local lad fights poachers

"Last week Maeko told me that I wasn't as pretty as her little blonde wolfgirl, which really felt like an attack out of left field since we were just having a cup of coffee and not even talking about her."

You know, I think love is a strange thing for humans. Humans have a tendency to think of just romantic love as the most important thing in their lives. Humans focus so deeply on the idea of being in love that they forget that so many other types of love fill the mosaic of your heart. Romantic love is fine, it's nice. But I don't know if I find it as rewarding or kind as deep platonic love or the love I have for my family. I don't know if I need romance to complete me in the way others do... I'd like it, but I'm not sure if I 'need' to be in love. I'd be much more interested in having someone who can stand beside me, who can raise a family with me, who can accept the things we can't change about the other and build. I'd rather build and grow with one person forever than try and stay in love forever.

(I have been saving this for a rainy day & today it is POURING)

Justin + Mae #4 - forehead kiss

Justin was tired, the type of ache that sunk deep within his muscles and into his bones, where his joints were creaking with every step, skin pulled too tight over the remnants of his body. Normally Ranger Missions were fun, enjoyable rushes of adrenaline with his friends.

Normal Missions didn’t result in a dead Ranger but today it did, and instead of staying back with the squad, drinking in their memory he wanted just one thing - no. Justin needed one thing. To be home. So with a round of hugs and a gentle touch along the forehead of the fallen Justin took a series of portkeys home, their allies among the governments greasing the wheels of jurisdiction to drop him off in Diagon Alley. 

Exiting the Leaky Caldron the sun beat down on him, a stark contrast to the humid jungle he’d just left, instead of the howling monkeys and the squawks of birds he was faced with children and laughing adults. The press of their arms against him, their bodies brushing against his - wrongwrongwrong. It pounded into his head with every instant of skin on his, too many human voices ringing in his ears, the shrill sound of industrialization clanging around him.

He surged through the crowd, keeping his elbows in and teeth ground down. He couldn’t very well push children and women from his path, so like the bull Justin plowed through, shoulders in a tight thick line, veins on his neck standing as every cobblestone threatened to trip him.

He passed the emporium, one of the many attendants waving at him for the doorway, beckoning him. They knew he left the country often, were used to him stomping in with his rucksack and trinkets, most of them excited to have been brought a gift or even a story from his adventures beyond this freezing rock Justin created a life upon. But the Slytherin’s eyes smoothed over their form, not noticing how nervous they looked, nor the way they flinched from his dark eyes.

The entry to Knockturn Alley was the same it’d always been, two Aurors posted up for an extended ‘lunch’, not even pretending they were guarding the entry. Roland Sidewinder was grinning at him, an insipid constipated look.

“Animal Boy,” Dios he needed to break this boys teeth one of these days, “password?”

“Fuck you.”

Roland laughed, swinging his wand a bit, a short thing likely similar to his cock if Justin took a chance at guessing, “Well that’s not very nice, besides I don’t fuck men--”

“Not that we’d give you the time of day,” Justin hissed, shouldering forward until their chests were a hairsbreadth away, “why don’t you back up then or I’ll take you down a fucking peg or two.” His veins were popping up along his forearms, knuckles whitening under the pressure of his strength, 

“Threatening an Auror, an officer of the law - tsk tsk tsk Grant, I thought you were smarter than that. But hey, I’ll let it slide if you land me a date with your pretty bestie,” Roland leaned into him, the fabrics of their shirts touching, his breath minty fresh and burning Justin’s eyes, “but maybe it’ll end up being more than a date. I’ve heard Knockturn Alley girls are easy, I bet most of your shitty friends have had her but damn if she wouldn’ be a good fuck--” 

Roland’s voice cut off with a strange and Justin slammed him into the wall, his black peacoat, dropping his rucksack to the ground. 

“If you think I would let your tiny prink within spitting range of my girl then you’ve another thing coming you cretin,” Justin, tugged him closer, their chests colliding while the Auror Captain took on a sheen of panic. His hands scrambling for Justin’s wrist, though they were the same height Justin loomed.

“This is assault fucker--”

“Roland if one more word comes out of your mouth I’m going to spread your teeth all over this goddamn--”

“Justin?”

Both men turned, their cheeks smashing together and they hopped away from each other as if it burned. Maeko was standing there, hair a glorious mess of curls with a grocery bag hanging from the tips of her fingers. Roland straightened out his jacket, messing with his already artfully charmed hair - the prick. While Justin’s chest was heaving, blood boiling over, the flush on his cheeks reaching down his neck and arms covering him in splotching anger.

“I thought you weren’t going to be home for a few days?” her eyes slid over Roland, studying Justin’s tense figure, his breathing coming out in sharp pants.

“I needed to come home.” he strode forward, knocking into Roland with his shoulder, Maeko stood like the mirage of an oasis and Justin wrapped her up tight. He needed to make sure she was real. 

Pulling her face into his chest, cradling the back of her neck with his hands just a few hours ago slicked with blood and morning Amazon dew. Burying his nose into Maeko’s curls he took a long deep breath, inhaling her comforting scent. He could hear Roland huffing then wandering away, until it was just them, alone at the entry to Knockturn Alley, it’s perpetual shadows casting a blanket of protection around their tangled forms.

“You okay?” her nails scratched along the thin cotton of his polo, circling beneath his shoulder blade, skimming the length of his ribs.

“I’m home.” he managed to get out, feeling suddenly childish for how his throat crackled with unshed tears. 

Maeko pulled back, fingers reaching up to muss his sweaty curls, “Did you get sick or something?” Justin shook his head, tilting it forward to receive more of her ministrations, refocusing on the pale planes of her cheeks and the arch of her brow, sucking in her willow limbs and hips. Dragging his hands from the curve of her neck and jaw they settled around her hips, tucking his thumbs into the curve of her belly. 

Maeko smiled up at him, then leaned forward and pressed a butterfly soft kiss to his forehead, her lips lingering, her hot breath scented with coffee and croissants. Pulling away she tugged on his waistband, “Lets get you home yeah?”

No, Justin needed a break. So he fireproofed the house with haphazard Charms, a class he barely passed, then walked to Maekos. Only to find it empty - fine no matter. Justin had other friends.

Which was why he was sitting, eating an ice-cream cone and conversing with a crow who seemed intent to tell him about the shiniest penny he picked up the other day. Deep into the conversation only he could hear, Justin hardly noticed someone sitting beside him. He offered a smile, and wave, “Hullo, nice day right?” 

You'd think after a long childhood spent traveling the world I'd have many mementos, places I've been, things I've seen. I've been to every continent on the planet before I'd ever stepped foot in Hogwarts. It's not a brag, simply stating a fact of my life, I'm well traveled so my chest ought to be filled with trinkets.

The problem with living your life on the road is that things are left along the way. Clothing left in laundromats in Manhattan, teddy bears in snowdrifts in Russia, classwork in Istanbul or Constantinople. My entire life has been a grocery list of things forgotten, left, or lost on the roads meandering through country after country.

But the one thing I've wished I'd never lost was a locket, a simple thing really, the smallest of gifts from a singer that used to grace our stage. The Songbird of the Circus, she was an ancient woman, well into her 150's but her voice was clearer than a night sky in July, brighter than the noonday sun. I could listen to her sing for hours on end, so the day she'd finally retired I cried. I was already nine, my father was so upset with me for crying, talking about how men shouldn't cry, to buck up. But the Songbird gave me a locket, when opened it was charmed to sing my favorite tune right back to me, her voice climbing higher and higher into the air. I wore it for years and years, all the way through Hogwarts. Then I ran a mission with Dimitri, an attack on a mermish settlement off the coast of Norway, I'd managed to get it swept up with the tides, drawn out into the waves and into the ocean in the middle of the damn fight.

I wish I'd left it at home, but like Dad said, men don't cry over sentimental things.

The smoothness of the line took Dylan so by surprise that all she managed was to blink at the man. It was almost sickening that it was working. Shouldn’t she be immune to a handsome face by now? Dylan accepted the nipple clamp with a cocked eyebrow, putting it in her pocket. “Wait, don’t tell me, you’re a lumberjack?” Banter was easy and especially so with strangers. It came in handy in both her lines of work, she had learned, nothing puts wild trolls at ease as much as some witty banter. Accepting the offered hand she stood up again, her shoes protested loudly beneath her. “Manners?” Dylan scoffed out a laugh. “My dude, my man—I work at a sex club.” She deadpanned, her voice a little louder at the end of the sentence. Totally not on purpose. She shrugged. “Respect? Completely necessary. Manners less so.” After collecting the last of her things Dylan took a step closer to the man and leaned just barely into his personal space, enough to smell him. “But, if you’re still offering I will take you up on that coffee.” And with that, she turned on her ruined heel and walked towards the coffee shop she had just exited minutes ago, confident he’d follow.

.

Justin grinned as he released her hand, once she was steady on the pavement. “Oh I’m only a lumbarjack only part of the time, when I’ve gotta build an enclosure. I’m afraid you’ll find that my line of work isn’t so back-braking as that. I breed, rear and train magical creatures. Sometimes for a circus which is where the back-breaking work really comes in,” The ex-Slytherin held still as the woman sniffed at him, looking him over with eyes that reminded him of a predator, and himself the prey. A rarity. But not one that was unwelcome, especially from someone with her looks. He’d probably duel someone if she asked him to. So he held still and watched her walk away then sweeping up behind her opening the door with a flourish holding his hand out to held her over the threshold. “Respect and manners, I’m afraid, were quite literally beaten into me. Between you and me,” he leaned his head down, knowing perfectly well how most women reacted to his stubble and strong jawline, especially up close and person, “I’m still afraid of my Mami smacking me with a wooden spoon should I not keep myself in polite standing, sex club worker or his Minister’s sister. Nevermind that she is somewhere in India last I heard, she has a sixth sense for me when I’ve decided to be a bad lad.” He still remembered getting uncanny Howlers from his Mum before the Headmistress could even notify her about her son sleeping in Hippogriff paddocks or getting caught doing something ridiculous with Mae. “Now, what sorta coffee would you like? My treat. I’m a bit of a fiend for a nice cup, and a good assortment of beans, but that’s just coffee snobbery. I’m plain worse about chocolate. If it’s not made from real cocoa then it’s disgusting.”

I'm coming over, someone is getting a hug.

Who doesn't.

Maeko gave a snort in response and sipped her own pint. “If he was, that’d be a fuckin’ first…” Normally, Oz was the opposite of a don’t-kiss-and-tell type; normally he was a kiss-and-won’t-shut-the-hell-up-about-it type. So this was unusual behavior, to say the least. 

And, as a rule, Maeko was violently allergic to catching feelings. But if it was Paxton? Well, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe.

She whistled low as Justin sunk his shot, and then her mouth fell open in a laugh of delight. “I’m sorry—you’re telling me that precious pup thanked you for giving him a dicking?” Maeko shook her head as she pondered it, hating to admit she was kind of impressed. Only Justin could have pulled that kind of thing off, and Maeko absolutely loved him for it.

She hopped over to take back the cue, and then had to fight back a light flush in her cheeks that Justin had noticed some of the Hawkins cousins flirting with her. Maeko still didn’t know what to do with multiple, unbelievably gorgeous werewolves vying for her attention at the same time, or if it was all just some big joke. So as a deflection, she turned to Justin and made her eyes exaggeratedly lustful, leaning into Justin’s space and putting her hand on his cheek. “Aw, but Mr. Grant, you know that I like to have you all to myself during our forest shags…” Maeko purred, teasing. And then she shoved him hard in the chest with her other hand, laughing as she said, “…and it was not the whole pack, you muppet! It was like—three, maybe four wolves at the most…”

.

“Who knows maybe your equally chaotic half is settling down,” Justin hummed a little, the idea was laughably, neither Oz nor Mae ever had any inclination towards it, or Justin would’ve heard. “Ozzie all grown up ‘nd in a cute relationship, say it ain’t so, they grow up so fast.”

Justin always felt a bit better, looser with Mae at his side, it was easier to breath and as such joke around. “Made him say please too,” the sounds of Jeremy moaning in the alleyway was enough to make him throb a little under his tight khakis. He’d have to pay the Bakery a visit, see if it was still sweet as before. “Precious pup indeed, shoulda heard him, like listening to sunshine in his moans. He was right beggin’ for it, was a beautiful sight,” Justin grinned, smarmy and sure of himself, “of course I should stop talking sex without asking him. Though I’m sure you’d wanna know all the dirty details you fucking brat,” he swatted at her with a grin. 

Really loves my family that is for sure, not sure I hate anyone per se but I’m not the biggest fan of poachers, obviously. I can’t live without Maeko seeing as how I’m in her house every two days bothering her and Ozzie. She’s my girl, the best person I know, I’d be pretty lost without her if I’m going to be honest.

This is going to sound bonkers but cotton candy, when I see it or smell it, damn sends me right back to home. Sometimes hearing a crowd cheer will do it, or the sound of metal poles propping up. Everything reminds me of the circus, at least a little bit.

...idk somehow we lost the read more cause tumblr is dumb I’m sorry.

Justin couldn’t help the dark huff that escaped his chest as he finally pressed himself in in in. Still a little too tight, Justin swept his wand and muttered the lubing charm again, it wasn’t unfamiliar territory he’d gotten as many compliments as fearful looks when he’d decided to go in. He knew better than to go in raw, and his goal wasn’t to hurt Jeremy. Unless he asked for it.