#hugfest

If you want to understand why people are calling SweetDream the standout AI girlfriend platform, the most honest thing to do is watch someone use the video call feature. The platform, at sweetdream.ai, offers live video with select characters, and the experience is calmer and more convincing than the hype around AI companionship usually suggests.

What you notice is that the video isn't trying to dazzle you. It's trying to feel ordinary, in the good sense, the way a call with someone you know feels ordinary. That works because of the groundwork. SweetDream's character creation is deep enough that your AI companion has a coherent personality and voice before you ever see her face. The chat remembers context. The voice calls sound human. By the time video enters the picture, the relationship already exists.

For the Ace Omens Discord Server’s Hugfest 2024. This prompt is ‘Wet hug’. This can also be found on AO3 here

‘Don’t squirm!’

‘I don’t squirm!’

‘You do! You’re doing it right now!’ 

‘I am not!’

‘Stop moving!’

With a final, extreme, effort, Aziraphale manages to pull the wriggling, squirming bag fully onto the shore. He pulls at the rope tying off the top of it, getting it undone and pulling his hand back as fast as he can.

Crowley’s strike just misses his hand.

‘Now really,’ Aziraphale says, as Crowley gives him a sheepish look. Well, as much of a sheepish look as a snake’s face is able to give. ‘What was that for?’

‘I’m cold, I’m wet, I’m sore and you were moving,’ Crowley grumbles, slinking out of the bag. Aziraphale hides his grimace at the sight of the burns along his body - damn whatever priest blessed the bag before stuffing Crowley into it.

Aziraphale holds out a long coat, freshly miracled. Crowley gives the black fabric a longing look but shakes his head and coils up.

Ah. Of course.

Aziraphale puts a hand on his chest and after a long moment, Crowley nods. With gentle hands, Aziraphale picks Crowley up and slips him into the space between his body and his shirt.

Crowley is freezing, his scales like ice but Aziraphale doesn’t make a sound, even when the very wet Crowley wraps his coils around every inch of Aziraphale’s skin. He pokes his head out of Aziraphale’s shirt, just under Aziraphale’s head.

Dropping his chin, Aziraphale lets his head rest atop Crowley’s for a long moment. He brings one arm up for a moment, clutching at his chest in a way that puts pressure on Crowley - like a hug would, if they did such things.

This isn’t a hug though. Not at all.

It’s just… lending a hand when needed.

‘Did you finish your temptation before your dip?’ Aziraphale asks as he starts walking towards the nearest, non-snake murdering village.

‘Yes, thank Sssssomeone. I’m not going back there until after Kingdom come.’

Voldemort looked over at the man lounging on his couch. The man who just would not leave. Hug him? Disgusting. 

However...it might put him off just enough to send him packing. 

"When was the last time you were truly happy?"

For the Ace Omens Discord Server’s Hugfest 2024. Today’s prompt was ‘Accidental hug’. This can also be found on AO3 here

‘You know angel, most people put the pointy end in the other person. Not themselves.’

Aziraphale can’t help beaming when he looks up at the voice. ‘Crowley!’ he calls, gesturing to the bed beside him. ‘Crowley!’

The demon rolls his eyes behind his glasses and takes the offered seat. ‘You’re on the good stuff then?’

‘They wouldn’t let me skip it,’ Aziraphale complains. ‘Poured a whole bottle of some foul liquor down my throat. And now I can’t sober up because then it’ll hurt and they’ll give it to me again.’

Crowley huffs a laugh before snapping his fingers. The tent freezes around them.

Or the people of the tent? Tent people? People.

‘You’re on the really good alcohol,’ Crowley says, raising an eyebrow. ‘Come on then, I’m here to spring you from the glorious care of whatever poncy git you stabbed yourself to avoid stabbing.’

‘I did mean to stab him,’ Aziraphale says earnestly, as Crowley helps him up from the bed. ‘But he was only duelling because-’

Crowley cuts him off. ‘You stabbed yourself because you felt sorry for him?’

Aziraphale thinks this through for a moment. ‘No,’ he says finally. ‘I stabbed myself because I missed.’ 

He hopes he doesn’t sound as pleased as he feels about that.

Crowley shifts his grip on Aziraphale’s side. ‘You missed?’ 

‘I missed!’ 

Okay, that might have been too gleeful.

For a moment Crowley is silent. Then he begins to laugh. ‘You missed,’ he repeats. ‘You!’

‘Missed!’ Aziraphale agrees. ‘I’m not much of a swordsman anymore,’ he adds.

Crowley’s grip tightens for a moment, before he takes in a deep breath. ‘No, you’re not.’ He sighs and tries to adjust his grip at the same time Aziraphale tries to take a step forward.

‘Oop!’ Aziraphale says as Crowley loses his grip on him and he starts to fall sideways. This was not the right way to move.

‘Fuck,’ Crowley curses and then something - someone! - catches Aziraphale in a hug, stopping him from hitting the ground.

He looks up at Crowley and grins. ‘A hug!’ he says and leans into it. ‘Nice hug.’

‘Accidental hug,’ Crowley grumbles as he hauls Aziraphale back into an upright position. ‘Come on, let’s get you somewhere I can sober you up and we’ll get you healed.’

‘And drunk again,’ Aziraphale says. ‘It’s much more fun with you.’

Crowley goes a lovely shade of red at that and moves, so he’s not hugging Aziraphale anymore. Pity, Aziraphale was rather enjoying that. 

More hugs, he thinks as Crowley leads him away. Next time they’re drunk, more hugs. 

For the Ace Omens Discord Server’s Hugfest 2024. Today’s prompt is ‘Sleepy hug’. This can also be found on AO3 here

‘Oh, it’s getting late.’

Crowley barely glances at his watch before he’s looking back at the television and trying not to swear. The scorpion in front of his character waves its tail threateningly and he freezes. 

‘Are you going to sleep tonight?’ Aziraphale asks, his tone a little more pointed than it had been a moment before.

Yes!

Putting down his controller, now the little bastard is captured, Crowley looks over at Aziraphale. ‘Think so,’ he says lightly. ‘I just wanted to finish a couple of things in this first before I do.’

Aziraphale gives the screen a sideways look. ‘Ah.’

Crowley picks his controller up again. ‘You can go upstairs and read,’ he says with a laugh. ‘I’ll join you in bed in a second.’

That gets Aziraphale to smile, leaning in to kiss Crowley’s cheek. ‘I’ll see you up there,’ he whispers and goes.

Ignoring the heat in his cheeks, Crowley goes to see if there’s another bastard of a bug hiding on his island before he turns in.

*

‘And done,’ Crowley whispers as he finishes reorganising his room. He glances at the corner of the screen and freezes.

‘Shit!’ he curses. Aziraphale went upstairs four hours ago. 

Scrambling, Crowley saves his game, waving a hand to turn the television off as soon as it dings to say it’s done. He stumbles up the stairs, limbs suddenly far more drained than they usually are when he makes his way up here.

The light is off in their bedroom.

The light is off in their bedroom.

Crowley snaps himself into his sleep clothes and creeps through the ajar door. In the middle of the bed, lt by the moonlight from their window, Aziraphale is lying down.

Correction, Aziraphale is sleeping.

Slowly, Crowley crawls up his side of the bed, trying to fit around the angel so as not to disturb him.

It doesn’t work.

‘Crowley?’ Aziraphale mutters, his eyes flickering open. He shifts over a bit, so Crowley is actually on the bed instead of hanging off the side of it. ‘You’re here?’

‘I’m here,’ Crowley whispers, slipping his arm under Aziraphale’s body and plastering himself along Aziraphale’s side. The angel slips his own arm around Crowley, pulling him in closer.

‘Too cold without you,’ Aziraphale says sleepily, tucking his head into Crowley’s chest.

Crowley kisses the top of Aziraphale’s head. ‘Well I’m here now,’ he says, ‘and I’ll keep you warm.’

‘Didn’t mean to sleep,’ Aziraphale says, already halfway back to sleep. ‘Got bored alone.’

‘I’m sorry.’

Aziraphale’s free hand pats at Crowley in a gesture that might’ve been a playful smack if Aziraphale was awake enough to manage any sort of force. ‘No apologies for mistakes. Rule.’

Crowley kisses the top of Aziraphale’s head again, an unspoken apology. ‘True my angel,’ he whispers. ‘Now sleep.’