ll get through to him. 

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I saw a tug on the fishing pole. “Chester! You have a bite!” I gasped. 

Chester began reeling in his line, and for a minute I thought I saw something like excitement in his eye.

It went on like this for months. 

I would take Chester out and would try to help him enjoy himself and have fun, even if all he did was complain. I would always help him out, even if he was suspicious of my niceness. 

It took a lot of perseverance and patience on my part to get him to open up to me. Every act of service I would do for him was regarded with suspicion, and every smile was met with a glare. 

But slowly, Chester stopped grumbling and seemed to appreciate what I would do. Granted, he would still grumble and complain, but whenever I would offer him help or a way to have fun, he seemed to make less of an ordeal than before. 

One day Chester came up to me when I was laying on my couch reading a book, hand gripping the wooden cane I bought him and scowled at me.

“Yes, Chester?” I asked primly, closing the book. “Do you need anything?” 

Chester had glared at me, and in his usually wheezy voice, told me that there was a ventriloquist performance in town and he wanted to go, where I would then tell him about myself and my grandfather — but if there were any youngsters and their “rock and roll nonsense” there I could forget about it. He told me that he would absolutely not have fun and that we were definitely not friends. 

I was smiling the whole time, even though the puppet was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen and that it told the most corniest jokes in the most horrible voice I’d ever heard. I was smiling the whole time because Chester was laughing the whole time, having fun. 

It was like a turning point in Chester’s and I’s relationship. The empty gap I felt since my grandfather died was always a bit fuller whenever I was with Chester. 

The old man seemed to appreciate the effort I would put into every act of service I did for him, saying that it was good that “a young whippersnapper such as myself was respecting my elders”.

I leaned down to hug the old man with a smile, feeling myself glow with happiness. “I love you, Chester.”

Chester seemed to stiffen, at the contact or what I said, I didn’t know. “Eh, you ain’t too bad — for a youngster.” Chester grumbled, but couldn’t help the smile from growing on his grumpy face.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Svetlana — Receiving Gifts

Svetlana was — by far — one of the easiest alters to get along with. 

She was so bright and cheery, enthusiastic and fun it was impossible to not like her. The first time Svetlana and I hung out I was surprised how easily we clicked. Apparently, she had always wanted to meet me, seeing how happy I made Mike. 

I grew up as a lonely child, so Svetlana was like a breath of fresh air, the girl friend I always wanted. 

We hung out all the time, watching those sappy romantic movies that make the guys gag, we went shopping — but the thing we did together most was gymnastics. 

I’ll admit that the first time Svetlana saw me climbing the trees in my backyard, I purposefully showed off; doing more flips than nessacary as Svetlana stared in awe. 

“Vhere did you learn something like that?” She’d gasped as I climbed down the tree. I shrugged, trying to keep the blush off my face. 

“Just something I picked up,” I waved nonchalantly. “I was always a bit of a wild child growing up.”

“Oh, you must try gymnastics!” Svetlana gushed, and of course I said yes because I was an absolute people’s pleaser; and if I knew Svetlana, she wouldn’t stop asking until I said yes. 

Besides, how hard could gymnastics be?

“Ah, hah … Svetlana … can we please take a break?”  I panted days later, drenched with sweat. “My legs are about to fall off.” 

“Rest after success!” Svetlana declared cheerfully, looking as perfect and polished as she did before practice started. “Now, complete zhe triple point axle!” 

I groaned, nearly folding into myself as my knees weakened at the thought. Svetlana was a brutal coach, having me perform all kinds of complicated flips even though she insisted they were “beginner”. 

Yeah, right. 

Sighing, I got into position and took a running leap — only to fail miserably as I twisted wrong and promptly faceplanted in front of my coach. 

“Hmmm … perhaps you can use a little break.”

I merely groaned, wallowing in my misery as I heard Svetlana leave, then return a moment later. 

Something cold touched my shoulder, and I turned to see Svetlana holding out a water bottle with a kind smile. “You are not so bad, for an amateur.” She said. “Svetlana is sorry if she has been … overzealous. None of the others has shown an interest in gymnastics.”

I smiled and unscrewed the bottle. “It’s okay. It must be hard to be the only girl in a brain full of five guys.”

Svetlana scoffed. “Oh, you ‘ave no idea.” With that, she launched into a full on rant with me listening patiently, our lesson forgotten. 

Months later, Mike told me Svetlana had a big competition coming up — only the best of the best would be there. And she wanted me to come. 

Svetlana won the whole thing and got a perfect score. As the cheers rang out, Svetlana flounced over to me, practically glowing from her victory as I flung my arms around my friend, clutching the flowers I was going to gift her. 

I laughed, beaming. “I love you, Svetlana!”

The words slipped out before I even realized it, but Svetlana didn’t seem to mind as she seemed to press me tighter into the hug.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Vito — Words of Affirmation

Out of all the personalities in Mike’s head — besides Mal — I got along with Vito the least.

It was just … he was just so …

Vito didn’t get a lot of time out of Mike’s head, so he was sure to make it count.

When Vito came outside, he wanted to do what he wanted. He wanted to live, to meet people, to experience as much as he could before the shirt was pulled on once more and he had to be crammed into one head with multiple personalities.

I’ve tried to talk to Vito, I really have, but most of the time he would treat me like a pest he couldn’t get rid of. Every time I try to talk to him he just ends up hurting my feelings somehow. He’ll tell me I’m not that pretty or that I’m annoying him, and sometimes I would have to storm off to stop myself from punching him in the face. Honestly, the only reason why he didn't have a missing tooth by now was because he had Mike's face.

And for a while I thought that was all we were going to be. A jerk to me, and a nuisance to him. 

Until …

Vito stormed into the room I was in, looking ticked off with a dark look in his eyes. I looked up from the book I was reading on the couch.

“Vito, what’s wrong?” I asked, trying to keep the right amount of concern in my voice. Too much and he would tell me to back off and shove my pity somewhere else. Too little and he would think I didn’t care. 

“Nothin,’' he shrugged. “What could possibly be wrong when you’re this sexy?” As if to prove his point, he started to flex his muscles in a way that was … admittedly distracting, yes, but I refused to be swayed. 

“Vito …” 

“I don’t need ya pity, Red,” He told me casually — and yes, there it is. How can it be that he’s so good at reading me like I’m with him, but we still don’t get along?

“It’s not pity, I’m just worried about you.” I said, closing the book I was reading to give him my full attention. “Can’t I be worried about you?”

Vito glowered at me, looking at me with a mixture of annoyance and mistrust, before turning away. 

Thinking quickly, I said, “You know, we’re not too far from the beach. Do you want to go swimming and work on your tan?” 

That seemed to catch his interest a little. “I could go for some rays. But don’t ya think this makes us all buddy buddy or anything!”

“Of course not,” I stood up and patted his shoulder. “I’m going to go grab the surfboards. Can you start the car?” 

I walked away to hear Vito’s surprised exclamation of knowing I could surf and smirked.

From that day forward, Vito and I became friends … sort of. 

He would still get on my nerves like no other but … I think we reached an understanding, one can say. He made me competitive, wanting to prove myself and him wrong. We went back and forth when we conversed, but not in a bad way, but in a fun way. 

But for some reason, there was still this underlying tension between us, one that would make my stomach knot for no good reason. It confused me, and I could tell Vito could feel it too. 

The way he would flirt and flaunt in front of women when I was right there, the way he was always obsessing over his self-proclaimed “hotness”. For some reason it bugged me to no end, just like it did back on Total Drama when Vito was with Anne Maria. 

But I didn’t want to dig into it. Vito and I were finally getting along, and I didn’t want to complicate things and make us go back to the way things were. 

“So, how come you’re with a dorkus like Mike when ya can be with someone much more attractive, like me?” Vito asked one day as he drove us to the beach. Vito kept insisting that I needed to work on my tan even after I repeatedly told him that “I don’t tan, I burn.”

Vito smirked and did an eyebrow wiggle that made me snort into my hand. “You share the same body, genius.” I roll my eyes and giggle. “Besides, I’m more of a substance-over-style type of girl.”

“A dying breed.” 

“Maybe, but one that does not fail.”

“The Vito can’t be held down by any broad,” he boasted.

“That’s because you haven’t met the right one yet.” I countered.

Vito seemed to pause at that, and I fell quiet. Right. How could Vito ever meet a girl when Vito wasn’t even out? It would be hard to find a girl and settle down if you weren’t even in control of your own body half of the time. Would Vito ever find his girl? Did he even want a girl?

I remembered that first day Vito and I hung out, he had quietly told me how he had gone to see Anne Maria, and that they had gotten into a huge fight because she thought he was choosing me over her. She wouldn’t listen — or couldn’t understand — that he was Vito, not Mike.

I turned to look at him and felt my stomach clench. Vito … 

He would need someone to understand him, to know when he was sad or angry. Someone who could keep up with him, someone who wasn’t afraid to call him out, someone who knew —

I stopped cold. Someone like me.

When I told Vito “I love you,” it was quick and quiet, slipping out between my breath as we slammed the car doors shut. It’s noise should have drowned the words out, but I knew he still heard from the way he stopped.

Vito went quiet and still, and that freaked me out like no other because Vito was never those two things. He was cocky and obnoxious, always instigating conflicts and preening over his looks in his loud Italian accent. 

He was always moving, whether it was to flex for the ladies or to slick his hair back or to mess with his golden necklace and to tap out the beats of music that would thrum through the car.

I instantly slapped a hand over my mouth the moment those words escaped, berating myself for possibly saying the stupidest thing of my life in front of Vito …

… when he did something unexpected.

Slowly, Vito reached over, cupped my face, and kissed me. 

It was thrilling, warm and soft with a hint of spice. Vito was a master at kissing, from his warm lip-only kisses to his more heated tongue-centric kisses. He was good, leading me with such skill that I found myself giving back as much as I received.

Vito pulled back, gauging my reaction with his dark eyes as I stared back, vulnerable and lightheaded from the kiss. An unavoidable blush rose to my cheeks.  

My mouth worked, opening and closing as I tried to find my voice. “... you just kissed me.”

“You just said you loved me.” Vito challenged back. 

Touché, I thought. 

I contemplated what just happened in my still-fuzzy head, weighing my decisions before finally settling on one.

Face still flushed, I asked, “If I said I loved you again, would you kiss me again?”

In response, Vito pulled me closer and my heart flew out of my chest.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Manitoba — Quality Time

One of the things that enraptured me first about Manitoba Smith was his thirst for adventure. He spoke of stories that … normally wouldn’t make sense, given that he was an alter in Mike’s brain, but still spoke of dangerous adventures and freedom and wilderness that I wanted to experience. 

Manitoba offered to take me one. 

“Remind me why I agreed to this again?” I gasped as Manitoba and I hiked up the steep side of the mountain. My legs felt like they were about to collapse with every step I took and my breath had left me miles back. 

“Come on now, Sheila, we’re almost there. You were the one who wanted to go on an adventure with me, remember? Not that I blame you, of course. Manitoba Smith is the best adventurer of this century.”

I looked up to see the said Australian holding out his hand, smiling. Gratefully, I took his hand and he hoisted me up. “There we go.”

“I don’t know how you do this every day,” I huffed. “This is exhausting.”

“Now, now. I have years of experience with exploring, and you’re just a beginner. Only time has bearing on a man’s skill, should he be one or one hundred.”

“Or woman.” I added. 

Manitoba only smirked crookedly and we continued climbing in peace, while I looked back on the memories. 

This wasn’t the first time Manitoba and I had gone on one of his adventures. It had happened a while ago, when I had offhandedly blurted out how I wanted to go on one of his adventures. I was more than suprised when he agreed to take me. 

That was months ago, and since then, Manitoba and I had gone on multiple travels together. He had been kind enough to show me the ropes, even though it was through multiple flirting attempts. 

It was nice though, I mused as we reached the destination point, to spend time with Manitoba. There was a lot more to him than met the eye, and on every trip we made I was uncovering more treasured pieces of him that made up the whole. 

We finished setting up camp and both sat on the edge of mountain, precariously dangling our feet over open air. We were both quiet, just enjoying the moment and the quality time together when suddenly—

“Why do you make it so hard for me to flirt with you?” Manitoba asked. 

“Well, if I made it easy then you wouldn’t flirt with me at all,” I replied without thinking. There was a beat of silence, and it quickly dawned on me what I said. With a flash of horror and embarrassment, I whipped my head towards Manitoba to see his surprised gaze reflecting my own. 

For once, Manitoba Smith was at a loss of words. 

I smacked a hand over my mouth, turning away. “I shouldn’t have said that aloud.” I mumbled, almost to myself. “Sorry, forget I said anything.” 

Before I could fully close off from him, Manitoba grabbed my chin and gently guided it back so I could meet his eyes. 

“Where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?” He chided. “Don’t pull away.” 

I puffed my cheek out, annoyed and embarrassed. Manitoba merely grinned, cocky and bright-eyed as he took in my reaction. 

“So, does this mean you like it when I flirt with you?” 

I refused to answer, knowing he was only asking this because now he knew the answer. As if I would inflate his ego anymore than I had now. 

 Manitoba’s eyes glinted and he leaned closer, until he was right in my face. No doubt it was the color of my hair. “It’s okay to admit it, sweetheart. I rather like flirting with you too.”

I pushed his face away. “Well, you’re certainly a better flirt than Vito. All he does is flex his muscles.”

Manitoba smirked crookedly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I rolled my eyes.

A couple hours passed, with Manitoba staring a fire and cooking us dinner before we were both back on the ledge, watching for the sunset. 

Manitoba dangled his feet over the ledge, eyes trained on the dying sun as it cast shades of red and gold. 

I found my eyes slowly being drawn away from the view, turning to look at Manitoba Smith. He was quiet, taking in every moment of the sunset’s beauty. I felt my heart in my throat. 

Oh. 

He looked— he looked — 

I didn’t just like Manitoba, I realized. I loved him. 

It was the accent that caught my attention at first— an Australian one, that held a certain cockiness in the voice

Then it was his bravery, facing whatever challenge came to him head-on. 

Then it was his kindness, his selfless nature, his confidence. It was all of that, all of him, that made me realized how much I loved spending time with him, how much I loved his company, how much I loved him

I wasn’t one to hold back from telling the truth, and he wasn’t one to shy away from what he was feeling. So with that in mind, I plucked up my last strand of bravery, swallowed back my nerves, and said, “I love you.” 

There was a split second of silence, then—

“I was wondering when you would get around to saying that.”

I whipped my head around. “Excuse me?” Was he seriously taking my confession as a joke? Something to boost his own ego? Well, then—

I froze, biting back the verbal lashing I was about to give him when I saw his face. 

There wasn’t the usual confident glint in his eyes or the cocky grin on him. Instead, Manitoba Smith was looking at me tenderly with a gentle smile on his face that looked so different, but at the same time, so right.

I swallowed the heart in my throat. 

Oh. 

“That’s seriously all you have to say to me? ‘What took you so long?’” I rolled my eyes in fake exasperation, trying to hide the amusement in my voice and failing. 

“Well, of course! I happen to be an Australian heartthrob for the ladies. I’m impressed you managed to hold off for so long.” Manitoba winked. 

“You’re a lot of work. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m worth it.”

I snorted, even though I couldn’t exactly deny his claims. I leaned my head on his shoulder and we sat in silence, both of us just enjoying each other’s presence as the sun sank behind the horizon. 

“So, uh, think you’ll be going on any more adventures with me, Sheila?” Manitoba asked sheepishly. 

I leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “I just might.” I said, smiling.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mal — ?

Sometimes on cold nights Mal would come out.

He had toned down since Total Drama All Stars, but his reputation had preceded him so at first I was always cautious and kept my distance whenever he would appear.

But Mal was different. Quieter. He didn’t burst into fits of rage or go on a streak of vengence like all of us expected; instead he was more mellow.

Granted, he was still Mal — he would still threaten bodily harm whenever I annoyed him (which was a lot), he still had a cruel sense of humor, and perhaps he did still have a sadistic edge to him – but it wasn't like he was trying to drown me or anything like he did during the finale, so I figured it was okay to try and talk to him.

And ... strangely enough, it was.

Mal was tight-lipped and short whenever I would pry for conversation, and oftentimes would respond with scathing remarks that would hurt my feelings or pride.

But he never physically hurt me. Ever.

Months passed, and slowly ... oh so slowly ... he opened up.

Mal talked to me.

He told he about his past, how he would fill in Mike's memory gaps from his childhood. He told me about juvie, about how he had to stay in control because someone of Mike's caliber would have been chewed up and spit out in a place like that. He told me how the others came to be, why they came to be, through awful, awful stories that made me sick to my stomach because that happened to Mike, and the people I loved didn't know, and Mal had to remember.

I think the thing that shocked Mal most was that I listened. I stayed. I cared, even though at the beginning he thought it was fake. I tried to understand him, I listened to his problems, and tried to help him through them.

The funny thing was, I wasn’t even in love with him at the time I was doing those things.

Sometimes Mal would say he wanted a break, so whenever he was out and at my place I took him to my rooftop to let him breathe.

It worked better than I thought, because on some days when I wasn’t even home he would just break into my house and sneak onto my roof.

On cold nights like tonight, Mal would come out onto my rooftop and draw. I sat down a couple feet from him, since I knew he liked his personal space. The cold tiles bit through my jean bottoms as I wrapped my arms around myself. My misty breath floated in front of my face and into the night sky.

I peered over at what Mal was sketching and had to stop myself from giggling. A menacing tower was etched on the page. Overlooking a volcano. Bats and skulls flew from the paper.

I watched him with a smile on my face. Mal was absorbed with his art, occasionally blowing his hair out of his eye as his pencil worked across the page.

"You're staring," Mal startled me out of my daze with his low tone.

"Sorry." I laughed a bit nervously. "I'm just a bit distracted today. I’m happy."

Mal didn't say anything for a bit, before he said without looking up, "You're always happy."

I chuckled. "Yeah, but today I realized something that made me really happy."

There was a brief silence, and I could feel him prompting.

I took a deep breath. This is it, I thought. Like ripping off a band-aid.

"I just realized that I loved you."

The sounds of sketching stopped, and I determinedly stared up at the star-speckled sky before I looked down and began fiddling with the worn red sleeves of my hoodie.

My stomach started twisting itself in anxious knots as the silence dragged on, and I can feel Mal's eyes set me on fire as I avoid his gaze.

For once, I can't read his silences, and that alone was making me nervous. Before I could get up and excuse myself, something warm and lean pressed up against my side.

"Huh?" I said, because I have genuinely never been so confused in that moment.

Mal ignored me and continued to lean against me as he drew. I was completely baffled as he began whistling his signature tune with a small smile/smirk – the one he always used whenever he was in –

I gasped. My heart skipped a beat and it suddenly felt like a million tons was lifted from my shoulders.

"You –" I stopped, because natually he wasn't going to answer.

I released the breath I didn’t know I was holding as an exhilarated smile split my face. I bit my lip to control my giddy grin as I gently twined my fingers with his, squeezing once as he stiffened, then relaxed.

Mal squeezed back.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Headcannons: Pokéguys with affection

I was in a Valentine's Day mood, alright? 💗

Ships: Poke, Contest, Ikari, Wish, Geekchic, Oldrival, Handyman, Fourthwheel hints

… and Brock

WARNING: LONG POST

Ash

— Ash is legitimately good at flirting — but the thing is, he doesn’t even know he’s flirting.

— He and Misty are walking through the Kanto snow all bundled up, and Ash notices Misty rubbing her hands together and shivering.

— “You cold, Mist?” Ash asks, and before she can respond he just. Takes her hand, locks their fingers together, and puts her hand in his pocket.

— Misty damn near has a heart attack, sputtering and turning bright red. Before she could say anything though, Ash continues on, holding her hand as they walk.

—He’ll also be complimenting her, saying “Wow, Misty, you look beautiful with your hair down!” or “Misty, you were incredible battling that Pokemon today!” 

— Misty feels like a little girl talking with her childhood crush (okay, maybe that comparison was a little too accurate …) so the only thing she can respond with are stuttering half-insults before fleeing in shame.

— Ash is a very physical person. Always has been, always will be. He’ll be slinging an arm around her shoulder, walking close so that their bodies bump, pull her into a side hug, even arm wrestling her. The touch is so casual, but it’s so often that Misty can’t help but psychoanalyze every interaction.

— Poor Pikachu has spent many nights with Misty’s face cuddled in his fur to hide her blush. He’s had his ear talked off with Misty’s ramblings of “—does he even know he’s flirting with me?! Is he even flirting?! He’s gotta know! Or am I just making it up all in my head again? Is this psychological warfare or something?!”

— Misty doesn’t know if Ash is flirting with her, if he even knows if he is, if he’s even aware of what he’s doing. Misty gets so flustered she becomes angry that she’s so flustered. She wants to beat him with her mallet for making her so embarrassed; another part doesn’t because she likes the Butterfree he puts in her stomach.

— Ash Ketchum is so impeccably smooth at flirting and pulling moves he isn’t even aware; he just thinks he’s being nice and friendly. He has a trail of hearts behind him after all his travels and he doesn’t even realize.

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure shock.

Drew

— Roses. It’s always roses with those two.

— When Drew would give roses to May ( *ahem* sorry, Beautifly) it was a mocking. The flowers were filled with taunts about how her Pokémon were carrying May to victory.

— Then as Drew starts noticing May, his roses become fleeting — everyone knows what red roses meant. How could Drew give out roses when he didn’t even know who he was really giving them to?

— Drew fell in love with May, and May fell in love with Drew, and there was a trail of roses between them like a timeline.

— When they date, they are the most lovey-dovey couple in the room. At first, all of their friends were happy that they got together, but soon they grow sick of the constant PDA

— Honestly, whenever Max walks into the room and see May and Drew in there, he just straight up walks right out. May gets so offended, but she quickly forgets her brother’s disgusted face when Drew pulls her in for a kiss

— May and Drew have started dating, and May finally drops the bomb about meeting her family. Drew instantly gets flashbacks of Max’s judgey looks, know-it-all expression, and suspicious eyes from Hoenn and almost regrets dating May.

— Apparently, May has been holding off the meeting for quite a while, but has finally conceded. Caroline is sweet and welcoming, swooning about May getting a boyfriend and gushing how handsome he is. Max is still as skeptical as ever, but has softened to the idea of Drew thanks to his traveling partner, Bonnie.

— And Norman … May left Drew and her dad in the same room for less than a minute, and when she came back Drew spent the rest of the time subtly hiding behind May

— When Drew asked May to marry him, he made it this big extravagant proposal. He led May on a scavenger hunt, each rose with a romantic letter on where to find him. When she finally found him, she had a dozen red roses and a ring on her finger on the beach of Slateport City.

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure jealousy

Paul

— Reggie is the first one to notice the way his brother is always touching Dawn. It’s so subtle, Dawn doesn’t realize it; Reggie doubts that even Paul realizes he’s doing it. But for someone who has been raising his younger brother all his life, it’s so obvious.

— Paul is usually adverse to physical touch, so seeing Dawn and Paul interact is like a slap to the face. His hand is barely touching her hip as he guides her to where they’re going. When they sit together their shoulders brush. He leans down to Dawn’s level to lowly talk in her ear. Not to mention the way Paul looks at her —

— Reggie honestly can’t believe his eyes when he sees them together for the first time. He can’t help but tell Maylene, and of course he confronts Paul with some teasing.

— Whenever someone asks about Dawn and Paul’s relationship, Reggie cheekily replies, “They’re an affectionate couple.” Paul always scowls darkly.

— Dawn had no idea until Maylene lets it slip. At first, she just stares and laughs, because the words Paul and affectionate don’t even belong in the same sentence.

— But then Dawn suddenly realizes: she is always the first one to initiate contact — through a held hand, a hug, or a kiss on the lips ...

— But Paul was always the one to let it linger. He never pulled his hand away, he would let her hug him (sometimes he would even lean into it), and he would even kiss her in private.

— Dawn was always the one who pulled away first: becoming embarrassed if someone would walk in on them or pulling away to look at a cute store.

— She immediately sets out to do an experiment of her own: to see how long Paul could deal with physical affection.

— One day Paul is laying on his couch doing whatever, and Dawn sees the perfect opportunity. She strolls over, stands over him, and just … clambers on top of him, resting her head on his chest and fitting her body snugly between his legs.

— He was effectively pinned down. Paul went stiff with surprise, and Dawn honestly expects him to push her away and mutter complaints under his breath as he stalks away.

— After a moment, Paul sighs and drapes his arm around her waist, going back to whatever he was doing. Dawn’s heart leaps, and her belly does a dozen backflips. She honestly can’t believe she’s getting away with this.

— But this was only half of the challenge. Now, Dawn had to wait and see how long he would tolerate her. So she settles down, closes her eyes, and falls asleep to the feeling of Paul’s warmth and even breathing.

— When she wakes up, hours have passed. Paul’s hand is still on her waist, she has drooled a little bit in his shirt, and he was undoubtedly uncomfortable from sitting for so long.

— Still, it is a testament on how much he truly likes her when he says nothing about his discomfort when she wakes.

— For some reason, he distinctly feels like he’s passed a test when Dawn sees that he’s still there and kisses him

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure disbelief

Cilan

— Chilli and Cress absolutely adore Iris. She’s sassy and blunt and determined, and a perfect fit for Cilan. Chilli loves going back and forth with Iris trading sarcastic quips and Cress appreciates her blunt honesty

— She’s practically a part of the family, inviting herself over to the gym and spending weekends there. Half the stuff at their place is practically her’s, and she shows absolutely no shame in that fact.

— When all of their friends know they’re dating, they are simultaneously surprised and not in the process. It’s just that Cilan and Iris are so different, one a sophisticated civilian and another a animalistic wild child. But they just fit together, so well that none of their friends can ever imagine seeing them with another person.

— When Ash hears that they’re dating, he is beaming. Because while he’s happy that all his friends found their significant other, none of them have gotten together with their traveling partner (except for Serena and Clemont, but that comes later)

— Ash feels like a proud matchmaker because he says Iris and Cilan would not have gotten together if it weren’t for him. Iris calls him a little kid.

— Cilan shows his love through words of appreciation, which never fails to embarrass Iris.

— Whenever his Dragon Master wins a battle, he showers her with praise for her and her Pokémon. It’s like his evaluation times, filled with so much fervor and passion.

— Iris always gets so embarrassed, especially if her friends and rivals are there teasing her, but she secretly likes the attention and the praise she gets from Cilan (he is her boyfriend, and a World-Class Pokémon Connoisseur)

— Sometimes when she gets particularly embarrassed, she just marches over to Cilan in the middle of the battle, yanks him down to her height, and kisses him hard to shut him up.

— It always works (Cilan turns bright red and dazed, and to Iris’s satisfaction, he always, always shuts his mouth afterwards) but they don’t know that Iris’s kisses inadvertently fuel Cilan to go on his rants.

— So in actuality, does it really work?

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure awe

Clemont

— Clemont has always admired Serena ever since their traveling days, but he would always push aside his feelings when he saw the way Serena looked at Ash.

— Back then, he had low confidence and even lower social skills. There was no way he can compare to Ash. So he pushed aside his feelings and focused on being her friend instead, supporting her and working to improve himself.

— It took a long time for Clemont to work up the courage to ask Serena out. She was trying to get over her crush on Ash, and they were both too busy focusing on their dreams

— One day, Serena went with Bonnie to cheer Clemont on in a super important Pokémon match. Clemont won, of course, and right before his final move Serena is struck.

— Clemont’s face was bright with electricity and his eyes were clear with confidence. Serena is struck, because she just realized Clemont wasn’t that geeky kid with low self-esteem and inventions that blew up anymore. Clemont was grown, and Serena feels like she is seeing him for the first time.

— It wasn’t just how he looked (Serena was mature enough to admit that Clemont looked … well, amazing during the battle), it was his confidence.

— It wasn’t the Ash type of confidence — bold, brash, and brave. It was the Clemont type of confidence — intellectual and sharp, confident in knowing he would win because Clemont was a lot of things, and no one could ever say he wasn’t smart.

— When Clemont wins, he immediately turns to Serena and Bonnie with a bright smile. Bonnie is beaming and bouncing on her feet, and Serena finds herself blushing with her heart pounding faster than the time she kissed Ash.

— Ever since then, Serena can’t get the stupid feelings out of her head. Her crush on Ash feels childish and far away compared to Clemont.

— Clemont is shy and awkward, but he is sweet and charming. Serena has always known this, but now it’s in a whole new light. She can’t help but notice all these little details about him, like the way his hands move when he talks, or the way he pushes up his glasses and the way his eyes light up.

— Whenever Clemont is working on an invention, Serena finds herself genuinely trying to listen and help. Whenever she stays over, she offers to help Clemont with the cooking.

— They go out to see the lights on top of Prism Tower, Serena teaches Clemont to properly dance, and they spend late nights in the gym just enjoying their companionship.

— At first, Clemont is frustratingly oblivious, blinking innocently and awkwardly laughing whenever they seem to have a romantic atmosphere lingering around them. Serena wouldn’t label it as Ash-Level-Oblivious, (because, frankly, nobody can ever be denser than Ash) because back when she had a crush on him, she was actively trying to hide it.

— Clemont, however, for all his bright intelligence and love knowledge (mostly stemming from Bonnie) can’t figure out for the life of him that Serena was flirting with him. She didn’t know how much more obvious she could get!

— (Just last week, Clemont’s father, Meyer, wouldn’t stop smirking knowingly and last month, Misty had thrown her a half sympathetic-pitying-understanding look when she and Ash came over to visit.)

— Clemont hasn’t noticed Serena’s flirting, but he has noticed that she’s been acting strange. With him, specifically. It’s almost as if she’s flirting with him, but obviously she isn’t because they are just friends.

— Clemont’s heart already skips beats whenever Serena dresses up, and he sometimes gets tongue-tied when she smiles at him, and his face feels very warm whenever she hold his hand but — they are just. friends.

— Clemont doesn’t want to give himself false hope and he already feels like he’s betraying Serena’s friendship with his stupid infatuation he’s had since they were kids.  

— (But still … still …)

— Clemont can’t help but compare what Serena is like now to when she had a crush on Ash. He can’t help but notice the longer hours she spends at the Lumiose Gym, even when Bonnie’s not here. He can’t help but notice the way she smiles at him, holding him close as she teaches him how to dance. He can’t help but notice how her eyes sparkle when she looks at him, shining brighter than they ever did when she looked at Ash.

— Bonnie is totally oblivious to the growing tension whenever Serena is over at the Lumiose Gym, or to the stolen moments the two seem to have that she unassumingly walks in on. Serena’s always been close to the family, and she and Clemont are friends.

— It’s Max, Señor Skeptical, Mr. “I hate romance, why focus on love when you can focus on Pokemon” Maple, that has to tell her what’s going on (seriously, he thought she was the love expert) and she flips out.

— She then immediately plots to get them together (mentally planning their wedding in the process) and drags Max along in the mix despite his protests

— She does everything she can to create romantic atmospheres for Clemont and Serena (Max told her that proposing to Serena for Clemont would only scare her off).

— Clemont and Bonnie argue over her schemes and Max is standing behind her, mentally trying to communicate with Clemont his utter sympathies.

— Finally, after a long uphill battle, Bonnie triumphs by embarrassing Clemont enough to make him ask her out.

— Clemont is red and stuttering through his whole proposal, and Serena, having figured out what he was planning on asking her a while ago, just decided to put him out of his misery and kiss him, blushing pink.

— Clemont is breathless and dazed afterwards. It was so cute, Serena finds her gut clenching hotly and her biting her lip to hide the enormous smile growing on her face. It was definitely worth it, waiting this long.

***

— Max and Bonnie are little ways behind them, and Bonnie throws her arms around Max in celebration

Gary

— Gary Oak has known Leaf Green since childhood. She had grown up with him and Ash. They were the trio of Pallet town. Gary spent days at his Grandpa’s lab with her and Ash and nights at Delia’s house for dinner.

— Ash and Gary were rivals, but him and Leaf were something else. Ever since they were kids they were always arguing, going back and forth with each other. 

— They go separate ways as their journeys take them on separate paths. Gary becomes a successful Pokemon researcher and Leaf has traveled all over the regions. 

— Years have passed when he runs into Leaf again by complete chance.

— At first he can’t believe his eyes. How on earth was this gorgeous woman the bratty girl he grew up with? It’s the same for Leaf. Gary has always been a know-it-all as a kid, but when did he grow into this handsome researcher? She had always brushed him off as that guy who cared more about his hair and girls.

— They catch up and it’s like no time has passed. They still bicker and argue about every little thing under the sun, but now Gary is finally able to label the tension between them.

— They get kicked out of the place they’re in, and when he gets home, he has the biggest, goofiest smile on his face that — quote Misty — “makes him look like an idiot” and Leaf’s number in his pocket.

— Professor Oak knows right away that his grandson has met Leaf, and tells him to invite her over to Pallet Town. Oak has always had a soft spot for Leaf; ever since they were kids he could see that she’s the only one for Gary.

— Before Leaf is suppose to come over, everyone can tell that Gary is nervous. He does his best to not show it, obviously, but he was surrounded by the people who knew him best. Gary keeps running his hands through his hair and the Pokémon are particularly skittish (Pokemon reflect their trainers, after all). Ash, Tracey, and Misty tease him relentlessly while Delia and Oak look on in amusement

— When Misty meets Leaf she instantly likes her: Leaf is strong and stubborn and determined. She is striking and vivacious, and the perfect match for Gary. She’s honestly the only one who could put up with him.

— Misty and Leaf get along great, and when they meet up they constantly make fun of their boyfriends. They are both fierce battlers, and often challenge each other to battles whenever they see each other just like Gary and Ash in their younger days.

— Gary and Leaf spend time together, exchanging snarky flirty comments with each other. They both like to drive each other wild with their teasing and their friends are crazy with the thought “oh god, will those two ever get together?” They’re both hot, and they know it. 

— Sometimes Gary gets pulled away with work, so Leaf joins him whenever he’s on a research dig. She brings warm coffee and offers insight to what he’s missing and fights back a smile whenever Gary geeks out about his findings (she finds it cute how his eyes light up when he rambles — even though she has no idea what he’s saying).

— Leaf absolutely wears the pants in the relationship, because there’s no way she’s letting Gary dominate their relationship. Gary is not willing to admit he’s whipped for Leaf but he is. And everyone can see it. Gary would ruthlessly make fun of everyone for their girlfriends wearing the pants in the relationship, but it’s the exact same with Leaf. He’ll be stubborn, pout, whine, and complain, but will ultimately do her bidding. Everyone is amused.

— Leaf likes the fact that Gary is smart, and is able to hold an intelligent conversation. Back when they were kids, he would go on these spiels of Pokemon facts and would rub the knowledge in her face. It made him very punchable. Now, Leaf can’t help but be immensely attracted to Gary whenever he goes on rants of his research findings. 

— With Gary, he likes how Leaf can keep up with him. Gary can never really get bored with her like he does with other girls because Leaf keeps him on his toes. Their banter keep him up for days on end, and her flirting makes him wild. Her strength and perseverance makes his heart jump in admiration. She makes him want to be better.

***

— Brock is a little ways behind them, watching with pure annoyance

Tracey

— Tracey met Daisy through Misty when she invited him to the Cerulean Gym, and the first time he saw the eldest Waterflower sister his heart skipped a beat

— He had only heard of Misty’s sisters through her long rants over the phone, so he had a (less than appealing) idea of who they were — even though he had tried his best to remain neutral

— But the first time he saw her, his fingers itched with the urge to sketch as he shook her hand. They didn’t say anything beyond greetings before Misty came in and dragged him away, he found he couldn’t stop thinking about her the whole visit

— He had to go back to Pallet Town eventually, and he finds himself drawing distracted sketches of Daisy when he’s supposed to take notes.

— He can’t help it. Usually when he’s struck with inspiration, he sketches it down instantly. With Daisy he didn’t get the time to do that, so it made sense why he couldn’t get her out of his head

— That’s what he told Gary anyway, when he caught him drawing a sketch of Daisy’s face. Gary merely shakes his head, calls him and idiot, and sends him packing for Cerulean City before he can even blink

— Tracey’s heart is beating unusually fast when he asks Daisy if he can sketch her, and a flattered, surprised, beautiful grin crosses her face (he immediately starts drawing it down)

— They spend a lot of time together, and Tracey finds out he can’t get enough of Daisy. They end up talking about everything under the sun, sharing secrets and sketches with each other.

— Tracey is fascinating and unlike anyone Daisy has ever dated. Daisy is much more that she appears, and Tracey wants to peel back every layer to see her true beauty

— (picture Jack and Rose from the Titanic. They definitely do the draw-me-like-one-of-your-French-girls when they start dating. )

— Tracey feels denser than Ash when he realizes that the feelings he associated with sketching Daisy were actually for Daisy herself.

— Tracey stays around Cerulean City for a while, using the excuse of checking out the water Pokemon and helping with the plumbing so Misty doesn’t get suspicious

— Misty is definitely suspicious of the way Tracey turns red whenever Daisy makes a flirtatious comment, or the way her sister seemed to brighten whenever she heard he was around or coming over

— It took her a while to corner Tracey and demanded answers, but he finally admitted to it. Misty instantly accepts him, but she makes a show of threatening him if he hurts his sister

— (all of her sisters boyfriend’s have to pass the “Misty Test”. Misty refuses to be around douchebags (minus Gary) and to have to deal with her sisters crying after a failed date or broken heart. The Misty Test has scared off multiple suitors, but her older sisters are ultimately grateful despite their complaining of not as much boys around the house because of Misty’s Gyrados)

— Daisy ends up asking him out because Tracey was too much of a coward. She laces their hands together, kisses his cheek, and tells him to pick her up at 5.

— Tracey ends up staying the night

***

— Gary is infinitely smug, and Professor Oak merely shakes his head with amusement

Brock

— Brock has been a sad, sad boy watching all his friends grow up and fall in love — and yet Brock can’t seem to find his special lady! He is a successful Pokemon doctor, a great breeder, a good cook, and shoots the best one-liners, if he does say so himself.

— Brock becomes so desperate he actually goes to the guys for help … and it goes exactly as expected. Ash is clueless, Paul says nothing, Drew is unhelpful, Clemont was shy, Tracy was nervous, Gary was Gary, and Cilan was just overall confusing.

— Then he goes to the girls for advice, and while their insight was helpful to an extent … that was it. He went to Misty, May, and Dawn, listening to their offhanded remarks on who liked Brock back (it was a pathetically short list) while wearing face masks and nail polish.

— Brock was about to resign himself to a lonely, loveless life of a bachelor before he came across an offer.

— Bonnie, satisfied that her brother has found a suitable wife in Serena, offers her help in the matchmaking business — and drags Max along with her.

— Arceus, it pains Brock to take orders from Max’s smug little mouth, but he finds equal petty retaliation by pointing out how easily Bonnie bends Max to her bidding

— It takes a while for them to get in sync with each other — Brock was chasing after every other girl and Bonnie was eager to help by doing the exact same thing. Max was the one with the only brain cell when it came to girls

— The trio bond through terrible rom-com movies for “research” — Brock chose the movies, Bonnie got the snacks, and Max would rather die than admit that he actually liked the dramas

— Between Bonnie’s sweet blue eyes, Brock’s cheesy (but romantic) lines, and Max’s intellect, the trio soon have this matchmaking thing down in the bag

— They find him a perfect match and send Brock in (“— just be yourself, cheesy one-liners come later —”) and it’s a huge success. Brock has swept her off her feet and he can hear Bonnie cheering from outside the Pokemon Center’s window

— Brock is right where he’s meant to be, glowing with happiness.

***

— He isn’t done yet, though. He still has to get Max back for all the ear-pulling he did back in Hoenn.

Warrior Cats Human AU

I am aware that some of these images are racially incorrect for genetics - for example, I pictured Crowfeather and Leafpool as caucasian, but they have Hollyleaf, who is African American and Jayfeather is tan, and Lionblaze has golden hair and eyes. Just for safety, I mean no offense, this was just how I pictured the characters. 

All art isn't mine.

The Prophecy Begins

The New Prophecy

The Power of the Three

Omen of the Stars

Warrior Cats Human Headcannons - Through The Generations

- Bluestar thinks of Fireheart as the son she never got to raise - she would constantly give him advice on warrior and personal life

- When she found out Oakheart died, she locked herself in her room for days and cried. The entire clan was worried and thought she was grieving over Redtail - which she was. It broke her heart when she found out how 2 people she loved died in the same day

- Whenever she would meet with Crookedstar during a Gathring he would quietly whisper how her children were doing. Bluestar could never convey how grateful she was for that. 

- She and Yellowfang would often hang out together - first out of courtesy, then as genuine friends. Bluestar appreciated her scathing honesty

- She and Whitestorm use to pass time by looking over the clan and telling each other who would end up with who. Bluestar could already tell when Graystripe was meeting up with Silverstream - after all, she fell in love with a Riverclan person as well. Whitestorm and her automatically agreed that Sandstorm would fall for Fireheart first, and facepalmed at how oblivious he was. 

- Firestar sometimes has PTSD nightmares about Tigerstar and the only thing that can calm him down is Graystripe

- Fireheart and Graystripe patiently listened to Ravenpaw as he would ramble on and on about Barley when they visited him. They were the ones to help him come out and encouraged him to confess 

- Him and Sandstorm have the Hiccstrid vibe. She is the only one who has the brain cell between him and Graystripe

- When Firestar and Sandstorm got together, Graystripe pulled her aside and tried to give her the “you break his heart and I’ll break your neck” speech. She couldn't hold in her laugh and he was humiliated. Still, she promised to take care of him 

- Firestar cried when Cloudtail and Brightheart got married - so did Couldtail as his future wife walked down the aisle like a beautiful warrior princess. He couldn’t stop himself from telling her how beautiful she was over and over again. When they were pronounced husband and wife the whole Thunderclan was crying. 

- Leafpool and Squirrelflight are twins. Squirrelflight is a daddy’s girl and Leafpool is a mommy’s girl. Sandstorm and Firestar were so proud when Leafpool said she wanted to be a medicine person. Squirrelflight had rolled her eyes while having a gazillion twigs and leaves in her hair

- Squirrelflight was that hyperactive little kid you could never take your eyes off of or else she'd kill herself. Loved giving Firestar heart attacks and gave Sandstorm her first grey hairs. Leafpool was an angel sent from Starclan 

- Squirrelflight was 17 when she ran away to go on the journey. Brambleclaw had just become 19, Tawneypelt was 19, Crowfeather was 17, and Feathertail and Stormfur were 18. 

- All of them have the friendship of the Breakfast Club - you wouldn’t expect it, but they have that bond for life.

- Brambleclaw was Squirrelflight’s first kiss. It was in the heat of the moment where Brambleclaw had nearly died, and it was like fireworks had gone off

- Everyone was heartbroken when Feathertail was killed. Stormfur lost his sister. Crowfeather lost his first love. Tawneypelt, Brambleclaw, and Squirrelflight lost a friend

- Leafpool and Crowfeather began growing close on the journey to the lake. She wanted to get closer to him out of sympathy, he resisted (naturally), but soon he was opening up to her. He would tell her his deepest feelings and she would confess things she hadn't even told her own sister. By the time they reached the lake, Leafpool realized she had feelings for him and Crowfeather was already in denial.

- Squirrelflight had no idea what Leafpool saw in Crowfeather, but they brought out something beautiful in each of them. Feathertail had softened Crowfeather’s heart, but Leafpool opened it. And Leafpool … Squirrelflight didn’t know what Crowfeather did, but she saw something new in her sister that made her heart swell and ache.

- Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw decided they didn’t want to get married. Leafpool had just rejoined the clan after running away, and was considered a disgrace to the clan. Having her sister get married right after was … Squirrelflight didn’t want to go there. Instead, she and Brambleclaw got matching tattoos.

- When Leafpool found out she was pregnant, her whole world came crashing down. The clan was finally starting to trust her again, Firestar and Sandstorm had stopped looking at her with pitying looks, and the clan had stopped looking suspicious when she said she was going to collect herbs.

- Squirrelflight immediately sensed something wrong and got the truth out of Leafpool. She offered to help and told Firestar that they would be gone on a journey because Leafpool had a vision. They both hesitated at the idea of telling Crowfeather, but ultimately went to the Windclan border to see him. Leafpool was heartbroken and Squirrelflight was outraged when they found out that he was with Nightcloud.

- "HOW IN THE NAME OF STARCLAN DID CROWFEATHER GET 3 GIRLS?!" – Squirrelflight

- Jayfeather, Lionblaze, and Hollyleaf are triplets and grow up under the assumption of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw as their parents.

- (You know how the rest goes)

- For a long time Jayfeather refused to have a cane to help him walk because he thought it would make others think he is weak because he is blind. It was only when he found “The Stick!” when he decided that that would be his cane. No exceptions.

- When Jayfeather officially became a medicine person his grandpa Firestar constantly came by to ask him if there were any herbs to cure his wrinkles. He even got Graystripe and the elders in on it to ask him if there are any herbs to cure their oldness. Jayfeather hates them a little more each time.

- Jayfeather learned to swear from Squirrelflight. She would curse, he would repeat it, and Brambleclaw would just be like, “Why?” Jayfeather gets immense joy whenever he makes Hollyleaf swear, she thinks she’s so much better than that.

- When Jayfeather was an apprentice he would be sent to the elder’s den to “think about what he’s done.” Jayfeather would seethe, but he eventually he actually liked being with the elders. He would sit and complain, and the elders would back him up 110%. Firestar regrets everything.

- Before, Jayfeather hated how he was defined by his blindness. Growing up, it made him bitter and desperate to prove himself. Now, he just wants the clan to remember he’s blind. He’s contantly asked if he can check something out, if he can read this writing, ect. The whole clan forgot he’s blind and he’s irritated at their stupidity.

- After Jayfeather got his full name Hollyleaf took the opportunity to gift him the feathers of a blue jay and spent time braiding them into his hair. Hollyleaf also has a holly tied into her ponytail. Lionblaze was feeling left out so they made him a bracelet.

- Lionblaze and Hollyleaf fought like cats and dogs when they were apprentices, and made it the whole clan’s problem. Sandstorm had to break up the fights because she was the only one they listened too.

- As much as they hate to admit it, the three of them feel a connection to Windclan. It happens with all half-clan, where they feel the longing towards one Clan while the other is drawn into the one they’re born in. Hollyleaf always felt this need to run, as fast and hard as she can. Jayfeather likes the open space, the vastness of the land and moor. Lionblaze likes the feeling of wind, how it can be gentle or harsh against his skin.

- Dovewing and Ivypool are twins and the younger cousins of Lionblaze, Hollyleaf, and Jayfeather (idk, maybe 2nd cousins or something). Lionblaze and Dovewing are best friends, Ivypool is Hollyleaf’s favorite cousin, and Jayfeather, well … it’s been 0 days since they last sassed Jayfeather

- They are heartbroken when they find out Hollyleaf is “dead” because they were just about to become apprentices and Hollyleaf promised to be there.

- Dovewing has always had enhanced hearing, so she always assumed that everyone can hear what she did but never talked about it. When she was younger, she would talk about faraway things she’d heard but everyone thought she was just imagining.

- Dovewing doesn’t get overwhelmed by the noises she can hear because she’s had her powers since she was born. She’s learned how to tune it out/in. However, she hates loud noises. They take her by surprise and makes her feel like her eardrums split open.

- When that happens she sometimes goes to Jayfeather to help her out. He has a calming presence and the quiet and gentle brushes of herbs soothe her. He doesn’t say anything and neither does she. There’s no need.

- Part of the reason that Ivypool became so jealous of Dovewing was that all of the sudden her cousins would have secret discussions with Dovewing and exclude her. Hollyleaf would never have done that if she was still alive.

- Ivypool used to have hair past her shoulders, but had it cut in a pixie style after a Dark Forest warrior pulled on it to expose her throat. After the Clans defeated the Dark Forest, she grew it out to her chin as a sign of healing and moving on.

- After they became warriors, Dovewing, Ivypool, Briarlight, and Blossomfall became roommates. After Briarlight’s accident she moved in with Jayfeather, but sometimes she comes in to have a girls night.

- Briarlight and Jayfeather are opposites but compliment each other in the best way. She is bright and happy and he’s calm and collected. Jayfeather is a pessimist and she’s an optimist.

- All of the medicine people from the Clans always ask about Briarlight, she has them wrapped around her finger. They always sneak extra sweets for her whenever they visit Jayfeather

- Briarlight considered it a personal win when she finally got Jayfeather admit that they were friends. Jayfeather was overwhelmed by the swell of happiness that radiated from her the rest of the day.

- They have a saying that they use when no one is around. Whenever one of them is having a bad day, they go and cheer each other up by saying, “I’ll be your legs.” “And I’ll be your eyes.” They help each other and its beautiful.

- Briarlight used to love singing and dancing when she had her legs, so when she lost them she was depressed. After Jayfeather helped her out of it, she began humming and singing again

- The first time Jayfeather heard her sing his head whipped around because it was the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard. And for the first time in forever, Briarlight was happy as she restocked herbs while singing.

- Jayfeather grumbles about the noise but still encourages her to sing because it’ll help clear her lungs. Secretly, he likes hearing her voice. Briarlight knows he likes it.

- Jayfeather has too much pride to actually confess his feelings and Briarlight is afraid to ruin their relationship. Both are so awkward with their feeling but they don’t even realize they act like a couple until Lionblaze or Dovewing points it out. Sometimes when Leafpool watches them she’s reminded of her and Crowfeather

Kidnapped Princess Coliel AU

Seliel is a princess of kingdom, and amongst the glamour and champagne of a party hosted at her palace, she meets a man named Cole that explodes with chemistry and mystery. Everyone said curiosity killed the cat, and by God, is she paying for that mistake. Being hungover is like a dream right now.

Tags: Kidnapping, Swearing, Mentions of Alcoholism, Tension (Hatred and/or Sexual)

Chapter inspired by, Blades That Sing (And Love That Burns), by Chimiiko

When Seliel wakes up, its like her head was full of stars and her mouth was filled with soft, fluffy cottonballs. Her brain was still blanketed by the confines of sleep, and she forces herself to swallow. Water would be nice, but for some reason her body hurt and she can’t really move her arms quite yet — they must still be asleep. 

Seliel wanted to fall back asleep into the comforting darkness behind her eyelids, but for some reason she stayed conscious. 

 Why was she so sore? And why were her arms not moving? Waking up has never felt so exhausting, even on her most strenuous days when she pushed her body to the limit when she trained. 

With a soft groan, Seliel opened her blue eyes, sight going hazy from being shut for so long. Then she stopped. Stiffened. 

Holy fuck. 

She’s been kidnapped. 

Seliel wasn’t in her comfortable room and in her bed. She wasn’t even passed out on a roof with bottles of alcohol and a hangover. 

No, she was in a cell. She was in a goddamn cell, stone-walled with no window in sight. She was strapped to a chair, and her arms were bound to the back of it while her ankles were tied to each leg. 

Her wrists ached from how tight the ropes were laced, and they screamed for help when Seliel tried to give an experimental tug. Whoever locked her up like this had clearly never tied up a human being before. 

Or they just simply didn’t care who she was. 

Memories resurfaced: there was a party, one of the big fancy ones with flutes of champagne and shaking hands with people who you pretended to know. Seliel was bored out of her mind and was looking for a way to escape when she saw him — Cole. 

He had intrigued her, and when they spoke he acted coy, charming, mysterious. Seliel hadn’t minded, she had always liked a good mystery, but there had been a delicious chemistry brewing between them, and Seliel had almost been hoping that her night would end better than she even anticipated. 

But then she had been whisked away, called to shake hands with people she could care less about. Cole was gone when she managed to escape, leaving nothing but a single note of where to find him the next day. 

Seliel violently strained her wrists against the scratchy material tying them behind her back. The pain does nothing to overshadow memories of what happened that next day: breaking out of the palace to find him, spending hours searching for him the next morning, and then — 

Fuck. 

Cole — that fucking asshole, Cole — and hers’ little escapade . She had found him, and then they were kissing, wildly and desperately, as Seliel’s hands traveled up his shirt and Cole pressed her in the wall. Thoughts of Cole’s body, Cole’s lips, leaving a mark against her throat and his quiet whisper of I’m sorry before his arms came crushing down her throat rushed in so fast Seliel felt like she’s gotten whiplash. 

Fuck. Fuck! 

All because she wanted to get laid, she was in this fucked up situation.

Without even realizing it, Seliel’s breathing had gotten ragged. She closed her eyes to try and calm down, but the darkness only made it easier to picture the way Cole had kissed down her neck one second then squeezed the life out of it the next. 

Her blood boiled. No doubt wherever she’s tied up is that jerk’s fault too. Seliel sucks a deep breath, trying to control her breathing into a more regular pace. 

She wouldn’t escape anything if she was panicking. She needed to get a grip or else she would fucking die here — wherever here was, anyway. Control and negotiations weren’t really her strong suit — she preferred to have her fists flying and her temper loose — but she need to play smart seeing as she was at a serious disadvantage here. 

Maybe — 

Her thoughts cut off when the metal door began screaming as it opened. Seliel’s heart stopped; she hated to admit it, but she was scared of what was about to come out of the door.  

She wasn’t ready. 

Shit. 

She should pretend to still be asleep, to see if the person said anything useful, but it’s already too late. Footsteps echoed, then —

“Oh, good. You’re awake.” 

That voice. 

Seliel’s lip curls. Adrenaline swiftly returns to her body as memories and emotions burst under her skin tenfold. 

“Cole.” She spat out the name like it was something vile. As soon as she speaks, the person in question steps into view. Unfortunately, he is still as annoyingly attractive as she recalled — but now that image is splattered with burning rage and hate; even the worried frown on Cole’s face as Seliel nearly tugs her arm out of its socket can’t change that. 

“Seliel, stop, you’re going to hurt yourself.” He steps forward worriedly, but pauses to peer at the ropes threatening to cut into her skin. His eyes grow dark. 

When he speaks again it was almost to himself. “Those idiot guards, I told them to treat you respectfully — ” 

“Why do you care?” Seliel sneered, and the suddenness of the question startles him. Seliel’s struggling made her breathing irregular again, and gulping down so much dry air only succeeded in fanning the fire in her throat. 

“You have —” Seliel coughed. “ — absolutely no right to say anything about me being disrespected.” Every angry emotion she’s ever felt is nothing compared to this; if she wasn’t strapped to a chair right now, Seliel would already have her fists flying. 

Over the past twenty-four hours she’s been betrayed, taken from her home, tied up like a dog, and has felt more powerless and weak than she has in her entire life. How dare Cole just stand there and talk about disrespect when he was the one who struck the first blow and where to hurt?

“You might have forgotten, so I’ll fucking remind you: you were the one who disrespected me first, Cole. You were the one who betrayed me, kidnapped me, tied me down like an animal in the middle of God-knows-where, and you think you have the right to tell people how I should be treated? If you’re the one giving orders here, I should be lucky I haven’t gotten my throat slit!” 

Seliel’s voice had risen into a shriek by the end of her rant, her screaming ringing through the air like a crack of lightning. Cole actually flinches back, stumbling around for a response, an excuse. 

Seliel sees his face and wants to scream and punch. Everything hurts, and her heart aches for reasons she doesn’t want to know, and the pain she feels fuels her anger beyond reason. Seliel’s eyes sting, but she grits her teeth. She’d never forgive herself if she started crying right now. 

“What? Can’t think of anything to say? How about, ‘I’m a lying, spineless coward who likes to takes advantage of people for fun’?” Seliel sneers cruelly.

“Watch your mouth,” Cole snapped. The demand carries the strength of somebody with years of experience in handling power. His own anger visibly flared at the words, and he shoots Seliel a sharpened look. “I have my reasons, and if you’d give me a chance to explain —” 

An incredulous scoff bursts from her mouth, and if Seliel was a smarter person, she would have just shut up and listened to the warning in Cole’s tone. But she wasn’t smart, and she never was good at listening. 

She was hurt and pissed off beyond belief, and she wanted Cole to feel that rage, that infuriating self-loathing that boiled under the skin and made nails dig into palms until they bled. To scream and scream until the throat was raw and realize that no one heard the whole time.

She wanted Cole to feel what she felt, and she would ruin all of her chances of escape just to see that.

“If you seriously think that I’m gonna believe a word you say to me then you’re not half as smart as you think you are.” Seliel spat. Her ferocity manifested itself in the form of words since action isn’t an option. She had a wicked tongue and an even more wicked temper, and if Seliel was going down she was damn sure she was going to drag Cole along with her. 

Cole bristles, and Seliel can feel the tension rising in the stone room. Nothing can escape here, not her or the emotions or Cole’s actions. There is enough intensity to send electricity flying in all directions. 

“I didn’t want to do any of this to you, Seliel, but I had to. I had no choice.” He looks a little desperate when he says that, but with all the emotion clouding the air Seliel can’t tell if it’s actual desperation or just an excuse. 

If it is an excuse, it’s a pretty shitty one. 

“And maybe you should be a little more cautious about meeting strange men in alleyways.” Cole adds defensively, and oh , what a shitty excuse. 

“Oh, fuck you , Cole.” 

“Yeah, well, yesterday it was ‘fuck me, Cole,’ so you better make up your damn mind.” 

Seliel’s jaw hung open. She can see that Cole regrets his words the moment they leave his mouth, but right now, Seliel could give less of a shit about Cole’s feelings. 

“How dare you,” Seliel hissed, and the venom in her tone is enough to make Cole flinch as she lunges forward. “Say that shit to me when I’m not tied up, and you’ll regret the day you were born.” 

“Seliel, please —” 

Cole cut himself off, looking like he wanted to reach out to her and withdraw in himself. His hands are clenched into tight fists at his sides. He looks exhausted, Seliel suddenly realized — he had dark circles under his eyes, and the way he was standing is different than the night of the gala; he’s curled in on himself, almost as if he’s afraid. 

Seliel shouldn’t notice these things, because they were making her anger swell down and leaving her with bone-deep exhaustion, and an ocean of hurt she isn’t ready to dive into. She just wants Cole to leave, to let her stew alone in regret, to wish that he really was just this man that drew her in like a moth to the flame, no ulterior motives. 

But she does, and when Seliel speaks next, it lacks the venom and hatred she was going for and leaves her voice empty and hollow. 

“Just screw off, Cole. Go stab some other naive girl in the back — I think I’ve had my fair share for today, thanks.” 

Cole’s expression splits in several different directions, and for a moment he looks absolutely crushed .  

But then he straightens, looks away from the defeated Seliel, and walks back towards the door. 

The door screams and creaks as it opens and closes, and the heavy clink as the lock sets echoes in her chest. Seliel is pretty sure that’s where her heart is. 

Seliel keeps quiet, making sure Cole is really gone as her own ragged breathing fills the space he was in. 

Then she cries.