#♡ — house of the hearth collection.

[aviiarie]

Hi avieee! I am making a request this time. So uhm I really really like your that lost & found platonic arle x reader. So I am wondering if you can do a part 2 of that? Like what happens after reader is rescued? The Fontaine trio reactions? Does Arle go into overprotective mama bear mode?

😶‍🌫️

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ AFTERWORD. platonic fonatine siblings, arlecchino & reader !

synopsis. (sequel to lost & found. read that one first.) [name] is reunited with their siblings. contents. PLATONIC. aftermath of kidnapping. gn!reader. they/them pronouns used. fluff. 1k words. notes. i wanted to make this a sort of epilogue, so apologies if it is a little short!

“[Name]!”

Their eyes opened with a flutter, still in a haze halfway between sleep and consciousness. The call of their name was their only warning before they were tackled in their hospital bed by a blur of black and red, crying out in alarm at the sudden weight falling on top of them. In their daze, it took a moment for them to realize who it was.

“L-Lyn—Lyney?” they managed to stammer out, wheezing as he squeezed them in a much too tight hug.

“[Name]! You’re back!” Lyney clasped their face in his hands and peppered kisses to the top of their head, like an overly affectionate grandmother who hasn’t seen their dearest grandchild in years. They shoved at him weakly, rolling their eyes at his over-the-top show of affection. He wasn’t fazed, laughing hoarsely through his tears. “You’re alive. Gods, I’m so glad you’re alive.”

“Don’t be a pest, Lyney,” Lynette scolded as she entered the room as well, but she was barely looking at him. Her focus was set squarely on them, tears brimming in her eyes. “[Name]. I am… very relieved you are back.”

“I’m never letting you leave my sight again,” Lyney whispered, pressing his forehead to theirs. There was a shakiness behind his melodramatic display, a fragility behind his theatrics. The experience seemed to have shaken him far more than he was willing to admit. He moved off them, giving them room to breathe as Lynette hurried over to their beside.

“Never,” Lynette promised, settling on their other side. She leaned down to bump her head against the top of theirs, curling her tail around their leg.

“Is there… room in there for me…?” a quiet voice sounded from the doorway. They all looked up, as Freminet nervously knocked on the already opened door.

“Of course, come here!” Lyney stood abruptly, stepping back to make room for Freminet to squeeze in. He slipped into the space between them and Lyney, turning the four of them into something that was partially an awkward huddle, and partially a group hug. Lynette was still on their left, shoulders brushing. Freminet had circled their waist in a clumsy hug with his cheek pressed against their shoulder. And Lyney settled himself on the edge of the bed, draping an arm over the bed board.

“I really don’t think there’s enough room for all of us—” They tried, but Lyney shushed them.

“There’s room enough,” He said, patting their cheek. “And don’t think for a minute you’re getting rid of us so quickly after what happened.”

The siblings all seemed to stiffen up at his mention of the ordeal, himself included. For Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet, it was sharp and clear in their memories, along with the lingering feeling of dread that came with losing one of their own for so long.

But for them, the entire experience was a haze. There was a distant pain throbbing in the back of their head, the phantom feeling of someone hitting them with something hard. Beyond that was a blur between being dumped on the cold, hard floor, and feeling warm hands pull them into a familiar set of arms.

“…Good.” They said quietly, resting their chin atop Freminet’s head. “I don’t want any of you to leave, just yet.”

-----

Arlecchino’s heels clicked loudly, sounding an alarm to all of the children loitering in the halls. After years in her care, they had learned to predict her mood from just the sound of her shoes, and the hurried clacks echoing off the walls told them clear as day that she was not in the mood for anything to interrupt her.

She brushed past the eyes that peeked out from the doorways, vanishing as soon as she grew close. She didn’t care to scold them for being nosy; they didn’t matter to her. There was only one person who mattered in that moment.

When she opened the door, Lyney was the only one that looked to be awake. The other two were curled around [Name], all three fast asleep in a pile of limbs and blankets. Lynette was lying on top of the blankets, one arm thrown over the other two siblings, while Freminet was clinging to [Name]’s waist so tightly that it was a wonder they were still breathing.

They looked like a pile of kittens taking a mid-morning nap together. The sight was endearing enough for the corner of her lips to twitch, almost forming a smile.

Lyney had settled himself in the chair beside them, resting his feet on the edge of the bed. His arm was stretched out to carefully run his hand through their hair, in the same gentle routine he used to help his sister fall asleep when they were young. The sound of the door opening made him look up, and he greeted her with a nod.

“They’re alright?” Arlecchino asked quietly.

“They’re alright.” Lyney answered with a tired smile, pulling his hand back to rest on his lap.

“Good.” She swept into the room, standing over their sleeping form. The blankets hid the majority of their injuries, but there was a flash of white bandages peeking out from where their skin was exposed.

Arlecchino brushed her thumb across their forehead. She knew they most likely were too deeply asleep to hear her, but it didn’t stop her from murmuring, “I’m never going to let anyone hurt you.”

The words made them stir slightly. It was slow at first, a small furrow in their brow and a twitch of their lips, but it was soon followed by a murmur. Their eyes opened a crack, meeting hers.

“Father…?” They mumbled lowly.

“Shh…” Arlecchino hushed them with a whisper, still tracing her thumb across their face. The slow, soothing motion had its desired effect; their eyes were already sliding shut. “Quiet, get some rest. You’re safe now. They won’t ever hurt you again.”

She leaned down and kissed their head, leaving her lips hovering above their skin for a moment to whisper, “Never again.”

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[megistusdiary]

this popped into my head not too long ago. transfem!arle with a breeding kink? since she treats the kids at the house of the hearth with care, i have a feeling she'd like to raise her own children (with her wife) as well hehehe

gearing up to write another breeding kink fic with arle

breeding kink w/ arlecchino ♡

dom!transfem arle x sub!fem reader

warnings: smut (mdni), wlw content, transfem arle, breeding kink, arle/reader are married 💍, cunnilingus, penetration, creampie

arlecchino admires you for how maternal you often are. even when you think she isn't looking, you're so kind to the children. it's... difficult for her to be the same, though she truly does love the children. she knows this is something she can never be given her past. honestly, it's a shock she can even hear the children call you "mother" without causing her to wince.

it's admittedly grown on her quite a bit. she finds herself pleased, especially when the children themselves tell her how wonderful you are. they love your stories, the way you help them with their hair, how you have tea parties with them, it makes arlecchino happy to have you around.

over time, you two grow very close. beyond just being partners, she proposes to you, satisfied that you're happy to say you're her wife.

the children often grow more attached to you, and arlecchino finds herself, for the first time, thinking about her own children. she had never imagined that one day she might actually want her own children. what a curious thought.

of course, you already make an excellent wife. you're a wonderful life partner, and she enjoys every moment with you. yet, you'd make an even better mother.

she can almost see it: you, round with her child, resting in the grassy flower fields while she pushes your older child on a swing.

she's never considered it before, and now she's having vivid daydreams. how bizarre.

it's late at night when she first asks your thoughts on the matter of having a family. you tell her that you're perfectly content as you are, snuggling up to her.

she knows you're trying to pacify her, though it is based on old ideology. she tugs you back, holding your chin.

"i am not asking if you will forego your wishes for me. i am asking you to fulfill them with me." she asserts and you look up at her surprised.

"you want to start a family with me?"

"i'm asking if you want to." her thumb strokes your cheek and you practically jump onto her. "would you?"

you nod enthusiastically, letting her roll you on top of her, kissing her deeply. she grinds you on her lap, letting you feel the growing bulge beneath you while she groans into your lips.

you moan softly, letting her tongue slide over yours, hands gripping the hair at the nape of her neck. she slides her hands up your sides, tugging the nightgown over your head and off to the side.

her hands cup your breasts, thumbs sliding over your perky nipples while she steals your breath. her lips travel down your neck, letting you moan freely as her lips wrap around your nipple, laving her tongue over your flesh.

your head tips back while her other hand slides into your panties, tracing over your cunt to collect your slick.

"you're dripping. does the thought of having a family with me excite you that much?" it's got a teasing lilt to it, and you pull her head back against your chest.

"don't tease me." you huff at her, but she pinches your clit in return.

"don't be a brat." she warns, lightly biting at your breast before pulling you up to tug your panties down unceremoniously. she shoves you back onto the bed, pushing your thighs up and licking over your clit.

you squirm beneath her, letting her lap at your pussy, sliding her tongue into your fluttering hole. she looks up at you, admiring how quickly you go limp beneath her. your eyes are closed shut, thighs squeezing her head as she makes you cum on her tongue.

she kisses your thighs, helping you to relax before she's tugging her pants down, freeing her cock. you watch as she strokes herself to full hardness, sliding the tip over your sensitive clit.

she looks up at you, pushing your hips up and spreading your folds. "are you ready?" she asks softly, and you nod for her. she eases you into it, slowly but surely stretching you open with each inch of her cock.

it's a slight burn with her girth, but she holds your hand gently through it. the way you wrap around her is enough to have her groaning, wanting so badly to just take you fast and rough. but you're her wife; of course she wants to treat you gently.

she waits for you to tell her you're ready before she fucks you harder, deeper, making sure you feel every vein and twitch from her cock. she mumbles over and over about filling you up, and you reply in delirious whimpers, begging her for more.

"you'll be such- a wonderful mother-" she huffs out in between thrusts, feeling you shake beneath her. "my wife, mine-"

you cry for her, nodding along. "yes, yes! yours- fill me up, please!"

her hands grip your hips tighter, slamming her cock into you, one thumb snaking over to your clit to drive you closer to the edge. you writhe, head thrashing around as you cum around her, drawing her own orgasm out of her as she paints your insides white.

she leans over you, panting, nestling into your shoulder but not pulling out as she tenderly strokes your arm. you whimper at her, closing your eyes until she begins to rub your clit again, reminding you she isn't finished until she's stuffed you so full, her cum leaks right back out.

[aixeko]

-`♡´-≐ “ IF THE WORLD WAS ENDING, I'D WANNA BE NEXT TO YOU ” ≐-`♡´-

| Starring | Soft!Arlecchino x Harbinger!Reader

| Setting | Genshin universe

| Scenario | [ DRABBLE ] FLUFF! Soft with a hint of angst. Pronouns are not used. A bit fast paced. Not proofread. 

► RADIO CHANNEL [Author note]

× This is so mid and I refuse to reread. I’m so sorry if the quality of the fic is not up to par with the others. × Fluff is so boring I'm sorry, It's not my cup of tea.

[ Word count: 2034 ] | Art credit: Blufyrein on Twitter & Instagram

August 20 XXXX…

“The house of the hearth has been blazing with activity ever since the children heeded the upcoming anniversary of my birth. Even with my reluctance, they insisted on celebrating this occasion, one in which I won't prevent seeing the amount of effort and enthusiasm they are collectively putting into this yearly ceremony.

It has been some time now since you last celebrated with us; in fact, it was four years ago exactly on this day, August 20th. Four years in which you had left for your mission issued by the Taritasa to Natlan, and four years since we last heard of your welfare. The children, in spite of the low possibility of attendance, still persist in accounting for your awaited arrivals, and I too bide my time for the day you return home to us.

If it isn't an inconvenience for you, please do not let their hard work wither into nothingness; perhaps even a response letter would be utmost appreciated by the children.

The hearth is set ablaze, anticipating your safe homecoming; the children miss you." 

Two days have passed since Arlecchino sent her most recent letter to you, and the day of her birthday has arrived with the expected ghosting from your side. Her hands focused on providing perfection to the barbecue, moving on their own like a second conscious being, while her gaze stared blankly at the grill, her mind stuck in deep thoughts.

Arlecchino is not one to sugarcoat or disprove the factuality of a situation, but with the lack of responses, or rather no response, over the past four years, the overwhelming, woeful truth has become more prominent than ever.

Her grip on the tongs tightened; with the amount of pressure she was applying, it could bend the steel into a useless apparatus. Furrowed eyebrows follow along with a frustrated sigh and a shake of her head. No, impossible. How can a Harbinger who is soon to be awarded the ranking just below her fall victim to the accursed consequence of life, such as death? It's impossible; the odds are practically none unless you have run into trouble with the almighty archon of Natan; then that is the only possible outcome that can lead to your ultimate demise. Even the mere thought of that possibility is unbelievable; the person whom Arlecchino has married is not one known to be the hostile type despite ranking as a highly potent Harbinger. To hell and back, your personality is enough to make even the devil himself view you as a passive mortal being; you are not married to a woman such as Arlecchino herself for no good reason.

"FATHER!" A young adult male screamed out in horrorstruck desperation.

The sound of her being called awoke Arlecchino from her trance; her head snapped to the young man, whose skin, once flawless, was now bruised, with short ash-blond hair and wearing magician-like clothing that was now dirtied with his own blood. The apron wrapping around her, along with the tongs in hand, was thrown onto the ground as she rushed to her bloody child. The other children near the area hurried to their brother, their expressions sharing concern and anger at the sight.

Arlecchino catches him once his body gives up; desperate, inaudible cries escape his mouth, with the only few words being coherent: Lynette—everyone—hurts!

Those words are enough for her X-shaped eyes to light up to a color akin to flame. Arlecchino's face visibly darkened at the announcement; from its tone, the situation was a lot direr than she could have expected. She gently but hastily lowered Lyney to the ground, her voice booming with command to the children to aid him while she raced to where he had come from. The children who specialized in combat rather than the medical aspects hurtled with Arlecchino despite not being in their Fatui attire; their bodies, enraged, moved on adrenaline alone.

Another one of the children who is limping sees the reinforcements approaching and points in the direction of the ongoing battlefield onslaught. Distant screams are heard, and Arlecchino has no time to properly bring her children to safety; thus, some of the others take charge in retreating the injured to let her focus on eliminating the source of the massacre.

Once she arrives at the cluster of her heavily wounded children and spots the suspect, who's draped in a dark cloak covering their whole body, Arlecchino takes no time transforming into her stronger form.

Arlecchino's scythe bolts at the infiltrator in synchronization with her body, whose speed could be described as quick as lightning. Arlecchino is left with constricted pupils as the mysterious figure dodges the attack with absolute ease, like they have just vanished into thin air.

"It seems like the great supreme Knave has gotten weaker."

The unrecognized tone of a whisper against her ears has her swinging her scythe at a 360-degree angle; this action causes the person to leap backward with a laugh. Arlecchino stands poised, her eyes scanning the figure to make out some sort of recognizable appearance. By the sound of their voice, Arlecchino feels a sense of familiarity coursing throughout all 206 of her bones, yet she can't place her finger on why the stranger is able to invoke such a feeling.

"You made a grave mistake daring to step forth against the House of the Hearth."

One of Arlecchino's hand ignites in a surge of power, and with that, she leaves no time for a response as her scythe hurls at the figure, with a burst of multiple flaming sword-like shapes surrounding the weapon.

Arlecchino's hand snaps out, catching the leg hurtling at her head. Her voice cuts through the air, sharp and full of mockery: "Too slow."

"Not bad!" laughed the person as they disappeared once more, causing a tsk of irritation to be emitted from Arlecchino.

Arlecchino figured that enough was enough and unleashed various attacks all at once, and not a single one landed; it was like this stranger had already calculated and understood every single little detail about her fighting style. The fact that they didn't actually attack but rather used dodge gave Arlecchino a bit of insight; they were playing a game of speed while she was playing a game of strength.

The gleam in Arlecchino's eyes intensified, sparking with otherworldly vigor. Her hand rose, mirroring the spark within as she muttered, "So be it." Her voice breathed life into a realm unseen by mortal eyes, with only an unlucky few witnessing its crimson moon.

The unidentified figure struggles in their stance, proving to be immobile. Play as you like, but to challenge a Harbinger of her standing is nothing to be confident about; daring to try to manipulate the outcome to your desire against another manipulator is pathetically laughable.

Or so Arlecchino thought, because what she didn't expect was for the stranger to be able to move of their own free will, but also to strike her domain as useless and nonexistent with a familiar style.

Her eyes narrowed once back to the real world, for there had only been one person who was informed about how to elude her realm, and based on the dependence on speed rather than strength, it was already a giveaway. Moments later, her suspicion proves true, yet not as anticipated as she presumes as she sees the stranger dashing towards her—well, not a stranger but the one who swiped her caged heart away into a loving shelter, you. You sprint towards her, shedding your cloak through the stride. In a heartbeat, you jump onto her, embracing her tightly with your warmth for an unexpected reunion, but one with no complaints.

"Peruere!"

Arlecchino freezes momentarily at the sudden action, but once recognition dawns, she returns your grip with an equal amount of fierce.

"You're home."

"I'm home!" You grin and draw back to study the face you longed for and missed for the past four years.

Her eyes, no more did they fume with fury; rather, in replacement of it, there radiated a tenderness shown to a small selected lucky few. A rare softness graces her features, an expression reserved only for children and, more intensely, for you.

"Happy birthday—"

You're interrupted by a peck on the lip; honestly, if it weren't for how unexpected it is for the likes of Arlecchino, it would have completely flown past you as some sort of dust.

"I figure the odds of you arriving today would be little to none, but nonetheless, welcome back home, my dear," she paused. "Although that little stunt of yours is not one easily forgiven or overlooked."

Arlecchino glances at the gathering that has formed all around her, more specifically at the young man who is hiding behind his twin sister with a nervous smile.

"Still as stone-hard as ever, I see, but I do admit my twisted plan for a reunion could have been alternated for a sweeter one," you give her an apologetic smile. "My sincerest apologies, Peruere."

"Why didn't you respond to any of my letters?" Arlecchino asked, turning back to look at you and settling you down to your feet to your dismay.

"I did!" you perked. "It just seems like Natlan is a horrible fit for communicating with letters since, somehow, it keeps getting lost and burned to ashes in the lava."

"Your face betrays you, darling." Arlecchino's fingers danced through your hair. "Your face says it all; it's a given that you know there is no hiding anything from me. Don't lie to me; you didn't know I had sent you letters."

"Haha... Look, in my defense, my mission was a mess, and doing anything is a whole other disorder; I'm thankful that the Captain is taking over because that region is a headache to deal with."

Arlecchino places a hand on your waist, pulling you close as her lips make contact with your head. "Setting everything aside, let us use our time together again to celebrate instead of bickering."

The children cheered at the public display of affection between their parents, and the one who was "tending the wounded" was, in fact, actually bringing the barbecue from the House of the Hearth to the large field.

"The children miss you," Arlecchino whispers into your ear, her head pressed against yours.

You wanted to laugh at the children's excuse; she really had not changed much in the past four years, still playing off a cold demeanor to hide the soft shell hidden beneath it, one you had already melted through.

Your eyelids lift, catching her smile, which reveals her pearly white teeth. Your gaze softens. In reality, many things have changed since you first met her, yet she refuses to give herself credit for it. She was once only known as Arlecchino or by her Harbinger title, The Knave, but over the past years, the facade has lowered greatly to divulge the true identity of Father, The Knave, Arlecchino to just Peruere.

"I miss the children too."

For the rest of the day, that smile didn't leave; no, it was displayed for the whole world to see and ravish in. Nor did she leave your side once, insisting on even public displays of affection in spite of being surrounded by the children, and in her own words, "It's to make up for all the time that has been lost."

If only she knew that in the far future, when all of her hair turns white, with yours matching hers, she would realize it was the worst lie she had ever spoken.

If only she knew that in the future she had accidentally made an unspoken oath with herself to spend the rest of her time loving you to make up for the other half of her time that was spent hiding how much she loved you.

The smile, unbeknownst to both of you, would be a permanent fixture. It would endure through your remaining years, brightening each day until your final moments together, when life's inevitable decline finally claims you both.

Even when the world was ending, at least you both would be next to each other, dying with a smile stretching across your features.

[badbatchsprincess]

Heated ~ pt.26 - The Final Chapter

Pt.1 ~ Pt.2 ~ Pt.3 ~ Pt.4 ~ Pt.5 ~ Pt.6 ~ Pt.7 ~ Pt.8 ~ Pt.9 ~ Pt.10 ~Pt.11 ~ Pt.12 ~ Pt.13 ~ Pt.14 ~ Pt.15 ~ Pt.16 ~ Pt.17 ~ Pt.18 ~ Pt.19 ~ Pt.20 ~ Pt.21 ~ Pt.22 ~ Pt.23 ~ Pt.24 ~ Pt.25

Masterlist

Summary: This is an ABO Bad batch!Poly x Omega Reader smut with a plot. This takes place as an AU before order 66. Y/N previously served under the 501st before being transferred to Special Forces 99. This is her adventure with these rowdy Alphas in a quickly changing universe.

THIS IS AN ABO AU ABOUT THE BAD BATCH (NO CANON OMEGA!) Due to the unfortunate situation of her name being Omega… Omega the child from the canon series is not going to be apart of this fanfic/porn with a plot. I feel obligated to put this warning in because it makes my skin crawl thinking anyone could make that mistake. 

Warnings: Smuttttt, happy endings, hope-core

Announcement: We made it y'all.... here's the final epilogue/final chapter. I'm so serious about you guys submitting writing prompts and little messages. Times are tough out here and I need more clone content hehe. So please don't be a stranger, I see all of your messages and I'll be getting around to writing them now that I've finished this hunk of a fic haha.

Enjoy babes and may the force by with you.

16k words below....

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

The fire popped and crackled as Crosshair added another log to the roaring hearth. 

With the rain pattering outside, and the delicious warmth radiating from the fireplace, you stretched like a loth cat in the pile of exotic furs Hunter and Crosshair had collected over the months here on Zyphor. You twisted and mewled feeling every tight muscle relax as you settled back down in your comfort spot. 

With the help of your alphas,  you had created a permanent nest in the center of your oversized domicile. 

Located just a few minutes outside of the little developing clone village, deep in the uncharted parts of the forest planet, Tech had designed a perfect home for you and your pack. 

With one central space for all of your to share with a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and of course your favorite thing on the planet, the huge nest full of luxurious furs absolutely covered in all of your combined scents. The main communal space then broke off into six smaller domiciles, each your own private quarters. 

There was even one for Echo when he’d visit from Teth. 

Tech made sure everything was planned accordingly in this little settlement. 

Wrecker and Hunter had worked tirelessly collecting materials and utilizing the construction droids to build your home relatively quickly. You used collected rainwater to plumb the home, and wood from the forest to keep you warm. 

It was lovely. 

Growing up on Coruscant, you were thrilled to experience real rain. When the synthetic weather centers had scheduled a rainstorm it was always your favorite, but now you had it everyday. It was calming and peaceful here. 

You were over the moons. The boys explained how the rain was also a comfort to them. Thats all they knew in their short youth. To have it now daily pattering against your shelter, you all felt very at home. 

Tech even invented a hydro electric water mill to power the settlement. The intricate grid system with back up generators kept you all illuminated and warm. 

You still couldn’t believe this was your every day life… Zyphor was a dream. 

You even requested a garden and a green house which the boys set up instantly. Of course Tech made sure the internal growing system was immaculate. Creating an extremely viable growing zone for some of the warmer dryer species of fruits. 

You had never gardened before and it was entertaining to watch your seedlings mature. Your job on the homestead was to study gardening and farming practices. 

You were put in charge of the produce production for your little pack. So far you were killing it. With your background in the sciences, you found it to be quite enjoyable and easy to grasp and pretty methodical. 

Snapping back to the present, you studied Crosshair as he used the iron poker to adjust a few logs before carefully placing the new ones on top to feed the flame. You smiled seeing how his lean figure was beginning to fill out more as he was able to eat more and destress. Though, his body seemed to become even more muscular from all the hard manual labor they had been doing. 

He looked healthy. 

It made your heart flutter. 

Crosshair had been assigned to learning how to hunt and track game with Hunter. Their whole lives, they had only been trained to track targets for their missions, but luckily they were able to apply that knowledge and experience to their growing hunting skills. 

They were an unstoppable team. With Hunter’s abilities and Crosshair’s sharpshooting, you knew you’d never go hungry. 

And that being said, it was discovered that Wrecker is a remarkable cook. Once he stepped into the kitchen the first night to cook up the kill, you all learned he had a natural talent for taste and preparations. 

He has managed to keep you all satisfied and filled with yummy dishes night after night. Though he groans about lacking his usual snacks, he does enjoy the fruit you had gathered and even slimmed down a bit too. He looked more fit than you had ever seen, and he even carried a certain glow about him now realizing his passions for food. 

Wrecker also was in charge of the shaak ranch. His gentle demeanor was very appealing to the imported animals. He built the corral where the animals resided munching on grass during the day. You even made Wrecker his own sunhat which he wears proudly as he shepherds the animals during the day. 

He looked just like a ranch hand… a sexy ranch hand. 

That thought stirred something devious and lusty inside you. You sighed happily, allowing your thoughts to drift to Hunter. He too had filled out a bit from de-stressing. Hunter had taken to the three orbak you also keep with the shaak. Those monstrous creatures seemed to like him too as he utilized them for his hunting trips with Crosshair. Their muscular hooves legs seemed to carry the two alphas effortlessly for hours on end. 

You giggled when remembering when they were trying to figure out how to ride them the first few times. Crosshair had complained the whole time, nearly getting bucked off while Hunter took to it like a natural. You joked that he could talk to them to Crosshair’s chagrin. 

Crosshair has since ceased his complaining and muted it down to an annoyed grunt every time the animal acts on its own accord. 

You smiled at the memories. 

The you had to stifle your laughter remembering when Rex and the boys brought in a shipment of tip-yip chicks. They were bestowed upon you and put in your charge to take care of and raise for eggs and meat. On one particularly rainy day, one had escaped your coop, and you were forced to chase it down following it all the way to the barn where you had tripped and landed face first in a pile of thick mud with a loud splat. 

You could still hear your boys howling with laughter as you sat up wiping your eyes trying to see where that damn bird went. 

…Tip Yip had never tasted so good…

You bit your tongue forcing down the giggle. 

Then that leaves Tech. 

The man had never been so thrilled to be involved in a project in his entire life. Planning an entire village with the details all the way down to the wiring of each domicile had the man busy and mentally stimulated. You loved watching the way the gears were turning in his very brilliant head. Even preparing for weather disasters and all the variables none of you had considered. 

It was fascinating to watch. 

On the top of his list of completed projects was your packs home, the shaak barn, the orbak stables, your high tech green house and garden, the hydro-electric mill, and then finally the small medical clinic and research lab. 

With the help of the boys on Teth, they managed to set up an entire fully operational research facility with everything you could possibly need. Everything was down to your specific requests and that is where you spent most of your time these days… 

“I can feel you thinking.” Crosshair closed the metal grate separating you from the blazing fire. 

You rolled over to face him, “You know what I’m thinking about.” You burrowed into the plush fur beneath you.

“Research?” He raised an exasperated brow. 

“Mhmm.” You smiled sweetly. 

“Darling, I appreciate what you’re doing more than you could ever know.” He knelt down next to you running his fingers over your jaw, “But you don’t need to stress. It will happen when it happens. You need to relax and spend more time here with us.” He gestured to the lovely home. 

“And on your cock?” You smirked as he laid down beside you, naked as you. 

He hummed, “Yes, and other things.” He chuckled into your neck where he kissed his mark on your skin. You shuttered. 

“Rex is supposed to be coming today with the last ingredient I need for the serum. I can’t stop thinking about it and running variables in my head.” You sighed nuzzling his neck. 

“Then I’m not doing my job correctly.” He pushed you onto your back and used his warm hards to spread your already messy thighs. 

He purred seeing the mess he had already made of you. You absolutely dripped with his cum and were still full with it, dripping languidly. He hummed and gathered up the cum that had spilled from you and pushed it back inside of you making you cry out at the sudden intrusion. 

You puffy cunt fluttered at the familiar feeling of his long fingers soothing your insides. You clenched around him making him groan as he slowly and deliberately massaged that special spot inside you that made you whine pathetically and sprawl out for him even more, begging him to play with you. 

Crosshair was always pleased by this reaction. You could feel the approval through the bond. 

He loved making an absolute mess of you especially with the help of his twin. The three of you had something special and you quickly realized they shared a desire to experiment with your body in ways you didn’t even consider. 

“The rain is picking up.” He said softly leaning down to press a kiss to your lips. 

You turned your head to face the window noticing the droplets coming down harder, “Hunter’s going to be soggy by the time he gets back.” 

Crosshair let out a breathy laugh, “I’m sure he’s on his way back. I want you one more time before I’m forced to share you.” 

You rolled your eyes playfully knowing he has absolutely no problem sharing, but you got the picture. 

You ran your fingers over his tight muscular stomach as he settled down between your legs on his haunches. You felt the heat of his hard cock resting against your leaking opening and felt your mouth water. He leaned forwards, letting out a happy huff before cradling your head and shoulder blades lovingly. 

He wanted it soft and sweet… your body warmed. 

With a little playful nip on your part, it made him smirk before leaning forwards and breaching your walls with his stiffened cock. 

You both let out a content sigh being locked together again. The sensation of becoming one was comforting. 

You took solace being under your mates. You knew you were safest in their arms and that feeling never got old.

Crosshair even let a whimper slip out as he slid against your walls feeling your warmth and tightness. The man couldn’t get enough. He’d happy die here just like this, if he got to feel you one last time. 

You fiercely clung to him as he made love to you. He pushed inside rhythmically rubbing your scalp and shoulders lovingly with his work hardened fingers. You grabbed at him as the pleasure spiked and you were beginning to feel yourself twitch around him. 

You couldn’t help but grasp at his growing hair. With a firm hand, you fisted his silky silver strands at his nape making him hum as you tugged deliciously. He shuddered as you mewled into his skin. 

Lost in the essence of Crosshair, you didn’t even hear the front door open. 

“So while I’m getting soaked out in the rain, you two are staying nice and comfortable inside?” Hunter’s playful tone made both you and Crosshair stop your love making to look up at the man standing in the door way. 

He flopped down a dead nexu the size of tech on the kitchen counter with a wet splat. Hunter shook out his hair like a corellian hound letting the water fly everywhere.  

“Just taking care of our girl, vod.” Crosshair continued his lazy thrusts looking up at his older batch-mate, “If you dry off you’re welcome to join us.” His drawl was lust riddled. So much for not wanting to share, you smirked. 

Hunter didn’t have to be told twice. He set down firepuncher on the riffle rack by the front door and yanked off his sloshy boots tossing them into the mud room. 

You giggled watching him trot and disappear into his quarters leaving a wet sock print trail across the floor. 

Crosshair shook his head playfully before resuming your previous activities. His pace picked up and his hand in your hair tugged you back, forcing your chin up where he met your lips with a searing passionate kiss. His hips made a sharp thrust making you cry out into him. His body moved smoothly against yours wringing out the pleasure he so desperately wanted from you, and you melted into his movements, rolling against him in sync meeting him thrust for thrust. 

“Fuck, little one.” He broke the kiss to breathe and nip at your ear. 

“Cross!” You whined feeling yourself starting to tire with your impending orgasm. 

“I can feel you’re close,” He used a hand to help you roll your hips into him, ��C’mon omega, cum for me.” 

You knew he was using your designation against you. He knew you’d die before wanting to let him down. Thankfully for your alpha, you were right on the crest and his words pushed you right over the edge. 

You moaned out a broken cry as you writhed against the furs. 

Crosshair smirked before leaning forwards to burry his nose in your neck before spilling inside you with a reserved grunt. 

The sniper stilled, keeping himself buried inside your warmth as he felt you start to come down from the aftershocks with little adorable twitches. He sweetly pushed your hair from your face and pressed little kisses to your nose and forehead. 

Just then Hunter returned, naked as the day he was decanted. 

Even the damp hair made him look fresh out of the tube. You peered over Crosshair to watch him  approach, where he knelt down onto the furs and crawled over to the two of you. 

Immediately you sensed something different through the bond. His lust was stronger than usual and you could tell by the darkened look in his eyes that he was still coming down from the high of the hunt… you could almost taste his adrenaline on your tongue.

You felt your body begin to react on instinct as you bared your neck and his mark to him. Crosshair sat up to pull out of you making a devious sound as he watched the flood of cum pour out of you. You squirmed at the sudden emptiness wishing for him to have stayed. 

You let out a pitiful whine as Hunter practically shoved Crosshair out of the his way before seizing your ankle in his grip and dragged you towards him until you were settled against his lap. 

“Don’t break her.” Crosshair recovered and flopped over into the pile of cushions to watch. 

You squealed liking the way Hunter man handled you, and reminded you of his superior strength.  You continued to bare your neck and arch your back showing him your belly as an offering of submission. 

Hunter scented your arousal making him give you a mischievous smirk. 

You blushed realizing how obvious the change in your scent was. You sighed, you couldn’t hide anything from the tracker. He had all your scents memorized down to the fine details. 

Crosshair flopped over to the side pulling a blanket over his lap and settled into the cushions. They had proven very necessary during the group sessions, and you were more than happy to have such a massive and plush nest to call your own. You looked over at the sniper and bit your lip, you still loved knowing he was always watching you. It made your heart flutter as he gave you a heated smile. 

Hunter gained your attention again by pushing both of your knees up to your chest roughly and putting your ruined cum-covered pussy on full display for him. You could feel Crosshair oozing out of you and down the crack of your ass as Hunter pushed your legs further up. 

You chewed your bottom lip as he looked at you. He loved you like this. Already lost to the lust, soft and pliant. You were always more bendable after your first round anyways. 

Hunter liked to put you in some unique positions now that you all had more time to explore one another. But this time it seemed that he wanted you close. 

He wanted the passion that Crosshair had charged the air with. 

In an instant, he had you up and bent over at the waist with your face pushed into the furs. 

He pressed your spine downwards putting you in a perfect presenting position making you cry out. 

You heard him making an approving grunt as he looked at your perfect trembling form before wasting no more time before he surged forwards and breached your opening before sliding all the way flush until he was nudged up against your cervix. 

You cried out pushing against him, but he pinned you down firmly. 

His thrusts were near animalistic as he rutted into you. Your hands flailed against his thighs trying to find purchase but he didn’t let up. His hands firmly grabbed onto your hips pulling you back onto him like you were nothing more than a toy. 

You squealed as he continued to push against your cervix like he was trying to knot you through sheer will. 

As you tried to sit up, he shoved you back down again and barked out an order to stay still. You whimpered and willed yourself to relax into his punishing pace as he took you. 

Briefly, you heard Crosshair’s dark chuckle from over on the couch as you were forced into submission.

Fuck, you loved when Hunter finally let go of his responsible self and let the inner wolf emerge. Whatever the Kaminoans enhanced him with definitely had a darker wild side. Tech speculated this after the incident on Crait. But now that you’ve had more quality time with the ex-sargent, you knew he had quite the hunter/prey kink. 

You saw the way his eyes had dilated when Crosshair had told him about the chase through the woods on Naboo. The way you could feel his insides stirring and his lust for the chase trickle through the bond. 

You knew exactly what to do in order to get Hunter to fuck you like an animal, and thats exactly what you wanted. 

The arm pinning your shoulders to the floor suddenly lifted and a rough hand was snapped around the back of your neck where he yanked you up and forced you into a deep arch as he brought your ear closer to his mouth. 

Your arms scrambled at the air trying to find something to support you on, but Hunter held you in his grasp like a limp tooka. 

“M’perfect little’mega.” His words were slurred as he lowly rumbled into your ear. You felt his fangs brush up against your ear and you moaned at the sensation, “Could mate you all over again and breed this little cunt.” 

You gasped at his words and brought your arms up and behind you to grapple at his body to support yourself. 

“Pump you full till your round with my pups.” He growled making you absolutely vibrate. It didn’t take long for your inner omega to come to life and purr against your alpha. 

He hummed in delight, “You like that ‘mega?” He slithered a hand down between your legs to find your clit and start rubbing little circles that made you clench down on him. 

You’ve never heard any of them mention pups before. Well aside from Crosshair but that was because of external circumstances. 

This was different, you could feel Hunter’s want to breed you through the bond. It was as strong as your connection, and you knew in this moment thats what his inner alpha craved. The man wanted to be a father, he wanted you in a way that comforted your omega and you absolutely melted into him. 

You nodded vigorously making him smile wolfishly as he resume his lethal pounding. 

You moaned and cried out taking everything Hunter was giving you, before he released your neck and you fell forwards onto your hands as he then lifted and bent one of his legs for support to reach even deeper inside of you. You clenched down around him twitching and fighting against the overstimulation as he kept playing with your clit. 

You weakly lifted your head and looked at Crosshair with bleary eyes which he returned with a heady smirk. 

Hunter leaned down whispering, “Your next heat, you’re mine… I’m going to fuck a pup into you, little one, just like this.” He thrusted roughly making you yelp. 

You felt yourself nearing your orgasm, and suddenly your forearms gave out before you collapsed into the furs and screamed as you came. Your eyes rolling into the back of your head as pure ecstasy overtook your entire body. 

That sensation must have traveled through the bond because Hunter came with a loud grunt after you, filling your pussy to the absolute brim. With a small push of his hips, your combined cum oozed out the sides around his cock making him push small little thrusts inside you despite both of your overstimulation. 

When Hunter dismounted you, you collapsed into a boneless heap with a deflated huff. 

Crosshair tossed a clean towel at his brother and watched as Hunter nudged you over onto your back where he cleaned you up diligently before throwing the used towel somewhere to the side. 

“I’m going to start the fresher.” Hunter sounded half delirious as he stood up on wobbly feet before setting his course for the bathroom. 

You only had a moment alone before Crosshair was at your side to give you some much needed cuddles. 

You could almost feel his mischievous little smile as you blinked your eyes open to look up at him. 

“What?” You asked closing your eyes again. 

You felt his hand slide over the top of your rib before lightly cupping the side of your breast before squeezing lightly. 

“Nothing.”

You heard his smile making you crack an eye open at him suspiciously. 

He rolled his eyes playfully, “I felt you through the bond, ad’ika… You want Hunter to breed you.” 

You squirmed, “Don’t say it like that.” 

He chuckled, “Okay fine, you want Hunter to knock you up?” 

You gasped and feigned offense, “Crosshair…”

“He’s starting to give me ideas.” His fingers pinched your nipple making you arch your back before traveling south where he lightly tickled over your belly. 

“Stop triggering my instincts.” You fussed and pouted. 

His fingers went back to your tit to play with your nipple again, “You like when I trigger your instincts.” He smiled wolfishly. 

You huffed letting him continue his onslaught onto your sensitive tits as he bent down to kiss and suck on them making you mewl and press even further into his attentions. 

“Personally, I want a girl, mesh’la.” He released your poor nipple and looked up at you with a mischievous glint. 

You felt your heart accelerate and your breathing shallow. Crosshair wanted a girl? You had to fight back the giddy grin as you looked up at him. Your mind instantly went to thinking about a little platinum blonde, fiery girl running around and clinging to your mate calling him daddy. 

You literally felt your pussy flutter wanting to make that daydream a reality right this minute. 

Then your thoughts went to a sweet and pouty brunette with Hunter’s soft eyes. Her dark wavy hair cascading down her shoulders, and that signature cross-arm scowl her father always sports.

You had to take a deep breath and shake your head forcing the inner omega out of your field of thoughts. 

His mischievous smile widened realizing that your instincts had been in fact triggered. 

You scowled at him and smacked his shoulder making him laugh. 

“I told you to stop it!” You smirked pushing him back as you sat up. 

“I can’t help it ad’ika.” He purred, “Your eyes get all dilated and cute.” 

You huffed. 

Hunter returned crawling back into the nest before he bent down to pluck you up into his arms before carrying you into the steaming wash room. 

“He plays, but his words are true.” Hunter said lowly as he opened the fresher door sitting you down gently on the warm stone floor. 

“You heard all that?” You smirked. 

He just tapped his ears making you smile and roll your eyes. 

“Is it true?” He asked with hopeful raised brows, “You want pups?” 

He couldn’t help the hand that drifted to your belly as you both stood under the stream of hot water. 

Your entire body flushed at the touch. 

“I-I… u-uhh yeah… yeah I think I do.” You struggled to speak and meet his soft grey brown eyes, “I like that idea.” 

Hunter’s face lit up. He smiled brining you into a searing kiss. You moaned leaning into him letting your hands wanter all over his broad shoulders and back. 

Hunter broke the kiss to press his forehead against yours before placing a gentle forehead kiss on your skin. 

He grabbed the sponge and some soap before lathering you up and beginning his little routine of cleaning you off. You turned obediently leaning against him as he brought the sponge over your front being careful of your tender neck before dragging it down over your love bitten breasts. You bit your tongue as he brushed over your sensitive nipples. 

“Of course we’d have to talk to the others. But I’m confident Crosshair is on board.” Hunter drawled nuzzling your neck affectionately. 

“How would that even work?” You giggled as he practically tickled your sides with the sponge and he cleaned, “Three of you would have to abstain for probably month in order to line up my fertility cycle.” You mused thinking about all the medical windows you’d have to ensure pregnancy. 

“Alright, little miss doctor brain. I can hear you overthinking” Hunter chuckled, “We’ll talk about it and see how everyone feels.” 

You turned to face your mate, “Are you planning on knocking me up first, since you’re the oldest?” You poked fun at him. 

“Oh, I’m definitely pulling rank in this situation.” He smirked dragging the sponge over your back and ass. 

You hummed a laugh letting him finish up his scrubbing routine before turning to wash himself with the clean scented soap. 

You sat under the stream of water enjoying the warmth as you watched Hunter finish up his hygiene routine. 

Then you both heard a noise enter the bathroom. 

“Hurry up!” Crosshair barked turning on the faucet to throw water on his face, “I’m covered in dried cum, and you two are going to use up all the hot water.” 

You giggled turning to the ex-sergeant. Hunter just shrugged with a smile before rinsing off the soap and shutting off the fresher. 

You opened the door to find Crosshair standing here with his arms crossed as you toweled off with Hunter. 

“Finally.” He drawled before stepping inside and resuming the water flow. 

“Rex is coming today with more supplies,” You reminded, “I need to go to the lab to finish a few more things before they arrive.” 

“Hmm I don’t know mesh’la I think you’re technically still under Crosshair’s charge for the next few hours and it seems to be most imperative that you remain here with us. Right Cross?” Hunter shook out his hair making you squeal as droplets hit your skin. 

“Affirmative.” Crosshair replied from inside the fresher. 

You crossed your arms, “Guys, I need to finish this if you even want to consider having pups, you know.” 

That got them. 

Silence. 

Hunter sighed and relented, “Fine, but at midnight, you’re mine mesh’la.” 

“Yes sir.” You mock saluted before skipping out of the fresher to find your clothes. 

Fishing around inside your drawers, you pull out a sweater one of the omegas in the village had knitted for you along with a pair of modified uniform pants. 

You pulled the articles of clothing on and made sure to towel dry your hair the best you could knowing Tech would fuss about you catching a cold in the rain. 

Then came the holster that Hunter made you swear you’d never leave the house without and the pistol you still had from the GAR days. 

Just as you were about to re-enter the living room, Gonky waddled in hooting and hollering about incoming air vessels. 

“Friends?” Hunter asked grabbing his blaster. 

Gonky honked. 

“It’s Rex!” You were elated. 

You jogged to the mud room to yank on your boots along with your rain coat and the matching hat from the hook on the wall. 

“Do you think Echo is with him?” You wondered out loud. 

Hunter meandered into the kitchen tugging at the fresh nexu to start cleaning the meat, “I’m sure mesh’la, Echo wouldn’t miss coming to say hi.” 

Your excitement peaked and you practically kicked the door open to skip down the steps to trudge through the mud to get to the base camp. 

On your way down the hill, you passed by the shaak barn where Wrecker and Tech were busy assembling the new fence. 

“Hi Wrek! Hi Tech!” You hollered and gave them a wave before continuing on down towards the village. 

“Darling, aren’t you supposed to be inside with Cross?” Tech squinted through his goggles watching you cross the property. 

“Rex is here!” You replied with a smile, “He has the last ingredient for the serum!” 

“Okay, but just stay out of the rain you’ll catch a c-“ Tech began but you cut him off. 

“I know! I know!” You yelled out as you got further away, “I promise to stay dry!” 

You knew Tech wanted to discuss this topic further, blah, blah, blah, you didn’t care. You were excited for so many reasons. For one, you haven’t seen them in weeks, and second, you were receiving the shipment of a recovered serum made by Nala Se. The substance was a vile of microscopic DNA repairing robots who could deliver the serum you created to the clones in mass numbers. This would solve everything. You couldn’t be more elated. 

Before you knew it, you heard four sets of footsteps trailing behind you and you knew it was your alphas being diligent with guarding you. You giggled knowing Tech was probably already fussing about ways to keep you out of the rain as he approached. 

Once you reached the growing village, you scampered down the steps reaching the center of town where the new space ports were being set up. 

With a few other clones, you all gathered waiting to see the ships descend from the cloudy skies. 

You felt the presence of your alphas surround you, as Tech wrapped you in a second rain cloak that had a massive hood. You smiled up at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He was satisfied with this level of rain protection and returned to his post at your side. 

“They’re incoming now.” Hunter must have heard the engines. 

Before you knew it, two cargo ships pushed through the clouds and descended gracefully down towards the town. 

Bolts emerged from his domicile along with his little mate who was a few months pregnant. They waved to you and you waved back as he clearly had almost as much excitement as you. 

When the first ship touched down, the loading deck lowered down and more clones excited the vessel. You searched every one of them until you spotted a familiar face. 

“Rex!” You sprinted forwards dodging the strangers before you threw yourself at your old captain. He smiled before embracing you. 

“Good to see you kid.” He mumbled., 

You squeezed him extra hard, “Where have you been! It’s been weeks!” 

A gruff voice replied, “Looking for this.” 

You looked up from Rex’s chest before turning to find Wolfee standing there holding a glowing blue vile in his fingers. 

“Commander!” You said warmly, allowing him to pull you into a hug too. 

You heard a disapproving growl behind you knowing it was one of your boys. 

Wolfee chuckled, “They still treating you alright?” 

You smiled, “Yes, Wolffe.” 

“Good.” He smiled warmly. 

“I’m never going to get used to seeing that.” Bolts said walking up and clapping his old commander on the back. 

Soon, Stunner and Grim emerged surrounding you like rowdy pups. 

“Seeing what?” Grim asked playfully messing with you. 

“Commander smiling.” Bolts joked. 

Wolffe scowled making Rex chuckle. 

“Much better.” Bolts nodded. 

“Commander.” Hunter walked up greeting the commander. 

“Sergent.” Wolffe politely nodded. 

You shook your head, even after everything you all went through these knuckle heads were still butting heads. 

“Crosshair.” He nodded to the sniper. 

“Wolffe.” Crosshair gave him a nod which only meant one thing from the sniper… a sign of respect. 

A nearly impossible exclusive club to be in by the way. 

Wolffe handed him the blue vile you’ve been waiting months for. 

“I hear tiny!” Echo’s voice came from the ship. 

Your pack mate walked down the loading dock making a beeline for you. 

“You’re not allowed to leave us anymore.” You whined jumping up to hug him. 

“Well someone has to retrieve rare medical specimens around here.” He joked. 

You shook your head and shoved him lightly. 

He then looked at you more seriously, “I have another surprise for you.” 

You quirked a brow, “What?” 

You were suddenly taken off your feet in a flurry of pink fluff. 

You landed with a thud and looked up to see a squealing familiar face. 

“Layla?!” 

“Y/N!” She screamed and the two of you rolled around on the floor much to Tech’s chagrin. 

“Is that the medic from Coruscant?” Crosshair asked with a scrutinizing look. 

Echo nodded. 

“Where have you been?” She squeaked and demanded. 

“It’s a long story.” You shook your head, “How the hell did you find Rex?” 

“Echo found me.” She said, “He still had Fives’ secured line. He pulled me out of Coruscant a week ago.” 

You sat up bringing her up with you. 

“Hi boys.” She waved at your mates. 

They grunted in response. 

Then she narrowed her eyes before looking down at you. She straddled you and began sniffing around your face clearly looking for something. 

“Layla…” Echo sighed. 

He leaned forwards practically nuzzling your neck before he reached a hand inside your sweater collar and yanked the fabric back to see not one but two bite scars. She gasped, “You’re mated?!” 

You nodded, “Mhmm.” 

She screamed again making Hunter flinch. 

“Oh my gods! How long? When? Where?” The she smirked, “Was it good?” 

You could have died on the spot. You suddenly felt like you were back in 79’s being grilled about your sex life in front of Hunter in that damn booth. 

“Layla!” You whimpered wanting to disappear into the floor with so many of your friends staring back at you.

“It was wasn’t it?” She raised a brow waggling them playfully. 

“I like her.” Grim said. 

Echo clapped him on the back, “Join the club.” 

“Okay, as heart warming as this all is, I want to get my mate out of the cold.” Hunter said bending down to help you up to your feet. 

“Well there’s one more thing.” Layla said suddenly getting serious, “We weren’t sure what to do and knew you’d probably be the best chance.” 

Your interest was peaked, “What is it?” 

Everyone turned to face the ship and down came a few clones pushing what looked like a metal slab towards you. 

When you approached it you quickly realized it was a slab of carbonite. 

“What?” You whispered dragging your fingers over the cold material. 

Upon closer inspection to realized there was a human frozen inside, and not any human, a clone. 

“Who is this?” You asked looking up. 

Rex then stepped forwards and lowered his eyes, “It’s Kix.” 

Your eyes filled with alarm as you looked back at the slab. 

Layla continued, “I’m just a nurse, I wasn’t sure what would be the best method for something like this.” 

You nodded, “Smart. I can treat him up at the lab. Can someone take him there? I need to do this as soon as possible.” 

The two clones continued to push the carbonite slab through the town being guided by Bolts. 

“How long are you all staying?” You asked urgently. 

“We have supplies to off load which will take a few days, and were working on a new lead with an imperial clone prison were hoping to attack but that intel could take months to verify.” Rex replied. 

You nodded, “Good. I’m hoping to have the serum done in the next few days and I want you all here to receive the dose.” 

Rex nodded, “I look forward to it.

You gave him a curt smile, “Let me look after Kix and then I’ll let you all know about the cure.” 

“Sounds like a plan. Take care of him, kid.” 

“You know I will.” You looked to your friend, “I’ll need your help.”

“Of course.” Layla smiled following your lead. 

Crosshair handed you the vile before trailing after you towards the lab outside of town. 

~

“Alright I’ll need everyone waiting to help me get him into the med pod once he’s thawed out.” You instructed. 

Crosshair, Layla, Echo, Tech, and Rex stood around you and the slab of carbonite while the others waited just outside the medical cabin. 

You knelt down to start punching in the right code to start the thawing process and stood back up to watch as the shipping slab started to glow an eerie red. 

You waited with baited breath as Layla reached over for your hand as you watched the carbonite slowly melt away. 

Slowly, Kix’s hand started to flex before the rest of him was revealed. Once the process was complete Layla let go of you to lean forward and help the boys raise their brother up out of the slab and onto the med pod bed. 

“H-Hello?” Kix’s worried voice quivered into the air, “I-I can’t see.” 

“It’s carbonite sickness. Don’t worry Kix, you’ll be okay in a bit.” You replied softly. 

“Tiny?” He asked trying to locate the source of your voice. 

You leaned forwards and pressed your wrist to his nose to let him scent you, “Right here, Kix.” 

He crinkled his nose, “You smell funny.” 

“I’ll explain that when you get your site back. Echo’s here and Rex.” You responded softly. 

“And Layla.” She purred. 

That got Kix’s attention. 

You giggled stepping away from the med pod. 

Rex pulled you aside letting the others wrap him in knitted blankets and wool sweaters. 

“He seems fine, but do you think the chip was activated?” Rex’s expression was slightly hesitant. 

“I think he was already frozen when the order was given. But I’ll remove it as soon as he’s stable for good measure.” You nodded in Kix’s direction. 

Rex was satisfied with this. 

“How long do you think he’ll take to see again?” The captain asked looking a little frazzled. 

You placed a hand on is forearm in a calming gesture, “Just a couple hours. Maybe even faster with your special genetics. He’ll be fine Rex.” 

Rex nodded. You couldn’t imagine what the poor captain was going through. His last man. 

Well technically no, with Echo being the last domino, but regardless Kix was one of the oldest friend to everyone. You were happy you at least had one member from your first pack left and standing. 

Kix was getting comfortable as Layla combed through his hair with her nails and Echo tucked him in with the blankets. Echo knew a thing or two about being on ice. He was handling all of this like a champ which made you proud of your friend. You felt tears welling up in your eyes with all the sudden emotion.

“When will the serum be ready?” Rex asked gaining your attention again. 

You quickly wiped away the wetness on your cheek, “Uhh. Any day now. That vile is the last ingredient. I’ll have you all on a natural biological clock before you have to ship out.” 

Rex sighed looking at the bundle of 501st curling up with one another comforting Kix. 

You looked at your captain, “You’re not leaving?” You felt a spark of hope. 

“I-I thought my vision was clear… Save as many of our brother as I can. Then I might consider settling down.” 

“You’re human too Rex. And you all are much more than soldiers. I understand wanting to help the others, but you’ve been in this fight longer than most of them. Can’t you let Wolffe and Howzer handle the day to day operations for a little and you can slow down just a bit?” You gestured to Kix, “He’s going to need his captain. He’s waking up in an entirely different world. It’s going to take some adjusting, familiar faces are necessary.” You were trying to give him an out. It was an out he seemed to need. 

Processing your words he nodded, “I guess there’s no harm in delaying my departure…” 

You squealed and tackled him in the biggest hug you could muster. He grunted before welcoming you into him. 

“I promise you’ll like it here.” You said into his armor, “Wrecker can cook up a mean shaak roast, ooo! You can stay with us! I have to find you a sweater!” 

He chuckled, “No offense, but I know what you and your mates get up to. I’d rather get some sleep without hearing all that.” 

You slapped him playfully. 

He smiled. 

“I’m still finding you a sweater.” You poked his arm through a gap in the plastoid before returning back to your mates. 

Tech turned to look down at you along with his twin.

“I’m going to stay and work on this,” You held up the vile, “I’ll be back at the house later, okay?” 

“Dinner.” Crosshair pointed his toothpick at you, “or Hunter will worry.” 

“I know…” You nodded before turning to your private  research lab. 

“Do you need assistance?” Tech asked following behind you closely. 

“I’m alright, love. But thank you.” You smiled up at him. He had been paramount in your research helping you bounce ideas off of him when you felt most overwhelmed. You wouldn’t have been able to get this far so quickly without him and his massive brain. 

“Im proud of you, cyare.” He cupped your jaw affectionately, “I find myself more and more in love with you every day. You’re brilliant, darling.” 

You flustered looking down at his green henley covered chest, “…alpha…” 

He closed the distance and tilted your chin up, forcing you to look up at his deep inquisitive eyes, “I should have realized sooner.” He was referring to when you first joined their squad during the war, “I didn’t know you had such a beautiful mind locked away up here.” He tapped your skull, “The GAR could have never appreciated it in its entirely, but we can.” 

Your heart stuttered as his words melted your insides. 

“I’m incredibly thankful you decided to enlist. I never told you that. While we may not have had a choice in our servitude, you joining us made everyday a little better. Enjoyable even.” Tech rubbed your skin with his thumb. 

“Tech…” You sighed leaning into his touch, “I’m so happy I was placed with you. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” 

His mouth quirked up into a half smile. 

“Go on.” He released you to let you tinker in your lab, “Save our entire population from accelerated aging.” He waved around playfully. 

He turned to leave, “If it works out, you could probably sell it on the black market for an exorbitant price and get a second greenhouse.” 

That made you laugh. 

“Don’t forget dinner!” He called after you leaving you alone. 

You nodded and turned to roll up your sweater sleeves and get to work. 

You took a deep breath, you could do this. 

Reaching into your pocket, you pulled out the blue vile and walked over to the workstation to sit down and pul out your data pad that you plugged into the dna synthesizer machine. 

One of the slots popped open and you slipped the blue vile inside before closing the compartment and hearing the machine whirl to life. 

You have the internal droid instructions to take a small sample to test and opened up your notes to start documenting your findings. 

This process might take a while… 

You settled in and began documenting your data. 

~

Well it’s certainly past dinner. 

Hunter sighed grabbing a big bowl of nexu stew and a spoon, “Hey Wreck can you grab a few blankets and another bowl of soup?” 

“Yeah!” He hopped up following the instructions and together they bundled up before taking it outside to the medical lodge. 

“Is she pulling an all-nighter again?” Wrecker asked. 

“Nope.” Hunter decided. 

Wrecker quirked a brow before shaking the expression off and pushing open the lodge door. 

Inside, Layla and Echo lay in the medical pod bed, sleeping awkwardly as Kix snuggled between them. Echo was practically bent over the side of the bed while Layla lay upside down with her feet hanging off the side of the cot.

Hunter gestured for Wrecker to cover them in blankets to keep them all warm and he set down the bowl of soup for Kix to eat when he wakes up. 

Hunter continued onwards pushing open the glass door to find you slumped over your desk with your face in your data pad dead asleep. 

He shook his head with a smile before folding a blanket and wrapping it around your shoulders. He knew you were uncomfortable in that position but he couldn’t bring himself to wake you. 

He set the bowl on the desk before flopping down on the lounger on the wall across the lab. 

Just as he settled down as well, the giant machine on your desk hissed and beeped causing you to gasp and sit up suddenly. 

You blinked rapidly forcing yourself awake unaware of your visitor. 

You stood up letting the blanket fall off of you as you leaned over to read the report. 

With a bit of eye rubbing and forced concentration, you suddenly shrieked with joy causing the entire lodge to wake up. 

“I did it!” You jumped up and down, “I did it!” 

Hunter cleared his throat making you spin around to face him a bit shocked at his ability to sneak around still. 

“Hunter!” You put. Hand over your heart, “You scared me.” 

“You missed dinner.” He smiled sweetly. 

“I-oh… sorry.” You looked at the clock seeing it was getting close to midnight. 

“It’s alright mesh’la.” He tilted his chin to the beeping machine, “Have you got what you’re looking for?” 

Your excitement was evident as you nodded and grabbed your data pad to read the results. It was a success. The machine was able to replicate exactly the recipe Nala Se had created. You were vibrating with excitement. 

“I did it, alpha.”  You heard the machine putz and pop out a vile of clear liquid. You picked it up inspecting it, “This will cure the rapid aging.” 

Hunter looked at you with hope and about five other amazed emotiones. 

You chewed your lip as he stood up towering over you. 

You set the vile down on the desk knowing exactly what that look meant… 

It was his night after all…

~

“I’ll volunteer.” Rex said pragmatically. Ever the leader. 

“Me too.” Wolffe nodded. 

“Are you certain you wish to be the first?” Tech examined the vials of synthesized serum. 

“We aren’t sure what the side effects may be.” You looked back over Nala Se’s notes. There was nothing about side effects listed in her notes so you were a bit hesitant. You weren’t sure if this was going to be painful for them.

Firs thing this morning, they had nearly busted down the lodge door after hearing the news of your success. 

“It doesn’t matter.” Rex crossed his arms, “You need to test it on one of us, and we’re here, offering.” 

You nodded. 

“I just want you to be prepared for the fact that none of us know how this is going to react. It might hurt.” You explained. 

“We’ve been through worse.” Wolffe said gruffly. 

You sighed, “Okay.” 

Just then, the door to the lodge opened and in came Howzer. He looked sharp. Clean shaven, hair washed and damp from the rain, along with his all black civvies. 

You had to calm your heart a bit. His presence still made you a little nervous despite your silent understanding. You hadn’t said a word to him since Teth. It was awkward to say the least. 

“You need another lab rat?” He asked rolling up his sleeves. 

“Captain.” You nodded formally. 

He just raised a brow before settling in next to Wolffe. He clearly wasn’t prepared for your formality. 

“We don’t know the side effects.” You disclosed. 

“Fine with me.” He nodded. 

You finally relented with a sigh before turning to grab the vials and loaded one into your injector gun. 

“Who’s first?” You asked. 

Rex stepped forwards rolling up the sweater he borrowed from Tech. 

You sterilized the skin on his arm before pressing the gun forwards and pulling the trigger injecting him with the serum. The man didn’t even flinch or make a sound as the vial emptied. 

You pressed a tissue to the wound before emptying out the cartridge before loading in the second. 

Wolffe then stepped forwards pulling off his vambrace to reveal the sleeve of his blacks. He yanked the fabric back giving you access to his caramel skin. You cleaned the sight before repeating the action. 

Once you got to Howzer, he tugged up the sleeve silently understanding the process. 

As you neared him, you could feel his burning gaze upon you. 

It was alarming to remember how intense he was. He reminded you of Wolffe in a lot of ways. Younger, but still, the energy was so similar. Howzer was an intense man too. One of the reasons why you had gravitated towards Howzer all those moons ago. He was a good alpha, and a fantastic lover. The memory of his touch made you heat slightly. You prayed your cheeks didn’t redden being this close to him. You noticed the familiar tattoos on his forearm that made you shiver. 

You remembered mouthing at that skin in the throws of your heats. The taste of his skin suddenly recollected to the front of your mind. 

It was like he knew exactly what you were thinking of and you noticed the sly smirk he tried to disguise on his lip. 

You forced yourself to take a breath willing yourself to calm. 

His scent was far too familiar, too intimate…

Pressing the gun to his forearm, you swallowed thickly ignoring his piercing gaze. You remained professional until you handed him the tissue to clean the bead of blood. 

You heard him inhale deeply trying to catch a glimpse of your scent, but he scrunched his nose clearly not liking the smell. It had been altered after all. 

And you knew how much he liked you smelling like him… 

You dared to look up at him, and his distaste quickly morphed into a much softer gaze. 

“Y/N…” He whispered, but you ignored him. 

You turned back to the table to set down the injector and pull off your gloves. 

“Okay, everyone stay here so I can observe your vitals. I have to check on Kix.” You said giving them a polite smile before leaving them. 

You let out the breath you had been holding before walking over to Kix’s medical pod. He was still sleeping. Poor guy. You were certain his exhaustion was from the carbonite sickness, his body had been through quite the ordeal. 

You all still had no idea how he even ended up in that situation but that was for later. 

Right now, you needed to scan his vitals again. 

Layla heard you enter the room and raised her head from the cot. She must have been folded over the side of the mattress with her arms folded as a pillow for some time now. 

“Hey.” She croaked waking up. 

“Hey.” You smiled grabbing the scanner on the side table, “Has he woken at all?” 

She huffed, “Once last night. But then he conked out again.” 

You approached the other side off the bed where you brushed back his hair to tilt his head to the side to place the scanner on his neck. 

When the scanner beeped, you looked at the readings, “He’s in perfect health. I’m hoping he wakes up soon.” 

Layla hummed before standing to stretch, “I need to wash up and change. Where can I do that?” 

“We have a shower here in the clinic, but you’re welcome to go back to our place. Just let one of the boys know. They get a little  territorial over the bathroom.” 

Layla huffed a laugh before nodding to grab her duffle. 

She was walking to the in-clinic bathroom when she suddenly called out for you. 

“What?” You shuffled into the main exam room to find Layla scanning Rex. 

“I think they’re feeling a bit drowsy.” Layla said helping Rex lay down. 

You checked the data pad as Wolffe and Howzer both slumped over. Their readings were all ok.

Layla was right they were just drowsy. 

You ordered a few medical droids to keep a constant reading on them as they got comfortable. Layla quickly helped you throw some blankets on them before leaving them all to their little cat nap. 

“I got Kix, you get cleaned up and comfortable.” You ordered to Layla who nodded and continued on to the ensuite bathroom. 

You took a brief moment to run your fingers carefully over Howzer’s forehead feeling the warmth of his skin. You shuddered as your fingers felt the firmness of his cheekbones and defined jaw. His eyes remained peacefully closed as he slept, and you helped tilt his head back onto the pillow to keep him comfortable. 

Your heart ached with fondness for the alpha, at one point you had believed he was the one for you. You couldn’t help but be greedy and lean down to press a gentle kiss to his forehead. With a shudder, you stood back up and pushed his hair from his face. 

The clone looked peaceful, no scowl, no stress, and no worries. He looked almost boyish in this state. 

You couldn’t help the saddened smile that crept up on your lip. It pained you to know that he was probably still hurt. 

You whispered, “I’m sorry Howz… I didn’t think all of this would have gone the way it has. The force works in mysterious ways.” You continued to play with his hair, “You took such good care of me and your men. I’ll never forget my time with you on Ryloth. You’re a good alpha Howz, and a good man.” 

You sighed and pulled the hand woven blanket up to his chin, tucking him in and making sure he stays warm. 

Then you turned to return back to your work.

~~~

A few hours later, the boys had all come baring gifts of comfort. They fed you, gave you enough time to quickly change and shower while they watched Kix, before you returned to curl up on the lounger Wrecker dragged inside. Tech held you closely, giving you little pets on your head as you rested against his warm beating chest. 

Layla also had curled up on another cot the boys dragged in next to Echo as everyone got some much needed rest. 

Tech was the only one still awake as he kept dutiful watch from the lounger letting you, his little omega, get some much needed sleep. 

On the other side of the room, he heard Kix shift a little in his sleep. Tech pushed back his goggles, before perking up to observe the reg. 

Then in an instantaneous flash, Kix sat up ram rod straight, and screaming, “Dooku! It was Dooku!” 

Everyone in the room jolted awake violently reaching for their weapons. 

Kix screamed and groaned as the lights seemed to agitate him. He tried standing up, but knocked over a med droid, and a few items on the table. 

You shot up trying to rush over to him before he destroyed the whole lab. 

“Ahh!” He cried out, “Get away!” He punched the droid sending the unit flying into the wall. 

“Kix!” You tried to get his attention but he seemed to be manic. He wasn’t hearing you.

“Y/N, be careful.” Tech stood to try and put himself between you and the agitated soldier. 

“Kix!” Layla and Echo chimed in raising their hands trying to calm him. 

“Brother!” Echo stepped forwards taking the brunt of his hits and forced him into a tight embrace, “Vod!”

“I-I swear I just wanted to help!” Kix whimpered, “I wanted to help Fives!”

Echo suddenly shuddered, “Kix, you’re okay. You’re safe. Look around.” 

Kix heaved trying to ground himself. He burrowed into Echo’s front, scenting his familiar brother. 

The medic was finally starting to calm down as he blinked rapidly trying to adjust to the lights. He then bristled as a soft hand scratched against his back making him turn to look at Layla who was standing next to him a little moon eyed and startled. 

You checked the time seeing it was three past midnight. 

The two got him settled back in before you checked his vitals one last time to confirm he was indeed okay. 

“Where am I?” He asked looking a bit dazed. 

Echo pulled one of the colorful blankets over Kix’s legs. 

“You’re on Zyphor. We have a settlement here with just us, and a few clones.” You said. 

“W-what happened?” He asked pulling the blanket up. 

“It’s been over a year, Kix,” Echo began, “We just found you in carbonite, we were hoping you might be able to fill us in on a few things.” 

Kix looked to you, noticing how close Tech was to you and he squinted his eyes suspiciously. 

He then looked to his brother, “I-I tried to warn everyone. I tried to tell Skywalker. I confirmed Five’s theory and ran tests on the inhibitor chips inside Tup’s head. But, when I told the long necks… I was suddenly moved to a different location. I remember seeing Dooku, and then it was nothing…” He shook his head trying to put the pieces together. 

“I don’t want to distress you any further Kix, but I feel like you should know.” Echo cleaner his throat trying to fight off his own emotions, “But Fives, was killed. Palpatine told him everything, it sent him into a frenzy and then he was killed by the guard.” 

Kix’s face morphed into deep sadness, “Fives is dead?” 

Echo’s expression fell and he nodded solemnly. 

“I didn’t warn Skywalker.” Kix shook his head, “I should have gone straight to him instead of the long necks.” 

“They were in on it.” You sighed, “They helped to create the entire war for Palpatine.” 

Kix leaned back into the bed looking up at the ceiling, “W-where is everyone else?” 

“The Jedi were executed.” Echo filled him in, “And then the entire 501st company went down in a ship crash when they turned on Rex and Soka.” 

“Everyone?” Kix was in disbelief. 

Echo nodded. 

“Kriff.” Kix rubbed at his eyes. 

You all remained there in slightly uncomfortable silence as Kix processed everything. 

Tech guided you back into his side and you nuzzled into him. 

Kix groaned, “And that! Someone explain that!” He gestured to you and Tech, “I thought you were being tailed by Commander Wolffe or the 99 Sergeant! You were practically fucking in the hangar bay last I saw you!” 

Tech growled possessively. 

“Oh man.” Echo chuckled, “You’ve missed a lot.” 

“I wasn’t quick enough to the draw.” Wolffe emerged into the doorway looking tussled from sleep. His famous scowl was only emphasized by his sleepiness and his ruffled hair.

“Neither was I.” Howzer stepped up next to Wolffe rubbing his eyes. You felt your stomach flip. Maker above. Having all these alphas in this space was making you antsy. 

Tech was nearly vibrating trying to remain civil as he held a protective grasp on you. 

“Captain Howzer?” Kix was disbelief, “I haven’t seen you since you were in my tent on Ryloth.”

Howzer chuckled, “Yeah it’s been a while vod. How ya feeling?” 

“Like shit.” Kix laughed. 

Layla held up a water cup forcing him to drink something. He looked at her with mesmerized eyes. She smiled sweetly as offered him some more which he gladly gulped down. 

Kix swallowed and turned back to you, “Last time I saw you, you had just gone into heat because of Sergeant grumps.” He joked. 

You sighed, “Kix, there’s something else-“ 

“What’s going on in here?” Hunter and Crosshair walked past Wolffe and Howzer giving the both of them a terse look. 

Ugh the damn bond. Probably felt Tech fuming through it. 

“Tiny, was just explaining to everyone why she’s mated to Tech.” Echo drawled. 

Hunter and Crosshair both raised a brow. 

“Well, not just myself. But also my batch mates.” Tech replied for clarification. 

Crosshair saddled up to your other side sandwiching you between himself and his twin. 

You smiled awkwardly at Kix as you watched him go slack jaw. 

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

“H-how is that even possible?” He was trying to recall all his knowledge on the lupine genders and behavior patterns he was forced to study as a cadet. 

Wolffe nodded in their direction, “That little omega is a rare variant of our sub-species who can have an unlimited amount of alpha partners. Empire found out, captured her, and my entire garrison, then they imprisoned us in a breeding facility with the sniper, and tried to clone her to create a few army with all of us and our offspring. Rex and the boys came to our rescue. Blew up the base and brought us here.” 

Wolffe’s casual tone had Kix absolutely flabbergasted. It was like he was recounting a mission report with his level headedness. 

“Who tried to breed you?” Kix was properly enraged. 

“The Empire.” You squeaked feeling the heat rising in your face. 

“The Empire…” He repeated like that was common knowledge. 

“The Chancellor over threw the senate and the republic and created the galactic empire.” Echo explained. 

“What. The. Fuck.” Kix shook his head. You were sure he had a million questions swirling around in his head. 

“But that doesn’t explain that you’re mated?” He pointed at you again. 

“Well that happened during a drug induced haze that made me bite Crosshair which in turn he bit me back.” You replied, “Then the others happened shortly after that.” 

“You were in a relationship this whole time?” He was aghast, “I thought you were with Howzer?” 

Hunter and Crosshair snarled.

“Well, not really…” You tried to placate your mates, “That didn’t happen until we got stranded on Mimban after the GAR sent us to Kasssyyykk. We crash-landed and all went into heat and rut… obviously you can put together the pieces there. I hadn’t seen Howzer in over eight standard months at that point.” 

Howzer nodded in the doorway. 

You looked to Echo, “Why am I constantly having to explain my sexual history in front of my former commanding officer?” 

Echo laughed as Hunter quirked his head in the direction of the ARC Trooper.

Tech chimed in, “I’d like to point out that I have upheld my banishment of speaking on this topic.” 

You have his hand a squeeze and a smile. 

“I think you kids need to let those two catch up.” Rex’s groggy voice came from behind Wolffe, “They haven’t seen each other in ages and I’m sure theres some details not everyone needs to hear for the millionth time.” 

Rex always had a knack for settling people straight. At this point he was pro, with having to wrangle Fives and Echo all those years. 

“Of course Captain.” Layla winked at Rex before sauntering out of the treatment room. Rex watched her leave with a smirk. 

Wolffe and Howzer turned to return to their med pods, while your mates stuck around. 

“You alright?” Hunter checked in on you. 

You nodded, “I can take care of him. You guys get your sleep. Take Echo with you. He needs his real bed.” 

Echo grunted in agreement. 

“Comm us if you need anything.” Crosshair pressed a kiss to your head before leaving with his brothers. 

Hunter and Tech also gave you a kiss before leaving you alone with your longest friend. 

You sighed and crossed your arms looking at Kix like he was a cadet all wrapped up in a pink and green blanket. 

He patted the bed next to him which you happily trotted over and plopped down next to him.

“So…” He looked down at you, “Did you end up fucking Wolffe?” 

“No!” Wolffe yelled from the other room. 

You giggled and shoved Kix playfully, “No.” 

“So like how does that work?” He snickered, “Do they like run a train on you or something?” 

“Oh my gods Kix!” You screeched, you were certain the other men in the room next door heard him, “You’re worse than Echo.” 

He giggled, “C’mon I’ve been frozen for over a year, give a guy something good.” 

“No they don’t run a train on me.” You were horrified at that verbiage. 

“No judgement tiny,” He raise his brows, “The 501st ran trains all the time. Sometimes with more than one omega.” 

Now it was your turn to gawk. 

“Stop telling her these things!” Rex chastised from the other room. 

“Oh please, like you didn’t join!” Kix teased. You heard nothing from the other room, “And I’m sure the Captain and Commander had their own fun too.” Kix continued, “I heard a lot of things about Wolffe’s men back in the day…” He whispered and you shook your head. 

You thought you were going to pass out. Absolutely no way, the cheshire style grin that appeared on your face. How absolutely insane. Echo never told you about that…

“Do I want to ask about Echo’s involvement?” You whispered. 

“No!” Rex admonished. 

You looked at Kix who just replied with a telling smirk. 

“Ewugh, bleh.” You shook your head. 

“Anyways. Not the first time a clone had shared a woman.” He nudged you, “You look good though. You’re not as scrawny as you used to be. All healthy and glowing and shit.” 

“Echo trained me in hand to hand. Then working here on the farm I think has bulked me up a little.” You replied sheepishly. 

“Looks good on you, Tiny.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Okay, so how do you manage all of them? 

“We have a schedule.” 

He smirked, “Do those schedules ever overlap?” 

You bit your lip and nodded. You had a flashback to the day before with Hunter and Crosshair which made you shiver slightly.

He nodded slyly. It made you giggle. It was nice talking to him again. It was like talking with Echo. There was such a natural flow and you had alway felt comfortable with Kix. With him being a medic, he had that special personality about him that made you instantly feel safe in his care. 

“… so they do run trains…” 

“Kix!” You grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. 

He howled with laughter and let you smack him. 

“Hey if you ever want another alpha you know where to look!” Wolffe hollered from the other room. 

“We’re pros at trains according to Kix!” Howzer chimed in. 

“Shut up!” You yelled back. 

You heard Rex groan and shift in his blankets clearly grossed out by this entire conversation. 

You sat and chatted with Kix for the remainder of the night filling him in on every life detail and you too listened to him as he wanted all the details that lead up to this very moment. You couldn’t blame him, you’d want the play by play too if you were in his position. 

When morning finally comes, you make to excuse yourself to let Kix rest, and when you enter the main treatment room, Howzer gently tugs you side with a gentle hold on your wrist. You flinch slightly realizing he had gripped over Wrecker’s mark making you shudder. 

“Sorry.” He withdrew realizing what he had done. Clearly he wasn’t used to that. 

“It’s alright.” You rubbed at the mark, “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I just wanted to talk.” Howzer said trying to soften his expression as much as possible, “I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to get you alone without your mates around.”

You huffed, “Howzer-“ 

“I’m not trying to upset you.” He interrupted. 

You relented and sat down on the cot next to him. 

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m not angry with you.” He began, “Confused? Yes. Shocked? Absolutely…. And jealous… I didn’t know how to react. When I saw you on Teth I thought it was going to be like old times. Like you were still mine. I wondered how the hell you ended up on Teth. I didn’t even know you got reassigned to the 99’s.” 

Your body tensed at his words of ownership. It didn’t feel right now that you knew for a fact you belonged to your mates. 

“I didn’t know. And I’m sorry for lashing out. You don’t deserve that. You’re a very special woman, and frankly I should have proposed a bond to you back on Ryloth but I was afraid something might happen to me and you’d bear the consequences.” 

Your heart raced rapidly hearing those words. A bond with Howzer? You had to take a breath, you hadn’t realized how attached he had been. He had come to you on those particularly difficult nights for comfort, but you always thought you were supposed to remain friends after you both agreed on the terms of your relationship. Well, more like friends with benefits. He was in command of an entire garrison and yourself. You were his working medic while under his command. You knew nothing more could have come of it, but he was a very impressive alpha. A strong one too. You couldn’t blame yourself for having those feelings about the captain. 

“I didn’t want anything to happen to you.” He looked at you endearingly, “I’m glad you’re happy. I’m glad they make you happy. While I don’t entirely understand it, I guess it’s not for me to understand. I just want to make sure you’re good.” 

He was a damn good alpha. You sighed and looked back at him, “Thank you, Howzer. I didn’t want to upset you either, it was making me so anxious. I never wanted to hurt you and I felt like I had.” 

“Not you darling. I was also a little put off by Crosshair after the events with the empire. The empire had interrogated me as well before he came to Ryloth. They wanted to know everything about you. I only told them limited details but I was worried you were in danger. Then the sniper showed up and tore apart the base on his mission to retrieve you.” 

“He was heavily under the programming of the inhibitor chips, he also thought I was dead. He was suffering a lot.” 

“He thought you were dead?” 

“It’s a long story.” You shuddered recounting the emptiness from the severed bond. 

“Well that would make sense.” Howzer huffed out a short laugh, “I’d tear apart the base too.” 

You smiled taking his hand in yours. 

“Are we okay?” You asked sincerely, “I can’t stand thinking you hate me.” 

“I could never hate you, little dove.” However ran his thumb over your hand, “But if you ever need a fifth…” 

You rolled your eyes playfully before standing up. 

“I’ll let you know.” You joked making him smile. 

~~~

When the morning light bleed through the curtains and warmed your nose, you blinked your eyes open and stretched like a loth cat, only to be obstructed. You mewled feeling Tech’s heavy arm pinning you to his front. You tried to flip around to face him but he shifted, pushing you nearly under him as he sighed in his sleep. 

Deciding there was no point in trying to fight the heavy alpha. You snuggled into him, enjoying his warmth as he nearly suffocated you in his scent. 

You were in heaven. The fur pelts of your nest kept you toasty warm as the last of the fire crackled out. You scooted further back pressing as close as possible to your tall alpha. He groaned waking up lightly. His hand brushed up against your front, cupping your breast. You giggled sleepily as he squeezed and massaged you. 

“You’re up early, darling.” His raspy voice made you squirm. 

“I have a big day, alpha.” You replied rolling over to face him.

His eyes were still closed as he lightly dragged his fingers over your back leisurely. You pressed kisses to his chest and he rumbled happily. You rubbed your cheeks against his skin leaving your scent on him making you purr. 

“Oh yeah? What is on your schedule today?” He asked reaching for his goggles. 

You kissed further down making him breathe a little faster. 

“Well…” Your tone was teasing, “I was thinking…” You dragged your nail down his abs to his muscular thigh you saw his hardened cock twitch at the scrape of your nail, “I was thinking, I would blow my alpha, and then eat some breakfast, and then go to the lab to check in on the serum. Then maybe cure the entire clone population of accelerated aging.” You shrugged playfully. 

Tech’s big eyes blinked behind his goggles as he watched you descent to settle between his legs. 

“Sound good alpha?” You asked teasing your nails around the base of his cock making him break out in goosebumps. 

“Seems like a reasonable plan.” He nodded trying to thrust his hips into your grasp. 

You took mercy on him and grasped his hardened cock in your hand and gave him a few slow stokes making him swallow. 

While, Tech and Cross are usually pretty dominant with you, in the mornings Tech was particularly softer with you. He usually let you do whatever you wanted which made your insides melt. 

You continued to stroke him watching the way he was beginning to pant the longer you stimulated him. 

You bit your lip as you swiped the pre come dripping from his flushed tip. Tech sucked in air at the feeling of your hand, but his noises escalated when you leaned down to lick the tip and he bit back a groan. 

You smiled mischievously before sticking out your tongue and giving him a long lick from base to tip. Tech trusted upwards making you smile before fulling engulfing him in your mouth. He huffed at the intense warmth surrounding him. 

“Darling.” He bit out as his hand instinctually flew to your hair, “Fuck.” 

You gently bobbed your head taking him even deeper making Tech squirm on the fur pelts. You applied some more suction as you pushed yourself even deeper. His salty taste made your toes curl. His hand gently massaged your scalp as he softly guided you up and down his length at the speed he needed. 

You moaned around his length making him shudder. Kriff he looked so damn good. His entire body flexed and showed off his lean muscles. 

Tech’s hips stuttered slightly and you doubled down, massaging his length with your tongue. He let a tiny whimper slip before he twitched and spilled his cum into your throat. You swallowed diligently as he sagged down into the nest trying to catch his breath. 

“Mega…” He slurred trying to recover from the orgasm. You smiled and sat back up on your heels before giving his abs one last kiss before standing. 

“Where are you going?” He asked pushing his hair back. 

“I told you.” You giggled, “I’m going to make some breakfast then head to the clinic.” 

“I fear that I would be a bad alpha if I allowed you to leave without repaying the favor.” He said sitting up and coving his lap with a blanket. 

You smiled grabbing your robe and pulling it on, “It’s alright alpha, I’m too distracted anyways.” 

He relented and relaxed back into the fur. 

You skipped into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Turning on the shower water, you stepped inside to scrub down. 

~~~

Wrecker and the others were awake and in the kitchen by the time you left the bathroom. 

The smell of eggs and meat made your mouth water. You saddled up next to Hunter, sitting in his lap as Wrecker placed your plate in front of you. You thanked him and grabbed your spork to dig in. 

Hunter wrapped you in his strong arms and nuzzled his mark on your neck no doubt leaving his scent behind. 

Tech finally rose up out of the nest to dress declaring this plans for fence repair today.

Hunter nipped you playfully making you squeal. 

By the time you finished your meal, the boys had cleaned up and were starting to get ready for their day. Hunter deposited you on the floor where Crosshair and him fussed about getting you dressed for the weather. The can’t stand the idea of you getting a cold.

They tied your rain hat over your head and pulled your jacket on before giving you a little pat on the ass before following you outside. 

They detoured off towards the stables while you continued on the little winding path towards the half buried domicile in the hill. You could see some lights on inside which let you know at least someone was awake this morning. 

You were hoping that Kix was back to normal…

The sound of the front door swooshing open momentarily held your attention before you looked up to see one of the most disturbing sights you have ever seen in your short lifespan… 

Layla was straddling Kix, while Echo’s pale naked body nestled up behind Layla and all three of them had not an article of clothing in sight. 

All three heads of Kix, Layla, and Echo whipped around to look at you as both alpha’s froze mid thrust while Layla balked in the direction in which you stood. Kix’s face was covered in a sheen of sweat and his cheeks were flushed while Layla was trying her best to cover up with the sheets and Echo joust stood there un-phased if not a little annoyed to be interrupted. 

You closed your eyes let out a horrified scream and turned on your heel to run out of the lab. 

“Wait!” Layla screamed after you but it was no use you kept screaming as you ran back towards the stables. 

It wasn’t long before Crosshair and Hunter ran up to you, blasters in hand, looking worried. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Are you hurt?” 

You shook your head and flung yourself into Hunter’s chest, “I just walked in on Layla, Kix… and Echo.” 

There was a moment of silence before you heard Crosshair’s chuckle. Images of Echo’s pale ass flashed into your mind’s eye. You cringed. 

“I think you woke up the whole settlement.” Hunter shimmied you both around to see curious heads popping out of their homes. 

You giggled, “Whoops.” 

Crosshair shrugged, “Didn’t know Echo still had it in him.” 

You slapped his arm, “Cross… I’ve been traumatized and you’re joking about it?” 

“At least Kix is fine.” He pointed out.

That was true at least. 

You wish you could erase the past five minutes from your memory however.

Hunter chuckled, “You’re fine mesh’la. Let’s give them twenty minutes then go back.” 

The three of you walked towards the stables where you could at least play with the barn tookas while you waited for them to finish.

What a fucking morning…

~~~

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

The three of them stood anxiously by your lab door like kicked puppies. 

You refused to turn around. You couldn’t even look without picturing that. 

“It never happened.” You waved them off, “I’m just glad you’re back to normal, Kix.” 

“B-But-“ He started but Echo just gestured for him to return back to the other room. 

“Trust me. This is the better option.” The Arc trooper tried to console his friend. 

You were too busy with your work anyways. 

Howzer, Rex and Wolffe all came back normal once they dealt with their quick bit of drowsiness. When they woke up, they felt absolutely fine and have no shown any signs of side effects. When you checked their DNA once again, you saw the alterations and how they were now practically identical to natural born human males. Their accelerated aging had been totally reversed… 

The comparison however was remarkable, the ways the Kaminoan’s altered their genetic structures to prevent disease, and recover from injury quicker, amongst other things. It was a scientific marvel. You could stare at their genomes for hours. You wondered how much of that genetic data you could replicate for yourself and others. 

You heard another beep go off letting you know the synthesizer was finished with another batch of vials, while your assistant medical droids packaged them up neatly in crates getting them ready for use. 

You picked up a single vile looking at it and thinking of what Hunter said earlier. You sighed. It would be nice to just be normal and start a family. You know your alphas would make amazing fathers. Protective, loving, smart, and brave. All the qualities you could want. As you held the blue vile, you decided this one was for Hunter and you slipped it into your pocket. 

“Need any help?” Kix returned standing in your doorway awkwardly. 

You looked up and raised a brow. 

“I feel bad…” he admitted. 

You softened your gaze, “It’s alright Kix, if you want to help me start organizing for distribution I’d appreciate it.” 

He waddled inside plopping down next to the droids trying to understand the science behind all of this. 

“So… how much did you see?” He asked sheepishly. 

You grumbled, “Too much.” 

“Sorry.” He chewed his lip. 

You both locked eyes and stared feeling the awkwardness before you both burst out into hysterical laughter. 

“You were literally frozen in carbonite and the first thing you do coming out is have a threesome?!” You were howling with laughter feeling the tears running down your eyes. 

“Listen… Listen!” He waves his hands around, “I woke up from the worst situation I’ve ever been in and my dream omega is right there! Give a guy some credit!” 

He wiped away tears under his eyes. 

“Kix!” You screamed flopping onto your back. 

“Ahh!” He tried to calm down, “it wasn’t the first time…” 

You looked at him again with owlish eyes, “What?” 

“Well after Sarge wiped the floor with you after Crait, we had to bring Layla back to Coruscant… and well… we did it in the med-bay stock room.” He clamped his mouth shut anticipating your reaction. 

“No fucking way.” Your brows raised and your jaw dropped, “ She didn’t tell me that!” 

“She didn’t tell you what?” Hunter sauntered into the room crossing his arms and raising a playful brow. 

“Don’t pretend like you didn’t hear.” You rolled your eyes playfully. 

“What’s the fun in that?” He leaned against the entry door. 

“Hi Sarge.” Kix nodded in Hunter’s direction. 

“Long time no see.” Hunter smirked. 

Kix cleared his throat, “I’m feeling a strange urge to yell at you for mating my best friend and little sister, but I’m going to settle for telling you that you better keep those boys in line and take good care of her alright?” 

You giggled at Kix’s sudden protectiveness. 

Hunter just smiled, “Don’t have to worry about us doc, she’s the one keeping us all in line.” 

You rolled your eyes. 

Hunter then looked to you, “Wanna grab some chow? Wrek made some shaak roast.” 

Your mouth instantly watered, “I want to, but I have all these…” You looked at the cases of synthesized cure. 

Kix stood up waving his arms around, “Don’t worry about that. You’ve done enough creating it, Layla and I can distribute it. We're not strangers to injector guns.” 

That was true. 

“Okay.” You smiled, “Give me three more.” 

Kix handed you three more which you stashed in your pocket along with the other vile with your sergeant’s name on it. 

You grabbed your injector gun and let Hunter walk you back to the house. 

“So, the cure is ready for distribution?” Hunter held the door open for you and let you step inside. 

You kicked off your boots with an excited grin, “Yup.” 

“I feel like there’s something else…” He raised a brow,” 

“Well…” You suddenly got a little shy, “I was thinking… after you’re all cured, I thought we might talk about maybe… trying for a pup?” 

Hunter stared at you, trying to catch his breath. You were positive his heart was racing as quickly as yours was. The look of hope and excitement on his face made your insides tingle. 

“A-are you sure?” He reached out grabbing your shoulders. 

You chewed your lips and stared up into his grey eyes, “Well, now that I have other medics here… I wasn’t exactly looking forwards to making Tech take a crash course in labor an delivery…” 

“He would have learned everything you would have needed.” Hunter smiled. 

“I know…” You giggled, “But, I wanted to ask you… I can tell you’ve been thinking about it more recently. And I think you’d make an amazing father.” 

“I-“ Hunter was at a loss for words, “Really?” His eyes lit up. 

“Yeah, Hunter, I do.” You smiled, “I want to ask the other three too when the time is right… not entirely sure how Cross is going to feel about it.” 

Hunter grumbled, “Probably wont be all that thrilled.” 

“Well he’ll be outnumbered.” You winked at him. 

Hunter smiled leaned forwards to press a kiss to your forehead. 

“What are you two talking about?” Wrecker stepped out of the kitchen wearing his apron and oven mitts. 

“Oh… nothing…” Your sing-song voice made him raise a brow suspiciously. 

~ Nine months later ~

“Kix get the FUCK away from my mate!” Crosshair screamed over Wrecker’s shoulder as the giant held him firmly in place despite his wriggling. 

“It’s okay, Tiny, just breathe!” Echo looked like he was going to faint from the side of the room. What a sport.  

“Fuuuucccck!” You screamed baring down leaning into the urge to push. 

“That’s it.” Kix and Layla encouraged from the foot of the bed, “Keep pushing!”

Hunter held your hand while Tech kept a cooling cloth on your forehead as you panted and screamed with every contraction. 

“Where are the drugs?!” You demanded. 

The medical droid quickly started distributing the pain medications. 

“You’re almost there.” Layla said pushing your legs a little further up, “You got this babe.” 

You turned to look at Hunter who looked just as woozy as Echo, “I’m going to fucking kill you.” 

He cringed with guilt. The poor alpha just gave you his best remorseful eyes as he lovingly held your trembling hand. 

Another painful contraction hit and you knew it was go time. 

“Move!” You threw everyone off of you. 

“What is she doing?!” Echo was distraught watching you roll onto your side, and get back up on your hands and knees in a kneeling position. 

“Get her back on her back!” He was about to lose it. 

“Relax Echo, it’s a natural response to the birthing instincts.” Tech explained helping hunter to rub your back, “Gravity helps the pup slide out easier.” Tech was clearly fascinated with the entire process. As the clones themselves weren’t born naturally, he had done hours of endless research to prepare for this moment and all the moments after, “She’s just doing what her body is telling her to do.” 

Echo covered his mouth anxiously barely able to watch as you bared down gritting your teeth together and let out a primal growl. 

“Layla.” You panted. She was at your side instantly, “I can’t do it.” You wavered. The baby should have been here by now, you were certain, “I-I can’t…” 

“You can.” She knelt down gettin glower so you could make eye contact. She looked to all of the alphas and gave them a stern look that let them know immediately to back the fuck off. 

Hunter and the others retreated giving you space. Including Kix, who was still monitoring vitals from across the room. 

“Look at me.” Layla growled. 

You looked at her with a dazed expression. You were exhausted. The labor had been going on all night and you barely had a moment to rest in between painful contractions. You just wanted this over and done with. 

“I’m tired.” You whimpered. 

“I know.” Her tone was stern, “But you and Hunter have wanted this pup for so long… Look at him.” 

You looked up seeing his guilty and worried expression before turning back to your friend. 

“You’re going to deliver this fucking pup and your alphas are going to take care of you two.” She pointed to Hunter, “Don’t let your alpha down.” You whimpered at that. 

Suddenly you were filled with the primal need to please your alpha. The instincts were beginning to override the pain and exhaustion. 

Layla nodded her head seeing the change and look of determination in your eyes, “So… we’ll do it together…” You looked at her confused for a second before he stood up, grabbing a loose sheet from the neighboring bed before climbing into yours. He knotted one end and then the other before handing it to you, “Think you can lay on your back for me?” 

You nodded before lazily rolling back onto your back. You didn’t necessarily feel like being in this position, but you were trusting Layla. 

Luckily the drugs were starting to kick in and you were able to focus on whatever the hell she was cooking up. 

You took one end of the knotted sheet and held on as she sat facing you mirroring your straddled position. 

“Ready?” She asked. 

You nodded. 

When she began to pull on the sheet you mimicked her, pulling as hard as you could. 

Fuck… you felt something. 

She pulled again and you grunted feeling your abdominals begin to contract as you bared down. 

“It’s working.” Kix said stepping forwards. 

“One more time.” Layla said, “I can see the pup’s head.” 

The excitement in the room was palpable. Even Crosshair had calmed down while the others watched in horrified fascination. 

You pulled on the sheet once more and felt something like pressure. 

“The pup’s head is out. You just have the shoulders, Y/N. C’mon atta girl.” Layla was excited. 

You growled again pulling on the sheet before there was more pressure than a rush… Then you were suddenly… empty…. 

Layla dropped the sheet to catch the pup while Kix tended to you. 

Hunter watched with bated breath as anticipatory silence over took the room. 

Layla rubbed the pup’s chest slightly before a piercing cry broke the quiet. You audibly sighed in relief as the pup cried out to the world. 

“Atta girl.” Echo rushed to your side while Layla cleaned your new born pup. 

Hunter remained fixed on the spot unsure of what he was even seeing. It seemed like he was in shock that he was now a father… The tiny little pup was flailing around and Hunter was zeroed in on its little heart beat. Even the scent was a perfect mixture of the two of you.

Layla returned back to you to place the babe on your chest, “It’s a girl.” 

“A girl?” You were in disbelief. You clutched the pup. She felt so small you couldn’t believe it. 

You snuggled your baby, rubbing your scent into her skin as he cried. 

“Hunter.” 

Everyone cleared a path for the ex-sergeant to near. He hesitated for just a moment before forcing his legs to carry himself over to you. 

He knelt down at your side pressing a kiss to your forehead. You could smell the worry on him still, and the vibration of awe through the bond. 

“Our daughter.” You smiled tiredly up at him. 

He looked down at you lovingly, absolutely blown away that you had just created this life inside you. He reached out his finger and watched with amazement when she wrapped her little hand around his with a death grip. 

He gasped feeling her strength. You smiled watching him scent her. 

Suddenly everything was perfect and right in the world, and the twelve hours of labour suddenly didn’t feel so bad watching Hunter hesitantly pick up the little bundle of pup into his big burly arms as he cradled your daughter so perfectly. She was so safe in his protective arms. You could feel the bond forming within your mate already the longer he gazed upon her. 

“Awh!” Wrecker wiped a tear away, “I want one…” 

You huffed a laugh.. 

“Well you’re going to have to wait a while,” Tech gave you a knowing look. He was referencing the fact you had all decided to go with age order on this matter. 

“Alright, keep your paws off of her… at least 6 weeks before we can clear her.” Kix reminded picking up the cup of cool water to bring to your lips. 

“Awh!” Both Wrecker and Crosshair groaned. 

Layla shook her head. 

“Tiny!” Rex’s voice suddenly cut in as he pushed through the door along with Howzer, Wolffe, Grim, Bolts, Stunner, and pretty much every other clone you’ve come to know, “Is she okay?” Rex demanded. They all stuffed themselves into the room eager to see. 

“Yes, Captain, she’s alright.” Kix responded. 

Rex nodded before walking over to you where he patted you on the shoulder. 

You watched as Hunter fussed over the little one while your other mates grappled for a peek. Even Crosshair seemed smitten. You could feel the icy need to protect her with his life snap into place and you knew your baby girl was in good hands. 

“Made a good one, kid.” Rex praised you. 

“Thanks Captain.” You chewed an ice chip. 

“She’s beautiful.” Wrecked mused. 

“It’s a girl?” Rex asked with wide eyes. 

“Mhmm.” You smiled, “She has Hunter’s eyes.” 

“Watch her have super hearing too.” Kix laughed. 

“I didn’t even consider that might be passed down genetically.” You mulled. 

“Well someone has an army of uncles to watch over her.” Bolts giggled watching as your daughter stretched a hand up into the sky almost grabbing for her father. Hunter instinctually brought her up to his chest and tucked her into his neck. 

“He’s a natural.” You smiled. 

“You both are.” Layla replied with a smile. She grabbed onto Kix’s hand as everyone seemed to have their eyes on Hunter. 

Yeah you were… 

You looked at your family with pure adoration. Your mates never taking their eyes off the precious cargo that Hunter Clutched protectively. 

Even when they carried you back home to your nest, they never left you and the baby alone for a second. Everything was perfect. 

You were happy, safe, and content. 

The war was long behind you and the Empire no longer existed to you all. 

You could watch your daughter grow up in peace, surrounded by those who love her. 

She’d never know war, violence, and cruelty. You wished the 501st could have been here to get to live this, but you knew you all carried them within you everywhere you went. The refugees on Zyphor honored them everyday by choosing to be happy and free. 

And that was all you needed. 

You were happy… and free. 

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

Taglist: @substantial-exposure

@rains-on-kamino

@minimissmoo

@z-and-the-batboys

@aynavaano

@9902sgirl

@sideofhorny

@sxftiebee

@booksandtitts-blog

@subbing-for-clones

@iamburdened

(There was someone else I was supposed to tag but I can't find your message anywhere ahhhh I'll add you as soon as I can find you)

[pinchofhoney]

Hi!! How are you doing? I wanted to send in a request for your celebration, please!! But first, congratulations for this milestone!! Ot's amazing!! 🥳 I would like to make a fluffy request for Ben Barnes with prompt n°2 in the fluff list (the one with the playlist). I don't have a plot or anything of the kind, but as we know how important music is for Ben, and that he often makes playlists (for his roles for example), I thought it would suit him. I hope you feel inspired by this idea. I hope you have a nice day, and congratulations again!!! 💕

if only my heart had a voice # 200 follower special event

» prompt event » special events masterlist

fluff prompt two: “make me a playlist sometime, will you?”

credits to ben barnes and his 2021 instagram story

ben barnes x reader

word count: 1.5k

warning: none, just another fluff, no use of y/n

summary: Music has the power to tap into our memories and stir up deep-seated emotions. And the beauty of it is that each time we hear a song, it can bring back those same memories and feelings as vividly as the first time we experienced them.

a/n: hello<33 i'm great, thank you! i hope you're doing great too and the upcoming weekend will be the good one!! thank you for your request, i hope you will be satisfied enough with what i have prepared and that the level of sweetness is just right for a fluff queen<3 and if not, i hope the video i found will melt your heart so much that what i wrote will no longer matter

pages that may interest you: masterlist ♡ taglist ♡ who i write for

taglist: @wolfmoonmusic @myladydarkling @alexxavicry

The chilly evening had settled in, with the frosty breath of winter creeping in through every nook and cranny of the cozy house. You sat perched on the soft leather stool at your boyfriend's grand piano, your fingers tentatively hovering over the ivory keys. You were wrapped in a fluffy, knitted blanket that had been lovingly crafted by your mother, with its comforting weight enveloping you with warmth.

The fire in the nearby hearth crackled and sputtered, throwing sparks and shadows onto the walls of the room. The flickering flames illuminated the piano in a warm and inviting glow, casting dancing shadows across the polished wood of the instrument.

The room was filled with a plenty of comforting details. Starting with soft and cozy throw rug, which was spread out in front of the fireplace, inviting you to curl up on it and bask in the warmth of the fire, a nearby shelf stacked with an assortment of books and ending with a collection of photographs from your travels with Ben, adorning the walls with captured cherishing memories and moments frozen in time.

But your attention was focused on the piano, and the notes that Ben had taught you the previous night. With a deep breath, you began to play, trying not to make any mistakes and the sound of the piano filled the room and bring a sense of comfort and peace.

The keys felt cool and smooth beneath your fingertips, the weight of each note echoing through the room. Unfortunately, you weren't as skilled at playing the piano as you had hoped to be. Every now and then, your fingers would stumble over the keys, causing you to furrow your brow in frustration. Your perfectionist nature demanded immediate success, but the intricacies of the music proved to be a challenge, especially for a person like you who had never really been in touch with the piano.

You let out a defeated sigh, feeling overwhelmed and discouraged. But just as you were about to give up, you heard the sound of Ben's footsteps approaching. He entered the living room, carrying two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, the rich aroma of cocoa and marshmallows filling the air.

“Hey there,” he said with a warm smile, placing the mugs on a small table nearby. He sat down next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and pulling you close. “How's the practicing going?”

You couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, shaking your head in mild embarrassment. “Don't act as if you haven't heard that sound of failure,” you said, feeling a sense of comfort as you leaned into his embrace.

Ben responded with a soft laughter, his arms tightening around you. “Don't be so hard on yourself, love,” he reassured you. “Learning to play an instrument takes time and practice. You're doing great, and you'll get there.”

You let out a deep sigh, feeling a sense of impatience with your progress. “But I want to be there now,” you muttered, poking out your lower lip in frustration.

“Has anyone ever told you before that you're impatient?” he laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement. “You've only been playing for a week, my dear. Give yourself some time.”

You couldn't help but smile at his teasing tone, feeling a sense of warmth spread through your body. Ben always had a way of making you feel better, even when you were feeling frustrated or down.

“Maybe I would have been better at it if my teacher wasn't so distracting,” you teased playfully, poking his side.

“Excuse me?” Ben's eyes widened in mock surprise. “Now it's my fault?” he asked in a playful tone, his lips curling up into a smile.

A sense of warmth enveloped you as you lifted your head to kiss Ben's jawbone, which was easily within reach from the way you were seated. There was something about being with him that made even the simplest of moments feel special. It was as if the world around you melted away, leaving just the two of you in a warm, cozy bubble.

After a peaceful moment of silence, with only the sounds of the fireplace crackling in the background, Ben asked with a smile, “Would you like to hear me play something?”

“Anything you like,” you replied, feeling the tender weight of his kiss on your head before he moved his hand away to make him more comfortable to play.

You scooted back a bit, tucking the blanket more tightly around you as though the room had suddenly grown colder without his closeness.

“Well?” Ben prompted, fingers poised above the keys.

You shrugged, unable to hide the grin on your face. You knew that anything he played would sound beautiful to you, and you savored each and every note that he brought to life on the piano. “Maybe something that reminds you of?”

Ben's eyes crinkled at the corners as he considered your request, his fingers dancing over the keys. Slowly, a familiar melody filled the room, and you couldn't help but close your eyes and let the music wash over you. It was the same song that had been playing on the radio during your first date, and the memories it brought back made you smile.

The notes seemed to transport you to another world, easing your worries and soothing your soul. The warmth of the room, the soft embrace of the blanket, and the gentle light from the flickering hearth cocooned you in a peaceful bubble.

After a moment, you opened your eyes and looked over at Ben. His eyes were closed, and he was completely lost in the music. The way his fingers moved effortlessly over the keys created a beautiful symphony, and you couldn't help but feel a deep sense of admiration and love for him. You noticed the way the firelight danced across his face, highlighting the features that you loved so much, and you felt grateful to be sharing this moment with him. There was no place you wanted to be more than here. With Ben.

As the melody came to an end, you let out a soft sigh, feeling as if you had just woken up from a beautiful dream. You looked back at Ben and saw that he was looking at you, his eyes filled with love and tenderness. “I love you,” you said what the first thing that popped into your head.

A small smile formed on Ben's lips as he heard your words. He reached out and took your hand in his, squeezing it gently. “I love you too, more than anything in this world,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving yours. You leaned in to give him a soft kiss, feeling more in love with him than ever before. As you snuggled up to him again, you felt a deep sense of joy, knowing that you were the luckiest woman in the world to have him in your life.

As you settled back into the cozy atmosphere, you thought of something that had been on your mind for a while. “Hey, make me a playlist sometime, will you?” you asked, looking up at Ben.

He looked a bit confused, as if he didn't understand why you were asking this all of a sudden. “A playlist?” he repeated.

You nodded, a small smile playing on your lips. “Yeah, I don't know why you haven't done it yet. I’d love to have the songs that you associate with me. With us. I think it would be nice to always have them with me.”

A smile spread across Ben's face as he understood your request. “Of course, love,” he said, leaning in to give you a loving kiss on the forehead. “I'll make you the most special playlist you've ever heard.”

You snuggled into him even more, feeling his warmth enveloping you. “You know, there are some songs that always remind me of you,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “Like the one we danced to in my trailer when you visited me on the set,” he chuckled as he recollected the moment. “Or that one we listened to on our picnic date while watching the sunset.”

You smiled at the memories that flooded your mind. “Yes, I remember,” you replied, feeling a sense of nostalgia mixed with happiness.

Ben reached for his phone and began scrolling through his music library. “Let's start with this one,” he said, pressing play on a song that you had never heard before. The music that filled the room stirred up emotions within you, and though you didn't recognize the song, it felt as if it was crafted for you and Ben alone. As you listened, you couldn't help but wonder about the other songs that Ben associated with your relationship, those that held a special place in his heart and reminded him of you every time he heard them.

As the night went on, Ben played song after song, each one more beautiful and meaningful than the last. And as you listened, you knew that this playlist would always hold a special place in your heart, a reminder of the love and happiness that you shared with the most important person in your life.

[vuulpecula]

      Although there was a fire blazing in the great stone hearth located to one side of the room, the male behind the desk emanated COLD. Every shred of light that fell across his being seemed to sputter and balk, consumed shortly after by the shadowy darkness lurking behind his straight shoulders. The male himself held no true power as of yet. Only within the quaint manor house and surrounding swath of land was his word law. That would be changing soon, he had decided. Discontent with following the rules set by others. He wanted the world around them to bend and break at his will, even if he had to bathe the entire continent in blood to achieve his goal. Already had he practiced, albeit on a much smaller scale, to get where he was now. Notorious for his dark, CHARMING ways and not for the secrets kept hidden within the walls and beneath the floors. A house built of bones. At night he listened to the screams trapped beneath the plaster and s m i l e d.

      Accessing the male before him with a glacial gaze, Alexei pondered how he might use the visit to his advantage. Or if he would grow truly bored and add another skeleton to his ever growing collection. “Why have you come, BOY, what is it that want?”

@jaigcaptain​​ ♡‘d for an ACOTAR or TOG themed thread.

[aviiarie]

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ LOST & FOUND platonic arlecchino & reader !

synopsis. hell hath no fury like a parent whose child has been taken from them. contents. PLATONIC. description of blood and injury (mildly graphic but not gory), violence, mentions of kidnapping, swearing (like once), implied murder. house of the hearth!reader. angst & slight hurt/comfort. 2.5k words. notes. LAST REPOST!! my house of the hearth series is all moved here now :'D

It had been fifty-eight hours, and twenty-seven minutes since [Name] had vanished.

Freminet sat curled up in a velvet armchair that dwarfed his small frame, with Pers on his lap and his brother and sister flanking each side. They had both refused Father’s offer of a seat, which showed the severity of the situation more than words ever could.

No one ever refused Father. Even she had raised an eyebrow at their sudden rebellion.

“Lyney, Lynette. Defiance will not make [Name] come home faster. Take a seat.” Father sipped her tea, poised as ever. Even with that impassive mask, Freminet still noticed the tension in her shoulders.

He always noticed.

“There’s no need,” Lyney said shortly, adding on a respectful “Father.” as an afterthought.

“What my brother means—” Lynette cut in smoothly. “—Is that we do not want to draw this conversation out any longer than necessary. We only came to get permission to postpone our current assignment and search for [Name]. I’m sure you can see the circumstances are dire enough to warrant such action.”

“I’m afraid I do not, Lynette.” Father placed her cup down and folded her hands over her lap. “They are a very skilled agent, and this mission was hardly out of their ability. No need to compromise your current—and very important, I might add—mission, for trivial matters.”

“It isn’t trivial, it’s our sibling!” Lyney burst out, causing Freminet to flinch. He reached out a hand blindly to settle on Freminet’s shoulder, squeezing it quickly in both a comfort and apology for startling him.

“I would be mindful of your place within this household, Lyney.” Father said mildly, the warning clear. “I have given you a direct order, and you will follow it. Do not stray from your assigned mission. [Name] will be fine.” She paused for a beat. “You are dismissed.”

“That’s it?” Lyney hissed. “So, you’re going to just leave them to die?”

It sounded like less of a question and more of an accusation. Freminet winced, feeling Lynette stiffen beside him as well as they waited for the consequences of Lyney’s bluntness.

Arlecchino rose from her seat, the tension in the air thick enough to choke all three of the siblings.

“I never said that. [Name] will be home in due time.” Her gaze shifted from the left to the right side of the armchair. “Lynette, you will have tea with me later, won’t you?” Father asked, causing the girl to freeze.

She bit her lip, answering carefully. “I may. Maybe if [Name] returns, we can all have tea together.”

“A good plan,” Father agreed, ignoring the quiet angry undertone of her words. “When I see them, I shall invite them.”

“It had better be soon; it’s getting late.” Lynette countered. Freminet’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. Lynette was always better at matching Father’s games. Freminet crumbled under the weight of her gaze, and Lyney wasn’t any better at handling the pressure without his emotions causing him to crack and splinter.

“Lynette, Freminet. Let’s go.” Lyney said sharply.

Throughout the entire exchange, Lyney’s hand had not moved from where it was planted firmly on Freminet’s shoulder, as if he was refusing to let another of his siblings out of his grasp. Freminet might have remarked that Lynette was handling her worry better, but he noticed how her tail kept curling around his leg when they walked into Father’s office. Neither of the three was willing to part with the others for even a second; not when one of their own had gone missing by doing just that.

As he drew back his hand and moved away, Freminet caught his arm.  

“Just… a moment, please. Wait outside, I’ll join you soon.” Freminet murmured, letting go. Lyney pursed his lips.

“Be quick.”

The twins vanished through the doorway, leaving Freminet alone with his Father.

“Freminet dear. You’re hesitating.” Father raised an eyebrow. “Are you waiting for something? Do you want me to give Pers a kiss on the head before I leave?”

Freminet flushed at the memories of holding the toy up to Father when he was young, insisting the penguin deserved a proper goodbye too. “Ahem. I’m not a child anymore… Father.”

“No? Then why are you still here?”

He swallowed awkwardly, forcing himself to look her in the eyes. He met her stare

“I know you’re just as worried as I am.” He said bluntly.

Father’s expression was almost impossible to read, but Freminet managed to catch a hint of surprise at his words. “I see. How did you come to that conclusion?”

It wasn’t denial, nor was it defensiveness. That was a good sign. Freminet continued, “There is a pinch between your eyebrows that you keep trying to smooth over. You’re gripping your teacup much tighter than usual. Your shoulders are tense. And you were far too quick to dismiss the twins’ concerns. You of all people would know that the situation is severe enough to allow a brief pause to their investigation, but you were swift in making sure they were kept as far away from the situation as possible.”

Arlecchino stared back at Freminet silently. She always had that unsettling way of watching him, as if she was picking apart the cogs and wheels spinning in his mind to know exactly what he was thinking.

“Observant as always, Freminet.” Freminet stood up straighter, pink touching his cheeks. “So, tell me this: what am I to do next?”

“You’re… going to find them yourself?” He asked slowly.

“That is correct. I will be.” Father agreed, and something inside him swelled. If only Lyney was still in the room, he would have collapsed with relief. “And what will you be doing?”

“Helping.” Freminet said without a thought.

“Incorrect. You are going to return to your room, go to sleep, and not say a word to your siblings.”

“But—”

“No. You are not involved here.” Arlecchino turned her back on him, looking out the window with her arms folded behind her.

“Father—”

“Do not forget that if you or your sibling’s interference costs me my mission, [Name]’s blood will be on your hands.”

Freminet recoiled sharply, as if she had struck him across the face. Arlecchino refused to lay a hand on any of them, but her words were more than enough to wound them.

“I—”

“I’m not looking for an argument, Freminet.”

Freminet shut his mouth with a click, lowering his head. He forced back the wave of emotions sweeping across him, sinking them so far into the depths of his mind that not even a champion diver like himself would be able to reach them.

“I am looking for an answer.” Father raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Father.” He said quietly.

“Good child,” She murmured, laying a gentle hand on the top of his head. “You are dismissed.”

-----

Arlecchino made her move at the stroke of sundown.

It was disgustingly easy to track them down, and the sheer incompetence only fuelled her rage until it burned brighter than the flames that curled beneath her skin. The assailants were sloppy, leaving plenty of traces for her to find, as if they were waiting for her to find them.

One of her agents had returned with a slip of paper that evening—a ransom note, crudely explaining that they had captured a House of the Hearth agent, and demanding a hefty sum in exchange for their safe return. She had chuckled at that last part. They would be lucky for her to leave them with their lives after what they have done, let alone a reward.

Their hideout was located in a quiet cave near the ocean, with an entrance half-hidden behind a curtain of vines. It was a quaint spot, a cosy place to sit back and watch the sun set over the water. She was sure the view behind her was breathtaking, but she made no move to take a glance for herself.

The vines made way for a long, narrow tunnel, ending with a wooden door. Arlecchino quietly turned the handle, scoffing under her breath when it turned without a key being inserted, and slipped through without making a single sound.

Six were scattered around the dingy room; one woman, five men. Seeming to be aged between their mid-twenties at the youngest, and early-forties at the oldest.

“Have we got a response yet?” The woman muttered impatiently, tapping her foot against the floor.

“How should I know?” One of the men grunted. “We left the note. Eventually it’s gotta make it’s way to the boss herself, and we’ll get the reward.”

“Just gotta be patient,” Another murmured. “Gotta be patient.”

Slightly past them was a wooden cage, secured with a metal lock.

They were in a heap on the floor of the cage, breathing weakly—Arlecchino quietly thanked the Tsaritsa that they were breathing at all—and looked to be passed out.

The fire inside her sang, and she could hardly breathe under the heat of it all.

“How long is this woman gonna take?” The woman rolled her eyes. “I’m tired of waiting.”

Arlecchino chuckled, causing all of the six to jump. “Oh, then allow me to assure you that you won’t have to wait much longer at all.”

Instantly they were on their feet, grabbing whatever weapon was closest. Their expressions ranged from outright fear, to an egregious amount of confidence for how weak they were in comparison to her.

“Knave,” the closest man grinned crookedly. “How kind of you to join us. I’m assuming you’re here for—” he jerked his head towards the figure still unmoving. “—that one?”

“‘That one’?” Arlecchino repeated slowly, drawing her scythe to her side. “I am here for my child.”

Two of the men—the ones closest to the cage—looked at each other nervously. Arlecchino smiled. It was a pity the rest of the group didn’t share the sense to fear her, but they would learn soon enough.

“Well you see, we’ll be happy to hand them over—” the man’s grin widened. “For a price, of course.”

“A price, you say?” She mused. “How about this. You step aside, I retrieve my child, and offer you a quick death. I would say that is more than fair, considering what you have cost me.”

The smile dropped off the man’s face. “That ain’t an option, lady.”

“Then I think you misunderstand.” She took a step towards him, then another, eyes glinting dangerously in the low light. “I wasn’t asking.”

“Boss—” one of the men tried to say.

“Shut it.” the first man hissed, bringing his shovel up in a defensive position. It was almost laughable, how he thought that would protect him.

“You made four mistakes tonight,” Arlecchino said smoothly. The tip of her scythe brushed the floor, sending a loud scraping sound across the walls. All of the people inside the room winced at the sound, but Arlecchino was unfazed as she continued prowling towards them.

“One… you failed to cover your tracks, making it remarkably easy to track you down.” In one swift motion, she lunged. The group barely had time to blink, before her scythe sliced across the chest of the closest one.

There was silence, before the man made a low gasp, bright crimson blood spilling down his shirt. He collapsed forward onto the ground with a thud, and the room erupted into chaos. A scream tore from the throat of the woman, and she dropped to her knees at his side, desperately clutching his shoulders. Arlecchino aimed a quick strike at her back, and she fell against the man heavily.

“Two, you left the door unlocked.” A pair charged towards her, hammers and shovels swinging. She knocked the weapons from their hands with one hit, and knocked them down with a second.

“Three—” One snuck up from behind, quickly tossing a string of rope over her head and around her neck, pulling harshly to cut off her breathing. An elbow in his ribs winded him enough to loosen his grip, and a knock to the head with the hilt of her scythe sent him to the floor. “You brought far too few people to last in a fight against me.”

The final man stumbled backwards until he hit the wall, shrinking against the bricks. Arlecchino walked with slow steps, stalking towards him like an animal cornering their pray. He shielded his face with his hands, in a desperate attempt to protect himself. Once she was about a foot away, she stopped, leaning in close.

“And four.” Arlecchino grasped the man by the throat, digging her nails into his skin hard enough to draw blood. “You hurt my fucking child.”

She tossed his body to the side, watching him hit the wall with a thud and collapse to the ground like a ragdoll.

“Pathetic.” She scoffed under her breath, stepping over his limp body. Her anger wasn’t nearly quelled—an inferno is not easily cooled, after all—but seeing them all lying lifelessly across the floor of their own base at least brought some vindication. She turned her back to the man, looking over at her child.

They were curled up in the cage like a trapped animal, rattling breaths ringing through the bars. Arlecchino gritted her teeth at the sight, making sure to step on the nearest captor’s fingers as she walked over. She swung her scythe against the lock, shattering it into bits of metal.

Her hands were gentle in reaching into the cage, hooking a hand under their knees and cradling their back with the other. They made a pained cry, and Arlecchino hurried to pull them out. She held them close to her chest, letting their cheek rest where her heartbeat pounded against her chest. Her face didn’t falter from that stony expression, but inside she was burning with fury.

“My child,” She murmured, more to herself than the shivering form in her arms. There was something dangerous in her tone, a note of warning to the assailants still conscious enough to hear her voice. She kissed their forehead, a tender gesture out of place among the bloodshed. “Didn’t I promise you that while you’re with me, no one can hurt you?”

“F-Father…?” A broken whisper slipped through their lips, followed by a sob, first sinking Arlecchino’s heart then shattering it into two.

“Shh… it’s okay. It’s okay, darling, I’m here.” She crooned, carrying them out of the room and through the tunnel. All throughout the journey through the tunnel and back onto the beach, she didn’t stop murmuring comforts and pressing kisses to their head in the most maternal way she’d ever remembered acting.

“I’m sorry, Father…” they mumbled, cheek pressed against her chest.

“Darling…” Arlecchino hummed, even as the smouldering ashes in her chest began to spark and flicker. “You have nothing to apologise for.”

The night was cold, but her child was a warm weight in her arms. She revelled in the warmth, a gentle reminder that they were still alive.

“We’ll be home soon,” Arlecchino promised, even though they were barely conscious enough to hear her. “Soon.”

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[aviiarie]

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ REASSURANCE platonic arlecchino & reader !

synopsis. arlecchino's child is struggling, but she is there to reassure them. contents. PLATONIC. house of the hearth!reader. gn!reader. they/them pronouns used. hurt/comfort. 1.5k words. notes. repost from my old blog! only a few more of this series to go :')

It was a cold day in the House of the Hearth when Arlecchino called upon one of her children for nothing more than a simple chat.

One of the unspoken rules of the House was that the most leisurely of discussions were only a preface to something deeper; layers of ulterior motives hidden underneath an innocent invite for tea. Some children had never glimpsed the privilege of being summoned to her office, while others found themselves carving a dent into her seat cushions with the number of times they sat in them. But one thing remained unchanging with every visit: their Father would send for them with a purpose, and they would not leave until it was fulfilled.

When [Name] received word that they were to visit Arlecchino’s office at 7:00pm sharp, their first instinct was dread; for the dozens of possible reasons for them being the one to be called upon. Musing upon the ‘why’s shifted their mood from the dull thrum of anxiety to sweeping waves of confusion. As far as they were concerned, they had no due cause for such a meeting with the Director herself; no failed missions to be reprimanded over, no shady plots of subterfuge to be exposed. They weren’t any rowdier or more troublesome than any other of the children, so the list of matters that would merit a visit was short.

Still, they knew better than to avoid the call. 7:00pm, they stood outside the office, hand poised over the door. They closed their eyes, knocking on it sharply and wincing at the echo that reverberated off the walls.

Three short raps. A smooth, calm voice, from inside the room: “Come in.”

The doorhandle creaked loudly as it turned. The door was old, and rather heavy, so it took a gentle shove to push it fully open to reveal the neat, cozy office inside.

“Ah, [Name], you’ve arrived.” Arlecchino greeted them as they entered. She was seated behind her desk as she usually was, with a full tea-set in front of her. As they slowly approached, she motioned towards the plush chairs opposite her. “Please, take a seat. I have been waiting for you.”

They quickly settled into the closest chair, hands folded in their lap. The room was quiet and cold; enough to send an uncomfortable prickle down their spine. Arlecchino paid no mind to their uneasiness; her hands were busy deftly arranging the teacups on the tray. Once she was satisfied with their placement, she then moved to pick up the teapot.

“I have some new tea from Liyue,” she hummed, gently tipping the teapot to let the dark red drink fill one cup, then two. Steam rose from each, cutting through the chill of her office. “Hibiscus. It’s quite sour, but I have added a spoonful of honey and sugar to the brew to sweeten it.”

She held one of the teacups out, and they clasped both hands around it with a murmured thanks. As they moved to take it from her, the side of their palm brushed against her fingers—icy cold, enough to make them shiver with a single touch.

“Your night has been well, I am assuming?” Arlecchino asked, taking a sip from her cup.

“Yes,” they murmur, bringing the tea to their lips. It was hot, but just enough not to burn their tongue. The honey she had added did little to mask the sour taste of the hibiscus, but it created a lightly sweet aftertaste that was pleasant enough to warrant a second sip.

“And your days, how have they been?”

They frowned, scanning her expression for any hint of what she wanted. She was clearly speaking to them in search of something, even if she didn’t say it aloud. A mission report, perhaps? They had already submitted the paper copy to her desk, but if she had missed it, or it had gotten lost with the rest of the paperwork handed in that day, she could be waiting for them to recount the mission directly.

“I returned from the mission you sent me on,” they blurted out. “I… it was a success, mostly. No casualties. Minimal injuries. And I also—”

“No need for a summary, I’ve read your report.” Arlecchino cut them off smoothly. “I want to know how you are, not how your mission went.”

They almost choked on their tea. Arlecchino raised an eyebrow at their sudden lack of composure, and they hurriedly covered it up with a half-hearted cough. “S-Sorry… you want to know how I have been… feeling?”

“That is correct.”

The air was thick with silence and the bitter smell of hibiscus, until they blurted out a quick “Fine! I’ve been fine, thank you.”

“Fine?”

“Fine, yes.”

“Interesting. I have been hearing curious things,” Arlecchino said casually. “Some of your siblings seem to have noticed a change in your behaviour. You aren’t sleeping as well, your mood has been significantly worse, you haven’t been joining during social activities. There is clearly something wrong.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” they said weakly. Their feeble attempt at normalcy was nowhere near convincing enough to fool her, and they knew it. They were a passable liar in the best of circumstances, but she was the one person who would always be able to see right through them.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

They couldn’t look at her. One look into those sharp eyes, one wrong word and they would crumble right there in her office. They had to keep it together for as long as it took to convince Arlecchino they were alright and be dismissed from her office. They only needed to hold back the burning behind their eyes until they were far away from Arlecchino and her pressing words and bitter tea, and could quietly fall apart.

She was waiting for an answer, but they could hardly breathe through the lump in their throat, let alone formulate a response. If she stopped now, saw them for what they were—a lost cause—and gave up, it would be fine. But instead:

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently, and something inside them snapped.

Tears burst from their eyes, spilling over their cheeks and down their face. They gasped, choking back a cry, holding a fist to their mouth to stop the hiccupping and wheezing breaths.

“I’m sorry,” they sniffled, rather pathetically. They kept their head ducked down low, unable to bring themself to look up into her undeniable face of disapproval. If they were any stronger, they could grit their teeth and make up a spiel about how they would do better next time, but instead they had to cry.

Now, not only were they going to be reprimanded for letting their emotions affect their work, they would be scolded for crying as well.

“Now, there is no need for crying.” Arlecchino stood, scraping her chair against the floor. They flinched away from the jarring sound, shrinking inwards with their tear-streaked face hidden in their hands. As much as they tried to stop them, the tears kept flowing into their palms. The walls were shifting closer with each second, and the thick scent of the tea filled their lungs until it choked them with that cloyingly bittersweet scent—

They jumped, as something cold touched their fingers. Their hands were carefully pried away from their face, revealing Arlecchino kneeling in front of them, with an unusually concerned expression on her face.

“I’m not upset with you, dear.” She said gently. “If that is why you are apologising.”

“You’re not?” they asked slowly. It had to have been a lie, but with how softly she said it, a part of them couldn’t help but wish it was true.

“Of course I’m not. But do you know why I’m not upset with you?” she asked. Hesitantly, they shook their head. “I’m not upset in the slightest, because I know whatever is clouding you is something that you will work through. You will emerge the victor of this battle, no matter what it is.”

They made a strangled sound, and felt a new wave of tears form. Arlecchino sighed, pulling them to their feet and against her chest.

“You are strong,” she said softly, carding her fingers through their hair. “You are capable. You are able to overcome whatever hardships you are facing, no matter how much they wear on you.”

She kissed their temple, her cool lips feeling almost warm pressed to their skin. While she lingered there, she whispered to them, softer than a mother’s touch. “You are strong enough to face this on your own, but even if you aren’t you will always have me here behind you.”

Their hands stretched out to grab the back of her jacket, shuddering out a breath. If Arlecchino minded their teary face being pressed against the front of her clothing, she didn’t comment on it; she only murmured more reassurances as she held them close.

“Just breathe, dear.” She whispered. “You’re going to be okay.”

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[aviiarie]

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ INSULT TO INJURY. platonic arlecchino & reader !

synopsis. what is arlecchino to do, when her child comes home injured? contents. PLATONIC. injuries, mild descriptions of blood, mentions of violence, nothing particularly graphic. house of the hearth!reader. gn!reader. they/them pronouns used. hurt/comfort. 0.9k words. notes. repost from my old blog~

Arlecchino was by no means a traditional parent, but she did share common qualities with those who were. She kissed her children’s hair when they were sick, wiping the sweat off their forehead and tucking their sheets extra tight. When they sought comfort, she would hold them close to her chest, even if her affection was rare and only offered away from all other eyes. They appeared in her thoughts constantly, even in the most mundane situations; occasionally she would find herself wondering if Lynette would enjoy a particular brand of tea, or if Freminet’s diving skills had improved in the past months.

Those outside of the House of the Hearth could never imagine a soft side to a cutthroat woman like Arlecchino, not after witnessing her ruthless ways. All they saw was the terrifying Harbinger that cut through hoards with her scythe, taking down each and every one who stands in the way of the Fatui. They would be mistaken to dismiss her as soft-hearted, but even more so to proclaim her heartless. It is simply that her heart beats for the Hearth, and nothing more. 

When she settled into the role of Father, she vowed that even if the Fatui wouldn’t treat her children with love, she would. However strict she appeared, her love for the House of the Hearth was poured through every drop of blood shed in the name of the security of the Fatui. The Fatui were the foundation holding up the orphanage, and so long as it remained strong, so would their home. 

It was one of her most notable traits, and one that many parents held; she would do anything to protect her children. 

So when [Name] turned up at her office, bruises peeking out between the rips in their shirt and bright splatters of blood dotting their arms, she didn’t scold them for walking in without knocking. She stood, moving mechanically over to where they lingered in the doorway. She swept her gaze down their body, taking note of each and every injury. And as they looked up at her, eyes glazed over with unshed tears, she brushed her hand across their face to rid the hair sticking to the blood across their forehead and hissed, “Who did this to you?”

“I–” Whatever rasping words were almost spoken broke off in a fit of coughing. A low cry of pain spilled out, and their hand clutched their side. “Sorry, I’m sorry.”

Arlecchino looked out through the hallway, spotting a child half-hidden behind the corner, unsubtly trying to spy on the situation. They squeaked, as she caught their eye and barked out an order. “You! Go to the medical wing and bring back a first aid kit, and several ice-packs. Now.”

They scurried off, the sound of tiny footsteps growing quieter every second. Once they were inaudible, she looked back at her other child, whose eyes were drifting shut slowly. A quick touch on their shoulder sent them flinching backwards, eyes flying open. 

“What happened?” She asked, ignoring the way they shrunk into themself at the question.

“I failed. I was ambushed, and they–” They shuddered, once again gripping their side. Arlecchino took note of the way they winced each time they moved too sharply; bruised ribs, if not broken. “I’m sorry, I just came to report on what happened.”

“You’re injured, [Name].” Arlecchino stressed.

“I know,” They said quietly. They didn’t even seem to have enough energy to fight the tears that have begun dripping down their cheeks. “It won’t happen again. I’ll be better.”

I don’t want you to be better, her mind screamed. I want you to be okay. Arlecchino bit her tongue hard to stop the words from pouring out. It would be unbecoming of the Director to show such earnestness in front of one of her children, especially one who had clearly suffered a failure. She may love them, as she does all of her orphans, but she was raised in the Fatui as well. She knew the cost of failure all too well.

“You will be.” Arlecchino stood back, letting them lean against the door frame again to stop themself falling over. “I’m sure you understand that there will be consequences to this.”

“I do.” 

“Excellent. You will be dismissed from all missions for the next six weeks.” Six weeks, that was just long enough for injured ribs to heal, if she recalled correctly. “You will be required to remain in the House for that time, and any outings must be approved by me before you leave.”

They stared at her, eyes wide.

“Am I understood?”

“Yes, Father.” They said quickly.

She didn’t ask any more of the person who had left them in such a state, but they did cross her mind as she wrapped bandages around their arms. She could almost see them now, celebrating their victory over the Fatui. How proud they must be, to have sent one of the Knave’s own agents fleeing. 

A barely noticeable grimace tore her attention away, and she forced her hands to loosen the bandages around their arm. In her quiet fury, she had begun to wrap them tighter than a tourniquet, much to their discomfort. 

For that moment, she dismissed the assailant to the back of her mind, and turned all of her attention to her child.

They would come later, and then, they would learn the true meaning of fear. 

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[aviiarie]

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ FAMILY (OF SORTS). platonic fatui harbingers & reader !

synopsis. the fatui harbingers have a soft spot for arlecchino's child. contents. PLATONIC. headcanons. fluff. parent!arlecchino. house of the hearth!reader. all of the harbingers are reader's weird aunts and uncles. gn!reader, they/them pronouns used. 1.5k words. notes. another repost, with some small parts rewritten! i don't know why this was my most popular post on my old blog, i don't really care for it, but it's a part of the collection so i'm reposting it anyway :')

All of the harbingers knew about Arlecchino’s child; the one that appeared in Fatui Headquarters stuck to her side, eyes cast to the floor. They all saw the way that Arlecchino had held a soft grip on their shoulder, guiding them through the halls with the gentle touch of a parent from the gentle hands of a monster.

The Knave always swore she didn’t play favourites, but from an outside view it was clear that they held a special place separate from the rest. They were permitted to sit in on meetings, following her like a shadow. Some of the Harbingers guessed that she had picked them to be her successor; that their frequent shadowing was training them to take over once she was gone. Others joked about Arlecchino’s apparent soft side taking over. Whatever the reason, time moved forward, and the Fatui saw more and more of them.

All of them varied in their opinions of them—some indifferent, some fond—but the Harbingers all cared for them in their own ways.

-----

Columbina simply adores them. To her they are something like a little dog: so small and cute, so tiny and fragile! Admittedly, her idea of ‘tiny’ is rather skewed—applying to anyone she deems weaker than her (notably, this label also gets given to Capitano and Tartaglia, despite their larger size and physical strength. The Damselette is truly an enigma.)

Whenever Arlecchino allows her to watch over them, she is delighted. She has a penchant for pet names, so ‘angel’, ‘my sweet’, and ‘lovely’ are all more commonly used than their name. Sometimes there’s a ‘baby’ or ‘bub’ if she’s feeling particularly affectionate, but no matter the name, it is always dripping with sweetness. She’ll sing to them too, to calm them down or get them to sleep. Her voice is gentle, laced with as much love as she would show her own child.

Some Fatui believe Columbina is a woman formed from hollow sweetness; that behind the lazy smile and soft voice, lies a callous and unfeeling heart, but her insistence on singing them to sleep comes from a place of genuine affection.

When they have to return home, she’ll kiss their cheeks and sweep them into a hug, making them promise to visit her soon.

-----

The fact that Arlecchino would tear out his throat with her bare hands if he dared to look at them the wrong way is the only thing stopping Dottore from roping [Name] into one of his experiments. Even then, he can’t help but investigate them a bit. Nothing extreme—please put the knife down, Knave—just some simple trials to see how they work. A quick strength assessment, a test of their reflexes, enough to judge the effectiveness of the House of the Hearth’s training.

Despite his assertion that he won’t harm them, Dottore tends to be the one Arlecchino trusts least around her child. His unwillingness to get on her bad side doesn’t stop her from insisting Columbina or herself accompany them whenever they visit his lab.

-----

Tartaglia loves them. The days he gets to see his siblings are few and far between, so he’s always eager to play the older brother for them, and for any other House of the Heath kids that stop by. In fact, whenever any of the children visit, he makes sure to buy them plenty of sugary treats and candies before quickly sending them back to their Father.

(Arlecchino was not happy the first time this happened. It didn’t stop him from doing it every time after that, though.)

He was the first to convince them to call him Uncle, a feat that he bragged about to the rest of the Harbingers. This small incident would inadvertently lead to a petty competition to see who their favourite is, an event that would quickly spiral out of control with bribery and promises coming from all sides.

-----

Sandrone is very particular with who she allows in her workshop. When the rare guest was allowed inside, they had to follow three simple rules: do not touch anything, do not move unless I tell you to, and do not talk to me while I work. When [Name] first stumbled into the room, she was prepared to discourteously shoo them out the way she did whenever Tartaglia poked his head in to see what she was working on. But after some extensive begging, she relented and sat them down in a corner to watch her work. 

Even if she is far less fond of them as some of the other Harbingers, she still audibly squeaked the first time she was called Aunt Sandrone. This was covered up with a cough, but nothing could stop the warmth blooming in her chest. It was the first time a living creature had addressed her with such a familial title; some of her synthetic creations had a habit of calling her Mother, but this was a living, breathing person.

After they started calling her that, she quietly told them they were free to visit when she was working—provided they did not interfere with anything. 

-----

As much as he denies it, Scaramouche has a big soft spot for kids. He’ll swear up and down that he doesn’t care for them at all, but he treats them noticeably gentler than he treats any other member of the Fatui. Arlecchino once caught them huddled against him, using his wide-brimmed hat to shelter from the rain. She never let him forget that moment—the fearsome Balladeer, who notoriously never let anyone close enough to touch him, allowing her child to use him as an umbrella.

They remind him a little too much of the young boy he once considered his family. Whenever he spends time with them, there is something inside that both urges him to protect them in the way he couldn’t protect that child, and warns keep them at arm’s length before they betray him too. But his endearment towards them prevailed, and he begrudgingly allowed them a place in his heart.

Unlike Columbina’s affectionate pet names, the only nicknames Scaramouche gives them are ‘kid’ and ‘brat’, depending on his mood. On good days, they might even get called by their name, though it is a rarity. He cares for them, truly. In his own, strange way.

-----

Capitano is the best at giving advice out of all the harbingers. He is much more down to earth than Columbina and Dottore, and far less cynical than Scaramouche and Sandrone. He’ll let them ramble about their frustrations freely before offering gentle suggestions on what they should do to help. Even if they aren’t looking for a solution, he’s patient enough to hear out their thoughts, however jumbled and incoherent they may be.

He also likes teaching them skills he deems important for a young person to know. These include cooking—Tartaglia is not allowed to join them in these lessons after he almost burnt down the kitchen trying to ‘help’—as well as sewing and mending clothes.  

-----

Pantalone never would describe himself as parental. He never cared too much for kids; he hadn’t enough patience to deal with constantly crying babies or needy toddlers. Arlecchino’s child was thankfully far above that age, so they were less unbearable to deal with.

He was quite happy to spoil them with extravagant gifts and treats to win their favour, but the most effective way he does so is simply spending time with them. Trips to luxurious restaurants for lunch, allowing them to shadow him while he works. He also likes to give them advice—completely unasked for—about life, and relationships. Unlike Capitano however, his advice is of a much less helpful; he has a habit of advocating for blackmail and other shady practices for solving problems.

In exchange for a box of the most expensive pastries in Teyvat, he got them to call him their favourite uncle in front of Tartaglia. The miniscule dent in his funds was worth the look of betrayal on the younger Harbinger’s face.

-----

Signora easily took the longest to warm up to them. When she first met them, it was easy enough to label them as Arlecchino’s brat and move them from her mind. But they kept appearing, in and around the headquarters. At first they were always glued to the Knave’s side, but eventually Signora began to see them wandering alone through the halls. She took note of them—not out of any attachment, only out of self-preservation knowing that if Arlecchino found out her child landed themself into trouble while she was close by, it would be her funeral soon.

The sense of obligation faltered when she started to grow fond of them. They were irritatingly innocent, a rarity within the Fatui. Something about the spark in their eyes reminded her of when she was young—when she still had warmth in her heart and blood in her veins. For the first time in centuries, her frozen heart began to thaw with care towards another person, and begrudgingly, she began to accept that they were not as unpleasant as she once believed.

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[aviiarie]

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ NO TEARS LEFT. platonic arlecchino & reader !

synopsis. it was well-known that the knave hated tears. contents. PLATONIC. gn!reader. they/them pronouns used. hurt/comfort. 1k words. notes. if you recognise this it's because this is a repost from my old blog :)

Crying was a rarity within the House of the Hearth.

It was perhaps odd for a place that housed dozens of children—their ages stretching between those barely able to walk, to those on the cusp of adulthood—to not hear at least a few sobs every now and then. But more often than not, the House was still, existing in an almost suffocating peacefulness. There were sounds; a rare echo of laughter from somewhere three halls down, or the steady drone of siblings talking over the top of each other, but rarely tears.

Occasionally though, a low cry will sound somewhere within the halls, and all close by will freeze. They will turn to the child—it was always someone new, who hadn’t been accustomed to the ways of the House yet—and hush them, whispering fervently:

Father hates tears.

Lynette was the kindest in telling the poor souls. She would wipe the streaks of tears off their cheeks with the cuff of her sleeve, shushing them gently. “Keep your voice down. Father hates crying children.”

Some of the older children were a little harsher in their reaction, elbowing the newcomer until they shut their mouths with a click, and let the tears drip silently down their face.

Every member who had been there long enough to be scolded at least once by Father knew the rules, and knew to keep their emotions locked away inside until they were either alone or dead. They didn’t dare to think of what would happen to them, should they be bold enough to show such weakness.

The hunched figure that sat at the top of the stairs with their legs pressed against their chest was no new arrival, and yet tears had begun to slowly drip across their cheeks.

A click reverberated across the walls, and their head snapped up at the sound. They craned their neck backwards, while the clicking continued: the telltale sound of the Knave’s heels clacking against tiles. Instantly they were on their feet, scrubbing furiously at their eyes. The sounds grew louder, their posture stiffened, and their hands withdrew from their face right as the Knave turned the corner.

“Father,” they crowed, praying to the Tsaritsa that their voice was level.

“My child.” She responded in turn. Her eyes swept across them for a moment, and their eyes flicked to the floor instinctively. She continued down the hall at her usual pace, and it looked like she was about to move past them and down the stairs. Inwardly, they breathed a sigh of relief. It was a close call, but they would be in the clear once she stepped past—

A clawed hand caught their chin, tilting it upwards. Father twisted it gently to the left, then the right, observing the redness of their eyes and faint shininess on their cheeks. “You have been crying. What is wrong?”

And with that, any semblance of composure shattered.

A sharp draw of breath was their only warning before their throat closed up, and more tears trickled down, like they had never stopped in the first place. Sniffles left their lips first, soon followed with gasps and cries that echoed through the foyer. Father’s face turned blank, and the tears only fell faster at her reaction.

“I’m sorry—” they choked out between hitching breaths. “I-I’m sorry, Father.”

Father hated tears. Father hated seeing crying children, she hated—

“Hush now,” Father hummed, letting go of their face. They shrank back against the wall, shielding their face with their hands, as if that would do anything to stop her from seeing just how pathetic they were.

“I’m so sorry,” they repeated hoarsely.

“No apologies, dear.”

She paused for a beat of silence, letting them try to pull themself together.

“Do you know why I dislike tears?” Father asked quietly.

“Because crying is a sign of emotion.” They murmured mechanically, repeating the words the older residents drilled into their skull the day they arrived. “And emotion is a sign of weakness.”

“That is partially true.” Father agreed, tapping her cheek rhythmically with her nail. “As a member of the Fatui, you will be faced with many adversaries. You cannot afford unnecessary emotion; not when it earns you a target on your back.”

She paused to swipe a stray tear from their chin with her nail, wiping it on a handkerchief and continuing.

“It is dangerous out there for you, and I have a duty to train my children to be able to withstand the treachery that they will no doubt encounter. I do not tell you emotions are a weakness because I am cruel. I tell you it is a weakness because it is. You must learn young to control them; lest it cost your life.”

“I-I understand, Father.” They said in a strangled tone.

“I’m not finished,” She chided softly, without any real irritation behind it. “While out there, concealing such emotion is a strength, there isn’t a necessity to do so certain times. When you are in a place of safety, such is the time to let it out.”

Father extended her arms out in a clear invitation. Their eyes widened in shock, but they didn’t hesitate to fall forward into her waiting arms, letting themself be drawn tightly against her chest. Their hands grabbed fistfuls of the back of her coat, while she traced circles across their shoulder blades in a soothing motion.

“You are safe, my child.” Father crooned, dipping her head low to kiss the top of their head. “While you are here, there is no one to harm you.”

No one…

With arms strong enough to hold the weight of the world circling their waist, and nails that were sharp enough to tear out a person’s throat drawing lines up and down their back to sooth them, they believed her easily. She held them there for what had to have only been a minute, letting them sob into the front of her coat, clinging to her until their cries evened out into nothing.

And in that quiet moment, all they could comprehend was the soft, steady feeling that they are loved.

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[aviiarie]

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ DANCE WITH ME! platonic freminet & reader !

synopsis. freminet dances with his sibling. contents. PLATONIC. implied sensory overload/panic attack. house of the hearth!reader. gn!reader. they/them pronouns used. fluff, slight angst. 1.5k words. notes. another repost from my old blog! this is the second in my house of the hearth!reader collection~

Freminet stood against the furthest wall of the ballroom, holding a glass with both hands and hoping if he huddled close enough into the corner he would become one with the wallpaper itself.

Lyney was dazzling guests on the other side of the room, a luminous smile on his lips and no shortage of charm dripping from his words. A clever magic trick here, a whisper of sweet words there, and half of the party had fallen for him. Lynette stood beside him: silent, but still carrying her own unique charm. She might not be as flashy as Lyney, but the guests still fawned over her, for her quiet charisma and peculiar demeanour.

Freminet wasn’t originally on the guestlist of the party, only being added at the last minute as a ‘thank you’ from the hotel owner for fixing some bits of machinery within the walls of the hotel. And even then, it took a lot of convincing from Lyney to drag him away from the sea—the place he was planning on spending that night instead.

They’d arrived as a group, being greeted warmly by the host. It took about three minutes for Lyney to be swept away by a crowd of adoring fans of his performances, Lynette following close behind as she always did, and Freminet—

Freminet was left alone. 

It wasn’t as if being overlooked was a new experience for him. Lyney and Lynette thrived in the spotlight, while all Freminet did was wilt, so they were content keeping the attention away from him. It was easier that way; he could blend into the shadows and retreat back into his own mind, where there was no one to disturb him. He didn’t care about being ignored by the guests.

He just didn’t want to be ignored by his siblings.

Freminet clutched the glass tightly in his hands. He was still too young to drink, so when he was handed the glass of wine by a passing waiter, Lynette was quick to swoop over and swap it with a glass of water instead, before returning to her twin’s side.  

The music had gotten louder, the orchestra playing a more upbeat song than the ballad that had preceded it. It was an enjoyable sound in theory, but the sheer volume of it—combined with the overlapping chatter in the room, thick smell of wine, and bustling crowds—made it sound like they were playing their violins with knives. They scraped along the strings, a metallic screeching echoing across the ballroom.

Why didn’t anyone else look bothered by the noise? Was he the only one who could hear it?

“—eminet? Freminet?”

The voice cut through the other noise in his ears, letting his attention fall directly on the concerned look of the person in front of him. He stumbled backwards slightly—when did they get so close?

“Freminet, are you okay?” [Name] repeated, a furrow in their brow. “I’ve been calling for you and you haven’t responded.”

“I-I’m okay, it’s just…” He swallowed, looking back down at the glass of water in his hands. “…very loud.”

Their eyes widened in understanding. “Do you want to me to take you somewhere quieter?”

He nodded, shrinking back into himself. Disappearing acts were more his brother’s specialty, but he wouldn’t mind being whisked away for a while. And of course, it wasn’t polite to make his sibling escort him out of the party, but the noise was so dreadful that he couldn’t even bring himself to feel self-conscious about it.

[Name] brought him through the crowd, dodging both guests and waiters as they led him past the dance-floor, up the stairs and out a set of double doors. The two emerged onto a balcony, almost being knocked back by the biting wind.

“Here. We can stay as long as you like.” They said, sliding down against the railing to sit cross-legged on the floor. Cautiously, Freminet did the same.

“It’s much quieter here.” He muttered to himself, before addressing them again. “Won’t you be missing the party?”

“It’s okay,” they said easily. “I was pretty tired myself.”

The music was still audible through to the balcony, reverberating through the walls in a muted symphony. As minutes passed, it shifted in tone from joyful melodies to a slower waltz.

Through the window they could see through to the bottom floor, where Lyney still entertaining guests. As the music changed, he looked over at Lynette with a tilt of his head. She blinked back at him and nodded slightly, taking his hand as he extended it to her. Their ability to communicate without a single word was always something that puzzled Freminet, but seeing the guest’s confused reactions made him realize it was just something that only made sense to the two of them.

“What are they doing?” Freminet mumbled, watching Lyney lead Lynette to the centre of the dance floor.

“They’re going to dance together.” [Name] replied, also observing the pair. Sure enough, Lyney let go of Lynette’s hand long enough to shift it to the middle of her back, clasping their other hands together and sweeping across the floor.

“They look so elegant…”

They hummed in agreement.

“I think I would have liked to dance. Not in front of everyone, though.” Freminet said quietly. [Name] was quiet for a beat, before abruptly standing up.

“I guess it’s good we’re alone out here, then.”

“Huh?” He blinked at them.

“Dance with me!” They stuck out their hand, a grin across their face.

“R-Right now?” He glanced around himself, as if there were guests loitering around the corner, ready to scoff at him at any moment. “But we’re outside, and I don’t—”

“We can still hear the music from out here,” They reasoned, not moving their hand. “It’s just me. There’s no one out here to stare at you.”

“I’m not that good.” Freminet frowned, looking back at Lyney and Lynette twirling across the floor. More guests had swarmed to the dance-floor following their lead, pairs spinning and dancing across the ballroom. The dance seemed easy enough to follow, and Lynette had run him through the basic steps of the waltz ‘in case of emergency’…

Before he could think about it too hard, Freminet had laced his fingers around his sibling's and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. They rested their other hand in the middle of his back, while he hesitantly placed his on top of their shoulder.

In time with the music, Freminet was pulled across the balcony in a gentle rhythm. They glided round in a gradual circle, in time to the tempo of the music echoing outside.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

On the third beat, Freminet faltered, almost stepping on their feet before he caught himself. He ducked his head in embarrassment, watching his feet carefully to make sure he didn’t accidentally stumble.

The dance was slightly awkward with their inexperience, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The music was faint in his ears, the crowd was a distant memory, and all he could pay attention to was how light he felt. This must be how Lyney and Lynette feel when they’re together; like he was free to let the weights slide off his shoulders and just simply exist, without worrying about the other’s judgement. He’d never have his other half like they had, but he had them and that was good enough.

They let go of the hand across his back, stepping back to spin him around in a twirl. The movement made him slightly dizzy, but they were right there to grab onto him and make sure he didn’t fall. To think, his plans changed from diving into the ocean and not emerging until the early morning to dancing a waltz on a balcony with his sibling. The entire thing…

It was rather absurd, wasn’t it?

A giggle escaped his lips, then another and another until he could hardly breathe through the laughter. His sibling was staring at him like he’d gone mad, and with good reason. Freminet wasn’t one for emotion—he liked to think of himself as an impassive and cold, free from needless feelings. It wasn’t in his nature to smile often or laugh.

But they soon fell into their own fit of giggles, as if catching a contagion. Their steps stumbled and faltered, until they’d collapsed against each other. Freminet looked up at them, an open smile twisting his features into something almost unrecognisable. There was a warmth spreading across his chest, akin to the exhilaration he got whenever he first dove into the water.

“Do you want to go back inside?” They asked, stepping back to lean against the railing. Freminet hesitated.

He could see through the glass that the twins had finished their dance, Lyney whispering to Lynette while scanning the room in a look Freminet knew to be the face he made whenever he was hiding how troubled he was. His eyes swept around the guests—looking for the two of them, it seemed. Logically, he knew he should go back inside to at least let them know he was okay, and hadn’t just vanished into the sea like he usually did. It would be the polite thing to do.

But he had his sibling with him. And the wind was a pleasant coldness against his cheeks.

“It’s peaceful out here.” He said quietly. “Let’s… stay a little bit longer.”

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.

[theno-1shark]

So adorable😭😭

⊱ ۫ ׅ ✧ DANCE WITH ME! platonic freminet & reader !

synopsis. freminet dances with his sibling. contents. PLATONIC. implied sensory overload/panic attack. house of the hearth!reader. gn!reader. they/them pronouns used. fluff, slight angst. 1.5k words. notes. another repost from my old blog! this is the second in my house of the hearth!reader collection~

Freminet stood against the furthest wall of the ballroom, holding a glass with both hands and hoping if he huddled close enough into the corner he would become one with the wallpaper itself.

Lyney was dazzling guests on the other side of the room, a luminous smile on his lips and no shortage of charm dripping from his words. A clever magic trick here, a whisper of sweet words there, and half of the party had fallen for him. Lynette stood beside him: silent, but still carrying her own unique charm. She might not be as flashy as Lyney, but the guests still fawned over her, for her quiet charisma and peculiar demeanour.

Freminet wasn’t originally on the guestlist of the party, only being added at the last minute as a ‘thank you’ from the hotel owner for fixing some bits of machinery within the walls of the hotel. And even then, it took a lot of convincing from Lyney to drag him away from the sea—the place he was planning on spending that night instead.

They’d arrived as a group, being greeted warmly by the host. It took about three minutes for Lyney to be swept away by a crowd of adoring fans of his performances, Lynette following close behind as she always did, and Freminet—

Freminet was left alone. 

It wasn’t as if being overlooked was a new experience for him. Lyney and Lynette thrived in the spotlight, while all Freminet did was wilt, so they were content keeping the attention away from him. It was easier that way; he could blend into the shadows and retreat back into his own mind, where there was no one to disturb him. He didn’t care about being ignored by the guests.

He just didn’t want to be ignored by his siblings.

Freminet clutched the glass tightly in his hands. He was still too young to drink, so when he was handed the glass of wine by a passing waiter, Lynette was quick to swoop over and swap it with a glass of water instead, before returning to her twin’s side.  

The music had gotten louder, the orchestra playing a more upbeat song than the ballad that had preceded it. It was an enjoyable sound in theory, but the sheer volume of it—combined with the overlapping chatter in the room, thick smell of wine, and bustling crowds—made it sound like they were playing their violins with knives. They scraped along the strings, a metallic screeching echoing across the ballroom.

Why didn’t anyone else look bothered by the noise? Was he the only one who could hear it?

“—eminet? Freminet?”

The voice cut through the other noise in his ears, letting his attention fall directly on the concerned look of the person in front of him. He stumbled backwards slightly—when did they get so close?

“Freminet, are you okay?” [Name] repeated, a furrow in their brow. “I’ve been calling for you and you haven’t responded.”

“I-I’m okay, it’s just…” He swallowed, looking back down at the glass of water in his hands. “…very loud.”

Their eyes widened in understanding. “Do you want to me to take you somewhere quieter?”

He nodded, shrinking back into himself. Disappearing acts were more his brother’s specialty, but he wouldn’t mind being whisked away for a while. And of course, it wasn’t polite to make his sibling escort him out of the party, but the noise was so dreadful that he couldn’t even bring himself to feel self-conscious about it.

[Name] brought him through the crowd, dodging both guests and waiters as they led him past the dance-floor, up the stairs and out a set of double doors. The two emerged onto a balcony, almost being knocked back by the biting wind.

“Here. We can stay as long as you like.” They said, sliding down against the railing to sit cross-legged on the floor. Cautiously, Freminet did the same.

“It’s much quieter here.” He muttered to himself, before addressing them again. “Won’t you be missing the party?”

“It’s okay,” they said easily. “I was pretty tired myself.”

The music was still audible through to the balcony, reverberating through the walls in a muted symphony. As minutes passed, it shifted in tone from joyful melodies to a slower waltz.

Through the window they could see through to the bottom floor, where Lyney still entertaining guests. As the music changed, he looked over at Lynette with a tilt of his head. She blinked back at him and nodded slightly, taking his hand as he extended it to her. Their ability to communicate without a single word was always something that puzzled Freminet, but seeing the guest’s confused reactions made him realize it was just something that only made sense to the two of them.

“What are they doing?” Freminet mumbled, watching Lyney lead Lynette to the centre of the dance floor.

“They’re going to dance together.” [Name] replied, also observing the pair. Sure enough, Lyney let go of Lynette’s hand long enough to shift it to the middle of her back, clasping their other hands together and sweeping across the floor.

“They look so elegant…”

They hummed in agreement.

“I think I would have liked to dance. Not in front of everyone, though.” Freminet said quietly. [Name] was quiet for a beat, before abruptly standing up.

“I guess it’s good we’re alone out here, then.”

“Huh?” He blinked at them.

“Dance with me!” They stuck out their hand, a grin across their face.

“R-Right now?” He glanced around himself, as if there were guests loitering around the corner, ready to scoff at him at any moment. “But we’re outside, and I don’t—”

“We can still hear the music from out here,” They reasoned, not moving their hand. “It’s just me. There’s no one out here to stare at you.”

“I’m not that good.” Freminet frowned, looking back at Lyney and Lynette twirling across the floor. More guests had swarmed to the dance-floor following their lead, pairs spinning and dancing across the ballroom. The dance seemed easy enough to follow, and Lynette had run him through the basic steps of the waltz ‘in case of emergency’…

Before he could think about it too hard, Freminet had laced his fingers around his sibling's and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. They rested their other hand in the middle of his back, while he hesitantly placed his on top of their shoulder.

In time with the music, Freminet was pulled across the balcony in a gentle rhythm. They glided round in a gradual circle, in time to the tempo of the music echoing outside.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

On the third beat, Freminet faltered, almost stepping on their feet before he caught himself. He ducked his head in embarrassment, watching his feet carefully to make sure he didn’t accidentally stumble.

The dance was slightly awkward with their inexperience, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The music was faint in his ears, the crowd was a distant memory, and all he could pay attention to was how light he felt. This must be how Lyney and Lynette feel when they’re together; like he was free to let the weights slide off his shoulders and just simply exist, without worrying about the other’s judgement. He’d never have his other half like they had, but he had them and that was good enough.

They let go of the hand across his back, stepping back to spin him around in a twirl. The movement made him slightly dizzy, but they were right there to grab onto him and make sure he didn’t fall. To think, his plans changed from diving into the ocean and not emerging until the early morning to dancing a waltz on a balcony with his sibling. The entire thing…

It was rather absurd, wasn’t it?

A giggle escaped his lips, then another and another until he could hardly breathe through the laughter. His sibling was staring at him like he’d gone mad, and with good reason. Freminet wasn’t one for emotion—he liked to think of himself as an impassive and cold, free from needless feelings. It wasn’t in his nature to smile often or laugh.

But they soon fell into their own fit of giggles, as if catching a contagion. Their steps stumbled and faltered, until they’d collapsed against each other. Freminet looked up at them, an open smile twisting his features into something almost unrecognisable. There was a warmth spreading across his chest, akin to the exhilaration he got whenever he first dove into the water.

“Do you want to go back inside?” They asked, stepping back to lean against the railing. Freminet hesitated.

He could see through the glass that the twins had finished their dance, Lyney whispering to Lynette while scanning the room in a look Freminet knew to be the face he made whenever he was hiding how troubled he was. His eyes swept around the guests—looking for the two of them, it seemed. Logically, he knew he should go back inside to at least let them know he was okay, and hadn’t just vanished into the sea like he usually did. It would be the polite thing to do.

But he had his sibling with him. And the wind was a pleasant coldness against his cheeks.

“It’s peaceful out here.” He said quietly. “Let’s… stay a little bit longer.”

© aviiarie 2024. do not copy, repost, translate or use my work to train ai.