#( some brushes before she met the group and her awakening draws near as she gets the nav )

[heroar]

" most are in favor of the phantom thieves? what does the public even see in them? if anything, it shows how lazy people become. they don't care about the means. they only want something that gets them the fastest and favorable results. it's not justice; it's unjust! " hand reaches and thumb rubs against her temple, hard, before a loud huff, " ... they can't keep getting away with this. " - sae (perhaps saura overhears this comment)

        THE ESSENTIAL SKILL GROWING UP WASN'T DRIVING, it wasn't the independence of phoning the doctor without your parents help or money-managing to survive next payday; it was blending in. it was being invisible to everyone else while people absorbed themelves in their own lives, or the glow of their phone screen. So stuck in routine like a tram on tracks that an obstacle or delays causes an obstruction which in turn brings more stress than need be, with autopilot engaged you never notice the an oddity or anything unless said thing threw itself upon your tracks...

    no one payed her any mind, no; the lack of the picturesque school girl one would usually visualise didn’t turn heads when she walked by but rather created a barrier as one would stand to keep a safe distance from an unpredictable dog; uneven chopped, dark brown hair, a buttoned up blazer but no skirt, tartan pants and polished shoes to fit a gentlemen, a bag hooked onto a rather broad shoulder...  from behind, the illusion it painted was her backward mask in an jungle to ward off tigers.  she looked like any other teenage boy.  shoulder leans against a support beam absorbed in their phone as the hustle of after the school crowd hurries through the station to catch their train, a series of overhead announcements and chatter bounce in their concrete prison of the subway; no where to be, nor was she in any rush to get home.

    and she would of very been absorbed in phone as any other person age would be, thumb swiping through messages mindlessly if it wasn’t for the slam of a notebook in frustration makes fern-green eyes break her trance and turn her head, a glance over her shoulder.  tuning back into the real world does the sound of cutlery and ceremic on wood does she realize she was just on the outskirts of a cafe that was about half-full of customers and quickly filling up with the odd suit and students all eager for the second dosage of caffiene or sweet that’ll get them through the rest of the day; one in particular sat alone, with a laptop and the assaulted notebook on the table, frustrated patrons aren’t an uncommon sight when people are running late or stressing over paperwork, SAURA nearly goes back to her scrolling but hiss of that blasted name that left  a bad taste in any copper’s mouth and left the streets chatting like sparrows.  the tracks, a change in her path... a butterfly effect ripples within those few beats of its wings when the name touches her ears and her head doesn’t turn back to her phone.

              the phantom thieves... a household name by now, how can you not hear of them. 

    SAURA leans further behind the pillar before she even realized, the hustle of the latest rush of communers began to slowly die down as the train took one crowd and a fresh crowd took it’s place; still noisy as hell, had it been further along in the day she would of never have heard the detective’s wits end. centralising her hearing to this one person talk; unjust huh...

             so when someone does their job better than them, it’s wrong?

    her grip tightens on her phone screen, her brows knitting together causing her eyes to harden like jade stones. what a load of-- 

     NOW she turns back to her phone, her annoyance is quickly replaced with confusion as her phone seems to flicker and a rather solid red square sat in the middle of the screen, an app...? she didn’t remember downloading this-- the student didn’t have long to ponder as the stares of officials were like arrows and her back was the target; they never took kindly to loitering students and their stances said enough that their shift might finally get interesting if she continues to outstay her welcome, hurriedly pocketing her phone and her hands in tow and leaves the detective to pulling her hair out over shibuya’s boogeyman.  the app would have to be dealt with later, right now she could kill for a melon soda...

[writeofmind]

a ghost?! (pt. 1)

Genre: fluff, slow burn, multi-shot <3

Pairing: College!Rosé x Reader

anon: Hi! If possible could you make a master list of all the fics and scenarios you have posted? 😅 I’d also like to request a blackpink college AU focused on Female Reader x Rosé 🥺 lots of fluff and maybe some slow burn and smut? I’d be happy with any Rosé fluff or blackpink fluff though 🤍🤲🏻 thank you 😊

A/N: hi, j anon! this is part 1/? of your slow burn college!au. :D I will try to make this as slow and fluffy as possible. i don’t have a specific plot that i’m sticking to rn, but i have general ideas that i’m very excited to write. that being said, feel free to send in suggestions as to how you want this story to go! (or you can leave it up to me, and be in for cute surprises >:) ) 

a ghost?! | caramel lattes | your favorite regular

-

There were two things that you learned from living your college life. One, you definitely weren’t a morning person, and two, your roommate was a ghost. 

Not literally. The thing was just that you had never formally met them; when you moved in, they weren’t home, and when you would wake up in the afternoons, they would already be long gone and out of the house. Your schedules never lined up with each other, so for the past few weeks, you’ve just been barely missing them, not even knowing their name. 

You didn’t mind, really. The apartment was kept clean at all times, so it really did feel like only you lived there sometimes. But, you can say: if your roommate was a ghost, then they were the loudest ghost. Ever.

It was just your luck to be paired with them, too; they would be up at the crack of dawn, most times even earlier. You’d often wake up in the mornings to music playing or their (you’re sure you can say her) voice singing along. If you were being honest, the latter was your preferred way of waking up. She did have a wonderful voice, and you wished you could get yourself out of bed to tell her that; but she just woke up way, way too early. 

Today was another one of those days. Music was blasting in the background, yet another replay of “Call Me Maybe.�� 

Ugh, god... you raised your head at the rude awakening, squinting your eyes at the door. Not this song again.

Based on what little you knew about your roommate, you had an image in your head of what she may look like. To put it short, you imagined a sorority girl, in a way. The type that dance and sing along to pop songs, dresses in tank tops and jeans, partying everyday, that sort of thing. You figured that maybe she didn’t party a lot though, considering she was already home and sleeping when you would walk through the front door. 

You let your head drop back into your pillow. You were too groggy and beat from work the night before that you blocked out the song, blocked out your roommate’s singing, and fell soundly asleep once again as her music faded out the front door and into the hallways of your apartment. Jeez, that girl needed some headphones.

When you woke up a few hours later, the apartment was silent. There was a sigh of relief from you, and you groaned as you stretched your entire body out. Class started in about an hour and a half, so you decided not to laze around in bed and instead get ready for the day.

When you walked into the kitchen to grab something quick to eat on your way to campus, you smelled something delicious. Sniffing the air, you smelled... something spicy? 

Sure enough, when you walked inside, there was a pan of tteokbokki sitting right on the stove. The aroma of the spiciness itself made your mouth water the closer you got to it- then, you saw a note next to it, sitting right under a bottle of water.

Good morning, roomie! I heard you come home late last night, (not that I was trying to be a stalker, but I couldn’t sleep so I was still up when you got back. Crazy, right?) Anyway, I figured you didn’t eat because I didn’t hear you in the kitchen, so I made extra tteokbokki this morning for you to take with you. I made it a little too spicy, so make sure you grab the water too!!

- PC

Your eyebrows raised higher the further down you read the note. She made you breakfast? And packed you a water? 

How sweet of her, you smiled. You wasted no time in scooping a whole bunch of the delicious rice cakes onto a plate and devouring every single piece. (She was right, though, it was super spicy.) 

That was really sweet of her. I should do something for her, too. I feel bad that I haven’t thought to even leave a note. And PC, huh? I wonder what that could stand for. I should make a mental note to ask. 

After eating and cleaning everything up, you realized that you wasted a little too much time in your own head and was running a bit behind schedule. You grabbed the water bottle quickly and ran as fast as you could out the door, into the elevator, and out the main lobby of your apartment. You didn’t even notice the blonde haired girl you almost ran into along the way. 

-

When you were finished with your school day, you always dreaded having to go to work afterwards. Not that it was a terrible job, you were just a barista at a café near campus, after all- but you would be tired and drained after pulling afternoon to closing shifts.

So there you stood, leaning against the counter top at your job as you sipped away at a small cup of espresso. You and your coworkers chatted absentmindedly. It wasn’t too busy tonight, except for a few straggling students that stayed to study. Your manager had even offered to let you go home early, but you decided you needed the money- you were practically getting paid to stand around, anyway.

The bell on the door jingled after what seemed like hours (and maybe it was). Your coworkers, all clowns, hid away from the incoming group of customers and shuffled behind the counters, leaving you to take care of them all. You glared at them and groaned internally, but that was the rules of a college student barista. If you’re not fast enough to hide, you face the consequences.

“Hey, guys,” you put on your smile as you approached the register, “what can I get for you tonight?”

When the girls got closer, you were glad that your hat was a bit too big for your head. It covered the burning read at the top of your ears at the sight of how pretty they were— all four of them, to be exact.

One of the shorter ones smiled back at you. “Hiii,” she greeted, “do you guys know what you want?”

The redhead of the group spoke up first. “Yes, can I just have a tea, please?” She turned to the other girls, “I noticed that my voice has been kind of raspy from rehearsal. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

You minded your own business as you punched in the order. “Of course, and for you?” You looked at the tall brunette, who was squinting at the menu board. You had to hide a laugh as you slid a smaller menu to her. “Here you go, our menu is printed kind of small.”

“Oh my gosh, thank you,” she laughed and took the menu in her hands. The shorter one that spoke earlier laughed too and simply pushed the brunette’s hands down. 

“Can we just get two large white mochas, please?” 

You smiled as you punched in that order too. “Of course.” You now turned to the final girl of the group, who stood silently, staring back and forth at the pastries in the case and the menu board. “For you, miss?”

When she looked up at you, you froze. 

Wow, she was cute. 

She smiled at you so sweetly, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear. “Um, yes please, can I get all of the vanilla scones that are in here? Oh, and a caramel latte, please.”

Just from eyeballing the case, there were at least 10, if not a couple more scones in there. You glanced at her with a humorous smile and nodded. “Yeah, no problem.”

As you punched in the order, you made sure that you only rang her up for four scones. It was almost near closing time anyway (you told yourself that, but really you still had a couple hours left), and you didn’t want to have to waste any pastries. 

“Can I have your guys’ names for your drinks?” You popped the tip off of your sharpie. 

The redhead, again, spoke first. “Jisoo.” 

Then went the brunette. “Lisa,” she then pointed to the shorter one, “Jennie.”

Lastly, you turned to the blonde. Again, she smiled, and nodded when she spoke. “Rosé.”

Such a pretty name, you thought to yourself. You made it a point to draw a little flower next to her name, just for funsies. You let them know that their drinks would be ready soon, and you gathered all the scones in the case for the girl to have.

The girls didn’t notice the price difference at first when they paid. After calling out their names for their orders, it wasn’t until they sat down at their table with their drinks and snacks that they realized something was off. 

It was Rosé who came back up to the counter as you were wiping it down. 

“Um, hi,” she spoke softly as if not to surprise you, “I’m sorry, but I think there may have been a mistake?”

You looked up at her from the counter with raised eyebrows. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was your drink wrong?”

“No, not at all! It’s great,” she shook her head and showed her bag of scones, “but, um, I think you mischarged me for these.”

Ah, so she did notice. “No miss, that’s okay,” you laughed at her innocence and honesty. Her face even looked worried just from you saying that. “We’re going to be closing in a couple hours anyway, and to be honest, the scones can be a bit overpriced when you buy a lot. Don’t worry about it.”

Her eyebrows were furrowed in the cutest way possible. “But— are you sure? You won’t get in trouble?”

“I’m sure, I’m sure. It’s fine, really miss.”

“Aww... well, thank you—” she beamed and squinted at your name tag, “Joy.”

Aw, shit. You internally slapped yourself in the face, I put on the wrong apron. 

Of all days to be talking to a cute girl, you weren’t even wearing the right apron with the right name tag. You really didn’t want to have to explain yourself and essentially embarrass both you and the girl right now, and you were quite frankly a bit shy already from talking to her for as long as you have. So you just smiled back. “It’s no problem, Rosé.”

With a giggle, the girl turned back around and hopped over to her table, where you could hear her recounting your conversation. You chuckled.

-

As your shift went on, the students inside the café began to disperse and pack up their bags to head home. One of the last students to leave was the group of girls you served earlier, and they even made sure to call out “bye, Joy!” as they left. Your coworkers looked at you funny but ended up laughing at your awkwardness once they realized your mistake.

“Oh, come on, y/n!” One of your best coworkers, Seulgi, laughed, “Now you’re gonna be known as Joy to them! Joy is not going to be happy.”

“Look, man, I didn’t wanna correct her, alright??” You sighed and palmed your forehead, “I got nervous!”

“Ah, well,” your other coworker Yeri shrugged, “at least you may not see her again. So you don’t have to be too embarrassed.”

Your shoulders dropped at the sound of that. You may not see her again? Boo. 

Your closing shift went by smoothly and before you knew it, you were walking through the threshold of your already dark apartment. You saw that your roommate’s door was closed and her light off, but her shoes were on the shoe rack, so you knew she was already sleeping. 

You almost went straight to your room to knock out before remembering what your roommate did for you this morning. You didn’t want to just leave her hanging and make yourself seem ungrateful, so you grabbed a post-it note and a pen.

Hi there, roomie, you began, thank you for the tteokbokki this morning! It was delicious, actually, and I only needed a few gulps of water between each bite. (lol, i’m just teasing, it really was good. i love spicy food.) i’m not sure if you like flavorings in your coffee, let alone if you like coffee or not, but here’s some for you for the morning, since you’re usually up earlier than me. you can use any of my coffee cups, i have way too many.

- y/n

After setting up the coffee machine to brew in the early morning, you stuck the note on top and dragged yourself into your room to get ready for bed. 

-

The next morning, you woke up to silence. No music, no singing, nothing. And it wasn’t early in the morning- it was the usual time you yourself would get up and out of bed.

Huh? you wondered, This feels... unnatural.

You got yourself out of bed and ready for your day as you normally would. You walked into the kitchen for your usual breakfast of coffee and a single granola bar, when you saw yet another note waiting for you on the kitchen table.

it’s no problem at all! i almost thought you hated the tteokbokki when i didn’t see any feedback when i got home. TT TT it’s so funny that we haven’t even met yet. btw, i’m sorry i’m loud in the mornings, i never realized how late you got home every night. i’ll let you sleep in more. :) and you’re so sweet, thank you for letting me use one of your cups, and thank you for the coffee this morning :)

p.s, just so you know a fact about me too, i love caramel in my coffees.

- PC

[windup-dragoon]

I have absolutely no idea why this exists. But it does now. bahaha. Good luck reading it. 

【Ｌｉｔｔｌｅ　Ｂｌｏｓｓｏｍ】

Word Count: 1,437

Hanami could only stare at the blank pages lain out across her small lap. Paper crafted not even yalms away from the very garden she occupied, empty and void of silly drawings or intricate writings. Mismatched eyes drifted slowly upward to search the smiling features of her mother. 

“Mama,” She began to plead with a pout. “There’s nothing written! Where are the stories?” 

A tender hand reached down and brushed aside raven hair from the girls freckled cheeks. Hanami absently leaned into the gentle touch, the warmth of her mothers hand. It was calloused and worn, just like her fathers, but delicate. She always found it comforting. 

“The stories are with you. I’ve told you countless tales of my own, but what of yours? I want to read all about your adventures, little blossom.” Her mother smiled. Hanami had to squint against the sunlight dancing through the cherry blossoms, making her mothers hair as blindingly white as the sun itself. 

Excitement swelled in Hanami’s chest, her lungs near bursting with a sudden intake of summer air. “Really?! You would read them?! And Papa?” 

“You might have to read them to your father,” Her mother teased with an airy laugh. “But he’ll love them too.” 

“Truly? How about Alphinaud? Alisaie?! Oh, but she would like adventure stories... Illya?! Can I write about Shuri and Yume? Laurelis too!” 

“Hanami,” A hand came to rest on the bouncing girls shoulder, her mother pulling her close and embracing her. “Write your stories. Anything at all. Make it your own. I want to read them all.” 

Hanami buried her face against her mothers chest, still filled with boundless energy. As gentle as the spring breeze she could hear her hum. Hanami joined her, singing the familiar song her parents made just for her. A blossom lullaby. 

- - - 

‘Hello, Book! 

Mama said to start small. We took a trip to the Ruby Sea today! I met lots of people and had yummy fish on the beach! I hope we go again soon!’ 

- - - 

‘Morning, Book! 

Alisaie came by for a visit! She gave me a bunch of sweets from Kugane. I love when she visits. Mama and Alisaie went to talk while Papa and I ate all the sweets. But shh! Papa says Mama will get jealous.’ 

- - - 

‘It’s nighttime now, Book. 

But I can’t sleep. When I went to Mama she was talking to Papa about leaving with Alisaie. Where are they going? Do I get to go with? I want more sweets from Kugane! Or maybe they want to see that big tower? The one that touches the sky!! I’m going to climb it one day when I’m big and strong like Mama.’ 

- - - 

“Mama,” Hanami tugged at her mothers hand, missing the supportive touch it used to bring. But clad in metal and leather as it was now, Hanami couldn’t feel her warmth. “Will you be back soon?” 

Metal clattered against the stone of the docks as the older woman knelt for Hanami. Red and blue eyes, fire and ice, searched the little girls face. Hanami had always wished she had gotten her mothers blue eye; her own mismatched eyes a single pale green like her fathers and her mothers ruby eye. The blue was much prettier in Hanami’s opinion. 

“Of course.” Gloved as it was, she brought her hand through Hanami’s messy black hair, brushing it from her cheeks. She leaned forward until their foreheads touched. “I’ll be home before you know it, little blossom.” 

- - - 

‘Alisaie promised more candy when they return, Book! I can’t wait. Papa must have been happy for candy too. So happy he was crying.’ 

- - - 

‘Az’hala stopped today on his way to see Yugiri! They took me to the House of the Fierce. I’m not supposed to tell Papa, but Az’hala let me throw fake knives today! He said Mama would be proud! I’m going to be just as strong as her one day!’ 

- - - 

‘Papa brought me out to some old place today. He said it was a castle! He wants to rebuild it so we can live there! He told me stories of Mama today and gave me lots of hugs. I miss her, Book.’ 

- - - 

‘Does Mama know today is the Harvest Festival? We never miss it! Papa, Yugiri and Az’hala said we’re still going, but what about Mama? She loves the fireworks! Mama, come back soon!’ 

- - - 

‘Book? 

I’m sorry I ruined a few of your pages. I wanted to draw lots of pictures for Mama but I miss her. I started crying on my drawings. Papa hugged me tight and sang to me. He used a page to blow his nose.’ 

- - - 

“Alphinaud and Illya too?” Hanami peered out one of the windows at the gathering of people in the courtyard. What sort of party were they having without her? 

Hanami raced outside, slipping past Az’hala at the door without being noticed. 

“Shuri, Yume! Laurelis! Illya!! Nice to see--....” But Hanami’s words faltered. The group had quickly turned their attention to her, as if she were interrupting them, but it wasn’t their stares that made Hanami hesitate. 

It was her father staring up at the clouds that quieted her words. His muscles were tensed and his jaw fixed. Then came the rain.  

- - - 

“W-What does that mean?” Hanami demanded, her tiny hands slapping the tea table. “What do you mean she’s lost? Then go find her!” 

Illya’s lavender eyes glistened. Shuri buried her face in her hands. Laurelis lowered her ears and suppressed a sniffle. Yume turned to Aymeric. 

“Hanami,” Her father begged, pulling her close. “It isn’t that easy.” 

“She gets lost in Kugane all the time! I can prove it! Let me help look for her!” Hanami struggled against her fathers embrace. “I’ll find Alisaie, Isho and Mama! I can do it, just let me go! Lemme go find Mama!” Tears spilled over freckled cheeks. Eyelashes dampened, clinging to her cheeks. A hiccup caught in her throat before her small voice cracked. “I wanna see Mama!” 

Her fathers arms tightened around her as she slumped against him, his own cheeks wet from crying himself. “So do I, Hanami.” 

- - - 

Hanami’s mismatched eyes wandered aimlessly across the scribbles on the papers before her. She took in the rough, childish drawings she had long ago etched into the pages. Of the forgotten adventures she had transcribed upon the pages. A few short years felt like a lifetime ago. She could still feel the sting of each memory as she read them over and over again as cherry blossoms danced in the breeze. 

She recalled the warmth of her mothers hand, so worn from endless battles. It was such a comforting feeling, like a child’s blanket. The way her fingers would tug at her raven hair, pulling it back and braiding it for her. 

She remembered her smile, so gentle and knowing. Or the way they all laughed together. All high spirits and good fun. It had been a while since she heard her father laugh like that now though. 

Hanami felt her heart ache in her chest. 

“Lord Hien!” Az’hala’s voice cut through the haze of memories. A cry that would awaken any Doman. “Lord Hien!!” 

Hanami carefully pieced her book back together before rousing from her spot in the garden. She had wanted to write one more adventure. One more story before leaving the book behind. But it would have to wait. Everyone seemed struck with a sudden energy. Even Az’hala had whizzed by, practically kicking down the door to the estate in search for her father. When she turned her attention to the dock, her mismatched eyes widened. 

A boat had arrived. 

People lined the peer, cheering and shouting. Hanami rushed into the crowd and elbowed her way to the front. Of the group filtering off the boat, none seemed familiar to Hanami. Were they even Doman? Or traders here to sell? 

Her heart sunk. What had she been expecting? 

A hand caught her shoulder. Hanami tried to shrug it off but felt herself being tugged back. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. 

“I’m sorry but I’m busy-” 

“Is that so? Too busy even for me, little blossom?” 

The voice shook Hanami. The book in her hand fell at her feet. In a heartbeat she whirled on her heel, tears already stinging her eyes. 

Kirishimi grinned through her own tears and swept her daughter up in a tight embrace. 

“I missed you, Hanami. So much.” 

[golden-deer-dear]

History on Repeat, Chapter 2: Lost, Claude x Byleth Modern Fic

Summary: Byleth slept after she lost him, awakening ages later to Garreg Mach University. She is drawn into the friendly competition between dorm floors, an argument as to which D&D group is better, trips to coffee shops, and the questions into her own lost memories.

Claude could not help but be suspicious of Seteth’s niece who appeared out of nowhere, but there was something so familiar about her, something that made his heart ache. How had she appeared in his dreams years before either of them even came to the University?

Read on AO3.

Prologue Chapter 1

The stone was warm against his back as he laid down, folding his arms behind his head to serve as a cushion. Starlight winked down at him, making him feel more relaxed than he had felt in years. He picked out familiar constellations, the myths behind them floating through his mind.

“I knew you’d be up here.”

He couldn’t help but smile. He would recognize that melodious voice anywhere. “And I knew you’d find me eventually.”

She let out a soft hum, amusement lining her voice. “What would Seteth say if he caught us sneaking out on our own engagement party?”

She sat down next to him, and without even thinking about it his arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against his body. “He’ll get over it.” He kissed her, brushing back mint green strands of hair to tuck behind her ear. “Tomorrow I get to marry the most amazing woman in the world. No one could ruin this for me.”

Her laughter rang clear through the night air. She said something, and he responded with something equally amusing. But the dream was fading, and he could no longer make out the words. 

He could feel her straddle him, kissed her back when she leaned down to kiss him, hot and desperate. He felt his body respond to her, eager for her touch. But her smile and laughter, the beauty of her above him, slipped through his fingers.

Claude woke with a deep groan and slammed a pillow over his face. For a week now he had dreamed of the green haired woman. Sometimes he fought at her side. Sometimes they were matching wits in political battles. The last two nights, however, Claude found himself whispering words of love to her, kissing and touching her in only the way two people deeply in love would. 

“Great,” he said into his pillow, voice muffled by the fabric and stuffing. “I’m having fucking wet dreams about some fantasy woman my mind cooked up. Just wonderful.”

/

Byleth was bored. 

There were only so many times she could walk the estate before the repetitiveness of the action was no longer interesting or distracting. Flayn had shown her how to work the device known as a TV, but she was so far removed from knowing any cultural context that it all flew over her head. (She had found a few romance movies she enjoyed, but the majority made her sigh with disappointment. The overuse of small moments of miscommunication as a plot line was baffling to her.) Even the phone Seteth had given her had stopped working.

She needed to get out of the house. Her boredom was going to turn her to insanity at this rate. Which was why she was finding her way to the garage. Indech was there, as he always was, polishing a black car that was already spotless. He glanced up at her when she entered, but did not stop his task.

Indech was a broad shouldered man. When he stood still he looked more like a bulwark than a human. Byleth was certain she had never heard him speak, but like Flayn and Seteth, there was something about him that felt familiar. It was nowhere near as strong, more like a nagging at the very back of her mind than the comfort she felt with the other two.

She watched him for a few minutes, comfortable with the silence. Indech did not try to draw her into conversation, nor did he really expect anything from her. Byleth figured that was why she came to the garage so often the past few days and watched him work on Seteth’s collection of classic cars.

When Indech straightened and turned to her, Byleth finally asked, “Can you take me to where Flayn and Seteth are?”

Indech gave her a shrewd look, but eventually nodded. He led her over to another car, this one more convintinal than the previous one he had worked on. He held the passenger door open for her, and helped her with the seatbelt. Byleth had seen him take Flayn and Seteth into town, but never actually been in a car herself.

Indech got in on the driver’s side and they were off. The change in scenery did wonders for Byleth’s mood immediately. She leaned back in the plush seat, watching as the green acreage of the estate gave way to the roads and buildings of a small town. Buildings grew taller and closer together, more people were about to wander the streets. 

Indech eventually pulled the car up alongside a group of buildings, many people coming and going from each of them. Some of them did not seem to care about the multiple cars they were having to dodge as they ran to their next destination. 

Cars honked at Indech as he parked the car, seemingly somewhere he was not supposed to, but that soon stopped as soon as the large man stepped out of the car. He came around to the other side and opened the door for Byleth, offering her his hand to help her out. Once she was on her feet, he pointed to a building at the center of campus. “There,” he said in a deep and rumbling voice, somehow reminding Byleth of the sea. “Can you find your way?”

Byleth nodded. Sure the paths were packed, but it should not be too hard to find her way to the large central building.

Indech made a soft noise of acknowledgement, the rumble of waves against the shore. He then pointed again, this time across the street from the campus building. There was a shopping center, but Indech seemed to specifically be indicating a...well, Byleth was not sure what a Bergliez Smoothie was. “I will be there if you need me.”

When she nodded again, Indech ducked back into the car. Byleth watched him pull back into the traffic flow of the parking lot before turning back to the central building. Right. This would not be hard at all. She just had to get there, and then ask someone where Flayn was.

Of course, as disinterested as she had been in TV programming, once she was actually out and about in society, everything was fascinating. Byleth found herself wandering, letting the conversations about topics she could not even begin to understand wash over her. There was something about it all that made her feel at ease. Being here felt right.

It was only much later that she realized she had lost sight of the building Indech had pointed out. She couldn’t even retrace her steps, as she had not been paying attention to where she’d come from in the first place.

/

“But it’s ridiculous! How hard is it really to find chantilly lace!”

“But isn’t that stuff really expensive?” Annette interjected when Hilda paused to breathe. “It’s made by hand, right?”

But Hilda had stopped midstep. Marianne nearly ran into her back, scrambling at the last minute to rebalance her book on the integration of Fódlan and Almyran culture before it could hit the ground. “Hilda?”

Hilda jerked her head toward whatever had caught her attention. Marianne followed her gaze, and felt a similar jolt of shock. “Oh my!”

“Poor thing, she looks lost.” Marianne was glad Mercedes had interpreted their shock as something else entirely. “We should help her.”

Mercedes’ words seemed to spark something inside Hilda, and she quickly outpaced the other three women. “Hey!” Hilda shouted, gaining the woman’s attention. “You lost?”

Marianne hurried up to met Hilda, coming up alongside the woman. Her mint green hair was long and braided. Her eyes did not hold the fierce determination that came with battle. No, now they were confused, and slightly grateful as the group came to her aid. 

But there was no denying it. Before them stood Claude’s goddess.

The goddess nodded. “I was trying to find my uncle and cousin, but I got distracted and lost my way,” she admitted.

“What are their names? Perhaps we know them,” Mercedes said, her pleasant voice causing the woman to relax somewhat.

“Seteth and Flayn.”

Marianne saw her own shock mirrored on the faces of her friends. “Well, Seteth’s office is in the Cathedral Tower, but he usually doesn’t spend much time there,” Marianne said after a second.

“Flayn is usually running around all over campus as well,” Annette added. “But she does eventually always seem to end up at Gateway.”

“I mean, the easiest thing to do would be to text one of them and see where they are,” Hilda said. “You didn’t lose your phone too, did you?”

The goddess shook her head, pulling the device from her pocket. “No, but it’s not working anymore.”

She did not protest when Hilda took the phone from her hand, giving it a quick study. “I just think it’s dead. Don’t you have a charger?”

Marianne could tell Hilda was trying her best to maintain a pleasant demeanour, but the woman’s appearance had thrown her, and their conversation was only raising her suspicions. 

“I-um...no,” the woman admitted. “They didn’t explain that part to me.” She looked between all of them, worry in her eyes at their own shock. “I...I’ve been in a hospital for a very long time,” she said slowly. If Marianne had a less trusting nature, she would say the woman was repeating a line someone had told her. “I was in an accident as a child.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Mercedes clasped her hands in front of herself, pity replacing her earlier shock. “Well, we’ll be certain to show you around. Annie is right, Flayn usually does show up at Gateway, so if we take you there we’ll be sure to find her eventually!”

“Yeah!” Annette agreed, offering the woman a warm smile. “I’m Annette, by the way.”

“Mercedes.” Mercedes offered her hand, and after a moment of hesitation the woman mimicked her gesture. “But you can call me Mercie if you want.”

“I’m Hilda. And that’s Marianne.” Marianne was grateful when Hilda introduced her. She always found introductions a bit difficult and awkward. “And,” Hilda continued, “while I don’t have a charger that’ll fit this phone, I know Claude is at Gateway right now and he always carries his. I’m pretty sure it’s the one we need for yours.”

“Thank you.” The woman nodded, a soft smile on her face. “Oh, and I’m Byleth.”

Marianne felt a sudden sense of deja vu. She could not remember where she had heard the name before, but it sounded so familiar. Which was odd, as it was such a strange name to begin with. Perhaps in one of her history books. There were so many legends in Fódlan’s past it would not surprise her if Byleth was named after one of them.

“All right, Byleth!” Hilda hooked one arm around Byleth’s and began to drag her toward the campus cafe. “Let’s go find Claude!” 

/

“Monica, are you listening?”

“Hmm? Oh no. Sorry, I must have spaced out there for a moment.” Kronya only took her eyes away from the group of young women to look at her phone, swiping through the pictures she had just taken to make sure she had at least one good one of that dreadful woman’s face. “Actually, I just remembered an appointment I’m supposed to be at soon. I’ll see you all later.”

She ignored the protests as she stood to leave, pushing past students without giving a second thought to the curses they threw at her back. No, none of that mattered, not anymore.

The goddess’ little vessel, that terrible Fell Star, was awake once more. After so many years they could finally get their revenge on her. 

“Thales is going to be so pleased with me!” she practically sang to herself. 

One touch to the screen and the message was sent.

[shipersanonymous]

Au

WARNING : MAY CONTAIN CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR READERS UNDER THE AGE OF 18

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

************ Cliffhanger Warning ************

Earlier that day...

The alarm went off and Barry flung his hand out from underneath the covers towards the screeching device. One tap, two taps, three taps later and it finally grew quiet. As he drifted back to sleep the sound of a dragged shuffle grew louder as it got closer to him. A yawn sounded followed by a sleepy muffle that carried in it a message along the lines of "Dude, we're gonna be late".

His roommate shuffled out and Barry listened to his retreat before returning his attention to the task at hand but unfortunately it was too late. The need to sleep had left him. Like a brainless being he rose from his bed, tripping over everything before him (including air) and walking his way to the bathroom. As soon as the cold water hit his face his senses came to life. He awakened completely and with his new and alert state came a radiant smile that seemed to be permanently plastered on to his face. A quick shower and teeth brushing later and he was back in his bedroom, dancing around in nothing but his jeans and a pair of socks while he picked out a shirt.

"You can't find a partner use a wooden chair, let's rock. Every body lets rock. Every body in the...." a knock on his door stopped him mid lyric and he turned away from his cupboard to give the new comer permission to enter. Cisco popped his head in through the door with a licorice stick (his breakfast of choice) hanging from his mouth.

"Yoh Elvis Presley, can you hurry up with the sequins we're gonna be late."

"Late for what?"  Barry asked settling on a plain white t-shirt and throwing a navy blue cardigan on over it.

"The investors meeting at S. T. A. R. Labs? The people who are funding our internship are gonna be there so they want us to be there too? Any of this ring a bell?" he asked swinging the half eaten piece of candy in the air like a magic memory wand.

"Oh right," Barry recalled and Cisco shook his head, holding back the urge to slap his forehead. The house phone chimed and he left with a final "speed up" warning. Barry took a brush to his easy going patch of hair that caved to each gentle stroke without protest then made his way out to kitchen. He entered just as Cisco put down the phone. "That was Dr. Snow. Seems like there's been a death among the investors. The meetings been pushed up to later in the afternoon so we're going to have a late night," he informed while slumping down into a chair and reaching out for the TV remote. Barry shrugged to no one in particular, dismissing the information as unimportant and moving towards the cupboard for some turtle mix.

"Hey there buddy. You hungry?" he cooed as he unloaded a scoop of food into the medium sized glass case that housed their pet turtle.

"I honestly don't know why you talk to that thing. It's not like it's gonna answer back. I mean all it does is sit there and look ancient." Cisco remarked with his attention still trained on the ever changing screen.

"Don't listen to him McSnurtle, you don't look a day over a hundred." Barry responded with a goofy pout as he reached in and rubbed the turtles hard shell with his finger. He watched for a while as the reptile feasted at his usual languid pace and Barry just smiled, inexplicably entertained.

"You know maybe we should get McSnurtle a girlfriend. He looks lonely." Barry observed and Cisco snorted in response.

"You can barely get yourself a girlfriend and you want to get one for the world's tiniest dinosaur?" he asked and Barry rolled his eyes in response but his roommates eyes were too glued to the TV  screen for him to notice. Barry made his way to the other couch in the cozy apartment and sat down to join Cisco in his latest TV binge. They ended up debating the many scientific faults and accuracies in the show with a passion only mastered by stereotypical (and this is meant in the best sense of the word) nerds.

The clock struck noon and Barry grew stir crazy. "I'm gonna head out for a bit." he said but when his revelation was met with no answer he directed a questioning glance at Cisco and found that he was fast asleep. A very soft thunder rumbled in the distance and deciding that he would make it home before the downpour he left without an umbrella.

The sky was a light grey that darkened in hue towards the east where the storm, undoubtedly was coming from. Barry walked lazily down the street towards the cemetery. He could have gotten a cab but the weather was at the perfect interim point between sun shine and rain so a five block walk felt necessary. He took deep breaths in through his nose, enjoying the earthy smell of the coming drizzle that fluttered toward him on the back of a pleasant breeze. He passed by a group of high school girls taking a group photo and offered them a charming smile. That picture, it's safe to say, became a collage of varying shades of crimson cheeks.

He walked through the gates of the cemetery and the familiar feeling of nostalgia infused sadness crept into his heart as he neared his parents resting place. The graves laid side by side, an image of their devotion to each other that even in death their love carried on.

"Hi mom. Hi dad." he greeted once he'd reached them then exposed his pocketed hands to caress the cool stones, simultaneously wiping of some of the collected dust. He crouched down infront of them and continued his solo conversation. "Sorry its been a while, I've been busy." he blushed, hearing his parents condemning tones in his head. "I know, I know that's not an excuse and I promise I'll try to do better. I'm just really tired and I miss you both, a little more each day." The back of his throat burned with tears but before he could hang his head and cry he heard a distressed scream from somewhere near by. Ever the model citizen, his ability to sympathise and his need to help kicked in and he left his parents graves to go in search of the troubled soul. Barry didn't have to walk far before he came a cross an enchanting woman, beautiful even in her state of emotional turbulence and made more charming by her complete vulnerability. The wind blew her ebony hair in all manner of directions, concealing her facial features and adding to the mystery that seemed to draw him to her. He stepped in her direction just as she turned on her heel and made her way to him. She seemed to be leaving. Barry ducked behind a grave and waited for her to make her exit, convincing himself that she probably didn't want to be disturbed.

The mesmerising stranger stormed past him without noticing his presence and for the brief moment in which he watched her walk away he found himself running short of air. It was almost as if each step she took away from him decreased the levels of oxygen around him so finally he gathered up his courage and as he stepped out of his hiding place, he asked if she was alright. When she turned around to express her annoyance, their eyes connected and hers, he realised, were an intoxicating shade of brown. She drank him in and he felt himself grow afraid at the intensity with which she analised him. His face began to flush as he traced each detail of her feminine features, committing each line and curve to memory. The world around him seemed to dim in comparison and so when the rain fell, to him it looked like a painting being drained of its colour. All else washed away and there was only her.

[guitypleasure052016]

Take Me Home Part 2

This is part 2 to “Take Me Home”. Part 1 can be found here. There will be a flashback scene in this section. I will italicize the flashback scene to differentiate it.

Similar to earlier in the day, your other senses were awakened before you even opened your eyes. Your entire body still ached all over, it has lessened some, you assumed because they had put a painkiller through one of the tubes attached to the IV pole. You didn’t have to wonder if Chibs was still in the room as you could smell the all familiar scent combination and you could hear that perfect Scottish drawl. You also heard multiple other voices, most likely the other members of Filip’s club had come to find out what was going on. As exhausted and disoriented as you were, you knew you had work to do and lying in this damn hospital bed wasn’t going to get anything done. You slowly opened your eyes, trying not to draw any attention, and then began sliding one leg off the side of the bed to prepare for your quick escape but it was halted by a sudden noise. That damn bed alarm, you’d completely forgotten about it, and it had thwarted your escape plan. Before you could move another muscle, Filip was quickly making his way to your bed as his friends stood back and observed.

 “Please (Y/N), you need to stop trying to get up love, it’s not safe, you’re too hurt”, he pleaded with you while lifting your leg and sliding it back into the bed, gently covering it with a blanket.

 “You don’t get it, I have to leave. It doesn’t matter how I feel, I have to get to them.”, you responded.

 “You can’t get up darling, we’ll call whoever you need us to call, but I’m not going to let you leave this room, not in this condition”, Chibs stated firmly.

 “You can’t call anyone. You can’t do anything. You need to move. Coming here was a mistake”, you cried while again trying to get up out of the bed. You had barely moved before Filip stopped you once again. He placed his strong hands on your arms pushing you down firmly into the bed as he sat down on the edge of your bed. 

“You will not move from this bed (Y/N), not until your cleared by a doctor, I don’t want to hear another thing about it”, he ordered.You nodded, taken aback by how firm he was being. He noticed how nervous you became and his expression quickly changed from firm to concerned, as he removed one arm from your side in order to brush a piece of hair out of your face, and caress your cheek.

 “Don’t be upset lass. I’m not cross with you, I just don’t want you hurting yourself…even more, than you already are”, he reassured you. You turned your face in his hand, kissing his palm, and then turned back to offer him a sad smile. 

“My sweet love, why are you so scared, don’t you know I’ll always protect you”, he questioned. You sighed and shook your head, not even beginning to know how to explain what was going on. You didn’t have much time to think about what to say as one of his friends from the club chimed in. 

A tall man with curly black hair slowly walked up, clapping a hand on Filip’s shoulder and announced, “Besides, we’re all family and if you’re important to Chibs here, you’re important to us too. We won’t let anything bad happen to ya doll”. The other men in the room nodded and grunted in agreement. You smiled first at the curly haired man, then at Filip, then at the rest of the men in the room. 

“I appreciate your offer guys but I couldn’t ask that of any of you, not with the drama I’ve brought with me. Coming here to Charming was a last-ditch effort for a hopeless situation and I won’t have anyone else hurt on my account”, you told the chivalrous group of men. 

One of the youngest of the group, a man with little to no hair but a rather large head tattoo, spoke up, “Don’t worry (Y/N). We won’t let that Jason guy anywhere near you”. Your smile quickly turned to a scowl and you whipped your head back towards Filip. 

“What did you tell them”, you accused. 

“Nothing, I didn’t tell them anything yet love but I did show them the card from the flowers…..it didn’t say much….it just said that he would see you soon and he signed his name…we didn’t get much farther than that before you woke up. It took them a while to get here, plus the nurse only gave you a mild sedative to calm down so you weren’t knocked out too long”, he explained. Before he could say much else, that same nurse entered the room, interrupting the conversation. 

“What the hell is going on here, this woman is supposed to be resting and recovering, not hosting all of SAMCRO. You all can see her in the morning, but for now you’re going to have to leave”, she ordered. All of the guys groaned and grumbled but seemed to heed the nurse’s request.

 “We’ll leave, but my two guys here Juice and Rat are going to be outside the door to make sure she’s safe but they won’t disturb her”, a tall man with shoulder length blonde hair responded while nodding to the two men. When you looked closer, you saw that blondie had the president’s patch on his kutte. The nurse rolled her eyes but agreed to the man’s conditions. She seemed to be familiar with the biker crew as you were sure they had people in and out of this hospital all of the time. 

“I’m not leaving her here. I’m staying right here by her side til we figure out what the hell is going on”, Chibs suddenly spoke up. The nurse sighed deeply and turned around.

 “Listen I know y’all care about this girl but the only people that get to stay here overnight are family or significant others. Anything else is against hospital regulations”, she informed the guys.

 “Well, that’s fine then cause I’m her man, her significant other or whatever shite the hospital says. I’m with her”, Chibs responded as he stood up from the edge of your bed, standing in front of you protectively, placing himself between you and the nurse. 

“No he’s not”, you called out from behind “I’m married and he’s not the husband”. Almost every head in the room quickly turned to look at you in confusion. 

“Don’t do this (Y/N)”, Chibs pleaded as he quickly walked back over to your bed, that familiar painful look plastered across his face.

 He tried to grab your hands but you quickly pulled them out of his grasp and looked away, whispering “It’s easier this way Filip. I won’t let you or your brothers get hurt for me”. Before he had a chance to respond, the nurse quickly stepped around him and ushered all of the men out of the room.

It was several hours later and you were exhausted. The hospital was much quieter at this time of night. All you could hear was the shuffle of feet in the hallway, whispers of hospital staff, and the beeping of monitors in your room. The night shift staff tried to keep everything quiet so patients could sleep but you would not be sleeping tonight.You had spent the past hours sobbing ever since you watched Filip walk out the door. You thought you’d be used to this feeling. Every time the two of you met, it always ended this way, in heartbreak because no matter how much you loved each other, you both knew that you could never be together. Almost as if on cue, the door to your room creaked open and there he was. He offered an apologetic smile and entered the room, softly closing the door behind him. You know you should send him away but you had no resolve at this point and smiled back at him, reaching your arms out to him. You could see him breathe a sigh of relief that you didn’t send him away again, and he quickly came over to you, engulfing you in as tight of a hug as your bruised and battered body could handle

. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t leave, you stubborn ass hole”, you teased as you smiled up at the man you loved. 

He smiled and then sighed and asked, “Do you remember the day we met lass. That and the first night we….well ya know”? 

You offered him a confused smile at the sudden reminiscing and his nervousness and responded, “Of course I do Filip. I remember it like it was yesterday”.

It was a blistering hot summer day, typical early June weather and you were pissed. You had decided to take a break at a rest stop in some random town in Pennsylvania. You had gone inside to hit the head and grab a bite to eat. You gorged yourself on Chick-fil-A and made sure to order some waffle fries for the road. You walked out to your car, ready to get going and hit the road. You put your key in the ignition and to your dismay, it didn’t start. You cursed your shit luck and banged your head against the steering wheel. You got out of your car and popped the hood, bending over and looking everything over as if you knew what the hell you were doing. You cursed again and pulled out your phone to call local mechanics in the area and dreading the mounting costs that this little hiccup would cost you. You had a long road ahead of you. You had just graduated from graduate school in Upstate New York. You wanted to stay there, you loved your life there with your friends and you loved studying chemistry. You tried to convince your family that you should stay there and continue going to school but your father insisted you return home so here you were with a station wagon filled to the brim and hundreds of miles to drive across the country to drive to your small town in Oregon. You were lost in thought trying to calculate how much the tow and the fix would potentially cost you when you were brought back to reality by a voice from behind you. You jumped and turned around quickly, reaching for the pocket knife in your back pocket. You came face to face with a man whose arms were now up in the “surrender” position. 

“Sorry lass, didn’t mean to startle ya but it seems like you’re having car trouble. I know a thing or two about cars so I thought I might be able to help” he explained. You noticed his accent right away and smiled. You had already thought he was good looking but that was just the icing on the cake. 

“You’re not from around here are you”, you questioned.

 The man chuckled and responded, “You’ve got me there lass but since we’re currently at a truck stop in the middle of bumblefuck nowhere, I’m gonna guess you’re not from here either”. You laughed, feeling oddly at ease with this stranger.

 “You’re right, I’m not from here. I live all the way at the other end of the country. I’m Y/N”, you introduced yourself, sticking out your hand to shake his. He took your hand in his own and brought it to his lips, gently kissing your knuckles. 

“My name’s Filip, but everyone calls me Chibs. Now let me take a look at that car and see if I can help you out”, he replied. You stepped back and let him get to work. You stood back and admired the view while he looked over your car. He was a tall man, dark colored hair mixing between brown and black with a speckle of grey throughout. He had two scars on his face that added to his allure. You could tell he was a man who lived a full and eventful life. He wore a pair of dark colored jeans, along with an even darker shirt. What really caught your attention was the kutte he was wearing, worn leather with a large reaper plastered across the back. Above the reaper were the words “Sons Of Anarchy” in large bold writing. You had just met but this man intrigued you. You knew you wanted to know more about him. It also helped that he was an attractive guy with an accent and who knew how to fix a car. You were suddenly brought back to reality by Chip, no that’s not it, Chibs is his name. 

“Earth to (Y/N), you enjoying the view?”, he teased. You blushed, embarrassed that you were caught staring and shook your head.

 “I think I’ve figured it out. It’s your battery. It’s dead. It looks ancient as hell, to be honest”, he informed you while shrugging his shoulders and running a hand through his hair

 “That makes sense”, you mused, “I’m pretty sure the last time the battery was changed was when my granddad gave it to me years back”. 

“Well you could pay to have it towed, which will cost you an arm and a leg or if you want to there’s a Walmart about a mile up the road. We could walk up there and pick you up a battery. I only need a couple tools to do it and I’ve got those in my bag. Before you say you don’t want to impose, you’re not imposing. It’s my honor and duty to come to the aid of a beautiful damsel in distress”, Chibs offered. You blushed at the compliment and agreed to Filip’s plan.

The two of you started off down the road. You were worried it’d be awkward but the conversation flowed as easily as if you were two friends. You told him about your life in New York and about your recent graduation. He was impressed with your degree and inquired as to why you were heading back to Oregon if you loved your life in New York. He could tell that question triggered something as your entire body language changed. You shrugged and told him that as much as you wish you could’ve stayed in New York, that you had a position in the family business waiting for you back home and your father insisted that you return to play your part, that it was very complicated. Chibs noticed you seemed upset and quickly changed the subject. He told you about his childhood, being born in Scotland, but spending most of his life in Ireland. He made you laugh when he told you the story of how he got himself kicked out of the British Army. When you asked him why he found himself in the US if so much of his life is across the sea, you noticed he suddenly became uncomfortable.

 He seemed at a loss for words but then finally responded, “I had to leave. It’s…it’s…it’s complicated”.

 “I get that Filip”, you reassured him, “Don’t worry, we don’t have to talk about it. Can I ask though where you’re headed”? At this point, the two of you had reached the store and went on the hunt for the car battery. While he shopped he told you about his group of old friends he’d be meeting out in California. He explained that they were a group of motorcycle enthusiasts, who were like family, pointing out the patches sewn on to the back of his kutte. He also told you about the motorcycle he wanted to buy once he got out there. A couple hours later, the car battery was installed. Chibs shut the hood and instructed you to get in the car and try to turn it on again. You held your breath and put your key in the ignition. The car roared to life and you squealed with excitement. You hopped out of the car and ran over to Chibs, jumping into his arms and enveloping him in a hug, thanking him repeatedly. He laughed, a little taken aback by your outburst but he hugged you back. You spent the next half hour talking and laughing outside your car, neither of you wanting this conversation or moment to end. That’s when you had an idea. 

“Listen Chibs, I remember you said you were hopping trains and buses to make your way out to California. I have a better idea. Why don’t you ride out with me? We can split when we get closer but I’d love to have some company other than that radio that plays the same song over and over. Now before you say don’t want to impose, you’re not imposing. It’s my honor and duty to come to the aid of a damsel in distress”, you proposed, winking when you quoted his line from earlier. 

“You’re cheeky ya know that”, he laughed. You smirked back at him, wiggling your eyebrows.

“Ahhh alright, I guess I should tag along in case this beast of yours gives you any more issues”, he mused “one condition though, I’ll drive”. You agreed, excited not to have to drive for once and tossed him the keys and hopped in the passenger seat.

You were so happy Chibs had agreed to come with you. It was amazing having company but there was something more. The two of you just clicked. You talked about anything and everything, and when you weren’t talking, you just sat in silence enjoying one another’s company. There was lots of flirting and a definite sexual tension but Chibs insisted on being a gentleman, well the biker version of a gentleman. When it was time to sleep at night he always insisted on him sleeping over the blankets or taking the couch if there was one. That all changed one night during your trip. The two of you had dinner at this little pub that was having $1 drink specials. You were waiting at the front while Chibs went and paid your tab. He always insisted on paying and you had to sneak the bill if you wanted to treat. You were standing up at the front searching through the music when you heard a low whistle from behind you. You rolled your eyes and turned around coming face to face with a drunken scumbag. He had greasy black hair and looked like he hadn’t showered in weeks. He smelled like it too. He looked you up and down, lingering a little too long for your liking.

 “Hey creep”, you called out, “What the hell do you want”. 

“The only thing I want is you baby”, he responded while he sauntered even closer to you, attempting to pin you between himself and the jukebox. You were having none of it though and pushed past him, trying to walk out the door to find your car. He turned around and grabbed your arm, attempting to stop you. Before he had a chance to drop another stupid pick up line, you turned around and landed a punch on his smug face, right in the jaw. You shook out your hand and readied yourself for the fight that was about to happen. 

The drunken asshole was bending over holding his jaw but after the shock wore off, he stood up and screamed “You stupid bitch, I’m gonna”….but he was interrupted. Chibs had arrived on the scene and quickly grabbed the drunken idiot by the collar and dragged him out to the parking lot. The rest of the crowd seemed unfazed by the incident so you quickly ran outside to find Chibs. You heard him before you saw him and quickly followed the noise. You found them behind a parked car. Chibs’ fist was covered in blood and that same fist was repeatedly bashing the face of the drunken scumbag. 

Chibs was screaming at him, accent thick with anger, “What the fuck did ya think you were doing you inbred piece of shite, puttin yer hands on a woman like that. You’re lucky I don’t kill ya”! You were wary to try to break it up but you didn’t want Chibs to actually kill the man so you quickly stepped in and tried to pull him off but you weren’t successful. 

You screamed Chibs’ name over and over and finally got his attention when you shouted, “Filip please stop. You’re going to kill him”! Hearing the twinge of pain in your voice, he quickly stopped and spun around. He had a deadly look on his face and seemed to be panting. 

He took several deep breaths to calm himself and replied to you, “Alrighty Darlin’. I’m about finished up here, then we can go back to the motel and I’ll clean up your hand”. You rolled your eyes at the thought of you being the more injured of the pair as Chibs turned around and kicked the bastard as hard as he could. As the man called out in pain, Filip turned around and threw an arm around your shoulder. 

“Let’s get going lovey”, he declared and off you went to the motel.

You were back at the motel. Chibs had cleaned up your hand rather quickly as you’d only thrown one punch. He protested but you insisted he sit down on the bed as you gently wiped the blood from his now bruised hand. You hadn’t talked much since you got back from the pub but there was this feeling in the air, you couldn’t quite put your finger on it but you felt it deep down inside of you. After you had helped him clean up his hand, he smiled and pecked you on the forehead. He told you that he was going to take a shower to wash off the smell of the drunk. 

“Give me your shirt first”, you called out, “I have stain remover in my bag and that t-shirt is going to need it”. 

“You’re just trying to get me naked lass”, he teased but he complied, taking off his shirt and throwing it your way. You barely caught it as you were distracted by the sight in front of you. He was covered in tattoos and scars. You wanted to explore all of them even closer but you didn’t get to check him out too long as he strolled into the bathroom to take a shower. You got out the stain remover, poured it into a bowl, and soaked the bloody t-shirt inside. As you kneaded the dirty t-shirt in the liquid, you couldn’t get the thought of Filip’s half-naked body out of your head. You suddenly had an idea. You opened the door of the bathroom, announcing that you had to wash the liquid off your hands as he grunted in response. After you washed your hands, you quietly and carefully slipped your shirt off, up and over your head, reaching behind to unclasp your bra. You slid your jeans down your body and stripped off your panties, throwing them on the floor. You took a deep breath and stepped into the back of the shower, struggling not to audibly gasp at the sight in front of you. 

Chibs turned around shocked and asked you, “Lass what the hell are you doing”. 

“What you don’t like what you see”, you asked shrugging your shoulders and pouting. 

You saw him gulp as he looked you up and down and he growled, “Of course I like what I see (Y/N). I mean I’d be crazy not to. You’re sexy as hell”. 

He suddenly tried to look away, hiding his gaze, “But we shouldn’t do this”, he sputtered, “You’re just excited cause I fought that prick for ya and we’re both drunk. I don’t want ta take advantage”. 

“Filip”, you purred, “Yes I’m drunk which is probably why I’m feeling a little more confident but not drunk enough that I’ll do anything I’ll regret. I’ve wanted to jump your bones since the moment we met in that parking lot. Seeing you beat up that creep for me only made me want you more”. Feeling bold, you took a step forward, pressing your body against his wrapping your arms around his neck. Chibs tried to look away but you could feel his excitement which gave him away. 

He groaned, “Lass we shouldn’t do th..”. “Oh shut up and fuck me Filip”, you interrupted. That did it. He growled and wrapped his arms around you, shoving you against the wall of the shower as his lips crashed into yours. As your kiss deepened, the two of you explored one another’s bodies with your hands. You lost track of time, lost in one another, and the water eventually turned ice cold. You whined and Chibs took the opportunity to grab your ass and lift you up in his arms, carrying you out to the bed, still soaking wet. He tossed you on to the bed and took a moment to hungrily take in the sight of your naked body writhing on the bed in anticipation. He groaned in appreciation and was soon on top of you. The two of you fought for dominance for a while but soon found a steady rhythm. He was obviously experienced as he made your body feel things that you’d never felt before. You could tell he appreciated your skills as well each time he let go. Quite some time and many many orgasms later, the two of your laid across each other on the bed, trying to catch your breath. He was laying on his back in the middle of the bed as you laid on top of him. You ran your hands through his hair, as his hands rested possessively on your ass. You started to laugh and Chibs raised his eyebrows, spanking you sharply. 

“What’s so funny lass. Way to make a man feel good”, he teased. You continued to laugh and placed your head down on his chest, lifting it up to offer him a mischievous smile. 

“It’s not that Filip…we left the shower on”, you laughed. 

“Well then”, he growled, “let’s get going love”. He slapped your ass with his right hand while his left arm wrapped around your waist, he stood,  lifting you up and carrying you to the bathroom. You wrapped your legs around his waist and squealed in excitement.

You came back to reality and blushed at the shared memory. You and Filip were only supposed to stay at that motel for one night and get going in the morning but you stayed there for 3 days, only leaving to get food and then immediately returning.

 “So why the walk down memory lane,” you asked as you scooted over, patting the bed next to you so he would climb in. He sighed and hopped up next to you, adjusting your blanket so you were covered and wrapping an arm around you. You welcomed the sudden closeness and snuggled into his side. He sighed, you could tell he was thinking and waited patiently for his response. 

“Well lass, after everything we went through on that trip and since then, it just kills me that you’re this scared and don’t trust me to protect you. You know I’d do anything for you Y/N”. You looked up at him with a confused look on your face. 

“Is that what you really think Filip, that I don’t trust you”, you asked. “It’s not that at all, it’s just all…it’s…it’s complicated”, you explained. 

“Isn’t it always”, he groaned in response. “Now get some sleep love. You need to rest”, he ordered as he pulled you closer, placing a kiss on your forehead. 

“Tell me a bedtime story Filip”, you pleaded. 

“Alrighty love”, he mused. “Do you want to hear about how I got kicked out of the army again”, he asked.

 “Ohhh yes, that’s my favorite”, you replied while snuggling into his chest. You knew you had things to do but for now, for tonight, you were going to fall asleep in the arms of the man you love.

Part 3 

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[unpredictable-probabilities]

Valliant Crowns: Chapter 2 - Captain’s New Friend

Summary: The knights discuss their options on how to go forward with the quest; they consider asking for help from someone that Captain Julian had recently acquainted himself with. 

Word Count: 4,000

Includes: another wager, jealousy

(Picture taken from Pinterest)

<<-- Chapter 1

Julian vaguely noticed the daylight through his closed eyelids. The bed under him didn’t feel familiar; through the haze of his sleep, he remembered that they were escorting the crown prince back to the palace. They must have stopped at some inn.  

As he slowly woke up, he felt someone’s arm around his waist, and he was embracing them in return.

His eyes snapped open, and he saw the sleeping face of a woman just inches away from his. His heart skipped a beat.

Val.

Events from last night started flooding back into his memory; the storm, the tavern, him stepping in front of Prince Nicholas in a panic.

And… Val.

Oh, gods.

Her face looked so calm, serene. Like the surface of a deep river on a windless day; still as glass and deceptively tranquil, revealing nothing of its perilous depths.

No one would suspect how wild of a spirit resided underneath such a face.

Julian felt warmth rush to his cheeks at the thought.  

He had knocked on Val’s door in the middle of the night, demanding that she undo some sorcery which she had no knowledge of.

An ardent desire had taken hold of him and he thought kissing Val for a second time would be enough to quiet it. What a fool he was. He had only wanted more after that. And so had Val. Something had awakened in both of them and their desires escalated until Julian had lost all sense of why he was there. The only thing that mattered was that he was with Val.

He realized that neither of them were wearing anything. They had fallen asleep embracing each other and their bare skins touching; a thin blanket covering them up to their waists.

A day ago, the idea would have completely appalled him; engaging in such behavior in the middle of a journey with the crown prince? How deplorable for a knight of his status.

But at this moment, side by side with Val on a modest bed with sunlight streaming in through a tiny window, he felt at peace. He searched himself for any ounce of regret, any trace of dread or disappointment, and found none.

He had known about Val for a long time, the fearsome bounty hunter famed for her tenacity and precision in tracking criminals. A few times before, some miscreants had turned themselves in when they learned that Val had been set after them; they did not want to risk the chase.

As someone who had admired the rational and systematic methods of the knights since childhood, Julian disliked how Val relied on chaotic abandon; trespassing, altercations, even a fire once, all to catch one criminal.

When Prince Nicholas pointed her out in the crowd last night, it immediately put him in a sour mood. But when he noticed that the prince kept glancing at her, he got intrigued enough to steal a few glances himself, especially when he noticed how cheerful her little group seemed.

Stories about Val painted her as a fierce vigilante who could trample you to the ground if you looked at her wrong; the carefree traveller who was laughing and drinking with her friends just across the room seemed an entirely different person.  

It briefly crossed his mind that he would be interested in getting to know her better, but he quickly pushed the thought away as something impractical and unnecessarily dangerous.

He had almost succeeded in banishing her from his mind―until he noticed her walking towards their table. Being part of the prince’s personal guard for years had developed his peripheral vision; that was how he was able to step in front of the prince when it looked like she was going to attack him.  

As soon as her lips touched his, he knew that there was no hope of her ever leaving his mind. He had driven himself near madness with his theories of sorcery and conspiracy, refusing to believe that he would feel any sort of attraction towards a woman whose very name had prompted a scowl from him.

She sighed in her sleep, drawing Julian out of his thoughts. He gently tightened his embrace, touching their foreheads together. He knew they would have to part soon; people from their different walks of life simply did not interact for long. He wanted to savor every remaining moment they had.

He would always remember the sound of her laughter, bright and noticeable even among a sea of people, her playful smirk as she had faced him unflinchingly at swordpoint. He wasn’t sure what he felt about her, but he wished they had more time for him to figure it out.

Val stirred, and Julian snapped his eyes shut. He was not ready for a conversation and he thought it best to feign sleep.

She pulled away slightly, and he expected her to either leave or ask him to leave. Instead he felt her fingers brush softly over his face, trailing lightly over his eyebrows, his nose, his lips. It was all he could do to keep himself from sighing and pulling her closer.

“You know,” she whispered, “I can tell when a person is only pretending to be asleep.”

Julian slowly opened his eyes; her playful smile greeted him and for a moment he wondered what it would be like to wake up next to her every morning.

“G-good morning,” he stammered, he didn’t know what else to say.

Val chuckled and gave him a quick kiss on the nose. “Good morning.”

“I-I want to apologize for accusing you of sorcery,” Julian managed. He was caught off-guard by Val’s kiss and now her hand was resting on his neck. They had done much more last night, yet somehow those small gestures of hers sent his heart fluttering in his chest.

“Yes, that was a strange way to ask for a kiss.”

Julian blushed; he remembered how he had yelled at her before proceeding to ask for that kiss. “I’m sorry for acting so brashly, that was unbecoming of me.”

“Brashly? You said, ‘May I…’ twice.” She started stroking Julian’s hair, down to his ear and cheek.

He laughed lightly and looked away; her fingers seemed to leave tiny fires across his skin wherever she touched him. It took all of his willpower to utter the following words.

“I… have to get back to the others,” he told Val, a sinking feeling in his chest. “They’ll be wondering where I’ve gone.”

She nodded and retracted her hand, “Okay.”

They stared at each other for a few heartbeats. Julian still had his arm around her waist; he hadn’t moved at all.

A smile tugged at the corner of Val’s lips, “Are you alright, Julian?”

No, he was still staring at her, I don’t want to leave.

He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her softly, knowing it might very well be the last time he would feel her lips.

She responded with equal tenderness, putting her hand over his racing heart. Julian wanted to live in that moment forever; Val in his arms and the feeling that all was right with the world.

They pulled away slowly as they caught their breaths.

“I’m grateful to have met you, Val,” Julian stroked her cheek and looked right into her eyes.

“You’re not so bad yourself, Julian,” she smiled.

 Julian slowly pushed open the door to their shared bedroom, careful not to make any loud noise. If luck was with him, Travis and Marcus would still be asleep.

He had dressed in Val’s room and decided to just carry his cape and chest plate to save time; he wanted to get back to his room as quickly as he could.  

He peeked inside. Marcus was still sleeping but Travis’ bed was empty; perhaps he had already gone down to the tavern. Julian slipped inside the door, he would just tell Travis that he had woken up early and checked on their horses at the stables.

“Hello, captain.”

Julian jumped and almost dropped his things; he hadn’t seen Travis because he had been behind the door and out of his line of vision.

“Where have you been?” Travis asked with a straight face, his arms crossed.

“I―” Julian closed the door in case other patrons were walking along the hall; he did not need any more audience. “Why were you behind the door?” he asked, stalling for time while he thought of a believable response.

“I was about to go out when I saw the knob turn,” Travis smirked and turned to the beds, “Marcus!”

Marcus startled awake, sitting up and drawing his sword from his bedside. He stared at them bleary-eyed, “What’s going on?” he asked sleepily.

“Look who finally turned up,” Travis nodded his head at Julian who was looking more uncomfortable by the second.

A grin slowly spread across Marcus’ face as he took in Julian’s disheveled appearance. He sheathed his sword and jumped out of bed, “You went to her.” He spoke with wonder, like a boy who had just witnessed a miracle.

Julian hurriedly went to his bed and turned his back to them when he felt his face reddening. He started fastening the clasps of his chest plate over his uniform, just to have something to do besides stand awkwardly as his friends eviscerated him.

“And stayed with her,” Travis added. “For the entire night, it seems.”

“We were worried sick, Julian!” Marcus rounded on him, exaggeratedly adapting the severe tone of a strict parent. “Do you know how long we waited for you?”

“No time at all?” Julian placed his cape on his shoulders. “You both were ready to sleep when I left.”

“Did you catch the sorceress, captain?” Travis walked over and continued as if Julian hadn’t said anything. “You seem to have had an exciting night; I’ve never seen your uniform so wrinkled.”

“Is that a... bite mark on your neck?” Marcus leaned closer to have a better look, his voice filled with wonder again.

“Enough of these theatrics,” Julian roughly stepped away from them and adjusted his collar, his face turning a brighter red as he remembered exactly how he obtained that mark. “I shall fetch the prince from his chambers. We have duties to attend to.”

He stormed out of the room with his friends’ laughter echoing behind him.

 Val joined Zac and Isabel sitting across each other at the table.

“What’s on the menu today?” she sat beside Isabel.

“There’s porridge,” Isabel replied, “and mashed potatoes and sausage. But we haven’t ordered yet.”

“We’re playing for who’s going to pay,” Zac gestured to their ongoing board game.

“Greetings, rascals,” Trent appeared with a drink in his hand and sat down next to Zac. “Should I buy the first round of drinks? Courtesy of Val’s silver from last night,” he grinned. Only Trent would suggest drinking first thing in the morning.

Val heard people coming down the stairs and glanced over. She turned to Trent, “How about another wager?”

Trent raised his eyebrows, “I’m listening.”

“If I could make that cranky captain of the knights smile,” she jerked her head to the stairs where Prince Nicholas was surrounded by his knights, “you buy porridge for all of us. If I fail, I’ll buy the porridge.”

“Hah! If you could do that, I’ll buy you all whatever you want for breakfast.”

Zac and Isabel looked at each other and grinned.

“You better do it, Val,” Zac said. “I’m starving, and Isabel is putting up a fight,” he pushed the board game away from him.

Val held out her hand to Trent, “Deal?”

“Deal,” Trent shook it firmly.

Val turned in her chair and leaned back with her elbows on the table, facing the direction of the stairs.

“Good morning, sir knights,” she called to them and snuck in a quick wink to Julian. He blushed and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

“And Your Highness,” she tilted her head to the prince.

Prince Nicholas smiled and waved at her cheerfully, “Good morning, Miss Val!”

“Er… yes,” Julian blurted. “Good morning, miss.” He smiled shyly and looked away, his cheeks still rosy.

Val turned back to her friends, a triumphant smile on her face.

Trent’s jaw had practically dropped to the table; Zac’s mouth kept opening and closing as if he wanted to say something,

“How d'you do that?” Isabel asked incredulously. “Didn’t he almost kill you last night?”

“Nah, he wasn’t that rough,” Val said with a glint in her eye.

Isabel squinted, then her eyes widened with realization. “Oh my gods,” she dropped her voice to a whisper so only the people at their table could hear, “you rode the knight?”

Val picked up a board game piece and rolled it between her fingers like she would a coin. “We switched places at times, I’m not selfish.”

Trent coughed out the ale he’d just drunk, Isabel gave a small gasp, and Zac broke into a wide grin.

“Haha!” Zac raised his hand for a high-five and Val happily obliged.

“Not bad, Val,” Isabel sounded impressed and punched her arm.

“I feel cheated,” Trent grumbled as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “You knew he was going to smile!”

“Maybe,” Val shrugged. “Now, I believe you owe us breakfast,” she reminded him with a smirk.  

 “Have you and Miss Val made up, Sir Julian?” Prince Nicholas asked as they sat at their table. “You seem to be on friendlier terms this morning.”

Marcus and Travis immediately smirked at that. Julian paid them no mind.

“Yes, sire,” Julian cleared his throat; he was still taken aback by Val’s sudden greeting earlier. He didn’t think she would speak to him again, especially not that soon. “I… spoke to her last night,” he said simply.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Travis couldn’t seem to hold his tongue, “Sir Julian got quite friendly with Miss Val last night.”

Julian wanted to glare at Travis, but he couldn’t do so in front of the prince.

“Really?” Prince Nicholas smiled happily. “I’m glad to hear it. I overheard from some patrons that her attempt to kiss me was merely because of a wager from her companions. It need not have escalated like it did. What motivated you to speak to her, Sir Julian?”

“I was bothered by our initial encounter, sire,” Julian spoke carefully; he did not want to lie to the prince. “I did not like how we left things, and I decided to knock at her door to clarify matters.”

Prince Nicholas nodded approvingly. “I am not surprised; you have always had such decorum. Of course you wanted to explain that your anger was only because you were protecting me. How did she respond?”

Julian shifted uncomfortably in his seat; his anger had stemmed from the shock and confusion that he had felt from Val’s kiss. The prince thought him nobler than he actually was.

“She accepted my apology, Your Highness. And we parted ways civilly.” Julian skipped over everything that happened between him and Val before he apologized this morning. The prince did not need to know those details.

“You apologized?” Prince Nicholas looked surprised. “I’m proud of you, Sir Julian,” he clapped him on the back. “You deserve that knight’s cape. And now I am more confident than ever that you should lead the quest to find Anton Ivanov; compassion is important when travelling across the kingdom and interacting with the people.”

“Thank you, sire.” Although Julian was still uncomfortable with the praises, he was glad for the change in subject. “I shall get us some food so we could break our fast while discussing the details.” He stood up and left the table before Travis or Marcus could say anything else.

Twenty minutes later, they had come to the agreement that half of them would escort the crown prince back to the palace and the other half would begin the quest. The three knights who would accompany the prince went out to the stables to ready their horses.

“You look troubled, Sir Marcus,” Prince Nicholas observed.

“Anton Ivanov’s scheme is as dangerous as it is ambitious, Your Highness,” Marcus said uneasily. “And we only found out about it two days ago. Who knows where he is now or what he’s planning to do next.”

After they got the information from the Duke and Duchess on their diplomatic mission, Marcus had told himself that he would not let his worries get the best of him. Julian’s meltdown last night was a perfect distraction; he had even made fun of him with Travis this morning. But now that they were discussing the problem again, his concerns were resurfacing.

“That’s why we need a plan of our own,” Julian said. “Once the prince is safely on his way to the palace, we would stay here to discuss the possible angles by which to approach this.”

“Ivanov has avoided the law for years,” Travis reminded them, “building up his connections to the black market and possibly overseas. How do we even begin tracking him?”

“We would need help,” Julian acknowledged. “We have to find the type of people who could point us to Ivanov’s contacts. My only worry is, how would we make sure that we could trust those people?”

“Wait,” Prince Nicholas said suddenly. “Are you saying that what we need is someone skilled at tracking criminals? Someone whose methods are unorthodox compared to what we are used to?”

“Yes, sire,” Marcus agreed and leaned forward on the table, seeming to pick up on what the prince was saying. “Someone with whom we have already established some level of camaraderie.”

“Of course,” Travis smiled in understanding and turned to Julian.

His breath caught in his throat as he realized what they were implying.

“Captain,” Travis asked him, “would you like to introduce us to your new friend?”

 “Heads up,” Trent said, looking at something behind Val. They had just finished their feast of porridge and mashed potatoes and sausages.

Val turned to look and saw Julian approaching. Her eyebrows furrowed in curiosity; what did the captain want with them?

He stopped a few feet in front of her.

“Good day,” he greeted them all with a straight face, then looked at her. “His Highness would like to invite you to our table, Miss Val.”

“Why?” her frown deepened. Was the prince angry after all because of their wager last night? But that didn’t make sense; he had smiled before going upstairs.

“He wishes to discuss something with you,” Julian said plainly.

She looked at the prince’s table; he was looking at her and smiling expectantly. And so were the two knights with him.

“At least it doesn’t look like you’re getting punished,” Zac said. Her friends were looking at the prince’s table too.

“Alright,” Val stood up. She wasn’t sure what was going on but she didn’t mind spending more time with Julian.

“If you don’t come back, can I have your backpack?” Isabel asked her.

“No,” she answered and walked away with Julian.

Val stared at him, “Are you always this tense?”

The prince and knights weren’t looking at them anymore but were conversing among themselves.

“I’m always on guard around the prince,” Julian replied, looking straight ahead.

“Yeah, I noticed,” Val said. “Not many people can intercept my movements like that.”

“I was just doing my job,” Julian looked at her. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Oh, no, I’m not complaining,” Val smiled slyly. “You did a great job.”

Julian looked away, but Val noticed his ears reddening.

Gods, if he was that easily flustered, Val didn’t know if she could stop teasing him anytime soon.

They had reached the table and the prince smiled at her, “Hello again, Miss Val. Please have a seat.”

Travis stood up as soon as Julian sat down beside him. “Take my seat, miss. You’d be closer to the prince.”

“Thank you,” Val replied, sitting down beside Julian. “Sir…?”

“Travis,” he bowed his head slightly. Sitting on the chair across from the prince.

Marcus got up from his chair and smiled, holding out his hand to Val, “And I’m Marcus, delighted to meet you.”

Val smiled back and shook his hand, “I’m guessing there are no hard feelings about my little stunt last night?”

Prince Nicholas held out his hand to her next. “None at all, you had no malevolent intentions. All is forgiven,” he kissed Val’s hand.

“You’re too charming, Your Highness,” she smiled sweetly. “I regret not being quick enough last night.”

The prince laughed pleasantly. “My lips are nothing special, Miss Val. I assure you there is nothing to regret.”

Val shrugged. “You remember what I said, though, Your Highness? ‘Maybe next time’?”

“I do,” Prince Nicholas chuckled and Julian noticed his cheeks flush.

Julian cleared his throat. “Your Highness, the matter at hand.”

“Yes, sire,” Marcus added. “The quest.”

“Oh! Yes,” the prince seemed to remember. “Miss Val, we are in need of your bounty hunting services.” He looked around to make sure no one was within earshot before he continued, “We must track a man named Anton Ivanov across the black market network and put a stop to his plans against the crown.”

“Anton Ivanov?” Val frowned. “I’ve heard of that name before. And if we’re tracking him through the black market, I suggest involving Isabel, one of my friends over there,” she nodded her head towards them. “She’s a seasoned merchant who knows the twists and turns of any type of market; I’m certain she has contacts who know about him.”

“You agree, then?” The prince’s face lit up.

Val nodded. “Anton Ivanov has caused a lot of trouble over the years, it’s in everyone’s best interest if he is caught.”

“Excellent!” Prince Nicholas stood up. “Accompany me to your table and let us invite your friend.”

“Oh,” Val looked mildly surprised at the prince’s enthusiasm. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Julian noticed that Marcus stared after them as they walked away. His eyes almost looked… yearning.

“What’s this?” Travis grinned at Marcus. “Has the bounty hunter caught your eye too, Marcus?”

Marcus looked back at them guiltily, as if he was caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to. “I― Sorry, Julian,” was all he said before looking down at the table.

Julian had noted how Marcus enthusiastically greeted Val, saying it was a delight to meet her. And how he appeared less cheerful after Val had flirted with the prince.

He had hoped that he was just reading too much into things, but Marcus’ apology confirmed his suspicions. Even so, he felt undeserving of it. He didn’t want to go around telling people to stay away from Val just because he didn’t know what to do with his own feelings for her.

“Why?” he asked Marcus. “I am not entitled to Val. Anyone who wishes to pursue her may do so; she’s perfectly capable of making her own decision.”

“Tsk tsk,” Travis was looking at the bounty hunter and the prince. “It seems like you’ve got a third competitor, lads.”

They watched the prince merrily interact with Val’s friends as if he’d known them for a long time. He and Val were practically beaming at each other.

“Ah, well,” Marcus smiled sadly, “we can’t do anything about that.”

Julian thought back to how he had stood as stiff as a board when he greeted Val’s friends. The crown prince certainly had an air of charm about him, as Val said so herself.

When the possibility of Val joining their group was presented, Julian told himself that he didn’t have to decide on his feelings yet. He could focus on the quest first and figure out his relationship with her later.

But with Marcus and Prince Nicholas, the man who Val had originally planned on kissing, Julian felt the pressure of having to decide soon.

He sighed internally. The quest was going to be even more difficult than he thought.