#Also a Clamp anime for your first anime? You were ahead of the times! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mooniefics · 4 years ago

Text

— beck and call

pairings : yelena / fem reader

word count : 10.2k

tags : one-sided relationship, lowkey master / servant dynamic, eventual smut, mild body worship, dom / sub undertones, power imbalance

warnings : contains nsfw, mildly dub-con at some points, yelena being physically rough w you for disobedience

summary : serving as yelena's personal guard turned out to yield many unexpected consequences.

to say that you were unnerved by the task of guarding an anti-marleyan volunteer would be an understatement.

you hadn't quite digested the fact there even existed a world beyond the walls that had towered over you for your entire life, looming high in the sky like a reminder that you would be trapped, penned like an animal for the rest of your prospective future. that had been your initial motivation to become a soldier, to at least advance to a garrison position where you could have a taste of exclusive information regarding what lay beyond the stone and metal bearings. but in the final year of your basic training, everything had changed. there were talks of outlandish things, of traitors from another land that had hidden amongst the native people, talks of islands and foreign soil and something more than the confines of the walls.

upon graduating, you had ultimately chosen the scouting legion, seeing how the garrison was quickly being disbanded and the remaining soldiers that hadn't stepped into their early days of retirement were joining the aforementioned regiment. the benefits only seemed to become greater and greater with the extinction of titans, the whispers of allies and retribution and rebuilding a lost legacy of your people. but somehow, all that novel luster had become muted, completely darkened by the imposing presence of this singular individual seated before you. you had only been debriefed on their name and role in military operations before your assignment, leaving you worryingly unprepared for arguably the most important assignment of your career.

the sound of your name passing from your squad leader's lips grounded you, the formal introduction quickly drawing to a close as he relayed the information to the striking foreigner. "she will be your personal escort for the remainder of your stay. if you have any questions regarding the island, feel free to ask her at any time."

"wonderful." their voice was rich, smooth with confidence and underlined with something unfamiliar—it was the way their lips rounded out the first syllable, or perhaps the way they spoke from the depths of their throat.

you felt your back stiffen as they rose from their seat, somehow rising taller and taller, their stature reaching much higher than anyone you'd ever met. immediately, your right hand clamped into a fist, thudding over your heart as your left arm hooked behind your back, spitting out your full name and designation just as you had while saluting hundreds of times. "i'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity to occupy you. thank you for all that you and the volunteers have done for paradis."

you were shocked that your voice hadn't quivered with the way their eyes dragged down your body, grey and barren of any emotion besides a hint of intrigue, sharp features framed by short, fair hair. they were strikingly handsome, masculine yet feminine at the same time, an indiscernible sort of beauty that perplexed and enthralled you.

"no need to thank me, soldier." whether they were assuring or commanding you, you didn't know, only cognizant of how they nearly purred out your title. swallowing, you lowered your hands, standing at ease and forcing yourself to not look to your superior for encouragement.

"then i shall show you to your lodgings. please follow me."

you forced yourself to turn your back to them and take a step, then another, mentally counting them one by one until you reached the door. you could hear their heavy footfalls following behind you, the distance steadily beginning to close until you forced your own pace to quicken. on the silent walk out of the management building, you had found a speed that worked, one long stride of theirs equaling two of yours, leaving you straining to keep a comfortable yet polite space between the both of you. you risked a glance back, having to crane your head up to catch a glimpse of their face. they had been staring idly at the back of your head, meeting your eyes when you turned to briefly face them, the moment cut short by your own haste to fix your view back onto the path before you.

"how shall i address you?" you attempted to fill the cool void of discomfort that had suddenly settled in the air around you, shoulders tense and brow taut.

"anything works."

their answer offered nothing in return to your inquiry, the faint image of their face flitting across your mind. you hadn't looked at them long enough to commit their features to memory, but you had looked enough to remember their startlingly cold eyes, angular nose and full lips, sharp jaw and heavy brow.

"m-miss yelena?" you attempted, fighting the urge to nervously fidget or give away any sign of your unease.

"if it suits you." was their final reply before the two of you fell silent once again.

the lack of discussion persisted through the remainder of the journey, the only sounds occupying the space being the fall of your boots against the ground and the jingle of your keyring that you drew from your pocket to unlock the front door. you stood aside to hold it open as she walked in, feeling an odd sensation flutter in the pit of your stomach when she had to duck under the frame to enter. the housing itself wasn't extravagant, only a single open room with a desk, bookshelf, dresser, kitchenette, bed, and a small bathroom area to the side to occupy the space, the ceiling seeming much lower than it was due to yelena's formidable height. she looked out at the room, flicking a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, face neutral and inexpressive.

"how quaint," she turned to face you, a prick of unease making your posture pin-straight once again, "is there any reason they've put us volunteers away from the main soldier barracks?"

your mind suddenly went blank at the worst of times, unknowing of the exact answer but knowing you had to over something in response. "s-simply for your comfort. we wouldn't like it to seem as if we don't trust you to stay on your own."

"ah, so considerate of you." for the first time she smiled, a barely-there tilt at the corner of her lips that made your heart stutter, "then i'll be sure to make myself at home."

she stepped slowly over to the bookshelf, dragging her fingers over the backs of the books with an apparent interest. you stayed standing where you were, unsure if you should leave then or wait a bit longer for just the right moment. something about her presence was unnerving, but there was also an undeniable allure that you almost gravitated to, despite her being a stranger.

"do you need anything else?" you piped up, letting your hands link behind your back, fingers twisting together.

"not that i can think of." each word seemed scripted, as if she'd practiced this entire conversation a dozen times before it'd ever happened.

"then i'll be on my way." you shakily smiled in an attempt to seem put together, hoping that she didn't immediately see through the weak front, "i'll be back in a couple of hours to escort you to dinner."

you bowed and took your leave, almost desperate to escape her all-consuming gaze and find refuge outside her line of sight. but even after you'd shut the door behind you and stepped off the porch, well on your way down the path you'd taken, you could still feel how her eyes had examined every fine detail of your stance, analyzing every shift and subtle movement you made with a calculating look. deep down, you already knew that this position would be completely exhausting from the get-go.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

you had fulfilled your typical nightly routine—fetch yelena from her quarters to escort her to the cafeteria, go your separate ways and sit at your usual tables after getting food, finish your dinner with five minutes to spare in the dining hour to go inform yelena that it was time for her to wrap up her meal so you could take her back. she'd followed you down the usual path, now lit with newly placed street lamps that turned on after the sun sunk below the horizon and night fell. there had been nothing out of the ordinary, aside from the way the volunteer table had eyed you with a formerly absent intrigue when you came to speak to yelena.

that comfortable distance you'd kept between the two of you had slowly been narrowing over the last few days, a development which had peaked both your curiosity and your anxiety. while you still kept yourself a few paces ahead of her, you could feel how close her presence had become, an almost physical weight that settled itself over your back and urged you to walk faster and faster to escape its grasp. but you knew that she was all too good at reading your body language, somehow having familiarized herself with even the finest idiosyncrasies that incriminated you in just about a month, an understanding that had only grown deeper as more and more time had passed. although you felt as if you'd gained the upper hand for a few days when you realized that she always let a bit of emotion slip in her large, ashen eyes when you said something just enough out of the ordinary to catch her interest, any progress you thought you'd made was quickly squandered by her own advancements. today was no different, another morning and afternoon filled with dodging the occasional pervasive question from her about the simplest of things.

were you an only child? had you been closer to your mother or father when you were younger? did you join the scouts to explore the world or because you simply found no value in living out your life doing something different? they had started out with an ambiguous end-goal, but slowly evolved into even more unprofessional matters—attempts to provoke a discussion about your love life, what you might look for in a prospective partner, whether you wanted to settle down after you retired or stay unattached for the remainder of your life.

you always dodged, and she always let up for a while, lulling you into a sense of safety that was always broken by that same question again, worded differently but asking for an answer that was the same as the last. the more you ran from her company, the more she seemed to push it upon you, pleased when you would slip up and get flustered when she caught you off guard. so you held your ground this evening, even when your fingers quivered at the realization that she was practically peering over your shoulder, watching you unlock the door to her quarters with just barely enough space separating you to not feel her breath fanning down the back of your neck.

you quickly opened the door and began moving to hold it open for her like you always did, but felt a large hand resting at your shoulder, prompting you to quickly spin on your heel to face her. she was usually finished with her casual interrogating by this hour, which was why you were more than surprised to see that she was staring down at you, having lowered yourself to your level enough for you to not have to tilt your head completely back to meet her eye.

you took an instinctive step back, flinching at the sound of the door falling shut behind you, effectively caging you in between it and the woman before you. pale, dangerously alert irises traversed your expression, drinking in every small feature that had been drawn back into a confused look, stomach already knotting into a twisted tangle of warmth and icy panic.

"are you afraid of me?"

the immediate answer sat on the tip of your tongue, lips parting to deliver the lie you had ready for such an inquiry. but something in her eyes spoke to you, silently, warning you not to give into dishonesty. you couldn't possibly admit to still being fearful of her, not when you were meant to be the powerful one in this relationship. you weren't supposed to say yes, but you also found yourself unable to lie as you always did, not when the path you'd walked with her was still worryingly empty and you felt the hard wood of the door now pressing unforgivingly into your back with each minuscule step back.

"sh-should i be?" you cursed your stammer, betraying your evident lack of control, the only redeeming aspect being the non-committal implication that responding with another question held.

that seemed to throw her off a bit, owlish eyes slowly blinking at you as she thought. even up close like this, you couldn't identify a single flaw in her appearance—pale skin smooth like porcelain, unconcerned by any sort of natural imperfections, hair like fine silk and eyes piercingly bright, yet clouded like a stormy sky. you squeaked at a hand seizing your collar, right hand instinctively flying down to the scabbard strapped around your thigh, clammy palm shakily clenching around the hilt of your blade, the other clamping firmly around her wrist.

she only smirked at the presumed threat, pressing herself even closer to you, enough that you could feel the radiant heat of her lips just barely grazing your own. you suppressed the trembling threatening to shake through your every limb, beginning to feel lightheaded with the effort to contain your quickening breaths, swallowing down your dread, forcing yourself to meet her gaze when she spoke.

"if it suits you. it doesn't affect me either way, does it?"

you just barely shook your head side to side, not realizing you were rising up onto your tiptoes until she pulled you forward that last inch by your shirt, eyes falling shut as her lips melded easily against yours. an inexplicable warmth flourished in your chest, heart tripping up to match the frantic speed of your thoughts, fingers clenching around her slender, clothed wrist. you forced yourself back with a sharp intake of breath, backing yourself far enough into the door that you could feel the wood digging into the small of your back.

"m-miss yelena, you can't—!"

she didn't allow you to finish, tugging you back to your previous position with a low huff, the faint snap of a stitch popping somewhere on your collar going unregarded as you let out a small noise of surprise, wide eyes relenting and squeezing shut. a voice in the back of your mind screamed for you to draw your knife, push her away, force her into her quarters, anything but just standing there and allowing her to exert such a humiliating power over you. but it was so much easier to sink into her grasp, to feel her fingers slowly relax and hold you at a comfortable height rather than force you up, to allow the hot flush of an unknown intimacy to settle deep into your skin.

you'd been kissed before, it wasn't as if she stole your first chance from you, but it had never been like this. you had only brushed the surface of gentle pecks and lingering hands on the other's face until you both giggled and pulled away, never faced with such a certain confidence that almost frightened you more than it allured you, an unspoken order that left you at her mercy rather than on equal footing. and though you'd all but forgotten about your initial rejection, yelena had not, chastising you with a firm bite to your lower lip that drew a less-than-composed whimper from the back of your throat.

"i would advise you to not dictate what i can and cannot do in the future." she stated firmly, tone devoid of any personal inflection, barely pulling away enough for you to meet her stare, hand tightening around your collar once more, "understood?"

"y-yes, miss yelena." you barely whispered, nodding affirmatively. a flicker of amusement momentarily lightened her expression when you drew your tongue over the aching skin of your lips, the taste of faint copper and black tea clinging to your taste buds.

she slowly slackened her grip, not even so much as blinking as she straightened her posture and reached past you to open the door, allowing you a moment to scamper out of her path and pull your shirt back into place with trembling hands. "then, you are dismissed, soldier."

she didn't spare you a second glance before proceeding into her quarters, shutting the door behind her without another word. you stood dumbly for a moment, licking over your bottom lip once more, just then realizing how shallow and quick your breathing was. you steadied yourself enough to lock her door, shaking away the mental fog of such an abrupt change of scenery, pulling your jacket tighter around you to make up for the lack of her warmth pressing into you, confused as to why you had just allowed yourself to be ordered around by the individual that you were meant to be keeping in check. the walk back to your dorm was blurry at best, a few good-nights from your colleagues that prompted a hum of acknowledgement, thankfully nothing that required you to recount your daily fulfilled duties or anything past a few minutes prior.

even after you'd shed your clothes, pointedly ignoring how wrinkled your shirt front had become, cleaned yourself up and crawled into the isolated comfort of your bed, you found yourself unable to sleep. perhaps you could learn from this experience, remind yourself at all times to put even more distance between the two of you. maybe you would have to stop conversing with her so casually, or perhaps your best option would be to cut your losses and request an assignment change, consequences or record mark-ups be damned. but as you tossed and turned on your mattress, burying your face into your pillows and trying to rid your skin of any memory of her touch, a voice at the back of your head ceaselessly murmured, a rambled premonition of more turbulence to come.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

this day marked five weeks since the initial incident, there had been no activity like it since—although you couldn't say whether you thought that was a bad thing or not. not to say that you hadn't been keeping your distance, the first few days were spent cautiously looking over your shoulder, making sure to keep her even further than arm's length but still close enough to guarantee that she couldn't slip away on her own. she behaved respectfully enough, although she herself seemed to be acting as if nothing had even happened, greeting you like normal and allowing you to escort her to meals and strategy meetings when necessary, despite how she'd affirmed that you weren't to give her any orders.

you hadn't reported the infraction to any superiors, knowing that you would get caught up in an unnecessary fuss that might even get you stuck at the bottom of the ranking list once again, an unthinkable outcome that only made you sure that the right decision was to keep your mouth shut. the previous afternoon was the first time yelena had made a special request, describing how unfortunate it was that she was lacking just a few proper amenities that would really make her lodgings "feel just like home". your persistent hesitance had eased after the first week of safety, and you fulfilled your responsibility of maintaining her comfort by arriving early this morning, toting a small bag of a dark ground powder and cups.

you were surprised to see that yelena was already awake upon your arrival, seated at a table that looked far too small for her, reading one of the many books from her provided bookshelf. you exchanged polite greetings, her not rising from her place until you'd lit the fire beneath the stove and set out a plate and cup for her at the counter, stowing away the rest in whatever free space you could find. you stood by while she took care of making whatever it was she wanted herself, noting the fragrant richness that had filled the air upon her steeping the powder in heated water.

"they only serve black tea in the cafeteria," she said, speaking to no one in particular, plucking a ladle from the utensil rack, "it's been ages since i had a cup of coffee in the morning."

the heat of the stove was beginning to warm the room, prompting you to shed your jacket and place it on the back of the chair yelena had not been previously seated at. your shirt beneath it was more forgiving, a thin material that had always hung a bit loosely from your shoulders, great for the hotter days when you were still expected to be in uniform.

"have you ever had a cup of coffee?" her voice interrupted your meandering stream of thought, the sound of liquid being poured into a cup faintly catching your attention.

"no, i don't think i have."

"would you like to try some?"

the offer stoked the spark of bothersome curiosity, the scent filling the air and mingling with the ambient sound of crackling wood and the feel of the hot air making you want to accept. perhaps this was her way of making amends, or just doing something pleasant for the worker that she was made to follow behind like their second shadow.

"if it's not too much trouble, then.."

"of course it isn't."

you felt a light sweat beginning to bead down your back, pulling your handkerchief from your pocket and dabbing at your neck. this space wasn't properly suited for a stove to be used, seeing as the unlatching mechanisms on the window had been removed for the sake of thwarting any sort of curfew breaking by the volunteers, meaning there was little ventilation aside from the small chimney extending out of the kitchenette area. you stole a glance at yelena, now opening the cabinet that you had strained to reach with ease.

the memory of her hand fisting your shirt, the collar that now hugged just the slightest bit looser at the base of your neck, the long healed-over bite that had left the soft flesh of your lips feeling raw for the following few days. the external heat of the still burning stove was only intensified by the flush climbing up to your cheeks, the desire to release a button or two on your shirt and free some of your skin to the open air becoming undeniable. it felt a bit ironic that the one time you'd properly stepped into her quarters for more than a quick minute to help her get something sorted was the one time the tension that always hung in the air between the two of you was replaced by something tangibly suffocating, the sweltering heat that made you kick off your blankets in the dreary silence at night when the recollection of her kiss relentlessly looped in your mind and chased away any thought of sleep.

you hooked a finger on the collar of your shirt, gently tugging it to the side to absentmindedly press the soft cloth over the skin, wiping away any bothersome perspiration that would leave you uncomfortable by the time you were allowed to change out of your uniform and shower it away.

"what's that?" your eyes darted up at her question, catching sight of the two plated teacups in her hands before you met her gaze.

"i beg your pardon?" you asked meekly.

"that. at your shoulder." you glanced down to where your handkerchief had previously been.

"oh, do you mean this?" she nodded when you pointed to the raised line of skin marring your shoulder, a thick scar that you'd stopped fussing over after realizing that it was an inevitable outcome. "it's a scar," you clarified, tucking your personal cloth back in your pocket, "just about everyone in the military has the same one."

she didn't respond, but held your gaze as she proceeded to the table to set the cups down. you'd become more accustomed to these silent requests, and you knew that she was telling you to continue.

"you work with the equipment engineers, right?" she nodded. "then you've seen our harnesses. all those leather straps end up digging into our skin and leaving scars pretty much all over. although, i did practice on the omnidirectional gear a bit more than all the other recruits during basic training to increase my proficiency, so mine may be deeper.."

you tensed as she approached, slow, deliberate steps steadily closing the distance between the two of you until she was right in front of you. she had started stooping down more often around you, only when she was directly addressing you alone, but it was something that you noticed all the same. a part of you wanted to feel offended, that she thought it necessary to lower yourself to your level as if you were beneath her in a way besides physical stature, but you couldn't deny that you enjoyed the exclusive treatment. she never seemed concerned with doing any sort of thing with anyone else—not with her colleagues, not with other soldiers of or below your ranking, not with any of your own superiors, only you. in a way, it made you feel acknowledged.

"could i see?"

"huh?" was your unprofessional response, but she didn't allow you any time to correct it.

"your scars. where else do you have them?"

"oh." you swallowed, forcing yourself to look up into her steely eyes, "well, i have them on the soles of my feet, and around my thighs, mostly around my torso."

a hand on your abdomen made your back go stiff, her touch pressing lightly over your shirt. "here?"

you nodded, small and timid before her, a trickle of sweat beginning to slide down your back. you realized that you had never had to look down at yelena, not until this present moment where she had knelt down on one knee in front of you, holding your gaze for just a moment before she undid a single button from the bottom of your shirt, glancing up at you as if to check for any sign of refusal before she undid another, then another.

there was nothing forceful about her motions today, nimble fingers patiently unfastening each clasp with care until your shirt revealed your midsection. one slender hand pulled aside the cotton fabric, the other reaching out, just barely grazing the skin of your stomach where the long, pale scar from your utility belt stretched horizontally across your body. her fingertips were warm from handling the kitchenware, but the shiver that crawled up your spine was cold, almost electric, a strange sensation squeezing around your heart and lungs, making each breath quicker than the last.

"was it painful?" she asked quietly, a tinge of earnesty lining her words, features entirely relaxed as they always were.

you let out a breath you didn't know you'd been holding, voice barely reaching a whisper. "yes."

she focused her eyes onto the marred skin, following the raised line of flesh to your sides, brow cinching upwards the slightest bit at the sight of another carving down your waist, following the curvature of your ribs.

"what resilience.." she murmured, free hand returning to undo the remaining buttons of your shirt, "determination is such a beautiful trait, don't you think?" her eyes flitted up to meet yours, sharp and observant, fingers gingerly wrapping around your waist, thumb stroking down your lumbar. "for most, i have to hear it in their voice, or through their words—but it has always been different with you." she pulled a button free. "i see it in your eyes, the way you carry yourself, it's written all over your body." another undone button, you could feel the warmth of her breath fanning across your stomach, the graze of her fingertips tracing up your side and halting at the cloth wrappings over your breasts. "are there more under this?"

your knees felt a few flattering words away from buckling, each gentle touch making the fine hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. you nodded, lips parting to take in a much-needed deep breath, realizing that your shirt was now completely open, exposing the entirety of your scarred torso aside from what remained covered by your chest bindings. your fingers curled into your palm, trembling, just then noticing how soft yelena's hands were in comparison to your own, absent of callous and work-roughened skin. you bit at the inside of your cheek, blinking down at her as you watched a thin finger trace the seam of the cloth, finding the tucked end within moments and gently pulling it free.

a few loud knocks at the door were startling enough to make you jump, head snapping to the side to face the front of the house, a muffled call of your last name from the other side making an anxious knot twist painfully tight deep in your gut. you quickly stepped away, leaving yelena kneeling on the floor, struggling to button up your shirt without even bothering to fix your chest cloth. as soon as you'd gotten yourself situated, you opened the door to find your squad leader awaiting you on the other side.

"is everything alright? breakfast started five minutes ago."

you hoped that the disbelief on your face could be taken as the expression of someone who had simply lost track of time. "i apologize, sir! m-miss yelena put in a request for marleyan coffee yesterday, and i was simply waiting for her to finish before i escorted her to the cafeteria."

you forced yourself to stay composed, trying to focus on the impassive face of your squad leader. there was a stark difference between the emotionlessness of yelena and that of everyone else around you, she somehow made her lack of any sort of feeling or warmth a beautiful kind of coldness, unlike the unnatural stoicism of your superiors. you saw his mouth open to reply, but you were both surprised by a sudden presence behind you, a firm hand at your shoulder, his eyes moving from looking down at you to looking up at the woman behind you, a flicker of genuine unease flitted across his hardened features.

"please don't fault her for my lack of punctuality," she said, a false sincerity lightening her usual low tone, "i simply wanted to enjoy a taste of home, is all. is my presence imperative?"

"i was only making sure everyone was accounted for." your squad leader asserted, staring up at her in an obvious attempt to intimidate that you knew would fail, "as long as you're being properly monitored, do as you please."

"understood." her fingers curled around your shoulder, gently urging you back, away from the door, "then i won't dawdle any longer, i'll join you all in the cafeteria momentarily."

yelena shut the door for you as soon as you took a step back, waiting until the steps of your squad leader had descended off of the porch and disappeared down the path before speaking to you. "i do hope i didn't get you in trouble."

you turned on your heel to face her, feeling a slight flutter in your chest at the sight of her already having lowered herself to your height. "oh, no, you don't have to worry about that.. he's always been a bit on the uptight side of things."

the corners of her lips perked up into the faintest smile before she proceeded back to the table, pressing a finger to the side of one of the teacups. "the coffee's gone cold now. my apologies for the distraction."

distraction, the wry thought flitted across your mind. you guessed that word was suitably to describe allowing her to nearly undress you before the sun had even fully risen in the sky. this was becoming a dangerous game, an ever-lengthening round of cat and mouse, and each day that passed made your more and more certain that you were the one who was running despite your inherent position of power over her. there was something absolutely captivating about her, whether it be the air of mystery that no amount of questions could dispel, or the way that she could practically bring you to your knees with just a few careful words—the more thought you put into it, the more instances of appeal that you seemed to find that only made you want to sink deeper and deeper into the depths that was her subtle control over you.

"i just don't want us to arrive late and miss out on anything." you said lamely, empty words to fill the air as you moved across the room to grab your jacket.

"perhaps another time." she replied, removing the dishes from the table to deposit them in the sink, leaving you with that sole promise that insinuated much more than just another cup of coffee.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

"miss yelena, i don't know if we're allowed to be in this section of the building—"

"no one has stopped us yet, have they?" yelena didn't turn back to address you, only continuing forward with that long stride that took two quick steps of your own to match.

she was correct in the regard that no one had questioned her presence in the west wing of the management building, and the few that had begun to object stopped immediately upon catching sight of you following obediently behind her. you felt a bit like a prop, being used as almost a badge of clearance by the one and only individual that you were meant to keep from unauthorized locations such as this one. but her flat assertion that she had important business that gave you nothing in the way of information of direction before she'd taken off for the barracks, leaving you only able to chase after her and hope that no one figured out that she wasn't supposed to be there in the event that she truly wasn't meant to be.

you didn't have long to ruminate on your circumstances before you arrived at a door flanked by a single soldier, a young man that you recognized as someone affiliated with the more well-known soldiers from the 104th graduating class. though you didn't recall his name, you nodded politely to him as he opened the door for yelena, trailing closely behind her while still trying to peek around her slender frame. it was one of the smaller meeting rooms, a large window providing a fair amount of natural illumination down onto the round table, the sole occupant being another one of the anti-marleyan volunteers.

"glad to see you could make it." onyankopon smiled broadly up at yelena, his warm gaze flitting to you momentarily before traveling back to his associate, "no trouble, i assume?"

"none at all." she replied as she took a seat at the head of the table, looking as if she belonged there more than any of the superiors you'd seen seated there, "this one made sure no one interrupted our trip."

you flushed at the praise, standing pin straight beside her chair, hands lowering from behind your back to at your sides, trying not to let the enjoyment of her commendation show on your face. he turned his attention to you, inspiring a quick skip of your heart, fingers tapping nervously at your thighs.

"it's great to hear that yelena has been treating you well." he said matter-of-factly, but a cocked eyebrow and tilt of his head seemed to request a verbal confirmation of his statement.

you blinked, your words catching in your throat as your eyes involuntarily glanced to yelena, an instinctive desire to hold your tongue in the face of speaking about her, an odd sort of insecurity concerning your character flaring in your chest. but that split second of silence was all that she needed to take up the task of answering onyankopon, planting an elbow down on the tabletop and resting her chin in her palm.

"i have been treating her well." she affirmed, almost sounding bored, tilting her head to address you as she reached out and took the hand of yours that was closest to her, drawing it close to her face as she examined your expression, "isn't that right?"

you swallowed, mouth dry, nodding at yelena before remembering that you were meant to be answering onyankopon. "oh, y-yes. miss yelena has been very easy to work with."

pale eyes glimmered at your positive answer, mouth twitching upwards into that rare, barely noticeable smile. you felt your heart jump into your throat as she brought her lips to your knuckles, planting a soft, brief kiss over the back of your hand before gently placing it down at your side. she looked at you as if she knew exactly what you were thinking, like she could hear that unspoken worry of whether she should be doing this in front of her colleague, like she was giving the silent reply that she could do as she pleased.

"then, shall we begin?" onyankopon's voice brought you back to the present, shooting you another momentary glance before fixing his eyes on yelena.

"oh, right." she turned back to you, "be a dear and leave us for a moment to chat."

the mix of confusion at her request and surprise at the affectionate title halted your thoughts. "i'm sorry, miss yelena, but i don't think i'm allowed to do that."

your heart sank as you watched a look of annoyance draw across her features, large eyes narrowing, brow knitting together. she didn't speak for a moment, almost like she was waiting for you to take back your refusal and head on your way without any further discussion. when you did neither, she frowned, reaching out her hand once more, her fingers drawing up your palm to wrap around your wrist.

you nearly yelped as she clinched her grasp almost painfully tight, thumb pressing down hard over the bone at the side of your wrist, nails digging in your skin. her voice was low when she spoke, dangerously commanding and castigating, each word carefully enunciated.

"i said go."

only after you'd earnestly nodded did she release you, allowing you to scamper out of the room, blinking away the tears that had begun to well in your eyes from your stinging skin and the way she'd spoken to you. you took your place at the side of the door unoccupied by the soldier you'd seen before entering, fingers shakily tracing over the underside of your wrist.

though you weren't bleeding, the skin felt raw and irritated, your pulse racing fast in your veins. perhaps it wasn't so bad that you'd left them in there on their own, seeing as the older, more experienced guard was also standing by, well aware that there was no one monitoring them in the meeting room. so you obediently stood and waited, straining to make out coherent words from their muffled voices, contemplating why seeing yelena upset with you was so distressing.

why had you allowed her to order you around? why had you even complied with her demands instead of outright refusing like you were supposed to? why were you worried that she would still be angry with you by the time she walked out of that meeting room? you couldn’t understand what concerned you so deeply about what yelena thought of you, but somehow, the overbearing silence of the empty hallway made it even more difficult to wrap your head around your thoughts. you were so wrapped up in your panicked attempt at contemplation that you didn’t even notice the sound of their footsteps approaching from the other side of the door, only torn from your mind when the door opened from beside you. the two marleyans emerged, laughing affably together, exchanging temporary farewells until they could see each other at dinner that evening.

you looked up at her anxiously, wishing she’d spare you a glance for even just a moment instead of keeping her gaze fixed on the only other individuals populating the space. you hid your hands behind your back rather than in your pockets, knowing that it’d look horrendously unprofessional. but before you could worry about anyone catching sight of the reddened marks, the familiar soldier addressed you directly.

“i do look forward to working more closely with you in the future, i don’t believe we’ve met before. ” he said, outstretching a hand for you to shake, “floch forster.”

you quickly tugged the sleeve of your coat over your injured wrist, grasping his hand and giving a firm up and down, only offering your own name and a polite nod in return. you didn’t exactly know what he meant by working together in the future, but you assumed that it was in reference to your shared position of personal guards to marleyan volunteers.

you tensed at the familiar weight of a hand on your shoulder, feeling a firm squeeze that you knew all too well. “then we shall be going now. come.”

you immediately complied, giving a brief goodbye to the two men before proceeding quickly behind yelena, practically at her heels as the two of you walked further and further down the hall, shrouded in another bout of tense silence. you escorted her out of the building without issue, through the barracks and all the way to her lodgings, receiving nothing in the way of assurance or acknowledgment the entire way.

you wanted to speak up for yourself, ask if she was angered with you, anything to fill the quiet void, but you couldn't bring your mouth to push the words free. you hoped that she'd at least offer you her usual goodbye, as inherently lifeless and out of polite necessity as it may be, but it didn't come even as you unlocked the door to her quarters and held it open for her to enter, not even turning back before she sat herself at her desk and got to work on the clutter of papers occupying it.

you left her, feeling strangely heavy with defeat, unable to focus on anything for long before your mind strayed back to her upset expression, or the physical evidence of her displeasure with you. over the next hours, you constantly checked your watch, counting down the minutes to dinner, to when you'd be able to justify being in her presence and hopefully receive some sort of indicator that you were in the clear. you'd always been someone who did what was asked of you, a people pleaser—but there was something different about the inclination you felt towards yelena. it wasn't the kind of obedience that you gave to your superiors, she wasn't anything close to your superior in a technical sense, but somehow it felt natural, a servitude borne out of free will rather than one determined by ranking.

you knew you hadn't done anything wrong by denying her initially, but yet you still hoped for her forgiveness.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

you quivered at the feeling of her lips sucking at the already marked skin of your neck, thighs squeezing tighter around her waist, her nails digging deep enough into them that they nearly threatened to tear the fabric of your pants. you swallowed down yet another moan, one hand working its way deeper into her short hair, the other clenching tightly to the fabric of her barely-buttoned dress shirt. your soft, shuddering breaths filled the space of the open air around you, the fear of knowing your squad leader was just outside the door waiting for a reply, adjacent to the wall that she'd pushed you up against despite your meek warnings that dinner would be starting any minute now, was almost tangible in your stomach.

she pulled away from the reddened flesh with a low hum, nipping at your ear as she demanded, "make him go away."

you barely nodded, eyes screwing shut when she began yet another bruising assault to your shoulder, not even giving you enough time to collect yourself and speak. "i apologize, s-sir. miss yelena wasn't f-feeling well, so i brought her meal h-h-here instead of escorting her to the cafeteria..!"

you nearly whimpered as her teeth sank into the soft junction between your neck and shoulder, silently praying to any higher power that may be listening for your superior to just leave already. "understood. please return the plates to the cafeteria before they close up and make it to the dormitories before curfew."

"y-yes, sir..!"

you could barely count his descending steps down the porch over the sound of your own blood roaring in your ears, only completely assured of his absence when she sighed against your skin, soothing the ache with a few apologetic licks, pressing her lips everywhere they could reach. you often found yourself recalling the first time this had happened, when the two of you were sitting at the table in her quarters and she had been apologizing for the day she'd ordered you out of the meeting room. you could still remember how her touch had trailed from stroking at your wrist, crescent nail prints still occupying your skin, to cupping your face, drawing you close to kiss her again and again—the heat of her proximity, how her hands had felt and caressed every inch of your body, whispering a breathless, endless stream of praises into your ear as you came apart under her.

though you had vowed to yourself that wouldn't allow it to happen again, that that night would be your first and only instance of giving into that weakness she'd slowly but surely carved into you, but you found yourself sinking into her arms when she beckoned you, sewing the buttons of your shirt back into place without complaint after the nights where she had become impatient and accidentally popped them free, staring at your naked body in the mirror after your long showers and tracing your fingers over the bruises she'd sucked and bitten into your tender skin.

she only marked you in places where you could hide them beneath your clothes, places which assured that she would be the sole individual to see them when she stripped you bare, only to add more and more. there was no set time between those late evenings, sometimes the interval would be less than a few days, and other times it would stretch out for weeks with no indication as to when the next occasion would come. but when it did, any semblance of self-restraint had completely diminished.

"you're such a good pet for me.." she cooed, her words sending a warm spark through every inch of you.

she'd become fond of calling you that, and a part of you wondered if that was all she saw you as, as only a pet or a possession. you'd accepted that she had the upper hand in this relationship, whatever it may be, but you couldn't help enjoying the feeling of being desired so deeply, being touched and admired in ways you'd never even imagined before you met her. your arms clasped tighter around her neck as she pulled you away from the wall, laying you out on her bed, taking a moment to strip out of her shirt before lowering herself on top of you.

her hands busied themselves ridding you of your chest wrappings, lips attentively traversing each inch of newly revealed skin, murmuring curses and sweet nothings that only made you squirm more beneath her, impatient and eager. you mewled when she'd finally settled her hands over her bare breast, large palms pressing into soft flesh, slender fingers pinching at your nipples. she turned her head up to kiss you, tongue outlining the seam of your lips before sliding into your mouth, claiming it as her own.

you were left panting when she pulled away despite its briefness, hazy, low-lidded eyes finding her own, intoxicated by that carnal look, dark pupils nearly overtaking the piercing grey of her irises. she only smirked at your lack of composure, dipping her head back down to suck and bite at the valley of your breasts, your fingers reflexively tightening in her hair. your hips bucked up into nothing, desperate for any sort of friction, much to yelena's amusement.

"aren't you just the neediest little thing?" she paused to lave her tongue over a pert bud, drawing another heated sigh from you as you nodded, hoping that your agreement could persuade her to not spend so much time teasing you.

she granted you the slightest relief, taking your nipple between your lips and sucking at it, the hand not occupied with another breast trailing down the scar etched into your side, following the path down to your navel to begin unbuttoning your pants. each second seemed to drag on longer than the last, and though you knew that she wasn't purposely drawing out the process of undressing you, it was still not enough. you were practically kicking your underwear to the floor by the time they made their way around your ankles, skin still burning hot despite being fully exposed to the air.

"p-please, miss yelena.." you whimpered at the feeling of her hand tracing up and down your inner thigh, occasionally stopping to stroke across the raised lines of skin that had been inscribed into your skin by the series of belts and buckles on your gear harness, but never proceeding that final inch up to where you needed it.

she pulled away to let out a low chuckle, peering up at you through dark lashes, bare chest pressed flush against your stomach. she drank in the way your face shifted as she rested the pad of her thumb over your clit, rubbing languid circles over it as her pointer finger dipped down your cunt, instantly slick with your arousal.

"you're so worked up from just that?" she taunted, speaking at barely a murmur, "or was it because somebody was listening?"

you felt the knot of anticipation drawing tight in the pit of your stomach, watching as she took her fingers in her mouth and licked over them, thighs shuddering when she returned to their previous position. "i-it was— i j-just— please.."

you could barely form a coherent thought, back arching up to urge your body as close to hers as you could manage, only cognizant of just how close you were to being relieved of that unbearable pressure welling within you. she only smiled, close-lipped and cunning, resting her head over your heaving chest.

"your heart is racing. i wonder how much faster i could make it go.."

you nearly whined as two fingers slid into you with little resistance, her mouth closing over a nipple, alternating between gently tugging at it with her teeth and flicking over it with the tip of her tongue. your hips rocked up into her hand, matching the pace of her wrist as your head dug back into the mattress, moans and incoherent pleas spilling from your parted lips.

you could feel yourself quickly approaching that rapturous peak, hands fisting the sheets under you, white stars blotting out your vision as she curled her fingers just right. you shuddered, gasping, eyes rolling aimlessly into the back of your head as the tension that had wound itself into every muscle finally released, coming completely undone beneath her. you pressed a shaking hand over your mouth, muffling the sound of your winded breaths, letting out a small noise when she relieved you of her fingers. you felt her lips grazing over your chest, forcing your head up to look at her with bleary eyes when their feather-light touch proceeded lower and lower down your stomach.

you had expected things to come to an end as they usually did, with her pulling her clothes back on before you even had the chance to see straight and gathering your own garments from the floor to hand to you, leaving you to walk back to your dormitories on trembling legs in your wrinkled uniform. but there was no sign of that immediate withdrawal as she gathered your thighs in her hands, lifting your legs up onto her shoulders as she pressed a brief kiss over your naval.

you licked your lips nervously, already more than too sensitive at just the feeling of her breath over your soaked cunt. you opened your mouth to meekly object or ask for just a moment longer to catch your breath, but she shushed you, her heavy-lidded gaze sending a fresh bout of heat across your skin. each little quiver of your thighs only made her grip fasten, unable to keep still as she kissed at the scars and soft flesh, drawing a stifled whimper when she stopped to suck a deep mark at a spot of untarnished skin.

you could see the pale expanse of yelena's back, pristine and absent of any previous traumas, the complete opposite of your own. the first time you'd see her undressed, you couldn't take your eyes off of her slender frame, lined with muscle from her days as a soldier but still so delicate. you'd never left any marks when she'd allow you to kiss at her neck and chest, only enough to see the rosy flush settle over her body, but by that time she was more than eager to get back to playing with you instead.

you took in a deep, unsteady breath, jaw clenching and stomach tightening as her tongue drew flat up the length of your cunt, a small moan breaking from your parted lips. she pressed forward, flicking the tip of her tongue over your clit in a merciless rhythm, holding your thighs apart to accommodate her presence each time they attempted to squeeze shut. you writhed over the sheets, her name slipping from you between high-pitched whines and labored breaths, minutes melting past in an incomprehensible blur, leaving you only cognizant of her tongue and hands dragging you back over that edge again and again.

by the time she'd released you, you could barely hold your eyes open, thighs aching from her fingers digging into them, throat raw from crying out for her and gasping in what never seemed to be enough air, feeling too exhausted to even think about making the walk back to your own room. but rather than hand your clothes to you in a silent cue for your departure, you watched her make her way back up the mattress to lay beside you, pulling your heavy, sweat-slicked body against her own. you couldn't try to refuse the comfort of her warmth, face pressing into her chest, breathing in her soft, clean scent, still occasionally trembling as you tentatively allowed your hands to cling to her.

you told yourself not to get comfortable, to try to regain control of your limbs by the time her sympathy for overworking you had worn off and she ordered you away for the night, but the demand never came. you felt a large hand settle at the base of your neck, another splaying across the small of your back, her chin resting on the crown of your head, holding you close like a lover would.

"you could stay for the night if you'd like." her tone was even and collected as it always was, but hushed, like she was murmuring a secret to you.

you knew that sleeping her had already far overstepped whatever boundary had been abandoned that night she'd first kissed you, the morning where she'd marveled at your body and commended your courage, every instance you'd obeyed her rather than carry out the simple orders you were given. it was already too late to tear yourself away from this presence that you'd grown so familiar with—the one that you had feared, the one that you now craved despite how you knew you shouldn't.

"thank you, miss yelena." you whispered hoarsely, curling into her, allowing your heavy eyes to close.

that would be the first and last time you ever spent the night in her quarters.

─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

the banquet to celebrate the completion of the rail system in trost was minutes away from commencing. the speaking podium was empty for the moment, soldiers and civilians chattering amongst themselves as they waited for the military officials to gather at the stage. you were authorized to be in the private area as yelena's personal escort, seeing as she had participated in the mapping of the railroad through the district and would be acknowledged as a contributor to the advancement of paradis.

but as excited as you were to celebrate, eat good food and hopefully get a chance to drink, you weren't looking forward to transferring your position to floch forster for the remainder of the night. although, your desire to stay by yelena's side had been momentarily dissuaded by the desire to please her when she'd requested the change a few days prior. you hadn't bothered to hide your disappointment, nor did you hold back your questions.

"change to forster? but.. why?" you had asked, in the privacy of her quarters, feeling an immediate disheartening at her words.

she didn't directly respond, the hand that had been at your shoulder rising to pet at your cheek. "you trust me, don't you?"

"y-yes, but—"

"then file a request to change with him."

you couldn't explain why you had felt such a cool emptiness burrowing into your chest, a sudden spite for the other soldier beginning to fester in the back of your mind, the thought that she would choose him over you inspiring an indescribable irateness. you turned away from her hand, not thinking of how you were pouting like a child, unwilling to meet her eyes or compromise with her. you'd been fretting over how she hadn't spared you any sort of affection in the nearly two months that had passed, the fear that she'd grown tired of you an incessant whisper in your ear. but then she had reached for you, treated you gently, persuading with that hint of sincerity she rarely ever showed you.

"it would only be for the evening, i have business to attend to that night. i'm sure you've been looking forward to the celebration?" a frown tugged at your lips, only offering a small nod in reply, meeting her eyes when she guided you by your chin to face her. "then transfer with forster, have fun for the evening—you deserve it."

you couldn't help but preen under her praise, meeting her eyes, heart stuttering at the sight of her barely-there smile. you finally caved after a moment of thought, relenting to her wishes. "i'll put in a temporary transfer request tomorrow afternoon."

"thank you, dear."

despite how you weren't exactly looking forward to forster's arrival to relieve you from duty, those final words lifted your spirits just the slightest bit. perhaps she had simply been caught up in the stress of such a grand achievement, too busy attending meetings with engineers and generals and event staff to make any spare time for you for the past weeks. you had waited for weeks before, you could continue waiting if need be. you were at her beck and call, and as long as it pleased her, you were perfectly fine doing as such.

you let out a soft sigh at the sigh of floch forster approaching, weaving through the scattered crowd with a stoic, dutiful look plastered across his expression.

"good evening, floch." yelena said from beside you.

he replied with a polite good evening to both you and her, adding your name as more of an afterthought than anything, but turning his focus back to you when you still hadn't stepped away. "you can go, i'll take it from here."

your gaze flickered over to yelena, feeling yourself relax as she nodded to you, a hand resting at your shoulder to gently urge you forward. "i'll see you tomorrow morning. enjoy yourself tonight."

so you took your leave, watching the ceremony in the company of your fellow soldiers, eyes always wandering away from the speaker and to yelena at the side of the stage. the speech concluded, the crowd cheered and applauded, and everyone was directed to the banquet hall where the remainder of the event would be held. you watched yelena and floch walk off the stage with the other officials, becoming distracted for just a moment speaking to someone but having lost sight of them by the time you looked back.

you didn't see yelena for the remainder of the night, but you did as you were told, enjoying the good food, talking to your friends, avoiding any alcohol in preparation for your usual early morning. it was all over quite quickly, and the next morning came and went, business as usual for the remainder of the next few days—then came the news of eren jaeger's disappearance, then the plans of the all-hands-on-deck operation that was to be the retrieval effort for the young man, the entire scouting branch thrown into overdrive.

and, though you never mustered the courage to ask, you felt a sinking feeling deep inside, that yelena's nightly errand with floch and eren's absence were somehow connected, that there was much more going behind the scenes that you couldn't even begin to fathom.

just wanted to give u guys a little gift for my birthday (´･ᴗ･ ` )

#yelena #snk yelena #yelena x reader #yelena x reader smut #aot x reader #snk x reader #snk x y/n #snk x you #aot x you #aot x reader smut #snk x reader smut #yelena brainrot #shingeki no kyoujin x reader #shingeki no kyojin fanfiction

382 notes · View notes

redux-iterum · 3 years ago

Text

A Kindling: Chapter Two

(AO3 counterpart here.)

A mass of grey exploded from the brush. Before Rusty could so much as blink, he found himself thrown backwards. He landed on his side and rolled a little, grass and ferns and soil catching on his pelt.

Rusty wasted no time in getting to his feet, staring at the big grey tabby that stood across from him. He started to turn, but he was tackled again and knocked onto his back. The tabby loomed over him, bright yellow eyes alight with interest.

Rusty was small enough that he could reach with his back foot and kick the cat in their face. The tabby threw their head back with a noise of surprise and Rusty scrambled upwards again. This time, he didn’t try to run, except to stumble back a bit to give himself space and time to get a good look at his assailant.

This cat—a tom—was quite bigger than Rusty, and significantly furrier; it was hard to tell how much of his size was from his hair alone. His face was large but youthful, making Rusty blink as he realized that he might be around Rusty’s age—which was quite terrifying, given how massive the tom’s paws were. His eyes were the only brightly lit part of his face, and they oddly did not seem angry or even wary. If anything, he looked curious.

“St-stay back,” Rusty stammered anyway, as if he could pose a threat to this monolith. His back paws inched a step or two away. “I’m not here to cause trouble.”

The tabby blinked, and spoke in a much higher, younger voice than Rusty had expected. “Well, that’s obvious. Not that you could.”

Rusty stared. This cat was definitely his age, then. “I just- I was only following that animal, whatever it is.”

The bright eyes widened in shock and sparkled in amusement. “You don’t even know what you were hunting?”

“I…” Rusty’s head lowered and his shoulders hunched of their own accord, embarrassment warming his ears. “No.”

“Wooow,” the tabby said, sounding genuinely awed. “You kittypets really are sheltered. Even a kit knows what a mouse is.”

‘Mouse’, Rusty thought, even more embarrassed. He had heard the word before, but never had an image attached to it. Now it seemed painfully obvious that he had been after a mouse. His ears burned, sliding back to fold against his head.

Eager to get away from this feeling, he changed the topic. “What’s a kittypet?”

“Uh, you?” The tabby’s eyes scanned him with bafflement. “You live in those houses with the humans, right? You’ve got a collar.”

Rusty didn’t know how this cat managed to make having a collar sound scornful. “I-I do, yeah. I live with my human.”

“So you’re a kittypet.” The tabby gave a self-satisfactory nod. “And you really shouldn’t be on our territory, hunting our food. You’ve got food at home.”

“I do,” Rusty repeated, quieter. He wanted to huddle again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

The tabby eyed him doubtfully before abruptly turning his head back and calling into the woods, “Is that the answer you wanted, Bluestar?”

“More or less,” said someone else.

Rusty jolted upright as two cats, both even larger than the tabby, pushed out of the undergrowth. One of them was a dark red tom with white feet, and the other, the tallest of the three, was a magnificent blue-grey molly who only had to glance at Rusty to make him want to bow his head in respect. Both of them had long hair, like the tabby, and both of them had grave, hardened faces, though their eyes were alert and more youthful.

“I had been hoping to see more of a fight,” the molly said, her voice low and commanding, “but we can take it from here, Greypaw, thank you.”

The tabby—Greypaw, rather—immediately took several steps back to allow the older cats to approach Rusty. Rusty stood, frozen in place, as they moved forward with slow, deliberate, incredibly intimidating steps, until they were within a tail-length of him. The red tom tilted his head a little, quietly regarding Rusty.

The molly looked down at Rusty. “Hello, Rusty. I am Bluestar.”

Rusty swallowed, too nervous to wonder where she got his name. “Hello.”

Bluestar had to have noticed his nervousness, because her tone softened a little. “I’m the leader of ThunderClan, the Clan that owns this forest.”

So they are real, Rusty thought, eyes wide.

“This—” Bluestar nodded to the tom “—is Redtail, and you know Greypaw already. We’ve come to speak with you tonight.”

Rusty blinked. “M-me? Why?”

Redtail spoke now, and his voice was much warmer, easing Rusty’s anxiety a little. “We’ve noticed you for a while now, staring into our woods since you came to live with the humans. We actually expected that you would wander past the border someday. It was a lucky coincidence that we decided to talk to you tonight, just as you trespassed.”

“Oh.” Rusty lowered his chin a little, embarrassed again. “I didn’t realize this wasn’t a place I could explore. I mean, I heard you chase house cats away, but I just… I was too curious, and my friend—”

Bluestar cleared her throat quietly and Rusty immediately clamped his mouth shut. “You don’t need to make excuses, Rusty. We’re not upset with you.”

Somehow, that didn’t make him feel any more relieved.

“We had Greypaw attack you to see how you’d react,” she said. “And while you’re not exactly strong, you were honorable about coming here uninvited, and we respect that.”

Redtail suddenly walked forward and began circling Rusty, sniffing him. He and his tail were long enough that they formed a complete ring around Rusty. He stayed perfectly still, keeping his eyes on Bluestar, having a feeling that that was the correct choice.

“Now let me ask you…” Bluestar’s head tipped to one side just a fraction as she appraised the little house cat. “Are you satisfied with your life as a kittypet? Are you content to live in a house, wearing a collar, eating those pellets forever?”

Rusty blinked, caught off-guard by the sudden questions. “It’s- it’s been pretty boring, honestly. I…”

He trailed off, unsure of where to go with this.

Bluestar nodded with a subtle sense of encouragement. “Go ahead. How do you feel being a kittypet?”

Rusty took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing. “I guess I would say that it feels… easy. Which, I don’t think that’s a bad thing for some, but I’m always bored when I’m home. If- well, if you have been watching me, you must have seen me going into everybody else’s yards. I irritate some of my neighbors, and I don’t mean to, but I can’t help it. Just staying inside, or in my own yard, I get restless. The only reason I haven’t come here before is because of the rumors about you. That you chase off strangers, and things like that.”

He happened to glance at Greypaw, who was now much closer, like he had been sneaking up to listen in better. The tom seemed quite intrigued by Rusty’s speech—almost eager, if Rusty wasn’t mistaken. For what, though, he wasn’t sure.

Bluestar spoke again and Rusty immediately returned his attention to her. “Then you would leave your kittypet life, if you think you could.”

Rusty considered this idea for a few heartbeats, then nodded. “I would. My friend would think I’m crazy, but I’d love to see what else is out there. I just don’t know if I can.”

Redtail paused as he came around to Rusty’s head and silently caught his eyes. He looked pleased. “I think you can, chrii, if you really want to.”

“Then you agree?” Bluestar said to him.

Redtail nodded. “It’s worth a try.”

“Very good.” Bluestar turned back to Rusty. “Then we have an offer for you.”

Rusty held his breath without quite knowing why.

“If you are willing to leave your kittypet life behind,” Bluestar said, lowering her head a little to meet Rusty’s eye level, “and if you are willing to work hard and learn our ways, ThunderClan would be interested in having you join us.”

Rusty’s eyes widened. Something in his chest flared to life in a way he had not felt before. “Me? T-to be a Clan cat?”

“That’s right.” Bluestar met his eyes with a pale, serious stare. “I will warn you now��Clan life is not for everyone. You will need to hunt for food, and defend our borders, and live with many other cats who may not all like you at first. You’d have to change your name to something like our names. We don’t have your human healing powers out here. You could get sick or injured, and you won’t have the humans as an option for help.”

“And we have a Code we live by,” Redtail added, also looking Rusty in the eye—though his gaze was much less intimidating. “You’ll have to follow our rules and obey your superiors. And, most importantly, you can’t come back to your human for any reason.”

Rusty blinked. “Why not?”

“We stay away from humans,” Redtail said. “We don’t take food from them, we don’t play with their cats, and we don’t go into the Houses unless we’re forced to. We take care of ourselves.”

“That means that you would have to say goodbye to your friend.” Bluestar caught Rusty’s attention now. “You won’t be able to go to his home and play with him anymore.”

A great deal of these warnings, oddly, did not bother Rusty, but as soon as this last condition was given, he hesitated. “…Could I at least talk to him?”

“No,” Bluestar said. “If you are one of us, you don’t talk to kittypets.”

Rusty’s eyes lowered to the ground. Losing all contact with Smudge was a hefty price for…

“It sounds like a really difficult life,” he said, looking back up at Bluestar. “Is it all that bad?”

Bluestar’s eyes crinkled, surprisingly humorous. “No, of course not. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing it.”

“Being a Clan cat is great!” Greypaw burst out. His huge paws almost tripped over each other as he closed the distance between him and the rest of the group. “We eat real food, and we have the forest all to ourselves, and we’re so strong we scare all the cats in the Aulmir and Houses, and we—”

“Greypaw,” Redtail said patiently.

Greypaw’s ears went down, but he didn’t fully deflate. “Sorry. I just think he’d really like it.”

“I do too.” Redtail looked at Rusty. “Being part of ThunderClan means you’re courageous and powerful. You have a community who will fight to the death to protect you from any danger.”

“Even at first?” Rusty asked.

“Even at first,” Redtail affirmed. “We have our great wide forest, and we still travel to different places and meet with different cats—the other Clans that live nearby. You’ll get to learn a great deal of new things, all the while living a real life, running and climbing and hunting.” He cocked his head to the side almost fondly. “And we have many stories to share with you. I think you’d be interested in those.”

“What do you think, Rusty?” Bluestar said.

All three ThunderClan cats watched him expectantly as he focused hard, considering his options. Exploring, hunting mice, meeting new cats: it all sounded exciting. He didn’t mind the work that would come with being feral, if he had those cats that could support him while he learned their ways. He didn’t even really mind the idea of changing his name.

But the risk of getting hurt or sick, having to abandon Smudge, and the warning that he might not be welcomed initially…

He looked at Bluestar. “I don’t know what to do. It’s a lot to think about.”

“That’s alright.” Bluestar straightened up again, returning to her businesslike posture. “I know it’s a big change from what you’re used to. We can give you two days to think about it. The night after tomorrow, there will be two warriors waiting for you at the edge of this forest. You can give them your answer. If you decide to join us, they’ll take you to our camp.”

“And that’ll be it?” Rusty asked.

“No more kittypet business,” Redtail said. “You’ll give all that up if you say yes.”

“Huh.” Rusty’s eyes returned to the ground as he considered this. He nodded slowly. “I would like to think it over, if that’s okay.”

“That’s why we offered it.” Redtail gave him a friendly tap on his back with his enormously fluffy tail. “I hope to see you in our camp soon, Rusty. Until then, I think it’s time for you to go home.”

“We do have a patrol to continue,” Bluestar said, not too unkindly. “Consider things carefully, Rusty. It’s all or nothing. If you say no, you aren’t welcome back in this forest.”

Rusty was a little worried by that last note, but he said, “Okay. Thank you, Bluestar. For the offer. Regardless of what I say.”

Bluestar looked down on him, but with approval in her eyes. “We’ll see you soon.”

With that, she jerked her head to the side and Greypaw approached, nosing Rusty’s shoulder and almost knocking him over. “Come on, I’ll take you back to the border.”

Rusty cleared his throat and dipped his head respectfully to Bluestar and Redtail before hurrying after the departing Greypaw. When he caught up, he opened his mouth to ask a question, but Greypaw spoke first.

“It’d be cool if you joined us,” he said. “You seem nice. And the other apprentices are either too shy or too up their own prats to hang out. I’ll help you learn the trade, if you come back.”

Rusty blinked, surprised by the offer. “Well… thank you.”

“You’ll get a much cooler name than ‘Rusty’, too.” Greypaw snorted. “’Rusty’, really, who named you?”

“My mother,” Rusty said, and couldn’t help digging back a little. “Not much weirder than ‘Greypaw’ and ‘Bluestar’ and ‘Redtail’. What if I get a weird name?”

“You won’t,” Greypaw said. “I’m sure of it.”

The two couldn’t talk any further; they had reached the end of the forest and Rusty could see his house (and a panicked Smudge) from here. He looked back at Greypaw, and was surprised by the earnest eagerness on his face.

“Hope to see you again, kittypet,” he said.

Rusty, not sure what to say, gave him a nod and started for his fence. He heard Greypaw rustling through the ferns and grass and disappearing into the woods. He didn’t look back. He had a feeling he would be tempted to return there if he did.

“You’re okay!” Smudge cried when he was close enough to speak. “I saw that cat—he’s huge! How did he not kill you?”

“He didn’t want to.” Rusty bunched up his haunches and leaped onto the fence. He turned to Smudge, unaware of his fur flaring and his eyes sparkling. “You are not going to believe what happened.”

#warrior cats #warriors redux iterum #iterum #a kindling #chapter #chapter two #book one #arc one

40 notes · View notes

sugako · 4 years ago

Text

c+k: osamu

osamu x f!reader

sum: a fun at-home dinner date with Osamu for the lovely holiday

cw: 18+ minors dni, nsfw, smut, fluff, mentions of food/eating, unprotected sex/creampie, toy use, mild degradation, rough sex, slight size kink

wc: 1.5k

a/n: part of confessions + kisses.....got a little carried away with plot so it’s not quite as short as the others whoopsie

"Do you remember when you confessed to me?" Osamu's soft whisper fanned hot air into your ear just as you began to stir.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you, too. Mmmh, course I do, 'samu. Why?" You arched against him, stretching the sleepy ache from your body, then slowly turned over toward him. "It was pretty embarrassing."

"It was cute." He purred, pressing a kiss to your forehead. "You were so nervous, I thought you were gonna pass out."

"I-...is that why you gave me food?" Feeling more awake with the realization, you perked up a little.

"Maybe," he wrapped his arms around your waist and laid backing, pulling you on top of his plush chest. "I also didn't want to waste those leftovers."

…..

You straightened your cute, flouncy dress out in the mirror for the third time. It was silly, getting excited about a little at home dinner date, but you couldn't help it.

Osamu had been working on dinner and dessert for hours. You found it hard to believe when he told you that wasn't your present. Although you were well aware his own cooking was just as much a present to himself.

Carefully, you hoisted up the hefty present, wrapped up in cute paper. A heavy duty, beautiful wooden cutting board he had been eyeing for months. Tucked inside the silly, sweet card was a small stack of risque film prints of yourself. Presents for Osamu could be a difficult search, but you felt confident this time.

Just as you shuffled into the kitchen, he was setting the table.

"Gifts already?" He smirked and took the box and card from you. As he sat he began peeling the wrapping paper back carefully. His normally calm face lit up when he saw just a corner of the box and his steady fingers worked a little quicker to tear the paper away. "I love you." He set the box on the floor beside him.

With a prideful beam, you nearly bounced in your seat as he opened the card. Once again, his expression changed, but in a different way this time.

"Do you like them?" You basically whispered as he leafed through the photos. Though excited, there was a little pit of nervousness in the bottom of your stomach.

“Do I-... They’re very, very nice.” He answered breathily before clearing his throat. “I’ll give you yours after food, sound good?”

You hadn’t wanted to seem so eager, but you were honestly more excited for the cooling food than whatever gift he had gotten. He, on the other hand, was salivating a little bit more over the pictures of you than the food. If he gave you the silly, little gift he had gotten - which he now felt was stupid in light of your very thoughtful presents - he wouldn’t even get to eat before dinner got cold.

A soft smile graced his features through his bites as he watched you happily chew. Slowly, you both worked your way through the food, stopping every now and then to chat about anything and everything. Silence truly settled over you both after you had finished the last bite of dessert. Feeling full and warm and fuzzy, you gently laced your fingers through his over the table.

“Gift time?” You finally asked.

Osamu grinned lazily and reached under the table, keeping his hands laced with yours. He pushed the two small boxes toward you with an uneasy look on his face barely masked by his expression. You took them as soon as they touched your fingertips.

Your other hand slipped out of his and made quick work of unwrapping the first box - fancy, gourmet chocolates from a small business. The next box was a little more difficult. All extra taped up just to make you work for it. At last, you revealed a chunky, black box. Your eyes slowly widened as you lifted the lid.

“This feels a little rude in comparison.” He chuckled, watching carefully as you slowly lifed out the vibrator. It was heftier and definitely better well-made than any toy you had owned before.

“I think it’s perfectly fine. Better than fine.”

“C’mere.” He groaned, reaching out for you. Setting the toy back into its box, you quickly rounded the table to sit against his lap, lips connecting the instant you landed. He held you there with one strong hand gripping your thigh.

“Might… have to… test it,” you panted between sloppy kisses and reached behind you to grab the vibrator. His fingers dug into your skin.

“Oh yeah?” A sly glint crept into his pretty eyes.

He stood, dragging you with him as if to go toward your bedroom, but stopping short when you whimpered at the ache from his tight grip. Strong arms spun you against the nearest edge of counter and tore the toy out of your hand. One of his muscled thighs pressed against the back of your ass, forcing your front to dig against the countertop.

“Knew you would be impatient, so I went ahead and checked everything, cleaned it too. Even though it’s going into your filthy cunt in a few seconds.” He growled into your ear and flipped the bottom of your dress over your ass.

You wiggled your hips just enough for him to get a peek of your cutest panties as you bent the rest of the way over the counter. The chill against your cheek was enough to make you shiver, but his roughened hands smoothing over the slope of your ass warmed your core.

“I’m surprised you didn’t fuck me when you saw those pictures. You’re so easy to fluster, ‘samu.” You giggle as he pulls your damp underwear down to your ankles, letting you kick them off.

“Such a fucking tease. Can’t believe I thought you were so shy.” Taking a deep inhale, his hand came down to land a sharp blow against your backside. “But you’re really just a dumb slut.”

The name made you whine and sigh, your legs spreading wider for him. The loud hum from the toy shocked you before he slid it against your folds. You weren’t sure what setting he had it turned to, but the instant, violent pressure against your clit was making you hump at nothing in nearly a minute.

“Gonna cum already?” He asked, mockingly.

“Ah! Uh-huh… gonna, uh, gonna cum, ‘samu!” You squeaked while Osamu rubbed the toy against you, letting you quickly find your release. Hips jitter and spark over nothing, twitching in the air like a feral animal. He decreased the intensity, but kept it pressed ever-so-lightly against your clit to help you ride out your high.

“Be a good girl and hold it for me?” He passed the toy between your legs and into your limp hand. “Want you to cum around my cock while I fuck you hard.”

You nodded dumbly, still catching your breath. Haphazardly, you managed to hold it against yourself, grimacing at how your cunt still throbbed and your clit ached for more. The only slow part about the rest of the night was when Osamu took the time to line himself up with your entrance before immediately ramming into you.

The force nearly knocked the toy to the ground. Still, you held steadfast onto the little object, feeling his cock hit you deep and hard with every stroke. It wasn’t much, but you were beginning to come undone again. The way his thighs slapped the back of your ass and the toy were egging you on closer and closer to the spectacular finish line.

His hands were holding you and himself steady by gripping onto your hips as leverage to fuck himself into you. He watched, panting and whining, at the way your pussy stretched around him, gushing out that beautiful cum that coated him completely.

When your knees began to buckle, he held you up, barely able to tease since he felt himself getting so close as well.

“Cumming again so soon?” He groaned, hoping you wouldn’t catch how strained his tone was. Your little hole was sucking him deep, pulsing and clenching at every harsh motion.

Of course, he was right. You were too fucked out to respond or really hear him at that. The initial burn of the tight stretch long gone, all you could feel was engulfing ecstasy. His cock was perfectly molded inside of you, filling you to the brim. You could feel all of him and it was far too much. You crossed the finish line in a disjointed chorus of whines and moans and spasms.

“C-cumming!” You cried out, but he already knew. He could barely move the way you clamped around him and yet he couldn’t stop. Really digging his hands into you now, he fucked himself over the edge, letting you milk him dry in your still pulsing cunt. You could feel the hot splash of his cum paint your insides and sighed, contentedly when his motions slowed and he held himself buried completely inside of you.

Exhausted, you pulled the vibe away and turned it off. He slumped over your back, pressing his clothed chest completely against you, pinning you closer to the countertop. Between gasps for air, he snuck little kisses in against the exposed skin on the back of your neck.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” He sighed.

#osamu x reader #osamu x you #osamu smut #miya osamu smut #osamu miya smut #osamu fluff #hq imagine #s.valentines

169 notes · View notes

childrenofthenightt · 3 years ago

Text

That’s The Way

Pairing: Jimmy Page x Reader

Word count: 3.6k

Warnings: none, this is kind of an introductory/fluff chapter if you will :)

Story summary: Y/N Y/L/N, an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl, gets pulled into the world of rock and roll on a fateful night at the Marquee Club in London when she experiences the musical phenomenon of the Five Live Yardbirds. She grows up fast, navigating her way through the downfall of The Yardbirds, the legendary skyrocket of Led Zeppelin, era-defining decadence instigated by the ‘60s and ‘70s mindset of free love and personal gratification, and finding the courage to express how she fell deeply in love with one of modern music’s greatest guitarists.

Author’s notes (from Molly of rebel-without-a-zeppelin): Hi everyone! A little disclaimer on my part: this is the first story I’ve ever shared for public consumption. I’ve been toying with this idea in my mind for a very long time now, and I’ve finally mustered up the courage to share it with you all. I hope you like it. I am incredibly honored to collaborate with Syd on this project; this is truly our baby, as it has a very long, detailed, intricate plot, so saddle up for lots (and lots) of drama! This is also a sloooowwwww burn, like really, really slow lol. Over the course of the story, please feel free to send me your theories and comments; I would absolutely love to read them. Please enjoy, and happy reading!

---------

3 May 1965

The sound of a car horn beeped incessantly from the front of Y/N’s house. Dropping her backpack down on her bedroom floor with an annoyed huff, she sprinted down the steps. She never did get enough time to prepare, and it was no different today. With her friend Carolyn in tow, Y/N made a beeline for the front door, the click-clack of her Oxford shoes pounding across the hardwood floor. Y/N’s mum, who nonchalantly strolled out of the laundry room with an armful of freshly washed and folded bath towels, leant against the doorframe.

“Now remember Y/N: no drinking, no drugs, no sex. No going home with strange musician guys, nor are you allowed to go to their hotel,” her mum instructed calmly, knowing she’d receive an eye roll from the girl. Her stern expression at home on her gracefully-aged face, the girls receive the speech they get every time they go out. “You too, C. Even though I’m not your mother, I still worry about your safety.”

Both Y/N’s mum and dad had a very protective instinct over their eldest daughter, just like their other three children. Even at Y/N’s healthy age of seventeen, she longed for the freedom and trust that her older brother had gained at her age.

“Thank you, Mrs. Y/L/N,” Carolyn replied with a little laugh.

“Mum! This is literally the fourth time I’ve been to a Yardbirds gig, and nothing bad has happened,” Y/N huffed. Her mum raised her eyebrows.

Lillian, Y/N’s little sister, walked into the foyer and surprised Y/N with a big, tight hug around her waist. Y/N gasped at the sudden contact, but chuckled when she realized it was her younger sister, and reciprocated the hug.

“I don’t want you getting hurt, Y/N. Boys are icky. And stupid!” Lillian said in a whiny voice, her face muffled by being buried in Y/N’s stomach.

Y/N ruffled her sister’s muss of dirty blonde waves affectionately, rubbing her back to soothe her worries. “I promise, I will come back perfectly fine! I won’t let any boys mess with me, Lil,” Y/N said with a smile, “And when I come back, I’ll tell you everything that happened.”

Lillian gazed up at Y/N with a similar smile, her small teeth shining a bright, pearly white and her chin resting on the taller girl’s stomach. “Okay,” she said, content, before releasing from Y/N with a stuffed animal tucked under her arm.

“Where’s Charlie?” Y/N asked, hoping she could say goodbye to her younger brother before she left.

“I think he’s riding around the neighborhood on his bike with his friends,” Y/N’s mum replied with a shrug. Y/N felt a little disappointed, but she figured she’d talk to him tomorrow at breakfast about her night out.

Thomas, Y/N’s older brother, continued to honk the horn rather obnoxiously, growing quite impatient. It’s a wonder the neighbors weren’t at arms, knocking on their door. He was forced by his parents to be Y/N and Carolyn’s chauffeur to the Marquee Club in London.

“We have to go, or else Tommy will have my head,” Y/N said as she started to open the front door.

“Wait!” her mum said, sloppily placing the towels down on a nearby counter to dash to the door and give Y/N a hug and a kiss on the head goodbye. Finally pulling away her weathered hands flew to Y/N’s shoulders, and gripping them firmly, she continued, “Be good. Love you.”

“I know, I will. Love you too,” Y/N smiled, before dashing down the steps and to the passenger seat of the car. Carolyn was in quick pursuit, following her to the car and taking a seat in the back.

“It’s about time,” Tommy huffed impatiently, tapping his fingertips on the top of the steering wheel as he put the transmission into drive.

“Sorry. Mum was giving me and C a safety brief,” Y/N replied apologetically.

“Why are you two still in school uniforms?” he snorted, shifting to look over at the girls; their studious appearance of white oxford shirts, sweater vests, plaid kilts, white knee socks, and smart oxford shoes would be quite out of place among the audience at the show.

“No time to change, just like usual,” she replied, turning on the radio, soft melodies pouring out at a low volume.

The three drove in silence, except for the sound of the radio playing, until Carolyn had dozed off on the somewhat lengthy car ride. Occasional small talk between Y/N and her brother permeated the quiet that fell over the group, but it picked up when they were only a few blocks away from the venue.

“You gotta stay safe in there, Y/N,” Tommy said, looking straight ahead. His teeth clamped down sharply on his bottom lip: a dead giveaway to the nerves he must have been feeling.

“I know, Dad,” Y/N joked, punching him lightly across the shoulder. Her bright smile wavered and fell when she saw his grim expression.

“I’m serious, you know. I don’t want my sister being pestered by some wankers in a blues band.”

Y/N smirked at her brother’s sudden defensive behavior. “I can take care of myself. Trust me. This isn’t my first rodeo. You should’ve seen the first Yardbirds gig we went to. Utter chaos...” The tilt of her lips signalled that she was joking, and Tommy huffed out a laugh.

Carolyn, stretching with a grunt, had miraculously woken up just as Tommy pulled up to the front door of the Marquee. Glancing at the venue with awe dancing in their eyes, Y/N and Carolyn disembarked from the car, walking closer with the façade of calmness and competency.

“I’ll be back later to pick you girls up. Have fun, but not too much fun,” Tommy rolled his window down as he said this, winking playfully.

Y/N waved to her brother as Carolyn thanked him graciously for the ride. Arms linked, Y/N and Carolyn entered the famous Marquee. Nervousness and anticipation began to pool Y/N’s stomach as she was greeted by the decadent atmosphere of the club: the smell of smoke, alcohol, and sweat hung in the air as her eyes were flashed by many people mingling about, dressed in typical mod clothing. Y/N and her friend looked at each other, feeling like aliens in their intelligent dress. They tactfully made their way through the crowd as they found their way to their usual spot, a small leather-upholstered booth set against the wall near the stage.

“Today might be the day, Y/N,” Carolyn said as they settled into their seats.

“I don’t know,” she replied, smoothing out her skirt, “the idea of that is both scary and exciting to me at the same time. We’ll just roll with the punches, I guess.”

“Which Yardbird do you have your eye on?”

Y/N smirked as she thought for a moment. “Hmm...I’m not sure. I guess they’re all pretty cute in their own way. What about you?”

“Yes, I agree. But I must admit, I do have a very soft spot for Chris Dreja.”

“I’ll pray for ya, C,” Y/N chuckled.

~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, backstage, five live Yardbirds were performing some pre-show rituals in the hopes of easing the preliminary anxiousness. Jeff, Keith, and Jim were peeking out the little sliver of curtain that allowed them to see their gathering audience.

“Look! It’s those two schoolgirls again!” Jeff pointed to the two teenage girls in school uniforms, chatting in their booth waiting for the show to begin. They were huddled together in conversation, legs daintily crossed as their faint giggles floated over to them. Jim couldn’t help but smile at the sound, though he recovered quickly, not wanting his bandmates to get any ideas.

“What’s wrong with that? They must like us,” Keith replied.

“I think they’re both really pretty, especially the one with the Y/H/C hair,” Jim pointed out, trying to be as subtle as possible.

“Yeah, maybe we should invite them backstage after the show… have a nice little chat,” Jeff winked at the singer and the drummer cheekily.

After taking a final glance at the two conversing girls, the three returned to the backstage area where Paul and Chris were. Jeff immediately enlisted Giorgio, their manager, to complete the agreed-upon mission. Jeff loosely draped an arm around Giorgio’s shoulder before bestowing the request as politely as possible. Not trying to be suspiciously polite, of course, because everyone in the band and its entourage were firsthand witnesses of Jeff’s temper and stubbornness. Yikes.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to do me a favor,” Jeff said to Giorgio with a mischievous smile.

Giorgio rolled his eyes, knowing this “favor” would have to do with scouting girls from the audience. “What d’ya need, Jeff?” he sighed exhaustedly.

“Don’t complain, please,” Jeff deadpanned. “There are two pretty birds in the audience, wearing their school uniforms. They’ve been coming to our shows for a little bit now, and they seem nice—”

“You want me to bring them backstage after the show?” Giorgio interrupted, somehow telepathically knowing, by routine, what the guitarist’s request would be.

“You finish that sentence like you know what I’m about to say.”

“That’s because I do, Mr. Beck,” Giorgio retorted sarcastically, “this happens a lot more often than you think it does.”

“Whatever,” Jeff grumbled moodily, knowing he was right, before walking back to the group of musicians in preparation.

~~~~~~~~

Y/N and Carolyn continued to gossip happily about what was happening at school, not a care in the world. They felt the stares of older men in the club, who silently disapproved of their knee socks being scrunched by their ankles, because that wasn’t the “proper” thing to do. But they didn’t care. Who are they to judge?

Every teacher scolded girls at school who did the same thing, because they didn’t want their long legs to be “tempting” or “distracting” any boys. A bloody nuisance, is what it is.

The girls were snapped from their thoughts by the sound of a heavy guitar tone being blasted through the speakers in an opening riff. Their eyes were stapled, almost transfixed to the stage as they took in the five sharply-dressed men in front of them, singing their songs and playing their instruments.

As much as Carolyn enjoyed The Yardbirds and music in general, Y/N had a rather deep connection to it, odd enough as it was. She could play the piano fairly well, so she understood where these musicians were coming from cognitively and creatively. From what she’d read in magazines about current popular musicians, like The Yardbirds for example, she liked the same music they did. Y/N understood dynamics, tempo, tone, key, and musical notation, just like they did. Perhaps she’d be able to get into an intelligent musical conversation with at least one of them one day.

Two straight hours of hits, obscure songs, and blues covers from The Yardbirds’ catalogue were played for the Marquee Club patrons, hypnotizing its drunk and high onlookers with polished musicality and instrumentation.

As the final song concluded, both Y/N and Carolyn, unbeknownst to the other, felt a sinking feeling of disappointment that fell like a pit in their stomachs. They wouldn’t have the chance to meet the band. No one from the entity had approached them yet, and momentarily the five live Yardbirds would be exiting the stage for the night.

After they said their goodbyes and thanks to the crowd, they disappeared behind the curtain. The main lights of the club brightened to signal that the show was over, as the voices of all the patrons raised in rave of the spectacular show they had just witnessed.

Discouraged, but still in light spirits at what they had just seen, Y/N and Carolyn stood up from their seat and headed for the front door. Y/N expected her brother to be waiting in front; it was late, so might as well not make him wait longer than he needs to.

Y/N and Carolyn were merely a few feet from the door when Y/N felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Turning around to see a man with a dark beard already baring a jovial tight-lipped grin at her, the girl was quite surprised, maybe a little weirded out, but she reciprocated the gesture as genuinely as she could.

“Hello sir, what can we do for you?” Y/N greeted, discreetly nudging Carolyn to help her out and become a united front with her in front of this stranger.

“Good evening ladies, I was sent by Mr. Jeff Beck to offer you an invitation backstage to hang out with the band.”

Y/N’s stomach dropped and her face broke out into an obvious mad blush, much to her dismay. She was internally screaming. The Jeff Beck had spotted them in the crowd?! This had to be a dream. Wait, this could be a complete drunken buffoon trying to trick them. Y/N remembered what her mother had said, and took the proper precautionary measure.

Y/N smiled in the most composed way she could. “Thank you for such a gracious invitation! Could I ask your name, if you don’t mind?”

“Giorgio Gomelsky, manager of The Yardbirds,” he replied, in a seemingly proud manner.

Okay, this was real. Y/N knew that Giorgio was definitely the manager’s name. She turned to Carolyn, who looked just as excited as she was.

“What are your names, dears?” Giorgio asked, pulling them out of their daze of what seemed like a fake reality.

“I’m Carolyn, and this is my friend Y/N,” Carolyn piped up, excited that she finally got an opportunity to speak to someone close to The Yardbirds.

She internally agreed to let Y/N handle the “diplomacy” part of the introduction, knowing that she was best at that. Carolyn knew her friend was quite shy, so she knew to step in when Y/N was starting to feel anxious. She noticed Y/N starting to fiddle with her fingers while talking to Giorgio in the most collected way she could muster; as excited as Y/N was, Carolyn knew she was growing very nervous.

“Well, it is certainly lovely to meet you both. So, what do you say? Would you like to meet the lads?”

After one final glance of excited mutual agreement, Carolyn replied, “Yes, we’d love to.”

Giorgio led the pair of girls back the way they came, through a sea of inebriated people, but this time through the backstage door. Y/N made an appoint to walk behind Carolyn, in an attempt to collect and relax herself. She was starting to sweat a little, her stomach doing flips and her hands becoming cold and clammy.

~~~~~~~~

“Our guests should be arriving any minute now,” Jeff said as he was placing his guitar back in its case.

Chris was standing and chatting with Paul in a corner when he turned around in surprise at the news. “Guests? What guests?”

“We had Giorgio invite two girls from the audience to come back here,” Jim replied, walking over to sit down in a metal folding chair.

“And why weren't we made aware of this?” Paul asked, as he walked to get another metal folding chair to place near Jim.

“It was their idea,” Keith replied, pointing two fingers between Jeff and Jim. Paul and Chris just nodded in recognition.

“I didn’t hear you disagree, Relf,” Jeff clapped back. He then told Chris and Keith to get some chairs for themselves and the two girls that would be walking through the door at any second.

Before Keith could respond, a couple knocks resounded in the room, signalling the arrival of the guests. Jacket lapels and ties were quickly straightened, even though each person was still glazed with quickly-drying sweat from the show they had just played, before the room fell unnaturally quiet as Giorgio opened the rather squeaky door.

The initial tension in the room that lasted a split second could be cut with a knife. Y/N felt her heart pounding in her chest, a cold sweat already running down her back, as five pairs of eyes landed on her, Carolyn, and Giorgio, warm smiles following suit.

She felt like internally combusting.

“Boys, this is Y/N,” Giorgio broke the momentary silence by introducing her, “and Carolyn.” Y/N smiled shyly and sent them a little wave, a dusty shade of pink seeping its way to her cheeks. Carolyn’s greeting was much more exuberant than Y/N’s, as she took the initiative to go over and shake all of their hands amiably. Y/N realized she had to follow her friend in order to make a good first impression.

Knowing that the boys wanted to spend time with the girls without being chaperoned, Giorgio left the room to attend to other business affairs.

Upon first glance, Y/N was the most beautiful girl that four of the five Yardbirds had ever seen. Perfect features, long legs, a calm, gentle, sweet demeanor… Just an absolutely angelic young woman; a vision.

Jeff had obviously recognized her beauty, from seeing her at multiple shows, but he thought she was way out of his league. He decided to focus on getting her to laugh and relax around them, because he noticed just how nervous she looked. She was turning pale right in front of his very eyes! Paul and Chris began to internally question themselves, how have I not seen this girl before? She is so gorgeous! Jim had been glancing at her sporadically throughout the show, soaking up her faraway presence. He noticed how her eyes glistened in childlike wonder as she watched them do what they did best: perform the Chicago blues.

“Well, it is very nice to meet you both,” Keith replied enthusiastically. “I’m Keith,” he alluded to himself, then pointing to the other members of the group while giving their names, “and this is Chris, Paul, Jeff, and Jim.”

“I mean, we know who you guys are, but it’s so lovely to finally meet you,” Carolyn replied. Y/N nodded in agreement.

“Come and sit down! Make yourselves comfortable. We don’t bite,” Jeff joked, motioning to the open chairs. The girls smiled and accepted his invitation, Y/N taking a seat between Jeff Beck and Jim McCarty, while Carolyn took a seat between Keith Relf and Chris Dreja. The chairs were arranged in a circular formation, so each person could talk to the other with ease.

“Tell us about yourselves!” Paul initiated, “I think Y/N should go first though, because you haven’t said too much yet,” he laughed at the last part. Y/N giggled (a little too idiotically for her own liking), but she felt herself become starstruck at how her name sounded coming from one of their voices.

Y/N clenched her cold, clammy hands in her lap as a method to ease her anxiety before starting with a smile. “Well, I’m from Saint Albans. This is our fourth time, I believe, coming to see a Yardbirds gig. Carolyn and I came to see you with Eric Clapton once, and then this is the third time with Jeff.”

“Oh, that’s fantastic! I guess I see where your favor lies in terms of guitarists,” Jeff responded playfully.

“I guess you’re right,” Y/N laughed, “I will admit that I love what you’ve done with the body of work. Clapton was a blues purist, which I respect, and he’s great, but I think your playing is much more interesting and unorthodox.”

Paul, Jim, and Jeff all raised their eyebrows at Y/N’s comment. They were impressed with how she understood their musicality.

“Are you a musician?” Jim asked Y/N.

“Not in your sense of the word,” Y/N chuckled, “But I’ve been playing the piano for most of my life, so I understand music. Probably more than your average female audience member,” she added with a grin.

“That’s so cool! Are you classically trained, or is it just a hobby?”

“Classically trained,” Y/N admitted to Jim shyly.

“Oh wow, so you’re the real deal,” Jeff added.

“I’m not a professional, so I’d say no,” Y/N laughed.

“You probably know more about music than all five of us combined!” Paul said.

“Well, I know that you know much more about the blues than me!” Y/N answered playfully.

“Okay, I’ll give you that,” Paul smiled at Y/N. She cursed herself in her mind for feeling weak at Paul’s simple sentiment, but tried to keep her composure as best she could.

The four of them, especially Jeff and Y/N, began to bond over their love for different musicians. Y/N expressed her love for Chet Atkins and his fingerpicking style, Scotty Moore’s lively soloing style, and Robert Johnson’s slide technique and open tunings, rendering the three men shocked at her knowledge on the subject. Y/N loved how easily Jeff could make her laugh, and how interested Paul and Jim were at whatever she had to say, significant or insignificant. Chris Dreja, who was in a little group with Keith and Carolyn, occasionally spaced out of his conversation to hear what Y/N had to say.

They bonded for about an hour and a half about everything and nothing, until Y/N abruptly realized that Tommy was probably waiting for a while outside for her and her friend. She apologized to the band profusely for such a sudden departure as she and Carolyn walked towards the door.

“Say you’ll come visit us again after the show?” Jeff called to Y/N as she turned towards him in the doorframe.

“Absolutely,” she smiled brightly.

---------

Thanks so much, hope you enjoy!!

Taglist: @y0uth--anasia @reincarnated70sbaby

#jimmy page #led zeppelin #that’s the way #jimmy page fanfic #jimmy page fanfiction #jimmy page x reader #led zeppelin fanfic #classic rock fanfic

62 notes · View notes

pwarkluv · 4 years ago

Text

❝ you’re the one i want ❞ - yji

yang jeongin x reader | fluff | 1.8k words

WARNINGS | lowercase is intended, high school au, established relationship au (if that’s a thing lol), non-idol au, just your good old going on a date kinda fanfic where you two realize just how in love y’all are, whipped!jeongin, really fluffy, did i mention fluff?

SUMMARY | when your date ends with a giant promise.

AUTHOR’S NOTE | another fluff fanfic because that’s my forte and i haven’t written any skz things yet :P hehe the pic is my pfp. anyways jeongin is one of my ults and my bias in skz so this is gonna be fun to write! also i’m doing this right, right? it’s yji? yang jeong in? idk why but for some reason it doesn’t look right to me. also the ending’s trash i’m sorry-

“baby please stay still.” your boyfriend softly scolded as he carefully fixed the bunny hat on your head, one hand keeping the hair out of your face and the other placed carefully on the back of your neck to keep you still.

it was the last couple of days before the start of your guys’s senior year, before things get complicated academically. the august heat burns but you didn’t think twice about it, more excited about the fact that you and jeongin were at seoul land.

your tiny frame bounced up and down, slightly frustrating your boyfriend. he didn’t mind though because you were absolutely adorable in the bunny hat he bought for you. jeongin smiled softly at your excited face reminding him of a kid opening christmas presents.

his hands then went up to fix the froggy headband you chose for him, making sure he didn’t look completely stupid. when you first pointed out the headband, jeongin had a protest at the tip of his tongue. but dang, the way you looked at him had him nodding his head in approval before he said a word.

“are you done yet innie?” you whined, holding onto his arm as he chuckled. jeongin’s free hand goes up to squeeze the paw of your hat, one of the ears going up. his heart never failed to race whenever you two made eye contact. he wholeheartedly believes you are the most beautiful thing he has ever seen in jeongin’s eighteen years of life.

jeongin smiles at your blushing face before grabbing your hand.

“let’s go loser.” and he drags you to the viking ship on your left.

❝ i like shiny things, but i’d marry you with paper rings ❞

you couldn’t help but smile at your boyfriend’s focused gaze. you guys were taking a little break from rides and instead going around the games and food stands. his tongue poked out as jeongin focused on the target in front of him, fire behind his eyes.

you two were sharing a funnel cake when he noticed your eyes staring at the cute cow stuffed animal. jeongin immediately recognizes it from a kdrama you two watched on your first movie night as a couple. and that’s how you found yourselves standing in front of a water gun stand watching your boyfriend try and win you that stuffed animal.

the man at the running stand laughed quietly at your dumb and in love expression before the ding rang, indicating jeongin won. your boy jumped a little in victory before turning to you with the biggest smile ever.

and that’s when you felt it. that warm and fuzzy in your tummy, the racing in your heart, the automatic smile you gave him back. you and jeongin have been together since the summer before your second year of high school. you watched as he grew from the shy and timid boy to the (slightly more) confident man he is now. you couldn’t believe how you’re already gonna start your senior year with the love of your life.

love.

in that moment when jeongin stuffed the plushie into your hands and gave you a hug, you knew you were completely in love with him. you wanted to marry him someday.

you didn’t care if you two were in your pajamas or dinosaur suits, you just wanted to be his.

❝ uh huh, that’s right, darling you’re the one i want ❞

jeongin’s palms felt sweaty and clamp as you dragged him towards the carousel. your carefree and euphoric expression made his heart double in size as he blinked at you. suddenly the ring in his pocket felt heavy, weighing him down with every step he took.

the start of summer while jeongin was at the mall with his hyungs, a pretty ring caught his eye. it wasn’t anything too big or expensive (which he was thankful for as a broke high school student), but absolutely stunning. the ring had a thin silver band with one medium sized diamond in the middle, tinier ones surrounding the big one.

and before he knew it, jeongin was at the shop paying for a promise ring he was hoping to give to you before school started. there was a matching one he bought on a whim, leaving him more broker than before.

jeongin knew he was in love with you in the middle of your third year in high school when you two had a burping contest to see who could burp the loudest. you won (only because he let you) and from then he only had heart eyes for you.

he’s never felt that comfortable and safe with anyone. being so carefree and home. he was at home with you. so buying you that promise ring was his way of saying he wants to be with you forever.

❝ i hate accidents except when we went from friends to this ❞

you two met at the start of your freshman year when jeongin spilled milk all over your shirt. he was a shy boy so whenever the lunch bell rang, he ran out of the cafeteria like his life depended on it. but one day he wasn’t aware of where he was going and ran right into your timid frame.

suddenly you were met with a cold feeling running down your chest.

the poor boy freaked and apologized faster than you could register what had happened. you were a bubbly kid, though not very social so you didn’t mind what had happened. but for some reason you let yourself be dragged by the stuttered stranger, offering you his hoodie he had in his locker.

his hoodie felt foreign and warm on your body. although he was a stick at fourteen, jeongin was tall. the cloth looked big on your short frame, hands disappeared from the long sleeves. the boy was beyond red looking at you in his clothes. his eyes widened, malfunctioning on why he felt this way.

“i’m really sorry.” he muttered in embarrassment before turning around to leave.

“wait!” you called out, tugging on his wrist. if jeongin didn’t resemble a tomato then, he definitely did now. your hand felt warm around his wrist and the sudden source of heat was all his mind could think about.

“thank you.” you shyly said taking back your hand. you don’t know what has possessed you but suddenly you’re asking what his name was.

“what’s your name? i’m y/n!” you said with a small smile. jeongin’s heart felt like it was about to explode.

❝ uh huh, that’s right darling, you’re the one i want ❞

“come one baby it’s almost dawn let’s go~” you whined a bit, pulling his tall frame towards the line. it was almost sunset and you wanted to go on the ferris wheel as the last thing you two would do for the day before studies filled up your date nights.

well actually, jeongin was the one who suggested going on the ferris wheel to you before you stuck with it in excitement. it was all a part of his master plan to give you that promise ring. he was pretty confident you’d take it, after being together for so long, though of course there’s that small inkling of doubt that you’d reject it and him.

but now that it was almost time, jeongin couldn’t move his legs. he was really about to give you a promise ring.

jeongin laughed to mask his nerves but you knew better.

“awe is my baby afraid of heights?” you joked, no longer pulling his arm but putting your hand in his. “don’t worry, y/nnie is here to protect.” you broke out into a fighting pose which immediately made him laugh at your silliness.

❝ in paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams ❞

here you guys were at the top on the ride, the sunset warm on your face. jeongin’s leg was bouncing in nervousness causing the box you were in to shake. you were about to reach out to the boy before he spoke up.

“y/n?” he asked in a small yet serious voice. you couldn’t help but worry.

“yes my love?” you responded back, turning your body to face him on the seats you guys were on. “what’s wrong? you’ve been acting weird ever since you got on the ferris wheel.”

your mind was racing with possibilities, the worst one sounding the most obvious with the way jeongin seemed so serious. he wasn’t breaking up with you, right?

jeongin took a deep breath before looking into your eyes, the color more beautiful than the sunset behind you.

“i love you so much.” he continued before reaching into his pocket, fumbling a bit with the box the ring came in.

“and i know we’re young and have so much ahead of us. ah you know how much i’m bad with words but, there’s so much we’re unsure of like what’s 25 - 8 or what college we’re going to. but if there’s one thing i’m sure of, it’s that you’re my everything.” the boy said, trying not to stumble over his words. his heart was at an unmeasurable rate, one hand on the ring and the other on your own hand. suddenly he took out the ring, a red velvety box which made you gasp in shock.

at this point you were tearing up. so he wasn’t breaking up with you?

“this isn’t anything too big so don’t freak out.” jeongin joked making you chuckle a bit. “but i know that i want to spend the rest of my life with you.” his grip on your hand tightened before letting go, opening the box.

“it’s nothing too big but hopefully this could show you how much you mean to me, y/n. here’s a promise ring because i really want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

the ring was beautiful in your eyes. tears fell on onto your cheeks as you looked to your boyfriend. all you could see was genuine love and care.

you caught him in a hug, causing the box to shake again, sobbing into his chest.

“i love you, i love you, i love you.” you chanted into his chest making him laugh.

“don’t cry my love. i still need to put it on you.” jeongin chuckled. you wiped off the salty water before holding out your hand. jeongin slowly took your hand as if it was made of glass before slipping on the ring. it fit perfectly.

❝ oh, you’re the one i want ❞

you put his ring on as well before the box moved indicating that you guys were going back down. before the sight of the pretty sunset escaped your view, you quickly grabbed jeongin’s face to meet yours in a kiss. a kiss to promise that you’d guys would be forever. because yang jeongin is everything you’ve ever wanted.

122 notes · View notes

m-aster-of-spinjitzu · 3 years ago

Text

orange and gold

...I just need more Cole and Vania content, they seem like they'd be great friends.

Basically it's just 'Cole goes to visit her there, they almost burn down the kitchen, and make way too many puns', lol.

Set a few months after Master of the Mountain, but before Seabound or The Island.

Also yeah, I couldn't think of a better title, sue me- I just know that they wear one of the colours at some point, so... 🤦‍♀️😂

Trigger warnings: none I think? Huh-

Also, bingo!! I really need to learn better time management, dear freaking gosh- I hope I'm not too late though? I know it's like half a day late, eek- and I was supposed to post this earlier, but I ended up literally falling asleep while writing it😂

Thank you so much Fabro, for hosting such a cool event!:D Your comments on my fics literally never fail to make my day<3. And I'm so glad that I met so many awesome, really skilled people through this event too - it's been a lot of fun working alongside y'all:D, I wish I'd had more time to interact instead of posting stuff and vanishing lol, but exams be like:////

Prompt: cooking (does baking count as cooking? I realized too late lol-) from @ninjago-bingo 's warm board.

Word Count: 2497

---

Trying to escape from killer dire-bats hadn't been on Cole's to do list today - although the mountains were kind of beautiful.

It was a bit difficult to see them while he was being dragged to his death, but hey, didn't Jay always tell them to be more positive?

That was, until he made the mistake of looking down.

Miles of snowcapped mountains touched the pastel blue sky, but he was more focused on exactly how high he was from the ground.

Great.

Trying to swing back onto the Bounty, he didn't notice a golden-winged blur shoot past the bat, almost dropping their spear in haste.

"Let my friend go, or I'll-"

"Vania?"

She throws the spear at the bird, successfully knocking one of its wings.

Huh. She must've been practicing - throwing with accuracy while flying seemed kinda difficult.

"I'm so sorry!" she replies, grabbing his arm before he fell down too. She winces at the strain on her wings, almost dropping him onto the deck. "I was supposed to come earlier, but there was an issue with one of the mines, and it took forever to-"

"There ain't anything in this world that's managed to kill me yet," he replies jokingly, checking that the autopilot hadn't been damaged. "I doubt an angry bird is going to be the first."

"Didn't you mention that you became a ghost once? Pretty sure that means you were dead-"

"Shh, that's not an important detail," he jokes.

"If you say so," she replies with a grin. "Did I mention that Chompy's been tearing down the palace flower arrangements again?"

"Send my regards to the gardener-"

"Did you just make a pun?"

"Remind me why I decided to visit you again?"

"Because you love me?" she asks stepping onto the ground as the Bounty landed gently.

"I hereby crown you as my platonic soulmate," Cole deadpans, taking her hand. "Vania and Cole-"

"Destined to annoy each other for eternity," she giggles, swinging their hands up and down. "But seriously - thanks. I don't think I realized how much work being a queen was."

"What's it like?"

"I mean - I'm glad that people trust me, and they come to me if they have a problem, but the paperwork is a nightmare. I never get to go outside anymore, I swear."

"Paperwork? Also, you just invited me here for a week. I don't wanna disturb you?"

"Nah, I cleared my schedule, don't worry. And trust me, you don't want to know. Everything requires some sort of official written thing, and it's so boring-"

"Official? But you're the queen?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't really want to change something unless it benefits the people. Not after..."

Her smile dims, eyes straying to the palace walls.

Oh- oh.

"You're nothing like him," Cole says firmly, squeezing her hand. "I mean, if you need to take a break, or you can make your job a bit easier by cutting out something unnecessary, that's just gonna help you become a better queen. You've definitely got the interests of your people at heart, and that's the most important thing, you know? And well, uh, everything seems to be going great so far - you don't have to beat yourself up over someone else's mistakes."

"Thanks," she replies softly, her smile slowly returning. "Speaking of breaks, what do you think we should do this time?"

"You could show me around the city again?"

"You've already seen everything cool," Vania giggles, skipping ahead of him. "We don't renovate much - unlike you guys-"

"Hey, it's not our fault that our city gets destroyed every few months-"

"More like every few days," she teases, tying back her golden hair. "How about we find some dragons to adopt?"

"Tempting, but where would you keep them?"

"They could sleep in my room-"

She breaks off when she notices him laughing. "What?"

"N- nothing," Cole replies, in between laughs. "Jay and I just made a bet."

"On what?"

"How many dragons you've adopted. I bet at least six, he bet fifteen."

"Well, jokes on both of you - I'm pretty sure my advisor's going to throw a fit if I show up with another one," she starts, giggling. "We've got twenty living in the palace right now."

"Twenty dragons?"

"They're so cute! You just look into their adorable little eyes," Vania pauses for breath, continuing her animated gesturing, "and you can't help but wanna hug them!"

"Oh, Jay's going to be so mad."

"Aww, I'm sorry guys. They're just too adorable!"

"...Wanna hear a funny story?"

"Yeah, sure!"

"I actually used to be terrified of dragons-"

"No way!" Vania exclaims. "Y'all have been on a lot of adventures though, so-"

"Nah, we used to have our own dragons at first. They were pretty cool! I just- I'm a simple guy! Huge animals with wings are scary up close when you're barely a teenager."

"Or when you're really short-"

"We're the same height!" Cole exclaims, facepalming in a bit of a fondly exasperated way.

"I'm two years younger than you-"

---

"Ugh, whose idea was this?"

"Yours," Vania grins, sitting down on the kitchen counter.

"You were supposed to help me, not leave me high and dry!" Cole accuses jokingly, staring at all the appliances they'd found in the cupboards.

"'One must always be prepared for new adventures,'" she quotes seamlessly, waving one of- what was his name again? Mulch something? Oh! Clutch! Some explorer he was, leaving them to die in the pyramid - Clutch Powers' books in the air.

"Fine," he sighs, staring at the old recipe book she'd found in one of their back cupboards. "But you've gotta help me? I almost burned down-" "Woah, what? If you finish that sentence with 'kitchen'-" "In my defense, Kai was playing a prank on me-" "In my defense, I wouldn't like to explain how the queen of Shintaro burnt down the palace by teaching one of her friends to cook," she grins, flipping through the pages. "What do you wanna start with?" "Something simple?" "Have you ever tried baking bread before? It's a lot of fun!" "I haven't really had the time, but that sounds kinda interesting."

He skims the recipe, raising his eyebrows. "Wait, why does this take hours? I thought you said it was simple?"

"Trust me, it is," she laughs, adding, "besides, I still wanna hear about all your adventures!" "Uh... okay," Cole replies hesitantly, "but if this fails, I'm so sorry." "Give yourself some credit, you guys literally saved the world! Multiple times!" "Bold of y'all to assume we know how we did it," he laughs, only half-kidding. "Besides. I botched soup once."

"I've botched toast," she mock-sighs, smiling. "Pretty sure that makes us even."

"Lemme get this straight. You've messed up toasting bread, but you can bake it from scratch?"

"Trust me, I don't know either," she giggles, trying to open a brightly coloured packet of... something? Did flour come in packets that small?

"Uh, why are you opening something called 'feast'?" he asks, eyebrows creased in confusion.

"Feast," she echoes, trying to stifle her laughter. "Off to a... rocky start, aren't we?"

It took him a second.

"I already regret this," he jokes, facepalming. "But I'd say that your puns are, uh, gold."

"I've un- unleashed-" breaking off, she half-falls off the counter, laughing so hard her face starts to go red, "a monster."

---

"Uh, is it supposed to look like that?" Cole asks, frowning.

The mixture looked less like the dough he'd been expecting - more like one of Jay's inventions gone wrong.

Badly wrong, he thought, eyes widening at the goopy mess of foam that threatened to spill over the jug.

"The yeast?" Vania echoes, poking her head out of one of the cupboards. "Yeah, all good! It always looks a little gross, and you're gonna doubt ever eating bread again, but at least it doesn't taste like it's fermented-"

"It's what?"

"Yeah," she grimaces, exaggerating her disgust a bit. "If aliens ever fell from the sky, they'd think we were crazy for eating bread-"

"Aliens? I think we're a bit crazy!" Cole exclaims, trying not to laugh.

Vania smiles, then sighs, lugging a huge bag of flour onto the counter. "I can never open these bags properly," she starts, eyeing the the bag a bit warily, "and it always makes such a huge mess all over the kitchen. You'd think they'd make it easier for people to use, right? I swear-"

He jokingly puts his hands over his ears. "I can't hear you!" "But you know that I've sworn off swearing-" she replies, breaking off with a laugh. "Pun not intended - that actually made sense in my head. I swear!"

"No," Cole interjects with a grin, shaking his head. "You don't, remember?"

"See, this is why we're friends-"

"Friends? Is that all I am to you?"

"Oh, be quiet," she shoots back, exaggeratedly dragging a hand down her face. "I mean, sure, just because everyone thinks that we're dating doesn't mean that we-"

Wait. What?

"People think that we're dating?" he asks, clamping a hand over his mouth in a poor attempt to muffle his laughter. "I- I- really?"

"I know, right?"

"Even my friends thought so at first," he confesses, dragging a hand down his face. "I mean, as much as I love you-"

"I love you too," Vania replies, completely seriously. "Even if you'll always be more like an annoying-"

"Hey-"

"Sibling to me than anything else," she finishes, grabbing a pair of scissors. Cole watches, a little alarmed, as she stabs them into the flour bag over and over.

"Is it... supposed to be this difficult to just open the bag? Seems kinda stupid-"

"Well, er, they have this piece of paper with glue that you're supposed to pull away from the rest of the bag, but it never works properly and I-"

"Well, we could always make our own flour," Cole interjects, laughing. "I mean, I've got a scythe? Let's go!"

"Uh, but we don't have wheat growing here. I don't think it'd suit the climate very well?"

"Wheat a shame," Cole sighs jokingly, measuring out the flour (which had, finally, escaped the bag).

"Oh my gosh," Vania deadpans, "you did not just-"

"Yep, I did."

"You're horrible," she giggles, "then again, I was the one who started this whole debacle, so I think we'll share the blame."

"Debacle? Where'd you pick that one up from? Sounds kinda cool-"

"Oh, it's from a book someone wrote about you guys," Vania says casually, pouring a cup of water into the bowl.

"Hey, uh-" Cole starts hesitantly, twisting his fingers back and forth, then breaks off. "Why'd you read all that stuff about us, anyways? Adventure books don't really seem like something you read a lot, since we have similar favorite books. I mean..."

"Well, um..." Vania trails off, clearly uncomfortable. "Uh- I guess, well, it sounds kinda stupid, but I'd never really met anyone my age who wasn't a royal or something. I... er, I didn't want to be left out, you know?"

Cole thinks back to a scroll; a quest, a sacrifice. One that his friends never seemed to really notice, unless it was with horror or flinches. Not that he blamed them, but - joking about how he was much more useful to the team when he was freaking dead than he was before he'd stumbled and fell in the temple?

That had been a bit far, even for his best friend. Locks could always be picked or something, he didn't need to be a ghost to provide some sort of value-

Well, that's not completely true, is it? a small voice questions, and he can't keep his hands from shaking a little.

"Jay here thinks you're the least valuable ninja."

Not enough to be a performer. Now, not good enough to even be a ninja, apparently.

Well, he reminds himself firmly, you don't have to be the best - just stand up to those who are cruel and unjust.

Nothing but a scar that glowed warm orange occasionally left of the whole Cursed Realm ordeal, sometimes it was all too easy to forget - or pretend - that it had never even happened in the first place.

Other times, like when he'd dropped a glass of water on the floor and his hands hadn't stopped shaking for hours, or when he woke up screaming, expecting to fall through his bed again, it still felt like he was trapped as a ghost. Literally - and maybe a little figuratively as well.

Yeah. Yeah, I know.

"Thanks for trusting me with that," he replies softly. "And I'm sorry. That sounds... horrible, but, honestly, you're a pretty cool person, and I ain't just saying that because we're friends. People can be awful, and they can- they can leave, but you don't need to pretend to be someone you're not for people to accept you. I kinda know what it's like, and it's... just, uh, not great."

"No, thank you," Vania says, rubbing her eyes. "You're pretty cool, too. And I'm glad that we become friends, even if wasn't in the- the, er, greatest circumstances."

"Right back at ya. The fall was pretty terrifying, though," Cole says casually, as if memories of that nightmarish plunge into the depths of earth don't still send shivers down his spine.

"No, definitely! I was so sure we were gonna splat onto the ground or something, thank gosh we didn't."

"Yeah..." Cole trails off, reading the recipe they'd been following. "Oh- do we just leave the bowl somewhere for a few hours now?"

"Oh, yeah," Vania answers. "Other than clean up the kitchen, what else do you wanna do?"

"That's kind of you, but, ah, I don't mind. You can choose something."

"I don't mind either," she replies, covering the bowl with a dishcloth. "Seriously, I don't."

"Same here though."

"Really, I don't mind-" Vania breaks off with a laugh, adding, "Well, actually, there is something."

She doesn't elaborate, thoughtfully gazing out the window.

"Well, what is it? Don't keep me in the dark."

"Ugh, it's kinda stupid-"

"I'm sure that it's not- well, unless you want to try to jump off a flying ship with a homemade parachute to prove a bet to someone-"

"Do I even wanna know?"

"...uh, probably not. We're way too crazy sometimes, our Master has a hard time keeping us in check. Your thing, though?"

"Can I give you a hug?"

Cole blinks for a second, expecting some sort of punchline.

"That's your thing?"

"Well, yeah- I mean, I said it was kinda stupid-"

"No no, that's not what I meant. You're so sweet - that's all."

"Well, not more than you-"

"Nah, you're sweeter-"

"Let's just call it a tie," Vania says with a smile, reaching over to give her friend a hug. "Thank you so much, I swear- well, no, I don't, but you know, anyways-"

"Yeah," Cole replies, laughing softly. "I know."

12 notes · View notes

fluffy-lee-boa · 3 years ago

Text

Arkham’s Sweetheart and the Grumpy Riddle Bug

a batman rogue ticklefic uwu

A/N: hey everyone!!! this took me a bit, but it kinda got away from me and turned into a little story of its own haha. i wrote this with the animated universe in mind, but honestly i think it’ll work with a few.

anyways, this was a request! lee!edward getting ganged up on by ler!harley and ler!pamela. hope you like it!!!

It was rare that anyone in Arkham would be such a ray of sunshine, being the drab and dank place that it is, but Harley Quinn was definitely the exception. Despite her treatment at the hands of guards, her clown of an ex, and the bat alike, she was always surprisingly upbeat as she passed through the halls of the facility, hands cuffed behind her back.

Her cheery attitude didn’t exactly mesh with her fellow rogues, though none of them were immune to her disarming charms. This meant that the room full of murderers and scoundrels all took pause when she entered, giving her soft smiles or begrudging greetings as she went ahead to settle into the rec room.

Well, all but one person.

Edward Nashton, or Nygma, as he had legally changed it to, was not exactly chipper on this stormy day- not that he was ever “chipper.” It’s just that today he seemed more put off than usual, based on the way he was stewing in the corner. There was an abandoned chessboard on the table beside him, likely from Jervis or Jonathan having grown frustrated with his attitude mid-game. It wasn’t uncommon, though it did present a challenge to the doctor as she assessed the situation.

Edward was one of her closest friends. It would be a crime not to help him out! He obviously needed someone there to cheer him up, for whatever reason, and who better than the sweetheart of Arkham herself?

(No, not Ivy. She was currently busy by the window, gardening. Though Harley was sure she could get her to help out if necessary.)

“Hey Eddie~!” She cooed as she skipped over and took the seat across from him, giving that same magical smile.

Edward gave her a half-hearted, “Quinn.” not even looking up from the floor.

Hmph. This was worse than she thought!

“What’s got ya so wound up today, hon?” she asked, a bit of her professionalism seeping through from her days as a staff member in this same institution.

He raised an eyebrow at her, before staring back at the ground with a rather childish, “You just wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.” she deadpanned, leading to her fellow inmate to purse his lips.

Edward knew that Harley was not somebody to underestimate. While Joker had tossed her aside and treated her like a jockey, he could tell she was much more intelligent than she let on. She was also stubborn- Which meant there wasn’t much of a chance of him getting out of this without telling her the truth.

He sighed, finally looking directly at her as he laid his chin in his hands, “It’s Batman. I’m sure you’re aware I was only just sent back here yesterday... I have reason to believe he’s found someone else to antagonize. Why won’t he realize that I’m the only one in this city who’s worthy of being his equal...?”

Harley blinked, a part of her tempted to admit that pretty much everyone but him knew he was a second tier villain at best. Though she knew how fragile the other’s ego was, and what he really needed right now was moral support. Like a break up! He’d been there for her when she went through her messy separation, albeit with his usual awkward stoniness, so it was only right that she return the favor.

“Aw, come on Ed. He’s not worth your time.” she waved her hand dismissively, “If anything, he should be locked up in here with us! He’s no better than... Jonathan! Just using fear to escape a lonely life and exert some sort of sick power over others.”

From the couch across the room, Crane looked up from his book, unimpressed. Clearly, he wanted no part of this.

Harley gave an awkward laugh and wave to her old professor, before turning back to Edward, “-Either way, I think you could do better.”

Edward raised an eyebrow, “...Really?”

She nodded, swinging her legs excitedly, “Yeah! Once we bust outta here, we should get you on some dating apps. Maybe go to a few Comic Cons. There’s gotta be someone out there who’s just as nerdy as you-!” she giggled as she poked him in the shoulder teasingly, watching the other puff up defensively.

“I don’t need a partner! I need a rival to sharpen my wits. I just- I want him to see that we’re the same. Is that too much to ask?” Edward snapped, pouting once more.

Harley’s smile faded for a moment, and she seemed to think for a moment, “....Get up.”

“What?” Edward seemed baffled at the sudden order, especially coming from her.

“Stand up! I wanna try somethin’!” She beamed, motioning for the other to get out of his chair. At this point, most of the other inmates were busy in their own little worlds, though a few took notice when Nygma stood. Especially since Harley looked so unnervingly excited.

Quinn walked over with a rather threatening look in her eye, hidden by her giddy smile, “Ok, now put your hands up.”

He hesitated, leading to a gentle, “Come on~! I’m not gonna hurt ya!”

Edward nervously raised his arms above his head, his baggy uniform falling over his slender form due to weeks of avoiding meals. He’d probably been up for days, based on his demeanor. He really put his whole heart and soul into this rivalry, Harley thought.

These small details of the other’s appearance only spurred on the psychiatrist as she stalked around him like a predator, deciding she knew exactly what she had to do. Then, when she was sure he wouldn’t expect it, Harley clamped down under his arms, wiggling her fingers against his skin through the loose fabric. In her opinion, laughter was the best medicine, and if Eddie was going to hold back like that, she certainly wasn’t.

If no one had been paying attention to them before, Edward sharp yelp would have tipped everybody off. He immediately brought his arms back down with a strangled giggle, doing his best to shoot Harley a look as she continued with her hands wedged under his arms.

She merely laughed along in response, cooing, “Awh Eddie, you’re so cute when you’re laughing like this. Kitchy koo~!”

“Harleen!” he hissed through gritted teeth, his cheeks already a bright red color as he tried to squirm free of her grasp.

After a moment he managed to pull away and get those blasted fingers out from his hollows- only for his arm to once again by suspended above him by some unidentifiable force. He looked up in horrified confusion, only to find thick vines wrapped around each wrist, holding him up like he was the catch of the day at Gotham Harbor..

“ISLEY!”

The purring voice of the botanist did nothing to soothe his flustered anger as she appeared beside her current partner in crime, “Yes, Edward...?”

Eddie bit down on his cheek to keep himself from bursting into laughter from the light yet overwhelming sensations, leading to his fiery responses being entirely silenced. Harley had barely even let up while the fiendish red-head had done her work, her fingers now trailing up his biceps and back down just to make him jump.

“Look Eddie, we just wanna help ya! Now, be a good little gigglebug and laugh.” Harley gave her victim an evil smirk, before moving down to dig into his prominent ribs.

Edward immediately acted like all the air had been sucked from his lungs, before he finally fell into real, authentic laughter. It was honestly a marvel that no guard had come to check on the group yet, considering how noisy they’d become both from Edward’s current predicament, and the snickers of onlookers.

His laugh was more sweet and melodic than most people would think, and it was almost bouncy as he squirmed around. It sounded much more innocent than the man who was behind it.

“C’mon Eddie, that’s it,” Pamela hummed as she stepped around him, obviously enjoying watching the other get so flustered. His cheeks heated up as she fluttered her leaves and flower petals across his neck from the greenery continuing to hold him up, affectively turning his mind to mush.

“Youhou’re both dEAHAHAEEEE-!” Edward’s final attempt at a threat fell off into a squeal when Harley suddenly moved down to his hip bones with her own sporadic movements, making him buck as he tried to pull his arms free.

“Jackpot!” Harley sang, focusing all her attention on the dips and protruding bone. She was pure evil alright.

Edward’s squealing soon tapered off into begging and hiccuping giggles as he slowly lost his energy, all of which were practically indecipherable anyways, “Harleen! Pleaseheheheease-! Noho-!”

Harley hesitated, making an over-exaggerated face as if contemplating something grand, “Mmm... I don’t think you’re all cheered up yet...”

“I aham Ihihihiamm-!!!” He wheezed, his laughter starting anew as Quinn moved up a little to trace at his sides.

Harley and Ivy shared a look, and Harley eventually shrugged, slowing her movements to a stop. He’d had enough for the day.

Edward immediately sunk to the floor as Ivy’s vines guided him in a manner that would keep him from injuring himself, and soon the green weeds bloomed flowers to serve as a sort of mattress for the man to rest on. He continued giggling airily from the leftover ghost tickles and slight movements of the flora, the two watching. him curiously. Eventually he looked up at the both of them with a more genuine, honestly pretty cheesy smile.

There’s the Edward they knew and loved!

Harley was the first to react, per usual. She squealed excitedly and went to tackle him in a hug, which he begrudgingly returned as Ivy sat down cross legged beside them on their living carpet. The rest of the rogues had gone back to their own business, leaving the three to their own devices now that Edward had been so fiercely pulled out of his funk.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Edward spoke up with a surpassingly shy, “Er... thank you. Both. I needed that. Even if it was insufferable, it was... nice.”

Harley simply hummed happily and hugged him tighter, while Ivy was left to wave him off. He made Harley happy, so he was clearly worth their time.

Harley remained cuddled up between the two indefinitely after it was all said and done, rambling on about nothing in particular and helping get Ed’s mind off of the Bat for once in his life. And after recreational hours were done? She would get Edward to a meal and help him get back to his feet before their next breakout and/or parole hearing. And even if she acted aloof, Ivy would be with them every step of the way.

#lee!riddler #ler!harley #ler!ivy #batman tickles #tickle fic #dc tickles

23 notes · View notes

for-the-ninth · 3 years ago

Note

“There’s no problem a well-aimed fireball can’t fix.”

Happy Friday everyone! I've only got two prompts in my inbox currently and one of them is from last week, so feel free to keep sending more :) This one was so much fun to write, so thank you!! @dadrunkwriting

Featuring Cullen, Shielan & her young apprentices, Aedan & Elspeth

Shielan and Cullen crouched behind a thick line of bushes with Aedan and Elspeth at the rear.

"Will you move?" Aedan whispered. "I can't see!"

"That's because you're short, and it's also not my problem," Elspeth hissed. Aedan returned her sentiment with a sharp pinch to her shoulder, and she cried out.

Shielan whirled her head around and spoke through gritted teeth. "Stop touching each other this fucking instant or I will hang you from a tree by your toes." She rolled her eyes and returned her focus to the scene before them—the back door of a noble's house, locked up tight with two well-armed guards stationed on either side.

"I'll take the left, you take the right," Cullen whispered. "Sound good?"

Shielan nodded and turned over her shoulder to address her apprentices. Aedan and Elspeth sat utterly still and silent, facing away from one another with their arms folded over their chests.

"I cannot emphasize enough how little patience I have for your petty bullshit tonight," she said. "Rutherford and I go in and the two of you stay here—no talking, no touching, no moving. Anything goes pear-shaped, you take the horses and run." Elspeth scoffed. "And leave you here? Not a chance." This time, it was Shielan who pinched her arm. "Why does everyone keep doing that?"

"Because you're goddamned annoying and make it everyone's problem," Aedan said with a self-satisfied smirk. Cullen's shoulders shook as he silently stifled a chuckle. "Listen, both of you"—Shielan put one hand on each of their shoulders—"look out for one another and let us handle the rest. Can you do that?" Elspeth rolled her eyes but nodded, and Aedan grunted in half-hearted agreement. Shielan shook her head and muttered, "Every day I question my desire to reproduce." She and Cullen flipped up their hoods and rose to their feet slowly. The area was well lit by torches on either side of the doorway, but the perimeter was shrouded in darkness and they used it to their advantage, creeping through the shadows with their backs against the walls as they slinked closer to the guards. They were covered from head to toe in steel armor, each with a broadsword hanging from their hip. They chatted casually and Shielan listened carefully. The one closest to her was slurring his words, either from exhaustion or inebriation, but either way, he'd be easy to take out. She couldn't get an eye on his comrade, but noticed he responded to the other guard with little more than obligatory laughter and the occasional grunt of acknowledgement. He was dead sober, annoyed with his partner's frivolity, and would put up more of a fight.

Shielan aimed her hands at a tree in the distance and cast a shadow in human form beneath its branches. As suspected, the sober guard noticed first.

"You see that?" he whispered.

"See what?" the other guard replied. A beat of silence passed. "Probably just an animal." Shielan sent the shadow walking across the path ahead of them, just far away enough to make the illusion convincing.

The drunk guard hummed to himself and took a few steps forward, bending over with his hands on his knees as he tried to get a better look.

"Intruder!" called the sober guard. He drew his sword and marched toward the shadow, ready to strike. "Show yourself, lest ye be slayed."

The other guard lagged behind, unsheathing his blade in slow motion. In three lightning quick movements, Shielan had his helmet off, his mouth clamped shut, and his eyes heavy with sleep. He fell to the ground, face against the dirt, and she slipped back into the shadows before his comrade could return. The shadow form disappeared, and the sober guard stood for a moment, turning from side to side and scanning the area as though it might come back. When he was satisfied, he turned around and trudged back to the door, throwing his hands up in exasperation upon seeing his partner passed out.

"For fuck's sake," he muttered, shaking his head. The moment his back was turned, Cullen tore the helmet from his face and wrapped his hands around the guard's neck. At first, the guard's hands shot to his neck. When he realized he couldn't free himself from Cullen's grasp, he drew his sword and swung blindly. Cullen used his leverage to turn the guard's body with each swing and avoid the impact of his blade, keeping his fingers clasped tight around the man's neck. Finally, he passed out and sank to the ground.

"Nice work, Rutherford." Shielan stood with her hands on her hips, scanning the surroundings for more guards, but they were met with no sound but the chirping crickets of the night. She waved her hand high, and her apprentices came bounding out of the bushes like halla in springtime. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "What is it you think I mean when I say 'be discreet?'" They stared at her as though it were the first time she'd ever said such a thing. "Nevermind. Aedan, go."

The boy crouched at the foot of the door, grinning from ear to ear as he fished through his pack for his favorite tools. Shielan observed him intently as he worked to pick the lock, while Cullen kept watch over the perimeter, and Elspeth stood some distance away, staring out into the treeline. After a few moments, Aedan sat back and hung his head. "Sorry, Boss."

"Let me try," Shielan replied. She took his place at the foot of the door, scrunching her face in concentration as she gently worked against the mechanisms of the lock. It didn't take long to figure out why the picks weren't working. She stood and returned Aedan's tools.

"It's not your fault. The lock is—"

A sizzling bolt of flame whizzed past her head and smacked against the doorknob, melting it away into nothing. Seconds later, a gust of wind followed, extinguishing the flame before it could reach the wood of the door. Cullen, Aedan and Shielan all turned to stare at Elspeth, who stood before them with her hands on her hips.

"What?" She shrugged her shoulders and folded her arms over her chest. "You said yourself there's no problem a well-aimed fireball can't fix."

Shielan smiled in spite of herself. "I suppose I did say that, didn't I?"

#dadrunkwriting #my writing #shielan lavellan #aedan of kirkwall #cullen rutherford #elspeth

3 notes · View notes

talesofnovembria · 3 years ago

Note

💭

A childhood memory

(Monochrome-Lewis)

SEND ME A “💭“ AND YOUR MUSE WILL EXPERIENCE ONE OF MY MUSE’S MEMORIES

Salena’s unfocused attention had come back to reality, memories that were not her own finally fading out from her mind. She could still remember the feelings as if she had been there in the moment. Weak knees, her body fighting against her, unable to do the one thing she was meant to do. Praying. She did no such thing. No one was out there to listen to her. Gods were real, but to her, they may as well have stayed a myth. None ever answered her, so why should she offer anything in return?

Most were more trouble than they were worth.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a gentle squeeze of her hand. Head moved up, blue eyes meeting white. Lewis was still here? Right, the vial each of them drank from. Why would he leave her when he was the one who invited her to see it in the first place. It had been his mistake first, one she thought to help ease. Enduring was one thing she was good at.

A small smile crossed along her muzzle, returning the gesture back to the monochromatic spirit, “I’m alright Lewis.” Relief seemed to wash over his face. No surprise there. It probably was not the best experience to sit there, unable to do anything as the person sitting across from you was lost within their own mind. There’s a small throbbing in her head along with the subtle feelings within her body.

Also not a surprise…

Until it started growing worse. Why was her head hurting so much?

Not even he could figure out what was going on. He moved down the hall of her mind. There were many memories of her’s that were not closed off, not like so many dealing with painful points in her past. He wasn’t sure how long he had been floating when he finally noticed the opened door. Neither one sharing this body opened that door...

Ears pulled back as Lewis’ attention seemed to fall out of focus. How could she have overlooked this detail? Why wouldn’t a liquid meant to share memories go both ways? She gave a squeeze to the ghost’s hand, calling out to him… though her voice seemed to get further and further away…

----

You find yourself in a land not your own.

You’re waking up in bed, far younger than you recall being. You can’t be much older than a young teenager. The interior you find yourself in is not like the modern structures you are used to. This is much more like a log cabin, wooden furniture and furs added in to complete the look. You take a moment to peer out the window next to your bed. There are other cabins like the one you find yourself in, a couple on the outskirts of this village are taller than the rest. You can guess they are probably for means of storage.

You pull the sheets off your body, changing into a plaid outfit. You could see many others were wearing something similar when you took a peak at your new location. You can feel a sense of excitement racing through your body. You remember your father has promised to take you out this time for one of his trips. Your siblings always go with him, and you could come a few times… but not very far, or for very long.

You race out of your room, heading towards the living space of your home. There waiting for you is your father and two siblings. You can feel your excitement falter slightly when your eyes reach their own. There’s hesitation in them… a small hint of regret? No… you can’t let that get you down. You’ve been waiting for this chance, a chance to show you can be just as good as your siblings. You can hunt animals just as well as they can.

They let you come.

You all leave together.

The four of you pass under the wooden gateway that marks the entrance to your village. Pine trees tower over you as you all fall the dirt lined path into the Hills. Neither of those ahead of you are keeping an eye on you, though that does not seem to bother you.

Once the four of you have gotten to a fair distance away from the village, you all stop among the trees. Your father takes this opportunity to turn to his three children, you included. It’s a test of sorts. The three of you are meant to split up, set up traps, keep track of them, and come home at the end of the day with whatever you managed to catch. This is the perfect chance to show you can hunt just as well as your siblings.

Yes… you didn’t do as well as them… and sometimes you didn’t understand things like they did… but you could still be of worth to your family.

You split away from your siblings, trying to figure out the best place to start. Maybe the rivers where many of the bears tend to flock to? Maybe that would be a little too ambitious. Start laying traps near the fields and woods? The stags and wolves would make for a good catch. You could even take leaves nearby to cover them. Smaller prey was easier to catch, but you feel it won’t impress your father. Still, coming back home with anything is going to be better than nothing.

You can feel yourself growing a little frustrated when some of your traps snap. You should be better than this by now. Don’t let it get the better of you. Try again… better… When you finish, you begin gathering up leaves. You can’t just leave your traps anywhere. You need to find some tracks, lay the traps there. If animals have crossed one path, there’s reason to assume they would again.

That frustration boils back to the surface, as it takes you longer than you would have liked to find those tracks. Once you do, you make sure to lay the traps along the grassy part of their trail, leaving the leaves you collected over them. You made sure you left the traps near some trees, helping them to blend in more than they would have otherwise.

Well… that was the planning done. Now it was time to start making rounds.

Disappointment crashes over you when you return to your first traps. Seems even the smaller animals are outsmarting you. You can’t let this get you down. You continue along, making sure to be as quiet as possible. You can’t mess this up.

You begin making your way back to where you laid the metal traps along the ground. Still nothing. Your eyes peer above you, using it to check the time. It was getting into the afternoon. Surely animals would be out right? Were you just unlucky? Were you really not ready for this? No, you can’t think like that. You have to do this. You were sure you’d done everything right.

So why were none of them working?

Well… it does appear you have done everything right… but managed to catch the wrong thing. You must have forgotten where you laid one of your traps, either that or you did a good job hiding it. You can hear the subtle sound of a ‘click’ before a metal sheen snaps up from the ground. Sharp teeth clamp down on your leg, shooting waves of pain. You let out a scream, falling down against the nearby tree. You can see red dripping against metal and the earth beneath you. Tears well up in your eyes as you move your arms up to try and force the trap off.

Why? Why now does it seem like you don’t have the strength to do so? Your leg is trembling, and the struggle you’re putting up is only proving to make things worse. The pain is getting to be too much. You have to get free.

But you can’t.

You watch as the sun passes over you from between the lines of trees. The pain is growing unbearable, and eventually you find yourself leaning against the tree, closing your eyes. Were you going to keep bleeding out here like this…? Surely your family would notice when you do not turn up…

And sure enough, they do.

You’re awoken to the sound of their voices. When you take another glance up into the sky, you see that evening is upon you. The voices start to grow quieter, which causes you to call out to them. They must have heard you, as they grow louder, coming to where you are. It’s your father and siblings. They all came looking for you. You should be happy.

But one look at their faces tarnishes any feeling of relief.

There is nothing but disappointment in your father’s gaze. You can see your siblings gaze upon you with disbelief. How could you have gotten caught in one of your own traps? Neither one of them lift a finger to help you, leaving that to your father. He manages to pry the teeth off your leg, letting you slowly remove it before hearing it fully clamp shut. You use a tree to pull yourself up onto your feet. You can see them starting to walk ahead… without you.

You hobble after them, your father eventually turning around to help you the rest of the way home. You can tell he is more annoyed with you than he is concerned, even though he is not looking at you.

Once you return home, you hobble as fast as you can to your room. You don’t want any of them to see you. You don’t want to see or hear your siblings mock you. You don’t want to be crushed under your father’s disappointment. You don’t want to stand there as your mother does nothing to help. You collapse on your bed, the tears returning.

As you lay there, your last thought racing through your head is wondering why you can’t just do something that would be worthy of his approval. Eventually, your tears and pain cause you to slip again, your eyes closing.

#bitch in armor - salena #meme reply #monochrome-lewis #tw; blood #((Man it's been a while since I wrote in the second person))#((Thought it would be a neat way to write someone else))#((But from Sal's point of view))#((You got one more to go Mono))#helpful? hollow - the good doctor

4 notes · View notes

theundercovermarvelfan · 3 years ago

Text

(Image Credit: Whumptober Challenge Tumblr)

@whumptober2021

Day Nineteen

Just A Scratch

Bitten | Bleeding | Stabbing

It was supposed to be a simple fact finding mission. Get in, find out what this sketchy organization was up to and then get back out and plan from there. The theory was that the group was working on some kind of biological weapon. When Bucky heard the term biological weapon, he thought of some kind of weaponized virus. He did not think of an army of mutants made up of some kind of grotesque mix of machine and animal.

The creatures each had four arms and two legs and could walk upright or on all sixes depending on the situation. They also had large mouths that took up most of their heads, each mouth filled with dozens of viciously sharp teeth. They look unsettlingly like the Outriders used in Thanos’ army, which still haunted Bucky’s nightmares. And when the scientists realized the compound had been compromised, they unleashed the creatures in order to cover their escape.

This was way above Bucky’s paygrade.

“Get out, get out now!” Sam snapped over the comms. as he was flying cover over the compound.

“Way ahead of you,” Bucky gasped as he ran.

He sprinted up the stairs back to the main level as fast as he could, the sound of the creatures scuttling and screeching after him filling the stairwell. Bucky fired his automatic rifle behind him, not bothering to look as he tried to push his legs to move even faster than their already unnaturally fast pace.

Bucky slammed opened the door at the top of the stairwell and flung it closed behind him to try and buy himself some time. But five seconds later there was the unmistakable sound of the door being ripped right off its hinges. So much for that.

He had no chance in such close quarters. He knew he had to get out of that building -- where Sam was anxiously waiting -- as fast as possible.

“Sam, I’m exiting the building on the northeast side,” Bucky said as he ducked into an office, flinging the door shut behind him again.

There was a beat of silence. “Buck, there isn’t a door on the northeast side.”

“I know,” Bucky said shortly.

He put his vibranium arm in front of his face as he launched himself through the nearest window. He tucked his shoulder as he rolled through the grass, came back to his feet and kept on running.

Because he knew those creatures were still right behind him.

“Got your six!” Sam shouted as he let loose explosives over the window where the creatures were now escaping.

Bucky continued a short distance away before he finally spun around and raised his rifle, ready to pick off any creatures that made it through Sam raining fire on them. The creatures were alarmingly resilient, several making it through the explosives as they lunged toward Bucky. Bucky’s aim was perfect, but each creature took too many bullets before it went down. Bucky was backing up as he fired. The first creature went down a few feet away. The second went down about a foot away. The third came within inches.

The fourth lunged and tackled him hard to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. His rifle was knocked out of one hand, but thankfully he was able to hold onto it with the other. He quickly brought the rifle up and was able to shove it longways into the creature’s mouth just before it managed to close it’s teeth over his head. He shoved the creature backward with all his strength as scrambled backward, trying desperately to get enough space between him and the creature so that he could raise the rifle.

And that’s when the creature’s jaws clamped down hard on Bucky’s calf.

Bucky screamed out in agony even as he raised his rifle and shot the thing point point. The creature was knocked back, but managed to catch itself as he started back toward Bucky…

And then a blur of white, blue and red fell from the sky. The shield hit the creature, knocking it farther away from Bucky. Sam landed hard just a few feet away and fired an explosive from his gauntlet, finally taking the creature down.

“Bucky! You okay?” Sam demanded as he rushed over.

“We in the clear?” Bucky asked warily as he glanced back toward the compound.

“Looks like it,” Sam said, glancing back as well to ensure no other creatures were coming after them.

“Good,” Bucky sighed as he dropped his head back down to the ground. As the adrenaline started wearing off, the pain in his leg started washing over him in waves.

“Bucky?” Sam said as he knelt down next to him, looking him up and down.

“Got bit,” Bucky ground out as he clenched his jaw.

“Shit!” Sam said as he looked frantically for the injury.

Bucky figured that the blood must have blended in with his black pants. “Leg,” he managed.

Bucky determinedly looked straight up at the sky, not wanting to see the damage that was done. He felt Sam roll up his pant leg, and judging back the steady stream of curses under his breath Bucky figured it couldn’t look pretty.

“How bad?” Bucky grunted, his gaze still resolutely straight ahead.

“Well, the leg is still attached,” Sam hedged as there was a shuffling noise.

Bucky snorted. “Well,” he said flatly. “Better than when I fell off that train back in ‘45, then.”

“Shit, sorry,” Sam said, seeming to realize that the joke was in bad taste. “I forgot.”

“Lucky you,” Bucky deadpanned.

“It’s bad, but if we stem the blood loss I think you’re super soldier healing can handle it,” Sam said gently. There was suddenly pressure on his calf and Bucky couldn’t stop the yelp of pain as all his muscles tensed. “Sorry, Bucky. Just gotta wrap this up, okay?”

Bucky let out a shuddering breath as he nodded. He clenched his fists and rode out the waves of pain as Sam wrapped his cafe tightly with the bandage he had taken out of the med kit in his suit.

“Done,” Sam finally declared.

Bucky let out a sigh of relief as his muscles finally relaxed. He let his head fall to one side as his eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Shit, he was exhausted.

“Hey, stay with me, Buck,” Sam said as he gently shook Bucky’s shoulder. Bucky looked up at him, seeing the concern that shined freely in his eyes. Bucky still wasn’t used to seeing people care about him. “You got some decent blood loss. I need you to hang in there until we get back to the safehouse and then you can get some rest. Okay.”

“Yeah,” Bucky mumbled.

Sam helped Bucky sit up. Bucky slung his arm over Sam’s shoulder and took several deep breaths. Sam was watching him and waiting for Bucky to nod before he lifted him up. Bucky kept all his weight either on his good leg or on Sam, but the pain still pulsed as he let out a groan. They started forward and Bucky put as little weight as possible on the bad leg, trying to use it only for balance as they moved along.

“Gonna make it?” Sam asked as he was watching Bucky closely. “I can always scoop you up like a new bride and fly us there if you want.”

Bucky snorted a laugh. “No, I’ll make it.” He paused. “Thanks, though.”

“Hey, that’s what coworkers do, right?” Sam said teasingly.

Bucky gave a real laugh this time. “Yeah. Guess that’s what they do.”

#whumptober2021 #no.19 #bitten #bleeding #avengers #tfatws #fic #sam wilson #falcon #buck barnes #winter soldier #the falcon and the winter soldier #whump #fanfiction

5 notes · View notes

thewritewolf · 5 years ago

Text

Black Cats and Chinese Takeout

Marinette is dealing with a broken leg, but thankfully Chat Noir is there to help keep her company while she is homebound. A light hearted Marichat story.

I wrote this for @firebird525 for the discord secret santa!

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

“Marinette, be careful! You don’t want to-”

“Make it worse, yes, I know,” Marinette replied curtly as she hobbled to the couch with her crutches. “I haven’t suddenly forgotten about my broken leg since the last time you told me to be careful.”

“Right.” Marinette glanced over and saw how Tikki’s antenna dropped. Taking a deep breath, Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose to clamp down on her frustration. She was just being concerned for her, after all.

“I’m sorry for snapping, but I don’t like being coddled.” Which was an understatement. With everything that had happened, she felt more vulnerable than ever. Tikki assured her that even outside of the suit she’d heal quickly, but that didn’t help her now. She slowly adjusted herself so her leg was elevated and gestured at the cast. “And this thing doesn’t give me a whole lot of choice in the matter.”

“Well, you know what they say,” came a voice from the window. “A princess deserves to be waited on hand and foot.”

“That pun doesn’t even work,” Marinette said, glaring at a grinning Chat Noir. “My leg is hurt, not my foot.”

He shrugged as he entered the apartment through her window. “Are you sure you didn’t break your funny bone? That joke was pretty humerus to me. Ah well. I guess I’ll just have to do some research ahead of time. You know, get a leg up on it.”

Marinette was unimpressed by his rapid-fire punning. Although she only had herself to blame - Chat was always one to double down on his jokes whenever she pointed out their flaws. Her lips were pressed into a thin line when she saw the two styrofoam take-out containers he was carrying in a plastic bag.

“You don’t have to bring food everytime you come,” she said, but her words were immediately uncut when her stomach growled in protest. “Ignore that.”

“No, ignore her,” Tikki said from her place on Marinette’s shoulder. She deftly dodged out of the way of Marinette’s hand as she half-heartedly swatted at her. “She has been in a mood today. A grumpy one too.”

Chat chuckled. “Looks like you’ve been outvoted, princess.” He tapped at his chin. “Or should I call you ‘my lady’ even when you’re outside the mask?”

“I’d rather you use neither of them,” she said with a huff, crossing her arms.

“I know you don’t mean that. Here.” He passed her a container along with the proper cutlery. “You’ll feel better after you eat.”

“I don’t know, kitty. I don’t trust Chinese food in Paris. Not unless it’s made by my maman.” Despite her words, she begrudgingly she took the offered box. Her eyes widened when she saw the logo on the box. “Is this…?”

“Yup! The owners are close friends of your mom’s, right? I think you told me once that they were about the only people to get it as close to perfect as possible.”

Marinette looked back at her partner and narrowed her eyes. “I definitely did not tell Chat Noir that. It’s bad enough that I messed up - you at least still have to protect your identity.”

His tail flicked back and forth, the only outward sign of his irritation. He grumbled, “Seems kinda pointless now, doesn’t it? It can’t hurt us that much now. Might as well get it over with.”

“No, Chat. And that’s final.” She opened her container and a heavenly scent hit her nose. Despite her annoyance, she sighed in bliss. “Chicken chow mein. My favorite.”

“Oh! Speaking of your favorites…” Chat reached into his magic pockets and pulled out a single red tulip. “For you, my buginette.”

She eyed the flower. While it was definitely her favorite, she wondered if he was aware of its meaning, representing true love. Knowing her cheesy romantic of a partner, it seemed likely.

“Leave it on the table, I’ll find a vase for it later.” She patted the spot on the couch next to her. “Now come on, you got enough food for the both of us. Take a seat.”

Marinette smiled and raised an eyebrow when she saw that he had gotten shrimp fried rice. “Fish for the cat, huh?”

“I promise it’s not just because of the suit, Mari,” he said with a wink.

They ate in silence for a few moments. Despite everything, she did enjoy his company. And he’d been nothing but respectful ever since he discovered her identity, even toning down on the flirting. Although there hadn’t been any akuma fights since her accident, he had made a point of visiting her every night and making sure she was recovering. Usually tag-teaming with Tikki to keep her from doing anything strenuous.

Most of the time, it almost felt like nothing had changed and they were just bantering on the rooftops of Paris in their suits. She was grateful for it at first, but then as he dropped more and more hints that he knew her as a civilian, she began to get worried. Did he back off to let her heal? Or was he no longer interested now that the mystique of Ladybug had been exposed?

It was an irrational fear, she knew that. But she couldn’t help herself. Once the idea had occurred to her, it was hard to shake off.

“You didn’t mess up.”

She was startled out of her own head by Chat’s murmured words. He was watching her carefully. How long he was watching her, she had no idea.

“What?”

“Getting hurt. That was just an accident - you didn’t mess up anything. We beat the akuma perfectly fine.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but that just makes it worse. Since I busted my leg leaving the fight, that means it didn’t get healed like the rest of the city.”

“More terrifying than any akuma fight,” Chat said with a shiver. “Seeing you cry out in pain and just crumble was horrible.” He nudged her with a smirk. “But hey, at least it will make for a funny story later.” He held up his hands as if making a picture frame. “The time Paris’s darling, Ladybug, crashed into a billboard of Paris’s golden child, Adrien Agreste.”

Marinette buried her face in her hands. “Don’t remind me. I’m just glad Alya wasn’t there to get pictures for the Ladyblog. That would’ve been a disaster.”

“And don’t worry - I’ll only tease you about it a little,” he said while patting her back. “I’ll even wait until you’ve recovered.”

“Thanks for bringing me home, by the way.” She gave him a weak smile. “Getting an ambulance to pick me up at home was also very sweet of you. Especially since you were panicking along with me.”

“I wasn’t freaking out! This cat was cool as a cucumber.”

“You were crying as you carried me home.”

“I was feeling a lot of emotions, okay? I finally knew who my lovely lady was.”

“In fact,” she continued, now smirking. “You confused the emergency number because you said that we had a broken leg. I had to explain when they got here that it was just me. My friend had only been very concerned.”

“Can you blame me?” He huffed and pouted. “I was worried… You know how much I care about you.”

Mhm,” she said, even as her heart fluttered. “And thanks for all that, by the way.”

“No problem,” he muttered while picking at his rice again. “Not exactly the romantic reveal I’d had planned, but I’ll take it.”

“...I know I’ll regret asking, but what did you have planned?”

He grinned and rubbed his hands together. He put a hand on her opposite shoulder. “Picture this: Candlelit picnic on the Eiffel Tower. Then a visit to the street where we first met, reminiscing on our first few outings together. How much we’d changed. Then we go to our favorite spot-”

“That alcove in Notre Dame’s tower?” She glanced down at his tail, which had gently wrapped around her waist. He hadn't seemed to notice yet.

He smiled proudly. “The same! With that privacy, we could finally drop our transformations and see each other for who we really are. No masks, no suits. Just us.”

“And a pair of hungry kwami.”

“And that,” he acknowledged with a nod.

“It sounds more like a first date than a reveal ceremony, kitty.”

“Oh, by that point we’d have been dating for ages.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You couldn’t resist my raw animal magnetism and good looks.”

“Uh-huh.”

He sighed. “Missed opportunities.” A grin lit up his face. “Although falling for me is still on the table.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The return of their familiar dance - flirting and pushing him back - lifted a weight of her shoulders as she returned to her food. A comfortable silence settled between them, Marinette feeling more at ease than she had been ever since getting the stupid cast.

“I’m glad it was you.”

Her eyes widened and she looked at Chat. He was wearing the same soft, loving smile that he always wore whenever he thought she wasn’t looking. It was something achingly familiar to her when she was behind the mask. But seeing it directed at her now did more than the last six years of Chat’s flirting had. A blush spread across her face as her breath caught, a realization bubbling to the surface.

Somewhere along the line… she had fallen in love with her silly kitty.

#Miraculous Ladybug #Chat Noir #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Marichat #Tikki #ml fanfiction #my writing #Black Cats and Chinese Takeout #aspsecretsanta

579 notes · View notes

swifteforeverandalways · 3 years ago

Text

Notes: I was honestly not planning on this being as long as it is, but somehow it ended up really long. The disease is real, but is rare. Any questions can be sent to my inbox!

@lilmissriottbliss

“Hey, where’s Raya? Isn't she meeting us up here?” Will asked Natalie as they packed up their stuff from the lockers.

“Yeah, she’s supposed to be. But she did seem pretty quiet this morning and told me she was worried about meeting Owen,” Natalie replied.

“Let’s head down to the lab,” Will suggested as he grabbed his coat. Natalie nodded and grabbed her’s, the two heading to the elevator. A few moments later, the two doctors were in the lab.

“Hey Nancy, is Saraya still here?” Natalie asked the lab desk woman, Nancy Gilman.

“She’s in the back, Dr. Manning. You can come back,” she replied.

“And let me guess, I’m still ‘banned’?” Will asked with a wry smile. Nancy laughed.

“I think for once, Saraya won’t enforce her ‘no boyfriend in lab’ rule,” the older lady said. Will laughed and him and Natalie headed into the lab. Nancy pointed to the lab locker/lounge area and the two headed in. They found Saraya pacing, looking stressed.

“Raya? Everything okay?” Will asked. Saraya’s head snapped up and she sighed, sitting on a bench and rubbing her face.

“Sorry, I just….I guess I’m just worried,” Saraya sighed. Will sat next to her, Natalie on her other side.

“Why?” Will asked.

“Meeting Owen, and Helen. I just….I Dunno,” Saraya sighed and shrugged. Natalie nudged her slightly.

“Owen will love you, I know he will,” Natalie assured her.

“I just…..both of you are doctors and what if he doesn’t understand what it is the lab does?” Saraya said.

“You can always bring stuff from here, at least something, right?” Will asked. Saraya frowned briefly before nodding and standing.

“I’ll be right back,” she said before heading out to the supply closest. Saraya returned a few minutes later with a box in hand.

“Pipettes?” Natalie asked, raising an eyebrow. Saraya nodded, “Yeah.”

“Is it okay to take them? I mean, don’t you like need them?” Natalie asked

“We got extra in with our last shipment. I know Nancy took some for her grandkids to play with, so I’m sure I’ll be fine to take them,” Saraya assured her. Natalie frowned still looking worried. Saraya sighed, though smiling, as she poked her head out.

“Hey Hanna, C’mere for a moment!” Saraya called to her boss. Hanna entered the locker room.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“Mind if I take this extra box of pipettes home?” Saraya asked.

“Today’s the day you’re meeting Dr. Manning’s son, isn’t it?” Hanna recalled. Saraya nodded.

“Go ahead, we have plenty,” Hanna said.

“Thank you,” Saraya said, putting the box under her arm before going to her locker, grabbing her coat.

“Let me,” Will reached for the box. Saraya rolled her eyes fondly but let Will take the box.

“Thanks,” she pecked his cheek. Will smiled and the three headed up and out to their car. A little while later, they arrived at Helen Manning’s house, still in their scrubs. Natalie walked up to the door and knocked on it. It was opened and an older woman stood there.

“Natalie, hi, it’s so good to see you again,” Helen said, pulling her daughter-in-law into a hug.

“Hey Helen. You remember Will?” Natalie said. Will waved awkwardly.

“Dr. Halstead,” Helen nodded. Will gently placed his hand on the small of Saraya’s back, leading her forward.

“This is Saraya Grant. She Uh….she lives with us,” Will said. Helen studied Saraya intensely and Saraya just kept eye contact with the older woman.

“Do you work at the hospital too?” She asked, noting the scrubs. Saraya nodded.

“I work at Chicago Med too, but in the lab,” she replied.

“What exactly does that involve?” Helen asked. Saraya internally rolled her eyes at the question she had received so many times before. Instead of seeming annoyed, she just gave the same answer as usual.

“I perform all the tests that need to be done. So when Nat or Will order like a CBC or CMP, the blood gets sent to the lab and we test it and report the results to our docs,” Saraya replied.

“We couldn’t do it without them,” Natalie replied with a smile. Helen nodded and looked at the box.

“What’s in there?” She asked.

“Pipettes. We use them in the lab. They’re all disposable and I thought that maybe Owen would like to play with some?” Saraya said, her voice turning unsure.

“Well Will and Natalie have bought him doctor’s kits…” Helen said.

“Can we please come in now, it’s a bit chilly out,” Natalie said.

“Oh yes. Of course,” Helen said and ushered the three in. Tiny footsteps approached and a child’s voice yelled out.

“Mommy!” A small boy ran to Natalie, who knelt down and pulled him into a hug.

“Hey sweetheart,” Natalie smiled, a look of pure adoration on her face that Saraya had never seen before.

“Hey Big Man,” Will knelt by Natalie.

“Mr. Will!” Owen released himself from Natalie and threw himself into Will’s arms. Will hugged the young boy tightly as Natalie stood, moving to stand next to Saraya.

“Hey Owen, Mr. Will and I wanted to introduce you to our really, really good friend. This is Saraya,” Natalie said. Saraya knelt down as Owen looked at her.

“You’re pretty,” he blurted out. Saraya smiled.

“Thanks Owen,” she replied. Owen smiled back shyly and pointed to the box.

“What’s that?” He asked curiously.

“These are pipettes, see I work with your mom and Mr. Will at the hospital, but I work in the laboratory to help them make people feel better by giving them facts that will help them find out what makes people sick. Pipettes help me in the lab and we had some extra so I was thinking you could have them,” Saraya explained carefully.

“Can I play with them?” Owen asked. Saraya smiled.

“Of course!” She exclaimed. Owen beamed and hugged her. Saraya laughed fondly and hugged back.

For the next hour or so, Saraya sat with Owen in the living room showing him how to use the pipettes while Will sat on the couch, watching. Natalie helped Helen with dinner in the kitchen, talking in low tones. As he sat, Will noticed Owen blinking a lot and rubbing his eyes. Frowning, the ginger haired doctor checked his phone. It was only six thirty and he knew Owen was always full of energy. He also noticed a light sheen of sweat on Owen’s.

“Hey Big Guy, you okay?” Will stood from the couch and crouched near Owen.

“My head kind of hurts and I’m really hot,” Owen said, his voice small.

“Can I check out your neck for a moment?” Will asked softly. Will nodded and felt Owen’s lymph nodes, frowning when he could feel they were swollen.

“Ow!” Owen cried. Panic began rising in both Will and Saraya but they clamped it down.

“Nat, can you come in here?” Saraya called. Natalie and Helen walked into the living room.

“What’s wrong?” Natalie asked. Will ran a hand through his hair.

“His head hurts, he’s feverish, his lymphs are swollen. We need to take him in,” he replied.

“What’s going on?” Helen demanded.

“We think Owen might be sick,” Will said as Saraya lifted Owen’s arm, noticing something on it.

“Is this a bite? When did it happen?” She asked.

“Owen’s class went to the zoo last week and he got bit by an insect, why?” Helen replied. Instead of answering, Saraya looked at Natalie and Will.

“I know it’s worse case scenario but all the symptoms fit, zoo could be the source of the tick….” She began.

“Do you really think it is?” Natalie interrupted. Saraya ran a hand through her hair, letting out a rough breath.

“I don’t know Nat. I know some local vets have reported it in animals, so it could be but it’s rare and, and we won’t know without a blood test,” Saraya replied.

“Then we need to take him in and get tested,” Will said.

“Will someone tell me what’s going on!” Helen demanded. The three medical professionals looked at her.

“Tularemia. It’s a very rare disease caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis and it’s caused by insect bites amongst other things. You said he went to the zoo and got an insect bite, if it was a tick it could have transferred. The symptoms fit and it usually takes three to five days for them to show up. But we need to take him in to know for certain,” Saraya replied. Helen pressed a hand to her mouth.

“So we need to get Owen to the ED, now,” Will said, standing. Everyone grabbed their jackets and headed out.

“If it is tularemia, we likely caught it early and it’s easy to treat with antibiotics. There’s no evidence of it being transferred person-to-person so you guys are all safe,” Saraya said as she sat in the backseat with Will and Owen, Natalie was driving with Helen in the passenger seat.

“What about you?” Helen asked. Saraya exchanged glances with Will and Natalie (the latter through the rear view mirror).

“I think Nat and Will will both agree with me on this but even though I’m off shift, I want to be the one to culture his specimens and run the testing. To make sure that nothing is missed. Owen means a lot to both Natalie and Will, and I love them both,” Saraya replied. Will took her hand, squeezing it tightly as Helen nodded.

“Dad? I’m scared,” Owen said in a small voice. Will swallowed at being called ‘Dad’ by Owen again. Back when him and Natalie were first dating, Owen called him ‘daddy’ all the time. But then they broke up and he became ‘Mr. Will’.

“You’ll be okay, Owen. We will take care of you, I promise,” Will said in a thick voice. When they arrived at the Chicago Med Emergency Department, Natalie threw the car in park and jumped out, Will and Saraya doing the same. Natalie got Owen out while Will hopped into the driver’s seat, Saraya yanking open the passenger seat.

“C’mon, Will is gonna park. We are going to take Owen in,” she said to Helen. Helen nodded as Natalie held Owen in her arms, the three adults rushing in through the employee entrance.

“Maggie! Page Dr. Grant and tell her that I need her for Owen. I know she’s not an emergency physician but she’s the one I trust,” Natalie commanded. Maggie looked up.

“Oh my god Nat, what happened?” She demanded.

“Owen is sick, please. Page Dr. Grant,” Natalie pleaded. Maggie nodded and grabbed some admission papers and a clipboard, thrusting them into Helen’s hands.

“Take Treatment Two,” she said. Natalie nodded and rushed into the room, setting Owen on the bed as Monique rushed in. The young nurse instantly began hooking Owen up as Dr. Deidre Grant rushed in.

“Deidre, I know you don’t do emergency medicine but-” Natalie began only for Dr. Grant to shake her head.

“I know, Natalie. It’s okay,” she said.

“We think it’s Tularemia, Dee. He was at the zoo last week and got bit by an insect, has a fever and swollen lymph,” Saraya looked at her cousin. Dr. Grant nodded and looked at Monique.

“We need blood cultures and a lymph biopsy stat,” she said. Monique nodded and went about collecting the samples as Helen filled out the admission paperwork, Natalie took a seat next to the bed, Will rushed in, and Saraya paced.

“I’ll take the samples to the lab and run them myself,” Saraya said. Monique looked up.

“The elevators are down, being worked on,” she said unsure.

“Then I’ll run them down myself dammit!” Saraya snapped.

“Monique, just let her take the samples down,” Dr. Grant said. Monique looked at the doctor and nodded as Natalie nudged Saraya.

“Raya, please don’t actually run,” she said. Saraya smiled wryly.

“I wasn’t planning on it, Nat,” she replied, “Or at least not my full-speed ‘hospital was hacked so I need to deliver this critical results by hand’ level.”

“I almost called your mother for that by the way,” Dr. Grant said.

“Oh I was expecting you to, Dee. I was 100% expecting to get a call from my mom.” Saraya laughed. A few minutes later, Monique had collected the samples and Saraya headed down to the lab. The night desk woman, Elenie Basen, looked up.

“Ms. Grant, I thought you went home?” She said. Saraya nodded.

“I did but uh…..is Hanna still in?” Saraya asked. Elenie nodded and motioned Saraya back. Saraya rushed back and popped her head into Hanna’s office.

“Hanna, I know I’m not on shift or even on call but Natalie’s son got sick and I think it might be tularemia and I want to run the samples and….” Saraya began rambling when Hanna held up a hand to cut her off.

“Go, but take all precautions,” Hanna replied. Saraya nodded and hurried off. Taking all the precautions, Saraya set upon performing the cultures and tests. It was nearly midnight when the tests and culture were finished and Saraya taped the plates, setting them into the incubator while setting the PCR and MALDI-TOF tests to run.

“Hey Lou, let me know when they’re done?” Saraya said, nodding to the tests running. Her coworker Lou nodded and Saraya checked her phone, seeing a text from Will saying that Owen was being held in the pediatric wing under observation. Stifling her yawn, Saraya headed out of the lab and to the pediatric wing.

Owen was asleep in the bed, Natalie sitting in a chair next to the bed with Helen on the other side. Will sat on the couch in the room, head resting on his hand. Helen and Natalie looked up when Saraya slipped in.

“Preliminary results will be in in a few hours,” Saraya said, yawning. “Culture takes a few days but PCR and MALDI-TOF will be done in a few hours.” Natalie nodded.

“Get some rest, Raya,” she said softly. Saraya stifled another yawn, “Plannin’ on it. If my phone goes off please wake me, though.” Natalie nodded again as Saraya set her phone on a table before making her way to the couch. Will stirred briefly, opening up his arms. Saraya settled onto the couch, cuddling into his side. Will kissed her forehead as Saraya drifted off.

#will halstead #Natalie manning #Saraya Grant #Owen manning #raynatstead #my writing

4 notes · View notes