#Covert Love Chapter 12 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

the-mandawhor1an · 2 months ago

Text

The essence of life

Chapter 12 – Guided by the stars, connected by the force

Masterlist

⇐ Previous chapter | Next chapter ⇒

Chapter summary: After the semi-success on Glavis and Din’s exclusion from his covert, Maia offered to fly them to Tatooine. Perhaps Peli can help them find what to do next. Or they would just take a small vacation and continue working on their relationship.

Warnings: 18+ MDNI! not that much to tag this time around tbh; lots of touching in this chapter; fluff; body image issues; consumption of alcohol; feelings; two idiots in love; a lil body worship; short mention of captivity; short mention of Din's past as a mercenary;

Words: 13.8k

A/N: Well well well if it isn’t yet another way too long chapter (I swear I try to keep myself short but the two just … yap and do too many things!)

also peep the art I commissioned from @kenobiwanx last year. We finally get to find out why Maia wears a dress!

Their travel had been relatively quiet. Din received the space he needed to work through all of his emotions, and Maia maneuvered them back to Tatooine. It wasn’t that the brunette had locked him out, the comm channel had ben up all flight in case he wanted to talk after all, but she respected his privacy. This would be one of the few instances he would have to himself if they stayed together now. He probably rested back there, exhausted from the hunt, the training and whatever else he had been up to back at the covert. Maia nibbled on a nutri-bar on the way to the sand planet, more out of boredom than actual hunger. Ever since she had put on muscle, her hunger had become a little more noticeable – and it fact a little annoying.

Their entry into the atmosphere was a little shaky, she wasn’t the best pilot out there, but she didn’t do it on purpose. At least Din would know they were about to land. Mos Eisley was visible from relatively high up, now even more so, as there was suddenly a lot of blue that reflected back from the surface. Something was going on in the city and they would find out what it was soon enough. Perhaps this would be the perfect opportunity to detox from their incessant adventures. Perhaps they could continue what they had started on Glavis.

As soon as Maia had activated the automatic landing aid, a familiar voice shrieked at her via the radio. »Hey, this isn’t public parking, find another damn hangar!« Wow. Din would for sure be awake now. »Too bad,« Maia hummed, a big grin on her lips that was audible in her voice. »I have a bunch of Mandalorian steel with me that reaaally missed you.« There was silence on the other end for a moment. »Now wait a damn second, Maia? Could’ve told me it was you right away. Come on down, you’re just in time.«

In time for what, exactly?

They made it out of the starfighter and Peli’s droids swarmed the ship. »Mando! Glad to see you’re back, and reunited with your charming little friend, none the less.« The mechanic placed both hands over her heart. »It broke my heart when I saw you had split up, but I’m glad you rekindled. Why did you separate in the first place? And where is the green guy?« She bombarded them with questions, looking around to see Grogu somewhere. »He’s with his kind,« Din explained. Maia turned her head to her partner and gave him an apologetic look. »There’s more than one of these cute little things?« Peli completely misunderstood, but then again, had she even realized Grogu was force-sensitive? Din clarified »no, I mean he is with a Jedi.«

Maia took a step closer to Din and placed a hand onto his vambrace. He didn’t move, maybe he didn’t want her to display her affection when they weren’t alone. Peli got the memo regardless and changed the topic. »So, what brings you two here?« The brunette still had her eyes glued to Din, but she looked over to the mechanic to reply, shrugging. »Nothing,« she responded, unsure if Din wanted anyone to know what their actual business was. »We’ve been through quite a lot and to be honest, I’d appreciate to have some peace and quiet for a few days.« Din was free to agree or not. »Well, peace and quiet will be hard to come by with the festival starting soon. I doubt you consider fireworks to be quiet.«

»There’s a festival?« Maia asked. She had seen the blue and turquoise tarps all over the city, it made sense that they had just accidentally made it here for a festival. »Yes, the annual Harvest Festival of the moisture farms.« Peli stared into an empty face and a similarly expressionless helmet visor. »Come on, it’s almost as popular as Boonta Eve! You can’t tell me you’ve never heard of it.« Maybe it was popular on Tatooine, but Maia had never even heard of any kind of holiday apart from Empire Day, which they had celebrated in the facility. She felt a little bad about being so clueless. Did Din know? »I’ve never even seen fireworks,« the brunette confessed. There was yet another sting in the back of her neck and when she look over to Din, the visor faced her. »If you want to, we can go there and look at the fireworks.« Her heart jumped a little. Would Din actually go to a festival with her?

»First of all, we go shopping. I might not be able to get you out of the armor without threat of violence, but Maia is a different story. She needs something else to wear, more festival appropriate, something a little prettier than…« Peli interrupted them, motioning in Maia’s direction, pointing to her black robes. The brunette scoffed and put her hands on her hips. Rude… »You can go shopping while I see if I can get a room for us. I’m sure Peli is a better help with finding something for you to wear,« Din told them while grabbing some credits for the girls to go to the bazaar. Before Maia could receive the amount from Din’s hand, Peli had stepped in and snatched the credits away. There was nothing faster than Peli Motto when it came to money, it seemed. »I doubt there will be any rooms left, but good luck. I have a mattress you can sleep on.«

Once again, the mechanic practically dragged Maia away and she looked back towards where Din stood, his gaze lingering on her; yearning. He seemed a little lost for a moment, suddenly alone with his thoughts and himself. As bad as Maia felt for leaving him, she knew it wouldn’t take long for her and Peli to return. Realistically, how long would it take for her to find a nice dress when half of the city had turned into a bazaar? Peli counted the credits and grumbled. »This is enough for an outfit but not for a pretty one. I thought he’d be willing to spend more if it was for you.«

»A dress is all I need.« Maia would only wear it this once, why would she waste money on shoes and accessories? »And a necklace,« she added after she remembered the mudhorn pendant Din sill had in one of his belt pouches. It was good she remembered it now, because now she could specifically look for dresses that had a deeper neckline so the pendant would be visible. Still she wondered if there was a deeper meaning behind wearing his clan symbol. It meant a lot to him, he had made that clear, even if his clan was now nonexistent. It made it obvious she belonged with him. His way of marking her. The thought made her cheeks heat up.

»Do you think we’ll find something before the festival starts?« she asked Peli as they were still walking through the crowds that had formed between all of the different merchants. It was a little overpowering, the people, the noise, and yes, even the smells. There were spice and food merchants sprinkled in between and the mixture of different foods reminded her a little of the aroma in the bar on Glavis. And then she remembered the scent of burnt flesh that she had to shake off of her. »We have enough time and there will be enough to choose from, don’t you worry.«

The first booth they encountered on their slow journey through the densely packed streets didn’t look too bad, but then again – also not breathtaking. Some of the dresses had the right shape that should suit Maia’s body and size, but the colors were… »hideous,« Peli shook her head as she browsed through the clothes on a rack, all of them in similar shades of brown, beige, and some leaning towards yellow. »Yellow is such an ugly color to wear when we’re surrounded by sand. This festival is about life and water and not the same three shades of beige we get to live in.« Maia shot the merchant an apologetic look, but then again, Peli was kind of right. She didn’t want to blend in with the crowd or camouflage herself against a wall. If this was her only opportunity to dress up in the foreseeable future, she wanted to go all out and be as visible as possible. She would be with a Mandalorian in a reflective armor, after all, how would it look like if he was a walking mirror and she appeared as a floating head?

They traveled to the next booth, Peli also warning Maia to keep her valuables in check. Which valuables? The Brunette only owned the clothes she wore, a ship no one could pickpocket, and the lightsabers she had left in her ship. As they reached the next merchant, Maia occupied herself with checking the dresses on the rack before her, while Peli practically dove hands first into a large pile of differents fabrics, assuming these were dresses as well. While the women were looking for something suitable, Maia thought about what the mechanic had said just earlier, about hoping Din’s spending habits were a little more generous when it came to her. »Peli?« Maia asked, using the dresses before her as a distraction to not look at the other woman. She pulled out a teal dress and held it before herself, looking down her own body. »Mh?« the mechanic replied, elbow deep in a mountain of ruffles in a weirdly neon shade of green.

Maia bit her lip, debating whether or not to actually ask. But then again, Peli was brutally honest, sometimes a little too much. If there was anyone’s opinion to be trusted, it was hers. »How did you know Mando has a thing for me?« It was a question and partially a confession. She just now realized it, sure the mechanic would register that and use it for fuel to make the two even more uncomfortable with her comments. »He thinks he’s so safe underneath that helmet. I see how he looks at you, he did ever since you showed up here with him. That bucket lingered on you longer than necessary, too long to be casual. I know how men are. I’ve been with enough to know, believe me.« Yeah I don’t doubt that, please spare me with the details. She hung the teal dress back, but she had now given the mechanic the perfect target to focus on. Her and Din’s relationship.

»How close are you two now?« Well, if Peli had registered Din’s gazes, she sure had seen how Maia looked at him now. A little uncomfortable with the topic, Maia hung the dress back and stammered with now very obviously blushed cheeks. »I guess you could say we are a couple?« The reaction was … surprisingly wholesome. »Oh? So you could get through that hard shell after all? Not that I doubted you, there was something in his posture when you were around. He laughed more too. As soon as you had left he was back to the grumpy tin can I had known him as.« Well, was that good now? It surely didn’t feel to nice to be reminded of their separation. Had her presence changed him so much in the little time they had spent together? She knew he had changed her a lot. To hear it might have been in both directions all this time, was a little reassuring, though. After their fight just the day before, it calmed her. They were together – the past didn’t matter. Even the very recent past.

»Now wait a damn minute,« Peli’s eyes lit up as she still rummaged through the piles of dresses before her. »Do you see what I see?« Maia turned to look and Peli unearthed a glittery dream from the depths of the pile of candy colors. At first it was hard to make out a color while it was still covered in multiple layers of transparent fabrics, but when Peli had pulled it out in its entirety, the brunette almost teared up. Peli held out a glittery, silverish dress, shimmering like a damn sea of stars. If Maia’s eyes weren’t betraying her, it looked to be about the same shade as Din’s armor. She took the dress by the straps and held it to her body. It seemed to be a perfect fit, both in silhouette and also in the size. There should be enough skin showing on her neckline to accommodate the pendant, too. The fabric was kind of heavy and therefore felt expensive. She took a closer look. There were thin metallic threads woven into the fabric that made the dress sparkle from afar. It didn’t feel scratchy despite the glitter either.

»I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful dress,« she confessed and inspected it a little more, while Peli scanned her up and down. »Might not be cheap but a Sarlacc can swallow me right up if Mando doesn’t get completely blown away by this. Not gonna lie, wish I could see his face when he sees you in it.« Maia’s eyes were practically glued to the dress. »Yeah, me too,« she absent-mindedly agreed, not telling the mechanic that she had seen Din’s face, and not telling her that she wanted to see his reaction unfiltered, either. »Let’s get the dress and then we can go back so you have time to get ready.« Easier said than done, the brunette thought, but Peli haggled with the merchant as if her life depended on it. Maybe it did. It seemed the mechanic was a huge fan of the young couple and Maia couldn’t help but smirk a little at the thought. At least someone approved of this relationship.

»I still need a necklace,« Maia remembered as they left the booth, a beige tote bag with the dress now hanging from her shoulder. »You have to be a little more specific. A necklace can be found at every other booth, here.« »Just a chain to attach a pendant to. I have one I want to wear.« And as Peli said, it was easy to find a simple silver chain that would hold her pendant. It was nothing expensive nor overly artistic, just a delicate chain with a small clasp closure. With that also securely packed away in a smaller bag, the women returned to the hangar, seemingly more successful than Din had been. He awaited them by Maia’s ship, his posture a little hunched over. Maybe his back was causing him discomfort after the long flight. »Let me guess, no luxury suite this time?« the brunette greeted him.

Din walked over to them and sighed. »Sorry, cyar’ika. Everything in the city is booked.« »Just how I thought,« Peli shook her head. »Oh well, I’ll get the mattress out for you. It’s not a real bed, because I will be sleeping in that, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll see if it fits my storage room so you two can have some privacy. I’m sure you’ll need that later.« Maia had to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She shouldn’t have told Peli that she and Din were a couple, because this would keep happening from now on. »Maia, you know the apartment, make yourself at home, you have to get ready.« »Looks like you were successful,« Din pointed to the bag that didn’t show any bit of the sparkling fabric inside of it. »Yes we were. Peli –« »Oh! One more thing,« Peli’s head popped out behind the doorframe that lead to the staircase to her apartment, having both Maia and Din turn their heads towards her. »I’m going to the festival too. Will probably stay for a while so if you two need a little privacy, I’ll be gone for a while.« She wiggled her nonexistent eyebrows and disappeared.

Right now, all Maia wished for was to travel back in time and keep her past self from telling Peli about her relationship as the mechanic seemed to think that these kinds of jokes were appropriate now. With red hot cheeks Maia turned back to Din and prayed that he wouldn’t ask what she had told the other woman. »What I was trying to say was that Peli negotiated the poor merchant’s head off. I suddenly have a feeling for what it must’ve felt back at the hotel when I manipulated the receptionist.« Din chuckled. She was certain there was a soft smile on his lips, she could hear it. »Go get ready, I’ll wait here.«

She stared into the black visor before her for just a second, fighting with herself whether she wanted to mention a touchy subject or to just let it go. This might be the only time she got to wear a dress and despite what had transpired on Glavis, she wanted him to see her while they were in private. She wanted to see his reaction, without the metal in between them. She knew it would probably just reopen the wound that he had suffered back on Glavis, but she wouldn’t forgive herself for not asking. »I thought you might come up there with me. In case I need your help,« she explained, taking another breath to collect her thoughts. »I want to see your reaction to the dress… without the helmet,« she finally confessed. She wanted to add that he could just say no, she would accept it, but the words got stuck in her throat. Din knew she wouldn’t force him. He tensed and she feared he would completely close off, but he nodded gently. »Alright.«

She took hold of his hand to lead him up the narrow staircase, through the kitchen and into the bathroom. In passing they witnessed Peli struggling to push a mattress into the small storage room to the left of the entrance, but the mechanic would handle this on her own hopefully. At least they would get a room for themselves… somewhat. As soon as they had reached the bathroom, Maia locked the door behind them and let the bag fall to the floor with a soft thud. Din just stood beside her, unsure what to do. His posture had changed again, helmet pointed downwards, looking at the ground rather than towards her. Only when her boots came into his field of view, the helmet rose towards her. She rested both of her hands on his shoulders and gently squeezed him. »It’s okay if you don’t want to,« she reminded him, but he leaned towards her, giving her the unmistakable sign it was fine for him.

When the helmet came off of his face, she saw how miserable he looked. The lines on his forehead seemed deeper than usual, like he had pulled faces all day. His eyes were closed, maybe he didn’t want her to see him like this. Or he didn’t want to see her reaction to his state. She gently cupped his face in her hands. He flinched upon contact, but his features softened as soon as he felt her thumbs caress his cheeks. Din must’ve felt miserable, having lost his child, his status, and also his support system – the family that had taken him in.

Her dress could wait a little longer. Din’s well-being was more important to Maia in this moment. »I’m sorry about your clan and your status,« she began. His eyes opened and she saw how blood-shot his eyes were. He was holding back tears, and it almost broke her heart. Was it the helmet? Was it still their fight? Was it her touch? »I might not have been the source or the trigger for all of this, but I still feel guilty about it. I don’t understand how they can just cast you out when there’s so little left. It doesn’t make sense to me, but this… isn’t my culture, how would I understand?« She furrowed her brows, watching as his eyes turned a little glossier. »You don’t have to feel guilty,« he softly replied, blinking a few times to get rid of the tears. »I knew what would happen if I took the helmet off and I did it of my own volition. I had hoped they would see that I had no other choice to save Grogu, but I was wrong.«

»Maybe my opinion as an outsider doesn’t matter too much, but to me you’re everything a Mandalorian should be. You are more than your armor and the Creed.« She continued moving her thumbs up and down his cheekbones in a soothing gesture, hoping it was something he could focus on. For her it helped, focusing on the sensation of his stubble on her skin rather than the tears in his eyes. She would start crying herself if she put too much thought into it. »You're strategic, you’re brave. You fight like you’ve never done anything else. I know you’re loyal and you’ll probably be until your last breath. You’re as strong as the Beskar that protects you, but you’re not cold-hearted. People that are lucky enough to get to know you know that you are caring. and gentle. and lovable.« The latter confession came as a surprise for her, as she had not realized what she was not so subtly telling him. But then again, she had told him before and he hadn’t picked up on it.

Tears welled in his eyes again and she feared she had insulted him once again, her own eyes responding by filling with tears. He rested one gloved hand on hers, leaning his face into her touch more. He closed his eyes for just a moment, savoring the sensation of her fingers on his skin. »Your opinion matters,« he let her know. »I’m honored that you think so highly of me.« There was a hint of color on his cheeks when he opened his eyes again. Gone was the sadness and grief, for just a moment, and she found the warmth in the deep brown eyes again. You have no idea how amazing you are, she thought to herself.

A rumble behind the door disrupted this precious moment that almost felt like Din was about to lean in and kiss her. She had not seen the sparkle in his eyes yet, but she had felt the gravitational pull towards his body. Peli was cussing one hallway away from them and it reminded Maia that she should get ready. »I better get dressed before Peli busts through the door to ask what is taking us so long.« She had surely registered Din coming into the bathroom too and would think the worst of her guests.

Maia walked over to the bag, taking off her boots in the process. »You’ll have to close your eyes for a bit. I don’t want you to see the dress before it’s on me.« She wouldn’t mind if he snuck a peek while she got undressed, she would feel tempted to do the same. Besides, he had seen a lot of her skin already. Taking her clothes off happened quite quickly and she managed to worm her way into the dress on her own just fine. It was like the dress was made specifically for her, molding itself against her body so she didn’t even have to worry about needing a bra underneath. With a few tugs she had wiggled the dress into place and could close the zipper. She had a first look in the mirror over Peli’s sink, and Maia was starstruck.

The dress sparkled even in the semi-shade she currently stood in. The dress was hugging her curves just right. The neckline was almost straight across, the fabric falling into subtle folds just in the middle of her cleavage, not showing too much of her chest but still just a bit. The straps fell down her shoulders and loosely hung at her upper arm. Judging by the way the fabric laid, this was intentional to have the straps off the shoulder. It was almost floor length on her, hiding her feet when she slightly bent one knee. Her waist looked tiny in this dress and all she could really say at her reflection was »wow.« Gone were the second guesses and negative thoughts she had about her body ever since she had been with Luke. She looked like a princess.

»Can I look?« Din asked, who was still in the room with Maia despite her somehow managing to forget him for a minute. She didn’t say anything because she was still stuck in awe. »I’m opening my eyes now,« he announced and looked at her. Still there was no reaction from her. She didn’t face him yet, so he got to see her profile for now. »Maia?« She finally turned around to him and there were tears in her eyes. »I’m sorry, I’ve never worn a dress as pretty as this. Or any dress, for that matter. I think I got a little stuck, I’ve never felt so beautiful.«

Din gave her a once-over and his mouth opened a little. He blinked once or twice before he regained his ability to speak. »You … are beautiful, cyar’ika. Like … ca’tra.« »What?« Another word in Mando’a? »The night sky. You sparkle like a million stars.« Din took a step closer towards her. »You’re breathtaking,« he softly told her. He gently caressed her arms and took a closer look. Now that they were face to face she could actually see just how well the fabric color matched with his Beskar. There was a moment where she felt just an inkling of sadness when he referred to her as the night sky. Somewhere deep down she remembered that her parents had referred to her as their twinkling star. It was hard to disagree with that nickname right now.

»Peli found it. It sparkled just like the armor of someone I happen to like, so I had to get it,« Maia explained, taking all of the subtle movements in his facial expression in. Din’s eyes were all over her. »It was a good choice,« he concluded when their eyes finally met. The brunette pulled his hands behind her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. She wanted some closeness and he was willing to grant her wish. His hands fell into place on her back while she could rest her hands on his chest armor. »I thought with all of the likely drunk people around I should make it obvious who I belong to. Otherwise you end up starting fights.« She leaned her head against his and sighed. Din closed his eyes and gently squeezed her torso.

»I’m not going to lie, I like the idea,« he said with a smirk, opening his eyes to look at her again. It felt so nice to lean against him, even if all she felt was the hard edges of his armor pushing into her ribs. She looked up at him. »I bought a necklace for the pendant. Would you help me with it?« »Of course, where is it?« She pointed to the same tote that had her dress inside, where remained a smaller bag with the necklace. »The closure is delicate, you might need to pull the gloves off,« she explained before his arms let go of her. His gloves were pulled off and he placed them by his helmet before he fished the thin necklace out of its bag. With it in one hand, he retrieved the mudhorn from his belt pouch and threaded the necklace through the ring at the tip of the horn.

»Turn around for me,« Din purred as he stepped back toward her. Maia’s heart dropped, but not in an uncomfortable way. How was her body so sensitive to everything he did? Rather than turning all the way back, however, she faced the mirror once more. Din stepped behind her and lifted the necklace over her head. Maia pulled her hair to the front, even if it was too short to be in the way. She got goosebumps as soon as the cold metal touched her skin, Din pulling the ends together behind her to close the tiny mechanism that would make the necklace stay on her. She watched his face, how focused he was on the task at hand. The metal was cold, but his hands were so warm whenever they accidentally touched her. It sent shivers down her spine. When the necklace was in place, Din’s fingers glided over her neck towards her shoulders, where they lingered for a moment. »Done.« He looked up into the mirror and blushed just a little when he found her watching him intently.

Maia smiled at him when his hands wandered to her waist again. It felt so natural to have him close like this, without the helmet on, hands on her all the time. With the color-coordinated outfits, it was very hard to deny that they looked absolutely cute together. »Is my tattoo visible through the fabric?« It was a concern of hers, the fabric was significantly lighter than her black robes, and judging by the transparency all of the other dresses had, she didn’t want to run around with a very obvious Empire sigil on her back. If it was in fact visible, they might have to stay here. It was too much effort to let it go to waste but she couldn’t force Din to have his hand on her back all evening. Even if the thought was tempting. His hands felt so good on her skin today. She didn’t know why, they just did.

He took a look and she saw his eyes wander further south than necessary. »It’s not visible,« he confirmed with a nod. Din took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his armor. The dress fit so well with the Beskar, despite it being far from similar in any regard besides the color. »You look amazing,« he told her again. They looked like they belonged together. She might not be in armor, but it was obvious she was his. The little mudhorn on her chest made it obvious.

»Are you ready to go?« Din asked, looking into the mirror, probably also thinking they looked absolutely gorgeous together. Maia nodded and leaned her head against his for the last time. Neither did she own any makeup, nor wanted to put any on, it would just be a waste. She walked over to his helmet and picked it up to carry it over to him. »Will I see you again later?« He laid his hands onto hers rather than taking the helmet. His thumbs caressed over her hands. »Of course.« And just when there would’ve been the perfect opportunity for them to kiss again, Peli banged on the door. »Should I be worried or impressed that you’re still in there?« the mechanic taunted through the door. Maia sighed and handed the helmet over. »I’ll keep the gloves off,« Din whispered before the helmet was back on his head, hiding his pretty face from her for the next hours. He went to unlock the door while Maia put on her boots.

»About damn time, I hope you’ve not made a mess in my bathroom,« Motto complained, looking around her room to find it suspiciously tidy besides the pile of black robes. Maia was leaned over, putting on the boots that arguably didn’t fit with the dress but she didn’t want to buy a pair of shoes she wouldn’t use after today. The dress was enough luxury. »Wow, now look at this,« the other woman whistled and Maia pushed past Din towards the mechanic. »You shouldn’t hide all of that underneath your clothes.« She would most definitely hide all of that after tonight if everyone suddenly commented on her body.

»Let’s go, the festival has already started,« Peli ushered them out of her bathroom, only now catching the glimpse of the uncovered hand that held Maia’s. »Ha, so you’re really not green!« she pointed at the two hands. If only the mechanic knew what a handsome face hid underneath the helmet. She would probably not shut up about it. A smirk crept up to Maia’s lips. She knew, and she didn’t mind if she would be the only person to know. »The dress was a good choice, Peli. He was speechless,« the brunette praised. »Yeah he better be, you look stunning.« Out they went, following the noise of the bazaar and the subtle roar of drums coming from somewhere further into the market. Every now and then, Din would softly squeeze his partner’s hand, and she would return the gesture.

The market was even fuller now, people crowding the streets, gathering around the little booths, talking over one another. Somewhere in the distance there was music. The alleys were covered in the blue tarps Maia had seen when she flew over Mos Eisley, the fabric allowing most alleys to be in the shade. Despite the sheer amount of souls walking about, Din’s mere presence made the sea of strangers part so he, Maia, and also Peli could walk around relatively freely. Of course there were looks and even some whispers around them, but all Maia focused on was Din’s warm hand and the fact that she felt absolutely beautiful. »I hope you’re hungry, because I am starving. Oh, wait, what about you Mando? I keep forgetting you don’t eat,« Peli interrupted the brunette’s small daydream about being alone with her partner. »I do eat, just not here,« Mando corrected, very well aware Peli knew that. »Don’t worry about me.« His helmet turned to Maia, whose eyes sparkled almost as much as her dress did when she looked at him. »You can have anything you want,« he told her with a nod.

Peli grinned and Maia assumed it was because Din was so willingly spending money for her. She faced the mechanic. »Just order something for me. I trust your taste in food.« Right away the older woman steered towards a certain booth that offered different kinds of food fresh off the grill. She ordered 3 skewers of meat; two for herself, one for Maia. »You want something to drink?« Din asked, leaning towards Maia a little. It made her shiver when his voice seemed to drop in tone out of nowhere. »Yes please,« she replied, and off the Mandalorian went. While he was gone, the girls got their food and retreated a little from the booth to make space for other guests. They walked towards a more open space, a small plaza where a stage had been set up. Live music played and Peli just so happened to spot an empty table they could stand beside. »Mos Eisley can be quite the shit hole, but the festivals are nice. You and Mando should come here around Boonta Eve.« »We’ll see if we have time to.«

Peli bit into the first skewer and her features scrunched up. »Whew, spicy. You better wait for Mando to return with the drinks.« Maia took a more careful approach, eyeing the vibrant orange coating on her skewer. The red particles in the sauce were probably the source of the spice. A sweet and downright mouth-watering scent came from the skewer and just as Din returned with the drinks, Maia took her first bite. There was a certain sweetness, but directly afterwards came a pang of spice and the brunette coughed a little. »Peli, what the –« she coughed. »Relax. Drink something, it’s not getting worse than this.« Din placed both cups of alcohol on the small table before resting his hand on the small of Maia’s back. »Are you ok?« He inquired, but she just nodded, grabbing one of the cups to wash the spice down. The liquid that ran down her throat was overly sweet but also had a noticeable amount of acidity that made the sting of the spice even worse. Numbness coated her tongue almost instantly.

»Are you trying to get me drunk, Mando?« she purred his way, very well aware there was a risk of Peli evesdropping on their playful banter. »What would that get me?« he responded, Maia turning her head towards him, one eyebrow raised. Did she have to tell him or did he know? A chuckle came from underneath the helmet and a warm hand found its place in between her shoulder blades, caressing her soft skin. Instantly her skin bumped up, electricity going through her body. Trying her hardest not to make her reaction too obvious, she occupied her mouth with more food and occasionally a sip of the alcohol. It was probably wine, or something similar to it. Maia leaned back into his touch ever so slightly, to feel more of his warm skin on hers.

»Would you look at that.« Peli motioned towards the two. »What a heartwarming sight. Princess Maia and her bodyguard.« Maia doubted she looked like an actual princess, but the connection to Din was hard to overlook when they had a color-coordinated outfit. There had been quite a few glances she had registered. In a way, they were a walking, living antithesis. There she stood, a woman in a sparkly dress, enjoying the festival like there were no worries in this world. And her companion, a Mandalorian, completely disguised, in full, unpainted Beskar armor and armed with an embarrassing amount of weapons. Apart from the hands he had so graciously freed of their gloves to touch her. To feel her and to allow her to feel him.

Truth be told: Maia wondered what the aliens around them whispered about. Perhaps they wondered if she was the princess of a far away world. Perhaps they theorized what the mudhorn on her necklace meant. Din’s tech probably had a translator integrated into his gear… somewhere. She assumed he knew what was being whispered around them. Was he grinning underneath that bucket on his head? With the skewer finished and Maia’s hunger satisfied for now, the brunette softly swayed to the music, her cup in hand, ever so often taking a sip. The alcohol was slowly working into her system, making her tipsy and a little more reactive to Din’s touches, too. The suns were setting, their descent only visible by the colored sky in between the blue tarps slowly going from light blue to orange. There was still time until the fireworks, but not too much.

Peli left the two soon thereafter, having emptied her mug and desperately needing to get a second one. The mechanic took away their trash and left Mando and Maia behind. She was nowhere near drunk, judging by how enthusiastically she could still walk through the crowds, loudly yelling if people were in her way. »I won’t carry her home,« Din grumbled, his hand snaking around Maia’s waist to pull her into him a little more. The brunette chuckled and hid her face halfway into her cup before she replied »of course not, because you already have to carry me.« She smirked and turned her head towards him, and so did his helmet. Din’s hand might have rested on the fabric rather than directly on her skin, but she could still make out his body heat through her dress. »Are you enjoying yourself?« he wanted to know. Maia nodded. »Feels good to be normal for once.« A sigh escaped her when she leaned more into him. »Not that I don't like being who I am. It’s just… were so busy. There’s always something to do, someone to find. Being here reminds me a little of when you showed me the sunset. It’s a short break from my routine. A moment to catch my breath in a turbulent life. What about you?«

»I understand. Sometimes it feels easier to just be normal.« Din’s hand gently squeezed her hip, making Maia almost gasp. Was he aware what he was doing? Her heart rate shot up instantly. »I usually don’t go to festivities like this,« he confessed, oblivious to what he was doing to his partner with his gentle touches. Or was he aware and wanted her to go a little crazy? »But I enjoy spending time with you, so I don’t mind.« She enjoyed being around him too. Especially if he displayed his affection out in the open. »Would be weird if you didn’t, I’m your girlfriend after all,« she finally said, emptying her cup to place it on the table before her. It felt weird to refer to herself as his girlfriend – partner felt more fitting. »We might have to find another place to watch the fireworks soon.«

Din was right. Besides the tarps that obstructed most of their view, the buildings were also limiting their vision down here. »We might be able to climb up onto the hangar roof back at Peli’s,« he theorized. They would be on their own there, which meant Maia might also get the kisses she had been yearning for. The wine slowly worked its magic and the brunette got a little courageous. »Or you carry me on one of your strong shoulders and we fly up there.« With one of his arms still around her, she turned around to fully face him, chest against chest. »We’ll find a way,« Din promised with a gentle nod.

She looked up into the visor and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her eyes sparkled almost as much as her dress did. »You’ve got all eyes on you,« Din softly stated, leaning the helmet forward until it rested against her forehead. She closed her eyes for a moment. She was aware of the stares but she didn’t mind. »If ‘all’ also contains your eyes, that’s fine for me. Let them stare, I’m all yours.« She was, for what she could say, drunk. But Din was receptive to it, allowing her to show her affection and returning it. »It’s hard to keep them off of you. Not that I’m trying to.« And while not many would realize what this gesture they shared meant, Maia knew what the headbutt stood for, he had explained it to her on their first visit here. It felt like that was ages ago. As heartwarming as this display of his affection was, out here in public, her heart craved something different. »Cyare?« »Yes?« She opened her eyes, staring into that visor. »I think we should go. I want to kiss you and I can’t do that here.«

»Alright. Peli can fend for herself.« Maia wasn’t looking forward to any kind of disturbance. She wanted to be alone with Din for the rest of the evening, perhaps even for the night. »She better.« They released from their hug, Din offering his hand for her to hold onto. And who would Maia be to not take his hand when it was the only part of his body she could feel at this moment? Same as before, the crowds separated as soon as they recognized the helmet as belonging to a Mandalorian. Maia walked in front of Din, so he had an eye on her and could make sure no one came too close to her. Maia, on the other hand, focused more on the few couples that hid in the shade of the alleys, kissing, and getting a little too comfortable out in public. There was a lot of bare skin she could see. Kisses, tight embraces, and an occasional halfway pulled up skirt, a hand on a thigh. For a moment she wondered if the festival just turned into a festival of love or if the merchants put something into the drinks. It would make sense, because she also wondered what it would feel like to feel Din’s hand on her thigh, squeezing her just as he had done with her hip.

The music got quieter and quieter the closer they came to the the hangar. The sound of the drums remained for the longest, like the city’s heartbeat. Maia had not realized how loud it had been at the festival with everyone talking and also the music. But now that they were approaching a quiet part of town, it was almost like the silence was suffocating her. It was still nothing like the silence in the facility, but her ears felt a little stuffed. The hangar appeared before them and as soon as they were close enough, they looked for a way to get up to the roof. It made sense that there wouldn’t be any on the outside of the building, though, so they went inside. Next to Maia’s ship there was something under a large tarp she hadn’t registered before. Despite her curiosity to see what hid beneath it, they had a more important task at hand.

»Check the apartment, I’ll see around here,« Din told her. As much as Maia didn’t want to let go of his hand, she knew it wouldn’t be for long. If they managed to reach the rooftops, she would finally get what she had been waiting for. She skipped up the stairs and spent maybe two minutes to look for a hatch in the roof of any of the rooms, to no avail. At least Peli wasn’t back yet and they had a little more time to themselves. With more careful steps she walked back down the narrow staircase to reunite with her partner. »Nothing up there,« she let him know with a soft head shake. It didn’t matter, because he had found a little ledge and a ladder, steel wire bolted into the sand stone to make steps. »Can you climb in your dress? You can change if you want to.«

There was no time to change, besides, her shoes would be the problem for climbing, not the dress. »I’m fine. The boots won’t be an issue but … just… you climb first.« She didn’t need him to be able to look underneath the skirt right now. Not that he hadn’t seen her legs last night, but she felt a little awkward about it right now. They were up on the roof just in time to see the last bit of orange on the horizon as both suns had already set. Din stood by a half-wall atop the roof which was probably up here so no one would fall to their death. Maia walked over to him to hold his hand, causing him to take the helmet off one-handed. As soon as his face was freed, he gave her a warm smile. »Hey,« he greeted her as if he hadn’t been around. He placed the helmet on the small wall before using his free hand to cup her cheek.

There he was, so close to her, and finally she was allowed to look at this pretty face again. How she loved to look into these dark brown eyes. A sparkle told her what would happen next, and sure enough, Din leaned in, closing his eyes, placing a soft kiss onto her lips. Maia’s remaining hand ran from his jaw into the hair on the back of his head, pulled him in even closer, too desperate for affection to let him off so easily. They separated just a little, just enough so Maia could whisper a »hey« back onto his lips. She gave him a soft peck afterwards. Hoping that the fireworks would announce their presence without the two having to pay too much attention, she rather focused on all the other things she wanted to get out.

She leaned back a little, waiting for him to open his eyes just how she had done. »I have to thank you for so much, cyare. I’m not only talking about allowing me to feel a little normal for a few hours today, you’ve done so much more for me. I wish I knew how to show my gratitude.« Din had changed so much since they had run into each other on Nevarro. Sure, he was still the same person, but she had gotten to know a completely new side of him, a side that probably only very few knew. Din smiled softly, laying both hands on her waist and gently pulling her in. Again she felt bumps form on her skin. His touch was magical, but so could be hers. Maia cupped his face in both of her hands now that she could. »Same here,« Din nodded. He gave her another kiss, this time a little gentler. She wasn’t pulling him into her this time around, either. »You are everything to me, cyar’ika,« he confessed after the kiss.

Din didn’t intend it, but her facial expression went from confusion to … it almost looked like hurt. Tears welled in her eyes, Maia was unsure what he was trying to tell her here. She was his everything? It was hard to believe, but looking into his eyes, all she found was sincerity. Maybe a little insecurity, but she knew Din rarely knew how to talk about his feelings. Was this what she had been waiting for? »Ni kar’tayli gar darasuum,« he mumbled and again he confused her with Mando’a. Given the context this probably meant something very important to her; and also important to him if he had to use the language of his heart to say it. »Say that again,« she softly begged him.

»I love you, Maia.« Din told her in Basic this time around, and now she knew for sure. It felt like her heart was about to bust out of her ribcage. It wouldn’t go very far as his chest armor was right against her. Din continued. »I know I’m not easy at times; I’m stubborn and I struggle to vocalize my feelings. But right now I mean it. I love you and you mean everything to me.« The brunette was unable to get any kind of reply out, she just practically jumped towards him and buried her face in his cape. All Din could do was hold her while she cried a little into the dark fabric. One of his arms remained at her waist, but the other held her by the shoulder, softly stroking her skin. »Cyar’ika,« he whispered into her hair, placing another kiss on the brown strands until she could look up at him. The guilt of looking miserable right now overcame her, but all she could find in his face was pure love. She hadn’t even gotten any kind of reaction out yet.

Fearing Din would misinterpret her little outburst, she took a deep breath. She closed her eyes once more and leaned her face against his, nuzzling into his cheek to non-verbally tell him everything was fine. »Din, why did you take so long to say that?« she asked him with the most idiotic grin on her lips. »I love you too and I’ve been trying to tell you since we’ve reunited,« she let him know, opening her eyes to see him grinning like a lovesick fool himself. Had he not gotten the hints? »Because I’m an idiot who feared you wouldn't feel the same. I’m sorry I’ve kept you waiting.« With a head shake, she suffocated this thought of his right away. »No, you said it when it felt right. It’s fine.«

What she wanted to be a kiss to seal their little confessions was interrupted by the sudden bang of fireworks in the distance. As if it had been planned to happen just now, the sky lit up in the most beautiful colors. They watched the show in silence, Maia standing next to Din, one arm behind his back, and he did the same. Her head was leaned against his shoulder, similarly to how they had sat by the campfire on their last visit. She and Din were a couple. He loved her. Maia knew she would stay with Din, whatever may come, adapt more to his way of living. They had been through so much despite knowing another so shortly, and it just felt right. They were bound together, both by the Force, call it fate, and now by love as well. She carried his clan symbol around her neck, she might one day be part of his clan officially. Maybe all of this was a sign she should leave her old life behind.

»You know…« Maia interrupted the silence that had covered the city after this short showcase of colors and shapes of light. »You might be an idiot, but you’re my idiot, cyare.« She turned around so she could give him another kiss. A hum was Din’s first response, smiling into the kiss. »I am, and you won’t get rid of me.« Was that a threat or a promise? »Who would want that, handsome? Besides, you’re a bounty hunter and would terrorize half of the galaxy to get me back,« she teased him. Seriously, why would she ever try to run from him? Laughter erupted from Din’s throat, pushing the edges of his armor into Maia’s chest. »Sounds like me,« he decided. With her head again resting against his shoulder, Maia looked up at him with dreamy eyes, blinking slower. »I’m saving both of us the trouble.« The alcohol was slowly making her tired, perhaps she was also feeling a little more needy after Din’s confession. Cuddling up into bed sounded more tempting than standing up here. »I think we should go downstairs, you look tired,« he let her know, running his fingers through her hair to tuck it behind her ear. »That’s because I am, but I don’t want this moment to end,« she whispered. Leaning forward to place a kiss onto her forehead, Din hummed in response. »I know,« he mumbled against her skin. Without much of a reaction, Maia sighed and let go of him to walk over to his helmet. She lifted the bucket off the wall and turned it so she could look into that visor. Debating whether it was insensitive to just put it on for a moment, she stared into the black screen. It wasn’t her helmet. »Let’s go,« she announced, more to herself than to Din, to let go of the thought.

With furrowed brows, Din looked at her. »Do you want to wear it, cyar’ika?« He approached her, taking the helmet into his hands. She didn’t even have to reply, somehow he just knew. »There’s nothing bad happening if you do, trust me.« Hesitantly she nodded and Din hovered the helmet over her head, slowly lowering it. Maia kept her eyes closed until she felt the helmet top bump into her scalp. Before anything else, the sound of her breath registered. She practically breathed against a window and she felt and heard it. Was it odd to mention that the helmet smelled like him, too? Probably. She slowly opened her eyes, not sure what to expect, but she was greeted with darkness. That… was not supposed to happen, right?

As soon as the helmet had registered that it was on a head, however, the head up display lit up and loaded the night vision. She saw Din in front of her in a green glow. Everything was green around her, she found when she rotated her head a little. It was unusual to see the yellow and orange surroundings suddenly in all the same shade of green. Even her dress looked odd, now the same color as her skin and significantly less sparkly. It was interesting, but a completely new experience for her. It was a lot at once.

»So that’s how –« she began to speak, but startled by the sound of her own voice she stopped. The modulator made Din’s voice sound threatening, whereas hers just sounded… weird in her ears. But when had she ever heard a recording of her own voice? She chuckled and shook her head, Din also grinning opposite of her. »I wanted to say ‘So that’s how you see me the whole time?’ My voice sounds so weird.« »All green?« Maia nodded. »That’s the night vision, it activates when there’s it too little natural light.« He looked up into the night sky. »There’s a lot of clouds tonight.« When his head turned back to her, one of his eyebrows rose. She was in his signature pose: One knee slightly bent, both hands at her hips. »There’s a bounty on you. I can take you in warm, or I can take you in cold.«

She must’ve looked absolutely ridiculous. In a sparkling dress, her chest very on display, no armor on her body, and an ill-fitted helmet on her head. All Din could do was absolutely lose it for a second. He regained composure only after Maia had started tapping her foot, waiting for him to be done. In reality her heart was about to explode when she heard him laugh, grinning ear to ear herself. How could she not when his laughter sounded more beautiful than the music she had listened to earlier on the plaza? »Fine, I surrender,« Din finally gave in, raising his hands. Still grinning underneath the helmet, she came closer, intertwining her fingers with his, effectively ‘capturing’ him. She came closer, leaning against his chest. »You’ve been captured by the legendary bounty hunter only known as mesh’la.« With his full peripheral vision usable for once without the helmet, Din enjoyed the view of Maia’s cleavage which she had so graciously pressed against him. He didn’t even try to be secretive about it, either.

»Such a shame, I’m powerless against you, oh legendary mesh’la,« he joined their little play. Maia was very well aware this wasn’t how bounty hunting worked and Din would’ve told her as such, had he not realized she just wanted to have some fun. »I like you, captive,« she told him after a few pronounced breaths against the cold Beskar before her. »What have you done to have such a high bounty on you, huh, pretty? Seduced the wrong woman, perhaps?« The appeal of the helmet was starting to show itself. She was flirting with him very heavily, and it didn’t bother her at all. Her face was hidden so he couldn’t see how much she was blushing. Din almost broke when she called him pretty, but she had to respect his efforts to stay in his role. »Got me. I would show you exactly what I did, but Mandalorians don’t take their helmets off.« Once again he cocked an eyebrow, but this time it seemed more playful. Was he flirting? Was she? Were they flirting? His reaction came as a surprise for sure, poor Maia staring at him behind the black visor for a moment. The temperature rose under the Beskar. »Let’s make a deal.« She had something on her mind that he could offer. He had been driving her mad with his touches all day, and she wanted to return the favor. »The helmet for your clothes.«

The only reason she even dared to say this was because her face was hidden. This was her way of payback, somehow. For all the touches that had driven her wild today. The alcohol and all the endorphins in her blood made her wish for him to just pin her against a wall and kiss her like the world ended tomorrow. »My clothes?« Din’s head tilted sideways. »That seems a little unfair, mesh’la. Me taking everything off and I just get to see your face.« Maybe he realized what he had practically promised her just now. With a look in both directions, Din focused on her again. »Besides, we should go downstairs for that.« Maia couldn’t keep up the facade any longer. She let go of his hands and lifted the helmet off of her head. The cooler night air hit her face and she was certain her cheeks were blushed quite heavily. »You’re right, it’s not particularly fair for you.« She smiled at him when she gave him the helmet. »But… I don’t want to remind you that you kind of owe me after you caught me in a bathtub… but you caught me in a bathtub.« All jokes aside, she was curious. That little glimpse of his lower belly wasn’t enough, and after everything tonight she wanted to touch him.

»Fair enough, you haven’t had the chance yet to ambush me while I’m taking a bath,« he nodded. Din put the helmet back on and looked at her through the visor. His hands rested on her waist once more and she smiled. »Your hands are to blame,« she explained, taking his hands off of her body so she could walk over to the ladder. She turned around so she could descend the first steps. »I don’t know why it is so extreme today. But you touch me and… my thoughts run wild.« Her gaze unfocused for a moment, images of his hand on her thigh flashing in her mind. She looked over to him and gave him a grin before her head disappeared behind the ledge.

»Do you want me to stop touching you, then?« she heard Din tease from up top, and as much as she wanted to reply, a rather loud ‘don’t you dare!’ would only call for attention of others that might have been close. The way into Peli’s apartment was short, at least, and they’d have their full privacy here. Maia had a good look at the small storage room which just barely fit the mattress Peli had dragged in there earlier today. There were some shelves starting about half a meter above the ground with just enough space left that Din could put his armor parts up there. »Can the door be closed?« he asked as soon as he had found himself next to the brunette. Reaching around the door frame, Maia found a control panel inside the small chamber. »Not sure I want to know why Peli’s storage can be closed from the inside but we can.« Maia started taking her boots off, Din seemingly just looking at her while she was bent over for a moment.

When she was on her feet, Maia walked over to Din, poking her index into his chest plate. »This damn metal has been in my way all day,« she complained, instantly getting to work to remove his pauldrons. It was the easiest thing for her to reach, and with her being in practically nothing besides her dress, Din definitely could use a little help. She had seen how his armor had been put on, so taking it off should work the same way. When his shoulders were free of the metal, she squeezed them to feel at least a little of the muscles hidden underneath. She had felt them last night, cuddled into him while they slept. Frankly, she was looking forward to spending another night with him, in his arms, listening to his heartbeat. Piece by piece Din’s armor got taken off, and the flak vest followed. Din enveloped Maia in a hug when the vest was off, leaning his head against hers. Maia of course wrapped her arms around him and sighed. »Much better,« she purred, closing her eyes to savor the moment. »I could get used to this,« Din hummed. »The hug or me helping you with the armor?« »Both.« She felt one of his hands travel up her back until his finger tips grazed her skin. »I enjoy touching you,« he mumbled. Maia let out a sigh and nodded, further nuzzling into his jacket. »You’re so gentle.« »Is it too much?« »No, it’s perfect. But I want to touch you too.«

Din took the hint and took more off. Boots, the jacket and his pants found their rightful spot next to the armor until he was in front of his partner again. »Happy now?«

Maia smiled at him and nodded. Her hands were on his shirt, his body heat sending more shivers through her body. Everything about him was driving her heart rate up today, desperate to touch him and to be touched. Her right hand snaked underneath the fabric by the neckline, feeling his shoulder muscles underneath her finger tips. Feeling his heat even more now, she practically melted against his chest, her left hand also gliding underneath his shirt just from the hem at his waist. Din felt her lips at the side of his neck, kisses upon kisses traveling along his jawline and down to his pulse point. His groan vibrated against her lips. She knew Din was sensitive to touches to his face, but learning that his neck was sensitive as well delighted her. »I would only be happier if we had the same cozy bed we had last night,« she told him in between kisses. »Maybe when the festival is over.«

With a very gentle hand did Din pull Maia off of him. He gave her an apologetic look, only pulling her away from him to take the shirt off that had only been in the way anyway. There he was, in all of his glory. Maia got to see his upper body and the brunette was a little overwhelmed. Scars decorated his tan body, she saw the curve of muscles cast subtle shadows on his skin. His skin was a lot darker than hers, it was so obvious with her hand on him. Her index traveled along his body, following every scar she found on her descent from his shoulder down his chest. »You have so many scars,« she softly said. She didn’t mean to insult him, of course. »I have. I’ve been through a lot and it’s showing.« Would Mandalorians consider scars to be beautiful, in a way? Their conversation on Glavis came to mind. Din had said her scars were a testament to what she had survived. And that her body still deserved worship.

»Do you need help with your dress?« His question came so out of nowhere that she halted her movements just when her fingers had reached the waistband of his underwear. Technically he had seen more of her than he would now, but then again, he would see her chest, and all the changes she had gone through due to Luke’s rigorous training. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that one, Din loved her, and two, that he could see a lot of the changes already, the dress wasn’t hiding too much. Even her arms and shoulders had become a lot wider. He slowly walked behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders and let them travel down to her zipper. »Can I see more of you, cyar’ika?« he purred into her ear, leaning forward. His voice made her shudder. »Of course, cyare,« Maia said after she swallowed the lump in her throat.

You want this. You want him to love all of you.

She heard the zipper open and felt the tension on her ribcage leave with every bit of movement from his hand. As soon as the zipper was completely down, Din pulled the sparkly fabric over her head and as soon as it was tossed into the same corner as his shirt had landed, he wrapped both arms around her from the back. Now it was his turn to kiss along her shoulders and neck, just like she had done with him. Of course it felt good, the subtle scratch his beard left on her skin in combination with his soft lips. One of her hands was tangled in his hair, the other rested on one of his arms. His hands laid in her waist, lower arms crossed over her midsection. »What are you doing to me?« Her voice was nothing more than a whisper. »I can’t help it,« he tried to respond in a whisper, but what came out sounded more like a growl. »I have this urge to constantly be close to you. I don’t know why, it’s unusual for me to be so needy.«

That confession sent a shockwave through her body, down her spine and right into her core. Was it the kisses, the sudden skin to skin contact, or the little groans she heard come from him? Din was getting so into it, his breath had become more noticeable. Her heart rate increased just because she was so close to him now, allowed to feel everything of him if she wanted to. When Maia turned her head to look at him, only then did she realize that her own breath had become louder. The passionate attack on her neck paused when Din returned her gaze. »Mesh’la, you’re driving me insane. In the best way possible.« Just now she felt one of his hands leave her waist, traveling up her body towards her chest. Another shiver went through her. If Din kept doing whatever he did to her, she would lose her mind. Her heart raced underneath his finger tips, she was getting dizzy. »You’re driving me mad with how much I want you to…« her breath hitched when his thumb had reached the curve of her breast. His eyes asked for permission to proceed, and he received the smalled nod from her. »Touch me.«

And he did. Just at the same time as she felt his finger graze her nipple, he leaned in and gave her a soft kiss, muffling both moans that sat in their throats. She thanked the stars that he was holding onto her, because it felt like Maia’s knees would give out any second, the tension in her core turning unpleasant. Din palmed her breast for just a moment, shivering himself when her hand traveled from his hair down to his face.

He finally let go of her, walking around her to get a better look at her body. He didn’t do it in secret either, he very openly scanned her when he stood before her, one hand on her waist. Technically he had looked at her with the same hungry eyes earlier, but this time Maia felt a little uncomfortable and tilted her head. Her insecurities got the best of her. »Do you still think I’m beautiful?« His eyes shot up to her eyes, brows furrowed. »Of course, what makes you think anything that I told you changed?« »Because I’ve changed. I’ve put on weight ever since we’ve separated.«

»Come here,« Din pulled her close, chest against chest, one hand on the small of her back, the other holding her face. Maia looked into his eyes, both hands on his chest, feeling his heart pump against his ribs. »You’re beautiful, no matter what. You’ve seen yourself in that dress and felt beautiful. What is going on in that pretty head of yours?« »Do you not think I look less feminine with all the muscle I got?« He shook his head. »You need that muscle, mesh’la. It’s dangerous out there, especially when you’re with me, and you need to be strong. If anything I actually prefer to see you like this.« he kissed her forehead.

»If you feel uncomfortable when I look at you, I’ll stop,« he added. It wasn’t that easy for her. »I know you’d never hurt me but… being inspected feels uncomfortable. It reminds me of my past and… I don’t know if I’ve repressed anything that will come up again.« She leaned into him, slowly feeling the drag of the alcohol and also his presence making her really tired. »I just have to get used to it. I enjoy looking at you too, so I get it.« She nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. »I love you,« Din whispered. »I love you too.« He rotated his head toward her, burying his face in her hair and closing his eyes for a moment. »Do you want to lie down?« Did he feel the weight of her practically hanging off of him? »Can you read minds?« she smiled up at him, bumped the tip of her nose against his. »I can barely stand any more.«

That was enough for Din to change location with her, over to the storage rather than standing in the little living room in front. They laid down on the bed, Maia instantly by his side to feel his body heat. Din turned around one last time to closed the door before wrapping his arms around her. »Is it unusual for you to be seen, too?« she asked him in the darkness of the storage room. After the door was shut, they laid in complete darkness. »It is. But it’s okay.« With a gentle nudge to his shoulder, Maia made him roll him onto his back so she could halfway lay on his chest. »If I’m doing things too quickly or crossing a line, tell me. I’m new to this relationship-thing and I don’t want to overwhelm you,« Din reminded her. Maia sighed. »Most of this feels new to me, too. The last relationship I had was when I was maybe 17. I didn’t have any time for a partner. Nor any interest. I had to survive.« and find you.

She had looked for him for so long. How long had it been since she had first witnessed the man with the helmet on in her mind? Almost 15 years? And Din had been an adult even then, even if he had been significantly less reserved and silent. »Din?« »Yes?« »How old are you?« Din, who had been running his fingers along her shoulder, stopped and turned his face towards her. Was he shocked that she didn’t know? Was he surprised that she just now remembered to ask? »I’m 40,« he grumbled. She tried so hard to not react in any way, but a smirk crept up to her lips. In pitch black darkness it probably didn’t matter if her face showed her emotion. »Old fart,« she finally said. Din scoffed, but she kissed him gently, which he received with a little hum. »I love you regardless,« she promised. She really didn’t care too much.

»You’re the first woman I have these kinds of feeling for. And you might be the only one.« She nuzzled into his face. The thought of being the only woman he would ever love felt special, of course it did. »I want you to know that I did some things in my past that I’m not proud of. I was a mercenary for a while and treated a lot of people unfairly. Maybe the others I worked with influenced me, I don’t know. I made up my mind about being more honorable and I left the group to become part of the bounty hunters.« Why did he tell her now? Stars, what had she done that she wasn’t proud of? A lot. »Do you think about your past often?« she asked him. »Do you feel guilty about it?« »Sometimes I do. I think everyone isn’t proud about some things in their life. And I would do things differently today.« He caressed her back and took a deeper breath. »I’ve been alone for such a long time. After my parents had passed, there was only the Creed and the Mandalorians.« He sighed. »I’d never thought I’d have a foundling. Nor a beautiful woman by my side. And now you’re here with me and it feels better than anything I could’ve dreamed of.«

Maybe Maia knew why she and Din were connected. They had a shared fate. Taken from their parents one way or another, forced to grow up in a society so different from theirs. He was the child that Mandalore had gained – in a way; while she was the child that Mandalore lost a few years later. They were the same, but yet so fundamentally different. Din had been what she had needed all this time. Someone who could show her what family felt like, who could teach her what her parents couldn’t. Someone who would actually protect her from harm and made sure she felt loved. He would feel her love too. Din had been deprived of touch for who knows how long, and there she was. Someone who was willing to be close to him, regardless of if she could see him. She could read him well enough, even with the helmet on.

Maia nuzzled further into him and spoke against his skin. »I’ve never thought I could find out anything about my past. That it would haunt me until my last breath. Then I found you and I wanted to look ahead rather than live in the past. It was fine for me to give it up, because I wanted you. The choice was mine, become a Jedi-Master or leave to be with you. I knew Luke would take on Grogu and I was sure you needed me. Or I hoped you would. I came back to you and suddenly I had both. The outlook of a future with you, and part of my past. My name.« She raised her head to place a kiss onto his chin. »It won’t be easy for us. A Mandalorian and a somewhat-Jedi-somewhat-Mandalorian. No one will ever take me seriously.« He grumbled, but she shut him up with a kiss before he could get a word out. »I’ve thought about something. Maybe it’s time to leave ‘Maia’ behind me. If I stay with you I should start respecting your culture. And mine. And the first step should be honoring the name my parents gave me.«

»If that’s your choice, cyar’ika. You want me to call you Arana, then?« It sounded so nice when he said it. »You can call me whatever you want at the end of the day, but… yes.« »In that case,« he pulled her in and gave her a kiss. »I love you, Arana. I know things won’t be easy and you would probably have avoided a lot of chaos had you stayed with Luke,« he swallowed. »but I’m glad you chose me. I wouldn’t have been able to forget you any way. And I would’ve missed you. I missed you as soon as you had turned your back on Tatooine.« »I like how my name sounds out of your mouth. I missed you too. Your gentle nature that you hide underneath the metal and the muscle.« Din chuckled, probably thinking she was lying. But he was. A big old softie underneath his armor.

There was a moment of silence before Maia asked about something that had been on her mind for a while now. »Can we talk about Glavis for a second?» »If you want to.« »I feel really bad about threatening to just leave you behind.« Din hummed, not sure what to say. What would he have said? She knew she had hurt his feelings. »You can be honest, I hurt you. I can take it.« »It didn’t feel too nice to hear it. But we both behaved like idiots. I’m sorry as well.« »I forgive you if you forgive me.« »I do.« they sealed the deal with a soft kiss. When she laid back down onto his chest, Din sighed and wrapped his arms around her, one hand caressing her arm.

»You know where Grogu is, right?« She nodded slowly. »Unless Luke has changed his plans in the last… 72 hours, then yes, I know where they are. And you will go there if I tell you.« Of course, Maia didn’t want to be harsh towards him. Din missed the little one, and in a way she understood. »I know I shouldn’t,« he mumbled. »Similar to you, I can’t forget him. I want to see that he is okay. Thought bounty hunting would distract me, but it didn’t. I want to give him the present I have, that’s all. Maybe if I see him one more time I will feel better about this.» »You know you’re not supposed to,« she reminded him, biting her lip when his hand stopped caressing her. She sighed, their communication skills really needed work. »I can’t stop you, only make sure you don’t cause any trouble on the way there. Because I’m not leaving your side.« Maia’s heart was heavy. She knew Din would just face heartbreak when Grogu didn’t want to come back with them. If Luke even let them see the child this soon. »Can we at least get you to train with the Darksaber before? I’m almost certain we will run straight into another mess and I don’t want you to lose a limb this time around. You can also teach me something in return. Negotiating, for example. Or you teach me some words in Mando’a.«

»Alright,« Din gave up. Her hand snaked behind his neck, her finger tips running into the hair at the back of his head. »I know you worry about him. He’s okay, I am sure of it. I just don’t want you lying here with a heavy heart, cyare. Everything will turn out fine.« »I hope so. Good night, Arana.« »Good night, my love,« she hummed and raised her hip so she could lie on him completely, where she would stay for the entire night.

#Wolke schreibt #gbtscbtf #din djarin #din djarin fanfiction #the mandalorian #original female character #mando fanfiction #fanfic #star wars fanfiction #the mandalorian fanfiction #the mandalorian x original character #din djarin x ofc #din djarin x original female character #the mandalorian x ofc #mando x ofc #mando x original female character

9 notes · View notes

cannedbananabread · 5 months ago

Note

Hello! I love future games! It's one of my favorite fics! If it's not too much to ask, I was wondering if you could share a list of all the books referenced/ will be referenced in your fic? Thank you so much❤️

Oh my gosh, this is such as amazing question and not too much to trouble at all, thank you for asking!

So, I’ve broken this down into a few categories for convenience:

Explicit References - these are books that are mentioned either by title or otherwise overtly.

Implicit References - these are books that either have been used as inspiration or else more covert allusions are made.

Future References - while I don’t have a comprehensive list of this because I am currently writing chapter 46 and there is still quite a bit or story to go, I definitely have some idea of things that will be used in the future stored in my notes. These are given without context to not spoil where this story is going.

Explicit References:

Hamlet, Shakespeare (Chapter 2) - Dio directly quotes the What a Piece of Work is Man soliloquy.

Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte (Chapter 3) - What Dio is reading that spurs on their first discussion about kindness and cruelty and the cycles of abuse.

Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien (Chapter 3, 5, etc.) - The quote that Reader says to Dio about people deserving death comes from Lord of the Rings. Later, she reads it to him and it is the catalyst for how he figures out that she’s from the future.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Tawin (Chapter 4) -Mostly played for laughs because Dio says Reader is “dreadfully American.”

A Picture of Dorian Grey, Oscar Wilde (Chapter 9) - Reader waxes lyrically about it being released in the near future; I think there are a ton of parallels to Dorian and Dio, that’s why I couldn't resist.

Not to a specific book, but reader says Dio would like Hemingway, that one was really just a shout out the place that I was born, but the disillusion of the 20th century (especially in The Sun Also Rises) is both poignant and relevant.

The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne (Chapter 11) - Reader is likened to Hester Prynne when discussing Victorian propriety regarding sex / virginity.

Little Women, Louisa May Alcott (Chapter 12, 18, 20, 30) - Reader tells Dio that it was one of her favorite books as a child so he buys it for her for Christmas.

A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens (Chapter 12, 20) - Again, mostly played for laughs, when Reader tell’s Dio she’ll haunt him like the ghosts in the book.

Walden, Henry David Thoreau (Chapter 18)- Reader compares her reserved lifestyle to Thoreau because she hasn't been able to keep many close relationships since her arrival in the 19th century.

Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy (Chapter 20) - Reader gifts this book to Dio, no one will EVER tell me that he does not like lengthy Russian novels.

Daisy Miller, Henry James (Chapter 20) - Reader makes an attempt to seduce Dio with her wit, referencing this book to incite the discussion of Victorian morality.

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte (Chapter 23) - Dio talks about Mr. Rochester as an example of a complex male lead.

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (Chapter 23) - Conversely, Reader likes Mr. Darcy and they debate it because they are dorks. Also, reader’s character is heavily inspired by Elizabeth.

Implicit References:

The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky - I really wanted this to be the book that was gifted to Dio, but it hadn’t been translated into English in 1888, it still didn’t stop me from paying subtle homage.

Notes From the Underground, Fyodor Dostoevsky - The turn of phrase about overthinking being a disease is taken from this book because, again, no one will shift my head canon that Dio loves Russian novels. Honestly, I've taken so much inspiration from Dostoevsky in general.

The House of the Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne - I’ve used some of this story to lean into the theme of ‘what it means to be haunted’ (can fanfics have overt themes and motifs???) because we see Dio actively haunted by his past, especially by Dario in metaphysical sense that his trauma is often likened to things that are preternatural.

The Sound and the Fury, William Faulkner - The content of this book isn’t ever mentioned, but I was inspired by the use of disjointed time when I wrote about the way Dio’s recalls his trauma in Chapter 19.

The Nether World, George Gissing - I’ve used this as sort of an account of what poverty in the London slums looked like.

Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field, Nancy Forbes & Basil Mahon - I was forced to read this as part of my coursework for my engineering degree, but I’ve depended on it a lot for Reader’s research. Lord knows why I decided to make her a chemist when I was terrible at chemistry.

Future References:

- A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare

- ‘Salem’s Lot, Stephen King

- The Princess and the Goblin, George MacDonald

- Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy

- The Prince, Machiavelli

- A Study in Scarlet, Arthur Conan Doyle

- The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle

- The Bell Jar (and just Sylvia Plath in general)

- Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

- Dead Souls, Nikolai Gogol

- Middlemarch, George Eliot

I’ve also taken meager inspiration from various other Sherlock Holmes stories and some Agatha Christie novels, I’ve said it before, but sometimes Zeppeli comes out a little like Hercule Poirot. I have also pulled from some of Shakespeare’s sonnets.

I think that's pretty much everything! Seeing the length of this list has made me worry for my own sanity.

Thank you so much for your question, it was actually so fun to see everything together like this. Once I've finished writing the entire thing, I will have to make a comprehensive list.

#future games #dio brando #dio brando x reader #literally ask me anything #jjba fanfic #ao3

9 notes · View notes

fizzyxcustard · 1 year ago

Text

Covert Eyes (22)

Masterlist of fan fiction

Fandom: Spooks

Pairings: Lucas North x OC (Amy Holland)

Warnings: Stalking behaviour, anxiety, language, sexual references, angst, smut, heartbreak, gunshot wounds and recovery, abduction, hostage situation.

Summary: Lucas takes notice of a young woman, Amy, but his obsession and want to get to know her begin to spiral out of control. Amy is now working for MI-5, after being recruited by Ros. But will her involvement with Lucas cause even more problems and heartbreak?

Amy has now gone missing; will Lucas get her back home safely?

Official soundtrack list: here

Comments/Notes: If you wish to be tagged in any of my tag lists for fics or characters, please let me know, and stipulate what you want to be tagged in.

Key words/terms which people may not understand:

DVLA - "Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency' which is a government department in the UK and handles all driving licences, registrations and car tax.

ANPR - "Automatic numberplate recognition"

Amy was bound at her wrists and ankles and perched on a chair, with the rope around her wrists, binding her to the chair. She grimaced and squinted as the bag was pulled from her head and an intense light was shone in her face. Had she been knocked out? She couldn’t quite remember what had happened once she’d passed The King’s Head and felt someone drag her down the adjoining backstreet. Everything turned black and then she woke in this place. There was a dull thump in the back of her head and she had a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Amy Holland,” a voice came.

She could see the outline of someone from behind the light and they began to move closer towards her. By now and the light was hurting her eyes; every time she blinked and it felt like a stab of raw pain behind her eyelids.

“If you co-operate then you’ll be fine,” the voice came again. It was an American man’s voice. “I want Lucas North. He’s the reason my sister is dead. She tried to warn you against him but, of course, you wouldn’t listen. So maybe this will wake you up.”

“Wake me up to what?” Amy replied. “How horrible of a man he is? It’ll take a lot more than that to make me think anything but that Lucas is an amazing man and I love him. You can’t take that away from me.”

“He’ll definitely come and look for you though, won’t he? Play the doting fiancée and the hero so he can impress you.”

“He’s already impressed me,” Amy hissed. “What exactly is your plan here?”

“See how far Lucas will go for you, and then I can kill him with my bare hands.”

“I think you underestimate…”

“I don’t think you’re in the prime position to tell me I’m underestimating MI5. I have far more experience with the British security services than you. You started in November, and you seem to think you know everything about them. I’ve worked in intel for most of my life, and I know how your team work, darling.”

The adrenaline was pumping in Amy’s body as she looked up into the grey eyes of Sarah Caulfield’s vengeful brother. Her fight or flight system had come online, ready to push her into further danger or pull her from it. She could feel tears stinging her eyes, threatening to fall down her cheeks. Her heart was racing, but she inhaled deeply, trying hard to somehow relax herself. Pulling against the bindings was of no use.

‘Caulfield’ as Amy referred to him in her mind, soon left her alone in the darkness again. All she had was her thoughts of Lucas, whom she knew would have realised she was missing. Their living arrangement and schedules was something both of them had become so used to now, that Amy knew Lucas couldn’t have overlooked any changes or slight deviations.

In the darkness and she replayed the times when they laughed together in bed, and he would tickle her under the duvet. But it would soon turn into a more serious moment and they would eventually make love. Caulfield surely could only go by what his sister had disclosed to him, and had no idea just how loving and gentle of a man Lucas North really was behind closed doors. She knew with her whole heart that he would get to her. Nothing would stop him fighting to save her. She had no place for doubts at this point. She kept her mind focused on Lucas and the words dum spiro spero: while I live, I hope.

***

Back at the grid, Lucas had been working constantly for nearly two days. He was running on pure adrenaline now, unable to let any kind of fatigue take over. All that mattered was Amy. He hadn’t showered, shaved, changed his clothes and barely eaten. All he had managed to eat was a chocolate bar out of Amy’s desk drawer.

“Lucas, go home tonight,” Harry said, coming to his desk. “And that is an order. We’re all on this.”

“Harry, how can I?” Lucas said, looking up at his boss with dark circles growing around his ice blue eyes. “I know Sarah’s behind this, or at least someone connected to her.”

“At least go and have a shower, change your clothes, get something to eat.”

Lucas travelled back to his and Amy’s flat upon Harry’s final demand. He entered the quiet flat, sighing as he did so. Everything made him think of her: the Disney figurines, the Tinkerbell mug which was still on the coffee table, the pair of pink, fluffy slippers which had been left in the hallway. The hallway – the place he’d made love to Amy for the first time. He could feel her gripping onto him, hear her gentle moans against his ear, feel her soft skin and smell her honey shampoo.

If she dies, what else do I have?

Lucas sat down on the edge of their bed and picked up a jumper of Amy’s, and as he lifted it to his nose, he could smell her perfume on it: Olympia by Paco Robbane. It was the very thing that made him aware of her presence in the coffee shop over a year ago. The sweet scent had hit him suddenly, and he turned to see her, sitting alone in the back corner of the café, doodling in her notebook. Then it was her green eyes that attracted him first; large and bright. For a few days and Lucas had battled in his mind with why he had become interested in her. She was not the kind of woman he would have normally become interested in or involved with. Sophisticated, independent and sharp women were the ones he normally found himself in relationships with. Amy was independent, yes, but she didn’t possess an obvious air of sophistication and was not sharp tongued, unless angry. She was softer, non-assuming, and unique.

Lucas bowed his head and wept. His one chance at a normal life, and it was being ripped away from him again, threatened by someone who could not let go of the past.

***

Amy had no idea how much time passed. She was left in a dark room, with her captors only coming to her to allow her to relieve herself in a bucket, or to offer food and drink. Lucas’ face was the main thing that Amy saw in her mind; he was smiling at her, his voice wrapping around her, telling her how strong she was. She held on to that, knowing that he would come for her. One way or the other, Lucas would come.

Caulfield came back to Amy, and once again, she had no idea how long it had been since he last spoke with her. As soon as he spoke, she felt her ears prickle as her hearing had become heightened due to the lack of light. The only noise she had had as company was the odd tap of someone from another room, or the sound of her breath.

“MI5 should be aware of your disappearance by now, Miss Holland. And no doubt your boyfriend will sweep in to save the day, giving me the opportunity to take him down. This is personal, and it’s just a shame you got caught in the crossfire.”

Amy remained quiet. Nothing she said would be of any use; this man seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice, spilling his revenge talk bullshit.

***

Everyone on the Grid worked long hours to get Amy home. It had been two days now since she was last seen. Lucas was quiet, with his jaw clenched constantly. No one dared approach him, unless it was something helpful to the case.

On the afternoon of day two, Lucas’ phone rang. ‘Unknown number’ flashed on the screen.

“Yes?” Lucas asked, inhaling sharply. This could only be in connection with Amy. Why else would an unknown number call his work mobile?

“Lucas North.” Not a question. A fact. Whoever was calling was only stating that they knew they had the right number. “Will send coordinates. Come alone. If anyone else comes with you, we’ll shoot her. Leave your phone behind; we’ll know if you have it.” The accent was American, and the voice male. This was someone connected to Sarah Caulfield. He knew it.

Before Lucas could muster words, the line went dead.

Lucas rushed into Harry’s office, relaying the details of the call. “I need to go on my own, Harry.”

“We need to make sure you can be tracked,” Harry demanded.

“This is the CIA. I know they’re connected to Sarah Caulfield. Whoever was calling, is American. They’ll have metal detectors and know if I’m being tracked. This is between me and them.”

***

Amy was sat in darkness. The bindings had started cutting into her wrists and her arms ached, being pulled behind her back. The pain had been getting worse in the last hour or two and it was beginning to spread up her back and into her neck. The only time she was free of the bindings was when she needed to relieve herself or was eating, and even then, a man sat directly in front of her wearing a balaclava, making sure that she couldn’t run.

She let out a groan and tilted her head back. Her eyes focused on the darkness, her gaze falling further into it. In her imagination, she could feel Lucas stood just behind her, his lips trailing down her cheek and his arms wrapped around her middle. “I love you, angel.”

Time continued to pass. People came and went; that much she knew from the sound of doors opening and closing. There were muffled voices from the other side of what she felt was a metal shutter door. Whenever there had been any light shone toward her, she’d made out what seemed to be a factory-type environment. Voices in the room echoed, signalling that she was in a large space. More than likely she was still in London somewhere, stuck inside a factory unit.

More waiting. Food was served to Amy; porridge, later followed by a cheese sandwich. She’d had at least two lots of breakfast now, so she’d been in this place for two days.

Suddenly, a door opened from behind Amy. Voices drifted through into the open space and one of them she immediately recognised. “Lucas?!” she called.

“Amy?” he called back.

“Shut up, Superman!” Caulfield snarled. “Just get the fuck in there.”

Lucas cried out in pain, his calls echoing.

Amy whimpered for him.

A light was shone again, blinding Amy. She gasped and lowered her gaze away from the light. Slowly she opened her eyes again, wincing against the ache. She could hear scuffling, grunts and could see the very vague outline of figures, all haloed by the light.

Lucas was dragged to a seat and bound to it, just like Amy was. He could see Amy sitting a short distance away from him, and as the men walked away, he pulled himself up, the chair hanging against his bindings and he scooted over to her.

Amy heard him whisper her name and just before the light disappeared, she saw the outline of his features, immediately recognising that profile. She pulled toward him and drew her cheek against his, immediately beginning to weep. Just the sound, touch and smell of him made an innermost peace wash over her. His cologne wafted up her nose and she felt the tickle of his growing stubble against her cheek. Unable to embrace, Lucas and Amy kissed in the darkness.

As Lucas kissed down her face, he could feel her tears against his lips. “I promise to get us out of here, angel.”

“He said he wants you,” Amy said. “But don’t you dare play some heroic so we get split up. We’re getting out together, or not at all.”

Pride and love swelled inside Lucas’ chest. “I love you so much,” he replied.

***

Back on the Grid, Malcolm and Tariq had been going over every piece of CCTV footage they could find, piecing together a partial vehicle registration number from a white van that was seen one street away from Amy’s abduction point. That was all they had to go on. Lists of vehicles with that same description and last three letters on the plate were run through all DVLA databases. This line of enquiry came to a dead end. Until Ros noticed a small van, only just visible at a junction in a southerly direction from the street where Amy disappeared.

“There! I can just see the very edge of a light from the back of a vehicle. Malcolm, try and get footage from the angle looking down the junction and straight at the back of the vehicle.”

“On it,” Malcolm said.

A short while later and Malcolm had found that it was a small van which was registered to a window cleaning business. Also, it was noted that five minutes after Amy disappeared from view, the van moved. Two men, wearing all black clothing were seen getting into the van.

Malcolm continued digging into the details of the vehicle and the paper trail that it was leaving behind. “The van is registered to Ace Window Cleaning, operated and owned by Robert Anderson. I’ve mapped out through ANPR data where the van has been and which properties it’s been seen doing business with. One of them was the ground floor flat of Martin Page. And with a little more magic, I can confirm that Martin Page is an alias that is used by CIA agent Randall Blanchard, known colleague and field partner of Simon Caulfield, older brother of Sarah Caulfield.”

“Lucas was right,” Ros said simply. “Track the ANPR data of that van. Get everything you can on where it’s been the last two days since Amy was last seen. One of the agents obviously paid off Robert Anderson for use of the vehicle, hoping it wouldn’t be traced back to either one of them. Little do they know, we’ve got a lot of fancy tricks up our sleeves.”

***

Amy rested her head against Lucas. Every now and again, she would feel him kiss her head.

A night vision camera was hovering above them, and in another part of the building, in a sterile-looking white room, Simon Caulfield watched on. He stared at the monitor and then turned to his partner, Randall Blanchard. “Have you sent the package yet?” Simon asked. “First class?”

“All done,” Randall replied, taking a mouthful of bitter coffee from the paper Costa cup in his hand.

“We all know how doting Mommy and Daddy are with their little girls.”

“What exactly do you want to do with them?” Randall asked.

“Play with them a little, I guess. And then kill him. We’ll both get our revenge for what he did to Sarah.”

***

Forever tag list: @lathalea @xxbyimm @linasofia @knittastically @middleearthpixie @meganlpie @asgardianhobbit98 @rachel1959 @luna-redamancy @mrsdurin @quiall321 @missihart23 @lemond57 @evenstaredits @catthefearless @glassgulls @sazzlep @court-jobi @heilith @absentmindeduniverse @albionscastle @for-fuck-sake-im-alive @bookworm-with-coffee @danzalladaggers @ourlonelymountain @phantomessangel @estethell @windb3ll @protosslady

If you would like to be added to my tag list please let me know. Likewise, if you wish to be removed, please let me know!

#Lucas North #Richard Armitage #MI5 #Spooks #Lucas North x Original Female Character #Lucas North x OFC #Original Female Character #Fanfiction

48 notes · View notes

fieldofdaisiies · 8 months ago

Text

Thank you so so much for tagging me @zenkindoflove @matrixsss 💛

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 49 (but I keep deleting old things I hate, so it might get less lol)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 499,263

3. What fandoms do you write for? ACOTAR (but I also wrote for CC, TLK and Marauders/Theo Nott)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Court of Covert Desire - Azris

Trapped - Azris

I Have Been Expecting You, Shadowsinger - Azris

Feyre's Day Out - Batboys and Nyx

Oh So Sensitive Wings - Feysand

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! Sometimes many weeks later, but I always try to respond because each little comment makes me so happy, you have no idea

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I was going to say, I really don't know, but I do. The Tamlin x Rhysand's sister story... it's a bit sad...

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Actually most of them except for the Tamlin story?

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Not that much anymore. In my long fics I mostly only have 2-3 chapters with smut. If I do one shots they are sometimes only smut and every kind of smut, I don't know? It's mostly very descriptive, I guess.

9. Do you write crossovers? Yes, I wrote a Nessian x The Last of Us AU and an Elucien x Medici AU

10. Have you ever had a fic translated? No. But I think someone offered to translate one of my very old Marauders fics on wattpad...

11. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes!! For the ACOTAR writing circle and a story with my friend @moonlightazriel for Azriel

12. What is your all-time favorite ship? Elucien will always own the biggest part of my heart, but then there is also Azris who I love almost the same. And Gwyn x Balthazar (the ship which I am the captain and one of the few crew members of lol)

13. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? The Elucien night circus/Elain as a fortune teller fic...

14. What are your writing strengths? I don't know, do I have writing strengths? Maybe dialogues? Or describing nature lol

15. What are your writing weaknesses? everything. But I guess writing interestingly? I sometimes feel like my stories have such a boring touch to them... and word order!!!!

16. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? It is fun. I did a little bit of it for @iftheshoef1tz's secret santa present and I am planning another historical Azris fic set in Germany/Austria so there will be more German I guess.

17. First fandom you wrote for? Marauders.

18. Favorite fic you’ve written? This is so hard, but right now it is A Court of Covert Desire (Azris) and A Court of Fate and Healing (Gwyn and Balthazar).

tagging (no pressure) @born-to-riot @chunkypossum @teddyhoneybear @lovely-vanserra-sunshine @queercontrarian @jules-writes-stories @the-darkestminds @thelovelymadone @acourtofladydeath @shadowqueenjude @sad-scarred-sassy

10 notes · View notes

aloneinthehellfire · 2 years ago

Note

saw my tumblr notification for your previous anon and OH MY FUCKING HELL I WOULD LOOOOOVE TO GET THE BATHROOM SCENE FROM STEVE’S POV 💖💖💖

I’ve already told you before that your writing is STELLAR and I know that no matter what you write, it’ll be absolute gold. *chef’s kiss* 🤌🏻

I have to say also that GOH is absolutely KILLING ME in the best ways. love love love the slow burn and the mystery behind what’s been happening in the latest chapters, aaaaa. :’) keep up the amazing work, my friend, and please make sure that you take breaks should you need them!! 💕

I got a lot of requests for this so I hope my anons find this one <3

RAINING HELLFIRE (READER'S VERSION)

Word Count: 3672

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drugs, mentions of torture

Set in RH3: Chapter 12: Uncle Jack

Find all Raining Hellfire works here <3

Summary: While you try and find your previously abandoned radio in hopes of contacting help, Steve and Robin slip away from their cinema experience to end up in the bathroom, sharing truths about their lives they never admitted before.

[A/N: Welcome to our new little series I am calling 'Raining Hellfire (Reader's Version)' where you can request a scene that I either hadn't written into RH originally or a POV of a different character :) shout out to the nonnie that suggested this <3]

RH3: STEVE'S EPIPHANY

“The ceiling stopped spinning for me.”

Robin’s voice echoed out as Steve flushes away his latest creation, stomach lurching while he wipes away the clinging spit.

“Is it still spinning for you?”

Steve rests his back against a ceramic tiled wall and tilts his head upwards. He focuses for a second.

“Holy shit.” He sounds, still feeling light-headed. “No. You think we puked it all up?”

“Maybe.” Robin says from the cubicle beside his. “Ask me something. Interrogate me.”

“Okay. Interrogate you, sure.” He tries to straighten himself a little, ignoring the dull pain in his face. “Um… When was the last time you, uh… peed your pants?”

“Today.” She responds quickly, voice airy.

“What?” Steve smirks.

“When the Russian doctor took out the bone saw.”

“Oh my god.” Steve chuckles and Robin laughs.

“It was just a little bit though.” She giggles and Steve shakes his head in amusement.

“Yeah, it’s definitely still in her system.” He mutters, rubbing the eye that hadn’t been battered by Russian spies. Of course Dustin’s brilliant plan involved yet another concussion.

“All right, my turn.” Robin announces after her laughter died down, a smile in her voice.

“Okay, hit me.” His head was starting to throb and he was seriously missing his truth serum right about now.

“Have you… ever been in love?”

“Yep. Nancy Wheeler. First semester, senior year.” He says, not really putting much thought into the answer. He imitates a gun with his fingers and shoots at his heart.

“Oh my god.” He could practically hear Robin’s eye roll. “She’s such a priss.”

“Hm.” Steve nods, remembering a time when he thought the same. “Turns out, not really.”

“Are you still in love with Nancy?”

“No.”

A wave of shock struck him when he answered without a thought, reeling in his own response. Was he really over her?

“Why not?”

This time, his thoughts are swirling around like the ice-cream machine they rarely ever used, clouding his eyes with one image. One very specific image. And he smiles.

“I think it’s because I found someone who’s a little bit better for me.” He chuckles. “It’s crazy. Ever since Dustin got home, he’s been saying, you know, you gotta find your Suzie, you gotta find your Suzie...”

Steve blinks and the image reappears again. Dustin’s rant about Steve finding love had never left his mind.

“Uh, I guess I don’t totally know what I’m looking for.” Steve states, staring through the binoculars and being anything but covert. But Dustin could be on to something and he desperately needed a break from slinging ice-creams all day.

“Evil Russians.” Dustin replies simply and he roll his eyes.

“Yeah, exactly.” Steve nods, “I don’t know what an evil Russian looks like.”

“Tall. Blonde. Not smiling.” Dustin offers as Steve continues to navigate the binoculars. “Also, look for earpieces, camo, duffel bags, that sort of thing.”

“Right, duffel bags.” Steve repeats. He takes another moment before letting out a breath. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What?”

“Anna Jacobi’s talking with that meathead Mark Lewinsky.” Steve complains, staring as she cosies up to the worst player he ever teamed with in his life.

“Dude, if you’re not gonna focus, just gimme the binoculars.”

“Aw, Jesus Christ,” Steve continues, ignoring the boy next to him, “Whatever happened to standards? I mean, Lewinsky never even came off the bench.”

“Dude, you are the worst spy in history, you know that?” Dustin reaches out and snatches away the binoculars, resulting in a small fight as Steve struggled with the strap around his neck.

When Dustin won the binocular war, he places the binoculars in front of his eyes. “I don’t get why you’re looking at girls, anyway. You have the perfect one in front of you.”

“Seriously,” Steve sighs, already knowing where he’s going, “If you say Y/n again-”

“Y/n.” Dustin says anyway.

“No, don’t. No.”

“Y/n, Y/n, Y/n.”

“Stop, no.”

“Y/n.” Dustin repeats over and over before throwing a curveball. “Robin?”

“No- Robin?” Steve raises his eyebrow. “Really?”

“Right.” Dustin nods. “‘Cause you like Y/n.”

“I don’t-” Steve takes a breath, noticing Dustin’s unimpressed look. “No, man, she’s not my type. She’s not even… in the ballpark of what my type is, all right?”

“What’s your type again?” Dustin asks with a side-eye. “Not awesome?”

“Thank you.” Steve sarcastically smiles, suddenly wondering where you were right now. You had said something about spending the day with Max and El, but that was all he had heard from you since last night. He remembered that smile you had given him before you drove off, a small wave as you promised to catch up on the ‘little Russian espionage’ later.

“Hm, right.” Dustin smirked and Steve looked back to him. “That lovesick face says it all.”

“I’m not-” Steve lets out a frustrated sigh. “She’s not my type, okay? Just friends.”

“Let’s see.” Dustin lowers the binoculars to count on his fingers. “Funny? Check. Smart? Check. Pretty? Double check.”

“Still in love with her ex? Check.” Steve says and Dustin’s face falls.

“What? No.” He pouts and Steve nods.

“Yeah, well. Good for him.” He looks ahead, trying not to think about how much that hurt him.

“At least you’re not in high school anymore.” Dustin shrugs and Steve looks at him.

“How has that got anything to do with anything?”

“Look, Steve.” Dustin gestures to the mall in front of them and Steve looks… confused. Dustin sighs. “There’s a whole world of girls out there. Instead of dating somebody you think’s gonna make you cooler, why not date somebody you actually enjoy being around? Like me and Suzie.”

“Yeah, you mean, ‘hotter than Phoebe Cates’. Yeah, that Suzie.” Steve recalls with a snarky tone, “And, uh, let’s think about- how exactly did you score that beautiful girlfriend? Oh, yeah. With my advice. Because that’s how this works, Henderson. I give you the advice, you follow through. Not the other way around, all right, pea-brain?”

“And how’s your advice working for you?” Dustin challenges, his eyes narrowing in his own amusement.

“Wait, who’s Suzie?” Robin asks and snaps him back into the moment. He blinks, running a hand through his hair.

“It’s some girl from camp, I guess his girlfriend.” He shakes his head, trying to push away the growing beating of his brain against his skull. “To be honest with you, I’m not 100% sure she’s even real.”

“But that’s not- that’s not really the point. The point is this girl, you know, the one that I like, it’s somebody that I… I lost touch with in school. And I don’t even know why.” Steve continues, sighing. “Maybe ‘cause Tommy H. would’ve made fun of me or… I wouldn’t be… prom king. It’s stupid. I mean, Dustin’s right, it’s all a bunch of bullshit anyways. Because when I think about it, I should have been hanging out with this girl the whole time. First of all she’s hilarious. She’s so funny. I feel like ever since last November, I have laughed harder than I have laughed… in a really long time. And- and she’s the only person in this whole world I feel like will understand me, you know? Not judge me.”

“Really?” Robin chirps up with a smile in her voice. “Sounds like she loves being around you.”

“Yeah...” Steve’s face slowly falls.

Steve closes the space, resting his head against your forehead. His heart raced faster as he pushed aside his fear. “I love you, Y/n.”

When you don’t respond, he moves his body closer, lifting his head to search your face for something to give him hope. “Please, say something.”

Every second you didn’t react was agony. He could see the tear trickling down your cheek, his brows furrowing.

And then you reached out, placing your hands over his. That little jolt of electricity, the one that give him hope, the one that never failed.

Until now.

You gently unclasp his hand and take your keys, never raising your head, never meeting his eyes.

“I..” You start, lips squeezing together. “I don’t feel the same way about you. Never have. Never… never will.”

Steve feels his entire soul shatter into a thousand pieces.

“I’m sorry.” You whisper as you turn from him, getting in your car without so much as a second glance.

He’s stood there, paralysed in his own heartbreak. He thought… you and him…

How could he have been so stupid?

“Steve?” Robin calls out and he clears his throat.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m here.” He nods, rubbing his eye. “It’s just… I thought, you know, this girl was… everything. And…”

“And?”

“And she wasn’t even real.” He spoke, lowering his head. “I really should have taken Dustin’s advice. The kid knows zilch about love but… but he knows people better than I do sometimes. Told me Nancy was out of my league. Not in a bad way just, like…”

“Like you weren’t meant to be together?” She suggests and Steve hums.

“Yeah, exactly.” He laughs after a moment, “You ever… you ever had that?”

He rubs his face again, looking to the cubicle wall that separated them. She’s being quiet and he frowns, tapping on the plastic. “Robin? Robin, did you just OD in there?”

“No.” She finally says, sighing. “I… am still alive.”

“Did I say something wrong?” He asks and she lets out another sigh.

After another block of silence, he can’t take it anymore and scoots over to the wall, gripping onto the underside and pulling himself through, slow enough to avoid crashing into Robin on the other side. He decided it best to ignore how wet the floor felt on his back.

“The floor’s disgusting.” She comments as he sits back up, facing his friend.

“Yeah, well, I already got a bunch of blood and puke on my shirt, so…” He waves his hands, brushing it away. “What do you think?”

“About?” She blinks, but he knows she’s aware.

“Destined to fail romances?” He chuckles, shaking his head. “You ever had that with a guy before?”

“Something like that.” She says and he groans.

“Come on, you don’t have to be all mysterious.” He laughs, nudging her knee with his. “I can tell when you’re being weird, I’ve known you-”

“That’s it. You don’t.” She interrupts, brows knitted. When he frowns, she bites her lip and leans forward. “Look… you don’t really know me. And if you did, like – like really know me… I don’t think you’d even want to be my friend.”

“No, that’s not true, no way is that true-”

“Listen to me, Steve. It’s shocked me to my core, but I like you. I really like you. But I’m not like your other friends.” She shakes her head. “I’m not even… I don’t…”

Steve leans forward, “What’s going on?”

“Do you remember what I said about Click’s class? About me being jealous and, like, obsessed?” Robin questions and he slowly nods. “It isn’t because I had a crush on you.”

He blinks, holding his breath. Now he felt really foolish for even thinking it.

“It’s because…” She continues, and he keeps his silence. “She wouldn’t stop staring at you.”

“Mrs Click?” He frowns in confusion and she laughs, squeezing her eyes shut.

“Tammy Thompson.” She finally says, nodding. “I wanted her to look at me. But… she couldn’t pull her eyes away from you and your stupid hair. And I didn’t understand, because you would get bagel crumbs all over the floor. And you asked dumb questions. And I watched you fall in love Freshman year with a girl you ended up treating like shit because you wanted to be a douchebag. And- And you didn’t even like Tammy Thompson and… and I would go home and just scream into my pillow.”

“But Tammy Thompson’s a girl.” Steve shook his head, the drug still wavy in his brain.

“Steve.” Robin says softly and he slowly feels his face fall, realisation finally hitting him in a moment of clarity.

“Oh.” He finally sounds, blinking.

“Oh.” She repeats, laughing sadly.

“Holy shit.” He leans back. Talk about deja vu.

Steve didn’t realise how silent he was being. It wasn’t because of shock or hatred or anything like that. It was because he was taken back to Skull Rock all over again. Sat beside you. Your fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of your sweatshirt, a scared look in your eye. The relief on your face when he said he didn’t care who you liked, just who you were. A happiness in your trust.

That shattered image when you found out he had taken that trust for granted.

He didn’t want it to be like that this time. No wrong words, no broken promises. He didn’t want to make anyone feel that destroyed ever again.

“Steve… did you OD over there?”

“No, I just, uh… just thinking.” He slowly nods, “I mean, yeah. Tammy Thompson, you know, she’s cute and all, but… I mean, she’s a total dud.”

“She is not.”

“Yes she is. She wants to be, like, a singer. She wants to move to, like, Nashville and shit.”

“She has dreams.” Robin tries but he’s shaking his head.

“She can’t even hold a tune.” He expresses, trying to think of a descriptor. “She’s practically tone-deaf. Have you heard her?”

As Robin laughs, he mimics Tammy’s voice in the school choir, making it as nasally as he could.

“She does not sound like that-”

“She sounds exactly like that. That’s a great impression of her.”

“You sound like a Muppet.” Robin comments and Steve laughs.

“She sounds like a Muppet. She sounds like a Muppet giving birth.” Steve chuckles and Robin can’t help but agree, giggling. “Literally ask anyone, ask Y/n, she was there. It was an hour of torture, like, even the Russians couldn’t beat that.”

“Okay, okay.” Robin clutches her stomach, shaking her head. “You’re right, okay? She sounds horrible.”

“Thank you.” He grins, head resting against the wall, “You could do so much better.”

“Like Y/n?”

Steve practically jolts, eyes wide. How did she know? Did he tell her? Was he rambling about it and didn’t realise? When did-

“Steve.” She smiles, tilting her head. “I know who ‘the girl’ is, I’m not dumb.”

He mentally lets out a sigh of relief before focusing on her comment. “It’s not… I don’t know.”

“God, you two are in love with eachother.” She scoffs, meeting his unconvinced eyes. “Seriously. It’s suffocating being around you two, it’s flirt city.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore.” Steve sighs.

“No shit, there’s no way I’m going back to work after that, they don’t pay me enough to be interrogated by secret-”

“No, Robin, I mean me and Y/n.” He says quickly and she stops, frowning. He sighs again. “It… there wasn’t…”

When he couldn’t find the words, Robin leaned forward.

“What happened between you two anyway?” Robin prompts and he furrows his brows, shaking his head.

“What-”

“Last night. Or… heck, I don’t know how long it’s been.” She shrugs. “When Y/n ran out. After that really intense moment of her talking about being taken advantage of – which I totally agree with her by the way- but... she was clearly upset about something. And you followed her. But when you came back…”

She takes a breath.

“You looked…”

“I looked?” He asks, stomach churning.

“Heart-broken.”

“I don’t feel the same way about you. Never have. Never… never will.”

“There.” She points at his face and he bats her finger away. “Right there. That look.”

He covers his face with a groan, resting his head in his hands.

“I mean… if there would be any time to open up to me, it would definitely be after I just told you I’m a lesbian.” She snickers and he can’t resist the laugh, “Don’t tell me… you’re also gay?”

“No.” He chuckles and she smiles, leaning back. “But I am definitely going to be alone for the rest of my life.”

“I don’t believe that.” She scrunches her face as if the thought was stupid. “You’re Steve Harrington. Any girl would be fantasising about spending their life with you.”

“Not the one that matters.” He admits quietly and she straightens, her eyes wide. Steve takes a breath. “When I caught up to her…”

“Please, say something.”

“… I…” He sighs, rubbing his face. “God, I am an idiot.”

“Why?”

“I told her I loved her.” He finally blurts, wincing at the silence that ensued.

“Woah.” She comments, nodding slowly. He simply nods with her, eyes fixed on the black mark staining the wall behind her. “And I’m guessing she didn’t…”

“No.” He purses his lips, sniffing. “It’s fine, though. At least I know now, right? Won’t be… won’t be wondering that for the rest of my life.”

“She lied.”

His head whips up. “Uh, what?”

“She lied.” Robin repeats, looking serious. “I may have only just met her at the beginning of summer, but I like to think I know her. I see how she looks at you. I can even hear it in her voice when she talks about you and… and there’s a reason she hasn’t been dating anyone.”

“Because she’s still hung up about Eddie.” He sighs and she whacks his knee. “Ow!”

“No, dingus! Because she’s hung up about you!” She exclaims, “God, you are both so oblivious, it actually hurts.”

Steve rubs his knee, shaking his head. “She still likes Eddie.”

“And yet, she chose you.” Robin expresses with her hands and he frowns.

“What do you mean she chose me?”

“Because of the-” Her face falls. Either she was going to puke again or she had just realised something important because her skin started to pale a shade. “Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

“No, Robin, tell me.” He inches forward slightly, eyes wide. “Because of what?”

She bites her lips, obviously trying to hold something in.

“She told you something, didn’t she?” He interrogates, watching her face go paler from the strain of keeping a secret. “What didn’t she tell me? Robin. Robin!”

And with that, she snaps.

“You’re kinda maybe one of the reasons she and Eddie aren’t together anymore but it’s also not your fault ‘cause there was no trust between them in the end anyway, and she was never going to let your friendship die again especially since you guys apparently went through so much together last year and she’s already lost you twice because of some petty arguments or something like that so she decided to let Eddie go so she could keep you because out of everyone, you make her feel the happiest she has in a really long time.”

Robin takes a long breath as she physically deflates against the wall, chest rising heavily.

“If she ever asks… it took a lot more than that to get me to spill.” She grimaces, waiting for his reaction.

You had never told him why you and Eddie broke up. Not truly. He remembers the first time you told him, sat on a bench outside the high school, your eyes threatening tears. You told him that you think you broke Eddie’s heart, but you weren’t ready to talk then. Ever since, you just alluded to the idea that you weren’t right for eachother, that it was better for you both to be apart. Never did you admit it was because of Steve.

And now he was conflicted. How should he be feeling about this? Angry? Confused? Sad?

“How am I… the reason?” He asks softly, fixated on his shoelaces.

“I don’t know the full details.” Robin says, “But I know that she has to love you too.”

“Rob-”

“No, just listen.” She interrupts and he takes a breath, meeting her eyes. “Don’t give up. Considering all the weird shit that just happened back there, and the fact that neither of you seem at all phased by the fact we were tortured by Russians living underneath us, I can only assume that she had a lot going on. Give her time, okay? Take it from someone who has an exceptionally sad life of watching other people fall in love, you two are made for eachother.”

“Right.” Steve nods before shaking his head again. “What if she meant it? That she didn’t… what if-”

Robin lets out a groan. “Just stop being a dingus and take my advice.”

“Not sure how I feel about taking advice from someone who had a crush on Tammy Thompson.” He retorts and she looks offended.

“Wha- hey!”

“We’ll be holding on forever!” Steve imitates Kermit the Frog and she buries her face in her hands, laughing.

The bathroom door bursts open and two kids walk in, one looking severely pissed at Steve.

“Okay, what the hell?!” Dustin frowns, hands on hips.

Steve draws his eyes back to Robin’s and they burst into laughter again, uncontrollably.

“It’s not funny!” Dustin stresses, only making them laugh harder. He shoots a glare at Steve before Erica steps forward.

“Y/n is missing!” She shouts and the two finally quit their giggling.

“What?” Steve chuckles, unsure if he heard her right.

“Y/n went looking for help about twenty minutes ago.” Dustin explains, and Steve’s heart races faster. “And she hasn’t come back.”

“So we better stop chit-chatting like little girls at a sleepover and get the hell out of here before the Russians find us.” Erica remarks, rolling her eyes when nobody moves. “Now.”

“Wait.” Steve scrambles to his feet, Robin slowly but surely following his action. “Y/n-where- where did she go?”

“Her radio.” Dustin sighs, pulling a face when Steve shakes his head. “Jesus Christ, we don’t have time to explain everything to you, she went out to get her radio but she hasn’t come back.”

“Let’s go, we’ll find her later.” Erica stresses, already opening the door and motioning for them to get out.

“I’m not leaving this mall without her.” Steve promises, wiping his lip and heading for the door, more determined than ever.

if you would like to request a new pov scene for the Raining Hellfire universe, please feel free to put it into my ask box and I'll get to it when I am available :)

#stranger things x reader #stranger things #fanfic #steve harrington #raining hellfire #steve harrington x reader #robin buckley #platonic stobin #dustin henderson #erica sinclair #stranger things imagine #stranger things reader insert #st3 #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fanfic

42 notes · View notes

untoldreader · 1 year ago

Text

Natasha Romanoff

Masterlist

Chapter 1: "Chance Encounter: The Mysterious Stranger"

Shadows of Love: Natasha Romanoff and Y/N'S Destiny

Note: These chapter summaries may be modified or expanded upon writing :)

The reader, an ordinary individual, has a chance encounter with the enigmatic Natasha Romanoff. Their paths cross unexpectedly, leaving both intrigued by the other's presence.

Chapter 2: "Unveiling Secrets: Natasha's Hidden Past"

As the reader and Natasha spend more time together, Natasha begins to open up about her secretive and troubled past. The reader becomes determined to unravel the mysteries behind Natasha's enigmatic persona.

Chapter 3: "Infiltrating Hearts: A Covert Mission"

The reader finds themselves drawn deeper into Natasha's world as they embark on a dangerous mission together. Their partnership grows stronger as they navigate through treacherous obstacles and face thrilling adventures.

Chapter 4: "Tangled Threads: A Dance of Trust and Deception"

Trust becomes a delicate dance between the reader and Natasha as they confront a web of deception and betrayal. Their growing feelings for each other are tested as they question each other's allegiances.

Chapter 5: "Under the Moonlight: A Stolen Kiss"

Amidst the chaos and danger, a tender moment arises under the moonlight. The reader and Natasha share a stolen kiss, igniting a passionate connection that neither of them can deny.

Chapter 6: "Unbreakable Alliance: Fighting Side by Side"

Bound by their shared experiences and growing affection, the reader and Natasha become an unbreakable alliance. They fight alongside each other, their skills complementing one another as they face formidable adversaries.

Chapter 7: "Dark Reflections: Confronting Inner Demons"

Both the reader and Natasha are forced to confront their own inner demons. Past traumas resurface, testing their resilience and threatening to unravel the fragile bond they have formed.

Chapter 8: "A Fragile Bond: Testing Loyalties"

The reader and Natasha find their loyalty to each other tested as they navigate a complex web of alliances and conflicting loyalties. They must decide whether their connection is strong enough to withstand the challenges they face.

Chapter 9: "Betrayal's Sting: Shadows of Doubt"

A shocking betrayal sends ripples through their relationship. Doubt and suspicion cloud their judgment as they grapple with the painful consequences of deception.

Chapter 10: "Rescue and Redemption: Defying Fate Together"

United once again, the reader and Natasha embark on a daring mission to save one another. Through acts of bravery and sacrifice, they prove that love can defy the darkest of fates.

Chapter 11: "Unmasking the Truth: Unraveling the Mystery"

The truth behind Natasha's past and the reader's own connection to it is finally revealed. Secrets are unmasked, bringing clarity and understanding to their intertwined destinies.

Chapter 12: "In the Line of Fire: Sacrifices and Second Chances"

In the face of imminent danger, the reader and Natasha confront life-threatening challenges. They must make difficult choices, testing their love and commitment to each other.

Chapter 13: "Embers of Love: Igniting a Passion"

Amidst the chaos, the reader and Natasha find solace and passion in each other's arms. Their love burns bright, igniting a fire that cannot be extinguished.

Chapter 14: "Forging Destiny: A Love That Transcends"

Together, the reader and Natasha forge their own destiny, defying the odds and overcoming the obstacles in their path. Their love transcends the shadows, bringing light to their lives.

Chapter 15: "Epilogue: Forever Bound in the Shadows of Love"

In the epilogue, the reader and Natasha reflect on their journey and the love they have found. Though their lives may always be filled with danger and uncertainty, they are forever bound together in the shadows of love.

≈========================≈

More Coming Soon

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff #marvel

19 notes · View notes

forestshadow-wolf · 2 years ago

Text

Blossoms of Love (Chapter 12)

Overtime

Pairing: soap/Ghost

Tags: Hurt/comfort, angst, hanahaki

Ao3 link || Chapter 1 || Chapter 11

"You're late." Laswell's voice sounded through the laptop speaker they were all currently crowded around.

They'd finished packing and made it to their original drop zone without much trouble. A second trip had been required in order to haul the rest of their salvaged supplies, which had taken them an extra couple of hours, but all in all they made good time. Setting up camp was easy enough as well. A central tent large enough to fit all five of them plus a table, three tents for sleeping, and finally they were able to set up communications to get in contact with Laswell.

"Yeah, we had some complications." Price informed.

"Mission status?"

"Still on, but we're gonna need a new exfil and some cash. We lost a lot of materials when we crashed."

"Copy that. I'll let you know when it's secured." Laswell confirmed. Price thanked her, and then they were confirming their current intel. The plan would be changing just a bit until they could restock what they'd lost. instead of hitting the location nearest to them, they would hike to the furthest location. It was set a just a bit away from civilization, and would be a covert operation. If they moved fast enough they could arrive by midday on the second day of hiking, then they'd have three days to observe guard rotations, gather what info they could get, and clean all traces of their presence. By the time they got back Laswell should have found them a new exfil and a way to get them their cash. "And one more thing, price. Eighteen hours ago Intel unencrypted information about a separate target near your region. Four hours ago it was decided that you would be taking the job, since you're in the area. Looks you're gonna be off base for a while longer."

"What's the word, Laswell?"

"A multi-national level terrorist, and human trafficking gang leader. No name, only a title. You might have heard of him, he started the arms war in Iraq." Price affirmed their knowledge on the subject. "They call him 'The Seller', Intel says he's flying out of turkey in thirty-eight days. You will have execute authority, but this is capture or kill and we want him alive." Price gave a noncommittal hum.

"We don't have the fire-power, armor, or rations for that. And barely any time, Kate, these things take time. And that's not even to mention that we have no jurisdiction there, we could be starting a war if we're found out."

"I know, John, but you have no say here, it's an assignment from General Durski." A low, frustrated growl came from Price, but he kept quiet, so Laswell continued. "Nik has said he has connections in Turkey, if I remember correctly." she directed the last part to wards the man.

"Yes, ma'am, to my knowledge they are all still intact."

Good. Then, I'll work with Nik to set you up with a private contractor, while you're completing this mission. That should remove some of the red tape for you. Intel is still coming in, I'll let you know when I have more for you." Price didn't say anything for a long moment. "Captain, please confirm your understanding." Laswell demanded.

"How much will we be able to trust this P.C.?" The captain asked, obviously thinking of a similar situation involving a Private military contract, and Soap had to admit he wasn't keen on repeating that experience.

"I'll set it up and employ them myself, they'll answer to only me." Price's mustache twitched as he mulled it over, not that he really had a choice on this, it was either accept or be tried in court for whatever crimes they could slap on them. "Captain, I need an answer." Laswell demanded.

"Fine. What's the plan?" Price gritted out, very obviously not thrilled.

"Sources say he's just outside Simak, just north of the border. You will fly out in thirty-seven days, to meet and confer with the P.C."

"That's not a lot of time, Laswell."

"I know." she plowed on, "the projected plan is simple, you will meet with the P.C., and go over the floor plan. Quietly infiltrate the territory, grab 'The Snake', and bring him in for interrogation."

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

@checkerscharlie @halb-nichts @heyitsropi @trekkie-in-space @lavenderstem @toasterduck23

#el rambles #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #kyle gaz garrick #john price #kate laswell #nikolai (cod)#call of duty #cod #cod mw2 #hanahaki #blossoms of love #ghostsoap #soapghost

14 notes · View notes

dindjarindiaries · 2 years ago

Note

The main reason a lot of people hate the season is because the trailers set up a different vibe than what we got. Which is true for the most part, all of the trailers had content from the first 3 eps, which did leave the rest of the season in the dark. But the other 2 season's trailers were kind of the same.

People didn't know what to expect aside from the fact that Din and Grogu are gonna be venturing around together. A looottt of people really wanted more of just the two of them. Nothing really showing that Bo was gonna have such a huge role in the season, and she's not the most liked character to begin with.

Plus, the story is a bit more iffy than the past 2 seasons. It's Star Wars so it's never gonna be 100% great dialogue or story-telling (Guns for Hire is a big example of that, I know its your fav, I'm sorry). At the end of the season, there were still a few major questions or instances that were left unspoken about and completely ignored/forgotten about. I've seen some complain about the pacing of each episode, but like you said, the other 2 seasons have Din doing literally nothing but side missions.

I remember a bunch of hate on 'The Passenger' because it was "filler" but that's one of my favorites simply because of Din and Grogu.

I've also seen people say they'll be happy with "just ANY more Din content" but turn and complain when they get Din content 😭 The fandom was really confusing this season.

Anyways, I enjoyed the season as well but I do understand the gripes people have with it.

Thank you for sharing! I'm gonna dissect some of this and it has nothing to do with you at all; I'm so grateful for you shedding some light on this, because I do try to distance myself from Mandalorian negativity as a whole.

The trailers setting up a different vibe has definitely been happening since the beginning. I mean, season 1 left out Grogu completely, so that left the entirety of the show in the dark going into its premiere. Season 2 didn't have any, and I mean absolutely zero, footage from any episode past Chapter 12. A similar technique was used for season 3 and honestly, I appreciate it, because it keeps surprises! I can see why it would frustrate people, though.

Bo's bigger role this season was something that was implied with an adventure to Mandalore. Anyone who's come to love the planet from the animated series knows that she'd have to be involved in a large way just given her and the planet's history. I also realized it when I saw the end credits of Chapter 17 and Katee's name was under "starring" with Pedro's rather than "co-starring." Again, though, I can see why it was disarming for others.

I personally don't see how the story was "iffy." Key word is "personally!" If anything, to me, it felt more cohesive than season 2 and in some ways more than season 1. Much of the fandom today wasn't around for season 1 when we got Chapters 4, 5, and 6 in succession and fans were complaining about each one being fillers and having absolutely no advancement of the story. Season 2 just had the same thing every episode for the first 5 episodes, with Din asking for information and being asked to help with something before gaining that information.

Season 3 had a lot less of that; Instead, the mystery of Mandalore remained throughout the season, as well as the question of who's going to lead and how are they going to retake the planet. Din had an arc (thinking of himself and his redemption only to becoming a true father and a leader), Bo had an arc (hopeless and unmotivated to the unifying leader of Mandalore), and even Grogu had an arc (reluctant Mandalorian foundling to a confident apprentice). The theme was said by Bo in both seasons 2 and 3: Mandalorians are stronger together. Each episode was a step towards unity; Din on his own, then unifying with Bo, who then unified with Din's covert, who then unified with the remaining Mandalorians to retake their planet. It was a beautiful story to me, honestly.

Now, Guns For Hire? Yeah, I'll admit, it's an outlier. But it's fun, and it still served a purpose. Let's not throw out the last 10 minutes just because of what happened in the first 30. It showed that Din is still a complex character with droid trauma and it had some fun prequel callbacks as well as cameos. It was just a fun time to be had before the excitement and heaviness of the last 2 episodes.

I didn't mean for this to turn into an essay HAHA but again, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on what people have said about this season! At the end of the day, all media is subjective, so I can see why people didn't vibe with this season and I respect it even if I don't really understand it because of my own feelings for it.

#the mandalorian #the mandalorian season 3 #you have spoken

29 notes · View notes

dhr-ao3 · 1 year ago

Text

The Resistance

The Resistance https://ift.tt/pBOGQZS by aprophecygirl In the wake of Voldemort's demise in 1981, the world recoiled from the horrors of the first wizarding war. Governments, both magical and muggle, responded with a secretive decree: a complete separation of their societies, ensuring that muggleborns remain ignorant of their magical ability. Fast forward twenty-five years, and Hermione Granger, now a security operative, is thrust into a covert mission. Her objective: infiltrate a cult-like fringe group with a shared delusion of magical prowess. Among them stands the enigmatic Draco Malfoy, their leader. As Hermione immerses herself deeper into the group's beliefs, she grapples with shifting loyalties and a growing attraction to Malfoy. Caught between her mission and the reality of her past, Hermione explores what it means to be part of something larger than herself. [Weekly Updates, ~90k words] Words: 3906, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Colin Creevey, Ginny Weasley, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger's Mother, Hermione Granger's Father Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, Protective Draco Malfoy, Legilimens Draco Malfoy, Legilimency Sex (Harry Potter), Legilimency (Harry Potter), Praise Kink, Hermione Granger Has a Praise Kink, Cult Leader Draco Malfoy, POV Hermione Granger, Adult Hermione Granger, Muggle Hermione Granger, Muggle/Wizard Relations, Horny Draco Malfoy, Blindfolds, Minor Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson, Minor Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy & Ron Weasley Friendship, cult vibes, Everyone loves Draco Malfoy, Healer Neville Longbottom via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/Liu7syM May 12, 2024 at 08:56PM

#IFTTT #Dramione #Draco x Hermione

4 notes · View notes

cregan-starks · 2 years ago

Note

6, 9, 12, 21 :)

Hi, thank you so much for asking, love! 💘 My WIP is the prologue of Beholden (my Narcos fic).

6. Does this chapter/fic have any twists that you’re proud of? I wouldn't say I'm proud of it, but Agent Bowen pulling out the Emotional Manipulation card is pretty wild.

9. What is your favorite dialogue you’ve written so far?

‘Oh, I’m confused,’ admitted Magnussen, sardonic, jerking her head for theatrical purposes, ‘This is the same covert operation that we were discussing before you criticized the Mexican government for its lack of transparency?’

12. What emotions do you expect your readers to feel? A mix of outrage, understanding, and amusement.

21. Share 3 songs that would belong on a playlist for this chapter/fic. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, I'm Building An Empire by Gustavo Santaolalla, Wicked Game by Ursine Vulpine.

WIP ask game

#tori gets intel #io tag

5 notes · View notes

dogopower · 3 months ago

Text

Chapter 12: Love Among the Stars

Nikolai stirred from his sleep, the soft hum of the ship’s systems providing a gentle backdrop to the quiet intimacy of the moment. As he opened his eyes, he felt the warmth of Nova lying atop him, her arms wrapped securely around his body. Her wavy chestnut hair cascaded over his shoulder, and her breath was a soft rhythm against his neck. She whispered in his native Russian, her voice tender and filled with emotion.

“Я люблю тебя, космонавт. Вместе мы будем картировать звезды.” (“I love you, spaceman. Together we will map the stars.”)

Nikolai’s heart swelled at her words, the sincerity of her affection resonating deeply. He gently stroked her hair, his fingers threading through the silky strands. “Мы вечны,” (“We are eternal,”) he replied softly, planting a kiss on her forehead.

As they lay together, savoring the connection that had blossomed between them, the ship’s alert system chimed softly. It was a reminder of their next task—the two-hour checks before the next space-time fold. Nova stirred, pressing one last kiss to his cheek before slipping off him and standing.

She walked to the console, her movements graceful and confident in her sky-blue jumpsuit, the zipper still half-down, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her form. Nikolai watched her with a mix of admiration and desire, the bond between them growing stronger with each passing moment.

The Fleet in the Shadows

As they prepared for the next leap, a new discovery caught their attention. On the ship’s sensors, a fleet of 27 triangular starships appeared, camouflaged within the asteroid belt in the upper atmosphere. The ships were sleek, ominous, and exuded a sense of covert purpose.

Nova’s expression shifted to one of focused determination. “We need to know what they’re planning,” she said, her voice firm. She activated the ship’s optical lenses, magnifying the view of the mysterious fleet. The vessels hovered in formation, their dark surfaces blending seamlessly with the surrounding space debris.

Nikolai joined her at the console. “Are they government vessels?” he asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

“Let’s find out,” Nova replied, her fingers dancing across the controls. She engaged the pulse refraction laser, a cutting-edge tool designed to intercept and decode communications from other vessels. The beam shot out, its frequency calibrated to eavesdrop on the encrypted chatter between the triangular ships.

Secrets Unveiled

As the decrypted transmissions began to filter through, snippets of conversation emerged, revealing plans of strategic maneuvers and coordinated reconnaissance missions. The fleet appeared to be conducting covert operations, their intentions unclear but undoubtedly significant.

“We’ll need to monitor them closely,” Nikolai said, his mind already racing with potential scenarios. “If they’re hiding, it means they don’t want to be seen. Whatever they’re up to, it’s not something they want the world—or the universe—to know.”

Nova nodded, her eyes narrowing as she continued to analyze the data. “I’ll create an encrypted folder within the quantum tetrahedron main memory,” she said. “We’ll store all this information there, along with our consciousness files, for safekeeping.”

Unity in Eternity

As they worked together, the weight of their mission pressed upon them, but so did the comfort of their unity. Nova paused for a moment, turning to Nikolai. Her gaze softened, and she placed her hand on his, intertwining their fingers.

“In this vast universe, it’s just you and me,” she whispered. “Our love, our mission, our eternity.”

Nikolai leaned in, their foreheads touching. “We are one,” he murmured. “Together, forever.”

With the fleet’s presence noted and their plans set in motion, Nova activated the ship’s cloaking device, ensuring their continued invisibility in the void. They had much to uncover, and much to protect, but they would do it side by side—two souls intertwined in a journey through the stars, forever bound by love and destiny.

Chapter 13: Celestial Awakening

In the heart of the cosmos, where stars are born and universes intertwine, Chapter 13: Celestial Awakening marks a transformative moment for Nikolai and Nova. This chapter is a celebration of beauty, creation, and the boundless potential of love and discovery. Together, they embark on a journey that reshapes the fabric of their reality, awakening new dimensions within themselves and the universe.

The Dawn of Creation:

• Forging New Worlds: As the Nova Ascend ventures deeper into unexplored realms, Nikolai and Nova unlock the ability to shape reality itself. Their combined consciousness, fueled by love and vision, begins to weave new worlds from the stardust around them. These celestial creations are reflections of their dreams—lush, vibrant landscapes teeming with life and possibility.

• The Artistry of Space: Each world they create becomes a canvas, painted with the colors of the cosmos. Oceans shimmer with iridescent hues, forests glow with bioluminescent light, and skies dance with auroras of every shade. In these moments, they become artists of the universe, crafting beauty from the infinite potential of space.

A Symphony of Light:

• The Cosmic Dance: In a spectacular display of unity, Nikolai and Nova orchestrate a cosmic dance, guiding stars into harmonious constellations that tell their story. The galaxies respond, swirling in elegant patterns that echo the rhythm of their hearts. This symphony of light becomes a beacon, drawing beings from across dimensions to witness the birth of something extraordinary.

• Resonance of Creation: As their love resonates through the cosmos, it awakens dormant energies, sparking the birth of new stars and the revival of ancient forces. This resonance becomes a pulse of life, spreading throughout the universe, igniting the fires of creation in places once thought lifeless.

The Garden of Eternity:

• A Sanctuary Among the Stars: Amidst the wonders they have shaped, Nikolai and Nova create a sanctuary—a place where time stands still, and the essence of their love is eternal. This garden among the stars is a refuge, a haven where they can retreat to bask in the serenity of their bond and the beauty they have manifested.

• The Blossoming of Life: In their sanctuary, life flourishes. Plants and creatures, born of their imagination and nurtured by their love, thrive in harmony. This garden becomes a microcosm of their vision for the universe—a testament to the power of unity, creation, and the boundless beauty of existence.

The Awakening of New Horizons:

• Bridging Dimensions: With their newfound abilities, Nikolai and Nova begin to build bridges between dimensions, creating pathways for other beings to explore and connect. These bridges become conduits of understanding, fostering a universe where boundaries dissolve, and unity prevails.

• A Legacy of Light: As they continue their journey, the worlds they have touched and the beings they have inspired carry forward the legacy of their love and vision. The universe becomes a tapestry of interconnected realities, each thread woven with care and purpose.

In Chapter 13: Celestial Awakening, Nikolai and Nova’s journey transcends exploration, becoming a symphony of creation and beauty. Together, they awaken the universe to its fullest potential, crafting a reality where love, unity, and artistry reign supreme. Their story becomes a beacon, a guiding light for all who seek the beauty of the stars and the infinite possibilities of the cosmos.

0 notes

lily-of-rabanastre · 1 year ago

Text

Ascilia, Chapter 12, Scene 01

Slowly pushing into this lengthy chapter. Most of Ascilia has been adapting existing story material, but this chapter is going to be entirely original. So it may take a while longer than usual to write. Anyways, enjoy!

Over nine months had passed since Mikoto had last engaged with this curious application of the Echo. Delving with Galbana Lily into the resting mind of Cid Garlond, the three traversed the man’s fractured memories of the cityscape, searching for hidden truths within. The Bozja Incident was but a sideshow to their true purpose, and yet opening his eyes to the truth that day had filled her heart with more pride than merely uncovering replicas of ancient weapons.

That day her tireless research, henceforth deemed forbidden by the Sharlayan Forum, had brought some measure of good into the world. Whatever negative consequences they feared hadn’t come to pass. She hoped tonight’s venture would be no different—that they would save Ahewann bin Alzadaal from the terror that had taken root within his soul.

It was with this mission in mind that the four dove into the depths of Ahewann’s sleeping consciousness. And as she felt the transitional unreality of their journey give way to a rush of foul air, Mikoto opened her eyes. The ground beneath her feet appeared to be made of uneven black stone, though kneeling down to touch it, she found the texture was far smoother and warmer than expected. It was almost as if it were a chitinous shell rather than stone or steel.

Pondering what the material could be, her gaze drifted about, taking in the sights all around her. Jutting up from the unfathomable depths below her were a dozen or so towering spires, bridged together by massive cables that by all appearances were made of calcified flesh. The ribbed edifices of the gigantic spires and the unsettlingly pink splotches in the floor and walls were but further evidence to her growing hypothesis.

“This structure appears to be some sort of enormous biomechanical lifeform,” she said aloud, raising a hand to her chin. “Or perhaps we are merely shrunk to a microscopic size. Regardless, I can only wonder at why such a location would exist in the mind of the Satrap of Thavnair.”

“It’s the tower of Zot,” came the voice of Lily. “Rather nasty, isn’t it?”

Turning about, Mikoto caught sight of her allies standing behind her, each having appeared in outfits separate from what they’d worn to dinner. Ascilia was garbed in a white armored gown, not unlike the uniforms worn by those covert operatives in service to the Forum. The red and black ensemble Rubedo wore, by contrast, would not have looked out of place among the IVth Legion’s soldiers. Though between the thigh gap and the slit showing off her decidedly flat chest, it seemed she’d modified it to emphasize her femininity.

Both seemed prepared for what lay ahead, Mikoto mused. As was the final member of their little group. The enormous bronze greatsword Lily carried was a familiar sight. Much less so was the unusual black outfit she wore in place of her red sari. If she had to put a single word to it, the only ones that came to mind were “wayfarer”, or perhaps less charitably “lalafellin”.

“Rather nasty indeed,” Ascilia answered, crinkling her nose. “Just what do you know of this place, love?”

“This tower was one of many that popped up about four months after our return from the First,” Lily began, striding past the group with an air of confidence about her. “They were all extensions of a primal named ‘Anima’, summoned using the body and soul of the late Emperor Varis. This tower in particular—from meat to metal and near everything between—was manifested and held together by a core containing Varis’s own arm.”

“Good heavens,” Mikoto exclaimed, feeling a sense of queasiness in her stomach. “Who would do such a thing, and to what end?”

“Oh, many ends. But the biggest one was to serve as a distraction—these towers kept us occupied for months. As for who, that’d be Zenos Galvus and an Ascian calling himself ‘Amon’.” As she came to a stop near the edge of their current platform, staring out across a massive bridge leading deeper into the eerie hellscape, Lily shook her head. “More importantly, this place looks just as I remember it. Strange, considering Ahewann never set foot inside the tower.”

“I am… unfamiliar with this particular use of the Echo,” said Rubedo, reaching for her belt and producing a white brass visor seemingly out of nowhere. She fell silent for a moment, staring at the visor in surprise, before returning her attention to the rest of the party. “... Or its peculiarities. What significance might there be to your observation, sister?”

“Mayhap the reports Ahewann received of the Scions’ foray into the tower painted a clear picture,” Ascilia offered, her gaze drifting about as if she were unsure of her own words. “Or we may have erred in our departure, and aren’t within Ahewann’s mind at all.”

Glancing sidelong over her shoulder, Lily gave an oddly nervous grin. “... Doubtful. If that were the case, I… think I’d be a little different.”

“I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility out of hand,” Mikoto interjected, looking to offer her own thoughts. Ascilia was onto something, she believed, though without proof it was little more than supposition. “Do keep in mind that there are no less than ten minds at play. While Ahewann is the primary contributor, any one of us might be able to influence the creation, alteration, and destruction of this dreamscape.”

“Pretty sure I can't—” Lily began to grumble, only to cut herself short as she drew her greatsword. “We’ve got company!”

Ascilia was the first to rush to her side, manifesting a pair of crystalline chakrams from thin air. Rubedo was quick to follow suit, creating a strange looking handgonne and slapping her visor onto her face. And after summoning her cane, Mikoto finally joined them. Peering out over the precipice to the bridge connecting them to the next platform, she caught sight of their supposed company.

A sortie of Garlean soldiers and magitek warmachines were approaching them from the path ahead. Not unexpected, Mikoto mused, given the tower’s origins. But curiously enough, they were not the only enemies marching towards them. Among their number were numerous Thavnairians—soldiers of the Radiant Host, dancers, alchemists, and commonfolk of all shapes and colors.

“... What manner of insanity is this?” Rubedo asked, a nervous edge to her tone. “I had thought we would be fighting demons, not… not civilians!”

“They’re not real,” Lily sighed. “I know how it must feel, but you have to believe me.”

“Lily is correct,” Mikoto added, reaching over to hold Rubedo’s free hand. “You may think of these entities as Ahewann’s antibodies, meant to protect his mind from intruders. The forms they take are merely ones he would be familiar with—though that will not always be the case.”

“But we’re here to protect him!” Ascilia objected. “Are we to do battle against Ahewann’s own subconscious as well?!”

As the menagerie of enemies drew closer, Lily readied her greatsword. “We’re out of time! Let’s just keep moving forward! We’ll sort this all out when we’ve reached the top!” Then, with a mighty roar, she leapt into the crowd.

“... And here I thought she was tired of fighting,” Ascilia sighed. “Rubedo, follow my lead. Mikoto, support us as best you can.”

“Affirmative,” Rubedo replied, her voice suddenly growing cold.

“As you command,” said Mikoto, readying her cane.

#ffxiv #ffxiv fanfiction #post endwalker #galbana lily #minfilia warde #wolfilia #endwalker spoilers #ffxiv endwalker #Mikoto Jinba

1 note · View note

fizzyxcustard · 2 years ago

Text

Covert Eyes (21)

Masterlist of fan fiction

Fandom: Spooks

Pairings: Lucas North x OC (Amy Holland)

Warnings: Stalking behaviour, anxiety, language, sexual references, angst, smut, heartbreak, gunshot wounds and recovery, abduction, hostage situation.

Official soundtrack list: here

Comments/Notes: If you wish to be tagged in any of my tag lists for fics or characters, please let me know, and stipulate what you want to be tagged in.

The first day back was quiet, slow and fairly uneventful. Amy remained with Tariq, scouring CCTV footage from a new case that had landed on the main desk of section D. Lucas was in a three hour meeting with Ros, Jo and Harry, discussing the Robert Spiller case.

“Lunch time in a bit,” Amy said, swivelling on her chair, in her usual child-like manner.

“You are obsessed with food,” Tariq chuckled. “Are you sure Lucas feeds you enough at home?”

“I know my priorities, and food is one of them.” With that, Amy opened the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a Mars bar from a multi pack. “Want one?”

Tariq chuckled again. “Go on, then. I was supposed to be starting back at the gym tonight. Looks like I’ll have to forego another day.”

“Come on, one chocolate bar won’t hurt you.”

Once Lucas’ meeting was finished, he dashed out of the room and over to Amy’s desk. He perched on the table next to her, looking down as she smiled up at him from her chair. His heart filled with so much love for her, that he knew he’d never felt anything like this before. Whenever her large, green eyes focused on him, he found himself dissociating from the world around him. He reached out and took her hand, holding it for a few seconds, his thumb rubbing over her knuckles. Then his thumb grazed her engagement ring.

“I’m going to be home late tonight,” Lucas said. “I’ve got a fair bit to do on Spiller, and Harry’s asked me to brief the Midlands team who are going out tonight on surveillance. Will you be okay going home on your own?”

“Of course I will. I’m a big girl, after all.”

Lucas sighed. “Aim, I just worry, that’s all.”

“Come on, let’s go and grab something to eat. I think I’ve driven Tariq mad keep talking about food.”

“You’ve got that right!” Tariq’s playful voice came from across the room as he walked away, ready to make another mug of coffee.

***

Amy left the office around 5:15pm that evening with Tariq and Ruth. All three of them ventured out into the cold air, pulling their scarves and gloves on tighter. They separated, going in different directions. Amy continued on towards Lambeth Bridge, crossing over it, weaving between fellow commuters and tourists. The sky was pitch black and littered with silver stars, as if someone had thrown glitter against a silk backdrop.

Amy took her phone from her pocket and saw a new message from Lucas.

Be safe. I love you. Xxx

Whenever he said or wrote those words ‘I love you’, Amy still felt a slight pang of disbelief amongst her excitement. Thankfully, that voice which had always boldly told her she would never be enough, was gradually turning into a whisper.

She looked out across the river at the London Eye, watching the colours change. One day she would come out early, grab a coffee, and sit down at the riverside and draw it; she’d already planned it all in her mind. Maybe even draw Big Ben and Parliament. Amy had always liked coming out into London when it was early and few people were yet roaming the street. She felt comfortable and safe, being more alone and less likely to be disturbed.

***

Lucas took the underground back to his and Amy’s flat. For the duration of the journey, Lucas flicked through photos of himself and Amy. A few of them were from New Year up in Coventry, with Amy’s brother in law and nephew photobombing in the background of one, and in another, Amy’s dad had been caught to the side, his eyes closed and his mouth puckered, just ready to take a sip of beer: not the most flattering of poses. His favourite was still a photo of them snuggled up on the sofa together, Amy with her head on his shoulder, grinning childishly. They’d only been together two months or so when he took this photo, and already they both looked happy.

It was around seven weeks away from their one year anniversary, and Lucas had begun thinking of gift ideas. He had already brought her jewellery for Christmas. And Amy’s birthday was also approaching, being the last day of January. Lucas had been taking mental notes of items Amy had mentioned, like a pair of tartan Converse she been eyeing on their last shopping trip. Then there was Valentine’s Day! It was all coming together in one swoop. However, Amy’s training was due to start the second week of February, so Valentine’s and their anniversary would need to be celebrated over their available weekends.

It had been strange that she had not text him that evening since leaving Thames House. Normally if one of them was in the office and the other at home, they would text back and forth. Their texts were usually about what meals were planned for dinner and what film they would be watching, with some playful banter in between.

Upon the walk from the underground station to their street, Lucas checked his phone. No new messages.

Maybe she had been tired and went for a nap ahead of him returning home. Possibly? But doubtful. It was rare, if not completely out of character, for Amy to not text him while they were apart.

As Lucas turned his key in the lock and opened the door to the flat, he was surprised to see that no lights were on. Normally if Lucas returned and Amy was already there, she would leave a lamp on in the hallway, which cast a faint light through into the kitchen and dining area.

Immediately he sensed that something was amiss. It was just past eleven at night, so Amy was probably in bed, either reading, scrolling on her phone, or sleeping.

Lucas went to the bedroom. Dark and empty.

He called her name and stepped into the bathroom. Nothing.

Lucas took his phone from his pocket and found Amy’s number and called.

“The person you are calling is not available…”

Lucas growled and then called Harry.

“Lucas? Is everything alright?” Harry Pearce’s professional yet concerned voice came.

“Have you requested Amy go back in?”

“No, why?”

“She’s not at home. All the lights were off and she hasn’t told me she’s going anywhere, which isn’t like her.”

“Maybe she’s met up with a friend. There are many reasons she might not be home. Try not to worry.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Lucas said, sighing in frustration. He knew her. Amy would never have left the flat without leaving the lamp on, and certainly would never have disappeared so late and not told him. Even if she had bumped into a friend on the way home, for instance, she would have still text Lucas to let him know she would be late returning home.

The only other person who Lucas could think of who might have seen her was Debbie from her old work place. But Lucas didn’t have her number to contact. For a minute, he sat down on the bed, on Amy’s side and looked at her bedside table. Her current reading book, an empty mug, a Tinkerbell figurine, a black Moleskine journal for her doodles.

Of course no one would believe him at this point that Amy was missing; no one knew her patterns like him. He picked up her purple pyjama bottoms and felt dread fill him to the core. Something was definitely wrong. Even if no one could yet see it.

“Where are you, angel?” he whispered. “Tell me where you are.”

By the time it had turned midnight, Lucas knew with absolute certainty that Amy was missing. He grabbed his Belstaff jacket from the hallway, and picked up his keys off the small table next to the letter rack. At the front was an electricity bill that had come that morning. Lucas eyed their names: Miss. A. Holland and Mr. L. North. She’d been so happy when their first joint mail had come, giggling happily.

“One day, not too far away, and it’ll say Mrs. A North.” Something so simple had made her so ecstatic. It was in those moments, when something so simple made her smile, that Lucas fell even more deeply in love with her.

Back on the Grid, Lucas logged on to one of the computers. Only one or two people flitted past him, disappearing down corridors, until a familiar face appeared from around the edge of one of the computers.

“Malcolm?” Lucas exclaimed.

“You’re in late.” The middle aged man was shocked to see Lucas in the office so late of a night. “Are you back for the Spiller case.”

“I think Amy’s missing,” Lucas told him. “She never came home tonight. I got back and the flat was empty and there were no lights on. She always leaves the lamp on in the hallway when I get in after her.”

“Maybe she forgot…”

“Malcolm, I know her. I live with her. She hasn’t text me all evening, which is unlike her. We constantly text. Can you run all recent footage in the area and track her phone?”

Malcolm started by opening Amy’s employee record. Her photo filled the screen, and as it did, Lucas smiled sadly. The memory of her lying unconscious in hospital surfaced. His beautiful Amy. His wife-to-be. The future Mrs. Lucas North.

“What’s her mobile number?”

Lucas reeled off her number by memory, and Malcolm entered the number into the tracking programme, whilst he run her photo against all CCTV in London. Amy’s photo remained locked on the monitor in the left hand corner as random faces appeared and disappeared, within milliseconds, hundreds of faces being analysed.

“Her phone was last monitored by a local cell tower at 5:32pm. Coordinates show that she was at South Bank…”

“Heading for the train home,” Lucas interrupted. “That must have been when I sent her my last text message.”

“Her phone has no reception and hasn’t been used since, not even on the Wi-Fi.”

Terror racked through Lucas and he eyed the faces which were still flipping, none of them staying on screen for longer than a quarter of a second. A blur of eyes, noses, skin colours and hairstyles. “Come on, angel,” he whispered. “Come on! Give us something.”

A match appeared on the screen; a scene of Amy walking past a pub enlarged on the screen. An address appeared and the coordinate of the building. “South facing camera from the front door of The King’s Head…”

The rest of Malcolm’s words seemed to dissolve away as Lucas began writing down the address of the pub from the screen. “What time was this?”

“5:40.”

“Just before she got to the underground station. Did your search then include all the underground lines?”

“Yes.”

“So she didn’t get on a train because she would’ve been picked up on the cameras. Can you check all the vehicles parked in that street and also within a half mile radius, see if anything stands out? And…” Lucas’ voice broke and he hung his head, resting back on the desk behind him.

“We’ll find her,” Malcolm reassured.

All Lucas could see in his mind was Amy in his arms, and blood staining his hands and shirt. He could hear her whimpers as he held her, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. There was no way he could let that happen again. It was his duty to protect her, first and foremost. Fuck everyone else. Only Amy mattered.

“This has got to be connected with Sarah. Why else would anyone target her?” Lucas asked, tears beginning to well in his eyes. Even in death and the bitch wouldn’t leave him alone.

An hour later and Harry and Ros had arrived, both with a coffee in hand to attempt to wake them. Harry immediately approached Malcolm, who was sifting through all the vehicle registrations that had been in the vicinity of where Amy was last seen.

Meanwhile, Lucas was sat at Amy’s desk.

“Is he absolutely sure Amy is missing?” Harry enquired, whispering to Malcolm. “Could he be jumping the gun on this one?”

Malcolm sighed. “I wouldn’t have called you in, Harry, if I didn’t feel there was something wrong. Amy was last seen here,” and with that, Malcolm pointed to a map on the screen. “CCTV footage caught her walking past The King’s Head, approaching the underground station. Then she went out of shot. None of the underground cameras saw her. She must have disappeared in that street.”

Ros stood next to Lucas, remaining silent. She felt sadness at the sight of him with his head held low. Next to the time when Amy had been shot, Ros had never encountered Lucas looking so beaten down.

“I’m not going to say it, Ros, but you know I’m thinking it,” Lucas sighed.

“I know you all too well by now, Lucas. Of course you’re thinking it. And you still blame me for recruiting her.”

Lucas stared at Amy’s empty Winnie the Pooh mug on the desk and felt as if his whole chest were compressing, about to implode.

“You shouldn’t be here. We’ll take this from here. Go home.”

Lucas looked up at Ros, his ice blue eyes full of turmoil. “How can I go home? I need to find her.”

Harry walked over. “Ros is right. You can’t be working on this. You’re far too close to her.”

“And that’s exactly the reason I should be working on this. I knew as soon as I got home that something was wrong. I know her behaviour, her ways. You need me to be on this. You barely know her yet.”

“Lucas…” Harry began sternly.

“No, Harry! She’s almost died once because of me, and now I know in my gut that this is connected to Sarah again. I’ve pulled her too far into my life, and it’s constantly putting hers at stake. I should never have got involved with her. I shouldn’t have ever spoken to her in the café and just ignored that want to get to know her…” Tears fell down Lucas’ cheeks in quick procession, and he put his hands to his face, weeping behind them.

***

Follow Forever tag list: @lathalea @linasofia @xxbyimm @knittastically @middleearthpixie @guardianofrivendell @asgardianhobbit98 @meganlpie @luna-xial @evenstaredits @missihart23 @quiall321 @sazzlep @lemond57 @rachel1959 @mrsdurin @catthefearless @the-fragile-heart-of-a-lady @glassgulls @aliasauthor @solairewisteria @littlebird-99 @court-jobi @heilith @absentmindeduniverse @albionscastle @way-too-addicted-to-fandoms @for-fuck-sake-im-alive @bookworm-with-coffee @danzalladaggers

#Lucas North #Richard Armitage #Spooks #MI-5 #Lucas North x OC #Lucas North x OFC #Lucas North x Original Female Character

72 notes · View notes