#GESTURES WILDLY WITH A FULLY ARMORED KNIGHT

[kittyrinn-aiko]

Where's the artwork of the dragon wildly gesturing with a fully armored knight in their talons?! Where?!!

i know that when a book describes dragons picking up their riders they probably mean scruffing them by the neck in their mouths like a kitten, but i always imagine something like this

[gorematchala]

So I wish I had the full body artwork to go off of but I've been staring at what they showed for like 6 hours total by now and I need to ramble about Fire Emblem designs.

Let me start by establishing my position on this series. I played Awakening and I dont care about any of the gameplay or plots of any of the games at all. My opinions are about the character designs and nothing else. Other than I think the child soldier void and the incest shit in Fates is kinda really fucked up. But anyway.

I'm okay with protags all looking like Marth. It really doesnt bother me. The Breath of Fire series has a blue haired dragony hero man and a blonde angel girl as the protagonists of every game and thats fine. I think its neat to have reoccuring character concepts like that sometimes. And I think that Marth, Sigurd, Ike, ect. are cool individual designs. Blue haired Lord class protagonist. Love it, totally fine.

Other weirder designs are also welcome. Robin being a weird dragon cult wizard clone thing was awesome. Corrin being a metal deer dragon, fantastic. Beyond the protagonists I dont even hate the non functional boob armor and such like Camilla in fates. Its a video game it doesnt have to be practical. But whats important about any design is about its functionality in terms of action. That the costume is cool to look at and consistent with what the character does or how theyre themed. You wouldnt give a thief character Black Knight armor, and the Black Knight would look weird fighting with a rapier. But Lucina wants sweater armor? Fine, shes supposed to be agile and she fights with a straight sword. Shes cute, let her be. HOWEVER.

While Robin is really great, and Corrin is extremely interesting, and Alm/Celica are absolutely perfect in their redesigns, FE3H introduced some of the worst character designs maybe in video games as a whole. I'm not just talking about Byleth but I could write a book about how bad Byleth's costumes are. I wont cuz I'm gonna do that for the new one. But the long and short is you've got monotone grey costumes that are half batman armor half cutist robes, with weird desaturated pink trim which doesnt match anything else on the design, with grey blue hair, and a neon purple dagger. The color theory alone is infuriating. Then the models in game make it worse by looking horrific in their own right. My complaints about their amor are too specific to explain without me pointing at them and gesturing wildly so suffice it to say there is a way that armor should be shaped to create a nice visual flow and theirs does not do that.

Now with Alear... I'll start this one by establishing that on a base level theyre better than Byleth. I think in terms of hair the female Alear looks less like a yugioh zexel character which is good. The split color isnt the biggest problem for me but it is *too* saturated and kinda obnoxious to look at, and the heterochromia throws it over the top into being fully annoying. Female Alear has the giant eyeball problem that female Byleth had. I dont get why her tiara is grey when every other accent on both of them is gold. The guys hair would be fine if it wasnt glued together in the front creating this bizarre forehead window. They both have confusing bowtie/ scarf/ neck tie things going on. His disappears under his vest but of course her is suctioned between her balloon tits because of course. I like her skort thing but I dont get why they created visual lines that travel down to become the skirt pleats, bu then they have a belt creating a hard horizontal break in that flow, and why they decided to make the skirt blue because it wouldve looked better white? It wouldve been the same blue to white ratio as the male version because of her thigh strap things. And speaking of straps!! This guy has a strap attached from the end of his jacket to the knee guard on his greaves, and then his belt has a weird cross shaped offshoot that is like sewn to the back of the boot jacket strap??? The gold trim on their arms is kinda meandering and formless, it looks like they should have some kind of gauntlet covering the stuff on the forearm.

Like it isnt as awful as Byleth in terms of it being nothing, but now its too much, and whats there is kind of stupid. Additionally once again whoever is doing the modelling and animations is not doing the game any favors because they all look like mid quality porn models. Something about the placement of the eyes and mouth on all the female characters screams 3d hentai to me. It's also weird how much higher detail their heads are from the rest of their bodies.

I dont really have a point or a conclusion here but I'm just baffled as to why this series has had such a drop off with their character designs since 3H and its been eating my brain for a day now so here is your peak into my psychosis.

[xdandelionxbloomx]

somebody (who loves you more)

Jaskier tells him that they should visit the Countess de Stael’s court. 

He says that she will give them a room for a few days, that they can rest, and his eyes are concerned as he takes in Geralt’s limp. 

While we’re in the area, the bard says, and Geralt can’t tell if it’s for himself or for Geralt. 

He knows what love looks like on humans. 

He knows it far too well. 

Geralt says yes, startles Jaskier into gaping, but he already knows he won’t be staying more than a night - if that. 

They arrive on the Countess’s front step bedraggled and bloody. She babbles in shock, gathering Jaskier into her arms and calling him Julian. 

Geralt’s chest goes tight and he ignores it, gaze flat as he inclined his head slightly in respect. 

Jaskier’s right - she gives them a room for a week. More, if they had wanted. 

The only condition is that Jaskier plays for her court. There’s a twinkle in her eyes as she says this and Jaskier grins at her. 

They look good beside each other. 

Geralt takes a long bath and only briefly steps into the court. He’s not wearing armor, though his swords stay at his back. 

Jaskier looks at home here. 

He navigates the gilded court floor as if he’d done it a thousand times, grinning at the patrons - some seem to recognize him. He chats and flirts, plays the lute with clever hands. 

The Countess de Stael watches from her seat and Geralt takes a moment to study her. 

She is beautiful. 

A defined jawline, long lashes framing bright eyes, dark hair braided up in an elaborate style that compliments her elegant neck - there’s a look of mischief about her that matches the bard. 

He understands why Jaskier would fall for her. 

He watches as Jaskier swings by her table, leaning to serenade just her - and she seems fully aware of it as she smirks, leaning towards him with her chin in her hand, elbow bracing on the table. 

She can give him everything, Geralt thinks. 

It is not a thing that should make him hurt so. 

Jaskier deserves safety, deserves a home with a beautiful wife and child, deserves to be comfortable - taken care of. 

Geralt knows the look that Jaskier directs at the Countess because he’s seen it directed at himself before, has looked away under those stares, has shied from those touches. 

Geralt does not deserve them. 

There are times - they are often like these - when he wishes he were someone else.

A nobleman, perhaps. A knight. A man with gold to his name and a home that stands on solid ground, stable. The choice to have hands not stained in the blood of innocents, the choice to put down his sword at the end of the day. 

Jaskier twirls away, dropping his fingers from the lute briefly to extend his arms to the side, gesturing wildly with his singing. 

Geralt wants to suffocate the unbearable fondness that threatens to overwhelm him. 

The Countess makes eye contact with him and her smile fades into something sad, moving to stand. 

Geralt spins on his heel and walks out of the ballroom. 

He goes to he and Jaskier’s shared room, pulls on his armor, grabs his pack, and follows the sound of nocturnal creatures out of the estate. 

Geralt saddles Roach, climbs up, and rides into the dark without looking back - Jaskier belongs here, among beautiful things. 

He does not.

[sondepoch]

XXI: Saeyoung's Route (Saeyoung)

Where Futures Begin

Life used to be simple for you. Peaceful. But the Savior had other plans for you, and in moments, she ruined what you thought was your one shot at happiness. Blinded by anger, you escaped the Mint Eye, but that triggered a series of events that would bring you further into the world of brothers Saeran and Saeyoung. And further into the twisted world of your love for them.

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

MASTERLIST

The first year was the worst. But it was also the best.

After driving back from the Mint Eye, Saeyoung felt numb. He had come so close to being fully reunited with his brother. The two of them had smiled together and laughed and joked and things had finally been normal for the Choi twins—as normal as things could get, with the whirlwind of chaos the Mint Eye had brought to their lives.

Initially, Saeyoung had only thought of his own loss as he pressed harder on the gas pedal, with (Y/N) been silent, not saying a word. But after he'd calmed himself a bit more, he saw her shoulders trembling and realized, with a start, that she would perhaps miss the pale-haired boy as much as he did.

Saeyoung had been apart from his brother for four years, which was why it felt so much worse to have had a taste or reunion and then be forced into separation. But (Y/N) had been with Saeran for all that time, developing a strange manifestation of feelings for the boy.

While it was a second parting for the redhead, this would be the first time (Y/N) was separated from Saeran.

And neither of them knew when he would return.

Or if he'll return, a small voice whispered in Saeyoung's head, which he ignored.

That, perhaps, was why the first year back in Seoul initially seemed like it would be so horrible. Neither Saeyoung nor (Y/N) could forget about Saeran, both of them miserable and in grief over the fact that they had lost the boy once more.

But after a few months, when the grief wasn't as strong and wasn't as frequent, they began looking at each other. And it was around this time that they began truly seeing each other. It was at this point in time that their impassioned kisses now had traces of something else, something sweet and tender and beautiful.

They began falling in love.

From the second day they had been under the same roof, the two of them had kissed and hugged and relished in each other's presence.

But true love, Saeyoung learned, ran deeper than physical affection.

A shrill scream rang throughout the house, coming straight from the kitchen. Saeyoung sprinted there, jumping over furniture and couches to reach his target destination with the maximum efficiency. A dozen different thoughts raced through his mind, desperately trying to determine what could have made (Y/N) scream with such ferocity.

"I'm here!" He shouted, barging into the kitchen, only to see (Y/N) standing in front of an empty fridge.

"We're out of Ph.D. Pepper!" She exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the lack of the sugary soda in the fridge that was usually stocked.

Saeyoung gasped, taking the matter very seriously.

"Whatever shall we do, my princess?" He inquired, stroking a nonexistent beard as he considered the possible courses of action. "Fear not! Saeyoung, your defender of justice and knight in shining armor is here to save the day! TO THE SUPERMARKET!" He exclaimed dramatically.

(Y/N) sighed and strolled lazily to the living room, plopping herself down on the sofa. "We can't go to the supermarket, Saeyoung," she grumbled, flicking him. "It'll risk our identities being leaked."

The realization dawned upon Saeyoung, and he then understood why her reaction had been so...dramatic. He sat across from his lover, hating the frown that was now deeply etched across her face when a mischievous solution came to his mind.

"Indeed, Saeyoung Choi and (F/N) (L/N) cannot risk their identities being leaked...but I specialize as a secret agent." The redhead winked. "Give me ten minutes to raid your closet and the person you'll see will be completely different!"

(Y/N) coughed, not quite believing Saeyoung, but that only strengthened his resolve to utterly change his appearance.

Saeyoung winked, kissing her playfully on the cheek before disappearing into his room. It took him just shy of ten minutes to steal (Y/N)'s clothes and change into them, placing a wig over his head and doing a little twirl for the girl in front of him as he introduced himself as 'Ms. Ho-Syun Chua'.

Half-expecting (Y/N) to roll her eyes, the girl instead looked delighted. "Not bad, Saeyoung. But I can do better," (Y/N) smirked. She pecked Saeyoung lightly on the lips before disappearing into his own quarters. He waited with a smile on his face, eager to see what she'd be wearing when she returned, and nearly died when she returned with a sexy smirk, her hair covered in a cap and dressed so stylishly that Saeyoung had to question whether truly found that outfit in his closet.

Though her natural hair color was growing back in at its roots, it was mostly covered up by her cap and in her playful attire, she looked like a younger version of Zen.

Much sexier, though.

It was little things like that, the way she bounced back jokes at him and how she took it as a personal challenge to drink more Ph.D. Pepper than him, which made Saeyoung begin to fall for her.

And not just in a basic, teenage-romance way but in the most heartfelt way Saeyoung had ever known.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He'd asked one night as they ate dinner together, debating whether Toph or Bumi would win in an all-out fight. He'd wanted to ask the "What are we' question at first, but had decided to cut straight to the brunt of it when the moment befell him. "I know our situation is weird, but you're so perfect and beautiful and—"

"Yes," (Y/N) had said, silencing him, not a moment of hesitation in her voice.

And then she'd kissed him harder than she'd ever kissed him before, all talk of dinner and TV shows forgotten.

After that, Saeyoung just fell harder and harder for her.

He had been forced to disconnect his bunker from the network out of necessary caution to hide any indication that people were living in the home. As such, the two had been forced to rely exclusively on pre-downloaded materials from Saeyoung's various computers, which seemed like a lot at first, but as six months grew into twelve, the amount of fresh content seemed to be less and less, until there was none left at all.

Despite the evident lack of things to do, though, Saeyoung rarely found himself bored. (Y/N) truly was all he needed.

And so, the first year was just that: love lost but found again, a year devoid of Saeran but instead filled with (Y/N). It was the absolute worst, with Saeyoung never having missed his brother as much as he did in that year, but simultaneously the best, because he had the girl of his dreams.

After that, life was a blur.

To Saeyoung, there was only (Y/N).

And to (Y/N), there was only Saeyoung.

After the second year together passed, Saeyoung couldn't hold back any longer.

"Are you happy?" Saeyoung asked one night.

The two of them were in bed, (Y/N) about to fall asleep after intense lovemaking, but the question weighed on Saeyoung's mind too heavily for him to wait until morning.

"Hm?" (Y/N) mumbled, awake but not fully alert.

"Are you," Saeyoung began, sitting up in bed. "Are you happy?"

Next to him, (Y/N) rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes and sat up next to him. "Of course, Saeyoung. Why wouldn't I be?"

The redhead bit his lip. "It's been...two years."

He didn't say what the 'it' was, but he didn't have to. She was all too aware of that fact, and they'd both been tracking how long Saeran, Vanderwood, and V had been gone. "This isn't what life is supposed to be like. You have your whole life ahead of you and...I don't want to keep you chained here like a prisoner. "

(Y/N) chuckled, bringing her hand to Saeyoung's cheek and kissing his jaw.

"In all the time I've been here with you, I've never once felt like a prisoner."

"I know. But..." Saeyoung trailed off. "I don't want this to be the rest of our lives. We don't know when they'll return, and when they do, we don't know what our lives will be like."

"What are you saying, Saeyoung?" (Y/N) asked earnestly.

"(Y/N), I've been thinking a lot about this and there's so much I don't know...except for one thing." Saeyoung turned his body and looked at (Y/N). In the darkness, he could barely see more than the scant outline of her body, but he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, (Y/N)." He said.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too," She responded, giggling.

Saeyoung bit his lip, thankful for his decision to leave the lights off. His face was on fire, and (Y/N)'s innocent lack of awareness as to what he was trying to say wasn't helping.

He took her to hands and placed them inside his own, taking a deep breath, preparing himself for the worst. Hoping for the best.

"(Y/N), will you marry me?"

Saeyoung heard her breath catch, a soft gasp of what he hoped was happiness.

For a second, she didn't say anything, and Saeyoung felt his stomach sink. Then, her lips were on his, the girl's petite frame pushing him down onto the bed with her on top of him. "Saeyoung, yes," She murmured between kisses, bringing her hands to his face. "I want to marry you."

Saeyoung let out a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around the girl's body, holding her close. As (Y/N) peppered kisses down his neck, whispering a soft "Yes" every time her lips left his skin, the boy couldn't keep himself from grinning. Everything after was a product of passion, and Saeyoung wasted no time in flipping (Y/N) over for a second round of what had left them so naked and intimate in the first place.

It wasn't until much later that the two of them actually discussed the details of the wedding.

Saeyoung wanted to get married in a spaceship, he had decided, but after calling KARI, the Korean Aerospace Development Association, he was bluntly informed that no, such a thing would not be possible.

One of their biggest arguments had actually been about the location of the wedding. Saeyoung had stated that he wanted to get married in a church, but (Y/N) blatantly refused, telling her fiance that churches reminded her of the house of worship within the Mint Eye, a cruel place she was often sent to for punishment.

As a sort of stubborn compromise, they agreed that they would decide when the time came, much later.

Of course, like all previous arguments, it was quickly forgotten over binging Honey Buddha Chips and watching cartoons together.

One thing that could never be forgotten, though, was Saeran.

Saeyoung loved (Y/N), he truly did. Unlike others, he had found her and chosen to love her, only growing further entranced by her spell as he got to know her.

But Saeran was his other half. His soul was incomplete without his brother, and the two were tied not just by blood but by the hell they had both endured together growing up.

More than once, Saeyoung mused over how, if he could just have the slightest intimation on where Saeran was, whether he was even alive or not, it would give him so much comfort.

I wish twins could communicate telepathically, the redhead thought as he lazed on the couch.

(Y/N) was in her room, probably taking a nap. Neither of them had anything to do, as usual, so Saeyoung began thinking that he might explore the culinary realm. Barely a week after returning to the bunker, he'd made more chocolate chip cookies for (Y/N) than either of them knew what to do with and had been repeating that pattern every now and then, but trying something new might be interesting.

He pulled himself from the couch. How about a Ph D. Pepper pie with a Honey Buddha Chip crust? Saeyoung nodded to himself. That sounded like a good idea.

He was about to enter the kitchen when he heard a high-pitched beeping play from some piece of equipment on the ceiling.

"Saeyoung?" (Y/N) asked, by his side in an instant. "What's that sound?" She asked while covering her ears.

"The carbon monoxide alarm," Saeyoung responded plainly.

"What?!" She grabbed his arm. "We have to get out of here!"

"A-ah, no, I mean..." Saeyoung gathered his thoughts.

Within the first month of moving back into the bunker with (Y/N), Saeyoung had disconnected any electronics he thought were at risk for giving up their presence. As a security measure, though, he had wired the intruder alarm to the carbon monoxide alarm, mechanically setting it up so that if someone was at the front gates, the alarm would go off.

"I rewired it to only go off when there's someone at the gates," Saeyoung finally said. He stood on a chair and silenced the alarm, gazing hesitantly down the hall.

"Someone at the gates?" (Y/N) asked. "That could be..."

Saeran.

The two of them didn't even look at each other, their minds to in sync with one another. The couple stumbled to the door, equally fearful of what they would find, all thoughts and brain processing systems a jumble.

Who would they find outside the gates? Would it be Saeran, returned at last? Or will it be V and Vanderwood, saying that he didn't make it? Saeyoung wondered, desperately praying that wouldn't be the case.

He paused in front of the door, hesitating with (Y/N) as the two of them mentally prepared themselves for how their lives might change. The redhead felt his fiancée wrap her hand in his, giving it a squeeze before twisting the doorknob and opening the door.

And there, in the distance, three figures could be spotted barely one-hundred feet away.

The first man, a brown-haired man in a black and purple suit, with a muscled arm shaking the barred gate.

The second was a tall gentleman dressed in all black and sunglasses, the only spot of color on his body being his bright blue hair.

And the third: an all-too-familiar man in a leather jacket, with hair so fiery red it's only rival was Saeyoung's own.

MASTERLIST

Neutral Route: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ✔

Saeyoung’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | ✔

Saeran’s Route: 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | ✔

Word count: 2.4k

Notes: WOAH GUYS I complained in my last chapter that I wasn't getting enough sleep AND MY PRAYER WAS HEARD 0_0 All my classes are now online and most of my extracurricular activities are canceled, so I'm getting 10 hours every night! On the downside, the reason everything's cancelled is because of Corona ::/ I hope that all of you and your families are healthy and safe, and I'll see you in the next chapter :)

Comment & Like

Next Update: 03/19/20

I do not own the rights to Mystic Messenger or any of the characters within it.

[mad-mad-world-19]

Someone New

Chapter two 

The soldier’s eyes settled on you briefly before moving on to make a final sweep of the room. You quickly took in his appearance. He was tall and well muscled. Dirty blonde hair  fell across his face before he swiftly brushed it back with a hand. He was handsome you noted. A strong jaw covered in a short beard. He had distinguished features and striking blue eyes. Your gaze fell to his tactical suit. It was dark blue and, most importantly, there was no Hydra insignia anywhere to be seen. His shield from earlier was strapped to his back again. Shockingly, he didn’t appear to have any other weapons on him. 

He did all that damage with just a shield. 

This man was dangerous. Deadly. Would he attack you next? Would he perceive you as a threat? You considered what you must look like from his prospective. 

Hydra had pulled you down the hall and into this room in nothing more than a sports bra and some loose sweat pants that where hanging off your frame. It showcased the bruises that covered your upper arms and down your side from when the guards worked you over before the lockdown. Your feet were bare and dirty. Your hands lay bound together and cradled in your lap. You grimaced when you thought of what your face must look like. Your lip was bleeding and you thought you could feel blood seeping down from your hair line from the initial strike to your head. Your hair fell about you in a knotted nest, pieces cascading down and out in all directions. You were a wrecked mess of a girl. 

When the soldier turned back to you, you slumped over, whimpering and trying to curl into the smallest ball you could contort your body into. You hated the sounds you were emitting. Weak and pathetic sounds. Sounds an injured animal might make before crawling into a hole to die.  

“Please…” you whispered and then whimpered again for added measure. Your hands came up around your face, palms facing out, as if trying to ward off the solider from approaching any further. You peered through your fingers at his advancing figure. “Please don’t hurt me.” Could he even hear your pitiful pleas? You whispered them through clenched teeth and bloodied lips. He could you decided. His stepped slowed and his shoulders relaxed slightly. 

“You don’t need to be afraid.” The soldier stated in a low and calming tone. He lowered himself into a crouched position in front of you. You recalled how the doctor had squatted by you earlier. And although both men had taken a similar position, the body language was wildly different. The doctor had lorded over you, simply using the position to crowd your personal space and impose his authority. This new man had brought himself to your level, leaving adequate distance between you while remaining open and inviting trust.

You lowered your hands slowly from your face, your eyes never leaving the soldier’s. “Please” it slipped from your lips again. “I’ll be good, I promise.” You watched as the soldier’s face tried to twist into some emotion at your words, but he was a true professional, and he forced himself to remain passive. “Please don’t hurt me anymore” You pleaded despite knowing he wouldn’t harm you. Hydra had been the one to hurt you, and he was decidedly not Hydra. It was better for him to think you still weren’t sure of his intentions though.  

A heavy sign let his lips. He had full, pink lips you noticed. His hand came up to his ear and he spoke quickly and quietly, as if speaking to someone not in the room with you two. He spoke again and then cursed beneath his breath when he did not appear to be getting any answer. His eyes shift back to you again.

“I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” He paused to make sure you understood before continuing. “I need you to come with me.” He spoke quietly, but there was a commanding quality to it. When you made no move to uncoil from your corner, he gave another small sigh. His eyebrows slightly furled and his eyes softened even further. “Whats your name?” It was an easy question, meant to relax you and show that he cared. You simply continued to stare into his eyes. A small quivering of your lower lip began and you could feel the burn of unshed tears coat your eyes. You knew you looked utterly pathetic. When you gave no response, the soldier supplied “My name is Steve.” 

I know a name. The thought was quick and fleeting. 

You could not remember the last time you had been supplied with the name of someone. You lowered you hands until they were once again resting in your lap. Steve seemed to take this as a good sign. He inched closer to you, his hand slowly extending towards you. 

“Can you walk? We really need to get out of here.” The question held the same soft tone he had been using throughout your exchange, but you didn’t miss the underlying urgency it held. 

“I…I think so” you mumbled meekly. Your bound hands sheepishly extended until you were able to grasp his extended hand. The soldier, Steve you reminded yourself, clasped you hands softly and then slowly stood, bring you up with him. 

You stood facing each other, each appraising the other. Him, looking over your injuries, and you, studying his reactions to said injuries. You saw him swallow thickly as his eyes roamed from the ugly purple and blue bruising that spilled across your side to the matching contusions that circled each of your biceps. Watched as his jaw clenched when he saw your split lip. For one moment, you thought he was about to reach over to swipe away some of the blood that had run down in sticky streams down the side of your face, but he seemed to catch himself and his other hand remained at his side. 

“We have to go now.” Steve spoke in that ever cool tone of his. You glanced about the room and landed on the doctor laying on the floor. His white lab coat seemed to draw you in and hypnotizes you for a moment. Would this be the last time you ever stood in this spot? Could you truly be about to be led out of the facility the had held you for so long? A shiver run up your spine at the thought. You looked up from the coat and saw Steve staring at you expectantly. What would happen once you left? Where would Steve take you? The uncertainty made you feel cold all over. You pulled your hands from his firm grasp, trying to wrap them around yourself. The restraints on your hands impaired you from hugging yourself. 

“Here,” Steve held his hands out again to you, his eyes staring at the handcuffs. “let me take those off for you.” You reluctantly pulled you hands from your body, placing them once again in his grip. This time, instead of cradling you hands, Steve gripped the chain connecting your two hands. With a swift jerk, the chain broke. Your hands lowered, now separated, to sides. He was impossibly strong. Steve gave a small smile. You attempted to reciprocate. You knew your own smile wasn’t as genius as his, but you felt as though you should try to return the gesture. 

Steve turned on his heel, opening up his body so you could step out from the corner. He was trying to coax you into moving out of the room with him. You let shivers wrack your body again, your arms circling your middle, attempting to comfort yourself before you proceeded into the unknown. You gazed one last time down at the doctor who still laid unconscious and prone on the ground. Steve followed your gaze. Before you fully registered what was happening, Steve had swooped down to the doctor, wrenched off the white lab coat, and then extended it to you. 

“Put this on. It’ll help warm you up.” Steve stepped closer, coat in hand. With tentative hands, you took the coat from him and slung it over your shoulders. It didn’t provide any warmth, but the moment your arms slipped through the sleeves, you felt a sense of security wash over you. You knew now you would be leaving the Hydra facility. The coat draped across your shoulders seemed to whisper that truth over and over into your ear. The smile you expressed to Steve now was one of true gratitude. You hugged the coat closer to your body, your hands running over every inch before clinging it closer to your body. 

With your hand nestled again in his larger grip, you took your first steps with Steve through the room and back into the hallway. The backup lights were flickering through the hall and shadows jumped and danced across the floor. Steve pulled you behind him and started down the corridor with renewed vigor. You could tell he was moving slower than he would if you had not been in tow. How were you both going to escape this place? You knew there were hundreds of Hydra agents who worked here. Did he have hundreds of other soldiers ready to back him up? He must have some sort of backup - that must be who he was trying to reach earlier in the room but received no response. 

No longer able to blindly follow your ‘knight in shining armor’- no- more like ‘solider in dirty tactical gear’, you spoke quietly from behind him. “How are we going to get out of here? There are guards everywhere.”

Steve gave you a quick glance over his shoulder, never pausing in his forward stride. “Don’t worry. My team is taking care of the others.” His response was short, giving you no further details. 

“But,” you slowed your pace, causing him to hesitate, least he start to drag you if he continued at his original pace. “how many are on your team? You must have brought so many if you stand a chance at stopping the men here.” Your eyes dart behind you, as if speaking about the enormity of agents here could cause a hoard of them to flood the hall. 

“There’s just five of us.” Steve answered. When you whipped back to stare at him in apparent horror, he chuckled. “You don’t need to worry, we can handle Hydra. It’s kind of what we do.” There was that damn smile of his again. As if that smile would soothe all you worries and persuade you to continue with him without further fear. He nodded his head once and gave your hand a slight squeeze before pulling you after him.   

Only five you thought.

Only five. 

A door appeared in front of you suddenly. Steve wasted no time before throwing his should into it. Once, twice, and then third time seemed to be the charm. The door creaked and then burst open. With Steve still gripping your hand, he pulled you from the Hydra base and into the open world. 

You inhaled deeply. The smell of pine, soil, and something that was vaguely chemical filled you nose. How long had it been since you had take a breath of something other than the stale, filtered air inside the base? Steve continued to pull you behind him as he ventured further from the base and into the nearby woods. You felt the soil shift under each of your steps. Felt the sun bath over your skin. Felt your freedom.

Steve paused before halting completely. He dropped your hand and held his finger to his ear. He spoke, not to you, but to his team members you realized. He was attempting to make contact with them. 

“Report.” He paused while he appeared to listen to a reply. His eyes moved to you. You stared back before glancing at the trees around you. They stood tall and clustered together. Steve must have pulled you further from the base than you thought. Steve spoke again, this time in a slightly quieter tone, “I have a girl with me. She was being held prisoner.” You watched out of your peripheral how he turned his body away from you. “Get back to the check point.” You stopped focusing on the exact words Steve continued to speak to his teammates through his communication device, instead, you noted how his attention was now solely focused on calling the rest of his team back after their successful mission. As he continued to speak into his com, one of your hands slipped down into the pocket of the doctor’s coat. A grinned threatened to appear on your face as you imagined the coat whispering into your ear again. Your freedom was so close. Your feet spun you slowly so you were facing the back of the man you had pulled you from the base. 

  “Steve…” you paused as you waited for the solider to turn to face you. Your eyes flutter before rolling them back, your knees buckle and you began to tilt sideways, falling towards the earth. Before you fell fully, Steve was there. His arms encircled you and he held you to him. His hand came up and brushed the hair away that had fallen into your face. You fought back the laugh that tired to escape when you saw the concern splashed across his face. Instead, you held his gaze and blinked slowly, a blush creeping over your checks. You slide your hand from the lab coat pocket. You bring your palm up near his face, as if to mirror his early action. Only, instead of brushing any hair from his face, you plunge a syringe into Steve’s neck.

Steve drops you and grabs at the syringe. But he was too slow. You rolled away from him and popped up with the empty syringe in your hand. How could he have known that  giving you this coat earlier would facilitate his defeat. You smiled out right now. 

You watched in fascination as he processed what had just happened. First, he appeared dumbfounded, wondering how you, the beaten and bloodied girl he had pulled from the depths of Hydra, had turned on him. How could you have betrayed him? He quickly shifted from his confusion into anger. You smiled wider. He made to rush at you, but the tranquilizer was fast acting, and you had given him the entire dosage. Your bare feet danced across the earth, easily evading the now sluggish solider. Steve stumbled and then finally fell to his knees. You could see his eyes begin to glaze over. He was fighting to stay conscious, but you knew it was a losing battle. Inching towards the fallen solider, you watched as he pulled his shield from his back. He was muttering something you couldn’t quite make out. With the last of his strength, you smirked as he hurled the shield at you. 

The disk whirled past your head and then embedded its self in one of the trees as you ducked out of the way. You were faster than you appeared. With the last of his defenses gone, you walked up to the fallen man and crouched down to meet his eye line. His eyes burned with betrayal. You knew that feeling. 

“I know…” you stated. “it burns. But it won’t last forever. A couple of hours and then you’ll be good as new.” Your hand cupped his check as you spoke, but he limply knocked it away.  As your hand fell from his check, so did his body fall to the ground. 

You stood slowly. Your tongue licked across your teeth, cleaning all remaining traces of blood that clung to them. A sharp crack ran down your spine as you leaned back, stretching your stiff body. The smile remained fixed on your face. 

[maraudersandlily20]

3, Jily

“A Scream.”

“They don’t bother me, James, and I really just want you to let it go!” Lily demanded, feeling her face heat up as she and James entered the Head Student lounge. They were alone, luckily, so no one could witness their fight. Lily felt like it was going to be a big one.

“Well, it bothers me, alright? I hate that they call you those names and say those things and every time one of them do, I just want to sock them in the mouth.”

“I don’t need you to do that, James. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I have been doing it MUCH longer than you and I have been seeing each other. You’re not my knight in shining armor, I’m doing fine by myself!”

“You’re not by yourself anymore, Lily!” James stated, his voice growing in volume. “We’re together now! That means we take care of each other. We worry about each other and we protect each other and we don’t get mad when the other tries to step in and help!”

“Really? So you’d be fine if I started hexing any Slytherin who looked at you funny?’

“If you had cause, then yes!”

“I don’t believe you. You’d say the same thing that I’m saying now! I can protect myself. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me!” They were definitely yelling now, getting closer and closer as the conversation grew more heated.

“I’m not trying to fight them for you, Evans! I’m trying to fight them with you!”

“Well, don’t worry, Potter. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. I don’t need some loud mouth, selfish, ignorant, RUDE boy coming to chase all the villains away every time!”

“You’re not even listening to me!?” James accused, gesturing wildly at her.

“Why are we even doing this? All we ever do it fight and argue and disagree, and I’m tired. I’m fine by myself, I don’t know why you’re still sticking around.”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU DAMMIT!” James yelled, shoving against the long wood table. Lily’s eyes widened in shock as she fully registered his words. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I love you, Lily. And because I love you, I don’t want you to have to deal with things alone. And it’s not because you’re not strong enough. I know you’re strong enough. I’ve seen your strength. I know you can deal with things alone. You just… you don’t have to anymore. I love you and I want you to be happy.” He shook his head. “But if you want to do this alone, I’ll proudly cheer from the sidelines. Sorry.” He turned to leave and panic bubbled up in Lily’s chest.

She ran and threw her arms around his chest. “I’m sorry.” she whispered. “I know you’re not doing it to be hurtful. I’ve just… never had someone care about me so much. It’s a lot for my pride to handle. I’m sorry.” He turned in her embrace and wrapped his arms around her as well.

“I want you to fight for me and with me. I want you to be there to stick up for me, and I want to stick up for you. I just… this is all new for me, okay? I’m not always sure how to react.”

“I get it.” James said, his voice far more quiet than it had been a few minutes before. “I just want you to know that I’m there. That I’m not leaving. That even when we argue, I’ll still be there at your back, hexing any fool who deserves it. And I think you’ll do the same for me.”

Lily nodded and buried her face in his chest. “Say it again.” She whispered, her eyes shut tight.

James laughed and held her tighter. “I love you, Lily Evans. I love you.” And she smiled. 

[flipomatic]

Reason to Stay: Chapter 3

Author Note: Chapter 3, right on time.

Chapter 1

Previous Chapter

When Sayo arose the next morning, she once again contemplated leaving the town. They hadn’t exactly hired her for the most substantial of jobs, but the pay had been good. The tasks had been easy, but that also meant they hadn’t used her full range of skills.

She went to eat some breakfast, still unsure of her plan for the day. There was already one person at the bar when she arrived, a young woman with ragged blonde hair who was waving her arms around wildly.

“Now would be the perfect time for a performance!” She was almost bouncing in her seat as Sayo took a stool a few away from her. Her voice was incredibly high pitched.

“Everyone is still asleep.” The innkeeper replied flatly.

“But Misaki, there’s one person here!” The blonde gestured in Sayo’s direction. “We must entertain her!” She thrust one finger in the air.

The innkeeper, who Sayo had just learned was named Misaki, shook her head. “Kokoro, no.”

“Awww.” Kokoro pouted as Misaki walked over to Sayo. She offered her a bowl of porridge, the same kind as the day before, and asked if Sayo would be staying another night.

Well, she decided, what would be the harm? She might as well go back for another day of work. Sayo paid for her breakfast and for another night at the inn. As she ate she listened to Kokoro ramble on, something about how happy her singing made people. Sayo found her a bit annoying, but was soon ready to head out so it didn’t matter.

After making sure she had all of her equipment, Sayo walked the short distance to the castle. One of the guards she’d seen on the first day, she couldn’t quite remember her name, was guarding the gate. Did it start with an O or a T? It didn’t really matter.

Sayo entered the castle and followed the now familiar route towards Ran’s office. She was almost there, about to make the last turn, when a voice stopped her.

“Wow, you came back.” A girl Sayo had already seen in the castle twice before had popped out of a room behind her and was slouching casually. She wore simple clothes; dark brown pants and a tunic. Sayo couldn’t see a weapon on her, but that didn’t mean that she was unarmed. “Guess I lost the bet~” She said in a slow lilting tone.

“I’m sorry, I never caught your name.” Sayo ignored the notion that a bet had been placed on her continued presence; she didn’t care to worry about such things.

“I’m Moca.” The girl replied with a tilt of her head. “And you’re Sayo, correct?” She smirked in an unsettling manner.

“I am.” Sayo nodded, responding politely. “It was nice to meet you, but I must be going.” With that deliberate ending to the conversation, Sayo turned and continued her trek. She resisted the urge to look back and check if Moca had moved on.

Once Sayo reached the office she knocked and was granted admittance. Ran sat at her desk, as usual, but there were two other women in the room. Sayo had seen them the day before, walking in a group of four. They were dressed in plate armor, armed with both swords and shields tied to their hips. One had long silver hair and striking gold eyes. She narrowed her eyes and turned slowly towards Sayo as she entered, one hand meandering casually past the hilt of her sword.

The other woman had long light brown hair tied up in a pony-tail. She smiled brightly at Sayo, in stark contrast to her friend.

Sayo waited just inside the room entrance to be spoken to, unsure of how to proceed and not wanting to get in a fight.

Ran broke the silence. “Good, all three of you are here now.” She gestured for Sayo to close the door behind her and fully enter the room. Sayo did so and slowly walked towards the desk. The silver haired woman put her hand back down, but kept her gaze on Sayo. “Sayo, the job I have in mind could take a couple days. Are you still interested?”

Hadn’t Sayo just been thinking that morning about how the jobs had been kind of dull? Something that took a few days might be more interesting and demand more of her skill. She was starting to get rusty, so a more extensive task could be just what she needed. “Yes, I am.” She replied.

“Excellent. You will be teaming up with these two knights to hunt down a group of bandits. They’ve been attacking trade caravans coming to the city and it needs to stop.” Ran looked between the three of them as she spoke.

Now Sayo had a problem. “I usually work alone.” She interjected, crossing her arms with a frown. It wasn’t that she had anything against these knights, but she could hunt bandits by herself.

Ran’s lips turned down at this. “I’m grouping you with them since they need ranged support. If you won’t do it, I’ll find someone else.” She said firmly while looking directly at Sayo.

Sayo had a feeling, based solely on her interactions with Ran so far, that if she turned down this job they wouldn’t hire her here again. Even though she debated leaving just an hour before, she wasn’t prepared to cut ties with this castle over a simple matter such as this. “Fine, I’ll do it.” Sayo said, putting her arms back down by her sides in a show of compliance.

“Good.” Ran’s posture relaxed minutely. “This is Yukina and Lisa. The three of you will work together to hunt down the bandits. You will be paid upon your return.” Sayo resisted a sigh, having to work with other people was going to be troublesome. She started walking towards the door, but was stopped by the knight with tied back hair.

“I’m Lisa.” She said with a big smile as she stepped into Sayo’s path. “Nice to meet you!”

“Likewise.” Sayo said as she stepped around Lisa, opening the door. They should at least get out of Ran’s office before discussing anything. Maybe if she just walked away they wouldn’t follow her.

“Yukina and I have both been knights for about a year.” Lisa continued speaking as she followed Sayo out the door. “So we haven’t been in too many battles.” Her voice trailed off at that, and Sayo wondered if these two knights were competent enough to work on her level.

“I hope you can keep up with us.” The other knight, who must’ve been Yukina, said as she closed the door to behind them.

Sayo bristled at the comment. “I should say the same.” She said coolly, looking down and noting that Yukina was significantly shorter than her.

Yukina’s lips curved up at that, eyes glinting in the low light of the hallway.

“I think we should ask around the market.” Lisa broke the moment, getting down to business. “Since it’s trade caravans being attacked, the merchants might be able to help us pin down a location.”

“Sounds good.” Yukina responded, tearing her gaze away from Sayo’s.

That sounded like a decent start to Sayo, since without any additional information the would just be searching for tracks in the wilderness.

The trio walked out of the castle and past the guard whose name Sayo still couldn’t remember. She allowed Lisa to lead to the market, which ended up being north of the castle. When Sayo first entered the town she had passed through this market.

“Let’s split up.” Sayo suggested as they neared the busy portion. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”

“Okay.” Lisa grinned, causing Sayo to wonder if this woman was always so happy. “We’ll meet back here in half an hour.”

Yukina nodded and the three separated. Sayo took a side street and looked around at the different merchants. One selling foreign goods would be more likely to have imported them and would thus be more likely to have information on the bandits.

Using that logic, Sayo approached a merchant selling clothes in the style of multiple cities. Unfortunately, the shop owner hadn’t heard about the bandits. Sayo thanked them for their time and moved on.

She stopped and spoke to a number of merchants without much luck. Most hadn’t encountered the bandits, and if they did then their caravan had been completely lost. She was talking to one selling trinkets when another vendor interrupted.

“Hagumi saw some bandits!” The girl was running a nearby croquette stand; she must’ve overheard Sayo talking. “Not too far from town.”

Sayo moved over to her stand, taking in the sight of the girl. She had short bright orange hair and was bouncing lightly on her toes. “Where did you see them?”

“A few kilometers east of here, Hagumi saw them near the lake while picking berries.” The girl chimed. “Almost walked into their camp, it was real scary.” She seemed happy despite remembering the danger.

“How many people were there? What weapons did they have?” Sayo asked to get more information, though no matter what the answer was they would have to hunt them down regardless.

“Four or five with swords? Hagumi’s not sure.” The girl mused, one hand on her chin. “One had a bow too.” So that meant at least six people. Sayo was a little glad she hadn’t taken the job on alone.

“Thank you for your help.” She said sincerely. Sayo reached into her pocket for a couple coins. “I’ll take a croquette.” She might as well, considering how much information the girl just gave her.

“Have a great day!” The croquette seller said as she handed Sayo the food. Bounty claimed, Sayo ate her snack as she walked back towards the meeting place. She arrived a few minutes early, but the others should be there soon.

Sayo had just finished the croquette when Lisa and Yukina walked up. Somehow they were already together, despite having split up into individual groups.

“What did you find?” Sayo asked, wanting to know what they learned before offering up her information.

“There was a caravan wrecked yesterday a couple kilometers east of here.” Yukina pulled out a map and opened it, showing both Lisa and Sayo where the wreck was. “The wheels were destroyed in the attack, so they only took the goods.”

“Great job Yukina!” Lisa’s grin remained on her face. “I wasn’t able to learn anything new.” She shook her head as she spoke. “How about you Sayo?”

“One merchant saw their camp near a lake.” Sayo peered down at the map. “Which must be near that raided caravan.”

Lisa put her finger on a body of water not too far from the marked spot. “Lake Harold is right near there. I bet that’s where they are!”

“That’s where we’re going then.” Yukina rolled the map back up, depositing it in her bag. “We’ll be out of the city at least one night at that distance, so let’s make arrangements and meet at the stables in two hours.” She was looking right at Sayo, as if this statement were more for her than for Lisa.

“Alright.” Sayo agreed, and the three once again split up. Well, Sayo split off from them. She had a feeling the other two knights would remain together this time.

Whatever, she scoffed, she had a lot of prep to do and no time to be bothering with the petty relationships of knights.

Next chapter

[b-does-the-write-thing]

400 Followers Prompt: Check Please!verse- Gold makes good on his promise to show Belle the world starting with a visit to Baelfire Whiskey Distillery. Cue Neal not so subtly asking his dad if Belle can be his new stepmom while Gold contemplates drowning his son in his own whiskey. (Also: as a purely selfish request since I am Swanfire trash if you could work in some subtle hint of Swanfire I would love you even more than I already do!)

(Prefacing this with I didn’t get a chance to work Swanfire in it as the previous chapters had mentioned Emma was about 4 in this verse- but I worked swanfire into most of the others which that’s my apology.

It’s funny how fast things change.

Belle adjusted her sunglasses, which had been slowly slipping off her nose in the Floridian heat. The large sign on the old brick building was spelled out in large oaken letters, Baelfire Whiskey Distillery. The establishment looked more like a modest storefront than the hottest spot in town.

Gold’s hand went to the small of her back, a reassuring gesture for both of them. “Everything all right?” Gold murmured. She offered him a nod and the best smile she could muster in return. As nervous as she was, he was just as tense if not more.

“You okay?” Belle asked him in return as she leaned into him. HIs body relaxed a fraction though she did not linger. She was in a summer skirt and breezy blouse and already unpleasantly damp. Gold, as usual in his three piece suit, barely looked bothered.

It was…interesting to date one of the richest men in North America. Belle’s quiet life had gone from day dreaming about could have beens, managing the town’s small library and being the proverbial third wheel to…

To being happy.

That’s what it really boiled down to, even on the days when Gold was being an absolute beast. As executive officer and main board member for Golden Rum, he traveled far more than Belle had realized, which meant the early stages of their relationship had taken place via long distance phone calls, Skype sessions and a memorable text conversation that gotten wildly, wonderfully out of hand.

Sometimes he was the knight in shining armor, showing up at the library when she had thought he was in Seattle, with her favorite burger from the west coast and a bottle of champagne, and they had picnics in the stacks.

Other times, he was the opportunistic dragon, his lips curled in disdain at her choice at the movie theatre, even as his fingers disappeared under her skirts in the semi-darkness. She had yet to actually really watch any of the movies she had wanted to go see, too distracted to do much more than grip her popcorn bucket as she tried not to squirm in her seat.

Mostly, he was just Gold: a business owner, a father, and a person like everyone else. She was crazy about him, from the way his eyes crinkled when he was trying not to smile or the way he moaned  her name when she was on her knees, but mostly just the way he loved her in return. Fully, completely and deeply.

His son was the most important thing in the world to him, even over his company. Gold was fiercely protective of his only child. “He’s had a rough time of it,” he had said the one time Belle had asked. “I try…I try to make sure he has the space he needs to be his own man.”

Which was why Belle was as surprised as anyone when Gold had invited her to Tallahassee to meet his son, and why she was sweating bullets in the Florida heat. Steeling herself, Belle asked, “Ready?”

Gold nodded, and took the first step towards the building. Belle had barely moved when the front door flew open and a man emerged from the building. Neal, for who else could have that Gold’s exact look of amused exasperation, leaned up against the building as they approached, the air conditioning wafting over them from the open doorway.

“Neal,” Gold said formally, nodding his head in polite greeting.

The young man’s face split into a wide grin and he launched himself into the older man’s arms, nearly knocking them both over. “You’re late!” he said as he pulled away with a grin.

Neal was a hair taller than his father, though his frame was more muscular. They had the same coloring though their features did not resemble each other. “He has his mother’s looks,” Gold had told her once when he had shown her a childhood photo. Standing there, Belle had to agree. Neal took after his mother in looks, but he was his father’s son. As he turned to her, the same calculating look danced through his eyes though it was quickly replaced with a softer expression. “Belle,” he greeted. “So glad you could make it.”

“Thank you for having me,” Belle replied as she stepped forward to shake his hand. “I know you don’t get to see each other too often, but Robert insisted…”

At the casual use of his father’s first name, Neal’s eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch. “Well, if Robert insisted,” he said with a smugly satisfied grin, another expression of his father’s. “Come in, come in,” he said as he hurried towards the door. “We aren’t open on Mondays,” he said in explanation of the empty building. “I like to give the whole staff one day off every week and then they can choose their other days as fits their schedule.”

Neal took them through the distillery, showing them the equipment, the bar, the patio out back before they ended back in his office with samplers on the table. Belle sipped at her flight of whiskey, having been too nervous to eat before they had arrived and now regretting that. The two men were talking easily, comparing business model plans and notes on expansion.

“Eh,” Neal said with a shrug as he sat back in his chair. “I’m not sure if I want to expand outside of Florida.”

“The bottles you sent me did very well in the market,” Gold told him without missing a beat.

Neal’s face darkened though his tone did not change. “You mean the bottles I specifically sent to you to enjoy? The ones clearly marked not for resale or testing?”

Gold’s shoulders twitched back as he rose to the challenge.  “Son-”

Hoping to cut off the oncoming disagreement,, Belle leaned forward. “It was actually my fault,” she interjected. ““One of my friend’s owns some businesses in Storybrooke and Robert had agreed to a rum tasting event there one evening that was incredibly successful. When my friend heard you owned a whiskey distillery…”

“It was a private event,” Gold told his son. “However, a few other business approached me with inquiries into how to get in contact with you for some out of state sales opportunities. I told them I would discuss with you at a later date.”

Neal did not respond for a moment but then let out a long whistle. “Well, Belle,” he said, crossing his legs onto the desk in front of him. “You’ve seen my father’s empire at work. What would you recommend?”

Startled at being addressed so frankly, Belle took a moment to think. Gold had told her enough about Neal’s childhood to hear the real question. “Honestly?” she asked as Gold’s lip twitched in amusement. She smothered her own instinctive smile, the private joke she was incapable of being anything but honest a running one between them. “You have a great product. From what I understand, you aren’t interested in partnering with Golden Rum, which means you would have to put in the legwork to network and sell. “

Legwork that had taken his father the first fifteen years of Neal’s life. Gold had misses his son’s first steps, his first word, every parent teacher meeting and countless other small and large moments in his son’s life…all to give him an empire, a live, a future. Unfortunately though understandably, Neal had not seen it that way. Before he had turned eight, his mother had left them both, which meant Neal grew up on his own as his father traveled, working harder and harder to make sure his son had a future. The opposite of what Neal wanted, what he routinely asked for and what he never truly received: a father.

When Neal had graduated high school, his parents had divorced, Neal changed his last name to Cassidy, and moved as far south as he could to get away from the life he had known. It had taken Gold the next fifteen years to  try and reconnect with his son. The past ten years had been happy ones, though there was still  a bit of a shadow between the two despite their hard work finding their way back to each other.

Neal nodded thoughtfully. “I may be persuaded into opening another location,” he said after a few moments. “I hear Maine’s nice.”

Across the room, Gold straightened in his chair. “Maine?”

“Storybrooke to be precise,” Neal said with a half shrug. “Maybe I’ll look into some property while I’m up for the wedding.”

Belle’s brow furrowed. “What wedding?” she asked, looking to Gold in confusion. Neal had grown up in Storybrooke, one reason Robert still lived there despite Golden Rum being headquartered in Boston, but she hadn’t realized he had kept in touch with anyone.

“Yours obviously,” Neal said as he reached for another sampler. “You two are getting married, right?”

Belle opened her mouth but nothing really came out, so she closed it again before shooting back the rest of her sample. Across the room, Gold’s hands were flexing on the head of his cane as if gripping on for dear life.

Obvious to all of this, or at least pretending to be, Neal continued. “Figured a winter wedding, something small and intimate, close friends and family…you are cutting it kind of close though,” Neal said as he peered at the calendar over his shoulder. “It’s nearly the end of July now, Papa.”

A dead silence followed this observation. Neal looked from one ot the other with a lazy smile on his face, his finger tapping against his thigh the only sound in the room. Belle recovered first. “Oh, well, we haven’t…really discussed…that,” she finished lamely.

Truly his father’s son, Neal didn’t miss a beat. “You’ve been dating for two years,” he pointed out. “You’re in love, Papa’s crazy about you, he’s already written you into the will.”

Gold winced as Belle tried to process this new development. “You what?” she asked

“I was going to tell you-” he started but he didn’t get the chance to finish.

“I told you how I feel about that!!” Belle exclaimed in embarrassment. “I am not dating your company or your money, and I don’t need a safety net or a just in case fund, I need you so don’t you dare even be thinking of dying!”   She had realized she had stood but both men were now looking up at her, one in sheepish embarrassment and the other as if he was watching a spectacle. “And you!” she said spinning to Neal. “All joking aside, our relationship is our own affair and I would thank you very much to be respectful about our decisions.”

Neal nodded. “True, but if you got married, you’d be my stepmother.” Belle’s stomach dropped a bit at this, though Neal’s smile was still warm.  “As it is, you stand to inherit a large portion of my father’s stocks, almost as much as I would inherit.”

“You disowned your inheritance,” Gold reminded his son.

“Most of it,” Neal agreed with a grin. “Not all. I ended up with Milah’s.”

“Your mother,” Gold said through clenched teeth,” did not like you using her name like that.”

“Then she shouldn’t have run off with that Navy asshole when I was seven,” Neal shot back.

Belle, sensing the heightening tension, stepped back into the breach. “I love your father,” Belle said sharply to Neal. “And I plan to spend the rest of my life with him.”

It was if a bomb had been defused. Neal’s entire frame relaxed and he smiled smugly up at her. “See,” he said, craning his neck around her to grin at his father. “Told ya.”

“Told him what?” Belle said in confusion. “He knows I love himi.”

Neal stood to gather the empty glasses scattered around his desk. “Oh, sure he knows, but for the life of us, we couldn’t convince him you actually wanted to settle down with him.”

Belle spun on her heel to see Gold glaring daggers at his son. “You didn’t think I wanted to be with you?” she asked, a quiet kind of hurt bubbling up in her chest. “Robert…”

Gold stood so fast, he wobbled slightly. Belle jumped forward and he seized her hand in his, so tightly his pulse beat against her own. “Sweetheart,” he said fiercely, his eyes gleaming hazily from the whiskey and heightened emotion. “I’m nearly twice your age. I- I couldn’t ask you to- to-”

“To marry the man I love?” Belle finished for him. “To be by your side in sickness and health? Through better or worse?” She shook her head at him in disbelief. “I’m not going anywhere you idiot,” she said with a ragged laugh. “You’re stuck with me.”

“You want…want to marry me?” he said as if he couldn’t believe his own ears. At some point, Neal had left the room but neither of them had noticed.

Belle blinked, having been so caught up she hadn’t realized exactly what she had just proposed.

“Well, yes,” she said. “I do.”

As it turned out, Gold did too.

That January, Neal stood by his father’s side as best man, and the wedding was held in the future site of the Baelfire Whiskey Distillery in Storybrooke, Maine

-

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[alarriefantasy]

                                              Royal Fic Rec

Royal Harry

We Gotta Get Away From Here by @afangirlfantasy

Words: 4k

Or a Royal AU where Prince Harold needs saving and Louis is his Knight in shining armor...sort of.

Wake With The Morning Sunlight by sweetly_disposed

Words: 7k

Cinderella AU.“Sometimes the royal carriage passed through the village, and Louis would always be there to see it go by. He imagined being able to ride in it one day, to be pulled along by white horses with magnificent feathered plumes, and feel the gentle rocking of the wheels over cobbles underneath him. As he'd got older, those dreams had turned into wistful gazes at the castle every now and then, pauses at the window where he looked over at the grand palace and got lost in thoughts of dances and banquets and a certain green eyed prince that he knew was at the center of it all.”

Tall Tales For Summer by turnyourankle

Words: 11k

Harry knows something is up when his mum insists on throwing him a birthday party in the summer. He's even more suspicious of her intentions when he notices the guest list is all male.

(Or, modern nobility AU where Harry's mother is trying to set him up without his knowledge.)

Prince Harry and the Expert in Motorcycle Maintenance by juliusschmidt

Words: 15k

an abo cinderella au in which prince harry rides a motorcycle and louis, a simple mechanic, fixes it.

Buried Like Treasure by QuickedWeen

Words: 40k

Prince Harry Styles is very private. He chooses to keep himself out of the public eye but feels lonely and isolated while surrounded by people in his hectic royal life. When he finishes his dissertation, he decides to take a solo holiday to one of the royal family's properties in the Swiss Alps.

Semi-retired thief Louis Tomlinson has been pulled in for one last job: steal a painting from an uninhabited mansion. Neither one of them expects a natural disaster.

Fool For You by flowercrownfemme, starpoweredradio

Words: 46k

In which Harry is a brooding prince who's scarcely smiled since the death of his mother and Louis is the dashing jester hired to change that.

I won't be afraid (Just as long as you stand by me) by larrycaring

Words: 49k

Harry leads an ordinary life, and he’s totally okay with it.So, of course, when it all changes and he learns he is the actual Crown Prince of a whole country he’s never heard of, he doesn’t welcome the news with open arms.Thankfully, Louis is there by his side, and that? That, will never change.or a Princess Diaries AU that I just really, really needed to write. No regrets.

And My Heart Is A Hollow Plain by NiamJenn1994

Words: 58k

Its the 1600s and all Louis wants is the freedom he knows he will never taste again.He knew happiness, knew a good life and love. Had dreams and reasons to see the good in people, to expect good things from life.Forced into a marriage he will never get out of, all he's looking for is a breath of life. Maybe something or someone to come save him from the hell he knows.

like cabbages and kings by you_explode

Words: 60k

When Louis was a kid, he had a series of very vivid dreams about a place called Wonderland. There were rabbits wearing waistcoats and talking cats and ridiculous tea parties, and amidst all the absurdity, there was a boy. A boy with dimples, big green eyes and the sweetest soul Louis has ever known. Louis has always kept a place in his heart for that boy and for his funny dreamworld, and when he’s twenty-five and his life falls apart, it turns out Wonderland might not be so imaginary after all.

The Stars In Your Eyes Light Up The Sky by @andthensusays Words: 60k

Or, The one where Harry is a prince forced out of the closet and Louis is a boybander forced in. When they meet, everything changes.

Castle Hollow and Cold by Nicolasgrimshaw

Words: 67k

One fateful night, he finds himself at the masquerade ball being thrown in the Princes honor. It was really just meant to be one big pool of women for the Prince to peruse through--after all, he was in need of a princess; a Prince can’t exist without one, right? But in a twisted turn of events, the women aren’t the one’s Prince Harry is showing an interest in.

Affairs Of Royalty by @wubwubnparmaham

Words: 68k

~Or~ Being a senior in high school is hard enough.

Being one of the only two Omegas in a fully human high school is even worse. Add two secretly royal Alphas from England into the mix...and it's impossible. 

Like a Bullet in the Dark by @vurdoc

Words: 99k

Prince Harold Edward Styles Lancaster is second in line to the throne of Great Britain. He is also your average Uni student- or he tries to be, anyway.

With a promise from the press (and his father) that they'll leave him alone for four years, he sets out to be a student at Cambridge, when he meets his very normal, very working class, very handsome suite-mate, Louis Tomlinson.

Louis makes Harry feel more like a person than he ever has before, which might cause some issues later on- 'cause Harry has a secret that he's only told his sister Gemma about.

Little does he know though, that Louis has some secrets of his own.

A Will & Kate Au- with a twist.

Like Water Over Fire (Like Water On Fire) by MCSSymon

Words: 119k

Or Prince Harry has 46 men and 13 weeks to find the husband of his dreams, Louis has a limited amount to time to live out a royal fantasy. They might just be exactly what the other needs.

Royal Louis

 Happily Ever After by Nutella_enthusiast

 Words: 4k

The boy is tiny when Louis first sees him - probably no older than nine or ten, and Louis thinks he's the most beautiful creature that he has ever seen in all his thirteen years of living. He wants him, and he tells his father this as their carriage passes him by. His father just laughs, and tells him that he'll get him another servant boy as soon as they get home.

Louis crosses his arms and pouts for the rest of the ride, because he doesn't want just another servant boy - he wants the beautiful curly haired boy with the wonderful dimples, and skin that looks like it would be soft and creamy despite the fact that it appears to be covered in soot and other things that Louis' mother would have described as, "not proper to discuss in polite company."

Once Upon a Cornflower Hill by binarysunsets

Words: 7k

Or, something of a fairy tale, in which Harry is a knight, Louis is a prince, Niall is an elf, Liam is a warrior, Zayn is a wizard, and only through their combined efforts can they rescue Louis from the witch who stole him away the day of his eighteenth birthday.

Can you hear these dreams? (Calling out your name, can you hear them?) by larrycaring

Words: 14k

After visiting an ancient royal castle in France, Harry is haunted by the portrait of a young man who seems familiar beyond explanation.

Like Gold by ishiplouis

Words: 17k

Royal AU where Harry is Prince Louis’ Adviser, and Louis is anything but helpful.

Sunrise on Your Sins by cuppalouie

Words: 25k

Louis Tomlinson is at his wit’s end trying to keep up with all the responsibilities and demands that come along with being the Crown Prince of England. Exhausted and desperate for an escape, his life is suddenly derailed when in walks Harry Styles, renowned rentboy and expert on all things BDSM. Blessing or curse, Louis decides to see where this unlikely partnership will lead.

my kingdom for a kiss (tonight you're on my mind) by @softersin Words: 30k

Or, the one where Zayn and Louis make a friendly wager and it goes too far, Harry's a baker with a heart of gold and really great hair, Liam is an overworked PA who just wants to enjoy his holiday and Niall is completely at ease, as always. An accidentally married AU mixed with a splash of modern royalty.

Pretty Boy by @canonlarry  

Words: 32k

Harry's been forced into a high-class prostitution ring because his heroin-addicted mother is too strung out to realize that her boyfriend is pimping out her son. Louis is the crown prince of England and gets into a lot of mischief and thinks it's normal to pay prostitutes to "get a good night's sleep." They probably aren't meant to see each other beyond that one random night, but then again, they probably aren't meant to see each other at all.

All The King's Men by sacredheart (orphan_account) Words: 39k Louis is an arrogant, self assured prince who falls in love with a charming thief named Harry during his youth. However, years later, a revolution is sparked amongst the frustrated commoners... and Louis's former teenage romance is leading it.

Worth Dying For by whoknows

Words: 44k

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Louis says, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. In the center of the table, a set of three glossy photos stares up at him, mocking him.

“A security detail is non-negotiable, Louis, you know this,” his mum reminds him, tapping the middle photo with two fingers.

Louis doesn’t look back down at the pictures, gesturing towards them wildly, over-dramatically. “This is not a security detail!” he protests. “This is a lanky college student. In what world do you hire someone like this kid to protect me?”

And They Lived Happily Ever After by @c-e-d-dreamer Words: 45k

Prince Louis is betrothed to the Princess Eleanor to ensure the peace between their two kingdoms, but while visiting her land, he meets Harry, a knight.

Unchain My Heart (Baby, Set Me Free) by @suddenclarityharry Words: 48k

Harry was taken at a young age, and chained up in a slave pen. He's been waiting years to be chosen by a passing noble or royal. He's starting to think there's something wrong with him because no one wants him. Then, Prince Louis shows up and decides to take him back to the palace. Suddenly, Harry isn't sure if he was better off in the slave pen or if, maybe, he's found a place to call home.

Common by Cori Lannam (corilannam)

Words: 50k

Henry VIII ruined it for everybody. Now the king or queen can only marry a person chosen by the magic of the church, or disaster will befall Britain. Prince Louis, heir apparent to the British throne, dislikes most things about his inheritance--but most of all that it could keep him from finding the real love of his life.

Brasswood Boys by Tomlinsontoes

Words: 59k

After befriending an international student in his last year of school, a seemingly innocent break from school work leads Harry to learn the true identity of the boy he’s become so enamored with.

Why Can't It Be Like That by taggiecb

Words: 63k

A fashion AU with a royal twist, where Louis doesn't need a stylist, Harry's thrilled to have a real life Barbie doll, and they're both very wrong about each other.

feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream by @lourrynavy Words: 123k

Harry is a journalist with a lot of secrets and Louis is the future king of the United Kingdom; they live together for 60 days.

Both

Don't Let the Tide Come by SadaVeniren 

Words: 14k

aka King Louis of the fire tribe has a week to find his water tribe soulmate. This would be infinitely easier if the four tribes on the continent were not isolated from one another.

The Tale of Two Kingdoms by @larriebane

Words: 24k

ABO-universe with modern language mixed with some new and old traditions, no technology exist (cars, phones, electricity etc.)Prince Louis of Doncaster finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as the feared Hijackers from Cheshire come to claim their annual pray of omegas. He is taken away and transported to a strange country that Louis has been taught as the enemies’ land. When unforeseen events take place and even more unlikely savior turns up, Louis’ all previous beliefs are being proved wrong. Will love save the two kingdoms and form an alliance after several centuries of feuds between these bordering countries?

not even the gods above by suspendrs 

Words: 25k

Both are new kings of countries that haven’t been allies for the past decade. They need to come up with a treaty which means actually spending time with another. A hate-to-love.

The Prince Of Light by jacaranda_bloom

Words: 35k

Louis was found abandoned at a hospital at six months old and adopted by an older couple who raised him. Now twenty, he studies by night and by day works as a live-in au pair for a family with three little girls. One of the girls, Holly, swears there is a Garden Fairy coming and eating treats she leaves out in the cubby house each night.

When the family goes away for a two week holiday, Louis is secretly tasked with feeding the Fairy. While laying out the food one night he falls from the cubby house and is found by Harry. Harry is different and Louis is fascinated. But as Louis learns how different Harry really is, he discovers his own true home and a very surprising past he never knew.

Cue badgers, bananas and cookies, soulmates, a whole other world, and a future he’d never imagined.

(we will be) as if chosen by alivingfire

Words: 35k

There's not a royal in the world who doesn't carry some sort of secret, and Prince Louis has more than his fair share. To protect himself and his family, Louis withdrew from the public eye and tried to live a quiet life, biding his time until his sister Lottie could take the throne in his stead. Unfortunately for him, the national media and the worst person Louis has ever met team up to bring him kicking and screaming back into the spotlight.

Under the watchful eyes of millions, Louis has to figure out how to keep his carefully constructed house of cards from falling, and the first step to accomplishing that is to keep from falling in love with the irritatingly charming Prince Harry, who just won't stop showing up and trying to whisk Louis out of the constraints of his boring life.

You Take Me Over, You’re the Magic in My Veins by @supernope

Words: 36k

Louis can feel Harry’s eyes on him as he turns to head toward his seat. He tucks a secretive smile into the palm of his hand while he slides into place beside his sister, his mother’s seat still empty as it awaits the Queen’s entrance. He knows he should be behaving himself a bit more, should be focusing his attention on Gemma, rather than her brother. He’s working on borrowed time, is expected to announce his engagement to the Princess within the next few weeks, but he can’t seem to help himself. Gemma is lovely, kind and witty and beautiful, but he has no interest in being married to her, had no interest in marriage before her arrival, period.Teeth sunk into his bottom lip to disguise his smile, Louis risks a quick glance toward Gemma and Harry’s usual seats, finds Harry already seated and staring steadily back at him. His hair is a mess from Louis’ fingers and his cheeks are still flushed, and Louis’ heart gives a heavy, delighted thud. No, he thinks, he has no desire to be betrothed to Princess Gemma, but he finds he wouldn’t mind being married after all, if it was Prince Harry he was promised to, instead.

I'll Be Here Waiting on Forever by sweaterpawstyles

Words: 46k

Or A Romeo and Juliet AU where Louis is an alpha prince who falls in love with Harry, an omega prince from the neighboring kingdom

It's the Magic Between Us by thoughtlessblogger

Words: 90k

Louis' a Prince in a kingdom that needs help and Harry's a Prince with a secret.

Kill Me/ Heal Me by millionlittletings

Words: 92k

The kingdom of Scotland hasn't been in peace for decades now. In the heart of the country lies the rivalries, hate, and struggle of power. Amidst the chaos, five young men discover the meaning of life, friendship, love, hate, and heartbreak through their journey. Louis, who is struggling to find a place where he belongs. Niall, who will protect what belongs to him with his life. Zayn, who is learning to navigate through life. Liam, who knows when to use his heart and when to use the brain. Harry, who is set to kill anyone who will come into his way of finding the truth about his mother. From dealing with their personal issues to finding out the real culprit who changed the course of their lives, these five men are set to uncover the deepest and the darkest secrets of the kingdom.

Victorian Boy by DonnaHaywardsHead

Words: 101k

Victorian AU. Harry the virgin Duke of Somerset knows little of love, while Louis the sly Duke of Warwick knows too much. When the two dukes come together for the Bilsdale fox hunt in York, Harry finds himself drawn into Louis' bed. But when secrets from Louis' dark past come to light, Harry fears that the fox isn't the only one being hunted.

Credit to the owner of the photo

updated 8.25.2019