#'ok go ahead and dismount

[malarkgirlypop]

MEDIC! Part 37 (Donald Malarkey x Fem!OC)

FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK OH FUCK!

TW- Violence

Based on the HBO show and the actors who portray the characters, not hate to anyone involved.

Tag list: @imusicaddict, @b00ks1ut , @mstiemountainhop, @awaterfalls, @lovememadly92 @lucyfromtheoldhouse @blueberry-ovaries anyone else please let me know.

We picked two replacements up on the way to the checkpoint, the two young men got into the back and chatted to Grant and I along the way. 

Grant was showing off to the young men telling terrible jokes and long winded stories. The two soldiers stared blankly at him as he finished his latest joke. 

The joke didn’t land from the silence of the back seat, their confusion sent me into hysterics, soon the replacements joined in too, not really knowing what they were laughing at. 

I think the boys just wanted to impress Grant, him being their senior and all. They laughed politely even when they had no clue what was going on. The men just seemed to be happy to be spoken to. 

We hadn’t made it to the checkpoint just yet but for some reason Grant slowed the jeep. I cast my eyes forward focussing on the scene ahead of us. Other cars were scattered along the sides of the road, some blocking the path altogether. My brows furrowed as I looked over to Grant who wore the same expression. 

The car pulled to a stop parking the car in the middle of the road. He had left some space between the scene in front of us and the car. We both dismounted the car, Grant requesting the men in the backseat to stay put as we walked closer to the cars scattered across the road. 

“You should get back into the car Em.” Grant told me, not looking at me as he spoke. 

“I think there is safety in numbers.” I disagreed with his statement, I wasn’t going to sit in the car and potentially watch him walk alone into danger.  

My gut swirled and my skin tingled, something wasn’t right about this situation. 

We approached the cars, I swallowed my gasp as it rose in my throat. Lying on the ground were bodies, multiple people unmoving in pools of blood. I looked at Grant, concern lined his features as he took in the same information. 

I bent down, my fingers finding the inside of the neck of the man closest to me. He was cold to the touch with no sign of life under my fingertips. It seemed he had been here for quite some time, as I tried to pull his eyelids shut but rigour mortis had already set in. 

Grant watched me, I looked up to him to shake my head, a silent exchange. We hadn’t uttered a word to each other since we had gotten closer, as if the sound of our voices would disturb a monster lurking in the shadows. 

As if my thoughts had been said aloud, a man appeared from the darkness. Goosebumps rose on my skin and bile in my throat. The way he moved was unsettling, as if there weren’t bodies laying at our feet.   

I didn’t recognise the man, but he wore an American uniform, so he had to be one of ours. Grant gestured for me to come close to him, we had been on separate sides of the road. His hand was outstretched for mine. I rose from my position slowly trying not to spook the man now standing before us. 

My hand reached out for Grants as he took mine, he subtly pulled me behind him, stepping in front of me. My stomach churned, my breathing erratic. The voice inside my head called for me to drag Chuck back to the jeep and leave. But I stood silently, a pace behind Grant, still gripping his hand like a lifeline.  

“You ok man? Do you need some help?” Grant asked tentatively. His voice in the silent night made it seem as if he was yelling. I tried to even out my breaths. 

Grant’s question made the man stagger closer to us. I felt the blood drain from my face as my eyes focussed on the gun in his hand. The man laughed, smiling at us in the darkness. That action alone sent chills up my spine as the hairs on my neck stood on end. My grip grew even tighter on Chuck’s hand. I was silently begging him to leave with me. But instead he did the opposite, dropping my hand to my side. 

He glanced over his shoulder, a weary look on his face, he was trying to distance me from the man. I bit my tongue, but I couldn’t urge my feet to move forward. I was frozen watching Grant approach the man alone. 

“They wouldn’t give me any gas.” The man's slurs pulled our gazes from each other. We watched him cautiously like a wild animal, we had no idea what he was capable of.   

The drunk man motioned with the gun to the people who lay lifeless on the ground. I had only assumed, but his actions made it clear. He had killed them. This man was dangerous. 

“Krauts!” The man bent forward screaming at the dead man on the floor. I begged for my mouth to work, for my feet to work but all I could do was stand still watching in pure horror. My heartbeat fought to muffle all other sounds in my ears. Tears pricked my eyes, I didn’t care if they were Krauts he took their lives in cold blood, over gas.  

Grant moved forward. I whimpered silently. I willed him to stop with my eyes but he wasn’t looking at me, he hadn’t taken his eyes off of the soldier. He was inching closer to someone we couldn’t trust, who had killed over something as simple as gas. If we weren’t careful we could be on the receiving end of the weapon he carelessly flung about. 

The soldier stumbled away back to his jeep, turning his back on us. I finally willed my feet to move forward. The crunch of gravel underfoot seemed to be louder than bombs with each step I took. Grant must’ve felt the same way as his head snapped over his shoulder to look at me. He subtly shook his head, he was going to handle this. I was going to fight him over it but our second of refuge was soon shattered. 

Grant walked closer again to the man. I let the cry of protest die in my throat. 

“I tried to explain, this fucking limey wouldn’t listen. I think he was a Major.” The man’s words strung together in a long sentence as he again motioned to the man who was clearly dead. The man was an American Major, fuck. We’re fucked. 

“Hey private, we’ve got a problem here.” Grant spoke in an even tone. All I could do was watch, tears pricked in my eyes. We needed to get out of here, but we were already in too deep, there was no way out of this.  

“You got any gas?” The private asked with a vicious grin plastered on his face. He acted like Chuck hadn’t even spoken. 

“Why don’t you give me your weapon.” It wasn’t a question, Grant was going to take the gun off of the man whether he wanted him to or not. Chucked stepped forward, his hand outstretched readying to remove the weapon from the man himself. I stood still, my hands clasped together, I could feel my nails digging into my palms and the sheen of sweat that lined my brow.  

“I guess I’ll use his jeep, I-I don’t think he’s going to be needing it.” The man wandered away, back to the jeep the Major slumped beside. 

“Hold on a second there alright.” Grant yelled at the man, surging forward. It all happened too fast or too slow. I wasn’t sure. It all became a blur in the end. Grant’s actions caused the man to swing around from his journey back to the car, he raised his weapon with no hesitation. 

BANG. 

The shot rippled through the still night air. I watched the bullet leave from the gun, straight into Grant’s fucking head. With a sickening crack his head took the brunt of the force, his neck snapped to the side. Blood splattered as Grant crumpled to the ground. 

My screams pierced the air as I ran forward trying desperately to catch Chuck before he hit the ground, but I wasn’t fast enough. His dead weight crashing to the ground. 

I sobbed kneeling beside Grant as I took his torso into my lap. 

“Grant!” I wailed, his eyes rolled back in his head as his breathing became shallow. I pressed my hand to the injury trying to stop the bleeding but his blood seeped between my fingers and onto my pants.   

I couldn’t hear anything over my sobs. I didn’t know if the replacements had seen what happened or if they were calling for help. I didn’t even know where the man had gone. 

Turns out I should’ve been paying more attention. A pained scream strangled from my throat. A hand firmly gripped my hair and yanked me backwards. The force propelled me back, as my hands scrambled to release the death grip that tore the hair from my skull. My legs kicked out from beneath me, the hand not giving me enough time to find my footing. I screamed in pain as I was dragged all the way to the jeep. 

I looked up to find him. The soldier. But he wasn’t just the soldier that murdered my friend and took other innocent lives. His eyes were familiar. I wasn’t close enough to see it before. 

He’s the man from the bar. 

*************************************

Chapter 38

[zoros-bandana]

Hello Dove, I've been reading your shots for a while now and I must say your work is lovely, and everytime I read them it makes my day.

I hope is not a bother, but may I request a platonic scenario with Zoro and a youngling swordsman. Basically the strawhat crew stopped by in a island to refill their supplies, Zoro being Zoro started to explore alone and got lost (as usual) and he saw a fight between the youngling swordsman and other pirates, witnessing their fighting style with their katana that looks like Shinobu Kocho from demon slayer, cause their katana is not for slay rather works like a syringe cause is always covered in poison. Zoro caught interest in the youngling somehow but failed in the attempt to reach them so the strawhats set sail. Without knowing the youngling was hiding in the ship cause their next destination is the same as the crew, cause the youngling was finding a person to get revenge on for whatever reason, in the end they ended up discovering the youngling and the rest I'll leave it up to you.

I personally love platonic scenarios and I don't see much of those, but of you accept them then it's ok. However if you don't make platonic scenarios, feel free to make changes if these request caught your intrest. Have a lovely night

Apprentice

(SFW)

Warning: mention of wounds, mention of drinking, mention of fighting, spoilers for Nani’s backstory, spoilers for Zoro's backstory

Summary: After finding a small boy on the way to the Isle of Tenohira, Zoro reluctantly comes to care for him, reminiscent of his past self in his stubborn and vicious sword wielding abilities.

Word Count: 4,000

The Going Mary docked at the small port, clear blue waters rocking gently as one-by-one the crew dismounted, leaving Usopp behind to care for his worn-out ship. It was agreed for only a short stay to collect necessities and supplies for the next stretch of vast blue, knowing anything longer than a few hours would detour their path for the Isle of Tenohira.

Zoro landed on the creaking wood, grunting as he peered over his shoulder at the sudden commotion caused by his captain. Rolling his eyes he watched as Luffy ran off laughing, Nami and Sanji following close behind, yelling at him for being careless and ignorant of his surroundings. Every trip curated the same response, predictable turnouts from his fellow crew-members as they scattered over the island, never sticking to the plan Nami instructed.

Looking around, Zoro noted his surroundings, figuring he would go in search of a bar to drink at for the duration of the time. The island, although small, made up for the distance with height, weaving hills dotted with pink shrubs falling beyond his sight. Figuring the sun was pointing east, he turned on his heels, heading west, walking towards thick shrubs away from the obvious clearing to the town.

He took his time wandering, assuming the bar wouldn't be far from his position, taking in the unusual sights around him. It was a particularly sunny day, a warm breeze rustling through the vibrant shrubs with a whistle as if they were singing out to the swordsman. The grass, if you could even call it that, was short and tuft, weaving strands of iridescent gold, dotting through flowers curved in oblong shapes.

Zoro shook his head, dizzy from the unfamiliar surroundings, parted at sea for what felt like weeks.

A call up ahead prompted Zoro to face to his left, easily spotting the commotion right away. A band of mismatched pirates surrounded a little boy no more than ten, laughing down at him. The young boy wielded a sword, unusual in appearance, as most things were here, with scaling edges down the blade, dripping in an ominous thick brown liquid. It was clear the sword was too large for the boy to hold, using both hands on the handle to lift it off the ground. Shrugging at the boys obvious stubbornness to fight alone, Zoro continued on, assuming the situation was under control.

As Zoro sat in the bar, he couldn't help but feel panicked, unknown to how the fight turned out; feeling a slight guilt in the safety of the child. Looking at the boys stubbornness and dedication to take out a band of pirates reminded him of a younger version of himself, holding onto a weapon that would've taken all his strength just to hold. He held his breath, hoping that the pirates wouldn't enter the bar, cementing only what he feared.

The more Zoro drank the less he remembered about what he saw, fogged over by the alcohol in his body; the ringing of chatter around him soothing his mind. He swayed along to their conversations, dancing silently to his own rhythm by the vibrato in their voices, amusing himself as he flagged down the bartender for another beer.

The doors of the bar crashed open, Zoro sluggishly looking over as someone called out his name, groaning as Sanji made his way over to him. He swore under his breath, wishing someone else came to collect him, scowling at the two-bit chef. Sanji ignored Zoro's look of disgust, grabbing onto his arm as he trudged out of the bar, barking at him. The crew had agreed to be back at the ship hours ago, and as per usual, Zoro lost track of time, drinking away.

Too blinded by hate to zone into Sanji's words, Zoro stumbled alongside him, his eyes darting around. He refused to look in his direction, the drug of alcohol creating a haze over the surreal island, making it seem almost amusing to him. And although this island sparked a particular interest in him, he couldn't help but feel soothed by the promise of returning to his beloved ship.

He couldn't wait to return back to his usual napping post.

Zoro awoke to a heavy crash, his hand reaching for his sword in a bid to fight whoever disturbed his drunken rest. Jerking his eyes around the room he was met with silence, a figure crouching behind one of the barrels in the corner, knowing they were caught. He assumed it was Luffy or Chopper, coming to pry some of Sanji's hidden treats, quickly lacing some venom in his words.

"Oi, piss of will ya! Ya wanna get cut? I'm tryna to nap here!"

"I'm sorry mister..."

Quickly, Zoro sat up, his eyes wide at the unfamiliar voice realising it wasn't a crew member. Focusing on the barrel, he watched as the boy he encountered before stepped out, his sword slung to his back. His innocent and round face was littered with cuts and bruises, one of his dark brown eyes clouded with a purple ring. His light ash hair seemed almost wet, sticking to his forehead, dipped with darker ends from what he could assume was blood.

"The hell ya doing here?"

"I snuck onto the ship"

"Well, yeah" he rolled his eyes, taking a stand. Zoro moved his neck around, cracking in a rolling motion, walking over to the barrels. "Ya need to get outta here, idiot, it's not safe invading a pirate ship!"

"I wasn't trying to invade" he admitted sheepishly, "I just needed a lift to the Isle of Tenohira"

"How'd ya know we were going there?" Zoro drew out his sword, sceptical of the boys knowledge.

"I heard the stringy one talking about it; the one with the hat"

Luffy.

Realising his mistake, Zoro withdrew his sword, sighing heavily. He was still half asleep, his brain feeling like static as he thought for a moment, unsure of what to do with the boy. He could throw the boy overboard, letting the sea drift him someplace he wouldn't have to step foot in? But it would cause too much commotion.

Looking away he sighed again, not wishing to look down at his soft and wide eyes, knowing he might give in and help him.

Zoro just wanted to nap.

Scratching his head, Zoro felt lost, confused on what to do. He didn't wish to put further injury on the boy, given his current timid and broken state, but he also knew he couldn't stay here, his rest disturbed enough. Suddenly, he had an idea, smiling wickedly, knowing exactly who would put some sense into the boy. Zoro was familiar with them enough to understand how they operated, viciously attacking any of the boys on the crew whenever they pleased, hoping the same end would be met for the boy in front of him.

That was it.

Zoro was decided.

He would take the boy to see Nami.

"Oh my dear, look at you!" Nami bent down in front of the boy, cupping at his face "what happened?"

Zoro's face dropped, not expecting her to react so sensitive to his needs. When he had brought the boy to the crew he received a hearty thud over his head, Nami immediately snapping at him for bringing a child onto the ship. However, as she faced the boy she shifted, turning almost into somebody he didn't recognise at all.

"Did that brute do this to you?" Nami's tone was snappy as she whipped her head around to Zoro, glaring at him. "If I find out you laid a hand on this poor child I-"

"No" the boy shook his head "I was ambushed by some pirates back at the island"

Nami turned back to him, whimpering her bottom lip as she pulled him into a sweet hug, her breasts engulfing the boys face, almost suffocating him. She cooed aimlessly at him, inaudible to Zoro as he stood there burning up, realising he should have been tougher on the boy and kicked him off as soon as he saw him.

"You really thought she would be mad at him, didn't you?" Sanji snickered, lighting up a cigarette. "You clearly don't know my sweet Nami-swan at all"

"Oi, shut up, ero-cook! Nobody asked you to speak"

Sanji quickly snapped into action, lifting his leg up to strike at Zoro, to which he swiftly dodged. Pulling out his swords, Zoro resumed a typical stance, mumbling profanities as Sanji attempted to land a few hits at any open area he could find.

"Will you both just be quiet!" Nami ordered, flailing her hands into fists as she smacked them each over the head. Shoving herself between the boys she created space to separate, clearing the thick air that hung overhead.

Luffy laughed, amused by the astounding situation, the addition of a possible new crew member exciting him. "I think we should keep him"

"Huh?"

"Luffy! You can't be serious!" Nami's face dropped, realising the possibility of the situation. A familiar feeling of anxiety fell over her, reminded of her horrible tangled past with pirates as a young girl, never wishing upon that for anybody. "We can't possibly accept a child to join our crew, especially since what has just happened! We need to turn the ship around and get him home to his -"

"I overheard you were travelling to the Isle of Tenohira" the young boy piped up, averting the attention back to him. Everyone continued their silence, waiting for the boy to explain further, giving him a chance to speak his peace. "I will be happy to leave once we have arrived; I just need a ship to take me"

"That's at least a three-day trip" Usopp interjected, informing the boy of his situation.

"I am aware, just please let me stay until you dock there"

"What has you so interested in this island, anyway?"

"I need to get revenge on some pirates" the boy lowered his voice, a hideous growl muffling his words.

Luffy laughed, reminded just how stubborn and vengeful his own right-hand was, noting similarities between the two. "Well, we will be more than happy to have you join us. What is your name?"

—————————

After some time, Zoro returned to the crows nest, fuelled by his strict routine to get back into training. He was aware there was too much time lost, frustrated with the unwanted distraction of a child to focus on his goal. The weights he usually bared felt heavy, only frustrating him more, feeling much weaker than before. He knew nothing had chance but regretted falling out of his usual rhythm.

He lunged the weight back and forth, mimicking a swinging action similar to his sword, working his arms to swing all around him. As he spun around the room he stopped, stepping back in fright, tripping over his foot. The weight landed behind him in a crash, rocking the crows nest briefly, causing him to wobble off balance.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The young boy stood in front of him, his cuts and scrapes patched up poorly by Nami's efforts to coddle the child. He had changed into new clothes, a large t-shirt bunched up and tied off at the waist, showering him in fabric.

He ignored his question. “Do you mind teaching me that?”

"What?" Zoro acted clueless, hoping the boy would give up and leave.

"Would you teach me how to train properly to be a swordsman?"

"No"

The boy huffed, confused that Zoro would be so quick to shut down his request, despite his blunt and dismissive attitude to his presence. Unamused by the boy's childish behaviour Zoro stood his ground, turning back to his weights with a heavy roll of his eyes.

A harsh quiet fell over the crows nest, almost irritable, growing an intense and thick atmosphere. The hairs on the back of Zoro's neck stood at attention, a shiver running down his spine, knowing something bad was about to happen.

"NAMI!" The boy's voice rung through the crows nest, shrill and cruel. He added a drawn out whine, letting his voice be heard through the ship, rearing his beloved new friend. The addition of overdramatic tears rolls down his cheeks, making his performance theatrical and threatening for Zoro. He had already underlined his name in Nami's bad book, knowing this would corrupt him into something horrible; owning her something to make up for the child's woe.

Zoro felt a rush of regret fall over him, spiteful a part of him felt so connected to the boy in front of him. Since seeing the boy on the island, he couldn't help but sense a part of the stubborn swordsman inside him that pushed him to where he was today. But as he looked down at the manipulative tactics of the child, he realised he was far from the same.

"Fine!" Zoro snapped, turning around to face him with a roll of his eyes. Pointing to the boy with the end of his sword, Zoro held himself firm and cold, not wishing to give into pity for the sake of the child. "But I will not go easy on you because you're a kid. Understand?"

The boy nodded, a delighted smile replacing the well of tears, wiping away the snot from his nose. "I understand"

As per Zoro's usual routine, he trained, holding the same measures as he would against any object to come in his path. The boy, all the while clasping his sword, struggled to keep up with Zoro's intense ability. He accommodated both hands to lift his chosen weapon, making the fight more strenuous on his body, his arms and back caving at the heavy weight. And Zoro could feel it too, every hit that collided with the sword appalled him, wondering how someone of his size wield such a beast.

The sword matched the length of his own, the spikes curling through each clatter as they collided. Zoro feared what liquid oozed from the weapon but knew he was far from finding out such atrocities. He was a small child after all; Zoro was the master here.

However, no matter how hard and fast Zoro swung, the boy kept up, ignoring every inch of his body to give up. His hands were covered with thick callouses, grasping the handle of his blade tightly not to drop or lose sight of Zoro. Cuts and bruises littered his skin, fair to the word of keeping up with Zoro as much as he could.

He was learning fast.

He would be something great one day Zoro was sure.

Around the crew the boy would keep the same chipper attitude, slowly mimicking how they moved. He carried the same light-hearted and hungry energy as Luffy, challenging him to the last bits of meat Sanji worked hard to prepare; winning with Nami on his side. His stamina and aim heighten, time spent with Usopp throwing off Zoro's expectations for how quickly he was learning skills. Accidents and wounds lessened, learning how to fix his own incidents, knowing any setback would cause his training to lessen.

He was improving in all aspects, quickly adjusting to the movements and flow of sparring against Zoro, reminding him of a version of himself long forgotten. Zoro could see that now, misjudging his manipulation, realising how smart and creative the boy was in his own right.

Zoro's past stood in front of him, so vivid it haunted him in the night, keeping him awake from drawing in his memories. He viewed himself, the child, in the same determined nature which craved more, burning their bodies to the ground in pain; and no amount of rest would be enough to sooth them. He could feel himself attach to the boy, instinctively protecting his own shadow, and as the Isle of Tenohira grew closer, Zoro started to grieve something he was fond of.

"Oi!" Luffy's voice boomed through the ship, the clatter of his sandals beating against the deck. It had turned three days since the boy joined the crew, a day Zoro had began to dread, knowing instantly what that meant for his and the boys future.

In the crows nest Zoro caught onto Luffy's voice, the boy catching the same, however, failed to part away from his training; lifting the weights above his head. Unwilling to make the first move Zoro ignored the call, turning back to his own corner, twisting his sword around in motions that caused his head to spin, unable to keep up.

"Was that Luffy?" the boy finally spoke, grunting through his repetitions.

Zoro grunted, unable to look over at him, half afraid he might actually break. He didn't wish to admit he had grown fond of the child, distancing as much emotion as he could muster, his direction becoming a loose brick in his emotional walls built around him for years. He was started to enjoy the presence of somebody else in his space, quietly and in tune to his own routine, sliding peacefully compared to the distant chatter of his fellow crewmates.

"Should we go down? He is the captain after all?"

"Do whatever you want" Zoro bit, unwilling to move from his spot.

Latching onto a spot on the wall Zoro focused, hearing the boy behind him put down the weight. He said something, to which Zoro grunted again, unsure what exactly was being said, before leaving the crows nest. Zoro's vision began to blur, his focus slipping, wishing to go with him, see him one last time with everyone; but he also didn't wish to part from him. He could hear below him the crew, their voices echoing off each other, laughing, enjoying the few moments left together before separating on the Isle.

He was hurt.

Everywhere hurt, unsure where to pinpoint what was happening to his body.

It was only a child after all.

But a part of Zoro felt helpless, pathetic, unable to even face his friends or the child to say goodbye. Why was he craving to the idea of something so mirrored by his own actions? It should fuel him to move; to work better. He had always desired more, nothing being enough for him no matter who or what stood in his way. All he wanted was to live his dream, to focus on what was at stake, and nobody, not even a version of himself would stop him of that dream. He made a promise to himself. He made a promise to...

Zoro steps away from his post, looking around in despair. How did he not realise it sooner. The boy, it wasn't him. It wasn't a part of his past haunting words and memories of his upbringing, triggering his fight response. He was someone else. Someone he didn't wish to lose again.

It was Kuina.

Zoro quickly scaled down from the crows nest, fumbling as he landed onto the deck. The ship was deserted, everyone disbanding off the Mary, his voice calling in a desperate plea for anyone to still be aboard the ship. He didn't care how loud or broken his voice had turned, desperation forcing him to try every avenue; even if it meant he would be teased.

"What are you on about, Marimo?" Sanji's voice snapped, his frame appearing in the door of the kitchen. A cigarette was alight in his hand, flickers of smoke guiding up towards his brow. Zoro spun towards his voice, too rushed with adrenaline to capture fully who was in front of him. He just needed answers.

"Where did they go?"

"Who?"

"Everyone. The boy. Where are they?"

Sanji smirked, dropping his cigarette, letting his foot squish the remaining bud with a slight sizzle. "So you do care about him?"

"I don't have time for your half-ass comments, twirly-brow. Where are they?"

Looking out towards the Isle, Sanji nodded towards a patch of houses, spreading out into a clearing of people. It was undeniable how his friends stood out, Luffy's buoyancy and features standing out in the clutter of grey. His friends were clearly taken to the midst of the town, carelessly wading through for food no doubt, occupied in their own endeavours to care about the absence of the boy; his figure missing from his friends.

Zoro ignored the cooks advice, shrugging him off as he hurdled over the side of the ship. He didn't have time to argue over his useless directions, deciding he was wasting more time standing around than actively looking for the boy. He could feel his mind racing, his body struggling to compete with the overflow of words that swum around in his head. His eyes were frantic, knowing he couldn't dare leave any patch of the Isle unattended.

It wasn't long since everyone had parted from the ship, however, it was unclear to Zoro just how far the boy had got before colliding with those pirates. He was so quiet of how and why he needed to fight them, but there was a strong determination bubbling like fire within him, knowing he needed this and would stop at nothing to achieve it.

Zoro had participated in his fair share of fights, memorising every step and manoeuvre since occupying the battle field. He could determine when and where a band of pirates would attack, catching them out in a feverish rage before they suspected a crucial attack. Everything in his body was telling him to ignore the cooks advice, and while he knew it wouldn't be hard to do so, it was if something was pulling him to the other side of the island.

A commotion of voices caught Zoro's attention, averting him to change course, sprinting up a hill, weaving through thick trees. In one hand he had already untied the bandana around his forearm, prepared to cause a devilish scene to the upcoming voices, growing louder and cruel. It was obvious a fight was brewing, a sea of cluttered metal and shouting bringing out the small call of a shrill voice; someone he recognised well.

As Zoro reached the hill he saw the boy surrounded by a band of pirates, more dehumanised and feral than when he first met him. It was clear now why he swore revenge, the burning look in the child's eye was unmistaken; they had taken someone from him. And just like the rage and desperation to reunite with his dear friend, Zoro concluded in an instant what he needed to do.

Sliding through the battle, Zoro's sword flipped and sliced through several bandits. His motions were smooth and quick, catching the pirates off guard in a bid to get to the boy. He knew it would be an incompetent action, throwing everyone, even the boy off from their main objective. However, Zoro was prepared to catch them in a moment of weakness, letting them know the boy wouldn't have to fight alone.

Reaching the boy, Zoro stood close, almost protecting him. He stood to his side, nudging gently, the boys expression on the verge of bewildered tears. A part of him swore he would never see Zoro again, his last few moments heartless and rude; but he was glad he was here alongside him.

"Well, cmon them" Zoro raised his swords, looking over at the boy. A smirk was plastered on his lips, curling his grin in a cocky arch, determined to boost his ego. He could tell he wished to say something, pleased to have company in the rut of a mismatched battle; in over his head.

But Zoro needed this to stay between them - both knowing each other as their own outlook and companion.

"They'll have to take us both on if they want to defeat you"

[sukimas]

oh, i got a good one: i take it you're a fan of FE4's gameplay. in that case, do you have a vision of anything you'd want changed in a remake on the mechanics side?

yes!

first off: i want horses to lose the benefit from roads. their movement is good enough as it is without being able to be buffed to an insane degree. the road speedup multiplier for infantry units should also be higher (maybe 0.55-0.6x movement cost? it gets weird at points because you might end up with infantry moving faster than cavalry on roads at some points with these multipliers, but since they're stuck to the roads rather than being able to run through fields, it's more of a restriction than a bonus even still.)

of course, the timing for certain side objectives (cough cough Bargain Band) should be altered if you do this. this would also give our poor fliers more of a niche, since as it is, the fact that they can't gain road bonuses basically makes them village bandit cleanup and child rescuing bots.

you could definitely successfully implement rescue in fe4 instead, but i think this comes to the issue where cavalry units might still be too centralizing unless you give fe5-level penalties for rescuing; and giving fe5-level penalties for rescuing incentivizes just not using the mechanic and tossing cavalry at all your problems instead.

a good thing that might be done to ameliorate their centralizing forces, incidentally, is to increase enemy density and quality. fe4 original flavor had to make do with a lot of autoleveled enemy units of the exact same classes and weaponry due to memory limitations; in a remake, you could make it so every group of enemies is similar to the group you face prior to heirhein, but with twice the number of enemy units- wielding mixed weaponry, with backline support in healers and ballisticians, etc. since cavalry units have worse statlines compared to footlocked units, but in general this comes into play in exactly one instance (the weissenritter), and we want to just increase the number of instances. our enemies may be underestimating us, but they aren't that incompetent. an exception is verdane, which should still just be axes and bows. they're the tutorial guys.

i don't want to implement trading, but i think that unarmed healers (and basically only them) tend to have serious issues getting the items they want unless you focus your thief on them or know ahead of time what to do. this is despite the fact that staves are not that centralizing in this game- the only particularly busted one is rescue, and even that is nowhere near warpskipping levels of broken. i think, since the only unarmed healers in the game are religious figures, allowing the "give gold" command to work on them from anyone (with the gloss of charitable donations) would do nicely.

speaking of the "give gold" command, it would be very beneficial to allow it to not give all of your gold to an allied unit. choosing multiples of 10k, i think (or all your gold if you happen to have less than that) would be ideal for a game which no longer has the snes's memory limitations.

(...speaking of the snes's memory limitations, why not properly implement the feature to dismount promoted mounted units for cool factor?)

as for weapon balance, it's mostly pretty OK, but some weight changes should be made. fire/thunder/wind should get the differentiation they get in later games (descending might order, thunder gets a little crit and wind gets a little more accuracy). dark and light magic being fairly heavy makes sense. sorry, deirdre, but your having absolutely godawful combat is lore accurate and doesn't cause you to be a liability. axes of course need to get their weight decreased- it should be at least a fleeting possibility that you could double with them, even if it's unusual.

i would hope it is patently obvious that holy weapons should not be altered in any way.

now, to map design. chapter 4 having it impossible to go to the latter half of the chapter with your unpromoted mounted units is a huge slap in the face. change that. you already had the thickets in chapter 1 change to normal forest- speaking of which, actually, thin out the fucking chapter 1 forest, it doesn't need to be that long- so have a bit of the mountain just be normal plains for you to traverse after the Annand Experience.

another fairly unpopular opinion of mine is that the chapter 7 desert is.... fine? you're not stuck in it for that long, and you don't need to take anyone but maybe seliph and a healer across it, if that. everyone else can move down to melgen while he's otherwise occupied. now, on the other hand, the chapter 5 desert is fucking stupid and it's no wonder that most people finish the chapter by poking the gelbenritter with erinys and having lewyn annihilate everything rather than actually taking their whole army to velthomer. absolutely a new path through the desert should open up after you seize phinora (you already speak to the village elder, surely he can give you directions), kaga is a god damn lunatic for this one. chapter 1 is also an unforgivable slog that could easily be fixed by just fucking taking away some of the trees. you can alternate them tree-plain-tree-plain and still have the effect of a giant fuckoff forest. or hell, have a route around the forest to the left open up after you get the Deirdre Moment. a lot of the unpleasant terrain in this game could be avoided by convenient new characters just telling you how to avoid it, but somehow this doesn't happen.

overall, with a few movement and enemy quality tweaks, along with a few QOL updates, fe4 could go from being The Game Of All Time to The Game Of All Time, Now Ft. A Larger Fun To Walking Simulator Ratio.

now as for changes i don't think that would be particularly useful but i want to see anyway: the possibility for critical hits even when your weapon isn't at 50 kills, but make them something like skill/4. speaking of that, why aren't the holy weapons all at 50+ kills already? if the count is maintained across generations for everything else, why aren't all the shots ullr took counted on my yewfelle? put them on there, it's always a good idea to make holy weapons more busted. give more random enemy units personal (non-class) skills to ruin the player's day. go random sword general with sol. fuck you.

oh yeah speaking of enemy general skills i'm going back on my word that these changes aren't particularly useful, and very unusually for me, saying that we should implement a change that would make the game slightly more normally balanced. kill full pavise. pavise cutting damage dealt in half was the best thing awakening ever did. it's fine for it to work against every weapon, but completely nullifying damage with an activation chance based on the user's level is stupid. loptous wishes it were you.

another change i'd like to make is making the arena about half as long (3-4 enemies) but making those enemies grant more gold/exp for using it. also, changing the chapter leveling curves in general so arena use isn't required for the highest rank (though idk if they'll keep the ranking system; this is the first remake of a game that had a proper one, and IS appears to be allergic to them nowadays.) you could optionally implement a limit on how many units can use the arena each map to incentivize solely using it to train up weak units, but idk. it's fun absolutely wrecking the arena, and would be less of a huge pain in the ass if it were three units long.

i'd like build and build growths to make a return, since engage seems to want to do that. it would help with some of the earlier weapon weight issues mentioned (esp. axes) but if you tweak weights instead it isn't super necessary.

oh yeah, make warp able to target green castles rather than just blue ones. sucks to make it optimal to get nordion captured so i can send everyone back there in the middle of ch2 instead of sending them all back to evans.

this ended up being a lot longer than i expected, but it's basically all tiny nitpicks. i think fe4's gameplay is really good for telling the story that it wants to, but some of the design decisions made within the game for memory reasons (i'm not exaggerating here by bringing this up so much- the game genuinely hits near the edge of the cartridge size, and project naga doublesizing it was absolutely the only thing that they could have done to fit the patch on there) or for bad decision reasons (kaga's loving marriage to movement restriction) make it less fun than it could be. a remake tweaking those and adding some later innovations in the fire emblem series could make it a game that i'd never want to stop playing, rather than one i have to take a couple weeks break from every time i finish it.

[ahorsenamedphoebe]

Ride 66- First endurance ride

What a weekend. Luna vetted well the first night. She was choppy at the trot but bright and alert. She had some stocking up in her legs, likely due to the trailer ride, but that was the only note for the before ride check. The novice didn’t start until 12 so we sat around for quite a while Friday morning, which made me really nervous. Even though we went to the riders meeting the night before, there was not a lot of info on the novice. So around 11:40 we headed to the trail head and found the timer. She also didn’t really know what was going on, but told us we could go and started our time. There were two riders ahead of us, and me and one barn buddy. Once we crossed the road the two in front took off at a very fast clip. My buddy asked if I was ready and we started a slower trot. Unfortunately my buddy’s horse, Cash, had a moment and did a dirty stop and buck and my buddy had an unexpected dismount. Luna spooked pretty hard at the fall, and Cash took off which worried her more. I lost a stirrup and we went way off course into the woods. It felt like eternity, but I’m sure it was only a moment before I get her back under control. It took a few to catch Cash and luckily the people in front stopped to make sure we were ok before taking off again. My buddy had a bad rope burn, and we were less than a quarter mile in, so she decided she didn’t want to continue. I was very worked up, but really wanted to finish the ride. So I made sure she was ok, and I took off after the first group. That stretch was a little scary because Luna was leaving her buddy and we couldn’t see the other riders in the distance yet. But we caught up ok, and the riders were generous enough to let us ride with them.

About 3 miles in we lost our back right boot. Luckily we were close to a water station, where I hopped off and pulled the other boot. After that it was uneventful. The group I was with was *fast*, but Luna kept up with a nice ground covering trot, and lovely rocking canter when she needed to catch up. We made it to the final 2 miles with nearly 45 minutes left, so we had to wait around a bit. Once we set out again they let Luna lead to slow their pace. The goal time was 2:30 with a 5 minute window each way, and we pulled in right at 2:26. Luna sponged down great and was a trooper with all the commotion of the vet check. She pulsed down within about 7 minutes to 13, which our buddy was really impressed with.

Luna got all As on back and legs, with a B for gut sounds (which I was told is pretty normal). Unfortunately we lost some points for fatigue and attitude. Which I honestly didn’t agree with, because I thought she looked amazing at the check and she trotted out so much better than the pre check. But we finished, and that’s all that matters.

My buddies decided they didn’t want to do the ride the next day, and I didn’t feel comfortable going on my own. That was a bit disappointing but we got a good 9 mile pleasure ride in anyway. I was disappointed with the awards ceremony and the post vet check, but overall I think it went really well for our first ride. I’m ready to be home, and I know Luna is too.

[rainywerewolfmoon]

Fairyland Reborn

Ao3 link here Fairyland Reborn - Chapter 8 - Princessmh9 - Original Work [Archive of Our Own]

Chapter 8: Falling into Darkness

{Kendra sighed as she kicked over a brick one of the many burnt remains of the castle.}

{Kendra, frustration in her voice} Curse those Court of Shadows and their relentless pursuit of power. Our beautiful castle reduced to ruins. We'll rebuild, though. We always do.

{She bends down to pick up a charred piece of wood and toss it aside, then looks out at the devastation with determination in her eyes. As she throughs the bit of burnt wood to the ground Apricot walks up to her.}

{Apricot} Its going to be ok Kendra. We make it through I promise.

{Before Kendra could say anything the sounds of galloping hooves makes her turn her head around as Lindir and Albina ride up to them.}

{Lindir} I see that our castle was not the only one burned to the ground.

{Kendra, nodding in agreement with Apricot's words, turns her attention to Lindir and Albina.}

{Kendra} No, it seems the Court of Shadows has unleashed chaos across Fairyland.

{Albina} Is Titania, Oberon, Willow and Aroura ok?

{Kendra} They are safe. We managed to get them out of the castle in time.

{Albina breathing in relief} That is good news. I am glad they are safe. I am going to go and find them.

{She nudges her doe to gallop towards the town. Lindir, Apricot, and Kendra watch as Albina rides off, each with their own thoughts about the challenges that lay ahead.}

{Lindir, solemnly} We must gather our allies, Kendra. We can't face the Court of Shadows alone.

{Kendra, determined} I'll send out messengers to our neighboring kingdoms and rally our forces. We'll need all the help we can get.

{Apricot, resolute} And we won't rest until Genevieve and Ash are back safely.

{With their resolve unshaken, the trio sets out to prepare for the battle ahead, knowing that the fate of Fairyland hangs in the balance.}

{Albina's heart sank as she rode through the devastated town. Buildings were reduced to rubble, and the once-vibrant streets were now filled with debris and ash. The townsfolk who had managed to survive the attack were gathered in makeshift shelters, their faces reflecting a mix of fear and despair. She smiles as she sees Titania and Aurora helping the towns people.}

{Albina} Titania, Aurora. Its good to see you both safe and sound.

{Titania looks up and smiles as she sees Albina dismounting her doe. She hands her daughter the water pail and ladle and walks up to Albina and hugs her.}

{Titania, embracing Albina,} My dear, I'm equally relieved to see you safe. We are doing our best to help those in need and to rebuild what has been lost.

{Aurora, holding a bowl of soup,} Mother is right. The people of Fairyland are resilient, and together, we will overcome this tragedy.

{Albina} Any word from Genevieve and Nion yet?

{Titania} No sadly. I hope they are doing ok.

{Albina} As do I. It is so unfair to them what has happened.

{Aurora, setting down the empty bowl,} They are strong, Mother. I believe they will find a way to overcome the challenges they face and return to us.

{Titania, her eyes filled with worry,} Let us continue to send our thoughts and hopes to them, my love. We can only have faith in their determination and love for our family.

{As the royal family shared a moment of quiet reflection, their thoughts were with Genevieve and Ash, who were on a perilous journey to save their daughter and their kingdom.}

{Genevieve and Ash, their faces covered in dirt and sweat, dismounted from their exhausted mounts. They had been riding hard for hours, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the Court of Shadows.}

{Genevieve, panting as she looked at Ash,} We need to find a safe place to rest for the night. We can't keep pushing the Spirit and Shadow like this.

{Ash, nodding in agreement,} You're right, love. Let's find some shelter and make camp. We'll need our strength for what lies ahead.

{With that, they set off in search of a suitable place to rest and regroup, the weight of their mission heavy on their shoulders. As they continued to rode the dark day seemed to get darker as the shadows and mists came out to play. The eerie and shadowy landscape of the now-occupied Fairyland, the sense of dread and foreboding hung heavily in the air. The once-vibrant and enchanting land had been transformed into a haunting realm under the control of the Court of Shadows.}

{Genevieve, her voice barely above a whisper,} This place... it's like a nightmare.

{Ash, his eyes scanning the darkened horizon,} We have to keep moving, love. We can't let them catch us. We need to find a safe place to rest, even if just for a little while.

{Genevieve nods at this as Shadow stops and starts to snort.}

{Genevieve worried} Shadow? What's wrong boy?

{Shadow starts to toss his head up and down and paw the ground. Genevieve, noticing Shadow's agitation, follows his gaze and spots the cave opening shrouded in mist. Her curiosity piqued, she dismounts and approaches cautiously.}

{Genevieve, speaking softly,} Ash, I think I've found a cave. It might provide us some shelter and a place to rest. But I'm not sure what's inside.

{Ash, joining her and peering into the cave,} It's worth checking. Let's proceed carefully.

{Genevieve nods at this as she gets Excalibur off Shadows saddle and Ash grabs his bow and arrows. Then he lights two tourchs and hands one to Genevieve who takes it as they head into the cave. With torches in hand and weapons at the ready, Genevieve and Ash venture deeper into the cave. The dimly lit passage reveals an eerie world of stone formations, stalactites hanging like jagged teeth from the ceiling, and the distant sound of dripping water. The air is cool and moist, and every step echoes through the underground chamber.}

{Genevieve, her voice hushed,} This place gives me the creeps. Keep an eye out for anything unusual.

{Ash, his bow drawn and ready,} Agreed.

{As they cautiously explore the cave, they begin to notice strange markings on the walls, resembling ancient symbols. The symbols seem to pulse faintly with an otherworldly energy.}

{Genevieve, her voice hushed,} This place feels ancient, as if it holds secrets from a time long past.

{Ash, his bow drawn and ready,} Keep your guard up. We don't know what we might encounter here.

{As they cautiously move forward, the cave narrows, and they must squeeze through a tight passage. The symbols on the walls become more elaborate and intricate, as if telling a story. They continue deeper into the heart of the cave, guided by an unseen force, and an unsettling feeling of being watched lingers in the air. As they proceed further into the cave, the narrow passage gradually widens, revealing a vast underground chamber. In the center of the chamber stands a towering crystal formation, its multifaceted surfaces reflecting the torchlight in a dazzling display of colors. The air is thick with an otherworldly energy, and the cave's walls are adorned with more cryptic symbols and drawings.}

{Genevieve, in awe of the crystal, whispers,} It's beautiful, but I can't help feeling that this place holds great significance.

{Ash, still alert,} And danger, too. Stay close, Genevieve.

{As they approach the crystal, they notice a faint, ethereal light emanating from within it. It casts intricate patterns on the cave floor and walls, creating an almost hypnotic effect.}

{Genevieve, her voice filled with wonder,} Look at that light. Could it be the Living Star we're looking for?

{Ash, studying the crystal more closely,} It might be, but we should be cautious. We don't know what guardians or traps might protect it.

{Just as they're about to reach out for the crystal, a shadowy figure materializes from the darkness, standing between them and their goal. The figure's eyes gleam with an otherworldly light, and its presence feels both ancient and powerful. The shadowy figure speaks in a voice that echoes through the cavern, its tone filled with both wisdom and warning.}

{Shadowy Figure} You have ventured far, seekers of the Living Star. But this path is not for the faint of heart. To obtain the Living Star, you must prove your worthiness.

{Genevieve and Ash exchange determined glances, ready to face the challenge.}

{Ash} We'll do whatever it takes. What must we do to prove our worthiness?

{The figure gestures toward the crystal.}

{Shadowy Figure} To claim the Living Star, you must first embrace the light within yourselves and overcome the shadows that dwell in your hearts. Face your deepest fears, for they are the true guardians of this power.

{With those words, the shadowy figure dissolves into the darkness, leaving Genevieve and Ash with a choice to make. They exchange resolute nods and reach out to touch the crystal, their hands engulfed by the ethereal light. As they make contact with the crystal, the cave seems to come alive with a whirlwind of memories and emotions. Visions of their past and their most profound fears and regrets manifest before them. Together, they confront their deepest fears, using their love and determination to dispel the illusions and find the strength within themselves. After what feels like an eternity, the visions recede, and the crystal's light intensifies, filling the chamber with a radiant glow. In its center, the Living Star appears, suspended in the air. Genevieve and Ash reach out to claim it, their hearts filled with newfound courage and determination.}

{Ash} We did it, Genevieve.

{Genevieve} Yes, Ash. And with this, we have the power to save Elara.

{They carefully place the Living Star in a protective pouch and exit the cave, their mission one step closer to completion.}

{In the throne room of the Court of Shadows, Sablethorn, Nocturnia, and Starlessia listened intently to Nixon's report, their expressions a mix of satisfaction and anticipation.}

{Nixon} Every single castle in Fairyland is destroyed.

{Sablethorn, a wicked grin on his face, leaned back in his throne, steepling his fingers.}

{Sablethorn} Excellent. The realm of Fairyland crumbles before us. Now, let us focus on our ultimate goal—the complete domination of this land.

{Nocturnia, her eyes gleaming with malice, added her thoughts.}

{Nocturnia} And the eradication of those who dare oppose us. Genevieve and Ash will be but a memory.

{Starlessia, her voice filled with dark excitement, chimed in.}

{Starlessia} I can't wait to see their despair when they return with nothing.

{Sablethorn smiling} Yes so am I. Nocturnia my dear, shall we place our castle in our new realm?

{Nocturnia} Yes lets. But where shall we place it?

{Starlessia} I have an idea mother. How about where Oberon and Titania castle used to be. They have the advantage point.

{Sablethorn, a sinister smile on his face, nodded in agreement.}

{Sablethorn} Yes, my dear. Placing our castle where Oberon and Titania's once stood will be a fitting symbol of our victory.

{Nocturnia, with a wicked gleam in her eyes, added her approval.}

{Nocturnia} A brilliant choice, Starlessia. Let the world see that the Court of Shadows has taken its rightful place.

{Starlessia, her grin widening, reveled in her role as their trusted strategist.}

{Starlessia} It shall be done. Fairyland will tremble before our might.

{Nocturnia, her voice low and dripping with dark magic, began to chant incantations that resonated through the throne room of the Court of Shadows. Her words were ancient and filled with power, invoking the forces of darkness to bend reality to her will.}

{Nocturnia chanting} Shadows of night, heed my call, In darkness deep, let darkness fall, From Fairyland, we now depart, To forge a realm, where shadows start.

{As she chanted, her words wove a sinister spell, channeling the essence of her power into the very fabric of the world. Shadows danced around her, and the air grew heavy with malevolence. Nocturnia, her eyes gleaming with malice, continued to chant, her magic shaping reality itself. The castle of the Court of Shadows began to materialize where Oberon and Titania's castle once stood. Dark, obsidian spires rose from the ground, and ominous shadows enshrouded the structure, giving it an eerie and foreboding appearance. With each incantation, the castle's malevolent aura grew stronger, solidifying the Court of Shadows' dominance over Fairyland. Starlessia watched with excitement as her parents reshaped the very land to serve their dark ambitions.}

{Kendra's heart sank as she watched the Castle of Shadows materialize in the distance, its dark spires rising ominously from the ground. The once-beautiful landscape of Fairyland was marred by this malevolent structure, and the shadows it cast seemed to devour the surrounding beauty. Oberon, Titania, Willow, Aurora, Lindir, and Albina rode up to the castle, their faces filled with shock and concern as they beheld the ominous structure.}

{Oberon urgently} We must evacuate the town immediately. Hurry!

{As they began to turn and make their way towards the town, the massive doors of the castle swung open, and a wave of guards and soldiers poured forth, advancing rapidly toward the royal family.}

{Kendra, her sword drawn and determination in her eyes, stepped forward} I'll hold them off. You help the others!

{With those words, she readied herself for a fierce battle, determined to protect her fellow royals and the people of the town from the approaching threat. Kendra, her sword gleaming with determination, stepped forward to face the oncoming guards and soldiers of the Court of Shadows. She knew that she couldn't let them harm Oberon, Titania, Willow, Aurora, Lindir, and Albina. With a fierce battle cry, she charged into the fray, her sword clashing with those of her adversaries. Kendra fought valiantly, her sword clashing against the enemy soldiers as she tried to hold them off. However, despite her best efforts, a group of the enemy soldiers managed to break free from the skirmish and began advancing toward the town and the royals. Kendra's valiant efforts were in vain as she was struck on the head and fell unconscious. Sablethorn, wearing a malevolent smile, gazed down at her fallen form. He ordered one of his guards to take her and lock her up in the castle dungeon, ensuring that her threat to their plans would be eliminated, at least for the time being.}

{As the royals galloped into town, they were met with utter chaos. The entire town was once again ablaze, and guards and soldiers were scattered everywhere, engaged in fierce battles with the royal guards. The smell of smoke and the sound of clashing swords filled the air, creating a scene of devastation and turmoil. In a desperate bid to save his family, Oberon started to lead the group through the chaos, trying to get away from the turmoil. However, his efforts were interrupted by a piercing scream from Aurora that made his blood run cold. She was knocked off her horse, Silvermist, and captured by the enemy forces. As Oberon charged towards the captors, intent on rescuing his daughter, a hidden trap was sprung beneath Midnight’s hooves. The ground gave way, and Midnight stumbled, throwing Oberon off balance. He was suddenly engulfed in a net of dark, shadowy magic, immobilizing him. He turned to see the same thing had happened to Titania, Willow, Lindir and Albina.}

{Oberon filled with anger} Release my family and my friends I demand you!

{Sablethorn, emerging from the shadows with a sinister smile} You make demands, Oberon, as if you have any power here. Your family and friends are now our prisoners, and there's nothing you can do to change that.

{Nocturnia, appearing beside Sablethorn} Fairyland is ours now, Oberon. Your reign has come to an end.

{Oberon, his voice defiant} You may have captured us, but you'll never break our spirit. Fairyland will never bow to the likes of you.

{Starlessia laughing} You soon change your mind about that.

{Oberon and Titania Lindir and Albina looked at her in shock and horror as Sablethorn commanded them to be taking to the dungeon's. As they were led away to the dungeons, the weight of their captivity hung heavy on Oberon, Titania, Willow, Aurora, Lindir, and Albina. They knew that the Court of Shadows was a formidable adversary, and their situation was dire. But within the depths of the castle's dark dungeons, they clung to the hope that their family and Fairyland would not remain in the clutches of darkness forever.}

[loptgangandi]

also it’s been 857487538 years since anyone took a photo of me on horseback (I think the last time was Kyrgyzstan c. 2018???)

so have some shots of me and Safir from yesterday’s super low-key “show”

she’s baby <3

[johnathan-armanithan]

What a fucking NIGHTMARE.

I woke up this morning at 5AM, Tuesday June 28th, 2022.

Took my shower, woke the wife, got dressed, woke the oldest, got 2 pairs of shorts out of the dryer i still needed to pack, watered the plants in the house, watered the plants in the back yard on the patio, took the suitcase down to the car, got the portable blu-ray player with 20 hours of movies, got board games for the family, cleaned some dishes, helped pack food, looked for my oldest shoes that we can't find... loaded the car and set off.

BUT MY DUMB ASS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO PLAY THE THEME SONG "HOLIDAY ROAD" FROM National Lampoons Vacation while getting ready...

Gassed up the car and headed south.

No problems until we hit the Ohio/West Virginia boarder in Gallopolis. The car says

LOW TIRE PRESSURE.

That means a catastrophic failure in my tires integrity. So we stop at a Loves truck stop off Rt35

Put air in the tire. I can hear and feel the leak.

SHIT!

So I bust ass towards the nearest tire center that is 11 miles and 15 minutes away. But I feel the ass end getting squirrely.

So I stop at a Speedway and put more air into it just trying to preserve the tire so I don't have to buy a new one.

Put air into the tire and bust ass to a damned Walmart tire center.

We get there, ask the to see if it can be patched, there are 2 people ahead of us. So we wait... there is a hair salon in the damned Walmart. We see if they can cut the boys hair. It will be 10:30 before they can and that's too long so we go back to the tire department.

"We can't patch your tire because the inner tread is bald."

"OK, put a new tire on it for me please."

"We don't carry that size and need to order it. It will be two days."

(Turns out 245/40/19 is not a common size tire so fuck me, right?)

"I DONT HAVE TWO DAYS BECAUSE IM MEETING A FAMILY AT OUR RESORT THE NEXT DAY AT 4..."

"Well... try Dailey tire, maybe they will have one."

So I call and wouldn't you know, they DO! They had two 245/40/19 tires!

So I send my wife to the hair appointment for the boys, I have the dude at the tire center use a Cheetah (pressure tank) to fill my tire and then rip ass town the road to Dailey's

I pull up, tires flat, they drop me in bay 4 as shown, grab the new tire, (A Goodyear, we have Pirelli"s) jack up the car, pull the lugs, "Hey pops grab me the hammer", "The big one or the small one?", "Small one will work.", knocks the wheel off, shows me TWO punctures, and dismounts, mounts, and balances the tire all in 15 minutes.

$212.00

I go back to Walmart and sit until 11:30 till the boys are done with their haircuts and hop back on the road 2 hours behind schedule.

$60 including tip

Trip is smooth sailing.

LOW TIRE PRESSURE

What. The. Fuck. WHY!?

I tell my wife fuck it let's just find a service center.

CLOSEST ONE IS 15 MILES IN THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN'S IN BLUEFIELD?

This time I drive the motherfucker till its wopwopwopwopwopwop.... and stop in the middle of Butt Fuck Egypt under an overpass outside of fucking Bluefield West Virginia.

And I start calling.

And calling.

And calling.

There are 18 listed tire shops or service centers in the above photo. 6 of them never answered.

The other 12 don't carry 245/40/19 because it is an uncommon size.

Walmart - "we can get it in two days."

Sam's Club - "we can get it in two days."

B&M tire - "I don't know how long."

The damned Ford dealership, (we have a Lincoln) - "we don't have tires in stock we get them delivered when you schedule a service. We can have it by 10:30 tomorrow."

Kitts tire service - we can have it by 9:30 tomorrow. "

All of them besides Kitts suggested I go to motherfucking Kitts.

So my wife is contacting roadside through our insurance company and needs a drop-off so I tell her Walmart just to get it somewhere off the highway. I keep trying to find a damned 245/40/19 and realize that we won't arrive to Orlando the next day until 10:30PM If the wind blows right, a unicorn farts magic dust into our gas tank, nobody needs to eat or piss, and I don't blow another fucking tire!

The tow driver shows up after an hour and a half. He says, "Did you try Kitts?" Well shit, everybody said Kitts. "Tow us to Kitts, they can get us one by 9:30 in the morning". Maybe we can make it by 10:30PM in Orlando leaving the other family by themselves for 6 hours. (They can't check in without us because they are our guest.)

He replies, "I can't without clearance from your insurance company." (See confused meme above)

Wife frantically tries to contact the claims department, she's freaked out and falling apart silently, I'm shutting down, the driver walks up and starts the process of getting us to Kitts.

"Just tell em I took you to Walmart."

He unloads us on the left and I have the brilliant idea to call all the dealerships in the area. Surely one of them has a 245/40/19

Toyota - "nope"

Subaru - "nope, have you tried Kitts?"

Chevy - "nope"

Dodge - "we don't have inventory, we get them as needed"

Other Toyota - "try the other Toyota store, we get what we need from them."

Now understand during all of this I have a 13 and almost 8 year old asking when we will get to Orlando. My wife is trying to cancel our hotel in Savanna, Georgia while talking to the other family meeting us, dealing with insurance, trying to calm down, and get us a hotel in wherever we are for the night.

Hyundai - "sorry we don't have a tire department, we send them to Nissan. (Same family owns them I think.)

I call Nissan, "Hey I'm in a bind, I'm looking for an odd ti...." I get a tap on the shoulder.

It's the owner of Kitts.

"Hey, we have your tire in the back. We just found it. In fact we have two and didn't know it. They aren't in the inventory......."

Look. I'm am not ashamed to tell you I cried on the spot. Silently but still, I wiped tears out of my eyes.

$240

(Side note, a gottdamned McLaren drove past this tire shop while I was on the phone with my dad while they were installing our tire) in THIS town?

So here I am, in my hotel bed next to my 13 year old with my wife snoring 3 feet away from me, at 1:24 in the morning after shaving 45 minutes off a 6.5 hour stretch doing 15 to 20 MPH over the limit through Virginia, North and South Carolina and 12 miles into Georgia.

We should have got here at 6PM. We got here at 11, we're $500 poorer and we haven't even reached Orlando yet.

Don't EVER listen to "Holiday Road" before going on a trip. Nothing good will happen.

Until tomorrow, bye bitches.

[nahoney22]

please can I request a fem reader x echo (tbb era) fluff please? Our boy deserves some love! Could you also please do an accidental kiss ordeal 👀 I’m a sucker for those! it’s ok if not, thanks!! 💞

Speeder Bike

Echo X F!Reader

word count: 3.7k

Whilst your speeder breaks down, you are lucky to come across a certain handsome clone that happens to be helpful in repairing it for you.

Warnings: Fluff. Brief mention of alcohol. Echo is quite shy. Accidental kiss.

Authors note 1: I’m a sucker for accidental kisses too 😫 this was so so much fun to write and I maaaaay have got carried away a little but this is just total FLUFF 💖 thanks for the request!

Written July 2021. Rewritten January 2024.

authors note 2: decided to rewrite/edit this one as it’s one of my favourites and maybe the one what made me fall for Echo.

The dawn poured into your room, painting Coruscant's familiar hues with a vibrant light, a stark contrast to the recent cloudy days. Its radiance pierced through the blinds, jolting you awake with an obnoxious whine escaping your lips as the brightness invaded your sleepy cocoon. Rolling away from the blinding glare, you reluctantly pried open your eyelids, groggily reaching for the datapad on your bedside table.

0946 hours stared back at you, evoking a disinterested hum before you settled back against the pillow, intending to steal a moment's rest.

Reality struck like a bolt as you abruptly jolted upright, a sudden realization hitting you like a meteor. "Kriff! I'm late!" With a clumsy scramble, you hurled yourself out of bed, entangling your legs in the sheets and crashing onto the floor with a resounding thud. Undeterred, you sprang back up, hurtling towards the refresher, immediately igniting the rushing water.

Frantically scrubbing away weariness, the steaming water cleared your senses, cursing your forgetfulness for neglecting to set the alarm.

Today marked your return to your family's business, a day your punctual parents emphasised greatly. While it would have been somehow easier to brush off if you worked for anyone else, promising your parents punctuality made your tardiness a harder pill to swallow. Dressed hastily in work attire, socks forgotten, you slipped on your shoes, dashing out of the apartment and racing toward the awaiting transport in the basement.

Spotting your speeder bike, you ignited the engine and bolted out of the building, narrowly missing collision with the busy workers hurrying about their day.

Glancing down at the watch strapped to your arm, you groaned at the realisation that you had less than five minutes to arrive, despite knowing there was at least another ten minutes worth of traffic ahead. Resigned to your impending lateness, you pulled your speeder bike to a temporary stop, mentally preparing a repertoire of excuses for your inevitable 'tardiness.'

Pressing onward, you were making decent progress until an unwelcome occurrence struck — the engine of your speeder began to sputter, faltering unexpectedly.

"Oh, not now, please…" you whined, wincing as the mechanical sounds grew more alarming, bolts rattling amidst ominous spluttering. Steering out of the transport lane, you found a suitable spot to dismount and inspect the damage firsthand.

Rolling up your work shirt sleeves, you cautiously approached the speeder’s rear to diagnose the issue. However, just as your fingertips grazed the engine, it emitted a disgruntled clatter, spiraling into a sudden short circuit, spewing sparks and a cloud of smoke.

Standing in disbelief, hands now resting on your hips, you watched helplessly as your speeder practically disintegrated before your eyes.

A series of sniggers captured your attention, drawing your gaze towards three figures—two Gotals and a Pantoran —observing your misfortune with apparent amusement.

"What are you gawping at? Get going," you snapped sharply, very uncharacteristically if you but it was simply fueled by their mockery.

The trio departed, leaving behind a parting taunt as they vanished down the street. Rolling your eyes, you glanced at the time, confirming your undeniable lateness.

Frustration boiled within you—the combination of an empty stomach, impractical work attire (now glaringly obvious as you realise you picked up the wrong shoes entirely and of course, no socks), and the catastrophic breakdown of your bike led to an exasperated groan. In a fit of irritation, you unleashed a series of frustrated kicks upon the malfunctioning heap of metal in front of you, uncaring of the odd glances from passersby.

"Stupid... piece... of... trash!" you grunted vehemently between each kick.

Eventually ceasing your assault on the bike, your hands moved to your hair, pulling it into a haphazard bun atop your head in a futile attempt to alleviate your frustration. Yet, the tension lingered, unrelenting.

"You know, kicking and shouting at it won't repair it, ma'am."

Startled by the slightly muffled yet modified voice, you turned to find a figure detaching themselves from a nearby wall, stepping closer. Despite not noticing them upon initially dismounting, a tinge of embarrassment tinged your cheeks as someone had caught you mid-outburst.

"Maybe so. But there's no chance of me fixing it in time for work," you uttered with a defeated sigh, turning to face your bike, a faint mist of smoke still emanating from its main engine.

"Is there a mechanic pit nearby?" inquired the stranger, maintaining a cautious distance.

You pondered for a moment, acknowledging the wisdom in the stranger's advice. However, the realisation hit you hard—due to oversleeping, you hadn't even grabbed your bag containing your purse and license. Even if you wanted a mechanic's help, the lack of credits and ownership identification would hinder any possible repair.

"There is, but I don't have anything to prove that this pile of junk is mine," you remarked, rolling your eyes in frustration.

The stranger then knelt beside you, examining the bike closely. It slowly dawned on you that this person was some sort of clone trooper. The familiar sound of their voices had echoed countless times around you, but the distinct armor they wore differed from any you'd seen before—dark greys and blacks accented with red lining, the helmet which was slightly different to others you had seen, concealing his face.

Embarrassment flooded through you; here knelt a trooper serving the Republic, while you, in a fit of petulance, had a minor breakdown over a speeder.

As you gazed down at the trooper, absorbed in observing their armor, you missed his initial question, lost in your internal conflict.

"Sorry, what was that?" you hastily inquired, snapping out of your reverie.

"I said that I could try and fix it. It should only take me around twenty minutes or so," he suggested, rising to his full height and moving around the speeder to assess the damage.

"What? Really? You would help me?" you asked incredulously, taken aback by his unexpected kindness.

Beneath his helmet, a smile played across his lips as he shrugged casually. "Why not? You haven't given me a reason not to," came his simple reply before he delved into repairing the speeder.

Observing from a distance, you couldn't help but notice the scomp device attached to his forearm, sparking your curiosity about its purpose. However, you knew better than to pry into personal matters, so you shifted your focus to something hopefully less intrusive—his rank.

"So, are you a Commander?" you ventured after a few minutes of shared silence, the only sound being the gentle whirring of his device as he worked.

Peering at you from behind his visor, he questioned, "What makes you say that?"

Gesturing towards his waist, you tilted your head slightly. "You're wearing a Kama, and most Commanders I’ve seen tend to wear them," you remarked simply.

He nodded in understanding but then shook his head moments later. "Ah I see but no, I was an Arc Trooper a while ago."

Picking up on the slight hesitation in his voice, you probed cautiously, "Oh... are you not one anymore?"

"It's... complicated. I fight with a different band of brothers now. I was part of the 501st, but... things happen," he trailed off, hinting at a deeper, untold story.

Sensing the reluctance to delve further into the topic, you respectfully refrained from pressing any further. Opting instead for a quiet moment of respite, you found a small crate to perch upon, crossing your legs and leaning back against the wall, basking in the warmth of the morning rays.

Echo couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy witnessing your frustration after the encounter with the mocking trio. Having just finished gathering resources from the nearby market for Tech, he saw you and decided to intervene, deeming the resources non-urgent. Well, in his mind anyway - maybe not Techs.

His scomp unit snugly embedded within your speeder, Echo glanced up in your direction, noticing your comfortable perch on the crates, a gentle smile gracing your lips as the Coruscant sun enveloped you. Taking a moment to fully appreciate your presence, he noticed your striking beauty, a thought he wished he'd acknowledged earlier.

Unaware of how long he'd been gazing, you sensed the weight of someone's eyes upon you. Though looking skyward, you stole a glance in his direction, offering a soft smile. Only then did Echo snap out of his reverie, startled by another clashing noise from your speeder, prompting him to hurriedly withdraw his scomp unit. Grateful for the helmet concealing his flushed expression, he started an attempt of some small talk.

As you conversed, the exchange flowed effortlessly. You explained that you were late for work at your family's old blacksmith shop, establishing a connection through understanding his armor. It was pleasent to talk to someone normally for a change so much so, it seemed both of you found yourselves reluctant to stop talking, secretly hoping he'd prolong the speeder repairs.

"Well, I think I'm done here," he announced somewhat awkwardly, taking a step back after switching the engine on to much of his reluctance.

You descended from your perch and approached to inspect his handiwork, taking a seat on the speeder and revving it up. The engine roared back to life, sounding as good as new.

"Wow. Thank you so much," you expressed in wonder, turning to face the clone with another grateful smile. "I, uh..." You fumbled in your pockets, producing a small handful of credits you had stashed away. "It's not much, but I don't know how else to repay you for helping me."

Tilting his head slightly, he glanced down at the credits in your palm, then returned his gaze to meet yours, witnessing your sincere gratitude.

"That won't be necessary," he assured you, reaching out with his flesh hand to gently close yours within his own.

The unexpected touch sent a pleasant shiver through you, prompting you to suppress a breath to conceal the slight tremor in your voice. "Oh, well, thanks," you responded, a hint of shyness colouring your tone.

"Ma'am," he acknowledged with a nod, stepping back to give you space to depart. As you moved past him, a sudden impulse halted your steps, and you glanced over your shoulder to find him already walking away.

"Hey! Wait!"

Echo paused at the sound of your voice, turning to meet your gaze as you faced him.

"What's your name?" you inquired, prompting a slight chuckle from Echo.

"I go by Echo,"

Your brows furrowed, a playful smirk forming on your lips. "Echo?"

"Yes, Echo."

"Echo?" you repeated.

"Erm, yes?" His reply came with a gentle laugh behind his helmet.

"I think you missed my joke," you teased, a glint of mischief in your eyes.

Another laugh escaped Echo. "What's your name then?"

As you shared your name, he repeated it, playing along. However, as much as you wanted to linger, you knew you had to leave.

"Thanks again... Echo," you said, savoring the way his name rolled off your tongue. Echo, too, appreciated the way you pronounced his name, watching you as you gave him a wave and rode off.

The memory of your encounter with Echo lingered, weaving its way into your thoughts even as days passed. The masked individual occupied a prominent place in your mind.

There were even moments when you lay in bed after a long day at the blacksmith's, his image playing on a loop in your thoughts. You pondered over the instance when you caught him gazing at you. Was it mere curiosity or perhaps a hint of something more?

His voice, mostly monotonous, echoed in your memory, but there was that tiny laughter you managed to extract from him. Reflecting on your conversation, you marveled at its seamless flow—no awkward pauses, no misunderstandings, and no hint of any negative feelings.

As the days rolled by, you couldn't help but wonder if Echo thought about that encounter as much as you did.

Thanks to Echo's help, you managed to be punctual for your subsequent shifts, yet the barrage of questions from your family about the initial lateness persisted. But, non surprisingly, each ride to work became an opportunity to catch sight of Echo's distinctive trooper armor. You'd linger a little too long at stop lights, hoping for another glimpse, but amidst the sea of white-clad clones, spotting him again seemed futile.

One afternoon during your break, a craving for a quick snack lured you to the nearby market.

As you purchased a tempting pastry, ready to take a bite, you froze at the sight of Echo down the street. He hadn't noticed you, but he stood among two individuals who clearly weren't clones (or so you thought), despite their similar armor. One was exceptionally tall and robust, while the other, about Echo's size, sported long dark hair and had half of his face inked.

Caught in a moment of staring, you felt a jolt of panic when the larger figure abruptly turned his gaze toward you, smiling, and then grabbing Echo's shoulders and pointing in your direction. Feigning nonchalance in a panic, you quickly averted your body and eyes, pretending interest elsewhere. Yet, the clearing of someone's throat behind you snapped you back to reality.

Swiftly turning, your eyes met Echo's visor. "Hello, ma'am," he greeted, sounding slightly flustered.

"Hi!" you chirped, attempting to act as if you hadn't already noticed him. "Echo, right? It's good to see you again." The casualness in your tone masked the fact that he had been occupying your thoughts for the past few days.

"It's good to see you too. How's your speeder?" Echo inquired, a faint smile playing on his lips as he waited for your response, although he still wore his helmet.

You chuckled softly, the sound carrying a hint of gratitude. "Really good. All thanks to you, of course," you replied, offering a genuine smile in return.

Echo then found himself momentarily lost for words, his usual composure faltering in the unexpected encounter. He silently chided himself for feeling this awkward, partially blaming Wrecker for nudging him into this situation. He'd resisted Wrecker's nudging, but the big clone's persistence had overridden Echo's reluctance. Maybe mentioning you to the others wasn’t the best idea.

Sensing the growing tension, Hunter decided to step in. "Echo, care to introduce us to your friend?" he prodded, taking a small step forward to break the mounting silence.

Your curiosity piqued, you waited for Echo's response, noticing the subtle yet telling exchange between him and Hunter. "Uh, sure. Hunter, Wrecker," Echo gestured to each of his brothers beside him before introducing you by name. "I helped her with her speeder when it broke down a few days ago."

"Is that so?" Hunter's tone was mildly intrigued, though you sensed a hint of prior familiarity. Had he been speaking about you?

"Yeah,” you start, not overthinking things, “Echo was really kind and helpful that day, although he wouldn't let me properly thank him," you added with a subtle grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"Aw, was the pretty girl too nice for you to accept any money?" Wrecker teased with a hearty laugh.

Echo's jaw tensed slightly, choosing to ignore Wrecker's remark. He shifted his focus back to you, aiming to redirect the conversation. "It's just that you seemed stressed enough that day, and any decent person would have done the same," he explained, his voice carrying a note of sincerity amidst the banter.

"Huh, you clearly don't know Coruscant that well. There's a limited amount of people who would have helped, but I'm really glad it was you, Echo," you countered, your tone carrying a genuine appreciation.

Once again, his name slipped from your lips like a reverent prayer.

"Well, I'm glad I could help," Echo replied with a smile, though obscured behind his helmet. He couldn't fathom why he hadn't removed his helmet in your presence but a pang of disappointment surged within him, prompting him to keep his face concealed to shield himself from any potential disapproval.

"I should start heading back to work now..." You sighed, glancing at your datapad. "Best not to be late again."

"Ah, I see. Well, it was nice to see you again—" Echo began to bid farewell.

"Echo will gladly walk you back to work. Won't you?" Hunter interjected abruptly, throwing a pointed look at his brother, who returned a blank stare.

"Y-yes, I would be happy to do that if you want?" Echo turned to you, a sudden hint of hopefulness in his voice. Your soft giggle and nod of agreement uplifted his spirits.

"I'd happily have the company," you confirmed, prompting a playful nudge from Wrecker towards Echo.

As you bid a swift farewell to Hunter and Wrecker, you began walking, while Echo briefly spoke to Hunter, catching up in a few quick strides.

Deliberately slowing your pace, you extended the walk, cherishing the company a little longer. With the pastry forgotten in your hand, a rumble emanated from your stomach, prompting a sigh. "Do you want a bite?" You broke off a piece and offered it to Echo, but he politely declined.

"Ah, no thanks. I'm not too hungry at the moment," you replied, accepting Echo's polite refusal. The conversation continued effortlessly as you both walked, enjoying each other's company. However, your family's shop soon appeared in the distance.

"Well, thank you for walking me back, Echo," you smiled up at him, a glimmer of anticipation in your eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of his behind the visor—alas, without success.

Echo paused, his posture shifting slightly. "I was actually wondering if you maybe wanted to get a bite to eat with me sometime? Maybe even tonight?"

Your eyes widened in happy surprise, and your voice held a hopeful tone. "Like a date?" You enjoyed your conversations with him and saw no reason not to get to know him better over a meal.

"Yes. Like a date," he confirmed, his confidence growing as he noticed the smile on your face.

"Okay, but I have one proposition," you started playfully, biting your lower lip.

Echo nodded, signaling for you to continue.

"Well, if I were to date someone, I would like to look at the person who I am going to be going out with beforehand," you spontaneously confessed, a hopeful grin on your lips.

Echo sighed inwardly, knowing this moment was inevitable sooner or later. He raised both hands towards his helmet, his left hand gripping underneath while his scomp provided support. "Alright, but I'm warning you now, I'm not much to look at," he warned earnestly before removing his helmet with a faint hiss.

You gazed up at him, pleasantly surprised. He had the features of a clone, yet distinct. His golden brown eyes drew you in, but you noticed his pale skin, not as tanned as usual and had odd bolt type modifications on his head that matches his buzzed hair. He had clearly been in some type of accident. Despite it all, you found him handsome—truly, utterly.

"Yes."

"Yes?" He looked at you, perplexed, his voice notably softer without the helmet.

"Yes, I will go on a date with you."

The date with Echo became one of your best experiences in a long time, if not ever. Exiting the restaurant, you both were clutching your chests, trying to stifle the laughter after Echo's reenactment of something his brother, Fives, once did.

Once the laughter subsided, you glanced at the sky and were surprised to notice how late it had become. "Guess we almost overstayed our welcome," you giggled, noticing the restaurant doors locking behind you.

"Maybe just," Echo chuckled, his helmet comfortably resting by his side. His expression shifted as he noticed his comm device beeping insistently.

"Everything alright?" you asked, curious about the sudden change.

"Yeah, it's just Hunter reminding me that we need to get somewhere early tomorrow, so I shouldn't be too late heading back," he explained softly, giving you an apologetic look. You both had contemplated going to a bar after leaving the restaurant, but you didn't want to be the reason Echo would be late for a mission the next day.

"Not to worry! We can maybe do this again… possibly?" You smiled up at him, hoping for another chance to see him.

"Sounds like another date to me." He smirked, extending his other arm. "Can I walk you home?"

You linked your arm with his, and the two of you headed in the direction of your apartment.

Outside your door, you paused, turning to face Echo, who stood somewhat awkwardly yet respectfully, observing you. "So… this is me," you gestured to your apartment behind you.

Echo nodded silently. Something in him, perhaps his growing comfort around you or the touch of alcohol from the night, led to his next words, setting your heart racing.

"I love your eyes."

His unexpected confession left you wide-eyed, your heart pounding fiercely.

"That's so sweet. Thank you, Echo," you barely whispered, flustered by his unexpectedly cute compliment. Even he blushed at his boldness.

As you reached down to grab your keys, from the corner of your eye, you noticed Echo drawing closer. Just as you raised your head to meet his gaze, his lips landed on yours in a surprising kiss.

Echo instantly stepped back, his eyes wide, almost horrified by his impulsive action. "Sorry! I, I thought you wanted a kiss on the cheek, but as I leaned in, I noticed you grabbing your keys, and you had obviously seen me coming, and I missed entirely—"

Your body felt ablaze as you listened to his endearing ramble. Taking a step toward him, you placed a hand on his shoulder before leaning in and pressing your lips gently against his, hoping you interpreted the situation correctly from tonight.

His rambling ceased, his body stiffening as your lips met. He hesitated for a moment before cautiously responding, his lips warm and gentle against yours. Though his eyes remained open, he didn't pull away as the kiss deepened, tentatively exploring the moment.

A few moments later, you pulled back, your faces still close. "You didn't miss… goodnight," you whispered, your breath brushing against his lips as you entered your apartment, leaving a momentous air lingering between you.

Masterlist

More Echo Works

Tags: @tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari i @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @tinyreadersmur @seriowan @kaminocasey @marvel-starwars-nerd @ladytano420 @ladyzirkonia @raevulsix @mssbridgerton @cw80831 @imalovernotahater @whore4rex @imperialclaw801 @temple-elder r @mysticalgalaxysalad @photogirl894 @id-rather-be-a-druid @the-bad-batch-baroness @cwarssimp @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz @captxin-rex @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka @theroguesully @ladykatakuri @jambolska-grozdova @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 @staycalmandhugaclone @ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet t @dangraccoon n @plushymiku-blog @chrissywakingup @pb-jellybeans @nunanuggets @sleepycreativewriter @erellenora @zippingstars87 @ezras-left-thumb

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

The Gang FINALLY sees how much of a BAMF Merlin is:

 A smidge of Angst, but only because everyone is stupid :)

Part 4 of Merlin’s angry outburst. The Gang has ridden out (refusing to let Merlin and Arthur go alone) to a battlefield that will only have two bodies on display. One of them is Merlin’s.

This was meant to be the last bit but it was getting so long and I kept thinking of extra shit to put in soooooooo. Hopefully this is the penultimate part? But who knows lol.

TW: Lots of death (the final battle yo)

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 5

They ride the whole first day in silence. Not even Gwaine has any jokes or stupid stories to tell, and the atmosphere is tense.

The time between Morgana rushing into the council meeting, and the group riding towards what looked to be Merlin's death, had blurred by. No one really had any time to think, but now, riding in silence, all they could focus on was the fact that they were knowingly heading to what could be Merlin’s demise.

No one concentrates on anything but urging their horses to travel as fast as possible, and Arthur shortly telling everyone to stop and make camp were the first words spoken for the whole journey.

No one replies, they just dismount their horses, and wordlessly go about clearing an area for the fire, laying out food, and checking the surrounding area for danger.

Merlin stalks off before anyone can stop him, intent on setting up some wards before anyone settles down. He’s clearly pissed, and Arthur shakes his head when Lancelot gives him a look, “Want me to go with him?” .

Arthur follows instead, trusting the others to set up properly whilst he and Merlin have a much needed private conversation.

It doesn't take too long to find him. He's noticed that, recently. Ever since the link was forged he always seems to be able to find Merlin first try. Before, he had to scour the whole castle to have a chance of finding his wayward manservant (and then his wayward Court Sorcerer), and even then sometimes he couldn't manage it.

It's comforting. In a way. Knowing that they'll always be able to find one another.

Arthur sees him in the trees ahead, facing away from him, his hands up in front of his body. He can hear him muttering something that Arthur doesn’t understand under his breath.

Years ago, Arthur would think that Merlin hadn't noticed him. But Arthur knows him better now. He knows the ever so slight hitch in his Sorcerer’s left shoulder means "I hear you. I see you. I know you're there." .

"You can't know that everything's going to be ok."

Merlin sighs and turns back to look at him, still visibly frustrated with everyone’s obvious fretting. Neither make any moves to walk closer:

"Course I can. I had a chat with Kilgharrah on the way here-"

(He taps his forehead as he says this)

"-no other Emrys-killing weapons have been made, and the only one anywhere near us, is yours. As long as you don’t stab me, I'll be fine."

Arthur huffs and shuffles his feet at this:

"Merlin, the vision. You weren't waking up and you heard what Morgana said. Why are you so intent to ride to what is almost certainly going to be your death, when our armies could win this battle anyway?"

Arthur is trying to sound firm, but his face gives him away. He was never all that good at hiding his true emotions when it was just him and Merlin, and his expression is sad and desperate.

It's only at that, that Merlin walks towards Arthur, putting his hands on his shoulders:

"That vision doesn't show everything. And yes, that may have been the clearest vision Morgana has had during this whole bloody war thing, but the future is still fluid. Nothing is set in stone. Arthur, I'll be fine. And besides, an all out battle means blood spilt, theirs and ours. If I can do anything to prevent that, then there is no choice, not for me."

The King clenches his jaw, before pulling Merlin into a tight hug. The Sorcerer let's out a surprised "oof" but grips back just as tightly, burying a hand in Arthur's hair.

Arthur speaks aloud this time, so quietly Merlin barely hears it even with Arthur's face in his neck. Perhaps thinking this is important enough that it has to be vocalised:

"Why have you got to be so bloody self sacrificial? I couldn't bear to lose you, Merlin. I need you with me, by my side."

Merlin smiles slightly at that, but doesn't let go:

"I'll always be with you. Nothing in this life or the next, could pull me away from you. I...-"

He hesitates here, but Arthur tightens his grip, and he takes a deep breath before continuing:

"-...this is where I belong. Right here, right now. With you."

Arthur squeezes him once again and pulls back, gently laying his forehead against Merlin's, very reminiscent of the spell cast all those weeks ago.

The both of them keep their eyes closed, even as Arthur speaks:

"We're having a conversation about... this, when we get back. We're ALSO having a conversation about your self sacrificial tendencies."

Merlin laughs and pulls back at that:

“Only if we have a conversation about yours first.”

The King rolls his eyes fondly, and turns to walk back, but pauses momentarily, without looking back:

“I may not understand your magical mutterings, but I know that you’ve finished setting the wards up. Are you going to come back? Or are you going to come up with another excuse for you to watch me leave so you can stare at my arse?”

Merlin flushes at that, and lets out a mumbled “Shut up.” before speed walking past a laughing Arthur, towards camp.

The whole group seems to relax once they realise that the tension between Merlin and Arthur had been resolved (or at least... changed. A different type of tension. The type that made Leon want to lay their bedrolls on opposite sides of the camp).

The evening passes quietly, nothing of note happening, and soon enough, everyone is asleep.

The next few days aren’t quite as tense, but they still hurry their horses, taking few breaks. It was wordlessly agreed that they wanted to get there as quickly as possible, so that they might have time to assess the situation properly.

Everyone was still understandably worried, but with Merlin being so relaxed, and Arthur seeming ok (ish) with what was happening, they kept their anxieties to themselves.

It’s the second night they stop to make camp, that Gwaine informs them that if they keep the same pace and get up early, they should be there just before noon the next day. 

Everyone is a little tense at that, but Merlin speaks first:

“I’d say the rain isn’t going to hit until noon. If we move quickly, we should have at least a little time to plan..”

The group once again relaxes at that, grateful that they would at least have time to think things through, and check the surrounding area, before anything happened.

The relaxed atmosphere doesn’t last long, however. When they’d first stopped to make camp (that was around three hours ago now) Morgana had sat straight down, out of the way, and began to meditate. Without warning, she opens her eyes with a flash of gold, and lets a tear slip down her cheek before looking to Merlin.

He furrows his brows, and begins to speak before she can say anything:

“Morgana? What did you see?”

She lets out a humourless laugh, drawing even more worried attention from the group, before she replies:

“I’ve been trying to look past tomorrow. The near future, the far future, anything. Anything that might clue us in to the outcome. You know what I see?-”

Everyone is staring at her, clearly anxious, but she doesn’t take her eyes off Merlin, not even when Gwen places a gentle hand on her shoulder:

“-I see your mother and Gaius, quietly crying. I see Arthur, with a golden crown on his head, and a silver crown in his hands. I see a tombstone, with a name I can’t quite make out. I see your chambers, empty and cold, unlived in and covered in dust. I see... I see us. All nine of us that is, sat around our table. But one of the seats is empty, your seat. And all of us look... blank. That, is what I see, Merlin. And through all of it, I can feel your absence like a flame on my skin. I can see past tomorrow with ease. But I can’t see you.”

Morgana looks devastated. Everyone else in the group looking various mixes of shocked, scared, heartbroken.

Merlin nods slightly, and frowns staring into his lap. He was so certain that... logically, he should be fine. He’s died before and been fine. But Morgana’s visions are rarely that inaccurate, and if she’s stopped seeing his future entirely... well. It wasn’t a good sign.

He hums thoughtfully, before wiping the expression off his face and looking up determinedly:

“That changes nothing. I either do this, and everyone bar me survives, though I still think I’ll be fine, or we ignore your visions entirely, ride back to Camelot, and risk the life of every single one of Camelot’s citizens. And that’s not an option, so we’re just going to have to see what happens.”

Everyone opens their mouth to protest at the same time, but before any of them can make even a sound, Merlin jumps up, and speaks again. His voice is sharp, and invites no argument:

“NO. I said it’s not an option. This is what I do. I always used to hate the idea of a pre-written destiny, but if I’m meant to die tomorrow, then fine. So be it. I will NOT put my own life above anyone else’s. Especially not a whole kingdom’s, and ESPECIALLY not any of yours.”

He breathes deeply, and after giving a short glare to everyone individually, he sits down again. 

He’s seated between Arthur (who had barely left his side) and Percival, who takes the Sorcerer’s hand in his own, holding it in his lap.

Merlin smiles at him as he attempts to pull his hand back:

“I’m fine Perc, I don’t need comforting. I always figured I would end up dying before you lot anyway-”

Everyone shuffles uncomfortably at that. No one likes to think about outliving one of their closest friends:

“-not that I think I’m gonna stay dead anyway. But that’s not the point.”

Percival holds onto Merlin’s hand tightly, but stares into the fire as he replies quietly:

“This isn’t comfort for you, Merlin. It’s comfort for me.”

Merlin seems taken aback at this, like he had only just considered that his friends might need comforting in the first place. He forgets sometimes (read: most of the time) , that he is as important to these people, as they are to him. He can’t imagine willingly going to any of their deaths, not without putting up one hell of a fight.

He nods, after he wipes the shock from his face, and settles his hand in Percival’s, instead of trying to pull away:

“I’m sorry. I know this can’t be easy for any of you-”

(as he speaks, he lets his other hand subtly gather up the fabric of Arthur’s cloak, for his own sake or Arthur’s, he’s not sure)

“-but I need you to trust me. Believe me, I’m not trying to get myself killed permanently... I mean dying even temporarily isn’t exactly fun but... you know. I’ll be fine.”

It’s Gaius that replies first. The others were especially worried about the physician, he was practically Merlin’s father at this point, and none of them thought they could cope with having to comfort the man if they lost Merlin.

“It’s not that we don’t trust you, Merlin. We’re just... worried. And it’s not like you’re well known for considering your own safety when it comes to planning for any sort of conflict.”

Merlin looks as if he’s going to protest, but Gwen beats him to the punch:

“Don’t argue Merlin. You can’t deny that you have a habit of jumping head first into the fray.” She says it with a small smile, but it’s weak, and Merlin suddenly feels guilty for all those times he’s worried his friends. 

He threw himself into situations he was sure he would be able to survive, without considering the fact that none of the people he cared about had the same assurances. 

His reply makes everyone chuckle

“Yeah, well. You know me. I’ve never been much of a planner.-”

The Sorcerer squeezes Percival’s hand once more, before continuing:

“-But it’s late, and if we want to get up early we should head to sleep.”

The group nods in agreement, and all begin to shuffle to their bedrolls, having hushed individual conversations as Arthur declares that he and Merlin would take the first watch.

(No one questions it. They rarely set watches nowadays, Merlin’s wards have become incredibly reliable over the years, but all of them understand that The King and The Sorcerer need this time.)

Other than Merlin and Arthur, Percival was the last to leave his seat, ruffling Merlin’s hair as he gives him a weak smile, before making his way to his roll to undoubtedly toss and turn through the night, like everyone else.

The King and The Sorcerer didn’t move from their spots next to each other, and, at some point during the conversation, Arthur had replaced the clutched fabric of his cloak with his own hand.

They stay silent for a while, not really knowing what to say. Despite everyone’s worries, the rest of the group is asleep after not too long. It had been two days of hard travel and sleeping rough, and no one would admit it but they were all exhausted.

Both of them seem to realise that there was little chance of them getting to have those conversations at a later date. The two of them struggled individually on what would be worse: forcing the conversation now before it was too late but knowing that might be the end of it, or leaving everything unsaid and leaving Arthur with the regret.

Merlin was inclined to leave it unsaid. As far as he was concerned, he would still be fine (though he was now unsure if he was right, or if he was just in denial).

Arthur wanted to get it off his chest. He may be a tad emotionally constipated, but Merlin is... well... Merlin. It took him a while to realise his feelings for Merlin, but once he did, it was like an unending avalanche.

On some level, Arthur knew that Merlin felt the same, but would it be cruel? Or distracting? For him to voice it now, before everything?

He remembers saying weeks ago “We’ve plenty of time before things kick off” . But that time had passed. It had flown by. Arthur thought he would have forever with Merlin, even when the war was declared he wasn’t worried. But suddenly there was no more time. He might lose him tomorrow.

Did he want to taint what few hours they had left with an emotional confession that could wreck them both? Or should he leave it, steadfast in the belief that Merlin knew. Which would be crueller?

In the end, Arthur decided that he wouldn’t be able to live with it: the doubt, the regret, if he never said anything, and... something... happened.

He grips Merlin’s hand tighter in his own, and swallows, but before he could say anything:

“I know.” Merlin doesn’t look at him when he thinks it, but squeezes The King’s hand in return.

“No, I... you have to let me... I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t, so just-”

Merlin does look at him then, and gives him a gentle smile to stop him rambling:

“Ok, Arthur. I’m here, I’m listening, I hear you.”

Arthur meets his gaze, a steady stream of tears down his face that causes Merlin to frown slightly:

“I... Merlin-”

Arthur struggles with the words, thinking back, he can’t remember a time he’s actually said them out loud. Ever.

He clears his throat, straightens his back, and steels his eyes. Merlin deserved the truth. And Merlin felt the same, he had never been more sure of anything:

“Merlin, I love you. And if you don’t come back to me at the end of tomorrow, I will never forgive you.”

His resolve cracks slightly at the end, but Merlin smiles at him fondly, teary eyed himself:

“I love you too. And I already told you, Arthur, I will always come back to you.”

Arthur grips Merlin’s hand tighter, and buries his head in the Sorcerer’s neck. Merlin wrapped his arms around him, and leans back against the log they were sitting against.

They fall asleep like that, the two of them wrapped in Arthur’s cloak. At some point during the night, Arthur’s head had slipped down onto Merlin’s chest, but neither moved. If anything, Arthur found he could sleep easier with Merlin’s steady heartbeat in his ears.

~

The Gang woke when it was still dark, but not in the way they had planned.

They all wake with a start, automatically pulling out swords and summoning weapons, before they realise that the blizzard like wind and deafening roar, was just Kilgharrah, landing on the edge of their camp.

They settle for only a moment, before they realise that Merlin hadn’t summoned him, which meant he turned up of his own volition, and that meant he brought news. And knowing Kilgharrah, it probably wasn’t good news.

Merlin approaches him quickly, a frown on his face and Arthur close behind him:

“What is it Kilgharrah, is Camelot ok?”

The Dragon lowered his head to meet Merlin’s worried stare before replying:

“Yes, the city is safe, young Warlock. I have left Aithusa to watch over it whilst I tracked you here. The army you face is in front of you, not behind you.”

Morgana speaks up quickly after that, a frown on her face:

“What army? I haven’t foreseen any big battles in a while, believe me, I’ve been looking. The only people that should be in that meadow, is us, and whoever... and one other man.”

Kilgharrah looks over the group slowly before looking back at Merlin and replying:

“It appears, Emrys, that you will finally get a chance to show off the extent of your power. An army is waiting for you, in that meadow, and you are the only one with the capacity to defeat them.”

Merlin takes a deep breath, and clenches his hands (one of which is quickly taken by Arthur. Another example of neither of them knowing which of them the action was meant to comfort):

“I don’t know if I’m that powerful Kilgharrah, I’ve never-”

“The only reason you do not know the breadth of your power, is because you’ve never before come even close to your limits.”

“But I-”

“Your magic is tied to nature, Emrys. Use it. Bend it to your will. The entirety of the world will move at your whim, you need only ask-”

Before Merlin can reply, or ask what the hell that means, Kilgharrah lifts his head suddenly, as if hearing something, and looks briefly to Merlin once more as he replies, before flying off:

“Have faith, young Warlock, in yourself and in destiny. I must leave you now.” 

Everyone stands still, not quite in shock, but definitely confused, all bar Merlin, who just looks annoyed:

“Fucking typical. What’s the use of being a Dragon Lord if my giant pet lizard is going to be so bloody cryptic all the time.” is mumbled by the Warlock, as he looks towards the sun, just about rising over the horizon.

He sighs once more, before:

“Come on then. I suppose that was a good a wake up call as any. We should pack up and get going if we want to get a look at this army.-”

The next bit is mumbled to himself as he lets go of Arthur’s hand and wanders off to dismantle the wards:

“-And I suppose I now have half a day’s journey to figure out to beat it. That’s just great.”

It only takes a moment before the group launches into action, now freshly tense at the revelation that there was an army, and there was only ten of them.

They had faith in Merlin, and Morgana was there as well. And if everything really went to shit, there could be two dragons there to lend a helping hand (or claw) as well. But still. An army. That was big.

They’re riding out on the last leg of the journey within an hour, everyone having regained the tenseness that they had on the first day. Though all of them are slightly comforted by the fact that Kilgharrah hadn’t mentioned Merlin dying. He may be a cryptic bastard, but that definitely seemed like something he would bring up.

~

Gwaine’s directions and timings were accurate, they reached the edge of the seemingly empty meadow around half an hour before the sun hit the centre of the sky.

They remain hidden in the trees, Merlin casting a quick enchantment to shield them from being detected, before looking to Morgana and nodding.

The two of them close their eyes and stretch their arms forward, towards the meadow. A few mutterings and tilted heads later, they open their eyes. Merlin looking grim, but determined, and Morgana looking scared.

Lancelot is the first to speak:

“What is it, what’ve they go out there?”

Merlin looks at him briefly, before darkly saying:

“Why don’t I show you?”

With that, he once more raises his arm towards the meadow. His eyes glow brightly and he speaks quietly, other hand clenched at his side.

After a few moments, tendrils of light extend from his fingertips, and snake out around the perimeter of the meadow. Once the meadow is surrounded, Merlin twists his wrist sharply, and the tendrils turn inwards, shooting towards the centre point. After only a few metres they seem to meet an invisible barrier, and explode upwards towards the sky.

The light is blinding enough to force the gang to all shield their eyes, but they quickly open again when they hear an uproarious cacophony of noise.

What they see, is a huge army gathered at the far end of the field, packing up camp and preparing to move off, in the direction of Camelot.

It takes only a moment before a voice rings out above the noise, coming from somewhere around the edges:

“THE BARRIER IS DOWN!! WE CAN BE SEEN!”

A voice answers back, shouting for everyone to be prepared, that they would be noticed soon, and that the fight was coming to them.

Arthur furrowed his brow before quietly:

“That was their King, I recognise his voice. He must have sorcerers with him to keep the barrier going.”

Leon answers first:

“This is why our scouts haven’t seen anything, there’s been nothing to see.”

Merlin once again begins muttering to himself, drawing everyone’s attention to him (and also reminding them that apparently, Merlin had the power to take out the whole army) :

“Well, at least it’s smaller than I was expecting, underestimating us apparently. Sorcerers could be a problem though. Hmm.”

Morgana speaks up:

“I feel three. powerful, but not really fighters. They’re here for the barrier, and they don’t seem particularly happy about it either-”

She looks towards Merlin, face serious:

“-If you make it clear who you are... they might join us.”

Merlin hums thoughtfully, before replying:

“Depends entirely on if their fear of me outweighs their fear of him.”

The Gang looks taken aback at the mention of fearing Merlin. Elyan quietly saying:

“Why would they fear you? I know that you’re Emrys and everything, but I thought it was a Druid peace-keeping sort of thing you had going?”

Merlin looks back at the group, anger on his face, as he responds darkly:

“They’re threatening Camelot, her people, her King. I’m very much pissed off right now, of course they should be scared of me.”

Before he has time to say anything else, they notice that the army is about ready to move out, and Arthur gestures everyone to quickly get back and hide as he rushes towards Merlin:

“Merls! Ok... so, in the vision, the field was already empty when it started raining, and we have maybe 15 minutes at most before then, so what happens? Whatever we do, we need to do it now, they’re about to leave. Or maybe the field was empty because we let them go?”

Merlin responds quickly:

“No, we didn’t see the whole field in the vision remember, and this half is empty-”

He thinks for a moment, and Arthur looks towards the army, before looking back at the others, and then finally settling his eyes on Merlin once more:

“-Put your crown on, you and me are going to march across there, and they need to know who we are. The others will stay here, out of sight.”

Arthur looks worried, and put a hand on Merlin’s shoulder:

“You do know what you’re doing, don’t you?”

Merlin smiles back at him:

“Nah, figured I’d just wing in. Come on, I’m Emrys. I got this in the bag.”

Arthur frowns as Merlin chuckles, before grabbing his crown from his saddlebag. The others looks to him questioningly, but he just shakes his head, and gestures for them to stay hidden. They don’t look too pleased at that, but they follow his orders, and hide themselves and the horses among the bushes.

The King and the Sorcerer take a deep breath, before looking at each other and nodding firmly. They march out from their hiding spot amongst the trees, and make a beeline for the army, walking confidently.

Merlin made sure to walk just a step behind Arthur, and it takes only a few seconds for a lookout to spot them and yell.

The two of them stop in the middle of the empty space as the whole army looks towards them, their King stepping forward:

“Ah! King Arthur-”

The way he says King, like it disgusts him, like Arthur doesn’t deserve the title, has Merlin fuming, but he doesn’t step forward just yet.

“-It would seem that you have bought your druid pet, to beat my army. I WILL SEE YOUR HEADS ON SPIKES!”

Spittle flies from his red face as he screams the last part, and Merlin sees the way Arthur clenches his hand. Before his... friend? (can he say that after last night?) can reply in anger:

“Introduce me, and then go back to the others. I’ll be fine, he’s clearly underestimated me.”

Arthur’s back straightens, and he leaves his face blank as he shouts his reply to the angered King:

“You clearly underestimate us. This-”

(he gestures absentmindedly to Merlin, who steps forward and allows his eyes to begin glowing.)

“-is Emrys. He will make quick work of your... army.” 

Neither of them pay attention to his reply as they look at each other. The glow fades from Merlin’s eyes as he puts a hand on Arthur’s shoulder:

“Trust me, go back to the others and I’ll take care of it. All of nature is at my fingertips, apparently. Go, I love you.”

Arthur clenches his jaw and nods, before turning and walking back to the others, smiling to himself as he notices the almost transparent shield that had formed around him as he walked.

Merlin takes a few steps towards the army (which is getting louder and louder as the King makes his way through the ranks, shouting encouragement and rallying them) before stopping in place and frowning.

Unless he wants to cause issues with time, he should probably keep it as similar to the vision as he can. He looks to the side, the same place he had seen himself look four days ago, and speaks:

“ I’m sorry. But it’s coming. I can’t stop it, I tried. This is the only way. Just... relax... it’ll hurt less. Four days.”

He narrows his eyes and focuses, and he can just about make out a hazy mirror image of himself stood a few feet away:

“Arthur loves you... me..... us. Don’t let him down.”

The image fades as he takes a deep breath, and continues his march towards the army.

There’s a clap of thunder, and suddenly the skies open, Merlin frowns to himself as he mutters:

“Oh for fucks sake, why am I always right?”

The army begins their sprint towards him, and Merlin stops his quick pace, planting his feet, and raising his hands to the sky. The Sorcerer figures that there’s already a storm, and a storm is part of nature, right? He might as well take advantage.

The golden glow from his eyes is almost blinding as his brings his hands down quickly, palms facing the floor. Lightening strikes the ground with a flash and a few hundred of the men at the forefront of the army fall to not rise again.

Merlin grunts as he realises he’s going to have to try a lot harder if he’s to succeed in taking out the 12,000 angry arseholes running at him.

He continues aiming lightening at the fastest knights, nearest the front, taking out groups of them at a time.

He feels another magical presence, and he glances to the side to see a young woman at the edge of the meadow, clothes in tatters and feet bare. She meets his gaze and nods, before looking to the army and shouting a spell. The ground shakes slightly and a large chunk of the army falls into cracks into the ground.

Those his lightening had not touched finally come within reach of Merlin, and he has to jump back as swords reach for his neck. He swings one of his arms in a wide arc, and a burst of blue fire elevates the war cries around him, into screeches of agony.

He has to banish dark thoughts as the stench of burnt flesh reaches his nose, and he swings his arm wide once more, the same again.

Now with a little more space to move, though with little time before he’s crowded again, he kneels, and slams closed fists down into the mud.

The moment his skin touches the ground, the whole meadow shakes, much more than it had previously, and the whole army stumbles and falls.

There is a moment of silence and calm once the shaking stops, everyone trying to regain their bearings, but it doesn’t last long, as the ground opens. Sinkholes and cracks expand all across the meadow, thousands of men screaming as they fall into unknown depths, or drown in mud.

Merlin stares out in wonder as he realises he hasn’t said a word since the battle began. He had used no spells, the world around him simply understood what he wanted, and obeyed his orders. Nature bending to his whim indeed.

His thoughts last only a minute before he forces himself to concentrate once more. He can feel the three other sorcerers trying to protect themselves, and prevent anyone from escaping. Looks like Morgana was right. Though they were exhausted from holding the barrier in place, and even if they hadn’t been, even combined, their power was nothing compared to Merlin’s.

He pulls his arms from the ground, palms facing towards the sky (which is still pouring). As he does, every crater, every pit, closes with a snap, the field seeming suddenly much emptier as half the army, and all the previous bodies, disappear into the mud.

Only a thousand or so men remain, and, ignoring their cowardly King’s shouts (he was hidden somewhere to the right of Merlin, out of his sight. Hmmm. He would have to take care of that later.) they try to scatter into the woods surrounding the meadow.

Merlin closes his hands to fists. Vines and roots burst from the ground, all sharp thorns and gnarled wood as they speed towards the fleeing soldiers.

The screams grow louder once more as all but a few of the knights are pierced, and wrapped, and dragged towards their muddy places of burial.

Merlin stands once more, and tilts his head towards the trees with a silent request.

He smirks as the sounds of wolves reach his ears, howling and growling and rabid through the trees. That’ll do it. No one would be able to outrun them.

The battlefield lay empty. The bodies having been swallowed by the earth, or still running around piss scared in the woods.

Merlin turns towards the sorcerers standing twenty metres away, meaning to promise them safety and amnesty in Camelot, because of their immediate willingness to help, but before he can say anything, he sees their eyes widen as they look behind him in horror.

He gasps in realisation, and goes to turn and defend himself, but before he can, he staggers suddenly forward as he feels a bursting pain in his spine and spread through his chest. He looks down to see the front of a sword poking out from where his heart should be.

With his last few seconds of lucidity he jerkily waves his hand behind him and feels the King (”How could I have fucking forgotten about him? I was thinking about him literally 3 minutes ago??”) stumble back a few steps, leaving the sword behind.

Merlin falls to his knees, still staring at the end of the blade, blood dripping from his mouth as he hears an agonised yell from across the meadow.

He finally falls completely, his face angled towards the floor and his eyes fluttering as he hears a metallic *swoosh* and a *gargle* and a *thump* behind him, before Arthur falls to his knees at his back.

The last thing Merlin remembers, is hearing Arthur muttering something or other as he gets pulled towards him, but by the time his eyes look to the sky, his mind, and face, are blank.

~

THIS IS COMPLETED, PART 5 (link at the top, and in the masterlist) IS THE FINAL PART!

Let me know if y’all want my thoughts on anything in particular :)

[sm-baby]

The Empress' offer

Ok ok, hear me out. I haven't stopped thinking abt the siblings, I've been listening to a remix of Tokio Drift's soundtrack (just so you know I've never watched the movie) and now I just can't stop picturing Amethyst going on a race for some dumb reason and meeting them. Hope it's ok...

Amethyst has this thing for adopting people.

------

The race was about to begin, the participants walked into the start line, the ravager seemed just woken up from a nap. The child on top holding tightly on to it's reins looked to the side lines, spooting her brother amongst the crowd, nodding to her. Then she turned to her oponent, a cloaked figure, they had a witche's hat and a quiver on their back, with them there was a weird contraption. The child had a hard time figuring who or what they were, but nontheless, turned to focus on the race. 

"Good luck." They suddenly spoke. 

It startled her a bit, she kept quiet. 

Then a witch stepped in front of them, she held a cloth and started the countdown. They both stood ready, the ravager standing threathenly and hitting it's hoves on the ground. They were finally given the go, and her oponent suddenly darted ahead as the ravager galloped, it was then the young pillager realized, the contraption had an elitra. 

It wasn't flying, but it seemed to sail through the grass, the board where her oponent stood making it easy to surf through the land. The circuit was a bit long, they had to go through a lot of the desert and a bit of savannah, but they still had a strategy, so she stuck to it. While side by side with their oponent, the beast tried to bash into the other competitor, who skillfully dodged. The child kept trying to get the beast to hold back, which more often than not she managed. 

It was getting to the savannah part of the race, it had many more obstacles than the desert, the pillager saw the other slowing, dodging the trees and animals, while at the same time looking out for short branches. The pillager noticed it, reaching inside a few of the sattle pockets, she threw a few of the wood and stones on the way. The other dodged fast, but lost a lot of ground. 

In the process, the other also lost their hat, the hood fell back and, revealing a human face with completely blue eyes. The pillager gasped softly, turning and focusing on the race ahead.

Once out of the savannah again and into the desert, there was the sound of fireworks, the pillager turned to see the other racer catching up, speed catching up. The young one lowered herself on the sattle, prompting her steed to run more. They could see the finish line, the ravager and the other racer were neck to neck.

But then there were more fireworks and the other racer was boosted ahead, finishing ahead of the ravager rider. There were cheers as the pillager dismounted and more at the winner, who had jumped from their contraption, stumbling onto the ground breathing heavily. The siblings watched as the other was crouded, they still hid themselves beneath the hood as they accepted the prize.

Inside there was quite a bit of loot, it had food and valuable minerals. Grabbing hold of the ravager reins, the brother started guiding his sister and beast away. Once a bit further away from the leaving participants, they heard something coming. Veering around, they saw the winner of the race coming, they stopped in front of them. 

Throwing her head back, they saw her locks fall down, her purely blue eyes and dark brown skin, her lips tinted with red dye. She had a smile, one of seeming friendlyness. 

"It was a good race!" She greeted. 

"What do you want?!" The brother barked, the ravager also standing defensively. The human merely took the prize won, handing it to them. "Yeah! We got it! You won!"

"No! No! This is for you! I don't want it!" The human explained. Both siblings looked at each other, completely confused. "I don't need this much food, I have plenty back home, plus, I'd say you could use it more!"

The brother took it, examining it carefully as to verefy there weren't anything wrong done to the items, sure enough, there seemed not to be. With a mistrustfull look, he turned to her, "Thank you."

"My pleasure!" She smiled. The human turned her back on them, but just as she walked off towards the river, she turned back around. "Oh! By the way. If you want anywhere to stay a bit more comfortable than abandoned villages..." She pulled a piece of embroidered cloth, handing it to the brother. "There's a tower not too far from here, towards the south. If you follow the stream just take the left in the only bifurcation and follow the stream. If you need a place to stay the night show this to the pillagers there and say the Empress showed you the place. If all else fails, call for Amethyst." 

With that, the human smilled, patting the brother's shoulder and placing a boat down on the water. She sailed downstream, leaving both siblings stunned, they looked at each other, but kept going back to their current village. If she was telling the truth, what would that mean?

_________________________________________

AMETHYST LETS GOO!!!

Amethyst pspsps come get your babies, Ames, come get em!

Amethyst you so niceee,, thank you for feeding the kids they appreciate it TwT...

[imagines-r-s]

sticking it - j. farabee

chapter 3

a/n: um, so, here’s this. enjoy it. there’s not much to say, just that this is super cute tbh and that farabee definitely knows his Megan :))

taglist: @butgilinsky​ @barbienoturbby​ @sunsetholland​ @lovenhlboys​ @sortagaysortahigh​ @hockey-racing-fubol​ @oopsiedoopsie23​ @iwantahockeyhimbo​ @bbbbruins​ (if you want to be added, just let me know)

warnings: fluff, this chapter has a lot to do with mental toughness of an athlete, swearing, nothing else i can think of

sticking it masterlist

wc: 3.0k

BZ: hey, i’m outside whenever you’re ready

You grabbed your gym bag and made your way downstairs, finding Joel standing outside his car holding a smoothie and granola bar, “I figured coffee might not be the best thing for you right before practice, so I’m hoping you like smoothies.” 

“You might be surprised how many times I made that mistake when I was younger,” you added walking closer to him, watching as he opened the door for you, “oh wow, a true gentleman.”

“I have to get on your good side. Especially if I want to see you in my jersey again,” he said before shutting your door, “do you have good music taste?”

“I like to think I do?”

“Ok, well you seem somewhat confident with that answer, so you can have aux if you want,” he handed over his phone that was already opened to Spotify. Unsure of what he would like, you decide to put on your pre-practice hype playlist that featured Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Chance the Rapper, and Meg Thee Stallion. 

Deciding to just hit shuffle, ‘Captain Hook’ by Megan Thee Stallion was the first to play. You expect Bee to just sit there and let you play your music without objection, but you were shocked when you heard him say, “real hot girl shit.”

“Do you know the whole song or just that?” but as he continued to sing the rest of the song, with the obvious censorship, you were shocked to say the least, “wasn’t expecting that one.”

“I love Meg, not even going to lie to you,” Joel said, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Don’t we all, don’t we all.”

Eventually the two of you made it to your gym, Joel bidding you a quick farewell and waited for you to get in the building before driving away. As soon as you entered the gym, you put your gym bag in your locker and joined Nicole and your other teammates on the floor. “Ok, ladies. For warm up today, we’ll be doing 15 minutes of running outside, two ab circuits, and two rope climbs. Nicole and y/n, we need to speak with you right after.” 

“Not the ‘Nicole and y/n, we need to speak with you’,” Nicole said, getting her running shoes on. 

“I’m more concerned about the cardio, babe,” you said, grabbing your running shoes from your gym bag. 

The two of you were the first ones to finish the run, doing your ab circuits and rope climbs as quickly as possible, and went straight to Michelle and Marcus. “Alright, so, your performances at the American Cup were amazing and we’re super proud of you both. But with there being about two months until the US Classics, we want to make sure both of you are practicing safe routines, and safe landings especially,” Marcus said. 

“Right now, we just want you two to get a few full out routines a week and marking the rest. Obviously, we will dedicate time to our dismounts and tumbling, etc., it’s just not safe to be going all out and overworking yourselves,” Michelle added,”Nicole, you’re free to go, you’ll be starting on bars with Coach Collins.” 

Once Nicole had left, both Marcus and Michelle looked towards you, Marcus being the first one to break the silence, “we assume you heard about Kathryn working the dismount?”

Simply nodding in response, Michelle quickly spoke up,”look, we’re going to be honest with you right now. There is a possibility she isn’t going to compete it and just posted it to scare you, but we do know that you have been cleared to work on twisting dismounts, we just want you to start off doing a single full and the highest you’ll go this week is double twists. We’ll continue working towards the triple and eventually the 3.5, but we’re going slow and most won’t be an actual landing.”

“We have a plan in place we think will work, but you have to follow the plan. It’ll only work if you agree to pace yourself correctly,” Marcus added. 

“So, we’ll start week 1 of 8, easing back into twisting. So, twisting drills, lots of twisting into the pit, but we stick with just doing fulls. Week 2 of 8, is going to be starting to work on twisting off the beam, we will just stick with 1-1.5 twists, maybe try a double, but nothing more. Week 3, is going to be getting doubles consistently, and maybe try a 2.5. Week 4, is consistent 2.5 twists and try more drills to get the triple twisting back. Week 5, we do the triples for real and getting them consistent. Week 6 will be working on getting back to doing 3.5 twisting. Week 7 and 8, will have less focus on beam and just work on getting everything else consistently in time for the Classic,” Michelle told you, showing the board that had all of this marked on there. 

“Keep in mind, we are just working on getting the dismount back, but that doesn’t mean you only do beam, we have to do other events, too. And you have to follow this plan, do you understand?”

“Yeah, I understand,” you replied. 

“Alright, today you start on floor and end on beam.” 

…..

The first week was easy enough, you were just doing drills that you had been doing since you were younger, but you knew these next two months would not be as easy as you wanted them to be. Eventually, you had to start working towards the actual dismount. With week two, it was a lot harder than you expected. Although you were doing a skill you had had for years, the idea of doing anything similar to what hurt you still scared you. 

Once you were able to get your single twists back consistently, it was onto adding more twists. By week three, you were working on double twists, which was something you used to do as warm-up and now here you were standing at the edge of the beam, unable to move towards the landing mat on the other side. You knew that if you didn’t get it at some point this week, it would push back the plan, which was something you couldn’t afford. 

Somehow you got past doubles and 2.5, working triples by week 5. Week 5 consisted of doing the dismount into the pit, which was something you were able to do, but you were stuck in the same spot as you moved onto week 6. 

At the start of week 6, Kevin took note of how you were getting home later than he was even after his practice. He took note that you seemed a lot less excited about going to practice, hardly talking to anyone, other than a few spare texts here and there. “Kev, you still planning on coming to the lake with us this weekend?” Carter asked, as the team headed back to the locker room. 

“Yeah, I think so. I have to make sure y/n/n is okay though. She’s been overworking herself again and we all know what happened last time she did that,” Kevin replied. He was familiar with how you were able to invest so much time into your sport, and although he was happy that you were able to after so long, he knew that it could be your downfall. 

“If she wants to take time off, there are enough rooms at the condo, she’s welcome to come. Plus, I’ll ask Teeks to bring Karly, so she has someone there,” Carter offered. 

Kevin appreciated the offer, but he still felt bad. This was a ‘guys’ weekend that had been planned months ahead of time, but he also knew it was an amazing option for you to come and be away from the gym. “Check with the other guys first. I would feel awful ruining the plans we have.”

“Yeah, of course, I’ll ask them as soon as I can and let you know,” Carter answered just as Nolan, Travis, Morgan, and Joel walked into the locker room. He quickly called them over, “Ok, so Kev noticed that y/n/n has been overworking herself and is worried about leaving her here, would it be cool if she came with us? I already offered, but he wanted to make sure it was cool with you guys.”

A series of yes’ echoed through the group. “I can see if Karly wants to come, too, just so y/n/n doesn’t have to deal with all of us by herself,” Travis added, “I can tell Beezer is a little bit too happy about this one.” The group turned towards Joel, who was now sporting a huge smile on his face. 

“Listen, I just like spending quality time with my team and their family. Team bonding, you know,” Joel replied. 

“Mhm, that’s definitely it,” Nolan said rolling his eyes, “don’t forget the PowerPoint.”

As Kevin left the rink, he checked the time and realized now was the time that you were usually at lunch, he decided to head to the gym to talk to Michelle and Marcus. “Ah, Kevin, it’s so good to see you. Congrats on a good season so far,” Marcus stood up from his desk to shake Kevin’s hand. 

“I need to ask something. I know y/n has been overworking and it’s concerning me. Now, I get if this might not be a mutual concern, but if it is, I wanted to ask if she could have the weekend off?” Kevin said. 

“Oh my god, please get her out of here. I know if we let her, she would sleep here, but right now, she needs to play it safe or else she’ll get hurt,” Michelle said as she walked through the office door towards the pair.

“Would the lake be playing it safe or no?”

“As long as she doesn’t follow after you and your friends, she’s making somewhat smart choices,” Marcus said. 

“That’s valid, I respect it. I’m coming to pick her up from here tomorrow morning during her private lesson with you guys,” Kevin said, to which both of your coaches nodded. 

After making some more small talk with your coaches, Kevin made his way back down to the parking lot, running into just the right person, “Nicole, I need a favor.”

“Oh, hey, Kev. How are you? I’m great, thank you for asking. What’s up?”

“Can you possibly sneak into y/n’s apartment tomorrow while she’s at her private lesson and pack her a bag for a four day trip to the lake?”

“Oh, thank God, you’re getting her out of here. And yeah, of course. She’ll get here at 7, so what time do you plan on leaving your place?”

“Well, she’s supposed to be here til 10, so I’ll leave at like 8:30, so just drop the bag off at mine?”

“Yeah, that works. I’ll see you then.”

…..

Shortly after you left for practice, Nicole made her way to your apartment. You had given her a spare, so she had a way in. She quickly grabbed all your hair stuff, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and then 5 outfits, 4 swimsuits, socks, shoes, and anything else she thought you might need. 

She made sure to water your plants before leaving towards Kevin’s apartment. Knocking on the door, Nolan was the one to answer, “Hey, Nic.”

“Hey, Nol. I come bearing gifts - well if you consider all my friends stuff I took from her apartment to give her a break from her stubborn self - then Merry Christmas.”

“Nicole, thank you so much. I owe you one,” Kevin said as he rounded the corner. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’m here to help her out,” Nicole stated simply,”her chargers are in the side pockets and everything else is in the main part of the bag. Ok, I have to go now, have fun this weekend.”

Nolan and Kevin got the rest of their necessities together before jumping into Kevin’s car and heading to your gym. Michelle was the one to let the pair into the gym, having locked the doors for the private lesson. 

They took their time, watching as you were working on some drills with Marcus, but when Marcus’ eyes found Kevin’s he stopped what he was doing. “Hey, look. You’ve been working yourself a little bit too hard recently, so we’re letting you take this weekend off,” Marcus said, guiding you towards Nolan and Kevin. 

“I don’t need time off, I’m fine. I- what are they doing here?”

“You’re going with them to the lake for the weekend,” Marcus continued guiding you closer to them, knowing you would try to make a run for it. 

“Hey, y/n, we have a bag packed for you already, so c’mon,” Nolan said, calmly. 

“I’m not going,” you protested. 

“You’re going,” Kevin said, walking closer to you before picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder. Nolan picked up your gym bag from the ground and followed behind Kevin. 

“Guys, what the hell? This is like kidnapping or something?” 

“We love you,” you heard Michelle say as Kevin made his way out of the gym with you on his shoulder. As soon as you got to the car, Nolan opened the backseat doors and Kevin pushed you in there. You assumed that as soon as they left you would be able to just open the door and run, but you were quickly denied that option when you saw that the child locks were still on. 

“The child locks? Seriously?” 

“We knew you’d run. C’mon, your coaches said you needed to stop working so hard, so it’s not just us saying it. Now we have about a four hour drive, so I say either sleep or just go on your phone, but please just take this time off peacefully,” Kevin said. 

“How am I supposed to do this peacefully when you kidnapped me?”

“Ok, well, that sucks. But Karly is coming too, so you can rant to her when you get there.”

“Bee will be there, too,” Nolan interjected. 

“Thanks for the warning.”

“Don’t act all tough, sweetie. Not all of us are blind,” Nolan said, looking towards Kev. 

“I’m not blind, I just choose to ignore it,” Kevin replied. 

…..

“So, you and y/n, huh?” Karly asked Joel while Travis and Carter were over by the grill, Morgan still inside unpacking. 

“I mean I don’t know,” Joel responded honestly. 

“Do you want there to be?” Karly quickly took note of the slight blush and small smile that gathered on his face. 

“I wouldn’t object, if that says anything,”Karly laughed at the fact that both of you had similar responses to the same question, “what? Did I say something bad?”

“No, hun, no. You both are just a lot alike, that’s all. I think you’d be good for her though, she deserves something good in her life.”

“Yeah, I agree with you on that one,” Joel said, hearing his phone go off, “oh, guys, they’re here, but they need help with their bags.”

As the boys made their way outside to go help with bags, Karly waited inside for you to come in, only to see Kevin carrying your sleeping form with Joel following close behind with your bag. 

“Awe, babe. Did you see Bee carrying y/n/n’s bag? That’s so cute,” Karly said when Travis returned. 

“Awe, babe, how come you never carry my bag?” Travis said, only earning an elbow to the rib from Karly. 

“y/n has been out most of the way home, so we honestly don’t know when she’ll be up,” Nolan said, walking towards the pair. 

…..

Shortly after dinner was served, the group made their way close to the deck, Joel quickly finding a spot on the hammock after pushing Morgan off. Travis and Karly sitting near the edge of the water, Morgan sitting right next to the hammock near his best friend, and Nolan, Carter, and Kevin standing and talking. 

You had woken up in the familiar room of the condo, quickly changing into comfier clothes and attempting to find the others in the house. When you saw that the house was silent, you quickly came to the assumption that everyone was near the docks, so you got a bottle of water and made your way over there. 

“Ah, sleeping beauty has finally arrived,” Travis said, seeing you make your way towards the group.

“Fuck off, dude,” you yawned, “I was tired.”

“Awe, poor baby,” Joel said from the hammock, earning an eye roll from you. 

“Bee, you’re in my usual spot right now, I would watch it if I were you.”

“You’re free to join me,” he said, a smirk evident in his voice. 

“Oh, wow, the girls are fighting,” Morgan’s voice could be heard from beside the hammock. 

You eventually made your way over to the hammock after those on the deck started their conversation up again, “Bee, can I sit by you?”

“Awe, babe, I am going to need to speak up,” Joel said, cockily. 

“I’m not doing that again,” you said, walking towards the hammock and quickly pushing the hammock to the side, which caused him to fall out, “awe, babe, it looks like you fell.” 

You quickly got back up on the hammock, expecting him to push you over the way you did him, but were shocked when he simply laid right on top of you, his head on your chest and arms wrapping around you, “plot twist,” he said, softly. 

“Your face is in my boobs right now,” you stated, causing him to lift his head to look at you, you kept one of your feet towards the ground to keep the hammock moving. 

“Your heart started beating faster when I laid down, so either you’re about to have a heart attack or I make you nervous. But honestly, if you want me to move though, I will.” 

“No, no. You’re fine,” you spoke softly as he rested his head against your chest once more, your hand finding its way towards his head to play with his hair. 

“Hey, we are still over here by the way,” Kevin yelled towards you two. 

“Kev, stop. They’re adorable, let them be,” Karly quickly scolded him.

“I’m just going to move, so that way I’m not third wheeling again,” Morgan grumbled. 

[elvish-sky]

Beloved: My Everything

A.N: I’m back with part 2 of Beloved!! I’ll be coming back for real tomorrow, but I was so excited that I could not wait to post this! You can probably tell I had way too much fun with this, and I really did. And I got to write Arien again! I hope you guys love it as much as I do!!

Word Count: 3,712

Summary: Erebor is preparing for the seven-year anniversary celebration of the BotFA. As the Queen, you are fully involved, but you and Thorin also have to manage the excitement of your adopted seven-year-old, Arien. 

Pairings: Thorin x Reader, Bard x Thranduil, Fíli x Sigrid

Warnings: Fluff. Kissing. 

Beloved Part 1 Director’s Commentary

****

Beloved: My Everything

“Adad! Mama! Look!”

           Arien was sprinting down the hallway towards the council room, newly lost tooth in hand as she called out for her father. Bursting through the double doors, the seven-year-old ran the length of the room before jumping into Thorin’s lap, proudly grinning to show him the new gap in her teeth.

Sitting next to your husband, you stifled a giggle as Thorin examined the tooth, looking like he was examining a precious piece of metal because of how focused he was. Meanwhile, the rest of the council was in various states of annoyance or fond disapproval of the meeting, Balin shaking his head with a smile at the picture the royal family was painting.

It was true you were an odd group. After adopting Arien on the quest for Erebor and reclaiming the mountain, your future had seemed uncertain while Thorin’s life hung in the balance. But he had recovered, and the two of you had been married in a stunning ceremony, with a toddler Arien placing the queen’s crown on your head. The dwarves had been worried at first about having a human queen and princess, but your calming effect on Thorin and Arien’s general cuteness had quickly won them over. Of course, the fact that your first council meeting ever had started with you walking in and throwing knives in rapid succession so that they speared the table between each of the council members (except Balin’s) hands may have given them a healthy fear of you as well. 

Now, six years later, the kingdom was thriving. Trade with Dale was stronger than ever, and the uneasy alliance with the elves had grown into something more tolerant. In fact, Kings Thranduil and Bard would be visiting in five days for the anniversary of the Battle of the Five Armies, as it had come to be known.

The year after the battle was a hard one. Thorin and his nephews were grievously injured, and while they healed it had been up to you and Balin to run the kingdom. On the first anniversary of the Battle, the mood in Erebor was noticeably somber. Although the king and princes had healed, it didn’t seem as if the kingdom would ever fully recover. You had noticed this, and remembering that an elven envoy, with the king, was in Dale, had mustered up a feast and invited the men and elves to what would become a yearly tradition. 

Now, you were in the throes of planning the event with the council. 

“That tooth is lovely, darling. Now go play so that Mama and I can finish work, ok?” Thorin pressed the tooth back into Arien’s hand. “And take good care of this!” 

Arien left the room with a beaming smile, waving at all of the councilors.

Days later, Arien burst into the room you shared with Thorin. 

“Mama! Adad! Wake up! The elves are coming today!”

Thorin groaned. “Arien. How many times do I have to tell you that you should not be this excited about elves? You should be happier to see orcs than you should be to see elves.”

She grinned, ignoring him and throwing open the curtains, the sunlight streaming through the windows setting her dark skin aglow. 

“Arien, no.” You gestured for her to close them, shielding your face from the early morning sun. 

“But Mama they’re coming today! Imma see Sigrid and Bain and Tilda, and Uncle Bard and Uncle Thranduil and Leggy!” She pranced about the room, gesturing as she talked about everyone.

You smirked at Thorin, who had one arm thrown over his face, hair splayed on the pillow. His bare chest was glowing in the sunlight, but you were focused on the expression of annoyance you could barely see under his arm. Thorin was extremely disapproving of the fact that your daughter called Thranduil ‘Uncle,’ and adored Legolas so much. Personally, you thought it was great, helping to bridge the divide between the kingdoms. You also were friends with the Elven-King, him having sheltered you during the whole Arkenstone fiasco, and Legolas was one of your good friends as well. 

“I suppose we should get up.” You shooed Arien out of the room, into her adjoining set in the royal wing, before turning back to your husband. You leaned down to kiss him. 

“C’mon, Thorin. We really should get up.” You pressed a trail of kisses down his jaw, hoping to coax him up.

He groaned, sitting up. “Fine. I suppose I should look my best to upstage the elves.”

You sighed. “If that’s what gets you up then so be it.”

Thorin smirked at you, standing up and grabbing a leather tie from his wardrobe, and binding his hair back so that it cascaded down his back. You walked over to him, hugging him from behind. 

“You know that Arien and I will always love you more than the elves, right?” 

He nodded, turning to kiss you. “I love you too.” 

Later that day, you strode down the hall, Dori by your side.

“We have everything set up in the hall?”

He nodded.

“All the food is ready?”

He nodded again.

“And the drinks? We have the Mirkwood wines that they shipped ahead?”

“Yes, Y/N. Everything is going to be fine, we’ve been planning for months. Now, the elves are about to arrive. You need to meet your husband and daughter at the gates.”

“Ok, then. See you later?”

“Go, Y/N!” Dori shooed you in the direction of the gates, and, laughing, you turned and walked away.

You stood at the entrance to Erebor, holding hands with a bouncing Arien, Thorin on her other side. You shared a smile with him, leaning over your daughter to kiss him quickly before turning to face the approaching elves. Thranduil dismounted from his elk, Legolas doing the same from his horse, and they walked towards you.

“Your majesties, your highness,” the Elven-King greeted you all with a nod of his head. 

You and Thorin returned the greeting in kind, clasping the elves’ forearms. Arien stood there, now quivering with excitement, and when you nodded to her that it was okay to say hello she burst forward with a cry of, “Uncle Thranduil!!” throwing herself into his arms.

“Hello, little one,” Thranduil greeted her with a smile, hugging her back only slightly awkwardly. 

You had to admit that your daughter had a good effect on the elf, he was much less prickly than he used to be. You fondly recalled the time when, visiting Mirkwood with Arien and Thorin, you had been unable to find your daughter for several hours. It was only upon going outside that you discovered the Princess of Erebor and the King of Mirkwood making flower-crowns together. Thorin’s jaw had dropped, while you had just smiled, watching Arien’s springy coils of hair bounce, her dark skin glowing as she ran around the elf, weaving flowers into his hair. 

Now, Thranduil was lifting Arien to pet his elk, smiling as the child giggled. He set her down after a moment, looking behind you at the three new dwarves who had just appeared. 

“Your highnesses.” He dipped his head again in greeting, this time to Fíli, Kíli, and Dis. They greeted him in kind before Kíli strode forward to Legolas. The elf bent his head to listen to the dwarf, before nodding and following the dwarf into the mountain, gesturing about what looked like bows and other archery-related things.

“And, that’s the last we’ll see of Legolas and Kíli until someone finds them to bring them to the party!” Thorin smiled as he spoke, and with that, the last of the remaining tension was broken. Thorin grabbed Arien’s hand, leading the delighted child back into the mountain. Thranduil offered you his arm and you gladly accepted, chatting with an old friend as the rest of the elven delegation followed you into Erebor.

“When will Bard be arriving?” 

Your eyebrows rose at the informal use of the king’s name, but you answered nonetheless. 

“We expect him just before dusk.”

Thranduil smiled softly at this, piquing your curiosity even more, but you let it slide and continued the conversation to other topics. 

Back in your rooms, having repeated the whole greeting process with Bard, you helped your husband and daughter get ready for the party. Thorin had donned his finest Durin blue robes, the silver embroidery twining around the cuffs and the hem and highlighting the silver strands of his hair. Arien was resplendent in bright gold, her circlet glowing against her dark skin. Her new dress had blue embroidery around the hem, with reflective panels sewn in to refract golden light all over the room. 

And you were radiant in a silver dress, full skirts swirling around your feet and Durin blues ribbons twined through your hair. Your crown sat on your brow lightly, you having opted for the delicate one to save yourself a headache. The three of you put together looked like the very picture of royalty, the elements of Durin blue in each outfit tying it all together as a familial piece. 

Later that night, you sat at the high table, gazing around the great room. Arien had been hauled off by Bain and Tilda, and you could see the two older ones playing with her, all three looking delighted. 

Sigrid and Fíli were at the center of the dance floor, her laughing at something he said as he twirled her around. You looked forward to cashing in the bet you had made with Thorin about them being a couple- you were rarely right and had lost spectacularly in the bet you had made about Kíli and Legolas (you had been so certain they were dating, but it was just their shared love of archery. And, as Thorin has pointed out, two people that obsessed with their hair would not have worked well in a relationship). Besides, your nephew looked very happy with the human girl.

Kíli and Legolas had deigned to join the party after their customary archery competition, and each was mingling with different crowds. Legolas looked to be regaling a group of humans with his exploits, while Kíli had joined his cousin, Bain, and Tilda in making mischief. 

Meanwhile, Thranduil and Bard were conversing in a corner, leaned close together over their glasses of wine, which made you even more suspicious. You resolved to find out what was going on with the two of them while they were staying with you for the next several days. 

Thorin tapped you on the shoulder, startling you from your observations. You looked up to see him standing next to your chair, hand outstretched. 

“Shall we dance, amralîme?”

“Yes, please. Let’s show them how it’s done.”

You grabbed his hand, walking over to the dance for and twirling on. You heard clapping as the King and Queen of Erebor were spotted on the dance floor, and smiled. There were few things you loved more than dancing with your husband, and so as the band began to play you started.

The dancing was lovely, you switched partners after the first to dance with Fíli, then with a suddenly appearing Kíli, then Legolas. Thranduil swooped in to take your hand after his son, and Bard danced with you after the elf. Your night was rounded out by Bain asking for a dance, which you happily obliged (you didn’t want to be disloyal to any of the others, but aside from the elves, who were inherently graceful, Bain was the best dancer of the lot). 

As you walked off the dance floor for what you hoped was the last time (your feet were starting to hurt), you noticed that the room was quickly emptying. It made sense, it was extremely late. You had left the celebration halfway through to put Arien to sleep, leaving an equally sleepy Kíli to watch over her. Sigrid had left with Bain and Tilda a little while ago, while Fíli sat on the dais with his uncle, softly speaking with him. Bard and Thranduil had disappeared at some point as well, although you could not say when, or if they had left together. 

Now, you walked up the dais to grab your husband. Saying a quick farewell to Fíli, you entwined your fingers with Thorin’s, making your way out of the hall. 

“I think we’ll be having another wedding soon,” your husband said. 

You grinned. “I did tell you so. Now pay up.”

He dipped his head in acknowledgment. “So you did. And I can’t fulfill the bet until it snows, you know that.”

You did. You had set the conditions of the bet to be that if Thorin won, you’d have to dress like him for two weeks. You wouldn’t have minded, except for the large clunky boots he always wore. You would have looked ridiculous If you won, Thorin had to have a snowball fight with whoever the highest-ranking visiting diplomat was.

Reaching your room, you leaned against the door. 

“I had a lovely night.” You leaned in to kiss your husband.

“I did too.” He kissed you back, before pushing open the door.

You gasped as you entered your room, looking through the windows. It was snowing. 

“I guess you’ll have to fulfill your end of the best tonight!” You smirked. “And you know, we have two equally high-ranking people in Erebor right now!”

Thorin buried his face in his hands. “You’re telling me I have to start a snowball fight with Thranduil and Bard.”

You grinned, quickly changing into a warm tunic and boots, throwing a cloak over it all as Thorin did the same.

As you headed out the door, you heard Thorin mutter, “actually, throwing a snowball at that pompous elf might not be the worst thing after all,” under his breath, causing you to giggle. 

You first went next door to Arien’s room, waking Kíli while careful not to rouse Arien. The prince was groggy at first, but brightened when you said the words “snowball fight.” 

“Should we wake Arien?” Kíli was putting on his own cloak as he spoke.

You looked at Thorin, considering. 

“She’ll be very upset if she finds out we played in the snow without her,” Thorin observed. 

You walked over to her bed, shaking her gently awake.

“Mama? Is it morning?” Arien blinked her eyes open, groggy.

“No, my darling. It’s snowing! Adad needs to have a snowball fight, so we’re going outside!”

She sprang out of bed. “Snow! I love snow!” 

You helped her put on her small tunic and pants, fastening her cloak tight before she tugged her boots on. Reaching out, she grabbed Thorin and Kíli’s hands. 

“C’mon Adad, c’mon Kee! We’re gonna have a snowball fight!”

You followed them to Fíli’s door, then Dis’, both of whom were enthusiastic about the plan. You sent Fíli, Arien, and Kíli to rouse Bard’s children and Legolas, the adults making your way to Bard’s room. 

Turning the corner, you, Thorin, and Dis stopped short. 

Bard and Thranduil were entwined, kissing, in the middle of the hallway, Bard’s fingers running through the elf’s hair. Hearing your gasp, they broke apart, flushed. You all just stood there, dumbstruck for a moment, before you were spurred into action.

Walking forward, you slung an arm around each of their shoulders. “Yes, yes, congratulations and all that. Now, it’s snowing, so we’re going outside. But we’re all very happy for the two of you.”

Thorin and Dis nodded along with your words, and the five of you walked down the hall towards the gates to meet the rest of the royals. 

At the main entrance, you walked over to the small door beside the massive gates, unlocking it and gesturing for everyone to follow you outside. 

As soon as they were out in the snow, Fíli and Sigrid sprinted away from the mountain, and you could see them beginning to build a fort. Kíli grabbed Bain and Arien to assist him in building another, and Legolas and Tilda were starting to stockpile snowballs together. You could sense that this was the beginning of a snow-war.

Turning around, you saw your husband, the King Under the Mountain, climbing the outside walls of Erebor with a pile of snow cradled in his cloak. Finding a secure perch, he gathered the snow into balls and started raining them down on Thranduil, who shrieked at the cold, startling Bard who stood next to him into quickly moving away. 

Thranduil, running over to his son’s stockpile of snowballs, was bombarded from all sides as he tried to steal from Legolas and Tilda. Succeeding, the elf started throwing them back at Thorin, nailing him directly in his face. Thorin dropped to the ground, Bard hitting him with another snow projectile shortly after. You laughed with Dis as you watched three of the most powerful people in Middle-Earth have a snowball fight. 

Suddenly, white splattered all over Dis, who turned to see her younger son standing sheepishly behind her. 

“Sorry, Amad. I was aiming for Uncle!” Kíli had his hands raised in defense.

“No, you were not! You’re an archer, Kíli, I know you hit what you aim at! And your Uncle is all the way over there!” Dis advanced on Kíli, a snowball in each hand, and her son promptly turned and ran, shrieking as she chased after him. 

You were standing there, quite content to watch it all unfold as Fíli and Sigrid led an attack on Legolas and Tilda, Arien and Bain sneaking up to attack them from the rear. Your peace was disturbed, however, by something ice-cold being shoved down your back. You spun around, screaming, to see a smirking Thorin standing behind you. You tackled him into the snow, wrestling until you had him pinned beneath you. He was flushed, both from the cold and exertion, panting, and so irresistible that you leaned down to kiss him. 

Thorin quickly deepened the kiss, and you responded, until a shout of, “Cool off, lovebirds!” rang out. Springing up in case someone was about to dump snow on you, you saw Tilda and Legolas dumping snow on the heads of Fíli and Sigrid, who quickly broke apart from their kiss with yells of “So cold!” and “Ouch!” Tilda, Bain, and Legolas, with Arien perched on his shoulders.  stood there with large grins on their faces as you and Thorin made your way to join them. 

“Where are your fathers?” you asked Legolas and Tilda. 

They shrugged, and you turned to your husband. 

Thorin smirked. “Shall we go find them?”

You nodded, along with Fíli, Sigrid, Legolas, Arien still on his shoulders, Bain, and Tilda, and all scooped up several snowballs each. Kíli and Dis appeared, Kíli looking suitably chastened, and each grabbed an armful of snow as well. 

“What are we doing?” Kíli whispered. 

“We’re gonna ambush Bard and Thranduil,” Thorin informed him, “Have you seen them?”

Dis nodded, “They’re just around the corner of the walls. But… maybe their children shouldn’t be around for this?”

Sigrid laughed. “It’s fine. They’ve been dating for months now, and neither of them is exactly subtle. Our father has made so many trips to Mirkwood recently that we got suspicious and enlisted Legolas for help.”

The elf nodded. “Tilda snuck to Mirkwood in one of the carts her father brought and told me everything. We officially found out when we walked in on them kissing in the throne room.”

Tilda rolled her eyes. “They really do need to work on stealth. But the important thing here is that they don’t know we know.” 

“So wait. You’ve known for months and didn’t tell us?!” Thorin was offended. 

Bain shrugged. “It wasn’t our news to tell.”

“And that’s exactly the right attitude,” you smiled at him. “Now, let us go ambush some kings!”

Sticking close to the side of the mountain, you all snuck in a line. Thorin and Legolas had climbed up to dump snow on the two kings from above, while the rest of you attacked from the ground. Before climbing, Legolas had transferred Arien to Fíli’s shoulders, where she was happily preparing ammo. 

You held out a hand for everyone behind you to stop, peering around the corner at Thranduil and Bard kissing as the snow fell around them. It looked quite romantic, to be honest, but a good snowball surprise was worth disrupting the moment. 

You motioned to Thorin and Legolas, perched above, to begin. 

“To quote Tilda, cool off, lovebirds!” 

Thorin dumped a pile of snow on their heads, and the rest of you sprung around the corner to bombard them with snowballs.  They quickly retaliated, and it dissolved into chaos once again, everyone having the time of their lives. 

Dis, Bain, and Tilda had taken Arien in a while ago, Dis staying with her niece, but the rest of you had enjoyed the snow for a while longer. You had all officially congratulated Bard and Thranduil on their relationship, and after the initial shock of finding out that their children had known for months, they were very pleased. 

Now, you were walking back to your rooms with your husband in the early hours of the morning. You still felt the blood in your cheeks, exhilarated from the adrenaline and happiness, and Thorin was still flushed from the cold beside you. You pushed open the doors to your bedroom, Thorin shutting them behind you. You walked to your wardrobe, changing out of the soaked tunic and pants into your nightclothes, Thorin doing the same. 

Once changed, you climbed into bed next to your husband, laying your head on his chest. You could hear his heart beating as his hand came up to your face, tilting up to his. Thorin slanted his lips over yours, and you responded for a sweet, long kiss, filled with love and all the emotions you could not put into words.

You decided to try anyway. “I love you so much, amralîme. You’re everything I could ever want. You and Arien.”

Thorin smiled. “I love you too, my everything.” 

You heard the words rumble in his chest, and smiled softly. You had your beloved husband and daughter. Seven years later, everything was perfect. 

Everything tag 💕: @entishramblings @itgetsatadhazy @boyruins @anjhope1 @wellofeternalthirst @kumqu4t @katbby16 @thewhiteladyofrohan @kirstenscaffeinateddisaster @beenovel

Thorin tag: @lathalea

Beloved pt 2 tag: @beakami

[ttuesday]

making it up to you

this is based on the anon I got a few weeks ago for some sub Micah <3

Summary: after you break Micah out of jail in Strawberry, he brings you back to his camp to make it up to you *wink wink*

Word Count: approx. 2,100

(NSFW)

It was a disaster. As you hightailed it out of Strawberry on your horse, you cursed yourself. Dutch had given you a simple task, rescue Micah. That was it. The mission wasn’t to shoot up half the town just cause someone took his precious guns. You knew when Dutch hears about what happened, he won’t be happy. Hell, you weren’t happy either, you were furious.

Micah rode ahead of you, leading you through the trees and to a secluded camp he had set up before he was thrown in jail. The camp was small, with the remains of a campfire, a single bedroll and an old wooden chair that looked as though it had been there for years.

“You still mad at me?” huffed Micah, dismounting Baylock

“You just killed half the goddamn town!” you exclaimed, not bothering to get off your horse “and for what, a pair of revolvers? Is that all you care about? Some old, worthless guns?”.

“You best watch that mouth of yours” Micah growled as he prodded his new black eye.

“Or what?” you snapped back “You gonna shoot me too?”.

“Don’t tempt me” he muttered.

“I’m done with this” you said, getting ready to leave. You were too frustrated to be around him and decided that going back to the main camp would be better.

“Good luck with that,” Micah chuckled lowly “they’ll be patrols out on all the roads by now, you won’t be able to pass without them recognizing you”.

You hated that he was right. After hesitating for a moment, you reluctantly dismounted and walked over to the chair. You’d be a fool if you left now. If you did, then Dutch would probably have to send Arthur to break you out of jail next. 

You sat down on the chair and crossed your arms, prepared to give Micah the silent treatment. Just because you had to stay didn’t mean you had to forgive him for the mess he made.

As the evening dragged on, Micah tried to speak to you a few times but you didn’t respond. “C’mon, how’s about you come play doctor and help me with this eye” he tried to coax you into talking to him. You ignored him.

Next he tried to rile you up, hoping that would get a reaction out of you. “Real mature of you,” he mocked “you still not talking to me?”. You didn’t reply.

Micah would never admit it openly but he cared about you, and this silent treatment was getting under his skin. To distract himself from the worry that he had messed things up with you, he lit the campfire.

You were one of the only people that actually tolerated him. There had been some occasions where one thing led to another and suddenly yelling at one another turned into passionately undressing each other while keeping your lips on his. At first it was supposed to be a one time thing when you were both out on a job but then it happened again before Blackwater… and then again in Colter

…ok, maybe it happened a few times in Colter but it was the most efficient way of staying warm. Maybe that’s why Dutch sent you, maybe he knew you were more than friends.

Finally, Micah sighed and decided to try and say something genuine. “You know, I uh… I do… care about you… and maybe I did lose my cool in Strawberry… I guess” he struggled to get the words out. You stayed silent, waiting for him to say more.

Micah walked over to you, leaning down to rest his hand on your thigh, his face inches from yours “Won’t ya let me make it up to you?”. Your eyes flicked down his lips as Micah hesitantly leaned in for a kiss, half expecting you to push him away. When you didn’t, he deepened the kiss and moved his hand up your thigh and to your length, palming it the best he could through your pants.

The kiss became more eager, his lips smashing against yours. Your hand came up to hold his cheek, subconsciously making sure not to accidently put pressure by his black eye. You were still mad at Micah but it was nice to finally get some more alone time with him. 

You broke the kiss and whispered against his lips “On your knees”. If Micah was going to make it up to you, you were going to be the one in charge and you weren’t about to let him off lightly. Micah was surprised by the authority in your voice but something that surprised him even more was how arousing he found it.

He obediently kneeled in front of you. As he got comfortable, you stood and undid your pants. Micah immediately reached for your cock as you took it out of your pants, his hot breath against your length making you more impatient by the second. You tenderly pushed his hair away from his face and held the back of his head. Micah opened his mouth wide and slowly licked a stripe up the underside of your cock. You knew he was going slow on purpose, trying to get you as flustered as possible. You rocked your hips forward, groaning as he started to suck around you.

Your grip on his hair tightened as you thrusted into his mouth. Micah gagged around your shaft as it hit the back of his throat. “Such a good slut for me” you said, pumping your cock in and out of his mouth. Micah’s brow creased, obviously not appreciating the comment. 

You pushed his head down until your entire length was in his mouth, his nose pressing against your skin. You could see him struggle to breath, not used to you being so deep in his mouth. Micah closed his eyes as he focused, trying his hardest not to gag again. Slowly, you pulled out. He gasped, taking a couple deep breaths before looking up at you. He had a small smirk on his face as he took your cock again.

Micah tried to keep his jaw loose as you roughly fucked his mouth. You rammed your cock as far as you could, before quickly pulling out again. You quicken your pace, losing yourself in the moment. You loved seeing your length in his mouth, seeing how he gagged and his eyes watered. It was all too much but you didn’t want it to end. 

You harshly tugged Micah’s hair, jerking his mouth away from your shaft. He stared up at you with wide eyes and spit smeared across the side of lips and on his horseshoe mustache. Oh, what a pretty sight. “Take off your pants” you ordered gruffly.

Micah did what he was told, quickly getting rid of his pants to expose his hard cock. He kept his shirt on which was barely kept closed by two flimsy buttons. You reached over to your satchel by the chair and grabbed your container of hair pomade. You didn’t have to tell Micah what to do next. As you threw your satchel over by the chair again, you watched as he got down on all fours, his ass facing you. You smirked, loving every second of this.

"Well you got into this position quickly" you teased, your hand on his ass cheek. Normally Micah was the one to tease you but on this rare occasion, you were the one in charge. Micah glanced over his shoulder to scowl at you, not used to being the one taunted. You leaned forward so that you spoke directly against the back of his ear "You know I'm not going to take it easy on you, Bell". You gave his ass cheek a harsh slap, smiling when a soft moan spilled from Micah’s lips.

You generously applied some hair pomade to Micah's hole before pressing a finger in. Micah lowered his head as you slipped your index finger in and out of him. You didn't waste time in adding another finger, curling and scissoring them as you did. A loud moan came from him as he began to rock his hips backwards, into your fingers. "Oh, you want more?" you growled into his ear.

He grunted in response but you wanted to hear him say it. "If you want something you're going to have to say it" you said, pulling your fingers out and resting your hand on his ass again. You roughly kissed his neck, leaving marks as you waited for him to say it. "I..." he trailed off "I-I want... I want you to fuck me". You smiled, leaning back to properly line yourself up with his hole "That's all you had to say".

You pushed your cock into his entrance, groaning as you did. Normally he was the one pushing into you, he was the one whispering filthy things into your ear but now you were in charge. "Fuck, you're so tight" you exhaled, giving him a second to adjust to your length inside of him. As you began to thrust into him, you gave him the praise you knew he needed. "That's it," you said, holding on to his hips "so good for me, fuck, you're so handsome like this".

You noticed Micah try and move one of his hands down to touch his leaking cock. You slammed your hips into him, stopping him from doing so. "Did I say you can touch yourself?" you questioned. He opened his mouth to reply but all that came out was a whimper. You couldn't help it as a smirk crept on to your face. You never thought you'd hear Micah whimper. You fucked him harder, your hips snapping back and forth.

You grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked it, making Micah crane his neck back. He gasped, his face scrunched up in pleasure. "Christ, you make the prettiest noises" you muttered, letting go of his hair and moving your hand down to Micah's cock. You wrapped your hand around his throbbing cock, drawing another moan from the outlaw.

You slowed your pace but continued to thrust deep into him, the tip of your cock rubbing against his prostate. "You should fuck up more often" you said, running your thumb across his slit "I like seeing you like this, a moaning mess". Micah choked back another moan, his mouth slightly apart as he craved his release.

"Now you can touch yourself" you said, removing your hand from his cock. Micah took over and began jerking himself off as you focused on fucking him, chasing your own high. Micah came first, grunting as he did and you followed quickly behind him.

You took a few seconds to catch your breath before gently pulling out. "You alright?" you asked, shifting your weight to grab a few rags from your satchel. Micah huffed as he started to move, his joints stiff. You quickly cleaned yourself up, tucking yourself away before going to tend to Micah. You softly kissed his body as you cleaned him off, murmuring words of praise. Micah leaned into you, savouring your touch. You ran your fingers across his body, appreciating every inch.

"You did real good, taking me so well" you said, kissing his shoulder. He scoffed, acting as though he didn't need the compliment but the faint smile on his face told you otherwise. "How's your eye?" you asked, kissing the side of his neck.

"Fine," he mumbled "don't think it's infected".

"You wanna lie-down for a while?" you asked, subtly admiring the marks you had left along his neck.

He looked at you with hazy, content eyes "Yeah, I'd like that".

You led him over to the bedroll and settled down for the night. You held Micah, your hand slowly trailing up and down his back with a blanket enclosing the both of you. Micah nuzzled against your neck as he drifted off to sleep, drained from the long and eventful day.

You didn't fall asleep immediately. Instead you gazed up at the night's sky and smiled. Yes, Micah was a hard guy to get along with, everyone knew that. But there was something about him you couldn't shake. You knew when the gang hears about the mess he made in Strawberry there'd definitely be some arguing but that was a problem for tomorrow. 

All you wanted to do now was enjoy the moment. Micah let out a small snore. You lowered your gaze to look at him and lightly kissed the top of his head. As you dozed off, the smile on your face stayed as you held him a little tighter.

[im-not-a-writer]

Male Eivor x Reader ~Fear~

-Hey everyone! Wow it’s been.... A really long time since I’ve written anything here... Well with AC Valhalla coming out I thought it was only fitting if I add Eivor to my list! Enjoy everyone, let me know if there’s anything you want me to write next!- 

TW: mentions of blood 

The sun was drifting close to the horizon as the day had finally come close to its end and Eivor was still searching through Grantebridge. As most of the merchants were packing up for the night and preparing to return to their families Eivor was jogging from stall to stall, looking up and down for any sight of the girl he was supposed to be watching but there was absolutely no sight of her. After the last merchant had closed up shop for the night he sighed and rubbed his sore neck wishing the gods would stop wasting time and take him already. Making his way back to his horse he pondered where she could have gone, searching the recesses of his mind for any clues. She said that she needed supplies and obviously that’s why Eivor came to the market but he had been looking for her for some time now and if she was getting supplies here then someone would have at least seen her. His steed nibbled on his sleeve slightly and Eivor put a hand on the horse's broad neck, patting him gently and sighing once more. 

“Why do I always get put in charge of people hm?” He leaned his head against his horse’s neck and received a huff in response. 

Eivor stopped to think, if one was going to collect supplies but wasn’t doing it at a market then where would they go? His first thought was to raiding but there’s no way that this Saxon girl was storming a monastery anytime soon, although he would have paid good money to see her try. Eivor then, shaking the comical idea from his mind, realized at once where she went although he was not too excited to go and look for her. He mounted his horse and spurred him down the road and off towards the woods nearby, whipping past trees and fields as they went. As the sun began to droop lower into the sky the world faded into twilight. The warm orange of sunset was melting lower past the horizon and was being replaced with purples and blues, all swirling in the clouds as the last few rays of light sliced through the sky. Specks of starlight were poking through the sky as Eivor raced to the forest, the tree tops being doused in an inky black darkness as the sun began to set. It was dangerous out in the woods at night, especially for a girl who had brought nothing but a basket and a small hatchet with her. As far as Eivor was concerned, she was easy prey for anything out there whether it be man or beast, and he certainly did not want to see her harmed by either. 

He slowed his horse from a strong gallop and listened closely to the silent and thick air of the woods. As he rode further the trees began to grow tighter, the roots rose out of the ground threatening to trip his horse. Branches scratched at his cheeks and caught his tunic forcing him to halt his horse and dismount, sending his steed off back the way they came. 

“Don’t worry boy, I’ll be back soon.” he patted his horse fondly and turned to face the expanse of growing darkness in front of him. 

He pulled out a torch and kneeled down to light it, striking over it with a shard of flint and sending little sparks flying from between the rocks. The sparks caught and a flame slowly grew over the torch, consuming the alcohol soaked cloth at the end and roaring forth in a bright flame that illuminated the path ahead with an orange glow. Eivor trekked forward, stopping once in a while to listen to the shaking of the leaves and the rustle of small creatures until a sound forced him still. It was clear, bright, it sliced through the night like a razor and it brought a cold sweat to Eivor’s brow. Wolves. The howl was loud, but not too close, and there was only one which so far was a good sign but he worried about the rest that would soon be following. He sped up his pace while trying to be as silent as possible. Step after step he calculated his way forward, heading towards where the sound of the howl came from. Soon he emerged in an oblong clearing with a rock protruding out of the ground, jutting up against a slight cliff of more jagged rock. 

“Get away you beast!” A tired but spirited voice cracked from the rock. 

Eivor looked forward and felt his heart lighten slightly at the sight of the girl he had been looking for. She was standing on the rock with her back against the cliff frantically waving a piece of firewood in the face of the snarling creature in front of her. The wolf’s hair stood straight up and it’s growl permeated the air in a low hanging rumble. Eivor felt his chest tighten again at the sound and he tried to reach for his axe. His hand froze, fingers close to the handle but refusing to move. He could feel his heartbeat in his ears and his neck, sweat continued to develop on his forehead and he could do nothing but stare and shake. His breath and his entire form was telling him to just turn around and run for it, but as he watched her swat at the animal with nothing but a mere twig in hand Eivor found himself going against his body's wishes. With a breath to collect himself and a quick prayer to Odin he ran forward and before the wolf could turn around he plunged his hidden blade between the animal's ribs and felt as the breath escaped its mouth and its muscles finally relaxed. The animal slumped to the ground in a heap of grey fur, blood dripping out of a single clean cut. 

“Eivor! You found me!” The girl chimed, looking incredibly relieved. 

“Luckily, or you would have become a feast. What were you doing out here?” He replied, nudging the wolf carcass with his foot as he raised an eyebrow towards her trying to seem as natural as possible. 

“Like I told you I was getting supplies.” She raised her nose slightly at him. 

“The market was open, why didn’t you just go there?” He asked as he looked at the tree line, wary of any yellow eyes staring back at him. . 

“Because…” She looked down at her collection of firewood, “Because I didn’t like the type of wood they had at the market…” 

Eivor smirked and crossed his arms, knowing full well that was a lie. He was starting to feel much more comfortable now with her here, it was incredible how she could stare down the snout of a beast and still be trying to fool him. He waited for her response. 

“... OK! Ok, I forgot all of my silver and I didn’t want to bug you for anything so I thought I could go to the woods and get supplies myself and meet you back at the market before you even noticed… but I got a little bit lost… and then I got cornered…” She looked up at him slightly and cracked a small pitiful smile in appeasement and Eivor simply smirked in return. 

“Well, you’re very lucky that I found you but you can’t run off like that again, there was only one wolf this time but what happens when it’s the whole pack?” He looked back down at the dead wolf and felt a shiver go up his spine. 

“I will scream for help louder next time then,” She smiled brightly at Eivor and he could feel the shiver be replaced with warmth. 

“Ok well, we need to get out of here before we run into the rest of them, one wolf of this size is formidable enough but a whole pack is something I’d rather not deal with.” He leaned over and grabbed her basket and offered her a hand down from the rock. She smiled and took it, climbing down and taking her basket from him. He kept an eye out on the tree line as he pretended not to notice her holding onto his arm and they started to walk back towards the forest path together. 

“You had a hatchet with you, yes?” Eivor said, still listening to his surroundings. 

“Oh! Yes! I almost forgot about it!” She replied, holding onto him a little tighter as the trees closed in around them. “I wonder where I left it…” 

“You should be more careful, coming out here all by yourself without a real weapon is a death sentence.” His gruff voice delivered the slight sting of being reprimanded but also showed a deep care and concern which made her heart positively melt with every word. 

“I know… it’s just you were busy and I didn’t really feel like dragging you out of your important meeting with Soma.” She said as she brushed aside a stray branch. 

“I would have followed you out here regardless.” He said ducking slightly under a limb. 

He could tell that she was getting a little tense and she tightened her hold on his arm, “I disagree, whatever she had to say was much more important than following a smith to the woods.” 

Eivor shot her a side glance and narrowed his eyebrows and just as he was going to press further into what she meant he stopped. He lowered himself to the ground and pulled her close, putting a hand over her mouth softly and looking around. He could hear something. A crack of twigs and a rustle of leaves from his left and a brush of the ground from his right but at this point the night had advanced so much it was almost pitch black and he had left his torch back at the clearing. He stopped and waited, breathing slowly and trying to calm himself down. The girl in his arms shook slightly, either from the cold or from fear he didn’t know. Tightening his grip around her he removed his hand from her mouth and started to reach for his axe, slowly, this time his hands were quick to obey as he grasped the handle and pulled it out. He looked down at her and nodded slowly, hoping she understood the signal. Slowly, he started to rise, careful to balance his weight exactly where it had been as to not make any sounds. In one second he pushed the girl out of his arms and turned to his right, racing forward to sink his axe into the neck of a wolf ready to pounce. The girl tripped but gathered herself and sprinted forward, racing through the trees, ducking and pushing her way out of the woods as Eivor was left face to face with his worst fear. Before him stood a huge, black furred wolf with gleaming yellow eyes and an array of yellow fangs dripping with spit. The wolf twitched and lowered its head, growling and snarling as it’s massive paws depressed into the ground. Eivor could feel fear seep in, his heart was racing and his limbs shaking and disobeying. Wide eyed he stared at the creature in front of him as he shrank slowly, feeling once more like a child on a frozen lake. He knew what those teeth would feel like ripping into his skin, he’s felt it before. He knew what those claws could do, the pain they were designed to bring. Eivor felt himself shrink into a child, small and helpless, his years of warring and raiding melted away, his muscles evaporated as he felt himself become weak and small. The wolf stepped closer, the rumble of it’s growl growing. 

“EIVOR!” A voice screamed from somewhere in the distance but the fog surrounding Eivors mind was too thick, he scarcely even recognized his own name. “EIVOR!!” Once again there it was, Eivor twitched and turned slightly but he was too afraid to take his attention off the animal in front of him. 

“EIVOR YOU BLOCK HEAD- DUCK!” The voice screamed at him and finally he recognized it, his body snapped into motion as he fell to the forest floor as metal whipped overhead. 

The wolf exclaimed a high yip and fell to the ground in a slump of fur and teeth, twitching as life drained from it. Eivor dared not to look up, he wasn’t sure what had happened but he was too afraid even still to move. That duck had been the last push of his might. 

“Eivor! Are you alright!?” The voice spoke, the girl he was supposed to be watching swooped down and grabbed his shoulders. 

She could feel him shake through his many layers and pulled him close, “Eivor are you hurt?” She asked, concerned.

He could feel some sense returning to him as he melted in her embrace, he wrapped his large arms around her and collapsed into her lap, breathing frantically and heavily. She wasn’t sure what to do, she had never seen a man this formidable this scared before. She gently stroked his hair as he shook the fear out of his body and tried to force his breath back to normal. 

“Everything is going to be ok Eivor, he’s dead.” Her soft voice drifted into his ears and he tried so hard to be normal again but he continued to tremble. “Look,” She brought his face up from her lap and gestured to the dead wolf in front of him. “See?” 

Eivors stomach lurched slightly but reason took over as he saw the hatchet sticking out of the wolf's forehead, blood staining the blade slightly. 

“I see you… found your hatchet” He nervously laughed as he sat himself up and took a handful of deep breaths. 

She stared at him slightly, running a hand through his hair once more and smiling at him gently. “He can keep it,” She joked. “Come on, we need to get out of these woods.” 

The two found themselves back in Grantebridge, weary, a little bloody, and ready to collapse. Soma had arranged a room for them in the longhouse and neither of them had the energy to oppose. They walked into the longhouse, warmth circling them from the large hearth in the center, they could hear slight bouts of chatter as they walked towards their room but they didn’t have the energy nor the care to listen. Eivor watched as she walked in the room first, she took a look around and her eyes landed on the bed. 

“Don’t worry I can sleep on the floor,” Eivor spoke up, breaking their comfortable silence. 

“Oh… Yes… I suppose…” She started to flush at the cheeks as the Dane started to take off his cloak and unsling his weapons. 

Quickly she turned around and stared at the large bed before her. There were furs of all kinds draped over the bed and many pillows, it looked terribly inviting but incredibly lonely as well. She knew however, the consequences of a Saxon woman letting a Dane sleep in her bed, as unfortunate as it was she couldn’t get herself in an uncomfortable position that would damage either her, or her fathers reputation. She looked back slightly at Eivor, he was down to his tunic now. He looked different without all those layers and weapons on, this way he looked so much softer. She stared for a little too long and turned back around, looking down at her dirty and tattered frock. She knew she couldn’t sleep in this but she also didn’t think undressing in front of a Dane was any better than sleeping in the same bed as him. 

Eivor folded his cloak and placed it on the ground next to the bear skin that would stand as his bed tonight. As he looked back up he noticed a lingering glance from the girl before him. A blush on her cheeks as she quickly turned the other way. “Sorry… Would you like me to sleep outside?’ He asked. 

“No! No.. I mean, of course not! I’m just… I’ve never…” She looked down at her hands and she fiddled with her frock, picking some dried mud off of it. “Um, well I’m going to put the candles out um… thank you for saving my life!” She hurried to the candles and hushed them out, darkness overtook the room and Eivor stood staring. 

He shrugged it off and lowered himself down onto the bearskin rug, he could hear the brief thump of her clothes hitting the floor and he forced himself away from any impure thoughts. He could feel his weariness start to take over him but every time he closed his eyes he saw the same thing. Those gnashing teeth, the curled snout, eyes of amber staring straight into his very soul. Every time he tried to relax his muscles he could feel those teeth in his neck and those claws ripping down his back. 

“Eivor…” A soft voice forced his attention. 

“Yes?” he replied, he could hear the sleep on her voice. 

“Could you…. If you wanted to…. Um…. come up here...please,” she stuttered. 

It caught the Dane off guard at first. He sat up slowly and turned to look through the darkness. “Are you sure?” he asked. 

“Um well, if you don’t want to I-” 

‘No, I want to.” He smiled slightly and stood up slowly. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable” 

“Well you just standing there staring at me is making me uncomfortable.” 

He laughed and smiled, walking towards the bed and placing his hand down on the furs. “Well in that case I’ll just keep my eyes closed.” 

He lowered himself down into the bed, careful to keep a respectful distance. 

“You could… come closer.” She said softly. 

Eivor moved slightly, “Is that better?” 

“A…. a little bit closer.” 

Once more he moved, he could feel the warmth of her body radiating at this distance, it was almost intoxicating. “Better?” 

“Just.. a little closer.” 

Eivor moved closer, he could feel her body against his and he could feel his face erupt in warmth. “Better?”

“Much… thank you.” She leaned back into him and sighed with content.

He wrapped his large arm over her waist and with a little tug pulled her flush against him. She smiled and prayed that this would never end. 

“Thank you for saving me….” Eivors low voice said softly. 

“I should be the one saying that.” She laughed and he could feel it through her back. 

They melted into each other's arms and he closed his eyes, in peace this time and just as sleep was starting to overtake him. 

“I won’t tell anyone.” She said, breaking him out of his slumber. 

“Hm? What?” 

“That Eivor Wolf-kissed isn’t made out of metal” She giggled and turned slightly to face him. 

He felt his heart quicken at the sudden closeness of their faces. “What is that supposed to mean?” 

“ Fear makes us human Eivor.” She smiled sweetly and looked into his eyes.

She leaned forward slowly and lingered just in front of his lips for a moment before leaning further and closing the gap between them. They kissed, softly, as if pushing too hard would cause the other to disappear. When they separated giggles and chuckles filled the room. They met once more before both of them felt the sweet sensation of sleep wash over them.

[that1fanficwriter]

Oblivious to Love

Pairing: Arthur Pendragon x reader

Summary: You are riding through the forest, finally getting the chance to catch-up with your best friend.

“I can’t believe my parents!” You complain “They always told me that I could marry whenever I want so I could marry for love. But now they say that I must find a suitable prince to court two fortnights from now or they will find someone for me.

“Don’t even get me started.” Arthur replied, with equal distaste to the meddling. “Agravain repeatedly invites other royalty to the palace to try and find me a wife. You have no idea how relieved I was when I heard that the royalty that was visiting this week was your family. All I want to do is try and rule Camelot as a just and good king. I don’t want to look for someone because the girl I love doesn’t love me back.”

“What in heavens are you talking about?” You exclaimed “Any girl would be desperate to be in the arms of the greatest king Camelot has ever seen. And if she can’t realize how incredible you are then she really isn’t worth your time. Though I suppose I’m one to talk when I too face an all too similar situation.”

“Now that I just can’t seem to believe. You are one of the most intelligent and stunning princesses for kingdoms, dare I say the world. How could anyone not love you?”

“I don’t think it’s that he doesn’t love me. I just think that he sees me more as a best friend or a sister than as a lover.”

Unbeknownst to both you and your heart-eyes king, Merlin had been trailing behind both of you. Frustrated with how oblivious the pair of you seemed to be to the other’s affections.

“For the sake of Camelot. Just kiss why don’t you? You both are so hopelessly in love with the other you can’t even see that your love is reciprocated!” Merlin bellowed at both of you.

“Merlin! What the hell are you doing here? And why are you following us?” Arthur questioned.

“Um, well. I was just collecting some very rare herbs for Gaius.”

“Sure you were Merlin. I totally believe you” Arthur replied sarcastically.

Realizing that this was going to go no where you finally popped into the conversation.

“Ok boys. Merlin why don’t you just go about your merry way. Arthur, why don’t we keep going. If my memory serves me correctly there is a beautiful little meadow ahead.”

So, Merlin departed back to Camelot, his goal to reveal your love for each other a success. You and Arthur continued on through the forest in silence for a few moments before you reached the clearing filled with wild flowers.

“Is what Merlin said true?” Arthur asked, breaking the silence as you both dismounted from your horses and tethered them to a tree.

“What?”

“Is it true. That you love me back.” He clarified, trying to keep his composure.

You hesitate, terrified of what his reaction will be.

“Yes. Yes I do love you. I have loved you for so long with every fibre of my being but I never thought you would love me back which is why I never tried to court anyone.” You finally admitted, with tears pricking your eyes.

“I’m so glad. Y/n I have loved you for as long as I can remember, you have no idea everything I would do for you. I would give up my title, power, everything I have for you to love me as I love you. I would even bring you the moon if you asked.” He said, beaming ear to ear.

“You don’t have to worry about any of that. I love you so much Arthur Pendragon. All I ask for is your undying love in return for mine and I will never need anything else.”

“Well then, Y/n L/n would do me the honour of courting me into marriage?” He smiled.

“Of course I will, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Arthur swept you up into his arms and finally kissed you after both of you yearning for this very moment for many long years.

[heavenseed76]

Contentment

Rating:G

Fandom: The Walking Dead

Summary: Daryl saves Paul from certain death and some truths are revealed

Warnings: Mentions of blood, death, canon-typical violence

When mothers lift cars off their children it is not because their love or fear make them super strong. It is because adrenaline will make a person immune to the sensation of pain. Their muscles and tendons are often irreparably damaged. Human beings will tear themselves apart for the people they love. Daryl Dixon was no different.

He couldn’t recall how he was able to get to Michonne’s horse, nor how he hauled the limp form of his friend onto the horse with him. He was vaguely aware that he could hear Dog whimpering somewhere behind him, punctuating the sound of another horse beside him. In his arms, Paul Rovia, wrapped in a saddle blanket, armor long forgotten, slumped forward. Every few minutes Daryl could feel the man tense beneath his arm, locked as if it was welded across Paul’s chest. The man in his arms was in pain, barely breathing, but thankfully alive. Daryl couldn’t think beyond getting Paul back to Hilltop, to Enid, to safety.

Riding in the fog made a trip that would have taken eons stretch even further. There was no sense of distance, nothing to mark the passing of the miles. The trip, longer still holding his friend’s life in his hands, seemed like a dream: the ubiquitous nightmare where you try to reach someone at the end of a long path and the faster you run, the further away they become. With each gallop, Daryl could feel Paul’s life spilling out onto his chest, his arms, soaking the blanket he was wrapped in. He could feel the labored breath, deep pulls of air that went nowhere. At first Paul held on to Daryl’s arm as they rode, though they eventually fell away, too weak to hold on.

Through the fog, Daryl heard Aaron yelling for the sentries to open the gate at Hilltop before Daryl even saw the walls. Aaron kicked his horse into a sprint and easily passed Daryl’s horse. Seeing the end in sight, Daryl pressed his own heels into the flanks of the beast on which he rode and urged the animal to go faster. He followed Aaron straight to the medical trailer, where Enid and Alden were already helping him off his horse.

“No!” Aaron kept the wiggly bundle in his arms from slipping and motioned to Enid and Alden to help Daryl. “Get Jesus!” Without waiting for them to acknowledge him, Aaron rushed into the medical trailer.

Daryl brought his horse up short next to Aarons, and then there were too many hands, too many faces below him, pushing and pulling at Paul. At Enid’s insistence, her eyes full of dread and sympathy, Daryl broke the iron grip he had around Paul and let him slip gently into the waiting arms of Alden and Siddiq, who wasted no time making room for Henry and Kal to help carry his pale body into the trailer. He dismounted Michonne’s horse, letting someone with gentle hands take the reigns from him. He stood staring at the door, behind which two of the people he cared for most in the world could be dying, or worse, turning… Along with his beloved Dog.

He felt familiar hands on his arms, attempting to turn him aware from the trailer, and distantly heard soft words filter through the fog filling his mind, urging him to come away. Hot, angry tears spilled over and silently marked his blood-stained face and suddenly he was unable to catch his breath. He wanted to rush in and pull Paul back into his arms and never let go. If he died… If Paul turned… he needed to be there for that. But Aaron was in there, and he wanted to keep his friend from suffering that end alone.

“Daryl, come get cleaned up.” Carol’s voice was a solid mass he could anchor himself to, as his grief threatened to let him float away like ashes. He started to let her lead him into Barrington House, when Aaron came through the trailer door.

Eyes red, brows pulled in to etch lines of worry into his forehead, Aaron quickly made his way to Daryl.

“Dog’s gonna be OK. Paul…” Aaron’s voice wavered, but he swallowed and carried on. “Paul’s fighting. His lung collapsed and he lost a lot of blood.” Without warning Daryl pulled his friend into his arms, and with a sob he had been holding in the entire journey, Aaron hugged him back, fingers fisting in the worn leather of his vest. Watching them, the lump in Carol’s throat grew, and she had to cover her mouth with both hands to keep her cry from tearing a hole in the comforting bubble the men had made.

***

The sun burned away the fog that had settled over Hilltop, and the morning promised a beautiful day ahead. At a picnic table near the medical trailer, Aaron and Daryl sat vigil, their backs against the edge of the table top. Aaron absently cleaned his prosthetic arm with a rusty can of WD40 and a ragged bandana he kept for the express purpose. Like the Tin Man. Daryl thought. They were both clean, in clothes that didn’t smell like gore. Carol had not been able to coax either man into eating or trying to sleep.

“We’ve wasted so much time.” Aaron sighed and set the rag he’d been using aside. “This is a big damned wake-up call.” He was used to companionable silence with Daryl, used to holding up both ends of a conversation, so when Daryl didn’t respond, he just kept talking. “We’ve been lucky. To make it this long. But this world is still just as dangerous as it ever was. I feel so stupid…”

Daryl chewed his bottom lip, listening. He had been there when Aaron dove head first into being a father to Gracie, burying Eric’s death deep beneath the needs of a tiny, new being. It occupied his mind, it gave him an outlet for his affection and focused his energy. It did not, however, fill the gaping love-shaped void left when Eric’s corpse walked off into the woods. It was one of the many ways Daryl felt he had failed everyone in his life; it was one of the many reasons he walked off into the woods That Day, and didn’t look back. The seams holding his family together tore open That Day, and try as he might, he alone didn’t have the strength to stitch it back together. Neither did anyone else, apparently.

“I did it for you, you know.” Daryl said, his voice gravel in his throat.

Aaron turned his expressive blue eyes to Daryl’s, not having expected a two-way conversation. “Did what?”

Daryl looked away, unsure of himself. “Saved him. I know you two… I know he means a lot to you. I saw Dog attack that walker, and heard you yell, and I just, I don’t know man, I just couldn’t let him die…” Meeting Aaron’s eyes he said, “I didn’t want you to hurt no more.”

Something sparked in Aaron’s chest. Affection, love, gratitude… he didn’t know what or how many of those things he was feeling. He stared at Daryl for a long moment. There was only one thing he could think to say. “Thank you.” Aaron pressed infinitesimally closer into Daryl’s warm shoulder with his own.

Daryl nodded, glad he could make his friend smile, even if things didn’t turn out as well as they hoped. It had been hours, and except for Alden leaving to give Enid and Siddiq room to work, and getting Alex to come in to better assist, there had been little news of Paul’s welfare.

“I know you’ve been coming here to see him.” Daryl shifted nervously. “He make you happy?”

A man of few words, Daryl could say so much with so little effort. It took Aaron a moment to understand what Daryl was asking, and when the implication of the question hit him, he felt like he had been slapped. He scooted away from Daryl on the bench of the picnic table, so he could fully turn to face Daryl.

“You do know we’re just friends, right?” Aaron’s frown returned, and Daryl didn’t know how to respond. “We’re not… we’ve never… Jesus and I are good friends, that’s all.” Aaron watched confusion slide over the hunter’s face. If Paul weren’t dying behind the door of the medical trailer, Aaron may have laughed. “You know Jesus is… he’s in love with you!”

“No.” Daryl sat up taller, and Aaron could nearly see the walls being built around the other man.

“Yeah. He’s been in love with you since he brought you home from the Sanctuary! Daryl, how could you not know?”

The hunter stood, defiantly staring his friend down. “He don’t.” He tried to turn away, but Aaron was right there.

“He does. That’s what I meant! We all have to stop wasting time we might not have, Daryl!” Aaron grabbed Daryl’s bicep and swung around to face the stoic man. “I know you. I know you both. And if there’s anything I’m sure of, its that you two belong together. Even if I was interested, that man’s heart belongs to you!”

It was if the last brick fit into place in the fortress of Daryl’s heart. The realization that not only did Aaron see how he felt for Paul, but that Paul felt the same for him, and had made it a known fact. Overwhelmed with the severity of this revelation, Daryl’s dread swelled, and he felt as though all the oxygen had been sucked out of the world. The truth Aaron spoke filled his eyes with hot tears, of shame and joy and sickening worry. Seeing all this take shape in his friend, Aaron pulled him in for an awkward hug.

The harsh slap of the trailer door snapping closed brought the men up for air. Standing on the steps to the trailer was an exhausted Enid, covered in blood. Neither could move, holding their breath.

A smile bloomed on the woman’s face as she said simply, “He’ll be OK.”

***

In his own bed inside Barrington House, Paul Rovia looked smaller than Tara had ever seen him. The trip up the stairs and into the bed had worn him out, and he fell asleep almost immediately. He didn’t even flinch as she started a new IV in his hand. She watched him, his breath shallow and lips twisted in a pained expression. He was pale, his eyes sunken. Laying in his bed with only a bandage across his chest, his strong body laid bare and vulnerable, Tara took stock of all the things they would have lost if the man in front of her hadn’t made it home. Despite his reluctance, Paul was a good leader, and she tried every day to convince him of it. People loved and respected him because he was willing to go outside the walls and risk it all to strengthen them.

“How is he?” Daryl’s low rasp shook Tara from her reverie.

“Exhausted. He’s got some pain killers, so he’s comfortable enough to sleep.” Tara covered Paul in a thin blanket. “Come in. Sit. I’ll be back in a bit to check on him.” Sheepishly, Daryl entered the room, letting Tara give his arm and affectionate squeeze as she went past.

It had been several days since the cemetery, and Daryl had barely slept. Seeing Paul gravely injured had shifted something inside him, something Aaron had nudged to hang just the right way.

“Gonna keep watch on me?” Paul’s voice was just a whisper on his lips. He turned his palm up on the bed, an invitation.

Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, slipping his big hand into Paul’s smaller one. “Feelin OK?” He let his thumb caress the top of Paul’s hand.

Paul nodded, then winced, which Daryl caught even though he tried to hide it. “As long as I don’t move. Or breathe.” He gave a Daryl a thin smile. “You’re too far away.”

Daryl slipped off his boots and lay down beside Paul, mindful of the bandage across his chest. “This OK?”

Paul hummed affirmatively. His limbs were heavy, though he positioned himself close enough to lay he head on Daryl’s shoulder. He laced his fingers together with Daryl’s between their bodies. He could feel the other man relax against him, and if he hadn’t been so exhausted, Paul may have quipped at Daryl to make him blush.

“I’m sorry.” Daryl placed a firm, confident kiss on Paul’s forehead. “Wasted too many years. We have a chance now and I ain’t gonna fuck it up.” He reached over and felt the smooth skin of Paul’s temple with the back of his hand, reveling in the new-found ability to show his affection.

Paul took his hand, kissing the palm and then holding it to his chest, just above his bandage. “You better not. I love you, Daryl Dixon, but you know I will kick your ass.” Paul’s lips quirked up on one side and he peered at Daryl through heavy eyelids.

Daryl huffed a laugh and kissed Paul’s head again, snuggling into the warmth of the other man’s presence. They fell asleep, Paul holding Daryl’s hand to himself, so the hunter could feel every beat of his heart. That is where Dog found them, limping on a bandaged leg, letting Aaron help him into the bed to curl up at their feet, content.