#Ch: Blue Roses | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

storiesofsvu · 24 days

Text

Decadent Desires Ch 18

Emily Prentiss x reader warnings: language, post vacation blues, smut, some minor hurt/comfort, mentions of some toxic family behaviour. It's another long one and I am not upset lol. 6.6k

Showering was always the first priority after a vacation, especially after such a long flight. It didn’t matter how hungry you were, how tired you were or how much mail was piled up inside your door, you needed to feel clean. That and the rare times you’d stopped to do something else first you’d get distracted with too many tasks, run two loads of laundry and get in the shower to find all the hot water gone for the night. That was a risk you never wanted to take again.

Choosing the coziest pair of sweatpants and a worn tee you towel dried your hair as you wandered through the upstairs. When you dropped the towel back in the bathroom you were met with your reflection and your nose immediately crinkled, you definitely didn’t have the energy to blow dry your hair right now and suddenly the lack of Emily and her braiding skills was on the top of your mind. You figured a loose ponytail wasn’t going to hurt that much and would at least keep it off your face for the next couple of hours.

Laundry was the next task, make sure all those swim suits were properly cleaned and dried out, any and all sand, sunscreen and sweat were washed away from all your clothes. You heaved your suitcase onto the bed, hamper beside you to get started when you unzipped your bag to find a surprise sitting on top. At first you thought it must have been something from the resort a ‘book your next trip now and save’ coupon or something but curiosity still got the best of you. Your finger slid through the envelope’s seal and a small piece of carboard fell out, something cold on the other side of it sitting in your palm. Flipping it over you found a dainty, incredibly gorgeous pair of starfish earrings and your breath caught in your throat. They were stunning, rose gold and diamonds compiled together for the absolute perfect surprise. A small note inside to go along with them:

‘A gift. For an incredible eleven days. Can’t wait to do it again, Em.’

It was hard to contain the smile on your cheeks as you bounced on your toes, the same sparkle of warmth flowing through your veins as twenty hours ago. You tucked the note into the corner of your mirror, adding the earrings to the top of your jewelry box to be worn at the first opportunity.

Straight back to work was the only way you were going to dive back into things, even if it was utterly exhausting and your sleep schedule had seen far better days. You didn’t want to behind, you needed to be completely caught up and know exactly what move was coming next in order to do you job properly and make sure everything ran smoothly. You’d been prepared for that, what you weren’t fully prepared for was an out of office day, SUV’s leaving the District for an event in Virigina. At the very least you didn’t have to be the one driving.

You were in the back of a car with Heather, your gaze held out the window as you watched the barren trees fly by on the highway. You were aware she was speaking and while it took a little bit to process, you were pretty sure you were picking up everything she was putting down. She continued to talk, glancing up from her phone to catch you looking almost longingly out the window and she let out a soft sigh, putting her phone down.

“Did you hear anything I just said?” She asked.

Without moving an inch or glancing toward her you replied, “kiss and make nice with Durant over lunch as per usual, you want an official statement regarding bill 8940 made by five tonight and social media posts done. One regarding the rally today one encouraging voter registration and one promoting the banquet next month.”

“I do not know how you do that.” She muttered with a small laugh, watching for another moment as your shoulders slumped deeper. “You seem down, are you alright?”

You sighed, finally pulling yourself away from the window and drooping down into the seat, looking over to her, “I just got back from two weeks in a very expensive tropical paradise and you’ve got me sludging around in the wet and freezing weather all the way out in Charlottesville. What do you think?” Reaching forward you picked up your coffee mug, taking a hefty swig, “it’s just the post vacation depression. Even the coffee tastes like crap now. Maybe I got too much sun…”

“I take it you had fun then?”

“Heat, it’s the fucking Maldives, who goes there and doesn’t have a good time.” You laughed, “I already want to use up the rest of my vacation days.”

It was Heather’s turn to laugh as she picked up her own coffee, “like hell I’m letting you take off a whole three and half months in one go.”

“Rude.” You replied, feigning a pout, “and here I was thinking I was your favourite.”

She chuckled softly, watching as you sighed again similarly to the way a pet would that made it seemed they were shouldering all the world’s problems when in reality they just had to shift the position they were napping in again. With your gaze back out the window, a near frown on your lips Heather found her own curving up into a soft smile. Sure, the vacation blues could be a bitch, especially with chillier weather like this, but she was certain she had an idea that this was more than that, even if you hadn’t realized it yet.

“Emily experiencing the same lack of sun mood swings?”

“Hmm?” You didn’t even turn from the window.

“Emily…”

“Oh, uh, not sure.” You glanced over to her, your fingers picking at the cuff of your coat, “they got blindsided with a pretty big case as soon as we got back. She mentioned something about it crossing over multiple teams so I’m sure she’s pretty distracted.”

“When are you seeing her next?”

“Was supposed to be tomorrow night, but she cancelled once she got into the office this morning, they’re too slammed and she didn’t want to end up standing me up.”

Heather caught the way your face fell ever so briefly, how you turned your phone around in your hand to see the screen, as if you were willing a new text to appear saying the case was solved and Emily had all the time in the world.

“Once you’re done with that statement, take the car, swing by Quantico on your way back. I’ll ride with Cynthia.”

“What about Durant?”

“I think I can handle her,” Heather chuckled, “besides, you need a break.”

“I’m just tired.” You repeated, “you know how long jetlag fucks me up. My body thinks its past dinner time and I’ve barely woken up. I’ll grab another coffee and power through.”

Her lips pursed, “I’m not asking. I’m telling. Jetlag or not, you need a break.” She took a sip of her drink, “you’re starting to act like a preschooler who refuses to nap. I’m giving you the opportunity now take it.”

“Yes mother.” You replied dryly, giving her a sarcastic salute before dropping your empty cup back into the holder.

“Thank you.” She smiled, a few meters of road going by before you spoke again.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to just drop in unexpected?”

“Say you were in the area and stopped for lunch.” She shrugged, “it’s not a lie. You know she has a habit of working through hers and figured you’d pick up extra and now you’ll get out of her hair. If she’s busy enough, she’ll walk you out, if she has the time, she’ll tell you to stay. Honey, trust me, her job is a lot more political and full of paperwork than you imagine, or than she wants it to be. You’ll be a nice respite in an otherwise tedious day.”

“If I end up looking like an idiot, you’re buying me dinner.”

“Fair enough.” She chuckled, her eye catching something glinting in the low light and her head tilted, hand reaching out, pinching at your ear as she shifted the gem between her fingers. “Are those starfishes?”

“Yeah.” You felt your cheeks heat, “figured they were small enough I could get away with them at work.”

“Huh.” She clicked her tongue, “you know, Becca used to be obsessed with this mermaid show where starfish earrings whispered things to them all the time. She didn’t have her ears pierced so she’d put stickers on them and try to get out of doing chores or homework because they told her she was too pretty for housework and smart enough already.” She scoffed, “ridiculous. The entire thing.”

Her phone pinged and her attention was lost as a small smile crept onto your cheeks, your finger tracing the small jewels in your ear. It wasn’t worth enough to tell her you used to watch Aquamarine with Becca when you babysat and you definitely weren’t going to let her know you’d been the provider of said stickers.

It wasn’t that it felt wrong to be in Emily’s office, its that it was almost a little unsettling to be in there alone, phone in your hand as you paced through the room distracting yourself with emails. Anyone could pop through the door at any moment and you highly doubted any of them would know who you were, maybe it was something in your gut that said it was a little weird. You’d been hoping she would just be behind her desk when you were guided to the office and with each moment that went by it felt like your acid reflux was getting worse and you were certain this was a terrible idea. The longer she was gone the longer she stuck doing other things and would turn you away the second she saw you.

“Hi, Agent Prentiss, what can I d—” Emily’s voice rung through the room, commanding yet welcoming before she stalled suddenly, the hand she had extended out to greet her visitor dropping to her side. You froze in your step, looking up at her with a small smile and she let out a huff, “oh thank god, it’s you.”

The tension in her body melted away, a smile of relief spreading across her face as she swung the door shut behind her, flicking the lock. While her team was good at not interrupting phone calls or surprise meetings the other agents working with them seemed a bit more on the unhinged side, she could use five minutes of peace. She stepped toward you, wrapping her arms around you and you sunk into the embrace, warmth flowing through you at the feel of her lips on your cheek.

“Is that new shampoo?” She asked, pulling back and you laughed.

“I guess it’s safe to say I was the only one who snagged a few extra toiletries?”

Emily laughed, her hand trailing down your arm before squeezing at yours. “What’re you doing here? Seems a little far out of your jurisdiction.”

“We had an event in Charlottesville,” you shrugged, hesitancy still evident in your voice as Emily moved around her desk, slipping her blazer off to toss over her chair. “I knew you were busy, probably working through lunch so I figured you might need a little pick me up.” You gestured to the coffee table where the large bag of food along with sodas sat, “and now that I know that you know the food’s here, I’ll get outta your hair.”

“Hey, no!” Emily immediately stepped out from around her desk as her hand reached toward you, “I’m sure you need to eat too, and you cannot leave me alone with these motherfuckers.”

You laughed, harder than you’d meant to, “your team driving you wild?”

“Not them, well, not really.” She huffed, “they’re usually pretty good at being self managed but these guys working with us, Jeeze, it’s like herding fucking cats who are all distracted by their own laser pointers. Not only did you bring food, but I’ll always have some time to take a break if you show up here.”

Emily stepped back toward you, her hand grabbing yours pulling you closer to her and the moment she inhaled your stolen shampoo again it was as if she was transported back to the Maldives. Warm air wafting around both of you, memories of being buried between your legs. Your lips brushed against the side of her jaw, a small chuckle coming from between them.

“Seems like food isn’t the only thing you need. Want me to pull the fire alarm, make a distraction?”

Her hands wandered down your sides, fingertips slipping under the hem of your blouse and your breath caught in your throat. “I can think of something else that’ll work just as well.” She had never been happier that she’d actually decided to lock her door. Leaning in she kissed your neck, nose nudging at your chin to tilt your head back so she had full access. You let out a quiet moan, your hand tangling into the roots of her hair.

“Oh please,” you laughed softly, barely able to keep your thoughts straight as she started to grope at your chest, “you’re not actually going to fuck me in your office.”

She pulled her head up from the crook of your neck, watching the way your eyes darkened as she pinched your nipples through the fabric. Her eyes flicked from yours over to the shut blinds, it was lunch, the bull pen was quiet, “think again.” Her lips met yours briefly and you practically mewled when she pulled away, chasing her lips for another one and she chuckled, “seems like you could use a little pick me up.”

You were almost ashamed of just how quickly you turned to putty in her hands, your mouth dry as she kissed and sucked her way up and down your neck, her hands continuing to toy with your chest. You couldn’t help but rub your thighs together, sparks already flying through you, wetness seeping out of your pussy. Whether it was your libido, still used to the quantity of vacation sex or an unknown kink making its way through at the thought of getting caught in a promiscuous situation, you weren’t entirely sure.

Emily grabbed at your ass, rolling your hips against hers and you let out a small noise that made her weak in the knees. One of her hands fidgeted with the hem of your skirt, her nose bumping with yours, gaining your attention when you opened your eyes.

“This alright?” She asked and you immediately nodded, a little too eagerly as your teeth sunk into your lower lip to keep yourself quiet. She chuckled darkly, the hand tickling up your inner thigh, cupping your pussy through your panties, a groan on her lips at the damp fabric. Instinctively you leaned against her desk, your legs opening for her to get a better angle, “that’s it… spread your legs for me.” Her hand tapped at your cunt and you shuddered, “now, these are in the way…”

Fingers slipping into your panties she tugged them off to the side, making sure they were secure and not blocking her from what she really wanted.

“Be a good girl and stay nice and quiet for me.” She husked, her lips meeting the side of your neck again and you let out a muffled squeak. Her hand tapped your pussy again and your hips rocked toward the touch, you could feel wetness building between your legs. “God you always get so fucking wet when your pretty pussy gets slapped. Too bad we’re on a short leash,” she nipped at your earlobe, “would love to get some nice hard, loud spanks in, see if you could come just like this.” Her hand swatted against you again, staying pressed into your cunt, fingers rubbing between your folds and your body shivered.

“Em.. please…”

“Don’t worry princess.” Her free hand cupped your cheek, kissing you softly and you melted against her, “I just want to thank you for lunch, promise I’ll be quick.”

Without a second thought Emily sunk to her knees in front of you, shoving your skirt up around your hips and her mouth dove in between your legs. You immediately covered your mouth with your hand, eyes scrunching shut as her tongue lapped through you. It felt like she hadn’t touched you in months, that there were endless weeks of pent up frustration, desire and need between you and this was the only time you were getting to release them. You dropped against her desk when her mouth wrapped around your clit, your pussy pulsing around nothing. A silent beg left your lips in the form of a gasp and Emily was quick to answer it, knowing there was a very high chance you were both short on time. Burying her face between your legs she sucked as much of your juices as she could, wishing she had longer to savour your taste. Moving her mouth up, she latched around your clit, tongue flicking against it while she sunk two fingers into your waiting cunt.

“Fuck…” you whispered, teeth sinking deeper into your lip as your clawed at the edge of her desk with your other hand.

She knew you too well now, knew your movements, your noises and just where to curl her fingers inside you, exactly how to drag the tip of her tongue over your throbbing clit. Wetness was dripping down her hand and she could feel you shuddering against the desk, her free hand reached up, swiftly finding yours and you interlocked your fingers. Her thumb stroked over your knuckles, a soothing and non verbal way to both check in with you and remind you that she wanted you to come, needed to get you to your release and be as relaxed as you could be during a busy work day.

Your back arched as your body stiffened, your hand clutching so tight on hers she was certain she was about to lose feeling in it as your muffled moans barely echoed past your lips. Pleasure soaring through you, your entire body felt electrified, your fingers dropping Emily’s as she gently licked you through it, cleaning up what mess she could. Your hand dropped from your mouth once you were certain you could control your volume.

“Jesus fuck.” You muttered and she laughed softly, pressing a gentle kiss to your thigh.

Emily straightened your underwear back into the right place and neatly pulled your skirt back down, smoothing at the fabric as she stood back up. An arm wound around your waist, her hand softly tickling at the small of your back as you caught your breath and she leant in to steal a quick kiss.

“Good girl.” She kissed the corner of your mouth, “you alright?”

“Totally.” You replied with a soft smile that she returned, crossing the office to grab a couple of water bottles from the mini fridge. With a relaxed sigh you redirected your gaze to the small mirror on the wall beside her desk, perching on the side of it as you began to fix your mussed hair and lipstick.

It was right as she went to speak again, to mention getting some actual food in your mouths that the world’s fastest knock came from the other side of her door, immediately followed by a thud and a muffled ‘ow’.

Emily dropped the bottles of water on her desk, skillfully grabbing a mint in the same movement before sweeping through the room to flick the lock and step back from the flying open door.

“Sorry, force of habit.” She explained with a shrug, “these guys always barge in when I’m on with the Director.”

“No worries Chief Prentiss.” An all too familiar voice replied, rolling out his shoulders from the body check to the door and your head whipped over your shoulder, your eyes widening at the sight of Tony in the doorway, “I think we’ve got a lead with that hotel over on thirteenth….”

His voice trailed off as his eyes swept through the office, not only did he not realize she had company he certainly hadn’t expected it to be someone he knew. His head tilted at the way you were in the process of fixing your lipstick with a Kleenex, a piece of your hair very uncharacteristically out of place. His eyes darted through the room quickly, taking in the messy file folders on Emily’s desk and the untouched take out on the coffee table before looking back to you and a knowing smirk broke out on his lips, a mix of a growling and purring sound coming from his mouth.

“Ooo, meow.” Your head titled in disappointment, Emily’s in confusion and when she made a sound his eyes shot back to her and he remembered where he was, clearing his throat with a cough, straightening his shoulders, “ah..uh.” He let out a huff of a laugh and his mouth immediately slammed shut at the steely cold glare you shot him and he swallowed, trying not to stumble over his words. “Uh, Lewis and I were gonna go check it out.”

“Great.” Emily replied with a nod, “touch base if you find anything and don’t be afraid to call for back up. Thanks DiNozzo.”

“Course boss.” He gave a little salute, lingering in the doorway as his gaze landed back on you, eyes flicking up and down your form before he quirked a brow in Emily’s direction, “Emily…huh.” With a small chuckle on his lips he finally left, swinging the door shut behind him.

“What the fuck…” Emily muttered, looking up to you when a small laugh burst from between your lips, stifled by the hand covering your mouth. “What was that? I mean yeah, you’re hot and he’ll flirt with anything with pulse but I’m pretty sure he’s harmless.”

A louder laugh broke free from your mouth as you dropped your hand, “you’re not wrong there.”

“Wait, you know him?” Her brow furrowed as you nodded.

“He’s quite the lingerie connoisseur.”

“Have you slept with him?” Emily asked, attempting to keep the jealous tone out of her voice, relief flooding through her at the absolute look of horror that washed across your face.

“God no! We’ve been friends for like twenty years. Even if I wanted to he’s so in love with one of his team mates he’s tunnel blind, despite the fact that neither of them will ever admit it.”

“Then what was with that reaction to you being in here?” She asked, picking the water bottles back up and passing one to you.

“Uh, he’s got a really good sense of fashion, I usually drag him along with me when I go shopping, he picked out the teal set with the Swarovski.” You explained with a shrug, “that first time you gave me your card he knew it wasn’t business related so it clearly wasn’t Heather’s and started asking questions. I promise you I never once mentioned your name! He started playing twenty questions, I said you outranked NCIS so he could shut the fuck up about it, then he kept pestering and teasing about me being a sugar baby and… Heather, may have dropped your first name before the trip so I’m assuming he’s put all that together now… including why the door was locked.”

Emily nodded, the beginning of a laugh on her cheeks when her brow furrowed suddenly, “oh fuck!”

“He’s not gonna tell anyone!” You insisted, stepping toward her to squeeze at her elbow, “he’s a tease and an annoying little shit, but he knows how to keep his mouth shut. Especially considering I’ll cut his balls off if he doesn’t.”

“No.” She laughed, reaching for her phone “I completely forgot to pay you.”

It was your turn to be confused, glancing to the untouched lunch and back to her, “this wasn’t exactly planned, I just wanted to drop by and I mean… I already got more than I came for.” Your lips twitched up.

“Not for today, for the Maldives.” Emily explained and you felt your stomach flip flop.

“You don’t need to pay me for that.”

“It was eleven days straight together; I think you deserve compensation.”

“Em, the vacation was the treat.” You squeezed at her hand, “you do not need to pay me twice.”

“You sure?” She asked, her thumb hovering over her phone screen.

“That hotel was what, minimum five grand a night?” You asked and she nodded, “then yeah, I’m more than sure.”

Before she could really try to protest any further or twist it over in her brain to confuse herself even more her desk phone went off, shrill ring echoing through the room and she let out a tired sigh, gesturing to the couch. “Sit, stay, we still need to eat. Just give me a minute.”

“Course.” You shot her a tight smile, your hands smoothing the back of your skirt neatly before sitting down on the couch and tugging out your phone.

Multitasking was nothing new to Emily, the receiver pinched between her ear and shoulder as she picked up a pen to scribble down a couple of notes, occasionally giving a bit of feedback here or there while she let her eyes wander over to the couch.

You had slouched down into it so far that your shoulders were up by your ears, a tight frown on your lips as you stared at your phone. The previous mask of showing up to do a good deed with the intent of spreading a bit of relief and happiness to the other woman completely gone. The blue light blaring from your phone pronounced the bags under your eyes and the way you had just started chewing on your lip told her that you were far less relaxed than the last time she’d seen you. Keeping an eye on you she continued the call, watching you swipe back and forth between drafting an email and your text chain with someone. Every single time a text banner popped up at the top of the email screen you’d either huff or roll your eyes, attempting to ignore it until you were satisfied with the email and hit send, swiping back over. Your jaw tightened, no doubt grinding your molars together as tension began to build through your entire body, your thumbs furiously typing out a reply.

Emily watched as you closed the text chain, taking a deep breath, briefly closing your eyes in an attempt to reset your focus before reopening your email. You were about a third of the way through drafting the email when another three texts came through and you let out an exasperated grunt, your phone making a low flip through the air before landing on the other end of the couch and you dug through your bag to pull out what she assumed to be your work phone. Whoever was hassling you clearly didn’t have that number as you were easily able to finish the email on it and ignore the intermittent buzzing from more texts. Eventually your personal phone starting vibrating with a call, threatening to leap off the side of the couch and you grabbed it at the last minute, picking up with your voice low as to not interrupt Emily.

“What?” You hissed, then let out an angry huff, pinching at the bridge of your nose, “I am at work! I already told you that and I will call you when I get home.” You hit the end call button and immediately powered off the device, burying it in the depths of your purse before dropping back against the couch to finish the second email.

At first Emily had been wondering if it was DiNozzo, firing off teasing text after text, taunting you about being in the BAU Section Chief’s office all alone on lunch break. But the way she could tell the absolute frustration and anger was building up deep in your body all the way to your bones, stiffening every muscle, it was worse than that. Not to mention he definitely knew you weren’t at work. It also clearly wasn’t a work issue if they couldn’t get a hold of you through that phone.

You finished the email, gently placing the device down on the coffee table and bracing your elbows on your knees, your hands running over your face as you took a couple of deep breaths. Now finalizing details of her own conversation Emily couldn’t quite tell if you were fighting off the urge to throw your phone out the window, or if you were biting back tears. What she did know was that either way, she didn’t like it and whoever was making you feel this way was the one who deserved to be thrown out the window.

Hanging up the phone she rounded the desk, crossing the room as she took a seat beside you.

“Hey… you okay?”

“Hm?” You nearly jumped at how close she was when you pulled your head out of your hands.

“I asked if you were okay?” She repeated softly, her hand sliding across the couch toward you, changing her tactic in hopes you might open up, “kinda skipped the whole aftercare part today…”

“No! no, Em, that was perfect.” You assured her, your hand darting out to squeeze at hers, “I’m fine. Jetlag and I just aren’t exactly friends, it’s thrown everything off and made me a little moody. Kinda been out of it since we got back.” With a sigh you leant forward, finally ripping open the take out bag.

“Yeah.” She replied, biting at her lip, “something does almost feel like it’s missing.” She accepted a container of chicken chow mein and a fork from you as you opened your own container.

“Could have something to do with the lack of sunshine and ocean air.”

“Very true.” She laughed, taking a few bites of food, letting out a groan of appreciation over how much better it tasted than cafeteria food.

You scooped up a couple of shrimp, managing to shovel them into your mouth, chewing for probably too long before reaching for your soda. What normally would have been a comfortable silence filled the room, but you were still radiating tension and Emily was worried, especially when after two more mouthfuls of food you seemed to be spending more time staring into the counter stabbing shrimp as if they were the ones blowing up your phone.

“Hey…” she reached out slowly, her hand resting on your knee before she squeezed it. Your fork stopped moving but she caught the way your shoulder tensed up, refusing to look up at her yet “I promise you; I make a very hard habit to not profile the people in my personal life but you caught me at work, in full profiler mode and something’s clearly up… talk to me…”

With a sigh you leant forward, placing down your lunch and you shifted on the couch, pulling one leg up under you so you were turned more toward her. You gave her a look, your lips pursing off to the side and her head tilted, a knowing almost glare in her eye.

“And don’t you dare tell me you’re just tired. That may be a contributing factor here, but whoever’s on the other side of that phone,” she gestured to your purse, “is clearly causing you grief.”

“It’s stupid.” You shrugged, “I don’t need to bother you with my personal hang ups when you’re in the middle of a case so big you’ve dragged NCIS into it.”

“You absolutely do.” She replied, her hand still resting on your knee, thumb soothing across your leg, “well, I mean, I guess you don’t have to. But I’d really like it if you would, advice, sounding board, silent partner to vent to, how to hire a hitman?” Her lips twitched up, “whatever you need I’m here.”

“Emily!” You scolded and a warmth bloomed through her chest at the sight of you truly smiling, a small laugh on your features as you shook your head at her.

“Hey, I know a guy…”

“I’m starting to think I might have to report you.” You teased back and she mocked offence, her hand mimicking clutching pearls before she laughed, leaning back toward you and bumping your shoulder with hers.

“C’mon, what’s going on?”

You took another heavy breath, scooping your lunch back up and settling into the corner of the couch, “I was getting ready for work this morning and my mother decided it would be the perfect time to call.”

“Okay well I already don’t like the sound of this.”

“Yeah.” You shot her a knowing glance, pausing for a small bite of food, “I kid you not the call was six minutes and forty two seconds and in that small amount of time she just fucking tore me apart. She asked how I’d been, I said I was good, getting ready for work. She then began to dig into my job, asking if I’d gotten any kind of promotion recently, that I deserved a pay increase. Asking why I’m still interning following Heather around like a lost dog after all these years, I should be doing more, could be out there using that law degree, ‘making a name for myself’.”

“She has no idea what it is you actually do, does she?” Emily asked dryly and you nodded with a huff.

“Not a clue. Which doesn’t help the nagging in other departments, before I can even get a word in besides the fact that I love my job she’s going off on how I could afford a nice place to live on a better salary. That ‘the dump’ I was living in last year could certainly use an upgrade and she could send me some listings if need be.”

“Your place is literally bigger than mine.”

“Yeah, but it’s not an eleven million dollar mansion.” Your nose crinkled in distaste, “she doesn’t understand why I would bother to live quote un quote ‘modestly’ when I could definitely be flaunting myself to a higher career and fancier lifestyle with fast cars and expensive yet boring houses.”

“She doesn’t really get how money works, does she?”

“Nope.” You stabbed another piece of shrimp, though this one remained on the fork as you continued to talk, “but don’t worry, I couldn’t even try to explain it if I wanted to. She then veers off another tangent, asking if I still talk to April who I went to high school with back in Connecticut, because she lives out here now. I say I haven’t and she asks about three other friends who happened to have moved out to D.C. post graduation yet have nothing in common with me anymore. Like, I haven’t talked to most of these girls in over twenty years! I reminded her about a couple of other friends she’s met and she breezes directly past it ignoring every single thing I say. She managed to belittle not just me but everything that makes me, me in such a short span of time, it just…”

“Sucked…”

“Yeah.” You finally popped the piece of shrimp into your mouth, chewing slowly while digesting your ranting, feeling the tension beginning to leave your body. “She finally got around to the point of the phone call as I reminded her I had a very important job to get to and it turns out I actually have an inheritance.”

“I feel like there’s a but coming….” Emily countered and you cast her a look.

“Mom’s feeling pretty insecure about how she’s aging –which, is likely thanks to all the chain smoking, drinking, fast food and tanning – so she’s decided she’s flying out to California to get a whole slew of plastic surgery and cosmetic work done. And of course if she’s going all the way out there she may as well take her two best friends for a girl’s trip before the procedures.”

“And your inheritance is paying for all of it?”

“Including the friends tickets, yeah.” You threw your fork back into the container, “I didn’t even know I had an inheritance!”

Emily watched with a frown as you dropped yourself back into the couch, “offer still stands to pay you for your time.”

“No, Em really” you shook your head, “it’s not even about the money. I—it’s… I’m tired, I’m frustrated, it’s cold and shitty weather, things are off and parents… fucking suck. I just thought for once maybe she’d be happy for me but she didn’t even hear a word I said.”

“I’m sorry.” She murmured, placing her lunch down on the table as she shifted toward you. She could see the shimmering in your eyes already and if you were as weirdly tired and jetlagged as she’d been feeling, crying would just make the entire thing worse and you’d likely be embarrassed on top of it all. So she wrapped an arm around your shoulders, tucking you into her side and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “Parents fucking suck.”

“Yeah.” You replied with a dejected sigh, sinking into her embrace and you felt the anxiety shaking in your chest finally calming down as the scent of her perfume drifted into your nose. Her hand rubbed up and down your arm, her lips brushing against your temple again.

“Hey, I’m sorry I had to cancel Thursday, I feel like you need some company right now.”

“It’s fine.” You wiped at your eye quickly before sitting up, “I’m sure I’m not much fun I already got compared to a toddler today.”

Her brow furrowed but she didn’t address the comment, “this week’s still out but as long as the case doesn’t take us out of state can I at least take you for brunch Sunday?”

“Can it be in the Maldives?” You asked, the corner of your lips twitching up.

“Pretty long flight for one meal.”

“What if we never came back?”

Emily laughed softly, squeezing at your hand, “that’d be a dream. C’mon, we don’t even have to go out if you’re not up for it. I’ll just bring over a McMuffin and we can pretend its brunch.”

A small smile came over your cheeks, “I’d like that.”

“Good.” Her hand caressed your cheek, fingers trailing up your jaw until a finger curled behind your earlobe, “you know I don’t think these little guys are doing their jobs very well. If they were whispering compliments all morning you’d probably be in a better mood.”

You laughed softly, a blush on your cheeks, “they’re probably too cold to talk right now.” The sound of half the team returning to the bull pen pulled both of your attention in the direction of the door and you let out a soft sigh, “I should get outta here before Tony comes back. If I’m still in your office I will quite literally never hear the end of it.”

Emily laughed, standing when you did, “hey, you text me tonight if you need anything, okay?”

“Yeah, I will.” You slipped your coat back on, your purse over your shoulder as you turned back to her. A second later and you were stepping toward her, wrapping her in a tight hug that she returned, “thank you.”

“Hey,” she only pulled away as far as she needed to in order to kiss your cheek, “anytime. I mean it.”

___________________

@mickey-gomez @momlifebehard @daddy-heather-dunbar @maybe-a-humanbean @rustyzebra @leftoverenvy @kades95 @dextur @supercriminalbean @emilyprentisssluvr @lex13cm @zizzlekwum @emobabeyy @riveramorylunar @scorpsik @onmykneesformarvel @inlovewithemilyprentiss @regalmilfs4me @ara-a-bird @inlovewithmiddleagewomen @kmc1989 @irishavengersassemble @hopedoesntknow @venromanova @waitaminuteashh @noahrex @imlike-so-gaydude @wittygutsy @cx-emerald-cx cx @momily @nilaues @borinxnovak @soverign @v3nusxsky @mccdreamys-writes @l4yne @obsessedwjill @asolitaryrose3 @lisqueen @mrs-prentiss @whitewinewithice @d33pd3sire-blog @daffodil-heart @maximoffcarter @i-lovefandom @chimnlex @moonlightjxuregui @chestnutninny @gamma-rae-bursts @just-moondust @idkifimasub @gaydragonwitch @dowsedwithbleach @divergentalwaysandforever-blog @m1lfsh4ke

#emily prentiss #emily prentiss x reader #criminal minds #decadent desires #emily prentiss series #emily prentiss fanfic #criminal minds fanfic

173 notes · View notes

jeankluv · 3 months

Text

But daddy I love him - Satoru Gojo [ch.05]

short series

summary: If there was a phrase that could describe you, it was; good girl. You had been a good girl all your life, following your father's orders and being as modest as possible. You had focused your entire life on being a perfect lady, one who could be a good wife in the future. This is how you had been raised and how you had been instructed. But your whole world was shaken when one warm summer morning, your eyes met the bold, defiant and sharp gaze of a young man with white hair.

tags: 18, female!reader, set in 1700s-1800s, loss of virginity, misogyny language and thinking, oral sex, fingering, innocent oc, unsafe sex, vaginal sex, manipulative, eating disorders, abusive parents, no use of y/n, mention of pregnancy, mentions of abortion, character death, nightmares

words: 5,2k

Notes: enjoy this last chapter, just know that the epilogue still needs to happen 💋

ch.01 | ch.02 | ch.03 | ch.04 | ch.05 | epilogue

Jujutsu Kaisen materialist

Your gaze was on the window, you had barely moved a muscle since the sun had risen. But it had been like that since your father read that letter. You didn't know how much time had passed, you had stopped counting, the only thing you knew was that summer was coming to an end. Was it September? You didn't know, nothing mattered to you anymore.

You knew Rose was in the room, despite everything she still came and took care of you. Every morning she was there, trying to cheer you up and make you smile again, to pick up one of your books, to go to the market with her.

The only time you got out of your bedroom was when Mr. Harrison visited. You felt nauseous when seeing him and when he talked about how excited he was to take you with him to his house and finally have an heir. You felt sick to your stomach, but you stood there in silence, feeling how your heart didn’t beat anymore.

“My lady…” Rose whispered. “You need to take the herbs.”

You turned your head and looked at Rose. “Don't you think that if there was a baby, that baby is no longer there?”

Rose grimaced and sat up on the bed. “I don't know, my lady. But your mother insists that she keep drinking it until you bleed again.” You just nodded and took the glass from her hands.

You felt the bitter taste pass through your throat and the unpleasant smell invade your nostrils. It was so unpleasant that your eyes watered and a gag shot up your throat. You closed your eyes tightly and swallowed.

“I know you don't want to hear this…” Rose whispered. “But the wedding is in three days.”

“You won’t come with me right.” You raised your knees and rested your forehead on them.

“No, my lady.” You could notice the anguish and sadness in her tone. “Mr. Harrison doesn't want anyone from the house to accompany you, he will provide you with maids in his house."

You closed your eyes and nodded. “You can leave now Rose.”

“My lady… please eat something.” She said walking towards the door.

You heard the door open and then close. You sighed heavily and lay back down on the bed, looking again at the blue sky outside. No matter how much you thought about Satoru, you had a hard time believing, you had a hard time accepting that everything had been a hoax. That you had been manipulated by him.

Maybe it was the fault of your heart, the fault of falling in love the way you did for that man with white hair and crystalline eyes. Maybe it was all your fault and you should never have given him your heart the way you gave it to him.

But his voice and his words echoed in your head.

Trust me.

We will live in a house by the sea, you will have your own library.

I don’t plan on hurting you.

His memory was fresh in your mind and the pain was intense.

You rolled over yourself and you cowered between the sheets, mulling over the matter. The letter talked about some documents, something about the nobles. Satoru told you about it, how your family and a few others had refused the king's reform proposal 20 years ago and had paid for it. And some time later Satoru's parents had been murdered and Satoru's brother had spent his entire life investigating to clarify the facts and they had taken him to your family.

There was something that didn't quite fit you in that whole matter and that is, if Satoru was thinking of betraying you from the beginning, why did he tell you the plan he had in the middle? Maybe he thought you were going to be extremely stupid not to say anything.

You shook your head and tried to remember the last encounter between the two of you.

“I told you.” He said with a smile. “Before you finish your second book I will be back.”

“I trust you.” You whispered.

“Just… believe me.”

Were those promises empty? You stood up from the bed and walked around your room, feeling your body aching and heavy.

But you couldn’t shake the feeling that Satoru knew something was happening. And that’s why he looked like that the last time you saw him.

Covering yourself with a thin jacket, you left the room and walked looking for a specific figure. If Rose was your most trusted person in that house, that person was the second most trusted.

When your eyes met his straight figure and his gaze looking straight ahead, you smiled and approached him.

“Nanami.” You whispered causing his head to turn in your direction.

“My lady.” He said, bowing his head subtly to show her respect.

“Nanami, I need your help. But first walk me to my room.” You turned around. “I don't want anyone to hear us.” You walked, feeling Nanami's footsteps on your back.

When you got to your room, you made sure that no one was in the hallway and you closed the door. You walked to the couch and looked at Nanami.

"I need you to do me a favor." Nanami nodded slightly. “I have a feeling that something happened to Duke Gojo and I would like you to check it out. You and Rose are the people I trust the most, which is why I want to entrust you with this mission.”

“I will gladly do it my lady.” He said bowing.

“But before you leave, my parents are gone, right?” Nanami nodded and you felt your heart accelerate at the idea that had been established in your mind. “I need you to accompany me to my father's office and watch the door while I look for something.”

“No problem my lady.” You smiled and thanked him.

Waiting for a while to pass, you and Nanami left the room, trying not to be seen by any curious eyes. As you stood in front of the door of your father's office, you felt your heart pound and your nerves begin to attack your body. You took a breath and looked at Nanami, who nodded giving you the signal to enter.

Nanami stayed outside, keeping watch and preventing anyone else from entering. You moved through the room quietly and carefully, and among the pile of papers and letters that were on the desk you began to search and read, wanting to find something, some clue that would indicate that Satoru had not lied to you, that there was something more behind all that.

You found two letters that caught your attention, one of them had a stamp that you didn't recognize and the other was a letter addressed to your parents. It was a letter from one of the servants informing your parents about how you had been having premarital relations with the duke. You crumpled the letter slightly and sighed, there was nothing you could do about it now.

You took the letter with the unknown seal and began to read, the letter was addressed to your parents and talked about the crown prince and how to change the balance in favor of the person who sent the letter.

“My lady.” Nanami called you. “I think it’s better if we leave.” You nodded.

With that letter in your hands, you left the office followed by Nanami's steps. You felt your heart racing, that letter could mean something. You knew that Satoru was a friend of the crown prince and that your parents had not disagreed with the king's reforms, so this could mean something. But that seal, you didn't know which house it belonged to, nor were the names known.

“Nanami.” You called him when you got to the room and, uncrumpling the letter, you showed it to him. “Do you know this seal?”

You could see how Nanami was stunned looking at the letter. “Was this in his father's office?” You nodded confused. “My lady, if this letter is found by the palace, the entire family will be condemned for treason.”

You opened your eyes surprised. "What? What do you mean?" Nanami sighed and pointed to the seal.

“The seal belongs to the king's brother, that is, to the uncle of the future king.” You looked at him confused, you had never heard of the current king having a brother. “You are young to remember, but the king had a little brother. He was sent into exile after he tried to assassinate the prince. The king took pity on him and did not kill him, he simply exiled him.” You opened your mouth in surprise.

“Did this person have anything to do with the event 20 years ago? Where several noble families opposed the king?” Nanami nodded and you sighed. “Nanami, I fear that the duke knew about this and that something has happened to him.” You looked at him. “Please find out.” Nanami nodded once again.

“I will leave right now my lady.” He bowed his head and left your room.

When the door closed and you were alone in your room again, you sat on your bed and put your hands to your face, terrified to think that something could have happened to Satoru and that your parents knew about it.

It was terrifying to think that Satoru could be… No, no. You shook those thoughts out of your head and tried to think positively. That Satoru hadn't betrayed you and that he would be fine. You just needed Nanami to return and confirm all your suspicions. And you prayed that this would happen before the wedding that would take place in three days.

Lying in bed, you stared at the ceiling, the night darken the room and the accumulated fatigue that you were carrying covered you peacefully. But it was not like that. That night you couldn't rest.

Nightmares tormented you. The image of a dead Satoru haunted you throughout the night, reflecting in your tired eyes every time you closed them. The dreams were vivid and unrelenting, showing you scenes of Satoru lying lifeless, his once vibrant presence reduced to an eerie stillness. You saw his bright blue eyes, usually full of mischief and warmth, now dull and empty. You watched as the confident smile faded, replaced by an expression of eternal peace that brought you no comfort.

You tossed and turned, the sheets tangling around your legs as you struggled to find a way out of the nightmare. Every time you woke up suddenly, your heart would race and your breathing would be difficult. The silence of the room was oppressive and the darkness suffocating, leaving you gasping for air with every breath you tried to take.

You shifted between the sheets when the first rays of the sun began to penetrate through the curtains. A new day began and in your mind and heart there was only the anguish of knowing Satoru's whereabouts and condition. You got out of bed and opened the window, letting the breeze fill the room and the smell of the sea occupy your nostrils.

“My lady?” Rose entered the room with a surprise look on her face.

“Rose…” You smiled at her. “Good morning.”

“My lady, how are you feeling?” She approached you and held your hands with care.

“I am…” You sighed. Not knowing what to respond.

“It’s okay my lady.” She tried to calm you down.

You sat down on your dresser and looked at her through the mirror. “I send Nanami to investigate the whereabouts of the duke.” Rose looked at you, intrigued to know more. “Rose, I think something happened to the duke and I think my parents have been involved.”

Rose swallowed and opened her eyes slightly. “My lady, are you sure?”

You nodded and clenched your fists. “If it's true... and what they did is discovered, the palace will kill us.”

“My lady”

“Rose, we must find some way to leave this place before the wedding, if Nanami does not arrive with news before.”

Rose nodded. “I will be with you my lady.”

You felt your chest fill and your eyes water as you realized you weren't alone. “Thank you Rose, thank you.”

“No problem my lady.” She gave you a warm smile. “But my lady…” You looked at her. “Your parents and Mr. Harrison will be arriving today.”

You sighed. “Alright.”

The morning and part of the afternoon passed faster than you would have liked. Anguish and uncertainty had established themselves in your body, they almost seemed like an extension of you, one that was dragging you down. Your hands were sweaty and your heart rate was fast, having to meet your parents and Mr. Harrison was like putting a noose around you. You were afraid but you wanted to be brave, even if it was for once in your life, you didn't want to tremble.

The carriage carrying your parents and Mr.Harrison arrived and now you looked at your reflection in the mirror while Rose brushed your hair. Your gaze was fixed on your face but at the same time not, you were lost in your own thoughts, trying to find something so that the wedding would be delayed or canceled.

“My lady…” Rose whispered as she let the brush down. “I have an idea that might help us win some time.”

You looked up and looked at Rose through the mirror. "Tell me." Rose leaned close to your ear and whispered her idea to you.

It was crazy but it would be a shock and Mr. Harrison would even want to cancel the wedding. You lightly laughed and looked at Rose.

"Thank you."

“I am here for you my lady.”

You looked out the window and saw how the sun was setting in the sea. You took a deep breath and stood up from the chair. The room was beginning to be illuminated only by the specifically placed candlelight. Asking Rose to wait for you in the room, you left and walked through the hallways, feeling your legs give out with every step you took.

You looked out the window and saw how the sun was setting in the sea. You took a deep breath and stood up from the chair. The room was beginning to be illuminated only by the specifically placed chandeliers. Asking Rose to wait for you in the room, you left and walked through the hallways, feeling your legs give out with every step you took.

The room was filled with the faint smell of old books and ink, a testament to the countless hours spent here studying and negotiating.

Your parents sat on the side of the desk, their expressions a mix of expectation and concern. Mr. Harrison was standing by the window, his back to you as he watched the darkening night. The silence in the room was oppressive, the weight of the impending conversation pressing down on you.

“Just two more days and we will all be family.” Your father proudly smiled.

“Yeah.” Mr. Harrison proudly sat on the chair. “Hopefully a baby will also come soon.” He looked at you and you felt nauseous.

You took a deep breath and stood up in your seat, trying to show a little confidence and strength. “Father, mother, my hand has already been asked for by another man.” You spoke without showing any hint of tremor.

You knew that talking about this in front of Mr. Harrison was not the right thing to do but you had to find some way to escape from this or the wedding would be delayed.

Your mother ground her teeth and said your name in a harsh, cutting tone. "Shut up."

“Darling.” Mr. Harrison called you, with that nickname that ok his lips sounded so disgusting. “Duke Gojo only came here and used you. You really want to marry that boy?”

You clenched your fists and clenched your teeth as you looked at the cynical smile that had spread across his face. Your blood boiled as the atmosphere in the office became increasingly overwhelming and cutting.

You wanted to get out of there but you couldn't, you had to delay that wedding. Or else, in two days you would be damned forever.

“Honey.” Your father spoke, with that false tone that you had already gotten used to hearing. “Mr. Harrison is right, don't you think about the damage that boy has done to us?”

Looking at him you wanted to laugh out of anger and ask your parents if they knew the damage they had caused to you for years and that Satoru had been the only one who had managed to make you feel alive.

Filling your lungs with air you spoke or rather screamed. “But daddy I love him!”

It had been years since you stopped calling your father that, but you knew that if you threw a tantrum in the middle of that place, your parents would be embarrassed and maybe, with luck, Mr. Harrison would put the wedding on hold.

You looked at their faces and could see how your mother was red with rage and your father clenched his teeth tightly.

“Well darling.” Mr. Harrison spoke, cutting the tension in the air. “I’m sure you will grow to love me too.”

You bit your lip and the crazy idea that Rose had proposed crossed your mind. What else could you lose?

“I’m having his baby!” You said out loud.

“What?!” Your mother and father screamed with speechless looks on their faces.

Out of the corner of your eye you looked at Mr. Harrison, who had his mouth slightly open and his face, like your parents', was a poem.

“This…” Mr. Harrison began and slightly smirked. “This is humiliating.” He turned to look at your father. “Did you know?”

“Mr. Harrison, I…” Your father stuttered trying to find some words, but they all got stuck in his throat.

“You stupid bitch.” Your mother approached you and held your arm tightly, you narrowed your eyes, feeling his nails dig into your skin. "Didn't you take the herbs that the doctor prepared for you?"

“Yes mother, apparently they didn’t work.” You smirked.

“You stupid bitch.” She slapped you and your head turned to the side, leaving you breathless.

Stunned by the slap heard how your father tried to reason with Mr. Harrison and how your mother also joined in.

They weren’t hiding anything anymore, how that marriage was going to bring them a large amount of money and how Mr. Harrison was also going to support the king’s brother's return. You smile when you hear those words, it was the confirmation you needed that those letters were real and that most likely there were more.

You left the room and practically ran to your room. Your heart was thundering in your ears and your head hurt from the enormous pressure you felt. It was almost like you were going to pass out before you could get to your room.

Holding onto the doorknob you entered your room and leaned your forehead against the door once you closed it. Trying to make your heart calm down and air return to your lungs.

“My lady…” You heard Rose approaching you from behind.

“Rose I need a minute, but…” You began to talk.

“My lady.” You froze and turned yourself to look at the man that just talked.

“Nanami!” You said breathless and looking at him.

“My lady.” He looked at you, then at Rose and then back at you. He took a deep breath and then you heard his words. “Your suspicions about him were correct, Duke Gojo had an accident when he was heading back here. His carriage failed and he fell down a hillside, all I know is that the Duke is currently under the care of His Majesty the Crown Prince. But I don't know his condition."

When your father read Satoru's supposed letter your heart stopped, but at that same moment you felt like your heart was falling out of your chest. Your breathing accelerated and you began to feel your eyes stinging because of the tears that were accumulating.

“My lady.” Rose caught you when your legs gave out. “My lady, you need to breathe.”

We tried but it was like a foot was pressing on your chest and sinking you into the ground. You held Rose's hands and tried to speak. “We need to go…”

Rose looked at Nanami and they both nodded. “We will leave here as soon as possible, my lady.”

“The letter…” You whispered.

You had to take the letter with you and give it to the king or someone from the palace, you knew that this would mean the death of your parents but those two people were no longer your parents and you wanted to see them sink.

Rose grabbed your arm and the three of you left the room, heading towards the stable. You still felt your emotions on the surface, at any moment you felt like you would break but you shouldn't. You had to stay strong and leave that place and send that letter.

Taking the reins of your horse you raised your gaze and fixed it in front of you. Sighing heavily, you signaled to Nanami, telling him to leave.

Your body was so exhausted that you practically didn't remember much of the trip. You remember stopping to pick up Rose's husband, you remember Nanami telling you to ride with him, and you remember arriving at a lodge where you spent the night, but other than that, your memories were vague and confusing.

When you opened your eyes, you blinked repeatedly, taking in the light that filtered through that window. Rose was still asleep in the bed next to her. Sitting up carefully and quietly, you changed your clothes and left the room, meeting Nanami's figure guarding the door.

“Nanami.” You spoke with your voice still sleepy.

“My lady.” He greeted you with the same courtesy as always.

You chuckled and shook your head. “You don't need to continue behaving like this Nanami, I don't belong to that family anymore.” You smiled at him. “But my last proposal as your lady is that you accompany me to her majesty so I can deliver the letter to her.”

Nanami held your gaze and shook her head. “My lady, if I am still here serving you and accompanying you it is because I trust you completely and my loyalty is yours alone.”

“But…”

“I don't care if you never belong to the family again, I am faithful to you my lady.” He bowed. “And I will follow you.”

You looked at him stunned by the words he just said. “Nanami…”

“You don’t have to say anything. Just know that I will follow you and make sure you meet the duke once again.”

“Thank you…” You whispered, whipping away the tears that had gathered in your eyes. “How long do you think it will take us to get there?”

Nanami thought for a moment, thinking of the shortest and most feasible route for everyone. “Probably in two more days.” You nodded and smiled calmly.

“Good.” You said.

And so once you were all ready you left again, heading towards the capital. You were amazed with each new place you visited, with the people and the landscapes. It was the first time you traveled, since you had always been in your town and had never left there. You didn't know what would happen after delivering the letter and showing them the evidence that the king's brother was still plotting against the crown. If they would also condemn you or what would become of you. You did not know.

You also didn't know if you would be able to meet Satoru. Nanami had told you that he was in the capital, where the palace doctors were treating him but you didn't know if you would be able to see him, but you longed to see him, you longed to touch him again and feel his warmth.

When you crossed the wall that surrounded the capital you felt your heart begin to accelerate and when you began to enter the castle gate to have a reception with the king it accelerated even more. And standing there in front of the king and the prince, you felt like you could faint.

“So…” You began. “His majesty, I’m the only daughter of…” You said your family name and bowed. “I’m here to give you this letter that I found in my father’s office.” You held the letter in your hands. “I believe it’s extremely important for his majesty to know about this information and to take care of it.”

The king nodded and one of his guards took the letter from your hands and brought it to the king. He read it carefully and with a slight frown.

“You say you found this letter in your father's office?” You nodded. “You know what it means right?”

"Yes sir." You said with your eyes downcast.

“Why would you betray your family like that?” He wondered.

You clenched your fists and clenched your lips into a thin line. “Those people were not my family, my family is the ones who have accompanied and supported me on this journey and the man I am looking for.”

The king touched his chin and smiled and then looked at his son who nodded. “Thank you very much for this young lady, the crown will take care of it.”

The crown prince looked at you and smiled. "Follow me please." You looked at Rose and Nanami doubtfully and the prince, noticing it, turned to you. "Don't worry, you can trust me."

You nodded and followed his steps, tightly gripping the pendant you were wearing, trying to calm your nerves. Your eyes roamed every corner of the hallways you walked through, marveling at the details of the walls and ceilings, admiring the paintings of old monarchs that hung on the walls and the large windows that illuminated your entire path. It was like being inside one of your books, where the protagonist toured her spacious palace.

“It must have been a long trip, right?” The prince spoke again, exalting you a little.

“Uh… yeah a little.” You smiled.

“Well now you can rest here as much as you want, I'm welcome.” He smiled at you again and you smiled back. “Oh!” He stopped short in front of a large white door. "We have arrived." He said, taking the knob he opened the door.

His back blocked your view of what was in front of you so you couldn't see well what was inside.

“Look who came to see your injured ass.” The crown prince stepped aside and you finally saw what was in that room, who was in that room.

Your breathing stopped and your heart forgot how to beat when you saw him lying on that bed. His face had the occasional scar that seemed to be healing and his arm was completely bandaged. But it was there, he was there. Satoru was before you, he was alive.

“Angel…” He whispered with his blue eyes looking at you, unblinking.

And that nickname, that whisper was enough to break you down. Crying, you approached the bed and fell next to it.

“I thought…” You tried to speak but words were hard to pronounce.

“I’m so sorry my angel.” He held your hand. “Suguru give my future wife a chair or something!”

“Tsk.” You heard the crown prince. “You know I’m going to be the next king right?”

“And she is going to be my wife, so what?” Satoru replied.

“It’s okay, I…” You tried to speak.

“My lady, here you have a chair.” The crown prince smiled.

“Thank you, his majesty.” You bowed and sat down on the chair.

“I will leave the two of you alone.” The crown prince said and left the room.

“Angel…” Satoru called you.

“I though you died. I thought you left me, I…”

“I’m sorry.” He caressed your hair. “After going on that visit, I planned to take you with me to my house and finally get married. But well, the accident... it left me unconscious for several weeks and when I woke up your engagement to Mr. Harrison had become official and my condition was not the best." He sighed and squeezed your hand lightly. “I wanted to go there, get you out of that place and take you somewhere where I knew you would be happy but…” He touched his leg and smiled. “Suguru, the prince, did not allow me to do anything and I had to resign myself to knowing that the love of my life was not going to be able to be happy.”

You grabbed his hand in your hands and looked into his eyes. “But now I can be happy.” Satoru smiled.

“I didn't tell you at the time and when the accident happened my last thought was how sorry I was for not having told you but I love you my angel. I love you." He said and cupped your face in his hands and kissed you.

You closed your eyes, enjoying that kiss that you had longed for so much and you let yourself be enveloped by all the love and affection that Satoru was emanating at that moment.

You had believed that you would never taste those kisses again, that you would never again feel the soft touch of his skin against yours. But there you were, enjoying the love you both felt for each other.

You rested your head on his shoulder. “Satoru…” He hummed in your ear. “Your brother was right.” You looked at him. “I’m sorry my parents were behind your parents death and also behind your…”

“Hey angel.” He made you look at him. “None of that was your fault, you are not like your parents. And soon you will be a Gojo.”

His kiss made all the storms disappear from your heart, and calm was restored, allowing your heart to beat again with serenity and tranquility.

The tumultuous waves of doubt and fear that had threatened to engulf you subsided and were replaced by a deep sense of peace. Her touch, gentle, felt like a soothing balm for a wound you didn't know was so deep. It was as if, in that moment, all the chaos and uncertainty that had plagued you dissolved, leaving only the clear, steady rhythm of love.

Satoru broke the kiss and caressed your face. “Suguru told me that before you ran away from home, Mr. Harrison had called off the engagement or proposed. What happened?"

You smiled slightly. “I told them I was having your baby.” Satoru opened his eyes. “No I'm not.” You clarified. “But you should have seen their faces.”

"I would have loved it." Satoru smiled. “But next time it could be true.” He whispered.

You turned your face. “You must recover first.” You said.

“Angel, we can do a lot of things while we wait for me to recover.” He kissed your shoulder. “A lot of new things you still don’t know.”

You turned your face to look back at him. “Like what?” You had been tempted and Satoru knew it, which is why that smile that had captivated you from the beginning appeared on his face.

Fin

Notes: I can’t believe BDILH is over (the epilogue still needs to happen but still) 😭. The fact that this short series started as a Mikasa one shot, then turned into a dark romance with Sukuna but it ended up being a Gojo short fic bc I’m such a Gojo sucker… But thank you everyone for the likes, the comments and the love.

Also sorry bc this final didn’t have much angel x Satoru but the epilogue will be fully focus on them and just them and it will be 4-5k. But the main story needed a conclusion and didn’t want to extend the chapter too much. I’m quite satisfied with the result and I hope everyone enjoyed it ❤️

— comment if you want to be tagged in the final part

🏷️: @catobsessedlady @zoeyflower @satoracyxys @lavender-hvze @slashersgirlypop @tinydonkeysforlife @oddball08 @tttttttf @crybabytoru @fccxxxcvvx @augustine13028 @alwaysfreakingout

182 notes · View notes

dean-winchester-is-a-warrior · 3 months

Text

Things Learned and Unlearned Ch. 6

Series Summary: Y/N has spent her life trying to outrun her mother's reputation. When she meets the rich and successful playboy, Dean Winchester, how quickly can he get her to stop running?

Pairings/Characters: Dean Winchester x Y/N, Sam Winchester, Jessica Winchester, Lucy Winchester (OC)

Warnings: Each chapter will have it's own warnings, but there will be smut, seduction, virgin!reader, playboy!dean, Edwardian era BS attitudes surrounding sex and women. (Technically it's set in 1900 and the Edwardian era started in 1901, but you get it.) Angst, Fluff, all the good stuff that regularly pops up in my series. 😁

Chapter Warnings: Nothing major. Prostitution shown briefly, light fondling, passionate kissing.

Word Count: 3,343

A/N: Here's Ch. 6. I so appreciate all the love and support you're all giving this series. Hope you enjoy the latest installment. ❤️

Series Master List || Main Master List || Tag Lists

Dean felt the woman wriggle on his lap, bouncing lightly as she clapped her hands and giggled over his good fortune at the card table. He noticed the none-too-subtle view of her heavily perfumed cleavage as she thrust it prominently forward.

He had been winning all evening, and this pretty little blonde had latched herself onto him pretty early. She was one of many ladies of the evening that worked at Gladwell's Gaming Hall. She was new though, he'd spent many evenings here at Gladwell's, and he'd never seen her before. Her name was Sylvie. Or maybe it was Sadie. It was very loud in the hall. Either way, she'd do.

He won his last hand of poker and told the dealer, Frank, to have his winnings converted to cash and to have it ready for him tomorrow morning.

"Take the price of a room off my winnings, would you?" He asked, tossing Frank a twenty dollar chip as a tip for his trouble. "I'll be taking my usual, room 210."

"Of course, Mr. Winchester." Frank said, nodding in thanks at the generous tip.

Dean pulled the little blonde behind him as he went to the front counter to get his usual room key.

Once in the room, he closed the door behind them and pressed her up against it, crushing her lips with his own. She responded eagerly, pulling at his dinner jacket, and working it off his shoulders. She loosened the tie around his neck and pulled it easily over his head. He watched her undo his buttons slowly and then open his shirt, licking her way down his body.

As she got down on her knees in front of him, he found himself thinking again how very bored he was. She unbuttoned his pants, but he grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her again and laid her down on the bed. He pulled down the bodice of her gown and undid the laces of her corset enough that he could pull her breasts free of the contraption.

Y/N didn't wear a corset.

Dean pushed the unwanted thought out of his mind, concentrating on the beautiful woman in front of him.

Her breasts were large and pale, with greenish-blue veins just visible through her nearly translucent skin. She was beautiful. As he took her breast in his mouth, she moaned and he watched her for a moment. Her pale skin was flushed with desire and her eyes were closed. Her blonde curls had come loose from the pins that held them and surrounded her like a cloud of silk.

There was no doubt, this girl was ravishing. He simply wasn't interested in being the one to ravish her.

He sighed deeply as he rose from the bed and walked over to his dresser to splash a shot of bourbon into a tumbler. He heard the girl (Sadie?) sashay up behind him to wrap her arms around his waist, pressing her ample curves into his back.

"What's wrong, handsome? Need a little help?" She ran both hands across his abdomen before dipping them into his unbuttoned waistband. Dean let her fondle him a minute, hoping something would spark enough interest in him to make his evening end the way he'd wanted it to. But while his body responded predictably, his mind was unmoved.

Finally, he pulled her hands off of him and moved over to where his jacket lay on the floor. He grabbed his bill fold out of his inner pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He pulled the woman's corset together and laced her up, before pulling her bodice back up.

He put the cash into her hand and she pouted at him. "This is way too much. We didn't even do anything."

He gave her pretty, pouty lips a swift kiss. "Exactly, sweetheart, sorry I wasted your time." She opened her mouth to argue, but he just shook his head. "Another time, maybe."

He hustled her to the door before giving her a pat on the behind and pushing her out into the hallway. He locked the door behind her and plunked his forehead against it. As he heard her retreat down the hall, he banged his head against the door two more times.

The thumping did nothing to dislodge the vision that swam into his mind's eye, the vision that was always waiting there to float up, unbidden.

Y/N’s wide, sparkling eyes, filled with passion, looked up at him. Her soft skin glowed golden in the candlelight, her full, kissable lips were parted, her breath coming fast and hard. Her voice whispered his name into his ear and his body was instantly hard.

God, he couldn't go on like this. It was pathetic, he was pathetic. He had tried nearly a dozen times over the last two months to forget her image in the arms of other women. He had not succeeded.

Y/N stayed with him no matter where he went.

When he was working, he would get sudden flashes of her cheeky grin that would make him completely lose focus. If he went to a ball, or a formal dinner he couldn't help thinking how much more entertaining it would be if she was there to laugh with him. He would dance with countless beautiful women and wish that every single one of them were her.

It was simply too much.

He went back to the bourbon and did his best to drink the images out of his head.

At his solitary breakfast the next morning, he was nursing a raging hangover and trying to decide if eating the eggs in front of him would make him feel better or worse. As he sipped his coffee, his butler, Grant, brought in the morning mail. Dean sifted through the usual bills and invitations before coming upon an envelope that bore his brother's handwriting. He opened it and nearly let out a whoop of excitement as he read it.

They were coming to visit. Sam had a conference he would be attending and it worked out well as they would be able to spend Christmas in the city. If they were staying over Christmas that meant they were definitely bringing Lucy with them.

And if she was coming, so was her governess.

***

Three days later he stood on the steps of his brownstone as a rented hack pulled to a stop at the end of his sidewalk. Sam exited first and helped Jessica down out of the carriage. Lucy bounded out after them and Dean realized he was holding his breath. Then the carriage rolled away and he realized it was just the three of them.

He felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He tried to hide his disappointment and gave his brother and sister-in-law a hug before scooping Lucy up in a bear hug. He knew he'd failed however, when Sam pulled him aside as Grant and two maids took the luggage from them.

"Y/N is still at the train station. They've misplaced her bags. The carriage driver has instructions to go back and wait for her. She should be here soon."

Dean tried to look nonchalant and hide his overflowing relief. "That must be frustrating for her; I hope they can find her things."

Sam gave him a deadpan stare that let Dean know his brother didn't believe his nonchalance for a minute.

They all bustled into the house and out of the snow that had begun to fall. Dean showed them to their room personally. The guest room they were staying in had a smaller room that adjoined it where Lucy could sleep. It had originally been intended to serve a lady and her maid, but it would suit their needs nicely.

"This is wonderful, Dean." Jessica said, smiling. "Do you have a room for Y/N? Just for tonight. I'd like to give her these two weeks as a kind of vacation. She's never been to New York and I'd like her to have the chance to see it. I'll need her to watch Lucy sometimes, but mostly, I'd like to take Lucy around with me. I'd like to put Y/N up in a hotel, and I wondered if you could find a reputable one for her. You know the city so much better than we do."

Dean wanted to say that Y/N could stay in his bedroom and in his bed for the two weeks, but he knew that wouldn't fly. "I'm sure we can find space for her upstairs tonight; there are a couple of empty servants' rooms. I'll find a beautiful hotel room for her beginning tomorrow night."

"Wonderful." Jessica said, smiling. Dean thought he caught a look pass between Jessica and Sam, but it was too quick to decipher.

Dean left to let them get settled. He went to his study to try and get some work done. He was not successful. He just kept listening for the sound of a carriage pulling up outside.

Finally he heard the unmistakable sound of snow crunching and bridles jingling. The carriage was back.

He tried to walk calmly to the door, but he was practically running and he chastised himself for acting like a sixteen year old debutante meeting her beau.

Pathetic.

***

"What exactly is going on beneath those beautiful blonde curls?" Sam asked. "I don't recall you saying anything about a vacation for Y/N until now. Where is this coming from?" His arms were crossed and he stood in front of his wife, blocking her from reaching the wardrobe where she was hanging their clothes as she unpacked them.

Jessica wore her most innocent look, big blue eyes wide and warm. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said, pushing past him, and hanging up his formal dinner jacket.

Sam continued to stare at her, disbelieving.

She gave a little huff. "Look, we both agreed that Y/N has been miserable these last two months. She barely says two words outside of her time with Lucy. She needs to get him out of her system."

"You mean Dean?"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dean. Who else would I be talking about? She needs to spend time with him so she can understand how inappropriate he is for her. She needs to see that he is a terrible choice. As long as she has him like a tick under her skin, she'll always pine for him. If she spends enough time with him, she'll get to see the real him and lose interest."

"What do you mean the real him? What are you trying to say?" Sam asked, not sure he liked what she was insinuating about his brother.

Jessica put her hand on Sam's forearm. "Sam, I understand he's your brother and you love him, I mean, so do I. He's much too charming and likable not to love him in the end. And he sure does love my husband and daughter a lot. He would do anything for you two, and so by extension, me too." She smiled and gave his arm a pat before turning back to their suitcases and continuing.

"But do you really think he's the right choice for sweet, innocent little Y/N? He's terrible when it comes to women. You know that. He goes through them like handkerchiefs, practically a new one every day."

Sam shrugged, conceding that Jessica had a point about his brother's rakish reputation. "But, didn't you notice his face this morning when he saw that Y/N wasn't with us? He looked like someone had punched him. I've never seen him act that way about any other woman."

Jessica shrugged as she put away their last piece of clothing. "Well, all I know is nothing is going to be resolved by keeping them apart or always in a group. They can only get through the situation if they spend some time together and realize how bad they are together. And to do that, they will need some privacy."

Sam looked slightly scandalized. "You want them to have privacy? Be alone together? Isn't that a little inappropriate?"

Jessica scoffed. "And isn't that a little hypocritical?" She walked up to him and placed a long, lingering kiss on his lips. "Don't you remember how much we enjoyed our privacy before we were married?"

Sam pushed her gently up against the bedroom door and began kissing a path down her neck. "Yes, I do. Speaking of privacy, lock the door."

***

Dean waited with bated breath as the front door opened. When Y/N walked in, his breath rushed out of him. Good God she was beautiful.

Her hair had been swept up into a twist, but as she'd traveled wisps of it had come loose and now brushed gently against her cheeks. She wore a gray, wool, two piece dress, the uniform of a governess. But the plainness of the dress only managed to showcase her natural beauty. Her glowing skin couldn’t be dulled by the somber color, and the way the soft wool clung to her, beautifully outlined the curve of her breasts and the swell of her hips.

She caught his eye and the happy surprise in her expression was quickly overridden by heat and desire. Dean blamed that look for his next heedless actions. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her quickly after him into his study. He closed the door and immediately crushed her up against the bookcase beside it, claiming her mouth in a searing kiss.

He was instantly and completely lost in her. He had been starving for her lips every day since he'd left. He pulled her bottom lip into his mouth, sucking it as though it was a delicious piece of fruit.

His hands moved hastily, trying desperately to reach every inch of her, but the damnable wool was not yielding, not giving him what he wanted, so he ripped it apart. He pulled the bodice of her dress off, leaving her in her skirt and chemise. His lips moved to her neck and he kissed the pulse point there, nipping it gently and then lapping it with his tongue to soothe the spot.

Y/N let out a sound that was partly a groan, but also sounded close to crying. Dean stopped immediately and looked at her face properly for the first time since coming into the study. "Y/N?"

She opened her eyes and sure enough there were tears there that spilled down her cheeks. Immediately contrite, Dean cupped her cheeks. "God, Y/N, I'm so sorry. Are you alright? I don't know what came over me."

But Y/N was shaking her head. She pulled his lips back to hers and Dean could taste the salt of her tears on her lips. He pulled back and looked at her, confusion and desire warring in his expression. "Y/N?"

She shook her head. "Please, Dean. I just...missed you. I don't know why I'm crying." She laughed lightly, shaking her head. She wrapped her arms around him, slipping her hands under his jacket, kneading the muscles in his back. "Please don't stop."

Dean scooped her up and carried her to the couch. He laid her down on it, before climbing on top of her, covering her completely. He rejoiced at the feeling of her soft, yielding body beneath his. He kissed her again, knowing that what they were doing was stupid. People would be looking for them shortly; he hadn't even locked the study door.

But he couldn't stop kissing her, tasting her. He pulled her chemise down off her shoulder. He let her breast overflow his palm as he cupped it and swallowed Y/N's cry of pleasure.

He ground himself into her softness, cursing the layers of clothing that still separated them. He was seconds away from ripping the clothes from both their bodies, desperately aching to ease the desire and want he'd been swimming in for the last two months, when the door swung open.

Dean shifted quickly to cover Y/N the best he could with his own body before looking up to see Grant stop abruptly, hand still on the door knob.

"I'm…my deepest apologies, Sir. Mr. and Mrs. Winchester are looking for you and…" He looked delicately to the side, away from the scene on the couch. "…and the young lady. Shall I tell them you'll join them in the dining room for lunch in a few minutes?"

He paused for a moment. "Or, perhaps the young lady will be a while longer? No doubt, she'll want to change after…traveling."

"Thank you, Grant. Yes, tell them we'll both be along to lunch in ten minutes but that they should start without us." Dean responded, grateful that it had only been his very loyal and very discreet butler who had walked in.

Grant gave a short bow and walked out.

Dean climbed off of Y/N, pulling her to her feet.

She was the color of a ripe tomato. "Oh no, Dean! What if he carries tales to the other servants? I could be fired!"

Dean shook his head. "He won't. He's not like that."

He tried to smooth down her hair where his hands had tangled it. The sight of her mussed hair and kiss-swollen lips made him want to throw her back down and tell his guests to leave them alone for the rest of the day. But she moved out of his arms to pick up her dress bodice which he'd dropped beside the door.

She put it back on and started to button it. Suddenly she spun back around, her face stricken. "Dean! I have no buttons left! And I don't have any other clothes. They lost my bags completely. They think they ended up on a train to Boston. This is the only dress I have." She looked down at the pitiful bodice of the dress. All of the buttons but one were gone because of Dean's vigorous removal.

For some reason, the sight of her, completely disheveled, buttons missing and her chemise all wrinkled made him both lust after her and start to chuckle. Y/N was not impressed with his humor at the situation.

"It isn't funny, Dean! What on earth am I supposed to wear?"

He raised his hands in surrender, still grinning. "Alright, look, let's see if we can find the buttons." They began searching and between the two of them found all but one of the little silver buttons.

He put them all in her hands, and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll show you to your room and get Mrs. Simmons, my housekeeper, to send up a maid with thread and an extra button. You'll be able to sew them all back on right?" She nodded. "I'll tell Sam and Jessica that you were too tired to come to lunch after your frustration at the train station. By the time supper comes around, you'll be all buttoned up again."

He grinned at her. She pouted slightly.

"But I'm hungry."

Dean laughed and kissed her again, deeply but quickly. "I'll send up buttons, thread and lunch."

Y/N smiled and Dean felt like the sunshine had emerged from behind the clouds, melting something inside him.

He checked to see if the coast was clear before leading Y/N up the stairs to the room he'd told Mrs. Simmons to have ready.

She went inside and Dean grabbed the door before she could close it.

"Please let me come back here tonight." His voice was a whisper, and he knew he was pleading, but he didn't care.

Y/N didn't say anything for a minute, but then she nodded and raised up on tiptoe to place a quick kiss on his lips before dashing inside and closing the door. He rested his head there for a minute before finding the strength to go down to lunch.

It was going to be a very long day.

Jensen RPF and Any/All Characters:

@lyarr24

@lacilou

@deans-spinster-witch

@globetrotter28

@suckitands33

@alwaystiredandconfused

@evznackles

@jackles010378

@impala67rollingthroughtown

@krazykelly

@candy-coated-misery0731

@envyaurora95

@spnwoman

@deans-baby-momma

@luvr4miya

@arcannaa

@viviwatchestv

@winharry

Dean Fics Only:

@roonthelittlespoon920

@slamminmine

@zepskies

@safiyas-world

@aylacavebear

Any/All Fics Regardless of Character or Fandom:

@kazsrm67

@slut-for-evans-stan

@sexyvixen7

@nancymcl

@hobby27

@waywardcheshire

Everything Incl. Fan Edits:

@k-slla

@leigh70

@eevvvaa

@kickingitwithkirk

@foxyjwls007

@notinthislife50

@roseblue373

@mishkatelwarriorgoddess

@avanatural

@mrsjenniferwinchester

@all-alone-he-turns-to-stone

@deangirl96

@stoneyggirl2

#dean x y/n #dean winchester smut #dean winchester fluff #dean x reader #dean winchester au #dean winchester fan fic #dean winchester fan fic series #dean winchester au fan fic series

99 notes · View notes

solarlunarsstuff · 8 months

Text

On Top 《|》 Dark!Coriolanus Snow X Tribute!Reader (CH. 1)

Synopsis: As being picked in the reaping, you get to see the hottest mentor while trying not to crash eye contact with any other tributes!

Tw: Nothing much, prolly sum fluff, hand holding.

A/n: This is a series!!! This will be the very first chapter, so stay tuned!!! 💋

Wc: 965

CH. 1 《|》 CH. 2 《|》 CH. 3 (COMING SOON)

Most people had a heart. Most. Nobody from the Capitol gave a shit about the weak from the 13 districts. Most people don't fight the reason that they were chosen on the reaping, but a big handful of them did.

That handful was you. Jerking your body away from the peacekeepers, trying to stay as far as you could. It was no use, they had an advantage against you. They had you dragged away into the lousy train after you had yelled, "YOU CAN ALL SUCK MY DI-"

It was sure of a way to exit stage left. You fought the tears you had forming on your lash line, sniffling a little as your dress bunched up where your fists were squeezing.

The train rumbled to a halt as peacekeepers yanked people out of the now open doors of the train. You swatted their hands away as you jumped out and reached your arms out to help a younger tribute out.

Once you felt a pair of eyes boring into the back of your head and a raspy voice clearing their throat. You whipped around and noticed a rather tall, blonde looking boy with ocean blue eyes.

"You must be (Y/N)?" He calmly smiled, a rosy tint was noticed in his cheeks

"You look lost, city boy" you remarked rather playfully while looking up at him.

He chuckled at your response. "Most mentors don't see their tributes this early yet I thought it would be a nice thing to do, either way, welcome to the Capitol" his smiled widened a bit.

He moved his hand in front of you, holding a white rose. "Coriolanus. Coriolanus Snow" Coryos' smile turned into a light smirk

"Fancy name, Coryo" you had guessed his nickname making his rosy tint to become more visible

He chuckled again. "I thoug-" you had gotten cut off by a peacekeeper pushing you towards another train, or a cage you could say.

"Hey-" Coryo said out loud. Causing a peacekeeper to send him a 'shut the fuck up' kind of glare, making him shut right up.

He creeped near the cage and noticed that a tribute was attempting to escape but soon was chased by two peacekeepers.

Criolanus took the chance and jumped right into cage along with you and the other 24 tributes. (I'm guessing)

The cage went dead silent as the doors were shut and it moved along while all eyes were glued onto coriolanus.

"This is rather lovely" he broke the silence, eyes scanning the new faces and his eyes landing on you.

A tribute leaped onto coriolanus and had him backed up into the rusty wall, forcing pressure on his lungs.

You didn't really catch anything other than "Let's kill him" you shot up, a little taken back about what the tribute had said.

"He's my mentor-" you tried to explain

The tribute scoffed and backed off of him, giving a cold glare to the both of you.

Coriolanus coughed a bit and fixed up his blonde hair, the cage came to a screeching to a stop. The Two doors had swung open and the cage started to tip over, basically pouring them out like water.

Coriolanus grabbed you by your waist and used his other hand to grab the back of your head, you had a very visible flushed out face.

As you both slid into, what seemed to be a zoo? A zoo for tributes? Either way people in the same outfit as coriolanus were standing on the outside of the bars.

Some gasps were audible but the only thing you were focused on was the way coriolanus was holding you.

☆ ☆ ☆

You were curled up in a ball-like position because of the cold until you heard someone call your name.

Your head perked up at the call of your name, you sat yourself up, rubbing your eyes to fend off the sleepiness.

You had gotten up and slowly creeped in the direction of the person, you were scared, yes. But once you saw that curly blonde hair you eased up.

Now running to his direction.

"Coryo!" You sighed out in relief, trying not to wake up anybody else.

"Lets get you out of here.." he said while looking at you

It looked like you had been crying since you had stains on your cheeks, his soft hands caressed your cheek in an attempt to wipe them away. You leaned into his touch.

Coryo pulled his hand away and pointed to a corner that the light they provided when it was dark barely reached.

It looked like it had a bent bar that hadn't been fixed, it seemed big enough for a person to slip through. If you held your breath.

You slowly crawled over, trying not to make noise. Coriolanus got up and swiftly sprinted to the end that he was talking about.

You tried squishing yourself through both of the bars that had been spread out. You got your top half through but it was to small for your hips to go through.

"Shit..." you grumbled

"Back up" Coryo demanded as you backed out of the bars.

He leaned back on his hands and used his right foot to kick the bar at and angle, it was obviously loud but he made it quick.

Coriolanus had made it wide enough for you to fit through, you made it out with Coryo's help. A few tributes started to wake up.

Thank god it was dark, you and him hurried out while giggling like a bunch of school girls talking about their crush.

It was a stupid teenage thing to do.

It gave you both a feeling, something unknown but it gave you a thrill. Holding his hand while running through the streets of the busy Capitol.

#smut #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus x you #coriolanus smut #coryo snow #coryo smut #coryo x reader #coryo x you #fanfic #tbosas #tbosas x reader #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #district 12

206 notes · View notes

fanfreakinfiction · 2 months

Text

My Gods Are Not Kind to Lonely Mothers

Chapter 3: The Truth

Ch. 1 Ch. 2 | Masterlist 🖤

5K words // Din Djarin x pregnantf!reader

Pairing: Din Djarin x pregnantf!reader (Reader is younger but not weirdly young) Reader was a sex worker. Reader’s first language is one I made up she speaks pretty good basic but struggles finding certain words. Reader is pregnant!

Summary: The truth comes out, even if Din has to practically force it from reader.

Tags: SLOW BURN, Some fluff, made up Star Wars culture & religion, split POV, slight language barrier, mention of death, mention of child death, dark!, lots of relationship building in this.

Warnings: mention of child loss and grief.

A/N: UH hey! Sorry i’ve been gone, for those that don’t know. As soon as I posted the second chapter of this story I found out I was pregnant! Weird timing… I also just had my baby on July 3rd! She was a c-section and my experience wasnt what I imagined. I am hoping to finish out this series as a way to cope with becoming a new mom. Anyways, here is the long awaited third chapter! More notes: I imagine Din holds a fork like a toddler. Like he’s full fisting the spoon instead of holding it like a proper man. Also we did a little flashback in the middle of this just to fill in some of the gaps from that night. Not to mention there is a little Hutteese mixed in with the flashback.

When Din had come back after gathering some wood the night before, he thought you had died. As soon as he had scaled that ridiculous cliff for a second time, wood in tow, he looked to see your soaked form curled up on the ground.

He threw the wood down and ran over, he saw Grogu curled up beside you, his tiny hand resting on your belly. He must’ve used his abilities to help you because he was out cold as well…

In a calm panic he knelt down to grab Grogu, as he grabbed the child he saw the steady rise and fall of your chest. His heart calmed for a moment until anger rose up inside him again. He wasn’t angry at you, but more angry with your planet, your people. He scaled that cliff twice and knew that you had scaled it on your own, and heavily pregnant no less. Why was this a custom for your planet? What crazy God would make their women walk up a mountain to give birth?

Staring down at your form he saw your lips starting to blue and your fingers trembled from lack of warmth. He noticed the bandage on your hand that rested beside your face, it was soaked through from the spring water and fresh blood came from the wrap.

Emanating a sigh he stood abruptly and walked over to your pack leaning on the dark rock wall. He hesitated before opening it, reverent of your privacy but also realizing at some point he was going to have to go through it anyways. He looked for any dry clothing you may have packed, resting on top inside the pack was your boots, a water canteen, a couple of ration packs, a small kit of tools including a firestarter, a haphazardly packed medikit, and a lantern. Underneath that was a blanket and a tarp, wrapped in the blanket were two pairs of socks but aside from that, the pack was empty.

There was nothing in it for a baby.

Except that there had been, the small blanket which you had given to the bleeding mother.

You really believed you both were going to die here. Alone. The thought sat with him, rolling around in his mind. He hated it.

Din shoved the stuff back into the pack angrily, save for the blanket, tool kit, medikit, and lantern. He spread the blanket out on the nearby bedroll and turned to face your now shivering form. Quietly, he grabbed Grogu and tucked him into his sling before setting him by the bedroll. After adjusting Grogu, he walked over to your sleeping form and touched you lightly, as if you would spring awake to swat at him. His gloved hand rested on your shoulder as he rolled you onto your back with ease. You looked and felt dead; you were heavy with sleep, with circles under your eyes and even a furrowed brow as your teeth chattered.

He realized waking you would be impossible, and judging from the day you’d had, you really needed to rest. He was amazed you were even up and moving around as much as you were when he’d seen you earlier. As he looked down on your damp form in the darkness, he could see the steady rise and fall of your heavy breasts glistening in the moonlight. He realized he had been drawing small circles with his thumb on your shoulder, perhaps from his nerves.

With a sigh, he was at war with himself. He knew he was going to have to undress you. However, he didn't feel that he had that privilege. Even as you lay carrying his child, he felt that his claim on you was false.

He could leave.

He pushed that thought away as fast as it had come into his mind.

With hesitant hands, he worked at unwrapping the neckline of your dress, keeping his gaze on his hands as the fabric came off your body. As soon as the fabric fell from your neck, his gaze landed on a bruise purpling on the right side. His eyes locked on it, and his hand gently ran over the skin there before his gaze traveled back to your sleeping form.

He went back to peeling the soaked gown off of you. Goosebumps littered your flesh. As he untied the last knot holding up the top of your gown, he paused. He didn't want to expose you like this while you slept.

“I've... never been with another. Only you.” the words echoed in his mind.

Slowly, he reached for his collar and removed the cape attached to his chest plate. With a forceful tug, he pulled the fabric around him and placed it to cover your resting form. Respecting your state, he moved his hands under the cover of his cloak to remove your dress. Carefully, he pulled it down past your breasts to your waist, then put an arm under your back to lift you. Your head rolled back against his chest plate with ease. Slowly, he maneuvered himself to place his right knee under your back so he could free his arm. Gently, his hands worked to move the dress past your hips. Once he felt the fabric move past your mid-thigh, he made sure to wrap his cloak around you before replacing his arm behind your back and moving his left arm under your knees.

Carefully, he gripped your now naked form, save for his cloak around you, as he lifted you from the ground. Your head rested against his chest as he carefully worked his way over to the bedroll. He slowly set you on the bedroll and covered you with the blanket and his cloak.

He turned his attention to the socks he'd pulled from the pack earlier. Grabbing the socks, he gently lifted the blanket from your bare feet. As he did, he immediately noticed how swollen they were and had to stifle a pained laugh that rose from his chest. He knew you were in pain just by how swollen your ankles had gotten, but in a way, they reminded him of a blurrg's. As he slowly examined your feet, he noticed a small cut on your right one.

Reaching across your resting form for the medikit, he carefully selected the bacta spray. Gently shaking the can, he sprayed the bottom of your foot, causing you to groan softly.

"I know, Mesh'la..." he whispered, fanning his hand over the cut.

You pulled your foot away and turned to your side under the blankets, and he froze, not wanting you to wake. He sat on his haunches, watching you as you moved under the blankets. It was then that he realized you were caressing your pregnant belly under the covers. A small hint of a smile graced his lips as he observed you silently, but it quickly faded when he noticed the bandage on your hand.

He carefully stood and moved to sit on his knees in front of where you slept on your side. Gently, he reached out for your right hand and slowly pulled it out from under your head. He held your hand in both of his, and it seemed dwarfed in his gloved grasp. His thumb could reach across the expanse of your palm. Your hands were soft and comforting, reminding him of his childhood. He hated to see them injured, especially when they would soon provide the same comfort to his child.

Examining your hand, he carefully pulled the soaking bandage away, and his eyes widened slightly. This part of your hand was a lighter color than the rest of your skin and was wrinkled from the moisture. The gash in the center of your palm was very deep. A thin layer of skin was trying to rebuild across the valley of exposed flesh, likely from bacta spray, but the skin had too much moisture and had reopened in places. He reached for the bacta spray once again and sprayed the palm of your hand. A louder whine left your lips, and he froze with your hand in his. Watching you carefully, he placed your hand back into the confines of your covers.

With your injuries taken care of to the best of his abilities, he finally glanced over at Grogu, who was nestled in his sling not far from you. Din grabbed the child and set him slightly closer to you for warmth, at least until he could get the fire started.

Walking back to the wood he'd abandoned earlier, he structured it the best he could a few feet from your bedroll. This was closer to another bedroll, one he looked at reverently as he could see the human form within. The thought of the hair still on that one made him cringe. As he used the fire-starting tools to ignite the fire, his thoughts drifted back to the pamphlet given to him by Don Mai.

As the fire crackled along with the roar of the falls, Din began looking around the now dimly lit area for the pamphlet. Across the way, near the pool, he saw the paper Grogu had been playing with, almost in the same spot as earlier. Rising from his spot near the fire, he crossed the gravelly rocks to the pamphlet. It was damp from the steam and moisture that permeated the air. He held it gently as he returned to the fire and began the process of trying to read through it.

As it turned out, the people of Kith were not as different as he thought, definitely not witches. According to the pamphlet, your people were pretty normal, except for this one mountain range, which they viewed as sacred. But he understood more now after reading about your deity.

There were two springs found in this mountain range, and they were currently at the lower pool. The lower pool was for women who were mothers giving birth alone, without their manna. All mothers who came to this pool died in childbirth or shortly after, along with their children. Maybe it was just a coincidence that mothers who were alone died here; it was probably because the journey up to the lower pool was incredibly difficult. He understood why so many had died here now. It was hard enough for him to scale the cliff in his armor, but for a woman in the throes of birth and having to carry her pack alone, it was a death sentence.

He also learned from the pamphlet that the upper pool, where women gave birth to living babies, was a two-day walk from here. Stirring the ration pack he'd found in your pack, he spooned the mixture into his mouth. He looked at you for the first time without his helmet as he sat and ate. He watched how your face would scrunch in your sleep, how you so often caressed your belly under the covers. He watched Grogu as he slept not far from you, his little snores reaching Din's ears every so often. He'd counted your ration packs; there was only one ration pack left after he'd eaten this one. Based on the amount of time it would take to reach the lower pool, he assumed you had missed a meal or two. That made his heart hurt, knowing you hadn't been able to nourish yourself properly.

He finished the last of the pack and placed the trash in the fire. Sparing you one last glance, he slid his helmet back over his face and stood from his spot on the rock by the fire. He looked upwards at the waterfall, knowing it was a shorter walk back to the base of the mountain if he went the way he’d come instead of taking the trail.

He spared you one last glance and then the child sleeping beside you. For some reason, he trusted that you both would be safe here. He doubted anyone aside from a pregnant mother would be taking this journey anyway. He looked towards the cliff edge and then down at you through the fire's flame. Carefully, he walked around the fire and crouched down in front of you.

Your face was less stressed, and you looked somewhat more comfortable. He slowly lifted his hand to your covered belly, pressing his gloved palm flat against the fabric, feeling you and your pregnant belly underneath.

"I'll be back," he whispered.

He stood slowly and walked towards the cliff edge for a third time. He'd rather become an Apostate again than see you and his child die in this place. No, you’d be giving birth at the upper pool, he'd make sure of it, even if it meant carrying you and Grogu for two days. Slowly crouching down, he began his descent to go collect supplies from his ship.

He managed to arrive back at the lower pool right before sunrise, covered in sweat and frankly exhausted. You and Grogu were right where he had left you, and the fire had been reduced to a smolder. Taking off the pack he'd collected from the Razor Crest, he immediately walked over to your bag and began to consolidate the new ration packs, spare clothing, and medical supplies he'd grabbed. After a few moments of reorganizing the pack, he found he was able to fit his bag into yours once he removed your boots, which you would need. The boots were tan leather but looked newer, not as worn, and there was no tell-tale sand bleaching that often accompanied leather items on Tatooine. You'd bought these after Tatooine, probably with the money he…

He set the boots aside, near your dress that was now dry by the fire.

Before closing the pack, he pulled out one ration pack and started heating some water from the supply he'd brought to make you food. It wasn't long after that Grogu began to stir awake.

Warmth greeted you, flooding your body from your head to the tips of your toes. Slowly, you moved, only to realize you were inhibited by your sleeping bed.

Your eyes fluttered open, and you realized you were naked as you felt the skin of your belly. Greeted by the early morning sun that shone so brightly it made rainbows from the steam of the spring, you sighed, oddly contented.

"I made you a ration pack," his voice rang out from behind you.

Quickly, you sat up in the sleeping bed, clinging to the blankets. One blanket was yours, but the other was a stiffer material—his cape, you realized. He sat across from you at the now dwindling fire, stirring a ration pack slowly.

You were confused and surprised. The last thing you remembered was the small child touching you, and you thought you were dying.

"Noona..." You looked down immediately through the blankets at your round bump.

"Your dress is dry." His voice was quiet, almost reverent, as he stood and walked around the fire to hand you the steaming ration pack.

Your eyes went wide with need. You grabbed the pack, making sure to tuck the blankets under your armpits to cover your nakedness, and greedily spooned the food into your mouth. It had been almost a day since your last meal, one you had eaten cold. Your eyes glanced from the warm rice mix to the boots still standing in front of you.

"Go slow. You'll get sick," you heard the man's voice gently chastise. Ignoring him, you continued your desperate pace, feeling the warmth of the food settle into your stomach.

You heard the crunching of his boots as he walked away, and the small green child toddled into your vision. He looked at you and then at your ration packet as his hand reached slowly towards you. Normally, you would have quite literally swatted the child's hand away. You were not likely to share food, especially after going hungry so many nights on Tatooine. But the child brought you a strange sense of comfort, and with a soft smile, you spooned some of the rice mix and fed it to him slowly.

His big eyes looked excited as he ate almost as greedily as you. You laughed softly and patted the child on his head.

"Grogu!" The Mandalorian's voice was chastising, and the child made an odd sound as his head whipped toward the Mandalorian.

You smiled and spooned another helping of the rice. Looking up, you saw the Mandalorian for the first time today. He was holding your dress so reverently, almost as if it were the green child called Grogu. He looked in your direction, but you could tell he was staring at the child, who seemed to hold onto you a little tighter as his father scolded him. He looked different without his cape. He was still menacing but less bulky. It surprised you, and you felt a hot blush creep across your face as you recalled the feel of him inside you. He was warm like the Tatooine sun, and he had coarse hair that you felt on the back of your thighs where he had entered you. It was all too much, and you had to avert your gaze from him. Your eyes fixed on the remaining rations as you ate; you heard the crunching of his boots as he walked toward you.

Gently, he folded your dress just like he'd done on Tatooine and set it next to you on the sleeping bed.

Your face flushed as realization hit you.

"You… removed my dress?" Your voice was shaky, and you glared at him.

"Yes," was his reply, and you felt your body curl inward slightly.

"You did not ask." You tried to sound offended as you stared into the now nearly empty ration packet.

"You were not in a state to deny my request, had I asked," he retorted, and you glared up at him.

"I am not still a whore," the words fell from your lips as you felt tears welling up again. Cursed these damn feelings, they were so much more intense.

He sighed and knelt before you abruptly; instinctively, you flinched backward, still clutching the blankets and his cape to your body.

"Look, that night was... just that night," his voice sounded regretful, and you couldn't help the shame you felt. "I came back to build a fire, and you were soaking wet, freezing, and asleep. I didn't undress you out of desire, I undressed you out of necessity for Noona."

It made sense. To him, you were no more than a momentary respite, but to you... some part of you had hoped maybe he thought of you on his bounty-hunting travels. He was your first, and you would always remember him: the pressure of his cock slipping into your tight walls, the coarseness of his hand on your hip. You would sometimes get phantom touches while trying to fall asleep.

You stared into the ration pack for a long while as your emotions swirled within you. Flashes of that night and the emotions you had tied to it played in your head. You remembered all the times late at night when you had replayed his soft touches in your mind, wishing you had done more for him instead of him caring for you. But now, knowing that to him, it was just another night, just another whore—it meant nothing to him. He probably didn’t even really want to be here. He didn’t even know your name, nor did you know his.

Silently, you set the ration pack down and looked up at him as tears crested your eyes and ran freely down your cheeks.

“Leave.” Your voice was pained, and you had to keep yourself from sobbing as your heart welled up in your throat.

Grogu stirred next to you, making grabby fists in your blankets. He was trying to sit up in your lap, you realized. Looking at the child, you sobbed, the dam breaking now. Reaching a careful hand out to the child, you patted his head softly as you sniffled.

“Please, leave,” you whispered.

There was a sigh from the man, long, drawn out, and tired. Finally, he spoke. “No.” The word was sharp and heavy from the modulator, and from your peripheral vision, you saw his gloved hands reach across you to pick up the small child. The child whined softly as he was picked up and away from you. “You should get dressed; we have a long journey ahead.”

Your head lifted to meet his gaze as you looked at him in sadness and shame.

"Issa noona ibaniss a plantissia ata mountina as illa. As illa a ma a iss." (My baby will be born on this planet, at the Mountain of Mothers, like my mother and the one before her.)

He looked down at you from his now standing position, and his head tilted slightly while the child slapped his hand on the silver gauntlet on the man’s forearm.

“I am taking you to the upper pool,” he said softly. He then walked over to pick up the remaining ration pack beside you and turned away to feed Grogu on the opposite side of the pool.

You sat stunned, staring at the back of the man’s helmet. You wanted to burn your gaze into the back of the silver.

An hour had passed since Din had made you cry yet again. He really didn’t mean to sound so cold, but he was tired of the disgusted glances you’d pass his way, as if you were revolted by his touch.

The look of fear on your face when you implied that he’d taken off your dress as if he was trying to grope you in your sleep struck something deep within him. The thought of taking advantage of you had never once crossed his mind; it never crossed his mind for anyone. He was exhausted and knew he wouldn’t be resting until tonight once they could stop on the trail, if the baby didn’t come before then.

“When was the last time you had pain?” he found himself asking, breaking the long period of silence as he watched you sulk near the pool with Grogu.

You threw a shady look over your shoulder at him, almost mirrored by Grogu, who sat next to you, his tiny eyes squinting to mimic yours.

“Irrit a cassi na?” Your words were foreign to him, and in response, he tilted his head.

“What?” he asked, curious.

You sighed and looked from him down to Grogu, then to your belly as your hand moved in a circle around the bump.

“Not since yesterday.” Your words were sad.

Din’s knowledge of pregnant women was limited. When he was living in his covert, there were plenty of women who had children, but there had always been other women around to assist or even an old medical droid. Here, he was completely helpless in this new path. He’d never walked this path and thought Grogu was going to be the extent of his fatherhood. What Din did know about pregnant women was the basics: make sure they’re safe, fed, and careful. He also knew that for a heavily pregnant woman who was seemingly in the middle of contractions yesterday, having them stop suddenly didn’t seem like a good sign.

After a moment of silence, watching your face, he rose and moved over to your sitting form. On his way, he grabbed the boots he’d left by your pack. He approached and gently set the boots down beside you before lowering himself to the ground. Grogu, who had been clinging to your dress, watched his father with curious eyes.

The man stretched his hand out and motioned for your feet. You looked at him with a furrowed brow.

“What?” you asked defensively.

“Are you going to put your boots on yourself, then?” he asked. His tone sent a heat of embarrassment straight to your cheeks. He was serious, but there was a slight lilt in his voice that made you very aware he was poking fun at you.

“I don’t need boots!” you snapped almost in a shout. “Noona will be born here, where they are meant to be born,” you said as you turned your gaze from him.

There was silence for a long moment, and the air shifted. Grogu’s floppy ears seemed to turn downward for a moment as his grip on your dress tightened. You looked back at the Mandalorian, who was kneeling before you as still as the mountains. Finally, after what felt like forever, the tension broke as you felt a leather-clad grip on your ankle. The force with which he yanked your leg out from under you made you yelp and look at him with a mixture of shock and something else.

“What—” You were cut off by the feeling of your left foot being jammed into your boot. “Ah!” you hissed as you struggled to support yourself on the slippery rock.

“You are stubborn,” his voice was dark, “and very pregnant. We do not have time to discuss this anymore.” He tightened the straps of your left boot almost too tight, making your mouth open in a soft gasp. You were shocked as you watched him; you swear you could see the annoyance coming off him in waves, or maybe it was the steam. He gripped your right ankle and, with a gentler hand, slid your bandaged foot into the boot. “I am taking you to the upper pools. I’m not playing this game anymore,” he said with a resigned tone. Tightening the right strap on your boot, his hand lingered for a moment before his visor lifted to meet your gaze once more. You felt your cheeks heat again and cursed yourself for it as you looked away from him.

With that, he rose and plucked Grogu from next to you. Grogu squirmed in the man’s grasp as Din placed him in the sling across his chest. After Grogu had settled with his fingers grasping the edge of the sling, Din held his hand out to you.

You gazed up at the man clad in silver as he wrangled Grogu into his sling. The sight made you warm at the care he showed for the child. Maybe he could treat Noona like that... The thought made your cheeks flush.

Looking away, still not ready to give him the satisfaction of your presence, you caressed your belly and softly whispered words of kindness and encouragement to the life within you, ignoring his outstretched hand. You heard his boots crunching as he walked away, and for a moment, your heart dropped. Maybe you’d done it—pushed him away, which is what you wanted... right?

Looking over your left shoulder, you watched him move to the now-closed pack against the rock. Curious, you saw him bend down slightly and shoulder the heavy pack. Your eyes widened, and you moved to stand, still watching as the Mandalorian adjusted the pack onto his back while he adjusted Grogu in his sling. The Mandalorian turned to look at you as you slowly rose with wide eyes. Tears began to cloud your vision as you stood a few feet apart, staring at each other.

“I do not want to go…” You spoke as your voice broke.

The Mandalorian started walking toward you, the child across his chest looking up at his father with curious eyes, then at you. As he approached, you instinctively placed a hand over the top of your belly. He said nothing when he finally came to a stop in front of you. He carefully placed a hand on your left shoulder.

"You want to die here?" His voice was cold. You realized now how terrifying he must have been as a bounty hunter. "Well?" He wanted an answer.

You were frozen, tears clouding your vision.

"Look at me."

You did as he asked.

"Do you really want to die here?" he asked again.

Your words were soft as you sniffled and looked down, ashamed. "I am... afraid."

"Why?" His voice was still cold, demanding.

You snapped up to meet his gaze, your mouth opening to speak, but nothing came out as you stared at him like a gasping fish.

"Why?" He stepped closer.

You took a step back; he was starting to suffocate your space.

"Tell me why you want to die here. Tell me why you don't want to go to the upper pools." His voice was calm but stern, and you couldn't handle it.

"Because I am not fit to be a mother!" you blurted out as you took another step back. It was the first time you'd said it out loud, the first time you acknowledged what had been stewing for months inside you. You looked away from him and Grogu, shame filling your chest.

It was silent for a long time.

"I wasn't fit to be a father when Grogu came into my life," he said, his voice much less stern now, warm and careful. "I was a bounty hunter, and my lifestyle had no space for a child. No matter how much I convinced myself that he was better off without me, our paths crossed anyway. I'm not telling you to keep our chi—" he stopped himself, "Noona," he corrected. "But I have a responsibility to you required by my Creed, and I have to try and get you to the upper pools. What you decide to do when we get there is your choice alone, but I, me, I have to get you up there even if I have to carry you."

It was the most he’d ever spoken, and you hung onto every word.

"I have no more food," you whispered, shaking your head.

"I know," he said, coming to stand beside you. He placed his hand gently on the upper part of your left arm. "I already took care of it." He squeezed your arm gently as he spoke. "This is the Way." His hand slowly dropped from your arm, and with that, he started walking towards the trail leading to the upper pool.

#din djarin #din djarin x female reader #din djarin x pregnant reader #my gods are not kind to lonely mothers #pedro pascal #star wars

88 notes · View notes

olivialau · 3 months

Text

Shadow's Embrace Ch.2

Sukuna x Reader

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fanfiction based on the universe of "Jujutsu Kaisen," created by Gege Akutami. The original manga, anime, and characters belong to their respective owners and creators.

Notes:

This story unfolds in the Jujutsu world, set in a slightly altered universe where Sukuna inhabits his own vessel distinct from Itadori Yuji's body, making him a separate entity.

Summary:

Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses, becomes fascinated with a female sorcerer rich in potential but lacking control. Initially seizing her for his destructive plans, Sukuna aims to bind her abilities through a contract. Yet, as he tries to dominate her, he finds himself intrigued by her strength and determination. Over time, his interest evolves from strategic advantage to a deeper, personal connection.

-----------------------------------------

CHAPTER 2 - Evil Proposition

The moment your eyes fluttered open, a sense of disorientation and dread washed over you. The atmosphere was heavy, an oppressive white fog that seemed to seep into your very bones.

As your vision cleared, you took in your surroundings with growing apprehension. The once familiar walls of your dorm room had been replaced by a dark, eerie space, the floor beneath you damp and uneven. Jagged rock formations jutted from the ground and walls, bones littered the area, casting unsettling shadows. The sky above tinted with dark hues of green and blue.

You realized with a sinking feeling that you were no longer at Jujutsu High, but trapped within what could only be an innate domain – a manifestation of a sorcerer's cursed energy that warped reality itself. And you knew, without a doubt, whose domain this was.

Sukuna.

Gritting your teeth against the throbbing pain in your wrist, you attempted to rise, only to find your movements hindered by the wet muck under your feet. Panic began to set in as the realization of your situation dawned on you. You were at the mercy of the King of Curses, trapped in his own twisted realm.

A low, chilling chuckle echoed through the chamber, sending a shiver down your spine. "Don't worry, this is only a manifestation of my innate domain," Sukuna's voice reverberated, his presence suddenly looming over you. "I haven't imbued it with my cursed technique... so you should live a moment longer."

Your gaze instinctively followed the sound of Sukuna's voice, and there he was, perched atop a towering pile of bone and skull, looking down upon you with an air of absolute dominance. The contrast in your positions was not lost on you – he, the mighty King of Curses, seated high above, while you, a mere mortal, remained trapped and vulnerable at his feet.

Sukuna's crimson eyes gleamed with twisted amusement as he observed your apprehensive expression. "Ah, I see you've finally graced me with your attention," he hummed, his voice dripping with condescension. "Tell me, human, how does it feel to be in the presence of true power?"

He leaned forward, his gaze boring into you with an intensity that made your breath catch in your throat. "Do you understand now, the futility of your defiance? This is my domain, my realm, where I reign." A cruel smile curled his lips as he spoke.

Slowly, Sukuna rose to his feet, the bones beneath him crunching as he descended from his makeshift throne. With each stride, the oppressive weight of his cursed energy intensified, bearing down on you like a tangible force.

His approach sent a fresh wave of terror through you, the memory of the pain he had inflicted still searing in your mind. Yet, amidst his overwhelming power, a spark of defiance flickered within you.

Cursed energy surged through your veins, a raw, untamed power yearning to be unleashed. Deep down, however, you knew a direct confrontation would prove futile.

As Sukuna drew nearer, his looming presence casting a shadow, you steeled your resolve, refusing to cower. "If you expect me to submit, you're sorely mistaken," you spat, trying to force a sense of bravery that contradicted your immense fear.

Sukuna smiled amusedly, "Oh, I don't expect submission willingly, little sorcerer," he spoke "That's what makes this all the more... entertaining."

Reaching out, his fingers grasped your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. "You intrigue me," he mused. "Your defiance, your spirit – a refreshing change from the groveling insects I usually deal with."

His grip tightened, a surge of cursed energy coursing through you. "But make no mistake," he growled "I will break you, one way or another. You will serve me."

You glared at him bitterly, resisting the urge to strike. "What do you want from me?" You demanded, unable to grasp why Sukuna would take interest in a young, inexperienced sorcerer such as yourself. You had little to offer, barely a freshman.

"What do I want?" he echoed. "Why, nothing less than total domination."

He leaned in closer, his hot breath caressing your cheek. "You see, I grow weary of the pathetic squabbles and petty power struggles that plague the Jujutsu society. It's time for a change, a true reckoning."

Sukuna's grip loosened slightly, allowing you a brief respite from the agony. "And that's where you come in," he purred, his tone almost conversational. "I need a pawn, someone to infiltrate their ranks and lay the groundwork for my grand design."

His eyes narrowed, a cruel smile curling his lips. "A small... massacre, if you will. Just enough to sow the seeds of chaos and fear."

Sukuna's fingers, now traced the delicate line of your jaw, the sting of his sharp nails like a warning. "And you, are the perfect vessel for this task. Still inexperienced, easily molded, but with great potential."

He's insane, you thought to yourself, absolutely mad. Why would anyone give up all autonomy and throw away their life? Who would willingly agree to something so evil and wicked?

Just as you had found a new purpose in life and promised to use your abilities to protect others from the same fate that befell your dear friend- Ayumi, he was asking you to join a plan that could lead to hundreds of innocent deaths? Never.

It seemed as if Sukuna had been able to read your every thought as he spoke

"Of course, I'm not expecting you to simply agree, not after your feeble attempts at defiance so far," his voice tinged with annoyance. "No, I have other methods in mind."

He took a step back, finally granting you some breathing room from his heavy aura.

"I'm quite familiar with the power of Binding Vows. A contract, if you will, that binds one's soul to the terms of the agreement,"

You had learned about these vows in your first week at Jujutsu High; they were the foundation of Jujutsu Sorcery, and breaking them carried dire consequences.

Sukuna continued, "And once such a vow is established," he paused for effect, "you will have no choice but to obey my demands," his eyes burning with a dangerous light.

Leaning back in, Sukuna's lips hovered dangerously close to yours, his hot breath brushing your skin. "So, it leaves you with a simple choice. You can form a contract with me now, or I can break you, piece by piece, until you beg to bind yourself to me." His voice held a chilling promise, laced with threat.

Then, with a hint of annoyance, he continued to explain, "However, there is a troublesome condition to a Binding Vow that I must adhere to," he sighed as if displeased by the drawback. "You see, it is a two-way street. It needs to be mutually beneficial, or it holds no power."

You couldn't think of a single beneficial condition that would convince you to enter into a contract where you'd have to obey his every command. You valued your autonomy above all else. What could he possibly offer you in return?

"So, that's why I'm granting you the opportunity of a lifetime," his lips curled into a smile. "In exchange for your unwavering obedience, I will train you. Teach you how to channel your cursed energy properly, unravel your cursed technique, and refine it to perfection. I could make you the most formidable Jujutsu Sorcerer of this era." He spread his arms wide, imposing, as he laughed deviously. "How many can claim to have learned to fight from the King of Curses himself?".

The offer was tempting, you had to admit. The chance to harness your cursed energy, to become a true sorcerer, was a tantalizing prospect. You had always had a crave for power, one that scared you at times. But the price was your freedom, your very soul... Besides even with such power, what good would it do if you could only use it to sow destruction and suffering.

So with unyielding resolve you denied him. "Never," you declared. "I'd rather die than become your pawn" your voice unwavering.

Sukuna's eyes glinted with cruel amusement as he listened to your defiant refusal. "Never, hmm?" he mused. "How... disappointing."

"You know, I had such high hopes for you, woman. The power you possess, the potential you hold – it's truly a shame to see it go to waste." He pressed his hand to his face, fingers splayed across his forehead, and let out a long, exasperated sigh, his eyes briefly closing as if to gather patience from within.

Then he continued "But if you insist on this foolish path of resistance, then so be it." His words carried a dark, threatening edge.

Unexpectedly, with a sudden violent kick to your ribs, he blasts you away into the center of his domain. You crash into the wet, gravelly ground, and in the blink of an eye, Sukuna is back atop the massive pile of bones, like a king on his throne. He regards you with a daring expression as he asks. "Are you up for a little game, little sorcerer?"

The impact knocked the wind out of you, leaving you disoriented and gasping for breath.

With every movement you had to grit your teeth against the throbbing pain in your ribcage. You knew this was going to be bad, so you braced yourself, adopting a defensive stance. Maybe to muster a false sense of bravery?

Deep down, you were painfully aware that you were unprepared for whatever twisted "game" Sukuna had devised.

Before you could begin to recover, a sharp snap of Sukuna's fingers sliced through the air. His sinister cackle followed, soon joined by low, rumbling echoes reverberating through his domain. The sound was unmistakable – the presence of curses.

Your eyes scanned the area, taking in the sight of the rock formations that surrounded you. With a sickening realization, you watched as several Grade 3 curses began to manifest, breaking free from the earth itself.

Panic gripped you as the malformed entities emerged, their soulless eyes darting around until they settle on you. You knew you were no match for them in your current state, your cursed energy untamed and messy.

The curses surged forward, their contorted bodies converging on you with relentless ferocity. You still weren't used to the sight of these hideous monsters; they disgusted you, especially knowing the harm they inflicted on innocent people— the harm they had inflicted on Ayumi.

Struggling to stay focused, you summoned your cursed energy, unleashing haphazard bolts from your hands in a desperate attempt to fend them off.

But your attacks lacked precision and control. The Grade 3 curses easily evaded your erratic strikes, closing in on you with each passing moment.

As they closed in, you took hit after hit, your body growing more bruised and battered by the minute. Sukuna reveled in your inexperience and struggle, his delight evident in his expression.

The curses' relentless assault was quickly overwhelming your limited abilities.

Sukuna's laughter, rich and taunting, echoed through the domain, his crimson eyes gleaming with a twisted delight as he observed your futile struggle. "You're putting on quite a show, human" he hummed.

His disdainful remark and complete disregard for you fueled your anger, igniting a surge of energy within. With newfound determination, you unleashed a powerful blast of cursed energy, successfully obliterating one of the curses with a single blow. Sukuna appeared mildly surprised, his eyes widening ever so slightly.

But your moment of triumph was short-lived, as the remaining curses quickly refocused their attention on you and resumed their assault. Battered and exhausted, you struggled to maintain your footing, your body aching from the relentless string of attacks.

Just as you felt yourself succumbing to the weight of your injuries, Sukuna's voice rang out, commanding the curses to pause. A hush fell over the domain, and you found yourself staring up at the King of Curses, his crimson eyes fixed upon you with a calculating gaze.

"Let's make this a little more interesting, shall we?" he called out, his voice laced with a foreboding edge.

With a casual gesture, he reached within the folds of his white robe, and to your surprise, he withdrew a gleaming silver blade with a thick handle. Your eyes widened in suprise as he casually tossed the weapon down the pile of bones, clattering to a stop at your feet.

"A cursed tool," Sukuna went on to explain

"A weapon purposefully imbued with cursed energy, highly effective against curses."

His gaze bore into you, a twisted smile playing on his lips. "I want to see what you can do with it, little sorcerer."

The curses, still held at bay by Sukuna's command, stirred restlessly. With a single snap of his fingers, he released them. They immediately launched another attack, but this time you were armed.

Despite never having wielded a blade before, defending yourself with it felt instinctive. You were certainly relieved that Sukuna hadn't destroyed the wrist of your dominant hand now.

The cursed tool moved like an extension of your own body, allowing you to fend off the relentless attacks with a grace and precision that surprised even you. The blade sliced through the curses one by one, causing them to let out a guttural howl as they disintegrated.

Sukuna watched you from his perch, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of surprise and intrigue. 'Well, well, it seems you're not as helpless as I had thought... but still, nowhere near the level of a high-grade sorcerer,' he exclaimed, dismissing his initial approval.

After what felt like hours, you fought off the last curse, successfully slicing it in half with your blade. Then as if a switch was flipped, you felt the toll of previous injuries catching up to you. It seemed you had pushed your body far beyond its limits.

Suddenly, all strength left your arms and legs, the blade slipping from your grasp and landing on the floor with a loud thud.

Your vision grew hazy, and through the blur, Sukuna's intense eyes locked onto you, the corners of his mouth twisted into a taunting smirk. The world began to tilt and spin, and everything faded to black.

---------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading and see you the next chapter!

#sukuna #sukuna x you #sukuna fanfic #sukuna x reader #sukuna x oc #jjk fanfic #jjk men x you #jjk men x reader #ryomen sukuna #ryomen x reader #sukuna x y/n

77 notes · View notes

afyrian · 2 months

Text

ch. 8 - love, unadulterated love m.list

a small vase rests on your counter, your handiwork written all over it. the slight grooves where your fingers ran alongside it, the small signature in the bottom of the vase. even the colors feel reminiscent of your pieces. the warm oranges and browns swirling around the vase in a peaceful motion.

you hold a bouquet of flowers from calico blooms (exchanged for a couple of plates with flowers carved in them), water droplets covering your fingers. staring at the red tulips within, the yellow roses sprinkled without. even the blue forget-me-nots add a drop of contrast. each flower picked with a special message in mind.

love. unadulterated love. from each petal in the tulips slightly opening to each thorn pulled from the roses. every step of the progress led you to staring at it in the vase. a few seem out of place, your hands moving them around in an attempt to perfect the look of it all together. biting your lip, you shake your head, whispering to yourself, "it's just not right..."

maybe you should be focusing on making sure everything else is ready for his arrival, but your eyes can't seem to leave them. your hand grabbing another flower to move around. in creating them, you wanted to subconsciously tell him that you've felt something. that something must be between the two of you. especially because the words just won't leave your lips.

so, it has to be perfect... everything down to the last drop of water on a petal. setting the last flower in, you can feel the petals brush against your hand, the soft touch only reminding you of osamu. of his kindness.. the softness that he harbors. you smile to yourself, shaking your head slightly. "if kiyoko would see me now..." holding back a smile, you head for the front door.

flipping the sign to closed, the sun still shines brightly into the room. it covers the floor in a fun game of twister, the rack of ceramics twisting and manipulating the light into odd shapes. taking in a deep breath, you take a step towards the counter, hoping to sit for a moment and ground yourself.

however, you don't have much time as a light knock rattles the door, a soft voice on the other side, "y/n?"

turning back around, you can see him through the glass. he's holding a woven basket in one arm, the other resting by his side. you grab a hold of the door's handle, pulling it open so you can fully see him. leaning against the side of the door, foot resting over the other, "hi... again."

"hello, you look beautiful today. well, everyday, of course-" osamu's eyes search between yours, a small smile growing on his face, a genuine rush of heat covering his cheeks, "but, uh, i brought refreshments."

holding up the basket, he shrugs, watching as you smile back. there's always been something about him, even in your sullen grudge and unsure feelings, you've always known there'd be something about him. the way he looks at you, it's nothing like you've ever seen before.

"thank you, and it's nice to see your hair, it suits you," you reach up, instinctively ruffling it up, like you've known him for forever. like it's something that you've always done in an affectionate manner.

stepping back, you look down, mentally cursing yourself for doing such a thing. although, you can’t help but peek at the sunlight waving through the stray hairs. the way it lights up his dark hair in a way that you’ve never quite seen before. it’s beautiful, he’s wonderfully beautiful. “uh, so i already have the clay on the wheel, it’s ready for some molding,” you grab an apron for him, holding it as he sets the basket down.

“i’m very worried about messing this up,” he looks back at you, taking the strap on his apron and resting it on his neck.

taking the back string, he skillfully ties it himself, the way his biceps move under his shirt sends your heart rate soaring. looking away, you head over to the wheel. “you’re going to do great, i honestly don’t think you could do anything wrong,” you joke, grabbing an extra stool and setting it by the one he’ll be working on.

“thank you, y/n, it means a lot,” osamu joins you, sitting down in the stool, his legs spreading outward so he can move closer to the wheel.

joining him, you begin to explain the process. you start by handing him a bucket, the both of you getting your hands wet. grabbing his hands, you guide them around the ball. maneuvering his fingers and palms so that they’re in the perfect position. his hands are rather soft within yours. osamu’s eyes constantly flickering towards you as you explain each step, from the way his thumbs lay on top to pushing it upwards to make a cone shape.

he moves diligently, eyes narrowing as he tries to keep up with your instructions. when he brings it back down, you grab his thumbs, pressing them into the center, “so you’ll push down here to make a divot. wait, here, let me show you.”

standing up, you stand next to him, leaning down slightly. taking his hands in yours, you lay your thumbs over his. pushing his down, he pushes down into the clay, his heart beating quickly against your bicep. you look over at him, wanting to congratulate him on doing so well. however, when you do, he’s already looking at you.

his eyes glow in the sunlight, your gaze unable to stop itself from peering at his lips. the little space between you, the way your heart is beating quicker than you’ve ever experienced. “osamu-”

“yeah?”

“could i kiss you?”

“absolutely…” his head leans towards you, slightly tilted as his lips meet yours.

and you can finally taste the food on his lips. the rice and pork mixture that you wonder is in the picnic basket. but ultimately, you can feel the warmth that you’ve always known he’s had. the way his nose brushes against yours, the softness of his lips matching perfectly with his hands.

it’s habit, but your hands make their way to his face, your thumb running over cheekbone. you feel goosebumps run along your arms. even your feet cross at the ankles, moving slightly as he smiles into the kiss. “wow,” you whisper, leaning back slightly, forehead resting against his.

“wow’s a good word,” he breaths heavily, foot moving off of the pedal, “but did you have to put clay on my face?”

laughing, you lean your head back, moving your hands away from his face. biting your lip, you can see the slip covering his cheeks and chin, even touching his nose. he shakes his head, leaning forward again, “no, no, i do like your hands there.”

a/n: next will be the epilogue :D

taglist: @causenessus @osakis-gf @eggyrocks @brkfclub @marisabel14

@bbybibi @etoiile @miyamoratsumuu @girlokarina @gsyche

@cherrypieyourface @zephestia @acowboykisser @whosmarjj @gumiiiiezzzz

@guitarstringed-scars @19calicos @savemebrazilhinata @phoenix-eclipses @theycallmenanamisgirl

@softpia @certaindreampost

#haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu fic #haikyuu fanfic #hq #hq fanfic #hq x reader #☼༄ my bisque beau #hq osamu #osamu miya x reader #haikyuu osamu #osamu miya #miya osamu #osamu miya fluff #osamu miya x y/n

54 notes · View notes

miss-oranje-disco-dancer · 9 months

Text

making up the adult way (not old enough ch.4)

pairing: leon kennedy/reader

cw: handcuffs, slapping (light), begging, sub!leon (light), dom!reader (light), teasing, vaginal sex

summary: Leon wants forgiveness, but you'll only give it to him if he can play by your rules. Time to punish the bad boy!

word count: 2.5k

ao3 link

You weren’t going to hand over forgiveness that easily. Leon needed to learn his lesson. You dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt as a test to see if he’d still want you as your raw and real self - not some version you’d created for him.

It didn’t matter to him. He gazed upon you with the same fondness he always had when you walked through his front door.

You sat down on his couch, so familiar, and yet you still didn’t feel at ease. Leon sat down next to you, a respectful distance away, not daring to touch you. A new kind of awkwardness permeated through the living room air.

Leon spoke first. “I know it’s not enough, but I need you to know how sorry I am. I was completely out of line last night and if there’s any way that I can make it up to you, I’ll do it.”

“I just want you to be honest with me.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Did you really believe that we weren’t together when you slept with that woman?”

“I wasn’t sure.”

“Why did you sleep with her if you weren’t sure? Who was she? The side chick? The main chick? Just some one-night stand?”

Just some one night stand like I was supposed to be , you thought.

“An old friend.”

“An old friend you’re sleeping with?”

“I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t sleep with her or say that this wasn’t the first time, but it’s complicated. ‘Old friend’ doesn’t really cut it.”

“Why is it so hard to pry information out of you?”

“I don’t know what to say. She just showed up and brought me back into her bullshit like she’s been doing since ‘98.”

“Just showed up out of the blue?”

“Yeah, that’s kinda her M.O.”

“So what? You just wait for her to come around? I can’t be your substitute for when she’s not here.”

“You’re not. If I had known that sleeping with her would’ve made you upset, I wouldn’t have done it.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“I promise you - I’m an idiot, not an asshole - at least, I try not to be. I would never try to hurt you, and if there’s any way you’ll forgive me. Any way I can make you happy, please tell me.”

“How badly do you want to earn my forgiveness?”

“More than you can imagine.”

“Since it seems you can’t behave on your own, how about we try playing by my rules? Think you can do that?”

“Anything for you.”

“You’re basically a cop, right?”

“I was. Why?”

He omitted the part about his career lasting only a day.

“Have any handcuffs?”

“Upstairs, left bedside table.”

“Stay put.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

You grabbed the handcuffs - pink and fuzzy, not the cop kind. Things were looking even brighter.

You held them up on your way down the stairs, letting them swing in your hand. Like a trophy, like a reward, like a threat.

“Do you want me to put those on you?”

“You’ve got it backwards. They’re for you.”

Heat rose in Leon’s cheeks.

“Speak up or forever hold your peace, baby.”

“I-uh-I’m at a loss for words.”

“Do you still want me?”

Leon looked down at his crotch, almost surprised at his own arousal. “Yeah,” he said, almost reluctant to admit it.

“Good.”

You sat down on the couch.

“Strip,” you said, gesturing for him to stand.

“What?”

“You heard me.”

He stood up with something between confusion and hesitation in his expression.

“All of it?” He gestured to his outfit.

“All of it.”

“Right here?”

“Is there a problem with that? We’re in your living room. No one else can see you. Only me.”

“It feels weird when you’re staring at me like that.”

“Are you sure the word you’re looking for is ‘weird’?”

He declined to respond and you just raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘what are you waiting for?’.

“Are you going to take your clothes off too?”

You’d think he was a virgin if you didn’t know any better.

“We’ll see. Depends on how well you behave.”

He started to remove his t-shirt, when you stopped him.

“Look at me while you do it,” you said.

He locked eyes with you, trying to goad you into some sort of staring contest - a power play. It was painted all over his face, how badly he wanted you to break.

Your eyes shifted towards his toned chest and down his torso where his hands fidgeted with his belt.

He took a deep breath as if it was hard for him to do something so seemingly simple.

Soon enough, he was fully nude in front of you, while you gazed upon him in silence. Every moment of uncertainty created a certain awkwardness on his part that amused you.

“Bring me a chair from the kitchen.”

“Okay,” he obliged and came back with a wooden kitchen chair.

“Now sit down.”

You stood up while he sat down.

“You look embarrassed,” you said, approaching him.

“I am,” he admitted.

“Then why are you hard?” you asked, taking his cock in your hand and immediately letting go.

“I don’t know.”

He absolutely knew.

“I’m going to put these handcuffs on you now. Are you okay with that, Leon?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me to stop if I do anything you don’t like.”

“I will.”

You handcuffed him, wrapping his arms behind his back. You stood up to look at him in such a vulnerable state.

“You look cute like this. A little bit pathetic, too.”

Leon wasn’t sure what to say to your pouty lips, mocking pity.

Much to Leon’s surprise, when you tore off your own clothes, you were wearing black lingerie.

“Can you let me out of these? I wanna touch you.”

“I could let you out of them if you’re uncomfortable, but I still won’t let you touch me.”

You got on your knees in front of him, only as a tease. You watched as his expression went from surprise to excitement to gratitude to betrayal when he realized he wasn’t going to get what he wanted that easily.

“Are you sorry, Leon?”

“Yes. I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For fighting, for calling you a whore, for sleeping with someone else, for everything.”

“I want to know how sorry you are.”

“So sorry you have no idea how sorry I am.”

“If you’re so sorry, then why did you do it in the first place?”

At this point, his cock throbbed in your hand while you gripped it tightly.

“Can you move your hand please?”

“Oh, sorry.” You took your hand away entirely, pretending to misunderstand him.

“Why’d you take it away?” he whined.

“You told me to move it, so I moved it.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“What did you mean? You could try using your words.”

“Please, touch me.”

“That’s much better.”

You finally did as he asked, stroking him slowly, earning labored breaths from him. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes in pleasure. He doesn’t deserve it, you thought. You stopped and while you could see the disappointment in his eyes, he was a fast learner, he knew better than to complain.

You kissed his neck, collarbone, chest - not his lips, not his dick either. You sucked marks onto his skin.

“Now everyone will know that you’re mine,” you said.

“I’m yours.”

“I didn’t even have to ask you to say it. You’re really good at this. Sure you haven’t done it before?”

“No, you’re the first to do this to me.”

“Maybe you’ve fantasized about it, then.”

You could see the truth in his eyes. The confirmation came in the form of silence.

You unbuttoned the bottom of the lace bodysuit you were wearing. You didn’t have to take off the whole garment to get yourself off. You sat on Leon’s thigh - not his cock like he wanted.

You were wet, which allowed him some pride, but a new level of yearning as well. There was no real satisfaction for him because as wet as he made you, he couldn’t touch you, couldn’t taste you. You began to grind on his thigh with the intention of making yourself come in front of him.

You held onto his biceps to steady yourself while he watched you, eyes completely transfixed on the sight of your cunt. You took one hand and rubbed your thumb over the sensitive tip of his dick. He moaned - pathetic.

Once he saw the way your face changed with the heightened pleasure, the way moans slipped from your mouth unintentionally, he realized that you were close.

“You’re so mean,” he said.

“If you think I’m so mean, then why is your cock leaking?” you asked, rubbing your thumb over his tip which was drooling precum.

Because he was cute and you pitied him a bit, you began to properly jerk him off while you approached your own peak.

Longing and betrayal painted his face when you came back from oblivion. You dipped two fingers down to your core and then put them in his mouth. That was his reward.

The way he twitched in your hand told you he was close, too.

“Are you gonna come too?”

“Yeah,” he said, breathless, bucking his hips up into your hand.

You removed your hand immediately.

“When did I say you could do that?”

“You didn’t. I’m sorry.”

You held your palm up to his face, but waited for confirmation before you did anything.

“Do you deserve it?”

He nodded and you slapped him hard enough to make it sting, but not hard enough to truly hurt him.

His next words were more shocking than when he called you a whore in the parking lot the night before. “Do it again,” he said.

“Really?”

“Please," he said quietly, a little embarrassed at how much he liked it.

You obliged. “I didn’t expect you to like it. It was supposed to be a punishment.”

“I didn’t know I would like it that much either.”

He looked at you like you were a goddess, you were divine and deserved worship he wasn’t capable of giving you with his hands tied. He’d take his punishment with gratitude as long as you were the one dishing it out.

“If I ride you, can you promise to tell me before you come?” you asked.

“Yes," he said, but based on the way you’d surprised him already that night, Leon didn’t fully trust himself not to completely unravel in your hands regardless of his own will.

“Okay,” you said, sinking down on his dick. Truthfully, if he did come without asking, it’d just be another excuse to punish him. You wouldn’t be upset.

“You feel so good. I wish I could touch you,” he groaned.

You started to bounce up and down slightly. Though your breasts were still in the confines of your lingerie - for the most part - they moved in time with your hips, and Leon’s eyes were glued to them.

“I would let you if I trusted you to behave, but since you decided to act out last night, you need to earn my forgiveness.”

“How can I earn it?” His baby blue eyes moved from your tits to your face.

“Beg,” you said simply, as if it should’ve been obvious.

“Please, please forgive me. I’m so sorry. I’ll never do anything like that again.”

“Never do what again?”

“Call you names, get into fights, sleep with anyone else.”

“You’ll always be honest?”

“Always.”

You kissed him on the lips because you wanted it, and he kissed you back with a genuine passion that lay somewhere beyond lust.

“I’m really close,” he said through shaky breaths.

You stopped the movement of your hips and he whined, but didn’t protest - he was determined to behave.

“Tell me that you’re mine.”

“I’m yours.”

“All mine?”

“All yours.”

And he meant it.

You started to bounce up and down on him again, truly putting your thighs to work this time.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come.”

“Gonna come for me?”

“For you. All for you.”

His orgasm left tears in his eyes. You didn’t chide him for bucking his hips up into you while he came - both because he probably couldn’t help it as his brain was clearly gone and also because it brought you to your own orgasm.

You flopped down onto him while you tried to catch your breath.

“I forgive you," you said,

“I meant what I said," Leon said.

After a moment, he asked, somewhat hesitant, “Can you uncuff me?”

“Oh yeah,” you laughed, “I almost forgot.”

You removed the handcuffs and he sprung up, picking you up in his arms.

“Hey! What are you doing?," you asked, unable to feign any indignation through your laughter.

“Taking you to the shower and then to bed.”

“Who said you were allowed to do that?”

“Your boyfriend.”

“My boyfriend? I didn’t know I had one. What’s he like?”

“Old, a little sweaty, and head over heels falling for you.”

And that was that. You and Leon S. Kennedy were an item now. Even calling yourselves ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’ made you both giggle - the butterflies-in-your-stomach, feel-like-I’m-in-high-school-again type of giggling.

You didn’t have sex in the shower, didn’t even think about it really. You were both a little hungover from the night before and were wholly satisfied from round one. Instead, Leon washed your hair with his separate shampoo and conditioner - the first man you’d ever met who didn’t have 2-in-one or worse 3-in-one.

Leon got out of the shower first so he could wrap you in a towel when you passed through the threshold of the shower door into the cold bathroom.

You’d slept together in both senses of the word before, but this was the first time you’d slept naked and it was more intimate than sex, you came to find. Sprawled out on his chest, you asked him to tell you stories - about himself, about his life.

“There’s not much to tell. I’m not a very interesting guy,” he said, but it was quite the opposite - there was a hell of a lot to tell and his life was interesting for all the worst reasons.

“Tell me about your friends, your family, your favorite memories.”

“You met my friends, Chris and Claire and I don’t have any family. My parents died when I was a kid and I’m an only child, so unless you’ve got a ouija board, you’re SOL.”

He said with a nonchalance that made you laugh at its absurdity.

“I’m sorry for laughing - it’s just the way you said it was funny.”

“What I lack in parents, I make up for in jokes.”

And many other things, you thought.

“You asked about my favorite memory? I think my favorite memory is gonna be this. Right now.”

When you looked up at him, about to call him out for being cheesy and giving you a bs answer, he was beaming. His lips curved upward to hold up the apples of his cheeks and it was so new, so foreign to work out these muscles on his face that his smile trembled, faltering under the weight, only to return to his face. This was the first time he’d ever smiled so long it made his cheeks sore.

#leon s kennedy #leon kennedy smut #leon kennedy #leon s kennedy smut #leon kennedy x reader #fics #miss oranje fics

173 notes · View notes

mariasont · 6 months

Text

Our Minds Entwined------------------------

ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, ch 5

Aaron Hotchner x Original Character x Spencer Reid

in which jason gideon's daughter joins the fbi as the newest youngest member

The clock struck midnight, its chimes echoing softly though the BAU's office, a space usually buzzing with the day's urgency now settled into a rare stillness, broken by the occasional shuffle of feet or the muted ring of a phone quickly silenced.

Evelyn, her silhouette illuminated by the soft luminescence of the computer screen, was a portrait of focus. Her eyes, reflecting the screen's pale blue light, moved rapidly as she scanned the data before her. Stray locks of hair framed her face, a few rebellious strands occasionally obscuring her view, only to be tucked behind an ear with an absent-minded brush of her hand.

Her desk was a landscape of organized chaos, with documents cascading over one another and colorful pens scattered across the wood. Her fingers, poised gracefully above the keyboard, were a study of precision, each keystroke a deliberate and thoughtful action.

The office around her was still, save for the soft hum of machinery and the distant sound of a siren that wailed briefly before fading into the night. The air was heavy with the scent of coffee, long gone cold, and the faintest hint of ink and toner.

Across the room, Reid's silhouette was framed by the window, his tall figure bent over a table littered with files. The faint light from the streetlamps outside filtered through, illuminating his furrowed brow as he pieced together profiles with the meticulous care of an artist.

Their interactions were sparse, limited to the necessary exchange of information, yet there was a comfort in the shared silence, a mutual understanding that words were superfluous when the work demanded their all.

Evelyn rose from her desk, stretching slightly to ease the stiffness in her back. She gathered a stack of papers, the edges crisp and cool against her fingers, and made her way to the copy machine nestled in the corner of the office.

Reid, his attention usually locked within the realm of profiles and patterns, found his gaze inadvertently drawn to Evelyn as she bent over to load the papers into the feeder, her hips jutted out, her ass perfectly outlined by her skirt. Her body was a rare lapse in his concentration, one that left him momentarily disarmed.

"Uh, need a hand with that?" Reid's voice broke the silence, a touch of hesitance threading through his usual calm as he diverted his gaze from her ass.

Evelyn looked up, a hint of surprise flickering across her face. "Actually, yes. It's being stubborn," she replied, her tone laced with mild frustration as the machine gave a disgruntled beep and ceased operation.

Reid crossed the room, his steps measured, the soft carpet muffling his approach. He stood beside her, their shoulders almost touching, as he examined the rebellious machine. "Sometimes it just needs a little...," he began, reaching out to navigate the copier's cryptic buttons.

Before he could finish, the office plunged into darkness, a power outage seizing the building in its sudden grip. The hum of the machinery died, leaving a heavy silence in its wake.

"Spencer?" Evelyn's voice cut through the darkness, tinged with confusion and an instinctive reach for familiarity. Her hands, almost on their own accord, reached out into the void, fingers splayed in search of the tangible reassurance of her surroundings.

In the sudden stillness, Evelyn's breath hitched as she felt the unexpected warmth of Spencer's hands on her hips. His touch was gentle yet firm, a steadying presence that grounded her in the enveloping darkness. The soft fabric of her skirt offered little barrier to the heat of his palms, and she could feel the contours of his fingers pressing against her.

Spencer's front was close, so close that she could sense the line of his body against her back without either of them moving. It was an intimate proximity that had never shared, his chest almost brushing against her as they both paused in the unexpected closeness.

Evelyn's heart raced, not from fear of the dark, but from the sudden heat she felt. His presence was like a solid pillar, and for a moment, she leaned back ever so slightly, drawn by the comfort of his nearness. The air around them seemed to thrum with a new energy.

As quickly as the moment came, it passed, and they stepped away from each other, the space crackling between them with an unspoken tension.

"Sorry," Spencer's voice was a hushed murmur in the darkness, a soft admission that seemed louder in the silence.

Evelyn's response came quickly. "It's okay," she said. In the pitch-black office, Evelyn was acutely aware of the warmth spreading across her cheeks. "It's just... dark."

Her body shouldn't be reacting this way, she chided herself silently. He was a colleague, maybe a friend, and yet the fluttering in her stomach contradicted her rational thoughts. The darkness concealed her flushed face, but it couldn't hide the quickening of her pulse or the confusion that clouded her mind.

Evelyn's voice broke through the silence again, this time with a note of practically. "The doors... they're badge-operated," she stated, more to herself than to Spencer. The fact was a simple one, but it served as a necessary anchor, pulling her thoughts away from the lingering warmth of his touch.

Reid's mind, ever analytic, race through their options. "The backup generator should kick in, but it might be a few minutes," he said, trying to sound reassuring.

They moved together, almost instinctively, toward the door. Evelyn's fingers fumbled along the wall, seeking the familiar contour of the switch, though she knew it was futile. Reid, meanwhile, pulled out his phone, the dim glow casting shadows as he tried to illuminate their path.

The badge reader beside the door was unresponsive, it's usual green light extinguished. They exchanged a look, an unspoken agreement passing through them for a moment. They were indeed stuck, at least for the moment.

The stillness of the office felt different now, charged with the intimacy of shared confinement. They retreated from the doors, finding their way back to the center of room. "Guess we wait,"

"Or we could call Hotch. That man never sleeps." With a resigned sigh, he pulled out his phone and dialed. The call rang persistently, but there was no answer.

Spencer ended the call, a hint of frustration in his eyes. "No answer," he said, turning to Evelyn. "Maybe you should try."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on her lips. "What, and shatter the myth that Aaron Hotchner actually needs sleep like the rest of us mortals? Fine, I'll give it a shot."

She dialed the number, half-expecting it to go to voicemail. To her surprise, Hotch picked up almost immediately. "Hotch? It's Evelyn. Evelyn Gideon. I... uh, didn't actually think you'd answer."

"Yes, Evelyn I know it's you. Is everything alright?" Hotch's voice was calm, a stark contrast to the fluttering in Evelyn's stomach.

"We're locked in the building. The power is off and the badge reader's down and... well, we're stuck here," she confessed, her words more measured than she felt.

"I'll be there in ten," Hotch replied without missing a beat, and the line went dead.

Evelyn turned to Spencer, her earlier confidence replaced with a sheepish grin. "Okay, now we wait."

Spencer leaned against his desk, his eyes reflecting a hint of amusement. "You know, it's probably just the novelty of not hearing my extensive use of statistics in casual conversation. Hotch might've thought it was a prank call."

Evelyn's laughter filled the room, a sound that seemed foreign in the usually somber office. "Speaking of, what's the statistic of getting locked in the office with a power outage?"

Spencer glanced at her, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "Well, actually, it's quite rare. The probability is less than 0.005% on any given day."

Her laughter grew louder, and she shook her head in disbelief. "Spencer, I wasn't being serious."

He smiled, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary. "No, I know that," he said, though his tone suggested otherwise. "But you have to admit, it's an interesting statistic."

Evelyn hopped up onto the desk, crossing her legs as she faced Spencer. The conversation flowed easily between them, filled with light banter that had become their unique way of coping with the stress of the job.

"So, Dr. Reid," Evelyn began, a teasing tone in her voice, "if you're so good with statistics, what are the odds of us getting out of here before we turn into BAU office decorations?"

Spencer chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Well, considering Hotch's driving skills and disregard for traffic laws when it comes to his team, I'd say the odds are in our favor."

As they laughed, Spencer's hand accidentally brushed against Evelyn's leg. The contact was brief, but it was enough for him to notice the smoothness of her skin. He quickly retracted his hand, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.

Before either could comment, the lights flickered back to life, bathing the room in a harsh fluorescent glow. The badge reader beside the door beeped, its green light signaling the return of power.

The door swung open, and Hotch stepped in, his expression of concern and mild irritation. "I see the power's back," he said, surveying the scene before him. "You two alright?"

Evelyn slid off the desk, smoothing out her skirt. "We're fine, Hotch. Just enjoying some... statistical analysis with Reid."

Hotch raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on Evelyn for a moment. He nodded once, before turning to leave the room.

Spencer, curiosity piqued, hurried after Hotch. "Hey, Hotch," he called out, catching up. "Why didn't you answer my call?"

Evelyn, left alone by the desk, couldn't help but giggle. She quickly gathered her belongings, the recent events still playing in her mind like a curious melody. She slung her purse over her shoulder and made her way to the exit, her steps echoing softly in the now-quiet office.

As she rounded a corner, she collided with a figure emerging from the shadows. "Oh shoot, sorry," he exclaimed, taking a step back.

The man she bumped into was tall, with a friendly smile that reached his eyes. "No harm done," she said, his voice smooth and reassuring. "You're Evelyn, right? From the BAU? I'm Daniel, from the Counterterrorism Division."

Evelyn nodded, a little taken aback by the recognition. "Nice to meet you, Daniel. I didn't expect to run into anyone else here so late."

Daniel's grin widened. "Yeah, the hours can be unpredictable. But it's all in a day's work, right?"

Evelyn returned the smile. "Absolutely, makes the job all the more interesting." She glanced at her watch, groaning in her head at how late it was. "Well, I should head out. Early start tomorrow and all that."

"Of course," Daniel replied. "It was nice running into you, Evelyn. Maybe I'll see you around."

With a final nod, Evelyn turned and walked away. She stepped out into the cool air, the parking lot bathed in the soft glow of streetlights. She noticed two familiar cars: Spencer's old sedan and Hotch's study SUV. As she made her way to her car, Spencer's vehicle started up, and he drove past her, offering a small nod.

She then spotted Hotch, sitting in his SUV, his silhouette unmistakable. "Hotch?" she called out, approaching the vehicle with a curious tilt of her head.

The window rolled down, and Hotch looked at her, his face a mask of casual vigilance. "Just making sure you get to your car safely," he said, his voice carrying a subtle warmth reserved for his team.

Evelyn laughed softly, the sound carrying in the stillness. "Aw Hotch, playing the knight in shining armor?"

He cracked a rare, half-smile. "Well, considering you've attracted more trouble in your first week than most agents do in a year, I thought it prudent to stick around."

She shook her head, still smiling. "I'll take that as a compliment, coming from you."

Hotch nodded, his gaze lingering for a moment longer. "Just try to avoid any more late-night lock-ins, okay?"

She laughed, the sound crisp in the night air. "I'll do my best. Goodnight, Hotch."

"Goodnight, Evelyn. Drive safe."

With a final nod, Evelyn turned and walked to her car.

Evelyn arrived at her home, a pristine two-story house that exuded classic charm. The white paint glowed under the moonlight, and the dark roofing added a touch of elegance. Each dormer window was adorned with pastel flowers.

Inside, she moved gracefully, her high heels clicking on the hardwood as she placed her bag down. The day's tensions melting away as she slipped into her silky pajama, the fabric gliding over her skin like a gentle caress. As she settled into bed, the softness of the sheets a welcome contrast to the day's harshness, her phone rang. It was Spencer, his voice a soothing presence in the quiet of the night.

"Hey, Evelyn, just wanted to make sure you got home safely," he said.

Evelyn settled deeper into her pillows, a smile playing on her lips. "I did, thanks. But you know, you don't have to worry. Statistically speaking, the likelihood of encountering danger on a short drive within one's own neighborhood is quite low."

There was a pause, and then Spencer's voice returned, laced with his characteristic blend of humor and fact. "Well, actually, while the probability is low, it's never zero. For example, did you know that--"

Evelyn cut him off with a light-hearted laugh. "Spencer, I know whatever you're going to say is not going to be exactly a comforting bedtime statistic."

"I suppose not." He laughed, the sound warm in her ear.

"Thanks for the check-in, Dr. Reid. I'll see you tomorrow," Evelyn said, her voice tinged with amusement.

"See you tomorrow, Evelyn. And remember, statistically, your bed is the safest place you can be right now." Spencer added before saying goodnight.

Evelyn ended the call with a soft laugh, feeling a sense of warmth flood her body as she caught herself smiling into her pillow. The night was quiet, and for once, the statistics were in her favor.

you guys!!!!!! the support on this is unreal, ugh love u all <3 i also want to start writing drabbles, one-shots, etc. SOOO if you have any requests shoot me a message <3

let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

taglist: @nonamevenus

#Spotify #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x original character #spencer reid x oc #reid #dr reid #aaron hotchner #aaron hotchner x reader #hotchner #hotch #aaron hotchner x oc #aaron hotchner x original character #aaron hotchner x oc x spencer reid #aaron hotchner x original character x spencer reid #reverse harem #why choose #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds

118 notes · View notes

lostfirefly · 8 months

Text

Please don't say you're gone forever, 'cause I can't hurt no more (Ch.1)

This idea came from the dream. Again :)) Sorry not sorry :)

Buggy and F!Reader.

Description: You're the flower shop owner who has a long-standing relationship with Buggy. You haven't seen each other much in the last few months. He finally arrives to see you, but he's overtaken by fit of jealousy during the dinner.

Warnings: Buggy The Jealous For No Reason Jerk Clown, established relationship, arguing.

Words: 1637

The title is taken from "Gone Forever" by Wearing Scars.

English is not my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts :)

Masterlist

Taglist: @gingernut1314

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Chapter 2

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

You were sorting out a new delivery of flowers when the bell on the door of your store rang loudly. “Just a minute, please, I’ll just put the flowers in the vase and come out to you!” you shouted from the back room.

“Miss, I can’t wait a whole minute. I would like to buy a bouquet of beautiful roses, but I’m in a hurry!” An insistent male voice said from the next room.

A shiver ran through your body. You quickly placed a fresh bouquet of roses in a large ceramic vase and headed into the hall. You opened the door and couldn't help but smile.

"Hello!" you said as you exhaled.

"Hey, my sweet cookie!" He stood near the cash register, leaning on the table.

Your blue-haired man with a big red nose and his famous makeup. Your favorite pirate. Your favorite clown. Your beloved Captain Buggy.

"Finally!!" You ran to him and wrapped your arms around his neck tightly. "What are you.. How are..? Why are..?" You started kissing him on the lips, cheeks, temples, avoiding his nose. “I missed you so much!”

"Answering all your questions at once. We needed to resupply, and I said to dock our ship at your island. I really wanted to see my cookie." He smiled widely and wrapped his arms around your waist.

You felt the warmth of his touch even through his white gloves.

"For how long?" You asked quietly, running your hands over his forearms.

"Two or three days."

“Well, it's better this time." You laughed. “But I need to finish up some work tasks at the store. Can you wait? I’ll close it early today.”

“I’ve come such a long way to you, and you still ask? My sweet cookie, you hurt me.” He shook his head and chuckled.

You smiled, kissed him on the lips again and quickly ran to finish your work. Buggy was wandering from corner to corner, periodically visiting you in the back room to distract you.

After finishing your work, you closed the store, took Buggy’s hand and led him to your home. On the way you asked him about his adventures, about the sea, other pirates and where he would go next.

“Come in. I’ll make us tea.” You led him into your house and closed the door.

"Tea? I thought we'd do something else." He said with a slight croak in his voice.

“We have three more days for something else. Tea first. Are you hungry? I can cook something.”

Buggy shrugged.

You suggested him to help make a meal together. You opened the bottle of rum just to make the cooking process funnier. When the dish was ready, you sat the plates with food down at the table.

You sat on his lap, constantly looked at him, smiled and blushed every time he said that this was the most delicious dish in the world. You cannot stop running your hand over his red and white bandana and didn’t know how to stop smiling.

Buggy kissed your hands, your cheeks, your lips and you blushed the whole time.

While you were talking about everything and nothing, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you waiting for someone?" Buggy asked in surprise.

“No. I don’t know who it is. Please wait, I’ll be right back.” You kissed him on the cheek and ran to open the door.

"Tom, what are you doing here?" Your old friend was standing on the threshold. Tall, pumped-up brunette with brown eyes.

“I thought you were sitting alone. Me, Billy and Drew are going to a bar and I thought I should invite you to join us.” He leaned on the door frame and crossed his arms. "So. Get ready, darling, let's go and have some fun!"

"Sorry, I can't, I'm busy."

“Come on, pretty girl, we had so much fun last time!"

“Tom, I’m sorry. I’m busy, I have guests. We’ll talk later. Bye-bye!” You quickly pushed him out of the doorway and closed the door.

You walked back to the kitchen.

“Sorry!” You hugged Buggy's neck from behind and kissed his cheek. He turned around.

"What happened?" You asked, carefully removing your hands from his neck.

"Who was that?" He asked dryly and turned his gaze to you.

“Where? Ah! This is Tom. I told you about him, remember? The guy we lived next door to when we were kids, our parents were friends. Well, somehow we became friends too.”

“Just friends?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Yes, why?" You asked, sitting down on the chair.

“Well, I don’t know. He comes to you almost in the middle of the night to invite you somewhere, calls you a pretty girl. Maybe you have more than just fun spending time with him.”

“What? What are you talking about? I didn’t think about anything bad. He’s cute, of course, but we’re just friends and that’s all.” You took his hand. Buggy looked displeased and pulled his hand out of your hands.

“Of course he’s cute.” He mumbled. “Did you just go to the bar?” Buggy didn’t take his eyes off you.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You said he's cute."

"Oh my god, are you serious? Why are you clinging to words?"

"I'm not!" He rose his voice.

"I'm not making a complaint to you. I could make a claim against you with the same zeal. You generally disappear at sea for months. And taking into account the fact that you have pretty girls in your crew..." You took a sip of rum from the glass.

"I had nothing like that in my mind, but thanks for the hint." He crossed his arms and leaned on the back of his chair.

"Buggy, are you okay today? Why are you acting like this? I told you he's just a friend. I wanted to spend time with the person I love. Oh, by the way, where is he?" You angrily put an empty glass on the table.

Buggy was silent for a second. “You started it yourself...”

“I didn’t start anything.” You took the fork, twirled it in your hands and threw it on the table. “You're the one who got mad for no reason!”

“So why the hell does he come to you here? He also talks in such a tone. No one has the right to come here at all!” He continued to glare at you.

You looked at him and didn’t know whether to cry or get angry. "Nothing works." You said in a whisper.

"Nothing works?" Buggy asked in surprise.

"Our relationship. Nothing works."

“Sorry, what?"

“Can't you hear me? Our relationship. It doesn't work like that, Buggy. Relationships are built on trust. I can't do that. You disappear for months, I don't hear anything from you. I don't know if you're alive or dead. Will you come? Or you won't come. Maybe you've already forgotten about me and exchanged me for the first girl you meet in every port. You come when it's convenient only for you, but I don't torment you every time with scenes of jealousy."

"I've asked you a million times to join my crew and stay on the ship with me." He spoke dryly and through clenched teeth.

“And I told you a million times that I can’t stay with you on your ship. At least for now. I have a job, a store, old parents, and friends here.”

“You’ll see your parents and friends, just less often. What’s the big deal?” He shrugged.

“What's the big deal? I can’t give up everything just because a little grown-up boy wants it so much!” You raised your voice.

"What do you mean?"

“I can't leave my parents. They are old. Do you understand? They need me. Just because no one cared about you before doesn’t mean my family is like that. We care about each other. They care about me and love me.” You felt your head starting to hurt. “I can't. I just can't. I’m going to sleep."

Buggy looked at you, not a single muscle moved on his face. “I offered you to live with me. I offered you freedom and the ocean. But apparently, you don't really want to leave with the captain freak. And if you don't want it now, then you'll never want it. It will be better for you to stay with this Tom, am I right?”

“I told you, I don’t want to go on the ship right now. But I wanted to be in a relationship with you. The relationship with you was important to me. But last time I see you once every three to four months and then if I’m lucky. But for some reason, even in this case, you don’t trust me.”

"Wanted? Was important? In the past tense?" He asked in surprised tone.

“I don’t know. Have you noticed that in our last meetings we often quarrel? I’m tired. From scandals. From everything. I thought we would sit and talk. I've been missing you all this time. And now I don't wanna t... I don't know what I want. I wanna sleep.”

“You suggest that we go to bed or that I should leave your house altogether with the phrase “I’m tired of everything” and “was important? Maybe you'll just say that you're tired of me? Just say you want to leave me. Just like he once left me. Just like everyone always did, everyone abandoned me."

“Oh, no, not again. Have you tried at least once in your life not to blame this Shanks for everything?" You grabbed your head and put your elbows on the table.

Buggy abruptly stood up from the table.

"You're starting to behave like that again. You know, i think I need.. no.. we need a short rest from each other."

"Rest? You mean break up?"

"Rest is rest, Buggy. It's not a breakup.”

The last thing you heard was him slamming the front door.

“Fuck!” You thought.

#buggy the clown #buggy x you #buggy x reader #one peice #opla buggy x reader #opla buggy the clown x you #opla buggy the clown x reader #opla buggy the clown #buggy fanfiction #buggy x female reader #buggy the clown x reader

102 notes · View notes

andrea-lyn · 3 months

Text

The Raven Cycle - Master Fic Rec Post

See under the cut for fifteen total recs, mostly Pynch. There's also 10 additional in the "Recs Less Travelled" project here.

and on the seventh day he rested by Prevalent_Masters

On the seventh day, the Lynch brothers discovered they were friends once more.

Or, the week following the (near) apocalypse.

cool of your hand, back of my neck by grandfather_clock

Adam Parrish has been dumped for the second time ever. Ronan Lynch is a gleeful, weirdly invested observer. They drive around all night long. featuring: teenagers pretending they aren’t in love, shouting over loud music, minor arson, major arson, ronan lynch’s hand fixation, and an unfortunate amount of kiting.

getting swept away by sunmoontruth

“So. Your page. Your knight. Two different people, yes?” the psychic guesses—intuits. She points to each of the tarot cards: a girl with a golden cup, a boy with a golden cup. “Yes,” Gansey says. “But similar feelings,” the psychic says, mostly to herself. She opens her mouth. She closes her mouth. She instructs, “Last card.” Gansey draws. Death. Reversed. — Or a cross country road-trip, developing feelings, and the end of the world

god only knows (what i'd be without you) by RhymeReason

[Part of Gansey was starting to accept that two of his best friends were most likely dead.]

Or: gansey finds adam and ronan :)

hold me tight, fear me not by audikatia for Northisnotup

When Adam stepped around, he found himself suddenly in an emerald glen of moss-covered trees. More blue roses scattered over the green ground like raindrops or tears.

And there, in the center, was a man pinned to a tree with an arrow through his heart. :: Tam Lin AU

i should have loved a thunderbird instead by ssstrychnine

persephone leaves adam three things: her tarot cards, her voice, and a phone from 2003.

I Worship You, Your Fingers Snag My Soul by sherasaidgaywrites

He breathed into Adam’s mouth, his voice different, somehow; filled with meaning: “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” He did his smoker’s breath, his fingertips a whisper on nerves. “His name was Adam.” And, oh, that was so fitting. What was Adam if not a man built from the dust? - Ronan does some contemplation during mass and then comes home to his second object of worship. He likens Adam unto God’s creations, Adam likens him unto God.

if, if, if by writerforlife

Declan decides it’s about time he and Adam Parrish have a chat.

like a secret (like an oath) by demigodbeautiies

“You know Richard Gansey well enough to be invited to his wedding,” Adam says, and it isn’t quite a question. Then he shakes his head, like he’s clearing it of a much bigger piece of debris, and says, “You’re the best man at his wedding?” - Pynch Fake Dating AU

Night Owls by aceofreaders (Kickasscookieeater)

Adam Parrish has worked at The Night Owl since the end of his college freshman year. It's named so because it's open late, which suits Adam just fine because no one ever comes in during those last hours before 12am.

Except, then someone does.

A foul mouthed, viciously handsome someone, who brings a slow rolling storm of change into Adam's steady life. And when he does, Adam won't be able to lie anymore.

since you've been home, see what you have become by Mici (noharlembeat)

Adam goes touring colleges, and Ronan comes along. And Opal, well. She stays with Declan.

Someone Worth Knowing by SprigsofViolets

Alex Claremont-Diaz and Adam Parrish meet on their first day at NYU. They do not hit it off—cue the academic rivalry. They hate each other until they learn to understand each other.

(I can’t tell you how many times I’ve re-read this one, esp as it hits two of my fave canons in all the right places)

There's No Place Like My Room by Lil_Redhead

Sometimes endings are endings, but sometimes they’re just middles and the real ending is very, very far away.

Or, the days between the last chapters and the epilogue of Greywaren

Time Isn’t Real (but you’re a constant) by SpiritsFlame

“Time is what prevents everything from happening at once.” - Albert Einstein. Adam wakes up in the future, learns a few things about himself, about time, and about his priorities. But mostly he just wishes that Time was doing it’s job better.

(you told me) this is right where it begins by starsandgutters

The aftermath of dealing with the demon leaves behind a wake of emotional debris they were not – couldn’t have been – fully prepared to tackle. They all have a lot on their plate: assessing the damage, picking up the broken pieces, allowing the wounds to scar over. And, of course, there’s the matter of Adam-and-Ronan. (Or: falling in love doesn’t magically fix all problems, but maybe that’s alright.)

And a blanket rec for pretty much anything shinealightonme has written for the fandom.

#the raven cycle #the raven cycle fic recs #pynch #pynch fic recs

48 notes · View notes

skyloftian-nutcase · 2 months

Text

Breath of the Sky Ch 15 (Skyward Sword meets BotW)

Summary: When Princess Zelda goes to the Spring of Courage to pray, accompanied by her appointed knight, a giant magical cog spitting out a goddess is the last thing she expects, but it is what she gets. Meanwhile, the Spirit Maiden Zelda is trying to figure out what the heck is happening and where her missing chosen hero is.

Skyward Sword meets Breath of the Wild pre-calamity, and it changes everything.

Chapter 15: The Champions

Zelda couldn’t sleep.

She and Link had eventually made their way indoors for the night, getting lost for what felt like an eternity before royal guards escorted them back to their room. The bed had been a welcoming sight, and Link had immediately fallen asleep, but Zelda…

She just couldn’t. It was like her first night on the Surface all over again. She was filled with so many thoughts and feelings, with the certainty of massive change on the horizon, with the dread of facing a horrific foe once more, with the excitement of an adventure. She recalled she hadn’t slept her first night on the Surface, either.

Sighing, she eventually gave up. Link didn’t notice as she slid out of bed. She hesitated as she moved towards the door. She didn’t want the guards to see her, to question her. She just wanted to move without causing a gigantic fuss. She looked back towards the window, which was now boarded after Link had broken it a few nights ago, and she smiled.

It didn’t take much to pry the wood away, and Link was a heavy enough sleeper that he didn’t stir. Zelda grabbed her sailcloth and jumped.

The cool night air was a blessing, the openness a reprieve to her caged anxieties. Her bare feet touched down on soft grass, and she sighed as she walked through one of the castle’s many gardens. Crickets chirped alongside countless nighttime birds (and oh how she wished she could see them all – nights on Skyloft were far different than on the Surface), a gentle caress to her mind as she finally felt her muscles relax.

Zelda felt strangely alone all of a sudden. In the past, she used to pray when she was unsure. Now that… well…

Perhaps the Golden Three could still listen. Surely they would, right? Even if she was still a little mad, even if her memories did make her question them a bit (they hadn’t helped they never helped me when I struggled against him—).

Zelda remembered there were benches littered all over these gardens, and so she sought one out. Fireflies glimmered in the air, always just out of reach, making her smile as they illuminated her way. When one glowed near a dark silhouette, she paused, eyes widening a moment, and then crept a little closer from behind it.

The silhouette was very still, but she could see the person breathing, the strong shoulders belaying that it was a man, the smaller figure making her think maybe it was a young one. But his hair was familiar, his posture perfect… was it Champion? He looked a little bigger than him, though.

The man turned, hearing her despite how quiet she was trying to be, his blue eyes barely visible, though the sharp look they held was still apparent. It softened immediately in recognition, though, and the man stood, turned to face her fully, and genuflected.

Zelda initially felt frustrated at being noticed, but once she recognized him it wasn’t nearly as awful. The man looked a little different, dressed down as he was in a simple black tunic and pants, and he wasn’t wearing the hat the royal knights wore; his golden blonde hair was what made her notice him in the first place.

Wow, he really did look like Champion. Weird.

“Hi,” she greeted a little awkwardly, her voice quiet.

“Your Grace,” he acknowledged.

Well… now what? Zelda sighed. “You can get up. And sit on the bench if you want. I was going to sit down too.”

The knight rose, motioning towards the bench with his hand as he stepped back. “Please make yourself comfortable, Your Grace.”

Zelda smiled, approaching and plopping down, patting the space beside her. “Only if you join me.”

The knight watched her silently for a moment, face carefully neutral (just like Champion… she was beginning to notice a lot of similarities between the two), eyes alight with different thoughts, before obeying. He moved cautiously, hesitantly, as if he should spring to his feet and ready himself for a fight in an instant. There was no air of hostility, though – bemusement and anxiety were the better words, and Zelda almost laughed at it.

“I feel like it’s a little late for you to be out,” Zelda noted with a small smile. “Do you ever sleep? I swear you’re everywhere.”

“I am the captain of the royal guard, Your Grace. It’s my duty to know everything and be everywhere.” He answered before shifting uncomfortably. “I… beg Your Grace’s forgiveness for being so underdressed. It is, as you said, admittedly late, and I am… not currently on duty.”

“It’s okay,” she reassured him. “I’m not dressed properly either.”

At least she was just in a nightgown and not wearing her dress backwards like with that other Impa. Good grief.

The knight remained pointedly quiet and neutral, eyes looking ahead. Zelda waved dismissively, remembering how horrified the princess had been at being caught in casual attire in her bedroom. “I don’t care that you’re dressed down, or that I am. Really. I don’t know what it means in this culture, but to my people it’s not really a big deal. I mean, I wouldn’t go out like this but still. It’s not, like… the end of the world or something.”

When she got no acknowledgement, she pressed on, “What are you doing out here, though?”

The knight sighed. “I was… checking on someone.”

“Are they okay?”

“He is, Your Grace.”

Zelda tilted her head to the side, growing a little exasperated, but still enjoying the man’s company. Even though conversing was somewhat akin to pulling teeth, he still had a calming presence. She listened to the crickets for a while, looking out at nothing in particular before her eyes settled on the machines that the princess had talked about. They were deactivated right now, quietly resting up ahead.

“Is the person out here?” she asked.

“No, Your Grace,” the captain answered. “He’s asleep in the barracks. I just… check on him sometimes. And I come here to clear my mind. It’s too quiet to spar now.”

“Funny,” Zelda said with a chuckle. “I came here to clear my mind too.”

The knight glanced at her, though despite the obvious curiosity in his eyes, he didn’t question her. Zelda… appreciated it.

And, somehow, it opened the floodgates in her heart. “Everyone expects me to know everything, to have a solution to all the problems going on right now, and I just… don’t. I came here blind, I just… wanted to find Link, I…”

She trailed off, hugging herself and sighing heavily. “I’m going to help. I promise that. I want to help kill Demise, I want to protect everyone here. I just wish… there was a plan, you know? I mean, there is a plan, but the Triforce doesn’t even factor into it, and that was how I killed him last time, and… do you know anything about the Triforce? You said it was your job to know everything.”

As she glanced at the knight once more, she found him staring at her. His eyebrows were a little raised, and just a smidge closer to each other, but those were the biggest signs of his reactions, tempered by his valiant effort to remain stoic.

Zelda huffed. “You remind me of Champion.”

The captain grew even more confused, and she clarified, “Link. Your Hero of Hyrule.”

There was a pause, a moment where the captain simply continued to stare, before he let out a little exhale through his nose, a smile ghosting his lips, and he took a steadying breath and looking away.

“Do you know him well?” Zelda asked. “He’s so quiet, it’s hard to get to know him. But he’s very sweet.”

“I know him fairly well, Your Grace,” the knight answered quietly before continuing, “As for your question of the Triforce, I’m afraid I will fail you on this matter. I beg your pardon, but I know very little of the item, aside from its symbolism.”

“What symbolism?” Zelda questioned, desperate for any scrap of information she could get.

“The Triforce was some sort of powerful item used by the royal family,” the knight explained, eyes gazing towards his hands, which were clasped in his lap. “I don’t know what it was used for, specifically, but only that it helped them protect Hyrule. But the power of the goddess also protects Hyrule. The Triforce just appears in art and architecture now. I don’t even know specifically what it was used for in the past.”

“It was used to defeat Demise,” Zelda immediately said. “Link used it. My Link, that is. He destroyed the calamity with it.”

The crickets’ songs filled the air, and Zelda grew tired, not wanting to ponder the issue, emotions too raw from her fight with Link earlier in the day, from her revelation with the king, from all of it. “So you came out here for some peace of mind? I’m sorry I disturbed it.”

“I… please, don’t apologize, Your Grace, you didn’t disturb anything.” The knight stumbled over himself to appease her, stiffening a little as he looked at her once more.

“What were you doing, then?”

“I, um—I was—” he cut himself off, shifting, eyes looking between her and anywhere else. Zelda grew genuinely curious now, tilting her head to the side, waiting for him to explain himself. “I was, uh, p-praying, Your Grace.”

Oh. That was why it was awkward. “Uh… well, if it’s any consolation, I didn’t hear it.”

Zelda realized how bad that sounded, remembered how poorly the king took that information, and she hastily added, “But like—I can’t hear it, I mean I’m—look, I’m not Hylia, I mean I was, but I’m not now, and—”

This was getting worse the more she tried to explain it, but the knight at least didn’t look outright horrified like the king had. Instead, he looked almost relieved. “Your Grace… forgive my curiosity, but…”

“Please,” Zelda encouraged him, facing him fully. “Please just ask, it’s okay, I promise. I’m a normal person, I swear.”

“Your Grace is… Hylia, but not?” the knight questioned, looking genuinely confused.

“Yeah,” Zelda answered. “Look, I—Hylia died, long ago. She died fighting the calamity. Or, well, she was dying, and—Demise—Ganon mortally wounded me—I mean her, but she sealed him away. I—Hylia decided to be reborn in mortal flesh, because I knew the seal wouldn’t last, and she—she became me. But I’m also just a normal girl, born and raised on Skyloft, training to be a knight. Make sense?”

“Does Your Grace… remember being Hylia?”

“Yeah, mostly,” Zelda answered, rising and hugging herself. “It’s a little… I’m still sorting it out.”

“I suppose… you eventually will, Your Grace,” the captain said a little reassuringly. “You’re remembered and revered to this day, after all.”

“Time travel sure is a funny thing,” Zelda noted with a weak laugh. “Sorry to dump all that on you, but… thanks for listening.”

Goddesses, it felt amazing just to say that, to know somebody actually listened to her instead of assuming everything. She smiled genuinely, wanting to hug the man, and then remembered abruptly, “Oh gosh, I don’t even know your name! I’m so sorry. I’m Zelda—well, you already knew that, but—I mean you’re calling me by—it’s okay. Yeah.”

The captain watched her with obvious uncertainty before he tried to get himself together. Then he said, “My name is Abel.”

“Captain Abel…” Zelda said carefully, trying to memorize the name. She was usually pretty good with names, though it was really hard to say one way or another considering she hardly ever met anyone new until her journey. But then she smiled, filled with energy and relief, and she dashed forward to hug him. “Thanks for listening.”

XXX

The castle looked strangely… empty. Every time he looked outside one of the cavernous windows, he saw something different. Sometimes it was rivers of lava, their heat making the air swim in ways he’d never seen until going to the Surface. Sometimes, it was a field with strange four-legged animals grazing peacefully. Other times it was islands amidst endless water, like the Lanayru Sea before it had dried up.

He didn’t know what to make of any of it.

The castle hallway he was in never seemed to end, though. But he could still hear familiar sounds in the air, a magical hum that he knew intimately, a growl from beneath him, light and dark swirling in strange arrays, like bits of cloud floating through the air.

When he finally reached where the hallway seemed to terminate, he realized it was simply a dead end. He was suddenly surrounded by stone walls, and he wanted nothing more than to claw his way out and see the open sky again.

But he wasn’t alone.

His successor stood there at the end, holding a torch, watching him silently. His face was stony, eyes piercing, stance broad and strong. Fi was strapped securely to his back, humming.

Link took a hesitant step back, unsure what this meant, what to do.

The flames on the torch flickered and rippled as if blown by a breeze. Then the flames extinguished entirely, drowning Link in darkness. He felt his breath quicken, and he took a startled step away, but then suddenly the torch was lit again, and—

Someone different was holding it. Another teenager, though this one was a dirty blonde, hair stained nearly brunette, shorter and messier. He wore clothes that looked like Link’s own uniform, albeit with some modifications and in a darker shade of green. His own expression was more severe than the champion’s, eyes discerning.

Link tried to ask who he was, but he found he couldn’t speak. He clutched at his throat, and then his chest, trying to figure out why the words wouldn’t come out. He started to panic.

Another figure stepped out from behind this new one. Another dressed in green, with lighter blonde hair, and then another, and then—

Was that Link?

Amidst the crowd, he saw himself walk to the front, looking worn thin, clothes tattered and oversized for his ragged frame.

Fi chimed again. Link backed up until he hit a wall. When had there been a wall behind him?!

Arms encircled him, and he balked, trying to push them off. They were strong, but they were gentle, a caress and hug rather than a choking hold. Feathers floated in the air, white and airy, promising the sky and freedom and home.

“It’ll be okay, my dove,” a voice whispered in his ear.

Zelda?!

“Link. Link.”

Link twisted as best he could to find her. She sounded so far away all of a sudden.

“Link?”

Link’s eyes snapped open with a gasp. He was in the castle room, the large bed nearly swallowing him whole, wrapped in multiple blankets. He glanced around to see Zelda sitting beside him, hovering over him.

“Are you okay?” she asked worriedly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Link rubbed his face, trying to slow his heart rate. One weird dream was just a weird dream, but this was the second nightmare like this. Just like…

He had a bad feeling about this.

“I’m fine,” he lied.

Zelda watched him a moment longer, certainly not believing it, and sighed. “You’re a terrible liar.”

Link huffed. “You really are pushy when it comes to me, aren’t you?”

Zelda poked him, and he yelped in protest. “Because I love you, ding dong! Tell me what’s wrong!”

Link groaned, collapsing back into the pillows and pulling the blanket over his head. The bed shifted, and Link distinctly felt Zelda crawl under the blankets to wiggle up to him and get in his face again. He laughed, unable to really be grumpy about it anymore, and she giggled too.

“It was a nightmare,” he sighed, but waved it off dismissively, in good spirits. “But I’m okay.”

Zelda hummed a little, pushing the blankets off both of them and sitting up. Then she brightened. “Well, this might help get your mind off it – I asked Captain Abel to teach us how to ride a horse!”

Link blinked, confused. “Who’s Captain Abel? What’s a horse? It’s not even sunrise yet!”

“Captain Abel is that royal guard we keep running into! He guided us out of Castle Town that night we were exploring,” Zelda explained. “And horses are big four-legged animals that people ride here, like we ride loftwings. Except they can’t fly.”

“What’s the point, then?” Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

“They’re cute enough,” Zelda shrugged. “And since there aren’t loftwings here, I guess they have to get around somehow.”

Link swallowed, feeling a little sad at the remark that there were no loftwings. He couldn’t imagine life without this crimson companion. But he was certainly curious to see what a horse was, and he felt almost kind of eager to see that guard (at least now he knew his name… assuming he remembered it) – something about the man was reassuring in all this insanity. He'd certainly appreciated the guard's help earlier in the day.

Link smiled, following his beloved out of bed as the pair quickly dressed in their knight uniforms and ran outside.

XXX

Princess Zelda paced her room somewhat anxiously. She’d planned this trip meticulously, hoping everything would work out, sending letters to multiple locations in anticipation of their arrival. She’d arranged for all the provisions required for such a journey with the entourage they would be bringing, and she tried to be considerate of all the races and not offend anyone in her chosen destinations and guests. It was exhausting.

Worst of all, though… “Oh, but what if somehow Her Grace is unhappy with it all?”

Her friend and advisor, Impa, huffed a little, staring out the window. “Believe me, Her Grace is quite capable of acting like any other person. She’s not as haughty as you assume.”

“I mean, I have spoken with her, but still,” Zelda fretted. “This is different!”

It was different, after all. So far, everything that had happened was out of Zelda’s control. This trip was entirely on her, it had been her idea. Despite the information Hylia had relayed yesterday—that, somehow, she was but wasn’t the goddess—it didn’t change the fact that she was Hylia in some major capacity, that she would be Zelda’s instructor, and that she had to make this work.

“Zelda,” Impa interrupted her frantic worries. “She’s here to help, isn’t she? You can’t be worried about offending her like this. Just talk to her and listen. She’s… I bet she isn’t as intimidating as you think.”

The princess sighed, hugging herself and settling a little before smiling at her friend. Impa seemed so levelheaded on the matter – Zelda hoped one day she could have such faith and trust in matters like these. She was certainly grateful for her friend.

Taking a steadying breath, she reached for the Sheikah slate and clipped it on her belt. It was time to begin this journey.

XXX

Hyrule castle was buzzing with activity as the sun climbed into the sky. Attendants from all the corners of the kingdom were gathering in an entourage, ready to escort the royal company across the land. It had been agreed that each respective champion would remain in their territory once that Divine Beast was visited, as they would continue to work on preparing for the coming Calamity. The order in which they went, then, was up for some debate.

Revali was eager to show off his abilities and his Divine Beast first, and had said as much to the princess. However, Daruk was insistent that he get back to Death Mountain as soon as possible (he didn’t have the heart to admit that he really needed to practice piloting his Divine Beast, having almost made it step on his city once or twice), so they would have to backtrack a little. Princess Zelda tried to plan out everything as best she could, determined to show the goddess and her hero the beauty of the land they’d created and protected through the millennia.

Mipha shifted anxiously as the champions and princess awaited their divine guests. She glanced at Link, who was stoic as ever, and she tried to emulate his posture, hovering close to Daruk. Urbosa, meanwhile, stayed just behind the princess, while Revali nearly pushed himself to the front.

Honestly. Everyone acted so anxious. It wasn’t as if Hylia had shown any indication of being upset with anyone. Revali wasn’t nervous, for certain. He didn’t have anything to prove. Not at all. He knew he was the best. He’d worked for it. Hylia likely knew it too. She was a goddess after all.

What an honor this was! To go to the divine protector of Hyrule and be able to show her his prowess in battle. To go to the Hero of Myth, the man who had defeated the Calamity in ages past, and prove that he was the superior warrior to Link. Revali felt himself smile in anticipation, stomach definitely not in anxious knots like the others. He was certainly irate that he would not be the first to show his Divine Beast, but he would make the greatest impression. Let Daruk’s be a warm up round before Revali showed what a true Champion could accomplish.

The sound of horses caught everyone’s attention, and just around the bend came the goddess herself and her hero, both atop chestnut stallions. They sat up straight, wearing what seemed to be traditional attire of the Hero according to legends past (notably, Hylia wore her hair in a braid, which caught Revali’s attention as those were common among the Rito), the picture of regal perfection, and for a brief moment Revali did feel his heart speed up a bit.

No matter, though. He would prove himself just fine. He would.

The divine couple guided their steeds to join the group, towering over nearly everyone. King Rhoam led the crowd in genuflecting towards them as Hylia looked over the entourage.

As the massive group of people knelt before them, Zel glanced uncertainly at her husband. The pair had just been practicing riding the horses after the captain had dismissed himself. They hadn’t really meant to find the entire castle waiting for them.

Do you remember how to get off these animals? Link seemed to ask with his eyes, motioning his head a little towards the ground.

Well. It seemed fairly straightforward. But the ground was a little far, and the saddle a little wobbly when Zelda tried to shift her weight to dismount. Loftwings were certainly different. And they didn’t have these foot things—stirrups, right?—that got in the way.

“We wish you the safest of journeys,” King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule pronounced solemnly, rising. The others took this as an indication to do so as well.

Zelda and Link exchanged looks again, not entirely sure how to answer, so she simply said, “Thank you.”

The group began to move, forming a protective wall of people all around them. Link shrugged at Zelda. At least they wouldn’t have to try to dismount in front of everyone.

The loftwing-like person from the festival approached them, bowing deeply. “It is an honor to be traveling with Your Grace and your spouse. I, Revali, Master of the Winds, will ensure your safe journey. We will be going to my domain shortly, where I can show you the true power of the Divine Beasts and assure you that Hyrule will be safe with my protection.”

Oh! Zelda remembered this man clearly! He was the one who had reminded her of Groose! At the time they’d first met she’d been exasperated, but now she was amused. She almost giggled, but instead she just smiled and nodded.

Link’s smile was far more mischievous.

Zellie looked absolutely excited as she walked up to them, hands clasped in front of her heart. “I arranged a carriage for Your Grace if you wish. But in either case, I’m very eager to show you Hyrule! We’ll be going to Death Mountain first, so we’ll be heading northeast. We have plenty of provisions for the journey, and we’ll be arriving at the Moor Garrison by the end of the day. After that it should be a little under a day’s ride to get us to the Foothill Stable, and we can camp there and arrive at Goron City the next day. I figured after that you should see the Akkala Citadel, as it is the pride of Hyrule’s military, before we move on to our next destination.”

Zelda nodded along, growing equally excited to see all those places. Though… did they have to bring enough people to fill all of Skyloft?

“I don’t know if you were ever actually properly introduced to all the Champions,” Zellie continued. “So I wished to do that as we all will be traveling together and Your Grace will be seeing their Divine Beasts. You’ve, ah, met Revali, of course. This is Urbosa, Chief of the Gerudo, Champion of Divine Beast Vah Naboris.”

Zelda glanced at the tall woman, remembering her from the festival as well. Urbosa nodded respectfully.

“Then there is Daruk, pride of the Gorons. He is Champion of the Divine Beast Vah Rudania.”

Zelda recalled seeing some Gorons during her journey, and she knew their people from—before. She smiled eagerly at Daruk, remembering the Goron people’s exuberance and passion for life, excited to get to know him a little more. Link seemed at ease with him as well. Daruk, for his part, waved casually, bringing both Skyloftians some relief – at least someone would act normally around them.

“Lastly, Princess Mipha of the Zora, Champion of Divine Beast Vah Ruta and heir to the Zora throne.”

Heir? Princess? There was another kingdom? Princess Mipha looked very serious, stiffly bowing her head from where she stood on the ground below. Zelda tried to smile kindly, easily picking up on the stress the girl was radiating. Maybe it was a princess thing to be so anxious.

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you,” she acknowledged. Link smiled at them as well, though he didn’t bother speaking.

With the pleasantries aside, Zelda found herself starting to feel a little uncomfortable. They were surrounded by a veritable army, and though she was introduced to the notable people they would be traveling with, there were still… so many around them.

Link seemed equally uncomfortable with the group, glancing at all the soldiers. When Zellie and the other champions mounted horses or prepared to leave, the Skyloftians quietly followed along. Zelda caught sight of Captain Abel in the group of soldiers who were watching them depart, and she was a little sad he wasn’t tagging along. She desperately needed him to remind her how to get off this horse, among other things.

As they passed through Castle Town, attracting the attention of literally everyone and making Zelda and Link want to disappear, Link started to goad his horse to move a little faster. He had to back down on the pace as there were too many people, but Zelda picked up on her husband’s restlessness, and what he was planning.

She smiled and winked at him. As soon as they were outside the city walls, they both bolted.

The wind blew through her hair, somewhat reminding her of flying on her beloved loftwing, and Zelda laughed, nearly standing in her saddle, filled with energy. Link was giggling with the same exuberance, throwing his arms out and letting the wind carry him a little. They outran the entourage quickly as people yelped and moved out of the way, and before they knew it, they appeared to be alone out in this vast world.

Zelda looked around, enamored at the sight of the Surface, and then heard hooves stomping and wings flapping. She looked up first, excited at the sound of feathers tearing through air, and saw the one called Revali quickly catching up to them. A short distance away, Zellie, Champion, and two of the three other guests were following on horseback, and the Goron was rolling along to keep up.

“Well,” she looked over at Link. “At least we outran the rest of them.”

Link’s cheeks were flushed with adrenaline. He wanted to keep running. Zelda moved to continue the chase before the bouncing from the horse nearly knocked her off her saddle. Her husband gasped, leaping from his steed to get to her and knocking both of them to the ground by accident.

Well, that was one way to dismount, she supposed.

“You okay?” Link asked just as the others caught up to them.

Zelda laughed in reply.

“Your Grace!” Zellie called, dismounting with ease as she ran up to them. “What happened? Did the horses get spooked? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Just behind the princess, Zelda could see one of the stranger looking champions wobbling uncertainly in her saddle, and Champion reached out to steady her, making her pale cheeks flush as she spluttered. Link huffed overtop Zelda, rolling off and sighing.

“I’m fine,” Zelda answered, sitting up. “But let’s keep moving before the rest of those people catch up!”

She felt herself filled with excitable energy, climbing atop the horse she’d borrowed from Captain Abel, and Link scrambled to do the same. Zellie seemed bemused, but she followed along, glancing back at the entourage uncertainly.

“We’re far less burdened this way, anyway,” Revali noted.

“We’ll attract less attention too,” Urbosa added. “That would make traveling safer. Let the entourage follow behind and bring the crowds.”

Yes, please, let them deal with the crowds, Zelda thought gratefully.

“Don’t worry about my Goron brothers, they’ll catch up to us at Death Mountain just fine!” Daruk added. “We can move on without them if we want.”

Link didn’t need any other impetus, goading his horse to run ahead, bouncing a little haphazardly in the saddle as he tried to remember what Captain Abel had taught them. It was… somewhat equivalent to riding a loftwing. But also completely not – there was no bond with this animal, not nearly in the same way that Zelda felt with her loftwing. This felt far more dangerous and wild, out of control and thrilling.

She did miss her loftwing, though.

Much to her relief, it seemed she and Link weren’t the only ones struggling on saddles, though. Princess Mipha did not seem very comfortable riding a horse, either, given how she seemed ill fitted for the saddle anyway. Champion hovered close to her, sharp, watchful gaze shifting between the two princesses and the Skyloftians.

Zellie eventually got ahead of Link, leading the way as they all charged across the field. Zelda hardly had a chance to really admire the scenery, eager as she was to escape the confines of the castle and its countless attendants, but what she gathered as they went took her breath away. She still hadn’t gotten over the beauty of the Surface, its vastness far beyond anything she could understand, even with her memories.

Eventually the group reached a bridge, and Zellie slowed their pace. Zelda noted with slight discomfort that it was midday, and her stomach was loudly reminding her (and Link) that they had skipped breakfast in lieu of riding lessons.

And wow was she sore from riding.

“Well, we’re making better time than I thought,” Zellie observed, looking at the sky. “I suppose it is a little easier at a faster clip, though the horses can’t maintain it for much longer. Let’s go to Moor Garrison for a rest and then perhaps we can make it to the stable a little after nightfall if we try?”

“I agree,” Urbosa piped up, giving Zellie some confidence in her decision.

Now that they were going at a more reasonable pace, Zelda had time to catch her breath and observe the others a bit more. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was worth striking up a conversation or not – there were so many of them now; she felt a little overwhelmed trying to establish a connection. Zellie seemed very focused on navigating, so she didn’t bother her. Champion hovered between Zellie and Princess Mipha, while Daruk lumbered cheerily. Revali seemed to be taking a break from flying, walking alongside the group, while Urbosa nearly rode alongside Zellie – those two seemed to have a close connection.

Zelda sighed, guiding her horse to be beside Link’s. The pair glanced at each other and smiled. It helped her feel a little more at ease.

Maybe part of the issue was that she had to reintroduce herself as someone to not be worshipped, that these were four new people who thought she was just Hylia.

“So we were in Central Hyrule,” Zellie suddenly said, pulling out a map to show them. “We’re going to be passing briefly through Lanayru before we get to the Akkala region.”

“It’s all very beautiful,” Zelda commented genuinely. “I… could have never imagined our settlement would grow into this.”

Zellie beamed. Link’s eyes softened as he watched her, looking between the two young women. Then he asked, “You keep mentioning them, and I know they helped defeat the demon king in the past, but… what’s a Divine Beast?”

“Oh! I—I didn’t realize I’d never explained,” Zellie gasped. “They are ancient relics, mechanical beasts designed to help fight the Calamity.”

Oh. So they were machines too? Like the guardians, perhaps?

It was weird, honestly, to hear of something spoken as ancient and know it was still in her future. She wondered how old Hyrule truly was at this point. She was certainly curious what they’d look like – perhaps they had stemmed from the technology of Lanayru’s past? Or were they something completely different?

While Zelda spoke with the princess, Link found himself suddenly feeling something in his personal space. He glanced over to see the Champion Revali lazily flapping alongside him.

“It is an honor to make your acquaintance,” the loftwing man said with a nod of his head. “Speaking with a warrior of your caliber is a once in a lifetime opportunity, after all, and an honor for us both.”

Both? Link bit back a smile. This man really did remind him of Groose.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to speak to you about the princess’ plan for Calamity Ganon,” Revali continued, catching Link’s attention fully. “I was hoping we could discuss the matter when we reach Moor Garrison.”

Link nodded, eyes focused, eager to hear his idea. Revali gave what seemed to be a smile and then flew ahead.

Meanwhile, Mipha was wiggling her feet in a desperate attempt to reach the stirrups for what felt like the eighteenth time that day. She’d nearly fallen off her horse when they’d all gone to a full canter. She wished they designed saddles for Zora, but her people hardly rode these animals.

If only the path included a river in which I could swim, she lamented. At least Moor Garrison was close, and that was by water.

Honestly, this entire venture so far had been stressful and strange. Hylia and her Hero were quiet but almost endearing – she could sense anxious energy off them initially, reminded painfully of Link, but once they’d rushed ahead of everyone they seemed far more cheerful.

It was strange. She’d never suspected a goddess would not like crowds. She wondered if Hylia didn’t like her.

When the garrison came into view, Mipha finally gave up on the horse, wiggling off the saddle, letting Link help her to the ground as he hastily moved to keep her from falling. She smiled shyly in thanks, pointedly trying to ignore the way her heart fluttered, and walked in the back of the group as Link moved ahead to keep up with the princess.

Moor Garrison was a rather small place of respite, but it was pleasant enough. The soldiers had a grand welcome for them, standing in parade formation, and Princess Zelda had sent the court poet ahead of them, so he was there waiting to entertain the group with stories of old while they were served lunch. Mipha settled beside Daruk, who was chatting happily about how he’d share some rock roast with everyone upon their arrival to Death Mountain (Mipha was… not looking forward to the visit, but she had some elixirs at the ready), giving herself as much space from the esteemed guests as possible. On Daruk’s other side was Link, then Chief Urbosa, Princess Zelda, Hylia, her sacred spouse, and Revali.

As everyone settled in for the meal, Revali started to bring up his topic of conversation once more, catching the Skyloftian knight’s attention. “As I was saying on the road, I wished to discuss Princess Zelda’s plan of attack with you, if you are willing to hear me.”

Link nodded, eyes wide with curiosity.

“At the festival, I noticed your hesitancy in returning the sword that seals the darkness to Princess Zelda’s knight,” Revali noted, and Link started to squirm uncomfortably, feeling immediate dread. What was this about? “I understand your concerns, of course. While he is a somewhat capable fighter, there are those who are far superior in ability. I cannot fathom why the sword might have chosen him, but due to that sacred relic, the entire kingdom is convinced he must be the one to face Ganon, despite my superior skills.”

Link bit the inside of his cheek. “Aren’t you all fighting Ganon?”

“The Divine Beasts are meant as support,” Revali explained. “And the actual task of dealing the final blow to Calamity Ganon falls to that Hylian, while Princess Zelda must learn how to seal it away. I believe this is a mistake.”

Link nodded, eyebrows rising. “You want to be the hero.”

“It’s not a matter of wanting, it’s simple logic,” Revali mildly argued. “If I am the better warrior, then I should be the one on the front lines, not relegated to being a sidekick.”

Wow, this one really did remind him of Groose. He sighed a little, glancing at his goblet of water. “The role of hero is not one that we choose, I’m afraid. Are you asking that I suggest your plan instead?”

“I can suggest it myself, good Hero,” Revali huffed, seeming entertained at Link’s question. “But it might have some more… poignancy if you are in agreement.”

It was strange, listening to this. During his own journey, Groose had been little more than a thorn in his side until his classmate had gotten his act together, and then he’d been exceedingly helpful. But this Revali person seemed outright a threat, trying to undermine Fi’s new master. Link didn’t particularly like it.

Not that he really liked any of this, but that was a moot point by now.

“If the sword chose him, then it is the will of the goddess,” Link finally said. “I will not argue with that.”

Revali’s feathers ruffled in the same way Crimson’s would when annoyed. Link almost laughed, but he kept it together. For his part, the Rito warrior was at least polite, humming his annoyance away and picking at his food.

The court poet caught everyone’s attention at this point, playing music and singing for their enjoyment. He spoke of a Great Calamity of ten thousand years ago (ten thousand?!), of a hero of old and how the guardians and divine beasts helped him defeat the Calamity before the sacred princess sealed it away. Link started to wonder exactly how many heroes there had been between his era and now, and the nightmare from that morning nagged at him. He put his fork down, losing his appetite a little.

At least Zel looked like she was having a good time. Link could be happy for that.

It wasn’t that this journey wasn’t interesting or anything, but… he didn’t know. He felt restless and aimless, agitated to be here but wanting to help but not knowing how. What could he do to assist? Fi had chosen another, better master, Zel had to help Zellie, the champions all had their tasks… Link was just… there.

Was this better than being the one solely responsible for saving the world, or was it worse?

Whatever. He could support Zel. At least this time they weren’t separated.

He wasn’t exactly looking forward to this Death Mountain place, though. The name wasn’t promising, and it wasn’t as if he couldn’t see Eldin Mountain in the distance. He wondered if they were the same thing.

He hated volcanoes. He hated everything about them. No good thing had happened in Eldin. Not a one.

At least that Daruk fellow seemed friendly. The Goron archaeologist, Gorko, had been kind and friendly too, so perhaps it was a Goron thing. The mogmas… well, they were hit or miss. He hoped none of them would need rescuing this time around.

…Oh wait. He’d not seen any mogmas at the festival. Were they…?

Link swallowed, heart aching, stomach twisting a little. He wasn’t sure he liked this whole time traveling thing.

Farther down the table, the Hylian Champion listened to the retelling of the Great Calamity for what felt like the thousandth time. He’d heard the tale so often he could probably sing it in his sleep at this point. It didn’t make it any less awkward when it was sung around him, what with the implications of his own position.

Link did find that he was fairly grateful that they’d outrun the entourage. He rarely traveled with such a large group, and to think that he’d be under such scrutiny for a trip across the entire kingdom had nearly made him nauseous when he’d seen the crowd gathering. He was eternally grateful that Hylia seemed equally unhappy with the prospect. She’d at least dismissed the idea in a seemingly unobtrusive way, so as not to offend the princess.

The princess was probably grateful for it too. Link knew she’d organized it, but still. She liked traveling with little to no accompaniment.

He sighed, staring forlornly at his empty plate, wishing for another helping, half listening as Princess Zelda told Hylia of the Akkala region. The goddess seemed particularly interested in the hot springs. Link felt his heart warm at the thought of the hot springs too – they were quite nice. He should find some once they got there to make sure Mipha could be comfortable too.

More than anything, though, he wanted to go to Gut Check Rock. He really enjoyed hanging out with the Gorons there, and Daruk wouldn’t pass up a chance at the challenge, either.

Perhaps… perhaps he could… glancing at the end of the table, he caught sight or Revali flapping his beak at the Hero of Myth and Legend. His mood soured a little at the sight of it, worry and annoyance fighting for dominance. He wasn’t sure what Revali was yapping about, though he imagined speaking ill of him was part of it, but the last thing the Ancient Hero needed was a reason to feel more doubt in himself, and Revali was certainly good at stepping on others to make himself look taller.

Or maybe he just reserved that behavior for Link. Who knew.

Well, lunch would be over soon enough. Zelda seemed eager to get everyone to Death Mountain as quickly as possible. It would be interesting figuring out sleeping arrangements at the stable, though – would Zelda send word ahead for the goddess? Surely they would have a private area set apart for her, yes? A stable was far too public a place.

This journey was certainly going to be interesting.

Link’s musings were interrupted when Hylia herself rose, walking around the table and tracing her hand across the mythical hero’s back invitingly. He smiled at her as she skipped down to the court poet and asked if he knew any songs for dancing. The bard eagerly replied that he did, only looking slightly nervous at having to entertain the goddess herself (or, well, her past self… Link was slowly trying to wrap his head around what he’d observed and what she’d told them). As he played, the couple started to dance something foreign, mirroring each other and circling the room while laughing.

Their giggles were infectious, relieving the tension that had built up around the group, and Link felt himself relax as well.

“Well, it’s good to know that Hylia herself has a sense of fun!” Daruk whispered cheerily. “I was worried this trip might be a bit serious, you know?”

She certainly had a sense of adventure, that was for certain, but Link wouldn’t admit that.

Eventually, the cheer from the couple’s dancing spurred more to accompany them. Daruk was so eager, feet tapping away happily under the table, that he grabbed Urbosa and rushed out to the dance floor with her. The Gerudo chief seemed fairly amused with it, and she motioned to the princess with her head. As soon as Zelda joined the fray, Hylia and her Hero (Cloud, he remembered now that they'd decided to nickname him Cloud) dragged her into a dance, giggling the entire time. Seeing the princess’ exuberant smile actually brought some relief to Link – she never had this much fun usually.

Curious, Link looked to his left again to see Revali scowling a little, and he almost laughed. He wondered if the sourpuss even knew how to dance. He kind of wanted to join in, but this was far too public a setting for such a thing. Mipha, on the other hand, was covering her mouth to hide a smile as she enjoyed the spectacle, eyes darting between Link and the dance floor.

“Oh come on, you three!” Daruk bellowed in his deep voice. “Don’t leave us hangin’ like this! We all gotta have some fun!”

Revali rolled his eyes, grumbling and crossing his arms. Link shifted a little awkwardly, while Mipha grew nervous.

Hylia took notice of the matter, and she nearly galloped over to them, skipping in time. She reached for Link first, much to his alarm and horror, dragging him down to the dance floor and then standing across from him with a beaming smile. She clapped in rhythm to the music, and Link shakily followed suit, unable to really hide the absolute terror from his face, but it only seemed to bring her all the more amusement.

“I suppose none of you would know our dances,” she commented as she took him by the wrists. “We’ll have to improvise!”

With that, she started to spin, dragging Link along with her until the two nearly crashed into everyone else on the dance floor. Hylia laughed, giddy and dizzy, and the two stumbled until Link rammed into Daruk’s belly while Hylia found her husband and leaned against him, breathless with delight. Then she took off for the table again, finding another victim. She honed in on Revali next, and Link really did nearly lose his composure at the Rito’s alarmed expression. He couldn’t exactly say no to the goddess herself, but it was very clear he’d rather die than be in this situation.

Link almost felt bad for him. Almost.

That left Mipha, who Cloud singled out with an inviting hand and a gentle, happy smile. The Zora princess shyly took his hand, not quite sure what to do but not as completely humiliated as Revali seemed to be.

Mipha tried to follow along with the dance moves that the Sacred Hero was doing. The Zora princess watched his feet intently, and Link found himself smiling at her intense focus paired with her wide, anxious eyes.

Goddess, she was really cute sometimes.

He got distracted when Princess Zelda nearly slammed into him, laughing breathlessly as Daruk and she had been spinning around the room. Link stumbled backwards to avoid an outright collision and backpedaled directly into Urbosa’s abs. Blushing profusely, he scurried to the corner of the dance floor, trying to disappear into the shadows while Hylia continued to play with (torment) Revali, Daruk and Zelda started bouncing around each other, Urbosa gracefully moved to a different corner to watch, and Cloud and Mipha matched steps in beat with the music.

Eventually, the spectacle came to an end. With lunch finished and everyone thoroughly winded, they headed outside the building to catch their breath and prepare to continue their journey. The soldiers escorted them to Thims Bridge, where they crossed into the Lanayru Region to make their way towards the base of the mountain.

The beach glistened, and Mipha took a delighted, yearning look towards the water as they went. Link moved his steed a bit closer to hers, catching her attention. He glanced between the water and her as well, a silent invitation, and she needed no further impetus. Smiling in delight, she leapt off the horse and into the water, swimming with speed that nearly surpassed any canter Link could reach with his mare. It caught Hylia and Cloud’s attention as well, and they watched her with awe as she moved gracefully.

“It seems Princess Mipha wishes to lead the way for a bit,” Urbosa commented, amused. “We should keep moving if we want to get there by nightfall.”

“Yes, right,” Princess Zelda agreed, goading her horse to move forward once more. Link’s mare fell in step behind her, eyes alert.

Revali flew overhead, having seemingly given up on any socializing after the dance. Link found he couldn’t complain about the matter. Hylia and Cloud often looked up at him with a strange, distant expression, though. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Our provisions!” Zelda gasped, realizing only now that with the entourage left in the dust, a bulk of their supplies were missing.

“Don’t worry, princess!” Daruk piped up. “I’ll roll ahead and get some fireproof elixirs for everyone!”

Cloud glanced over at him, waving him off. “I’ll be alright.”

“The temperatures on Death Mountain are not to be trifled with, Hero,” Urbosa warned mildly. “None but Gorons can tolerate it.”

“I can,” Cloud insisted, playing with his red earrings. “These will protect me.”

“He’s right,” Hylia agreed, smiling at him gently. “Those are blessed by Din herself. The heat won’t harm him.”

“Maybe we should share them,” Cloud suggested, glancing at Hylia.

“They’re my gift to you,” Hylia replied waving her hand. “I’ll try the elixir.”

Her gift? A gift that held the blessing of one of the goddesses of old?

Link swallowed, remembering just how otherworldly these two were.

Daruk settled on the matter, moving ahead, and the realization that the Hylian Champion was fighting with seemed to settle with the others as well, making the group grow quiet. The beauty of Hyrule didn’t escape Link’s notice, though, as they moved through forests to head to their destination. Akkala Citadel towered in the distance, catching Hylia’s attention, and Princess Zelda explained briefly for her, informing her they would go there after Death Mountain.

At this point, Mipha had long abandoned the river, but had also abandoned any notion of trying to ride the horse provided to her. Link felt a little guilty watching her walk alongside the group, but she seemed much happier on the matter, even if her shorter legs had to work harder to keep up.

The Foothill Stable came into view just as the sky grew almost too dark to see the path ahead. The lamplight of the stable was a welcome sight, and everyone picked up their pace. It seemed the stable personnel had erected some kind of separate addition to their large tent, allowing for a private place for Hylia and her immortal spouse to rest, and the area had been cleared of other visitors so the princess and the champions could inhabit the main tent.

Link watched as Princess Zelda chatted excitedly with Urbosa about the next day, and he relaxed a little. She was safe here, and the first day of this strange journey was over without any major issue. He glanced at Mipha, who had huddled on a corner bed, rubbing her feet a little, looking exhausted. He approached her, settling beside her, wishing he himself had healing magic to make her less sore than she likely was. Perhaps he could find a way to help her ride her horse tomorrow.

Across the way, the Skyloftians stood outside, staring at the foreboding mountain ahead.

“I hate volcanoes,” Link sighed.

Zel bit her lip uncertainly. He knew she wasn’t a fan of them either, honestly. It made him feel crushing guilt just seeing the expression on her face, reliving a moment that could have been avoided if he’d just moved. Her eyes softened, though, as she said, “I’ve heard there’s a redeeming quality to them, though. Zellie said that there are hot springs nearby, and they’re supposed to be quite nice. Want to see? There should be some close by from what I heard.”

Link shrugged. Honestly, he just wanted to sleep – after their fun at that garrison, he’d been growing steadily more uncomfortable riding the horse, aches and pains that he was still trying to become familiar with calling for attention. He’d collected so many injuries during his journey, but they’d mostly healed by now. Long days just… tended to remind him of them. Nevertheless, he was willing to play along. Zelda smiled excitedly at him as she led him away from the stable and the scrutiny of the others.

It was in fact a very brief walk to find some hot springs, based on how they’d been described to her. The water was steamy, looking akin to a bath, but far brighter blue than he was used to.

“Is this it?” Link scrunched his nose in confusion. “It’s like a bath?”

“Sort of,” Zelda giggled. “They said it’s like a little lake, but it’s heated by the volcano.”

Link winced. “Volcano heat is bad, Zelda, it’s too hot. You can’t go in there.”

“They said this is comfortable, silly,” Zelda reassured him, slipping a gentle hand into his and leading him away from where they were standing.

“Why do you want to try it so badly?” Link asked.

Zelda shrugged. “I just want to try it.”

Link was an airhead, it was true. But he was observant when he needed to be. Zelda had an ulterior motive; he just wasn’t sure what it was. He was already in too much pain to argue, though, so he stayed silent for the rest of the trek. His mind started buzzing more than his scars, and next thing he knew he was back in the Earth Temple, fighting for his life, his lungs burning, trying to catch up to Zelda only to be too late. He was so caught up in the image of her standing beside Impa, her ankle distinctly red and angry and painful, blisters appearing from the heat of the shackle that had held her, the words too late burning in his mind more than any magma could, that he barely registered his clothes being removed until he gasped a little as his shirt was tugged.

“Arms up, Link.” Zelda prompted gently, her eyes searching his. “Are you okay?”

He was too dazed, too disoriented, too dizzy, too hot—

Link flinched away from Zelda, squeezing his eyes shut. He felt Zelda’s small hands touch his elbows in a gesture to pull him close to her. He pushed her away. He wasn’t in the mood, not here, he was tired, he was in pain.

“Link… Dove, open your eyes.”

The loving, soft tone made his breath hitch, and he obeyed. Zelda was watching him with concern, and he wanted to kick himself for worrying her so much.

She stroked his cheek gently, giving a small smile. “It’s okay, Link. This is just a bath in some nice, warm water. I just… I just wanted you to try it. Zellie said it’s good for easing tension and pain out of the body, and I know you’ve been hurting since lunch.”

Link cursed himself again. He usually was so good at reading Zelda, he should have known she was insisting because of him, because he couldn’t keep up, because pain, injury, slow, useless was written all over his face. He didn’t have an argument for it, either, and that made him even more frustrated. Relenting, he pulled his shirt off, and then his trousers. Zelda watched his face carefully, and the hunger in her eyes from a few days ago when they’d last been in this position was completely missing. Instead, it felt… comfortable. Familiar. She slowly pulled her uniform off and walked with him into the water.

The instant the heat touched him he flinched despite knowing it couldn’t hurt him. However, then the warmth trickled into his skin, easing his tense muscles, and relaxing him to the bone. He sank into the water with a heavy, relieved sigh, and his head automatically rested on Zelda’s shoulder. He felt her wrap an arm around his waist as the two sat on some rock formation that served as a bench under the water. The bubbling hot spring reached their collarbones, immersing them in a pleasant massage that Link had never felt before. And yet… something about this situation felt familiar, but distantly so, like from a dream.

“Better?” Zelda whispered into his hair.

Link hummed in reply, closing his eyes. He floated in warm bliss until he heard Zelda hiss a little. His eyes snapped open in an instant. “What’s wrong?”

Zelda held his right hand and pulled his arm out of the water. He followed her gaze, his eyes briefly glossing over the feather like patterns of lightning scars tracing their way from his hand to his shoulder like ivy growing along a tree. Then he watched her trace the patterns with her hand.

“I didn’t realize they traveled all the way up,” she whispered.

Link blinked. Wait, had she never…? Oh. No, he supposed she hadn’t seen them in their entirety. They were a bit… preoccupied the last time he was shirtless. He skipped answering and went straight to comforting, partly because he could clearly see how much it bothered her to look at it and partly because it bothered him to think about it. “They’re old, it’s fine.”

Zelda’s eyes transitioned from his arm to his shoulder, to the scars on his chest and abdomen, old reminders of his hasty, frantic, and reckless attempts through so many temples to get to her. Then she looked him in the eye, her eyebrows scrunching in that familiar determined and worried expression. “But they’re what’s hurting you, aren’t they?”

Link swallowed and looked away, unable to answer. He heard Zelda sigh.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, her voice thick with emotion.

Link snapped his attention back to his wife. “Don’t even, Zel. We’ve already talked about this.”

Zelda bit her trembling lip, eyes filled with tears. “You… you almost died, Link. When it was all over you almost died. And you… you didn’t say anything was wrong, you just fell, I almost…”

This wasn’t about their current predicament. This was about… about what had happened to them, personally. Link pulled her gaze to him with a guiding hand to her chin. They locked eyes. “I would do it again, Zelda. I would do it a thousand times for you. I chose to do it.”

“You chose because I made the connection, because I chose you.” Zelda argued, growing agitated.

An uncomfortable feeling crept into Link’s skin. He’d comforted her time and again about this, how, despite everything Hylia had done, Zelda was still Zelda and she hadn’t remembered and…

Despite telling her time and again that it was fine, Link himself hadn’t really reconciled with the matter. He hadn’t addressed it. Even during his outburst yesterday, it had been less of you manipulated me from the very beginning and more you knew everything yet were still wrong.

Had he thought about how Zelda claimed that as Hylia she had used him? How she had singled him out before he was even born, and ensured that she was reborn in his time so that they would be attached to each other? Not really… once, he’d tried to consider it, but he’d banished the thought process from his mind entirely after a few moments – Zelda never wanted to hurt him, would never intentionally do so, and even if what she claimed was true, she’d punished herself by sealing herself away for thousands of years. She'd been suffering from that for the past ten months, and that was what he had always tried to address.

But sometimes… sometimes it did scare him. Sometimes it did make him insecure. Because… because if she had planned that… then…

How could he know if she truly loved him, if she inherently had a deep-seated desire to protect him because he was just… her chosen hero? Had Hylia fallen in love with him in the past, simply through observation, and then…

Link shook his head. “You said you were my Zelda, just as I’m your Hero. We’re here for each other, Zel.”

Zelda’s eyes softened once more, and she sighed, relenting with a small smile. Link pulled her to him in a tight embrace, and the two drew strength and warmth from each other far more than what the water could offer.

Tomorrow would promise their first sight of a Divine Beast, their first glimpse at how exactly this land intended to defeat Demise. It would certainly be interesting.

#writing #breath of the sky #breath of the wild link #botw link #breath of the wild zelda #botw zelda #skyward sword link #ss link #skyward sword zelda #ss zelda #legend of zelda #mipha #daruk #urbosa #revali #goodbye Abel my beloved T-T #the lovebirds continue to cause chaos and I am here for it #I wonder when Zellie will have her frog moment #poor Mipha's feet

49 notes · View notes