Rated T and Happy Holidays lovelies!!

also on ao3

Christmas was drawing in, each passing day bringing the big day closer and closer. The streets of Os Alta were beautifully decorated in bright lights and colours, trees of all sorts and kinds peeking through windows, their kaleidoscopic decorations showering the world with light and colour.

And snow had just began to fall.

Alina took in a long breath, savouring the perfection of the season. Everything was in place. The mood, the decorations, the clothing, the food and now… the weather. She would never think it to be actual Christmas without snow. Never.

Still, the warmth of her loft’s fireplace was something she wouldn’t trade for anything else either. So she went inside, carrying in her arms the final groceries she’d need for her cooking and baking.

This year she was going to try out an old cookie recipe she’d found among her orphanage things. Truthfully, Alina didn’t remember when she’d saved that old magazine page, but she was certain little Alina did it in hopes she’d get to bake the beautiful cookies one day. It wasn’t a very unique recipe since she’d seen plenty of variations throughout her years of baking, but it was… well, it was different from the rest. And that was enough.

“Aleksander?” She called once inside the door. The house was silent and she wondered if her husband wasn’t home yet. Or maybe he was just stuck in his office, going through every millimetre of his latest court case. No matter, she shrugged, more space and silence to bake her cookies.

--

Their warm and fresh-off-the-oven scent filled the kitchen and enveloped Alina completely, every pore of her skin taking in the sweet scent of perfection. Luck had been on her side today as the very first batch of cookies had come out just perfect. Her mouth watered at the several cookies cooling off. It was almost just perfect. She still needed to taste said cookies before declaring them perfect, but they were scalding hot at the moment. She had to wait a little more.

And she desperately needed to pee.

--

There was nothing better than finally taking care of that desperate need to pee. Of course, Alina would have been smarter by doing it before getting swamped in cookie batter but she hadn’t really thought of that need until she was near peeing herself in the middle of her lovely kitchen.

“Well, that was close.” She scolded her reflection in the mirror and washed her hands. As she walked back to the kitchen her mouth began watering once more just at the memory of those fresh cookies. She couldn’t wait to finally taste them.

Her stomach sank.

The tray was empty. Six lovely test-cookies gone. Gone! Where…? How…?

A faint and satisfied moan came from Aleksander’s study.

Oh.

Oh.

She was going to kill him. Alina Starkov would go widow before a year had passed since her lovely elopement with Aleksander.

“Aleksander Morozova!” She screamed as she stormed into his study.

Her husband nearly fell of his chair with her sudden entrance, one final cookie falling onto his laptop, crumbs spreading everywhere. Silver eyes searched the room for an invader of some sorts but soon he realised it was just Alina. No army was here to take over the country.

Not a second had passed since his loss of poise before Aleksander was sitting up straight once more, his face cool and emotionless. He raised an eyebrow at Alina and leaned on his elbows, carefully putting the cookie away and out of sight. Alina almost congratulated him on his poor attempt at hiding the evidence of his crime. Almost. Aleksander cocked his head a bit, “Yes, Alina?”

She took a breath.

And fire spewed from her narrowed eyes, “Did you eat the cookies I just baked?” her voice was cold, deadly. Something she’d learned from watching him at court so many times.

Aleksander palled ever so slightly, “I beg your pardon, solnishka?”

She stepped closer and leaned in, placing her hands on both of his thighs, “Did you. Eat the cookies. I just. Baked?” she repeated in a dangerous whisper and squeezed his thighs.

Aleksander swallowed down the moan this position provoked in him, “What cookies?” His voice was strained.

She pressed her lips and leaned even closer, “I can smell them in your breath, Sasha. You better admit it right now or there will be no sex and no kisses for a week.” The threat was real, every word of it. Alina was ready to forfeit any Aleksander related pleasures if it meant her lovely husband would learn to not steal her freshly baked cookies and pretend he hadn’t. He knew better than to steal from her and lie about it. And she knew he couldn’t go a day without her.

“What if I admit this thing you claim I did?” He kept the pretence, his voice less strained, though Alina could still easily hear the tremble in his voice and the way his pants tightened after her words.

She licked her lips, making sure Aleksander saw the movement, “If you admit it, I might reconsider the no-sex deal. If,” She paused and stroked his neck tenderly, “you agree to not eat anything sweet for a week.”

Aleksander almost stopped breathing. Sweets and Alina. Those were his greatest weaknesses and she was making him choose one. A week? His throat bobbed.

Alina loved seeing this side of him that no one, not even his own mother, had ever seen. She also loved making him pay for having no self-control over cookies.

“Anything at all?” He rasped, “What about food that has sugar in it?”

“I’ll decide on a case by case basis.”

“A week without sweets? And we still get to have sex?” His voice broke, raspy and desperate as he was.

She bit her lip and leaned in until their lips were just a breath away, “We might, if you apologise and eat no sweets at all.”

Aleksander leaned in for the kiss, “Then I am sorry, my Alina. I shouldn’t have eaten your cookies. But they smelled delicious, I couldn’t help myself. Your baking skills are absolutely brilliant. Not even my self-control can resist them.”

A victorious smile took over her lips just as his lips were touching hers. In a flash she was up again, cookie in her hand. “Wonderful! Then I’ll go make another batch, which you won’t eat of course, and after I’ve tasted them and had my fun I’ll see if you deserve anything tonight, Aleksander sweetie. Merry Christmas!”

And then, just as fast as she’d stormed in, Alina left the study.

Behind remained Aleksander. Mouth still aching for the kiss, body still aching for her touch, stomach still aching for that final cookie. A moment passed before he cursed himself under his breath and closed his laptop with more force than necessary. He passed his hands through his hair and groaned.

Why the blazes had he been unable to control himself around the cookies? Why couldn’t he have taken just one, or none at all? Now Alina had him under her thumb and he was forced to eat no sweet food for a week.

A week.

Another groan formed in his throat.

Forfeiting sweets was a tremendous sacrifice. Tremendous!

But at least… At least he could still enjoy Alina. If she were kind enough. Perhaps he should go clean the living room and put up those Christmas lights she’d been asking him to take care of. Maybe then he’d fall on her good graces. Hopefully.

AHHH my friend you have come to the right place :’)

here’s a list of books with similarly delicious villains/antagonists/anti-heroes: (but i’m not going to tell you who they are because *spoilers*)

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Entwined by Heather Dixon (deserves a lot more attention)

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Caraval by Stephanie Garber (my latest obsession)

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

books-with-characters-not-quite-as-reminscient-of-the-darkling-but-you-might-still-enjoy-them-as-much-as-i-did? (it’s been a long while since i’ve read some of these tho so i can’t be sure how “good” they are anymore)

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (more nikolai vibes with this one actually)

Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell

Vicious by V. E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab (like,,, all V. E. Schwab books are amazing really)

The Wrath and the Dawn by Reneé Adieh

Fire by Kristin Cashore (i’m not actually sure why with this one but it just feels right to put this on the list… it’s part of the Graceling Trilogy but you don’t have to read the books in a particular order, although Bitterblue is also an incredible book with a wonderful nikolai-ish character, and the full series follows the trouble caused by a single terrifying villain who you’ll probably loathe but he’s written very well.)

film/TV/visual stuff:

The Phantom of the Opera

V for Vendetta

Labyrinth (Leigh’s inspiration for the darkling came from this movie!!)

Crimson Peak (horror/romance… watch out tho, weird vibes)

Hannibal Rising (also horror, if you’re into young cannibals portrayed by french models haha)

the show Once Upon A Time has a lot of villain-romance arcs if you’re patient enough to watch through it

Maleficent 2014 (the disney live-action Sleeping Beauty movie… i just can’t express how much i love her?)

also on ao3

rated soft M for teasings

She couldn’t believe her luck.

But then again, her luck tended to be rotten at the worst of times.

“Interesting costume, Starkov.” His silver eyes shined with unveiled lust as he looked over her body, taking his time where her skin was exposed. Which wasn’t that much, as she had decided for a mysterious and demure take on Persephone. It was a cold Halloween anyway.

“I could say the same about yours… Morozova.” She said through gritted teeth. The bastard was dressed as freakin’ Hades.

Saints. Damned. Hades.

“Such mood. Something wrong?” He said, his voice dropping a notch.

Yes. There was something truly wrong. First of all, Aleksander Morozova was her sworn enemy. Well, maybe not sworn enemy, but he was certainly the only competition she had for best grades in their degree. And that annoyed her beyond limits. That and his never-ending barely veiled innuendos and flirtatious remarks.

So, of course she hated him.

Nothing to do with how at night she had dreamed several times of kissing him.

“Alina?” he insisted, a teasing brow shooting up at her silence. As if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

Right. The second thing about how something was truly wrong was how Aleksander Morozova, her sworn enemy, had shown up to their class Halloween party dressed up as her romantic counterpart.

She sneered, “You’re Hades.”

His smile was all hard edges. And for a moment she yearned to explore all of them. “And you’re my lovely, and equally deadly, Persephone.” He took a step closer and let a hand move along her arm, the touch heating up her skin even through the pale pink fabric. “I’d say it’s fate, Alina.”

She scoffed. Fate. As if. Fate or destiny or whatever would never pair them up. Never. Ever.

Summary: Prohibition Era. Alina goes alone to The Fold, a jazz club that still somehow serves alcohol. When the seductive owner, Aleksander Morozova, sees through her apple juice trick, Alina doesn't have a bone in herself to resist the magnetic pull of his silver eyes and soon she finds herself tangled knee deep in Morozova's arms.

Pairing: Alina/Darkles

One-shot

Rating: Explicit

AO3

Excerpt:

“Enjoying your drink?” A cool voice said.

She prepared her favourite ‘leave me alone’ glare, only to have it wither and die when she took a look at her interruption. A tall man looked her way, his body all lean muscle that looked far too good in his black tailored suit. His hair was pitch black, casually combed back, but it was his eyes that took her breath away without so much of a warning. Calling them grey would be an offense. They were silver, a deep pool of liquid silver that called for her like a siren called for a lost sailor. And Alina found it nearly impossible to not fall into those eyes and just… get lost.

ask and ye shall receive :D

Rated M for seduction games and sneaky hands+fingers

If looks could burn through hundreds of pages, her glare in that momentwould have pierced right through her book and straight into the centre of theearth.

“I actually hate you right now.” She flipped a page, not even botheringwith trying to read, “I’m considering making you my official arch-nemesis.” Shelooked at the letters and words, only mildly registering what they were, “Imight make t-shirts.” A low chuckle met her words, “And badges!” she added witha bite.

A hand crept over her book, closed it and threw it to the edge of thebed before she could even yelp a complaint. Then, that very same hand, that wasasking to be chopped off, settled on her inner thigh and started drawing lazycircles on her skin, goose bumps spreading far and wide.

Hot breath tickled her ear, “My Alina… You can’t possibly mean it…” hisvoice was rough, husky, seductive. He really was trying to pull that move.

“I mean it, Aleksander. I really do!” She said, crossing her arms inanger, trying really hard to ignore the way his fingers moved up and down herskin. Saints damn him and his intoxicating touch.

He placed a hot kiss right where her blood pulsed fast and to herhorror, Alina felt a moan grow in her throat. Oh no, no sir. She would notrelent, not tonight. Nope. No siree. Aleksander’s hand moved up and snakedunder her shirt. He spread his long fingers over her stomach and movedpainstakingly slow, circling her waist until he could scoop her onto his lap. Avery angry and steaming Alina grumbled as he settled her.

“Alina… Are you really that mad at me?” His tone was humorous. He didn’tbelieve her! The bastard!

She kept her eyes away from him and spat, “Of course I am! You made meleave a perfectly good party with promises of entertainment good enough to makeup for the early leave and the second we get home! The very second!! You kissme once and go straight to your office, suddenly remembering you had a,” shemade air quotes for each of her following words, “‘paper’ to ‘finish’ ‘writing’‘right’ ‘now’”. Oh, how mad she was! He’d teased her with his dangerous hands,he’d whisked her to a dark corner and kissed her till her toes curled insideher shoes and during the ride home he’d left a hand on her thigh at all times!

The way his eyes crinkled with wicked mischief made her seriously ponderskipping over all the steps she’d said earlier and just straight up murder herhusband. He was laughing at her! The nerve!

Aleksander leaned in for a kiss, but she quickly looked away, ending upwith his lips smacked on her messy hair. His displeased groan was like musicfor her ears. Take that, you idiot!

“Alina…” He mumbled against her hair, hands already doing the work hislips could not, “I swear I forgot about that paper. I had all intentions oftaking you all for me the second we walked through the door. I had plans thatinvolved the hall wall and the dining table.”

She shut her eyes as a hand snaked under her pyjama shorts. Hall wall?Dining table? Oh, that sounded so interesting… But…

Snapping her eyes open, she smacked his hand away and shot him a glarethat would have cut him in half if it were made of laser. “Don’t think you canweasel your way into my pants by getting me worked up over the things we didNOT do.” She batted that hand away again, “I had to go take a shower to takesome steam off! I had to read when all I wanted to do was…” she blushed hardwhen Aleksander’s victorious smile showed up, “The point is that you got me allworked up and then left me hanging for over an hour! You’ll need a lot morethan a well-placed kiss and a sneaky hand to win that mood back.”

Aleksander leaned in, “What if I promise to make you scream so much you’llbe hoarse tomorrow.”

She arched a brow, “Hoarse?”

He nodded, those silver eyes flashing with hundreds of ideas, “The wholeday through…”

Hoarse and the whole day through? That was… Well, she knew exactly thekind of things Aleksander would do to get her like that. They were… Better thanhis initial plan, much, much better.

When his hand snaked under her shorts again, Alina didn’t stop it. Shehummed and arched her back in answer to his touch, “I guess… You can try.” Adare, yes, but Aleksander loved those. If anything, it made him work evenharder. A finger curled inside her and she knew it. She knew Aleksander woulddo his best to have her near mute and weak in the legs the next day.

Thank the saints tomorrow was Sunday.