#Chapter Six: Complicated Families
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naminethewriter · 1 year ago
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One's Hometown, One's New Home
Chapter Six: Complicated Families
Masterpost | First | Previous | Next | Ao3
@tss-anxceit-week
Summary: Janus’ hometown is a usually quiet place where everyone knows everyone. So when someone new moves in, they’re usually the hottest topic of local gossip. The newcomer then comes by the library Janus works at, he can’t help but chat with him a little. Doesn’t hurt that he’s good looking as well.
Content Warnings: Referenced Homophobia, Past Parental Death, References to the Foster System
~*~
“You sure you don’t want a glass?” Janus asked as he poured himself some wine. Virgil sat next to him on the couch and shook his head.
“No, thanks. Alcohol isn’t my thing in general. I’ll stick to water.”
“Suit yourself.” Janus leaned back and took a sip, taking a moment to enjoy it. Virgil shifted, a bit uncomfortable with the silence.
“My dad,” Janus began after he took a deep breath, “came to this town in his early twenties. He brought nothing but a single suitcase, his papers, and some money. He found work in an auto repair shop and quickly became a hot topic of the locals. He was kind, hard working and handsome, allegedly. The perfect bachelor. At least, according to what my mom’s told me. My grandma was always a lot more skeptical about him, but she rarely trusted outsiders.
“My mom had also turned twenty around that time. She was working as a waitress in a local diner. It wasn’t really that she needed the money but that she didn’t know what to do after school. She liked the idea of college but didn’t know what to major in and such. My grandparents hadn’t been much for travel, so my mom hadn’t seen much of the world, and she was curious. So, of course my dad as an outsider appealed to her.”
Virgil listened intently to Janus’ story while fiddling with the edge of a blanket.
“They got to talking a lot when my dad came into the diner for meals. She asked him about where he’s been and he’d in turn ask her about the local places and legends. It naturally progressed with them starting to date and eventually getting married.” Janus paused, taking another sip of his wine.
“But that’s not all?” Virgil prompted quietly.
“Well, a lot of the rest is speculation, both of my mother’s and my own. Dad didn’t like talking about what exactly happened before he moved here or his family. But a fact is that he wasn’t heterosexual. Actually, very early on into him dating my mom he broke out into tears and told her that he never thought that he could fall in love with a woman.”
Suddenly, Virgil had a bad feeling about where this story was going.
“Mom never minded it, of course. She knew dad loved her with all his heart. But it made her question his reasons for coming here all the more. Dad never outright said it, but mom’s pretty sure he came from a rather wealthy, old-fashioned, and conservative family that kicked him out when they found out about his sexuality. He probably had a boyfriend he left behind. Or maybe they broke up, we don’t know. Mom wrote down what little information he told her and connected the pieces from there.”
After Janus finished his story, they were both quiet for a while. For a second time that evening, Virgil didn’t know how to respond.
“That really sucks,” he finally said. It startled a laugh out of Janus at least.
“Yeah. He probably would have told us at some point if the accident hadn’t happened. I do know his hometown and his former last name, so I could look some things up if I wanted to, but… so far I haven’t dared.”
“I can understand that. It’s the same with me in a way.”
Janus looked at him and cocked his head. A silent offer to continue or change the topic, either way, he wasn’t going to push, and Virgil was grateful for it.
“You’re right, I wasn’t always a werewolf. I—” He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I’m an orphan, actually. I don’t know what happened to my parents, if they died or if they didn’t want me or what. Never had the courage to ask or look it up. I’ve been in the foster system for as long as I can remember. I developed an anxiety disorder very early on and that made my chances at adoption slim.”
Janus put away his glass and offered his hands to Virgil in silent support. He hesitated for a moment but took them and squeezed them gently.
“I switched between foster families every few years until I was twelve. Then I was taken in by a lesbian couple that more or less specialized in older children with neurodivergences. They didn’t do adoptions, but they were very supportive of me and the others they took in. I stayed with them until I aged out and they helped me find an apartment that I could afford. If it hadn’t been for them, I probably wouldn't have finished school. I didn’t want to go to college, so I got two shitty paying jobs and just did the best to keep myself afloat. I wasn’t really living as much as surviving.
“Then one day I was on my way home from work. It was dark and cold and I just wanted to go back as quickly as possible, so I took a few shortcuts. I didn’t live in the most secure neighborhood, so I carried a pocketknife with me, just in case. I was passing through an alley when I suddenly heard some growling. I just thought it was a dog or something and continued but then a wolf rounded the corner and barreled into me. I panicked. Managed to get my knife out and just stabbed. I hit it in the shoulder, and it wasn’t happy about it. Bit me in retaliation and I passed out.”
Janus held his hands a bit tighter, and Virgil remembered to breathe. The memory alone could still make him panic a little.
“When I woke up, I was in an apartment I didn’t know. A woman was watching over me and started fussing as soon as I moved. It took me a bit to understand what was happening, but she explained that she was the wolf that attacked me and that she hadn’t meant to. Apparently, there was a territorial dispute, and she was on the run from another pack. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and her instincts kinda took over, especially when I stabbed her. She turned me without meaning to.”
“So, that was how you became a wolf?”
Virgil nodded. “Yeah. She introduced herself as Mary Lee. She was a college student and also still a relatively new werewolf. Then she introduced me to the rest of her pack, also all students. Her boyfriend Lee was the leader of the pack and a born wolf, as well as the one who had turned Mary Lee. They were all super apologetic towards me and reassured me that they would do their best to take care of me and help me learn about my new self.” He smiled at the fond memory.
“They kept their word, and the next few years were the happiest I had so far. It felt like I finally had a family. It wasn’t perfect of course but I didn’t mind. But the thing about college is that eventually, you graduate. And that means change.
“Lee and Mary Lee had plans and places to be. New York City to be exact. The other members of the pack also went off to pursue whatever they wanted. I didn’t really have anything like that. Lee and Mary Lee offered me to come along, they both saw me as their little brother at that point. And I really considered it. I loved living with them, but I also felt like I would be intruding. Not that I wanted to tell them that, but Mary Lee knew me and got me to talk eventually.
“She again told me that I wouldn’t, that they both would love for me to be there but that she doubted that I truly wanted to come along. ‘You’re just not built for the city life and that’s okay,’ she said. And it’s true, I hate cities. Even where we lived was almost too much for me. So she told me to go and find my own path and if it ever got too hard, she and Lee would welcome me with open arms.”
“They sound like amazing people.”
“They are,” Virgil smiled sadly. “And I really miss them, but we’re keeping in touch. They promised they’d come visit me as soon as they had the time, and I was truly settled in.”
“Thank you for telling me, Virgil,” Janus said earnestly and again squeezed his hands.
“It felt good to talk about it actually,” Virgil laughed. “I was kind of avoiding thinking about how much I miss them.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling.”
They looked at each other, both mourning the loss of their families but happy to find solace in each other.
“Hey, Virgil?” Janus asked quietly after a while.
“Yeah?”
“Can I kiss you?”
It felt like they were both still teens and not in their late twenties, but Virgil didn’t mind.
“Please.”
Their lips connected softly, and he thought, maybe he really could find a new home here.
Janus certainly made him feel like he belonged.
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lbhslefttiddie · 2 years ago
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I just came here to say your mott au (it was #mottau so I just guessed the au went with a space in between ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ) has been living in my brain rent free this past week and I love so so much both the art and the fic, they're delicious and wholesome and amazing and I love the found family and the angst. I just want to express my love for all your works, they're simply masterpieces! Thank you for your hard work ❤️
hhshfdhfhgjgfasds yeah when making tags for my shit i prioritize it being unlikely to end up in an unrelated search and easy (for me) to type when tagging, thus most of my au tags are just the initials of the fic title+au (mottau, itwaau), or the initials of the barebones concept+au (svshau, literally "scum villain shadows house au"). they make sense to ME (brain twisted and awry) but i wonder if i should like. make a legend for my tags
that aside, thank you so much!!!!! hurt/comfort, or rather, the fallout of life-rending trauma, is one of my favourite things to write........ i have actually been rotating this idea in my brain for quite a while. its really heartening to know people like my weird ideas, and i hope you will enjoy what is to come!!!
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mmogurl · 1 month ago
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Last to Fall Chapter 1 - My Demons
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18+ | 10k | Aegon II Targaryen X Female Maid / Dragonseed Reader | miserable, alcoholic, often dissociative, needs comfort Aegon | virgin reader, maiden, emotional abuse, first time sex, P in V, smut, wholesome, fluff, this whole thing is actually kind of sweet compared to what I usually write.
This fic is heavily inspired by the infamous 'Nothing' scene with Aegon and Alicent. Her cold words and the way she lashes out really bothered me and I felt a strong need to stand up for him, protect, and console him. So that's really what this whole fic is about. Enjoy! Also went with a lot of musical vibing for this story. I started off listening to Collective Soul's Heavy, because I imagine it as Aegon's state of mind in the opening scene towards everyone and everything happening. And by the end we transition into Starset's Last to Fall - and the title of the fic. I know, I'm a sappy mf.
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 On AO3
Retroactive update 10/29/24: I've also decided that I'm going to try my best to fit every chapter to a Starset song because the whole Series is based off the title of one (Last to Fall) which was originally going to be a oneshot and got extended. I'm enjoying the challenge of finding one that suits each theme/ story! They're not all going to be perfectly aligned, but I'll try my best. This one is Starset - My Demons adding onto the two songs I already referenced here - but this one just felt so perfect!
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Complicate this world you wrapped for me I'm acquainted with your suffering
All your weight it falls on me It brings me down All your weight it falls on me It falls on me
~Collective Soul - Heavy
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—You
You have worked in the castle for as long as you can remember, always hearing the whisperings of the chamberlain, the laundress, and any other keep staff prone to gossip, that you were the late king’s bastard. There were always underhanded comments of jealousy uttered in your direction, like ‘It must be nice to have a king’s blood runnin’ through yer veins... To have yer needs met for life.’ In truth, you were worried that the Queen Dowager might see fit to dispose of you now that her husband had passed.
So far, it seems your fair looks, expertise, and agreeable demeanor has secured your position, at least for the time being, but you are not so naive as to think that will last forever.
You tended to King Viserys for six summers, and with his death you’ve been reassigned to serve the new Protector of the Realm, Aegon II Targaryen. You are mildly concerned about this development considering the rumors you’ve heard about the young prince over the years. Drinking and philandering to excess, he was rumored to be a true hedonist, only taking satisfaction when drowning himself in pleasure. It is for this very reason, that you’re surprised by your observations of your new lord within the first weeks of your employ as his chambermaid and general attendant.
You find he spends a lot of time sitting in near darkness with barely a couple candles lit in his room at night, kept company only by a carafe of wine and wearing a disassociated look on his face that could be taken for misery if it didn’t appear so apathetic in nature. It was as though he were actively trying to force himself into a mold that he would never fit into. This became even more apparent as you witnessed more of his interactions with his family, especially his mother and grand-sire. It seemed they were constantly trying to orchestrate the ruling of the Seven Kingdoms, nitpicking at every little decision Aegon made, pulling his strings just like a puppet.
You had listened from the sidelines of the Great Hall as the Hand second-guessed the king’s rulings. Even when the Aegon tried to embrace his seat upon the Iron Throne, he was made impotent by those not fit to govern. You could do nothing but stand by helplessly in saddened silence when he suffered the loss of his eldest son to assassins, while Otto Hightower forced him to parade young Jaehaerys’ corpse to the public along with his grief-stricken sister-wife, Helaena.
Day by day, your heart was beginning to ache for the emptiness you saw growing behind his amethyst eyes. And yet still he tried on most days to put a positive foot forward, even if by nightfall he usually turned back to engulfing his sorrows in drink. You couldn’t even blame him really given the complete lack of moral and emotional support the king had to endure.
This feeling of compassion built within you, until one day it peaked to a head as you made your way to Aegon’s chambers with fresh linens in hand, ready to fulfill your afternoon chores. You passed several Kingsguard as you made your way down the hall and paused outside the king’s rooms as you heard voices coming from within. The two white cloaks standing watch at the open threshold glanced at you in warning, so you simply waited with folded bedsheets in hand for the opportunity to complete your duties.
You knew you should not listen, but it was hard to ignore the distressed voice of the king from within, met by the indifferent attitude of the Queen Dowager. Oh no, you think to yourself sympathetically, she is at it again. It really did seem that tearing Aegon down piece by piece was not only a habit for his mother, but something she relished in.
“Do you think simply wearing the crown imbues you with wisdom,” Alicent’s voice echoed out against the vaulted ceiling of the room, her voice patronizing and condescending. “Those men at your council table earned their seats. It was my hope that once enthroned you would honor the burden of your new duties, be silent, and strive to learn from the more studied minds around you. In the hope that you might be half the king your father was…”
You tried to swallow the lump forming in your throat at hearing such baleful words. The king was not responding, and you could just imagine the pained look of agony that Aegon was sure to be wearing under the constant criticisms he faced as of late.
“Tread carefully,” you heard him say, barely carrying enough volume to hear from where you stood. You found yourself holding back a smile at that, happy that he was standing up to her for once. But, that only incensed the Queen Dowager more, her thirst to harm not yet quenched.
“Or what?” she says with venom coating her tongue. “You’ll hang me, as you did your rat catchers? Or have me banished as you did your Hand? I ruled in your father’s absence throughout his long illness, and Otto Hightower was as cunning a statesman as ever lived. You should humbly be seeking our opinions and counsel. You have no idea the sacrifices that were made to put you on that throne.”
You shook your head, unsure how any mother could ever speak to her child in such a manner, let alone to the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Perhaps it bothered you so because you had never known the tenderness of a mother’s love, but had spent many a daydream imagining what it might be like. With your idealistic and sometimes naive mind, you wanted to think that there was more love out there in the world than this, especially within the royal family. You wanted better for the young king you had grown to feel so protective of in such a short amount of time.
Aegon’s next words break your train of thought, “Wha-“ he started with an exasperated tone, “What would you have me do, Mother?”
“Do simply what is needed of you,” she replied and the frosty chill of her cold voice was evident even from the corridor. “Nothing.”
You feel tears well up in the corners of your eyes and try your best to ignore them. It was important as part of the castle staff to never appear to be listening, to always remain professional, but it wasn’t always possible when one was witness to such cruelty.
Quickly, you wipe the errant tears away as the Queen Dowager exits her son’s apartment, walking swiftly with a scowl on her face. With the king now alone in his chambers, you nod to the guards and head inside, pausing to close the doors behind you lest Aegon had wont of some privacy.
As you turned to face the room, the king sat off to the side of his table, leaning against the back of a chair, his head resting upon his hands in defeat. He did not stir as you entered and so you cleared your throat to let yourself be known. Aegon still made no move and so this time you spoke up.
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“Your Grace, might I change the linens? Or should I come back later?” you ask, your voice hesitant, but filled with understanding.
He finally lifts his head, glancing at you for a moment before returning his attention to the nearly empty decanter of wine on the table.
“Fetch me some more wine instead,” he demands sullenly, and to this you nod and hurry off to fulfill his request. After what you’d heard him endure, you’d do just about anything to cheer him up now.
With a speed you did not think yourself capable, you retrieved, not just one, but two pitchers of strongwine for the king and prepared a small platter of snacks for him as well, consisting of cheese, crackers, figs, and grapes. You hoped he’d be pleased with your thoughtfulness, and sure enough, he did perk up a little at the sight of the tray you presented on the table before him.
Aegon got to his feet, walking around the chair he’d been leaning against and sitting in it instead. You filled his chalice and placed it before him, wearing an exaggerated smile upon your face, anything to lighten the onerous mood. The king surprises you when he actually notices, his composure faltering as he looks upon your benevolent countenance.
“Did you hear all of that then?” he asks, his jaw clenching slightly as he peers down at the crimson fluid within the cup before him.
“It is not my business, Your Grace,” you answer softly, not wanting to sound cold, but knowing it is not your place to comment on such things. “But, if I can do anything, or get anything more for you. Please just ask.”
“I never wanted to be be king, you know,” Aegon says abruptly, picking up the chalice and swirling the wine around inside it. “They hunted me down, forced me to be crowned… And yet, Mother tells me I do not deserve it, even though she has placed me upon the throne herself.”
You flounder with your words, uncertain of how to reply. Should you even say anything at all? Perhaps he just wants someone to listen who won’t respond with a scathing rebuke.
“She spoke of the rat catchers, bringing up the death of my eldest son as though it were nothing to me,” he continues without your input, staring into the contents of his chalice as though it might hold some insight. “She treats me as though I am nothing.”
He finally takes a long swig of the cup, emptying most of it in one gulp. Aegon sets it down on the table with a clatter of metal and wood, an almost despondent look on his face as he adds, “Perhaps I am nothing.”
“Your Grace, no! That is not true!” the words slip out, unable to hold back your feelings at his self-denigration. You immediately cover your mouth with startled surprise, knowing that you’ve overstepped.
Aegon halts, his shoulders tensing as his eyes drift up to you and his brow furls downwards in confusion. He regards you in earnest for what feels like the first time ever, his discerning gaze sweeping from your face, down to your skirts and back up again, sizing you up. “What would you know of it?”
You bite your lip anxiously, unsure of how to proceed, even though it seems by now that you’ve already gone past the point of returning to obscurity. Ultimately, you decide that if you’re going to lose your position within the Red Keep, that you’d prefer to let the king know how you feel first.
“I have seen how determined you are,” you say quietly, a lack of confidence in your voice as you address the king. “Even though it is obvious how much hardship you must abide.”
“I am the king. I do not abide anything,” he replies gruffly, but there’s no tooth in the words.
“Of course, Your Grace,” you reply as you cast your eyes downward, your posture stiffening as you stand more upright, waiting for the hammer of discipline to fall.
There is a pervasive silence that hangs heavy in the expansive chamber as you wait for the king to cast his verdict. Does he intend to overlook your impertinence or will he punish you severely?
You hear the trickle of liquid pouring and then the glass carafe clattering against the wood of the table. The sound of swallowing is audible, followed by Aegon’s lips smacking softly as he puts the chalice back down.
“Come here, girl,” he says suddenly in a low monotone.
You look up once more, hesitating; your eyes questioning as you try to understand his intentions, his expression inscrutable.
“Do I have to repeat myself?” he reiterates, his tone a little more firm, yet without the sound of malicious intent. “Come here.”
You gulp and step gingerly towards Aegon, standing before him as he sits in the high-back chair. “Yes, Your Grace?” you ask with an uncertain look on your face.
The king startles you when he turns his chair to face you, his hands wrapping around your waist as he pulls you towards him in one fluid motion. Before you even realize what is happening, Aegon has his face buried against your stomach while his fingers dig into the fabric of your dress at the small of your back.
For a moment you stand there frozen in shock, your arms out as if in surrender, unsure of how to respond or interpret this intimate gesture. But then, you feel his shoulders shake quietly, and it's that movement that clues you in to the nature of the king's actions. He is crying, albeit in his own restrained way.
Slowly, you lower your hands down, one resting on his back as the other smooths his white locks back against his scalp. You can feel him melt into your affectionate touch, his entire body slumping forward even as he continues to whimper quietly into your apron.
“Shh,” you say softly, trying to comfort him in a way that feels somehow natural to you despite the gap in caste. “It will be alright.” You are not fully convinced that it will be, but the young king needs some reassurance and you know you are the only one likely to give it to him.
You have secretly longed for a moment such as this to occur for awhile now, wishing you had the opportunity to provide the king with some semblance of reprieve. When you served Viserys, he never seemed very troubled, and was almost willfully ignorant to the problems that plagued his family. Aegon on the other hand, was tormented not only by his mother, but by the pressure he put on himself to please everyone, which was an impossible feat.
To soothe Aegon now and hold him in your arms, felt like putting one of the many wrongs he’d endured right, even if it was only a small fraction of what the man was owed.
Your fingers rake through his wavy tresses and you feel a surge of raw emotion as you tend to the king’s needs in a way you never imagined you would. Soon, his shaky breaths and silent tears begin to cease, replaced by sniffles as you continue to soothe him in the way his mother should have been for all of these years. You can sense his reluctance to leave your embrace, but there’s also a shame weighing heavy in the air for confiding such weakness in a simple chambermaid.
He nuzzles his eyes against the fabric of your dress, wiping his tears on the brown cloth before he abruptly pulls away and clears his throat. Aegon avoids looking directly at you, embarrassment evident in his now red and puffy eyes. He lets out a heavy sigh and you’re left feeling quite dumbfounded as he turns back to his wine.
For a long moment there is a tense and overwhelming silence, the only sounds present in the room are the soft pouring of wine into Aegon’s chalice and the glass clinking as he sets the carafe down.
You stare at the side of his face, feeling a knot form in your stomach at the growing distance. It’s as if he’s punishing you for witnessing his vulnerability, desperate to maintain the barrier between king and servant. Despite his aversion, you can’t help but feel the significance of what you shared, the way he pulled you in and how good it felt to hold him close.
The quiet stretches on, Aegon now occupied with emptying his cup as if trying to fill the void with drink. He speaks up once more, his tone now devoid of any traces of the exposed emotion you just viewed.
"That will be all," his words are devoid of any warmth or familiarity. "I don't need anything more from you tonight." Aegon’s fingers tremble subtly as he brings his glass to his lips, betraying his cold facade.
“Your Grace,” you say in acceptance of his decision, bowing your head to show deference. You turn and glance at the linens still stacked on top of the king’s bed and fret for a moment that you will get in trouble for not fulfilling your duties and changing the sheets. “Should I change the bedsheets before I leave?”
Aegon doesn’t even turn to face you, his eyes fixed on his chalice. His expression is closed off, distant, as he responds with a simple grunt of confirmation.
“Yes, yes. Do whatever it is you usually do,” he mutters dismissively, his voice lacking any real feeling. He lifts his cup to his mouth once more, drowning himself in the bitter taste of the wine.
You nod with the typical words of respectful assent and begin making the bed as you always do, except this time it feels different. Today you flew so very close to the sun and felt your skin bask in its heat. The absence of that warmth now leaves you feeling chilly, an overwhelming nothing replacing the typical humdrum of your chores. You can feel his presence in the room like a beacon calling you to shore, but you dare not approach him again.
When you finish your task, you leave the king’s chambers without saying a word, closing the door behind you as silently as you can.
For the next few days, the typical royal indifference that Aegon shows you is substituted for complete and utter disregard. He at least showed you a degree of quiet appreciation before, but now it seems he’s going out of his way to make it known that you do not exist to him. Aegon always keeps his eyes turned from you and makes no acknowledgment of your proximity, giving the impression that you are little more than a ghost.
Gone is the care-free spirit that the king usually possesses, always trying to pretend that he is happier than he actually is, at least when you are around him. It seems that Aegon erects a wall of guarded apathy the moment he becomes aware of you, sometimes so severe that you can actually see him transition into a frown at your approach.
You find yourself slinking around quietly whenever you must occupy his room at the same time that he is present. The mornings are especially tense, when you must bring breakfast and fresh wash water for his basin. Sometimes, you feel his eyes on you when you’re preoccupied with adding wood to and stoking the fire, but you try your best to ignore it since you can’t make heads or tails of his behavior.
For the most part, you attempt to finish the majority of your duties once the king has left for the day and not before that point. You hope that in time, the king will forget about what transpired between the two of you, and that everything will revert back to how it was.
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—Aegon
Aegon has made a concerted effort to maintain his frosty disposition towards you. It’s a constant battle between his heart, which secretly admires and yearns for you, and his head, which refuses to acknowledge the vulnerability he allowed you to witness. Even still, he can’t help but feel a slight pang of sadness whenever you try to slip in and out of his chambers undetected, nor can he control the surge of resentment when he feels that he might need you in any way.
The king simply doesn’t know what to make of the tangle of emotions that twist inside of him whenever he sees your face. It’s as if the memory of his shortcomings and your comforting embrace is a fresh wound that refuses to heal. He wants to shove you from his mind, but your image is permanently branded on the backs of his eyelids.
Even his nights have become restless, with no amount of drink or pleasure helping to ease his troubled heart. In fact, he’d already tried visiting one of his favorite brothels, dragging along his drunken friends for the chance to brag at how loud he could make the women scream. He was so distracted by thoughts of you that he couldn’t even stay hard and had to call it a night without release, defeated even by the the carefree abandon of a whore’s cunt.
The only thing that helps him drift off to sleep lately is recalling the moment he shared with you, and imagining how it might have gone differently if he had not pulled away from you. His hand enveloping his rigid cock, stroking it eagerly as he envisions what it would be like to reach under your skirts and feel the heat at the apex of your thighs. The resulting climax is strong, but it always leaves him feeling ashamed and guilty afterwards, as though he’s given into an urge worse than the crudest of debaucheries.
It’s becoming more and more obvious, that no matter how much he denies himself, he wants you in an unbearable way. He wants to reach out to you, wants to apologize and thank you for your soothing care. He wants those arms wrapped around him once again, that gentle hand running through his hair. He wants to confess all of his troubles to you. How he is tired of being treated like a child, of being scolded and slapped around by his mother, and never being taken seriously by his own small council. Aegon wants to hear the solutions you might propose to his growing list of problems, instead of relying on the wine that he drinks to excess more often as the days pass, an answer that he knows is mere avoidance.
And so, the king finds himself at a crossroad, facing a decision that can’t simply remain unsettled. He can either choose to embrace his feelings for you and allow himself the chance of experiencing the compassion he so badly craves, or he can continue to repress those feelings and bury them under the weight of his own self loathing and fear.
At the end of another long and monotonous day, he finds himself sitting at the end of his table in the very same chair where he had shared a moment of weakness with you. He sighs as he pours himself another cup of wine, the burgundy liquid not doing much to take the edge off tonight.
He shivers slightly as gooseflesh erupts over his pale skin. Glancing out the window, he can see that the skies are grayer than usual and that autumn is settling in over King’s Landing. Aegon begins to worry as he considers the already dwindling food supply and the civil war that is ravaging what little they have left. His grand-sire and mother both seem to be ignoring the constant plight of the commonfolk, but he’s spent enough time amongst them to know that revolt might loom on the horizon.
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The large wooden doors to his chamber suddenly open and his attention is drawn from the window, snapped to the form now entering the room. It is you, his chambermaid, carrying a bundle of blankets. You stop dead in your tracks as you notice him sitting in the dwindling light of the gloaming hour.
“Sorry to disturb, Your Grace,” you offer sheepishly. “I didn’t know you had already retired for the day.”
Aegon turns his chair outwards, sitting sideways as he leans an elbow against the table and lifts his cup to his lips, taking a sip of his favorite sweet Arbor red. He doesn’t acknowledge your apology, and instead regards you with a steadfast gaze as he tries to hide his conflicting feelings.
“What is it?” he asks, his tone tinged with disinterest.
“It’s supposed to be chilly tonight,” you answer with a soft voice. “I wanted to bring you some extra blankets and build the fire up so that you are comfortable.”
“Hm,” he grunts, taking another swig of his wine. He doesn’t respond more than that and simply watches as you begin to lay two massive quilts upon his bed, then approach the fireplace to add more wood and stoke the flames. Even now you were doing your best to take good care of him, doting on him as though he were your very own husband.
He can’t help but discreetly study the shape of your body as you kneel before the mantle, appreciating the way the firelight projects shadows over your kneeling figure. The flickering orange light bounces off your face and he can’t help but notice the softness of your features, the curve of your cheek and lips. As you rise back to your feet and turn to face him, he’s finally made his decision.
Perhaps it is time to lay these fears to rest.
He sighs softly, his shoulders slumping somewhat with the release of breath, as he gestures to the chair across from him.
“Sit,” his word is quiet, almost a whisper.
You look at him perplexed as though you did not hear him properly, an apprehension soon settling in as you hesitate to respond.
There is an air of determination in his eyes as he nods once more, encouraging you to sit. His voice now holds a trace of insistence as he shifts in his seat, sitting upright as he repeats himself. “I said sit.” Aegon points at the empty chair once more, his gesture sharper this time.
You oblige him swiftly at that, taking a seat in the ornately carved high-back chair, your legs are pressed together and your hands fidget awkwardly on your lap. Aegon reaches forward and grabs an empty chalice from the silver tray before him, pouring you a glass of wine.
“Here,” he says, his voice strangely calm in your presence now that he has finally given in to his wishes. He hands you the cup across the table, his fingers brushing against yours for just the briefest of moments. He relishes in the heat of your touch, no matter how fleeting, and offers a clumsy smile. “Have a drink with me.”
You take the chalice reluctantly, the anxiety of such taboo evident in your expression. Aegon knew it was unheard of for the staff to share a drink with members of the royal family, but it was also not typical for the king to be denied anything he desired either.
“T-thank you, Your Grace,” you offer appreciatively.
Aegon settles back into his chair, his posture becoming more relaxed as he spreads his legs. He takes comfort in the fact that no matter how much he has tried to avoid you, that you still humbly show him gratitude. That small act of polite civility has him convinced that what he is attempting will not end in rejection.
He raises his cup and toasts to you, a courtesy which seems so simple and yet holds so much significance when coming from a king. “To your service.” His eyes gleam in the fading light of day, bright with unspoken promise.
“I don’t even know what to say, Your Grace,” you squeak out in embarrassment, your face impossibly red as you direct your gaze away from him.
He can feel his confidence returning as he sees the flush of color bloom on your cheeks. It’s a sign that his attention is not entirely unwelcome, and that thought alone is enough to make his heart beat steadily in his chest.
Aegon leans forward, trying to capture your attention once more, his eyes pleading for you to look at him again. After so much time evading this very situation, he now feels hungry for it.
“You don’t have to say anything at all,” he reassures you, his tone softened but with a hint of authority as he motions for you to drink your wine.
Without wavering, you grasp the heavy brass chalice in your hands and with courage etched in your features, take a long draught of the Arbor red.
As you drink, Aegon raises an eyebrow in mild surprse, watching as you take a rather ambitious swig of strongwine. He finds he’s actually impressed with your ability, and his expression soon transforms into a smirk of amusement.
He takes a sip from his own chalice before setting it back down on the table. “You drink deeper than many of my knights, I can tell you that,” he jests with a good-humored ease, testing the boundaries of this fledgling dynamic.
Your cheeks blush once more although this time it is likely due to the wine as well as your timidity. “This is much better than the swill the staff typically has access to,” you offer almost apologetically, as though it were not proper for you to imbibe in your spare time.
The admission has the corners of his mouth curling into a grin once more, and a breathy laugh escapes his lips. It’s clear now that the two of you are finally making progress, the barrier of propriety quickly falling away as it typically did with drink.
“So you mean to say you enjoy good wine, yes?” he teases lightly, tapping his fingertips against the edge of his cup, his gaze focused on you, eager to see your reaction.
“I am enjoying it, yes,” you say with bright eyes, your guilt beginning to fade away with each sip of sweet wine you take.
Aegon can sense the increased ease in your demeanor, and is delighted by the sight of it. He knows that the alcohol has broken through the tension that’s been building between the two of you for days now and he plans to take full advantage of it, feeling even bolder in his pursuit of you.
“Good,” he replies gladly, feeling content with the newfound freedom he’s allowed himself. “Then have some more,” Aegon adds, his tone light and playful as he pushes the decanter of wine closer to you, encouraging you to fill your own cup. He can feel a pleasant buzzing in his head from the strongwine, and can tell that you aren’t far behind him.
“Is Your Grace trying to get me drunk?” you ask, a surprising riposte that he didn’t expect from you.
The question has Aegon laughing aloud, the sound hearty and full of mirth. He leans closer, sliding his elbow further along the table as he offers you a grin. That little spark of humor you show only heightens his own sense of urgency to be in your arms once more.
The king rests his chin on his fist, and raises a brow at you with a mischievous grin. “And what if I was?” he replies playfully.
“Then I’d have to ask to what aim?” you say holding onto your cup, your finger tracing the circular rim of it.
Aegon’s gaze is drawn to your fingers, following the movement as his pulse quickens. He can hear your question, but it fails to register fully as he’s momentarily lost in a daydream of those same fingers running across his skin. His mouth goes dry and his skin feels hot. He finds he must take another large draught of wine to calm the sudden surge of longing that courses through him.
“Well,” he says, his tone feigning seriousness. “Perhaps I intend to get you drunk so I might take advantage of you.”
Aegon is surprised when you chuckle in response to his daring assertion, having expected more of a demure reaction instead. “You would not have to ply me with wine for that,” you admit, lowering your head slightly as though realizing how direct your words had been a little too late.
His eyes go temporarily wide as he registers your brazen honesty, wondering if he’d even heard you correctly. “Do you jest with your king, girl?” he asks incredulously.
“No,” she offers adamantly, with all the defiance of a loyal hound. “I’m afraid I’d be quite willing.”
“Is that so?” Aegon says more for his own confirmation than to communicate it, his eyebrow raising with dubious intent.
His stiffening cock was becoming uncomfortable in his taut breeches and he couldn’t help but consider the irony that such an innocent encounter had taken on an incredibly sexual nature. The comfort you had offered him becoming like an intoxicating fuel to his loins, making you far more attractive than any other woman could ever possibly be in his eyes.
“And what would you be willing to do in order to satisfy your king?” he prods further, feeling confident that he has the upper hand now. His desire to claim everything you have to offer now undeniable.
“I-I,” you begin to stutter nervously, clearly not expecting such a blunt response from him. “What is it you wish of me?”
Aegon let’s out a sharp huff of delight at the question you pose. To his great joy it seems you truly don’t realize the effect you have over him right now. He stands from his chair, sending it backwards with the backs of his thighs. His legs then carry him around the corner of the table until he’s towering above you, looking down upon your trembling form with a burning hunger.
“The real question is.. What don’t I desire of you?” he poses the question with a lurid tone as he thumbs the neckline of your bodice. “I believe you’ll find me quite insatiable in my needs.”
You’re frozen in his sights, appraising him with frightened doe-eyes, but there is no mistaking the undercurrent of lust also hidden right below the surface. Likely, the only true trepidation you have is the thought of performing such acts out of wedlock, but it seems obvious to Aegon at least, that you should have no concerns when offering your virtue up to a king. And given the poorly state of mind he’s been in as of late and desperate weakness he has for you, it’s possible you might even be assisting in the betterment of the realms.
“You’re speechless,” he hums softly, running the back of his knuckles over your bare collarbone. “Don’t worry, I will do the talking,” he says with a smirk, delighted to hear that he sounds every bit the authoritative ruler he should. “Take my hands,” he commands softly, reaching down as he grasps you and encourages you to rise from your chair.
When you obligingly follow his orders and rise before him, Aegon then guides you, leading you towards the bed. He stops once the backs of your knees hit the wooden frame, which is now padded by many layers of newly laid quilts, and turns you away from him. His hands carefully unfasten your apron, tossing it over the footboard before he starts to work at untying the laces of your dress. He loosens them swiftly until your bodice hangs slack.
He’s very well practiced in the art of removing a woman’s clothing, whether they be a whore, a noblewoman, or even a servant as is your case. Still, he holds a certain fondness for you, a consideration that he does not offer readily to most of his conquests. You have given him something so valuable, a treasure that no other has even thought to bestow upon him, and he means to reward you well for it.
Aegon finally removes your dress, pulling it over your head and placing it on top of the apron. All that remains now is a long sleeved undershirt, a slightly more drab version of the sort all women wore under their dresses. He’d like to rip it from your body, but you’ve stirred up such tenderness within his empty heart that he is loathe to treat you in such a way.
Instead, he turns you to face him once more and takes a step back to regard you. “You truly are beautiful,” he states with a sort of quiet awe. He had never really noticed you before and he most definitely should have. What with your cornsilk blond hair and bright blue eyes. Was he really so oblivious to the people and the world around him that he couldn’t even notice such a stunning, caring maiden working directly under his nose? Had he always been avoiding any state of mental clarity and missed so much in the process of hiding from himself?
You look at him nervously, your body antsy as you shift uneasily, precariously balanced on the edge of the mattress.
“Sit,” he tells you in a hushed tone, not quite wanting to sound as bossy as he does, but trying to relieve you of your discomfort. He takes another step back once you have complied, his gaze now roaming your body, taking in the sight of you, or at least what he can see in that loose potato sack of a frock you’re wearing. Aegon can definitely make out some of your feminine curves though, the slope of your shoulder incredibly pleasing as is the way your breasts protrude noticeably through the fabric, and so too do your wide hips.
He smiles warmly at you, his eyes taking their time to appreciate the woman before him. He can’t help but ponder in this moment, how he’s never felt this way before, a lust that isn’t just physical in nature, but somehow more genuine. Aegon is no stranger to carnal pleasures and strongly desires to claim you in every way possible. But there is something more present in his heart as well, the wish to hold you close and protect you from the entire world, and to in turn be sheltered by you from the chaos of the Iron Throne.
Aegon decides then that he wants your first time together to be gentle, just as it was when you first came together. He closes the distance between the two of you and reaches out with both hands, grabbing softly on either side of your shoulders. Your soft, supple flesh gives pleasingly beneath his fingers as he guides you to lay down on top of the blankets. As you scoot backwards across the width of the bed, he can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction that you were finally in his bed and no longer a fantasy inside his mind.
Once you’ve nestled into the plushness beneath you, he steps back again, his fingers making quick work of removing his woolen doublet. A flush of excitement blooms across his alabaster skin as he makes a show of the action, enjoying the way you watch him with such focused anticipation. He casts the garment to the floor, now removing his boots as swiftly as he can.
With his breeches already half undone and his chest exposed beneath a simple linen shirt, he is gifted with the sight of you lying in his bed in wait. The image is far more pleasant, far more intimate, than any other woman he has ever taken to bed. Your warmth radiates outward like a blazing fire and by now he is desperate to feel your heat directly. He practically rips his undershirt off, flinging it sideways across the covers.
Aegon makes his way back to you, lifting one knee up onto the mattress and crawling over the entire length of your body until he is face to face with you. His hand cradles your jaw tenderly, caressing up and down until his fingers slip up into your long, flowing tresses.
His intense, violet eyes fix upon yours, looking for any hesitation, but he sees none. It was as though you had been given to him as a gift from the gods, you who always gave and never took from him. There is a vulnerability in his expression that is rarely visible, replacing his usual display of smugness.
He maneuvers his breeches down without much effort, kicking them off once they’re low enough. Now fully settled into the valley of your spread legs, Aegon then grips the hem of your shift, lifting it up your thighs until he feels your body tense. He glances up at you and sees a pang of worry present that is perfectly normal, especially for a maiden.
The king asks the question he’s sure he already knows the answer to. “Have you done this before?”
You shake your head no as a blush of pink covers your cheeks and you bite your lip with pent up longing. Even with your inexperience and worry, he can tell how eager you are regardless. Much like he had been warring with his own thoughts about pursuing more with his chambermaid, you seem torn between your fears and your desires as well.
Aegon smiles sincerely, brushing his thumb gently along your lower lip, before leaning down to give you a chaste kiss. It was a bit of a selfish wish of his that you were untainted by any other man, and a part of him was happy to hear that you were indeed a virgin. It made him revel in delight; knowing you were his alone, that he’d be your first and your last if he had any say in it.
“Relax,” he whispered parting from your lips. “I’ll go slowly.” Aegon gazes at you again, wondering if this is perhaps too much for you, too soon. “That is if you still wish to.”
A look of panic crosses your face, as though you’re worried he might stop. “N-No! I still want to!” you affirm urgently. Your hands wrap around his back, pulling him closer to you, seemingly unwilling to let him go.
The king can barely contain his elation as he presses his forehead to yours, chuckling slightly at your eagerness. His hand slips beneath your undershirt and he slowly strokes the soft skin of your stomach, his fingers grazing over the warm plains of your flesh. Aegon’s breath hitches as he travels higher up your abdomen, finding the pliant curve of your breast.
You moan softly beneath his greedy touch, your body writhing with fervor, and your hips rising impatiently to meet him. Any question he had that you might not be fully keen about this joining was now all but diffused by your enthusiasm.
“You make such pretty sounds,” he teases playfully, feeling a sense of satisfaction at how responsive you are to his touch. He gives your breast a firm squeeze, then teases over the sensitive areola before cupping the whole mound again. His cock throbs painfully against the mattress, still bound by his smallclothes and yearning to sink into your heat.
His pulse pounds with expectation, finally feeling a sense of relief from the pent up desire he’s held for you all of this time. Aegon removes his hand from under your shift, propping himself up on the bed as he reaches down to unlace his braie. His hand brushes against your core in the process and he shivers at the feel of how wet you already are for him.
With his stiff length finally freed, he ventures a finger along your folds, growling at the silky slickness of your center. “Gods,” he utters with a groan. His cock twitches with need as he tests the tightness of your cunny, eyes rolling back in ecstasy as he imagines thrusting into you with his thick member instead of his digit.
“Are you ready for me, girl?” he asks eagerly, the question a soft inquiry as well as a warning of the impending pain his intrusion is likely to cause. At this point, he feels more like a lovesick boy than the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, his suspense heavy as he drapes your leg around his his hip, opening you more to him. He positions his head at your entrance and presses himself closer to you.
You nod, never taking your eyes off of him as you wrap your hands around his back. Aegon rests his weight on his elbows, covering you completely as he kisses you with tenderness. He tries to express everything he feels for you with actions instead of words, his lips hungrily devouring yours with passion. Without breaking the kiss, he begins to ease into you slowly, immediately feeling the resistance of your still in tact virtue.
His arms slide down, gripping your hips on each side tightly as his chest presses into yours. You let out a whimper into his mouth as he breaches your depths, your thighs clenching against his body at the sharp pain of his invasion. It doesn’t take long for you to relax again, your walls suddenly more welcoming as the sting subsides.
Aegon parts from your lips, pulling back slightly so he can look down at you. A smirk forms on his face as he sees your lurid expression and he begins to move, his hips rolling against yours in a slow, sensual rhythm. His hands slide down to your thighs, spreading them further apart as he thrusts himself deeper inside you. He groans with overwhelming pleasure at the feel of you, his head falling forward as he picks up the pace.
He kisses you again, forcing his tongue into your mouth as he continues to move inside of you. His tongue dances with yours as he begins to lose control, his hips snapping against you with intensity. Aegon can feel his release approaching quickly, unable to hold back for much longer, he tries to hasten you along to satisfaction. His hand slides up your shift once more, squeezing your breast and tweaking your delicate nipple until it pebbles between his fingers.
You squirm under him, incapable of holding still as he drives into you with increased enthusiasm. The king grinds his hips into you relentlessly, grimacing at the way your walls tighten around his cock like a vice. Aegon’s grip on your tit becomes harder, flipping between gripping and tweaking your sensitive nipple. His lips withdraw abruptly, his mouth searching out your other breast and nipping it through your undershirt.
He grins against the cloth as you cry out loudly, your body rigid as your climax rolls over you and soon he can feel it wash over his length as well. But, he can’t take it anymore, not how tight you are or how creamy your release feels on his tender cockhead. It’s all too much and within a moment he is gripping hard to your flesh and burying himself deep within you, his spend erupting in spurts from his pulsing member.
“Fuuuccck,” he growls out, his hands finding their way beneath your back and pulling you towards him securely, trying to get even closer if that was at all possible.
You pant below him, trying to catch your breath as little spasms continue to twitch throughout your back and your thighs tremble against his hips. A warm, blissful calm settles over him as he nestles his face into the crook of your neck and inhales deeply of your scent. He feels pleasantly dizzy, his heartbeat finally slowing as the haze of lust subsides.
Aegon sighs into your ear, the tone content and relaxed. “That was incredible,” he murmured softly, his voice low as he gently runs his hand along the side of your cheek.
“It was,” is all you can manage to say, your breath still a bit ragged as you try to come down from the high.
Your hand finds its way into his white hair again, brushing up against the nape of his neck and causing him to shiver. He’s once again reminded of the shared encounter that started all of this and he’s overcome with a fondness that makes his chest ache.
Aegon feels closer to you in every possible way now and isn’t keen on the idea of parting from you, but he can feel his cock softening and the mess beginning to pool on the sheets. So he slowly pulls out of you, collapsing onto the bed at your side. He grabs one of his stray garments without looking, probably his smallclothes or maybe his shirt, and cleans up his seed from you first and then himself.
He adjusts towards the head of the bed, resting on his side against the pillows and reaching out for you to join him as he scuttles under the covers. “Come here,” he says softly, pained by the loss of her warmth.
As you get up and crawl towards him, he scoops you up into his arms. Aegon holds you close, his chin resting against the top of your head as he wraps the quilts around your form and presses himself tighter against your back. The king can no longer deny the depth and the power of his feelings for you as you cuddle in his arms. There’s a sense of deep security and comfort welling up within him, but any words seem inadequate in this moment.
Aegon kisses your temple, the doting gesture unlike anything he’s bestowed upon a lover before. “I think I’m going to sleep quite well tonight,” he muses into your hair, still cradling you in his arms.
“Are you sure it’s alright for me to stay with you? In your chambers?” you ask quietly with seemingly no clue how ridiculous he thinks you sound for asking such a thing.
His mouth twitches into a small smile and he lifts his chin to press another kiss into your hair.
“Of course. I’m the king. I can do whatever I want,” he quips playfully, his voice sounding drowsy and relaxed as he settles into the plushness of the bed. “Now, come. Get your rest. You’re going to need it.” There is a gentle warning present in his tone that you do not seem to catch, that he intends to have more of you in the morning.
You nod, twisting your back towards the mattress until you’re facing him. The expression you give him is enough to make his heart melt, those big, blue eyes like deep pools filled with bottomless love and devotion. You wrap your hand behind his neck and pull him close for a kiss, a request he’s more than happy to oblige.
Your mouth is sweet and hot against his and he can’t help but to lick the line of your lower lip before parting from you. Aegon settles you back into place, his chest enveloping your smaller frame as he holds you possessively. He feels such solace in the close proximity of your body, his limbs toasty warm as he falls into a deep state of relaxation. He’s not even aware of when the moment he falls asleep, it happens so quickly.
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—Aegon
When the first light of day streams through the window, Aegon finds his eyes drifting open and then closing again, not sure of what time it is, but too comfortable to want to move. His back feels incredibly warm with the slight dampness of sweat and he opens his lids once more to see your arm wrapped over his chest. He can feel your hot breath at his neck now that he’s paying attention fully and your leg slotted between his.
Aegon’s lips curl into a satisfied smile, basking in the near domestic feel of waking up like this with someone he actually cares for. He takes your hand and intertwines his fingers with yours as he rests his own arm on top of yours.
He tries to settle into his pillow once more, nuzzling his backside into you further and bending his knees more deeply. The peace is short lived though as the doors to his chamber fling open and he hears the startled gasp of a woman. It couldn’t be just any woman, like perhaps another maid come to clean his room in place of the one that never showed up for work. No, it had to be his mother, of all the people he did not wish to see this morning.
The king whips his head over his shoulder and squints in the direction of the door. His mother stands there with a hand over her mouth, frozen in horrified disbelief as though she’d just seen a ghost. Aegon grits his teeth, sitting up with a jolt, forced to realize just how compromising this situation must look with the way he was tangled in bed naked with you.
“No, no, no, no, no, Aegon!!” she practically screams at him and the sound jars you from your slumber. He wishes you could have stayed asleep, to have escaped the madness of his family for just a little longer.
Alicent picks up her skirts so she can walk swiftly around the bed and to his side, standing there with a judgmental sneer. “This is just like Diana, isn’t it!?” she cries hysterically. “Isn’t it!?” his mother prods him further.
Aegon looks back, catching your shifting uneasiness from his peripheral vision, then turns to his mother again, suddenly feeling very protective of you. You are innocent in all of this and should be afforded the ability to wake up from your first time making love in some semblance of calm, not to one of his mother’s outbursts. And of course the first thought she would have of him was that he had raped yet another servant girl. His mother was blissfully ignorant of everything he had done as a young man, except for the acts she felt the need to berate him for, even though she had never been around to offer any kind of proper guidance.
He lets out a groan of exasperation, running his fingers through his mussed hair and tries to think of an answer that might satisfy his fuming mother, but he knows this is a lost cause.
“No,” he denies, shaking his head as he avoids eye contact with her. There is no conviction in his tone, but it’s not like she would ever believe a thing he said on the matter.
“So it was consensual then?” the Dowager Queen asks glaring past Aegon and looking straight at you.
He glances to his side and sees you nod, but interrupts before you can say anything more. “You do not have to explain yourself to her,” he says in a much softer voice, trying to shield you from his mother.
“So, she’s just another one of your tramps then!” Alicent hisses with disgust. “Is it so hard for you to keep your hands off the staff? Can’t be bothered to go into the city anymore, you need to make sure you find your pleasure within the walls of the Red Keep?” Her words are vitriolic and hateful without any attempt to understand the situation.
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“I should have gotten rid of your father’s little bastard when I had the chance. I should have known better that she would be too pretty for you to resist, but I was assured that the girl’s skills were tantamount to any risk,” she continued on her tirade, barking out every spiteful dagger she could think of.
“What of your wife!? How can you carry on like this!? Oblivious to the people you hurt!?” the Queen Dowager prattled on, not waiting for an answer, but seemingly wanting to preach her conclusions endlessly.
“You know Helaena’s fallen deep into sadness ever since Jaehaerys died. Ever since you forced her to endure that disgusting funeral procession through the streets of the city.. And it’s not like we ever had a deep connection even before that, Mother.” Aegon’s voice was bitter, resentful. He was sick and tired of this farce of familial love when she barely ever showed him any hint of it.
He’s incredibly shocked when he hears you speak up, your voice quiet, but accusing, even defensive, “You’re one to talk, Queen Dowager. You hurt Aegon more than any other.”
“How dare you! You insolent wretch!” his mother didn’t hesitate to bite back, her acrimony potent in the air. “You can consider your employ here ended. Gather your belongings and leave!” she looked at you impatiently, as though expecting you to stand immediately and go. “Now!” she snarled, her nose crinkled with anger.
“No,” the king interceded on your behalf, stilling you with his hand on your hip. “You will not go anywhere.”
“She absolutely will go! This is not acceptable behavior for any chambermaid in the employ of the royal family!” Alicent was insistent, with no sign of backing down, but Aegon had enough of this contest of wills.
“Mother!” he bellowed at her furiously, finally snapping back at her with conviction. “I am the king and you will obey me!”
That finally got her attention, for the first time in his entire life he saw a flash of fear in his mother’s eyes and it only emboldened him to continue.
“You will not do a thing to this girl. She is under my protection,” he added, his ruling absolute. “And if I find that you have touched her, hurt her in any way, then I will have you hung. Just like the rat catchers.”
Aegon’s lips curl upwards in smug satisfaction, finally realizing a fraction of the true power he held as sovereign of the realms. His mother did not respond, regarding him with silent malice, her glare ever testing the limits to see if he truly meant it. When she saw that he did, his mother backed down, her shoulder slumping slightly as she relented, but not before getting one last dig in.
“Very well, My King,” she mocked with false sincerity, giving him a sarcastic curtsy. “I will leave you to your dalliances. I should know better than to interrupt a man having his fun.” She left in a flurry of resentment, slamming the door behind her with a loud thud.
No matter how furious he was with his mother, she still remained his parent, the woman who gave him life, whom he loved and had once revered above all else. Even this victory he had over her felt hollow, and he realized that even when he won, he still lost in one way or another.
He turned to you, his expression a mix of concern and tenderness. Aegon stroked gently at the side of your cheek, wanting to make you feel safe again after you’d been forced to tolerate the full brunt of his mother’s wrath. He found you to be more resilient than he’d ever expected, already sitting up and staring at him with a knowing look upon your face.
“I’m so sorry,” you say softly and almost instantly he feels something within his chest fracture.
It might have been the facade he always wore cracking, how he always projected an image of indifferent merriment so none would know how truly miserable he was. It might even have been the very fact that you had suffered insults by associating with him and yet you were still concerned about his well being.
Aegon can feel tears welling in his eyes and when you spread your arms out towards him, he doesn’t hesitate to crash into you. He buries his face in your comforting bosom and finally allows himself to fall apart in your embrace without shame. It’s probably the safest and most accepted he’s ever felt in his entire life and he knows now that he won’t ever be able to exist without you.
As you rake your fingers through his silvery locks, his tears dwindle until he is left relaxed, sated by your validation that his life is not as easy as everyone might think it is. He listens to your heartbeat as his fingers dig firmly into your back, making sure you can never leave his side. It’s a mercy, that you don’t seem to mind how clingy and needy he is. If anything, you seem born to mend his wounds, a soothing balm to his troubled soul.
You lean back against the pillows and soon Aegon finds himself drifting asleep against you. As his aching eyes begin to close, he can’t help but hope that he never disappoints you. He’s so convinced that he is a failure from the constant disparagements he’s endured throughout his life, that he can’t even fully enjoy you without worrying that he isn’t worthy of you - that you might leave him.
As if reading his mind, your hand massages gently along his scalp, cradling his head closer to your breast. “Don’t worry,” you say reassuringly. “It’s going to be alright. I promise.”
Aegon didn’t know how you could possibly promise him such a thing, but somehow hearing you say it aloud makes him actually want to believe it.
Read Chapter 2
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And will you be bold Will you lose control? I could never desert you I could never let go If you fall in line And the zenith calls I'm standing waiting The last to fall
~Starset - Last to Fall
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burning-academia-if · 1 year ago
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Burning Academia [Play Here]
Demo Updated: June 7th, 2024 (Prologue-Chapter 2)
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You never thought you'd go to college, due to your circumstances. But you especially didn't dream you'd be forced to attend the prestigious Vales Grove University after being attacked by wraiths in their library. What started as a visit to a long time friend, ended with your hands burned, your innocence questioned, and the startling realization magic is real. To apologize for what's happened to you, or more accurately, to keep an eye on you, the Headmaster himself offers you enrollment with all fees waived. With no real choice in the matter, you become a student, and try to ignore the suspicion everyone throws your way. Besides, you have worse things to deal with. Like how you've started to attract ghosts and other dead things, or the fact that there is a very living thing inside your head, waiting for you to lower your guard and take control. And most pressing of all, managing your obligation to a family that hasn't been such a thing in years. Tread carefully, if the ghosts don't devour you, the university certainly might.
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Customize the MC; gender, appearance, personality, etc!
Romance six questionable love interests, or not!
A morality system which changes how your story will go. Do you belong to the day, the night, or somewhere in between?
A complicated family, which you've been shackled to your whole life. Will you ever be able to escape them? Do you even want to?
Survive college, your job, and attempt to not have a quarter life crisis.
Avoid getting devoured by all the things that go bump in the night.
Retain your free will.
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Dawn: The world has never been kind, but that hasn't stopped you from giving up. You'll run through the night and embrace the rising dawn. A path of becoming hope.
Day: There's light in the world, if one only knows how to look. As long as you hold on, the light will find you, too. A path of finding solace.
Dusk: All you've known is suffering, and you won't stand for it any longer. Regardless where that leads you, or the choices you need to make to save yourself. A path leading to freedom.
Night: There's no hope here, not as things stand. You'll change it all, even if you must stand in the darkness. A path of destroying everything which has sought to destroy you.
More simply: Dawn/Day: traditional good paths, Dusk: anti-hero path, Night: "villain" path
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Rook Bellerose [M]: A "best friend" you've known for almost a decade now. He's never let you get close even after all this time. He's the king of jokes and immaturity, but after the events which led to your enrollment at Vales Grove, something's changed. Maybe it's the guilt, or maybe it's the mask finally slipping.
Beck Castro [M]: Rook's detested roommate, although you aren't sure why. He's the kind of guy who likes to hear himself talk, and he's pretty good at it. He can captivate a room or get himself out of any situation. For whatever reason, he's taken a keen interest in you, and has offered his help for whatever you might need.
Rhea Windsor [F]: The Headmaster's daughter. Everyone who talks about her often complains that she's the traditional prim and proper young woman one would expect from a Headmaster's daughter. However, the more you talk to her, the more you realize she's the exact opposite with a dorky personality and a streak of clumsiness.
Zoe Ripley [NB]: A loner who hides in the library to avoid people. They saw what went down the day you were forced to attend Vales Grove. Despite their prickly attitude, you get the sense they aren't a bad person, and despite how they act, they've never refused to help you. If anything, you seem to be the one person on campus who doesn't get on their nerves, professors included.
Lars Angel [M]: The most exhausted person you've ever seen, and that's saying something. He's a grad student, and one you keep running in to. He can't stand you, and you can only guess at why. With a sharp tongue and a bitter disposition, he tries his best to avoid you. Too bad you both keep running into each other. It looks like fate has other plans.
??? [M/F/NB]: The thing which haunts you. You have no idea how the two of you got connected, but you can feel it in your blood, organs, neurons, synapses. You know it's evil, you know it wants to consume you, but tell me? Has anything ever cradled your soul so gently before?
Poly Route options:
Beck/Rook [triad]: Dawn or Day Path
Rook/??? [triad]: Night Path
Rhea and Zoe [V]: Dawn or Dusk Path
[RO Portraits]
CW: Gore, violence, discussions and depictions of death, parental neglect, emotional abuse, parental abuse, alcoholism, depression, classism, mtc
RO Route CWs (contains spoilers): Read here
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camlovesjace · 5 months ago
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HATE ME; 01 , THE PINK DREAD ! (Jacaerys Velaryon)
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Summary (there) Warning: Enemies to lovers, you may hate or dislike some characters, not hate allowed, I AM TEAM BLACK my oc is not so...her ideas/opinions are not mine. Someone asked me to translate my wattpad fanfic Hate Me, (there is the link of the original fic, written by me on spanish, available until chapter 40th on wattpad) so here it is, i hope you enjoy it, i´ll try to post a few more chapters soon xoxo
The birth of Princess Deianira Targaryen was one of the worst days of Queen Alicent Hightower, the birth had lasted hours and had been one of the most complicated for the young redhead. And when the girl gave herself into her mother’s arms, the news reached her that Princess Rhaenyra had given birth to a prince… The two babies were born minutes apart, with Jacaerys Velaryon being the eldest of the two. A boy with brown hair and brown eyes, a bastard in the eyes of the green queen. Instead Alicent’s newborn daughter was an embodiment of Valyrian traits in person, her scarce hair was as pale as snow, and the first glow the queen saw in Deianira’s eyes was amethyst.
King Viserys took the news of the Parthians as a divine sign sent by the gods, and perhaps it was… The man Targaryen went to his firstborn’s quarters, to meet the future heir…leaving his wife and daughter alone for most of the day. When King Viserys finally approached his queen he found a sleeping Alicent, hugging the baby. But he dared not do anything to wake them up. The next day the man ordered the newborn children to share a wet nurse, in order to strengthen their bond and try to repair the growing rift that separated their family. He also offered a deal to the princes' mothers, a betrothal between the two children…so Deianira would be the queen consort and Jacaerys the king, when his time came to rule.
Princess Rhaenyra was more than delighted with the idea, but Alicent refused the offer, unable to even imagine her little daughter in the hands of a bastard. And so the years passed in the red keep… The Green Queen’s hatred for her stepdaughter and ex best friend became as ardent as the flames of a dragon, and whenever her youngest daughter was belittled by the presence of Prince Jacaerys, her tolerance for the bastards diminished. Rhaenyra’s dishonorable continuation of childbearing did not improve the situation. Alicent spent her afternoons talking to her children, warning them about her half-sister and her bastard children, especially to her eldest child, Aegon.
In this way, Deianira cultivated a resentment towards her nephew, Jacaerys. Who stole all the attention of her father, there were even several onomastics where the king forgot his youngest daughter… Without remembering, many times, that both children were born the same day. But the worst of all those days was the morning when Jace and Nira turned six onomastics old. King Viserys, as every year, had made a feast for the future king…but on that occasion, he had not even noticed to congratulate his daughter as well. Deianira watched as her father spent the afternoon playing with the boy and, sitting on the throne, put Jacaerys on his legs. Proclaiming that that would be his seat when he grew up, and that that day was cause for celebration because he was with them.
After that, the relationship between father and daughter only deteriorated, Nira was fed by anger towards her father for months and months, which led her to develop rebellious and violent attitudes. The last straw for the king was when, during an argument at dinner, Deianira threw a fork into Jacaerys' face. Stabbing the tips of the utensil in the forehead and leaving a small scar on his skin. Viserys tried to talk to his youngest daughter, but Princess Rhaenyra told him that she should be severely punished for her behavior towards the future king, which caused a dispute between both mothers…each trying to defend their respective children.
The fight did not stop until Ser Criston interfered, suggesting to the king that the princess could improve her behavior and calm her anger through disciplined training, practicing alongside her older brothers Aegon and Aemond. A proposal that the king thought carefully and ended up accepting. In this way the life of the white haired princess changed completely, she spent every morning training with her nephews and brothers, her afternoons doing recreational activities with her sister Helaena, and her nights reading or learning High Valyrian next to Aemond. Both children were very close, so much so that Alicent thought about brethroting them…but she never did it.
That specific morning the youngest girl was with her older brother, trying to speak in their father’s language with the dragon keepers, the men nodding or denying the questions the princess asked them. It was not until Aegon arrived with their two brown nephews that Deianira’s mood changed.
"Why do these two had to come?" The girl whispered to Aemond, who pinched her upon hearing her.
"Be kinder, they are our family" he told her, and she headed towards Aegon. Nira frowned and approached barely, unwilling to do so.
"Good morning, Deianira" the youngest child said, seeing her aunt walking by her feet, the princess nodded.
"Good morning too, Lucerys" she says and tries to smile, but her grimace gives her away. Then she looks at her eldest brother "Aegon." she says, in the form of a greeting, but ignores Jacaerys.
The brown haired boy rolls his eyes when he sees her attitude.
"Jacaerys is also here, Nira" murmurs Aemond.
"I know…" she says. And then she does not speak again. Jace is angry to see her behaving so childishly, but he does not pay attention.
The princess get into the pit next to the elders, and from the bottom of the huge cave comes the dragon Vermax…a green animal with golden almost orange horns. Apparently it was a male dragon, because every year it grew abruptly, as if it stretched and enlarged when no one was looking. Deianira and Aemond were the only ones without a dragon of their own, the prince’s egg had not hatched and the princess’s dragon had perished a few days after birth, as it was very weak and small…even it´s wings were thin, so thin that if it had survived it would never have been able to fly.
The dragon keepers incited the eldest Velaryon boy to approach their dragon, and he went towards the beast, somewhat fearful. The animal was unleashed and headed for its future rider.
"Call Vermax, Prince Jacaerys" one of the man's indicated , speaking High Valyrian.
"Attention!" Jace exclaimed, but he stepped back as the dragon approached him quickly, as if to attack him "Stop, Vermax!" Jace said, and Vermax obeyed, the man beside him smiled faintly.
"Well done" the elder murmured, then some caretakers brought a small lamb, Deianira opened his eyes as they approached him towards the round.
"Aren’t you going to…?" the girl’s words were interrupted by her older nephew, who ordered his beast to stop because the dragon had turned to the innocent animal. Vermax growled, but he did as it´s rider told him. "You must keep control over your dragon, my young prince" a young dragon keeper translated the words of an elder, because the prince´s were not yet so advanced in the language, except Aemond and Deianira, who understood each word "As Prince Aegon had it with Sunfyre. Once Vermax is attached to you, it will refuse to take orders from anyone else" he said. The dragon let out a desperate grunt, seeing the pale animal, Jace turned to the leader the excitement on his childish face evident from afar.
"May I?" he questioned, and received a nod from the brown, the brown haired prince turned around to face his uncles and aunt. Aegon had bored, looking everywhere but not there, Aemond looked with a touch of interest and Deianira had a grimace of disgust. That expression was almost characteristic of the princess. Or at least, something Jacaerys always noticed when he was around. And always, no matter what, the boy wanted to impress her. He still didn’t know why, but he wanted her to respect him.
Which always ended up going wrong.
"Dracarys, Vermax!" Jace shouted and the dragon spewed fire through it´s mouth, burning the lamb alive, Nira uttered an almost inaudible exclamation and clung to Aemond’s arm. Not out of fear, but out of indignation. Was it difficult to sacrifice the animal before giving it to a dragon? Could they not spare him the suffering of a painful death? Deianira hated cruelty to the innocent, especially to animals.
The lamb shrieked in pain as the embers clung to it´s body and the princess forced herself not to look away. Vermax went to the corpse of the animal that was once white and devoured it with a few bites, then the dragon keepers took the dragon back to it´s pit, leaving the princes alone. Nira tightened the grip she had on her older brother’s arm.
"Aemond, Deianira" Aegon called them "We have a surprise for you two" he said and Nira rolled her eyes, knowing that nothing good could come from her mother’s firstborn. But she said nothing because she noticed the glow of emotion in Aemond’s eyes.
"What is?" the white haired boy asked. Lucerys said it was something very special with a mocking tone, and the girl looked at the boy with annoyance. Thinking how far he’d fly if she kicked him at that precise moment, but at seeing him run away she preferred to suppress her desires.
"You two are the only ones who do not have a dragon" Aegon spoke.
"It is your fault, you chose the worst eggs for us" Deianira murmurs, feeling how her brother took her back and began to move with them at his side.
"True, it is your fault" Aemond agrees, remembering that their eggs had been chosen by Aegon before their births.
"Well, just…shut up" the eldest prince interrupts them, feeling attacked "I feel bad about my bad choices, okay? Well…we all felt a little bad, so we found something for you two" the younger white haired boy frown frowned, unable to believe him.
"You…find a dragon, seriously?" he asks, his tone full of uncertainty.
"You can’t even find your high Valyrian notes, how will you find a dragon?" Deianira asks, half mocking him and half skeptical.
"The gods provide, little sister" Aegon whispers "The gods provide"
Aemond and Deianira watched as Luke approached…next to a pig, with a harness made of brown strings and false feathers that pretended to mimic two wings.
"Admire the Pink Dread!" Aegon exclaims bursting with laughter, the laughter of the two bastards boys fills the ears of the princes. Aemond feels humiliated, his heart sink in his chest, while Deianira feels only anger. It’s like a hurricane is about to break loose in her stomach "It has room for two mounts, but be careful… the first fly can be difficult"
Nira clenches her fists, but does nothing yet. Aegon and Jacaerys begin to make sounds mimicking a pig and the princess feels an immense urge to throw herself on her brother and tear apart the hairs from his head one by one, and with the disgusting bastard of her sister…the words could not describe how much she wanted to hurt him. She wanted to see him bleed.
A few minutes later Aemond was still petrified beside Deianira, the children were gone and the girl was looking at her brother.
"Now they will know who I am" the princess declares, her cheeks red of anger and her jaw clenching, she sighs before coming out of the pit as soul being chased by the seven devils, Aemond sighs too as she leaves…it was as if a black cloud settled on her head.
"This will end up badly" he whispers, giving up, then he turns around and makes up his mind, starting to creep into the depths of the dragon pit.
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Aegon held his nose while it bled in droves. Beside him sat Deianira, who had her shoulders down, awaiting for her punishment. Jacaerys covered his eye with his hand, feeling it begin to swell. Lucerys was the only one who was intact, Nira had not been able to jump on him as her hands and feet were busy beating the two elders.
The first to arrive the room was Rhaenyra, she looked at Jace stunned and worried.
"Who did this?!" she asked, desperately, kneeling to see her son’s face, his right eye was bruised. Deianira smiled at him.
"It is a gift of mine, dear sister" she says, looking at her half-sister, who hardened her gaze when she saw the delicate features of the girl intact.
The crown princess shouldered Nira tightly and at that moment Alicent entered the room, and at the sight of the scene ran to separate her daughter from the hands of Rhaenyra.
"Enough, stop!" the green queen shouted, and held her child in her arms. Then her gaze landed on Aegon "What happened, Aegon?"
The teenager rolled his eyes.
"It was your precious daughter, mother" he says, blood dripping from his nose, some parts were drying up on his skin, leaving crimson spots "Deianira attacked us for no reason!" The girl tried to get out of Alicent’s arms, wishing to throw herself on Aegon again.
"You’re a liar, Aegon, I swear I’ll…-!"she shouted, but a voice rose over hers.
"Enough!" the king exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention towards him, an Aemond all covered with what seemed to be dust was by his side. The boy walked into Alicent’s arms, taking refuge on his mother warmth.
"These disputes must end, we are family!" the king yelled.
"Father" Rhaenyra spoke, and Alicent took her younger child under her grip as she intuited what the white haired woman next words would be 2Princess Deianira has come too far, attacked two princes this time, she is…uncontrollable2
Alicent sighed, smiling powerless and shaking her head softly.
"I know my daughter has had impulsive reactions before, but I don’t think this was for no reason" the redhead says looking at her lord husband.
"Aemond was locked in the dragon pit… " Ser Criston Cole whispered. "The princes were found fighting outside the place" he ended. Viserys looks at Aegon, then at Jacaerys, asking for explanations with his gaze.
"We were quietly coming out of the pit, father, and Deianira rushed over us" Aegon explained, faking a face to try to get his father pit "She had that mad expression she has everytime she lose her mind"
The silence seized the room, and Aemond broke it. His eyes burning with locked tears.
"They gave us a pig!" he shouted, his voice weak and shaky, the adults present in the room looked at the child and Deianira placed her gaze on the ground, feeling the sadness of her older brother "They said they had a dragon for us, they mocked and left us there."
Rhaenyra looked at her younger half-sister, and then at Jacaerys, disappointed to learn the things her son was doing in her absence.
"A blow, over a joke?" the crowned princess asked, but her voice sank into the depths of her throat. No one had words for what happened.
Viserys was the first to speak after a while.
"Apologize, and forget the situation" the King proposed, but Deianira shaked softly her head
"How many situations can we forget, father?" she murmured "Are you going to keep pretending that this family hasn’t been broken for years?"
Aemond took his younger sister’s hand, trying to shut her up.
"What did you said?" Viserys asks, approaching his daughter, who does not look down or flinch.
"What you heard" Deianira says, her amethyst eyes on her father, piercing deeply on his soul "One day there will come a situation that no member of this family will ever forget, and there’s nothing you will can do about it."
The man could not say anything at the words of his offspring, yet hardened his expression.
"Go to your quarters, Deianira, I have no desire to see your face today" he speaks, his cold and heartless tone of voice makes Alicent feel as her chest sinks into her bones.
"Viserys…she´s is your daughter" the queens whispers, but her voice breaks, the king looks at his wife and understands that his words were too harsh. But he wasn’t going to back down.
"Don’t worry about me, Mother" Nira tries to reassure her "I stopped seeing the king like my father long ago…"
After this, the young princess crosses the doorway and leaves, letting the tension in the room rise. Rhaenyra looks at Alicent and then at Aemond, but not a word comes out of her mouth. And so, the gap continues to open, further separating the house of the dragon.
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ereardon · 9 months ago
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Before I Knew [Jake Seresin x Reader] Chapter Six
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A Jake Seresin unexpected pregnancy fic
Overview: On your first night after moving to San Diego to spend more time with your brother Bob, you unknowingly have a one night stand with his teammate Jake Seresin. For the first time in his whole life, Bob has a closely knit friend group and you’re desperate not to rock the boat. But an unexpected and unplanned pregnancy upends your world, forcing you and Jake closer together, against Bob’s wishes. What will happen when you find yourself actually falling for the father of your unborn child? 
Pairing: Jake Seresin x Reader; Bob Floyd x Sister!Reader 
Warnings: Pregnancy, cursing, eventual smut, angst
Chapter summary: Ducky goes to her first doctor's appointment; Bob and Jake fight it out; Jake makes a staggering proposal
WC: 2K
Masterlist here; previous chapter here
You caught the bus a few blocks from the library and rode it across town to the doctor’s office. Waited in the front area with all the other women in various stages of pregnancy. Your heart sank as you watched woman after woman file in with a partner at her side or a friend. 
You felt utterly alone as they called your name and you stood up alone. 
The sonographer pushed off of her stool and smiled. “The doctor will be in soon.” 
You nodded, laying back against the paper-coated exam table. When the doctor entered, she smiled softly. “Hi there, I’m Dr. Whitman.” She took a seat on the stool. “Let’s take a look here.” She pulled up the sonogram charts. “Everything looks good. You’re measuring at eight weeks and three days. How do you feel?” 
“Nauseous,” you replied. “Tired.” 
She smiled. “That’s par for the course, unfortunately. The second trimester gets better for most patients.” 
“Thank God.” 
The doctor clicked off the screen and folded her hands in her lap. “Y/N,” she said softly. “A core part of a pregnancy is a support system. Are you married?” 
You shook your head. “No.” 
“Do you have a boyfriend or family to lean on?” 
“It’s complicated,” you whispered. 
“I understand.” There was something so soothing about her. “But I also know that what many people don’t realize is that a core part of a healthy pregnancy is having people to lean on. Stress is not good for the baby.” 
“I barely know the father,” you replied. “And I’ve been staying with my brother. But he’s not happy about all of this.” 
The doctor nodded. “No pregnancy is easy to plan for,” she replied. “But keeping your stress levels low is critical, especially during this first trimester. Do you have any friends who can help support you?” 
You thought of Phoenix. So far she was the only one who seemed to want to help. You nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” 
“Good.” The doctor scribbled on a pad. “I’m going to write you a prescription for an anti-nausea medication. Take it once a day for at least a week to see if it helps.” She ripped it off and then handed you the sonogram. “And here’s a photo of your baby.” 
You held the black and white photo in both hands, choking on air. For perhaps the first time, it dawned on you. 
You were going to be a mother. 
***
“Fucking shit, Floyd, what the hell was that?” Jake whipped off his helmet the moment they stepped foot on the tarmac. 
Bob grunted and turned to storm away. Phoenix put one hand on his arm and he shrugged her off. She looked at Jake and raised her eyebrows. “Above my pay grade.” 
“He’s your back seater, Natasha,” Jake said and Phoenix’s lips pressed into a fine line. Jake only called her by her first name when things were serious. 
“He has his own mind,” she hissed back. “I can’t help it that you knocked up his sister.” 
Jake’s green eyes went wide with anger. Bradley stepped between them, trying to diffuse the attention. “Alright, hold on. Let’s just take a step back here before we say things we don’t mean.” 
“I meant it when I said you only think about yourself,” Phoenix said. Her words landed on Jake with a solid delivery. It had been three years, but their last fight still stung. 
Jake shook his head, heading toward the locker room where Bob had disappeared. Behind him, Bradley held both of Phoenix’s arms, keeping her back, his whispers blending into the whirring background noise of jets landing on the tarmac. “Floyd!” Jake’s voice rang out in the empty changing room. He was quiet for a moment before a clang caught his attention, the sound of a locker door slamming. He moved further down the halfway, rounding the corner where Bob stood wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, a frown laced over his delicate face. “Floyd, listen–”
“I pretty much raised her,” Bob interrupted. Jake frowned, but stayed silent as Bob laced his shoes, refusing to make eye contact. “Our dad left. Our mom worked all the time to put food on the table. So that left taking care of Y/N to me. And I did it, because I loved her. I did it because I wanted what was best for her.” He looked up, blue eyes hollow against sullen skin. “And now you’ve shown up and ruined everything.” 
“I didn’t know she was your sister,” Jake said. “And we didn’t mean for her to get pregnant. It just happened.” 
“But it happened to her!” Bob shouted and Jake took a step back. There was something unhinged about angry Bob. So different from the wallflower that he had always been. You were the one thing that he cared enough about to pick fights over. “You happened to her. You ruined her fucking life, Hangman.” 
“But that’s just it, isn’t it?” Jake said. “It’s her life, Floyd. Not yours. It’s hers. You’re acting like I did this to you as a personal attack.” 
“She was just starting to get her footing,” Bob said quietly. “And you took that away from her. You took away her future. Everything she worked so hard for. Everything we both worked so hard for. To get out of Chattanooga. To not end up like the rest of them.” 
Jake sighed. “So that’s what this is about, isn’t it,” he said. “It’s not about me. And it’s not even really about Y/N. It’s about you.” 
Bob squinted. “What?” 
“You’re mad because you think this foils all of your plans, all of your work, everything you did to get the two of you out of that small town life.” 
“She deserves better.” 
“I agree.” Jake shook his head. “Listen, man, I’m not going anywhere. This might not have been what I expected. Hell, it might not even be what I want. But it’s where we are. I’m not going to leave her alone in all of this.” 
“She isn’t alone,” Bob said. “She has me.” 
“Does she?” 
***
A little girl set a pile of library books on the counter in front of you. She was barely tall enough to reach, her thin arms struggling beneath the weight of the books. “Hi,” she chirped.
You turned and smiled. She had big ears and a wide, uneven grin. “Hi there,” you said, scanning the first book. “Wow, you scored big.” 
“I like bugs,” she explained and you slowly noticed every single book was about snakes or bugs. You could feel bile creep up your throat as you nodded. 
“That’s nice.” 
“Do you like bugs?” 
“Not really.” 
She frowned. “That’s too bad. Do you like puppies?” 
“Yeah, puppies are better.” You finished scanning her books. “Do you need a bag?” 
She shook her head. “No, my mommy is over there.” She pointed at a pregnant woman standing next to the door looking at her phone. The little girl cocked her head to the side. “You look like her.” 
“Really?” You squinted. The woman by the door was taller, with different hair. “How so?” 
“You’re going to be a mommy,” the little girl said. “All mommys look like that.” And then she grabbed her books and jogged off toward the door. You had to practically pick your jaw up from the ground, hands dropping to your barely visible bump. How had she known? Then again, kids were like animals. Sometimes they knew things. You watched the little girl hand the books to her mom, who slid them into a tote bag before grabbing her hand tightly. 
Something stirred inside of you. It was too soon to be the baby, realistically you knew that. But somewhere, deep down, you knew it was the baby making their presence known. 
“Hi there,” you whispered, one hand over your belly button. 
***
It was late. You were asleep on the couch when the door opened. You opened your eyes wide, watching as Jake and Bradley dragged a barely coherent Bob through the door. You stood up, wiping at your eyes. “What the hell?” 
“He’s wasted,” Bradley said. “We tried but we couldn’t stop him.” 
You put your hands on your hips, turning to Jake. “Did you do this?” 
“I’m so tired of everyone blaming me,” he replied. 
“I’m sorry,” you whispered. 
Bradley cocked his head. “Here, let me take him.” Easily, he slung Bob over one of his shoulders, carrying him straight into the bedroom. You dragged your hand over your face, turning to Jake. 
“What’s going on with him?” 
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Jake replied, looking at his feet. “He and I, we uh, we had a fight.” 
“About what?” 
He lifted his gaze to yours. “You know what.” 
“Oh. That.” 
Jake nodded as Bradley stepped back into the living room. He looked at you, and then Jake. “I'm going to head out.” 
“Thanks for bringing him back.” 
“Any time.” Bradley paused by the door. “Hey Y/N?” 
“Yeah?” 
“Be patient with him. He’s still processing.” The door shut softly. 
“He heard me say that I hate him,” you whispered, moving back onto the couch, curling into a ball. Jake followed, sitting on the other end of the couch, a safe distance away. “Maybe he hates me, too.” 
“He doesn’t hate you,” Jake replied. “He wouldn’t act like this if he didn’t love you.” 
“Then why is he hurting me?” you whispered, a tear slipping down your cheek. 
“Because he’s hurt, too,” Jake said. “And it’s easier to be mad.” 
You tipped your head to one side. “That night we met. You had no idea I was Bob’s sister?” 
“Fuck no,” Jake replied and you smirked. He shook his head. “You’re gorgeous, but I never would have looked at you, let alone did what we did if I had known.” 
“So it wasn’t some ploy to get back at him for whatever the hell you two have beef about?” 
“This has become a lot bigger than I ever imagined.” 
You sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a cool girl you met in a bar and had sex with and never saw again. I’m sorry I’m ruining your whole life.” 
“Maybe it’s not so bad,” Jake whispered and you looked up, surprised. “Maybe I needed something to change.” 
“So you’re not upset?” 
“I’m upset,” Jake clarified. “This isn’t at all what I expected. But it’s done, right?” he asked. “We just have to deal with the consequences.” 
“How romantic.” 
“Fuck.” He leaned back. “Shit, I, I didn’t mean it like that.” 
You shook your head. “It’s OK, it was a joke.” 
“But is that what you want?” he said quietly. “Something romantic?” 
“No. I don’t know.” You pulled your hair back into a loose bun, fighting for words. “I don’t know what I want. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I don’t know anything.” 
“Are you happy here?” 
You frowned. “What do you mean here?” 
“Staying with Bob.” 
“He’s my brother.” 
“I know, Y/N.” Jake rolled his eyes. “That’s why we’re in this lovely predicament. I’m asking if you feel safe here.” 
“Bob would never hurt me.” 
“I think he already has.” Jake’s words stung and you realized for the first time that hurt was much more than just physical. “I was thinking. There’s an apartment across the hall from mine. It’s two bedrooms.” 
“Are you asking me to move in with you?” You practically scoffed. 
Jake shrugged. “Why not? At least for now. Until he cools down.” 
“That’ll only make him angrier.” 
“I don’t give a shit about what makes Floyd happy,” Jake said. “I care about what’s best for you.” 
“Do you actually?” you pressed. “Or is that just what you think you’re supposed to say and feel and do? Take away all of the outside voices and opinions. What do you, Jake Seresin, want?” 
He was quiet for a moment. Then, in the smallest voice you had ever heard, he replied, “To be a good dad. To do the right thing.” 
You nodded. “OK. I’ll move in with you.” You looked up into his clear green eyes. For the first time in weeks, you felt hopeful.
Please follow my library page @ereardonlibrary as that will largely serve as my tag list. Anyone I previous promised to tag is here:
@bobfloydsbabe @blue-aconite @wkndwlff @mamachasesmayhem @mandylove1000 @djs8891 @clancycucumber230 @rosiahills22 @buckysteveloki-me  @kmc1989 @gigisimsonmars @eloquentdreamer @mjisbby @shanimallina87 @seresinslady @seresinhangmanjake @blackwidownat2814 @yanna-banana @bbyvanessaa  @mrsjobarnes @midnightmagpiemama @ingoaliesitrust @rockbottomphilosophies-blog @iangiemae @joaquinwhorres @boiolay @sometimesanalice @spinning-away @mycobrakai1972 @xomrsalliej4787xo @na-ta-sh-aa
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penvisions · 7 months ago
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zest {a sequel series masterlist}
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Pairing: Chef! Joel Miller x Professor! Reader (formally known as Bartender! Reader)
Summary: With the passage of time, Joel Miller had shifted from ‘chef’ to something more. Your once hidden relationship a secret now out in the open. After a break in which you finished your degree and managed to land your dream job of teaching at the collegiate level, Joel had thrown himself into his work at the restaurant where you met. Back together and in far better mental places in your life, you both are caught off guard by the sudden news of being prospective parents.
But things are always gonna get hectic because, of course, how else would things go with the two of you involved? It’d been that way for nearly two years after all.
Word Count: undetermined
Warnings: canon typical violence, canon typical language, c'mon reader and joel have potty mouths, protective joel, reader is canonically midsize, pregnant reader, surprise pregnancy, reader goes through nicotine withdrawal, smoking, cigarettes, nicotine use, cannabis, marijuana, cbd, edibles, pregnancy complications (not serious or life-threatening), lots of feelings, lots of emotions, complicated family dynamic, reader has family issues, reader has religious guilt, restaurant lingo, triggers associated with the food industry, reader canonically has an eating disorder, therapy. much more to be added to each individual chapter!
A/N: THEY'RE BACK, BABY! our rough 'n tumble couple are back and better than ever. cannot wait to see where they take me on this sequel series journey that should be about the same amount of chapters as the original {garnish} one. i've been sitting on this idea since the lovely @tuquoquebrute came to be with a one-shot request for these two and they took over in the best way ♡♡
main series:
garnish {masterlist}
precursor to {zest}:
i wish i never met you
{zest} chapters:
chapter one || chapter two || chapter three || chapter four || chapter five || chapter six chapter seven || chapter eight || chapter nine || chapter ten
-> navigation || masterlist
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hungermakesmonsters · 6 months ago
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(Once Bitten) Twice Shy
Chapter Nine
Plot summary : Desperate to get away from your controlling family, you take a job in New York as a wealthy vampire's blood source. A million dollars awaits if you can make it through a year, but life with Billy Russo is not going to be as simple as you think.
Pairing : Billy Russo x Reader
Story Rating : R  Chapter Rating : R
Warnings : [This is a fic for 18+ only, minors DNI] Smutty behaviour, use of toys. More sickening cuteness. All chapters will contain mentions of blood. Please check the warnings on each chapter if you choose to follow this story. 
Word Count : 5.3k
A/N : It's party night and that can only mean one thing; lots of drama and fun...
CHAPTER ONE | CHAPTER TWO | CHAPTER THREE | CHAPTER FOUR | CHAPTER FIVE | CHAPTER SIX | CHAPTER SEVEN | CHAPTER EIGHT
MASTER LIST
Chapter Nine
Within an hour, the penthouse was full.
The string quartet in the corner started to play and the wait staff started to circulate with trays of drinks. You’d lingered off to the side, near Billy but giving him enough distance to greet his guests without things being weird. You were there as his employee first and foremost as he’d reluctantly explained to you before the first guest arrived. Everything else was too complicated, and you were quick to agree with him; no one else needed to know your business.
But he pulled you towards him when Karen and her boyfriend Frank arrived. Karen gushed over your dress and you did likewise. Frank gave you an uncomfortable look from behind his mask, like he was sizing you up, but his attention quickly turned back to Billy. So did Karen’s.
You quickly came to realise that Billy had that effect on the people around him. Eyes were always on him, he was always the centre of attention. And Billy seemed to revel in it. You felt yourself almost shrink away as he spoke to his friends, until you felt his finger tip ghost your bare thigh through the slit in your dress.
“There’s someone I want to introduce Frankie to. Karen do you mind...?” He left the question unfinished but everyone understood. He wanted Karen to babysit you.
“Of course!” You spoke before you had the chance to say anything, putting her arm around. “Come on, I think Foggy and Matt are already here.”
You gave Billy one last look, catching his gaze darkening as she led you away. As you both made your way through the crowd, Karen stopped one of the wait staff and grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to you.
“So, what do you think of all this?” She asked, scanning the crowd, obviously looking for her friends.
“It’s -” you started before you’re breath caught, feeling the toy start to softly vibrate inside you. 
“Yeah, it’s a lot, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” you answered, looking around and managing to spot Billy right where you’d left him.
The vibrations continued for a few seconds as your eyes caught his and he smiled. You held his gaze as he lifted his phone and finally stopped the toy.
“Don’t worry,” Karen said, hooking her arm through yours and giving a gentle tug, “I won’t let you get into any trouble.”
She gave you a smile that you didn’t entirely understand; whatever she thought of your relationship with Billy, it was clear she didn’t have a clue what was actually going on between the two of you.
“I guess I’m just a little nervous,” you explained. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been around this many people...”
“Oh don’t worry, you’ll love Matt and Foggy,” she told you, “Foggy is so funny and Matt is -”
“I’m what?” She was interrupted by the appearance of two men at her side, both smiling widely at her.
“I was going to say real pain in the ass, but you’ve ruined the surprise now,” Karen answered back before quickly introducing you to her friend.
They were both lawyers in Hell’s Kitchen, you quickly discovered. Foggy was the joker of the pair, while Matt was quieter, with a drier, charming sort of wit. You didn’t realise that Matt was blind until you noticed his cane. Neither asked what you were doing at the party or how you knew Billy, and you were more than happy to keep that information to yourself, in favour of learning all about them.
When they started talking in a way that close friends do, they still tried to include you and make sure you felt like part of the group, and it was something you’d never really experienced before. It felt nice, like you could be one of them one day, like you could have your own little group of friends and a normal life. All you needed to do was make it through a whole year with Billy and you’d be able to have the sort of life that you wanted.
Your hand trembled as you brought your glass to your lips, another unexpected wave of vibrations started and your thighs clenched. Turning, you looked around the party, trying to spot him, but in a room full of masked men in tuxedos, it was almost impossible. The vibrations intensified and you could almost feel his eyes on you; you could picture his smile as he watched you struggling to keep a straight face.
It felt like your cheeks were burning, every fibre of your being overcome with embarrassment at just how close you were to coming in such a crowded room. Trembling fingers adjusted your mask, your hand lingering, covering your face as your breath became short, uneven pants. You clenched around the toy, but that just made it worse.
A sigh of relief slipped from your lips when the vibrations suddenly stopped, leaving you on the precipice of an orgasm.
Finally, you were able to concentrate on Foggy again, trying to catch up with the story he was telling - something about Matt getting caught outside their dorm room in college in nothing but his underwear.
“You okay?” Karen asked suddenly, derailing her story and drawing everyone’s attention to you.
“Fine, just a little warm,” you lied. “I’m going to go grab some water.”
“I could do with some water too,” Matt said, “mind if I join you?”
“No, of course not,” you told him, taking a step forward and lightly placing your arm on his so he could follow you towards the kitchen.
“I hate that story,” Matt muttered, leaning towards you so you could hear him over the party as you walked together towards the kitchen. “Foggy always insists on telling it in front of pretty girls.”
Instantly, your cheeks started to warm.
“You mean Karen?” You dared to ask, trying to swallow down the lump in your throat.
“No, I don’t mean Karen.”
“But how -”
“He wouldn’t tell the story if you weren’t pretty,” Matt explained before you could finish the question. “He was trying to put you off me.”
“I thought he was your friend?” You asked, more confused than ever.
“He is, I just have a bit of a reputation and -”
You gasped as the toy started to vibrate again, the intensity stronger than before and catching you completely off-guard. It stopped just as suddenly as it started, but your shock hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Are you alright?” Matt asked.
“Yeah,” you answered, “just my shoes pinching my feet.”
Fortunately, you’d managed to reach the kitchen and had the counter for support as you got a glass of water for Matt and then one for yourself.
“Thank you. I never could get used to the expensive stuff they serve at these things,” he explained.
You smiled and, suddenly, the intense vibrations started again but, this time, instead of cutting off after a couple of seconds, it carried on. It didn’t take long for you to realise what was going on; the first time had been a warning, this was the punishment. 
Billy was watching you and he was getting jealous. He wanted all your thoughts on him and not the man standing in front of you.
“Karen explained your situation here,” Matt went on, “but when you’re done working for Russo, if you ever want to go for dinner or coffee, or something...”
“Mhmm,” you hummed, barely thinking about what Matt was asking you.
You squeezed your thighs together but that just made the vibrations feel more accute.
“I know some great places in Hell’s Kitchen...”
“Oh…”
Matt’s smile widened, completely unaware of your torment and just how wet your panties were. You pursed your lips and tried desperately not to let out the moan that was threatening to spill from you as Matt continued.
As awful as you felt the moment you had the thought, you were glad he couldn’t see the way you were squirming and the discomfort on your face as you struggled not to come in  front of him. Your eyes searched the crowd again, trying to find Billy wanting to plead with him to relent.
“There’s a great Vietnamese place that -” Matt’s fingers brushed your arm suddenly and you almost came.
“Hey Murdock, I think Karen wants you.”
Your breath caught as Billy appeared seemingly from nowhere
“Russo,” Matt muttered curtly.
“Said she needed you to settle a bet or something,” Billy told him, but he didn’t take his eyes off of you for a single second
Matt nodded, his attention briefly turning to you before he left; “don’t forget my offer.”
Billy barely waited until he was out of earshot to speak; “having fun?”
There was an edge to his tone, something that you didn’t like, something that you hadn’t heard before. He wasn’t used to sharing you and, clearly, he didn’t like it.
“If you didn’t want me to talk to people, you shouldn’t have left me on my own,” you answered back.
“I didn’t leave you on your own, I left you with Karen.”
Your breath caught as he stepped closer, placing a hand on the counter at your side, and making you feel boxed in.
“You can’t force Karen to babysit me. I wasn’t doing anything, I was just talking. I thought that was why you let me come tonight, so I could be around people.” You looked at him, finding uncertainty in his expression. He looked lost. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes found yours from behind his mask and, for a moment, he just stared at you, unsure whether to answer or not. He took your wrist in his hand, placing his fingers over your pulse before letting out a slow exhale.
“I can’t hear your heartbeat,” he told you with a longing that you knew he hadn’t wanted to share, like he was going through the worst torture imaginable. “I can’t -” he cut himself off with a frustrated huff.
“Billy...”
There were no words, there was nothing you could say in response to any of it. You hated the frustration and agony on his face, hated the fact that there was nothing you could think of to do to fix it. 
So, instead, you stayed quiet, letting him keep his fingers over your racing pulse for as long as he needed to, while your hand discretely slipped into his jacket to rest on his waist. You remained that way for a few minutes, until Billy seemed to relax again.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered softly. “We don’t have to keep playing if you don’t want to.”
“I-I want to keep playing,” you answered just as softly.
“Really?”
“Yeah... you said you wanted me to spend the night thinking about you, but I -” you bit your lip and dropped your gaze for a moment, “- I want to know you’re thinking about me too,”
Billy leaned close and, for a second, you thought he was going to kiss you but he stopped himself.
“Of course I’m thinking about you,” he confessed, “you’re the only thing I can think about, little hummingbird. When I saw you over here with Murdock all I could think about was -”
He stopped abruptly, lips pulling into a snarl at whatever thought was tormenting him.
“What?” You gently prompted.
“That night, after we had dinner together. The way you begged and moaned as I fucked you with my fingers,” his voice turned low and dark, his gaze fixed on yours. “All I could think about was how wet your pussy was and how hard you came for me against this counter.”
Your thighs clenched and you struggled to draw breath. You knew he could feel just how fast your heart was racing and it seemed to settle him further - the fact that he could make your heart pound so hard seemed to relax him.
“Fuck,” he groaned, “I want to touch you.”
“Not yet. Not here. When everyone’s gone,” you told him, tearing your eyes away long enough to glance past him towards the party. “We should...”
“Yeah... before anyone notices...” he sighed, slowly stepping back.
For a moment you wanted to tell him that it didn’t matter, that you didn’t care if anyone saw, but you reminded yourself that it was for his benefit as much as your own; he’d warned you from the start how people tended to view arrangements like yours.
He forced himself to turn and started to walk away from you, pulling out his phone and making the toy give a gentle buzz inside you, ramping up your arousal all over again and letting you know he was still thinking about you, that he wasn’t going to stop thinking about you.
You made your way back to Karen and, when asked about it, explained that Billy was just checking that you were alright and making sure that no one was bothering you. She gave you a look and you weren’t sure that she believed you, but she let the matter drop.
To avoid causing Billy any distress, you stayed by Karen’s side for the next couple of hours. Every now and then, you’d feel a sudden buzz inside you. Sometimes it’d just be a couple of seconds, other times, he’d leave it a few minutes before turning it off, making you squirm uncomfortably. You tried to hide it by shifting your weight between your legs, telling Karen that your new shoes were hurting you.
But, after your sixth glass of champagne, you found yourself starting to feel a little bit tipsy and in need of the bathroom, so you excused yourself.
When you got there, there was already someone waiting outside.
“Are you waiting for the bathroom?” You asked, trying to be polite, and wondering if it would be quicker to go use your own bathroom on the other side of the penthouse.
She looked at you for a second, a cold smile growing on her lips.
“Oh, you’re the new one,” she remarked, barely containing her derision as her cold fingers brushed against your necklace. “I see he’s still putting collars on his pets.”
Collars? Pets? 
You wanted to say something. Anything. But the words wouldn’t come. 
“Where are my manners?” She laughed, offering you her hand. “I’m Krista Dumont, I used to be you until he got bored of me.”
You took her hand, feeling like you were running on autopilot, the need to be polite far outweighing trying to understand what the fuck was going on. Her skin was cold to the touch and her eyes were dark; there was no mistaking the fact that she was a vampire.
“You’re a pretty little thing, I can see why he picked you,” she continued. “But that’s the problem with men like William; they always get bored and move on to the next pretty thing.”
“I don’t -” you tried, hating how lost you felt.
Krista. Madani had mentioned a Krista, hadn’t she? You shook your head, trying to focus your thoughts, trying to remember the photos you’d been shown. She’d had your job working for Billy, but she was a vampire now...
Did that mean Billy had turned her?
“You poor thing,” Krista cooed, leaning towards you and placing a cold hand on your cheek. “Did you really think you were the first? That you were special? Does he like to listen to your racing heartbeat once he’s done fucking you or was that just for me?”
“No, we haven’t -” you shook your head, cheeks burning hotter despite her cold touch.
It couldn’t be true. Billy had promised not to lie. He’d told you that there hadn’t been any others like you.
You wanted to find him and ask him what was going on, but there was something about her, about the way she was looking at you; you couldn’t move, couldn’t turn away to look for help. You were stuck. Trapped.
“He will eventually. He just can’t help himself,” she told you, her gaze holding yours, forcing you to keep looking, to keep listening. “But it doesn’t have to be like that. I could help you, save you the way I was saved...”
You remained frozen as she leaned towards you, softly pressing her lips to your cheek, tongue lapping up a tear you didn’t even realise had spilled. Your heart was racing, lungs struggling to draw breath. You couldn’t stop her, couldn’t even lift your arms to push her away as her lips started to trail down towards your neck.
Fingers pulled open your necklace and let it fall to the floor.
“Let me show you who you really are,” she muttered against your neck, cold lips leaving goosebumps in their wake.
Yes. You found yourself wanting it, wanting whatever it was she wanted you to want. It was like your mind had turned blank and her voice was all that remained. You were in her thrall with no way of escaping.
Then came the scrape of teeth on flesh and -
You were pulled backwards as she was wrenched away from you. Curtis had her pressed against the wall while a strong pair of arms pulled you away. You felt limp, like a rag doll being half-led, half-carried into the library.
Whatever she’d done to you had started to wear off as you were pressed back against the door, and you realised you were with Billy. Somewhere along the way, both of you had lost your masks, but you couldn’t rightly say where.
His fingers were on your neck, eyes desperately searching for any sign of bite marks. When he didn’t find any, his hands moved to hold your face, catching your eyes with a concerned look that would have broken you at any other time. Then he was on you, his body against yours, pinning you in place while his lips slanted over yours and you sank into a devouring kiss. All you could do to respond was moan softly as his tongue slipped between your lips.
It took a few seconds for you to come back to your senses, and a moment more to realise that you were angry with him. You pushed him away, breaking the kiss. The space you created wasn’t much, but it was enough to see him, and for him to see how upset you were.
“You lied to me.” Your voice threatened to break. “You promised that you wouldn’t lie to me.”
The look on his face said more than his words ever could; he knew that he’d been caught out.
“I didn’t -”
“I asked if you’d done this with any of the others and you said no.”
“I said not like this,” he tried to explain.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I fucked Krista,” he stated flatly. “That was all we did. We didn’t talk about literature or hang out, she didn’t make me laugh, she didn’t sit and watch the sunset with me. We fucked. And after three months of fucking, she wanted more from me. More than I wanted to give her.”
“What did she want?” You asked, even though you weren’t sure you wanted to know.
“Me. This life. She -” he sighed, “- she wanted to be bitten. She wanted me to turn her. She tried to get me to do it during sex when I was...” he trailed off for a moment, leaving you to fill in the blanks. She’d done it when he’d been struggling to control himself. “I told her I wouldn’t, that I couldn’t have her in my bed anymore, and she quit.”
“But she’s -”
“She’s a vampire now. She found someone else to turn her, then came back to me, thinking we could be together. And I - I couldn’t give her that. I didn’t want to give her that.” The more he spoke the more fraught he sounded. “So, yeah, I fucked up. I didn’t see what was right in front of me until it was too late. And if you want to know; yes, I’ve fucked others that have been in your position. But it’s never been like it is with you.”
“Then why didn’t you just tell me that from the start?” Your voice still broken, eyes threatening tears.
“So you could think that I just lure women here to take advantage of them? So you could think I was doing that to you?” He shook his head. “We shouldn’t work. Everything about you, it’s - you’re all the things I never thought I wanted. But I like being around you, I like the way I feel when I’m with you. We could stop all of this, I’d never touch you again, and I’d still want to spend time with you.”
You didn’t know how to respond to any of it. Instead, you found your fingers on your neck, remembering the necklace that was now gone.
“She called it a collar. She called me your pet.” Indignation replaced the upset in your tone.
“I’m sorry,” he sighed again, “I should’ve explained. The necklace was supposed to keep you safe, it’s supposed to signify to other vampires that you’re mine -”
“I’m yours? As in your property?” You asked angrily. 
“I just wanted to keep you safe. I know you’re not mine... I know that you’ll never be mine,” he said bitterly.
“How could I be yours when we can’t even have sex?”
You regretted the question the second it left your lips and you saw his face drop.
“You’re right,” he answered before letting out a humourless huff of laughter, dragging his fingers through his hair. “Irony is that I did everything different this time and it still got fucked up. I let myself enjoy just being with you, I tried to take things slow. I let myself care - but I couldn’t even do that right. I’ve been lying to myself, pretending that anyone could want me for me. But even you don’t. If it wasn’t for the money, you wouldn’t even be here...”
You watched as he took a step back and started to turn away from you but, before he could get away, you were reaching for his hand, pulling him back towards you. He gave you a confused look but didn’t say anything while you sorted through your conflicting emotions.
“I -” you started and stopped, not sure what you wanted to say, only knowing that you wanted to say something, “- I haven’t been doing any of this for the money. I like you, okay? A lot. I know that’s not what we agreed to and I know I’m not supposed to, but I can’t help it. That’s why it hurt that you lied to me, because you obviously liked her enough to sleep with her, and I -”
Before you could finish, he was on you again, pulling you into another eager kiss. The floor disappeared beneath your feet as he lifted you and carried you further into the library, not putting you down until he reached his desk. Your fingers grasped his jacket, keeping a tight hold of him while he kissed you.
“Let me show you how much I like you,” he muttered.
He sank to his knees without warning, his hands pushing your dress up and pulling your panties down. He took a moment to appreciate just how wet they were before throwing them over his shoulder. It was only then that he seemed to remember that the toy was still nestled inside you. With a wicked grin, he took his phone from his pocket and set the toy to a low vibration.
“Billy...” you breathed, watching as his head disappeared under your dress. 
The cold press of his lips on your thigh had your heart racing, and a quiet moan slipped from you when you felt him start sucking little marks into your skin, like he was claiming you. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion, each press of his lips and drag of his tongue bringing him closer and closer to where you desperately wanted him. Before he got there, you noticed his finger clumsily swiping at his phone, ramping up the vibrations.
His fingers parted your folds and you gasped as his tongue started to tease your clit.
You moaned, already feeling overwhelmed, feeling the pressure of a whole night's worth of teasing start to fill you. Your legs trembled, held apart by Billy’s strong hands, leaving you completely at his mercy, as he licked and sucked your throbbing, swollen clit. Gripping the edge of the desk, your back arched, and your moans only got louder and more desperate. Struggling to hold off the inevitable until -
“Come for me,” he groaned in that eager but commanding tone.
And you did as you were told.
Your whole body shook, finally able to relieve the tension that had been coiling in you since the moment he’d filled you with the toy. More wild moans escaped your lips and Billy’s tongue kept going until you were too sensitive to take anymore. The vibrations finally stopped and you felt Billy pull the toy from your trembling body and heard it drop but you didn’t look down.
Instead your eyes were fixed on Billy, as he finally emerged from beneath your dress. He stood and your arm instantly wrapped around his waist, while the hand of the other tenderly cupped his cheek, your thumb brushing over his wet lips.
“I like you too, hummingbird. A lot,” he finally dared to admit, drawing the softest laugh from you.
He leaned in to kiss you again, his hips settling between your thighs. You let out a soft moan against his lips, pulling him closer, needing him as close as possible, feeling the way his cock was straining against his pants. Now that he’d said the words, you felt closer to him than ever and you didn’t want the moment to end. When he pulled back, the look on his face was all it took to have you fumbling to undo his pants and free his achingly hard cock. Your hand ran up and down the length of him while he just looked at you.
“Are you sure you want this?” He asked, already sounding a little breathless.
“I want you,” you answered. 
Billy hesitated, looking almost reluctant, and it took you a couple of seconds to realise why; this was usually the point when he started to lose control and things fell apart.
Your free hand moved back to his cheek. “Are you here with me? Are you in control right now?”
“Yes.”
“Then I want this.”
Billy relented with a nod. You took a breath as his arm hooked beneath your knee, lifting your leg, making sure you were spread open for him. Your hand dropped from his cock and moved to grip his jacket again as he pressed forwards. The tip of his cock parted your folds and pressed against your wet entrance and you felt your whole body start to tremble in nervous anticipation. He kissed you again, this time softly, savouring the taste of your lips as he slowly started to nudge inside you, drawing a moan from you.
Your grip on his jacket tightened and you tried not to wince as he stretched you. You knew there was going to be some initial discomfort because of his size, but you didn’t care. You wanted to finally feel him inside you.
“Are you still with me?” you asked him softly, trying in vain to hide your discomfort.
Billy nodded, lifting your leg a little higher, opening you further, enough for him to slowly start sinking deeper, almost enough for him to -
Suddenly the noise of the party spilled into the room and Billy recoiled, pulling out and leaving you trembling.
“You fuckin’ kiddin’ me, Bill?” An angry voice pulled you back to the moment and your heart stopped.
Billy pulled away, fumbling with his pants, turning to face Frank. Your shaking hands tried to right your dress as you got off the desk, your face burning with embarrassment as Frank leaned down to pick your discarded panties off the floor, a disgusted look on his face.
“You plannin’ on fuckin’ up that poor girl too? Can’t keep your dick in your pants, that it?”
“What -” the word left your lips in little more than a whisper and it was completely ignored.
“Fuck off, Frankie,” Billy growled. “It’s got nothing to do with you.”
“I ain’t lettin’ you fuck up another one, Bill. I told you, you don’t get to fuck around like this no more.”
“And I told you, you don’t get to tell me what to do. You’re the one that did this to me, Frankie. You don’t get to keep fucking up my life.” Billy answered back, pointing an angry finger at Frank.
Your embarrassment doubled when you realised that Karen was there. She moved past Frank, stepping towards you and offering you her hand. “Come on, they need to talk this out.”
Billy didn’t even look at you, he was too busy looking like he was about to tear Frank to shreds with his bare hands. 
You hated yourself for how easily you took her hand and let her lead you out of the library; like a child, being removed from a room by your mother because the adults were talking. You felt so lost, so completely and utterly mortified, that you barely even noticed that Karen led you back through the party and to your rooms, and into the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” Karen asked, closing the kitchen door and sealing you both in the tiny room and away from the sounds of the party.
“No, I’m not okay,” you responded sharply, “what was that?”
“Look, Billy is just -”
“Not Billy, you and Frank,” you clarified.
“I know you’re probably confused right now, but Billy really shouldn’t -”
“How is it any of your business?” You interrupted again, your voice shaking, tears threatening to spill. 
“Because it isn’t safe. Billy - when he’s like that, he isn’t safe,” she tried to tell you. “He’s sick, he -”
“I know.”
Karen faltered, obviously not expecting you to know anything about it. “He told you?”
“I’ve seen it,” you snapped, hating that you were being made to feel like a child who had no idea what was going on. “I’ve been helping him with it. And that, in there - it wasn’t that.”
Scrubbing at your eyes, you refused to cry in front of her, you refused to show anything but anger.
“I know it might seem like -”
“Like what? That he likes me?” Your voice threatened to break. “Is that really so hard to believe? That he might actually like me? That someone like him might actually want me?”
“That’s not what I meant,” Karen tried to explain, reaching out, trying to put a reassuring hand on your shoulder.
You shrugged away from her, moving towards the door and pulling it open. “Just get out.”
“I know you’re pissed, but I’m just trying to help,” Karen tried again, obviously trying to keep her own temper in check.
“I don’t need your help. I don’t want it. So, just go.”
She looked ready to argue but quickly gave up. You watched as she left and made her way back into the penthouse. 
You thought about going back to Billy but you couldn’t face anyone, you felt so embarrassed and angry, you felt like there was still so much going on that you didn’t understand. And you hated it. It made you feel like you were back home, with everyone around you making decisions for your life without bothering to consult you.
Heading to your room, you locked the door behind you and changed into your pyjamas before crawling into bed, burying your face against the bear he'd bought you as the tears started to fall.
CHAPTER TEN
End Note : We're now referring to Frank as Frank-cockblock-Castle, and I hope everyone enjoyed some of the little cameos, some of them will be back in later chapters to cause more trouble. Anyway, hope this chapter lived up to expectations 😅 As always, thanks for reading/commenting/liking/reblogging, it really does mean so much to me every week!! Have a great weekend!!
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m1ckeyb3rry · 9 months ago
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── THE GLASS PRINCESS // SIX
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Series Synopsis: You wake up in a strange room with no memories, broken glass at your bedside, and a prince named Zuko as your only chance at figuring out who you really are.
Chapter Synopsis: Two separate encounters with two different Firebenders yield revelations of the sort you are unprepared to face.
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Series Masterlist
Pairing: Zuko x Reader
Chapter Word Count: 8.4k
Content Warnings: complicated relationships (strangers to friends to lovers to enemies to strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers), amnesia, alternate universe, lots of secrets and lying and mystery
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A/N: i have been writing like crazy recently AHAHA but anyways apologies in advance to anyone expecting anything different from this 😫
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“I’m so sad that the break is over. It wasn’t nearly long enough,” Jia-Li said as the two of you returned to your room for the first time since you had left it for Ember Island.
“Our beds look a lot smaller in comparison to the ones on Ember Island,” you said. Jia-Li snorted.
“That’s for sure. And did the room shrink while we were gone?” she said.
“It definitely looks like it,” you said. “At least we don’t have class until tomorrow.”
“Do you think Ty Lee is back yet?” she said. “We should go to the market. It’ll be fun.”
“I should probably do some reading so that I’m ready for tomorrow,” you said.
“Don’t be a spoilsport! I doubt you forgot anything in the short time we were gone, seriously. You’ll be okay if you skip out on reading for one day and come enjoy yourself with the rest of us,” Jia-Li said.
You gave the stack of books on your desk a longing look before nodding firmly, knowing Jia-Li was right, and furthermore that Ty Lee would agree with her. It was just as important for you to socialize as it was for you to study hard, and going to the market wasn’t so time-consuming that it would leave you unable to do anything for the rest of the day.
“Alright, but only if you don’t complain about me reading tonight,” you said. “The book I’m on currently is really interesting.”
“What’s it about?” Jia-Li said.
“The history of Ba Sing Se,” you said. “Since I was found there, I thought that learning more about it might spark some memories in me. All things considered, it’s not as boring as one might expect. The chapter I’m about to start is on the royal family and the construction of the palace.”
“To be honest, I don’t see how you find that so fascinating, but if that’s what you like, then who am I to stop you? Sure, you can leave the candle burning a bit longer in order to finish your chapter if we get back too late,” she said.
“Thanks,” you said. “You are the best roommate ever.”
“You flatter me,” she said. “Open up, Ty Lee!”
“What if Kaho is the one at the door?” you said, grabbing her hand to stop her from continuing to bang on it. Jia-Li huffed at you.
“She’s not going to be back until the evening. Don’t you remember how much she was bragging about having to stay late to submit her official reports from the meeting and all of that?” she said. You let go of her hand, for you did remember that. Once freed, Jia-Li continued to knock.
“Coming!” a muffled voice said, and then the door was swinging open to reveal Ty Lee, who was standing on her hands for some reason. “Ursa! Jia-Li! What are you guys doing here?”
“We wanted to ask you if you would come to the market with us,” you said, twisting your neck so that she would come into proper perspective. To your chagrin, it did nothing but make you dizzy, so you gave up and decided to just look down on her upside-down visage.
“Sure!” she said, rocking herself onto her feet and standing properly. “How were your breaks?”
“They were good,” Jia-Li said. “Very relaxing, but way too short.”
“We did see you at one point,” you reminded her. Ty Lee giggled.
“Right, at that stupid party! I heard you guys ended up partaking in the festivities, if you’re catching my meaning,” she said.
“Yes, that’s right,” you said. Jia-Li grinned, flames dancing in her palm before she curled her fist and extinguished them.
“It was fun,” she said. “You were on to something, Ty Lee. It was exactly what we needed.”
“Jia-Li’s brother was not happy with us when he found out,” you said. “But it’s fine. He’ll make up with her, I’m sure, and as for me…it’s fine if we never speak again.”
“Onto the next,” Jia-Li said. “It’s alright. You win some, you lose some.”
“Exactly,” you agreed. “What about you? What were you up to when you weren’t on Ember Island?”
“Strategizing with Azula, mostly,” Ty Lee said. “You know, she killed the Avatar around when Zuko took over Ba Sing Se.”
“Really?” you said. Ty Lee nodded.
“Yup, I saw it myself! He was about to go all glowy-white-eyes on her, and she just shot him with lightning before he could,” she said.
Killing an Avatar as a normal person was unheard of, and Princess Azula wasn’t even a master yet. She was clearly a prodigy, but you knew from Ty Lee that she was still training, though her training was so advanced that it was theoretically impossible for normal Firebenders such as Jia-Li and even Kaho to accomplish. The fact that she had done something as legendary as defeating an Avatar without full mastery of her element spoke to her skill and talents, and you swore then and there to never get on her bad side.
“That’s insane,” Jia-Li said. “I always knew she was on another level from the rest of us, but I didn’t realize until now just how large that skill gap was.”
“Mhm, but for some reason, she’s gotten to be crazy paranoid recently. She’s convinced that he’s not really dead, and she’s been losing sleep over it,” Ty Lee said. “It’s tainting her victory, and she’s been meeting with Mai and I nonstop on what we should do in case he proves to be alive.”
“It’s better to be prepared than not,” you said. “Though she probably doesn’t have much to worry about. If the Avatar was alive, he probably would’ve made himself known, don’t you think? I doubt it would be easy for an Airbender to hide himself, especially not one as powerful as the Avatar surely is.”
“That’s what I’ve been telling her, but she’s still worried,” Ty Lee said. “So my break was mostly work, except for that one weekend on Ember Island.”
“That’s a shame,” Jia-Li said.
“Next break, I’m going to sleep the entire time,” Ty Lee vowed. “Every day I’m at the school serves as a reminder of why I dropped out in the first place, and I need my body and aura to recover from this kind of environment.”
“I always forget you did that,” you said.
“Why’d you come back?” Jia-Li said. “It’s obvious you hate it here, and you have a place in the palace already, so it’s not as though you’re going to climb the ranks socially by attending.”
“Simple! I’m here to keep an eye on Ursa!” Ty Lee said. “Not that she needs it, but Prince Zuko asked me to come along and help her acclimate to the environment of the academy, since we weren’t sure if she’d be able to handle it or not.”
“That’s a lot more logical than you suddenly developing a passion for the scholarly pursuits, which is what I had previously thought was the reasoning,” Jia-Li said.
“I don’t think I’ll ever develop that,” Ty Lee said, wrinkling her nose. “I’ll leave the academic stuff to Ursa.”
“Me, too,” Jia-Li said.
“Hey, come on, guys. Reading is fun,” you said, though it was obviously unconvincing, as both of them made faces at you. “Or not, I guess.”
“Let’s stop talking about school, please,” Ty Lee said. “It’s bad enough that we have classes tomorrow. We don’t need to ruin our free time by thinking about them now, too!”
“It’s not a problem for me,” Jia-Li said. “Maybe Ursa will have some difficulty, though.”
“Shut up! No, I won’t!” you said. “You won’t hear me speaking about school for the rest of the outing.”
“Does that include whenever you drop your random little factoids to explain whatever’s going on at any given time?” Jia-Li said.
“Hopefully not,” Ty Lee said. “I’d be way too confused without her narrating everything.”
“True,” Jia-Li said. “Okay, you can talk about those, but no more explicit mentions of the academy. Or of reading. Or of other things along those lines.”
“I already agreed!” you said. “Honestly, you guys have such a low opinion of me. Anyways, do either of you have anything specific to get at the market, or are we just wandering around?”
“Maybe I’ll get a new hair ribbon, but I’m not particularly attached to the idea, so I’m alright no matter where we go,” Jia-Li said.
“I don’t have anything I need, so we can go look at the hair ribbon stalls if you want, Jia-Li,” Ty Lee said.
“It’s the same for me,” you said. “Besides, it’s not like I really have money to spend, which means I’ll just admire the different shops, so I have no particular preference for where we go. Lead the way, Jia-Li; you’d know the market best, anyways.”
“Ty Lee probably knows it pretty well, too,” Jia-Li said.
“Nope, I ran away to join the circus, remember? I haven’t been here for a while! Even when I came back to the palace, I was always with Azula and Mai, and they’re not really the type to enjoy walking around the market, so it’s been a bit,” Ty Lee said.
“Then it really is up to me,” Jia-Li said, straightening her shoulders and nodding firmly. “Follow me, girls!”
You and Ty Lee marched after Jia-Li as she strode towards a stall decorated with hair ribbons of every shade. Some were patterned the way Kaho’s was, whereas others were solid-colored, like the one Jia-Li tended to wear. All of them were beautiful, richly made and finely dyed, and you could not help running your fingers over a few of them in appreciation.
“What do you think of this one?” Jia-Li said, holding up a red ribbon that had white flowers embroidered on it. “The one I have right now is so plain.”
“It’s very nice,” you said.
“I like it!” Ty Lee said. “You should get it.”
“Do you think so? Let’s see. How much is this for?” Jia-Li said. As she began to argue with the merchant about the price, you found yourself wandering off, observing the hustle and bustle of the marketplace, the different vendors and their goods, the mothers with their little children rifling through their purses full of gold coins, the serious soldiers standing at attention in uniform — and the not so serious ones with their helmets off and tucked under their arms as they talked to each other. Though the market was so large in scale, it was more like a collection of small, intimate snapshots of domesticity than a grand, epic portrait woven together out of perfectly conjoined parts.
There were so many different stories happening at once. People cried and laughed and argued and bantered on these streets. They lived their lives, unknowing of what would happen to them next or what those at their sides were going through. It was one of those mundane sort of miracles, the sort that were so commonplace that nobody would find them miraculous unless they stepped back and thought about them for a moment.
“Did you hear the news?” someone said to you. You tilted your head at the woman, who had her hand held in front of her mouth politely. “Apparently, there’s a prisoner on the loose!”
“What? In the capital?” you said. She nodded.
“Word has it that he deserted the army during the fall of Ba Sing Se and was promptly captured by Prince Zuko, who sent him to prison. But now he’s escaped! It’s all so frightening,” she said. “Be careful. You’re a student at the academy, aren’t you? My daughter is in her first year there, so I recognized the uniform. You should hurry back to the campus — it’s much safer there.”
“Thank you for the warning,” you said. “I hope you stay safe as well, madam.”
It had been an odd encounter, but for some reason, it wasn’t the random nature of the conversation that made you uneasy. Such things happened at markets, and especially because you apparently went to school with her daughter, it made sense that she had approached you. No, it was the story itself that you were worried about.
The History Mistress had never mentioned anyone deserting the army, besides the former General Iroh. That meant that this escaped prisoner, whoever they were, must’ve been some foot soldier so unimportant that they were not even worthy of the simplest sentence in your lectures, but that begot another question — how had a simple foot soldier escaped a Fire Nation prison?
The haggard man in front of you walked with a limp, and the exposed skin that you could see was littered with scars. Unlike what you would’ve assumed, though, the scars were clearly not from burns. They were cuts, deep lacerations that stood out red and furious against his arms, his neck, his ankles and even his face.
He must’ve been in a terrible battle, but for some reason, no one paid him any mind. The crowds parted around him before melting back together, like he had never been there in the first place. It was only you that followed, you who was entranced, matching his every step with your own. There was some burning desire in you that needed to follow him. You couldn’t place it, couldn’t understand its origin or any part of its existence, but you just knew you had to fulfill it. So you went after the man, growing steadily closer and closer until you could hear what he was muttering to himself.
“Gave everything…fought for that damn prince…what does it get me? Going to kill that girl. Going to kill that girl. What does it get me? Gave everything for that damn prince. Going to kill her. I have to kill her,” he said, over and over, repeating the same phrases on loop.
“Excuse me, sir, but are you alright?” you said when the two of you reached a dead end and the man stood still, facing the wall, continuing to say the same breathless things.
“I knew it,” he said. “I knew someone was following me. We Soldiers of Agni, we know these things.”
“Soldiers of Agni?” you said. The man still did not turn around, pressing his hands against the stone wall and resting his forehead against it. “They’re all dead, sir. They fell during the invasion of Ba Sing Se.”
“And don’t I know it!” the man said. “We gave everything for that prince, and what did it lead us to? Death! Death, you foolish girl, all of my comrades are dead! I’m the only one who survived that wench’s onslaught, but instead of being treated as the hero I am, I was renounced as a traitor. Prince Zuko took my status as a Soldier of Agni away, and he threw me in some dungeon to rot. Tell me how that’s fair!”
“I think you’re confused, sir,” you said, stepping away from him, questioning your own instincts for landing you into this situation. Because this was definitely the prisoner that the woman had been talking about, and since that was the case, you were almost certainly in danger. “Prince Zuko would never do something like that. He is a kind and just person. He even saved me!”
He spun around. “He saved — you!”
Before you knew it, there was a blast of fire heading directly for you. You barely leapt out of the way and readied yourself to fight, but even if the prisoner was telling the truth and he really had once been a Soldier of Agni, his reflexes and musculature had faded during his time locked away. No matter how much he tried, nothing but wisps of smoke escaped his hands, and he shouted in fury before rushing at you.
“What are you doing?” you said as you began to run as well.
“I’m going to kill you!” he said, his voice breaking as he did so. “You took everything from me, so I’m going to kill you!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” you said in distress. “I’m just a student at the Royal Fire Academy! I haven’t taken anything from anyone!”
“Is that where you are now, you sly witch?” he spat. “It wasn’t enough for you to destroy us all? You have to infiltrate our nation, too? Get out of here, scum!”
“What are you saying?” you said.
“My comrades are dead because of you,” he said. “I’m in prison because of you. I have to — I have to get justice. If that Agni-damned Prince Zuko really did save you, if he really is just letting you walk around and pretend to be one of us, then the Fire Nation is doomed. I have to do what I must for my country! In the name of Fire Lord Ozai, I will kill you, once and for all!”
“Huh?” you said. “I was a prisoner in Ba Sing Se! I don’t have the faintest clue how I could’ve killed your comrades.”
“That’s rich, coming from you. You don’t have to lie in front of me. I was there, wench. I know what you really are,” he said.
“And what might that be?” you said, skidding to a stop before you crashed into a wall and turning to face him, getting into the hand-to-hand combat stance that you had been trained to adopt at the academy.
“The—” Before he could finish, his eyes widened, and then he was falling over. It was Ty Lee; she had jabbed her fingers into his pressure points in a quick but familiar succession, and now she was standing over him, disapproval etched on her face.
“Ursa! There you are!” Jia-Li said, rounding the corner and almost tripping over the fallen man. “Who is that?”
“He’s an escaped prisoner,” you said. “He claimed he used to be one of the Soldiers of Agni.”
“I thought they were all dead, though?” Jia-Li said.
“They are,” Ty Lee said. “He must’ve been rambling about nothing.”
“Definitely,” Jia-Li said. “What Soldier of Agni would just faint like that for no reason?”
“It wasn’t exactly for no reason. I used my chi-blocking to take him out!” Ty Lee said.
“Chi-blocking?” Jia-Li said as the man groaned, beginning to wake up.
“It’s a pretty useful skill,” Ty Lee said. “All sorts of applications. It can temporarily take away bending, incapacitate people, and more! It’s the way for nonbenders like me to level the playing field and stand a chance even against the strongest of benders.”
“That’s why you aren’t afraid of Kaho!” Jia-Li said.
“Yup!” Ty Lee said.
“Who are you girls?” the man said groggily, pushing himself to his feet.
“I thought you knew who I was?” you said. “You said so yourself!”
“How would he know who you are?” Jia-Li said.
“No idea, but he seemed pretty sure just a second ago,” you said.
“For some reason, I think I do,” the man said. “But I don’t know how or why. There’s just a blank spot in my memories. I can’t — I can’t remember anything.”
“That’s strange,” Jia-Li said.
“He must’ve hit his head when he fell,” Ty Lee said.
“Right,” you said, though when she stooped over to pick the man up and bring him to the nearby soldiers, you narrowed your eyes at her.
You knew that chi-blocking sequence. You knew it well, because Ty Lee had used it on you before, still used it on you even now. You had never questioned it much, never found any merit in doing so. Ty Lee was infamous for being an airhead, so you had always put the strange ritual down as another one of her oddities. But what if it wasn’t? There was no way that the man had hit his head hard enough to forget everything so quickly, especially not when he had been so confident only seconds prior.
The more likely scenario was that Ty Lee had somehow blocked his memories when she had blocked his chi. It made the most sense, but if that really was the case, then what motive did she have to do the same for you? It was uncomfortable thinking about it, but you couldn’t stop the question from reverberating around your mind for the rest of the day.
Was Ty Lee the reason you didn’t remember anything?
That night, when Jia-Li was asleep and you were getting ready to settle in bed yourself, there was a knock on your door. Quickly blowing out the candle and making sure that the door was locked, you leapt into your bed and pulled the covers over your head, squeezing your eyes shut and pretending to be fast asleep.
“Ursa?” It was Ty Lee. “Are you awake?”
You knew what she was there for. It was about the time for her to — if your assumption was correct — block your chi, and possibly your memories. You had never protested, and you didn’t want her to grow suspicious of you in case that led to her taking even more drastic measures, but you also knew you had to avoid her for the time being if you ever wanted to remember who you were.
Just for a couple of days. You only had to stay away from her for a couple of days, and if nothing changed, then you would return to her side and act as if you both were friends once more.
“Are you and Ty Lee fighting?” Jia-Li said the next morning. You were currently suffering from a massive migraine, massaging your temples as you tried to block the light from hitting your eyes, but you managed to shake your head in the negative.
“No, we’re not,” you said. “Why?”
“You didn’t talk to her all morning, and you sat next to me instead of her, the way you usually do. I think she was a little sad about it,” Jia-Li said.
“I just have a really bad headache,” you said.
“Do you need to go to the infirmary?” Jia-Li said. “If you can’t handle class, I’ll tell the Etiquette Mistress. You’re already her favorite pupil, so she shouldn’t mind.”
“No, I’ll go,” you said, knowing that it was of the utmost importance that you didn’t go anywhere alone. It would be an opportunity for Ty Lee to chi-block you again, one you did not need to create, not if you wanted your experiment to be successful. “I’m sure I’ll get over it with something to drink.”
Yet, despite the cups upon cups of water you chugged, it didn’t do anything to dissipate your headache. It was like there was someone pushing on your brow, crushing your head together, the heaviness seeping down behind your eyes and into your jaw. You thought you might be close to implosion, but there was never a moment of relief. The pressure just kept mounting and mounting until you really did wish for someone to take a hammer to your skull and break it open so that you could finally be freed from the pain.
“Ursa, Jia-Li,” Kaho said as you entered the classroom, her voice filled with venom. “I can’t believe you’re daring to show your faces today.”
“Why wouldn’t we?” you said, far too preoccupied with your migraine to temper your irritation with your usual politeness. “We’re students at the academy, the same as you, Kaho.”
“I thought you might be ashamed of yourself after your performance during the break, at Ember Island,” she said.
“What performance?” you said.
“You destroyed my house!” she said. “I know you all did. You and that group of losers from the beach, whoever they were. My brother told me all about it.”
“Your brother’s the biggest fool I’ve ever met,” you said. “Followed closely by Ruon-Jian. Neither of them recognized the prince and princess even when they were right in front of them.”
“Don’t call my brother a fool,” she said.
“It must be a familial trait,” you continued.
“Ursa, what are you doing?” Jia-Li said.
“I have way too much of a headache to deal with her squealing right now,” you said harshly. “Chan is an idiot and we helped destroy her house. It’s true, but it matters little to me, and I wish she’d just go and wallow in her misery somewhere far from where I am!”
“You’re playing with fire,” Jia-Li fretted. “Quite literally.”
“Can you just leave me alone for once, Kaho?” you said.
“You think you’re so much better than me, don’t you?” Kaho said. “You’ve taken my spot as the top student, and you’re favored by Prince Zuko, so you believe that makes you my superior. But there’s one thing that you’ll never have.”
“And what might that be? An insufferable attitude, or a particularly hideous—” you were cut off by Jia-Li slapping her hand over your mouth.
“She doesn’t know what she’s saying,” Jia-Li apologized. “The migraine is making her delirious.”
Kaho ignored her, staring directly at you, the anger which she was so well-known for blazing to life in her irises. It was the same way she had glared at you after defeating that one underclassman in an Agni Kai. It was the same way she glared at you every time you corrected her in class or got a better result than her on an exam. It was the same way she glared at you whenever you received a letter from Prince Zuko while in the dining hall.
She hated you. You had known this for some time, but you had never understood it until that moment. Kaho despised everything you were, but more than that, she despised that she was jealous of you. She was used to everything going her way, and yet, here you were, a girl who had no memories and no background and no bloodline, taking without difficulty everything that was once hers.
It should never have been yours. To Kaho, you were nobody, a girl from rubble who stole everything from the rightfully deserving. And now here you were, insulting her in front of everyone, clearly rising above the place she had designated for you in her mind. It was an offense of the highest order, and in that instant, you came to the conclusion that you would not escape unpunished. Kaho would no longer allow you to walk over her without retaliation.
“Firebending,” Kaho said. “That’s what I have, and I will always, always be your better, because you can’t even bend.”
“Maybe not,” you said, swallowing and then deciding that if you were already doomed, you might as well have the last word. “It makes it more embarrassing for you, though, doesn’t it? That a nonbender has beat you so thoroughly in everything else? That you can only cling to your bending to maintain your sense of superiority?”
“That’s it,” Kaho said. “You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?”
“You’ve really done it now, Ursa,” Jia-Li groaned. “Don’t even think of asking me to be your proxy. I don’t have a death wish.”
“I do,” you said. “And I’ll save you the trouble. I challenge you to an Agni Kai, Kaho.”
If an Agni Kai was declared, classes were suspended so that the school could watch. Though they were so brutal in nature, they were actually encouraged by the administration, as they served to weed out the weaker students, leaving behind only the strongest, the best of the best.
At present, the field where you and Kaho were going to fight was utterly cleared, though staff and students alike gathered on the edges to watch the event. It had been anticipated for some time, this clash between the two top students of the academy, even if one of them couldn’t Firebend.
“You’re seriously not even calling a proxy?” Jia-Li said.
“Who would I call?” you said, rolling your shoulders. “She’s beaten every girl at this academy already, and I’m not about to beg the prince to save me.”
“Let go of your pride for once and do exactly that!” Jia-Li said. “You couldn’t even take me in a fight, so you can just forget about facing Kaho.”
“Actually, she can manage,” Ty Lee said grimly. You didn’t know where she had come from, but there she stood, her face set, her posture stiff. “Ursa. I don’t know why he said it, but for some reason, Zuko seemed to think that you were strong. Stronger than the rest of us, in fact.”
“He told me as much,” you said. “I don’t know why he said it, either, but for some reason, I don’t think he was lying. At least, he seemed to really believe it, which means there must be some thought behind it all.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a prodigy with weapons on par with Master Piandao himself!” Jia-Li said. “Against someone like Kaho, you either need to be a bender or have unusual skills the way Ty Lee does. Can you claim either of those things?”
“I don’t know, Jia-Li,” you said. “I don’t think so. Yet I have to do this all the same. She’s gone unchecked for far too long.”
“And you’ll be the one to check her?” Jia-Li said, throwing her hands up in the air. “I wish you had just gone to the infirmary like I had told you to!”
“Let’s go, Jia-Li,” Ty Lee said. “It’s time. Good luck, Ursa.”
Another pang. You forced yourself to smile through the pain, not wanting to show weakness right when you were about to get into a fight. Ty Lee smiled back, though Jia-Li did not muster the same energy, wailing despondently about how she was going to lose another roommate as Ty Lee dragged her off the field.
“This is your last chance, Ursa,” Kaho said. “If you fall to your knees and grovel, if you accept your place in this world, and if you renounce your ties with the royal family, then I will spare you.”
“I cannot do either of those things,” you said. “And you cannot ask me to.”
“I will not be gentle,” Kaho warned. “I was kind in my last Agni Kai, so perhaps you think that you will get off in a similarly unharmed way. If that is the case, then I want you to know that you are wrong. I will burn my victory into your skin so deeply that you can never look into the mirror without being reminded of the day you angered the wrong person.”
“My head is already full of pain, nearly to the bursting,” you said. “What is one more wound? Do your worst, Kaho. Even if I lose today, I will still have won in the end.”
“And how is that?” Kaho said. You grinned at her.
“Because I’ve shown everyone else at this academy exactly the sort of person you are,” you said. “You can’t beat a nonbender at anything else, so you have to challenge them to an Agni Kai in order to cling to the last threads of your former glory. You’re really very pathetic, and no matter how thoroughly you burn me, you can’t change that.”
“Did no one ever teach you to hold your tongue?” Kaho said, taking a deep breath, fire flickering at her fingertips.
“Certainly, at some point, someone must have,” you said. “But I shouldn’t know when or who or what the purpose of the lesson was. Don’t you recall that I have no memories?”
No one could say that Kaho wasn’t talented. The way she used her Firebending was like an extension of herself, as brutal and efficient as her clinical personality. It wasn’t that she was incredibly powerful — she just did not waste even a drop of energy, focusing her entire being into her forms, which were done with a clear accuracy that was difficult to dodge.
She punched a lick of fire at you, deadly hot, the air shimmering in the aftermath of it as it dissipated into nothingness, barely avoiding singing the edges of your clothes. You employed every trick you had learnt, for the longer you could draw out the fight, the worse it looked for her.
It was a game that you could not win. It was a game you were destined to lose, but — and maybe this was your past knowledge speaking — you had to play along. The outcome was determined, but you still had to play.
“Why did you come here?” Kaho screamed, her careful control slipping the more times she missed burning you. It was like her words drove a knife through your head, and the only reason your faltering was not a fatal blunder was because she, too, was growing more and more errant in her strikes. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“You’re the one trying to immolate me!” you said, sweat pouring from your brow, your shirt sticking to your collarbones and your pants clinging to your legs. “Why don’t you raise that question to yourself?”
“You!” she said. “Why are you speaking so elegantly? Are you mocking me?”
“Of all the things, you choose to criticize my manner of speaking? Your sense of prioritization is as horrid as your personality,” you said.
More fire. This time, the hem of your shirt did catch alight, but you put it out before it could reach your skin, so it didn’t count as a first burn. It did, however, mean two things: you were getting tired, and Kaho was losing even more of her composure.
“You came here,” she said. “I was alright before! But you came here and decided that everything I had was yours. My place in society, my standing in the school…the happy ending I was born to inherit has all gone to you!”
“Happy ending?” you said. “Do you think I care about something as superficial and fantastical as that? I don’t even have a beginning! Have you ever taken a second thought about your hatred? You can choose the direction of your life, Kaho. Whether happy or sad or anything in between, you know who you are. I do not have such a luxury. You resent my friendship with the prince, but if I do not have him, I have nothing left of my past! I helped destroy your house, yes, but at least you have a house — and it was only one of many. I don’t even have a shack in the woods to call my own!”
“Exactly,” Kaho said. “You should be begging on the streets, yet you are here. But no longer. No longer will I allow you to exist beside me, as if we are equals.”
Your eyes widened as her words sank in. This wasn’t just an Agni Kai anymore. She would not stop once she burnt you. It didn’t matter how completely; you had been wagering that you could eventually heal from whatever she inflicted on you. But, according to Kaho, she was not planning on you ever healing. She was planning on you dying.
Without Kaho’s fire, the air was almost cold. Goosebumps raised on your bare arms, though whether it was from chill or fright, you were not sure. Kaho was incredibly still, her eyes closed as she inhaled deeply, centering herself, drawing strength from the core of her bending — her breath. Everyone else was silent, though you thought you could hear someone, perhaps Jia-Li, repeating a prayer to Agni frantically, begging him to protect you from Kaho’s wrath.
You did no such thing. There was a voice in your head, whispering past the pain, telling you that Agni was not your god. You could not pray to him. You could not pray to a lord of destruction. You could not pray to the deity who had ruined your home.
You did not question this voice, though by all rights it was contrary to the little you knew of yourself. You were a Fire Nation soldier. Agni had not ruined your home, he had saved it. He was the one whose banner you had fought under. He was the one whose name you had been tortured in. He was your patron.
No. He was not. He was Kaho’s. He was Zuko’s. He was Jia-Li’s. But you were not a Firebender. You were something else. What? It was inexplicable, but your bones resonated with that truth as the effects of Ty Lee’s continuous chi-blocking began to crumble, your headache finally alleviating as you had your first breakthrough.
Kaho opened her eyes, and then fire gathered in her palms. You stood your ground this time, rooting yourself into the dirt of the field, and as a wave of fire rolled towards you, destroying everything in its path, you cringed back and screwed your eyelids together but refused to move. This time, you would not move.
Right when the blistering temperature got to be too much, it was cut off, asphyxiated before its source could reach you. Then Kaho was hurling insults at you, calling you a mongrel, a filthy half-breed, a daughter of mud. You cracked your eyes open, wondering why she did not attack you once more, why she had ceased her assault at the instant before she would have won for certain.
There was a large wall of stone erected before you, shielding you from Kaho, impenetrable by even the hottest of fires, which certainly she did not possess. That wall had not been there before, and the names which Kaho was calling you suddenly made sense — because you had created the wall. It was yours.
You were an Earthbender.
Within seconds, every single person that had borne witness to the Agni Kai was slumped over on the ground, including Kaho herself. Ty Lee used her momentum to flip over the wall, dropping to her feet before you and crossing her arms.
“You knew,” you said. “The entire time, you knew.”
“No,” she said. “Not exactly.”
“You’re the one who’s been blocking my memories, though,” you said. “Right? You would block my chi so that I couldn’t remember my past or use my Earthbending.”
“That’s right,” she said, bowing her head. She seemed apologetic, but nothing resembling pity filled you. The only emotion you could muster was disgust.
“Why?” you said. “What could have convinced you to do something like that? I thought we were friends, Ty Lee. Was that all a lie? Were you only staying close to me so that you could keep suppressing my memories?”
“No!” she said. “That was the reason at first, but I like spending time with you, Ursa. You really are one of my friends.”
She reached out as if to embrace you, but you took a step backwards so that she could not. She pulled back as if you had wounded her.
“My name isn’t Ursa, is it?” you said. “Who am I really, Ty Lee? Tell me the truth.”
“I have no idea,” she said. “He didn’t tell me anything about you. He just said it was for the best if you didn’t remember anything. I was so afraid the whole time, I thought Azula might be angry if she found out, but he was always so kind to me when I was younger that I thought I owed him at least this one favor…”
“Who?” you said. “Who is he? Who demanded you keep my memories from me?”
She gave you a miserable look. “Zuko.”
“That liar,” you said. It wasn’t just anger for the specific betrayal; there was some old rage quivering in you. You hated him. You hated him. You couldn’t say why, but you hated him. The ground shook, and Ty Lee glanced around nervously, but you paid her no mind. “He lied to me! He pretended like he cared, but the whole time, he was the one who did it! It’s his fault that I’m like this!”
“Don’t be angry,” Ty Lee pleaded. “I’m sure he had a reason. Just talk to him, and I’m sure he’ll explain!”
“Explain?” you said. “I don’t want to hear his explanations. I want him to pay for what he did!”
Another stake driven into your mind. It was your chi, you presumed, chipping away at the place where your memories were stored. There was still nothing concrete, but a sense of claustrophobia was creeping over you. You weren’t supposed to be here. You were supposed to be somewhere else. You were supposed to be doing something, but Zuko — Zuko had snatched you away from that fate.
“Ursa,” Ty Lee said.
“Stop calling me that,” you said. “It’s not who I am.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know what else to call you,” she said, clearly near tears. “Please calm down for a little bit. I blocked everyone’s chi in time; no one will remember this happened, so take the moment to settle and think things over. There’s no rush.”
“You can’t just do that,” you said. “You can’t keep blocking people’s memories at whim. They’re not yours to play with like that. Anyways, won’t they remember again? Are you really going to go around once a week and block everyone’s chi?”
“I was quick enough, and it was a small enough memory, that just one time will be sufficient,” she said. “No one will know what you’ve done, and I promise I won’t block your memories again if you stay.”
“I can’t trust you,” you said, straining with all your might to drive the stone wall back into the ground. “I’m sorry, but I really can’t.”
Dust flew up everywhere, but once it cleared, the field looked placid and undisturbed — barring, of course, the scorch marks left in the wake of Kaho’s attacks.
“What are you going to do now?” she said.
“I’m going to my room,” you said. “You can go ahead and tell Zuko I can Earthbend again. I’m sure you’ve been keeping him updated this entire time, so I won’t stop you.”
“He’ll want to come visit you,” Ty Lee said. And, because you did not want her to get in trouble, because despite what she had done there was still fondness for her buried deep within you, you only sighed and then nodded.
“Then he’ll do just that, I’d expect,” you said. “Goodbye, Ty Lee.”
You weren’t sure if she knew what you meant by the farewell. Maybe she did. For her own sake, you hoped she did not, or at least that she pretended that that was the case. She had in the end only been a tool of Zuko’s, so though you did not forgive her, you did not hate her, either.
Perhaps by a stroke of good fortune or perhaps by design, Jia-Li did not return to the room before dinner. This allowed you to collect your meager possessions, shoving them in the bag you had brought with you to Ember Island. Changing out of your uniform, you bit your lip before placing it in the trash. It was beyond salvaging, and besides, your time as Ursa was over. Now, you had to leave behind the life that the prince had created for you and figure out who you were, what your own life was like.
Fastening a cloak over your shoulders and tossing the hood up over your head to further disguise yourself, you slunk through the dormitory, staying in the shadows and hiding whenever people passed. In that manner, you managed to escape detection, reaching the academy’s aviary before anyone noticed you.
“Bian,” you whispered to your messenger hawk. She was instantly awake, cocking her head at you. You shook your own at her in the negative. “I don’t have a letter for you. There’s no one left for me to write to. I just wanted to tell you something: I’m leaving.”
Even if Bian had once been meant to be Prince Zuko’s, you had difficulty thinking of her as anything but yours. She was your friend, yourhawk, and though she was of the Fire Nation, of your time as Ursa, you could not let her go without saying farewell first, the way you would with the rest of it.
“I can’t tell anyone else,” you said. “It’ll just put them in danger. I can’t even say bye to Jia-Li. She’ll think I just ran away for no reason, and she was too loyal of a friend to deserve that, but I cannot implicate her in my defection from the academy. She’ll be the first they question, and I don’t know that she’ll lie convincingly enough to escape suspicion. So, then, when she says she has no idea where I’ve gone, she has to be telling the truth.”
Bian cooed at you; well, maybe calling the throaty sound cooing was being generous, but there was no other way to describe it, and the sentiment was the same. She was trying, in her own way, to comfort you, and you extended your arms to her perch so that you could rub the soft, tiny feathers of her cheeks.
“Thank you for being my hawk,” you said. “Be good for whoever owns you next — unless it is the prince, in which case I give you full permission to bite his fingers whenever he tries to give you letters.”
With that, you turned around, your hands dropping to your sides as you walked, then ran out of the aviary. If you turned around, you would cry. If you turned around, you might not ever be able to leave, so you sprinted until you reached the stables where the various animals belonging to the academy were kept.
Passing by the sleeping dragon moose and the corral of komodo rhinos, you ducked into the stall of one of the mongoose lizards. Throwing its saddle on, you patted it on the forehead.
“I’m sorry,” you said, swinging on and kicking it forwards. “I promise you can go home once you get me out of the capital.”
The mongoose lizard was fast, but more than that, it was stealthy and could traverse many kinds of terrain. Scuttling through the campus, it climbed the walls at your direction, though it was obviously unsure, as it had been trained not to leave the academy, even when given the opportunity.
Looking up, you saw a shadow cover the moon briefly, and you furrowed your brow as the dark shape came hurtling down towards you. The mongoose lizard continued to dash through the streets of the capital, and you used your hands to shield your face from the incoming projectile.
You needn’t have. At the last moment, it flared its wings, landing gently on your shoulder, careful not to dig its talons into your flesh despite the subsequent loss of balance.
“Bian?” you said. She nipped your shirt collar like she was chiding you for daring to leave without her. You laughed in relief, scratching her crest. “Oh, my dear Bian. I should never have tried to go without you. Thank you for finding me.”
She hopped off your shoulder, sitting on the pommel of the saddle, surveying the terrain with the regal bearing of a figurehead. With her at your side, you weren’t quite as lonely, and though it was selfish of you, you were glad that she had made such a choice, that she loved you enough to follow you away from the comfort of the aviary.
You traveled for a while at top speed, but once the mongoose lizard began to show signs of fatigue, you reined it to a stop. Whistling for Bian, you slid off of the beast. It made a clicking noise at you, and you smiled at it.
“Thank you,” you said. “You have done your job well. You may go back now.”
Without hesitation, the mongoose lizard spun and headed in the same direction it had come from. You didn’t wait, either; the palace certainly had methods to track you, so it would be a folly for you to stay in the same place for too long.
When the search began depended on Jia-Li. If she reported your disappearance immediately, then you were in trouble, but you sensed she would not. You had a habit of coming back to the room later than her, so she’d likely not realize you were gone at all until she woke up and saw your bed had remained undisturbed the entire night.
That left you with a window of time in which you could eat and sleep. After that, you had to walk to the nearest village and appropriate a new mount that could get you even farther from the academy and the capital and Prince Zuko’s grasp.
“It’s just so strange,” you said to Bian as you made a small fire using kindling, the way you had been taught in the academy. “If I’m an Earthbender instead of a former Fire Nation soldier, then there really is no explanation for any of it. Why did he abduct me? Why did he order my memories to be subdued? What significance did I hold?”
If she knew anything about the heart or mind of her former master, she did not reveal it. Rummaging around in your bag for the bit of food you had scrounged up while packing, you chewed on it pensively before pulling out the book you had been reading.
Opening to the page you had left off on, you promised to only finish the chapter on the royal family before you went to sleep. Maybe it was foolish to sacrifice any of the precious little rest you could get, but you longed for something to soothe your mind, and you thought that reading, as a familiar habit, might accomplish that goal.
The last ruler of the Earth Kingdom was the 52nd Earth King, born Kuei. He is famous only for his ineptitude. Ascending the throne at the age of four, he was a puppet monarch for much of his life, until the day he was deposed of by Prince Zuko and the Fire Nation forces. 
For some strange reason, there was a lump in your throat reading about the 52nd Earth King, as if he was someone that you greatly missed. But that was not even the oddest thing — it was the next passage that made you truly gasp. Memories upon memories poured in as you read and reread the paragraph, which was more of a footnote than anything.
The 52nd Earth King also had a younger sister, though no one ever saw her. A nonbender like the king, Princess Y/N remained shut away in the palace her entire life, reputedly for her own protection. Because of her fragile and essentially invisible status, her own subjects mockingly referred to her as the Glass Princess.
She, along with her brother, was killed during the fall of Ba Sing Se.
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stargirlrchive · 2 years ago
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ocean eyes: chapter six ✩ jake sully
masterlist ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ ocean eyes masterlist
summary: widow!jake sully x female!reader, 10 year age-gap. jake is lowkey sunshine <3 reader is grumpy! arranged marriage/marriage of convenience + wc - 3,843
comments: hi babies, chapter six! dramaaaaa, i love her! also if there are like a million bijillion run on sentences, no there isn't! okay byeeee hope you all love her just as much as i do! <3
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Jake had asked you to join his family for one more meal before the celebration with the clan. Nerves bubbled in your chest as Ronal fixed you up, braiding a few beads and shells into your hair. “Why are you so nervous? You said you’ve had dinner with them before.”
Your fingers began to fidget with your loin cloth, “Yes but-things are different now, Ronal. Not that I did not care before but I really hope his children like me.”
Your lips tugged down into a small frown as the thought of Jake’s children disliking you swirled your mind, “I’m sure that will not be an issue, syulang. Just-be yourself!”
You huffed out a breath as she tapped on your shoulder, “All done.”
You stood up, throwing a final look at Ronal before you walked out of the marui. Your steps were slow, taking your time to make it to Jake’s home. Things were different this time around, so many things left unsaid between the two of you but he had cracked the wall you had formed around your heart. Shattering the idea that you were happy alone, and it only completely disintegrated into ash when you made peace with your sister. But there were so many things changing and you couldn’t help but want to slow everything down.
Missing the comfort that had come with the loneliness, no one to disappoint you, and no one to disappoint.
Your thoughts were cut short as you picked up on the familiar voices of Jake’s children, heart pounding rapidly the closer you got.
“You think she will like it, sempul?”
Jake was watching Tuk fuss over a necklace she had made you, the small girl had dedicated so much time into the gift and Jake couldn’t help but smile at her, patting her hair lightly, “She will love it, Tuktirey.”
As you peaked your head into the entrance you instantly began to feel overwhelmed, watching Jake and his children interact. The way they all laughed together, and busied themself with each other. It was not that you disliked kids, it was more so that you did not know what your place was in this dynamic.
You had gotten to know his children, they were all kind and dedicated, but you would be stepping into the role of their fathers mate, things could turn ugly so quickly. Everything felt so complicated and you felt the urge to run. Run far away and make up some excuse as to why you did not make it. You stumbled back, ready to disappear in the darkness that had enveloped the reefs but the movement alerted Jake.
His smile faltered a bit as he noticed the odd look on your face, you looked like you were going to be sick. He called your name and all you did was blink at him a few times. You looked behind you, still contemplating if you could run away and Jake noticed your apprehension, standing quickly to make his way to you.
His hand instantly cupped your face when he was near enough, pushing the two of you away from the eyes of his children, “Hey-hey what’s wrong?”
Jake’s face was pinched up in confusion, growing desperate at your silence. “I-”
A shaky breath left you, trying your hardest not to melt into his hold. His fingers were rubbing across your jaw, his other hand had fallen to your hips to steady you, “I’m nervous.”
Jake let out a laugh, all breathy and it caused your ears to flutter, “Do not laugh at me.”
Your face pinched up in annoyance but he could still see your uneasiness. Fidgeting in his hold as the arm on your hip moved down to the base of your tail, patting lightly and it caused your face to heat up, “Nothing for you to be nervous about, the kids really like you.”
Your ears twitched, and your tail began to swish lazily, “Really?”
“Mhm.”
Jake’s fingers moved to your arm, fingers barely gliding over your skin, causing your cheeks to warm up again. You finally met his eyes and were shocked with the way he was watching you. Rooted to your spot as his eyes reflected against the moonlight, they reminded you of bright stars.
“You okay now?”
Your eyes jumped down to his lips for a brief second, nodding your head as Jake smiled at you, catching the way your shoulders eased up and the nervousness in your eyes melted away to something sweet.
He didn’t even hesitate as he leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. He pulled away and let his hand fall to your wrist, pulling you into his marui. You were greeted with smiles from all of his kids, Lo’ak, Neteyam, and Kiri had also picked up on your nervousness. Doing their best to just keep busy with what they were already doing, helping set up for the six of you to eat.
They did in fact like you, enjoyed the way their father seemed to breathe easier, enjoyed the way you were able to keep up with them and encourage them to relax, and just be children. They decided you were a good addition.
Tuk was absolutely obsessed with you, always trailing close by when you were around them, and tonight was no different. The young girl ran to greet you and pulled you from her father. Talking your ear off about the ilu she had finally learned to ride, going on and on about her favorite animals in the sea. Jake let her do so, watching the way you interacted with his youngest as he helped his oldest three set up.
Tuk whispered something quietly and it caused you to laugh and look over at Jake. His eyebrows raised as you kept laughing, “Tuk?”
The young girl turned to look at her father, sending him the smile she reserved for when she was in trouble, “Come help set up?”
Tuk only nodded excitedly, running away from you and happy to help her older siblings. Jake made his way to you, “What was that about? Hm?”
Jake’s voice was dripping with amusement, it caused another laugh to rip from your throat, “She told me I do not have to eat the food if I do not like it.”
Jake’s brows scrunched up, he spent hours making this meal for the six of you, “Why would she think you would not like it?”
Your hand fell to your lips, trying your hardest not to laugh and it caused Jake’s eyes to narrow in on you, “Because-you made it.”
Jake’s mouth dropped slightly, mildly offended as he had spent such a long time preparing everything, “I am sure I will like it, Jake. I am not picky.”
You were fighting the smile trying to make its way onto your face, “I just hope I do not end up sick.”
“Hey!-”
That caused the laugh to rip from your throat, shaking your head, “I am only teasing!”
Kiri was watching the two of you closely, smiling lightly before she called out that everything was ready.
A few hours had passed and Tuk’s eyes were heavy with sleep, fighting her hardest to stay awake, “Tuk, you want to give her the gift?”
The girl perked up, standing up quickly as she grabbed something and hid it behind her hands. She stood behind you, “Close your eyes.”
You did as told, feeling her slip something onto your collarbones, it was a necklace. “Open!”
You instantly looked down and were met with a pretty single string necklace, small shells and beads all coordinated perfectly and you smiled at her, “I love it Tuk! Thank you.”
She laughed and shyly made her way to Jake, “Time for bed, Tuk.”
She didn’t even protest, only nodding her head as she made her way to where Kiri was already sleeping. “I should go already.”
Jake stood up with you, slipping his fingers into yours as he pulled you out of his home, “Jake, you do not have to walk me back.”
“Want to.”
Your tail swished behind you gently, smiling as he pulled you closer to him, your shoulders pressed to his as he pulled you along. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”
You clamped down on your bottom lip, nervously waiting for his response, “Are you?”
“I asked first.”
Jake only laughed, shaking his head as he stopped beside your marui. “Yes, I am.”
The hand that was not holding your wrist fell to your neck, pulling you closer to him, “Me too.”
Jake smiled down at you, his fangs peeking out slightly as he scanned over your face. His face dipped down, your lips meeting his as he pulled you in closer. Nipping gently at your bottom lip, your lips parted for him. His tongue was lazily moving across yours, mind fuzzy as his hands fell to your hips. Gripping lightly to pull you flush against him.
You were not used to this, not used to these genuine displays of affection and as much as you enjoyed it, you feared what getting used to it might cost you.
You pulled away, needing to catch your breath and Jake’s forehead fell against yours, “You make it so hard for me to leave you.”
You shook your head, pressing your lips to his once more, “You make it hard. Why-why do you kiss me like that?”
Jake brows furrowed together, “Like how?”
“Like you mean it.”
Jake was trying to understand what was leaving your mouth, why would you even question it? Because of course he fucking meant it, “I do mean it.”
Your heart was hammering in your chest, “I meant it the first time I kissed you, and all the times in between.”
You let out a deep breath, unable to stop the way your chest warmed at his words. You didn’t know what to say, only pulling him in again to press another kiss to his lips.
You think he understood what you were trying to say, that you meant it too. Clinging onto him as he kissed you harder with more determination, the two of you seemingly unable to keep your hands to yourself.
The lack of oxygen made your mind hazy, you only jolted away from him at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Tonowari was staring at the two of you, brows raised, “See the two of you are getting along.”
Jake cleared his throat, stepping away from you as his face colored in embarrassment.
“Tonowari-”
“No need to apologize, JakeSully. Next time just-go somewhere more private. Yes?”
He did not wait for the two of you to respond, stepping back into his marui. Your hand swatted Jake’s chest, and he grunted quietly. “You need to keep your hands to yourself.”
“Me?! You were the one that just attacked me.”
You laughed quietly, moving farther from him as you walked towards the entrance of your marui, “See you tomorrow.”
You only hummed quietly, Jake’s eyes fixated on the sway of your hips, “Bye!”
You laughed at how loud his voice was, and Jake felt the unbelievable giddiness swarm his chest at the sound, walking back to his marui with the biggest grin on his face.
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You had not seen Jake since the night prior, being pulled in every direction as the clan prepared for the feast. Even now you felt your mind hazy at the chaos in the marui, Tsireya and Ronal were working together to get you ready. Ronal had been braiding your hair while Tsireya incorporated pearls wherever she thought it looked best. You took a deep breath to try and settle the nerves in your stomach, adjusting the beautiful top Ronal had made for you.
“You look beautiful, syulang. Stop fidgeting.”
You grumbled out in annoyance, “I’m trying.”
It was dark out and even from the inside of your marui you could hear the music and loud singing. Tsireya squirmed with excitement as she roughly shook your shoulders, “I am so excited!”
You clamped down on your bottom lip as you tried to fight the smile that was making its way to your face, you were too. “Okay, we are done tsmuke. Ready?”
You only nodded your head as you stood, unable to find your voice as Tsireya began to pull you out of your home. The closer you got to the beach, the louder the pounding of the music hit your ears, same with how roughly your heart was pounding in your chest.
This felt scarier than anything you had ever done, hands clammy the deeper Tsireya dragged you around. As normal, every Na’vi greeted you properly, sending you smiles and greeting you properly. You had always been so loved by the clan, and rumors had begun to spread of your impending nuptials, though no one knew with whom. But to say they were excited was an understatement, everyone had pulled out their finest pieces of clothing, the fisherman had gathered piles and piles of fish, same with the woman who had gone all out with decorations and their picking of fruits and vegetables. It was a huge ordeal, Na’vi from neighboring islands had even made their way over. It was a lot. And you would be lying if you said your heart did not warm at the fact that this was for you.
Your eyes scanned through the sea of Na’vi, looking for the azure skin you had begun to grow accustomed to. You felt your face warm up as you made eye contact with Jake, he sent you a smile and your ears fluttered gently as you sent him one back. When you were a few feet away your motions were stilled as someone lodged themself between you and Tsireya. Your face scrunched up in annoyance as your hands dropped your niece’s. Your eyes locked onto broad shoulders, teal blue and toned as they towered over you. “Hello.”
You felt your spine tense up as Ro’han’s voice filled your ears. There was a shit-eating smirk on his features, moving to block your view from your family who was in front of you. “What do you want?”
He tsked quietly, “Where are your manners?”
Your arms crossed over your chest, annoyance causing you to boil from the inside out. “Move.”
“I heard there are congratulations in order. You are to mate, no?”
You said nothing, heart hammering roughly in your chest as his face flitted to one of sheer cockiness, his head dipping down to whisper to you quietly, “Does he know his future mate was mine first?”
Your throat clenched as he laughed, moving himself away from you. His head dipping down as his fingers reached to his forehead, signaling you goodbye. You felt frozen, like the breath was sucked out of you as your legs felt heavy. Unable to move as you struggled to catch your breath.
Jake had been watching you the whole way, only being shielded from you as the Metkayina warrior he knew as Ro’han stepped in front of you. He did not think much of it, truth be told he was just anxious to have you by his side. But concern filled his body as he noticed how tense you were as Ro’han walked away from you.
His face scrunched up as he noticed how alert Ronal was, walking quickly and pulling you closer to her as she spoke to you quietly. Her arms were rubbing at your sides, trying to comfort you as she pulled you in.
“Sister, what did he say to you?”
Your head just shook, unable to stop the way your throat burned, “I will kill him!”
Ronal had moved from you, it forced you to snap out of the inner turmoil you were having, “No-no! Ronal!”
You pulled at her forearm to keep her in place, her eyes were blazing in anger, wide and frantic. “Tsmuke-just ignore it. I am fine, he is just a skxawng.”
Ronal’s anger only dimmed when she noticed the frown on your face, the need to comfort you over powering anything else as she gripped onto your wrist, pulling you with her towards Tonowari.
Anger blazing through your older sister as she practically stomped towards him. Her ears pinned back as she barked out, “I do not like him, Wari!”
Tonowari looked at you with trepidation, cringing slightly as he noticed how agitated Ronal was, “Who, yawne?”
“Ro’han! Eywa-I could pluck his eyes out myself!”
You stifled a laugh as Ronal lightly swatted Tonowari’s arms away. He was trying to comfort her despite his confusion. “I need air-I am growing so frustrated!”
She stalked off, walking away from the two of you and towards the less crowded area of Na’vi.
Tonowari sighed quietly as he turned to look at you, trying to figure out why his mate was so upset. “Has she always been that scary when angry?”
Tonowari laughed, he laughed so hard his stomach ached and it only intensified when your eyes widened at the sound that left his mouth, “You should see how you are when you're angry.”
Your face colored in embarrassment, “The two of you are so-stubborn.”
It caused a smile to crack on your face as he teased you, “I mean, she did raise me. Is it really that much of a surprise?”
Tonowari was so pleased at the fact that the two of you had begun to mend your relationship. He had always seen you as a sister, sometimes even as a daughter, he had known you since you were a young girl. Always trailing after Ronal. “So, what is actually the matter with Ronal?”
Your shoulders shrugged, “From what I understood she really dislikes Ro’han.”
Tonowari gave you a look, a laugh rippled from your throat and you shook your head, “He-he hurt me, broke something in me that I refused to acknowledge was broken until-well, now. Ronal only recently found out, and Eywa he just always finds a way to get under my skin.”
Your heart clenched as you looked around, catching the Metkayina warrior’s eye as he made a toasting motion in your direction. Furthering your annoyance.
Tonowari caught the gesture, “Do you need me to remind him of his place?”
Your face scrunched up in confusion, shaking your head, “I would not want to cause any more problems than I already have for you, Tonowari.”
“I never liked him, his ego is far too big.”
The confession only caused your mouth to drop, “He has been by your side for the past seven years, what do you mean you do not like him?”
His shoulders shrugged, “I had caught on to the fact the two of you were seeing each other. I thought it would please Ronal if she knew he was a dedicated warrior.”
Your chest warmed, and your lip wobbled as you looked at him. It hit you then how much he cared for you, and your sister, and it caused guilt to grip at your throat. A part of you had always blamed him for Ronal leaving, but all he had ever done was look after the two of you.
Tonowari’s face scrunched up in discomfort as he noticed the tears pooling at your eyes, awkwardly patting you on the arm, “Are you alright?”
You nodded your head, letting out a watery laugh as you blinked the tears away, “Thank you, for everything.”
A look of understanding overtook his features, all he did was send you an awkward smile and a curt nod of his head, leaving you in search of Ronal.
Jake wasted no time in making his way to you, not wanting for you to be whisked away by someone else. “Are you alright?”
You jumped lightly at the sound of his voice, only nodding at him as you greedily let your eyes rake all over him. You refrained from pulling him into you, after the incident with Roh’an all you wanted was to feel his arms on any part of you, the warmth of his skin on yours. “M’fine.”
Your eyes reflected so beautifully against the fire and Jake couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto his face, mumbling quietly, “Txampay nari.” Ocean eyes.
Your face warmed up at his words, ears pinning back slightly as he moved closer to you, his head dipping down to press a light kiss to your temple.
Tonowari had pulled Ronal back to where you were, and she couldn’t help but watch the two of you interact. She had not been witness to just how wrapped up the two of you were. Practically dancing around each other and it caused her eyes to water a bit.
She was so proud of you, always had been and although she knew you could do it yourself, she was happy there was someone who was going to protect you. As Tonowari made his way towards the center of the celebration, the music stopped, along with the chatter. “As you all know, Ronal and I enjoy throwing celebrations. It’s good for the spirit.”
He was answered by a loud ring of hoorahs, and lifting of their wooden chalice. “While we still aim for that, this one in particular is special. As two of our own have been called upon by Eywa to mate.”
There was another ring of cheers, “Tanhì and JakeSully!”
Jake’s fingers tangled with yours, smiling down at you as the cheering got so loud your ears rang. The way he was looking at you, you’d swear you were the only other Na’vi there with him. “As in our tradition, if anyone here opposes the union, speak now.”
No smart Na’vi would willingly fight against the will of the Tsahik and Olo’eyktan, so the clan was quiet. Jake’s tail swishing behind him the more he watched you. “Very wel-”
“I oppose it! He is of demon-blood! Not worthy of a woman of the Metkayina.”
Had it been anyone else you might have believed they were firm in their words. But it was Ro’han, his voice boomed across the quiet beach. Jake’s face scrunching up in annoyance, your heart beating rapidly as you squeezed his hand tightly.
Your throat felt so dry to the point it burned, anger and fear coursing through your whole body as Tonowari turned to look at Jake, eyebrows raising slightly asking him if he wished to continue with this. He had two options, decline Ro’han and in turn decline you, or fight. Fear gripped at your chest so tightly it ached, fearful that he’d say no and you would once again be left to pick up the pieces of your shattered heart, all alone. You refused to look at him, like that would stop the inevitable.
But Jake was not willing to lose you, not in the slightest. And the man was never one to back down from a challenge. Jake only gave Tonowari a curt nod, his tail swishing harshly behind him. “Very well then. Prepare the Tsurak!”
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valkyrieromanoff · 5 days ago
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God bless your dad's genetics… Dilf! Anakin x son’s girlfriend!reader
FIRST NEXT
CHAPTER TWO: DINER
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synopsis: dinner with the Skywalker family becomes tense when Anakin's lingering glances and flirtatious comments about you blur the lines, leading to a drunken performance that upsets Padmé. What should have been simple becomes dangerously complicated.
warning: age gap (Anakin is 44 years old and the reader is in her early 20s), cheating, alternate universe, mild flirting in front of his wife
words: 1.6k
a/n: hello there, I am really happy with your receptiveness to this idea, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I'll take this opportunity to let you know that there will be some hotter things happening, but we'll go through a little slow burn along the way (but not so slow, lol)… thanks again, and happy reading ;)
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CHAPTER TWO: DINER
The dinner had been strange. You were already on edge, meeting the entire Skywalker family for the first time while keeping up the fragile lie of being Luke’s girlfriend. Lying wasn’t your strong suit, you had agreed that Luke would answer any relationship questions to not cause any suspicion. You kept the stories simple, only a date of the start of dating or a place, which you two already have gone, fearing you’d trip over more elaborate details.
Luke being late only made things worse. You tried to keep your nerves in check, smoothing invisible wrinkles in your light blue summer dress—a simple design that, to your surprise, drew a lingering glance from Anakin. You met his eyes and quickly looked away, unsure why his gaze left your skin tingling.
The awkward silence stretched until Padmé’s gentle voice broke it. “You must be Luke’s girlfriend. I’m glad to finally meet you,” she said with a polite smile, though her eyes seemed distant, the warmth not quite reaching them.
Anakin added, voice laced with playful sarcasm, “Though Luke didn’t mention you existed until two days ago.” Padmé elbowed her husband. “Hey,” he murmured, smirking as he leaned back in his chair.
Padmé's soft chuckle felt more like a well-rehearsed mask than genuine amusement. “Ignore him, dear. Let’s sit at the table while we wait for the kids.” Her suggestion carried a hint of formality—like an actress on a stage, maintaining appearances.
You followed them, feeling like an outsider intruding on an unspoken drama. The dining table, set for six, had two chairs on either side, with Anakin taking one end and Padmé the other. A trivial detail, but one that made your brows knit. Twenty-five years of marriage, yet they chose to sit so far apart?
Anakin’s eyes locked onto you, his intense blue gaze both assessing and amused. A faint, almost secretive smile played at the corner of his lips. “So, tell us…” he began, his voice deep and inviting, yet sharp as a blade. “You made the first move, huh? ‘Cause, let’s face it, Luke doesn’t have an ounce of attitude.”
Padmé’s lips tightened almost imperceptibly, her eyes darting toward her husband, but she said nothing.
“What, dear?” Anakin continued, tone casual but with a teasing edge. “We both know our son didn’t even have the guts to say his order was wrong. It was always Leia who did it for him.” His eyes flicked back to you, glimmering with something between curiosity and mischief. “Let alone asking a pretty girl out…”
Heat flushed your cheeks. It was a throwaway comment, surely not meant seriously, yet the word “pretty” lingered, stirring a whirlwind in your chest.
Padmé’s spoon clinked softly against her plate, her gaze fixed downward. He shrugged, an air of indifference cloaking him. Yet, when he looked back at you, there was an intensity—a fleeting moment where his mask slipped. You couldn’t tell if it was defiance, regret, or something else entirely.
The charged tension between you and Anakin dissolved like mist with the arrival of Leia and her boyfriend. Padmé's face softened, a genuine smile breaking through her composed exterior as she hugged her daughter. For a moment, the warmth felt real, unforced.
Anakin’s voice, however, sliced through the atmosphere, sharp and bitter. “Ah, still you, Han. I was hoping Leia’s taste might have improved now that her brain is fully developed.” His tone dripped with sarcasm, and he made no effort to hide the disdain etched in every word.
Leia shot her father a glare, but Han’s smug grin didn’t falter. He extended a hand, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Always a pleasure, father-in-law.” The greeting oozed sarcasm, a barely veiled challenge.
Anakin’s eyes narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line as he gripped Han’s hand, his knuckles white. The firm shake—a trick he’d perfected in the army—conveyed all the contempt he couldn’t say out loud. Han’s smirk faltered for a split second, his fingers flexing as he pulled his hand back. He masked the pain well, but you caught the flicker of discomfort in his eyes.
“Where’s the boy?” Han muttered, shaking out his hand subtly, scanning the room for Luke.
“Here. Sorry I’m late.” Luke’s voice broke the tension as he slid into the seat beside you. Relief flooded through your shoulders. You hadn’t realized how tightly wound you’d been until his familiar presence settled next to you.
“I almost thought I’d have to keep your girlfriend entertained while you were gone.” Anakin’s voice, soft yet edged, drew your gaze. His smile seemed innocent, but the intensity in his eyes betrayed something else—a quiet, knowing challenge.
Your heart stuttered. There was something about the way he looked at you, those piercing blue eyes that seemed to see right through your façade. Like he knew exactly how he unsettled you, and took a quiet pleasure in pushing just enough to watch your reaction. You glanced away, trying to steady your breathing.
Padmé’s polite voice broke the silence, a thin thread of calm against the undercurrent of tension. “Now that we’re all here, shall we have dinner served?”
You forced a smile, nodding, but your mind was elsewhere. You had expected dinner to be calm. A sweet mistake, you realized too late.
As the courses were served, the conversation flowed naturally, wine glasses refilling with a quiet, unnoticed regularity. Leia shared news about college and her efforts to establish a student league. Luke chimed in about his progress in his engineering internship, and Padmé’s pride shone through her warm, attentive smiles. She spoke about her projects in the Senate, her tone composed and confident—a stark contrast to the simmering tension in her eyes whenever Anakin refilled his glass.
Han joined in, detailing his venture with Lando Calrissian. You listened, suspicion tingling at the back of your mind. Something about his elaborate plan didn’t sit right; it sounded too slick, too legally ambiguous. You said nothing, sipping your wine, letting the conversation wash over you. Anakin noticed your quietness, his piercing gaze lingering on you more often than it should.
“Oh, please, let your girlfriend talk a little, Luke… indulge us with your voice, dear,” Anakin drawled, his voice already hoarse and slurred from the alcohol. His eyes, sharp even through the haze of whiskey, locked onto yours. “What’s your major again?”
You swallowed hard under his intense stare, the heat rising to your cheeks. A sip of wine helped steady your nerves. You answered softly at first, but as the alcohol worked its magic, your voice gained confidence, words flowing more freely.
“Tell me more, dear,” Anakin urged, leaning forward, chin resting on his hand, eyes fixed on you as though you were the only person in the room. It was intoxicating—the way his attention pinned you under its weight. You knew it was the drink talking, but it still sent shivers down your spine.
He kept you in his focus, each question drawing you in deeper. But when his questions drifted to teasing—like what you wore to work—Padmé intervened, a strained smile barely concealing her frustration. She ordered dessert, trying to regain control of the evening.
The fragile calm didn’t last. Anakin, more energized with each drink, pushed back from the table and grabbed a microphone from the small stage in the dining room.
Leia and Luke exchanged worried glances. Padmé’s eyes widened in alarm. “What is he doing?” you whispered to Luke, but he just shook his head, jaw clenched.
Anakin’s voice, thick with whiskey, echoed through the room. “Feel my heat taking you higher, burn with me, heaven’s on fire!” He sang with an intensity that made the room shrink around you. His voice, rough yet commanding, filled every corner of the space. Padmé rubbed her temples, clearly embarrassed, but Anakin didn’t care.
“Come on, Padmé, don’t be boring. You loved this one…” His eyes flashed with a wild, rebellious light. “Paint the sky with desire, angel, fly—heaven’s on fire.”
You watched, heart pounding, as he prowled the stage, the lyrics rolling off his tongue like a promise. It was wrong—so wrong. The family’s discomfort was palpable. Yet, before you knew it, your head was nodding gently to the rhythm, drawn in by the raw magnetism he exuded.
Anakin noticed. His gaze locked onto you, a slow, dangerous smile playing at his lips. “I got a fever raging in my heart, you make me shiver and shake.”
The world narrowed to the space between you. The intensity of his stare sent heat flooding through your veins, your breath catching in your throat. How could a man be so intoxicating?
“Baby, don’t stop, take it to the top, eat it like a piece of cake.”
Your cheeks burned. It felt like a private serenade, a message only for you, even with everyone watching. You knew it was reckless, dangerous even, but in that moment, you were caught in the undertow, unable to look away.
Padmé’s voice cut through the haze. “That’s enough, Anakin,” she snapped, the sharpness of her tone slicing through the air. Leia and Luke exchanged uneasy glances, tension radiating between them.
Anakin ignored her, eyes still locked on you. “I’m getting closer, baby, hear me breathe. You know the way to give me what I need.” The words felt like a confession, a challenge, an invitation.
Padmé stood abruptly. “I’m going to bed,” she announced, her voice brittle. She walked out without another word. Leia and Han followed, the air thick with unspoken conflict.
Luke touched your arm, guiding you toward the exit. You stumbled slightly, your pulse still racing, Anakin’s voice lingering like a phantom touch. As you left the room, you could still hear him humming, his presence a storm you knew you couldn’t outrun.
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dfortrafalgar · 8 months ago
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I'm Losing You
Having a family isn't always as easy as fairy tales make it seem.
Law x Fem Reader
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read these warnings before reading this fic. Genuinely, I implore you. I started writing this fic on a whim a few weeks ago, when I was contemplating my own experiences with reproduction-related health conditions such as the one that will be addressed later on in this story (endometriosis). Reproductive education and health is something that I feel very strongly about, and I feel that topics such as pregnancy complications and loss aren't addressed enough in media for fear that they're too taboo or shocking. Which, to be fair, is true, at least for the shocking aspect. Pregnancy loss is difficult, traumatic, and life-changing, for better or for worse, truly dependent on the person and the world around them.
Now you might be wondering... why would you drag one piece into this? well, i don't know. i felt like it, perhaps. Law is a character who resonates very deeply to me, his character is emotionally complex and layered, and imagining him in a scenario like this one became very interesting to me. Combine that with everything i stated above and taddaa, you get this fic.
this story does and will eventually have a happy ending (a very happy ending!) however it will take a bit to get there. this is a multi-chapter fic that i'm moving from my ao3 to my new blog, and the same warnings there apply here.
if this fic doesn't seem like your cup of tea, i encourage you to check out some of my other fics on my blog. i have a few law/readers that are tooth-rottingly fluffy and much more feel good.
with all that out of the way, thank you for reading.
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Chapter 1
[Next]
The air in the room was as stifling as a sauna from the stress and anxiety filling the air.  It was so silent, the tiles surrounding the small area blocking any and all noise from outside.  The door was closed, caging you in.
You were sitting on the toilet lid, your hands rapidly perspiring and your whole body shivering with nerves.  Across from you, your husband had his arms crossed, his head hung low, his heel bouncing off the floor.  The tension was unlike anything you had ever experienced, however this had unfortunately become the norm for the past six months.
On the side of the sink sat a long white stick.  Neither of you wanted to look at it.
“Do you think it’s ready now…?” you asked, inwardly cringing at how pathetic and weak your wobbly voice sounded.
Law picked his head up, his golden eyes creased in profound concern and worry.  “It should be.  Five minutes, right?”
“I think so,” you replied.  With a trembling hand, you grabbed the stick from the counter.  Law watched your every movement with a close eye.  With a deep breath, you flipped over the test and gazed at the result window.
A single red line.
After the last failed attempt, you made a joke that you didn’t have any more tears left in you to cry, but clearly that wasn’t the case as fat, salty tears rapidly welled in your eyes and flowed down your cheeks.  Law immediately knew what the result was the second your lips twitched downward.  His heart sank into his stomach, immediately stepping toward you, grabbing the test from your hand and blindly chucking it into the small garbage can in the corner.  He knelt on the floor in front of you to pull you into his chest.
“Damn it…” you whimpered.  Your body forced you to take a shuddering inhale before sobbing an anguished, “FUCK!!!!”
Law’s heart broke.  He didn’t even know what to say to comfort you anymore.  6 months of failed attempts at conceiving a very wanted baby had caused nothing but pain to both of you.  You had both been scientific about the process.  All birth control and protection was ceased, and the two of you were religiously tracking your cycle to make sure you would try during your ovulation window, but nothing but failure after failure showed up.
You thought you were broken.
Law thought he was broken.
You wept into his shoulder, your body shuddering with each pained sob that crawled from your sore throat.  Law’s hands were frozen around you, firmly gripping your back.  You couldn’t see the tears that were forming in the corners of his stern eyes, biting his lip and forcing every muscle in his face to prevent those tears from slipping downward.  The last thing you needed was to see him cry, but he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to hold it in.
“Law…” you whimpered into his shoulder.
Law stayed silent.
“I’m sorry–”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” he quickly retorted, cutting you off.  He felt you lurch in his arms.  “This isn’t your fault.  It’s not anyone’s fault… it’s…”
Now you stayed silent.
Law took his own shallow inhale.  “I… don’t know.”
For one of the only times in Law’s life, he was rendered completely incapable of speech.  Normally calm and analytical, looking for every possible solution or reason for an issue, he was now left completely helpless to the crashing waves of sheer dejection.  As your quivering body clung to him like a lifeline, his entire brain was scrambling for some sense, any logical thought, for the current predicament, but it was starting to become glaringly obvious to both of you.
It was very likely one of you was infertile.
When you finally picked your head up from his shoulder, Law’s previously broken heart fractured into even more irreparable pieces.
Your eyes were puffy, swollen and bloodshot from your tears.  Your entire face looked bloated from the force of your crying, and you were clearly flushed.  You looked, for lack of a better word, completely miserable.  Law helped you stand from the closed toilet seat, keeping your eyes away from the trash can where the negative pregnancy test lay on top of discarded tissues and makeup wipes, to guide you to your shared bedroom.  Neither of you had to say a word, you knew he was going to put you into your shared bed and let you get some much-deserved rest after the stressful eternity (10 minutes) you had just endured.  It was almost 8:00PM anyway, and regrettably, both of you still had work the following day.
You didn’t fight it when Law eased you down onto the mattress by your shoulders.  You kept your eyes pinned closed, not wanting to let your husband see any more of your beaten state.  You rolled over onto your side and hid in your pillows.  You didn’t hear Law mention that he would join you after cleaning up, and you didn’t notice the overhead light dimming.  You simply begged for sleep to take you quickly and painlessly.
When Law finally returned after washing his face, he gazed dejectedly at your weary form.  Finally asleep, fortunately, but your cheeks were glossy with fresh tears.  The man carefully crawled into bed behind you, carefully pulling your body into his.  He wished more than anything that he could make your pain go away.  He ran through the many years you had been together, and struggled to find a time where your sorrow was as profound as it was this evening.  His mind was constantly at war- his analytical, doctor side beginning to list specific reasons why this could be happening, and his sincere, passionate, loving husband side breaking apart reflecting over the sound of your sobs.
It could have been either of you.  But it also could’ve been both of you.  The thought was enough to finally force the tears in Law’s eyes to break free and travel down his cheeks.  Some of them plotted into your hair.
You awoke to the sound of whispering in your hallway outside the bedroom.  The blinds covering the window above the bed you shared with Law were pulled shut, but the sunlight still beamed through them leaving patterns on the walls and floor.  The side Law slept on was empty and freshly made.  No surprise, he left for work early in the morning after all.  You slowly sat up in bed, your head pounding.  The events of the previous evening came rushing back to you, but you felt nothing but an empty melancholy, a dark fog that hung over your brain and clouded your vision.
The door to your bedroom slowly opened.  You looked up just in time to see a very large, very fluffy cloud with four legs and two beady eyes come sprinting into your room.  Its feet ripped across the carpeted floor as It hopped on your bed with a loud huff, immediately snuggling on top of your duvet and leaning into your body for some much needed cuddles.
You mustered a weary laugh, your hands instinctively moving to the back of the dog’s neck to rub his fluffy cheeks from behind, eliciting happy grunts from the large animal.  He had his tongue out, a tiny pink blep among the sea of rich white fur.
“Bepo,” you sighed.  “You know Law doesn’t like it when you get on the bed.”
“He missed you!” called a voice from the hallway.  Spiky red hair appeared in the doorway.  “So did we, actually.  I hope I didn’t wake you up.”
Shachi had, actually, woken you up, but you didn’t need to tell him that.  “No, not at all.”  You shook your head.  Bepo’s tail was wagging in your face, causing you to sputter out small strands of loose fur from your mouth.  The red-head entered your bedroom, leaving the door open.  The smell of French toast instantly wafted into the space, making your mouth water and your eyes widen.  “Is Penguin cooking?”
“Yee-up,” Shachi replied, popping his lips to enunciate the word.  “Law invited us over, if you couldn’t tell.”  He flashed a smirk.  “You got the day off, by the way.”
Your eyebrows wrinkled in confusion.  “What?”
“Law called in sick for you,” the man confirmed.
You frantically reached for the night stand and grabbed your phone, tapping the screen to illuminate it.  It was almost 10:00AM, and sure enough, your alarm had been turned off.  Three texts from Law sat waiting on your screen, as well as two texts from your coworkers.
Baby~~<3
Sorry, I broke into your phone to turn your alarm off.  You get to sleep in today, I called you out sick.  I didn’t tell them anything, just that you weren’t feeling good.
Baby~~<3
Shachi and Penguin might be there when you wake up.  I did tell them a little about what happened, just so they know to give you space if you need it.
Baby~~<3
Call me if you need anything at all, I love you.
Ika-chan
I heard you called in sick today!!!  I hope you’re alright, let me know if you need anything!
Nami Swan
How r u feeling?  If u caut the flu u can blame Usopp :P
You smiled, your heart beating in your chest.  “You guys are too much sometimes.”
Shachi proudly rested his clenched fist over his sternum as a display of pride.  “Nothing is ever enough for your best friend!”  The sight made you chuckle.  
You were caught off guard by Penguin entering with a much larger platter of food than you ever expected.  He excitedly approached your bedside with a wide grin, marveling at his own work.  A bowl of mixed fruits, a plate of French toast drizzled with maple syrup and dollopped with a swirl of whipped cream, a small portion of sausage on the side, and a single unopened bottle of apple juice.  You graciously accepted the spread, but you’d be lying if you said you weren’t completely befuddled.
“You guys know I’m not actually sick, right?” you asked, glancing at your husband’s best friends with concern.  You shooed Bepo away from getting too close to the sausage.
“We know,” Penguin clarified.  “We can treat you to a nice breakfast even when you’re not sick, though!”
You smiled, forcing down the lump that formed in your throat.  “Thank you guys, I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“I know what you’d do,” Shachi stated.  “You’d eat your breakfast and savor every bite!”  He stood up from your bed and clapped his hands twice, beckoning Bepo off of the bed and over to his side.  “We’ll take Bepo for a walk around the neighborhood!  Take some time for yourself!”  The two men left with your dog in tow, leaving you to stare in awe at the spread of food.
Your mind was reeling.  Law’s text informed you that he had given his two friends a brief summary of what had happened, but you didn’t really mind.  If anything, it brought you some comfort to know that you and your husband’s two closest friends understood the predicament you were currently in and were more than willing to go out of their way to support you.  You also couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Law calling you out sick for the day, putting your passcode into your phone to turn off your alarm, and making sure his friends would be there for you when you woke up.  You were beyond grateful for such an incredible support system, but just to be on the safe side…
You grabbed your phone once more, opening your text messages with Law.
Good morning baby, thank you for calling me out.  Im feeling a bit better, Shachi and Penguin made me breakfast.  I hope you didnt give them too much grief ;3; Take care of yourself today, I’ll see you when you get home.  I love you!!! <333
With your breakfast completed, you slowly trudged to the bathroom to take a relaxing shower.  The sight of your negative pregnancy test filled you with nausea, but you pushed past the feeling and turned on the water.
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rustingcat · 1 year ago
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Spookycorp
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Lena sighed, picking up the toy train from the floor. She must've told them to pick it a hundred times already, not that she was deluding herself that any of them would listen to her today, no, they were far too excited to be doing that. She shook her head and cleared the rest of the scattered toys on the floor, and reached her work table. She had a last minute file she had to send before she could be free for the day.
"Muuuuuuum!" The shout from the hall got closer by the second. "Mum look!"
Lena turned her head to see her six years old son wearing an elaborate pirate costume, holding their new puppy up in the air.
"Mum, look at Krypto!" He said, biting his lip in excitement, practically vibrating from joy.
The dog had colourful cloth wings tied around his neck and a little hoodie with a beak and painted eyes.
"He's a parrot?" She tried.
Connor nodded enthusiastically. "Jeju dressed him!"
"Very cute. Then you were free to clean up the toys I told you to collect?" She raised an accusing eyebrow.
"Uhhh…" He started, but was cut off by his sister who quickly appeared on his left.
"Mum, you're not ready!" Lori pointed at her mother with her little hand. She was dressed in a pirate costume as well. It was their family costume after all.
Lena smiled. She knew full well her daughter tried to distract her in order to help her twin, but it was a rather exciting day so she could let them go this once. "I'll be ready in a moment, there's still some time. Go help your Jeju with setting everything for our guests. They should be here soon."
"Okay!" They shouted in unison and disappeared from her view before she could say anything else.
Lena let out a small chuckle and finished her work. She turned to leave the room when she noticed the crooked picture on the wall and stopped to fix it. It was a picture from their wedding day both smiling as they stood under the chuppah dressed in white Kryptonian dresses, Lena's dress had a small handkerchief tied to hers with a small embroidered shamrock. An Irish tradition she thought was beautiful. They decided to make a multicultural wedding, they exchanged Kryptonian wedding bracelets they specially made themselves, along with rings. J'onn, who acted as the pastor, married them, and they both broke the glass together. The kids were there as well, laughing and dancing with joy and delight.
Lena smiled at the memory, and continued to their bedroom. The costume wasn't too complicated to put on, an important aspect she insisted on after the year they all dressed up as astronauts. Getting in and out of that costume was a nightmare, not to mention the kids were three at the time. Lena put on her captain hat and went to join her family in the living room.
"How Rrrr you my beautiful wife?" Kara asked her in a very exaggerated pirate accent. The twins giggled at the attempt.
"I'm fine, darling," she said with a smile as she walked closer to her. "How Rrrr you?" Lena smirked, side-eying the kids who started laughing at her poor pirate accent. She tried to keep a passive expression, that was made harder with their children's laughter and her wife's growing smile. Lena went to kiss her on the cheek when her captain's hat bumped into Kara's. After a long family discussion that involved more arguments than necessary, it was decided that both Lena and Kara would be the captains of the ship, and as captains it was very important that they wear the hats.
Read the rest of the chapter on AO3
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seongwars · 2 months ago
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beware the full moon! | drabble series
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Pairing: Song Mingi x werewolf!Reader AU: non-idol | martial arts | arranged marriage Genre: fluff, humor Summary: You never though your life would be like this: stuck in a century long feud, an arranged marriage to the son of your family's sworn rival--and on top of it all, your own curse of turning into a werewolf every full moon! Word Count: 745 Warnings: none, probably just descriptions of werewolf transformation shenanigans
a/n: after watching a bunch of Halloween movies and the Ranma 1/2 reboot this drabble series was born. but seriously I need to finish chapter 6 of fmn and chapter xiii of awtw
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Life wasn’t always this complicated. For years, your family’s dojo thrived peacefully, teaching martial arts to eager locals, hosting small community events, and occasionally winning a regional tournament or two. Life was simple, and business was steady. But for as long as you can remember, there’s been one constant cloud hanging over your family’s otherwise calm existence: the Song family.
No one really knows how or why the feud started. Your parents had vague stories passed down from their parents, stories that range from comical to downright absurd. Generations of pettiness and one upping each other have turned the feud into an all out soap opera. The Song’s would claim victory at one tournament, only for your family to show up at the next with twice the energy, determined to outshine them. It’s a never-ending cycle of sabotage, tournaments, and petty gestures of supremacy, each dojo determined to prove they’re the superior martial arts school.
It wasn’t always like this. According to family lore, your great-grandfather and Mingi’s great-grandfather were once close friends, back before all the rivalry nonsense began. One summer, they went on a fishing trip together, and things took a wild turn when Mingi’s great-grandfather fell out of the boat and nearly drowned when trying to reel in a giant fish. Your great-grandfather pulled him out of the water and saved his life.
In the heat of the moment, Mingi’s great-grandfather declared that he owed your family a debt he could never repay. In the kind of dramatic, over-the-top way only old men can manage, he promised that one of his descendants would marry one of your grandfather’s.
Now, here you are, stuck in the middle of this century-long saga, facing the ultimate twist: You’ve been arranged to marry Song Mingi, the clumsy, slightly awkward, and overenthusiastic heir—a misguided attempt at peace due to a pact made on a fishing trip.
"It's like Romeo and Juliet but with worse sword skills," your cousin Jongho muttered under his breath, observing Mingi in all his 6-foot-something clumsiness as he failed to gracefully spar with your brother, Hongjoong.
You rolled your eyes just in time to see Mingi trip over his own feet, narrowly dodging Hongjoong’s wooden katana as it whooshed past him. He stumbled forward, arms flailing, and miraculously caught his balance before crashing face-first into the floor. 
You groaned, pressing your fingers to your temples. "I can’t believe my parents put me up to this."
Jongho smirked, nudging you with his elbow. “Look on the bright side. He’s...tall.”
“Yeah, and that’s about all he’s got going for him,” you shot back sarcastically as Mingi attempted to land a strike but ended up accidentally whacking his own shin.
To make matters worse, there’s the whole werewolf thing—a curse you never asked for and definitely didn’t see coming. 
When you were about six, visiting your grandparents in the mountains, you spotted an adorable wolf pup wandering around. Naturally, you wanted to return it to its mother—after all, who wouldn’t? It was tiny and cute, and you couldn’t bear the thought of the baby lost in the wild.
But as it turned out, that little pup belonged to a revered pack of mountain wolves, considered deities by the locals. And after it playfully nipped you, the curse passed on. Now, every full moon, you transformed into a giant, fluffy, wolf with little to no control over your impulses. That urge to howl? It kicks in at the most inconvenient moments, like when your parents are trying to sleep. The urge to dig into the yard? There’s no need for landscapers anymore. 
Your family has mostly accepted this strange new reality. They’ve gotten into a routine of boarding up the windows and locking away anything chewable once a month. Your brother even started stockpiling raw steaks to appease you in wolf form, while your cousins Jongho and San built an agility course in the yard just to keep you occupied. It’s chaotic, sure, but manageable.
But Mingi? He has no idea. 
While you’re busy stressing about how to keep your werewolf transformation under wraps, your fiance is happily bumbling through life, completely unaware of the full moon and the curse waiting in its wings. 
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little-diable · 11 months ago
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A complicated man – Professor Aaron Hotchner (Profiling 101 Series, Part 5/?)
Chapter five, here we go! Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated. Enjoy my loves. xxx
Summary: The reader enrolls in professor Hotchner's class "Profiling 101", a man she has always looked up to, a man who treats her like an asshole from day one. Will her need for academic validation manage to push the two closer together? Will her bright mind push her into the world of Aaron Hotchner and the BAU team? Will he manage to keep his distance before the world he tries to protect her from can get its grasp on her?
Warnings: 18+, some heated making out, Aaron is a big asshole in this, mentions some typical CM violence
Pairing: Professor!Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader (2.3k words)
Profiling 101 Series Masterlist
Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Six
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“Yes, Emily, I am on my way. I promised you I’ll show up, didn’t I?” A tired sigh left (y/n) as she watched the houses and streets blurr by, being driven to the BAU. Her heart was aching, mind racing, still hooked onto her last conversation with Aar- Professor Hotchner.
She wasn’t proud to admit that she had cried through most parts of that night, cursing herself, but mostly cursing the older man. Deep down she had expected the situation to go south, very well aware of his stoic self and the lines both had crossed.
And yet a small, pathetic part of herself had believed that everything would work out, that he’d want her as much as she wanted him. Fuck, how foolish she had been, how naive she had been, all because of a man who was almost twice her age. A man who should be more mature than how the professor was acting at the moment. 
Emily had called her a few days later, quietly begging (y/n) to find her way to the BAU, since JJ was sick and they were desperate for any help they could get. It hadn’t taken much convincing, even though (y/n) couldn’t help but wonder how crossing paths with him would play out. 
The brown haired agent was waiting for (y/n) to arrive, smiling at the young woman with a visitor’s badge already in her hand. Both shared a bit of small talk as they made their way upstairs, momentarily managing to distract (y/n) from her nervousness. But the second they stepped into the office, (y/n)’s blood ran cold, eyes instantly drawn to Aaron Hotchner’s dark ones.
An expression of confusion, annoyance, and anger crossed his features, instantly forcing the young woman to slow down the speed of her steps. Of course Emily hadn’t told the others about her plan, a fact (y/n) shouldn’t have been surprised about, and yet her insides didn’t stop churning. 
“(Y/n)! It’s so good to see you.” Penelope was the first to break the few awkward seconds of silence, pulling the young woman into her grasp as Derek and Spencer also stepped closer. She tried to stop her eyes from searching his as her professor growled a loud “Prentiss, a word please”, but the second he had turned away, her eyes had snapped towards his frame once again.
“We missed you, sweetheart, you’re just the woman we need on this case.” Derek’s sweet words managed to make a smile tug on (y/n)’s lips, a smile that grew even bigger as Spencer quickly hugged her, and as Rossi squeezed her shoulder. But there was no time left to exchange any further pleasantries, falling quiet as the two others stepped back into the room. 
“Alright, let’s focus on our case. Reid and Morgan, I need you to go back to the crime scenes, go through the events that have happened, maybe we missed something. Rossi and I will talk to the people who worked at the slaughterhouse. Prentiss and (y/n) talk to the families again, dig deeper with Garcia's help."
……
“Why didn’t you tell him?” (Y/n)’s voice filled the car, fingers wrapped around her hot drink as Emily drove them back to the BAU. With a sigh leaving the agent she let her eyes flicker towards (y/n), taking in the sad expression the young woman couldn’t shake off.
“Listen, I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but he knows that we need you, we shouldn’t let go of this chance to have you on the team. But I knew he’d be too stubborn.” A laugh left the both in unison, momentarily taking some weight off (y/n)’s shoulders. “Do you want to tell me what went down between you two?”
“You can’t tell this to anybody, I need you to promise.” A hum left Emily, wordlessly promising that she wouldn’t spill (y/n)’s secret. “We, uhm, that night where we went to that bar and he picked me up, I stayed at his place. The next morning we did some things, but then he was called back to the BAU, and it was as if the switch had been flicked, he was such an asshole to me. Fuck, I’ve been crushing on him for so long and was so happy that something had finally happened, but now - I don’t know, Emily.”
It took the older agent a few moments to ponder over (y/n)’s words, letting the story sink in before she shared her perspective on Aaron’s behaviour. 
“He’s been hurt a lot in the past years, I can’t tell you what goes on inside his head, but I think he’s scared. He is clearly into you, we can all tell, but he’s your professor too, and probably your future boss. Aaron is very compliant to rules, I’d say he’s currently fighting some inner battle.”
(Y/n) didn’t know what to do with Emily’s insight, didn’t know how to accept the truth the woman had just shared. Her heart was pounding, and yet it was weighed down by what had happened, unable to shake off the worries clouding her mind. Aaron Hotchner had her trapped, perhaps without fully realising what he was doing to her with the way he kept behaving.
……
“Let’s recap what we got so far.” Aaron's voice boomed through the room, drawing all eyes to his tall frame. With one hand he smoothed his tie, eyes focusing on the picture he was holding, avoiding (y/n)’s eyes at every cost. “We know that our unsub stabbed our victim in the slaughterhouse, but the victim tried to escape, making it about a block before our unsub stabbed him again and finally killed the man. His stomach was cut open and he was beheaded, the head was left at another man’s house. Prentiss, (y/n), anything you can tell us?”
Emily’s eyes met (y/n)’s, wordlessly encouraging the young woman to speak up, leaving her to clear her throat before she took over, “Nothing we weren’t already aware of, but to me it seems like this was about a love interest that connects our victim to our unsub.”
“We first need to rule out other options before we take that route.” It felt as if Aaron’s words cut through her skin, almost forcing bile to rise in (y/n)’s throat. His eyes were cold, now staring at her as if she was their unsub, interrogated by every single member of the team.
“But why? If I remember correctly you didn’t deny my theory the last time you presented this case in class, what changed?” The unfamiliar undertone of her voice even managed to surprise (y/n) herself, not used to hearing herself speaking this coldly, challenging the man. She was too focused on him to pay attention to the others, not feeling their curious eyes on her, wondering how this would play out. 
“If I were you I’d watch my tone, (y/n), you’re not part of this team, and if you keep on behaving like this, you’ll never be. Either accept my decisions or leave, I certainly won’t stop you from doing so, you’d all do us a favour.” A silent gasp ripped through (y/n), followed by the sound of David Rossi warningly murmuring Aaron’s name. For a second neither of them moved, till (y/n) pushed her chair back, rising to her feet with a trembling “Excuse me” leaving her. They watched her leave the room, back turned to them as she moved towards the bathroom.
(Y/n) had to blink her tears away, not wanting to give Aaron the satisfaction of crying over his hurtful words. A few deep exhales left her as she stepped into the bathroom, both hands placed down on the cold sink, trying to calm herself. She couldn’t tell what she was feeling, torn between anger, embarrassment, and heartbreak, hearing him speak to her like that had felt like daggers being pierced into her heart, tearing her last strings of hope. 
“(Y/n)?” Her eyes snapped up towards the mirror, finding Aaron’s frowning features. Without speaking another word, he stepped into the small bathroom, locking the door behind himself. She watched him approach, only turning towards him as he came to a halt in front of her. (Y/n) didn’t dare move as his warm hand slowly cupped her warm cheek, didn’t dare move as a deep sigh left the tall man, eyes burning straight through hers. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, there’s nothing to be sorry for, if that’s how you feel I guess. I don’t understand you, and frankly speaking, I no longer want to. You’re too old for these childish games, professor.” His frown deepened, but he didn’t pull back, kept holding her as (y/n) rambled on. “You played me, but hey, I guess you got what you wanted, huh? It was easy, too easy, but you should know that breaking my heart-” 
She didn’t get to speak another word, shut up by his lips finding hers, silencing the young woman with a heated kiss. Almost instantly her hands found his dark hair, tugging on the roots to pull him even closer. (Y/n) melted against him, eyes fluttering close to relish in the feeling his touch elicited. 
With a gasp leaving her, (y/n) found herself pressed against the sink, small of her back coming in contact with the cold metal. The sounds he drew from her left the man smirking, tongue fighting hers to once again prove the power he held over her. She was his puppet, allowing him to toy with her how he pleased, pushing and pulling her around without caring about what he was doing to her – at least that’s what he wanted her to believe, not speaking on his true feelings. 
“Fuck, Aaron.” His name slipped from her lips as he kissed his way down her throat, hands finding her behind, squeezing the soft flesh. Both were panting, riled up by the still somewhat unfamiliar touches. And yet neither of them wanted to escape this very moment, finding comfort in the racing beats of their hearts, in the heavy breaths leaving one another. 
“I wish I could understand what you’re making me feel, but I can’t.” He kissed her once again, urgency dripped from his words, making her toes curl in excitement. But (y/n)’s mind was still hooked onto his words, wondering what he meant by them, ripping her out of her blissful state. Slowly she parted from him, hands placed on his chest, forcing them to give into the once again growing distance.
Aaron’s lips were just as swollen as hers, pupils dilated with lust swimming in them, but the glance she threw at him seemed to prepare him for the words that were about to roll off her tongue. With a sigh clawing through him, Aaron let go of (y/n), taking another step away from her.
“I don’t get you, I don’t get what you are trying to do, what you want me to do. You need to figure that out before you toss me around like that again. Do us both a favour and come clean with your feelings. Till then I’ll step away from this case, and the team. I can’t be around you, if you keep acting like that.” Wordlessly he watched her leave, not throwing one glance back at the heavily sighing man. 
……
The sound of her keys being tossed to the small side table placed near her door echoed through (y/n)’s dark apartment. Her heart was heavy, shoulders slouched, clearly projecting the emotional chaos she was fighting against. Deep down she had hoped that he’d stop her from leaving, coming clean with his feelings right there and then, but she knew him better than that, all too aware of the struggles he was fighting against.
She didn’t bother to light her apartment, glassy eyes unable to focus on anything as she poured herself a glass of water, drowning the sips one by one. Exhaustion clung to her, body tormented by the battle she kept fighting, hoping that she’d eventually get out of this very mess. 
A groan ripped through (y/n) as she pressed her forehead against her kitchen counter, palms pressed flat against the cold surface. Fuck, she’d do whatever she could to get rid of her longing for Aaron Hotchner, the man who had claimed her heart all these years ago. Nothing would manage to break the spell, chaining her to him as if she was the Titanic itself, sinking to the dark ocean ground without any help coming her way. 
Her exhausted body carried (y/n) to her bedroom, plopping down on the mattress the second her phone beeped, gaining her attention. (Y/n) reached for it with another yawn clawing its way through her throat, a sound that got stuck in her throat the second her eyes focused on the message that had been sent to her, from an unfamiliar number. 
It took (y/n) a few seconds to take in the picture that had been sent to her, some blurry screenshot that pictured a kissing couple. A gasp left (y/n) as her mind finally realised that it was a picture of her and Aaron, lips locked in the bathroom at the BAU. Attached to the picture was a short message, words that left the young woman shuddering. 
“You’re mine, you belong to me, (y/n). Now you’ll have to pay for betraying me with him.”
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nthspecialll · 5 months ago
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Bill Williamson "being an asshole"
I hear quite a lot of people saying that they do not like Bill because he is an asshole but I actually don't think it is that true. Some of the points I am gonna run through are going to be shortened but I will link to longer explanations.
Let's drop directly into the one I hear the most "Bill is responsible for Sean's death," yes and no, but mostly no. A lot of people use the argument "how could Bill not see it was a trap?" however I think we forget it wasn't just him who couldn't. Micah, Bill, heck even Dutch could not see it, it is also mentioned around Lenny and Karen while they ride to Valentine, and they don't mention a problem with it either, actually, the only two characters who shows any concern are Sean and Arthur and yet they both go along with it anyways because they think they can handle it.
Quite a lot of times we see characters going on risky jobs even though it might not turn out well, including Arthur and Hosea going to the Braithewaite manor, which was literally turning up two people to a massive family with something they stole from them, but they do it anyways because they think they can handle it, and for the majority of the time they can. A job going wrong, a risky job, going wrong is not new, but as Bill points out "when you mess up it is just one of those things, but when I do it I am an idiot."
One of the many reasons why Bill is being called an idiot by many is because of the dynamite in chapter one that didn't go off, but a surprising amount of people forget that !!Arthur!! set that charge and even admit it! It is even stated other places that Bill is an explosives expert, now imagine some amature comes along, asks if you want help, you give them a simple task, they mess it up and now everyone blames you for the one thing they previously respected you for.
There are a lot of the others reason why he is being called an idiot in camp, but it is more complicated.
Bill is very eager to please, and that is not anyone, but Dutch, Bill owes Dutch everything. Bill got thrown out of the army for being homosexual and lost himself completely, completely lost faith in himself, completely lost confidence in himself, became the man he said he would never become, but Dutch saved him, pulled him out of that hole and gave him everything, just like Dutch gave Javier or Lenny everything they could dream of.
That said, Dutch does not replicate, he likes Bill, he trusts Bill, but he doesn't value Bill half as much as some of the others which weighs Bill down quite a lot. Bill also works hard for the gang, being of the gang members present at most jobs, six-point cabin, Valentine bank robbery, coach robbing, security job and so forth, he mentions it himself, while Arthur is out, so is he. He most likely does just as much coach robbing and stealing as we do.
The difference between Arthur and Bill though is that while they work about as much, Bill does not get the same recognition from the others, especially Dutch, whom he worships, this leads to a lot of jealousy and a feeling of unjustness. This is displayed as fustrated anger and snarking comments as well as the "when you mess up it is just one of those things, but when I do it I am an idiot," but also more visibly when he drunkenly speaks to John and says "everyone thinks you are Dutch's pet" - "or at least I do." He is jealous that those two have such a long leash and no consequences, yet a small mistake from him and he will never hear the end of it.
For seven entire years Bill tried to please Dutch but was only ever made fun of.
In chapter four if you meet Sonny (if you don't know who that is, be glad) Bill will come up and say "he seemed to know all about you!" a lot of people see this as Bill making fun of Arthur's sa, but taking in historical context and the dynamic between Bill and Arthur, that does not make sense, rather it sounds like Bill thinks Arthur had a consensual homosexual hookup and Bill sees a chance to bully Arthur with the very thing Arthur bullies him for. (A link to further explanation)
Then we have one of the reasons why I am not too fond of him and that while I can explain will not excuse, his abuse of Kieran. Now we are going back to the homosexuality because while this is a progressive gang, this is not a homosexual accepting gang, they bully him quite a lot and that isolates him quite a bit. Suddenly he finds a person in camp who he likes, but he doesn't know how to approach. The fustrations of being alone, as well as the lack of "protection" Kieran has, leads to these unfortunate events of him trying to flirt and show affection but not knowing how to. (Wonderful explanation)
I also see some comments on his general racism against Lenny and Javier (which he btw only does when drunk, otherwise he knows to keep his thoughts to himself), and this is very simple to explain. Bill is a man in 1899. That is it. We sometimes forget that people in 1899 were not like Dutch, they were not like Arthur, people in 1899 were racist. Finding an Arthur would be like finding a needle in a haystack, finding a Bill would be finding a haystraw in a haystack. Does that excuse it? No, but it explains it. (Edit; I have looked deeper into Bill's racism and realised it is not this easy, link to explaination here)
A Reddit post called "why I hate Bill Willimason" that I am using right now also mentions how he didn't get any leads at the majors party "because he is a massive idiot and struggles to fit in or get anyone to continue talking to him. Why on Earth was he even brought along to this event?" Because he wanted to, because he wanted to impress Dutch. Again, Bill feels in debt to Dutch, he looks up to Dutch and to some degree Hosea as well. Most likely it was only meant to be Dutch, Hosea and Arthur who went to the ball, but Bill valuneteered as well.
We hear how excited Sean is about going out with Charles, Arthur and John, saying "me and the big cheeses, love it!" This was most likely Bill's "big cheeses," he is used to going on jobs with Charles and John, but Dutch and Hosea? The important ones? That is special to him and he wanted to prove that he could do something, that he was worth something but he failed, why? Because he is not used to people, because he struggles fitting in, when you follow him around at the party you can hear him awkwardly trying to start a convosation but people judge him and ignore him. He is trying but the others are rejecting him.
I have also found this lovely sentence in the post: "Him not giving a damn about Lenny's death and never actually addressing it in the entire game reflects what a piece of trash he is." Bill Williamson grew up as a boy in the 1800, he was taught from childhood that showing emotion means he is weak, something physically beat into him in the military, and the fact that he is gay makes it even worse. Bill being gay, something seen as weak, makes him try to make up for it, he is not going to show a lot of emotion. It is not just Lenny who's death he doesn't comment on, and it is exactly because of this.
Then the redditor goes on to compare Micah and Bill and how they are both terrible but comes with this sentence: "The difference between them is that Bill is supposed to be one of the senior and more trusted gang members." But the thing this lovely person fails to acknowledge is that Bill is not given that seniority, he sleeps together with Lenny who says he "sleeps with the juniours" (even though he sleeps with Hosea? But point either way), Dutch mocks him by saying "yeah what about you Bill?" None of the other takes him seriously and he is talked down to.
Lastly there is the whole he sided with Dutch and he acused John of being the rat. Yeah, he sided with Dutch because Dutch is a god to him, Dutch is his savior, his everything and Bill trusts him, the idea of John being the rat itself was Dutch's idea that Bill just adopted. Now that said, he not completely blinded as some might think, as soon as the Pinkerton's show up in the end Javier and Bill are gone. You can use the camera to search all around camp and while Micah, Joe, Cleet and Dutch are very easy to find, Javier and Bill are not, you cannot find them. Most likely they ran away as soon as it started because they knew that the revenge was stupid and pointless and saw their own surivial more important, not to mention the clear, at least, annoyance that Bill has with Dutch in rdr1.
I am not going to go into talk about rdr1 because there he is a proper asshole, but rdr2 Bill is very defendable and I really dislike people just slapping the label "asshole" on him and calling it a day without looking deeper into who he is and why he does what he does.
Another not so fun fact, Bill's father was an alcoholist who lost his mind due to it, Bill hated it, hated all of it and his biggest fear was ending up like him... I don't think Bill ever liked himself for drinking.
(This is not a defending post and you can absolutely hate Bill if you want, this is an EXPLAINING post to make people understand him and his choices better)
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