#{these are outfits they’d typically wear back on their home planet :)}

[mors-pulchritudo]

The only opinions he actually cares about is his sister’s and his mom’s. He will actually purposefully not listen to you and plug his ears with his fingers if you try to give him your opinion on something he did and he doesn’t like it. He’s petty but it’s funny 😭

Taglist : @cursed-interdimensional-freaks @tick-tock-goestheclock

[annisthree]

Chapter V: The two sisters

previous chapter // series masterlist // next chapter

Pairing: Cassian Andor x Original Female Character

Word Count: ~5k

Warnings: Explicit language, canon typical violence, mentions of death, mentions of violence, mentions of homicide, mutual pining, alcohol, jealousy, spoilers for Andor episode 1

Chapter summary: Cassian and Marla begin an undercover mission to help the rebels liberate their home planet.

A/N: Cross-posted on AO3 (same username)

A/N:

Sorry it took a bit longer; I had a bit of an existential crisis yesterday and needed to sleep on it.

I guess there are minor spoilers to the first episode of the new series, although, to be honest, this had been part of my headcanon for years.

*

'Well, I'll be damned. How come pilots don't get such fancy outfits?'

It's been a couple of days since they agreed on the plan to have Marla and Cassian infiltrate the governor's close circles by posing as his sister-in-law and her entourage. In the meantime, they were delivered some supplies from the governor's wife: a datapad full of information on their family and a crate full of clothes and accessories to help make Marla look the part. While waiting for the day Ethre's "sister" was scheduled to arrive, they spent most of their time with the insurgent group they'd met last week; the Rebellion supplied some guns and equipment, but now someone had to make sure that a group of farmers and working-class townsfolk knew how to point a blaster. Luckily, they were eager to learn, and most were already physically fit enough to handle military training.

'Come on, Marla, we need to leave for the city soon. And we still need to rehearse your... oh.'

Marla never really got to dress  nicely . There was no reason for her to do that, and there weren't exactly too many formal galas on Yavin IV. And so, when she opened the crate of clothes she received from Ethre, she had to work really hard to hide her absolute, unlimited awe. All the beautiful materials she couldn't even name, all the colours, shapes... it was just so different from what she was used to. She didn't want to look too eager, not wanting the rest of her crew to think she had suddenly gone soft, but inside she was squealing like a little girl who had just gotten into her mom's wardrobe.

She picked out a long, grey dress that had sleeves and a reasonable neckline, which - she hoped - would shield her from the cold (some of the other things she was given were ridiculously short or had a cleavage that barely covered anything - they looked amazing, of course, but she was not ready to freeze for the sake of looking good). The only problem with the dress was that it was tight. Uncomfortably, intimidatingly tight. Marla was never particularly self-conscious, but she would be lying if she said she was feeling completely confident in such a form-fitting garment.

'Is it this bad?' she asked, discouraged by Cassian's silent stare, suddenly wanting to get back into her baggy Rebellion uniform.

'No, it's- it's okay, I guess. I don't know. Although you could do something with the hair, you know?' he muttered, his voice suddenly cold and flat.

'Hey. Rude.'

'No, seriously. Did you see any of the holos Ethre attached? They don't wear their hair down like this; it's too... common. You have to pay attention if you want this to work.'

'Who cares,' Marla began getting frustrated with the sudden wave of criticism.

Cassian sighed, 'I do. And you should, too, if you want this to go well. The devil's in the details,' Marla rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. 'Okay. Come here.'

She froze, processing his words, 'Excuse me?'

'Come here. Sit down.'

All of Marla's bad mood suddenly vanished, replaced by a mixture of disbelief and amusement, 'You cannot be serious. Tell me you're not serious,' she blurted out, trying desperately to stifle a laugh.

Cassian's expression was still stone cold as he motioned towards the pilot's seat.

'I can't fucking believe this. Cassian Andor is gonna be doing my hair. Why did everyone have to go somewhere? This is gonna be a fucking sight.'

She eagerly sat down in the pilot chair and turned away from him. Soon, she felt his fingers run through the length of her hair, splitting it into a couple of sections. His hands were surprisingly warm and gentle. Both of them fell quiet, the silence on the ship interrupted only by the faint humming of the heating system.

'How do you even know how to do this?' she finally asked. Cassian just mumbled something unintelligible, so she decided to suspend the interrogation.

Instead, she sat back in the chair and closed her eyes, taking in the pleasant sensation of his hands running through her hair. At one point, he accidentally brushed the tip of his fingers against her earlobe, and a sudden bolt of electricity ran through her body. She couldn't see him, but she felt his closeness, she heard his steady breath, and Maker, that was a lot for her to process. As much as she hated to admit it, this whole situation was doing something funny to her, as evidenced by the gentle tremble of her hands and a stupid, inexplicable warmth spreading in her chest.

'I grew up taking care of my sister,' he murmured from behind her, answering the question she had long forgotten.

In all the years she'd known him, he never mentioned anything about his family, and she was never one to pry. It felt somehow wrong to hear him talk about it. Wrong, but also special, like she was entrusted with a big secret. She decided not to react, afraid to say something inappropriate.

'Okay, that's as good as it's gonna get. I haven't done this in years.'

Cassian turned the chair around to inspect his work from another angle. He leaned forward, carefully studying her hair and then briefly shifting his attention to her face. She quickly looked down, suddenly feeling small and exposed.

It felt like ages before he straightened up and stepped away from the chair.

'Okay. Get ready. We need to get going.'

'Yeah. Right. Thanks,' she mumbled, realising she had forgotten entirely about why she was there. She closed her eyes again and took a long, deep breath before standing up and following Cassian to the exit.

*

'Let's go over this again. Name, age, date of birth, place of birth.'

Marla groaned loudly. On their way to the spaceport, Cassian was determined to ensure she remembered all the details about her cover, and so he spent every second of the journey asking the same questions over and over again.

'You really don't trust me with this, do you?'

'I really don't. Name, age, date of birth, place of birth.'

She sighed with resignation, 'Ioan Shan. Twenty-nine. 12 BFE. Scehpira.'

'Good. Parents' names?'

'Lumina and Emer. I'm not going through this all over again, Cassian. I'm done.'

'Not Cassian. Bespo.'

'Whatever. I hate this.'

'I thought you'd love the opportunity to boss me around.'

'I can do that anytime,  Captain .'

'Yeah. I know,' he murmured, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

The spaceport was large and busy, mostly due to the numerous trading ships going in and out. Marla assumed the increased traffic was one of the  benefits of the Imperial presence  that the governor advertised.

Among the crowd, the merchants were clearly distinguishable from the locals; their clothes richer and more colourful, their eyes filled with pride and - sometimes - disdain. All around them, workers were hurrying between ships and carrying different types and sizes of cargo. There was also a fair number of children, with dirty hands, holes in their clothes and outstretched hands, running from one rich-looking merchant to another.

Marla had never really experienced poverty, at least not to the extent that these people did. Sure, her parents weren't exactly filthy rich, and money became a bit tight when her father died - but they always had just enough to get by. And then, after she'd joined the Academy, she didn't even have to think about getting food or clothing; everything was provided. It was bland and boring and standardised, but it was also a given, which - as she later realised - was a fantastic luxury. After the fall of the Republic, she did struggle for a bit - being on the run didn't exactly provide her with a steady stream of income. But then again - as soon as you have proven yourself to be an enemy of the Empire, there was always someone who would quietly take you in, give you some food and a roof to sleep under. And what she didn't get this way, she was able to buy with the money she occasionally earned as a hired gun - taking jobs that targeted Imperial officials or facilities, making use of her training and ever-growing anger.

Therefore, the poverty she saw on Scen wasn't something she knew from experience, but even she understood it was wrong, so fucking wrong. To have the Imperial bootlickers flaunt their wealth so ostentatiously and cruelly while most of Scen's population couldn't even afford proper clothing to shield them from the cold. She felt sick to the stomach just looking at the colourful fabrics, at the abundance of fur and jewellery, at the looks of superiority and disgust.

'Here we are. That's our ship. Remember, from now on, you're Ioan Shan. You're royalty. Act accordingly.'

She pressed her lips with annoyance.

'Perfect. Just be vaguely irritated at everything. I know you can do it.'

'Once this is over, I will make you regret ever even thinking about signing me up for this fucking masquerade.'

'Language,' he raised one of his eyebrows, a slight hint of teasing in his voice.

Oh, he's enjoying this way too much.

Slowly, they approached one of the ships docked on the platform. They had already made an agreement beforehand with one of the port workers - in exchange for a bunch of credits, he would let them pretend they had just arrived on one of the ships and unload previously delivered bags and crates, and for an additional bonus he would falsify the shipping manifesto and the arrivals log to create a trail of paperwork, should anyone bother to check.

The man nodded as they approached and pointed his chin at the ship's ramp. Leaving Marla outside, Cassian went in to grab their bags from the ship while she paid one of the locals to unload the remaining cargo, making sure to tip him handsomely.

Soon enough, she was approached by a smart-dressed elderly man who had just stepped out of a shiny airspeeder.

'Miss Shan? I was instructed to pick you up and help you get to your sister's house. May I take your bags?'

'It's fine,' she said, stifling a small grin. 'He has to earn his keep somehow,' she explained, motioning at Cassian, who was just coming their way with a bag in each hand.

'Absolutely. In that case, please follow me,' the driver said flatly, guiding her towards the vehicle. She managed to flash Cassian a victorious grin before leaving him behind to load the luggage onto the airspeeder.

*

'Sister! It is so good to see you, my dear,' a sweet voice that made Marla slightly sick welcomed her once they arrived at their destination.

As expected, the governor's mansion was ridiculously luxurious, the stark contrast with the streets they had just left making Marla want to grab Cassian's blaster and shoot someone, anyone. Maybe even herself, just to get away from this idiotic situation.

Instead, she forced a smile and allowed Ethre to embrace her in a stiff and superficial hug.

No wonder her real sister never visits.

'Your servant can follow our staff; they will assist with your luggage and show him to the servant quarters,' Ethre flashed Cassian a faint smile, to which he nodded dutifully and followed inside.

He was right; I do love this.

*

'Sorry about that, Cassian. It would have been suspicious to put my sister's servant in one of the guest rooms. I had them prepare a warm bed for you downstairs; you will also find some food, clothing and a couple of books. Let me know if you need anything, and I can make it happen.'

'Don't worry about it. I'm sure I've slept in worse conditions,' Cassian flashed Ethre a smile, their prolonged eye contact making Marla want to gag.

'Okay. What's the plan now, sister?'

'I've convinced Odric you are too tired to socialise today,' Ethre explained, shifting her attention to Marla. 'Tomorrow morning, I am scheduled to give you a tour of the property - I guess it makes sense for your  servant  to come along too - and then you are invited to a dinner with my husband and me. It's just the three of us, but don't be fooled; Odric loves every chance to show off. I'll send one of my maidens to help you get ready.'

'Great. Do we have other plans besides fine dining and looking at pretty furniture?'

'We have several objectives,' Cassian interjected. 'The main one is to neutralise the governor's influence, rid him of any political power. That's largely dependent on the intel I gather in the next couple of days - I need to find his weak spot, a way to quickly and quietly make him disappear. In the meantime, we need to keep our eyes open for anything that could help Gaere and his men with the planned attack on the garrison. We know the governor is close with his Imperial friends; maybe we can find some documents, datapads, lists, names, anything. And finally: we know they've been imprisoning some of the rebels, but no one knows where exactly they take them and what they do to them. We know from Ethre,' he nodded at her, 'that the governor is at the very least aware of this operation. Perhaps he has some more intel. Maybe we will be able to find the location or at least some clues as to how to get to the prisoners. If we are to free them, we need to do it right before the main strike - otherwise, I can guarantee that as soon as the Imperials realise something is happening, they will start killing the prisoners one by one. Whatever they are doing there, they're not gonna wanna make it public knowledge.'

'Okay, so, to summarise, we snoop around. Boring, but doable,' Marla sat on the bed behind her, crossing her arms across her chest.

'Honestly, you just focus on distracting the governor. Attend his lavish dinners. Request a drive around the city. Have him show you the sights. Just keep him off my way, and I'll do the rest.'

'Great. And what if he expects me to start praising the Empire with him, and I accidentally impale him on the fence?'

'I'll be there,' Ethre cut in. 'I'll help minimise your interactions with him. I already told him you're very shy and quiet,' she smirked.

'I still have a bad feeling about this.'

'You have to try, Marla,' Cassian squatted beside the bed, looking up at her face. Maker, was he always so terrible with respecting personal space, or did she only start noticing recently? 'You can do it. I know you can.'

'Fine,' she sighed. 'I'll try. But don't be surprised if I stab him with the fork.'

*

The house tour that Ethre took them on in the morning helped them get an understanding of the layout of the place, highlighting potential hideouts and exits. It also gave them ideas about where the governor might be storing important information. While pretending to be introducing her sister to their large art collection, Ethre subtly pointed out the location of her husband's office, commenting on how he never even lets the servants clean there and how it must be dusty and disgusting. She also gave them quite a detailed summary of their security,  so that you can feel safe while you're staying with us, dear .

This took them all morning and a large chunk of the afternoon, with a quick break for lunch in the gardens.  The gardens  were, in fact, a large greenhouse with plants and flowers imported from all over the Galaxy. Marla suspected there was more greenery in that place than on the remainder of Scen. It was, of course, breathtaking - the greenhouse walls were covered with various vines, locking the garden in a green embrace and separating it entirely from the bleak landscape on the outside. The whole place was heated, so they had no issues sitting down on the lusciously green grass to eat the food that had been delivered by one of the servants. They sat beneath an enormous tree, its lush branches outstretched far beyond their heads. In the distance, a group of gardeners was tending to the shrubbery, taming some unruly twigs and ensuring they stayed shapely and thick.

In the afternoon, Marla was finally allowed to return to her room to 'rest and get ready for dinner'. The mere thought of the upcoming meal made her feel nauseous, so she decided to make use of the large bathtub to relax and come up with a strategy for the evening.

The water was warm and covered with bubbles. It felt amazing. When was the last time she had an actual bath, as opposed to a quick cold shower in the ship's refresher?

Need to speak with the general about installing some bathtubs on the base.  She imagined herself coming back after a long mission, emerging tired and sweaty from her X-wing, only to return to the base, shed the dirty clothing and submerge herself in hot, perfumed water. Yes. It would do wonders for morale.

Suddenly, her bliss was interrupted by the sharp ringing of her comlink. She fished it out from the pile of clothes on the floor and saw the name on the small display. Cassian. She panicked momentarily, gathering all the bubbles around her chest before turning on the comlink to see the blue projection of his face.

'Marla... what the hell are you doing?'

'You told me to act like royalty. I don't know about you, but for me, nothing speaks royalty louder than a warm, luxurious bath.'

'You- seriously. Couldn't think of anything useful to do?'

'Hey. I'm regenerating. Gonna need all the chill I can during the dinner. Let me tell you, it is absolutely glorious. You need to come and try it for yourself,' she suggested eagerly, only to suddenly feel her breath sinking in her chest as Cassian's eyes widened ever so slightly. 'I mean, while I'm having dinner. The bathroom will be free. You can try it for yourself. By yourself. When I'm not here,' she blurted out nervously.

Great job, Marla. Now he thinks you're a fucking creep.

'Right,' Cassian cleared his throat, 'Anyway. I wanted to tell you I have an idea where to start searching for some clues. I'm gonna need you to stall the governor for as long as possible. And ping me when you're finishing so that I know how much time I have.'

'Right. Yes. Sure,' she muttered, painfully biting into the insides of her cheeks.

'Okay. Good luck. And,' he hesitated for a moment, his pupils dilating again, this time accompanied by a small, smug smile, 'have a nice bath. Don't get too cosy.'

As the projection disappeared, Marla let out a loud groan. All her tranquillity vanished into thin air, leaving her inexplicably jittery and self-conscious. Stupid bath, stupid soft towels, stupid mission.

*

The dinner was not going well. That was hardly a surprise, but Marla was at least hoping she would be able to not participate in the conversation and just stuff her face with food, letting them forget about her existence. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

'I hear Ethre gave you a tour of our grounds today. What did you think?'

Marla quickly stuffed a bite of food in her mouth to buy her some time. 'It's beautiful,' she finally blurted out, staring intently at her plate.

'Yes. Yes, beautiful. I imagine you must miss these kinds of living conditions, right? How is the rebuilding going?'

The governor was speaking slowly, pronouncing each word with exaggerated precision. He was sitting a fair distance from Marla, at the top of a large wooden table. He was much older than Ethre - his hair was completely grey, and his face was covered in deep wrinkles. He was just about as pleasant as you would expect - his eyes were hollow and spiritless, and whenever he spoke, Marla couldn't decide if she wanted to fall asleep to the monotonous intonation of his voice or strangle him for the not-so-subtle undertones of superiority.

Recalling quickly what she had read about Ethre's home planet, Marla looked up at the governor and replied flatly, 'We're making progress. Still a long way to go, though.'

'Oh, I imagine. I must go there sometime, see the new Scehpira for myself. It's been expensive, but I'm happy to support your family in any way I can,' he said, his voice suggesting neither happiness nor any other positive emotions.

Marla nodded curtly, feeling a rush of anger beginning to fill up her mind.

'Isn't it great how the Empire supports their people?' he continued. 'You must be delighted your father finally came to his senses after how his blind loyalty to the Republic cost you your home.'

Marla gritted her teeth and took a slow, laboured breath.

'Yes. Delighted.'

Scehpira was a small planet, not really significant or special in any way, to the point where Marla wasn't sure if she'd even heard of it before the mission. What she's learnt over the past couple of days - and what Cassian had her repeat over and over again to make sure she knows the planet's history like the back of her hand - was that around the end of the Clone Wars, they were attacked and completely obliterated by the Separatist forces. They were an easy target, and their natural resources were a tempting enough prize. Their king - Ethre and Ioan's father - was given an opportunity to surrender but remained loyal to the Republic. Overnight, more than half of the planet's population was killed in a horrific air invasion, which left most of Scehpira burnt to the ground. The remaining inhabitants were evacuated by the Republic, but no further help was provided. The planed remained barren and empty for years, until one day, the governor of a Scen took an interest in a potential investment and offered his financial help in exchange for Ethre's hand in marriage and a promise of alliance with the Empire.

Marla wasn't particularly fond of Ethre, but learning her story made her feel physically sick. She's seen courage, she's fought side by side with some of the bravest people in this Galaxy, and she herself has been risking her life many times in the name of the Rebellion. And yet, she was not sure she would be able to do something like this. To wake up every day next to... this man. Knowing he was licking the boots of the same people that stepped on her homeland. Knowing that as long as he was in power, she was chained to her golden cage, any attempt at escape threatening the well-being of her homeland.

'Are you all right, Ioan? You're looking pale. Did I say something wrong?' the governor's words cut through the silence and began ringing in Marla's ears as she lowered her eyes and began staring at her balled-up fists.

I can't do this. I can't fucking do this.

'Darling, I'm sure you're exhausted after yesterday's journey. Silly me, I've been rushing you around all day, not giving you a moment to breathe,' Ethre's soft voice brought Marla back to reality. The woman gave her a wide smile, but her eyes flashed with a subtle warning. 'Let me get someone to take you back to your room. I'm sure you'll be feeling better after a good night's sleep.'

Marla murmured something unintelligible, focusing all her attention on steadying her breath and hiding her anger. She stood up from the table, and within seconds someone's gentle hands were placed on her back to help support her balance.

'Good night, darling,' she heard Ethre's melodious voice.

'Good night,' she muttered, letting herself be guided outside and towards her room.

*

'Don't tell me you're already finished. Kriff, I told you to stall,' the holographic image of Cassian expressed surprise and worry.

'No, they... they still have two courses left. I'd say you have at least another hour.'

'What happened?' he froze, expecting the worst.

'Nothing. It's just, I... He started talking about politics, and... I stayed calm, but it was becoming more and more difficult. Ethre excused me; she said I needed to rest. I'm sorry, Cassian. I just...' she murmured, not looking at his face.

He went quiet for a moment before resuming in a calm, slow voice, 'It's okay. What's done is done. I suppose I could use some help. Meet me at the top of the stairway to the third floor.'

*

It will all be over soon. The bastard will get what he deserves,  she repeated in her head as she hurried through the empty corridors towards their meeting point. Cassian was already waiting for her, a bundle of fluffy white towels tucked under his arm.

'If anyone asked, I was on my way to bring you fresh towels,' he explained, noticing her confusion. 'I already checked the library, nothing of significance there. I thought we might have more luck in the governor's office, but we'd need to get the keycard first. From what I've managed to learn from the maids, they have spares in the supply closet on the third floor. The one next to the music room, remember?'

Marla nodded shortly, 'Sounds good. Let's do this.'

They followed down the corridor, careful not to make too much sound. Most of the staff was currently helping in the kitchen or preparing the bedrooms, so they had pretty good chances of remaining unnoticed.

The hallway they were currently crossing was long and mostly empty, with an occasional sculpture or a long antique bench set along the walls. It was eerily silent, only their steps (partially muffled by the soft carpet) echoing quietly off the walls.

They were about to make the last turn when Cassian suddenly stopped and froze. Marla followed suit, listening carefully for anything unusual. He was right. There was another set of feet audible in the distance, the sound getting louder and louder with each second.

Both of them turned quickly around, desperately trying to find a hiding place. The closest room was a significant distance away from them, and the nearby sculpture was way too small to provide any sort of cover.

Suddenly, she felt Cassian's grip on her arm, yanking her back and down towards the floor. A quick look in that direction explained what his plan was; there was a wooden bench on the opposite side of the hallway. It was long enough to fit an adult human and - most importantly - was protected by a decorative slipcover that reached all the way to the ground.

Before she could realise it, she found herself pushed under the bench with Cassian squashing her up against the wall. Not a moment too soon - the steps became loud and accompanied by two voices, clearly approaching their position.

'I told her someone is gonna notice sooner or later, and then we all become suspects. I get that she has a family, but she's become careless. Someone will eventually notice stuff has been disappearing.'

The hallway was now echoing with a hushed voice and an even louder sound of footsteps.

Focused exclusively on not getting seen, Marla tuned out all the other aspects of this situation. Like the fact that, due to limited space, Cassian's body was now pressed firmly into hers. She was therefore completely unprepared for the sudden sensation of a gentle brush on her waist, followed by a jolt of electricity spreading through her body.

'Yeah, I heard the other day that the governor was looking for his cufflinks and threw a fit. A couple more of these, and they will start suspecting something. And it's gonna be our heads on the line.'

The hushed voices were now directly next to them, but to Marla, they sounded far, far away. As her eyes started getting used to the darkness, she began seeing the outline of Cassian's face and realised how close it was to her own.

'You're right. Someone needs to talk with her before it's too late.'

Too late . The words echoed in Marla's head as she felt Cassian rest his hand against her waist, this time decidedly, without hesitation. She gathered all of her courage to look up and search the darkness for his eyes.

She was now looking directly at him, and Maker, she felt utterly devoured by his gaze. She quickly looked down again, focusing on the rising and falling of his chest, and realising that she had completely forgotten to breathe.

Slowly, his hand began trailing up along her waist. Her head was now spinning, a buzz of excitement starting to fill her mind, forcing her to close her eyes.

The time stopped completely. Was there ever anything else than this? Was his warm breath ever not fanning over her face, were their bodies ever not clashed together, was she ever alive outside of this moment?

And then, just as suddenly as it all started, she noticed the pressure of his body decreasing and realised the footsteps had long faded away. For a moment, she felt completely numb, frozen in place, looking at Cassian crawl away from underneath the bench and slowly registering the absence of his warmth. It took her a while to remember where she was and what she was doing before she took a deep breath and forced her body to move.

He was standing with his back turned, straightening his jacket casually. Marla absentmindedly observed her own hand grabbing the wall for support and stifled another sigh.

She was back to reality, back in the brightly lit corridor, back to being focused on finding the keycard to the governor's office. But it was obvious something was different; you could still feel the residue of tension between them, even though Cassian made sure to act as casually as possible.

Well, that's definitely gonna be a problem. 

*

A/N:

Right.

The next chapter might take a couple more days than usual, I'll be having a tough time at work.

Thank you all for being so amazing and supportive.

[horanghaechan]

Dream in a Dream (M)

pairing: Prince!Ten x Princess!You

word count: 6k

warnings: written in 3rd person, mature content, fluffy, ten being the love of my life

synopsis: The Four Great Kingdoms took turns to maintain the peace of a planet called Mahabhuta. However, when minor rebellions threaten its stability, two kingdoms seek an alliance. But, hearts could never be war weapons. What to do when one of them is already committed to another?

Inspired by indian/turkish stuff and Avatar lol

[a/n]: since he (and his smile) was the reason i started stanning nct back in march 2016 (lol) i decided to post this here, the original version is in portuguese and posted on my fic site. happy bday, phonphon, you deserve the world.

also, english is not my first language so any grammar/etc mistake please let me know!

First of all, a small glossary so you don’t get lost:

The cycle of the Great Kingdoms of Mahabhuta takes place by:

Kingdom of Prithvi (Kingdom of Earth)

Kingdom of Apas-Jal (Kingdom of Water)

Kingdom of Agni (Kingdom of Fire)

Kingdom of Vayu (Kingdom of Air)

However, there is Akasha (Heaven, "vacuum"), by which all other kingdoms are "subjected". Akasha’s laws override any other law, as they were enacted prior to the division of Mahābhūta.

The hierarchy in each kingdom consists of:

Samraat and Samrajni – emperor and empress;

Maharaja and Maharani – king and queen, used formally for the heirs of the throne;

Raja and Rani – king and queen, used informally with the heirs of the throne.

Some words used by the characters and their meanings:

Evet: an informal way of saying “yes”;

Nei: an informal way of saying “no”;

Shokran: “thanks” said from peasants to monarchs;

Shukriya: “thanks” said from monarchs to peasants;

Olum: interjection of astonishment, incredulity.

Om Shanti: good luck.

Findi: petname, which can mean both “love” and “sweetheart”, normally related to married couples.

  ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼

Border between Vayu and Prithvi, Apas-Jal Era.

 Some carriages and soldiers crossed the bridge across the border of the Kingdom of Prithvi. Everyone there was fully aware of what they were doing, but no one hesitated. Keeping Maharani of Vayu happy was the only thing they were looking for.

“Rani Y/N are you sure that Raja Chittaphon will be waiting for us?” Ipek, Y/N’s chaperone and personal maid, asked worriedly.

“Evet.” Y/N nodded. “It’s our only chance.”

“Samraat Bhima will be horrified when he notices that you are missing.”

“He will.” The princess smiled. “But he’ll eventually understand that I had to.”

“Everyone will be delighted when you get married to Raja Chittaphon, right?!” Ipek smiled when she noticed how the girl’s face lit up at her question.

“Hopefully so, Ipek. That’s what I’m aiming for.” Y/N sighed, biting another smile. Remembering Chittaphon always resulted in moments like that, where everything melted and she became a puddle of love.

She still shivered like a fool when she remembered when they met.

 Flashback on

Jala, Kingdom of Apas-Jal, 3 years ago

The corridors of the Palace of Jala were huge and very confusing. There were no separated doors, let alone identification by floors or wings. Y/N walked blindly through them, because she couldn’t remember where they assigned her rooms earlier.

“Well, I’m sure it’s not here.” One of the doors opened and a boy came out of it, on his back, wearing a typical outfit of the monarchs she knew.

“Olum!” Y/N froze on her place.

“Oh, are you the owner of this room?” He turned to her, drawing her attention to the pair of amused chestnut eyes that stared at her.

“Nei, nei. I’m lost.” She confessed. “I thought the floor was empty.”

“They told me that the Kingdom of Agni would be on the third floor, according to the cycle, but I confess I’m having trouble counting. Is it the third excluding the ground floor, or the third from the ground?” The boy smiled and she felt her heart flutter.

She absolutely adored smiles.

And... Olum, that smile was out of this world!

“Well, guess I’m twice wrong, then.” she blushed.

“You’re not from Agni, I suppose.”

“Nei. I’m from Vayu.” She extended her hand, indicating the ring of the Compass Rose, which was the symbol of her kingdom. “I ended getting lost...”

“Ten, from Agni.” the boy showed his own ring too, a ruby ​​sun adorning his hand. Only monarchs wore such rings. “Maybe if we go back where you came from, we’ll be able to find your chaperone.”

“Y/N, from Vayu.” She bowed, understanding now with whom she spoke. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Maharaja Chittaphon.”

“Olum, it can’t be!” Another lovely smile painted his thin lips. “Maharani Y/N Vatavaran?” Ten sounded excited. “I spent years trying to get to know you!”

“Really?” Y/N raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

“Indeed! Did you think that you could remain incognito forever? All kingdoms are curious about the Heiress of the Air.” he signalled for them to start walking. He couldn’t touch her until they were officially introduced. “I suppose you make your debut at tonight’s ball?”

“My parents decided that it’s time for me to seek popularity.” She nodded. “I’m a little afraid, you know? Balls have always seemed too formal.”

“And they are.” Ten agreed. “But as soon as we are introduced, I’ll ask for one dance, and I hope you’ll save me a page on your card.”

“As I don’t know anyone, you’ll have them all.” She laughed.

“Perfect! So I won’t have to keep company with the Apas.”

“Don’t you like water?”

“I don’t like anything that puts out fire.” Ten joked casually, and then realized that the princess was puzzled by his comment. “Don’t worry, the air tends to spread it. I really like the air.” The same amusement gleam flashed through those chestnut eyes.

Y/N also had made up her mind: she liked the fire a lot.

End of flashback

 Closing her eyes, Y/N waited for the right time to relax. When the antelope’s hooves stopped, she knew it was near.

“Maharani Vatavaran, we have arrived.” One of the soldiers tapped the carriage window twice, breaking the silence. “Maharaja Bhumi is waiting for you.”

“I’ll go down. Shukriya.” Y/N smiled. “We’ll meet tomorrow, Ipek. Watch out for any strange movements, pay close attention to the air! As we are in Prithvi you may feel weaker, but just focus on the atmosphere.”

“Evet, evet. Now go, we have no time to waste!” Ipek rushed her.

“Off I go.” Y/N smiled. “Wish me luck.”

“Om Shanti.” Ipek raised her hands to her face, crossing them in the shape of a bird and touching her forehead between them, a gesture of undoubted respect to Her Highness.

Y/N got out of the carriage and came across Bhumi, Prithvi’s heir. They had become very close friends when they were in Jala, because Bhumi was Ten’s close cousin. Adding up to their escapade, Varaha, capital of Prithvi, was extremely close to Akasha – if all went well, they’d need just two days to arrive there.

“I’m glad you made it!” Bhumi hugged her. “Ten must be on his way.” He signalled for a carriage behind them. “If they saw Vayu’s carriage we might have had problems, so I thought it is better to use mine until we get to the house.”

“Thanks for helping.” She thanked him, getting into the car.

“You know my weaknesses are love stories, Y/N.” Bhumi laughed. “I asked some guards to take the road to Akasha and they reported that it is in perfect condition. I separated two stops, one in Urvarak and the other in Chattaan; if you manage to reach Chattaan tomorrow by the afternoon, Akasha is just an hour away, so you can rest and do everything at dawn. I estimate that by lunchtime you’ll be married.” Bhumi gave her hands a soft squeeze. “Om Shanti, cousin.”

“Thank you, dear. But can’t we go straight to Chattaan?”

“It’d be very risky and a tad tiring. If other guards notice a strange movement on the roads, it’ll be warned to my father and everything will go down the drain.”

“Then we will follow the pace of normal travelers.” Y/N nodded. “Ipek is following in a carriage with some of my guards, but there is nothing that indicates my presence or relation to me. Do you think they are in danger?”

“If there’s nothing of yours with her, then I don’t believe so.” Bhumi waved a hand, dispensing bad luck. “As soon as they reach Urvarak, if they wish, they can go up in the air and proceed directly to Akasha, without stopping by Chattaan, or just taking a short rest. But, in my point of view, it’d be a little risky, no? Since your father will notice your disappearance in a few hours...”

“I’ll talk to Ipek, then. It would be really good if we had someone waiting for us in Akasha.” Y/N stared at the road. “How long does it take for Urvarak?”

“If you leave this morning, you’ll be there before sunset. That, of course, if you stop to eat and everything.” Bhumi loosened a belt that held his royal attire. “We will be near Varaha in a few minutes, but I’ll drop you off at home and go to the palace. You need to be aware because only Ten knows where it is.”

“Do you think he hasn’t arrived yet?”

“I don’t know how it went with the guards at the border, even if I let them know he was coming.” Bhumi sighed. “In times of crisis, things get chaotic.’

“I hope we don’t make this a bigger problem.” Y/N sighed.

“Love inevitably creates problems, baby.” he laughed. “But, a Maharaja has always been able to choose his wife and vice versa. I don’t see your marriage as an affront to Mahabhuta’s balance, but exactly what Apas-Jal and Agni wanted to do: an alliance. So, if we are to have an alliance, let it be real and auspicious.”

“Ah Bhumi, dear, you’re so good with words.” Y/N laughed, trying to relax.

                                                     ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼

The house consisted of Prithvi’s standard architecture, with various stone details and spearhead adornments. After hugging and thanking Bhumi four more times, Y/N quietly entered the house, dressed as an ordinary Vahara citizen. It was very good that Bhumi had chosen a normal property instead of a more luxurious and aristocratic house.

She put her bag in the living room and walked to the bathroom, desperate to shower and do her hair. It could be the height of futility, but Y/N did not want Ten to see her sloppy and dirty. All those times they met when she was air bending were enough... They, in general, involved a lot of dust and dry leaves.

“Of course Bhumi would do that.” Y/N sweetly smiled when she found cinnamon essence in the bathroom. This was, in the best description, Vayu’s “official” smell.

While the water in the bathtub heated up, Y/N stretched out a lacy mid-length dress and a cloak. She had brought, in addition to that outfit, another white dress – which she would wear the day she arrived in Akasha – and a dark green dress.

Y/N smoothed the velvet piece and smiled a little. She was starting quite an adventure, but couldn’t find the slightest regret for what she was doing. For sure, if she had to choose, she would do everything again and again.

 After washing up, Y/N was braiding her hair when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She felt chills down her spine, but because the house had only one floor, anyone who entered it would make enough noise for her to prepare before she could cross the room. Awareness spread through her and she held tight on her hairbrush and a small hand mirror – since there wasn’t enough time to look for any other weapon.

“Y/N?” Her name came out loud in a soft voice, almost like velvet.

“Ten!” dropping all objects, she ran to him.

The couple hugged each other, trying to make up for all the one-month longing in those few seconds. A never-ending month in which Ten had heard about the arranged marriage; he and Y/N did not have much chance of communicating; and in which each other’s world seemed to get off track with the possibility of not being able to be together as they wanted to.

“How are you? Did you arrive safely?” Ten caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, loving how Y/N’s eyes closed at the slightest touch.

“I got scared thinking the house was invaded, but now I’m fine. And yes, I arrived safely thanks to Bhumi’s assistance.” she smiled.

“Sorry, I heard the water and decided it’d be respectful to wait.”

“There’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” Y/N blinked, wickedly.

“I know.” Ten brought his face close to hers. “But I thought we had agreed not to do anything else until the wedding?!”

“To look doesn’t mean to touch.” She lifted her chin, voice dripping challenge.

“It turns out, little devil, I’m not so magnanimous.” He pressed his lips to hers, savouring the longing. The last time they saw each other they had to be quick, because it was at the reunion of the kingdoms, and although they could not participate actively, the heirs had an obligation to be present.

Ten circled her waist, breathing in the cinnamon and melting on Y/N’s tongue. Her whole body was on fire – almost not so figuratively – when they were together. Even though he knew they couldn’t waste time, he delighted himself with a few bites on her neck, fighting the urge to take the kiss further.

“I swear I can’t wait to be married.” She whispered. “Then I won’t need to count our minutes together.”

“Soon.” Ten winked. “We are leaving this morning, right?”

“I think it would be ideal. Bhumi said that we can get to Akasha in two days, or we can cut some time, but we would not have Ipek anticipating any problems. It’s up to you.” She shrugged.

“We’ll do what is best at the moment, findi.” Ten smiled. “This nickname gets better and better just because it reminds me that it should be used by married people.”

“You are very keen to remember that we will get married.”

“In Agni, marriage is one of the best things that could happen to anyone, you know?” He let Y/N get out of his arms. “You can’t blame me for this.”

“I don’t blame you, but your excitement is so evident that it makes me look disinterested… And you know I’m not.”

“It’ll show up as soon as we have tied our strings.”

Y/N smiled at the mention, because the wedding rite in Akasha had, as one of the main points, to use strings. Each kingdom had its specific ritual, and they should be performed according to the bride and groom’s wishes (and the place they were in, regardless of their nationalities). When Y/N was learning about kingdoms and their cultures, she never imagined that she’d marry in Akasha, let alone with their celebration. She couldn’t wait to put it into practice.

“How’s the situation in Agni?” Y/N asked as she folded her clothes.

“Kinda stable.” Ten sat on the bed and removed his boots. “Dad thinks it’s a matter of time before it spreads to other regions other than the capital”.

“I hope nobody gets seriously hurt until we get this solved.”

“For now there was nothing.” he nodded. “Just two fires in abandoned houses. The big problem is that this affects the population indirectly; after all, you never know when they will start attacking them. Psychological terror is the worst weapon.”

“Do you think we’re going to make it worse by getting married?” Y/N swallowed.

“I think...” Ten looked at her, a small smile adorning his beautiful face. “That love is a force far greater than greed and power. If two prosperous kingdoms tied by love, and nothing but love, fails to reach everyone’s heart, then no alliance between two other kingdoms will change reality.” He held out his hand, looking for hers over the velvet dress. “I didn’t lie when I said I would set the world on fire if something hurt you, findi. It only takes one word and we return to our kingdoms.”

“No!” she denied fervently. “I won’t give you up. I only worry about these rebellions...” She shrugged. “But I love you, Ten. You know that, right?”

“Always.” he nodded. “Why don’t we rest before leaving?!”

                                                     ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼ 

The two of them really tried to rest, but the growing tension and adrenaline from their escape were too much. Long before planned, they were already on the road, heading towards Urvarak.

“It’s amazing how, despite the night, everyone lives normally. Look at how crowded the road is!” Y/N commented, surprised. “The Kingdom that never sleeps, really.”

“We have a stop in forty minutes. If you’re cold, I can stop to get the blanket from the trunk.” Ten, the gentleman he was, offered.

“I’m fine, findi. If anything, I can hug you and I’ll be warm soon.”

“If you don’t want to be attacked by my kisses, I advise you to stay away.”

“What if I want?” She raised her eyebrow.

“Seriously Y/N, I don’t know what to do with you!” he laughed. “We’ll definitely take the air route and get married as soon as possible.”

“It’s amazing how shy I still am with your flirty banters.” Y/N sighed, because in spite of being bold, that was not quite how she felt.

Sometimes she managed to keep on her carefree persona, but her feelings for Ten always made her embarrass herself. It summed up in a fool, enchanted by any movement or word spoken by him... Especially when they were addressed to her. Olum, how difficult it was to remain serious at public parties! Both of them needed to behave as if they didn’t like each other more than the “necessary”, as if they had priorities and not wished to spend every second together. Thanks to Bhumi, they were able to get away often and make some time to ease their longing.

“Ah, Rani Y/N,” he clicked his tongue. “why does this shyness never appear when it should?” His chestnut eyes flashed in a playful glow.

“Stop it, Ten!” She laughed, shyly. “but, I must confess, I don’t regret you being the first. In everything.”

“It would be a little too late to regret it, you know?” Ten pinned. “However, that does not diminish the pleasure of listening to your confession. I hope that, in addition to being your first, I’ll also be your last.”

“If we get to Akasha really fast...” She batted her well-trained lashes, like a she used to do when trying to manipulate her father into thinking she was sweet and innocent.

“It’s decided! At the next stop I’ll look for antelopes and tomorrow afternoon we’ll be married.” Ten shook his head like an indignant little boy.

“In my suitcase I have a Vayu scroll and I will make sure that it reaches Ipek as soon as possible.” Y/N winked at the groom.

“What a helpful wife I got!

“Olum, you can’t even imagine.” She grinned.

                                                      ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼

The innkeeper explained to them how to get to the antelopes in two stops. They had thirty minutes until there, and the horses were losing their pace along the way. Fear not, Y/N thought, since she already had everything worked out in her head!

Probably, her father would be finding out about her disappearance at that moment, and then he would start searching the palace and the gardens. Then, when he didn’t find her, he would request searches around the city. Then, the Royal Guard would issue a search warrant to all kingdoms, and perhaps Chittaphon’s parents would warn Vayu of his disappearance as well. Then they would finally come to conclusion of what happened to the two heirs, and if they were as smart as Y/N hoped, they would march to Akasha.

Only that it would be too late.

Because she’d be married!

Perfect.

The antelope route was really the best option.

“Maybe I can bend some air so the horses can rest. I can make sure no one notices that they’re floating...”

“You schemed.” Ten laughed. “I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t do it.”

“Perhaps you’re so excited about the escape that you didn’t pay close attention.” She joked. Everyone knew how much Maharani Y/N loved to turn things into schemes. “Well, if my plan is right, we have about fifteen hours to get married and consummate it, avoiding, even if improbable, it to be nulled.” she laughed. “Therefore, we indeed have to take the air route.”

“Amazing, findi.” Ten winked.

                                                      ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼

Akasha was a wonderful city. Y/N visited there only twice: when she was born, and when she reached her adult age, so she had to seize her title of heiress. She remembered the big trees, especially the cherry ones, the colourful houses, the bright and clean streets, the undeniably blue sky... There never seemed to exist bad weather in Akasha! When they stopped in front of the temple where they would celebrate their wedding, Y/N’s heart raced. It was a large and flowery place, like a cottage, with symbols of the four kingdoms and their specific plants. Two carriages (one with her guards and the other with his) were waiting for them in the parking lot. Impatient, Ten grabbed her hand and they both entered the temple, drowning in emotion and adrenaline.

“Ready?”

“Always.” she smiled.

Ipek, who had been instructed to organize everything, was talking to two monks and the celebrator. As soon as she saw Her Highness, she ran to help her get ready. They couldn’t waste a second of the day!

The typical ceremonial dress Ipek got was cream coloured, adorned with gold accents, and a dark green – almost black – velvet cape that made the costume extremely elegant. From the bar to the knee, the lines formed spirals and points that resembled the starry sky or some forest/landscape seen from above. Her hair was braided with gold threads and cherry blossoms, because they were the symbol of Akasha. At her hands, in addition to the jewels she was supposed to wear, temporary ink tattooed the main crests of the four kingdoms extended from the wrist to the elbow, to indicate the union of these nations. On her feet, more drawings, up to the height of her shin. She should be barefoot, connecting to the nature and the land, as a sign of balance.

“Raja Chittaphon is ready.” Ipek returned to the salon where Y/N was dressed. “Now we just need the ornaments on the face and you can go!”

“I’m anxious.” Y/N exhaled. “Let’s get on with it soon!”

“I promise it will be very quick.”

After Ipek used powder from shiny stones and glued three diamonds above her left eyebrow, Y/N was ready.

Ipek and two guards accompanied her to the decorated courtyard, where those responsible for marrying her had started the blessing in Ten, preventing him from seeing her. Y/N watched, with her racing heart, the black and gold velvet suit he wore, a single cherry blossom attached to the left side of his chest.

“We’re ready.” The monk guided her to the entrance of the hall.

After a short speech in Akasha’s dialect, one of the monks began to play a harp, while Y/N crossed the room towards Ten, not knowing how to react to the prince’s brilliant and hypnotic gaze.

When they faced each other, the monk handed them a small vase with coloured sand. According to the ritual, the sand symbolized “the union of two different points in the name of something greater” in this case, love, and each one should pour a little of it on a plate, so that the mixture of colours creates a new one: their colour. Y/N watched wordlessly as a lilac originated from the mixture.

“Now hold hands.” The man responsible for the ceremony instructed. “This is the thread of companionship. For Akasha, you are one, but this does not mean that you should forget who you were before the wedding. One hand is tied to the partner’s, while the other is free to remind you that there is room for both to grow together and individually.” He tied the ribbon on their fist. “Still united, we will recite the vows and walk towards the end of the celebration.”

Y/N and Ten repeated each word very calmly, although their hearts were desperate for the end. After washing their feet in the water of the main river, Kundalini, to purify their bodies in this new phase, the couple still had to plant a tree as well, symbolizing their growth. And, to the sound of “Under the laws of Akasha, I declare you husband and wife”, several fireworks were lit. Ipek started the party by playing a soft melody over two lovers, and the people present continued with the dance. The newest couple stared at each other, laughing.

“I think this is our cue to escape... Findi.” The nickname now sounded a thousand times wicked in Ten’s voice. “Let’s go?”

“I was counting the seconds.” Y/N nodded, intertwining their fingers, as they still had one hand joined.

                                                      ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼

Ten undid the first tie of Y/N’s dress quite slowly. He had done it a few times, but at that moment, it was too special to ruin it in a hurry. They were finally married. He no longer needed to be quick with Y/N. Now they had all the time in the world to love each other as they deserved.

“Do you need help?” Y/N frowned.

“No, findi. I just want to... Take it slow.” The light entering the room made his eyes even brighter. “Because you deserve to be adored, from head to toe. Quietly. Every inch.” To demonstrate his words, he raised her fist and glued his mouth to it, running his tongue lightly over her soft skin.

“Ten...” She breathed weakly, it tickled.

“What?” He smiled. “‘Ah Ten’, ‘more Ten’, ‘please, Ten’?”

“Pretentious rake.” Y/N shook her head, feeling her heart explode with joy.

“Your pretentious rake. Your favourite rake. Yours, for eternity.”

She closed her eyes at those words. She was his, too, since the damn smile he gave her in the hall of Apas-Jal’s palace. Olum, how could one live with so much love inside them?! And how lucky had she been to feel that and be reciprocated?!

I’m staying up

I don’t wanna come down from your love

Ten pulled her close, melting his mouth on her neck, biting and sucking like he knew she liked. He wrapped his arms around her, throwing the damn tie to the floor. Y/N smelled extremely well, having washed and removed the tattoos she was supposed to use for the wedding ceremony. His fingers tangled in the fabric of her nightgown at the mere sound of her quiet moan, trying to go easy, to remain chill. He didn’t want to go fast. He had to stay calm.

“Let’s go to the bed, huh?” Y/N suggested, knees buckling from all those emotions.

“I tell you I want to take it easy and you urge me to go fast...” He shook his head, carefully guiding her to the huge mattress. “What should I do?”

“You can start by kissing me here.” She signalled from her collarbone to the valley between the breasts. Ten smiled. “Or, you can let me take off your clothes...”

It’s not that she didn’t want to be worshiped from head to toe, but if her calculations didn’t fail, someone from the Kingdom of Vayu would arrive in Akasha by the end of the afternoon... And if the wedding wasn’t consummated, they could be in trouble. She and Chittaphon never took more than thirty minutes with sex, because there were always too many people around and if they were five minutes late, someone would miss one of them. It was unfair that their first time since married had to be rushed too, but they would have a whole life together.

But, Y/N should be grateful. At least they were together.

“What are you thinking?”

“Schemes.” She joked.

“ Now, now, Rani Y/N, that was an unfortunate answer.” He started unbuttoning his shirt. “Guess I’ll need to be a little cruel this time. I don’t want you thinking about anything other than my mouth and my fingers on your body.”

“Or your dick.” Y/N smirked, satisfied with the provocation.

She closed her eyes and felt Ten’s lips come down over her shoulder, paiting small bites. With her legs spread, he found space to rest between her thighs while devouring each centimetre of the princess. Her calculations were forgotten as soon as his fingertips went up the hem of her dress, sliding down the inside of her thighs, making her shiver. He reached her underwear and touched her clothed womanhood.

“I want you to do that again.” Y/N moaned.

“Do what?”

“You know what.” She gasped when he brushed her swollen spot.

“I don’t know,” He commented wickedly. “But I have an idea of ​​what it is… And for that, I will finally need to take your clothes off.” He couldn’t believe that after months he’d be able to see her completely naked again.

Rather than feeling shy, Y/N was more than willing to throw the sleeping dress away. They never had much time to get rid of all their clothes, so she was also counting on Ten naked. It had been a long time since she had had such a privilege to see him like that. And the view was always a spectacle!

She sat up suddenly, leaving him a little unbalanced, but grinning. Y/N started pulling on her nightgown anyway, not caring if she would tear it up. Ten could bent fire, but what burned inside her was pure lust. He would have a hard time controlling his wife, especially if he continued to look at her as if she were a work of art. But as soon as the fabric passed over her head, Y/N didn’t have time to absorb the intensity of his eyes. Ten pulled her by the hand, kissing her urgently.

With the princess in his lap, he got rid of his shirt and tried to open his trousers’ button. To give him enough space, Y/N stepped back a little, noting a new detail in his left arm: there were two lines near the elbow, one thick and the other a little thinner. Unlike the wedding tattoos, those lines seemed permanent.

“What is it?” She asked curiously.

“In Agni, every married man should have this tattoo. It is like a ring that we never take out or lose.” Ten looked at his arm. “Women should have these lines on their ankles, but since you are not from Agni, I thought it best not to ask you to tattoo it.”

“I want to!” She cut him off. “I’ll do it, if you want me to.”

“Really?” Ten smiled. He was always touched by Y/N’s loving manner. She was his best companion, in any situation. Even when they could get in trouble, Y/N would not leave him alone. She preferred that they’d get scolded together than to leave him. “Then, as soon as we wake up, I’ll ask the monk to arrange everything.”

“I think I will have a charming ankle.” She stretched out one leg, moving close to where Ten wanted her most. “Oh, oops...” Y/N smirked, faking a shy laugh.

“Findi, findi.” He shook his head, matching her smirk.

“Let me make up for the distraction.” Y/N moved away as she lowered her hands to his pants, finishing unbuttoning them.

“Your wish is my command, findi.”

We’ll get lost together

Let me flow

Ten swallowed hard as soon as he felt her mouth kissing his abdomen. Y/N was not ashamed of trying to please him. She was always receptive and creative, making each time something very unique and very special. Unlike what was expected of an Air Princess – known for being more reserved and a little cold. Y/N had fire inside her. She burned like him… Burned with him. For him.

With her delicate fingers, Y/N removed Ten’s pants, and began her exploration on his belly, playing with the fine line of hair up to the underwear he was wearing. It was unusual for her to dedicate themselves so much to foreplay, but she was loving seeing Ten so mesmerized by her movements. Very gently, Y/N took him with one hand, going on with a lazy back and forth motion, just to make him double hard and more desperate. Her eyes found the glowing chestnut globes and she smirked, causing a burst of pleasure to break inside Ten, who moaned loudly.

That was enough for him. Blast trying to prolong the moment! He needed Y/N and he needed her now. Pulling her by the chin, they came face to face.

“I miss you,” The distance between their mouths became even smaller. “around me.”

The kiss began sweet, slow, but charged with lust. Both were already familiar with the delicious sensations that any scarce touch between them provided, but nothing compared to the anxiety build during foreplay. It was very, very good. Their bodies were tickling and hot, their hearts beating fast and their minds remembering all those times when they were together.

How glorious it was when they met.

It was a different, more intense sensation. Y/N didn’t understand why she wanted to cry and laugh out loud, like a crazy girl. The tossed their underwear out, surrendering to the bubbling desire. Ten put her hands on his shoulders and smiled warmly, making the frenzy an act of zeal. He leaned down to kiss her again, and from there, it was automatic. Y/N’s hip followed its own will and moved, showing exactly what it was looking for. The kiss became wet and some moans escaped not so quietly. Ten’s husky voice was the turning point for the princess.

“Come here.” He asked in a whisper.

Ten turned her on the bed and stood over her, waist between her legs. He entered without warning, fast and strong. A louder than expected groan left her throat, earning a chuckle mixed with a grunt from the prince. Y/N brought her hands to his back, dividing her attention between his shoulder blades and his dark, silky hair. With a love bite at the junction of her neck and shoulder, Ten started to move. Slow and intense, but picking up as the seconds passed by. Y/N already knew what to do to please him, so she devoted herself to his neck, trying to occupy her mouth with something other than “Oh, Ten” or scandalous moans. He grabbed one of her thighs and wrapped it around her waist, managing to reach deeper. Then, he was thrusting hard and fast. Y/N rolled her eyes and arched her back, forgetting about the whole world.

This was perfect.

Her stomach churned with several knots of pleasure, the peak of her orgasm reaching its maximum when Ten grabbed her face and kissed her urgently. Y/N felt the spasms in every cell, not knowing if she was able to enjoy her climax and kiss Ten at the same time. The prince continued to dive deeper until he too reached his release, making her want to get there again. Y/N slipped a hand to her swollen spot and began to rub it, tightening her muscles even more and listening to Ten’s sexy growls. And it worked.

Don’t ever let me come down from your love

From your love, from your love

                                                      ☼ ⸛ ☼ ⸛ ☼

Ten examined his wife’s ankle, amused by the way she didn’t try to pretend that the tattoo was a “big deal”.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t want to tell me that this was common in Agni.” She lowered her dress’ skirt. “It looks rather cute on my ankle, doesn’t it?”

“You look rather cute, indeed.”

“Not me, the tattoo you didn’t want to tell me about!” She grinned.

“Are we going to talk about this again?” He hugged her, placing a sweet kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, anyway, for accepting. I love you.”

“My pleasure.” Y/N waved her hand. “Love you more.”

Ten offered her a glass of water and a cookie, because she hadn’t eaten breakfast in her desperation to get the tattoo. The monk finished cleaning the room and excused himself, but as soon as he left, Ipek hurried in.

“Rani Y/N! Rani Y/N!”

“What is it, Ipek?” Y/N disengaged herself from Ten’s embrace and stood up.

“Samraat Bhima is here... And he didn’t come alone.” Ipek pointed to the window.

When she pulled the curtain, Y/N could see Vayu’s flags extending across a large part of the street, accompanied by some of Agni’s. She turned to Ten in a mixture of concern and joy. It was time to announce to the kingdoms what they had done. And to hope that love would be enough.

“Olum, findi, it looks like we have some nations to win back.” She grinned.

And hand in hand, they went out to face the nations of Air and Fire.

[kacxa-fan]

Costume Party

Request from @rorylum about Kacxa dressed as Big Barda and Mr. Miracle for a costume party!

___

Summary: Typically the two weren't ones for parties, especially those considered loud and flashy, but for the sake of pleasing their friends who kept insisting them to "take a break", they did so.

___

"But you have to! C'mon Acxa, it's just for one night! It'll be a good chance to clear your mind, then you can go back to stressing yourself out." Whined the pleading voice from across the line.

"Hmm, alright. Inform me of the whereabouts and time it would be most appropriate to visit."

"Wow, really? Awesome! Okay, so the party's at James's place around uh 9 p.m., got it?"

"Got it." Acxa responded, quickly jotting it down just in case she forgets due to all the clutter kept in her busy mind.

"Oh- How could I forget? It's also a costume party! So be sure to prep yourself up, k? Can't wait to see you~!"

"Wait. What is a-" the phone call ended "Oh Veronica..." she groaned.

Acxa avoided recalling her friend, deciding it be best to ask her significant other. She walked down the stairs and met him sitting on the couch, Kosmo lazily splayed about his lap. She took whatever was left of space on the furniture.

"Hey, got your work done yet?" Keith glanced over at her before returning his gaze to the TV as he switched through the channels.

"Not quite. I've decided to put work aside for a bit since Veronica asked me to come join her to a 'costume party'... Whatever that is."

"Huh? That's a surprise, but hey, it's nice to get out and destress. Also, a costume party?" He paused and tilted his head over to fully face her.

"If you will, please explain to me what the customs of this type of party are?"

Keith muted the TV, turning his full attention to her.

"Well, a costume party is basically a party where the guests dress up as whatever they'd like. Examples say being uhhh a monster or character from a show. Stuff like that."

"Like a disguise?"

"Yeah, like a disguise, but you don't really gotta fool anyone."

Acxa nodded, her hand reaching it's way over to Kosmo's ear.

"Very well, but what should we dress up as?"

"We?"

"Oh, I forgot to ask. It's just that I thought you'd like to join..."

"Or you'd feel a lot more comfortable if I joined you, huh?"

"Perhaps, that too..."

Keith chuckled, scooting closer to Acxa. He wrapped his arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her blushing cheek.

"I'm in!"

"Thank you, Keith."

"Mhm. Okay so costumes, uh we could be hmmm... Oh! I grew up really liking Batman, and I guess you could say Catwoman was his girlfriend? You'd rock a Catwoman, not gonna lie."

He pulled out his phone to search the duo up.

"Here, look. See?"

"Ah, how um interesting. As much as I'd like to say that she looks quite flattering, I can't help but notice how uncomfortable her outfit seems. Leather, is it?" She looked down the image "And high heeled boots?"

Acxa unconsciously took his phone from his hand, scrolling through the various images of the peculiar lady.

"Oh my, this is... suggestive?"

"Hahaaa, yeaaah." Keith muttered in slight embarrassment, scratching the back of his neck.

"Is that a whip? Her weapon?"

"Okayyy! That's enough lookin' her up. Let's say we think of another couple, if you're not sure about this one, k?"

The two huddled closer as Keith offered various other options. Somehow Acxa always seemed to pick at one or the other, more so fascinated and weirded out by the outfit. Time ticked by as Keith grew tired. They ended up with few ideas.

He blew out a puff of air, "Uhm welp here's these two. Superheroes. Named Big Barda and Mr. Miracle?"

Acxa, again, took the phone. Her eyes dilating at the bright colors.

"Guess it's a no too?"

She shook her head, "No, I actually find it suitable. Considering that I am the tallest out of us both. Also, we are running out of time, no?"

Keith rolled his eyes playfully, although their height difference was never much of a bother for them.

"My only complaint is the bold colors. Other than that, it looks to be comfortable enough. Don't you think?"

"As long as you're sure, I'll settle for it."

What Acxa wasn't aware of is that Keith was not necessarily looking forward to wearing such a thing, as it was not his sort of style. In fact, this duo's fit was nothing of their style, but nonetheless they agreed to it.

---

"Here we are. Ready to show off?"

"Just a moment. I think my cape got tangled."

Keith and Acxa exited their car, pinkies hooking and having nervous talk about their suits. They entered the apartment complex, scanning the numbers of each door.

"Here it is! Ready?"

"What other choice is there..."

Keith knocked, and low and behold, James answered.

"HEY! ACXA AND... KEITH? NO WAY! THAT'S PRETTY FUNNY SEEING YOU TWO HERE. ESPECIALLY WEARING THOSE!" He shouted as the commotion of the dark yet colorfully lit room dazed the visitors viewing it. The brunette took his time looking the deadpanned couple up, incapable of holding his growing amusement.

"WELL, COME ON IN! THE GANG'S JUST RIGHT OVER AT THE POOL TABLE."

Keith took the lead, holding a hand out for Acxa to follow. Acxa examined the area, taking notice to the strange figures, assuming that some were not human at all, but actual aliens to Earth such as herself. She heard the booming and perked her ears, worried that a fight involving weaponry was taking place. Hesitantly, she took his hand and stepped foot into the strange presence. They walked behind James as cautiously as they could, with the few bumps here and there from strangers in all sorts of display.

"KEITH, IS THIS WHAT ALL PARTIES ARE LIKE? GOODNESS WH- OH, FORGIVE ME!" Acxa hollered.

"NOT ALL, BUT WHEN IT'S RUN BY PEOPLE LIKE JAMES, THEN YEAH. PRETTY MUCH."

Finally straying away from the crowd and their noise, the trio were reintroduced to their friends.

"Aw Acxa, and Keith~! Glad you actually came. I was beginning to think you'd bail out on us and this fun!" Veronica hugged her confused friend.

"Why yes, I would never do such a thing. Although, I would have to disagree with you on how this could be 'fun'." Acxa responded, massaging her ears.

"Oh there you go again blurting out your opinion without a care. Typical Acxa-"

"Our Acxa!" Veronica consoled James by patting his back playfully.

The rest of the MFE group exchanged their greetings.

"So, Acxa. You think this ain't at all fun? I'll make it my mission to prove ya wrong!" Nadia spun back to the others, "Right guys? Everyone come on and join us!"

"Sure, sounds fine by me." Said Veronica.

"I mean, I'm kinda busy on keeping check who's at the door cause this is my place-"

"Don't worry about it, Jamesy! Someone else can take care of that stuff. Spend time with us and quit looking around for a girl to dance with and hopefully date~"

Veronica and Nadia shared a smug smirk towards the now heated boy. Ina simply shook her head in shame.

"If you'd like, may I offer you all to a game of cards?" Ina asked.

"Cards?" Acxa tilted her head.

"What kind of ga-"" Keith was cut off.

"CARDS?! Inaaa sweetie, again?" The blue haired, hyper girl whined.

"Shush Nadia, there's nothing wrong with playing some more. Plus, I think it's a great way to show Acxa how a party can be fun!" Veronica stated, pulling Acxa and Keith to the table as the rest soon followed in.

After this "boring" and time consuming game, Nadia was sure to introduce her alien friend to a whole variety of other party activities.

Some not so appropriate to her friend's taste, that is.

___

Hours passed, around four. At least, that's what Acxa assumed. It was quite dark afterall.

Clumsily, she walked, or rather stumbled, her way back to the snack table. Her eyes dilating as her gaze lingered from item to item, looking for that deliciously red-colored juice. To be honest, she didn't really think it to be that good, terrible actually, but nonetheless she had the urge to engulf her system with some more. This beverage was making her feel... happy anyways.

"Acxa? Acxa-" Keith trotted to his girlfriend. He rested his hand on the small of her back, looking over to see her pouting face. How cute.

"...Ac-?"

"No, nooo, nooooo! There's no more *hiccup* juiceee!" Acxa aimed to pound her hand onto the table, but instead missed and hit Keith's stomach area. She turned around at the sudden sound.

"Ow. Acxa are you-"

He felt her cold finger poke his lips. She giggled childishly. Her toothy smile making the man blush almost uncomfortably. She looked so happy, and he knew well that it was not exactly in her control.

"You're... I think you look very handsome~! Do I *hiccup* know you... from somewhere?"

"Yes, yes you do. I'm your boyfriend, remember? Keith." He couldn't help but chuckle.

She looked up and stared at nothing in particular, thinking.

"Keith. Oh yes! I remember you, I think."

"I sure hope so. It'll suck if you don't and I lose my beautiful girlfriend."

"Aw, you're too kind, sir." Acxa bashfully covered part of her smiley face with her hand. So cute.

"Really looks like Nadia did her job, huh? How much did you drink?"

"Hmmm, I estimate around 57 *hiccup* cups? No wait, maybe it was 70..."

Keith was shocked. Then again, he was dating a 6 foot something to 7 foot girl from another planet. He should've been surprised more at the fact that Earth alcohol even had an affect on her.

"Wow, ahaha! That's enough for you then. Let's say we go back home and go to sleep. I'm beat and this party is getting crazier by the minute." He took her hand and tugged her to, again, follow him.

"Waaait~! Not yet! I wanna say bye to my *hiccup* friendsss!" Acxa protested and limped herself back.

Keith sighed, "Ina told me to say goodbye for her to you a while ago. Veronica went out earlier too. Nadia's passed out black on the couch. And James is... eh whatever who gives a damn."

"Nadia? Passed out! Is she okay? She's not okay! I need to help her- Let me go help!"

Great.

"Woah woah calm down, baby. Nadia's okay. She's with a few other girls watching over her. Trust me?" Keith wrapped his arms around her frantic self.

"Always have, always will." She puffed.

"Good. Thanks for that. Now, ready to go?"

"M'kayyy~!"

___

AN: Gee, look who's back. 🤡

[illegalsouniverse]

Raea Cordelia&Fox: Intro

Birth Name: Raea Cordelia

Born: 48 BBY

Species: Human

Homeworld: Stewjon (Location: Stewjon System)

Occupation: Senator in the Galactic Republic, representing the Stewjon system - (including the planet of Colstev)

Affiliations: The Cordelia Family, Galactic Republic, Refugee Relief Movement, Loyalist Committee, Resistance Movement of Stewjon, Resistance Movement of Colstev, Representatives for Unity Program, Intergalactic Relations Committee, People for the Fight Against Colonization, Coruscant Advisory Committee, Movement to End Galactic Hunger, Preservation of the Galactic Arts Committee, Movement to-

“Maker, how many damn committees and movements is this girl a part of?”

“Easy, Commander.” Thorn chuckled as he set down the cup of caf he’d brought up for his vod. “That’s a senator you’re talking about.”

Fox had to physically stop his eyes from rolling into the back of his head. He was a Coruscanti guardsman, an elite shock trooper, the best of the best. And yet here he was reading through the file and preparing for his next assignment: babysitting duty. The Chancellor had signed off on the orders himself. Senator Cordelia was apparently unorthodox, loud about her opinions, and unyielding in her ideologies. She spoke out against the Separatists, the Trade Federation, even some of the other Senators in the Republic. Because of this she was one of the biggest targets in the Galactic Senate.

“I can’t believe they have you on guard duty for one measly senator.” Thorn briefly looked over the file laid out on Fox’s desk, his eyes growing wide at the list of affiliations his Commander had been referring to. He let out a low whistle.

Fox couldn’t agree more. “Word is she’s been receiving death threats from all over. The Separatists aren’t exactly being quiet about their feelings toward her.”

“But why you?”

He’d been asking himself that question as well. He told Thorn the same thing he’d been telling himself since finding out about the assignment. “I honestly have no clue.”

“Here’s to finding out, I guess.” Thorn lifted his cup of caf before downing the rest of it.

---

They were supposed to meet the Senator more than twenty minutes ago. The instructions had been absolutely crystal clear: the Guardsmen were to meet with the Senator in her personal residence on Coruscant where they would escort her to and from her meetings and then Fox was to stay with her throughout all of her visits on Coruscant.

The Senator was late. Fox didn’t like late. Late stressed him out, made him anxious, forced his brain to create various scenarios in which he failed to do his job correctly. Late didn’t work for Fox.

He was just about to comm Thorn, who was assigned to protect the Chancellor since Fox was reassigned for the time being, when the doors to the room slid open. In walked two female humans, one dressed professionally and carrying a datapad while listing off times and names - meetings, Fox deciphered. The other one was dressed elegantly and she strode into the room without a care, barely bothering to glance at the Guards around her. It seemed more over that she hadn’t noticed them rather than that she was actively ignoring them.

“Ugh, cancel the 3 o’clock with Palpatine,” Fox nearly choked at the improper use of the Chancellor’s surname from the girl, who the hell did she think she- “and find out if we can squeeze in a late lunch with Padme or Bail. They’ve been drafting a new trade agreement and I thought Stewjon might benefit from Alder- Dove, who are these people and why are they in my flat?” She stuck her arm out to stop the two of them from walking any further into the room.

“This is your Guard that the Chancellor was, uhm, nice enough to assign to you.”

“Why would I need guards?”

“I told you this last week, the Separatists-”

“I thought that was a joke! Why did you let me laugh?!”

“Raea- Senator Cordelia- ehm,” the girl stumbled over her words, “it’s for your protection. The Separatists have been more open about their threats lately.”

The Senator rolled her eyes. Fox watched her closely as she strode across the room, throwing her shoes off and shedding the fancy silk robe that looked like it cost more than the flat they stood in. Dove caught the robe as it almost hit the ground and laid it across the large couch the Senator had now draped herself onto.

“Senator-” Fox began to speak but was interrupted by the woman in question.

“Dove, call up the Chancellor immediately and tell him I do not need a babysitter.”

Fox almost scoffed. He couldn’t agree more. But this was his job, and hell if she thought she was going to interfere with that. He had orders to follow.

“I’m sorry, she’s been up since early this morning and she hasn’t had any caf-” the PA, Dove, tried to apologize but Fox was barely listening.

“Trust me, Senator, I have no desire to babysit you anymore than you’d like to be babysat. But with the Separatists’ threats rolling in and the recent riots in the lower sectors, the Chancellor has put me in charge of making sure you’re kept safe from any threats.” Fox was smug in his reply. He’d been assigned to protect Senators before but not pretty much permanently like he had this time, and definitely not to one that seemed so-

“And trust me, Commander, everyday I wake up and argue with a bunch of grown men three times my age about tariffs and trade and planetary negotiations, all the while they mansplain and act like I have ‘so much to learn’ because I’m a young girl who’s only had this position for a short period of time. So the last thing I want is to come back to my home and argue with another grown man about what is and isn’t safe for me. The Separatists have never liked me, because I’ve never liked them and I’ve made that abundantly clear numerous times. Their threats on my life are not new to me. As for the so-called riots in the lower sectors, I have nothing to fear over a cause I fight for on the Senate floor.”

Bratty.

“You what?” Thire spoke out of turn, something Fox would have to scold him over later. Though he had asked precisely what Fox had wanted to as well. “You support those people?”

“Those people are ignored day in and day out by the government that has done nothing to help them. They struggle for fair wages and good working conditions all the while dealing with hunger and poverty the deeper into the core you get. Meanwhile the Republic spends money on an army it has no business owning-

“That army is fighting to win this war-” Fox shot back.

“Well I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there are no winners in war, just those who profit off of it and those who pay its price.”

“And which one would that make you, Senator?”

“I’ve fought to help those displaced and destroyed by the war. Believe me when I say I wish my system could remain neutral.”

“Then why don’t you? If you don’t like the Senate and you don’t like the Separatists it seems there’s only one option left.”

“How naive you are to think any of us have an option-”

“Ok!” Dove laughed nervously and yanked at her Senator’s arm, pulling her away from Fox - who was just noticing how close they’d been. The phrase right at each other’s throats had never been more literal. “Remember you have that….uh, meeting in thirty minutes with, uhhh, Senator-Senator... Mothma! Senator Mothma! Yes, and you have to get ready for it.”

Fox watched the Senator grumble under her breath as her PA led her away from the guards and into an adjacent room that Fox could only assume was her bedroom.

He didn’t like her. Not in the slightest. She was a privileged, spoiled, rude, bratty little outspoken, know-it-all, smart-ass, obnoxiously gorgeous-

“Commander?” It was the PA again. She stood in the doorway of the Senator’s private room. “We will be leaving in just a few moments. If you had any procedures to go through I would do them now.”

“Finish them quickly! I’d like to get going immediately!” The Senator’s voice was a muffled yell, like there was a barrier between them. She came out of the room not a few seconds later wearing a completely different outfit. How she managed to change so quickly he had no idea. Where she looked more regal before she now looked like any typical civvie off the street, albeit Fox would be able to spot her face easily in a crowd but that had nothing, nothing at all, to do with the fact that she held a different kind of beauty to her. That wasn’t his opinion, of course it wasn’t it was just a fact, or at least that’s what he told himself.

Fox huffed and motioned for Thire and Stone. They took that as the go-ahead to do a quick sweep of the hallway and lift.

“Some rules before we leave here, Senator Cordelia.” Fox watched the girl roll her eyes but choose to ignore her for the sake of time and energy. “Thire and Stone will be running sweeps before we exit and enter buildings. I’ll be at your side constantly. Don’t stop to talk to anyone, and don’t ask questions if I tell you to do something. Our top priority is your safety, as far as I’m concerned everyone is a threat until I’ve deemed otherwise.”

Senator Cordelia’s face scrunched into a mixture of annoyance and confusion. “Maker, you’re so dramatic. At my side constantly? And what if I have to use the refresher, Commander? What about when I have to bathe or change or sleep? Are you going to be there then? Should we get comfortable with each other now since we’re going to be oh so close it would seem?” She wore a smirk like a crown. With total and utter confidence.

Fox stopped something like a growl from creeping up his throat. She was going to be handful. Thire commed in to let him know it was all clear. “Let’s get moving.”

He moved the Senator and her PA into the lift quickly. When they reached the bottom they were met with Thire and Stone who walked behind them while Fox walked at the Senator’s side. Dove was messing with her datapad and Senator Cordelia was wearing that little smirk that wouldn’t seem to leave her face since they’d left her living quarters. They were out of the building and almost to the enclosed blasterproof Republic airspeeder.

Fox’s focus was broken by Stone’s modulated voice. “Sir! There’s been a security breach on the ground level.”

The actions came natural to Fox. He hardly had to think about them before the orders were leaving his mouth. “Get the Senator into the airspeeder. Thire, you’re with me. Stone, stay out here. Make sure no one gets too close.” Senator Cordelia and Dove were maneuvered into the speeder at the same moment Thire and Fox made a break for the building they’d just left.

They’d searched the entire ground floor, three times over even, but nothing came up.

“Must’ve been a system glitch. I’ll have someone check it out and reboot the systems before we come back.” Thire shrugged.

Something wasn’t right. Fox could feel it in his bones. “Get them to do a perimeter and ground sweep again before we return. Something’s off. Nothing is ever really nothing where the Republic is concerned.”

They’d made it back to Stone, who hadn’t moved from the spot they’d left him in.

“Nothing?” Fox questioned him, but Stone just shrugged. “Ugh. Let’s get going then.”

The airspeeder doors opened and Fox felt his blood run cold. If his heart had the capability to stop beating it would’ve. The inevitable migraine he was expecting had come much earlier than he thought. Fox didn’t fail. He did his job and he did it well. He was top of his class, never missed the slightest of details, hell they called him the “sly fox” for a reason. He was the head of the Coruscant's Elite Guard for a reason, he’d earned that title. But this...this was like nothing he’d ever dealt with before.

The datapad, the same on Dove - the damned PA - had been using shined bright, blinking bright red text that read: I THOUGHT YOU SAID AT MY SIDE CONSTANTLY, COMMANDER? The little animated emoji with his tongue sticking out didn’t do anything to quell his growing anger. Flashbacks played through his head of Dove stumbling over her words about the meeting with Senator Mothma, Dove messing with her datapad before they exited the building, Senator Cordelia smirking at her PA. Fierfek, she hadn’t even argued with them when they shoved her into the airspeeder.

He glanced through the airspeeder at the door on the opposite side. It’s window was completely open, wide enough for someone to climb right through it. Or someones. Two of them to be exact. Those sly little-

“Commander? What should we do?” Stone’s voice was nerve-wracked. He was supposed to be watching them, he didn’t expect they’d sneak off themselves.

Fox grumbled to himself before giving them orders. “Search the immediate surrounding areas. I want surveillance cams pulled from all street corners. We find the Senator first, no one can know she’s out without security or protection.” He waited for them to nod before yelling. “Go! Now!”

Yeah, she was definitely going to be a handful.

“Kriff.”

[roslinadama-sinequanon]

Saying Good-Bye to Yesterday-Chapter 11

So, yes it’s been forever and day. I haven’t dropped off the planet or quit writing for Shandy. It just got difficult for a while.  

You can find the chapter here https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13004092/11/Saying-Good-Bye-to-Yesterday and here https://archiveofourown.org/works/15321687/chapters/53083987 and here

****

"Hey, hon." Andy paused in buttoning his shirt at the greeting, his lips curving into a smile when he took in Sharon's disheveled appearance as she entered their bedroom, fresh from a workout, spandex shorts clinging to her long toned thighs, loose tendrils of hair slipping out of her high ponytail.

"How was the Barre class?" He asked.

"It wasn't Barre. It was Spin." Over the past few months, Amy had convinced her to start taking spin classes with her, adding to her usual regimen of Body Barre, Pilates, and Yoga.

"Well, how was Spin?"

"Ugh." She pulled the sweaty racerback tank over her head. "Jelly legs."

"Gorgeous legs," he corrected.

"Yes, well, that takes work, darling." Though she ate healthily, for the most part, was supple, naturally active, and thanks to genetics and a great metabolism, didn't have to fight hard to maintain her slender figure, she exercised to keep toned and fit. In addition to the classes she attended when her schedule allowed, she swam laps almost every day, did some light weights at the PD gym, and also got out to Malibu to a riding stable as often as she could. When she first mentioned her horseback riding to Andy as a full-body workout, he gave her a typical Andy quip, "for the horse, right? " She'd ignored the comment until she could prove her point. One afternoon she'd taken him on what he referred to as a "ball crushing" ride, and he'd sheepishly eaten his words. Later still, when they'd become intimate and he'd felt those "thighs of steel" around his waist, he'd come to an even greater appreciation of that "full-body" exercise.

"Well, I'm pretty gross right now, so I'm going to hop in the shower." She pulled off her sports bra and wiped at the sweat under her breasts before dropping it in the hamper and disappearing into the bathroom. When she emerged 15 minutes later, she had one towel wrapped around her torso, the other turban-style around her head.

"Don't forget, I have book club tonight," she said.

"Yeah, I'm gonna hit a meeting."

She glanced up sharply from her dresser, a pair of rose-colored panties dangling from her fingertips. "Everything okay?"

Though her tone remained neutral, Andy picked up the tiny inflection of worry. It wasn't his usual meeting night. "Yeah, everything's fine," he assured her. "I had to skip last week because of our case, and I haven't gotten the chance to talk to Isaac."

"About us?"

"Yes."

Once in her fresh panties, Sharon shimmied on a pair of black leggings that she paired with a long, slouchy v-neck cashmere sweater in a soft shade of blush. To finish off the casual outfit, she slipped on a pair of two-tone quilted Chanel ballet flats, big silver hoop earrings, and a silver cuff bracelet. Andy continued to watch her dress. Watching her shed her professional persona for her personal one was kind of a ritual for him. At work, she was all fitted, classic, sleek lines. Understated and sophisticated. At home, her wardrobe was softer and a little more eclectic. Even her jewelry was different. At work, simple diamond studs in her ears and her watch, no bracelets, no necklaces, no dangling earrings. At home, she often wore pretty bracelets, hoops or dangling earrings, and a variety of necklaces, including the crucifix she never wore to work. Separation of church and state and all. He asked her once why she stopped wearing necklaces when she took over Major Crimes. After expressing surprise that he had actually noticed that, she told him that Brenda had warned her that wearing a necklace when interviewing suspects was dangerous because they could use it to try to strangle her. Given the violent animosity their former Chief seemed to bring out in suspects, he figured she was speaking from experience. Probably a good idea that he wore his sobriety necklace tucked in under his shirt. He was pretty sure there were hundreds of suspects over the years who would have loved nothing more than to strangle him.

A half-hour later, with her hair blown dry and her make up re-applied, Sharon came out of the bedroom to see Andy slipping on his jean jacket as he prepared to head out. Rusty was sitting on the couch on his laptop.

"You boys are on your own for supper tonight," she reminded the two.

"Okay. " Rusty glanced up. "What do you want to do, Andy?"

"I have a meeting, so I thought I could pick something up for us on my way home. Want a pizza from Palermo's?"

"Just make sure my half isn't loaded down with veggies."

Andy rolled his eyes. "No veggies. Got it."

Sharon smiled and started to reach for the Trader Joes bag she'd left on the table.

"I've got that, babe." Andy took the heavy bag and followed her out the door. Not so long ago, she might have bristled at the move and argued that she could carry the bag herself, but Andy knew that. It was simply a gentlemanly act of kindness, and she no longer looked for any sort of underlying misogynistic meaning to his kind gestures.

******

The strong smell of flowers hit Sharon just outside the storefront, and she glanced up at the pretty awning hanging over the doorway. "Lotions and Potions," her friend Summer's bath and body shop in Mar Vista. She opened the door, and the floral and spicy scents grew more pronounced. Taking a few steps in, she scanned the room, looking past the displays of soaps, bath salts, body creams, and lotions to see Summer with a customer over in the incense and essential oil section. The little bell that jangled at her entry drew Summer's attention, and when she glanced over and saw who it was, she gave Sharon a smile and a hand gesture indicating that she would be with her in a minute. Sharon nodded and began browsing, lifting and examining the vintage apothecary jars Summer used to carry her product. The old-fashioned jars and antique-looking sepia labels with their intricate designs and calligraphy lettering harkened back to another era as if she was stepping back in time.

Several years ago, this had been a New Age jewelry and clothing store where Summer worked as a clerk. Summer fit right in with today's millenials, often flitting from job to job, but for as long as Sharon had known her, she grew herbs and made homemade soaps and lotions in her house, selling her creations on the weekends at craft fairs and farmer's markets. Then Anabel, the storeowner, allowed her to put a few samples out for sale at the store, and they were a big hit. Soon she had a whole product line for sale. When Anabel decided to sell the store, the first person she approached was Summer, which had taken Summer completely by surprise. She was an artist, after all, not a businesswoman. I mean sure, she practically managed the store, but what did she know about running a business? At least that's what she said to Sharon when they were talking out the pros and cons. It was a moot point, anyway. Summer didn't have the kind of money needed to start a business.

But Sharon did. When her grandparents died, she was bequeathed quite a large inheritance. Some of the money was in a trust, but she had more than enough to lend Summer for the start-up costs. Summer hadn't seen it that way. It had been a battle royal for Sharon to get her best friend to agree to the loan. The very idea of it terrified Summer. What if she didn't succeed? What if she couldn't pay Sharon back? Sharon had gone through hell digging out of the mess Jack created for her financially, and she didn't want to see her have to deal with anything like that again. And most of all, she didn't want the money coming between them. Their friendship was too important. But Sharon prevailed. They worked it all out, with Sharon as an investor, and then they worked together to make Summer's vision become a reality.

The quirky little store was a reflection of its quirky little owner, and it was a hit. Situated only a few miles from both Venice Beach and Santa Monica, it drew in both the unconventional crowd and the well-to-do. Summer paid Sharon back several years ago, but Sharon still took pride in all that she had helped her friend accomplish here.

Grabbing a bottle of her favorite vanilla/jasmine body cream, Sharon glanced back around to see that Summer was still engrossed in conversation with her customer, her light brown curls bouncing on her shoulders with every enthusiastic nod of her head. Rather than stand around waiting, she decided to make her way to Summer's office in the back of the store. She pushed aside the beads that hung in the doorway, in lieu of an actual door, giving a loud sigh at the chaos. As usual, Summer's desk was filled with clutter: folders, papers, coffee mugs, and a bunch of opened boxes. No way could she ever work surrounded by such a mess. In fact, she could already feel the prickles of anxiety at the very idea. She started to move things around to make a spot to set her bag down when an item in one of the boxes caught her eye. Reaching in, she pulled it out, eyes widening with both surprise and curiosity.

"Find anything you like?"

Sharon jumped, nearly dropping the glass object. "Dammit, Summer! "

Summer's wide grin grew even wider. "Gotcha. Either you're losing your cop instincts, or that object holds more than a little interest for you."

"What is it?"

"If I have to tell you, Andy has a real problem."

Sharon flushed. "I know what it is; I just mean why do you have boxes of this stuff?"

"That stuff, as you call it, is luxury personal care products. "

One elegant brow rose skeptically. "Luxury? They're…"

"Glass dildos."

"And again, you have boxes of these, why?"

"I had a distributor come in for a meeting today. She wants me to try selling her line here."

"You're going to sell sex toys? Here? At Lotions and Potions?" Sharon looked so appalled that Summer had to giggle.

"No, I am possibly going to sell luxury personal care items. I told her I would think about it. It's a big and pretty lucrative business right now. Look at them, Sharon, they're works of art."

Sharon looked again at the item in her hand, eyeing it critically. Blown glass with swirls of color, graceful lines. She had to admit, it really did look like a piece of art.

"Much more attractive than the real thing. Am I right?"

Sharon gave a little snort-laugh. "Oh my God, you're right. It is. Though we better not let the guys hear us say that."

"God, no. Men do love their penises, don't they?"

"Mmm…" Sharon hummed affirmatively.

"Almost as much as they love our boobs."

Sharon shook her head with amused affection and another little snort-laugh. She never quite knew what was going to come out of Summer's mouth. In that respect, and in so many more, they were as different as night and day. Oil and water. Chalk and cheese.

Summer was as outgoing and irreverent as Sharon was private and respectful. As unconventional and flighty as Sharon was traditional and responsible. As loud and boisterous, as Sharon was soft-spoken and reserved.

Summer was thrift store boho gauzy tops, flowing skirts, Birkenstocks, and arms covered in bangle bracelets. Sharon was Neiman Marcus pencil skirts, Armani suits, killer heels, and diamond earrings. Summer lifted her arms in worship to the winter solstice while Sharon knelt in reverent prayer at midnight mass. Summer was homeschooling and a childhood spent on a commune. Sharon was private Catholic schools and summers on Nantucket. Summer was Stevie Nicks to Sharon's Grace Kelly.

And yet, they clicked. For 26 years, they had been best friends. From the day that Sharon and Jack moved into their new home in Mar Vista and a bossy little child knocked on their door stating, "I'm five. Do you have any little girls my age I can play with?" With baby Ricky on her hip, Sharon smiled at the little ragamuffin with Popsicle lips and a mop of brown curls and then introduced her to a bashful four-year-old Emily. Within seconds, a harried woman in a tank top and an Indian wrap skirt straight out of the 1970s followed. Since she shared the same wild head of curls with the little moppet now dragging Emily along by the hand, Sharon assumed she was her mother. Indeed, the woman said she was looking for her daughter and, like Sharon, she too had a diapered little boy resting against her shoulder. Sharon introduced herself then invited the gypsy looking woman in for a cup of coffee. It was the beginning of three very important friendships: Sharon and Summer, Emily and Jade, and Ricky and Cody.

Despite their differences in background, personality, and temperament, the two young women easily found common ground. Their kids were the same age, they both loved the arts, and they were both in difficult marriages. Their bond was quick and strong. They spent their days off from work building sandcastles with their kids at the beach, pushing swings at the park, or attending children's reading circles at the library. They babysat for each other, swapped books, and on those rare occasions when they had time for themselves, browsed through art galleries, bookstores, and museums together. Most importantly, since neither had extended family in Los Angeles, they created a much-needed support system for each other. And that was something that became increasingly important, because, within a few years, they were both on their own. Single parents.

Summer came across as flaky, but she was everything Sharon needed in a friend: supportive, warm, honest, and a strong shoulder to cry on-one of a very select group of people whom Sharon allowed to see her vulnerability. They had journeyed together through all the difficulties and heartaches life threw at them, helping each other raise their children, bucking each other up when things seemed bleak, and sharing in each other's joy as they each found success in their professions and new love. From breast-feeding to hot flashes, they had seen each other through it all.

"So, " Summer continued. "Go ahead and take whatever you like. I know you're not a prude. Try one out and let me know what you think."

"I'm good." Sharon placed the item back in the box with a little quirk of her lips. "I've got the real thing now."

"Yeah, well what about these? Could be fun." Summer dangled a pair of handcuffs.

"Again, I've got the real thing."

"Pfff… Those things would hurt. These are love cuffs. Nice and soft. See." Sharon admired the plush cuffs Summer thrust in her face, faux fur with little tiny bows, definitely not standard LAPD gear, but shook her head negatively. "I'm all set." She glanced down at her watch. "Come on, Sum. We really have to get going or we're going to be late."

"Oh, no, we wouldn't want to be late."

Sharon rolled her eyes, ignoring the sarcasm. Fate had surrounded her with smart asses. "No, we wouldn't. So, let's go."

"Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a wad. Just promise me you'll think about it."

Sharon blew out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine, I'll think about it, now let's go."

*****

Sitting in the back corner of the bookstore, Sharon found herself center stage, surrounded by a group of women gushing with excitement over the diamond on her finger, grabbing her hand to look at it and pumping her for all the details of the proposal.

"It's so beautiful, Sharon. " Aggie's eyes went dreamy, her hands in a prayer triangle under her chin, lost in the fairytale of Sharon's proposal. "And how romantic. I can just picture it…A winter wonderland. A romantic sleigh ride through the woods and Andy down on one knee professing his undying love for you-" She broke off, swiftly coming back to reality when everyone burst into laughter. "What?" She defended herself. "I love romance."

"As if we didn't know," Marina scoffed. Whenever it was Aggie's turn to pick their monthly book, it was invariably a romance of some sort.

"Hey, I thought Russians were supposed to have romantic souls." Aggie's protest was made in the soft New Orleans drawl she hadn't lost despite having lived in LA for the past 20 years.

"I had one of those…Four husbands ago." Marina, a ballerina, had defected to the United States in the late seventies and had later opened a ballet studio in LA after retiring from the stage. Sharon met her when she signed Emily up for lessons at her studio after her young daughter had become more serious about studying dance and outgrown her instructor. It was Marina who had seen the talent and drive in Emily and helped her become the principal ballerina she was today. Marina was also cynical and pragmatic and went through men, mostly younger men, the way Andy used to go through younger women.

"Don't listen to her," Sharon said. "You're right, Aggie, Andy couldn't have picked a more romantic way to propose. Hard to believe I found a man whose sense of occasion can actually rival mine. It's certainly a night I will never forget."

"I still can't believe Andy took Gavin to help pick out your ring and not me," Summer sulked. The room went silent, all the women turning to her with wide eyes before erupting in giggles. "What?" She held her hand's open palms up and shrugged in a "what the hell" gesture.

Rachel, a pretty blonde, responded. "Come on, Sum, when it comes to style, there is nobody, other than maybe Roz here, who is more opposite from Sharon than you."

"I'd take exception to that if it weren't 100% true," was Roz's good-natured response. A writer for a comedy sitcom, Roz was notoriously sloppy in her dress, preferring the sweatpants, t-shirts and Converse sneakers she was wearing right now to any other attire. When she was forced to wear something nice, she chose boxy male suits and would never be caught dead in a "girlie" skirt or dress.

"I don't think we're that opposite." Summer's protest drew more peals of laughter.

"Summer…" Rachel lifted her friend's skirt, smirking when she exposed plastic clogs. "You are wearing Crocs. Need I say more?"

"There's nothing wrong with Crocs. They're comfortable." Summer pushed her skirt back over her shoes.

"No offense, I love you to pieces, but they're fugly and Sharon wouldn't be caught dead out in public in them." With her sleek dark blonde bob and stylish clothes, Rachel Garner had far more in common when shopping with Sharon than Summer. Like Andrea, Rachel was a lawyer, now an advisor to Mayor Garcetti. She and Sharon had become friends back when Sharon was promoted to the LAPD's Women's Coordinator position and they had worked together on numerous cases.

"What I don't understand is why you want to get married in the first place. I mean you just got out of a bad marriage, why jump right back in?" The room went silent, this time with tension, not humor. Roz sat back, arms crossed over her chest, seemingly unconcerned by the group's collective disapproval.

"What the hell are you talking about?" It was Summer who quickly jumped to Sharon's defense. "Just out of a bad marriage? She's been done with that ungrateful, immature, disloyal prick for 23 freaking years! Just because she only formally divorced him a couple of years ago doesn't mean-"

"Summer," Sharon tugged on her friend's arm. "It's okay, calm down."

"It's not okay; she has no right to say that. You," she pointed a finger at Roz, "have no idea what she went through. You've known her for what? Four years? You have no right to question her choices. And just because you hate men doesn't mean she has to feel the same."

"Okay, okay, whoa. I didn't mean to start World War III." Roz held her hands up in defeat. "And for the record, I don't hate men. Well, all men anyway. I'm just saying, she doesn't need a man…a husband."

"Roz is right." Sharon agreed, taking a sip of her wine.

"What?" Summer turned to her with confusion.

"She's right. I don't need a man. But I can want one without needing him. And you know what? That makes this the purest relationship I have ever been in, ever. I don't need Andy's money, I don't need his security, I don't need his protection, I don't need him to provide shelter for me, I'm not looking for a father for my children. I am with Andy for one reason only. I love him. It's as easy and as simple as that. I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. And yes, I want the formal commitment of marriage. I know I don't need it, but I want it. And that's my choice." She tapped her fingers on her chest, stressing the point. "I am at a place in my life right now where I can do what I want to do, not what I need to do, and you have no idea how much freedom there is in that for me."

"And we're thrilled for you." Summer's narrowed eyes shot daggers at Roz, causing Sharon to suppress a smile. Summer was about as laid back a person as she knew, however, one thing they did have in common was that you didn't mess with the people they love.

"Yes, we are." Patrice set a gentle hand on Sharon's knee. "Andy is a great guy, and he loves you to the moon and back." As Andy's caregiver while he was recovering from his surgery, Patrice had gotten to know the man and the way he felt about Sharon better than any of them.

Andrea nodded in agreement. "You all know how I feel about marriage, but hell, if I had a guy who looked at me the way Flynn looks at Sharon, who knows?"

Aggie, who had gone off to pilfer through the shelves, returned and flopped down in an oversized chair. She opened the small book she'd been looking for and began reading. "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."

"That's C.S Lewis, isn't it? " Sharon recognized the passage from having read a lot of Lewis's work.

Aggie nodded. "From The Four Loves."

"Well, he sums it up rather nicely, doesn't he? " Sharon poured a little more wine in her glass, then sat back. "Loving someone is a risk, no doubt about it, but I will always believe that it is a risk worth taking." She was well aware of how easy it would have been to encase her heart in one of those caskets after Jack, to allow herself to become unreachable. But that just wasn't in her DNA. Barriers, yes, she had certainly erected some of those, but closed off completely? No. She simply had too much love inside her to shut down like that. She knew people often thought she was cold, aloof, unemotional. They never knew it was all a façade, a shield meant to hide the fact that she actually felt things very deeply. She'd had to learn how to contain those emotions, to hide her feelings, but they were there, they were always there. And, had she entombed her heart, she never would have been able to let Rusty in, nor been able to embrace the man who had become the love of her life. Vulnerable? Yes, love made you vulnerable, but the rewards far outweighed any risk.

"I agree, we all need to remain open to love. Now, who's hungry?" Helen, the owner of the bookstore, set to restore order to their opinionated little group. "We'll eat, then dive into the book."

Sharon shot the older woman a grateful look. They might all be friends, but she had never really been comfortable with people dissecting her life.

The food was potluck. Each member of the club took a turn hosting the meeting, but it was always potluck so no one was stuck having to feed the whole group. At the end of each meeting, they drew out of a hat to see if they would be bringing the beverages, an appetizer, or an entrée to the next meeting. Though it wasn't a rule, they often tried to base whatever food they brought on the setting of their book. The only part of the meal they did not draw for was dessert. Mary Agnes Boudreaux McCormack, Aggie, always brought dessert. Twenty years ago, Aggie had moved to Los Angeles after Craig McCormack walked into her bakery in New Orleans and swept the 37-year-old widow off her feet, taking her home with him to California. Aggie opened a pretty little bed and breakfast near Venice Beach and brought with her the French and Creole delicacies of her former home, including the to-die-for beignets she brought to each meeting, regardless of the setting. No one was willing to forgo those beignets.

This month's book was set in Mexico, so there were cheesy nachos with garlic guacamole, sweet potato and black bean taquitos, a creamy taco soup, Mexican chicken and rice, and fish tacos. Sharon had drawn beverages at their last meeting, so, along with a case of seltzer water, she'd brought a few bottles of a Baja Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend along with the makings for Mojitos.

"And these," she drew out two large bottles of champagne. "Because we can't celebrate 10 years without a little bubbly. I still can't believe we've been doing this for 10 years." She poured the champagne and passed the glasses around to the ten incredible women sprawled over the sitting area. Ranging in age from their late forties to early sixties, with most in their fifties like Sharon, black, white, and mixed heritage, native Californians and transplants, gay and straight, single and married, they were a diverse group who had come together to bond over a shared love of books. And somewhere along the way, they had become friends. Friends that had seen each other through infidelity, divorce, infertility, empty nests, cancer, adoptions, menopause, job losses, promotions, and new loves gained and lost.

The book club had come about rather organically not long after Helen and her business partner, Jenny, opened "The Book Nook", a combination bookstore/café a little over 10 years ago. Helen's husband, Christopher, had accepted the position of visiting professor at USC, and the British couple fell in love with the climate and laid back lifestyle of Southern California. So, when a permanent position became available, they decided to leave the gray skies and rain of England behind and settle in the land of sunshine and surfers. At the time, Jenny was a stay at home mom whose marriage had fallen apart after her battle with breast cancer. Divorced, her children in college, and cancer-free, she was ready to embrace a new life when Helen became a patron of the coffeehouse where she was working as a barista. Soon they were discussing a joint venture. A few years later, their bookstore/cafe became reality, and Sharon, Summer, and Rachel became some of their first customers. Recommendations of authors and long chats over coffee regarding the books they read or were interested in reading had Jenny suggesting the idea of starting a book club.

For Sharon, it was perfect timing. Ricky had just gone off to Stanford, and with Emily across the country at NYU, she was reeling from the effects of her empty nest. For 21 years, her life had revolved around her children and their needs, car-pooling, cooking, laundry, helping with homework, getting them to practices, cheering them on at games and recitals, and most recently visiting college campuses in preparation for their futures. And then suddenly they were just…gone. The house was too quiet, too empty, too filled with memories. And, with her children gone, the fact that she did not have a love life only became more pronounced, her bed suddenly emptier, colder to the touch. And it didn't help that she was starting to feel like she was in a rut at the PSB. Melancholy enveloped her in its insidious web, eating away at her, telling her that her best days were now in the past.

Later, she would find that she actually enjoyed the peace and solitude of being on her own, the freedom of not having to organize anyone but herself. But in the beginning, the loneliness was crushing. Both Rachel and Summer commiserated with her because they were going through the same thing. It was Marina who encouraged her to use that time to focus on herself and do some of the things she'd wanted to do but hadn't had time for in the past.

For many years, Sharon had helped out a few nights a month at St. Joseph's soup kitchen, bringing Emily and Ricky along with her, which was how she'd gotten to know Aggie. Now, she began volunteering at the church's domestic violence shelter, counseling the women on their rights, teaching them how to defend themselves, and helping them to find jobs. She coached them through the interview process and helped them select outfits from donated clothes-including her own-that would help them look professional. Eventually, she ended up on the board of directors. She also became the LAPD's liaison with "The Sunshine Kids Foundation" helping kids with cancer, worked with Rachel to raise money for "Emily's List", sold her house and bought the condo, and then she joined the book club.

It was the perfect hobby and helped her to expand her group of friends. Other than Gavin, Summer, and Rachel, she didn't really have any close friends, confidantes. It wasn't that she was anti-social, she had many friendly acquaintances: Marina, Aggie, a few women and men at work. But, the truth was, she had never had the time to cultivate deep friendships. As a single mom, she was usually either working or taking care of her kids. And where most people made friends on the job, her work within the PSB made that impossible. Barriers were essential in her position, and that had not been easy, especially in the beginning. Even though she'd always been a bit reserved, she was not a naturally unfriendly person, so having to close off that side of her had taken time and effort. But she'd become good at it. Maybe too good. Once her walls were built, it was hard to let people back in.

The book club started out small, and though it had not been intentional, they were all women: Helen, Sharon, Summer, Rachel, Jenny, Marina, and Aggie. Roz, Patrice, and Andrea were later additions. Once the only women thing was established, they decided to keep it that way, which pleased Sharon. She was surrounded by men all day long, worked in a profession dominated by men, and she didn't have a problem with that. For the most part, she liked working with men, liked their direct ways, and had always felt that the best teams had a combination of women and men. On the other hand, it was nice to spend time with her women friends and immerse herself in the female perspective. It was also easier to be herself and let her hair down without the male/female dynamic, without feeling like she had to prove that she was tough enough, strong enough, smart enough, the way she did at work, every… single… day. Around these women, she could express her emotions, and frankly, her sexuality, without being embarrassed or viewed as weak.

"To ten years!" Helen raised her glass of champagne.

"To ten years!" The group chorused.

TBC

[ekaeb]

HaruSei wedding headcanons under the cut. Sorry about that, regular posts will resume...eventually. 

I’ve been thinking about this since last night, so I had to make it! 

1. At this point, they had been dating for about 57 years.

2. For a few weeks before visiting Earth on a diplomatic trip, Fighter seemed out of it, which made Healer and Maker think that maybe Fighter was going to end the relationship. Healer mentioned it to Venus, next thing you know, everyone is on the case. 

3. Seiya had a specific date planned to ask, and they’d be damned if they weren’t going to pop the question before the day’s end! Why is this particular date so important? It’s the anniversary of the first time Seiya told Haruka that they love her. (Seiya is a romantic, don’t tell me they wouldn’t mark this down.)

4. It’s the day. Seiya seems extra out of it, due to nerves, so Yaten and Taiki decide to follow them on their date to find out what’s up(Because sitting down and actually talking to each other isn’t dramatic.). Somewhere along the way, everyone else joins in on the HaruSei investigation squad. Nearing the end of the evening, after Seiya repeatedly tried to have a moment alone with Haruka, things finally come to a blow and everyone asks if Seiya is going to dump her. Haruka looks shocked and confused, where as Seiya is pissed. Seiya is just like, “You know, I didn’t exactly want an audience for this!” then pulls out the ring box, still angry, and asks Haruka if she’ll marry them. Haruka is still in a sort of shock, but is able to get out a small, “Yes,” after realizing what’s going on and jumping up to hug Seiya, then glares at everyone else, then goes back to hugging Seiya while still glaring at everyone else.

5. Haruka’s engagement ring: 

Seiya’s engagement ring:

6. They have 2 weddings: One on Earth and one on Kinmoku. I personally headcanon Haruka as strict Roman Catholic, so the wedding they have on Earth is your typical church wedding. Haruka would be wearing her wedding dress from the manga because I love it and think the look is timeless, and I think of Seiya in female form 99.99% of the time, so I see them wearing a white lace turtleneck sleeveless A-line gown with a small train and the long section of their hair braided with white ribbon (Which they save for the Kinmoku wedding, later.). The wedding on Kinmoku, I imagine, would be very similar to a handfasting, with the officiator tying their hands together with a ribbon and them making commitment vows to each other. Obviously, the officiator would be queen Kakyuu(I assume she’d be queen after 500-600 years. Still not 100% on the timeline.) As for clothing, all I can really go on for the fancy clothes they’d wear on Kinmoku is Princess Kakyuu’s outfit, so I think they’d both be wearing something mesh that flows. To be honest, I’m just imagining plain opaque dresses with mesh overlays. Seiya’s would be the same as their accent color in their Senshi form, which is a very light gray-ish blue, and Haruka’s would be this,

7. Seiya’s wedding gift to Haruka was this:

It sits in a glass case in her room, in the Crystal Palace and is a top priority thing she packs when going to stay at her house, her castle, and to Kinmoku.

Haruka’s wedding gift to Seiya was a small music box that she got when she went to Notre-Dame, that has three figurines inside looking up at a picture of an angel. She got this for Seiya because it made her think of them, Maker, and Healer when they looked at Kakyuu. Seiya started to get emotional when she explained.

8. Since they can’t live together permanently (Considering they have to protect two different planets in two different solar systems and that’s a little too far of a trip to go to work in the morning), they have an arrangement where they live together for two weeks on Earth during the later half of January, and two weeks on Kinmoku during the equivalent of the later half of July. During this time, they live in their own home instead of living in the castle of the planet they’re on. For any other time of the year, they have designated times when they video chat, and one or the other will visit on diplomatic trips and/or for special holidays celebrated across the galaxy. 

[stresser]

i’m bored so i did this

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk? cereal then milk. 2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day? i’m indifferent to the feeling. 3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books? toilet paper or tissues lmao, and sometimes i dog-ear the pages. 4: how do you take your coffee/tea? coffee with french vanilla creamer, tea with sugar. 5: are you self-conscious of your smile? eh. 6: do you keep plants? i have fake plants. 7: do you name your plants? no. 8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings? hmm, writing. 9: do you like singing/humming to yourself? yep. 10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach? side. 11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends? friends? 12: what's your favorite planet? eris, which is a dwarf planet. 13: what's something that made you smile today? playing the sims 3 pets. 14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like? hardwood or concrete floors, eggshell-white walls decorated with minimalist-abstract art, open-concept living space, plants everywhere, white cabinets with wooden countertops in the kitchen, wooden beams on the ceiling, tall windows that look out onto the city. 15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is! Neutron stars can spin at a rate of 600 rotations per second 16: what's your favorite pasta dish? fettuccine alfredo. 17: what color do you really want to dye your hair? right now it’s medium brown. i used to have it pink, and i’d like to switch back if it weren’t so much money and upkeep. 18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up. umm... 19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it? i don’t keep a journal. 20: what's your favorite eye color? brown or hazel. 21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. like a purse? i bought a michael kors purse (beige, over-the-shoulder, $150) almost three years ago that i still have and carry everywhere. it’s my only purse. 22: are you a morning person? ahha... no. 23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations? sleep, play video games, bake, and write. 24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets? yes. 25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into? my own home. 26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit? my mom’s old flipflops (used to be white, cheap, squeaky, always slip off my feet while i walk), which have somehow become mine. they’re super easy to put on when i’m in a hurry to go somewhere that doesn’t require a lot of walking. 27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor? isn’t bubblegum a flavor? my favorite gum flavor is spearmint. 28: sunrise or sunset? sunset. 29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing? it’s really cute how my friends don’t exist. 30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared? yes 31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks. i always lose and mismatch socks, so i typically only wear cheap white ones from wal mart. i steal my boyfriend’s socks a lot because i keep losing my own. i don’t know where they go. i also don’t have the money to just buy socks all the time, so if i bought some really cute patterned ones, i could see myself getting upset if i lost them (especially if they were expensive, like Nike, which like... how can people just have and afford Nike socks??) anyway, i can’t sleep with socks on. if i end up falling asleep without taking them off, they somehow come off in my sleep. 32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends. it seems you’re under the impression that i have an extraordinarily active social life. 33: what's your fave pastry? baguettes 34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it? i had a teddy bear named beary that my dog tore up when i was nine. 35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often? i’m obsessed with stationary. i don’t use them i just like to look at them and organize them. 36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now? whichever one sounds like an eternal groan. 37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean? i like a clean room, but sometimes i’m too lazy to clean it. 38: tell us about your pet peeves! people who are unnecessarily loud (especially in the mornings), slow walkers, people who get to skip the entire line because their friends are at the front, people who talk shit about somebody but the next day are practically arm-and-arm with the person they’d just talked shit about, people who listen to their music on speakers rather than on earbuds/headphones (see above: “unnecessarily loud”), when you’re trying to spend time with someone and they’re looking at their phone the entire time, people who dislike something just because it’s “mainstream” and they want to be an asshole, children screaming and acting like demons in public. 39: what color do you wear the most? gray or black. 40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you? i barely have any jewelry and what little jewelry i do have is from h&m and costs like six bucks. 41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving? i don’t read a lot but i remember reading jellicoe road for summer reading in tenth grade, and i was really surprised because it was actually quite good. 42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it! the best coffee shop i’ve ever been to is intellegiencia in downtown chicago. 43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with? my boyfriend, probably? i don’t remember. 44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything? umm??? 45: do you trust your instincts a lot? yes. 46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. not a pun: i used to like puns but people are overusing them to an extreme so now i can’t fucking stand them lol. 47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe? sprouts. they’re like the pubes of nature. 48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today? the dark, and although i’m still perpetually afraid of the dark, i have a bigger fear of heights. 49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought? no, not really. the last cd i bought was probably when i was nine. 50: what's an odd thing you collect? stress. 51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them? can’t think of anything. 52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far? “sometimes things that are expensive..... are worse.” 53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? i’ve watched heathers and beetlejuice in their entirety. i like them both but i have to be in a certain type of mood for them because they’re also a little weird. i’ve only seen the first part of pulp fiction because for some reason i keep falling asleep in that movie, lol. 54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face? uhh?? 55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point? i can’t think of anything right now but i don’t doubt that i’ve done something dramatic to prove a point. 56: what are some things you find endearing in people? i like when people are comfortable to be themselves and talk about themselves. i like being around people who don’t judge others. 57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? i’m sorry but i’m not listening to that song rn lol. 58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why? i’m both 59: what's your favorite myth? the only one i can think of is from greek mythology where this man was transformed into a woman and then back into a man and then zeus and hera asked him/her which gender enjoyed sex more and the man/woman/man said the woman enjoyed it more so hera cursed him. lmfao it’s so obvious that a man wrote this myth, isn’t it? 60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? poetry is meh. 61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received? i just gave my boyfriend a chess set except the chess pieces are shot glasses for his twenty-first birthday. the stupidest gift i’ve ever received... uhh, idk. 62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind? no. 63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be? leave them be. 64: what color is the sky where you are right now? dark. it’s... holy shit it’s 5am. 65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with? my grandma. 66: what would your ideal flower crown look like? nonexistent. 67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel? depends where i am. inside: i’m okay. outside, walking to class: gloomy, irritable, and tired. 68: what's winter like where you live? like summer. 69: what are your favorite board games? life, probably, because it doesn’t take too long. 70: have you ever used a ouija board? no. 71: what's your favorite kind of tea? sweet. 72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it? for the most part, yeah. 73: what are some of your worst habits? biting my nails, eating too many carbs, not texting people back and isolating myself. 74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. how ‘bout this: no. 75: tell us about your pets! i have a palomino bunny who is a little over one year old and his name is bean. he’s very sociable but he sheds so much. i bought him from a rescue center three hours away last year. i also have a gray and white kitten who is three or four months old and her name is matilda. she’s very floppy and hyper. my mom found her in her backyard in the middle of the night and i decided to just keep her. 76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't? sleeping! 77: pink or yellow lemonade? pink. 78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub? hateclub! 79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you? i once pointed to this really expensive perfume in sephora and said it was my favorite scent but i’ve never owned it before. my boyfriend went back and bought it and gifted it to me for our anniversary. 80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why? beige, and no, i didn’t choose them; my landlord did, i guess. 81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of. my boyfriend’s eyes: they’re like two hot cups of tea, swimming with honey and sugar, set beneath the window of a bright yet chilly morning. 82: are/were you good in school? i used to be good in high school but i’m hopeless in college. 83: what's some of your favorite album art? ??? 84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones? i used to think that i wanted tattoos but then i realized how much it cost to get one. 85: do you read comics? what are your faves? no 86: do you like concept albums? which ones? no? i think? 87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives? star wars (episodes iv-vi), titanic, the princess bride, batman: the dark knight. 88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy? not really. 89: are you close to your parents? not really. 90: talk about your one of you favorite cities. i haven’t been to very many places but i loved fort myers, florida. there seemed to be so much to do around that area, and it was warm even in december. 91: where do you plan on traveling this year? playa del carmen, mexico. 92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch? drowns pasta in cheese. 93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most? “oops i forgot to brush my hair this morning after i got out of the shower and it’s still wet” 94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday? my bf 95: what are your plans for this weekend? go grocery shopping 96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot? procrastinate 97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house? istp, gemini, slytherin 98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it? about three months ago my family and i tried to hike up a mountain in june, but the trail was over three miles long so many of us quit halfway and headed back to the cars. 99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them. n/a 100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why? the past, because i want to enjoy being a kid again

[everlarkficexchange]

The Naked Truth

Written by: @peetaspikelets

Dialogue Prompt: this has got to be the strangest day of my life…(submitted by @xerxia31)

Rating: M (for nudity and language)

A/N: I need to thank Mr Pikelet for helping me bring this story to life. He brought ‘an event’ to my attention and after my initial shock and a bit of a giggle I thought I have to everlark this some how. 

A BIG thank you to my beta @sponsormusings for her amazing guidance, support and advice. I would be lost without you!

Enjoy!

Katniss hears the ringing of the front door bell as she’s putting on the final touches to her outfit. With fumbling fingers, she fixes the back of her pearl stud earring and shoves her feet into the only pair of strappy black heels she owns, praying that by the end of the night her feet won’t ache and swell with juicy blisters.

She gives her reflection a quick once over in the dust-covered mirror sitting in the far corner of her bedroom - her molten grey eyes stare back at her with nervousness and hesitancy. Taking a deep breath, she lowers her gaze and fretfully smooths out the wrinkles the iron failed to press out of the forest green spaghetti dress that clings to her body and highlights her small frame. It was the most expensive and date appropriate outfit she could find. She’d forgotten that she even had it, stumbling across it by accident behind all her winter coats at the back of her closest, ignored and with the sale tags still on. Katniss has never had a place or the opportunity to wear it out anywhere until tonight.

She rarely goes out on dates, especially blind dates and isn’t the type of person who enjoys socialising and fluttering around aimlessly like an overzealous butterfly high on life. Her work colleagues are her only friends, but even that’s a loose statement depending on who you talk to. She much prefers to stay in the warm comfort and safety of her own cocoon since moving to Panem three years earlier. She likes that she has full ownership of the remote control and can watch any reality TV show she wants without the embarrassment and likelihood of snide remarks and ridicule. She’s a creature of habit, one who prefers to curl up in her favorite armchair, dressed in sweats and enjoying a cup of creamy hot chocolate, no matter what the weather’s like outside.

However, a couple of months ago on Katniss’ birthday – celebrated alone, exactly how she preferred it - fractures of doubt had begun to appear out of nowhere, threatening the fragile existence of her perfect bubble. It was that night while eating a cupcake she’d bought for herself as a treat that she’d realized that the mangy, pain in the ass cat she was looking after while her sister Prim was away at school, had started to hang out with the identical flea ball next door, and seemed to be having more of a social – and sex - life than her.

The wakeup had been like a bomb going off, ringing loud and clear in her ears and it had forced her take a good, hard look at herself. She’d realised she didn’t like what she saw - she was thirty two, had no real friends, no potential boyfriends waiting for her in the wings, and not even a single hobby she could draw any happiness from. She was living the same day over and over again like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day. The only difference between them was that she had the ability to actually change things, and yet was still purposely choosing to live this way on a daily basis. Deep down she’d known that she’d needed to break free from her comfortable haven and start experiencing more of what life had to offer beyond sitting on a couch. At the rate she was going, the only legacy she would be leaving in this world was the imprint of her rear end on an acrylic cushion.

She’d already known what was holding her back. She hadn’t needed an expensive psychiatrist to help her figure it out, it had been as clear as day – fear. Fear had been her biggest adversary since she’d been a child and she’d lost her father in a car accident. The crippling anxiety and the worrying thoughts that something bad might happen to her had been annoying and unwanted like foot rot, but they’d stuck. But she’d realised that now that she was older and matured, and was able to identify her triggers and the reasons behind them, she’d hoped she could lock all that away in a little black box and bury it 6 feet under. She knew she just needed to get out there and take that initial leap into the big, wide world and see where she landed.

Which is exactly why the doorbell is ringing. Katniss had finally succumbed to months of bribery and heavy pressure from her work colleague, Madge, and agreed to go out on a blind date with a guy from the marketing department. She absently lists everything she knows about him in her head - his name is Cato Jackson and he works as an associate advisor for District Advertising. He enjoys lifting weights, camping…and apparently arriving fifteen minutes early to pick her up for their date. The doorbell rings again and Katniss tries not to grit her teeth in annoyance. She grabs her purse off the bed and heads to the front door, her heels clicking on the tiled floor, mimicking the rapid beating of her heart as she gets closer. Taking a deep breath, she swallows her anxiety and the internal need to pretend she’s not home and swings open the door quickly before she can change her mind.

No, no, no. Absolutely not. This is a terrible idea. Has Madge lost her mind?

It’s all she can think when her eyes fall upon the strange man’s overbearing frame that’s covering half her doorway, posing like he’s on the cover of GQ magazine. This hulk of a man is triple her size and his broad shoulders are straining hard against his navy shirt, like he’s about to break out and destroy half of the Capitol. Meanwhile, his blond hair looks like it’s been bleached or he’s spent way too much time under the hot rays of the sun, and the length is so short that it makes his head look out of proportion with his body. Madge had said he liked to lift weights but that would have to be a gross understatement. He’s obviously a junkie who lives at the gym 24/7, who has protein shakes for every meal and injects high doses of steroids into his body on a regular basis.

“Katniss.” His voice comes out rough and scratchy, like the sound of scraping sandpaper.

Her face is tight, but she manages to curl her mouth and muster a polite smile. Her stomach twists and clenches as she watches him blatantly look her up and down, clearly admiring her small, toned body. His gaze lingers a few seconds longer than necessary on the breasts that are being pushed up to effect thanks to the tight bodice of her dress.

Oh god, this dress is a mistake. This whole thing is a mistake, her brain screams. I can’t go out with him. Why on earth did I agree to this? I feel like a piece of meat being displayed on a butcher’s block! Frantically she tries to think of an excuse to cancel the date at the last minute, her mind racing before he speaks up again.

“So if you’re ready, I thought we could go and check out Cinna’s Art Gallery in the city.”

Katniss pauses and her eyes widen dramatically. Any thoughts of an escape plan now lie in the background to sit and simmer. That sentence. It was the last thing she was expecting to come out of his mouth. She’s quite amazed he even knows what an art gallery is, not to mention the fact that he’s offering to take her there on their first date. She was under the impression from Madge that he was a typical beers and football kind of guy and that they’d probably head to a bar for the night. Katniss had just been hoping whichever off the wall establishment they’d found themselves in would at least serve some decent food so she didn’t have to eat a bowl of peanuts for dinner. But maybe she’s been reading this whole situation wrong. Katniss knows she can often judge people harshly and jump to conclusions, so perhaps this time her assumptions about Cato Jackson are incorrect. Relief appears and sweeps through her system as she lowers her defences. She gives him a true, genuine smile and can’t help but feel a little excited.

“Cinna’s Art Gallery?” She confirms. “That actually sound amazing. I’ve never been there before.”

“Really? Well you’re in for a treat. I heard this exhibition is supposed to be…um…one of a kind,” he answers, stumbling on his words before chuckling. “I went ahead and already purchased our tickets.”

“Sounds great,” she replies beaming, and steps out onto the porch. She looks down to appraise her outfit for the tenth time. “Oh wait! Am I dressed alright for the exhibit? I know galleries can be fancy. It’s not too revealing is it?”

He gives her a smirk and looks her up and down again, his eyes turning bright with lust. “You look hot, there’s no need to worry about your dress. We’ll be the envy of everyone there. Trust me,” he winks.

That’s…odd, she thinks, but she lets it go and follows him down the footpath until they reach his shiny BMW parked in the driveway. Katniss tries not to show her displeasure when she notices his right tire is sitting on top of her small garden bed of primroses, the weight of the car crushing the beautiful and delicate flowers she only just planted two weeks ago.

————————

Standing in the large foyer at Cinna’s Art Gallery is like being part of a blissful dream you never want to wake up from. Katniss has never stepped inside such a building, one that can only be described as majestic. With wide eyes and a goofy grin, she looks like a kid on Christmas morning as she takes it all in. Her neck strains as she admires the huge cathedral formed ceilings and clear glass windows that are showing off the night sky. The universe is putting on its own exhibition tonight with its twinkling stars and orbiting planets, each one shining bright against the dark backdrop.

Returning her gaze to the room around her, she’s mesmerised by all the stunning pieces that are laid out on display in the arrival area where they’re waiting in line to enter. Every piece is unique and she’s itching to step out of her spot so she can take a closer look. She can only imagine what kind of beautiful wonders are waiting for her inside the actual exhibition. Just the ambience in the room is humming with excitement and electricity, but instead of it causing her alarm and the need to run back to the safe confines of her house, it brings her a sense of comfort she’s can’t explain.

“So what’s the show about?” Katniss asks curiously, turning her head to look at Cato. They haven’t talked much since getting into his car, and at the moment he doesn’t seem to be paying any attention to her. Instead, he’s staring straight ahead, his neck craning around an older man with a shaved head who’s standing in front of him, and looking around like he’s searching for something. She follows his line of sight, but all she can see is a group of people being politely escorted to a room on the left hand side of the building after they’ve had their tickets scanned. That must be the entrance to the exhibition, Katniss thinks.  

“Cato,” she tries again, her voice now louder to get his attention. It does the trick. He turns around to stare at her with an annoyed expression on his face. “What’s the exhibition about?”

“Oh, um, you know…art and stuff.”                

Katniss’ brows narrow at his unwillingness to share. She doesn’t understand why it has to be a big secret. There must be some reason why he picked this place tonight. “Well it’s got to be something in particular,” she prompts. “This place is packed. The name of the exhibition should be written on our tickets.”

He turns to her with a smile, though his eyes are cold. “Can’t a guy surprise a girl on a date anymore?”

They reach the counter where a young woman with long red hair and a kind smile greets them. Cato pulls the tickets out from his back pocket and hands them to her to scan. Katniss tries to sneak a peek, but Cato’s large, veiny hands cover most of them. Something unsettling begins to wash over her, and the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention as she feels his hand find her lower back and begin to nudge her along, heading to the room on the left.

With a shake of her head and any semblance of social decorum now out the window, she digs her heels into the granite flooring and forces them to stop mid walk. “What’s going on?” She asks turning to him, her voice growing high with suspicion. “I don’t understand why you’re being so secretive. What’s the exhibition about? Why won’t you tell me?” He stands still, staring down at her intently for a few moments, his body vibrating with heat and refusing to give her an answer. “I’m not leaving this spot until you tell me,” she pushes.

Cato drops his mask of stone and groans with enough exaggeration that it causes a few people to look over. He drives his fingers roughly through his hair. “Women,” he whispers with a huff. “Fine! It’s a nude exhibition, alright? The artists are naked! They’re the exhibition. You happy?”

It takes Katniss’ brain several moments to catch up and process what he’s said. “A nude exhibition?” She whispers back uncertainly, shock clearly written across her face. Her mouth gapes open a few times like a fish out of water but she’s still not sure what to say to that unexpected confession. Nudity. The artists are nude. Naked like the day they were born, she thinks and feels her cheeks flame with heat. Katniss has never viewed something like that before. She’s always been shy and uncomfortable around nudity. She’s only had one boyfriend and that was before she moved to Panem. The relationship lasted seven months and during that time they only ever had sex with the lights off.  Katniss has always been self – conscious about her body, never comfortable in her own skin, no matter how many times Darius told her she was gorgeous. She never believed him. And now just thinking about what awaits for her inside that large hall where a group of male and female artists will be fully nude and standing around on display… well it causes anxious butterflies to appear and dance around in her belly like they’re trying to fight each other to escape.

Her shock of the situation however soon quickly turns to boiling rage – at herself. She knew she shouldn’t have trusted him. Of course he wasn’t into art, he had his own agenda for tonight - using their date as an excuse to come and ogle other women. She’s never felt so angry…and hurt.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay?” He says, reading her expression. He has the gallantry to look defeated. “It’s just I thought this would be something different to do on a first date – something we could experience together. Madge said you wanted to get out and explore life and shit…”

Her mouth forms a tight line. She can’t believe Madge actually told him that after she confided in her. Ugh! She tries to take a few calming breaths to mellow out the resentment she now feels towards both of them. What he said, though, was true. She does need to get out and explore new things and this exhibition would definitely fit into that category and yank her out of her comfort zone. This type of art is not her thing. She was seriously expecting just to see a bunch of paintings and sculptures from famous artists or local talents – nothing too confrontational and confronting…but maybe she could do this. Looking around at the sheer number of people who have turned up tonight it seems like this type of exhibition interests a lot of people from all walks of life.

“It’s a movement thing,” Cato continues, trying to convince her. “You never know, it could be fun…” He gives her a devastatingly handsome smile, one that’s almost convincing with his pearly whites and eyes shining bright. But his mouth curls in a way that causes Katniss to sense a small amount of doubt about his sentiments.

What the hell, she thinks. She’s here and she doesn’t want to make a scene by leaving, especially when they’d already gotten their tickets scanned and an usher is waiting patiently nearby. Besides taking Cato’s lying out of the equation, this exhibition could be good for her. She should do this for herself. “I wish you’d told me earlier,” she tells him tightly before softening her tone. “But alright, I’ll go in.”

He looks surprised for a moment that she’s actually agreed to go in with him but quickly covers it up with a flirty grin. “That’s great,” he replies, taking her hand in his. It feels cold and stiff. “I just know we’re going to have a lot of fun together and I hear,” he leans down and whispers in a conspiratorial tone, “that it can be good for foreplay.”

She swallows the bile rising at the back of her throat and shakes away the invisible sensation of creepy crawlies scuttling along her neck from where his breath just laid upon her skin. Do most women fall for his charm? If that’s the case, he’s going to be sorely disappointed when the night is over, as absolutely nothing like that is going to be happening. Ever. As soon as the opportunity arises she’ll be hailing down a cab and hightailing it out of there before he even realises she’s gone.

As the usher greets them with a pleased smile, he passes Cato a key and directs them to go straight inside the room on the left. Katniss isn’t sure what the key is about. Maybe it’s connected to something in the exhibition, like some kind of symbolism. She’s not too sure, as she’s never been good at finding hidden meanings.

She bites her lip nervously as they move closer to the door. At least I’ll have one positive thing to tell Prim about tonight, she thinks. It didn’t surprise Katniss one bit that her sister literally screamed in delight when she’d told her she had agreed to go on a blind date during one of their weekly skype catch ups. And knowing her persistent sister, she’ll be wanting every minuscule detail.

“Here we go,” Cato announces, opening the unmarked door and allowing her to walk through. She makes her way inside, gearing herself up for what she’s about to come face to face with, but instead she stops in her tracks, afraid that her eyes are deceiving her. She scans the room closely trying to make sense about what she’s seeing, and the realisation hits her like a ton of bricks, her eyes widening in horror. Every one of her limbs freeze and her body stiffens. Even the heat radiating off Cato’s body against her back is not helping her move. And she really wants to move so she can get as far away from him as possible while screaming at the top of her lungs, “How dare you?” and “What the hell is this?”

Standing in front of her are about twenty naked people. Bare ass naked like the day they were born. Male and female. Their bodies all different sizes; big, medium, small. Toned, saggy. Every inch of their skin is exposed and hanging out for everyone to see. But that’s not what’s horrifying her – it’s the fact that these naked bodies don’t belong to the artists. She recognises these people - they were just waiting in line with them to view the exhibition. The old man with the shaved head who’d been in front of them is now standing a few feet away, wearing his birthday suit and scratching his nuts. With dazed eyes, Katniss watches as he places all his clothes into a locker, which she can now see is one of many spread out across the entire room where people are shedding their clothes. She eyes the key in his hand, noting it’s identical to the one Cato received, as he locks the small metal compartment. He gives them both a kind smile as he walks past them and heads towards another door at the back of the room, where a sign on display says, ‘Exhibition Entrance.’

She feels Cato pushing her forward, towards a locker that’s situated at the back of the room. Immediately she rises out of her stupor and rounds on him. “What the fuck is this?” She hisses through clenched teeth, and tries to keep her voice low. But there’s no mistaking the anger seeping out of every pore of her body.

“Oh come on, what’s the difference?” He defends sharply. He clearly knows what she’s talking about. “It’s no big deal. You said you were fine with naked art.”

“Yes! But that’s when I thought only the artists would be nude. I didn’t think…I had…to…” She starts to stammer as her throat begins to close up with an emotion she doesn’t want to deal with right now. Instead she turns it into anger. Anger is good; it’s familiar and powerful and besides, he deserves the full brunt of her wrath after this implausible stunt he’s just pulled. “I can’t believe you brought me here on a first date!” She yells back. “You tricked me. You’re a liar!”

Out of the corner of her eye she can now see the majority of people leaving the change room, scurrying out the door like rats in order to get away from the dispute they’re bearing witness to. If she wasn’t filled with so much rage she could probably find the humor in watching a bunch of naked people running for their lives.

“Listen, I know I wasn’t completely upfront with you about everything,” he says like owning up to his deception will make everything better. “But don’t you think you’re overacting a bit? Most women would love to do this with me.” To emphasise his point he begins to unbutton his shirt, dragging the material down his shoulders like he’s getting ready to model. His tanned and muscular chest glistens under the changing room’s downlights and she wonders in disgust if he purposefully slicked himself up with baby oil before he came to pick her up.

With every article of clothing he takes off, her mouth only twists further and further into rage and horror. He played her like a damn fool, to the point that she ignored her own instincts – twice. She opens her mouth to let fly every single, hateful word she has for him, until out of the corner of her eye she’s distracted by another couple entering the room and she’s forced to pause mid breath. Their presence is like a stop button on a remote control, pausing a vital scene in a movie. The overzealous giggling coming from the woman cements Katniss’ attention as they close the door. The man has his arm wrapped around the woman’s waist and they both have huge smiles on their faces like they don’t have a care in the world. The man is tall, with a stocky build and broad shoulders. His blond, wavy hair curls at the tips of his ears and his piercing blue eyes stare at the blond woman in his arms like he’s the luckiest man on earth. Walking past them to find their locker, they greet Katniss and Cato with a smile, unaware they’ve just stepped into a potential war zone. Just looking at them it’s obvious they’re very much in love and devoted to one another. For the first time it makes Katniss envious of a romantic relationship and her heart starts to hurt. She takes in every line of expression and curve of their lips as they whisper and help each other out of their clothes lovingly. They’re truly a captivating couple.

“You said it yourself that you wanted to try something new,” Cato says, breaking into her reverie. “What could be better than this?”

Using a quieter voice as she doesn’t want the perfect couple looking over and listening in on their private conversation, she replies coldly. “Yes, that’s true. But I also wanted to try new things on my own terms. Not to be forced into it and not to do something so….” scary, terrifying, she thinks, but she doesn’t voice those fears out loud.

“Don’t be so pure, Katniss,” he berates, taking off his slacks and leaving him in his underwear that leaves nothing to the imagination. Katniss takes a step back. “Wait a minute - are you a virgin?” He asks suddenly, alarmed by her reaction. “Is that why you’re upset? Because you’ve never seen a naked body before?”

Pure? Virgin? “What does that have to do with anything?” She snarls. “Oh my god, what is wrong with you? Are you deluded? Did you actually think you were doing me a favor by bringing me here?” His audacity has her reeling. “And by the way, the only thing that isn’t pure around here is your intentions.” She doesn’t care anymore if the flawless couple can hear her now, she’s too enraged at his stupidity to hold back. “I can’t believe I gave you another chance – again,” she scowls and to her horror she feels a pesky, burning feeling start to form at the back of her eyes and she wills her body with all her might to stop it immediately. But instead her vision becomes blurry and her chin begins to quiver. “You’re an asshole!” She cries out before lifting her hand and slapping him across the face. The sound resembles a gunshot and it echoes through the room, making the ideal couple look over at them, startled. Katniss feels her hand vibrating with hot heat as she tries to shake away the pain but she gets no relief. Taking one last, furious look at Cato, who is holding his crimson cheek in shock – Good! I hope I left a mark - she runs to the nearest door, hoping it’s an exit out of the gallery.

But instead of finding sweet relief from the date from hell, she discovers she’s not outside but instead standing alone in a bathroom that looks so pristine and high tech she wonders briefly if she’s stepped onto a space shuttle. She peers over her shoulder to make sure Cato isn’t following her. He’s not, but not wanting to chance it, she moves into the middle toilet cubicle and locks the door. In defeat, she drops the toilet lid down loudly and sits herself on top of it with a loud sigh. Her shoulders break first; trembling and shaking under the heavy weight of tonight’s events and soon watery tears descend and fall, sliding down her heated cheeks. She sniffles and wipes them away hastily. She shouldn’t have been surprised about how her night turned out. The odds were never in her favor. Why did she even try?

Tonight was just a reminder that she’s doomed to be alone forever. Stuck in a life where her destiny resembles the life of a mouse. A creature who spends most of its days running around aimlessly on a wheel, who does the same thing over and over again and never having any hope in changing it or going anywhere.

Just the thought causes another fat tear to slip down her cheek and she rips a piece of toilet paper off to dab at her swollen eyes. I’ve failed, she thinks and for the first time in years she lets herself truly break and feel the grief of her lonely and possibly insignificant life.

She doesn’t know how long she remains in this state. She only stops when there are no more salty tears to shed and the unsettling thought of how she’s going to get out of here hits her. Her worrying, however, is short lived when the bathroom door unexpectedly creaks open. She stops and freezes as footsteps pad inside, listening intently as she tries to remember if Cato walked with a heavy gait. It’s obvious where she’s hiding. The thin wooden toilet door between them offers her very little protection and there’s no way she will be opening it up willingly for him, especially not after slapping him. She wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the type of guy who would use threats or an element of force with her after an incident like that. She pulls out her phone, ready to swipe Madge’s number when an unfamiliar and masculine voice speaks up.

“Hello.”

Taken back by the stranger’s greeting she remains silent.

“Are you alright?” He speaks again, his voice kind.

She sucks in a sharp breath and feels an unusual heat creep upon her skin. She doesn’t know why but she’s taken back by the soothing sound of the stranger’s voice. There’s something comforting about it, like warm honey sliding lazily down your throat.

He coughs. “If you’re worried about the guy you were with, don’t be. He’s gone. You’re safe.”

The relief that Cato isn’t out there anymore hits her instantaneously. The tension leaves her shoulders and her whole body relaxes in reply.

“Are you hurt?” He asks worriedly.

The question startles her. “No,” she finally answers, finding her voice. But it comes out hoarse and she hates the fact it makes it obvious that she’s been crying.

“Can you please open the door so I can make sure you’re okay?”

The sweet pleading in his voice convinces her that the stranger’s concern is genuine. She nods, but then realises he can’t see her. She doesn’t want to leave this tiny stall just yet so she leans over and unlocks the door. Slowly it swings open and reveals the face of her mystery man. She’s quick to assess that it’s the same man from the change room who’s part of the captivating dynamic duo. Although now instead of standing in front of her naked, he’s wearing a long, white terry cloth robe.

“There you are,” he smiles, but his eyes can’t hide the shadow of concern. “It’s okay. My name’s Peeta.”

“Katniss,” she murmurs, meeting his gaze.

“It’s nice to meet you, Katniss.” His smile then drops, and takes on a serious expression as his eyes rake over her body like he’s looking for any signs of injuries. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

She nods. Now that she’s in close proximity to him she manages to catch a whiff of his scent, which she recognises immediately as cinnamon and dill. It reminds her of her favorite bakery she likes to frequent before work. Their cheese buns and hot chocolate are to die for.

Staring up she can’t help but be mesmerised by the profundity in his ocean blue eyes, almost to the point that she feels like she’s drowning in them. Her attention is drawn to the muscular chest that peeks through the top layer of his robe and she has the sudden urge to kiss and swirl her tongue all over it. He’s got handsome and wholesome written all over him, like he’s been plucked out of a 1950’s sitcom. Her eyes travel across his body trying to map out and remember what he looked like naked just a few minutes ago. The momentary flash she got of his gorgeous body while she was fighting with Cato is now imprinted permanently behind her eyelids. But then the image of the happy woman he was with takes centre stage and the show is over. She feels terrible and shakes her head in shame. “Thank you,” she replies quietly. “It was nice of you to come back here and check up on me. But really I’m fine. You should go back out there to your girlfriend and enjoy the exhibition.”

He blinks, confused for a second. “But…I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Her eyes narrow and she looks at him baffled. “But - back in the change room, you were all over that blond woman.”

She watches as his features transform briefly from one of confusion to a look of understanding, before relief reaches his lips and he lets out a throaty chuckle. “That wasn’t me.”

“What do you mean, it wasn’t you?” She asks, and rises to her feet. “I saw you with my own eyes. You were all over each other,” she accuses. She feels the anger building up inside her again like boiling water. She can’t believe there’s another guy standing right in front of her and blatantly lying to her face again. “Did you think because you saw me with some dumb meathead that I’d be too brainless to figure you out?”

Peeta’s face drops. “No! Listen you have the wrong idea. I was -”

“I have the wrong idea?!” She reiterates angrily, her eyes scorching back with fire. “Well then please enlighten me. What ingenious excuse were you going to come up with?” She adds sarcastically, and steps forward into his personal space. “Maybe you were going to tell me I’m crazy and I just imagined you and your girlfriend in the changeroom? Or maybe you were going to tell me that the guy back there is actually your identical twin brother?

Peeta stares at her wide eyed for a moment. “Ah, yeah actually. You’re right on the money with the twin thing,” he manages to get out apprehensively.

Her lips purse firmly in thought and she closes her eyes in irritation. “Look,” she starts, before she opens her eyes again. This time the anger has faded and been replaced by exhaustion. “I’m not in the mood to have another guy lie to me tonight, okay? So I’m giving you to the count of three to tell me the truth or I’ll have no regrets about kicking you in the balls.”

Peeta winces as he holds his hands up in surrender and takes a careful step back. “There’s really no need for that, I swear.” He pointedly looks down at Katniss’ feet, worry etched across his face that she’s about to strike any second like a cobra. “Kicking me in the nuts would be a really bad idea. Look I’m sorry you’ve had a rough night, but I was being serious earlier. I do have a brother and we are identical twins. I can prove it to you.”

The rush of worry and desperation in his voice pulls at her heart strings uninvited and causes her to pause and reconsider. His frantic eyes search her face begging to be believed. Sighing loudly she goes against her better judgement and steps back as he pulls out an iPhone from the pocket of his robe. “Here, I actually have a photo of the three of us together,” he says, offering the device to her. She looks at the screen and there in front of her is no denying the familiar giggling, blond dressed up in a floral dress with bouncing curls. She’s standing happily in between two familiar blond men who look completely identical down to their button up navy blue suits and matching smiles that could rot your teeth with their sweetness. All three of them are standing behind a colorful banner that reads. “Congratulations on your engagement Delly and Rye.”

“No trick photography or image altering I swear,” he jokes.

Omg! There’s two of them, she thinks and lets out an audible groan. Her cheeks bloom in shame and she feels mortified about how she just spoke to him, when all along he was being a nice and considerate guy coming in to check on her wellbeing. Surely she’s hit her limit now. Her name has to be worthy of being featured in the Guinness World record books under the award of ‘having the worst and most embarrassing night of your life.’ She lifts her head, looking contrite. “I’m so sorry. I should never have accused you of being a liar. That was awful of me. And I’m sorry I threatened to kick you in the balls,” she finishes awkwardly.

He laughs. “It’s alright, don’t be so hard on yourself. You weren’t to know. I understand why you would have made that assumption. Believe it or not it’s not the first time I’ve been mistaken for my brother in less than ideal circumstances,” he jokes. “Kind of comes with the territory of being an identical twin.”

She gives him a small smile, grateful at his understanding and for his talent at putting people at ease.

“It sounds like you’ve had a rough night,” he adds sympathetically.

“I think that’s the understatement of the century,” she answers solemnly and hands him back his phone. She steps around him and out of the cubicle until she’s in front of a porcelain sink. She leans over to splash some cold water onto her face and through the mirror she notices Peeta straightening up his robe.   

“How did you know I was in here?” She enquires, reaching for a fluffy hand towel.

“Rye and Delly,” he states like its explanation enough. “They saw you upset and running from a guy in the change rooms. They were worried and said the guy looked a bit…shady so they came and found me. Said you might need some help.”

“Are you a security guard?” She asks, although as soon as the question leaves her lips she thinks it’s unlikely due to the lack of clothes he’s wearing. Unless security is going nude for tonight too, she wonders.

“I’m one of the artists,” he explains not missing a beat. “But I’ve worked at the gallery for a long time. We take any harassment, especially on nights like this, very seriously. There’s no room for chances.”

She nods, worrying her lip between her teeth as he watches her closely.  Unanswered questions burn bright from his eyes like lasers. After everything he’s done for her tonight, she knows he deserves an explanation. “My blind date brought me here,” she shares quietly. Peeta doesn’t say anything, but the light in his eyes soften, the action telling her it’s okay and to take her time.

“I thought we were just going to see some sculptures and paintings. I didn’t realise it was a nude exhibition and that…we had to be nude too.” Rehashing the memories of Cato and his true intentions make her feel like an idiot again and she lowers her head in shame.

“Wait a minute,” Peeta’s appalled voice cuts in and echoes against the tiled walls. He takes a few steps closer and his presence causes her to lift her head. She’s shocked to see his face contorted and anger swimming amongst the depths of his eyes like a violent storm is brewing. “Let me get this straight. You’ve never met this guy before and he brought you here to this exhibition on a first date?”

“Yes. He had tickets. Said it could be good foreplay.”

Peeta growls with animalistic fervour. “That’s just fucked up! Who the hell does something like that?! You know he’s lucky he’s not here because I would love to give him a piece of my mind before throwing him out on his ass!”

Her lips tug up into a smile before she can help herself. He looks livid. His fists are clenched and his jaw is tense, making him look all pumped up and ready to go into battle for her. It’s kind of cute and endearing, and her heart starts to warm and swell with something. No Katniss, don’t go there. Even though he’s nice and feeling protective towards you it doesn’t mean he would ever be ever interested in someone like you. He works here and is just being concerned. She clears her throat, turning her facial expression neutral, hoping it will disguise the fact that her heart is beating so quickly she’s afraid it will jump out of her chest and land at his feet in a pathetic heap. “Well it looks like I’ll have to thank your brother for going to get you – he sounds like a great guy.”

“Oh, please whatever you do, don’t say that to his face. I beg you. He’ll be milking this for weeks and I have to see him every day,” he tells her but his tone is friendly and humorous. The way his face relaxes when speaking about his brother tells her that they have a close and playful bond. “If I thought I could get away with telling people Rye is not my brother – trust me I would. I like to refer to him as the evil twin, whereas he prefers being called the devilishly handsome one.”

Katniss flings her head back and laughs in delight, before Peeta joins in too. It’s nice to let bursts of laughter spring forth and allow some of the tension to seep out of her body after the night she’s had. She can’t believe how comfortable she feels around him and they’ve only just met. She’s never felt like this with anyone before, not even Darius. She smiles, taking in the huskiness of his laughter and realises she likes it. It’s a deep and joyful sound that she thinks even the birds would stop to listen to. “So is there any way to tell you two apart?” She asks curiously.

“Well, let’s see…he’s right handed and I’m left handed,” he shares with a shrug. “So if you ever have trouble telling us apart just hand over a pen and demand us to write. It’s what Delly used to do when we were kids,” he chuckles and his eyes drift off briefly like he’s remembering something funny. “Oh, and I do have a small scar just near my hairline.” He smooths back his hair, showing off his forehead. She leans forward, and can’t help but take in another whiff of his scent like she’s breathing in some kind of heavenly life force. She eyes the small ragged blemish that you wouldn’t know was there unless you were looking for it. “I got this when I was 13 thanks to Rye. We were competing against one another at the regional wrestling competition. I came off second best,” he adds with a feign grimace.

Her mouth opens in fake indignation. “Siblings, right? They can be a real pain in the ass sometimes can’t they?”

“Tell me about – he still likes to gloat over it every now and again. But whenever I suggest a re-match he suddenly has to go home.”

She unexpectedly lets out a giggle. “Sounds like someone is threatened to lose their title,” she teases before her face drops to one of envy and sadness. “You’re lucky though that you have your brother close by. I haven’t seen my sister in almost a year.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“She’s living on the other side of the country studying medicine.”

“Oh wow, that’s great,” he remarks sounding impressed. “Although I’m sorry you don’t get to see her often. That would be tough. But you must be proud? She’s out there following her dreams, with the courage to leave the safety of her comfort zone…”

Comfort Zone. Two simple words that mean nothing to her when spoken separately but when they’re put together hit her straight in the gut like a freight train. And the way he’s looking at her now makes her feel a little uneasy, like he’s got x-ray vision and is using his superpower to look straight through her to view her very soul. Her skin suddenly feels hot under his intense stare like she’s standing underneath a giant spotlight. It causes her to pull away and break eye contact. “Yeah I guess so,” she answers softly, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation has taken. “So, um…” She clears her throat, wanting to get back to what they were talking about earlier. “So it’s only those two things that can tell you apart?”

He stares at her for a few moments, clearly thinking. His eyes bore into hers longer than what’s necessary before he answers. “Well if we’re only talking about physical appearances there is something else that can tell us apart.” And without hesitation, he lifts up his robe. For a crazy, split second, she thinks he’s going to flash her which doesn’t make any sense, but then she notices the robe has just been lifted up to his left knee. The action causes her eyes to be drawn down to his lower limb. But she’s not looking at flesh and bone. Instead, she realises he’s wearing a prosthetic leg.

Peeta stands still and composed, watching her closely and waiting for some kind of reaction.

Katniss is shocked for a few moments as she gets her bearings. She certainly wasn’t expecting to see that when he lifted up his robe. Her eyes travel carefully up and down the artificial limb inspecting it in wonder. She can’t believe how real it looks. “What happened?” She asks, looking up into his eyes. She’s surprised by her concerned tone considering they’ve only just met, but she can’t hide the fact that she feels somewhat protective towards him. Her heart clenches thinking about all the terrible things that could have happened to him.

He shrugs his shoulders with a wry smile. “I wish I had more of a dramatic story to tell you. But I was 16, away at a school camp and my friends and I wanted to go visit Arena Mountain. And of course the teachers wouldn’t let us, so we snuck off and I ended up slipping down a hill and cutting my leg on some rusted fencing.”

She winces. “Oh my god. What did you do?”

“Obviously not the smart thing,” he tells her dryly. “We didn’t want to get in trouble so we kept our little adventure and my injury to ourselves. I thought cleaning it up with water and soap would be fine.” He runs his free hand through his hair with a loud sigh. “But before I knew it, I got really sick and found out I had blood poisoning. The doctors were able to save my life but not my leg.” He gives her a tight, accepting smile. The mood in the bathroom has now dropped a couple of degrees.

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” she tells him, reaching out to touch his arm in a gesture of comforting. “After all that did you at least get to Arena Mountain?”

He looks down at her with a double take before his face splits into a wide grin and bursts of hysterical laughter escape his lungs. The effect causes his shoulders to shake and his eyes to water. “You know no one has ever asked me that before. Usually when I retell this story everybody just wants to focus on the negatives. So thank you,” he says between gasps. “I mean, that was the reason we snuck out, but no one has ever cared to ask if we made it to our destination or not. But to answer your question, we got there, banged up leg and all and it was amazing.”

“That’s good to hear,” she smiles, her eyes bright. She was hoping the question would have that kind of effect on him. Knowing from past experiences, she knows he doesn’t need or want her pity. Sometimes deflecting off a painful memory that’s right in front of you can be the best medicine.

He finally gets his laughter under control, wiping away the stray water from his eyes. He gazes down at her, and she’s surprised at the way his eyes are dancing across her face, almost in what could only be described as pure wonderment. He’s looking at her like he’s in the presence of an amazing piece of art that he can’t take his eyes off. The thought makes her feel self-conscious and giddy.

The moment however fades when he coughs and his features turn serious. “I’m not going to lie to you. I’m alright with it now - it’s been 15 years,” he shares thoughtfully. “But for a while there I was quite depressed. It took me awhile to get use to it.”

Katniss nods.

“I learnt a lot about myself during that time though. Did a lot of thinking.”

“What did you think about?” She asks with interest. She doesn’t think she’s ever been so taken with someone before. Every word coming out of his mouth is like a magnet to her ears.

“Well obviously I know now that I need to head straight to the hospital whenever I have a medical emergency,” he smiles with a self-deprecating chuckle. “But I also realised I didn’t want the accident to change me. I still wanted to be that person who enjoys life and loves to get out there and explore new things. To not let the fear take over. I refused to have that part of myself cut off too.”

“You wanted to be you,” she states.

“Yeah,” he smiles, his relief that she understands obvious.

She’s in awe right now. She can’t deny she’s completely taken with him. She’s never felt this way before and didn’t think in a million years that she’d ever truly find someone she had this type of connection with. He makes her want to try for more.

Here in front of her is a man whose life was dramatically transformed but he refused to be changed by it and let it define him. He fought back, willing to get out there and experience real, authentic snapshots of what life has to offer. The notion makes Katniss feel shameful about her own life. She’s never had to experience physical adversity in her life like he has, yet she still doesn’t have the guts to live beyond her comfort zone.

“So is that why you do nude art?” She asks.

He laughs. “Well I do all kinds of art,” he assures her. “My love affair with it started after my accident. It was part of my therapy and I was fortunate enough to turn it into a career. But this exhibition and the miracle of the human body has a special place in my heart. I don’t think there’s any other times in our lives when we are truly bare and vulnerable. And to me that’s beautiful. That’s what makes us human.” Smiling boldly, he adds, “Although I could include sex into that equation too. But I think showcasing that would be taking it a step too far, don’t you think?”

His words cause her to blush, and she lowers her head. But she’s still attuned in fascination to what he’s saying. The meaning of his words are reaching out to her with gentle hands and guiding her to open up and listen. To not be afraid to express yourself and to have the courage to indulge yourself into a new world of possibilities.

“If you take away all the fancy clothes, jewellery and iPhones we’re the same,” he continues. “This is me and I’m a human being capable of anything. My body is a blank canvas.”

“I like the sound of all that. Really. You make it sound so simple…and beautiful. But I just…I don’t know how you can go out there and be…naked in front of all those people. Don’t you get scared?” She asks, lifting her head.

“I get nervous of course - which is normal,” he explains calmly. “But when I’m out there I feel like I’m in a different world. A peaceful world where it’s just me. Everybody and everything just seems to wash away unnoticed into the background. I wouldn’t be able to tell you who I see out there.” He pauses and thinks carefully for a moment. “There is something liberating and freeing about the experience. It’s like being on a natural high. And I don’t care if people see me,” he winks cheekily. Her mouth can’t help but curl up and smile in reply. “But seriously,” he adds, his voice turning earnest. “The event we’re offering tonight is in a safe and controlled environment for everyone. And when you think about it you’re not alone. Everybody is out there bare, naked and vulnerable. All in the same boat without letting fear, prejudice or judgement be a part of them or the experience.”

She nods, thinking that makes sense and she’s glad he’s brought that to her attention. Besides Cato, she’d noticed that everyone else in the change room earlier seemed to have genuine intentions and interest towards the exhibition. She certainly didn’t see any bad behavior coming from any of them and that takes a load off her shoulders. “So your brother and future sister in law like participating in these things too?” She asks.

“Yeah,” he bobs his head firmly. “My family is close. You know my parents are out there too.”

Her brows narrow briefly in horror as she lets his admission sink in. She wouldn’t be caught dead doing anything like this with her mother or sister. Not if you paid her a million dollars. She’s doesn’t know how to reply to that as she doesn’t want to offend him or his family and come off as a bumbling prude. But when she looks closer she notices his teeth are digging hard enough into his lower lip that it will surely leave marks, and his shoulders are shaking like he’s trying really hard not to laugh. “You’re joking,” she states in relief.

“Yes, I’m joking.” He sniggers. “But you should have seen your face.”

“That wasn’t funny,” she reprimands and tries to playfully hit him on the arm which he light-heartedly dodges.

“Don’t worry my parents are not into this type of thing, or my grandparents,” he adds as a cheeky afterthought. “My brother on the other hand - well he thinks if his younger brother by 6 minutes can do it, then so can he.”

“Evil twin strikes again huh?”

“The guy has no shame or an off button. Though I’m sure Delly had to down a few shots before coming here.”

“They sound like a unique pair,” Katniss grins.

“Yeah, they are,” he answers fondly. “They’re lucky they found each other. I just hope one day I have even half their luck. I would love to be in a relationship with a beautiful and intelligent woman who has no idea what kind of effect she has on me. And of course after Rye insists on having the final say on my love life, we would get married, maybe have a couple of kids and just live our lives the best way we can.” He stops abruptly, his eyes widening and his face turning crimson. It’s clear as he rubs the back of his neck nervously that he’s embarrassed he revealed too much of himself.

A deafening silence falls over them but all Katniss can hear is her heart beat picking up the pace like a galloping race horse.

“I hope I have the same luck too,” she whispers, not sure where that bold and courageous statement came from. But she knows deep down she means every word - now that she’s had a taste of this amazing man.

The air around them intensifies with crackles of electricity. It’s like they’re joined by a live wire and Katniss feels her skin buzzing. She knows he feels it too, because his embarrassment is gone and he gives her a shy, knowing smile before he clears his throat to speak.

“Um, so yeah back to what I was saying earlier. This exhibition isn’t for everybody. And I don’t want you to feel forced into something you don’t feel comfortable with. I just hope after what you experienced tonight that it won’t keep you away from the gallery. It would be nice if you came back…to visit,” he adds quietly, and looks at her with a glimmer of hope. For someone who has the confidence to model nude in front of complete strangers his self –assurance has suddenly turned shaky and non-existent. But just the thought of what he’s implying - that there’s a chance they can meet up again - makes her heart burst open with hope.

“I’d like that,” she smiles.

He lets out a deep breath, like he was holding it in. “Great. So yeah you can come back anytime you want. I’m here most days. I could give you a private tour if you like – paintings and sculptures only of course,” he smiles eagerly.

Katniss is about to suggest she could come by tomorrow when she’s rudely interrupted by a loud thump on the bathroom door. “Yo! Bread boy! Are you in there? Whatever the hell you’re doing you need to hurry up and get your sexy, naked ass out here before Haymitch blows his load.”

Katniss looks over at Peeta horrified at the woman’s sudden and brazen intrusion.

He reaches out and gently takes a hold of her arm; she feels steady in his warmth and his thumb rubs along her soft bare skin in reassurance. “Ignore her, she likes to be dramatic,” he whispers, before he turns his head in the direction of the door. “Jo, you said you would cover for me.”

“And I did, but I’m not a miracle worker…or a bottle of white liquor. He saw right through me – you know what he’s like. After tonight’s incident with the brainless douchebag he’s as tense as ever. I offered to help him with his load but I don’t think he appreciated the innuendo.”

Peeta shakes his head with a groan.

“I’m coming in – there’s no point in hiding, I know what you’re packing.” She pushes open the door so violently that it bangs loudly against the wall before bouncing back. A woman with dark, spiky hair and mischievous hazel eyes steps across the threshold fully naked, and parades towards them like she’s modelling on a catwalk. With wide eyes, Katniss takes in every inch of her confident form, starting from her toned legs and working her way up until she views her impressive 6 pack stomach and perky breasts. Mortification fills her as she realises she’s been staring. In a flash she turns away, pretending the porcelain sinks are a lot more interesting.

A shrill cackling sound comes from the woman’s mouth and brings her attention back. “I see we’ve got a live one here,” she says icily, judging Katniss’ full attire with distaste.

“Don’t Jo,” Peeta responds sharply.

She shakes her head in disgust. “Have you finished rescuing the damsel in distress yet or what? You know after the Finnick incident Haymitch is watching everybody like a hawk.”

Peeta smirks. “I’ll be right there.”

But not a moment too soon a rough, slurred voice calls out. “Boy! Where the hell are you?” Heavy and unbalanced footsteps follow the question as the man who Katniss assumes is Haymitch pops his head inside the bathroom door. He’s an older man in his forties with dark hair and olive skin and thank god he’s fully clothed. “Mellark, your space is filling up with people wanting to see you. I’m not paying you to sit around in a robe all night and play prince charming.”

Peeta, who is still looking at Katniss, just rolls his eyes in amusement. He’s clearly not affected by either of them. That gesture and his demeanour allows her to breathe and relax her nerves.

“I wouldn’t be worrying what I’m up to,” Peeta pipes up. “If I was you I would be keeping a closer eye on Finnick. I overheard him earlier trying to convince Gloss to help him start a human pyramid tonight with the patrons.”

“Oh bloody hell, not again,” Haymitch curses. “Damn kid.” He turns to leave in a maddening fluster before he unexpectedly turns back around and looks over to Katniss. His features soften. “You sure you’re alright there, sweetheart?”

Katniss is taken back by his complete 180. But she feels touched by his momentary concern for her and nods her head. 

He mirrors her action. “Good. Don’t worry about the asshole from earlier. Security roughed him up pretty good so if you decide to participate tonight he won’t be in there.”

“Thank you,” she stammers out. Her mouth suddenly feels like it’s home to a ball of cotton wool.

“Let’s go Jo, you’ve got people waiting too.”

Jo gives Katniss one final glare, following it up with a devilish smile before she strolls out of the room after Haymitch, swinging her hips seductively.   

Once they’ve both gone, Katniss turns to Peeta with a relieved smile and exhales a long, shuddering breath. She’s not sure what to make of both of them.

“That went surprising well,” Peeta states cheerfully. “They usually don’t converse easily with people they’ve just met.”

“I thought that Jo woman was going to kill me,” Katniss comments wryly. She looks down and is not surprised that Peeta still has a tender hold of her arm.

“You don’t need to worry about Jo. She’s like that with everyone, especially when you first meet her,” he explains. “It’s no excuse, but her life hasn’t been an easy one.”

Katniss nods, although she’s not sure what to say to that and she doesn’t think it’s her place to comment on it.

The electricity that was running between them earlier has dimmed due to the interruption, but Katniss can still feel the exciting hum running through her veins. And for now it will have to do. “Well I guess I better let you get out there and do your…thing,” she says almost shyly. She can’t believe after all the naked bodies she’s seen drifting in and out of this place so far tonight that she’s still feeling a little uncomfortable.

“Yeah,” Peeta agrees but his face clearly says he’s not ready to leave. Hesitantly, he lets go of her arm and Katniss relishes in the fact her arm now feels warm and tingly like his aura is still with her. “I really hope to see you again soon,” he says softly.

“You will,” Katniss assures him. Even if she had a busy schedule for the next 5 years she would already be clearing it and planning on coming back tomorrow. Wild horses couldn’t keep her away now. But she doesn’t want to voice her plans out loud to him, afraid she’ll come off lonely and desperate.

“When you go out to the foyer, go and see Annie at the ticket counter,” he instructs. “Tell her I sent you and she’ll call you a cab.”

“Oh no you don’t have to do that –”

“Please I insist. After everything that’s happened tonight I’ll feel much better knowing you got home safely.”

She’s touched by his sweet gesture and she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t turned on by his chivalrous manner.

“Bye, Katniss,” he mutters. Reaching the door he turns back around, his smile bright but his eyes shaded with a hint of hesitancy, like he’s worried he won’t ever see her again. She wants to reiterate and reassure him that he will, but he turns around and leaves before she can get her mouth and brain to cooperate.

After the door closes unceremoniously behind him, the whole place is filled with a deafening silence. The only sound she can hear is the click clack from her high heels as she steps out into the change room and takes in the empty space. She’s alone and every locker is closed tight. All except one, she realises. The locker that Cato had a key to. The compartment door is wide open like someone left it in a hurry…or they were pulled away from it abruptly. She can’t help but wander over to it, contemplating. In a way it feels like a lifetime ago she was standing right in this spot next to Cato. She thinks so much has happened since then and she feels different. It’s a good kind of different though, one she thinks she’ll have a hard time putting into words, but she knows she has Peeta to thank for her potential new outlook.

Tonight definitely hadn’t gone the way she imagined or planned for herself, that’s for sure. It was a disaster in a lot of ways, but if she hadn’t come here with Cato she wouldn’t have met Peeta. And no matter how angry she wants to be about the events that led her here tonight, that part is like sunshine breaking through the dark clouds and brightening up her life.

A delicious shiver runs down her spine just at the thought of Peeta and what he could be doing right now. She can’t deny she’s curious about what’s going on behind those closed doors. Her mouth starts to salivate and her pulse thumbs against her neck when she imagines what his body could look like. Is it identical to his twin’s? All broad shoulders and muscular chest? Does he have the distinct pelvic muscles that curve sharply into the letter V too?

Not to mention the thought of him is bringing up their conversation from earlier. “And when you think about it you’re not alone. Everybody is out there bare, naked and vulnerable. All in the same boat without letting fear, prejudice or judgement be a part of them or the experience.”

She really doesn’t want to go home, she suddenly realises. Not when the only thing waiting for her there is stone cold humiliation thanks to her unsuccessful date. She also doesn’t want to face the high probability that Prim couldn’t wait until tomorrow morning to talk to her and has already left an enthusiastic message pushing her for every single detail. Plus having to deal with the smugness from that asshole cat who will be looking down his nose at her and thinking, I knew you couldn’t do it. How’s that mouse’s wheel treating you?

She shifts her attention to the door. The one that has a sign above it stating, Exhibition Entrance. In Katniss’ opinion it may as well have a large, flashing neon sign.

Could she really do this? Step out of her comfort zone and be naked in front of all those people?

But the most important question of all is - does she really want to do this?

……..

Yes she does.

She doesn’t think anymore, instead she just concentrates on the familiar and debilitating sensation of uncertainty leaving her body, like a heavy weight is lifting. Now all she hears is Peeta’s soothing words in her ears encouraging her over and over again like a broken record. Quickly, she takes off her shoes, unzips her dress and slips her underwear down and piles them into the locker.

It’s a weird sensation, she thinks as what she’s doing begins to dawn on her. She’s now standing in a public place, stark naked where anybody could just walk in and see her. Her hands wring nervously in front of her and she feels her heart beating so hard against her rib cage it’s almost painful. I can do this. Remember you won’t be alone. Don’t be afraid. Time to step out of your comfort zone. You had a failed date tonight with the douchebag from hell, but you will experience something amazing tonight, Katniss Everdeen.

Her hands shake slightly on the door knob until she conjures up another image of Peeta. His smile, his bravery and his wise words comfort her and push the nerves down again. As she stands there waiting to take her first steps into a brave new world, she suddenly feels like the most powerful woman on the planet. The unknown is exhilarating, like she’s free falling without a parachute.

She opens the door with no hesitation and takes a determined step inside.

The first thing she notices in the large, marble room is that it’s very quiet, to the point you could almost hear a pin drop. A few people standing nearby give her a brief glance before smiling kindly and turning back around to murmur about a model’s pose. But there’s no one leering towards her, making snide comments or yelling out obscenities about her body. It all seems muted and respectful.  

She works her way around the room slowly, becoming more aware by the second of how her body is moving; the insides of her bare thighs are brushing together and she can see her breasts are jiggling with every step she takes. She never really took the time to look at herself like this before.

Gazing around she notes there are ten artists who are spread out across the entire floor. There’s no velvet ropes to separate or distinguish, but you can tell who they are as each of them are either standing or sitting down in different and elaborate poses that look so raw and beautiful it makes her stop mid step. She didn’t think a show like this could affect her so much, but there’s awe in her eyes and appreciation etched deep within her bones.

She then feels a magnetic pull from somewhere deep inside, like she’s attached to something. The sensation leads her to the far corner of the room and she’s not surprised by who she finds. Peeta. She’s unable to see his full profile at first, only recognising the top of his head over the crowd that’s gathered to observe him. After a few minutes several people step aside and she’s able to move in for a closer look.

She forgets how to breathe for a moment when her eyes fall upon his entire naked body. It is as she suspected - a masterpiece. An artwork that seems to have been carefully crafted and layered with love by the gods themselves. She always thought the human body was a weird construction with all its different parts and functions but watching Peeta now performing with all the grace and beauty of a ballet dancer and admiring how every muscle in his body can twist and turn into simple and complex shapes she now believes the body is truly a magnificent thing to behold.

None of the artists are interacting with the patrons, each of them seem to be in their own little worlds performing and sharing their own beauty and abilities. Either way, Katniss still wants to be as close to him as humanly possible. She sneaks into a spot at the front and off to the side. Continuing to be mesmerised by the view of him, she watches as he changes the shape of his body as he curls his back and then brings it forward again before lifting his leg up high so it’s flexed and balancing straight in front of him. But it’s when he dips his head to the side that he catches a glimpse of her standing there in all her naked glory; his neutral expression drops and he loses his steadiness for a few seconds. She can’t help but feel excited at the clear effect she has on him. Very carefully, so the other patrons can’t see, he gives her a pleased grin before he twists his body into another position and sets his features back into his model persona. Everything is back to normal except his eyes. They’re staring straight ahead bright and alert, and dancing in delight that she’s here standing before him participating. She feels his heated gaze staring at her out of the corner of his eye and she knows he’s taking in her naked form. She feels a little self-conscious but considering she’s standing here with her brain brimming close to the edge with naked images of him that could fill an entire scrap book she thinks it’s only fair.

This has got to be the strangest day of my life, Katniss thinks to herself weirdly. What a bizarre way to meet someone. He gives her a wink, like he can read her thoughts and their moment is over. He turns his body away so his back is to her and settles into a different pose.  

“Please tell me how on earth you made him break?” A rogue voice whispers, his disbelieving breath ghosting against the shell of her ear. She’s momentarily stunned for a moment that she was caught off guard by someone who’s standing in her personal space. Usually she has the hearing of a wild dog out on a hunt for a good feed, but not this time around it seems.

She turns around to face the man with a scowl, wanting to find out what his deal is, when she’s left feeling gobsmacked. Again.

Standing beside her is a very familiar looking man who’s identical to the one standing on display. Rye. Her shocked grey eyes travel across his well acquainted face before they drift down without warning to explore even more of him. Yep. Identical in every way. He coughs and the noise breaks her out of her dazed spell, bringing her back to her senses and forcing her to seek eye contact with a guilt ridden expression. His eyes are dancing around in playful delight and he gives her a knowing smirk. “You’d think staring at my brother for most of the night would have been more than enough…but maybe you haven’t had your fill…”

“Rye, leave the poor girl alone,” a female voice cuts in and sighs loudly. “And leave your brother alone too, he’s trying to do his job. He doesn’t need you distracting him.”

“I think this young woman right here is doing a good enough job for the both of us,” Rye smirks playfully.

The woman then comes into Katniss line of sight and she tries not to stare too hard or lower her gaze. It’s the blond woman from the change rooms.

“I’m sorry, we’re being so rude aren’t we? I’m sure you have no idea who we are.” Redness blushes the other woman’s cheeks and she holds out her hand in greeting. “I’m Delly and this is my fiancée Rye – who’s obviously Peeta’s twin.”

“I’m the devilishly handsome one,” Rye cuts in and it makes Katniss laugh automatically, remembering what Peeta had said about his brother.

She takes a step forward and shakes Delly’s hand and then his. “I’m Katniss.” What a weird circumstance to meet.

Delly smiles. “Don’t pay any attention to this one. He’s just jealous,” she tells her and wraps an arm around Rye’s waist. He dips his head and looks down at her with a loving and charming smile. “He’s been trying to make Peeta laugh or fall over for the last 10 minutes with no success.”

“The guy has no sense of humour when it comes to this. He’s acting like one of the Queen’s guards.”

“He’s acting like this because he knows what you’re up to. He knew you would try and pull something like this, your brother isn’t stupid,” Delly explains and gives him a teasing pinch on his hip. She moves her attention over to Katniss and gives her a mischievous grin. “Maybe Katniss can pull it off because she has something that you don’t.”

Rye scoffs. “Yeah and I’m sure I know what it is,” he replies dryly.

Delly shakes her head at him with exasperation. “You’re impossible sometimes.”

“Oh come on you love it,” Rye replies huskily, with hooded eyes. He leans down to give her a kiss on the lips, their tongues meeting slowly and languidly. Even though the three of them are standing together fully naked Katniss still feels like she’s standing in the middle of a private and intimate moment, and looks away.

“So were you okay after that guy of yours left?” Rye asks carefully. His voice brings her attention back and she sees them both looking at her with joint concern. “From what I overheard, the guy sounded like a real piece of work.”

“Oh, yes,” she stumbles, trying to get her brain working again. “Thank you for going to get Peeta. I really appreciate it. The night definitely didn’t turn out the way I was expecting.”

“You poor thing,” Delly says. “There are so many bad ones out there, isn’t there? But it just makes you appreciate it more when you find a good one. Peeta is a good one,” she adds pretending to sound off handed, but her blue eyes are twinkling

“He’s great. I’ve never met anyone like him before,” Katniss tells her with a smile and she feels Rye looking down on her with curious eyes. He looks exactly like Peeta, but they say the eyes are the windows to the soul and Katniss can see some differences. Rye seems like a bit of a larrikin, a carefree joker, where Peeta seems to have more of a sensitive and serious side.

“I don’t think you need to play matchmaker here Dell,” Rye then pipes up. “I think the hook has already landed the big fish.” Without further ado, he gives Katniss a wink and says, “We’ll leave you alone so you can perve on my brother in private. You have my blessing.”

She nods nervously, surprised that her intentions for Peeta seem to show as clear as day to his brother. She says her goodbyes and then looks over to Peeta who still has his back to her but he now has his knee up high and bent, while his back curls forward and his head is tucked into his chest.

She decides to come back later so she doesn’t distract him again or get him in trouble. She strolls around the exhibition and views all the other artists on display. She watches Jo for a while, but only because her back is to the audience. She then finds herself standing in front of a man with bronze hair and green eyes the colour of water you would find on a tropical island. She has a funny suspicion that his name is Finnick as she swears she hears him whisper to the small group that has gathered, “Have you ever wanted to be a part of a human pyramid?” She walks off with a shake of her head and wonders off-handed where Haymitch could be.

But throughout the night she can’t get away from or deny the heated and comforting gaze she feels following her around. Her skin feels alight with flames as she senses him watching and looking out for her. The butterflies in her belly are back and this time they’re flapping around in excitement counting down the minutes until she can talk to him again.

Half an hour later and it’s like everything in the universe aligns and answers her prayers because when she’s back in the change rooms, zipping up her dress, she feels a warm presence behind her and the distinctive smells of cinnamon and dill that she’d smelled earlier.  

Unable to hide the excitement and confidence the evening has brought to her, she turns around and gives Peeta the biggest grin; she’s relieved to find him beaming back.

“You were incredible,” he states in awe. “I couldn’t believe that you’d really gone out there. I thought for a moment I was seeing things,” he laughs. “How do you feel? Are you okay?”

“I’m feeling pretty damn good,” she answers back with a proud smirk. “You were amazing too, by the way.”

“Thank you,” he nods, the tops of his ears turning pink. He pauses for a moment before speaking again. “Um, so I was thinking, if you’re not in a hurry to get home that is, maybe we could go out for coffee, talk about the show…or anything really.”

“I would love to, but I don’t drink coffee,” she states firmly.

“Oh…um, okay…” he pauses, looking crestfallen.

“I could go for a hot chocolate though,” she offers alternatively and gives him a wink. She doesn’t know where this new and sudden boldness of hers is coming from but she thinks she likes it. “I know a great bakery around the corner that’s open late.”

His shoulders sag in relief, and his eyes twinkle. “I believe I’m familiar with the place you’re thinking of,” he says, offering his hand.

Without further thought, she gently places her hand in his, admiring the warmth radiating from his palm and the rough texture of his fingers wrapped securely around hers. They fall into step, walking alongside each other in comforting silence as they move across the spacious floors of the gallery. Outside she sees the bright neon sign of the Mellark Bakery flashing and suddenly realizes she’ll have an amazing story to share with Prim and her stupid cat tomorrow. Not only did she find the courage to walk around naked in front of complete strangers, but she also managed to meet a nice guy and go on a date. But the most satisfying thing out of this is that she was able to accomplish all this by herself, with no safety net or comfort zone. Tonight had brought her confidence, and a sense of fun that had been missing from her life.

As they step inside the warmth of the bustling bakery, something tells her there’s a good chance she could become addicted to the free fall of a comfort zone free life, and fully exploring the possibilities of what life has to offer. Because even after only one night of taking that leap of not knowing where she was going to land, she’s already found Peeta. And she can only imagine what she can possibly accomplish with him by her side. 

[notoriousffmirror]

wishful thinking (a steve harrington one-shot)

based on the prompt: “You come here often?” “Well, I work here. So I think I’d have to say ‘yes’.”

pairing: steve harrington x reader

word count: 1.8k

a/n: hello! i don’t bite. i promise. feel free to pick something from the prompt list and drop it on my inbox maybe? or just leave our suggestion k byeeeee enjoy

—        Of all the awful things about working at The Gap - the long hours, dealing with (annoying) people, having to fold hundreds of neon shirts countless times throughout the day, doing inventory - the thing you hated the most was closing up the store. 

      You hated the creepy, empty environment, having to check every room to see if there was anyone there (yup, like a robber would yell “hey, over here!”), and having to turn off all the lights before locking everything up. 

(Even though you were over eighteen, you still flipped the switch and ran upstairs every time you grabbed a cup of water in the middle of the night at home.)

(You did the exact same thing at The Gap. Turned off switches and just ran.)

(Good thing there was no one to watch you.)

(Except, y’know, the imaginary robber.)

      And today, it would be your lucky day to close up the shop. 

      You were dreading it. 

      And you were also regretting agreeing to see Friday The 13th with your brother that past weekend, cause now your mind was playing tricks on you. 

      First, you could’ve sworn that a blazer with very dramatic shoulder pads on the fitting room was actually a person, and almost had a heart attack. 

      Then, a hanger fell out of nowhere from a pile as you were locking up the break room and you were pretty certain that if someone, anyone, was hiding out trying to rob The Gap they’d be deaf by now, because you let out the most embarrassing, ear piercing scream you could muster. 

      And now you were hearing footsteps. 

      Taking a deep breath and praying to God it was all in our head, you hid behind a rack of ugly neon shirts, holding an iron that you found at the back to your chest. 

      Someone was approaching. 

      Someone had actually entered the store, and you hang onto the iron until you heard that said someone was close and just…

      “Hello?”

      Threw it at them. 

      “Oh my God, you could’ve killed me!” The intruder yelled, and “Oh my God, what the fuck are you doing here?!”, you yelled back, coming out of your hiding spot. 

      The intruder was wearing a ridiculous sailor outfit. 

      The intruder was Steve Harrington. 

      You let out a breath of relief. You knew Steve. You went to high school together. He was a major dick but had fantastic hair. 

      “I heard someone screaming and I came running to check out what happened.” He still seemed startled by almost getting hit on the face with an ironing device. 

      “Oh. Sorry.” You picked up the iron from where it landed, a feet away from him “I hope this isn’t broken or my manager is gonna murder me.”

      “You could’ve killed me, Y/N.” 

      “Sorry, wasn’t expecting a knight in shining armor.” You replied sarcastically and Steve rolled his eyes. 

      Typical you, he thought. Queen of Sarcasm. 

      “Anyway, is everything okay?” 

      “Uh, sure, it was just an… well, I think you deserve the truth.” You knew that if you two were still in high school you’d get mocked endlessly once that got out but, at the moment, you couldn’t care less “I got spooked by a hanger that fell. It was very creepy and I watched a horror movie on pure peer pressure so I might be traumatized for life. Sorry.”

      “You’re closing this entire thing alone?” Steve looked concerned and you guessed the rumors were true. 

      King Steve had changed from High School to now. 

      “Yes, but I am almost done. I think. I kinda got distracted after the hanger thing and I started hearing footsteps.”

      “Do you need help?”

      “Yes!” You replied, maybe a little too eagerly. 

(Not because he was King Steve With The Good Hair and all of that.)

(You hated closing so much that if Freddy Krueger had offered you help, you might’ve taken him for it.)

(Okay, maybe not.)

      Steve gave you a sideways smile - one of those that, maybe once upon a time, would’ve made your heart do little pirouettes, taking the iron from your hands “I hate closing alone too. And Ahoy is probably as big as your fitting room.”

      “You on solo duty tonight too?”

      “Yes, Robin uhm, she had to leave early” He seemed embarrassed “She had ahm, lady problems”

      You scoffed “Steve, y’know that’s a lie right?” 

      He actually looked appalled and you wanted to laugh. 

      “The girl who was supposed to close up with me beat me up to it and used the exact same excuse to our manager. I’d be mad if I hadn’t done the same thing last time.”

(You really hated locking up the store.)

      You’d feel bad for Steve if you didn’t have an amazing memory and remembered when, a long time ago, when you two were juniors, had  Science together and had to do a presentation in front of the class. 

      He bailed on your group by saying he had basketball practice every single time you guys tried to schedule a meeting. 

(Your group ended up doing the entire thing without him.)

(Still put his name on the final paper because he was King Steve and all the boys were terrified.)

(On the day of the presentation, he said three lines as charmingly as possible, made the teacher blush and got an A overall.)

      “Can you help me fold these ugly shirts? Then I’ll just lock the register and on our merry way we go.”

      “Sure thing.”

      Should you say something?, you wondered. Were you two even friends? You were friendly enough, you supposed, he may have been king of Hawkings High, but you weren’t a complete loser. 

(Or at least you hoped you weren’t.)

(Fuck, were you?)

(Hell, it didn’t even matter now.)

      And what could you even say?

      Nice hair? Nice uniform? Fun summer huh? 

      So you decided to let the comfortable silence reign. 

      Meanwhile.  

      The silence was getting uncomfortable in Steve’s head. 

      Should he say something? Robin talked about you often enough. Said you gave her all of your employees discount and were saving up money to go to some fancy Ivy League. He didn’t doubt it - he knew you were smart. You two had lots of classes together growing up. Should he ask something? About college? Well, then he’d have to talk about his disastrous acceptance experience and that wouldn’t be so nice and yup, the silence was dragging and God he hated it, he had to say something to you, had to and…

      “So, ahm… You come here often?” 

      You stopped folding one of those ugly neon shirts halfway through. 

      “Well, I work here. So I think I’d have to say ‘yes’.”

      He wanted to hit himself in the face. He’d been out of practice for so long he had to let out the most obtuse pick up line in the planet to one of the few girls who’d never let him live it down. 

(And whom, he was just starting to realize, he didn’t want to leave with the Steve Harrington is a complete Idiot impression.)

      Fantastic. 

      “I…” he started, and, eager to break the silence and noticing how embarrassed he was, you interrupted cheerfully “Best and worst thing about working at the mall, go!”

      “Erm, best: I can get all the free ice cream that I want. Worst: that’s really starting to show up on my adult size small sailor uniform.”

      “For me the best is… definitely the employees discount.” You paused “Although I wouldn’t want to use it on this ugly thing.”

(The ugly neon shirt was indeed very ugly.)

      “And the worst, wait, wait, let me guess.” Steve pretended to think for a second “closing up the store?”

      “I just think the mall gets so creepy when it’s empty.” You shuddered “I’d rather deal with a thousand stay at home moms yelling at me cause their shirt shrunk than closing this goddamn place one more time.”

      “Wishful thinking, y’know. Keep thinking that everyone else except you will get the locking duty.” He replied, with a solemn tone on his voice. 

      That was a side you didn’t know: Steve Harrington, advice master. 

      “Think that works?” You eyed him skeptically.

      “You’ll never know if you don’t really try.” He shrugged, and you two made small talk for a while longer. 

      After making sure everything was at it’s expected place (except the iron, cause Steve was pretty much sure it was broken and asked if he could give it to a “friend of his who likes building stuff and could use this”, which you agreed to, as it was always better to get rid of any crime evidence), you helped Steve close up Scoops Ahoy (and took the opportunity to try every single ice cream flavor without someone behind you breathing down your neck).

      As you said your goodbyes at the parking lot - Steve walking you to his car like the gentleman he was -, he made you promise that, if all the wishful thinking failed and you had to lock the store by yourself again, you’d hop by Scoops Ahoy to let him now. 

(And to get some free ice cream.)

      You promised, and you went for a mocking salute as he went for a hug and it was awkward and nice and little did you know that would be the last time you’d be closing up The Gap. 

      Cause on the week after, something uber strange would happen, half of the mall would get destroyed and you’d lose your job. 

      That was the thought running through  your mind as you went to the videostore to grab some movies, as you had lot of time to kill and wasn’t exactly ready yet to go job hunting on retail again. 

      You were surprisingly greeted by Steve. 

      No stupid sailor hat now, just his regular old clothes and hair in all of it’s full, tall, thick glory. 

      “Hey! At least no more closing up the shop at eleven pm!”

      “At least that! That wishful thinking thing really does work, huh?”

      Steve smiled. Behind you, Robin was mouthing “ask her out! Ask her out!”

      Noticing something going on behind your back, you turned to face her, a huge grin on her face as she spoke “So, hey Y/N! Do you come here often?”

      You laughed, Steve groaning and with a shrug you replied “Not really, but I might start showing up more.”

      “I leave at seven!” Steve quipped, and you nodded, grabbing your movies (the horror one for your brother obviously, you learned your lesson).

      “I might show up again at seven then.”

(You did.)

[seniorbrief]

20 Mind-Blowing Facts About Life on the International Space Station

Photo courtesy NASA

1. The sun rises and sets all day long

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station witness way more sunrises and sunsets than those of us on Earth: 16 of each per day. That’s because the station travels at about 17,500 miles per hour, completing a full orbit of Earth every 90 minutes.

2. Signs of life on Earth are most visible at night

The most prominent signs of human life during the day are airplane contrails, wakes created by boats, and the textured grey of big cities, says NASA astronaut Terry Virts. But nighttime, he says, is when you really see human activity. “It’s more a vision of wealth than it is of populations,” he says. “Europe shines like a light bulb … whereas Africa is bright around cities like Cairo and Johannesburg, but is otherwise just a few dots of light.”

3. The aurora borealis is stunning from above

Photo courtesy NASA

4. Up and down have no absolute meaning

While astronauts aboard the station typically keep their heads toward the overhead and their feet toward the deck, there is no true up or down in space. Labels and light fixtures (which run along the overhead) suggest a certain vertical orientation, but astronauts can switch things up as they want or need to. “Some days I’d [orient myself] with my head toward the deck,” says NASA astronaut Barry “Butch” Wilmore. “Just to do things differently.”

5. Certain foods are MUCH harder to eat in space

Photo courtesy NASA

6. If you lose something, it could be gone for a while     

It’s not uncommon for things to go missing aboard the space station (largely because anything that’s not secure will float away). Virts says that early in one mission, he and his crewmates lost a wrench. Months after it vanished, it reappeared. “For whatever reason, it just floated out from wherever it had been,” he says. “When the station finally comes back to Earth—hopefully decades from now—there will be a lot of lost tools, lights, wedding rings, and who knows what else, re-emerging.”

7. You can see pollution from space

The effect people have on Earth—for good and for ill—is clear. “While I was [aboard the space station], there was a part of Asia where we would always see pollution,” says Lindgren. “And then they had a clean air day where they limited the number of automobiles that could drive into town and those sorts of things. Within days we were able to see a city that we had previously not been able to see.”

8. Got something in your eye? That’s fairly common                

Photo courtesy NASA

9. Astronauts see the same number of stars as people on Earth

The best view aboard the station is from the seven-window cupola dome. On moonless nights, the planets, stars, aurora borealis, and a spinning Milky Way galaxy are visible. “The view of the stars from space is similar to the experience you’d have if you went to Colorado, climbed a mountain, and didn’t have any lights,” says Virts. “It’s the same number of stars, except we don’t have [to view them through] the atmosphere, which helps.”

10. It’s easy—but uncommon—to play microgravity pranks          

Lindgren says that while he never witnessed a space prank firsthand (though there was this gorilla-suit incident), there are a few good ones. “I’ve heard of people falling asleep in the middle of the day in one module, and somebody will come by and move them into a different module,” he says. “So they’ll wake up a bit disoriented.” Lindgren says that because astronauts don’t have to hold themselves up to sit or stand, it’s especially easy for them to accidentally fall asleep.

11. Cargo pants and socks make a good space outfit

It turns out that practical Earth outfits hold up well in space, too. Lindgren says a typical outfit is a cotton T-shirt and pants with lots of pockets and Velcro strips (astronauts use Velcro to keep items secure). “And you don’t need to wear shoes,” he says. “Just socks.”

12. It’s possible to get stuck in place

In order to move from one part of the space station to another, astronauts push off structures—which are almost always reachable—to propel themselves in the direction they need to go. But Virts recalls that after installing the space station’s Node 3 module—and before mounting racks of equipment to its sides—the room was a bit wider than an arm span. “We’d put someone in the middle and they’d just float there,” he says. “After about five or 10 minutes, the air currents would move you enough that you’d be able to grab onto the side.”

13. Saturday movie nights are popular in space, too

Photo courtesy NASA

14. Space travel isn’t the only aspect of being an astronaut

Wilmore says one of the biggest misconceptions about an astronaut’s job might be that it’s all about space travel. “Astronauts support NASA’s human spaceflight program. We rarely fly in space,” he says. “I’ve been an astronaut for 15 years and I’ve flown in space twice. And that’s average.”

15. There’s time for hobbies in space

Although astronauts typically work long days from around 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., there is time for reading and hobbies in the evening and on weekends. “I elected to have bagpipes sent up in one of my crew care packages,” says Lindgren.

16. Astronauts have the occasional dream in microgravity

When you spend enough time in a certain environment, you start to dream there, too. “I only had two microgravity dreams while I was in space,” says Lindgren. “And only two since I’ve been back on Earth.” One of his crewmates said about half his dreams aboard the space station were ground-based, while the other half were in microgravity.

17. The work astronauts do on the space station matters to people on Earth

“Space station research affects every discipline of science,” says Virts. “We’re learning how to fix human problems.” Some examples include experiments being done around bone loss, an obstacle astronauts combat in space with rigorous exercise, as well as work being done on combustion efficiency. “If you could change that efficiency by a fraction of a percent, it would be the biggest invention of the 21st century,” says Virts. For more information on the research being done aboard the space station, visit NASA.

Photo courtesy NASA

18. Astronauts often experience an overview effect

When astronauts in space look down on their home planet, they often experience a phenomenon referred to as the overview effect. “We see this amazing, indescribably beautiful planet,” says astronaut Ron Garan in the Planetary Collective film OVERVIEW. “It looks like a living, breathing organism. But it also, at the same time, looks extremely fragile … It really is striking and it’s really sobering to see this paper-thin layer and to realize that that little paper-thin layer is all that protects every living thing on Earth from death, basically. From the harshness of space.”

19. Astronauts often refer to their home planet as Spaceship Earth

Photo courtesy NASA

20. “We do not see any borders from space…”

From 250 miles above the planet, world peace seems less a lofty goal and more an urgent priority. “Some things that on Earth we see in the news every day and thus almost tend to accept as a ‘given’, appear very different from our perspective,” wrote German astronaut Alexander Gerst about what he felt as he saw rocket explosions over Israel and the Gaza in 2014. “We do not see any borders from space … From up here it is crystal clear that on Earth we are one humanity … If we ever will be visited by another species from somewhere in the universe, how would we explain to them what they might see as the very first thing when they look at our planet? How would we explain to them the way we humans treat not only each other but also our fragile blue planet, the only home we have? I do not have an answer for that.”

Original Source -> 20 Mind-Blowing Facts About Life on the International Space Station

source https://www.seniorbrief.com/20-mind-blowing-facts-about-life-on-the-international-space-station/

[internetallyscreaming]

moon, arcturus, betelgeuse, aldebaran, orion, pegasus, pheonix, hydra, milky way, andromeda, black eye galaxy, cigar galay, sombrero galaxy, pinwheel galaxy, asteroid, eteor, nebula, shooting star, supernova, quasar, wormhole, black hole | thats a lot oops, u dont have to answer all if u lazy (like me)

This will be long, so prepare yourself to aggressively scroll past this if you don’t wish to hear more about me lmao

Moon: I’ve been hoping to study perhaps Creative Writing or History, or perhaps even Astronomy? I’ve really wanted to pursue Astronomy, though I thought that would take me too long and I would turn too dumb halfway to even get my degree, so I’m probably going for Creative Writing, if it doesn’t end up providing too low pay. I’ve found estimated pay for each of my desired degrees, and Astronomy turns out best. I’m still uncertain though;Arcturus: Yes, immense happiness or excitement or proudness or anger, I’ve felt a lot through crying. Most recently I’ve cried because Phillip Michael Lester turned 30 and I’ve went on a bit of a marathon of his videos from oldest to newest, I’m still not done with it, but I ended up crying because he got this far and he probably didn’t know it would happen just a decade ago. Hahahaah… please don’t judge me;;

Betelgeuse: Something I can’t forget about? Oh dear, I don’t know. I guess, the time a guy almost broke my left clavicle in 4th grade right before an exam;;; Worst day.

Aldebaran: I desperately care about my friends, my future, how I look in front of others, what I do in front of others, about not failing at anything and making myself look like an idiot, and I could go on way more about this stuff. But mostly, I care about the dear babe who asked all these questions. uwu

Orion: I have so many favourite months! January because it’s the new year and typically I get new relationships in that month, February because it’s my birthday month, and June-August because it’s Summer Vacations.

Pegasus: My favourite place to be… Well, I guess typical places would be my home, wherever my friends are, and I also love visiting new places. I want to visit Rome and some other cities I haven’t yet visited! I also love being around places where I can feel that everyone around me is happy.

Phoenix: I love wearing sweaters and scarves, as well as denim skinny jeans. Denim and leather jackets are amazing too, and give me all of the ankle boots. That’s basically my outfit all the time I go outside with minor adjustments.

Hydra: I love listening to music, so rhythmical sounds like those really get me cheered up. Listen to eurovision songs like What’s the Pressure and Tonight Again, and those are some songs that make me feel happier. I also love hearing birds chirping, airplanes setting off, and sometimes I like listening to paper being ripped. And rain splattering against the window is amazing.

Milky Way: The oldest friend I remember having that I’m not in contact with anymore is a girl named Sophia who was my neighbour in Greece. My oldest friend that I mildly keep contact with is one of my current neighbours in Serbia who shares the same name as me. My oldest friend who I keep in contact with as we speak (or rather as I type and you read?) is the babe who asked the questions. uwu

Andromeda: I consider myself slightly social, slightly not. I’m an ambivert, and it just depends on my mood. If I’m in a good mood, I want to be surrounded by people all the time. Although if I’m salty as fuck, leave me alone and just hang with me at that moment if we talk on a daily basis and/or I trust you a lot.

Black Eye Galaxy: Well, it’s possible, under certain conditions. I don’t believe you could find out someone’s personality at the first sight, but you could fall in love with their looks at the first sight, that’s certainly possible if you’re one who goes for looks. But my opinion of love at first sight is when you hang around with a person and you feel a connection by the first time you hang out with them and know how they act and some of their opinions on things, and basic things about them.

Cigar Galaxy: Lmfao, my flirting skills? Sometimes I can bust a good pick-up line on the spot, so my flirting is quite alright, and I’m not the most awkward flirt online, so I can be quite confident. Although don’t challenge me in real life, I’ve never done it so I guarantee I will make a fool of myself.

Sombrero Galaxy: I am dating someone right now who goes by the name of Nalin! She is the babe that is @silent-luciidity . But I love her a lot, and I can’t help getting crushes even then. I’ve had this crush on a guy in my class since a year ago, and that’s longer than when I’ve gotten into a relationship with her recently, just two months ago. So I’m still trying to control myself around him, yikes. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love my babe dearly

Pinwheel Galaxy: The last person I talked to is a friend on Quotev, and I’ll be honest, I would not lmao. He is just not my type, although a good friend.

Asteroid: Yikes, that’s a tough question. My dream life would probably consist of living in an aesthetically pleasing looking mansion with all !! my !! friends !! living with me, and I could get whatever I crave at that moment immediately, and I would also want my friends to be super happy. I don’t like seeing people sad! Although I get carried away with things I want, I try to hold back;; But the thing I surely want is the happiness of everyone I know.

Meteor: Well, that’s not something I could easily say now, can I? Haha, well, I’ll go by something I wish I can say in real life, but I’d probably get thought of weirdly for saying it. I wish I could say that I don’t like people being my friend one moment and then being all dramatic the next, although I can’t say it straight to their face because they’d throw a bigger fuss. The people I hang out with are awful sometimes ugh

Nebula: I wish I could undo my weeby creepypasta phase tbh burn that shit in hell ew-

Shooting Star: I :) wish :) I :) could :) bring :) back :) people :) having :) common :) fucking :) sense :) but even tho that’s true I wish I could bring back my lost PSP D: I lost it by leaving it behind on the bench while I was waiting for the bus with my mom and sister and I only noticed it was gone when I asked for it in the bus (I was like 5 or 6 at the time mind you) and I started sobbing when I realized that we forgot it and it was already too late to go back. RIP old PSP.

Supernova: I really want to be at least a little bit known before I die, be it for my art or books or anything else. I want to be known a little bit. I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t super popular or anything, I just want to be known by a good few thousand people that can possibly spread it to others. I’d be super happy if I ever become something big. uwu

Quasar: Fuck, this is such a hard question. Is it possible to morph all of my friends into one person that I can hang with until I die? ty? no?? Okay, well, this is fucking hard, I can’t choose just one D:

Wormhole: I honestly wish I could meet my idols Dan and Phil. I know it’s probably possible, but I dont think it’d be that easy for some reason. I really want to meet them though, seeing the angels in the flesh would probably bring me back down to Earth and make me remember //wow im lucky to breathe the same air from the same planet as them// whoops

Black Hole: Like, the last thing I see before I die? Like, is that what you mean??? If so, I wish to be surrounded by my friends worrying over me in my hospital bed as I pass away of old age. I want to live a normal life, so yes.

And that’s the end of this, yikes. That was very long. I hope you didn’t get bored halfway through!;;