#I can never trust anything I say this is way better than rogue

[imageingrunge]

Update Elven men look so good in this game i decided to play as one everyone give it up for Sinbad Laidir !! (He wears this armor better than my last elf ever could 😭)

[laroserie]

— Various x-men characters, with a queer ! reader

— characters ; Scott Summers. Jean Grey. Logan Howlett. Rogue.

— warning ; Reader is implied to be at the very least multisexual in general BUT it's very vague - reader is just not straight. Can be platonic or romantic depend. Include a 'when you come out to them section' but it's also just general headcanons. I included my personal hc about their sexuality. No one is homophobic or anything !

— note ; i said i'd something for pride and poof, there ( yes ... it's the 29th but better late than never! ), yes i do headcanons most xmen characters as multisexual, i wrote this at 3am so if some part doesn't make sense and all sorry

– Scott Summers.

Now, Scott is bisexual himself (with a little bit of self internalised homophobia) so he'd be very, chill, of course with you being queer. But he sometimes do say stuff that make your eyebrow raise, he isn't exactly the most informed, but he is still very respectful, just a bit clumsy. If you try to correct him on something he said and - or - 'correct' him, he will listen and keep that in mind.

Scott could be the type to start being more inclusive in his language once he knows, like he will say 'partner' or 'spouse' when asking you about your relationship. Or not ask about them at all ( if you aromantic for example ).

He probably accidentally out-ed you at some point, he doesn't think twice and just say what's he thought. He will very much apologize for that, and after the first time it never happens again.

When you come out to him, he gives you a simple 'okay, that neat' and a thumb-up. If you use a label/term he doesn't know, he may ask you about it but probably later, like a day or two, he'll come up to you and ask you 'hey, by the way, what does [label] means ?'.

– Jean Grey

Jean Grey, like Scott, is very chill about it. Sure, she doesn't know much about the community and she only knows the 'basic' terminology, but she still very much support you.

If you need to vent about issues related to your sexuality, she will be there, her arms are wild open for you and she has always a box of tissues on hand. She may not get everything, but she'll try to help you as much as she can, by simply comforting you or by trying to give you advice ( not necessary about the problem in itself, but about how to cope around it ).

Jean is absolutely the type to accompany you to pride, if you want her to of course, she is kinda like those straight mothers that accompany their kid to pride !

When you come out to her, she is the sweetest, she'll listen to you and assure you that it change's nothing to her.

– Logan Howlett

He doesn't gives a fuck, the man has seen all type of people thru the years, it's normal and he obviously accept anyone no matter their sexuality or genders but he just doesn't care that much ( my personal headcanon is that Logan is pan but let's be honest, he himself doesn't give a fuck about his sexuality ).

Logan probably goes to the pride parade once in while, depending on the city he in currently, and he'll probably accept to go with you to them - if it's your first, he'll try to keep you in sigh but if not and that you can be left alone and be okay, he will 'abandon' you and you'll only see him when it's time to leave.

When you come out to him, he looks at you and just drop a 'ok', he may add a 'thanks for telling me ?' if you are visibly confused by his answer.

– Rogue

She'd be very happy knowing you are queer too ! ( again personal headcanon that she is bisexual ) She thinks it's nice to have a friend whose also part of the community and if you are newer to it and the terminology, she'll try to teach you about them as best as she can.

If anyone is a bigot to you about your sexuality, Rogue will be there to comfort you about it and, maybe, perhaps, try to fight the person.

When you come out to you, she will be very happy that you have enough trust in her to tell her, she'll probably give you a big hug before asking you question about it ( like 'when did you know ??' but not in the intrusive weird way )

[defectivevillain]

until it doesn't hurt

pairing: Bruce Banner/Reader

reader’s pronouns: they/them

the reader's race and gender are ambiguous; no physical descriptors are used.

summary: “I could’ve caused you irreversible harm,” Bruce says. It’s almost a practiced recitation at this point, and you have to wonder if he truly believes that—or if he’s just been conditioned by everyone around him to believe he is only capable of inflicting pain. “You didn’t,” you maintain, for what feels like the thousandth time. Bruce is so caught up in the hypotheticals that he refuses to see the success right in front of him: the fact that he didn’t so much as lay a finger on you.

word count: 2.9k | ao3 version

warnings: canon-typical violence

Being an Avenger means you have to be ready for anything at all times. That spontaneity is difficult to adjust to at first, but as time passes, you grow used to it. You grow used to sleeping lightly; to stashing weapons just about anywhere you can keep them; to having few restful days and many restless ones. The moment your powers manifested, you knew you would be a hero: not because you wanted to be one, but because it would be your responsibility to protect those who needed protecting. 

You weren’t always an Avenger. At first, you were just a rogue—kind of a vigilante. But then the attack on New York happened—Loki happened—and everything flew out the window. Suddenly, you were out on the street in broad daylight, trying your best to keep the civilians safe. That was how you crashed into Iron Man of all people. You exchanged banter and insults, but when it came down to it, you protected him, and he protected you. And Tony is extremely persistent—it didn’t take long for him to sink his claws into you and drag you back to the Avengers Tower. 

From there, you gradually get to know the other Avengers. Steve and Clint are relatively friendly right off the bat. Natasha is a bit more difficult—you have to earn her trust before she starts to open up to you. But eventually, somehow, you manage to bond with all of the other occupants of the Tower. At least, all of them except Bruce Banner. 

Bruce is an interesting case. He almost immediately dismissed you when Tony first introduced you, instead deigning to focus on his experiments. You hadn’t taken offense to Bruce’s reclusive behavior, nor had you taken the hint that he didn’t want to get to know you. Instead, you had all but forced him to acknowledge you. This manifested in a multitude of ways: from going out of your way to talk to him to offering to help with his research. Bruce is extremely protective of his laboratory, but somehow he deemed you capable enough to serve as his laboratory assistant. You were more than content to hand him capsules and adjust minor things, while he did the brunt of the work. You took the gifted opportunities to attempt to get to know him better. At first, it was like speaking to a brick wall. But somewhere along the way, his cold and uncaring façade began to crack. You slowly worked your way up to meaningless small talk—and, later, casual conversation.

Truthfully, you really enjoy spending time with Bruce. But he’s rather unpredictable—sometimes he’ll push you away, and other times he’ll play along. You know that he has a lot of baggage—what with his childhood and his alter-ego. You’ve been trying to convince him that you care about him—that you’re not going to abandon him or villainize him—but he doesn’t ever seem to believe you. He always conducts himself with some semblance of suspicion and doubt; it almost seems like he’s waiting for you to wake up to reality and run away screaming.

Still, progress is progress—no matter how slow. You’re happy with how you’ve slowly bonded with him, and you can only hope that there’s more on the horizon for the both of you. 

…You never consider the possibility that something could happen to make things worse—to destroy your progress and send you right back to the start. 

“We need you for something.”

You’re brutally torn from your reverie, forced to slowly come back to yourself. You’re sitting in the living room, staring ahead at the blank wall. How long have you been sitting here? All you know is that it’s no longer light outside, and that Natasha is standing in front of you with a firm expression. 

“I- what?” You stammer, still processing what’s happening. “Nat-”

“It’s important,” she says. You get to your feet before she can continue speaking. “Trust me.” You do trust her. Natasha isn’t one for over-exaggeration or dramatics; when she says something is important, she means it. And the grave expression on her face is only worrying you more. You follow after her as she walks down the hall and towards the elevators. The two of you step into the space and she presses a button, before the elevator slowly rises. 

In hindsight, perhaps you should’ve been a bit more suspicious. Why would she be taking you to another floor in the Tower? Typically, when there’s a new development or an imminent threat, you’ll be directed to another location—either to combat the threat or to strategize. Furthermore, there’s a strained silence in the air between Natasha and you. Nat’s shoulders are drawn tight and she’s staring ahead pointedly, as if avoiding your eyes. 

The elevator dings and you breathe an internal sigh of relief, hoping to get rid of this needless tension. But before you can begin to take a step, you’re being roughly shoved out of the elevator and into the hallway. It takes you several moments to get your bearings—at which point you recognize the telltale sounds of the doors behind you closing, and the elevator dropping back down to where you came. You stare at the closed doors in disbelief, before turning to look back down the hall. One of the recreational rooms is straight ahead, and you hear yelling. 

Once you’re standing in the doorway, you’re able to place the inexplicable noises you were hearing. Bruce is in his Hulk form, green and raging as he throws anything within his grasp at the walls around him. You’re willing to bet Natasha brought you here to do something about this. Why she thinks you’re the best person to calm Bruce down, you’re not sure. 

“Bruce,” you say slowly. Bruce promptly freezes, an exercise machine lifted over his head. He stares down at you; you stare up at him. He’s momentarily distracted by you. “It’s okay.” He’s silent. You hold your hands out at your sides in mock surrender. “I’m not here to hurt you,” you continue. “You’re safe.”

Silence. You take a slow breath. The machine he’s holding over his head drops a fraction of an inch. 

“It’s okay, Bruce.” You repeat, pushing as much conviction into your voice as you can. Your effort seems to work, as his eyebrows furrow. For a moment, there’s nothing but silence as the two of you stare at each other. Then, his visage shifts and you’re suddenly looking at Bruce Banner—disheveled and exhausted.

“Are you alright-?” You’re compelled to ask. The scientist is back in human form, wearing nothing but a tattered pair of pants; bruises and scratches litter his skin; and there’s a distant expression on his face. He seems to snap out of his trance when he hears your voice.

“What the hell are you doing?” Bruce then spits. You immediately flinch at the unexpected anger. “Seriously, what the fuck are you doing here?” His gaze is flitting about the room quickly, before settling on you with fevered intensity. You’ve never seen Bruce look so irate before. He’s a remarkably composed man (although you suspect he bottles up anger and rage and lets it out in bursts as the Hulk). Indeed, this kind of fury is typical for the Hulk, but exceedingly rare for Bruce. 

“I didn’t-” You choke out helplessly, glancing back at the hall and, by extension, the elevator. “They-” It’s inexplicably difficult for you to get the words out. 

“That was our doing.” A voice confesses from behind you. You turn around to find Nat and Tony standing behind you. The two of them approach and come to a stop at your side. 

Bruce’s gaze locks on them with fiery focus. He brings a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. His glasses are nowhere to be seen—he must’ve dropped them somewhere as he transformed. “I expected better from both of you.”

“Bruce-” Tony tries to say, an apologetic expression on his face. 

“What on earth made you think that throwing them out as bait was a good idea?” Bruce interjects furiously, motioning towards you. “You could’ve gotten them seriously injured!” He exclaims. Tony has the good grace to look embarrassed; Nat is staring ahead with a flat expression and her arms crossed over her chest.

“Bruce, I’m fine-” You try to say, quickly growing uncomfortable with the tension settling in the air. 

“I could’ve harmed you,” Bruce is quick to assert. “Easily.” His voice is cold. 

“But you didn’t,” you maintain. He’s not giving himself enough credit. More troubling is the idea that he has faith in his own cruelty—that he only sees himself as capable of harming someone. You don’t know what else to say, don’t know what could possibly be said to repair the evident years of damage done to this man’s psyche. The entire world has treated him as a weapon at best and an uncontrollable, irredeemable monster at worst.

“That doesn’t matter,” Bruce says with unshakeable certainty. He retreats from the room, leaving you to stare after him in confusion and shock. You turn to face Natasha and Tony, who are both staring at the doorway with complex looks. 

You want to tell them off, but the words that leave your lips are far different than you intend them to be. “Should I go after him?” You ask instead. Bruce is the primary concern right now—you can chew Tony and Nat out later. You’ve known him for a bit now, and have grown to interpret his expressions fairly easily. You’ve seen Bruce express a lot of emotions… but the look on his face just now is completely foreign to you. 

“Probably,” Tony admits. 

“I don’t think we should,” Natasha says, motioning towards Tony and herself. “He’s mad at us. And… rightfully so.” She exchanges a glance with Tony, whose lips are pressed in a thin line. It’s clear they didn’t give enough thought to their whole plan. 

“You’ll be fine, though,” Tony says with unfounded conviction. Nat places a hand on your shoulder and grips it reassuringly. You take a deep breath and come to a decision, walking down the hall and towards the elevator doors. 

Moments later, you’re walking out of the lift and down the dim hallway leading to Bruce’s bedroom. He’s entirely alone on this floor of the tower. You pause in front of his door for a few seconds, wondering if you should walk away. But you can’t. Instead, you knock on the door four times. “Bruce?” You ask. Despite the clear sturdiness of the door, he’s able to hear you. 

“Go away.” Bruce responds. His voice is a little muffled, and you have to strain to hear him. 

You’re hurt for the briefest of moments. Then you shelve the feeling and resolve yourself to tackling it later. “I’m coming in,” you announce, placing your hand against the scanner at the edge of the doorway. The scanner flashes green and the door slides open, revealing Bruce’s bedroom. You’ve never been here before. It’s modestly decorated, with mostly monotone shades. Nothing particularly strikes you, save for the giant desk in the corner of the room. Papers litter the entire surface of the desk, and a few are covered by Bruce’s arms. 

The man doesn’t look up as you approach. “I don’t want to see you,” Bruce says. His back is turned and you’re unable to see his expression. 

“I don’t care,” you respond, taking a few steps into the space until you’re a short (yet seemingly insurmountable) distance from Bruce. He’s sitting at his desk, rubbing his hands over his eyes roughly. It doesn’t take long for you to remember your guilt. “Bruce, I don’t want you to torture yourself over this.” Maybe you shouldn’t have interfered in the first place. 

“I could’ve caused you irreversible harm,” Bruce says. It’s almost a practiced recitation at this point, and you have to wonder if he truly believes that—or if he’s just been conditioned by everyone around him to believe he is only capable of inflicting pain. 

“You didn’t,” you maintain, for what feels like the thousandth time. Bruce is so caught up in the hypotheticals that he refuses to see the success right in front of him: the fact that he didn’t so much as lay a finger on you. 

“No, I don’t think you understand,” Bruce says with a shake of his head. He pushes himself out of his chair and gets to his feet, turning around to face you. Your eyes widen as you notice the torn expression on his face, the dark circles under his eyes, and the determination written in every line of his form. “My eyes locked onto you and, for a split second, I envisioned harming you. Deliberately.” The confession clings to the air like a vice. 

“But you didn’t act on that impulse,” you assert. “You suppressed it.” 

“So?” Bruce argues. “I still had the urge. You should be disgusted, afraid-” 

“I’m not afraid of you, Bruce,” you interrupt. The statement lingers heavily in the air between the two of you. For a long moment, there’s nothing but the faint hum you’ve grown to associate with the Tower itself.  

“You should be,” Bruce then mutters. And suddenly he’s standing in front of you, staring at you with a dark gaze. His fists are clenched at his sides and you see his skin flicker with shades of green, before it returns to normal. The man maneuvers you to the side and shoves you, until you’re hitting the wall behind you. Bruce’s hands move up to your shirt collar and he clenches at it, his fingers almost spasming as he tightens his grip. You just stare at him. “I could ruin you.” He murmurs, so quietly that you have to strain to hear it. 

You want to argue with him so badly, but that strategy hasn’t been working so far. For some reason, Bruce has convinced himself that he not only has the capacity to hurt you, but that he wants to. You know that can’t be true, but how can you convince him? If he thinks he can ruin you… “Then do it,” you challenge him. He meets your eyes once more and you stare back unflinchingly, trying to convey how much you trust him. 

If you thought the tension was suffocating before, it’s practically ripping the breath from your lungs now. Everything around you seems to fade into obscurity. All you can see is Bruce; all you can feel is Bruce. His fingers twitch and his grip falls from your collar. For an awful moment, you think he’s going to walk away—turn his back on you as he has done so many times before. But he doesn’t. Instead, he leans closer. If he’s trying to get you to back down, then it isn’t working. 

At first, you want to think that Bruce is testing you. But the way he’s regarding you right now—with glittering desire in his eyes—makes you think otherwise. His hands move from the wall to your shoulders, back to the nape of your neck, until he gently tugs you forward. It’s hardly a strong pull, and you understand the choice he’s giving you. 

But, you think fondly, there was never much of a choice. From the moment you locked eyes with him, you knew he would dominate your thoughts. And indeed, he has. You think about the hard-won look of approval in his eyes when you make an astute observation; the way he almost frantically looks across the battlefield, his posture instantly relaxing once he sees you; the contradictions written all over his skin; the rare smiles you feel privileged to see. 

You lean forward and press your lips to his. Bruce is quick to reciprocate, his hands lingering at the nape of your neck before slipping down to your waist. You lock your arms around his shoulders, practically trapping him in your embrace. But from the strength of his grip, you can ascertain that the gesture is more than welcome. 

Later, when you break apart, Bruce has a disbelieving expression on his face. He looks slightly dazed, as if suspicious of the reality he now finds himself in. You grasp his wrist gently. 

“You can’t get rid of me, Bruce,” You murmur insistently, “...no matter how hard you try.”

He stares at you for another long moment. “And I have tried,” Bruce admits through a dry huff. You want to be offended by the comment, but you know it’s true. Bruce is stupidly self-sacrificing—he purposefully keeps his distance from people to protect them. But the reality of the situation is that people will come to harm regardless of his presence. “But you’re too stubborn.” That statement is spoken with a significant amount of fondness, and his hand comes up to cradle your cheek. You bring your hand up to rest on top of his. 

“I’ll always be here, even when you don’t want me to be.” You promise. And maybe that promise isn’t yours to make, because one can never truly predict what will come next. But somehow, deep down, you know it to be true. 

Bruce brings you close once more, an uncharacteristic note of boldness in the fluid movement. When you step back moments later, you find that he has a hint of a smile on his face. “I know,” Bruce says, the traces of apprehension on his face breaking and cracking to reveal a rare sight: unrestrained affection.

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[daenysthedreamer101]

Daughter of Steel and Bronze ~ HOTD

Ch 15 - To Mend a Broken Heart

HOTD x Targaryen!OC, Targaryen!OC x Harwin Strong

Warnings: slight make-out session? They get a bit horny lol. Daena and Harwin being sappy, love-sick fools, fluffy overall

A/N - I'm obsessed with this painting of the knight and the lady. It's so beautiful and represents Harwin and Daena so well

HOTD masterlist

"Not much can be said for the couple following years - Queen Alicent gave birth to another son, Prince Aemond in 116 AC. Once again, Princess Rhaenyra's status as heir was questioned, but the King ignored all the whispers at court.

On Driftmark, Prince Daemon wed Lady Laena Velaryon. Many took notice of this, as the wedding followed quickly after the death of his first wife, Rhea Royce. Not even a year has passed and the Rogue Prince found himself a second wife. 

His daughter, Princess Daena, stayed shrouded in black for an entire year, following the death of her mother. The once vivacious princess was now a shell of her former self, refusing to eat or drink, barely sleeping, and confining herself to her chambers. Some believe she never truly recovered." 

(Fire & Blood, Being a History of the Targaryen Kings of Westeros, by Archmaester Gyldayn)

~

116 AC

During the first two months after her mother's passing (before Rhaenyra's wedding), Daena visited the Eyrie, intending to speak to its ruling Lady, Jeyne Arryn. They discussed her inheritance and her new role as Lady of Runestone.

Daena knew that as Rhea's only child, she was the heir to Runestone and upon her mother's death, she became its new ruler. But there was just one problem. She was Daena Targaryen, not Daena Royce.

She had Royce blood. She was raised at Runestone and knew the castle better than any living soul and the Vale had a special place in her heart. But, she was a dragon. She was fire and blood. She loved her mother's side of the family dearly but, she could never part ways with her last name. She could never imagine herself as anything other than a Targaryen.

That is why she flew to the Eyrie and spent three whole days there, talking with Lady Jeyne for hours. She also reconnected with her distant cousin, Jessamyn Redfort, a 'dear companion' of Lady Jeyne. 

~

Following Rhaenyra and Laenor's less-than-perfect wedding, Daena (with the King's permission) relocated to Dragonstone, where she spent most of her time, mourning. There was no way in the Seven Hells she would spend any unnecessary time at King's Landing, for she loathed the city. She also had no desire to go back to Runestone, even though it was her birth-given right and duty.

Ultimately, she settled for Dragonstone, the ancestral home of House Targaryen. Both she and her dragon loved the smoky air and gloomy atmosphere of the island. There, she could sulk in peace, without worrying about what the lords and ladies of the Red Keep would say.

With her, Daena brought Harwin and Hanna. Joy, the older and more outgoing of the two sisters, was married off to Ser Elmo Tully, the heir to Riverrun and the future Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. Initially, Daena was quite sad; she would miss Joy's lively spirit. But on further thought, she realized it would be a good thing to have one of her most trusted friends become the future Lady of Riverrun. 

The months she spent on Dragonstone were quiet, peaceful, and healing. On the nearby island of Driftmark, her father and Lady Laena were wedded; not even half a year has passed and her father has already found himself a new wife. It stung Daena, the fact her father was so quickly able to move on from her mother's death as if she never existed. She did not attend their wedding.

But, Lady Laena was kind, beautiful, of pure Valyrian blood, and as of late, a dragon rider. Months before Rhaenyra's wedding, Laena claimed Vhagar, the largest dragon in the world. Vhagar was almost two hundred years old and was one of the three dragons Aegon I used to conquer Westeros. Only a bold spirit could claim such a beast and Laena proved she was worthy of riding the Queen of all dragons. 

Harwin didn't know what to make of Dragonstone. The first time he laid his eyes on the island it was hidden by fog and mist, the smell of salt and smoke hitting his nose. The castle itself was a wonder to see; built by the last Valyrians, it was an homage to their once-powerful Empire. It was wholly non-Westerosi. Everything about it was made to honor and glorify dragons. 

It was unnerving to live in, to say the least. A grim place, Dragonstone was built with arcane arts, fire, and sorcery. Draconic architecture could be found in every nook and cranny of the castle. Door handles, murals, candles, goblets, chairs, tables, mirrors, wall carvings, statues; the entire castle was shaped like one giant dragon. Harwin did not like the idea of living inside a dragon's belly. 

But who was he to disobey his darling Princess? 

Speaking of said Princess, she was leaning on one of the many balconies that were perched up on the walls of the castle. She seemed in deep thought, her gaze focused on the roaring sea. She looked so hauntingly beautiful, Harwin thought; her long silver hair was pulled up, and she was shrouded in black as she always was these days. Around her neck, she wore the Valyrian steel necklace her father gifted her. 

He stood behind her, slightly to her right, watching, observing her. Her face was expressionless, but he could see so much pain and grief inside her lilac eyes. She drummed her fingers against the stone balcony. 

"I wish to walk on the beach." She said quietly. 

Harwin looked up at the sky - large, grey clouds were covering up the sun and it looked like it would rain any minute. 

"Are you certain, Princess? What if it rains?" 

"Then we'll be wet." She stated, turning to face him. 

Her once lively face was blank, and Harwin couldn't help but notice how her new way of dressing made her look significantly older than she was. Before he could respond, she walked past him, quickly descending the long flight of stairs. 

~

The bottom of her black gown dragged across the wet sand but she paid it no mind. The wind carried a scent of smoke and salt, something she enjoyed immensely. There was a certain coolness to the air which indicated to her it would rain soon. As someone who spent a lot of time high up in the air, she knew the telltale signs of an incoming storm.

"I received a letter from Joy this morning," Harwin said, breaking the silence. 

She looked up at him. "You did? What does it say?"

"She says the Tullys are most hospitable and that they take great care of their future Lady." 

Daena smiled at the news. She was glad the Tullys were taking good care of her friend. 

"There's more," Harwin added and stopped suddenly. 

Daena stopped as well, waiting for him to reveal more news. 

"She is with child." 

Daena was speechless. "That's wonderful! You're going to be an uncle!" 

Harwin chuckled. "I suppose I will." 

Daena's smile faded. "...I haven't received any letter from her since she moved to Riverrun. I think she's cross with me."

Harwin furrowed his brows. "Why do you think that?"

"Because...I didn't attend her wedding." She mumbled, nervously playing with her necklace. 

Harwin chuckled once again. He took hold of her hand, kissing the inside of her wrist. Putting his other hand around her waist, he pulled her closer, their faces inches away. He placed his forehead against hers. 

"It is not in my sister's nature to be resentful. It must have slipped her notice once she found out she was pregnant." Harwin said quietly, looking deeply into Daena's eyes. Her pupils were wide, making her eyes appear darker. She placed her other hand on his forearm.

"I- I suppose you are right." She whispered, her eyes falling to his lips. 

He smiled at her, nudging his nose against hers, and kissed the side of her head. She sighed in contentment, placing her head onto his breastplate. The cool metal felt nice against her hot skin. He placed many small kisses on top of her head, holding her tightly against his body. He inhaled the scent of her hair - lemon and rose oil.

She felt her heart skipping a beat. Ever since her mother's death, she's been...distant and formal with Harwin, ignoring the way he looked at her, ignoring whenever he called her 'love.' In a way, she was punishing herself, abstaining from his touch, depriving herself of any joy. 

Not anymore.

"Kiss me." She pleaded, looking up at him, her eyes full of desperation and desire. 

Harwin was taken aback. They haven't had any intimate moments ever since Lady Rhea passed. Daena noticeably distanced herself, and he respected her wishes even though it broke his heart. And now here she was, begging for his love. 

"Are you certain?"

Daena tsked and grabbed his head, pulling him down and connecting their lips. He stumbled a bit, not expecting her to react that way. He put his hands on her hips, squeezing her soft flesh. Her fingers were tangled in his dark curls, drawing him closer. 

He grabbed the back of her head, deepening the kiss. He gently bit her lower lip, making her gasp in surprise, giving him further access to ravage her mouth. All the little noises she was making were spurring him on and he couldn't help but notice his pants tightening.  

"Harwin..." She whined his name and it sent a shiver down his spine.

"The things you do to me, you pretty little thing...You don't even know." He groaned in her ear and the sound went straight to her core, making her clench around nothing. His hot breath made the hairs on her neck stand up. 

"But I do...You have ignited a fire in my heart and it burns so sweetly I wish for it to burn forever. I wish for it to consume me whole." 

His hold on her hips tightened and it ached slightly, but she didn't dare to move. A low growl left his throat as he inhaled her scent.  "Those are dangerous words, little dove."

"I know you feel the same way." She whispered into his ear. 

Before he could respond, the sky opened and rain started pouring from the clouds above. To her surprise, he picked her up and ran toward the castle. A gasp escaped her lips upon realizing her feet were off the ground. 

For the first time in months, she laughed. 

~

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" Hanna screeched as she saw the Princess and her brother enter the castle, sopping wet. 

"We were just taking a stroll on the beach," Daena answered innocently as Hanna dragged her toward her chambers. 

"Quick, Princess! We must change your clothes or you'll get sick." Hanna rambled on as they reached the room's door. 

Daena chuckled at her friend's worry. "No need to worry so much, my dear. I'll be fine." 

Hanna clicked her tongue and shook her head in disapproval, catching sight of her brother. "You too, Harwin. Go and change."

"Why of course, my Lady," Harwin said with a smirk. 

"I'm serious!" Hanna hissed angrily at her big brother. 

"Alright Hanna, dear, I'm sure Ser Harwin can take care of himself. Now, come and help me get out of this dress. I'm positively soaked." Daena said, pulling Hanna by her sleeve. 

"Congratulations on your sister's pregnancy," Daena muttered as Hanna massaged oils into her skin. The light of the now-waning sun trickled faintly into her bedchamber. The fireplace was lit, warming the room and adding additional light. Daena was ready to retire for the day. 

"...You know?" Hanna asked, her voice coated with surprise.

"Harwin told me while we strolled on the beach," Daena said, leaning back in her bathtub. 

Hanna stayed quiet. 

"What's the matter?" Daena asked. 

"Nothing, Princess."

"Hanna. I know you. You've been unusually snappy today. Something's bothering you. Won't you confide in me? I thought we were friends."

"It's just- Joy's pregnancy. It made me think of my own life."

"Yes?"

"I'm afraid Father will soon marry me off."

"Would that be a problem?" 

"I-"

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Hanna wiped her hands, got up, and went to see who was knocking. Daena could hear the measter's hushed voice. Hanna was back with something in her hands. 

"A letter for you Princess. From King's Landing."

A sigh escaped Daena's lips. She perched herself up, picked up a towel from the side of the tub, and wiped her hands. Hanna handed her the letter. 

Her eyes went over the lines over and over again. A frown appeared on her face and an agitated groan left her lips. She crumbled the letter and threw it away.

~

The Princess was in a foul mood this morning, Harwin noticed. He could see it in her eyes, in the way her jaw was tense, in the way her brows were furrowed. Instead of talking, she sighed, clicked her tongue, and rolled her eyes at everyone. She was annoyed, dare he say angry. 

Why? Harwin didn't know. 

They were now in Aegon's Garden - it was filled with tall dark trees, wild roses, and cranberries. It had a pleasant piney smell. Daena sat down on a large bench made of black stone. She patted the seat next to her and Harwin sat down. 

She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of all the wildflowers. "This was always my favorite part of the island. I like how quiet and peaceful it is here. I've never felt such tranquility anywhere else."

"... I'm sure you have noticed my less-than-pleasant behavior today. I'm sure you've wondered why that is."

She handed him a crumbled letter. "This is why."

Harwin's brows were furred as he read it. "So, what does this mean?" 

Daena sighed, looking down at her feet. "It means that as soon as I finish my mourning, the Queen will try and marry me off to a lord of her choosing. She will whisper in my Uncle's ear, just like her father did. She'll try and convince him it's for my own good."

"I would sooner jump into Vermithor's mouth and let myself get eaten alive than let her control my life."

Harwin smirked. He knew she would do it. 

"There is only one course of action I can take." She said, turning to face him.

"And that is?"

"I need to find a husband, by myself."

Harwin's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her marriage. It would be a lie to say he hasn't fantasized about marrying Daena, or at least offering himself as a candidate for her hand. He never verbalized those dreams because he never thought himself worthy of her hand, let alone her love. 

"He will be one lucky man, whoever he is." He whispered, looking at a rose bush in the distance. 

"Yes, yes he will be." She said pointedly while looking at him. She grabbed his hand once she realized he wouldn't look at her. 

"...Princess?" Harwin uttered. He was overwhelmed by the feeling of her warm hands wrapped around his. 

"Harwin..." She called teasingly. A wide smile was on her face, a glitter of determination in her eyes. 

"You don't mean-"

"You, silly. I'm talking about you. Marry me, Harwin."

He felt like somebody punched him right in the gut, his lungs begging for air. His heart drummed wildly in his chest as he processed her words. Daena Targaryen, daughter of the Rogue Prince, rider of Vermithor, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, was asking him for his hand in marriage. 

"I'm not worthy of you." 

Daena did not expect those words to come out of his mouth. Why would he think that?

"Why would you say such a thing?" She asked more harshly than she wanted. 

He stayed silent. 

"If not you, then who? Who is worthy of my love if not you, my brave knight?" She inquired, her voice softer.

"I-"

"Do you not feel the same way? You...you don't love me?" She finally asked, cutting to the heart of the problem. Her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. This was the first time they had a conversation about what they were to each other. 

Harwin took note of the uncertainty in her voice and the fear in her eyes; fear that perhaps, she was wrong and he never truly loved her. He needed to put her mind at ease.

He got down on one knee and held her hands.

"There are no words in any language on this earth to describe how I feel about you, how much I adore you. You have...bewitched my heart, body, and soul. Even in my dreams, I could not escape you. Countless nights I have spent thinking about you, praying to every god imaginable, and thanking them that I get to spend my life serving you -  my darling Princess, the one who holds my heart.

If you told me right now to fall on my sword, I would. If you told me to throw myself off the Wall, I would. I would kill for you. I would die for you. I would follow you to the ends of the earth. If you banished me and told me to leave your side, I would if it meant you were happy. Gods, I- I never thought this day would come but, will you marry me and be my lawful wife?"

~

She couldn't believe her ears. Or her eyes. She was beyond herself, to say the least.

"Daena?"

Her mouth was dry and her tongue twisted. His words struck a chord in her heart and she felt like it would burst out of her chest from how loudly it was beating. Tears blurred her vision and she could feel his calloused hand wiping them off her face. 

"No tears, my love. This is a happy occasion, is it not?"

She only nodded, not trusting her voice. More tears ran down her face as realization of the situation set in her mind. Harwin loved her. He loved her. He asked her to be his wife. 

"Come here, beautiful." He said as he pulled her onto his lap. She placed her head on his shoulder, the cold metal of his armor helped calm her down. He brushed his fingers through her silver tresses. He could hear her sniffing and her body shook slightly as she held onto his body tightly. 

"Harwin?"

"Yes, Princess?" He asked, looking down at her. 

"I love you." She whispered, a little pout on her pink lips. 

"I love you too." He whispered back, kissing her softly. 

They sat in silence for a while, holding each other and taking in the scent of wild roses. Little birds chirped high above them and the wind whistled. They stayed there until the sun went down and the moon showed its silver face.

Taglist: @ateliefloresdaprimavera

[pinehutch]

Okay so my Thing about Dragon Age is this:

Ten years ago, I was in constant extreme pain as I worked my way towards a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. I had spent the previous year working 12-18 hour days most days, between an unsustainable volunteer job and my daytime career. Sometime that fall, I started noticing that my hands were locking into fists while I slept, and that the fatigue was never getting better, and that walking was really hard, more days than not.

I tried to work through it, that first awful year. I mostly did, too. I had weeks when I couldn't walk unassisted, and months where I was sick all the time because we were trying different meds. I called the rheumatologist in tears more than once, feeling hopeless and like a failure because I couldn't tolerate some of the easier drugs. And in between it all, I worked.

On the days that I couldn't work, and if my hands would let me, I played Dragon Age.

I'm stubborn, and I don't usually watch or read or play things that other people recommend until the time feels right. Spring 2014, I needed something that would be immersive enough that it could distract me from my body but that wouldn't require too much complex problem solving. I needed gaming, and some very trusted people had recommended Dragon Age to me before, so I started Origins in March and by July I had played through Origins and DA2 and all the DLC I could get. Inquisition came out that fall, and I was hooked.

(It also was one of the first ways that I learned to distinguish between healthy pain and warning sign pain: I learned to put the controller down before my hands would be so irritated I couldn't use them at all the next day.)

So there I was, having the worst year of my life (at that point), and I got to fill up my brain with lore and distractions and become a hobbyist expert in the historiography and folklore and religion and politics of something that was entirely made up. I could invest, mentally and emotionally, but I didn't have to fix anything real, including my own unfixable problem. I just had to learn, and to play.

Dragon Age brought me into video games for grown-ups, and it brought me back to fiction writing. The first short story I had written since high school was DA fic. I came back to writing poetry, the love of my life, a couple of years later.

My life doesn't look that different from the outside vs what it was 10 years ago. I'm working out whether or not I'm okay with that; making big changes in your life is hard when you're chronically ill and have adhd and you work a complicated job with a lot of responsibility, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try. I had expected that my general weariness would stretch over into a kind of Dragon Apathy - that there would be news and I'd say 'oh, nice,' and then go back to work and the other little agonies.

Instead, I'm delighted? Surprised? Fond? Something I loved and that I needed during a really difficult time is here, again, while I'm anticipating another sea change. The thing that brought me some happiness, some wonder, and some escape can do it still, maybe.

Anyway. I collect my favourite DA stuff at @free-smarcher. I always roll a rogue on my first playthrough. (In real life I'm a giant brain on a giant, clumsy body; my fantasy is being able to go undetected.) I love Varric Tethras because he's a highly-accomplished fuckup with too many responsibilities and because he's bad at his personal life.

When Veilguard comes out I will almost certainly, at least once, play it until my hands seize.

[vampzzz64]

Mob is most likely a blood player because of how important the people in his life are to him. He represses his emotions and psychic abilities because he is afraid of hurting Ritsu again and because Tsubomi became bored of him. No matter what he always thinks of others before himself, so much so that he literally will not fight back. Only when he is in his ??? does he become the aggressor. Even then he struggles against himself and begs those around him to hurt him so that he can stop hurting them. He is extremely trusting and caring. He sees the good in those around him and actively tries to release that goodness. During his fight with Teru he does not fight back and gives Teru advice. He tries to help Teru before he helps himself. He guides and he leads. He gives his abilities to Reigen briefly because of how much he respects, trusts, and believes in his master. He would do anything to protect the people he loves. Shigeo is selfless. He would sooner let himself bleed than anyone else.

Similarly to Roxy, a rogue, he harnesses his aspect and gives it to others. However, similarly to John, an heir, he has immense power that he gains through his aspect. Shigeo puts his all into remaining passive and in a sense “good”, and in extension into his aspect. Shigeo is a blood player that embodies his aspect.

Ritsu is a void player because of how often he is overlooked and perceives himself to be less than Shigeo. No matter how grand his own achievements are, they’re nothing compared to what Shigeo can do. He is constantly mistaken for his much stronger brother. He thinks he exists only as mob’s underwhelming little brother. Ritsu somewhat resents Shigeo for having psychic abilities when he doesn’t. He wants the one thing he can’t have more than anything in the world. He hates the emptiness that is his life. He tries to fill the void by studying, playing in sports, joining the student council, etc. He’s like a black hole in that way, mindlessly consuming but never able to be satisfied.

Similarly to Eridan, a prince, Ritsu aims to destroy his aspect with a deep hatred towards it. Once he unlocks his psychic powers, he immediately gets a massive ego. Being self centered is seen in princes. Both Dirk and Eridan think the entire world revolves around them, albeit in different ways. Ritsu is a destroyer class and Mob is a passive class. They couldn’t be further apart from one another. Throughout his arc, Ritsu realizes that he is no better than anyone else because of what he has. He learns to accept being “ordinary”. He moves from despising his aspect to learning to accept it. Initially a destroyer, he ends a “normal” boy. (I say “normal” because he’s literally an esper,,,). Ritsu is a void player that seeks to destroy his aspect.

[beaker1636]

Donors Wanted Part 2 - Chris Motionless

taglist: @ladyveronikawrites @yournecessaryevil @talialovesmiw @cookiesupplier @bloody-delusion-expert @dominuslunae @jilliemiw86 @thechickwiththecamera @tearfallpixie

AN: I know this one is slightly boring compared to the first but I am trying to establish a bit of context and background... I promise it will heat up eventually :)

“Well, what do you want to know?” I ask him, looking over at him as he sits on my bed next to me, keeping an eye on me.  We both lock eyes a couple times but I try not to let it show that this intimidates me, makes me feel a little anxious every time this happens. 

“I think right now it is more important that you ask me what you want to know about me, this process, whatever you want to know.  I want you to feel comfortable about this all, comfortable with me because we are going to be spending a decent chunk of time together,” Chris says.  His eyes watching me closely, why I am not too sure honestly.

“I mean yeah I have some questions.  Everyone kind of rushes me into this without much explanation, which I understand given how rough you looked but yeah.  I guess just how does this whole thing work honestly?” I ask, still laying back against my pillows, feeling exhausted but that is probably a given with him drinking my blood just a little bit ago.

“Do you mean like how we meet up or the whole thing?  For how we decide when we both just stay in communication and decide when works best for each of us once a week is usually the minimum but typically twice in a week span.  Typically it would be here just so after if you’re feeling weak you are somewhat comfortable but you normally would not feel this exhausted and drained, this time is only this bad because I had to take more than I typically would have because of how weak and sick I was.  I promise you that usually I can control myself better, I just couldn’t this time with how bad I was. As for the process, you select the location on the website and then it’ll match the person with someone in need, or it’ll add you to a holding list until someone needs help.  There are several other clans that work with us across the country that use the same website which is why we have the location question in the application process,” he answers honestly, his eyes still watching me as he speaks.

I feel slightly intimidated having him watching me like this, I am not even totally sure why it is bothering me so much but it is.  It is almost like I can feel the power he holds as the leader, if that makes any sense.  I nod slightly, thinking of another question.

“Why? Why go to all this trouble when you could easily just overpower someone every time you are hungry and be done with it? Does it cause you trouble with other vampires who don’t agree with what you do?” I ask, genuinely curious about all of this.  I quickly cover another yawn with my hand as I start to chew on another cracker.

“I must say I am not used to getting this many questions, it is refreshing.  Having someone who is interested in it all rather than just the donation process.  The reason why we do it is simple, we don’t want to hurt anyone, to kill anyone, unless it absolutely winds up necessary. We do it this way because we feel strongly about that, it still sucks that we have to hurt someone to feed but we at least aren’t killing anyone, and unlike popular belief after the whole Twilight thing we unfortunately can’t rely on animal blood.   And yes, there are other clans and rogues that disagree with what we do, but it has never been a problem of anyone coming after us or anything.” He answers, and while I probably shouldn’t believe him given what he is, part of me does.  Maybe it is just because of how tired I am or something but despite feeling like I shouldn’t trust him I somehow want to.

“That’s why you got so sick, because you could have gone and just drank from someone but you refused to because you didn’t want to hurt anyone…. That’s honestly commendable.  Stupid because you weren’t taking care of yourself but commendable,” I say softly.  Realizing what I just said and flushing slightly.  I probably shouldn’t have called a vampire who could easily off me stupid.

Chris just laughs, genuinely laughs at my words, making a small smile form on my own face.

“You know, not many people would dare call a clan leader stupid.  But you aren’t totally wrong, in some ways it probably is stupid of me to do, but I feel strongly about what we do, what I do.” I can still see the amused look on his face after he finishes speaking. 

“Sorry you’ll learn pretty quick. I don't have a filter and suck at thinking before I speak, so I will word vomit things like that by accident more than once,” I admit sheepishly, a little smile of my own on my face after hearing him laugh.

“It’s refreshing, someone that will tell me like it is.  Usually people try to sugarcoat what they think or say what they think I will want to hear because of what I am, because I am the leader of the clan.  Any other questions?” He asks, his whole demeanor different now, it almost feels like he has let his guard down a little bit and it’s nice.  Honestly, happiness looks good on him.

“I, I don’t think so.  Not as of now anyways but I’m sure I will have more in eventually.  You can ask about me too, you know,” I offer with a smile.  Slowly working my way through my crackers, knowing it is for the best even though I really do not want to eat them.

“Well, can I ask why? You don’t strike me as the usual type of people who sign up to do this?” He asks, I can tell he genuinely wants to know.

“Oh Sierra had to talk me into it, I was very skeptical about it at first and almost didn’t believe her at all that this was an actual thing.  I only agreed because when she said that this person genuinely would have died and I saw her actual concern on her face, and I, well I enjoy helping people so I said fine.  And then when they brought you and I was still unsure, seeing how much they all cared about you and seeing how much you genuinely needed it convinced me.  That’s why I do pediatric nursing, I like knowing I am helping children and families.” I say, shrugging like it's no big deal.

“I think that’s awesome, in a way we aren’t as much alike as what it shows are we?” He asks, giving me another smile while also moving to pull my blanket over me when he noticed I shivered.

“I guess not, we just do so in our own ways… hey Chris, can I ask you another question and you can say no if you don’t want to answer,” I ask, no longer feeling scared of him but rather, enjoying his presence and watching how he responds to me. There is something about him that keeps drawing me in, making me interested in knowing more about him, in seeing what makes him tick. When he nods I know that it is okay to ask, even if it's personal and I know he might not like my question and I am okay with that.

“Was there a specific moment that changed your mind and made you turn towards this type of system or were you always into this? You, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I am just curious about what makes you well, you,” I say, hoping he doesn’t take my question the wrong way.  I don’t want to make him uncomfortable or anything, I just want to know what makes him tick.

“There was something that happened, that kind of turned me towards this.  I, I don’t talk about it with anyone but it… I hurt someone I grew really close to and it changed a lot of how I viewed my lifestyle at the time.  It was many many years ago and led me to develop this system.  It was a lot harder back in the day to set up these donor relationships and everything but luckily the internet became a thing and really helped us out with this,” he answers.  I notice how he looks away while talking about all of this, I can tell that whatever it was that happened was a hard moment in his life for him and it makes me regret asking it.  Without thinking about it I reach over, my hand settling over one of his for a moment, wanting to comfort him. 

He looks down at our hands for a moment, I can’t tell if it is because he is wanting to move, if I made him uncomfortable, or if he enjoyed it but he never made a move to pull his hand out from underneath mine, so I took it as okay.  We both sit there quietly for a moment, neither of us making an effort to break the silence, neither of us caring about it as we sat there together.  Somehow it was like we both were kind of stuck, enjoying the touch and comfort of the moment.

“Why did you choose nursing specifically? Did you have one who impacted you a lot in a positive way as a child or did you just think it was the right thing for you?” Chris asks quietly, still looking down at our hands and no longer at me.

“There is a reason actually, my brother had multiple life saving surgeries as a child, I spent lots of time watching the nurses help save him and take care of him, and got to see things they did for other children to comfort them in the pediatric ICU while he was there.  As I got older I never forgot the care and compassion they had for him and other children so when it was time to decide what I wanted to do in college and everything it was just the natural choice.  I love children and I want to help them so it just fits.  And now I do that for work, working in the pediatric ICU and getting to comfort, take care of, and help children everyday and I love it.” I answered, a little embarrassed that I rambled slightly, but Chris didn’t seem to care, he was now watching me speak again.  If I didn’t know any better I would say there is almost a look of admiration on his face as I share my story.

We both sit there in silence again, the exhaustion really starting to hit me harder now. I try to fight it but I am struggling, but I also am enjoying this time with him, getting to know each other.  I don’t want to let it go but I know I will have too soon.

“Hey, don’t fight it.  Go to sleep, I’ll sit here with you until you fall asleep okay?” Chris says, moving to brush some hair from my face again with a soft smile.

I try to fight it but it becomes almost too much, I eventually fall asleep laying in my bed, my hand still covering his as we both sit there in the quiet.  I feel more peaceful falling asleep tonight than I have in a long time… and that honestly scares me a little bit.

[dominimoonbeam]

To The Edge - 8

This work is mine and I do not give consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted without my permission. I am sharing chapters as I work on this story but it is copyrighted material that I plan to rework and publish when completed.

story tags: scifi romance, hijinks in space, rogues learning to trust, violence, blood, guns, death, explicit language, so much kidnapping,

Works organized and easily found over on the patreon. <3

TO THE EDGE - CHAPTER 8.

Rory contemplated some of the worst hours of his life to reassure himself that being duct-taped to a chair in his own ship, unable to do anything but wait and see if his bounty came back alive or not, wouldn’t make a list of his top ten.

There was the first time he got in a fight with pirates and got his ass handed to him. He’d almost lost an arm.

There was that time when he was working salvage and got stuck outside a wreck of a ship in a malfunctioning suit. Hypoxia had set it and if someone on his team hadn’t gotten the hatch open and dragged him inside, he would have died. He’d never felt his heart beat that hard before.

And then there was the first time he went to space—the first time he left the planet where he’d been born. He hadn’t been able to see the stars, packed into the cargo haul of a rickety ship, shoulder to shoulder with a hundred other desperate souls. It had shaken so hard, the hull creaking and screaming as they broke atmosphere. He had never been more scared before or since. That was the worst hour. The one where he thought he’d die crammed into that dark room, so close to escape, without a single star in sight.

This was not the worst.

This was not even close.

But it definitely felt like the worst when he considered just how much trouble that strange, naïve primer could be getting into on Styx. Where were they even going? If they wanted to piss off their family by running away, why this way? Why not go to Eaton? Why not go any damn direction other than the edge? The Solar Court had given up on this stretch of space—had found their limit and abandoned settlements along the border, like skeletons to mark the beginning of no-man’s-land.

The ship door opened, his ears popping and his head whipping to the side to try to see the entrance hall. “Stardust?”

It could be anyone. His primer could be anywhere.

“Did you enjoy your time alone?” they called, sounding chipper.

Rory laughed. “I spent the last two hours contemplating my mortality and just how quickly life can go to shit…”

Nodding, the primer walked onto the bridge. “You’re being dramatic.”

He huffed a laugh but forgot what he was going to say when he saw them. “Oh, look at you. I wasn’t expecting this much leather. Okay, I’m willing to admit that you might look better in that outfit than you did in my clothes…” Because he definitely wasn’t ready to admit how much he’d liked seeing them in his clothes… Did they get their hair cut too? That side shave was clean.

Stardust smiled and even did a little turn for him to get a good look at those leather ankle boots and tight pants, the faded t-shirt and leather jacket.

“What size is that jacket?” And where had they found it? He’d been looking for something like that for years. “Wait…How did you buy all of that?”

They blinked at him like they didn’t understand the question.

Rory shook his head. “There’s no way you had time to barter my stuff for that… Did you get into my account somehow or…” He sagged into his bindings. “Oh, Stardust. Tell me you didn’t use your own accounts.”

The primer pressed their shoulders back and their chin up. “It’s not like it’s a family account,” they said. “I have my own.”

“Not the family account? You think they don’t have tabs on your private one?”

Stardust rolled their eyes and waved a hand at him dismissively. “It doesn’t matter.” They settled into the pilot’s seat—his seat—and tapped at his controls, bringing his ship to life.

Rory ground his teeth, tugging at the tape he knew wasn’t going to budge but couldn’t stop himself from trying. “You really didn’t put much thought into running away, did you? Just figured that since you were already this far away, might as well keep going? Or did you like being in cuffs?” He grinned cruelly, hoping to get a reaction out of them. “You know, if that’s the case, I can cuff you again.”

He saw their hand hesitate over the keys.

Rory leaned forward as far as he could. “In fact, I promise that I will,” he whispered.

Stardust whipped around in the chair to glare at him, but when they opened their mouth, the ship beeped.

Incoming call. L-Class Yacht.

He saw the way their eyes flared at that announcement and barked a laugh. “That’ll be one of your relations. At least they’ll be able to tell from your shopping spree that I wasn’t taking advantage… Although I am definitely going to try on that jacket when I get loose.”

“Shut up! You’re not going anywhere, Cosmic. You’re in that chair until I’m done with your boat.”

He jerked at his restraints again and bared teeth at the back of their head. “Oh, I’m getting loose. See, you don’t know this yet because you have no fucking idea what you’re doing, but no one stays kidnapped forever. I mean, just look at yourself! By all rights, you should still be in a pirate’s storage compartment, but here you are, getting comfy in my seat, touching my controls, flying my damn ship—”

Another beep. Incoming call. L-Class Yacht.

He leaned back into his seat. “Are you going to get that?”

Stardust angrily tapped a key. The ship beeped. Call declined.

Rory gaped. “Are you out of your mind?”

The primer huffed a laugh, fingers flying over the controls. “Are you scared they’ll be mad?”

“Scared? Yes. Yes, I am scared of what your nightmare family might do if they think I fucked up this job. Have you met your grandmother? I haven’t and would like to keep it that way. Why do you think even pirates won’t go into the prime quad?” He didn’t need to wait for their response. “Because your family is there and they’re too snobby to step foot past their territory lines. So, assholes like me bring damsels like you back!”

Stardust tsked and he wondered if they’d rolled their eyes at him too. “I think we can both agree I’m not a damsel… and if you’re right, then I’m free and clear.���

“No. No, that does not mean that if you stay out of the prime they won’t get to you.”

The ship beeped. Detached from dock. Resuming course.

Rory sighed. “You’re not listening.”

The ship jostled as it decoupled from the station, stars gliding past the window and engines humming. “Don’t worry so much,” Stardust said, another tap at the console and they were off—cutting a line through space. “You’re going to be fine.”

“If they think I double-crossed them, or just botched this job, they will put a bounty on my head and hire someone else to drag you back. There’s no getting out of this.” Was he really trying to reason with this spoiled brat again? “And didn’t you want to go home? You made me promise.”

They shook their head but stubbornly wouldn’t look back at him. “You said you’d take me home. I never said the prime was my home. But I’m not holding you to that promise, okay? So just, sit back, relax, and you’ll have your ship back soon enough.”

Rory watched their shape bathed in starlight from the window, like a shadow being tested. “Prime isn’t home? Since when?”

They didn’t move. They didn’t answer.

He scoffed. Fucking primers. “Fine. Fine!” He pulled at his restraints again. “But when I starve to death in my own ship, that’s on you, Stardust. You’ll be a murderer as well as a thief!”

They finally looked back at him, eyes shining. “Then I guess we’re the same.”

Rory laughed cruelly. “Fuck you. We’re not the same!” he snapped but they both smiled. They were not the same—not by a long shot. And Stardust wasn’t a killer. He wasn’t even convinced they were a good thief, though admitting that in his current state would be too embarrassing to bear. “Seriously… Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?”

They kicked the lock on the floor and spun the chair around to face him. They looked way too comfortable in his seat, leaning into the side and putting a boot up on the cushion. “It’s not that bad.”

“I can’t get kidnapped by my own kidnappee. This will wreck my reputation.”

Stardust shrugged, trying not to smile and failing.

“Oh, you don’t give a shit about that? I’m really starting to regret patching you up.”

The primer put their elbow on the armrest and their chin in their palm, watching him squirm.

“You are officially my least favorite kidnappee.”

Stardust grinned.

No primer should have a smile that crooked.

[nat-seal-well]

So I'm dying to ask nosy questions about Villain!Nat... Do you think she'd still be part of Unit Bravo and just biding her time til she can act out her plans? Or would she have been a rogue element the whole time? Would she and Ava have any kind of personal rivalry (sexy or otherwise) or just be obstacles in each other's paths? 👀

I’m sorry it took me so long to reply to this, haha, but I spent the entire last half of my shift thinking about it and realized it was gonna be too long just to write it all in a post, so I had to make a document and then copy/paste it over lol.

I don’t think she’d be part of UB (but can you imagine how much fun it would be if she was? Just waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and keeping up the façade…)

Villain!Nat would work better as more of a rogue, I think. I can see her being mostly on her own ever since her turning. Imagine: never being found by the Agency after the massacre on The Queen’s Sabre, never really being guided or taught by anyone other than the vampire who turned her, and then being set loose. 

It would all come down to that whole “nature vs. nurture” thing. A lot of who you are is shaped by the environment around you.

She’d never have had the support she received in the canon. There’d still be a lot of her personality that’s the same; she’d have a love for reading and collecting old books, she’d still be a little old-fashioned as time went on, etc. She’d just be more like the vampires in the traditional books, reclusive in some grand, old home out in the middle of nowhere. 

She’d also still be capable of love and affection and her usual overprotectiveness… she just wouldn’t be aware of it for a very, very long time. And in the moments where it’s staring her down, she’d hide it away and lock it up. 

Ava and Nat would have a rivalry (sexy, of course, because there isn’t much that’s hotter than the intimacy of being sworn enemies. The combat scenes would be gorgeous. Also, it would hurt to watch… which means it would be even more fun, haha :) )

Naturally, Ava would make it more difficult for Nat to ignore her emotions, lol. And she wouldn’t understand them a lot. She’d end up deciding that “hate” is the way she feels, because there isn’t any way it could be love. That’s impossible. Natalie Sewell doesn’t love people. Right? So loathing has to be what it is. 

I’m a sucker for anything poly so consider: throwing the Detective into the mix. It would be like a much, much darker take of the LT route, haha.

Maybe she hears some rumors about the vampire who’s going around killing humans who have a very special blood mutation, and she gets curious. She’s a collector, after all, and a human with blood like that would be priceless and a very good addition to her collection. We already know there’s someone leaking Agency info, so maybe she finds out that way? Probably not until after the events of book one.

So she follows after UB. Naturally, Ava has a suspicion they’re being watched, because she and Nat know each other better than they know themselves. Of course she catches on very, very quickly, but does her best to keep it under wraps. Easier to keep an eye on her that way. 

We also all know how good Nat is at lying and wearing masks. It’d be easy to convince the Detective she’s someone they can trust, especially after they've been thrown headfirst into the supernatural world without any real say in the matter. Nat would be drawing them in under the guise of stealing them away, only to discover–to her horror–that they intrigue her far more than they should. Only… this confuses her. Because the Detective makes her feel the same way Ava does, and there’s no way she can hate them. 

Que an emotional journey full of inner turmoil as Nat tries to come to terms with the fact that she’s capable of softer feelings, after all. And that she might not be so cold-hearted as she thinks. I imagine it would be very long and very painful, because she has three centuries of habits and beliefs (lies that someone hammered into her brain) to unlearn. She’d be fighting it every single step of the way, all while trying to keep it hidden. 

Villain!Nat would be more obsessive, just because I think it’d be a nice touch. Especially as she’s forced to face the truth: that she’s falling in love with her adversary of three hundred years, and a human, of all things. How terrifying. 

As much as I love angst and hurt, it would come to a happy ending. Eventually. Everyone loves a redemption arc, right? I don’t know how it would all come to a head. Maybe in the middle of a battle, maybe while facing down other rogues, and she realizes she might very well lose the two people who mean the most to her. 

Y’know how in ATLA, the gang kind of adopts Zuko? Imagine that, but with UB, haha.

Sorry, lol. This is probably way longer and way more detailed than you wanted, but I’m a sucker for any and all kinds of AUs and this was so much fun. Thank you, friend! You made the last four hours of my shift way more enjoyable, haha <3

[stormz369]

I’d be so fucking pissed at Bruce, what do you mean they would’ve gone out and done it no matter what? You can make plans to trap and defeat aliens and supervillains, but you can’t keep your 10 year old from fighting crime? You don’t protect them from the media, from their abusive teachers or friends, from the world around them as their father, and you don’t protect them from dying and abuse as Batman. Why is a city, a simple location worth the lives and suffering of children? When will you love your children more than you love the idea of something else? When will you actually take steps to stop the cycle of villains and abuse and death? Not to mention they ARE child soldiers. “Wah wah wah but they WANTED to fight!!!” do you seriously think that no child soldiers wanted to fight in battles previously? That they weren’t fed so much propaganda and stories glorifying fighting or came from situations where fighting felt like freedom? You summed it up so much better than I can with the “if the city needs the blood of children, does it deserve to be saved?” Line!!! It’s not even the batkids that Bruce is constantly willing to sacrifice for Gotham or to keep from breaking his stupid rule, it is all the street orphans who will be picked up by any of the rogues as collateral or stress relief or whatever. It’s all the kids used as a punchline for joker, or brought into Two-face/Penguin/Black-Mask’s gangs in order to afford to live, or in the wrong place wrong time from Ivy. All their blood, because batman doesn’t kill but he also doesn’t tell children that they should be protected because otherwise he’d have to acknowledge that he NEVER protected his kids the way he should’ve.

Sorry for constantly sending you rants or ideas for each of your chapters, I’m just really hooked. This was much more than what I was thought of in my previous ask and it’s delicious. I can’t wait for Steph or Dick to try and talk reader out of the self hatred and she’ll just go “I used the power I had over Jason to force him to do things he wasn’t comfortable with. He begged for no needles back in the alley, and I almost immediately went against that the second you all asked that of me. I knew his boundaries for physical touch beforehand and yet still let him touch me in ways I knew he would hate if he was in his present state of mind. He wasn’t ready for this reveal either, and I helped to basically force him into that situation. I made Damian upset, made him think I’m disappointed or didn’t trust him to take care of himself when really I’m just utterly terrified for him and I’m so pissed that all of you looked at a child who was raised to be a soldier and never gave him the permission or ability to be anything else because it fit what you all wanted. I don’t regret my anger towards Bruce, I only wish I was more coherent in it. But nothing you can say will make me stop hating myself for what happened with Jason, and I am fully prepared for neither him nor Damian to ever trust me or want to be around me again now that I’ve proven I’m not actually that safe of a person to be around.” Meanwhile, the two bonded boys are listening in (all of them are, but those two are hiding out of sight, wanting to be with you but scared you’ll hate them) and it just breaks their hearts to hear your assessment of last night and of yourself :((((

Please never apologize for sending these, they give me life! I love, love, LOVE getting to hear your thoughts, especially the rants!

Fun fact; the blood of children line was reworked from a rant I threw at my dad after watching the first season of Umbrella Academy! 😂 I hate Reginald Hargreaves so fricken much....

💯 all of this! Bruce/Batman does not protect anyone, least of all the people who NEED protection most! I don't care how much the children "yearn for the capes" or whatever; I yearned for things I shouldn't have had as a child all day every day!

[cherrrysue]

can i pls have fics that have arranged marriage plot?

sure, here you go x

Arranged Marriage

I wasn't sure you meant between them or one of them with the other people so I'm doing both

- between l/h:

Adore You by isthatyoularry

M, 66k

“We invited our new acquaintances from uptown. You’ve simply got to meet their oldest son!” said his mother with a flourish, and suddenly it became abundantly clear as to why his parents had so adamantly demanded he join them in Deansville for the entirety of the summer. Against his wishes, Harry spends the holidays at his family’s summer estate, and is reluctantly pulled into a courtship he didn’t ask for. Harry doesn’t want to get married, but Louis does. They don’t fit, but then again they really, really do. Vaguely set in the 1920’s. Headpieces, jazz, fashionable canes, and flapper dresses, and that.

Teenage Rebellion Never Worked Out So Well by panda_bear21

NR, 55k

Trust Me Tonight by 28sunflowers

“I’m an adult!” He glanced down at Harry, who seemed anything but at the moment, where he was definitely on the brink of a temper tantrum. “We’re both adults!” Jay glanced to Anne again, before breathing out a heavy sigh. “Yes, but you’re both adults that do not have jobs and who live off of our money… Which means, you have to do what we say… or you’ll have to find a new place to live.” “You wouldn’t do that.” Louis dared, hoping his glare was enough to guilt trip his mother into calling the whole thing off. Or to tell them that it had all just been a huge joke and they weren’t actually being forced into marrying a complete stranger. “Oh, but we would.” Or the super cliché arranged marriage fic where things escalate way too quickly.

E, 10k

After Harry’s eighteenth birthday, his father calls him into a meeting to say that he is to be married to Prince Louis of France in just over a week. Harry is excited, of course. The arrangement is better than any he could’ve hoped for, with such a young, handsome and kind husband. There is just one issue: Harry doesn’t know what happens on his nuptials, or how to get pregnant to give Louis the heir that he needs.

- l/h with other ppl:

Through Eerie Chaos by MediaWhore

G, 102k

For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead. The Ghost Hunter AU where Niall lives to prove ghosts are real, Zayn is a skeptical librarian and Harry gets caught up in a century-old mystery and catches feeling in the process.

Sail Across Me by iwillpaintasongforlou

E, 21k

Harry is a prince that is about to be forced into marriage against his will and running away to sea seems like a much better option. Louis is the captain of the infamous pirate ship The Rogue and he has a thing for helping defenseless creatures. Especially when they're as pretty as this one.

Ever Since I Tried Your Way by flowercrownfemme

E, 25k

Harry had been kissed before, but never like this. He’d shared sweet, curious kisses behind bleachers and in soda shop booths, one or two more daring ones in cars parked on dark suburban streets, but the girls he’d kissed had never filled him with the desperation that erupted from Louis’ touch. He parted his lips and pulled him closer, as though he could breathe Louis straight into his lungs, as if he could swallow him. He wanted to consume Louis the way he consumed the body and blood of Christ. He wanted to place Louis on his tongue and feel him dissolve into a frothy mess of starch and saliva. He wanted to gulp him down until his teeth were stained purple and he was drunk on him. He wanted him in some violent holy way that made his hands shake where they were twisted in Louis’ shirt. In 1949 Harry left his bride at the altar, running away from the only life he'd known. When a kindhearted farmer offers him a ride in his truck and a place to sleep the two find themselves inexplicably drawn together. Isolated on Louis' farm with nobody but a field of dairy cows to intrude, the men are finally able to explore the parts of themselves they've spent their lives hiding away.

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

E, 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.

Chasing Empty Spaces by Lis (domesticharry)

E, 79k

The year is 1934 and Harry Styles was to inherent the largest tobacco firm in the south. His parents have picked out the “perfect” girl for him to marry and he has the privilege of receiving the highest education possible. The problem was, Harry hadn’t realized he didn’t actually want any part of that future until he met a mechanic named, Louis Tomlinson.

[maybeijustwanttobeme]

Extra I : At the Sound of their Roar

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Lannister!Female!Reader

Warning: none.

An extra of the series. I had an accident and I deleted chapters 2 & 3, this wasn´t part of those chapters at the end, but I kinda like it. I hope chapter 2 can be uploaded this week.

Notes: English is not my first language.

Masterlist

-This is insulting and unacceptable! Rhaenyra can not do this! We owe an apology. - Johanna roared. -What do you want me to do? Go with Rhaenyra? - Jason had his right arm in the back of Y/N's chair. He had a calm tone, but his green eyes were full of danger. -We cannot demand an apology.- Tyland intervened. -You have no right to speak! We trust you to take care of our daughter! -Johanna!- Jason interrupted her.

Y/N saw the lions roar. She feared lions more than dragons.

-They broke her little nose without consequences. Where was the King or the Queen? -Focused on their son. Prince Aemond lost an eye, and the sons of Rhaynera were publicly accused of being bastards. -They’re bastards! The sooner Rhaenyra accepts the truth, the sooner she can make better decisions.- that made the little lioness curious. -How? - Y/N asked her mother. -Never mind, go to your room. I’ll see you later. - Jason approached his daughter to kiss her on the forehead, and she came out.

She hoped her Uncle Tyland wouldn’t say anything about her encounter with the Rogue Prince.

Along the way, she met his two older brothers: Loreon and Tymond.

-You really fight the Targaryen kids? - Loreon was impressed by her little sister. -To be honest, not really.- she chuckled.- I was beaten and just called the guards. I was a coward. I had to have fought. -The Targaryens believe they are Gods, and I think this crisis can make them more humble.- Loreon scoffed. -Are we going to have a bastard as King?- asked Tymond. -Not on our watch.- the lioness stated. The two brothers smiled. -Did he really lose his eye? - Tymond asked. The Lannister brothers knew very little of the princes, but they knew their little sister liked to be with Prince Aemond. -Yes, but he claimed Vhagar. -A dragon for an eye. It doesn’t sound fair. - Loreon added. -I want revenge. I want the Strong bastards and the Targaryens girls destroyed. -They will hear us roar. - Tymond stated. The second son was looking for battles in which he could prove himself in the future. Only an 11-year-old could wait for battles. -You have to remember that the lions ruled before the dragons conquered.- The lioness felt safe knowing two future golden lions behind her. -They won’t have to worry about the lions, they’d worry about the lioness. - the Lannister brothers knew they had a lioness with them capable of taming dragons.

The cubs came out to play; they were still children. Children playing adults.

-Y/N, we need to talk. - Jason interrupted his cubs playing.- Keep playing for a while; your sister will be back soon. -Can we go riding? - Tymond asked, and his two siblings were excited about the possibility of riding with their father. -We’ll see.

The cub's chambers were larger than the one she had at Red Keep. Jason sat with her on her bed to make her more comfortable, hoping that comfort would encourage her to tell the whole truth.

-You have nothing to worry about. -I need a sapphire.- that wasn’t the answer Jason was expecting. -If you want a sapphire, tomorrow we can… -I don’t want one. I need one.- she interrupted. -Why do you need a sapphire? - her daughter rarely demanded things that way. She knew the world could be hers. -Because I owe an eye.- she confessed. -My little cub, you didn’t take that eye. -If I had fought; if I hadn’t gone for the guards.- the cub regretted that decision. -You couldn’t fight with four children, and we don’t understand why Rhaenyra’s son had a blade. What need does a child have to be armed? - -I hadn’t thought that. Even Aegon does not have a blade on him yet. You’re right. Why do they have blades? -That’s Rhaenyra’s responsibility, not yours. You did the right thing by calling the guards. -I had to take them with me from the beginning. I didn’t think fast, and I have to think better than the rest. -Why do you have to think faster and better than the rest? Do you have something else to tell me? - Jason knew his daughter was hiding something from him. His brother knew, but he did not want to break the trust between the two. -No.- she lied. -Y/N Lannister. -I need the sapphire. -I want the whole truth. Let’s make a deal. Remember that sapphire I have in store. -The one grandfather gave you? -Yeah, the one with the violet dyes. -If you tell me every detail of what happened, I’ll give you that sapphire. - Jason saw his daughter think. -Why would you give it to me? -Because I love you, and I want to know what you’re hiding from me and why you’re hiding it from me.- the great lion -I did something stupid and dangerous. I don’t regret it, but it was irresponsible.- the fear that the lioness had not felt at the time began to feel. She pounced on his father’s arms seeking the shelter she had needed a few days ago. - I insulted the bastards, and Daemon Targaryen wanted my tongue, and I offered it to him.- Jason Lannister had never felt oppression so strong in the chest. He was perplexed his little lioness had roared for the first time and was nothing less than a dragon. -I need you to tell me everything in detail. - the cub sighed and began her story.

Y/N Lannister is a true golden lioness, his father thought after hearing his entire tale.

An extra of the series. I had an accident and I deleted chapters 2 & 3, this wasn´t part of those chapters but I kinda like it. I hope chapter 2 can be uploaded this week.

[noblehcart]

💦 “Name one particular thing that turns you on?”  - Circe @ Stefan 

It's sinday! 💦 | Send my muse the dirtiest questions you can! @myhiraeth

"You." A slight laugh escapes as he shakes his head then looks back to her. "You, Circe London, turn me on. You make me crave you in every inch and measure that makes you who you are. You've managed to decimate my walls and defenses and I can't quite figure out how. You haunt me and I crave you."

Broad figure leans in closer to her as he continues trying to find the words to frame every haunting desire, every dark thought and consuming sinful fantasy that curls at his thoughts when they've said goodbye. How he imagined pressing her against her kitchen cabinets as they divested of clothes and those perfectly manicured nails of hers dragging across his skin. How his own hands grasped at her waist hoisting her up into his arms as lips crashed against hers while still pressed against the cabinets. A blithe comment about how lovely she looked flushed against the hardwood before pressing in again for another deep kiss. And another as he ached for her weight against him completely. He imagined the sound of their progression from the kitchen to her bedroom and how the night air crept in to join them through the open window mingling with the sounds of her voice. He imagined how those perfect lips of hers might say his name over and over again as she pleaded and he acquiesced to her every desire just to hear her say it again.

And again, and again.

How the taste of her might linger on his lips as he savored every moment she gave him because he knew to be grateful that she chose him for this. Chose him to sit between trembling thighs as he kissed his way up from core to navel to those lips that said his name like a prayer. He imagined her warmth and soft frame against his as they laid bare their scars and stories and traumas and allowed that space, that bed and the air between them be witnesses to that vulnerability.

That moment of trust where nothing and everything was said.

He imagined them spent and curled together as his arm wrapped around her waist keeping her close against him as her soft breaths reminded him that this was their life now. That she was real and that life wasn't as dark as it could be when someone- when she was by his side. He imagined every morning waking to her and quietly murmuring against her hair 'mine, mine' selfishly- obsessively, but didn't dare voice the idea of marriage or belonging. She belonged utterly unto herself and he wouldn't be the one to bind her if she wanted freedom. She had lived a life in fear and bondage to her father and he refused to do the same.

So he craved and burned quietly trying to respect the walls of civility and chivalry so he didn't act the rogue impulsively hissing and grasping like a child for a pretty object. She was no object. She wasn't fully his...yet. Because he'd never forgive himself for not trying to win her over. She deserved the gentleman. She deserved the world and she deserved better than a man who devour and tear into anything that looked at her. She deserved to know that he cared- that he wanted her and that she did unspeakable things to him when those dark eyes met his and the dark creature in him purred happily at seeing its equal.

So he looked at her with a faint hint of a smirk as blue eyes swept over her. "You do something to me every time I see you. Something that no one has ever done to me before. You make me crave you in every way a man can crave a woman. Especially one like yourself."

[casspurrjoybell-27]

In a Heartbeat - Chapter 24 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

Vince

I had skipped the subsequent doses since my time in the basement.

Although everything felt out of whack, it was safe to say that I could shift.

I had practiced three times since then, all of which Xavier stayed to watch in case anything happened.

He had also taken it upon himself to keep the pills on him so I didn't feel the need to take it.

As much as I wanted to down some pills, I knew everything could go back to normal as soon I finished dealing with Michael later on today.

The shifts were still painful but I had slowly gotten accustomed to it and my wolf was probably enjoying this way more than I had.

I could tell Xavier wasn't enjoying it but I could care less.

He needed to see that this needed to be done in order for me to stop Michael.

"We have an hour," Xavier said as we headed to the RCPP.

"The Betas will stay at the pack boundary line. I'll have Dwaine and Lucas with us."

I hummed as we entered the building, a few of the staff greeting us.

Some got us refreshments as we headed to the small conference room.

As they stood there expectantly, I frowned.

"Can you give us some privacy?"

They hurriedly ran off, leaving us the pitcher of water.

Xavier grabbed some water before turning to me.

"You think you'll be alright if it comes down to a fight?"

"Is that concern?"

I nearly laughed.

"You didn't look happy that I had shifted."

"As much as you annoy me, I don't trust Michael if he becomes the Alpha. He's too unpredictable."

"That won't happen," I told him.

"Over my dead body will he become Alpha."

I couldn't help but notice how eerily quiet the forest was as we approached the clearing.

Even the bird calls and chirps of smaller animals had all but vanished.

Xavier and the others followed close behind as we finally got a glimpse of Michael in his human form.

With that signature smug look, he almost appeared bored standing there with his arms crossed.

I was expecting his whole posse to show up, or at least a couple of loyal rogues he snagged along the way but it was just him.

A part of me half-expected Simon to be there as well, like some kind-of hostage situation.

For some reason, seeing him all alone gave me a strange feeling in my chest.

I blamed it on the lack of meds but a part of me still wondered.

"Where is he?" I demanded.

Michael's brow rose, as if in curiosity.

He scoffed.

"You think he'd wanna be here? To witness me kick your ass?"

"Where is he?"

"I didn't promise you to bring him here. You think I keep tabs on him? That's your job, not mine."

He rolled his eyes.

"Besides, you think he'd be dumb enough to show his face around here? You're truly dumber than I thought."

"I haven't seen Simon in months," he explained.

"But that doesn't mean I could kill him if you hadn't shown."

I snarled, wanting to punch him square in the jaw but Xavier held me back.

Unamused, Michael spoke..

"You haven't changed, Vince. Father's rage still flows within you. Never thinking, just doing. No wonder history is repeating. You must be making him real proud, aren't you?"

The sarcasm that dripped in his tone made me want to break his neck.

Without Xavier, Dwaine or Lucas here I probably would have too.

"What do you want?" I growled.

He sniggered.

"You know, I thought a lot about things. I could make things real simple. Kill Simon, kill your precious pack mates. Maybe even kill Sarah the same way you killed David. An eye for an eye kind of thing, you know? But what better way to get my revenge than take what you love. You don't love Simon, you could care less about your packmates, I don't think you even really love Sarah either. But since you act and think so much like father, there's one thing I know the both of you love more than anything."

Every second, the urge to attack him grew exponentially but nevertheless, I held my tongue.

I already knew where he was going with this.

"You two love power. Crave it and I know you don't want to give that up, which is exactly why I brought you here. Granted, I didn't expect you to bring a whole crew but even I know that you respect tradition. After all, it's not the first time our family has fought for the Alpha role before," he glanced at Dwaine, who clenched his jaw.

It was a sore spot for him, considering our fathers, brothers had fought for the Alpha role a long time ago.

"You won't win," I spat.

"We'll see about that. Shift," he commanded with a smirk.

He crossed his arms, waiting for me to follow.

Reluctantly, I grit my teeth before shifting just as I had done this morning.

It was still painful but a hundred times better than the first time.

"I'm impressed," he scoffed.

"I figured your wolf would've died by now, given all those drugs."

"Shut up," I said.

He huffed before shifting as well.

Xavier, Lucas, and Dwaine stepped off to the side, watching with bated breaths as Michael stood tall in his wolf form.

His wolf looked jarringly similar to our fathers, pitch black with piercing gold eyes.

The only difference was the white splotch on one of his back legs, the same splotch mother had.

In the back of my mind there was a slight fear that maybe I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was.

After all, Xavier was right to say that he was unpredictable, a real mystery.

We didn't know what kind of tricks he had up his sleeve.

But I wasn't going down without a fight.

But it appeared Michael was relaxed, almost mockingly too calm about the situation.

His tail resting in a relaxed state with his ears up and relaxed as well.

It was the same attitude he carried in my dream, I could just picture that stupid smirk on his face.

I growled, lowering my upper body, my tail in an alert position.

He didn't seem to care as I approached him slowly.

'If you wanna fight, then let's fight,' I snarled.

[casspurrjoybell-30]

Bonding with the Enemy - Chapter 13

*Warning Adult Content*

Let's Work Together

Darren was not prepared for that revelation.

If the hunter had been killed by a werewolf and the humans from Red Point found out, it could spell disaster.

Particularly because the police there only agreed to keep the werewolf pack a secret so long as they were never harmed.

"Are they sure?" Darren asked stupidly.   

"There's no doubt. It was werewolf fur that they found on the body, plus the injuries were pretty telling."   

Darren took a step back and ran a hand through is hair.

"So what does this mean for the pack?"   

Jasper sighed.

"We don't know. For now, the humans think he died in a hunting accident, which gives us time to find the real killer. Once we do, we'll at least be able to try and settle things as soon as they escalate."   

The two fell silent as they mulled over their situation.

Sophie was sitting at a picnic table near the playground, watching them but unable to hear.

'If she found out about this...'   

"You saw the hunter's ghost that night, didn't you?" Jasper suddenly asked.   

"Yeah. He showed me where his body was. I thought I told you that?"   

"Not exactly. You mentioned you could see the dead but you didn't specifically say it was the hunters ghost that told you were to find the body. Did... could he say anything to you?"   

That was a weird question.

"No. He was silent. All he did was point the way." 

"Is it normal for a ghost to retain disabilities?"   

"What do you mean?" Darren wondered, a bit perplexed.

"Are you saying he couldn't talk when he was alive?"   

"He was deaf according to his autopsy. His name was Alfred White. He was a human from a few towns over who just renewed his hunting license this year. We think he may have gotten lost in the woods when the attack happened. Then there's the pheromones that were used to hide his scent."   

The rogue nodded as the man gave him more info on the victim.

It made sense.

The hunter hadn't even tried to speak to Darren.

As a matter of fact, the ghost didn't react to anything he said unless he was facing Darren directly.

Perhaps the man could read lips?

"Do you think he can tell us who did it?" the Alpha pushed.   

The determination in Jasper's eyes made Darren think that this was really what the man had sought him out for.

"No," the rogue replied.

"He passed on as soon as we found his body." 

"Really? Wouldn't he want to stick around until he got justice for his murder?"

"Not quite. Since all he wanted was to have his body found, he probably didn't know he was murdered," Darren started pacing as his mind worked through the details.

" Which meant he was probably attacked from behind. So that means the killing was unplanned. Plus he was from a whole other town, so he had nothing to do with the pack. Maybe he found something?" Darren stopped.

"How old was the body?"   

"A couple of weeks," Jasper replied as he listened to the rogue talk.    Darren huffed in response.

"So there won't be any tracks left to find. I'm betting he stumbled on something the murderer didn't want found but the guy didn't know it, otherwise his spirit would have stuck around like you said. If we can figure out his hunting path, then maybe we can find what he found. I'm betting it may have something to do with the missing kids."   

The Alpha tilted his head.

"That's a good idea actually. We can ask the people of Red Point if they saw him in town and where he entered the woods from. It's a long shot but it's better than what we had before. Are you sure you're just a construction worker? You seem pretty good at this."

"This isn't my first rodeo you know," Darren replied bitterly.

He'd seen more dead bodies in his lifetime than he was willing to admit after all.

The Alpha scratched the back of his neck, then took a step towards Darren.

"The pack isn't going to trust a rogue. Even with your aunt around, you'll need my help to get people to cooperate."

"I'm aiming on speaking with the dead, not the living, thanks," Darren explained sarcastically.

"But even the dead were part of this pack. Do all ghosts open up to you just because you can see them? I'd imagine a pack member's ghost would still be cautious of a rogue," Jasper pointed out.

Opening his mouth, the rogue was ready to argue but he shut it when he realized the man had a point.

He'd been struggling just to find a spirit, so maybe they were deliberately hiding from him since he was no longer part of the pack?

He knew there seemed to be more when he was younger but a lot has changed since then.

Even with Sophie around, a normal pack member would question his presence without an Alpha to back him up.

Hating that the man was right, Darren grunted in frustration.

Then an idea began to form and he looked back towards Jasper.   

"Alright, tell you what," Darren began.

"I'll work with you on this but in return you need to promise me that neither you nor Liam will try and make me stay in this town, once this is all said and done."   

Jasper did not seem to like that offer, which meant that he and Liam had already considered doing exactly that.       

Instead of pointing that out, Darren quirked an eyebrow at him.

Eventually the Alpha sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

"Good. And uh... what about Sophie?"

He realized she had been left out of a lot of the investigation despite being the one who called Darren back.   

"She can't be involved," Jasper immediately stated.

"We need to keep the group as small as possible until we get more clues about who might be responsible. And with a confirmed werewolf attack, that rule is going to be enforced tenfold."   

Darren glanced back at his aunt as she sat on her cell-phone unaware she was being talked about.

He felt bad leaving  her out, especially considering how desperate she was to help.

Then again, why was she so desperate to help?

She didn't have any kids.

Maybe it was just her pack mentality kicking in?   

"Okay, I get it. Let me break it to her though?" Darren offered.

When Jasper agreed, he strolled over to where his aunt was sitting and explained the situation.   

He made sure to leave out the murdered hunter and only mentioned that the Alphas were willing to accept his help now that they had his background check.

She seemed more understanding than when Liam told her she couldn't be included.   

"I was angry because I thought the Alphas weren't doing anything but if you're helping then I at least know something's being done."

She smiled.

"I'm still going to do my own investigating on the side though."

"I don't doubt it," Darren grinned, having expected as much.

Once the three came to an understanding, Darren had to head back to Sophie's house and once more pack up his things.

It was kind of ridiculous how many times he'd done this since arriving, so he figured he'll just keep his things in his bags from now on.   

Standing by the Nissan, Darren couldn't help but hesitate before getting in.

The Alpha's scent was sure to affect him, so he had to think of a way to keep his heat in check while around the man.

Avoiding him entirely would have been preferred but things were getting serious around town.

Between the missing kids and the dead man, Darren knew something worse could happen if he didn't suck it up and do whatever he could to help.   

Unfortunately that included having Jasper be his personal escort again because despite the background check clearing him, he was still a rogue and rogues were not allowed to wander unattended in pack territory.   

On the bright side, by agreeing to all of this, Darren no longer had to worry about being forced to stay once they figured out where there the kids were... hopefully.

'But why'd it have to be kids?'

If it were adults going missing then Darren would have been more willing to leave it to the authorities.

'Wait. No.'

He wouldn't because that would have meant his aunt was a potential target as well. 

Snorting at his own conscience, he sat in the passenger seat and braced himself. 

As expected, Jasper's scent was everywhere and much stronger than what was on his clothes last night.

Praying that his body didn't react, Darren started chanting in his head.

'It's for the kids. It's for the kids. It's for the kids.'   

He then noticed that the man hadn't pulled out of the driveway yet, so he chanced a look at Jasper to find the guy was staring at him.

"What?"

"Are you wearing some sort of cologne?"   

"No?" Darren sniffed his shirt to see what he was talking about. 

Jasper looked confused as he started the car.

"Weird, you smell kind of nice."   

"Okay, first of all, please never say anything like that again," Darren immediately ordered.

The Alpha grinned.

"Yes'sir." 

'Was that sarcasm?'   

For the millionth time that day Darren wondered if he could put up with this guy.

Then another thought occurred to him.

"Am I going to be allowed to sleep on the couch now? Or are you still planning on making me sleep on the floor?"   

"You can sleep in my bed. It's big enough," the Alpha replied nonchalantly, sending Darren's mind into a spiral.   

"I'd rather sleep on the couch," he stated flatly.   

"I told you things are getting stricter. I can't leave you unattended Darren," Jasper countered.

"Wherever you want to sleep is fine but you have to share a room with someone."

Then he glanced back at the house in thought.

"Your aunt wasn't leaving you alone at night, was she?"   

Darren realized if he admitted to sleeping in the guest room, he'd be getting Sophie in trouble.

Technically she was supposed to have kept Darren in her sight at all times and she was already in hot water for letting him sneak away the other night.   

"Nope. You know what? The floor is fine," he quickly replied.

Nervously he ran a finger along the edge of the collar, hoping it would block the worst of what he knew was coming.

[savingthrcw]

Obviously pretending to dislike his superiors could be a tactic, but if he had enough misbehaviors under his belt to be on the radar of other CIA agents it lessened the chances that he'd be a double-agent. Nobody would entrust him with important information or missions, nobody would give him a promotion.

Maybe that was why Graham had given the okay to this mission.

Scott, Lee, Bradford. At least she had already gotten some names out of it. But she kept her eyes on him, trying to understand what his deal was. And while she should have been relieved that he wouldn't reject his assignment, which was a career-killer in itself, she couldn't bring herself to show it in any way, because now they had to pretend to be a couple while actively wanting to punch the lights out of each other.

"You think you can say all that and then move right past it, go back to 'of course I'll do the mission, let's move on'? No, this is my turn to air grievances. So, in your little heroic 'let's hold hands and talk about our missions' world, I'm heartless and the robotic ice queen because, much like literally everybody else at CIA including the people you dislike, I follow orders unquestioningly, while you have the moral superiority of questioning everything, not being sent to do classified work because of it, nor risking torture or having your partners being murdered right next to you for those secrets, and continuing to live in your little bubble where you and only you put people's lives first and we are all mean and uncaring. And it didn't occur to you that my Ice Queen attitude has allowed me to stay level-headed and never fail a mission, which means saving lives we'd have lost if I didn't have directives to follow." Which was exactly why director Graham had been so relieved a couple of weeks ago, when she had decided not to leave the CIA despite having a burned handler - couple of days before finding out Bryce was an entirely separate case of traitor. Not many could say the same about their track record, in both senses. "Because I didn't question the orders, given by people who knew the bigger picture better than I did, who had expertise I missed, I was able to save everyone I set out to save. And more. Sometimes they trust my gut, and I got to that point by not questioning theirs, and more civilians live for it. It's almost as if we are spies, Tallmadge! Spies who don't need to know everything because this isn't your little company in the basement of your parents' house, it's all over the world, thousands of us, strangers, and the more in the dark we all are, the less there is a chance of intel being taken! Even with all the secrecy, we still have rogue spies who were trusted with secrets and gave them away, but please, do tell me how it's my attitude that loses us innocents! Tell me how many of your work partners you had to shoot before, or report, to protect others, or how many times you've been waterboarded for information, then we can discuss why the CIA doesn't give all intel to their agents unless it's needed. Had I been in the US a week ago, I would have shot Bryce myself because it needed to be done. Like you said, you don't know me, I don't know what's your real problem with Scott here, what he did, but I'm not him, so back off!"

She had advanced enough to be closer to him too, and her smile was threatening at the thought of them kissing, "Yes, funny how I tried my best to make my partner feel comfortable with a mission he had issues with, because he led me to believe he needed to practice. I'm clearly the cold son of a bitch here." She wasn't making the same mistake again, comfortable or not with anything they had to do, it was going to be his problem.

A small pause there, hands twitching against her sides where she had placed them. "You do know we will still have to kiss and cuddle for our mission. Can you do that? Will you need me to whisper sweet nothings and light candles first?"

"My superiors?" Ben echoed, scoffing. "Agent Scott can't wait to be rid of me. The man's an arsehole, and to be frank, runs the whole operation with a coldness that isn't merited. We can still do our job well without it being at the expense of innocent people." Eyes darkening, the corner of his mouth curled. "Director Washington is the best we have, but Scott, Lee and Bradford are more self-serving types who're interested in promotions. I'd rather not ask them, because I sincerely doubt they've bothered sniffing around in your department. So long as it doesn't affect them, they can't be bothered."

An unmistakable bitterness boiled beneath the surface, and folding his arms, Ben exhaled through his nose.

"You know exactly what's expected of you, it's all in the dossier."

"But I don't know," he insisted. "I only know what you're telling me, and I just can't fathom how...!" Trailing off, he rolled his lips inward, cutting off his frustrated diatribe. The longer this charade went on, the more in the dark he felt about their so-called mission, and wiping a hand over his mouth, he tried to ignore the warmth in his cheeks once Sarah reminded him of what was required.

"I'm not refusing the assignment," he coolly said. "As unsure as I am about all of this, I won't let lives dangle in the balance just because of my stubborn pride and suspicions -- that much I can promise."

Sarah seemed exasperated. "It's just an assignment."

"To you, maybe," Ben said with a scoff. "I know you have this whole 'ice queen' thing going on, but to me, our assignments involve real, living people who have real, living problems, and I can't think of it so flippantly. When I'm given a task, I make damn sure it's completed and in the best, most efficient way possible."

Limbs jittery and heart racing, Ben approached Sarah and curled his hands at his sides. "Are you still going to kiss me as practice, or is our first fight as a 'couple' sufficient enough?" Despite the sneer in his tone, there was a faint pink curling beneath his collar as they locked eyes.