#(let me know if there's anything about this you want changed Rogue)
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ikkaku-of-heart · 5 months ago
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Plotted Fantasy AU Starter for @goshiikkuburcdo
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Ikkaku rushed over to where her betrothed was waiting, apologizing profusely to him and his court for her lateness. The prince merely smiled at her, his gaze still somewhat glazed from the enchantment her song had woven through his mind earlier. Not that she needed her siren powers much these days. The fool was completely besotted, and she'd managed to integrate herself into his court securely enough to not only have been proposed to, but to be introduced to the royals of their allied countries. Soon, she'd have the weapon she sought within her grasp, and the teeth deep in the prince's heart.
This should have been a momentous day for the siren. Her plan to wipe out the Monfort Kingdom was going smoothly. They were a kingdom that prided itself on hunting monsters, and yet one walked among them in disguise. How sad for them that they couldn't recognize a predator when it didn't have a tail or sharp teeth.
Alas, Ikkaku knew she was not the only threat to such a kingdom. She'd spied something in the sky the night before that had her on edge. A black silhouette with great wings. It had nearly blended into the night sky, but Ikkaku's eyes were used to the darkness of the deeps, so she could still make out the shape of the creature.
A dragon had passed over the kingdom. Though, as she'd seen no smoke or fire or any indication that the great beast had started to lay waste to her hunting grounds, it seemed that it must have just been passing through. Good. The kingdom could burn for all she cared, but not until after she had escaped with her prize: a weapon that could turn the seas' greatest beast against the merfolk it protected. She just had to find it first.
The trumpets sounded and the doors to the throne room were opened, so Ikkaku put on her best, most welcoming smile. The dragon wasn't her concern. Keeping up appearances was. At least until she got what she wanted.
"Dearest friends, welcome," Prince Denys said. "You have traveled far, but I hope to make it worth your while. But first, allow me to present my bride-to-be and future consort: Lady Ikkaku."
Giving a curtsy, she was grateful her legs didn't wobble. While she had long gotten used to walking on land, she never quite forgot how easily she had stumbled when first gifted her ability to transform,and she could not afford such a slip now. Not when so much depended on her success. "I am honored and humbled by your presence," she said demurely, assessing the company. Naturally the king and queen had come, as well as their best knights for status and protection. Yet one stood out among the rest. One with golden eyes and an intense stare no human could match.
Against her will, the siren stiffened. She knew it instinctively; for the first time in too long, she was in the presence of a fellow predator. One even more deadly than herself.
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girlgenius1111 · 2 months ago
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learning curve
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alexia putellas x reader [& r's nephew] r gets custody of her 5 year old nephew when her brother gets into trouble. alexia insists on sticking around even though r gives her an out. it's a new and entirely stressful situation for r, but alexia makes it a bit easier. fluff, angst, etc. this is a kidfic.
How was it possible? That the most ordinary of days could be just one phone call away from shattering life as you knew it. 
You should have known, really. Should have seen it coming. You were happy for the first time in a while. Happy in your career, in your relationship. Of course something would come along to change everything. 
It was a pleasant day off, the day you got the call. A slow morning where Alexia woke up way before you, but didn’t get up. Instead, she let you sleep in her arms, completely content to just… be there with you. You’d made breakfast together, Alexia’s voice raspy from lack of use, pressing kisses to your shoulders, your face, your neck, as if she couldn’t help it. It was purely and entirely happy. 
Your phone rang just after breakfast. It was an unknown number and you never answered unknown numbers but something about the call made your stomach drop. You clicked the answer button and gave Alexia an apologetic smile, walking out of the room. 
“Hello?” You greeted, tapping your foot impatiently when no one said anything right away. Alexia had put on her favorite show, and as much as you pretended to despise the soap, you were hooked. 
The robotic, pre-recorded message that began startled you.
“This call is from a person currently incarcerated in prison. All calls are logged and recorded and may be listened to by a member of prison staff. If you do not wish to accept this call, please hang up now.” 
It wasn’t shocking, not really. You’d gotten calls like this before, but not for a few years. He used to call a lot, when he first started getting into trouble, asking for money for a lawyer. At the time, you hadn’t had any to give him. Eventually those specific calls stopped. You still heard from him, but not through a call being recorded by a prison. 
He hadn’t been arrested in 5 years. And now… the stakes were much higher. 
“Hello?” The deep voice of your brother came over the line, sounding utterly defeated. 
“Leo.” You sighed. “What happened?” 
“I fucked up. I… Will wanted to start football. But I couldn’t… I couldn’t pay for boots for him. I just wanted to get him something nice.” Leo choked out. You could hear the emotion in his voice, and ignored the pang in your chest as you pictured the little boy just two years older than you, lip trembling as he promised he’d take care of everything. 
“Leo, why didn’t you call me? And ask for help?” 
“I didn’t want to bother you. You’re busy and I should be able to provide for my son. I shouldn’t have to ask my little sister for help, I should have it figured out.” 
“So… this is better? Getting arrested for petty theft and then calling me for help?” You asked sarcastically, though you understood him more than you’d admit. The need to be independent, completely self sufficient. The sinking feeling you’d get when you had to ask for help with something… you still felt that, too.
Your brother was quiet for a moment. Long enough that dread started to build up inside of you again. 
“It’s not petty theft.” He said finally. “It’s grand theft. And accessory to assault. The guy I was working with went a bit rogue.” 
“Jesus.” You sighed. “How long?” 
Another long silence. 
“How long, Leo?”
“10-15 years.” 
You could practically see the tears falling from his eyes in your head, and you knew just by his tone he wasn’t calling for money. Not this time. You could see Alexia out of the corner of your eye, hovering in the doorway uncertainly. 
“I… I signed the papers, to give you custody of Will. To make it easier to take him back to Spain with you. He’d be yours, and I know it’s a lot to ask, and if I had any other option, I would, but the only other option is putting him in the system, and I don’t want that for him. I don’t. I’m so sorry to ask this of you, really I–”
“It’s okay.” You breathed. “It’s alright. Of course, I’ll take him. Of course I will.”
Alexia moved closer, resting a hand on your shoulder once she noticed the tears in your eyes. You let her anchor you, suddenly very sure that this was it with her. Today had been the last nice day you’d have with her, and you hadn’t even known it. 
 But there wasn’t a question of whether you’d do it or not. 
“Are you sure? With your career and–”
“I can make it work.” You said. “I’ll make it work.” 
“Okay.” Leo replied, sounding overwhelmingly relieved. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I wish I–” 
“I’ll be there as soon as I can to get him.” You cut in, unwilling to hear another apology. It wouldn’t fix anything.
 Leo gave you the name of the woman to call, before saying goodbye and hanging up. Even after the call ended, you remained frozen, thinking through all the details, all the things you needed to do, unsure where to start. 
“Amor?” 
Right. That’s where you had to start. 
You turned to Alexia, your face completely impassive. It was the face you made when the team lost and you were upset, or when you got hurt and didn’t want to cry. It was you running from vulnerability, and it had been a long time since Alexia had seen you make it towards her. She’d thought you were past this. 
“My brother was arrested. I’m getting custody of his son. Will. He’s 5. I’m going to bring him back to Spain with me.” You spoke robotically, eyes fixed on a point on the wall just beyond Alexia’s shoulder. 
“Oh… oh wow.” Alexia breathed, nodding her head slowly as she took the information in. 
“It’s a good thing I didn’t get rid of my old apartment. I’ll move my stuff when I get back, you don’t need to worry about any of it. I’ll move back in there and–”
“Why would you do that?” Alexia interrupted, her face twisted with confusion. You looked at her for a moment, her brown roots growing out and the oversized t-shirt she had on. It was soft, your favorite for her to wear because you loved the way the fabric felt on your skin when she held you. 
God this was hard.  
“I… I won’t do this to you, Ale. I won’t. You don’t need this, but I have to–”
“No. Stop. We are not breaking up, and you are not moving out.” 
You turned away from her when you saw the tears in her eyes, clenching your fists tightly and taking a few slow deep breaths. She was making this so hard, but you should have known she would. 
“Alexia,” you began, your voice abruptly cutting off when the midfielder gently grabbed you by the shoulders and turned back towards her. 
“No. No.” She repeated, shaking her head over and over. “Do you love me?” 
You exhaled sharply, desperately wanting to wipe the tear off her cheek. To cradle her face in your hands, and kiss her frown away. You should lie, that would be the best choice. But you couldn’t bring yourself to do so. 
“I do, Ale. I love you so much. That’s why–”
“Then that’s it. You love me and I love you and people who love each other do not break up.” Alexia said firmly, her lip trembling even as she bit it to make it stop. 
“Alexia, please. It’s okay. You don’t have to do this with me, I could never ask you to.” 
“You are not asking. I am telling you. I am not going anywhere, and neither are you. You bring Will here and we’ll figure it out together. Together, amor.” 
She moved closer, her hands cradling your cheeks, wiping your tears away just as you’d wanted to do with hers. Somehow, she was convincing you. Like she always did. Whenever it felt too unbelievable that she loved you, whenever you became absolutely convinced that you’d tricked her or something, and tried to leave for her. She always convinced you to stay, because she knew you never really wanted to leave her. 
“It’s gonna be a lot.” You murmured, your hands finding their way to her waist, your body giving in before your brain did. “It’s gonna be really hard, especially with work.” 
“We can do it. Together.” Alexia promised, leaning forward to dust a kiss across the tip of your nose. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to do it together, okay? Don’t push me out. Please.” 
“Okay.” You allowed, finally giving in and leaning into her. She wrapped her arms around your body, squeezing so tight it almost hurt. 
“Promise me? No pushing me away.” She whispered into your ear. 
“I promise.” You breathed the words back, knowing, somehow, that you wouldn’t break this promise. Never before had you gone back on something you’d promised Alexia, and you didn’t intend to start now. 
The plane ride had been long, and though you were already exhausted, you hadn’t slept a wink. You were wide awake when the plane took off, and wide awake when it landed hours later. Some sleep would have really done you some good, but there was nothing to do about that now. 
It was really an amalgamation of all of your least favorite things. The social services office was just as bad as you remembered it. Just as… lonely, regardless of how incredibly crowded it was. It was overly beige, from the walls down to the outfit the woman sitting across from you was wearing. Susan. Even her name sounded beige. Then, there was the paperwork. An endless pile of it on the desk in front of you. Your hand was starting to cramp from signing, and all you wanted was to see Will. Physically see him, make sure he was okay. He was somewhere in this building, surrounded by strangers. It was impossible not to picture him, all small and scared in an office, wondering if you were really coming for him. 
You remembered that feeling. No one had ever come for you and Leo. 
But you were here for Will. You were here for him, and it didn’t matter too much that he barely knew you; at least, that's what you told yourself. 
You were his aunt that lived far away in Spain, that sent at least three presents for his birthday every year, and three more for Christmas. You talked to him on the phone every so often, and Leo liked to send a picture of Will wearing your kit every few months. He liked dinosaurs and crafts, and he adored your brother. Will’s mom had never been in the picture; you’d never met her, never even gotten Leo to tell you her name. It was just the two of them, and you knew it was hard. You didn’t know it was this hard for your brother, though. You’d have stepped in much sooner if you’d known. 
Signing the last piece of paper, you inhaled deeply and slid it back across the desk towards Susan. 
“Okay! That’s everything in order. It would be a lot more complicated if your brother hadn’t signed over his rights. Great foresight of him, to have the paperwork all ready!”
Yeah. Great foresight. Leo clearly possessed that. 
“I’ll go get Will! Like I said before, he’s been having a tough time, but the minute he arrived here he asked for you, telling us he was supposed to make sure that his Aunt came for him if anything ever happened to his Dad. I think he’ll settle once he finally sees you.” 
Susan smiled kindly, stepping away from the desk and briskly walking down the hall. 
The words settled something in you that worried Will wouldn’t want to go with you, while at the same time, making you so incredibly frustrated. Leo could make sure to prepare Will for this exact situation to occur, yet he couldn’t avoid committing felonies? 
Before you could think too hard about what to say or do, there he was. Walking slowly down the hall next to Susan, a blue dinosaur clutched tightly to his chest. His brown hair fell messily around his head, in a way that reminded you of your brother. He was small, wearing a sweatshirt and shorts and a pair of velcro shoes. Small and scared, his face creased with anxiety and fear, even as he approached you. 
“Here she is!” Susan said encouragingly, gently nudging Will closer when he came to a stop just in front of you. He was gazing up at you with wide, unsure eyes, and you could see tear tracks on his cheeks, his eyes red and puffy. He was so small. 
It was instinctual, something you didn’t even know you possessed that had you kneeling down and opening your arms. Will’s forehead un-creased just slightly, and he rushed forward, wrapping his arms tight around your neck. 
“Hey, buddy. Everything’s okay now. I’ve got you.” You whispered, holding tightly to the little boy that was clinging onto you as if you were the last stable thing in the world. And you supposed you were; in his world at least. 
Will exhaled shakily. For the first time in two whole days, he felt just a tiny bit safe. He didn’t know you well, granted, but his Daddy had always told him that if there was an emergency, to make sure to call you. He’d taught Will how to click your contact and call. Will hadn’t been sure you’d come. You lived far away, and he barely ever saw you. The two of you were strangers practically. But Leo had always told Will that you’d come for him if he needed you. And Leo had never broken a promise to Will before… Well not until the other day, he’d waited in the office at school for a whole hour after the bell rang. When someone came for him, it wasn’t his Dad. It was a police officer with a mustache and a mean face, and all Will could do was cry, and make sure that the police officer knew he had to call you. And though the details Will had been given were few, he knew his Dad had been bad and he was in trouble. Big trouble. The police officer had sounded all angry and stern when he’d told Will this, softening only slightly when Will asked when he’d get to see his Dad again.
The police officer hadn’t answered, instead telling Will that he was being taken to the social services office, where he’d wait to figure out what the next steps were. 
Will had waited for you, and even though the nice lady had told him you were coming, it took a while. More than one day, but he couldn’t quite remember. It felt like forever. 
But now you were here, and you’d given him a hug that felt like the hugs his Dad gave him, and he didn’t feel like he had to try to be brave anymore. Your arms didn’t loosen around him even as you stood up, and Will let himself relax. Just for a moment. 
“We going to Spain?” Will wondered, gripping two of your fingers when you held out your hand towards him. He trotted along next to you as you headed from the social services building down the block to your hotel. 
“Yeah. Barcelona.” You affirmed. Luckily, Will had been able to talk to Leo on the phone, and Leo told him what the plan was. 
“Bar-sa-lonuh? Or Spain?” 
“Barcelona is a city in Spain.” You clarified. “We’ll go there on a plane tomorrow morning.” 
“Is it a big plane?” 
“It’s a pretty big plane. Have you ever been on a plane before?” 
Will shook his head, brown curls blowing backwards slightly in the wind.
“It’ll be fun. We’ll get snacks and… pick out a few movies to watch. And you can sleep if you want to.” 
“Snacks and movies?” Will repeated. 
“Yes! Does that sound fun?” You tried to sound excited even though there wasn’t really anything you were dreading more than the long flight with a five year old. 
Will just shrugged, his hand tightening around your fingers. You shifted the strap of his big duffel bag so it was further up on your shoulder, stopping just outside the hotel and bending down so you were eye level with him. 
“I know it’s a lot of change, Will. And I know you don’t know me very well but–” 
“My Daddy said you’re nice. And that you’ll take good care of me.” Will whispered, tearing up as he remembered the phone call he’d gotten to have with his father this morning. Leo had called you right after, himself trying to hold it together as he explained he told Will that you were coming for him. 
“I’m going to do my very best to take good care of you. We’re gonna figure it out together, alright?” 
Will nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and rubbing at his eye with his fist. “Alright.” 
You figured that was the best you’d get, for now. 
“Tia?” Will whispered. You turned, finding him all tucked into one of the double beds, the covers pulled up to his chin. He was so small, the dinosaur pajamas he’d pulled out of his duffel bag a bit too big on him. ‘Dad said I’d grow into them if I ate my vegetables’, Will had said. Your brother was many things, and a good father was one of them. He was giving you a huge responsibility and huge shoes to fill. 
Refocusing on Will and not how much he looked like your brother, you smiled, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. 
“What’s up, buddy?” You asked, hesitating for a moment before reaching and out brushing one of his curls away from his face. His whole body relaxed at the motion, and he looked a bit more confident as he opened his mouth to speak again. 
“Do we have to go to Spain? We… we can’t stay here?” 
Your heart twisted in your chest. You thought of your brother's words on the phone the past few days. He’d repeated it a few times, as if knowing the doubt you’d carry. 
You can’t leave Spain. You have a career and a life there. Will speaks a bit of Spanish, and he’ll adjust. He needs to be with you, and you need to be where you’re going to be happy. That will be the best thing for him.
Leo spoke with a wisdom in his voice that used to infuriate you, but you’d decided to trust the big brother voice, this time. Because he was Will’s dad, and he knew what Will needed. 
“We have to go to Spain.” You confirmed. Will frowned, an unhappy look on his face that tore at your emotions. “I know, it’s going to be an adjustment. But your Dad told me to take you there, and he always knows best, right?” 
Will looked conflicted. “I like it here.”
“I know, I know you do.” You paused, thinking once again back to your brother's advice. 
Talk to him like he’s a person, not a baby. He’s a smart kid, he’ll understand. 
“I play football in Spain. It’s my job there, so that’s where we have to be for now. But you’ll like it, I promise. It’s warm and sunny and it has really good food. Alexia is there, and I know you’ll love her, and she’s so excited to meet you in person.” 
Thankfully, Will had met Alexia over facetime before, and knew that you were together. You didn’t have to introduce the idea to him, as he’d somehow already seemed to know it wouldn’t just be the two of you when you arrived in Spain. 
Will looked doubtful, and you could see the anxiety clearly written across his face. His features were so like Leo’s, and it was the same face your brother always had when he was nervous about something. The same face you had when you were nervous about something. 
“Why don’t you ask me questions about Spain? And I’ll answer them, and then you’ll know more before we get there.” 
Will was a talker, that much you knew. And so the questions began, about the food in Spain, about school in Spain, about the team you played for, and whether there were dinosaur toys there. Question after question, until you laid down on the bed next to him, eyes barely open. 
“Do you live in a house in Spain?” Will asked, his energy still in full force as he asked what felt like the 500th question of the evening. 
“An apartment, but you’ll have your own room.” 
“And Alexia lives there?” 
You nodded groggily. 
“Does she speak Spanish?” 
“She does, but she also speaks English.” 
Will hummed. “My Dad was teaching me some Spanish for when we met Alexia. He said your tia taught you both Spanish and that's why I call you tia because that’s Spanish for aunt.” 
At this, you cracked a smile, forcing your eyes open as you nodded. “That’s true. We lived with our tia for a while and she taught us Spanish.” 
“Is it hard to learn? I’m not very good.” Will wondered, his questions seemingly endless. 
“Mmm, not hard. You’ll pick it up quickly, especially at school and with Alexia helping you with it.” 
“Is she nice?” 
“She’s very nice.” You promised, eyes flying open when you realized you had a text from Alexia you hadn’t yet read or responded to. Will yawned hugely as you pulled your phone out of your sweatshirt pocket, and you smiled down at him again. 
“Go to sleep, buddy. I can answer more questions tomorrow.” 
With a small grunt of agreement and another yawn, he rolled over. Right into you, his head resting against your arm. It was indescribable, the soft feeling that filled your heart. Soft adoration, even as you stilled the left side of your body completely so as not to disturb him. 
You didn’t know much about kids, but it seemed you knew enough. For now. 
Finally, you opened Alexia’s text, tears pooling in your eyes as you read her words. 
Amor! I hope everything is going well. You’re doing great already, I am sure of it. I stopped at the store and got a few things for Will. You said he likes dinosaurs, sí?I love you, I’ll see you tomorrow. I can’t wait to hug you. 
God, you couldn’t wait to see her. It wasn’t very odd for the two of you to spend a night apart, but something about this felt different. You missed her deeply, fully, needed her to hold you and promise everything was going to be okay. The anxiety of how this whole new life would work was almost overshadowed by your excitement to see her again. 
Almost. 
Will was a pretty well behaved kid, you’d learned. Very sleepy when he woke up in the morning, but he snapped right out of it when you asked him what he wanted to download to watch on the plane. He very eagerly selected three disney movies, and you realized with a pang to your chest that all three were movies you and your brother had grown up on. 
All three were Leo’s favorites, if you remembered right. 
And now they were Will’s. 
Not being the biggest fan of crowds, the airport clearly made your nephew nervous. He fidgeted his little hands together, walking so close to you that he ran into you every time you stopped. His hand would dart out to grab onto the hem of your t-shirt whenever anyone got too close to him, and he almost cried when the security agent made him walk through the metal detector by himself. 
You figured this made sense, that after his whole world had been turned upside down, of course he’d attached himself onto the most stable thing he could find. That happened to be you. It was just… odd. Something you weren’t used to. The checklist you’d made on your phone helped, reminding you to ask Will if he had to go to the bathroom, if he was hungry or thirsty, if he had any more questions about the plane. It was more than terrifying, honestly, that you were suddenly fully responsible for this small boy. 
There was stress, of course. But there was also something so… incredibly different in the way Will pressed his face to the glass of the plane window, staring wide eyed as the plane took off. For every moment you worried you were messing up, even in the first 24 hours, there were 10 moments where Will rested his head against your shoulder or reached for your hand, or offered you one of his animal crackers with a smile that had you convinced that for your nephew, maybe you could do this. 
“I can walk, Tia.” Will mumbled, squirming slightly in your arms. 
You chuckled, rubbing his back softly. “It’s okay, buddy, it’s crowded and I know that makes you nervous.”  
You’d picked him up a moment ago, after noticing how terrified he looked at the massive crowds making their way through the airport. It was a struggle to wrangle both of your bags in one hand, while holding Will in the other, but you didn’t want him to be uncomfortable. You took two steps towards the exit before you had to stop and readjust, wishing you had another pair of hands here to help. 
Alexia had texted that she was there, and though you’d assumed that meant she was outside in her car, your eyes met hers across the bustling baggage claim before you had to take another step. 
Your whole body practically sagged with relief, your bags falling to the ground where you stood as Alexia made her way over to you both, a concerned and sympathetic smile on her face. 
“Mi amor,” she greeted, softly kissing your temple and pulling you into as much of a hug as she could manage with Will still in your arms. 
“Hi.” You choked out, almost in tears at the sight of her. Here, in front of you, at the perfect time. With a smile on her face, already reaching for your bags. 
“Hi, Will.” She said gently. 
Will peaked out from where his face had become hidden in your neck, relaxing a bit when he saw the semi familiar face. 
“Hi.” He whispered back, turning his face back in towards you and shutting his eyes. 
“He’s tired.” You explained, but Alexia just waved you off, beginning to lead you from the airport to the parking garage. It was much easier now that you only had to worry about carrying Will, who was quickly becoming dead weight in your arms as he drifted off. 
“Of course he is, it has been a long few days. I bet you’re exhausted too. We can go home and go right to sleep, sí? We can worry about anything else tomorrow.” 
You nodded your agreement, not even wanting to contemplate the state of your to do list at the moment, though it was getting harder and harder to ignore. 
As you arrived at the car, you shouldn’t have been surprised by the car seat perfectly installed in the back of Alexia’s car. You’d mentioned needing one to her, but for some reason… you half expected her to forget. Or get the wrong one. You weren’t sure why, but it was just something that you thought you’d have to do. 
Yet when you opened the door to the back seat, it was all done for you. The perfect size for Will, buckled in correctly and everything. You carefully deposited him in the seat and buckled him in, before turning to Alexia, once again with tears in your eyes. 
“Thank you for getting that.” You mumbled, shutting the car door as quietly as you could. 
“Of course.” Alexia said easily, her lips curving into a smile as she opened her arms for you. You practically collapsed into them, gripping tight to your girlfriend as she did the same to you. 
“I missed you so much.” You cried. 
“I missed you too, mi amor. You have no idea.” Alexia whispered back, her hand threading through your hair as she just held you for a moment. Eventually she leaned down to press her lips to yours. You kissed her back, taking in the feel of her hands as they cupped your jaw, her fading blonde hair tickling the side of your face. 
When you pulled back from the kiss, she was still gazing at you so lovingly it made your heart burst. 
“Let’s get you both home.” She suggested, and you nodded your agreement, needing nothing more than to be home in that moment. 
The relief you felt when you finally stepped back into your apartment wasn’t complete relief. Because you were home, but everything was different. There was a whole other person that had to fit into your life now, and you didn’t even know where to begin carving out a space for him. There was figuring out a school that could accommodate a five year old that spoke very little Spanish. Then there was finding childcare for when training didn’t perfectly align with school, or when the team was traveling. Would you bring Will with for away games? 
The issues you needed to address were seemingly endless, but most urgently was that the extra bedroom was not fit for a child. It had a double bed, which would work for now, but didn’t leave much room for anything else. What did a kid even need in his bedroom? 
Toys, of course. 
Books. 
A desk? 
A dresser? Or would the closet be enough? 
God he would need more clothes. 
And food that he'd like to eat. 
And shampoo and conditioner for kids. Those were different from adult hair products, right? 
That was most urgent, you decided. Making your home a home for him. 
“We should go shopping tomorrow.” You murmured, shifting Will in your arms a bit as you headed for the guest bedroom. He’d fallen asleep in the car and it was night, so it made sense for him to keep sleeping. 
What time did kids his age go to bed? 7? 8? You had no idea. Another question to answer. 
With a gentle hand on your back guiding you down the hall, Alexia hummed in agreement, but you missed the small smile on her face. “I bought a few things.” She reminded you. 
Your assumption was that a few things were a pair of pajamas, a new toy. A book, maybe? But when Alexia stepped around you to push the bedroom door open, your jaw dropped. 
A few things, apparently, was an entirely redecorated room. A beautifully redecorated room. The walls were no longer white; instead they were painted a soft green. A wooden twin bed sat in the corner, a green canopy hanging the tall headboard and footboard. The bed was covered in a green comforter, a soft throw blanket, and 4 different pillows. A long shelf sat just under the large window, filled with toys and books. There was a separate toy box next to the bookshelf, overflowing with even more toys; cars and books and dolls and stuffed animals. Everything. Wall decor, a rug, a dresser, a cozy chair in the corner next to a lamp. 
Alexia had thought of everything. And if you’d had any doubts about her dedication to this, to you, to Will, you no longer did. Alexia had done what you’d been too preoccupied to think of and made Will a space that was entirely his own, a place he could feel safe and comforted. She’d made your home his home without a second thought. 
Without a word, you walked further into the room, choking back a sob as you laid a still sleeping Will down carefully on the bed. He shifted in his sleep, snuggling close to the soft pillows as you draped the throw blanket over him. 
When you finally turned back towards your girlfriend, she was hovering in the doorway, chewing on her bottom lip as she gazed at you worriedly. 
“Too much?” She whispered. 
You barely held back the scoff that would have been much too loud, crossing the room quickly and throwing your arms around her. 
“No. Perfect. You're perfect. Thank you.” You mumbled into her neck, pressing kiss after kiss to the skin you found there. Alexia tightened her hold, walking the two of you backwards and out the door so you didn’t wake Will. 
“Are you crying?” Alexia asked, her thumb tracing across your cheek bone as she leaned back from your embrace. 
You sniffled pathetically, leaning back in to press your forehead to Alexia’s chest and steady yourself. 
“I was just so overwhelmed and you did this and it’s perfect Ale. Thank you. Thank you.” 
Alexia pressed a kiss to the top of your head, squeezing you tightly. 
“You don’t have to thank me. I promised, no? I’m here. We are doing this together.” 
“I love you.” You cried, overwhelmed with love and wonder at what an incredible person your girlfriend was. You’d already known, but she always found a way to surprise you, doing something so absurdly kind and thoughtful that you were struck all over again with how good she was. 
“I love you too.” Alexia replied, swaying the two of you back and forth gently. 
There were still a lot of unknowns. A lot of problems to solve and things to figure out. But you’d never been more sure that you could do it. It wasn’t ideal, but you had Alexia and that was certainly ideal. 
JUST finished this so PLEASE tell me if you catch a typo also planning more parts to this but i'm VERY open to ideas if you have them :)
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mcrdvcks · 1 month ago
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i love you, in every time ࿐‧₊ 2003 - i can see us lost in the memory
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chapter summary: After searching for answers about his past, Logan comes back to the mansion after finding nothing at Alkali Lake. When he comes back he sees you, the only thing he can remember.
word count: 6.9k+
pairing: Logan Howlett x fem!reader
notes: i skipped x1 (mostly because i felt like i couldn't place reader into the story and have her actually make a change in it) so we're starting with x2! don't worry, next chapter is going to make you sick with tooth rotting fluff
(also thank you for 700 followers!! and happy thanksgiving to those who celebrate! <3)
warnings/tags: follows events of x2 (strays slightly), reader is a mutant with time manipulation powers, reader wears glasses, shy!reader, light violence
series masterlist - chapter 6 → chapter 8, chapter 8.5
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Alkali Lake held nothing. No clues, no leads, nothing. And because of that he’s still drifting, unable to remember anything but you.
He’s not sure when the last time he saw you was, he can only remember that he’s had you 5 times and lost you 5 times.
But now… now he has nothing but fragments, barely more than dreams, and a dull ache he can’t ignore, even if he can no longer remember the details. He knows you were there, remembers the way your touch soothed him, the warmth of your voice—and each time he replays those memories, he feels something deeper, sharper, tugging at the places in him that will never mend.
---
Logan opened the doors to the mansion, Rogue walking towards him. “Logan!” She went up to hug him before quickly pulling back.
“You miss me, kid?”
“Not really.” She shook her head sarcastically.
“Hmm. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. How are you?”
“Who’s this?” Logan gestured with his head behind Rogue.
Rogue turned around, “oh, this is Bobby. He’s my- ”
“I’m her boyfriend.” Bobby cut in, shaking Logan’s hand using his ice powers, “call me Ice Man.”
Logan pulled away with a slight scowl, “right. Boyfriend? So how do you guys…?”
Bobby and Rogue shared a look, “well, we’re still working on that.” He said.
“Look who’s come back. Just in time.” Ororo spoke, as she walked down the stairs.
“For what?” Logan questioned.
“We need another babysitter.”
“Babysitter?”
“Nice to see you again, Logan.” Ororo said kindly.
“Hi, Logan.” Jean spoke, announcing herself as she walked down the stairs.
Logan briefly looked her way, “Jean.”
“Uh, I should go and get the jet ready.” Ororo said quietly.
“Yeah, well, it was good to meet you.” Bobby grabbed Rogue’s hand, “come on, let’s go.”
“Bye, Logan. I’ll see- I’ll see you later!” Rogue called out.
Jean walked in front of Logan, “Storm and I are heading to Boston. We won’t be gone long. The professor wants us to track down a mutant who attacked the president.”
“So it was a mutant.” Logan responded.
“You’ll be here when we get back- unless you plan on running off again.”
Logan tilted his head slightly. “Oh, I could—” His words trailed off as he caught sight of you. The stack of papers in your hands wobbled as you came down the stairs, muttering under your breath. He watched you, the tilt of your head as you pushed your glasses back up, the way you carefully balanced the papers in your hands.
You. He knew you. He knew that face, that presence. It hit him like a punch to the gut, an undeniable recognition buried beneath layers of fractured memories. You were the only thing that came back to him clearly in all the chaos. The short-lived lives you had, and every time it ended up with you dead in his arms.
He blinked, processing, as if you’d vanish if he looked away. You glanced up, catching his stare, and you stopped mid-step, eyes widening a little.
“Oh, uh… hi,” you said, awkwardly adjusting your glasses.
“Hi,” he echoed, still staring, as if searching for something familiar in the way you moved.
You shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, then tried a smile. “You’re… Logan, right?”
He swallowed, feeling something catch in his throat. “Yeah. Logan.”
Breaking the tension, Scott walked down the stairs, “find what you were looking for, Logan?”
Logan barely acknowledged Scott’s words, his gaze fixed on you. The room, the people around him, the mansion itself—they all blurred, faded, became nothing more than static in the background. He knew you. The only thing he remembered clearly, despite all the fog in his mind, was you.
The stack of papers shifted in your hands as you glanced between him and Scott, your unease clear. It was like you sensed something, too, even if you couldn’t put a finger on it.
“Uh, no, not exactly,” Logan finally replied, his voice gruff, his eyes still on you. “Thought I’d… found something. Guess not.”
Scott didn’t seem too interested in probing. “Well, welcome back. Make yourself at home.”
But Logan barely heard him. He watched as you attempted a shy smile, not quite meeting his eyes. “I… I should go.” You hesitated, lifting the papers as if they’d shield you. “It was nice meeting you, Logan.”
He nodded, his throat dry. “Same.”
You hurried past, your steps soft but quick, almost like you were escaping.
Scott raised an eyebrow at Logan, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “Didn’t know you were one for the shy ones.”
Logan shot him a look that could’ve split wood, but Scott just shrugged and walked off, leaving Logan alone with his thoughts.
For a moment, Logan debated following you. He’d known you before; he was sure of it. And even if he couldn’t recall the exact details, there was no mistaking the pull he felt, the way his chest tightened just being in your presence. He couldn’t remember much, barely fragments, yet you were a constant. And every time, he’d lost you. Every damn time.
---
After double checking that everyone was out of their rooms, whether taken or already escaped, you made your way to the secret tunnel, hitting the paneled wall as it opened.
You saw Rogue, Bobby, John, and Logan running down the hall. “Go on,” you said, letting the kids go through before you did. You noticed no one behind you as the door slid down, closing.
“Logan!” Rogue called out.
Bobby and John had already started to run down the tunnel while you stayed by the wall, ear pressed against it trying to hear what was happening.
Rogue stayed by you, clearly worried about Logan. You opened the door quietly as Bobby and John came back. It was quiet in the hall, Logan was walking slowly toward the older man as your eyes briefly fluttered shut, pausing the intruders in time.
“Logan, come on. Let’s go.” Rogue yelled out.
“Logan,” you said gently, as he finally turned his head towards the group.
“Go. I’ll be fine.”
“But we won’t.” Rogue responded.
Logan contemplated for a few moments before walking towards you, “go. Keep going.” Logan entered the tunnel as the door closed behind him while you un-paused the men in the hall.
The five of you ran down the tunnel before climbing up a ladder to the garage. “Come on, get in. Get in!” Logan said.
You went to open the passenger door to the back when a large, warm hand landed on your waist, the grip warm and familiar even though you knew you'd never been this close to him before. Your breath hitched, and you glanced over your shoulder, only to meet his intense gaze as he gently nudged you toward the front seat. His hand lingered a second longer than it needed to, his touch almost hesitant, as if he was committing the feel of you to memory.
“Front seat, Y/N,” he murmured.
“R-Right. Thanks,” you stammered, feeling a flush rise to your cheeks as you slid into the passenger seat. He followed, taking his place behind the wheel, while Rogue, Bobby, and John piled into the back.
“This is Cyclops’s car.” Bobby said.
“Oh, yeah?” Logan unsheathed a singular claw, stabbing it into the ignition and turning on the car. The garage doors opened as the car sped out.
“What the hell was that back there?” John finally asked.
“Stryker.” Logan answered. “His name is Stryker.”
“Who is he?” Rogue questioned.
“I can’t remember.” Logan said quietly.
Rogue, after a few moments of silence, took off the dog tags around her wrist, passing them to Logan in the front, “here. This is yours.”
Even though you couldn’t see the kids in the back, you could tell they were uncomfortable with the silence. John leaned forward, “I don’t like uncomfortable silences.”
“What are you doing?” Rogue asked from beside him.
John turned on the radio as music played loudly from the car’s stereo’s, “bye, bye, bye…” Everyone groaned at the loud intrusion as John promptly turned it back off.
But, a small compartment opened, revealing a sleek metal device. “I don’t think that’s the CD player.” John said.
Logan grabbed it, twisting it in his hands. It blipped once, “whoa,” he muttered. Logan looked at John momentarily, “sit back.”
“Where we going?” John asked.
“Storm and Jean are in Boston. We’ll head that way.” Logan answered.
Bobby looked off to the side, “my parents live in Boston.”
“Good.” Logan said.
---
It was morning when you arrived at Bobby’s parents’ house. He unlocked the front door and stepped inside, “mom! Dad! Ronny! Is anybody home?” No one responded, the house was empty. Bobby looked at Rogue, “I’ll try and find you some clothes.” Bobby then looked over at John, who was continuously flicking his lighter open, “don’t burn anything.”
Logan was in the kitchen, trying to get the phone, or comm device he wasn’t sure, to work. He put it to his ear, “hello?” Static crackled over the device, “hello?” Logan asked again. “Come on, Jean. Where are you?”
You had just freshened up a bit when the door opened, Bobby’s family entering the house, looking at Logan in the kitchen with an open beer bottle.
“Hey, Ronny, next time you…” Bobby’s father started, but stopped when he saw Logan. “Who the hell are you?”
“Uh…” Logan pointed at the stairs as Bobby ran down them.
“Bobby…?”
“Honey, aren’t you supposed to be at school?” Bobby’s mother asked. Rogue quietly walked down the stairs.
“Bobby, who is this guy?”
“Uh… this is Professor Logan.” Bobby paused before speaking again, “there’s something I need to tell you.”
Soon, you all ended up in the living area, the kids and Bobby’s parents sitting down on the couch with you and Logan standing in the doorway.
“So, uh, when did you first know you were a… a…” Bobby’s mother trailed off.
“A mutant?” John spoke up, still flicking his lighter open and closed.
“Would you cut that out?” she said.
“You have to understand, we thought Bobby was going to a school for the gifted.” his father spoke.
“Bobby is gifted.” Rogue cut in.
“We know that. We just didn’t realize…”
His mother cut off her husband, “we still love you, Bobby. It’s just… this mutant problem is a little…”
“What mutant problem?” Logan interrupted, leaning against the other side of the doorway as you with his arms crossed.
“…complicated.” she finished.
Bobby’s father spoke again, “what exactly are you a professor of Mr. Logan?”
“Art.”
“Well, you should see what Bobby can do.” Rogue said.
Bobby leaned forward, gently touching his mother’s teacup with one finger as the tea turned to ice.
“Bobby…” his mother trailed off. She flipped the teacup on its side as the ice slid to the plate.
“I can do a lot more than that.”
His mother shakily put the plate and teacup on the glass table as the cat jumped up and started to lick the ice. Bobby’s brother Ronny left the room with a quiet anger.
“Ronny?” His mother called out as he went up the stairs. “This is all my fault.”
John spoke up, “actually, they discovered that males are the ones who carry the mutant gene and pass it on, so it’s his fault.”
A few moments later, the comm device started to beep. “Oh, God…” Logan took the device out of his pocket and started to walk to the sliding door, “it’s for me.”
“Bobby… have you tried… not being a mutant?” His mother asked.
Logan came back inside and locked the sliding door, “we have to go now. Now!”
“Why?” Rogue questioned. “Logan, what’s wrong?”
He walked to the front door, claws extended and you and the kids following to come face to face with police officers on the front lawn, point guns at you.
“Drop the knives and put your hands in the air.” An officer ordered from their right.
“What’s going on here?” Logan muttered.
“Ronny.” Bobby answered, coming to the realization.
“I said, drop the knives!” The officer ordered again.
Glass shattered from inside the house, “turn around! Up against the wall! Up against the wall!” An officer ordered Bobby’s parents, still in the living area.
“This is just a misunderstanding.” Logan said.
“Put the knives down!”
Logan turned to look at the officer, “I can’t. Look,” he raised his arm slowly as the officer fired a shot, straight into Logan’s forehead.
Rogue screamed and you gasped as Logan hit the patio floor.
“All right, the rest of you- on the ground now!” The same officer ordered.
You, Bobby, and Rogue slowly sank to the ground, but John stayed standing.
“Look, kid, I said on the ground!”
“We don’t want to hurt you, kid.” The officer on the other side said.
“You know all those dangerous mutants you hear about on the news?” John flicked open his lighter as you murmured his name, “I’m the worst one.” He blasted fire at the officer who shot Logan, sending him off the patio. He turned and did the same to the woman on the other side, then inside the house at the two officers.
John turned forward, blasting fire at the officers on the front lawn, the car exploding, before doing the same to another police car. A siren sounded down the street, coming to the house, as John blasted another stationary car by the front lawn, throwing the moving car off track. He blasted that car too.
Rogue, on the ground in front of you, took off her white glove and grabbed John’s ankle. The fire in his hands died off as Rogue stopped the fires surrounding the police cars and lawn.
The bullet popped out of Logan’s head as he woke up, the Blackbird slowly landing in the street. Logan stood up, cracking his neck. Bobby and the kids rushed off the stairs first, heading to the jet.
Logan instinctively put a hand on the small of your back, not pushing you or guiding you just… resting there. You took a quick glance up at him before reverting your gaze back to what was ahead of you.
John was the first one to walk up the ramp, and the first one to see Kurt turn in his chair. “Guten tag.” Kurt greeted.
The rest of you got onto the jet, buckling in, “who the hell is this?” Logan asked.
“Kurt Wagner. But in the Munich circus, I was known as the Incredible Nightcrawler.”
“As, save it. Storm?”
“We’re out of here.” The engines powered up as the ship jerked slightly while taking off.
---
“How far are we?” Logan asked, walking up behind Jean’s chair.
“We’re actually coming up on the mansion now.” Jean replied, as the console started to beep.
“I’ve got two signals approaching.” Ororo said, “coming in fast.”
“Unidentified aircraft, you are ordered to descend to 20,000 feet. Return with our escort to Hanscom Air Force Base. You have ten seconds to comply.”
“Wow, somebody’s angry.” Ororo commented.
Logan looked back at John, “I wonder why.”
“We are coming up alongside you to escort you to Hanscom Air Force Base. Lower your altitude now.” The two planes come up on both sides of the jet, “repeat-lower your altitude to 20,000 feet. This is your last warning.”
The planes started to fly behind, “they’re falling back.” Ororo spoke. Rapid beeping sounded out from the console. “They’re marking us.”
“What?” Logan asked.
“They’re going to fire! Hang on!” Ororo started to fly the jet in a defensive position as they buckled into their seats. “I got to shake them.”
The jet briefly flew upside down then righted itself, “please don’t do that again.” John said.
“I agree.” Logan remarked. “Don’t we have any weapons in this heap?”
The sky started to darken as dark clouds formed, quickly turning into tornadoes. The jet started to shake from the heavy winds as Ororo tried getting the two planes off their tails.
Once their radar was clear, Ororo stopped, the sky brightening back to its natural state.
“Everybody okay back there?” Jean questioned.
“No,” Logan answered simply.
Rapid beeping sounded out from the console once again, “oh, my God, there’s two of them,” Ororo said. Jean used her powers and took out one of the missiles, “there’s one more.” The remaining missile continued flying closer to them, “Jean?”
Jean gasped, “oh, God!” At the last second, Jean directed the missile slightly up, causing the back end of the jet to blow open.
Rogue, who wasn’t buckled in, flew out the back as Bobby yelled for her. Kurt briefly looked back before disappearing and then reappearing in the jet, right by the pilot’s seat next to Ororo and Jean as the jet nosedived.
The panels in the ship began to crackle as metal creaked and the back of the jet repaired itself. “Jean?” Ororo asked.
“It’s not me.” Jean answered, as the jet suddenly stopped, hovering over an older man and woman you didn’t recognize.
---
You had your head and arms buried deep into the jet's console, a strand of hair falling in front of your face as you tried to twist one more wire into place. The tech was scrambled from the missile hit, panels still flickering with bursts of static, and while it wasn’t exactly in your wheelhouse, you knew enough to give it a try. Besides, it kept your hands busy while the rest of the team talked to Erik around the fire and the kids set up tents.
After some time, you walked down the stairs of the jet, mostly for a small break from the incessant lighting and saw Logan smoking a cigar by the ramp. You almost turned around and walked back up, until he turned to look at you, more than halfway down the stairs.
You gulped and played with the tool in your hands as Logan looked at his cigar briefly, noticing the smoke was frozen in the air. He turned his gaze to the trees nearby also taking note that they were frozen as well; no wind blowing through their leaves.
“Ya always freeze time when you get nervous?” Logan tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as he watched you, trapped in your own nervous suspension of time. You gave a tight, embarrassed smile, the tool in your hands twisting around your fingers as you took a deep breath and forced yourself to let go of the freeze.
“No. Only sometimes,” you admitted, feeling your cheeks heat. The trees resumed their gentle sway, and the smoke from his cigar curled upward lazily again. Logan watched the subtle shift, something almost playful glinting in his gaze.
He took another drag of his cigar, eyes not leaving you. “So, what’s got you nervous?”
Your fingers fumbled with the tool. “It’s, um… I don’t usually come across people who…” You trailed off, looking down at your hands.
Truth was, he made you nervous. Why wouldn’t he? He was… a lot of things, and in the few days you have known him you couldn’t help but feel more reserved than usual.
Logan leaned back against the ramp, watching you with a calm expression, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Care to be more specific?” He seemed content to let you fumble, patient in a way that only made your pulse quicken more.
You shrugged, pretending to focus on the tool in your hands. “I don’t know, maybe it’s the… whole mysterious, intense thing you’ve got going. That, and the fact that I accidentally freeze time whenever you look at me like that.”
He raised an eyebrow, letting out a low chuckle. “Like what?”
“Like…” You trailed off, finally looking up at him. “Like you’re trying to figure something out, but I’m not sure I want to know what.”
“Maybe I am,” Logan said, taking a drag of his cigar. His eyes softened a bit, and you felt a warmth settle over you. He didn’t push, didn’t pry—just waited. After all, patience was one of the many things he’d perfected over the years.
You shifted on your feet, glancing down to where your fingers had turned the wrench over and over, antsy. “Maybe I just don’t know what to make of you,” you murmured, feeling the weight of his gaze again.
“Guess that makes two of us,” he replied, his voice low. There was something unspoken in his words, something you couldn’t quite name.
The silence stretched out, and then, because there was something about the way he looked at you that felt like an invitation, you spoke. “Why’d you come out here, anyway? I thought you were all about avoiding everyone else.”
Logan flicked some ash off the end of his cigar. “Maybe I was gettin’ tired of avoidin’ things.” He paused, looking out toward the treeline, then back at you. “Or maybe I just wanted to see if you’d freeze time again.”
You rolled your eyes, but a smile tugged at your lips. “Not exactly something I can control.”
“Good to know,” Logan replied, smirking. He took another puff, the smoke curling up in wisps around him. “So, are you fixin’ that thing, or just givin’ it the ol’ college try?”
You looked back at the jet, the half-repaired panel flickering with static. “Oh, definitely just winging it.”
Logan chuckled, the sound rich and deep, and for a moment, the tension seemed to ease. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for a ‘wing it’ type.”
You shrugged, biting back a smirk. “I’m full of surprises.”
The easy conversation brought a hint of a grin to his face, something warm and fleeting, and he tilted his head toward the jet. “C’mon, let’s see what else you can do, winging it.” He raised an eyebrow, as if challenging you.
You looked at him, then back at the jet, a bit of excitement tingling under your skin. “Alright, Logan. Let’s see what we can fix.”
---
“Stay with the kids.” Jean said. You opened your mouth to argue, you weren’t a child, yet it seemed like every mission you were treated like one. Never allowed on the field, never even brought in on a debriefing.
The rest of the group, other than Mystique who was already in the base, were outside the jet, making their way into Alkali Base. You were supposed to stay behind with Rogue, Bobby, and John.
“But, Jean—” you started, voice catching on the frustrated protest that lingered in your chest.
Jean turned, a hand on her hip and an exasperated look that was all too familiar. “We’ve talked about this, Y/N. You’re here to look after them.”
“Right,” you muttered, crossing your arms, your gaze falling on the others, who were half paying attention, half pretending not to notice. Rogue’s worried glance lingered on you; Bobby looked between you and the hallway where the rest of the team had disappeared.
Jean’s expression softened just slightly. “This isn’t a punishment, okay? The kids need someone they trust to keep them safe.”
You glanced at Logan, who gave you a slight nod, his eyes flickering with something you couldn’t quite place. “Fine,” you mumbled, “I’ll stay with them.”
Jean pressed a reassuring hand to your shoulder. “We’ll be back soon.” She turned to catch up with the others, her footsteps echoing as they faded into the depths of the base.
Logan lingered for a moment, gaze unwavering. He looked at you for a beat too long, and something tightened in his expression. He gave a faint nod before heading off.
As the rest of the team disappeared down the corridor, John grinned, clearly amused by your frustration. "Looks like you got a babysitting gig, huh?"
You shot him a withering look, but Rogue was quick to jump in. "It's not like that, John."
“Could be worse,” Bobby added, trying to lighten the mood, “at least we’re safe here.”
You leaned against the cold metal wall, fingers tapping the console out of habit. “Yeah,” you replied, though your voice held none of the certainty you tried to convey.
From the depths of the corridor, Logan’s scent still lingered faintly in the air. You felt the tug of something unexplainable—a pull toward him that you’d noticed ever since he first set foot in the mansion. It was like trying to remember something you knew you’d forgotten.
Your hand, almost of its own accord, clenched into a fist, feeling the temptation to slow time, to buy a few seconds to gather your thoughts and process what lingered between you and Logan. But with Rogue, Bobby, and John right there, you resisted, focusing on keeping things steady.
And, yet, as you listened to the faint sounds echoing down the hall, a deep sense of restlessness settled in your chest.
---
“She’s controlling the jet!” Storm said, as the jet started to lightly shake.
“You, get her, now!” Logan told Kurt.
Kurt briefly phased, “she’s not letting me.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Charles spoke. “This is the only way.”
Scott leaned down next to Charles seat, “Jean? Listen to me. Don’t do this.”
“Good-bye.”
The jet started to hover above the water as a bright light shone briefly from the water before disappearing as quickly as it came.
“She’s gone,” Ororo said quietly.
The vision broke your focus as you flew the jet, the emergency landing protocol activated as it landed harshly, Rogue and Bobby standing in the cockpit by your seat.
A whoosh made you turn to the side to see Kurt putting Charles down in a seat. Kids started to climb up the stairs into the ramp as Ororo came by your side, “I got this, Y/N,” she said gently.
You let out a few more heavy breaths before standing up from the pilot’s seat, letting Ororo take your place.
As Scott fiddled with some of the controls, Charles spoke up, “Scott, we’ve got to get to Washington. I fear this has gone beyond Alkali Lake.”
Logan finally climbed up the stairs, a young boy in his arms, “Bobby.”
“Hey, I got him,” Bobby replied, carefully taking the boy from Logan’s arms.
Logan watched for a moment as Bobby wrapped an arm around the kid, murmuring something reassuring to him. When the boy seemed to relax, Logan shifted his gaze to you, lingering just a beat too long, that same unreadable look in his eyes.
The jet was buzzing with energy as everyone settled in, but his eyes never left yours. You felt it, that weight, the unspoken thing hanging between you both ever since you met. The others didn’t seem to notice—Bobby was focused on the kid, Rogue was buckling in, and Ororo and Scott were adjusting settings on the console. But Logan, he was watching you, something intense simmering beneath his stoic expression.
You tried to brush it off, focusing on the quiet hum of the jet as it prepared for takeoff. But that pull was there, like something forgotten tugging at your memory, or maybe… not forgotten, exactly. Maybe something you’d never known.
Finally, unable to help yourself, you looked back at him. “What?” you asked softly, half a smile on your lips to cover the nervous energy prickling at the base of your spine.
Logan didn’t smile back. “Nothing,” he replied, voice rough. But his gaze softened, just barely, and there was a glimmer of something warm. “Just making sure you’re alright.”
His words were casual, but you caught the faintest edge of something… familiar. Like a memory you couldn’t quite touch. You felt your fingers twitch, the familiar itch to pull time in around you, but you held back.
“I’m fine,” you said, brushing your hair behind your ear as you tried to shake off the strange feeling. “Thanks for asking.”
Logan nodded, but his gaze didn’t waver. He watched you for a beat longer, almost as if he were searching for something. Whatever it was, he didn’t find it—or maybe he did but decided not to say. Instead, he moved forward to Ororo, where her and Scott were trying to power the engines.
“What’s wrong?” Logan questioned.
“Vertical thrusters are offline.” Scott answered.
“So fix ’em.”
“I’m trying.”
“Hey, has anyone seen John?” Rogue called out.
“Pyro?” Logan asked. “Where the hell is he?”
“He’s with Magneto.” Jean replied.
“…but I don’t know how long they’re going to last.”
“I’m trying to override, but it’s not responding.” Scott grunted, “come on!”
“Oh, no, we’ve lost the power.” Ororo said.
“It’s coming. Come on!”
“There’s power in the fuel cells. They’re just not connected.”
“Okay, I’ll try to reroute it this way.” Ororo continued, but your gaze was focused on Jean, who was looking at the ramp of the jet. “Scott, the engine control system is shot.”
“Which part?”
“All of it!”
“Can’t you override?”
“Yes. It’s going to take some time.”
“Jean,” you whispered under your breath, too scared to act, fearing what would happen if you intervened. Instead, you watched as she walked down the ramp of the jet, glancing at the group one last time.
Charles tilted his head slightly to the side, “Jean?”
“Wait, where’s Jean?” Logan asked.
“She’s outside.” Charles said.
Scott bolted up from his seat to the ramp, but it closed as he got there, separating Jean from the rest of them. The consoles lit up as the engines came back online.
“No! We’re not leaving! Lower the ramp! Storm, lower it!” Scott yelled.
“I can’t!” She replied.
The water finally washed over to them, but because of Jean and her telekinesis it went around her.
“She’s controlling the jet!” Storm said, as the jet started to lightly shake.
“You, get her, now!” Logan told Kurt.
Kurt briefly phased, “she’s not letting me.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Charles spoke. “This is the only way.”
Scott leaned down next to Charles seat, “Jean? Listen to me. Don’t do this.”
“Good-bye.”
The jet started to hover above the water as a bright light shone briefly-
“-power in the fuel cells. They’re just not connected.”
“Okay, I’ll try to reroute it this way.” Ororo continued, but your gaze was focused on Jean, who was looking at the ramp of the jet. “Scott, the engine control system is shot.”
“Which part?”
“All of it!”
“Can’t you override?”
“Yes. It’s going to take some time.”
As Jean walked toward the ramp, you reached out and grabbed her forearm, halting her determined steps. Her head turned, meeting your gaze, and for a moment, her eyes softened. There was a weariness, a resignation in her look that you couldn’t ignore.
“Jean,” you whispered, tightening your grip. “There has to be another way.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she looked away, staring into the distance. The ramp was only steps away, but she hadn’t pulled her arm free. “It’s the only way to save everyone,” she said, her voice barely audible, as if speaking louder would shatter whatever resolve she had left.
“I’m not gonna let you die,” you spoke quietly.
Jean tilted her head, looking at the cockpit one more time before back at you, “you rewound. Didn’t you?” She hadn’t tried to pull away, and you could feel the rapid beat of her pulse through your grip on her arm. She knew. Somehow, she’d pieced it together—how you’d rewound, maybe even more than once.
“Yes,” you replied softly, your voice barely audible over the hum of the jet, “but this time—”
“This time won’t be any different,” Jean cut in, a trace of regret in her tone. “Some things… you can’t just rewind.”
You tightened your grip, not willing to let go. “I don’t believe that. I don’t believe it has to end like this.”
Her gaze softened, but there was a sadness in her eyes that you couldn’t bear. “You have to let me go, Y/N. You can’t keep holding on to something that’s already gone.”
You shook your head, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “We’re a team, Jean. You can power on the jet, and I can pause the water.”
She looked away, clearly weighing every word you said against her own grim resolve, then back at you with a look of resigned understanding. "You don’t understand, Y/N. This—" she gestured to the waters crashing around them, then down to her own chest, her hand resting over her heart—"what’s happening to me... it’s too much. It’s a flood I can’t hold back.”
You could feel her pulse, still wild beneath your hand, and the memory of her last words echoed in your mind. "You have to let me go, Y/N. You can’t keep holding on to something that’s already gone.”
But she wasn’t gone, not yet, and the desperation that rose inside you felt like a fight against fate itself. “Jean, I’ve seen things go wrong before.” The words slipped out, the ghost of a memory that you couldn’t quite catch. “But I can feel it this time… we don’t have to lose you. Just trust me.”
For a moment, Jean’s gaze softened, and her grip on her resolve wavered. “Y/N…” she started, and you caught a glimmer of something in her eyes—gratitude, or maybe even hope. Her hand rested lightly over yours, though you could feel her power humming beneath her skin. “Alright,” she whispered finally, her voice barely audible. “But if something goes wrong… if it’s too much…”
You cut her off, squeezing her hand tighter. “Then we find another way. But you don’t have to do this alone.”
With a quick nod from Jean, you focused your energy, feeling time ripple and bend beneath your skin. Jean closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she took in the extra moments you’d gifted her, enough to gather her power without tearing herself apart in the process.
Outside the jet, the water slowed, hovering just a few inches away from the plane, frozen in time. Everyone held their breath, the hum of the jet's engines amplified in the stillness. Scott turned back to the controls, guiding the jet forward through the suspended water. “It’s working,” he murmured, almost to himself. "We’re moving.”
In the cockpit, you felt your pulse race as you held the time bubble steady, feeling the strain build in your bones. This level of control was more intense than anything you’d managed before, but you pushed yourself to hold on, the determination to keep Jean and everyone safe steeling your resolve.
The jet jolted slightly as it broke through the edge of the water and rose higher, out of immediate danger. But the strain was starting to build, the sheer amount of energy it took to hold everything at bay beginning to wear on you. Your hand slipped, and you nearly stumbled, but before you could lose your focus entirely, a strong hand caught your arm.
Logan was at your side, his face mere inches from yours, concern laced in his voice. “You good?” he asked, his grip grounding you.
“Yeah… just give me a sec.” You took a breath, focusing on the feel of his hand, the warmth in his touch that felt familiar in a way you couldn’t explain. With that small, grounding connection, you found the strength to hold the time bubble for a few seconds more.
When the jet was finally clear, you released the grip on time, and the rush of water resumed its course beneath them. You staggered slightly, feeling a rush of exhaustion course through you, but Logan’s arm was still steady around you, even as you fell to the ground, your eyes fluttering shut.
Logan’s grip tightened as you slumped back, your breath shuddering as exhaustion swept over you. His hand was warm, rough fingers gently brushing against your cheek, bringing you back just enough to the moment. Your back was draped over his knees, your pulse still racing as you struggled to catch your breath. The world was a muted blur, but his voice broke through, steady and low, anchoring you.
“Hey, hey,” he murmured, his thumb tracing a slow circle on your cheek. “You’re alright. I got you.”
It was only his words, and the softness in them, that made you blink back the haze of exhaustion. As your vision cleared, you saw his face just inches from yours, an intensity in his gaze that seemed to search for something… something deeper than he was saying.
“Logan,” you whispered, not sure why his name slipped out so easily or why it felt so familiar, as if you’d said it before, in another life or another time. But the look he gave you held a weight you couldn’t name, a history you couldn’t remember.
“You with me?” he asked, his voice a rough whisper, but beneath it, there was something else, something almost pleading. He waited as you blinked up at him, your pulse slowly settling, tethered by his touch. “Y/N?”
“Yeah…” You tried to push yourself up, but the strain of holding time around the jet had left your muscles aching, feeling drained in a way you’d never experienced before. Logan’s grip on your shoulder tightened, steadying you, and for a moment, you let yourself lean into him, feeling his warmth.
His face softened, a flicker of relief crossing his expression, though he didn’t let go. “You pulled us out of that mess,” he said, his voice low, and for a second, something raw flickered in his eyes. “What were you thinking? Freezing the water like that—it could’ve knocked you out cold.”
“I couldn’t… I couldn’t just watch Jean go.” You inhaled deeply, your voice barely above a whisper as you glanced toward the cockpit, where Jean’s quiet breathing filled the jet with a fragile peace. “I couldn’t let her do it alone.”
Logan gave a slow nod, his eyes narrowing as he studied you. You felt the intensity of his gaze, as if he was seeing something beyond what you could understand. There was a warmth to it, one that made your heart stutter, something deep and unexplainably familiar. He paused, his voice quieter, almost hesitant. “You’ve always been this way… haven’t you?”
“What do you mean?” you asked, thrown by the hint of something personal, something he couldn’t quite put into words. He dropped his hand from your face, settling it on your shoulder, but you could still feel the warmth lingering where he’d touched you.
“Never mind.” He looked away, his expression unreadable. But his hand remained steady on your shoulder, grounding you as the jet finally stabilized, the engines humming to life. You could hear the others bustling around, but for this moment, it was just the two of you, a silent understanding hovering between you.
“Logan…?” you started, not sure what you wanted to say or why his presence felt so deeply familiar. He turned back, a question in his eyes, as if he were waiting for something. But the words wouldn’t come. How could you ask him about a feeling you didn’t understand? About a memory that didn’t exist?
Instead, you exhaled, letting the silence fill the space between you. “Thank you.”
He watched you, his gaze lingering on your face, as if there were a thousand things he wanted to say. But he only nodded, a soft look crossing his face, one that felt almost like longing.
“Anytime,” he murmured, his hand finally slipping away, leaving a chill in its place.
“Y/N, you good back there?” Ororo’s voice broke the spell, and you managed a nod, giving her a thumbs-up.
“Yeah. Just… catching my breath.” You gave her a small smile, forcing your muscles to relax, even as your heart was still pounding. Logan stood, his gaze lingering on you for a beat before he moved to check on the others. But before he left, he looked back at you, his eyes holding a silent promise, a feeling that maybe—just maybe—he was still there, still watching over you.
---
A storm crackled outside thanks to Ororo and everyone around the group was frozen in time courtesy of you.
“Good morning, Mr. President.” Charles said. The President looked over to the side where Kurt was crouched on a small table. He began to stand up slowly, “please, don’t be alarmed. We’re not going to harm anyone.”
“Who are you people?”
“We’re mutants. My name is Charles Xavier. Please, sit down.”
“I’d rather stand.”
“Rogue.” Charles briefly glanced over at her, as she placed a large file onto the President’s desk. “These files were taken from the private offices of William Stryker.”
The President started to flip through the file, “how did you get this?”
“Well, let’s just say I know a little girl who can walk through walls.” Charles said, as the President looked over at Kurt who let out a quiet snicker. He finally sat back down.
“I’ve never seen this information.”
“I know.”
“Then you also know I don’t respond well to threats.”
“Mr. President, this is not a threat, this is an opportunity. There are forces in this world, both mutant and human alike, who believe that a war is coming. You’ll see from those files that some have already tried to start one. And there have been casualties. Losses on both sides. Mr. President, what you are about to tell the world is true. This is a moment. A moment to repeat the mistakes of the past, or to work together for a better future. We’re here to stay, Mr. President. The next move is yours.”
“We’ll be watching,” Logan said.
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logan is around 171 years old (but at this point in the story, he doesn't really know how old he is so it's kinda irrelevant now) and reader is around 26 years old
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lovebugism · 1 year ago
Note
hi bug! can I please request the dialogue prompt “Hold up, she said what?” with steve and shy!reader? maybe she is robin’s friend and robin tells steve something reader said (maybe that she thinks steve is cute or nice or something of the sort), and it leads to a cute conversation between the two?
ty for requesting angel!! — steve finds out the cute girl at the record store likes him and decides to bring her ice cream as a proclamation of love (shy!fem!reader, friends to lovers, tooth-rotting fluff, 2.3k)
blurbcember ⋆⁺₊⋆ ❄ ⁺₊⋆ ❄
“Wait, wait, wait,” Steve interjects suddenly, a metal scoop in his hand and a wild look in his eye. “She said what?”
Robin fumbles with the metal tub of Peppermint-Chip ice cream she’s refilling. It clangs when she drops it into place with haphazard care. The shop goes unusually silent without her rambling to fill the dead air. Holly, Jolly Christmas crackles quietly from the broken speakers overhead.
The girl blinks at him with a wide ocean gaze. Her rogue-tinted mouth falls softly agape. She knows she’s said the wrong thing, but she can’t remember what.
“...Huh?”
“What’d you just say?”
Her doe eyes flit to the left for a moment. It takes her a second or more to recall the words she’d only just said. She does this thing sometimes where she rambles on and on about nothing, and Steve was the first person in the whole world to let her. So it’s way too easy for her to tell him a billion things at once and forget about all of them a second later.
“That the music store just got new cassettes in?” Robin answers, her gritty voice a few octaves higher than usual.
Steve nods slow and with a crooked grin that pulls at the corners of his mouth. He rests his elbow on the glass case above the ice cream and eggs her on. “After that?”
“…That you and the pretty new girl that works there have the same taste in music?”
“Before that.”
“That she said she wanted to show you the new tapes,” she says, wincing with the realization that she had, in fact, said the wrong thing. A secret she swore not to tell has just spilled from her lips without her even knowing it.
“And?” Steve lilts with a wider, rosier smile.
“Because she likes you…” Robin confesses (or rather, re-confesses) with her teeth gritted.
Even though Steve had heard her perfectly the first time, hearing it the second makes his heart skip a beat. The pulsing organ lurches into his throat. He almost forgets how to breathe.
“She likes me?” he repeats, mostly whispering, with an incredulous gape of shock. His bushy brows raise until his forehead wrinkles. His eyes go wide until the honey of them starts to glimmer.
Despite her best friend’s lovesick disposition, Robin’s freckled face hardens. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that,” she rumbles like a storm cloud, knocking her shoulder against his when she walks by him.
“Why?” Steve retorts like a child, following behind her just the same. 
He nearly bumps into her when she stops short at the deep freezer. She returns the cloth mits she carried the ice cream in with after spending her whole break organizing the case by color. Steve could never even be bothered to put the damn things back where they belonged in the first place.
“Because I swore to her I wouldn’t,” Robin agonizes, then whips around to face him again. Her features are twisted like a hurt puppy as she pleads. “Don’t tell her I said anything either, okay? She’ll hate me.”
Steve wasn’t planning on it. Not because he thought it might make you hate her, though. He’s not entirely sure you’re capable of that. 
He’s only known you for a few months — ever since the leaves started changing color and people traded their ice cream cones for cool music at the new record store. He spent half that time admiring you across the landing, but you’ve never been anything but gentle with him. You were soft, with a soul of sunshine. 
He didn’t know it was possible to be made of sunlight until he met you.
“Well, did you tell her I liked her back?” he presses, hoping Robin might’ve done some of the hard work for him.
Her face screws up like she’s tasted something sour. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I promised you I wouldn’t.”
Steve shoots her a deadpanned look.
Robin caves. 
“It’s not like I meant to tell you she liked you just now, okay? It just came out!” she explains, gesturing wildly with her hands. “Maybe next time I stick my foot in my mouth around the new girl, I’ll tell her that you’re obsessed with her, and the two of you can finally start dating instead of making sex eyes at each other all the time.”
He wouldn’t put that past her. Robin the Mastermind, Robin the Blabbermouth, Robin the Matchmaker. But his fluttering heart is pumping with too much adrenaline now. He feels like he could move mountains with the knowledge of your affections — knowing that all his own big, fuzzy, suffocating feelings have been reciprocated all this time.
If he doesn’t talk to you now, he’s scared he’ll never work up this kind of courage again.
“No. Screw that,” he concludes with a shake of his head. He’s in King Steve mode now — feeling half as suave as he used to back when the whole town was falling at his feet — chest puffed and ego reeling. “I’m gonna go talk to her.”
Robin watches, dumbfounded, as he dumps a scoop of their best-selling ice cream into a paper bowl. Another tub she’ll have to refill. Steve ducks under the counter door and heads for the exit. “Wait— what am I supposed to do?” the girl shouts across the empty store.
Now out in the bustling Starcourt mall and taking short strides towards the music store, Steve spins on his heel to face her. He shrugs and readjusts the sailor’s cap on his head. “Wait for me to get back.”
—————
You’ve been banished to the back of the store.
Not exactly. But that’s what it feels like.
You got a bit too overwhelmed working the front counter, and since Eddie’s crazy soft on you, he let you put up all the Christmas decorations he’d been putting off instead. It’s a win-win situation, really. 
You’re stringing up sparkling tinsel over the rows of records when a deep blue sailor’s uniform catches your eye. Looking over your shoulder, you find Steve in all his glorysauntering towards you. He’s wearing shorts even though it’s basically winter now in Indiana. He’s beaming at you like sunshine anyway.
Beneath the amber glow of the dimly lit store, he looks borderline angelic. Almost unfairly ethereal.
“What’s that?” you wonder with a smile you don’t even know is there, nodding to the Scoops Ahoy brandedcup in his hand. 
You can almost smell the syrup-cinnamon concoction of the ice cream he holds in his palm. Or maybe that’s just Steve, and the sugary sweetness is radiating from his pores after working in a confectionary shop during the holidays.
He looks at you even sweeter.
“New flavor,” he answers vaguely, smirking as he leans against the metal shelves. He stumbles slightly when it rocks beneath his weight. “Oops. Sorry. It’s, uh— It’s pancake chunks with maple syrup swirl. I call it Wake and Bake.” 
A giggle tumbles from your lips when he hands it to you. “Eddie’s gonna love that,” you murmur.
“Well, it’s actually called Breakfast in Bed, but— I don’t know— I thought my idea was better.”
“Way better,” you concur with a nod and a pretty smile.
Steve watches with attentive honey eyes as you spoon a bite into your mouth. He feels a bit like it’ll be his fault if you hate it. His irrational need to impress you always makes him feel hopelessly inadequate. 
“Woah,” you hum without your mouth still a little full. The cream melts softly on your tongue, tasting of a sweet and early morning. “This is really good.”
His brows raise, and his eyes widen. “Yeah?” he wonders. Your words wash over him like a compliment for a reason he can’t name. It feels good to make you feel good.
“Mhmm. I might have to come by after work and buy the rest of it, actually,” you joke with a curt shrug. It’s a feeble confession — your way of telling him that you want to see him more because you could never say the real thing out loud.
Your heart sinks when Steve shakes his head. Then swells when he smiles.
“No way,” he scoffs, lips curling into a lopsided grin. “I’m not gonna let you pay for it— that’s crazy.”
“You can’t keep giving me free ice cream, Steve—”
“What my manager doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” he lilts lowly and with a cool shrug that makes you melt. He goes very distinctly soft when he looks at you, all scruffy-faced and sweet-eyed. 
It’s suffocatingly beautiful. You crack under the pressure of it. 
“Well, uh— Thanks for the— ice cream,” you stammer and motion the bowl back to him. Thanks for stopping by and keeping me company, but you’re too pretty and I’m not sure how much longer I can take it, you don’t say.
“You don’t want the rest?” he asks with pinched brows.
“I just… should probably get back to work, you know?”
“Eddie doesn’t let you take breaks?”
“No, he does,” you answer quickly, shifting your weight on your feet. It becomes virtually impossible to meet his gaze. “Just not with…”
Steve’s brows raise when you trail off. “Not with me?” he finishes with a laugh.
“Well, not with the… pretty-boy-ice-cream-slinger in the sailor’s uniform,” you correct, then quickly follow. “His words. Not mine.”
In all honesty, Steve couldn’t care less about what Eddie Munson has to say about him. If Hawkins’s local freak is the only thing standing between him and the pretty girl at the music store, he’s down to break a couple of dumb rules.
He takes a small step towards you. His pink smirk widens. You swear your heart stops when he looks at you with it. “You don’t think I’m pretty?” he teases with a twinkle in his squinted eye.
Suddenly, there’s a frog in your throat and you’re fourteen all over again. You’re flustered and drowning and totally unsure of yourself. “I didn’t say that,” you mutter, gaze flittering and smile wavering.
Steve goes to rest his elbow on the shelf again, then remembers its unsteadiness and decides against it. His arm rests awkwardly in the air for half a moment before he crosses both of them over his chest. 
“Well, I mean, you didn’t not say it, so…”
You squint up at him, busying your clammy hands with the melting ice cream in your palm. You know what he’s fishing for. Your pride urges you to stay silent even though your heart sings the sweetest songs for him. 
“You know you’re pretty, Steve,” you murmur matter of factly.
“But do you think I’m pretty?”
Your thundering heart lurches into your throat when Steve takes another small step closer. He smells like wintertime — like Christmas and nostalgia and boy. You don’t trust your voice to answer him verbally, so you nod, slow and sheepish.
“Good,” he hums with a beam he couldn’t hide if he tried. “‘Cause I think you’re pretty, too.”
Your chest gets all sparkly at his admission — the affirmation that all your girlish feelings are being reciprocated by a boy you never dreamed you could have. You don’t feel hardly deserving of the fondness dripping from his features, but you pray he never stops looking at you with it.
You grow warm with the irrational hope that he might kiss you. You think he might actually kiss you until your boss’s voice pierces the golden bubble of puppy love the both of you are basking in.
“How’s the decorating going?” Eddie announces himself, appearing suddenly between the two aisles.
Robin idles at his side. She’s in the feminine version of Steve’s sailor outfit — with silver chains around her neck and bandaids on her knees. Effortlessly endearing and totally unaware of it all.
You push Steve away from you without thinking, all but shoving the softening ice cream into his chest. Some of it smears white against the scarlet tie around his chest. “Sorry!” you exclaim in your moment of fleeting panic, then turn to Eddie with the same apologetic wince. “Sorry…” you repeat quieter.
“Robin?” Steve gapes at the sight of his best friend — apparently the second thing standing in his way, right beside the freak. “What the hell are you doing here— did you tattle on me? What are you, four?”
“I got lonely,” the brunette answers plainly. “And I knew you were around here somewhere, so I asked Eddie where you were—” She waves a pale hand your way, fingers painted with chipping maroon polish.  “—And now I’m here.”
Eddie grins wide and tilts his wild head to his shoulder. “Yeah. Can’t believe you’re trying to taint my one good employee, Steven.”
“I’m not tainting anybody, Munson,” he bites back like a bickering brother, then screws up his face and turns to Robin. “Wait. If you’re here, who’s manning the counter?”
Her freckled face falls like a child caught in a fib. Her deep blue eyes widen when she blinks at him. In a mousier voice, she confesses, “Dustin came by… And I told him he could eat all the ice cream he wanted as long as he made sure no one stole anything.”
The four of you fall silent. The soft rock of Christmas Wrapping plays weakly from the radio at the front of the store. Eddie breaks first. ‘Cause he can’t ever be serious about anything. 
The boyish sound of his laughter sends a giggle sputtering from your lips. The pretty noise makes Steve smile despite his baffled disbelief.
He turns to you with a dumbfounded grin. “You’re still stopping by after work, right?”
“Yeah,” you answer softly, nodding as your smiling face grows hot.
Eddie scoffs when Steve walks by him. “If you still have a job by then.”
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hgfictionwriter · 4 months ago
Text
Discovery - Part Three
Jessie Fleming x Reader
Summary: Jessie spends the night for the first time and things come to a head. She's trying desperately to not hurt you, but instead, it's all she seems to be doing.
Warnings: G!P content. Masturbation (J). Body image issues or even dysphoria; mental and emotional anxiety; internal conflicts. Angst. Reluctant gaslighting??
A/N: Chapters one and two.
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“Are you sure you have everything you need?”
Jessie smiled as she stood at the end of the couch, freshly changed into her pyjamas. You stood across from her, casually leaning against the doorframe to your bedroom. You wore your sleepwear as well, a baggy t-shirt and some shorts which she found incredibly cute. She tried to not let her eyes linger too long on your toned legs.
“I’m totally fine. You’ve set up quite the digs for me here,” she said as she gestured to the pillows and blankets.
“Okay,” you said with a small laugh. “And I set aside a couple of towels for you in the bathroom in case you want to shower when you wake up.”
“Awesome. Thank you. I tend to get up pretty early. I’ll try not to wake you up.” You waved her off.
“Don’t worry about it. I may not be up quite as early as you, but you know I’m a morning person myself.” You paused. “Okay, well, I hope you have a good sleep. I’ll see you in the morning. And if you need or want anything, just help yourself.”
“Will do. Thanks, babe,” Jessie said as she gave you a soft kiss. She sensed how you both wanted it to linger, but she forced herself to pull away. She smiled. “Good night.”
“Good night. And,” you shrugged trying to put on an air of nonchalance, “thanks for spending the night.”
Jessie chuckled and brought a hand to the back of her head. “Well, I know me biking home at ungodly hours of the night has been stressing you out the past few weeks, so, you know. Happy to finally put your mind at ease.”
She gave you another quick kiss and you retreated to your bedroom. She stared at the closed door for a few seconds before releasing a tight breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She settled into the couch, turning off the light and getting under the blankets.
She sighed contently and stared up at the ceiling. She could hear soft noises coming through the wall as you settled into bed as well.
The weeks had passed and Jessie was really happy with how your relationship had grown. Emotionally, things were even stronger - there was no question of that. Though she had to cast aside guilt every time you mentioned how close you felt to her.
That aside, simple acts of affection, like a kiss, were easier and more commonplace for you both now. And you even made out regularly, but they were always short and fleeting sessions. Jessie had been working very hard to desensitize herself and had even started wearing different clothes in hopes of better concealing a rogue erection. Still, it wasn’t a solution.
You were patient with her, but she could see your frustration building. And God, she understood, she was frustrated too.
It was inevitable that she’d need to spend the night at some point. You’d been dating for a few months and though her travel and schedule bought her time, she was running out of excuses as to why she couldn’t stay. Questions were starting to mount from your friends as well and though you laughed it off as you retold the stories to Jessie, she could see it weighed on you.
As for tonight, you told her she didn’t need to sleep on the couch, but didn’t push it at all.
Jessie was used to sleeping pretty much anywhere and everywhere, so she slept soundly through the night. When she woke, the first rays of light were just starting to break through. She blinked a few times, slowly coming to. She shifted slightly before freezing in place.
“Shit,” she mouthed as she lifted the covers and glanced down in a panic, only to confirm that her cock was jutting up and pulling her sweats tight.
She dropped the covers and looked up at the ceiling with an inaudible huff, her irritation with herself immediate.
It wasn’t entirely uncommon for her to wake up like this, and in recent years, it didn’t really matter. But laying here in your living room, sporting a raging hard on that would serve as a devastating discovery, it filled her mind with flashbacks to panicked mornings at sleepovers she tried desperately to avoid in high school.
She closed her eyes and worked to relax. There were two ways of resolving this and one was not an option right now.
She lay there for a few minutes and frowned in frustration. Normally, if she just relaxed or went about her morning routine it would just go away. She huffed under her breath and picked up her phone to start scrolling to try to distract herself.
Every time she thought of something else and was close to settling down, her mind insisted on shifting back to you and she'd remain at full attention. She rubbed her face in agitation.
"Come on," she coached herself.
The friction of the fabric being pulled taut against her as she fidgeted made matters worse. When her toes began to curl and her fists began to clench and unclench she shook out her head.
She stared at the bathroom door.
She shouldn't. She really, really shouldn't.
She checked the time. You normally woke up around this time. She couldn't just be laying out here, cock standing up defiantly, when you came out. Sure, the blanket might be able to conceal it to some degree, but...then what.
A heavy exhale escaped her lips. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She threw off the blanket and walked as swiftly and quietly to the bathroom as she could, closing the door gingerly behind her so as not to wake you. She checked the lock before turning on the shower and getting undressed.
It was a relief when she took off her boxer briefs and her cock sprang up. She stepped into the shower and wasted little time before dealing with her nuisance.
At home, it didn't take much for her to cum. She could drag it out if she wanted to, but if she was in a time crunch, that wasn't a problem. Right now? The minutes passed as she stood under the warm water and grit her teeth as she tried to find some release. She leaned a hand out against the shower wall and closed her eyes again as she pictured you - what your touch would feel like, how you'd feel gripping her, how you'd sound, how you'd look beneath her or riding her cock.
Fuck, she should be cumming, but she was too in her head.
"Jess - what do you-"
"What!" Jessie bellowed, her eyes flying open as she recoiled from the wall. Her chest heaved, breaths shallow and her heartbeat deafening in her ears as she stared in panic at the inside of the shower curtain before taking a tentative step and peering around it. The bathroom was empty.
Her lips were parted as she tried to catch her breath. She could've swore you were inside. She could see from here the door was still locked.
"Sorry," you said through the door, tone undecipherable. "I'll just talk to you after."
She cleared her throat, staring helplessly at the back of the door.
"Sorry! I-I was just surprised. What's going on?"
Silence.
Well. That was one way to deal with her arousal. There was nothing to worry about now.
Jessie dried herself off as quickly as possible and got changed. The pit in her stomach was heavier than ever as she recited different apologies or explanations in her head.
She yelled at you. She couldn't believe it. She didn't yell at people like that - especially not people she cared about. Loved. She grit her teeth together almost painfully.
This secret was twisting who she was and how she was showing up for you.
Her hand on the door knob, she took a deep, steadying breath before twisting it and stepping out. It only took a second to see you sitting quietly at the dining table with a book in hand. You didn't look at her right away and her stomach dropped.
"Hey," Jessie said gently as she approached. She tried to not be tentative, she didn't want to exacerbate what happened, but she couldn't help herself. "Good morning." She forced a smile onto her face.
"Hi," you said. Though a hint of a smile remained on your face, the open smile you started with dissipated as quickly as it formed. Your gaze fell briefly before you refocused on her. You smiled again, nervously this time as you gestured vaguely towards the bathroom. "Um, sorry about that. I didn't mean to-"
"Oh no," Jessie interjected, dismissing your apology with a wave of her hands. "I'm sorry. I-I was just surprised. It didn't mean anything though."
"Oh. It's okay," you shrugged, dropping eye contact. "I shouldn't have bothered you. I could've just waited."
"No," Jessie countered with a frown. "I shouldn't have reacted like that."
You chuckled lightly, a faint, perhaps rueful smirk forming at the edge of your mouth. "I mean, it caught me off guard - not gonna lie. But I caught you off guard too, so, we're even."
Jessie felt her face heating up and she scruffed up her hair.
"No, that's not fair. I'm sorry," Jessie persisted.
You shrugged, sitting back, eyes fixed on your now-closed book for a moment. "We're still new; learning each other's boundaries. You don't like to be interrupted when you're showering." You laughed as you looked up to her with a smirk. "That's completely fine. I just didn't know."
Jessie held back a heavy sigh. This was so stupid.
"It wasn't that. I think I just thought you'd come in and I freaked out. I'm sorry."
"I wouldn't do that," you frowned in disbelief. "I," you gave an exasperated sigh and dropped your hands to your lap, "was just trying to see what you wanted for breakfast." Jessie was about to speak went you frowned deeper and spoke in a somewhat hushed voice. "Why would I barge in on you? We haven't even- never mind." You shook your head.
Jessie's stomach tightened and she sighed in an effort to reset. "Look, I'm very, very sorry. And yeah, it was stupid of me to think you were just barging in. I-" she shook her head as she tried to conjure up the right words. She shrugged in defeat. "This is entirely on me. Not you."
You gave her a look. "Oh, I love that line."
"It's not a line," she refuted before hanging her head in her hands and groaning. She straightened back up and gave you a beseeching look. "Can I make you breakfast? Please?"
You half rolled your eyes. "I was going to make you breakfast."
"No, come on," Jessie said as she headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "I owe you."
You relented and soon enough Jessie was sitting down across from you, plates of eggs and toast in front of you both.
There was conversation during breakfast, but it was stilted. This was not at all what Jessie pictured for your first morning together and of course it was her fault. It took valiant effort on her part to not get down on herself in this moment. If she did, she'd clam up and it would only make things worse.
Jessie insisted on doing the dishes after breakfast, despite your protests. You didn't finish your food, instead claiming it tasted good, but you just weren't that hungry. She hadn't even had a chance to inquire as to your plans for the day before you excused yourself, telling her you had to run some errands and meet up with a friend after. She wanted to offer to join you for errands, but got the sense you didn't want that.
When you parted ways that morning, she well and truly felt like shit.
----------
Thankfully, the awkwardness of that morning was fleeting and soon you two were back to normal. She'd even stayed a few more times over the passing weeks without incident and for that she was grateful.
She begrudged your situation more and more because all she wanted was to be with you. She wanted to spend every night with you, she wanted to fall asleep with you in her arms and wake up just the same. But, that couldn't be. Yet anyway.
Janine had been on her case to tell you everything, and she knew Janine was right, but every time she went to broach the subject her mouth went dry and she just chickened out.
At the start, she tried to tell herself that if she gave your relationship more time, it would be more comfortable to bring up, you'd have a solid foundation to fall back on. Even then, she knew it was a lie to cover up her cowardice. But now, several months into your relationship and even longer into your friendship, it felt like an impossibility to address. It felt like a betrayal.
And stupid moments caused friction. You two had been laughing about something and Jessie sat down after and you sat in her lap. Though she let you sit there for a short while, the way you shifted against her was far too risky. She tried to subtly coax you off, but she caught the look of embarrassment on your face.
Tonight, you were cuddled up on the couch watching a movie together. Then, of course, a hot and heavy sex scene started playing.
You both remained perfectly still as you both watched. The tension and anxiety Jessie felt was palpable and she was sure you felt it too. It's not that you'd never come across explicit scenes before together, but it was more and more awkward over time.
"Wow. They're really going for it," you muttered at some point as the scene dragged on, breaking the silence. She looked at you out of the corner of her eye and saw you rub your temple with a near-grimace on your face.
Her heart raced. Maybe she could use this as an opportunity. She cleared her throat and resettled into her position on the couch. She scratched at the corner of her eye.
"Yeah, totally," she said distractedly in response to your comment. "Um," she could feel her face heating up already, "I know you're into girls - I mean, obviously." Jessie's head lolled to the side as she shrugged. "But um, does that mean, you know, you've never slept with a guy? Or you know, been interested? In you know, sleeping with a guy?"
When she turned to look at you, she was met with a very perplexed stare. You frowned.
"What do you mean?" You asked, a slight edge in your voice and Jessie felt her face burning hot. She pulled her hand out of yours as she held out her palms while she spoke.
"I was just curious," she said as she brought her shoulders high in a prolonged shrug.
"Have you?" You asked pointedly.
"Wha- Me? Slept with a guy? Well, no," Jessie stammered, feeling your eyes bore into the side of her face as she spoke towards the TV. She looked back at you as she finished and you looked away.
"Mm," you voiced and you settled into the cushion a bit further, still not looking at her as you folded your arms tight against yourself.
"Well, um," her gaze flit about as she tried to map out how to proceed, "is that bad?"
"That you haven't slept with a guy?" You asked, that edge still in your voice as you looked at her. "Guess that all depends if you think it's bad that I have."
"You have?" Jessie asked brightly and you gave her an even more confused look. "Did you like it?"
"What? I'm so confused right now." You pushed yourself back up and turned your body partially towards her. "I don't know where you're going with this. But me sleeping with a guy before doesn't mean anything." You frowned. "If you're asking if I liked fucking a cock," you gave a faint laugh with a pointed look, "clearly not enough." You sat back against the couch once more and shot her a smirk. "That curiosity was satisfied and I don't ever need to do it again. A strap is more than enough for me."
Jessie's body froze and she held her breath in her lungs unknowingly. She eventually swallowed and looked away, settling back into the couch as well, but unable to speak. She felt numb.
"Hey, did I say something wrong?" You asked. She could see you sitting forward to peer at her. She felt your hand rest on her thigh and she cleared her throat, pulling away slightly before fixing her gaze on the TV again.
"Wha-" You started, shoulders dropping as you stared at her in confusion. "Babe, I don't-" You trailed off again. A moment passed, but you didn't break your stare. "I'm sorry if I said something wrong."
"It's all good," Jessie said lightly, offering you a fleeting glance before nodding at the screen. "I was just curious. Can we watch the rest of the movie?"
She saw your body slump out of the corner of her eye and felt your eyes still on her. You seemed to contemplate what to do, but eventually sat back. You went to grasp her hand, and although she didn't pull away this time, she didn't reciprocate as her fingers rest loosely around your grip.
"Do you want to sleep with a guy?" You asked slowly, not letting up.
"No," Jessie responded firmly.
"Well, what is this about? I'm sorry," you repeated emphatically. "I know we never talk about sex. I'm sorry if I said too much. But you asked, so I answered...," you trailed off.
Your note about how you avoided the topic of sex like the plague made matters worse. She tried not to let out a sigh of exasperation, settling for a glance down at your hand and a feeble shrug. "It was nothing. Let's just watch the movie, okay?"
"I can tell it's not nothing," you went on and Jessie turned to you this time, giving you a steady stare. You looked so sorry, confused, helpless even. Part of her felt bad, but at this point she mostly felt bad for herself. Her emotions were churning and she wasn't sure how to feel or what to say. She wanted to leave.
She stood up and caught the look of concern on your face, but turned her back to you anyway.
"Where are you going?" You asked. She could hear you push yourself to the edge of your seat.
She scratched the back of her head. Her conviction to leave now wavering. She pushed her hair back.
"Just gonna grab some water," she settled on, her voice low and flat. She forced herself to turn and give you as much of a smile as she could muster. You looked unconvinced and were about to speak, when she cut you off. "Want anything?"
You paused, seeming to relent. You stared at her for a couple of seconds before dropping your gaze. "No," you said quietly as you sat back.
When Jessie returned to the couch, the tension was no better, but you'd seemed to be giving her space, which she was grateful for.
Her mind ran rampant throughout the rest of the movie. She caught herself fidgeting several times over; running her palms harshly against the top of her thighs, picking at her fingers, bouncing her knee. She wasn't being very subtle about her unrest, but you kept your distance.
The movie ended and the credits rolled and neither of you went to speak or make a move. Jessie fought the renewed urge to leave.
Eventually, you spoke.
"It's pretty late. Guess we should go to bed?" You asked in more of a statement than a question. Jessie didn't look at you and simply nodded. Another pause.
"You don't have to stay if you don't want," you offered, voice softer than before.
She shot you a look, holding eye contact. Even though she wanted to leave a moment ago, the fact that you offered it caused her temper to flare.
"Sure. If that's what you want," she said in a restrained manner as she stood.
"What? I-no. Jess," you implored. "That's not what I meant." She heard you stand, but she kept her back to you. "I-you just seem...restless. And not happy with me. So..., I was just saying you shouldn't feel obliged to stay the night. I want you to stay, but, only if you want it, too."
"Why would I be upset with you?" Jessie asked evenly as she turned to face you. She knew it was entirely unfair to ask, but she was so out of sorts and didn't know how to manage.
You gave almost a pained laugh. "I was hoping you could tell me. Because I don't know." You gave a quick shake of your head and held out your hands in defeat. "You asked me this question about sleeping with guys. I answered, and now you won't talk to me."
"And I told you it was nothing. I was just curious. I'm just tired. It's been a long week," she said. She knew she should offer you some kind of reassurance - the truth, for one - but even a smile or a kiss or something. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
You didn't believe her; that was clear. Still, you nodded.
"Okay. Well. If you want to talk at some point, I'm open. I'd like to," you offered before clasping your hands together and shrugging. "And, I do want you to spend the night still. If you like."
How? After how cold she'd been. Cagey. You still wanted her to stay. You were too good for her. The anger she'd been using to build a wall between you weakened.
"Okay," she said quietly, kicking idly at the hardwood floor, her eyes downcast before looking up at you. "If you're alright with me staying, I will."
You gave a discouraged shake of your head. "Yes, of course I want you to stay. Jess, you-" you stalled and just shook your head further. "Yes. Please stay."
She set up on the couch like usual. Tonight you didn't even attempt to offer sharing a bed together and you retreated to your room after a tentative and brief 'goodnight' kiss.
Jessie didn't know how long she laid there staring up at the darkened ceiling. Her mind wouldn't let up.
You had no interest in cock. So, you weren't interested in her. At least you wouldn't be once you knew.
Her eyes stung with unshed tears. She really wanted things to be different with you. She was so stupid. She'd let things go far too long. She'd been too scared to address things - to risk losing you. And now she was going to lose you anyway, but she'd let too much time pass, your connection grow too deep. Her chest ached already.
How could she protect herself so much, but still leave herself so vulnerable?
All of the 'should've' and 'could've' moments from your relationship were playing endlessly in her head. Her nails dug painfully into her skin as she tried to retain composure.
Alarm shot through her body as she heard your bedroom door open. She lay entirely still as the door softly opened. It was a couple of second before she saw your figure tentatively stepping out into the dark only to stop at the foot of the couch.
"Jess?" You whispered.
Another flare of panic went through her and her body stiffened further. She managed to respond though.
"Y-yeah?" She said, needing to clear her throat and hating how muffled her voice sounded with residual emotion.
You were quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"I can't sleep," you said, and Jessie's chest panged when she heard your voice waver.
She cleared her throat again. "Me neither."
You sniffled and took a seat on the arm of the couch. She could make out the shadow of you staring down at your hands as you fidgeted.
"I don't like how we left things tonight," you said quietly.
A renewed wave of anxiety went through Jessie, her hands clenching into fists.
"Yeah. Same," she said. It was true, even if you were upset for different reasons.
"Can we talk, then?" You asked. Jessie exhaled silently. She didn't want to talk. She just wanted things to be better. To be different. But she didn't want to have the hard conversations that would likely be the end of things.
"Sure," she agreed.
"Can you...," you trailed off momentarily, "tell me what upset you this evening? Because, if I said or did anything offensive or upsetting, I really want to know so I don't do it again."
"You didn't do anything," Jessie told you, already feeling herself start to withdraw despite everything.
"Jess," you implored, some impatience bleeding in. "Please. I know something's wrong. And I-" You paused, eventually exhaling. "Knowing that I've upset or hurt you in some way is driving me crazy. I-I care about you so much. You don't even know. I just want to fix things."
Jessie felt tears started to pool at the corner of her eyes again and she felt her defenses weaken.
"You didn't do anything wrong, baby," she said gently. "I'm just in my head."
You moved from the arm of the couch to the cushions. You leaned forward, resting your weight on your palms that you positioned outside of her legs, close enough to touch.
"You don't need to be," you said. "I want you to feel safe talking to me. Isn't that the point of how we're approaching our relationship? To build things emotionally?"
Jessie ground her teeth together as she fought off impending emotions. Even if she knew what she wanted to say, she wasn't sure she'd be able to speak without her voice trembling. She saw as you watched her quietly before looking away in defeat. Still, your thumb tenderly grazed the side of her leg.
"I don't know what to do," you said, gaze set on the floor. You eventually looked back to her, a pained smile on your face as you looked at her through the dark. "I really love you, Jess." Your voice broke as you said her name.
Jessie lifted her head to look further at you before pushing herself up so she was sitting. You loved her. Or at least you thought you did. Her chest tightened painfully as your words settled in.
"You don't have to say the same," you spoke quickly. "I just- I just want you to know."
She stared at you through the dark. She wanted to reciprocate. So badly. But how could she tell you she loved you when she couldn't find the courage to tell you anything else?
Her thoughts turned dark. Truth was, you didn't truly love her. You legitimately couldn't. You only loved what she presented and time was quickly running out.
The longer she waited the more hurt you looked. She felt so conflicted and eventually just reacted.
"Come here," she said softly as pulled you by the shirt towards her and kissed you deeply. She felt your body hitch with initial hesitation before melting into the kiss. You pulled back briefly, studying her for a second before kissing her again, deeper and more passionately than earlier.
Things escalated quickly. Your touches were hungry and urgent and this time Jessie did nothing to stop you. Soon, you were straddling her on the couch as you made out and your hands wandered along her body.
It wasn't long before a tightening sensation in her pants brought her back to her senses. Her grip on your waist tightened and you moaned into the kiss as you ground your hips into her.
Jessie's eyes flew open in a panic and she pushed you off of her. She tried to be gentle and gradual about it, but there was still an audible thud as you made contact with the arm of the couch.
Jessie watched you, wide-eyed and terrified as you looked back at her with shock that quickly dissolved into hurt. You cast your gaze to the wall, your body stiff, and Jessie could see emotion starting to bubble up.
"Y/N, I-" she started, but her words caught in her throat as you stood up and walked briskly into your bedroom. You threw the door closed behind you, and whether intentional or not, it didn't quite close and was left a few inches ajar.
A completely different kind of anxiety swept through Jessie's body as she rose off the couch and strode towards your door, pausing and staring at the gap between the frame and door. She wanted to push it open, but she remained rooted to the spot.
"Y/N," she called your name softly. "Y/N, I'm sorry. I-"
"Just go away, Jessie." Your voice was congested and strained and left her with little doubt that you were crying. Even then, you didn't sound angry, you sounded dejected and defeated and it hurt Jessie far more.
She let out an exasperated breath, bringing her hand to the door and opening it just a touch as she peered in. You were already under the covers at the far edge of the bed with your back to the door.
"Can we please talk?" Jessie asked, hoping desperately that you could feel how sorry she was.
You sniffled and she saw you curl into yourself under the covers. "No. I'd really rather not right now." Jessie's heart ached and continued racing.
"I-I can understand. But, please let me explain-"
"There's not much to explain," you interrupted. Jessie protested your claim and you cut her off again, trying valiantly to keep your voice steady though it still wavered. "I'm just going to go to sleep, okay?"
Jessie's stomach was in knots as she stared at your figure in the dark. There was so much she wanted to say.
"Please close the door," you pleaded softly.
She opened her mouth to speak, even lifting herself up onto balls of her feet before stopping herself. Defeat swept over her as she saw you wipe at your face. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed quietly. Her stare lingered a few moments longer before she reached up and closed the door.
She walked in a daze back to the couch and sat down heavily and stared blankly forward. This morning, you two were close as ever. Now...
Her shoulders shook as she started to cry. The display of emotions caught her off guard and she sat up pin straight and grit her teeth together harshly. Her lip trembled and she held her breath firmly in her lungs as she tried to regain control.
She dug her fingers painfully into the tops of her thighs and a small whimper escaped her. She'd tried to be so careful about everything, but instead made a royal mess out of everything.
She sniffled as she pushed herself off of the couch. She found herself at the front door, putting on her shoes and jacket. She grasped the doorknob, stilling, hesitating for just a moment before swinging it open and stepping out.
Glancing back, she contemplated texting you or leaving you a note of some kind. Her throat grew tight once more with grief and she closed the door.
Let's be honest. The way she was hurting you, the way she was lying to you for so long, she clearly wasn't ready to be in a relationship. You deserved so much better.
A/N: Folks asked to be tagged @multifandomlesbianic @marvelwomen-simp
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cusimmrbrightside · 5 months ago
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I have always liked the idea of the school for mutants being very literally a school, and I know yes it is but I mean in the sense of if you want to be an X-men, you have to be a teacher. They have exams at the end of years, they have Ofsted checks (for those who don’t know what they are, it’s essentially people coming to check that the school is good at being a school) and they have teachers for every subject, which brings me to my next point;
“I’m Right You’re Wrong, Here’s What The X-Men (‘97 specifically) Would Teach As Subjects”.
(Also this is based off of UK school system but I use American terms like “seniors” and “AP” and “Midterms”)
Maths Teacher Gambit is surprising, for a guy most assume to not being entirely smart, an idiot goof off who’s the comedic relief. But you need to know numbers to gamble, and that he does with being very well versed in mathematics way past an AP level. He’s made the promise for every senior class that he will teach them to play blackjack on the final day, and has only ever lost once. Which is when the rule of “no betting real money” came into place.
English teacher Jean reminds me of the kind of teacher who would let the social outcasts into her class for their lunch breaks. The kids more likely to be bullied and she will fight tooth and nail to make sure those kids bullies don’t come into that classroom. they’re loud and shout and shouldn’t really be in there but no one has to know and she certainly won’t be telling them to leave any time soon.
Physics teacher Magneto is very specific to my highschool experience I’ll be honest. I had a physics teacher who was an actual Dr with a PHD and he hated being there. His classroom has (well, had since the building was knocked down about 5 years ago now) this one cabinet that was never fully shut, it was always open just about an inch or two, and he’d stand with his foot hovering just above it and then slam down on it whenever we got too loud so the noise would shut us up. That’s very magneto coded. Erik Lehnsherr would purposefully make the cabinet always a little open so he can do that.
Biology teacher morph is just a funny concept, a person whose physical form and change and morph into just about anything. They are considered one of the “fun” teachers, you could easily convince them to let you watch a movie all class as long as it was biology centred, but with classics like Osmosis Jones, you’re not stuck watching a documentary about animals giving birth.
Chemistry teacher Storm does not fuck about with children’s education. She is not strict by any means whatsoever, she just will not bend to someone saying they want to watch a film or should do a practical instead of theory. She has a set curriculum. She knows what she will be doing by the first week of the summer holidays and already has the room set up all pretty and organised.
Geography teacher Scott has the unfortunate job of telling his students that, they just won’t be looking at memorising country flags and politics. But hey!! Rocks are cool!! Beach shores are cool! Lake formations are cool! He’s the vice principal and designated nerd teacher. He once beat the elite four for a student on their copy of Pokémon Red because the student promised they’d do well in their midterms. Yes, he was in his 30s when the game came out, he doesn’t care.
History teacher Logan is a walking fun facts book. He’s exhausted, goes on smoke breaks on every gap of time he has, dislikes his job and will randomly get passionate about one specific topic, and will then dedicate his next 4 classes to that topic. Having been through a lot of modern history with personal experiences, he’s able to bring a lot of souvenirs to show his classes. Bullets, helmets, clothes he once wore hundreds of years ago, his personal memories of basic inventions like the vaccine.
PE (physical education) teacher Rogue is full of fun sports games, you can join any kind of sports team you can imagine and if you ask nicely enough, she’ll put Just Dance on a projector in the sports hall so you can just play that instead of actually play an actual sport. As long as you leave her class exhausted and without time to have a shower before your next class then she’s succeeded in making whoever your next teacher is absolutely miserable (bonus points if it’s Logan with his enhanced sense of smell).
Art teacher jubilee does believe that there is a right way to critique art. And she can be a little in your face about it. She does think you can have wrong opinions especially when it comes to your own art. If she overhears you saying you didn’t something wrong, she’ll scream into a megaphone “adapt, improvise, overcome!”. There are no mistakes! She’s eccentric, bubbly, creative and brilliant, the only one suited for the job.
It wouldn’t be a school without budget cuts. That’s why Nightcrawler is both the languages and religions teacher and he’s beloved at both. He comes up with roleplay scenarios the students can play to help learn their chosen languages, he has varied religious texts in his room and when he says to the students “I’ll pray for toy during exam season” he’s not actually joking.
(I forgot about Hank I’m actually going to cry he’s one of my favourites and I forgot about him. He’ll be in pt two or smth.)
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alexa-fika · 6 months ago
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Could i please request a fem!child!reader who's picked up swearing with the whitebeard pirates?
Reader sorta knows what it means but also doesn't,
Also flips people off mid convo, (doesn't know what means but thinks it's funny.)
And when she gets angry/annoyed she is kinda a savage, like I can imagine reader with ace (and any other characters) then a group of pirates starts threatening them but reader is just going ham with the insults.
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Puppy Escapes ( Shanks x gn!reader x Whitebeard pirates)
Part 1 ( Can also be read as a stand alone)
A/N I am combining these two requests, I kinda change some buts since I would be crushed if Dokucha actually rejected their families love so they came back with something else knstead! Iy’all seemef to like the first one so hopefully you like this one to, I think I COOKED just like Shanks is gonna be COOKED 😂
Reader here is replaced by Dokucha which stands for reader in japanese
Dividers by @/drink the sky and @/firefly-graphics
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Shanks stared owlishly at the child before them, having just found them in one of the many crow-nests that composed the Red force.
"Boss, what is it?" he heard Lucky call from the ship's Deck.
"My doom," he replied morbidly, fully jumping into the crow's nest and kneeling down next to the child who had the courtesy of at least looking remorseful.
"Dokuchaaaa," he called, stretching the last syllables of their name as they noticed them trying to avoid his stare.
The child, who by now had turned into a flustered mess, both at the fact that they had been busted and that they had gotten busted by the man with whom they were infatuated.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see Mister Shanks again," they mutter.
Shanks lets out a huff but cannot help to give the child a slight grin.
"Your brothers banned you from seeing me again?" he asked, letting out a small laugh as they nodded sadly.
"You know they really won't be happy with this."
"I don't care! Big brothers were being meanies! I just wanted to see Mister Shanks, but they won't let me! I hate them!" they exclaimed
"Come on, Dokucha, I know you don't mean that, do ya?"
"No... I don't," they sniffled.
"It's okay, I know you love your brothers; they love you too. They just worry for you."
"I love them b-but I also love Mister Shanks," they called as they burst into tears and ran towards the man.
"There, There, it's alright," he whispered as he patted the child's back, calming them down as he made his way down the crow's nest, the child held tightly in his hands.
"Come on now, why are you crying?"
"B-Because I said that I hated my brothers! I didn't mean it! I love them so much!" They sobbed
Shanks let a small snicker at their troubles as he continued to rub their back.
"They're gonna be mad at Mister Shanks now, and I won't be able to see you!"
"Already breaking hearts, boss?" Yassop merrily called, letting another belly laugh as his Captain just rolled his eyes at his statement
"Listen, Dokucha, don't worry about that. We will get something figured out, but for now, how about you enjoy your time here? What do you say? Want to be my assistant today?"
They rubbed their eyes furiously at their statement, trying to erase the remains of their previous outbursts, a few rogue sniffles still escaping them, much to their chagrin.
"I get to be Mister Shanks's Assistant?"
"Think you're up for it?" he questioned, lowering them to the floor and continuing to hold their hand.
"Yes, I'm up for anything that Mister Shanks asks of me!" They happily agreed
"Hear that, Beck? I got me an assistant, and they actually appreciate me."
Said man, rolled his eyes as he shook the ashes from the tip of his cigarette, bringing it back to his lips and glancing at the pair
"Better escape while you can; that one right there is a hassle. Too high-maintenance"
"Hah?!"
"Yes, But he's a handsome hassle!" Dokucha piped back with a grin as they hugged his much larger hand against their cheek.
"O-Oi, are you insulting me or complimenting me here?!" Shanks cried
-
"Now you've done it, Akagami!" Ace growls, jumping into the Red Force, followed promptly by Thatch once it had pulled closer to the Moby Dick
"I don't care if you're my brother's savior; you're not getting away with stealing my baby sibling!"
"Now, Now it was just a misunderstanding," He calls a laidback smile on his face as the young men stomp his way.
"Like hell it was!" Ace hollers, reeling a fire-filled fist.
"Brother Portgas D Ace!" Dokucha calls, halting the man on his step
"Oh, Looks like you're in trouble now," Shanks calls, covering his snickers with his hand as the child marched to the nervous fire user.
"Don't you dare hurt Mister Shanks!"
"Why not Dokucha?! This creep stole you from us," Thatch cried.
"Because you'll damage his pretty face!"
"That's the only reason?!" Shanks exclaimed mortified
"Of course not, Mister Shanks! it's because I love Mister Shanks!" They exclaimed, running his way and attaching themselves to his leg, much to the horror of the two commanders
"I'm not sure if that makes it better," he huffs out.
"Dokucha..." Thatch cries, falling on his knees as tears begin to fall down his face comically
"I think this time my heart is really broken," he sobs.
"Hey, Dokucha, I will see you later, okay? It's time to go back now," he murmurs as he kneels beside the kid.
" B-But I don't want to leave Mister Shanks," They cried, their tiny hands clenching into fists as small tears began to pool at the edge of their eyes.
"I will see you again, okay? I think your brothers really need you now."
"They need me?" they questioned, glancing at the irate Ace and a still knelt Thatch.
"Of course, they need someone to keep them in line, think you can do that? It's your next task as my assistant."
"Leave it to me, Mister Shanks!" they exclaimed, wiping off their tears as a determined look appeared on their face.
"Atta Kid," He cheered, rubbing their head.
"I will see you soon, okay?"
"Like We will let that fucking happen" Thach growls pulling out his swords
"Alright, enough of this," A voice cuts in
"Akagami, please return our sibling to us, Ace; Thatch, we're done here," Marco orders as he lands on the ship's bow, causing the Red Force to sink slightly, bouncing back to the waves as it tried to withstand the sudden arrival.
"Ah, Marco, it's not too late, you know; how about you join me and bring your sibling with you."
"Screw off, Red-haired," he answered scowling as the Captain just sent a grin his way, giving his last goodbyes to the small kid as they ran to the Chef, who hugged them tightly, rubbing their cheeks together ask he continued repeating how much they missed them as he made his way back to their galleon.
-
"You are grounded."
"But Papaw!" they whine, looking up at the old giant.
"Not buts. You are grounded for a week, and that is final. For the following week, you will be accompanied by either me or one of your brothers at all times."
"But that's so fucking unfair!"
"..."
"..."
"MY BABY, they tainted you!!" Thatch cried, shaking the child with tears cascading down his face
"Brother Thatch?" they question, confused, their mind becoming dizzy at the motion.
"Stop it, you idiot," Marco called, hitting the back of Thatc's head, causing the latter to release Dokucha only to turn to him with a scowl.
"Damn you, Marco! Let me lament myself; they have tarnished their pure heart," he cried, throwing himself on the ground once again.
"...I'm going to kill him. I am going to roast him alive and give the fishes a barbecued meal of a lifetime," Ace growled.
"What the hell is going on?" Dokucha cried.
"Dokucha, stop," Marco called a stern tone in his voice.
"You brat, where did you learn those words from? Was it from Akagami's crew?"
"Ah? I heard Mister Shanks say those words-
"Ace. Let's prepare for that barbecue. I will have them fillet for this," The Chef murmured, a dark aura surrounding him.
"But since Big Brothers say them a lot, I thought it was okay..."
"..."
"Dokucha, who exactly did you hear say those words?" Whitebeard asked, a glare in his eye as he questioned them
"Big brother Thatch and Big brother Ace!" they cheered.
"..."
"Dokucha. Will you go find Vista for now? Do not leave his side; you are still grounded, Marco called, watching as they stomped off with a pout on their face.
"Assholes," They mutter.
"Keep it up. You just earned another week of being grounded," Marco called.
"But Brother Marco, I don't know what words I can't say!"
"We will continue this discussion later. For now, if you don't know what it means, then you don't say it understood."
"Okay.." they mutter, walking away to find the swordsman.
"Marco, make sure you have the clinic ready," Whitebeard called as he glared down the two wide-eyed and sweating commanders.
"Will do pops."
"Ah-wait..wait a second Pops-
That day screaming and pleas for mercy from the two commanders reverberated across the sea, reaching the ears of the Red Force vessel as they departed from the Moby Dick's location.
"Hmm, looks like that old man found out who was responsible for the child's colorful language," hums Shanks as he leans back on the chair he laid on, downing a cup of sake as he did.
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Here we go! Guess Shanks is not the only one getting Cooked! Good thing they have a express healer on watch! Thatch and Ace will definitely need them!
Taglist:
@Imaginarydreams
@amethystviolin
@h0n3y-l3m0n05
408 notes · View notes
storiesfromafan · 5 months ago
Text
She's A Spitfire - Benny x Reader
A/N: I can't help myself. This one's a little different, readers sassy haha. And this one is a long one.
Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Also, feel free to send requests :)
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Boys and their toys, you always think when it comes to your boyfriend and his other biker club buddies and their motorcycles. Or anything with wheels really. And for their love of them, you found your Saturday out with the boyfriend, and his boys, at what started as a car show. But now also sported motorcycles, from a few different clubs.
Troy and his friends were discussing who’s bike was better, or what car looked the best. You didn’t know, it was all so boring. So you and three other women, partners of other bikers, were sitting around on blankets, taking in the sun and gossiping. Leaning back on your arms, one leg stretched out while the other propped up, you tilted your head back, eyes closed taking in the sun.
“Jeez (Y/N), do you need to be more on display!” Becky said with a chuckle.
To her words you popped your chest out more, smirk crossing your red lips.
“Better hope Troy don’t see ya” commented Danni.
“So what if he does? I do what I want, not what he wants” you remarked, making them all cackle with laughter.
“Can’t believe the other clubs here” Pam said rattling off names. “...Rogues and Vandals” she finishes.
“Just more bike wired men, who enjoy vibrations between there legs, and have drinking problems” you said offhandedly, making the women laugh more.
You always say what you want, making people think you were born with no filter. And that was fine with you. Even if it does get you in some trouble from time to time. The last time it was between you and another woman at the clubs bar, she had been mouthy and flirting up a storm with Troy. You called her out, she ignored you. So, you gave her some truths from her choice in clothes to her hair and skin care routine. She wasn’t a fan of you after that, going straight to slap you, but you caught her hand and gave her a serving of her own.
After that no woman in that bar messed with you, or your boyfriend. But that didn’t stop Troy from messing around on you. His taste seemed to have changed to cutesy, good girls who wore sweet dresses and heels. Even with this knowledge you still put up with him. But his time was coming, you could feel it. When the time was right you’d get your revenge.
“Sweet lord and Jesus’s!” Breathed out Danni, looking across the way, her glasses pulled down her nose, eyes looking over the top of them. “He should be illegal!”
You rolled your eyes at her words. After all her taste was – excuse the language – in her ass about eight out of ten times.
“Oh my” Pam said moving to swing her body around to face where Danni was looking. “Is he real!?”
Alright, now your interest was piqued. Lolling your head to the right, you searched for what those two were gawking at. And boy did you find it. He was tall, strong build. Dressed in a black t-shirt, jacket, dirty white jeans and matching dirty boots. He had messy blonde locks that one could run their hand through, or as you like, to pull on. Of course he was a Vandal, as his colors said when he turned around to take a beer from another Vandal. Then he took a swig of it, making the simplest of actions make you think not so clean thoughts.
“Someone serve me a slice of that”  Becky said with a dreamy voice. You all agreeing with her.
You moved a hand to draw down your sunglasses, needing to see him in the days full light. Glare be damned, you needed this. Without the glasses tint, he looked even better. He was talking to the man that gave him the beer, nodding his head to whatever said. Another two men walked over, one with his arm slung over the other in an attempted to keep standing up, possibly from a little too much to drink. They laughed, talking to blondie before the one holding up his buddy slapped him on the arm, head gesturing in your direction.
All four of you froze, like a deer in headlights as blondie turned his gaze to you all. His friends continuing to talk and laugh, no doubt mentioning you four staring. Maybe encouraging blondie to come over. But he didn’t move, eyes locked on you all, or was it you? You weren’t sure. He took another swig from his bottle, yet never took his eyes off you. Feeling the butterflies swarming your stomach, you put your sunglasses back on, before lolling your head back to where it had been. You had started to feel exposed by his staring, so you had to cut it off, and get back your bad bitch energy.
Benny had made his way over to Johnny and Brucie after taking a leek. They were in deep conversation about an upcoming picnic, discussing the finer details. Johnny had handed him a beer, which he thanked him for before taking a long swig.
“Some of the women think kids shouldn’t be attendin’. Saying too many men are getting stoned or drunk, doesn’t set a good example” laughed Brucie.
Johnny shook his head. “It’s a family picnic, kids have to be there. What ya think Benny?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah kids should be there” Benny said not really paying much mind.
It didn’t matter to him much if kids were at the picnic. But knowing how Johnny likes to bridge his family and club life. It was a small thing to let him enjoy both, even for a small time. It was then that Benny spotted Wahoo and Corky making their way over. Corky had his arm over Wahoo, using his counter part as a crutch from drinking too much. When they finally made it over, Johnny asked them the same question he asked Benny. They both attempted to make a few jokes about it, but they weren’t funny.
“I don’t care if there’s kids, as long as they stay out of my way” Wahoo said, Corky nodding his head.
Johnny nodded his head. Decision made, tradition will stand and its a full family friendly picnic. With that decided Benny listened to the two new comers talk about Zipco going on about Pinko's, before Wahoo's attention moved to across the way. A smirk formed on his lips before he turned back to Benny.
“Seems ya got an audience” Wahoo mused, slapping Benny’s arm and head gesturing to across from them.
Confused, Benny looked to where Wahoo had been looking. There on a blanket sat four women. Three of them were sitting up right and gawking, while the fourth was lounging back. Out of all of them, she was the one to catch Benny’s attention. The position she was in, her chest sticking out in her tight sweater, was a pleasant sight to the masses. Dark slacks covered her slender legs, making him wonder what they’d be like straddling his bike, or his lap. Over all she was a vixen, no doubt a spitfire, if the air she gave off implied.
Wahoo and Corky kept talking, making comments about the women. But then they talked about her. Voicing Benny’s thoughts. Yet he didn’t like it one bit. He thought those words and thoughts should just be from him, no other man. Feeling his mouth dry, Benny brought the beer to his lips and took a drink. But made sure to keep his eyes on her. The cause for needing that drink.
“You should go over there Benny” Johnny stated, watching the younger man. “Go introduce yourself”.
Benny thought it over, maybe he should. What’s the harm it could do? What’s the worst that could happen? You would say no, that’s nothing. Feeling confident Benny watched as the focus of his gaze put her glasses back on, turned her head, and go back to enjoying the sun. He handed Johnny his half full bottle before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it up, the only time he took his eyes off her. After taking a drag, Benny looked to the women again, slowly releasing the smoke from his mouth.
“I’ll be back” was all Benny said before putting the cigarette back between his lips.
You listened to the sounds the girls made, Pam gushing over when blondie took a drag of his cigarette. You had to stop yourself from turning to look at him, you had to remain calm. You never give a man power over you, and by jumping at any little thing would do that.
“Oh lord! He’s coming this way!” Becky said slapping Pam’s arm. “Do I look alright!?”
“You?! What about me?!” Retorted Pam.
You sighed. “Calm down girls, he’s just a man” you sighed.
“A fine man, yes” muttered Danni.
Once more you sighed before turning your head slightly, watching blondie slowly walking your way. You reminded the girls to stay calm. But part of you was trying to tell yourself it too. Blondie continued to smoke his cigarette, which now you understood the girls reaction. He really did make anything look good. Finally reaching you, blondie came around to stand beside you, before squatting down. He took the cigarette from his lips and flicked it away, done with it.
“Hey” came his gravelly voice. “I'm Benny”. A beautiful smile crossed his sinful lips.
You did your best to keep breathing as you pulled down your sunglasses, looking Benny in the eyes, beautiful baby blues watching your every move. “Hi Benny, I’m (Y/N)” you replied sweetly, smile gracing your lips.
“Hmm, pretty name for a pretty vixen” Benny mused, making you chuckle. “Hey ladies” Benny added looking to the women sitting around you.
They weakly said hi back, unsure of their own voices.
“You know how to get women to quiet down, huh?” You mused pushing your sunglasses back up.
Benny laughed. “Don’t know, never taken notice before”.
You smiled at his honesty.
“But it doesn’t seem to work on you, aye?” Benny asked teasingly.
“Unfortunately, nope” was your simple reply. But in your head you were gushing.
“I like that” he stated looking you up and down. “You got a man?”
You smirked. “Yeah I do. Why? Think you could handle me?”
Benny chuckled, “more could you handle me, baby?”
“I can handle anythin' Benny. I’m not afraid of anythin’”. That was a lie, but you couldn’t back down. Nor could you stop yourself. His attention was electrifying. But part of you feared Benny could make you go weak, could even fall for him and his baby blues.
“Oh is that so?” Benny asked, smirking at the banter between you both.
“Yep” you replied tilting your head back and sighing, knowing full well you were teasing the biker.
And what about Troy? All you thought was Troy who? He had his fun with sweet girls, even though he had a sultry woman. If he was having his cake and eating it too, you could tease another biker. And if Troy hears about it, you didn’t care. You were done with his crap.
“Shame you have a man, as I’d love to take you for a ride on my bike” Benny said, with a sad face. “But, as you said, you have a man...”
You almost caved, melting at his words and sad look. But you stayed strong. It couldn’t hurt to give him some hope, right?
“Hmm, I guess it is for ya. But you never know, play your cards right and you just might get me on your bike”. You pulled down your glasses, shot him a wink before putting them back in their place.
Oh how Benny wanted to groan from your flirty ways, and that wink. Cherry on top. Licking his lips, Benny took a moment to focus. You were clouding his head, but in a good way.
“Alright baby, when you’re ready let me know”.
With that Benny stood up, and took his leave. He walked back to the guys he’d left. You watched him walk away, loving the view. All three women did, was just as good as him walking over. Then they turned their sights on you, all in a state of shock and awe.
“What?” You asked innocently. Though far from it.
All three began to talk, questioning you what just happened? If you were crazy? What about Troy? Could you to teach them your ways, and so on. You ended up laughing with every question. Laughing to the point you ended up laying on the blanket on your back, a hand coming to cover your mouth while sticking the other out in an attempt to stop them.
“Alright, alright. Enough!” You exclaimed, out of breath.
“Seriously (Y/N), what was that?” Asked Danni with confusion.
You shrugged, moving to rest your hands behind your head. “Dunno, but it was fun. Benny is quite the dish, am I right?”
“What about your boyfriend?” Inquired Pam.
Again you shrugged. “He doesn’t have to know”.
Becky scoffed. “Yeah, if you weren’t out in the open, surrounded by people. He’s gonna hear about it”.
“Oh well” you sighed. “Will make things interestin’”.
All three women shared a look. “Maybe. Or cause a brawl”.
You looked to them. “No doubt a brawl will happen. Whoever wins can have me”.
And with that you turned your face back to the sky, closing your eyes and trying to remain calm. Your heart was racing with the thought of Troy flaring up, you enjoy a verbal fight because it would lead to a hot make up session back home. But after learning the truth of what your boyfriend has been up to, you really didn’t want to have words with him. You thought about ending things, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. So, this could be your chance to drop him.
And Benny. Where do you begin with Benny. The man was gorgeous, dangerously tempting. Plus he was just as taken with you, as you were him. Or else he wouldn’t have been flirting. You’d gladly get on his bike, and let him take you for a ride. Take that anyway you want. Now you would sit back and see what happens.
Benny made it back to his friends, Johnny holding out his beer with a smirk. “Pleasant chat, hmm?”
He smirked taking the bottle. “Yeah, she’s a spitfire”.
The men laughed, Wahoo clapping Benny on the back. The men joked and talked, all about watching Benny and the spitfire. Benny took a swig from the bottle, chuckling at his friends. Glancing back over to her and her friends, Benny noticed that she was now laying on the blanket. It didn’t help him one bit. The things he was thinking he could do to her.
“So, when you taking her for a ride?” Corky asked wiggling his eyebrows, double meaning to his question.
Benny shook his head looking to the male. “She’s got a man”.
“When has that stopped you?” Laughed Wahoo.
Benny laughed at his question, he had a point. “She did say if I played my cards right and I just might get her on my bike”.
Corky and Wahoo hollered and hooted, Johnny just shaking his head with a smile on his face before taking a sip from his beer. Brucie clinked his beer bottle with Benny’s, showing his praise. Benny felt like he was on his bike, riding down an open road, the rush of freedom. But he wasn’t on his bike, or riding the open road. It was because of her. The spitfire, vixen with red lips and sultry presence.
“I take it the boyfriend is here?” Johnny suddenly asked, breaking Benny from thought.
He shrugged. “Probably”.
“I’d expect he’ll hear about you talkin’ to his girl, ya know?”
“Yeah. I can handle him” Benny said without a care, drinking more of his beer.
“The boyfriend should be the worried one” laughed Corky.
They know he was right, but didn’t voice it. They all know Benny was ruthless when it comes to a fight. To the point he has to be pulled off the other guy. Past brawls have proven that. Johnny having to wrap his arms around Benny and drag him back, which is hard when Benny sees red.
“Cross that bridge when it comes” Benny said, ending it there with him walking off.
It was later in the afternoon when Troy finally surfaced, after leaving you with your friends for hours. By now you sitting on the blanket, deep in conversation with the girls. But always keeping an eye on Benny, and seeing he did the same. You might have even kept teasing him, which got the desired effect; want. Yes, you continued to fan the flame, fully knowing that could or would it engulf everything.
Back to Troy; he came stomping over, a couple of his friends behind him. Troy had heard gossip through out the day of some biker hitting on a stunning woman. Gradually all the pieces coming out and he found out that woman was you. Furry filled him. His girl talking to another biker, another biker having the guts to speak to his girl.
“Oh shit!” cursed Danni. “Here comes the consequence”.
Not quiet getting what she meant, you looked over your shoulder to see your boyfriend heading your way. “Well, it took him long enough” you sighed, moving to stand.
Once on your feet, you dusted your legs and behind. Then you fixed your top, not even showing a care in the world. On the inside you were uneasy. Questioning how he was going to react. Would he yell and jump up and down? Would he quietly yell at you? You’re about to find out.
“(Y/N)! What’s this I’m hearin' about some Vandal talkin' to ya!?” Troy questioned, seething with anger.
You raised your bored gaze to him. “Just that, talkin’ to me. And?”
That didn’t help. Troy’s anger rose to furry. He grabbed your arm – tightly – and pulled you close. “What was that! Tell me now what happened or so help me”.
Your straightened up, keeping your face calm, as you tried to pull your arm free. “Troy, let go of my arm. You’re hurtin’ me!” Your voice raised in volume, but fell on deaf ears.
“Tell me if you’re whoring around” he yelled, starting to catch the attention of others.
“Ha. I’m far from whoring around Troy” you gritted out, still trying to free your arm. “Unlike you, of course”.
He growled, shaking you, grip only getting tighter. “What ya sayin’, huh!?”
Before you could think or say anything, you saw a fist come flying and make contact with Troy’s face. His grip finally freeing your arm as he staggered back a few steps. You held your arm, moving back from the man. Finally processing what happened, you turned to see Benny standing there, breathing heavy with tightly clutched fists.
“She asked you to let her go” Benny heaved. “No man should ever grab a woman like you did”.
Benny had just gotten back with Cal, after taking a walk to check out some bikes. Upon his return he witnessed a man, hell bent on reaching his destination, with an anger that only spelt trouble. And when he stopped before you, Benny knew what was to come. A verbal altercation or a physical one to defend you. As soon as he grabbed your arm, Benny began to slowly walk over, Cal and Johnny right behind him. Benny heard everything said. Accusing you of whoring around and his grip tightening to the point you were trying to get free, was what did it. And he swung his fist.
“You alright spitfire?” Benny asked looking over his shoulder at you. Choosing the new nickname over his favorite; baby.
You were putting on a brave face, he could tell but didn’t say anything. “I’m alright. But gonna have a nice bruise”.
Holding his cheek, Troy watched you both. A sneer on his face. “Take it you’re the Vandal this whore was flirtin’ with” he spat.
It only stoked the flame in Benny. How dare this man so easily doubt you, call you a whore. “If anythin’ I’m the one who talked to her” Benny defended flexing his hands, itching to connect them to his face some more.
Troy laughed. “No need to lie for her. She ain’t nothin’ but trouble”.
You felt anger rising, replacing the unease. “Other way around baby” you spat out.
Troy’s laughter died, eyes narrowing in on you. “Stay out of it sweetheart, the men are talkin’”
“Man” you corrected, “I only see one and he’s defendin’ me”.
That got under his skin, and Troy made to go for you but Benny grabbed him before pushing him back. “I wouldn’t even try it”.
Troy laughed dryly. “Might straighten her out”.
That was it, last strike. Benny lost it, fist connecting with Troy’s face again and then again. The first time Troy copped the full hit, but managed to get a half block in. Then he returned Benny’s fists with his own, getting a hit in. You moved away from them, calling out for them to stop but they weren’t listening. Troy’s buddy’s went in to helped their friend, but Cal and Johnny made sure they were taken care of. A full on three way brawl was taking place, with so many on lookers.
Troy managed to dodge Benny and step away from him, but unlucky for him Benny charged at him, tackling him to the ground and waling on him. This was when Cal and Johnny noticed the anger of their friend. Troy’s buddies just watching, afraid to step in to help him. Johnny was the one to grab Benny, but he couldn’t pull him away, until Cal helped him. They were telling Benny to stop, it was enough. Sitting on the grass, both men with him, holding an arm. Benny saw the damage he’d done, to Troy and his own hands. Spitting he went to stand, his friends moving to help him.
“Don’t ever say those words about or too (Y/N) again, or to anyone. Ya hear!?” Benny’s voice was breathless and more gravelly.
Troy just nodded his head, making noises in pain.
Benny turned to you. “Sorry about that spitfire, just don’t like a man disrespecting a woman”.
You nodded, offering a small smile. “Thanks for coming to my rescue”.
He chuckled, “always” and winked. Yet it hurt from getting clocked in the eye.
“Alright, come on. Let’s get ya cleaned up” Johnny said patting Benny on the back, and starting to uncomfortably walk back to his spot.
Cal also patted Benny before walking back too.
Benny looked back to you. “Ya comin’ baby?” He asked, not caring anymore and just calling you what he wanted.
You smiled grabbing your bag and stepping up to him. “Sure Benny”.
He wrapped his arm around you and you both moved to pass Troy, before he grabbed your slacks. “What about me? Ya boyfriend?”
You looked to Benny, before moving from his arm and leaning down to Troy. “It’s over. Plain and simple”.
He sputtered. “Huh!? Who’s gonna look after me!?”
You smiled at his sweetly. “I dunno, maybe ask Anna or Stefanie or Doris to take care of you. Because this whore ain’t ya girl anymore”.
With that, you put Benny’s arm around you again and you both headed over to his friends. You helped clean up Benny’s hands and face. He liked having your attention on him, liked how careful you were cleaning and wrapping up his hands. Once done you took a seat next to him with a sigh, head leaning back against the car you were both sitting beside.
“Sorry you had to step in back there” you said softly. “I didn’t expect that to happen”.
Benny chuckled. “It’s my fault. I struck first, talk later. It’s my style”.
You laughed, a genuine laugh. “Well, how about we both say sorry then”.
Benny nodded. “Sounds good to me”.
A comfortable silence fell between you too. You looked over to your friends, who were glancing at you both occasionally. Were they still your friends? After all they were with other bikers in Troy’s club. So, where does this leave you, with such a public break up too. Only time would tell.
Feeling restless you sat up and turned to Benny. “Your offer still stands for a ride on your bike?”
He looked at you with a raised eyebrow.
“I feel like I need a change of scenery” you gestured to your friends, as well as Troy and his boys further behind the girls.
He nodded before standing. Benny held out his hand and you took it carefully, before he pulled you up, not caring about the pain. You wanted to leave, go anywhere from here and what happened. Leading you to his bike, it didn’t take long for him to get on and start the bike up, the roar catching people’s attention. Without trouble you got on behind him, hands wrapping around his body, hands resting against his firm stomach. Then Benny took off, heading out and onto the road. Letting his bike take you both wherever, and enjoy the freedom it gives you both.
324 notes · View notes
redheadspark · 8 months ago
Text
Here (Part Two)
Summary - Azriel stays by his mate's side, not knowing his family is rallying behind him to find out who attempting to kill his mate
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Warnings - Mostly Angst
A/N - Part of the Ocean Eyes Series. I posted this as a sequel of Part One, which got insanely reactions! I am so glad you guys liked Part One and I hope you like Part Two!
Part Three Found Here
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"What's the plan, Rhys?"
"I'm focusing more on my cousin's health and her life in the balance than dealing with her attacker."
"That's not where my head is,"
"Enlighten me then, Cassian,"
Cassian rolled his shoulders and eyed his High Lord as Rhysand was perched at his desk in his office, the sun setting over the rolling hills outside the River House, and the cooler air was blown onto the office with ease. Cassian leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and his head reeling with questions and scenarios that he wanted to figure out immediately. But Rhysand was remaining calm, too calm for the Illyrian Army Commander's liking. He considered the wounded Illryian who was asleep upstairs, his friend's mate, his family. Someone tried to hurt his family and take away his family, and Cassian was fuming from the inside out.
But he was also a changed Illyrian, just as Rhysand and Azriel were. They were all fathers now: Rhysand with Nyx, Azriel with Alec, and Cassian with his daughter Rose. His daughter, sweet and yet fiery Rose was a splitting image of her mother but had his infectious and playful heart. They all had offspring to protect and think about, no more rash decisions and acting out on a limb. The children had to come first, and Cassian was not willing to do anything that would bring his family harm. Azriel never did that himself, yet that led to Alec almost being killed as a toddler and Azriel's mate now in a bed upstairs hanging between life and death. Nesta would never let Cassian do anything like that, not just for Rose but for Nesta too.
Cassian was the one who found you first, sprawled on the forest floor bleeding from your wing and the arrow still hanging out of your wing. You both were out in the outline border of Velaris, Cassian getting a hunch that there were rogue beings there making their way across the border into Velaris territory. You on the other hand were meeting with some of the farmers and shopkeepers that lived in the cottages there to check on them and talk business in contributing to the Community Center.
Maybe it was fate that he was there and come enough to hear your scream out, but he knew your scream far too well from knowing you since you both were younglings. He flew towards the wail you let out, his heart hitting against his chest far too hard and thinking it was a trick of the mind.
Everything slowed down for him as he gathered you in his arms, you were out cold and the poison already working in your blood. He had to act quickly, time was of the essence, and your time was about to be snuffed out if he didn't get you help in time. 
"The marks on the arrow," Cassian stated, reflecting on the arrow that was piercing your wing and sicking out so harshly that it sickened him to rethink it again, "We need to know where they came from so we get a hunch as to who did this,"
"I already have a big hunch, and I got in contact with the very High Lord that I'm thinking," Rhysand hummed, his cooldemeanor was hiding the anger he had. Cassian raised a brow at him as Rhysand rang his thumb over his fingers back and forth, a tactic he would use when he was thinking deeply, "High Lord Beron has been notified and is coming tonight,"
"What?" Cassian asked in shock, standing up stiffly and no longer leaning against the wall. 
"He knows the utmost importance of this since it does involve my cousin…my fucking family," Rhysand said the last part in a low tone, not a growl but close enough, "We are going to meet at the Townhouse since I know both yourself and Nesta would rather not have the High Lord of Autumn Court in your home,"
Cassian snorted, then gave him a questioning look, "Does Elaine and Lucien know what happened?"
"Feyre reached out and told them to stay at their home here in Velaris for the time being. In fact, I don't want any of the Inner Circle going anywhere outside of Velaris until this is resolved once and for all. We either stay in our homes or at The House of Wind until I say so," Rhysand explained as his violet eyes looked out the window to see the last images of the sun still in the sky before it hid into the horizon.
"Is that an order?" Cassian asked, Rhysand’s eyes shot back to his Commander.  Cassian, though tamer than he used to be when he was younger, was still reckless at heart at times. Something inside of him wanted him to find whoever did this and bring them pain. You were family to him, meeting him through Rhysand when he was a boy and considered him a brother of yours. His rational side was teetering to be pushed aside, and he was fine with it.
"I don't want another member of my family hurt, Cass. I consider you family, long before you became my brother-in-law. You need to think of your wife and daughter and that they need you," Rhysand explained to Cassian, seeing Cassian's eyes soften from the mention of Nesta and Rose, "We need to be smart about this, not reckless. I want you with me when we meet with High Lord Beron,"
Cassian hummed, knowing that Rhysand was right when it came to being reckless. He then gestured his head over to the doors that lead out of the office, "What about Azriel?"
"I don't want him anywhere else but with his wife, she's his priority now. And besides, I would rather not leave Azriel alone in the room with High Lord Beron. That's if Beron, or Autumn Court for that matter, did have something to do with this. He is not in the right frame of mind to be anywhere else," 
Cassian knew he was right about that too. The rage Azriel must be feeling at this moment, not knowing who in factharmed and attempted to kill his mate, must have been explosive. Cassian himself has been Azriel in such a way before, the anger that would fester deep down and be unlashed by either his shadows or his Truth Tellers. Cassian and strength behind him, but Azriel had something deeper.
Something more menacing.
"Alec is also staying here until his mother is well again, though he still doesn't know what precisely happened," Rhysand explained as he got up from his chair and walked around the desk to stand near Cassian with his arms folded in front of him, "I don't want Alec anywhere else but here, he's my nephew and he needs to be protected now more than ever. We all do, but epically him: someone is hunting his mother and father, and I won't let him become an orphan under my roof,"
"None of us want that, Rhys," Cassian reasoned with Rhysand, "He's secure and protected here with you and Feyre, and he's safe with his father, the safest he’ll ever be,”
"Which is why we need to be smart. For now, let's just focus on this meeting with Beron and making sure my cousin is comfortable and safe while she heals and come back to full health," Rhysand stated, then pausing as he gave Cassian a more cornered look, "How is Alec and Azriel now?"
"Alec's okay, he just misses his mother. As for Azriel…it's hard for him," Cassian confessed. Rhysand hummed and rubbed his eyes, already thinking of the next steps that were to come. The meeting tonight would be far too important, life-changing, and yet his cousin was still in the back of his mind and her health was his main concern. 
All he could do now was hold onto his Inner Circle, his family, so close in hopes they wouldn't slip away.
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"Alright, buddy. Time for bed, okay?"
"Ok, daddy,"
Azriel softly smiled as he watched his son hop into the massive bed he was going to sleep in, the guest room that wasacross from where you were still sleeping and still healing. He left the door slightly open, being able to see you from where he was in Alec's guest room as Alec was settling into his bed. 
Alec was only told that his mother was sick, severely sick, and he was not able to see her.  Of course, it confused him at first, not understanding that he wasn't able to see his own mother since he had seen her sick before, but he knew better than to question his father.  Seeing Azriel looking worn down and defeated made Alec worry all the more. 
But Feyre was a step ahead, making sure he was well fed at dinnertime and kept him busy with his cousin Nyx until it was time for him to go to bed. Still, his mother was in the back of his mind, wondering what was it that made his mother so sick. He missed his mother, hugging her and hearing her voice telling him goodnight. Azriel tried his best to be present with Alec, but his son caught onto something that was hidden from him. 
Perhaps a trait he inherited from his father.
"Alec, I know this is different from what we're used to," Azriel explained to Alec, who was watching his father with his wide blue eyes as he was snuggled under the soft sheets of the bed, "But you are being such a trooper for going with the flow of it all.  I promise you that things are going to go back to normal soon, okay? As soon as momma is all better, we'll go back to our house and things will be back to the way they were,"
"Is it going to be forever?" Alec asked tentatively as he searched his father's tired eyes. Azriel felt a twinge of pain that his son was still kept in the dark, so speak, when it came to what truly happened to his mother. The last thing Azriel ever wanted to do was to lie to his son like this, to have that trust broken at any moment. 
"No, not forever, baby," He reassured Alec as he pushed the inky black hair out of his son's blue eyes, "This is not forever, I swear to you. You believe me?"
"Yes, Daddy," Alec replied, Azriel smiled at his son and leaned over to kiss the top of his head. He was about to leave his son to sleep, and as Azriel eased himself up from the bed, Alec spoke up again in a gentler tone. So gentle, that it sounded like the curtains were swaying in his room from the night breeze.
"Daddy, is momma gonna be okay?"
Azriel could have cried then, seeing his son watch him for an answer. Azriel never wanted this for his family, the fear of losing someone he loved and another person he loved was filled with fear and worry. Alec was only four years old, far too young for something like this to happen in his life. Nothing could prepare him for this: consoling his son and hoping that his wife would pull through. 
Alec needed his mother, Azriel knew that deep down. There was no greater bond than Alec's bond with his mother, it was thick and filled with so much happiness and love. Inwardly, Azriel wanted that himself with his mother, and he did have that in the blink of a moment when he was young.  To see his mate give that same love to his son was beyond rewarding.
Now his son, looking at his father with worry in his young eyes, was asking about his mother.
"Yeah…yeah she's gonna be okay," he reassured Alec. He had to give Alec hope, the hope that his mother would be herself again. Although he had very little hope, he would at least give some of that hope to his son. He leaned down and kissed his son one more time, "Get some sleep, okay? I'm gonna check on momma and come back to you, I love you,"
"I love you too, Daddy," Alec replied, then curled into the bed under the sheets as Azriel moved away. He felt like he needed to be in two places at once: with Alec and with you. Although you were sleeping and till healing, Alec needed you and needed your warmth. Azriel wished he could change it all, make you all better so you can hold your son. Yet as he watched Alec fall asleep, facing the window with a look of peace on his face, Azriel could breathe a bit easier. 
He kept the door into the guest room open slightly, mostly in case Alec needed him as he walked silently across the hall into the room where you were in. Still asleep, facing the empty chair where Azriel was perched for the past few hours, the moon shining into your room to cast a bluish light along your still wounded wings. Azriel could even see the moonlight shine through the thin membrane of your wings, showing the veins and the damage from the Ash Arrow.
But the way you were snuggled against the body pillow, head against the soft pillow, and your long hair draped over your shoulder, you looked more peaceful than you did earlier when Azriel found you. Azriel sat down on the chair, taking in a long breath as he held his hands together in his lap and watched you. Your deep breathing, the softness that was now slowly coming back along your skin and your cheeks thanks to the medicine from Madja. 
"I might be talking to myself here, but I hope you can hear me," Azriel said aloud in the room, his voice sounding a bit raw as he watched you in earnest, "But I need you to pull through and get better. I….I don't think I can do this without you. I won't have the strength to, no matter how hard I'll have to try. I need you, our son needs you. He needs his momma, and I…I don't wanna do this alone and without you."
He might have sounded silly since he was talking alone in the room, but then again he needed to get it off his chest. Bottling up all his fear that he's had for the past few hours, would have suffocated him. The only person he was ever safe to unload his feelings, to be open and exposed therapeutically, was the one who was asleep in front of him and unable to be fully present with him.
"I'm sorry I failed you and couldn't protect you," Azriel admitted, sinking a bit in his chair as he was fiddling with his fingers, Clutching them together tightly and refusing to let them go, "I promised you when we were mated that I would protect you, keep you safe and never let anything happen to you. I broke that promise, and I know I can never repair that,"
He thought that if you were awake, you would reprimand him for being hard on himself. Azriel could even hear it clearly in his mind, your kind voice scolding him for being immensely harsh towards himself. You've always helped him out of his moods and insecurities, including what he does and how he takes care of others around him. Azriel thought back to a talk that he had with you when Alec was still a young infant, he was voicing his worry about taking care of his family and if he was doing enough. 
He needed you to bring him back to the light, and not have him hide in the darkness.
Azriel reached out and took your hands in his own, feeling the coolness of your skin and yet how soft they were. Healways loved your soft hands, a soothing balm against his calloused and scarred skin. He leaned down and kissed the back of your hand, his lips along your skin had you shift in your sleep and hum.
"Sleep and come back to me, come back to us. Your son and I need you more than anything, so I need you to get your strength and open those eyes for me when you're ready. I'm here when you wake up, I promise.  I love you more than life itself, more than my own life, and if I could trade mine for yours then I would in a heartbeat. Just gather your strength, we'll be here waiting for you," Azriel proclaimed to you and your sleeping form.  He did speak the truth: he would trade his life for yours since at times he felt you had more good for the world than he ever did.
Azriel cannot picture a world without you, without any of your beautiful traits or your tender heart. 
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Azriel heard it, almost like a whisper, as he was dead asleep with Alec cradled in his arms in the spare guest room.  His arms were tucked around his son, who was snuggled against his father and snoring softly. It was so soft, like a breeze, which didn't disturb the Spymaster at first.
But it was also distinct, not the sound of the curtains fluttering next to the bed or the very soft ticking of the clock on the fireplace mantle.  This was a shutter of a whisper, and it was calling his name.
Azriel…..Azriel….
His shadows hummed, licking along Azriel's arms as he stirred a bit in his sleep. Alec was thankfully a deep sleeper and stayed in slumber, even though his father was feeling the sensation not just with his shadows but in his mind. It was a familiar voice, so familiar that maybe it was a trick of the mind as Azriel took in a long breath. But he heard it again, a pinch louder and his name being called out as if the source was so far away.  Fighting through a fog that was thick and almost recognizable.
Azriel…Azriel…
Azriel was still asleep, but it was becoming more alert as the voice was getting a bit louder now in his mind. It was no longer a dream, it was something else, something familiar to him.  So familiar like coming through the front door of the small little cottage where he lived, or flying amongst the cloud with his wings stretched. Even the familiar touch of your lips against his own made him feel safe.
But he finally heard it, and his eyes shot open on high alert.
Azriel….I'm here…
It was you, your voice, speaking through the bond.
You were awake.
To Be Continued….
A/N - Part three?!?! Let me know if you want a part three!
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Tagging - @valeridarkness @impossibelle @acourtofbatboydreams @prettylittlewrites @fxckmiup @sizzlingstarlightsky @iluvyewman-blog @masbt1218 @a-courtof-azriel @homeslices @zanzie @topaz125
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rxmqnova · 9 months ago
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Reader is an autistic rookie agent. Natasha is her new SO (no-one else would train her) after a rogue gun shot sends us into an autistic burn out Natasha realises just how much she has to step up to train , support and encourage her new and frankly only rookie.
(Maybe Nat remembers a girl from the red room being punished for something similar and Nat get very protective of R almost overnight? )
The someone
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NO ONE'S POV Y/N takes a deep breath before stepping into the gym, her palms are sweaty from how much she's nervous. She's having her very first training with non other than Black Widow herself.
Fury specially assigned her to Natasha. The redhead has no idea why. There are lots of other agents who can train and Natasha has a lot of work with being an Avenger now.
Though she knows Fury doesn't do anything without a reason, so she just goes along with it. Now she's waiting in the gym for her trainee.
When she sees the young girl approaching, she crosses her arms over her chest and waits until the girl walks closer.
"You're late" Is the first thing that leaves Natasha's lips.
Ever since Y/N woke up today, her day has been terrible. She spilled her tea, so she needed to change her favorite shirt for a different one.
She lost her keys, so she looked around her entire apartment just to find them in one of her jackets 30 minutes later.
"I-I'm sorry, miss. I didn't mean to, but my keys-"
"None of that. Just make sure it won't happen again. And you can call me Natasha" The redhead cuts the young girl off, receiving an immediate nod.
"Won't happen again, miss. I-I mean… Natasha" Y/N blurts out, giving Natasha an akward smile before putting her bag down on the ground to get ready for her training.
Everything seems to be great. Y/N is in a good shape which actually is quite surprising to Natasha as she wasn't expecting it at all.
The girls do some running, combat skills, work out. And then Natasha takes Y/N to the shooting range to see how good Y/N is with a gun.
"Take these" Natasha hands the younger girl soundproof headphones as soon as she explains everything, expecting Y/N to put them on and do what she just told her.
But Y/N just keeps looking around in awe, she's never been here before and this place just amazes her. She's lost in her own world that she doesn't acknowledge Natasha's pulling the trigger.
A loud bang gets Y/N back to reality, her hands start shaking before she moves to sit into the nearest corner, her shaking hands hugging her knees tightly. She struggles with breathing by now which got caused by crying.
Meanwhile Natasha puts her gun down, turning around to tell Y/N to try it. The redhead immediately puts her headphones away when she sees the state her trainee is.
"Y/N!" She rushes to the girl, kneeling down in front of her. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay" She tries to comfort, but it doesn't seem to help.
"What do I do?" Natasha asks herself, thinking hard about anything that could help Y/N calm down.
Suddenly she remembers a situation that happened back in the Red room. There was a girl about her age, she was hidden in a corner, crying and shaking just like Y/N is right now. She got really badly punished back then, but Natasha knows she has to try something now and calm Y/N down.
"Y/N, it's Natasha. You're okay, sweetheart" Natasha says softly, placing her hand on Y/N's knee, but the girl just flinches away.
The redhead lets out a breath in frustration, closing her eyes and thinking about what to do. When she opens her eyes again, she spots the headphones she's still holding. She very carefully puts them on Y/N's ear, hoping that the silence would help the young girl calm down… and after a while it finally does.
———
The clock hits 2 am and Natasha still isn't sleeping. She just can't, her mind keeps wandering from the young widow to her young trainee.
She knows she needs to be more careful and keep her eye on the girl. She doesn't want her to go through anything similar as the girl back in the Red Room and wants her to feel safe.
The morning finally comes and Natasha goes to the gym where she's supposed to meet Y/N. Like she knew this would happen, Y/N runs in at the last minute, blurting out one apology after another, but Natasha just smiles, hands the young girl a bottle of water and a protein bar for breakfast.
Y/N clearly needs someone to look out for her and someone who would make sure she always feel safe and comfortable. Someone who would support and encourage her. And Natasha is ready to be the someone.
----------------------
I don't know much about autism. I did some research, but I'm not sure if this is accurate.
Natasha Romanoff masterlist
Masterlist
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obbystars · 4 months ago
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Drop some random sebastian headcanon u have in mind fics related or not if u ever had one pls drop itudulfyldyostoakakak😇😇
(ALRIGHTY LET’S SEE IF I’VE STILL GOT IT IN ME TO MAKE A HEADCANON POST)
CONTENT WARNING: cannibalism in post-experimentation section
Notes: Sebastian Solace x GN!Reader / General Relationship Headcanons + some general Sebastian headcanons / kid you not pulling this up i realized i did not have any headcanons for sebastian thought out so i spent a good while thinking LSJDJSNX / i hope you guys know this is written by someone who has not dated before (has no idea what they’re doing) / wishing this could’ve been longer
Credits: dividers by @cafekitsune
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To be honest, when it comes to entering a relationship with Sebastian, I can never see it happening when you meet during the events of the game. Like, obviously he only sees all of expendables as research collectors (and possibly food) and that’s pretty much it. He does not give two shits about us.
If you knew him before he got arrested, or even knew him while he was a prisoner under Urbanshade (specifically another prisoner), then yes I can see it happening. Of course, if you knew him beforehand and became an expendable for whatever reason after, then yes I can also see it. It’s because you knew who he was before he became what he is now, y’know?
Anywayy…
He’s a teasing type of partner. Often making sarcastic comments whenever he sees the opportunity to, pushing some of your buttons just for the fun of it, all that stuff. He can tone it down if you ask though, or if he sees it’s actually bothering you.
Sebastian does like cuddling but he is almost never the one to initiate it. It’s not that he’s uncomfortable (well he kinda is sometimes), he’s also not sure if you’re comfortable with it unless you voice it to him. Will that change anything? Not really, you’ll still need to initiate most of the time.
It’s probably obvious now that I see a relationship with Sebastian will require quite a bit of communication, but there’s nothing wrong with that. As long as you can respect his boundaries whenever he voices it, there won’t be any problems. Be sure to voice yours too, he doesn’t want to overstep any of yours either.
He’s a listener. Ramble about the most random stuff to him and he’d unintentionally take in the information. Sometimes you just going on and on about stuff makes it easier to work on his homework even if what you’re rambling about is related to your own work. If random factoids aren’t exactly what he’s looking for, playing music also helps. You can take turns playing music. He rambles too but not all the time. Usually it’s something relating to his engineering class.
Sebastian can cook up something really good whenever he feels like it. It’s not super fancy but he can recreate some of his mom’s recipes. When it’s not that, it’s just a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something microwaved. It really depends on the mood he’s in. If you cook, try making something he hasn’t had, like a dish from your country. He’s always willing to try.
Quality time type of partner. You don’t really need to be doing anything, he’s happy just being in the same room as you.
You two are watching YouTube videos on his laptop in bed late at night until you both fall asleep. One of you sometimes wakes up to put the laptop away, while other times it was almost kicked off the bed. Thankfully it hasn’t happened yet.
Game date nights. Whether it’s PvP or Co-op, you’re both playing. Local or online, doesn’t matter. As long as it’s multiplayer. Sebastian does strikes me as a rogue-like, souls, shooter type of gamer though. He probably picked up Sims at some point and got way too into making houses rather than actually making Sims. Sometimes he playa horror but it scares the shit out of him most of the time.
He sometimes plays his guitar for you, even asking if you have any requests. If you ask nicely enough, he’d help you learn how to play if you don’t already. If you actually end up getting your own, he’d be so down to play with you.
Meeting with his family is pretty much a must (his mom wants to meet you). His big sister embarrasses him by telling you just how much he “gushes” about you. In reality, he talks about you to them whenever they ask and if you two are going out just so they know and to not call or text him or anything until then. Still, his family likes you and that’s all he wants.
Post-Experimentation
Remember how I said Sebastian isn’t exactly uncomfortable with touch? Yeah, now he is. He has a bubble around him and he does not like it when someone gets too close whether it was intentional or not. His reaction to it can vary from shoving them away to a more violent reaction that may lead to a serious injury or even death.
Upon finding a corpse and being so terribly hungry, he had to try and force himself to eat it. The idea of eating another person made him want to spit it all out, to regurgitate all of it out. Flesh, bones, intestines, lungs, liver, heart… “Keep it in your stomach. You won’t find much food after this.” Eventually, he was able to stomach it. Eventually, it became natural.
If you’ve known him before all of this and he meets up with you while the lockdown is still happening, yeah he has questions cause what the hell. He wants to keep you safe, but if you stay around too long, Urbanshade might get suspicious that they lost an expendable’s signal. It’s already bad enough that they want him dead, and the scrambler can be a dead giveaway if their operatives suddenly can’t contact HQ. Just don’t die while you’re out there, please. It’d also be best if they don’t find out about your much deeper connection with him, so there’s another reason why it’d be difficult to stay in touch with each other in the facility.
He’d try to get in touch with Painter just to let him know about you. Lead the Good People away, shoot down a wall dweller that you haven’t noticed yet, all that stuff. He can’t do much about the bull shark, squiddles, and the anglers but he can try to do something about Pandemonium. Unlike the anglers, it’s not a cloud of smoke and is really just rotting flesh.
Physical touch with him in this case is still complicated. He’s very uncomfortable with it and it may take a while for him to warm up to your touch again. He’s not gonna hit you or anything, god no. If you were anyone else, one he doesn’t know, absolutely. He’ll try to express that. The topic itself is sensitive and he never likes bringing it up.
Assuming Mr. Lopee has taken an interest in you and allows you to keep coming back after every death, Sebastian is more willing to help you. Will he give you a discount though? No, especially not if there are other expendables with you. (he will slip in a battery or two though) It’s also a little less worry for him since death isn’t the end for you, but he wonders just how long it’ll take for Urbanshade to realize one of their prisoners is capable of coming back to life. You’re not supposed to have access to the Ferryman Tokens. The expendable protocol was specifically made so that Urbanshade didn’t have to use so much of them.
If you happen to come across something rare or something he usually sells at a high price, he’d appreciate it if you allowed him to take it off your hands and sell it to one of the other EXR-Ps. More intel from them means a higher chance of escaping (hopefully). You two will likely be stuck here for a while as long as no one else takes the crystal before then.
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yeah uh
that’s all i got 🧍
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paulyenvol6 · 3 months ago
Text
Devotion (Part 1)
Based on this request
Daemon x Rhaenyra x wife!reader
Thank you for this amazing request and feel free to send me whatever you would like me to write :)
Contains: angst, fighting
Wordcount: ~4.23k
Masterlist
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You glared at your armour, shining ever so lovely that you could see your reflection. You saw the flames dance over the metal. The view made you sigh and you felt a melancholic feeling in your stomach, a desire that you knew you couldn't fulfill at this moment.
Quickly you brushed with your finger over the cold metal and it brought up memories from when you had fought beside the rogue prince at the stepstones. Or when you had fought at the tournaments during the reign of Viserys with your helmet on so none of the noble woman and men could tell that it was actually a woman winning.
You craved these times, this delicious feeling of victory on your tongue. But at the same time you wouldn't change anything, you thought as you ran your hand over your swollen belly. It was Daemon Targaryen's child you were carrying and you already loved it with all your heart so of course you didn't regret letting him get you pregnant. And yet… you would give so much to return to the battle field once more, fight for your queen and wife Rhaenyra and slaying everyone who followed the usurper Aegon.
This was when your thoughts were being interrupted and the door to your chambers opened. You had sat on a chair with your head bowed to admire your armour but now you turned to see who had come. A smile appeared on your face as both your husband and wife approached you with a loving smile on their faces. Rhaenyra quickly leaned down to press a kiss on your hair and then sat down on a chair next to you while Daemon stood by your side.
"How are you, love?", he asked and caressed your shoulder.
"Good.", you lied and leaned back in your chair. "Where were you?", you then asked.
"A small council meeting. The Swanns have sworn allegiance to the usurper.", your husband hissed with his jaw tightened.
That was another thing. You were wife to the queen and the prince and yet you didn't have a place at the small council. In the past you hadn't minded because you were a warrior after all and prefered the fights to the long lasting sessions in the dark chamber but right now you felt as though everything happened without you knowing and you were forced to stay out of it. You had joined this war to protect your queen. And now it was you duty to stay in your chambers? You wanted to do something, fight for Rhaenyra. But you didn't have a choice but to listen to Daemon's report on the newest matters and then in the end he contendly looked down at you and stroke the side of your head.
"You look tired, y/n. Perhaps you should get some sleep?" But you nodded without looking at him which didn't go unnoticed by Rhaenyra.
"Something wrong?", she asked as she saw the stiffness around your mouth but you shook your head and faked a smile.
"No, everything is fine." Though she looked a little suspicious she changed the topic and talked about finding new dragon riders for the remaining dragons in Dragonstone but you interrupted her suddenly.
"I would like to fight, my queen. I want to help win this war for you."
You didn't know why you had said it because you knew that they would both disapprove of this idea. But you couldn't help it, the words had simply stumbled out of your mouth and now they both had their eyes fixed on you. Rhaenyra's forehead had furrowed while Daemon had his eyebrows lifted.
"You know I can not allow this, my love.", Rhaenyra said softly and put a hand on yours. But your lower lip trembled at her words and you fiercefully stared at the table in front of you.
"I swore to protect you, Rhaenyra. And now I'm here locked up in Dragonstone and I can only watch and listen to the reports of what happens in King's Landing. I am meant to be on the battlefield fighting for your throne."
"Y/n.", the queen scoffed and you finally met her gaze. "I know. I know that you a warrior and I know you want nothing more than to fight but you're with child. It would be too dangerous for the both of you."
You were about to answer but then felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned to study Daemon's expression but to your misfortune only found worry and disapprovement.
"Rhaenyra is right. It would be riskful and irresponsible."
Your eyes got big as you pleadingly glared at the prince. "I can look out for myself and the child. I know it. Please, I just need this. I can do more good out there than here and I know I can protect our child as well." You had hoped to find some doubt on Daemon's face but he remained determined and shook his head.
"No, y/n. You will not leave dragonstone until after you have given birth." His words suddenly made anger rise in you and you clenched your hands to fists.
"You are not to give me orders, Daemon.", you hissed. Sometimes he just acted as if he was the highest lord with the most authority here and at times you couldn't stand him like that. When he only said few words but sounded as though no one was to question him. As if his word was the word of the dragon. Rhaenyra had sensed your fury and put a hand on your arm.
"Y/n. It is better this way. I just don't want you to lose this child, you knew I just had to go through this as well with Visenya." Tears welled in her eyes. "I don't want you to suffer the same way, darling. Trust me, it is better for all of us."
Your head was aching, you felt sick and you were so incredibly tired and so you just wanted to disobey them. Argue with them and not let them command you. You felt too miserable to give in and so you pouted at them.
"I can decide it for my own whether I want to take the risk or not. And I won't lose the child when I go to battle."
Rhaenyra and Daemon exchanged a brief look as they noticed your sulkiness and they both realized that this wasn't a good moment to discuss something like this. You would feel better once you had gotten some sleep and so they tried to stay calm.
"But the chances are definitely higher than if you were to reside here at dragonstone.", Daemon argued and caressed your arm. You were furious and pushed his hand away.
"I don't want to reside her at Dragonstone. I want to fight. That is my purpose.", you protested and your husband and wife once again exchanged a worrying look. But then Daemon's expression became hard and he lowered his head slightly so you glared at him.
"Forgive me, love, but this is an order.", he said softly and yet sounded as if he didn't accept any obejction. "You'll remain here. Both your queen and wife and your husband command it."
You were sulkly and neither felt like meeting your wife's nor your husband's eyes. You gulped loudly and then tried to fight the tears that threatened to fall to your cheeks. You wished that they would leave your chambers now because you feared you'd cry in front of them and after a few moments they actually did you the favor and walked towards the door after Daemon had studies your stubborn expression one last time.
Once they were gone you exhaled loudly and let the tears roll down your face. They were for the most part angry tears because you had hated the way Daemon and Rhaenyra had talked to you as though you were a little child who couldn't take care of herself. It made your blood in your veins throb and you felt like squeezing or hitting something. And it especially annoyed you how Rhaenyra had spoken to you as if she had any real battle experience. She didn't know anything about what it was like giving her life to fight in a war and now she wanted to lecture you about it?
Anger continued to control your senses for the rest of the evening and long after you had laid down to find some sleep you got off the bed again. Though you were so incredibly tired your mind wasn't at ease and didn't let you enter the world of your dreams so you aimlessly walked around in your room, your hand caressing your belly. You were thinking about what to do. You felt on fire, adrenaline flooding your system and you knew you wouldn't be able to fall asleep until you had done something. And so at the hour of the owl, in the darkest of night, you sneaked out of your chambers and through the dimly lit corridor.
You didn't sleep in your own chambers very often. It happened maybe one in ten nights that you spent the hours in your own room, all of the other times you slept beside Daemon or Rhaenyra and sometimes even with the both of them. But tonight it had been clear to the three of you that you didn't crave the company of your husband and wife and so there hadn't been a servant bringing you to the prince's or queen's chamber and neither had you seeked their presence.
But now you had a purpose, a plan. And though you weren't keen on spending a lot of time with her, you walked through the corridor heading to the white worm's chamber.
Mysaria, the mysterious woman with the brown seducive eyes. You didn't particulary like her because you didn't trust her. She had switched the sides during this war too often and you had found yourself wondering whether it was a good idea to grant her hospitality at Dragonstone many times. Yet now you were grateful to be able to speak to her so you approached her chambers.
With every other person you would have waited until the morrow to talk to them rather than burst into their rooms in the middle of the night but the white worm was said to never sleep. You had once walked through the corridor of Dragonstone at 3 in the morrow because of a terrible nightmare you had had and so you had craved the company of your husband. On the way you had walked past Mysaria who had simply nodded at you and acted as if there was nothing odd about the situation.
That was why you confidently knocked at her door and actually, seconds later the white worm opened the door dressed in a night gown but she looked as awake as ever. She looked at you curiously with her head questioningly crooked to one side.
"My Princess.", she whispered with her thick accent. "Is there a reason for your emergence in front of my door at such a late hour?"
You nodded. "There is."
Mysaria lifted her eyebrows and then took a step back. "Come, then."
You followed the young woman inside of her chambers. Mayhaps it was a stupid thing to do but at that moment you felt as though you didn't have a choice. The white worm was the only person who could help you with your situation because she was the only one to know her way around Dragonstone and the capital without anyone noticing. She had proven that many times in the past. She now stood by a chair, her chin high and a daring look in her eyes. You really didn't like this woman a lot.
"Mysaria. Forgive me my late disturbance but there is a matter I feel the need to discuss with you." She didn't answer you but instead glared at you as though she was waiting for you to continue so you did after hesitating for a moment.
"As you well know, I am a warrior. I want to protect and fight for our queen and her rightful throne. But… as you might also well know, this wish has been demolished by the queen and the prince themselves. They forbade me to take part in the fighting."
Mysaria frowned and turned her head slightly. "You bear the prince's child inside your womb."
Quickly you nodded. "Yes. But I… I need the fighting and the thrill. I need to do my duty to the crown. I miss it terribly and keeps me up at night." The white worm chewed on her lower lip which you took as a sign to keep on with your request.
"I wish to go to King's Landing. To see with my own eyes what the situation is like. And I plan to speak to the gold claoks. If we're lucky they still remain loyal to Prince Daemon and I might be able to convince them to follow me to Dragonstone."
Now Mysaria slowly turned away and walked back and forth, her hands folded behind her back.
"So you want me to help you get to the capital without the queen or the prince noticing."
You exhaled. "That would be too much to ask and I know it is not possible for them not to notice. I merely ask you to help me leave Dragonstone and sneak me into the city. You of all people can do it." Mysaria stopped strolling through the room and her eyes met yours.
"And why should I do it? Why should I go behind my queen's back so you can sneak into a dangerous place? What do you think Prince Daemon will do to me when you'll get harmed and he finds out that it was me who helped you with your plan?"
Of course it had occured to you that the white worm will bring this up but you had thought about it as well.
"You'll get ravens. A hundred or more. I know that your little messangers come here by boat to inform you of the news in the capital. They take long and exhausting journeys on boats but they could be so much faster if they sent you letters with by ravens."
Mysaria squeezed her eyes and looked thoughtful for a moment. "A most tempting offer."
This didn't sound badly so you clenched your hands into fists in your nervousness and dug your nails into your palm.
"Do me this favor and I will not forget it, Mysaria. I will show my gratefulness with as many ravens as you like and my trust in you in the future." The white worm kept you in the dark for another 2 minutes but then she finally turned to you and her eyes narrowed at you.
"Fine. I will help you, princess. I will get you into the capital. I do not approve of this either, because the queen and the prince's objection sounds reasonable but it is not mine to question the risk of your plan. I will help you get in and I will help you get out. Nothing more."
You exhaled deeply and closed your eyes in relief. "You have my gratitude, Mysaria."
And so the deal was sealed and shortly after you left her chambers again heading to your own. Now that you had found a solution for you problem you were actually able to fall asleep and soon you were lost in your chaotic dreams.
~~~~~~~~~~
It was only 4 nights later when the white worm and you realized your plan.
Long after the queen and Daemon had fallen asleep, Mysaria gently knocked at your door to communicate with you that it was time to sneak out of Dragonstone. Swiftly you wrapped yourself tightly in the long grey cloak that had magically appeared in your chambers earlier that day and covered your face with the hood. Mysaria welcomed you equally hidden in a dark purple cape and quietly gestured you to follow her.
And so you did, you walked closely behind her through the empty corridor and wondered why it was empty but simply thought it was the making of the white worm. You didn't question her ways, all you cared about was that she did her part and brought you to the capital.
And then the two of you left the castle and you found yourself holding your hood above your head because otherwise the strong wind would have blown it away. You walked down to the beach behind Mysaria and wondered what would happen once Rhaenyra or Daemon noticed your absence. They would surely have every person at Dragonstone questioned and you could only hope that the white worm would protect her. Well, it didn't matter anyway because you already knew that this would have consequences for you. You had disobeyed the two of them and their anger would await you when you would come back. But at this moment that wasn't your priority. Now you wanted to help your queen and mayhaps it would make them more merciful with their punishment.
Mysaria led you to a boad that peacefully dangled in the shallow waters. Once the two of you sat inside she took the two oars and began to steer the boat away from the beach and out into the dark, dangerous-looking expanse. You only heard the water that hit the wooden boat every now and then and the wind blowing in your face and leaving a swoosh in your ear.
The gods were gracious because you managed to make the journey within two days and two nights. You arrived at the dock of King's Landing in the evening which turned out to be your advantage. There was much less hustle and bustle at the bay and additionally you knew that you could directly head to the city to take action.
But the white worm obviously didn't berthed at the dock. She steered the boat to a cliff face on the southside of King's Landing. At first you thought the woman had betrayed you and meant to slaughter you here where no one could hear you, but then you noticed a hole in the rock that was elegantly hidden behind another rock and would be big enough to work as an entrance.
You were in awe as you left the boat, shook your numb and crampy legs and followed Mysaria. Now that you had entered the city so easily it was only a matter of minutes until you suddenly found yourself in the midst of an old basement with rats and spiders creeping up the walls. You didn't know how you had come here, where all these passenges beneath the surface had led you but didn't ask neither. The white worm just grabbed your arm tightly and pointed to a staircase.
"These stairs will lead you up to the street of silk. Do what you think is your duty but be sure to be back in two nights before the dawn. We have to start our journey back before the sun rises. Otherwise it will be too dangerous to leave the city unnoticed."
You nodded and adjusted the hood above your head. "I understand. Thank you."
Mysaria bowed her head and then disappeared into the darkness as a shadow who melted with the stoney walls.
Your only direction now was upwards and into the night life of King's Landing so you walked up the stairs until you found yourself in front of a wooden door. You had to use all of your strength and lean against it but then managed to open it and stepped into a room that looked equally run down and deserted and you once again wondered what a mysterious person Mysaria was. What was this place and how did she know about it? There was a stuffed boar hanging on a wall which scared you a little so you quickly passed it and walked to the door.
Once you opened it and left the mysterious house, you were flooded with expressions, so many that you held your breath for a second.
You heard music and singers who sang their ballads from so many directions that everything melted into a chaos in your ears and you couldn't understand a word. There were fools and acrobats who showed their skills among the clear night sky and people were cheering and throwing their coins at them. Drunk men were howling and clamoring, whores stood tightly by the wall eyeing the crowds for customers and two men to your right were involved in a fight which was ended when the redhead smashed a bottle against his opponent's head. Between all these people ran little children, some because they were in a hurry and carried out orders from their fathers or lords they served and some simply to play with their friends.
It was an overwhelming scene and because you had hardely seen anything but the tall walls in your chambers at dragonstone the past weeks it was a lot for you take in and you unconsciously smiled. But quickly you collected yourself again because you had a strict schedule and so hasted through the busy streets.
Your eyes danced over all the different people walking around, some running, some strolling and then you saw what you had looked for. A tall man with blond long hair and – a gold cloak. He had searchingly watched the men and women snattering and laughing to spot any sort of crime or injustice when his gaze fell upon you.
"I need to see Djaren. Now." The man shut his eyes and looked down at you as though you were a rat or another kind of vermin.
"What is your business with Djaren?", he growled which sent shivers down your spine. If he were to recognize you and not remain loyal to Daemon he could kill you in an instant. You weren't armed after all.
"It is urgent. He will understand."
The man laughed and smirked crookidely. "You're a bratty little thing. What do you want from him?"
You gulped loudly. You didn't know this man so was probably relatively new to the city watch.
"I wish to discuss it with him and not with you."
He remained silent for a few moments and then intended to speak again when suddenly someone approached the both of you.
"Gevor.", a man shouted and you couldn't believe your luck. Your heart was beating fast when you recognized the familiar blue eyes and his sharp chin. You knew Djaren from your time when you had fought at tourneys and trained with knights of the king's guard.
Djaren widened his eyes when he saw your face under the hood and swiftly approached you.
"My lady. What – Why… You shouldn't be here."
He grabbed your upper arm and the other gold cloak frowned. "Who is this, Djaren?"
But he was too stunned to speak and instead led you to the wall so you were better protected from sight of a group of drunk people only a few feet away.
"I've come here to talk to you and I know it is dangerous but we need you. I know that you're a good man, Djaren. And so does Prince Daemon. We need the force of the city watch."
The man scoffed and shook his head. "It is not that simple, my lady."
"I know. But you swore an oath to Daemon. You pleadged him your loyalty. Right now you are protecting this city in the name of an usurper. Give your swords to the queen and fight for the right side."
Djaren sighed deeply and walked back and forth in front of you. "It wasn't easy, you know? All of these men… They really respected Prince Daemon. But when Aegon was crowned everything happened so quickly and now he sits the throne and I-I just went with it. I don't like it of course. But we didn't have a choice."
You stepped towards him and determindely glared at him.
"You do now. Gather your men and come to Dragonstone. You'll have the hospitality and mercy of the queen Rhaenyra. If you swear your loyalty to her."
"I'm sorry, my lady but I can't do that."
You raised your chin with a stiff lip. "Why?"
"Because I can't just tell my men to leave the city. It will be dangerous and some might not follow me but riot against me."
You scoffed. "Then you will show them what made you their leader."
Djaren remained silent and his eyes studied your face. Then in the end he exhaled loudly.
"Fine. We will follow our commander's order and come with you. Daemon has formed and trained this watch and we didn't forget. Before him we were nothing but a group of savages who rather fought each other than defending this city."
A warm feeling spread throughout your body and your eyes softened.
"The crown appreciates this, Djaren."
The man chuckled lightly. "Does it? Does the crown even know you're here?" You chewed on your lower lip and Djaren raised his eyebrows.
"Well, it doesn't matter. I will gather my men soon and we will come to Dragonstone to fight in the queen's service. You have my word, my lady. This is something I should've done weeks ago."
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austinsastrology8991 · 2 years ago
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Saturn the father you always wanted and always have. Saturn in da houses, and why your life sucks. Im blunt here so don't complain don't read if you can't handle the reality of saturn. Saturn in the first house - okay you don't like to try when you present yourself, you think people should just instantly respect you because youve been through many trials in life... well people usually dont know how to talk to you because you have a stick up your ass. Saturn in the second house - everyones greedy, but when you are, its not cool. Well it isn't because when you are greedy you act like a goblin. be more mature its okay to be greedy but your acting like its a virtue stfu. Saturn in the third house - everyone thinks your dumb af, and you are only because you lack confidence to drive your points home. you just need to learn how to communicate better, your not dumb but you act like a dumbass. Saturn in the fourth house - sad boy/girl now everyone knows you had a rough childhood but would you grow up already, everyone else has but your still stuck being sad about how life has treated you (or your momma/dadda) grow up your not getting any younger you can't change the past stop wallowing. the past has taught you well, use it to your advantage or let it hold you back. Saturn in the fifth house - pretend players who get played everytime. Always gotta pretend like they are fun but whenever you do try to have fun with them they are annoying. yes you could be fun in the bedroom simply because everyone knows your too sensitive to break someones heart... because your heart is the most broken. Saturn in the sixth house - the real try hards always putting in 100%. suck ups to there boss or whoever is above them. but when there authority disrespects them they go rogue and try even harder just to spit in there boss's face. i respect it because i got cap here Saturn in the seventh house - if your a bad person good luck in this life, because your karma is received ten fold by your partners, they always like to complete your karmic cycle because thats just how it works idk. so better act right or your partner will ruin it before you ruin yourself.
Saturn in the eighth house - will do anything to get to the top. no pain is too painful. well it all is, but the ends justify the means. when they put there foot down the whole room shakes. so when your making a move make sure its the right one because your power plays are on display for everyone and itll make or break you more than the other placements. Saturn in the ninth house - lazy asses, always looking for an easy way out. they know what the right thing to do is, but the likelihood of them doing it is never. its because saturn restricts there luck/ mind and they just have woe is me energy and its annoying make better choices, and if you dont stop crying about it. but if they act right saturn blesses them the fuck up. Saturn in the tenth house - okay these people think they are better than everyone and deserve everything, but they never receive the applause they crave. its never enough even if the whole room is looking at them they suddenly don't want it anymore. there karma everyone can see, and if its too good it feels like a curse, and when its bad and reality comes crashing down they just want to hide but they cant. own your life or it will own you. Saturn in the eleventh - there community will give them there karma, always these people dont have a place where they feel safe. because they never make anyone feel safe around them, then cry when no-one gives them that favour. stfu and treat us better and maybe we will do you better. Saturn in the twelfth - okay apparently this is where saturn is in its joy, and i guess its because god/ spirits judge you. and i guess thats a good thing because if anyone should judge you its him. except the pain here is you have ultimate freedom, you rarely get signs on what to do. will you make the right choice or the wrong once? well they are lucky because they always get there karma quickly so they can always recover fast. but these people struggle to empathise because they don't feel the energy of the room. sooooo just grow up you got the best saturn, and your karma resides is in your empathy. disclaimer - saturn wants you to be the best. and no one is.... so i like to think if you want a sense of direction (where are you going wrong) look at the saturn house and if you are successful congrats your doing saturn right. but be careful he always thinks you can do better, and he loves to humble you. so be-careful out there.
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cor-lapis · 1 year ago
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I decided to have a go at doing my own redesigns because these three are my favourites and I love them very much. further notes + sources under the readmore (warning: lots of text). I did my best with the research, but if there's anything I overlooked, I'd really appreciate people letting me know :)
Tighnari:
My main source for Tighnari was this excellent thread, from which I looked up each item of clothing individually. Since djellabas tend to be quite long, and Tighnari needs mobility for forest ranger activities, I figured he would cut and re-hem the lower half. He also has a lot of clothing pieces that are traditionally multicoloured, but to keep his design cohesive I decided to use the same colours across different items, but using a larger palette of colours than I would usually. I like the bright colours on him a lot though!
There are also some minor details I just changed because I wanted to. The flower on his chest is now a nilotpala lotus, because I thought it was nice to include his acension material/the material he asks you to help gather. The dirt stains/scuff marks are because rainforests are muddy and I wanted the design to emphasise Tighnari being very practical and hands-on with his work (see also, the specimen belt).
Finally, I shrunk the magnifying glass on his back (because I'm pretty sure it's meant to be his first magnifying glass toy and that thing is very large for a child to handle) and gave him an undercut because it seemed right. Also, I merged his front and back trailing cloths into a scarf type of thing that he could wrap around his nose and mouth to prevent inhaling spores from mushrooms.
Collei:
COLLEI my beloved. I had a mild nightmare trying to figure out a specific source culture for her design, but nobody seemed to know specifics and her outfit wasn't matching with any traditional dress I looked up, so in the end decided to keep the overall look the same. Just in case I assigned her something else, but then it turned out I missed her actual inspiration.
Anyway, I made her shoes simpler (no fur, heels, and open toes in the rainforest seemed reasonable to me), and gave her shorts. I liked the green colour because it's pretty unique under a dark dress, and pairs nicely with Nahida's white dress + green undersides. Amber's tie stays, but I made most of her jewellery smaller since it felt a little clunky for a trainee ranger.
Her earring and necklace(?) are allusions to the Evil Eye and the Khmissa/Hamsa, both symbols of protection. Especially considering the fact they're meant to ward off evil, and very common across multiple MENA cultures, it seemed fitting for Collei to have them. Also, she has Eleazar scars, and I used the design for her stockings as inspiration for the combination knee braces (similar to those used for arthritis, since Eleazar also causes stiff limbs and I HC that people affected would probably still need some recovery support)/knee pads (in the case of a fall). I like the idea that Kaveh would have helped make them for her (tangent but the fic Here is the House explores similar ideas; it's really really good, I heavily recommend it). Finally, she has curly hair because I thought it would be cute.
Cyno:
Here's the thread I found for Cyno. The main critique was to do with the eras from which each aspect of his clothing drew inspiration, but I admittedly wouldn't be able to do much about this without a lot of research. One thing I did try and verify was the small strip of cloth on the left of his chest, and I found a few wall murals where the people seem to be wearing similar strips of cloth? (example here; rightmost figure) Therefore, I didn't remove it, but if someone wants to explain Ancient Egyptian clothing history to me I'd be really interested to hear it 6.6
I might iterate on the design in the future, but for now the changes are mostly HC territory. Cyno wearing his hair in locs (a protective hairstyle) makes sense for someone who does a lot of hiking after rogue scholars, and I also gave him quite old and faded top surgery scars because healthcare is canonically free in Sumeru (thanks for that information, al-Haitham)(though tbf Cyno makes bank anyway). I also adjusted the colours a bit, since Genshin tends to use desaturated shades for metallic elements.
I also considered giving Cyno more scars, but figured that it could indicate Hermanubis' presence that someone you'd expect to get injured a lot is relatively scar-free (i.e. some sort of godly healing factor/resistance to damage). However, we know next to nothing about Hermanubis, so Cyno having a lot of scars also makes sense. This paragraph is mostly just a cry for help cyno story quest 2 literally any more elaboration about the nature of Hermanubis' pact and the Temple of Silence.
Conclusion
I wasn't intending to write one when I started the explanations but this got REALLY long so if you made it this far, thank you so so much ToT please check out the links; the threads especially were a great resource, and I'm grateful that people take the time to make them <3 genshin's character design department are cowards but I'm glad I learned some new things through the redesign process
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pursuitseternal · 1 year ago
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𝑀𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉: 𝒶 𝒸𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒸𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝒮𝓅𝒶𝓌𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒜𝓈𝒸𝑒𝓃𝒹𝑒𝒹 𝒜𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑅𝒶𝓅𝒽𝒶𝑒𝓁 𝒻𝒾𝒸𝓈, 𝒹𝓇𝒶𝒷𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒜𝒰’𝓈
Tolkien (Sauron, Annatar) Masterlist
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Link on Ao3
EtL Gur!Tav x Astarion—Katja hates her circumstances of a tadpole in her head, but she hates him more, Gue by birth, monster hunter by trade like her people. As for him, she’s the same stock of vagrant that killed him all those centuries ago; punishing her should be fun.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
Chapter 4 |
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Ao3 link | Tumblr fic Index
Ascended Astarion x f!Reader
“I can’t yet speak its language…” Astarion doesn’t know all his powers, despite the title of Vampire Ascendant, despite having a Bride at his side. Suppose these manifest themselves surprisingly, even awkwardly… a bit of comedy and smut.
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series link on AO3
Series of scenes from Acts 1 and 2 of Spawn Rogue Astarion x Female Reader.
✨Part 1: “Go back to sleep, darling…” [the SFW flirty bite one]
✨Part 2: “You’ll have to keep quieter than that…” [the NSFW sexy fingering one]
✨Part 3: “Daggers are a love language, my dear…” [the NSFW sexy daggers one]
✨Part 4: “Let me have that sweet ambrosia, my love…” [the NSFW vampire feeding frenzy, period sex one]
✨Part 5: “All vim and vigor, dearest…” [the NSFW healing trope one]
✨Part 6: “Maybe we should fight more often…” [Lovers Spat and Make Up Sex one]
✨Part 7: “You had better tie me up, darling…” [fuck or die Sex Pollen one]
✨Part 8: “Anything to reassure you, my sweetest…” [jealous tav needs nsfw convincing]
✨Part 9: “Dexterity check first, my sweet” [my homage to his hands, and an excuse to use Sharess’ Caress]
✨Part 10: “To things that warm us!” [drunken toasts and public cockwarming]
✨ Part 11: “Use Your Words” [prompt full au: lovers run]
✨ Part 12: “Decadent” [Valentines Day sex chocolates, semi-public sex]
✨Part 13: “You’ll end up bitten” [the werewolf smut, knotting one]
✨ Part 14: “Don’t hold your breath” [underwater oral hot spring surprise]
✨ Part 15: “Knowledge is a dangerous weapon” [bookworm Tav, Spawn powers, breeding (no babies) kink]
✨ Part 16: “Your body’s already given you away” sharing body heat, caught in a storm
✨Part 17: “You make me want to live:” BG3 anniversary smut based on the song
✨ Part 18: “I wanted to hear you whimper:” Brat taming the Vampire
✨Part 19: “Please:” The Graveyard Smut scene
Yuletide in Faerûn Part 1: A Yuletide Miracle (Spawn)
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Ao3 link | Tumblr Fic Mini-Masterlist
Scenes of Ascended Astarion x Female Reader, realizing that all the power in the world can’t instantly heal all his trauma. It takes love, sex, and making him remember the Vampire Rogue he once was. All chapters are NSFW.
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link on AO3 | tumblr fic masterlist
🗡️Enemies to Lovers | Astarion x Named Tav
💞🗡️He can’t remember anything, but she does. The betrothed she believed dead, the source of all her centuries of grief and heartache now in the middle of her path after the Nautiloid crash, but something is different about him. Dark. Changed. Something hidden.
𝓞𝓾𝓻 𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭, 𝓒𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓠𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓼…
“Our Blood: Into the Fire:”
Astarion, Cordehlia, Wyll, Karlach and Raphael… NSWF
Ao3 Link
Summary: A favor once given to ensure Ascension is finally owed in turn: Raphael arrives from Avernus. With the thrill of another battle on the horizon, Astarion and his Raven prepare for fires and blood. Lust and bloodlust aren’t quite so diffent
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
“Our Blood: Liars’ Night”
Summary: At the request of their old Wizard companion, the Ascendant and his Raven arrive in Waterdeep the night before Liars’ Night. “A matter of utmost importance” needs their aid, a dangerous prospect with enemy Vampires, secret artifacts, and a good old fashioned Masquerade for the holiday
Ao3 Link
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3
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🩸Ascended Astarion x Selûnite Shadowheart🌙
Caught sneaking on the walls of the Crimson Palace, Shadowheart wakes in the dungeons, deep in the Monster’s lair, the keep of her former companion and current tormentor, Lord Astarion. BDSM kink fic with a happy ending.
Ao3 link | Fic tumblr Index
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Lumina is different, newly turned, and she has turned the head of the Master, the Vampire Ascendant. For the first time in 200 years, his beating heart might just feel something again.
CW: darker turns to softer AA, Harem of Spawn, No Tav, OC reminds AA of his past, “she’s special,” some jealousy, manipulative sexy AA, angst with a happy ending
Ao3 link | tumblr Fic Index (all chs)
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🩸🗡️Ascended Astarion Drabbles Mini-Masterlist
✨🗡️ Spawn Astarion Drabbles Mini-Masterlist
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😈 Raphael Fics Mini-Masterlist
🩸🌙 Shadowstarion
🗡️ “To Slice the Tension” [knife play]
🛐 “Unholy” [Priestarion, religious corruption]
Fanart by @marimosalad, @nyx-knox @snowfolly and @dafna-winchester
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laroserie · 6 months ago
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— Various x-men characters, with a queer ! reader
— characters ; Scott Summers. Jean Grey. Logan Howlett. Rogue.
— warning ; Reader is implied to be at the very least multisexual in general BUT it's very vague - reader is just not straight. Can be platonic or romantic depend. Include a 'when you come out to them section' but it's also just general headcanons. I included my personal hc about their sexuality. No one is homophobic or anything !
— note ; i said i'd something for pride and poof, there ( yes ... it's the 29th but better late than never! ), yes i do headcanons most xmen characters as multisexual, i wrote this at 3am so if some part doesn't make sense and all sorry
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– Scott Summers.
Now, Scott is bisexual himself (with a little bit of self internalised homophobia) so he'd be very, chill, of course with you being queer. But he sometimes do say stuff that make your eyebrow raise, he isn't exactly the most informed, but he is still very respectful, just a bit clumsy. If you try to correct him on something he said and - or - 'correct' him, he will listen and keep that in mind.
Scott could be the type to start being more inclusive in his language once he knows, like he will say 'partner' or 'spouse' when asking you about your relationship. Or not ask about them at all ( if you aromantic for example ).
He probably accidentally out-ed you at some point, he doesn't think twice and just say what's he thought. He will very much apologize for that, and after the first time it never happens again.
When you come out to him, he gives you a simple 'okay, that neat' and a thumb-up. If you use a label/term he doesn't know, he may ask you about it but probably later, like a day or two, he'll come up to you and ask you 'hey, by the way, what does [label] means ?'.
– Jean Grey
Jean Grey, like Scott, is very chill about it. Sure, she doesn't know much about the community and she only knows the 'basic' terminology, but she still very much support you.
If you need to vent about issues related to your sexuality, she will be there, her arms are wild open for you and she has always a box of tissues on hand. She may not get everything, but she'll try to help you as much as she can, by simply comforting you or by trying to give you advice ( not necessary about the problem in itself, but about how to cope around it ).
Jean is absolutely the type to accompany you to pride, if you want her to of course, she is kinda like those straight mothers that accompany their kid to pride !
When you come out to her, she is the sweetest, she'll listen to you and assure you that it change's nothing to her.
– Logan Howlett
He doesn't gives a fuck, the man has seen all type of people thru the years, it's normal and he obviously accept anyone no matter their sexuality or genders but he just doesn't care that much ( my personal headcanon is that Logan is pan but let's be honest, he himself doesn't give a fuck about his sexuality ).
Logan probably goes to the pride parade once in while, depending on the city he in currently, and he'll probably accept to go with you to them - if it's your first, he'll try to keep you in sigh but if not and that you can be left alone and be okay, he will 'abandon' you and you'll only see him when it's time to leave.
When you come out to him, he looks at you and just drop a 'ok', he may add a 'thanks for telling me ?' if you are visibly confused by his answer.
– Rogue
She'd be very happy knowing you are queer too ! ( again personal headcanon that she is bisexual ) She thinks it's nice to have a friend whose also part of the community and if you are newer to it and the terminology, she'll try to teach you about them as best as she can.
If anyone is a bigot to you about your sexuality, Rogue will be there to comfort you about it and, maybe, perhaps, try to fight the person.
When you come out to you, she will be very happy that you have enough trust in her to tell her, she'll probably give you a big hug before asking you question about it ( like 'when did you know ??' but not in the intrusive weird way )
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