Oh, Merlin. It's you. (Ominis x Reader)

The End

Authors Note: Oh my....where do I even start?

First off: happy holidays and happy new year!

Second off: I AM SO SORRY THIS PART TOOK HALF A CENTURY!!!!!! I really cannot say I am sorry enough. The horrible part is that I had a lot of it written back in August, I just kept trying to finish it and I couldn't. I returned to uni for the semester that month and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I took a bunch of hard classes I need to graduate and on top of that, had newfound vigor to start dating again after preaching to you all about never settling. That ended up terribly. Moral of the story: maybe in my general location, palatable blonde men only exist in stories. (also, maybe do not go out with a guy because you think he looks like Ominis. Because there is a good chance he will not act like Ominis.) But that's whatever. I think I also didn't want to finish this last chapter as I didn't want the story to end. This story, and all of you, have seen me through so many life events in the last 8 months, I couldn't believe it'd actually be OVER. But here I am, last day of holiday break, I reread all the old chapters and I feel sentimental. If you got to the end of this, omg, thanks! Sorry for the rant, I'm just emotional thinking about how far we've come :')

Just once again, thank you for everything. Your support, your comments, likes, and reads. It all means the absolute world to me. Even when I wasn't writing, I was thinking about all of you and what it meant. Please don't hesitate to reach out in the future if you ever need anything or just wanna chat! Thanks again <3

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You towel-dried the messy strands of wet, blonde hair as it dripped on the ground beneath you. With each move Ominis made, the creaky wood of the old chair he was sitting on bellowed, either agreeing with your lighthearted banter or groaning from the weight of the visitor. Each time you worked at a new section, a waft of that citrusy pine soap he let you share only minutes before wafted up, and what pain you had left after the hot soak seemed to dissipate.

Although Ominis might have normally prohibited you from doting on him so, he used this free time to pepper you with more questions about your whereabouts last night. Granted they were roundabout ones. The kind he wouldn't break your promise by asking. Yet throughout the whole thing, his voice was full of something...light? You wondered if somewhere, somehow, deep inside, he felt a little lighter after what you did last night. Even if he didn't know of it.

Continuing your efforts, (mostly now just for an excuse to touch his hair) you played along with his curiosity somewhat mindlessly, leaning down every so often to kiss the tops of his cheeks and ears.

He hummed out a noise as you pulled away. "It seems you are impenetrable against this front." He sighed, referring to your frequent detours from his questions. "Though it seems you have come back to me quite smitten."

You walked around to face him. "I'm always quite smitten with you."

The corner of Ominis' lips lifted. You used the rest of the dry space on the towel for your own hair. It was nearly time to get up for classes again. After your shower, the two of you had ventured through the castle to the room of requirement for some peace. Now, you only had an hour or so before breakfast would open in the grand hall.

The wood creaked under Ominis again as he leaned forward. He threw the noise a judgemental stare. "Do you think you could conjure us a sofa perhaps?"

"What does that make me, your wishing stone?" You laughed, though the idea sounded like exactly what you needed.

"Mmm, yes. Conjure me one of those too while you're at it. It would be a downright shame if something were to happen to Professor Sharp before our potions O.W. L..."