#lds fluff

So, you protect him as he falls asleep while the sun rises, beams of light slipping through the cracks of the blinds a little more with every minute. You watch him—with equal parts amusement and equal parts fondness, you watch every morning as he slowly shifts in his sleep. It starts with him inching closer and closer towards you, and ends with his head buried into your chest and his body curled around you like you’re a shield for the cruel light that disturbs him.

You like this routine, though. It’s the perfect chance to admire him, to bring a hand to trace over his relaxed features—the slightly crooked slant of his nose, the sharp angle of his cheekbones, the defined edge of his jawline. And, of course, your favorite part: the soft, plump curves of his lips. He never does anything to indicate he’s awake, either. Nothing to even hint that he feels you, breathing slow and soft puffs of air peacefully nestled against you.

He looks delicate in slumber. Vulnerable. So agonizingly soft and fragile in a way he normally doesn’t look. (Oh, but does he feel soft, you always think. Sylus always feels so inexplicably soft.)

“I would be sleeping,” he finally grumbles, but it’s playful as he shifts to hide his face deeper into your chest while his nose presses against your collarbone. “But someone disrupted my efforts.”

“No, I protect you,” you huff, “with the way you avoid the sun in your sleep, you’d think the vitamin D would poison you.”

“If it was poisonous, then I’d be dead,” he sighs dramatically, cracking a crimson eye open and looking at you like he’s wounded. “You do a terrible job at keeping me shielded.”

“Maybe I’m trying to kill you in your sleep,” you wink, “ever think of that?”

He chuckles, voice low and still laced with the evidence of sleep from the raspiness of it. You smile softly at the sound, pressing a chaste kiss to his head while he moves to bury it into the crook of your neck. There’s something oddly comforting about it—holding him like this. Holding him while he hides into your body, melts against your skin, sinks weight onto you because you take it and he can.

“Go back to sleep,” you murmur sweetly, rubbing a slow, soothing hand up and down his bare back and tracing his spine. “I’ll make sure the sun knows not to bother my big, sleepy, vitamin D deficient baby.”

“I’m not vitamin D deficient,” he huffs.

“So you agree you’re a big, sleepy baby?”

He snores dramatically, pulling a giggle from your lips. A kiss presses to the skin of your neck, and they come from a pair of lips that feel suspiciously curled—like they’re smiling. You wrap your arms around him a little tighter, because close just doesn’t feel close enough when it’s him.

“Let’s hope I wake up without being poisoned,” he hums, half-asleep once more as you trace a finger along the sharp, muscled curves of his back.

You press one more kiss to his head before murmuring, “I’ll see what I can do.”

He lets out a gentle snore again, real this time. He’s sound asleep with his body molded against yours, routine like it is every morning—you protecting him from the sun, and him falling into your arms.

I just want to hold him while he peacefully rests and hide him away from the sun so he can sleep well like he deserves because he’s a BABY

The glimmer of pearlescent purple and blue scales catches your eye, a certain familiar head of purple hair swimming towards you. You gently set down the accessories you'd been adding to your hair upon your vanity, twisting to face him fully.

Raphael comes to a stop, sun kissed hands opening to show you a collection of sea shells in a rainbow of colours. "I got you the prettiest shells in the sea! Do you like them?"

He places them into your hands with a confident smile, completely assured you'd like his present. Glancing to your small collection of trinkets, he wasn't wrong...

"they're gorgeous raph, but why in the world did you bring these for me?" You squint at him suspiciously, your own scaled tail flicking.

He puts his hands on his hips, declaring with all the self assured confidence he displayed when painting, "because that means you like me now, right? I got your favourite things."

You sigh, any flickers of affection being smothered by his usual bratty behavior. "Raph, i think whatever affection i did have just died."

He gasps in faux offense, dramatically placing his hand upon his chest. He swims around you, "but my dear!" He cries, "I simply must be your favorite merperson in the sea!"

He swims towards your couch, falling back onto it with a hand upon his forehead, "i simply couldn't take it if you despised me!"

You swim towards him, flicking his forehead playfully, "raph, that doesn't mean i despise you. Dork."

He frowns at you, all pouts now as he switches his tactics. "Then i must be your favorite, nerd." He tacks on the last word, teasing you back.

You hum, shifting him over to sit with him as you finally cave under his relentless commentary,

"maybe you are my favorite, then."

The look on his face is priceless.

“Is this really necessary?” you grumble, sitting on the floor cross legged in front of him, an empty glass bottle between you two. Not bothered to style your hair or dry it after the shower. “We’re only two, what’s the use of the bottle?”

“Mhm~” he smiles. “Go ahead, pips. Spin it.”

You roll your eyes before grabbing the bottle and spinning it. It points to him. “Truth or dare?” “Hmm…dare.” he grins.

“I dare you…to do ten one-arm push-ups!” He snorts. “You really have the stupidest dares ever.” he props himself into a push up position, one arm behind his back before starting the pushups and doing them with ease. “Couldn’t have come up with something harder?” he sits back down with a smug grin.

“Oh, piss off.” you chuckle. He grabs the bottle and spins it, it points at him again…before he manipulates it with his evol to point at you instead. “You’re cheating!”

“No, I'm making it fun! Can’t have it pointed towards me every single time. Now, pick, my dear pips. Truth or dare?” his eyes glint with something different this time. 

“Dare.” you challenge him with a cheeky grin.

“I dare you…to let me go through your phone.”

“What ?!” “What, why are you surprised?” he feigns innocence, his lips puckering. “I’ve always done that.”

“I know, but…now is different.”

He stares at you, his gaze unwavering. You feel yourself crumbling under his eyes.

“Backing off now, huh? I’ll make it easier for you. Feel free to switch.”

“...I pick truth.” you gulp, you have no idea why you’re feeling nervous all of a sudden. Perhaps the way he looks at you like he’s got you figured out?

“Let’s see…hmm…” he hums a melody, his tone mockingly gentle. “Tell me, pipsqueak. Who is this?”

He pulls up a photo from his phone, it’s a selfie of you and a guy. You feel the air getting knocked out of your lungs. You haven’t done anything wrong, yet his stare is giving you chills.

“H…how did you find this photo?” “Doesn’t really matter, but…I found it on your flash drive. I got it confused with mine.” he is eerily calm…

You sit up straighter, your tone firm. “What are you trying to do, Caleb?” “answer me first then i will gladly answer you.” he snapped quickly.

“He…was a friend. I don’t talk to him anymore.” you reply, your tone quiet than the earlier madness.

“And why is that?” 

“We just…kind of grew apart. That’s all.” he slowly pulled his hand away, lying the phone facedown.

“Is this Xavier, your ex?” you froze, eyes widening. “Or Mike, who led you on then dated your bestfriend? Or maybe it is Zayne who you’ve been in situationship with for six months just for him to ghost you?”

“How do you know all that?!” you yelled, shoving the glass bottle out the way between you two, sitting up on your knees, leaning closer to him with a fiery gaze.

“Did you stalk me or something? You...you already went through my stuff, didn't you? And you even dare to question me?! do you have a knack for interrogating or something, mr colonel?”

“If you want to call this an interrogation, then do. But I must know.” he replied back with a stern voice, frowning as he leaned closer to you…you slowly backed away. “You don’t tell me anything, I asked you over and over, and you give me this vague look, shrug your shoulders or just say ‘i dunno.’ I don’t even believe that you are [name] anymore.” he looks at you with the most desperate eyes you’ve ever seen. You’re trembling with emotions swimming in your eyes, your back pressed against the bedframe as you hesitate between pushing him away completely and reinforcing the walls you’ve put up again or pull him into a tight suffocating hug and never let go. 

“Tell me whatever you wanna tell” he repeated for the hundredth time.

You closed your eyes and sighed heavily, the tears finally started pouring…his hand slowly reaching, cupping the side of your face, his voice dropped into a delicate whisper. 

“And I’ll listen. Like i always did, hm? Isn’t your Caleb a good listener like you always said?”