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blueberrypancakesworld · 5 months ago

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The fathers of Rome

Marcus/Geta/Caracalla x wife!reader

warning : fluff, comfort, crying, kissing a bit emotional, birth, family issues, written before the movie came out characters may be different

Summary : Two Emperors and the general of the army all had important duties and responsibilities but by the grace of the gods and with devotion of love the three most influential men find themselves with the news of a pregnant wife. Each of them has a slightly different approach to taking care of his pregnant wife and the birth, because a birth could always go wrong and the gods were rarely merciful.

info : I wanted to write something sweet for the three of them and I know that they could be good fathers (if you romanticize a little bit) now have fun reading and have a nice day.

masterlist

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Marcus Acacius

It was thought that the battlefield was his home and the sword was his wife but few knew that in a vast field of olive trees and wheat fields stood a large villa in which a woman lived with a small household and prayed between her altars to the gods that her beloved husband would return home safely.

A story of a leader of the army of Rome and his wife a former oracle who met him, foretold him his future yet his eyes, his voice and his being would not depart from her own prophecies.

An initial love of safety in times of peace, she appreciated his protective nature in a world that belonged almost entirely to Rome, danger still lurked everywhere. He, in turn, was captured by her grace and care, this devotion to those in need or to himself when she waited on him to heal his wounds and the two felt safe and complete together.

A husband who rushed home on horseback so fast he rode to her from the support posts when the emperors called him back the sleep was won she saw the shadow on the horizon from the balcony and even mounted her horse to meet him, ,,My heart" he embraced her each time still seeing the dirt and emaciation on him after being away for months sometimes years.

His hands closed around her, an embrace, a heartfelt kiss, tears in her eyes when she finally saw him again before they rode back to the villa together, she helped him bathe and wash her before he pulled her into the water himself, not wanting to leave her side and unable to do so for too long, he had missed her, not only her lovely eyes, her voice that he loved to listen to, her hair that he ran through and her hands that he clasped every time he wanted to be close to her but couldn't in public.

But with such intimacy comes love and with love comes desire, desire for each other, desire for each other's bodies and this desire was pursued many nights and on some bright days they were also close until he had to leave again, for the next raid not knowing that only two months after he was gone he received a letter with scrawled writing full of excitement.

A letter that moved him to tears when he read it for the first time, ,,I'm going…to be a father" he mumbled to himself in his tent above and above he realized that love for each other would grow into a life, a little baby that would look like both of them and a big smile stayed on his lips as he hurriedly wrote back to her expressing his joy and his heart, how excited he was himself, how proud he was of her and how much he loved her and praying to the gods that the battle would be won quickly.

The letters changed from weekly to daily as her pregnancy progressed and he received drawings of what she looked like, along with dried flowers she was growing that were made into tea and tinctures to help her body.

The couple were happy with words, kisses seemed to spread across the infinity and she was sent a piece of clothing by Marcus and remembered that he would return to her and their child.

Everything went well until he received the letter that she would go into labor in the next few days, the war took longer than expected, but it was the first and only time he gave his sergeant the lead and started the journey back on his own responsibility, which would take several days, but he had to go to her the fear and worry that something could go wrong that he would lose her or that the child was not healthy.

Fear and worry clutched at his heart as he drove his horse faster and faster as fast as he could back home where he burst through the front door and heard the screams of pain that scared him to death calling her name, he hurried up the stairs to the shared bedroom where he found her crouching by the bed, apparently lying down would lead to complications.

,,Love I'm-I'm here everything will be fine" he murmured hastily pressing kisses on her hand which she immediately grasped painfully and screamed again as she tried to get their child out of her, he could still see the love for him in her tear-stained eyes on her sweat-smeared body they were both covered in blood from the death of the battlefield and the birth of new life as she continued to push and the midwife helped her too.

She screamed out his name her pain and Marcus became more and more afraid of losing her with every pain she had as she continued to hold her giving her courage and hope when his own hands trembled as he heard the ,,I can see the head my lady keep pushing" from the midwife who did everything she could to make the birth as easy as possible.

,,You can do it my heart I'm here push again" he whispered to her as she looked at him in pain he saw the fear and yet the deniability that he was with her before she let out one last scream and he heard a bright scream next to blood splattering on the floor, a bright scream that echoed and seemed never to stop.

,,Congratulations, a healthy baby boy!" the older woman announced, dabbing the newborn baby lightly before wrapping him in linen so he could be held better, while Marcus helped his wife back onto the bed, covering her lightly and giving her a long kiss, ,,I am so very proud my darling," he whispered placing a kiss on her head, before taking his son in his arms, those light, dark hairs on the delicate head belonging to him but the pretty eyes were hers.

His eyes filled with tears of pride and reassurance as he stroked his son and gave her the little bundle she clutched, ,,A piece of love from both of us," she uttered, crying with happiness as she looked into her son's curious face and he chuckled at her as the two parents spent the next few hours together on the bed with pure happiness as the little baby went from laughing with gurgling laughter, to crying and finally falling asleep exhausted in the equally exhausted arms of his parents.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emperor Geta

The younger but stronger emperor of Rome, the warrior and leader who did not subordinate himself and enjoyed the Coloseum. A young man whose golden lure was not the only thing that seemed to be gold, he bought and made whatever he wanted, be it new armor, a sword, an army or even slaves that he could kill or do anything else with.

But in his life, his only blood besides his older brother Caracalla, there was only one marriage predestined by his father that he should marry her.

Pretty, coming from wealth and power but not a woman he had chosen, it was like fate, his father had decided like a god on the life of his son but it had been like that for some time now and as much as the couple was celebrated in public, the false smiles and hand-holding of the inner circle was seen through, they were both torn.

As much as they tried to understand each other and she appreciated his gift of attention to Rome, as much as he thought she was pretty and appreciated her patience as a true virtue, they never seemed to be in the same mood. There never seemed to have been a thread of fate.

,,Can love ever arise from a loveless duty?" she had once asked him when he wanted to retire in the evenings, avoiding her to occupy himself with his important things that his older brother wasn't interested in and always finding an excuse to avoid her.

She saw the guilt disappear from his eyes in the blink of an eye, saw him straighten the rings on his fingers before he replied with a ,,Love comes from the heart… a duty from the words of others" before he left her room and avoided her for another night, a night that followed one after the other until one day they attended his brother's wedding, Caracalla also married a highborn woman and gave the Roman Empire its first heir, as it should be - it was all just a matter of time.

A fact that Geta also knew, even if with a smile his bright eyes wished nothing but death for his sister-in-law, a plague that she and his brother would have to endure,

,,I want to see you in my chamber after the feast and that is not a question" he murmured to his wife who looked at him with an uneasy look, she had seen the looks, knew what was going on in her husband and yet in a horrible fate she felt the duty in her heart she had to bear him an heir.

The festivities dragged on for a long time, but with wine that overwhelmed her senses she distracted herself from what was going to happen, what he was going to do just because his place in the order of precedence would be changed, she followed his words, made a simple excuse and retired to her husband's room.

She had also heard the wine on his lips as that night began with a kiss, senses dazed by wine and yet there was still a kind of tenderness in his touch despite his hatred, she still held him close to her heart, something she clung to as hope.

A hope and love a lust she would not have expected from him overcame the nights of nights she saw for the first time his jealousy coupled with love,.

,,I know you are trying my love" he told her again and again his hand placed on her tree day after day she seemed to realize if she was pregnant until the day one of the midwives and his healer confirmed she was pregnant and a few tests brought the uncertainty to an end.

She still couldn't believe it was true, she felt his arms around her body and words of praise but double-edged words coming at her as Geta looked at her with a look that told her he had never felt more love for her than now, ,,My Empress pregnant with my heir" he murmured and immediately let the news spread everywhere rubbing it straight into the face of his brother and especially his sister-in-law who was not yet pregnant.

The time after that was filled with happiness and yet paranoia, he was only more attached to her, paying attention to everything and having the room for the child decorated with her taste, choosing the furniture and the colors, ,,The room of the future emperor," he announced to her as she leaned on him and saw the room with pictures of heroic deeds and old legends showing victories.

,,A truly impressive room," she admitted and felt her hands relax on her now round belly as time passed, the moons and suns came quickly and her pregnancy increased, the closer she got to the birth the more excited Geta seemed to become, insisting on being present the whole time…an insistence she kept, only a few moons later her contractions came and the palace was filled with screams and weeping.

Geta shouted at the midwives and healers to kill them all or he would kill them personally while he supported his wife with words and did not flinch when her bloodied hand reached for him, ,,You are doing very well I am with you dear, with our son you will make it" he told her again and again kissing her forehead and giving her hopeful kisses until he shouted more death threats until the news came that it was almost done.

The last screams were full of pain and she clung to him even more, the pain increasing with the thought that had plagued her for months and her heart stopped when she heard the voice of the midwife saying ,,My emperor it's a…girl" and the room slowly fell silent, only the shrill cry of the baby could be heard, a baby without the right sex, a girl no heir.

Her heavy breathing and the tears rolling down her cheeks as he pulled away from her with a jerk, she was supported by her midwives who helped her onto the bed and took care of her as best they could while she watched Geta take her daughter in his arms and turn his back on her, not seeing how he looked with this "disappointing" birth.

,,Everyone out now!" he shouted making the little baby cry again and yet everyone complied, ,,Geta I'm-I'm sorry" she started trying to get to him when she heard a sniffle and paused, at first she thought it was the baby but it giggled and a clearing of the throat was heard before he turned to her.

Her worry vanished when she saw his expression it was pride, it was appreciation it was happiness, ,,The future of the empire an empress from the love of her parents…she will become a goddess" he murmured and came to his wife in bed put the baby in her arms and gave the little girl a kiss on the head while he held his wife's hand and gently stroked it.

He was not disappointed he had gotten something so much better, he had gotten love and a wife who was everything to him a family of his own the only imperial family of ancient Rome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emperor Caracalla

The elder son, the first emperor to rule with his younger but much more suitable brother, a pair of brothers who ruled together and brought Rome to the top of the world with its army and its strength, but above all a young man with a woman at his side.

A woman, the Empress of Rome, beautiful, handsome and caring, popular with the people and not underestimated in politics because of her own country of origin and family…but a young woman without children.

A woman without children from an age when she would not be empress she would take other jobs nor have a choice but an empress was not a politician, a warrior or even a farmer an empress was and should always be a mother first so it has always been but not with her.

The wedding was moons ago and even if it was a little difficult at first their hearts were close she loved her playful husband who was always loving to her and had a penchant for entertainment of any kind.

As long as Carcalla wasn't bored, he knew that his brother was concerned with everything else, including politics, for which he had little taste when it wasn't a matter of attack or execution, she could only entertain him by acting, playing or playing in the arena, and as much as they both enjoyed it, she became more unhappy.

,,Your smile is fading, don't you like it? I can hire a new actor or buy new slaves right away," the blonde immediately offered and waved the troupe out so he could talk to his wife who had been laughing all evening, her hand detached from her belly and handed him the parchment he had skimmed over in the morning.

A parchment with the emperor's seal, a message from his brother that Geta had taken a wife of his own on a state visit, ,,The betrothal and wedding, what's with that, starlet?" he asked, tossing the paper carelessly aside before rising and going to the table of fruit and helping himself to the grapes.

He didn't understand the seriousness, the worry or even what it meant for the future, not that they hadn't slept together often, the wedding night had been consummated and they had often shared the bed but it had never led to anything, she rose from her chair and went to him, taking his hand and seeking his gaze.

,,Cara. ..you're still the older one, a duty is on me and I don't know if I can ever give you…an heir" she said the lump in her throat almost cutting off her voice hoping he would understand.

She saw the humor fade from his face and he considered before he gave an almost stunned expression and grabbed both her hands hastily, squeezing them and locking them in a hasty kiss over and over until she broke away to catch her breath, ,,Please I-it may well be me…all this he may be the politician but I am the elder, the first and you do your duty every day you are with me.

,,I leave no room for doubt, do you understand?" he demanded and she found his hopefulness, confidence and euphoria truly inspiring that a small smile crept onto her lips before he took her in his arms the imperial couple found themselves together again that night, taking help from potions, tinctures and many other forbidden practices that they hardly left the bedchamber together for the next few days.

It was clear to everyone what was happening behind the closed doors but after trying and trying this hope was to pay off with her first discomfort and the first change, ,,Congratulations my Emperor you are finally pregnant" the healer announced as he listened to the results of the test and her report, her tears wetting the tunic of her husband who hugged her and twirled around and was all the more pleased.

The news also pleased the people and even when she saw the looks on Geta's face and his wife she knew she had done her duty she would give Rome an heir, she had not disappointed Caracalla, ,,You can never let me down everything will go well the gods are with us" he told her reading she put up stowage in the child's room and her own for the next moons so that she was protected and the child inside her.

The protection seemed to help Geta until a point, and everything seemed to go well until the day of the birth, when blood and tears covered the floor, ,,What's wrong with my wife?" Caracalla who was holding her hand on the bed but the dagger at his side seemed to slaughter anyone who did anything wrong.

He kissed her hands and fingers, tried to cool her forehead with cool cloths and tell her again that she was doing well, ,,It seems that the Empress is pregnant with twins," said one of the midwives who had already brought out the size of the belly and the prolonged birth.

It was news she needed to cry out and Caracalla was filled with joy which he only showed when she continued to scream and push with the help of Caracalla who got into a kneeling position and the moments of pain merged until the first child was pushed out, ,,A boy!" the midwife shouted and took care of the little creature while the younger one continued to hold on to her husband.

The blonde gave her a proud kiss on the head, ,,Do you hear that? Our son love you can do it I am here" he murmured over and over until another cry from her side and a second bright cry told them that it was done that night a boy and his sister were born, Caracalla proudly and happily held the little babies and immediately spoke to them while praising them over and over.

The little family was not only complete but was now a little conversation of their own for each other, they had brought themselves together through love and received two sweet little gifts because they believed that their love was stronger than anything else.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@morallyinept

@parvanovel -> I konw pregnancy is one thing but it's fluff so have fun :)

@sweetpascal

#gladiator ii #gladiator 2 #marcus acacius #marcus acacius x reader #emperor geta #emperor geta x reader #emperor caracalla #emperor caracalla x reader #reader is female #male x female

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obessedwithfictionalmen · 11 months ago

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I'll come pick it up after pt.11

John Egan X Female! Reader

Summary: Y/n starts to lose hope, but he and his silly mustache made her a promise...

Warning: Historical inaccuracies/ mention of violence/ medical inaccuracies/ allusion to sex/ crying (joy)/

Word count: 1,4k

A/n: I can't watch Friday's episode because I watch it with my father and I'm away, so I'm just going to guess what's going to happen and pray for no spoilers. Again it's pure fiction so yeah. Thanks for all the like, the comments and the reblogs. I love reading what you have to say about my story. Love y'all :)

Weeks passed since she had the news that Bucky didn’t made it home. She was hoping to hear that he was coming back. But her hope was starting to fade, a small part of her still thought he was going to come home, and they could get married. Days past, she was thinking about him all the time, his smile, his mustache, his arms and his eyes. She wanted to remember his face, but even if she tried to forget him, it wouldn’t be possible. She loved him too much to forget him this easily. Harry Crosby was her best friend during this time of loneliness, him and Meatball tried to make her smile all the time. She spent time with the kids that were with the mechanics. One of them had lost a hand, so he had a metal hook, it didn’t bother him, he was making jokes about it, he was strong. Today was a normal day, it was the beginning of winter, so the temperature was colder than usual. She was in her uniform with a vest, to protect her from the cold. There was only one man in the hospital, he had lost his middle finger, and he needed to stay here so the nurses could make sure it didn’t get infected. She was checking his wound when Harry Crosby came rushing in. His eyes filled with a spark. ‘’Y/n, he’s back… Buck too’’ he said, smiling. She dropped the tool she was using; she didn’t believe him. Her heart filled with joy. ‘’Croz you better not be lying to me.’’ She warned, smiling. ‘’He’s here, Y/n, he came back.’’

He walked into the base like a champion, he made it back, with his best friend and the other soldiers that were captured. He still didn’t know how he managed to escape, but he did, that’s what was important. Men were cheering for him like he was the president of the United States. He was back home. ‘’Good to see you Bucky!’’ Rosie cheered as he hugged him. ‘’Good to be back Rosie!’’ he replied. John Egan was happy to see his friend, but only one person mattered: His future wife. When they heard Meatball bark, the men in front of Bucky stepped away, knowing he was always with the chief nurse, they wanted to let Bucky reunite with his girl in peace. Then he saw her, in her nurse uniform, her hair was a mess, probably from the running she just did. She stopped when she saw him, realizing that her pilot was back home. She breathed as joy tears fell off her eyes. They looked at each other for a couple of seconds before they both ran in the direction of the others. She jumped in his arms, hugging him like a koala. He hugged her so tightly he thought he was going to strangle her. ‘’You’re real, please tell me your real?’’ she whispered. ‘’I’m really here, darling, God, I’ve missed you!’’ he said. ‘’I love you too, John, I love you and don’t ever leave me again!’’ she said, kissing him.

God, he missed the feelings of her lips on his. They didn’t even care about the men cheering for him and his girl, about the men telling him to ‘’get a room’’ He came back for her. ‘’I love you too, darling’’ he mumbled against her lips. He noticed the ring she wore, his ring. He took it off her finger, she was confused, but when she saw him kneeling down on one knee, she understood. ‘’Y/n, my beautiful darling, will you marry me?’’ he asked, already knowing the answer. ‘’Yes, thousand time yes!’’ she said, kissing him as he put the ring back where it belonged. The men cheered and yelled their happiness. The feeling was euphoric, he just asked her to properly marry her, they were going to get married. When they stopped hugging, Y/n ran to Buck, she’d missed him too. He was one of her best friends. They became close, before he disappeared. ‘’Told you I’d protect him’’ he said, smiling. ‘’Shut up and hug me’’ she said, hugging him. ‘’Congratulations future Mrs. Egan’’ he said in her ear. ‘’You know your already the best men, right?’’ Bucky yelled. They both laughed as a Jeep approached. It was Crosby, with the nurses, because put the joy aside, the men were injured. Bucky had a black eye, it was swollen and had bleed, he was in bad shape. When Elodie came out of the Jeep, she ran towards Buck, hugging him and kissing him.

Bucky put his arms around his girl. ‘’Darling, I’ll need a doctor, they beat us up pretty badly’’ he confessed. ‘’I got Major Egan! Elodie, take care of Major Cleven, others, find yourself someone to heal’’ she ordered her nurses, making the Buck’s grin. They got in the Jeep and went back to the medical center. She still couldn’t believe he was alive, and she was engaged to him. Now she was going to treat his injuries. When they arrived at the medical centre, she guided him to her office. She needed privacy with him, not that she planned on having sex, but if it happened, they would be alone. When she closed the door, he roughly kissed her, he was eager for her, he needed her. ‘’Bucky, I need to look at your wounds’’ she says, giggling. ‘’All right, look at them’’ he said, taking his shirt off, in a seductive way. She looked at his chest, full of bruises, it was bad. ‘’What did they do to you?’’ she whispered. She touched the bruises, making him hiss in pain. ‘’You probably have broken ribs. Your face, well it’s just bruised. What did the pirate wanted?’’ she tried to joke. ‘’They wanted me to talk about you, and Buck, and all the secrets the army told. But I didn’t tell them anything’’ he said. ‘’That’s why they hit you?’’ she asked, cleaning his wounds. He nodded as he watched the nurse take care of him. ‘’I’m so happy you made it back, John, when I read your letter, I couldn’t believe you were… ‘’ she didn’t want to finish her sentence. ‘’Well, I’m here now, darling, and I love you, so much’’ he said, taking her face in his hands. ‘’I love you too, Bucky’’ she said, kissing him. ‘’Your ribs will heal, but slow down on the physical stuff’’ she said, seriously. ‘’I’m afraid I can’t slow down on one physical stuff in particular’’ he said, trailing his hands all over her body. She grins but tilt her head to the side. ‘’Bucky, don’t you’ll only hurt yourself more’’ she giggled. ‘’How much time do I need to lay off the physical stuff, darling?’’ he asked. ‘’4 weeks’’ she said. He shook his head. ‘’I can’t wait 4 weeks to have sex with you’’ he said. ‘’Well, you could piece your lung, and die, and I don’t want that. Maybe say 3 weeks, you heal fast’’ she said. ‘’All right, no sex for 3 weeks, but get ready, because I’m marring you in 3 weeks’’ he said. She smile and kiss him. ‘’If I stay on bed rest, can I make it 2 weeks?’’ he asks, making her laugh. ‘’We’ll see about that, Bucky’’ She was just happy he got back to her, in one piece

The last part ⬇️

#john egan x female reader #john egan x reader #major john egan #john egan #master of the air imagine #master of the air #callum turner x reader #callum turner imagine #callum turner #austin butler #gale cleven #harry crosby #anthony boyle

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theidiotwhowritesthings · 2 years ago

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A FRESH START [19]

Din Djarin x F!Reader

Warnings: violence, blood, injuries, mild non descriptive torture, indirect homicide(?), but also fluff. mixed in with all that.

Word Count: 5,514

Updates every Thursday

Summary: When you made plans for your future they never involved being hired by a Mandalorian to baby-sit his adorable, green gremlin of a child. However, after your life fell apart in the span of one disastrous night, you found it to be the only feasible option you had left. Nevarro was a far cry from Coruscant, but the thriving community turned out to be exactly what you needed. Every day you spend in Nevarro you fall more and more in love with your new life, but when your past rears its ugly head you find that perhaps peace wasn’t meant for everyone.

#19: MY BOYS NEEDED ME

"i will hurt you for this. i don't know how yet, but give me time. a day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you'll know the debt is paid."

-George RR Martin (A Clash of Kings)

Grogu was an overall well behaved kid in the grand scheme of things. Was he mischievous? Yes. A menace to any local wildlife? Absolutely. However, he was always very good about listening to Din. Well, mostly. That being said, Grogu was still a young kid mentally, and he was not immune to having complete and total toddler sized meltdowns when he felt slighted. The biggest temper tantrum Din had been witness to was ages ago when a sleep deprived Grogu lost his snack while Din was running on a hunt, and they had left the planet before Din could replace the cookies.

Today beat that in a landslide.

“Ma! Ma! Ma!” Grogu beat his silver ball against the glass repeatedly with each cry for you. The first twenty minutes of the flight had just been the child screeching in frustration, and had dissolved to this tactic when Grogu was too tired to cry. “Ma! Ma! Ma⏤”

“Grogu, stop.” Din called back.

“No! Ma!”

“Ad’ika, please⏤”

“No! Ma!” Grogu began to rapidly slap the metal ball against the glass. “Buir, digur Ma!”

“I didn’t forget her, ad’ika.” Din sighed and tried to calm him for the hundredth time. “She had to stay behind. She’ll be there when we get⏤”

Grogu swapped back to screaming angrily. Din huffed and leaned forward to activate a holocall. The child paused in his tantrum when he saw the screen pop up and began to crawl down from his perch in the droid’s seat. The call was answered and your pretty features filled his screen. Despite his frustration of having to hear his child howl and beat glass for the last half hour, his lips spread into a broad smile at the sight of you.

You grinned. “Do you miss me already, Djarin?”

“Yes.” Din blurted. Grogu crawled out onto Din’s lap and began to cry in blubbering sobs while holding his arms up as if you’d be able to scoop him up through the screen. Your eyes widened, and Din wrapped an arm around his son and rubbed his back soothingly. “He didn’t realize we were saying bye to you on the tarmac. He’s been throwing a tantrum since we left.”

“Ma!” Grogu hiccuped in his sobs.

Din watched your own lip quiver as you shook your head. “Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. It’s okay.”

He leaned back in his seat and watched in admiration as you remotely calmed the kid down. It looked like you were in the clinic right now based on the white coat you wore, and things must not have been too busy since you didn’t seem in a rush. Din stayed silent for the next fifteen minutes, scratching Grogu’s back, while you spoke to him and sang him songs. Eventually, Grogu fell asleep⏤ exhausted from his tantrum.

“Thank you.” Din sighed. “He was miserable.”

“I feel so terrible.” You set your hands on your cheeks with a frown. “I didn’t realize he didn’t know. I just assumed⏤”

“Not your fault.” Din replied. “I think we all just assumed, and he assumed you’d be coming along.”

“I didn’t think…” The words left your lips in a breath and the way you bit them back made him think you hadn’t meant to let them slip at all. “Never mind.”

Din shook his head, adjusting Grogu so his head could rest on his shoulder more comfortably, and connected the dots. “Of course he’d be upset to part from you. You’re important to him. He loves you.” Like I do, the thought drifted through his mind involuntarily but not unwelcome. Din chuckled, “You’re Ma.”

“I know. I love him too.” You mumbled and something about hearing you declare your love for his son so blatantly and without pause stroked the domestic part of him making him preen in pride. “But, he was so excited to fly again and the two of you used to do this all the time without me…”

Din wondered if you truly didn’t know how important you had come to be to him and Grogu or if an anxiety of some kind kept you from fully accepting it. Din didn’t mind reminding you every single day if he had to. He’d take on that job happily. He hummed. “Before, you didn’t exist in our lives. You changed everything when you came, ner kar’ta.”

He saw your lips twitch up into a soft smile and he let out a comfortable sigh. You shook your head. “You’re more of a sweet talker than I ever would’ve guessed, Din Djarin.” Din chuckled. Your eyes left the screen momentarily and you pushed out an annoyed grumble. “I have four patients waiting for me. There was a small collision on the tarmac after you left. Nothing too serious, but⏤”

“I didn’t know you were busy.” Din stiffened. You had been on the call with him for nearing twenty minutes now. “I didn’t mean to drag you from work. You could’ve told me⏤”

“Relax.” You replied soothingly. The smile you wore took a mischievous edge and you winked at him. “My boys needed me.” It was embarrassing the way Din’s heart pounded in his chest like he was a small child experiencing attention from his school yard crush. The stupid, silly grin he had to have been wearing was at least hidden from view. “I’ll talk to you later?”

“Of course. Have a good day, ner kar’ta.”

“Stay safe.”

Din ended the call and slumped back in his seat while rubbing Grogu’s back. Every other breath or so his small body would be racked with a shuddering sigh from all the sobbing he had gone through. Din blamed himself for this meltdown. He should’ve realized the toll this would have taken on his son. Grogu was young for his kind, but he had already seen so much loss in his life.

“Ni ceta, ad’ika.” Din murmured softly.

Three days had passed since Din had left with Grogu. The worst part of it, other than just missing them as badly as you did, was living in that house alone. That’s what it felt like with them gone. Just a house, not a home. It was bad enough that you nearly caved and asked to stay with Nima for the time being. You hated getting back from work and not hearing Grogu giggle mischievously while you made dinner or hearing Din murmuring a lullaby to get the boy to sleep. It was painfully quiet and empty. Considering Nima was already worried about you though, you didn’t ask to stay with her. Instead, you had settled on sleeping in Din’s room. At least there, nestled in his sheets with his smell enveloping you, you found some mild relief. You had even dragged Grogu’s stuffed blue frog to rest with you. It was pathetic, you knew, and you were embarrassed to even mention it to Din during your calls with him.

For that reason, work had become your favorite time of day. Luckily, you had actually been a bit more busy lately than usual. Well, lucky for you. Not so lucky for the poor souls wandering in with injuries.

“I kind of thought you’d be using a cautery.” Your newest patient of the day, a man who worked with the local fire department, chuckled. He was younger than you by a few years if you had to guess. The man, named Hale, was good looking, you couldn’t deny it, but his messy, slightly curled brown hair only made your heart ache as you thought of Din. “Figured I’d end up with a gnarly scar.”

“Nope.” You chirped and continued suturing the gash across his abdomen. It wasn’t too deep, he didn’t lose enough blood to require replacement, but it definitely needed attention. “You still might scar, but it won’t be very impressive I don’t think.”

“Shame. I was hoping it’d make me look a little bit cooler. Women like guys with some macho scars, right?”

Your mind drifted to Din’s skin. The various scars that littered his torso and arms. A sigh left your lips, “Yeah. I guess we do.”

Hale nodded once. He shifted in pain, wincing, and you reassured him that you were nearly done. Just a few more stitches. He cleared his throat. “So, is there trouble brewing that we should know about at the fire department?”

“Hmm?”

“Well,” Hale titled his head across the room, “The entire security force of Nevarro is in the clinic with Peli’s best mechanic and our only doctor. Sounds like trouble.”

His words made you glance over your shoulder to see Vanth and Mayfeld arguing over maker knows what while Nima texted away on her communicator. You rolled your eyes with a shake of your head. “No. No trouble. Apparently there’s just nothing better to do in this city than annoy me.”

Hale chuckled at your reply. A lot of people seemed to linger around you as if you were a ticking time bomb. These three were the worst of them. When you asked Din about it, he said he asked a few people to just keep a close eye on you. By a 'few people' he must mean all of Nevarro. You finished your work and bandaged over the sutures before helping him sit up. Hale pulled his shirt back on then cleared his throat while you began to clean up your supplies.

“So, uh, hey,” He gave you a nervous smile, “I was wondering if you wanted to go out and get a⏤”

“Whoa!” Nima cut in before the poor guy could even finish his sentence. Despite having been clear across the room, she was suddenly at your side and fully attentive. You resisted the urge to palm your face in exhaustion. Nima pointed in his face as if her next words were a threat. “Don’t you know nothing? She’s taken, big boy. She’s dating the marshal!”

The patient’s eyes glanced over at Vanth who had paused in his argument at Nima’s outburst. Him and Mayfeld were only a few steps away. Hale raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t he a little old to be dating her?”

Vanth’s eyes widened and he stormed over while Mayfeld howled in laughter. Vanth threw his arm around your shoulder then motioned to his face. “I am not too old to be dating her, kid.”

“We’re not dating!” You threw your hands up in disbelief.

“Not because I’m too old though.” Vanth argued.

“Calm down, grandpa.” Mayfeld snickered. “You’re gonna stroke out.”

“I’m not old.” Vanth argued once more and you caved and allowed your face to fall into your hands.

Mayfeld smirked. “Your gray hair says otherwise.”

“At least, I have hair.”

“Hey!” Mayfeld’s laughs turned to outrage. “I’m not bald. This is a shaved look, is all.”

“Out!” You snapped and pointed to the door. All three of your guests shuffled to the door and you shot Hale, still sitting on the cot with wide and confused eyes, a sympathetic smile. “Give me one moment, and I’ll be back.” He nodded and you turned on your heel. Vanth, Mayfeld, and now Nima had picked up the argument out in the hall, but when you stepped out with your hands on your hips they all grew quiet. At least they had the decency to look ashamed. “What the kriff is going on?”

Nima shrugged. “What do you mean?”

“What do I⏤” You motioned to her. “I cleared you for light work in the garage, and yet you’re here hovering over my every step. And, you two,” You pointed at Vanth and Mayfeld who flinched at the end of your finger, “You two have an entire city to protect. Why the hell are you in my clinic?”

All three of them mumbled out an apologetic answer while not meeting your eyes. Nima crossed her arms and shot you a sheepish smile finally. “We just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Keep you company!”

“And make sure no one makes a move on the marshal’s girl.” Mayfeld winked at you. Vanth added a grin at his words and offered you a cheerful thumbs up. Of course this would be the one thing these two agree on.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “Get out of my clinic so I can get back to work.”

“You’re just gonna go back in there? He was flirting with you!” Nima argued.

“Yeah, and I think I’m gonna go in there and say yes to getting a drink.” You said and their eyes widened. You followed it up with a mocking grin. “Then, when Mando gets back and asks why I’m dating a random man from the fire department I’ll tell him it’s because you three pushed me to insanity.” Vanth winced, Nima shifted awkwardly, and Mayfeld grimaced. “How’s that?”

Mayfeld cleared his throat. “Would really love it if you didn’t do that. I don’t want Mando to try and kill me. Again.”

“Out.” You replied. The three of them rushed away and you rolled your eyes in response. It was sweet of them to care, but their lingering presence was going to drive you up a kriffing wall. You hurried back to the main room and shot Ren another apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about them. They mean well.”

He chuckled. “It’s alright. So, if not the cowboy, then the other Marshal? The Mandalorian. You’re dating him?”

“I…” You shrugged. “It’s⏤ Not officially.”

“Alright,” Hale nodded, “That means I have a chance then? Maybe?”

Thoughts of Din rolled over you in waves, as if your body was trying to remind you of who you had⏤ as if you even needed a reminder. You could hear his voice in the back of your head murmuring soft words of care. The promise that when he returned he’d be making you his in every sense of the word ringing clear. You smiled at the thought and shook your head. “No. I’m sorry.”

“That’s alright. I figured I had to try.” Hale shrugged and slid off the cot.

You instructed him on care for his injury and when to be back for you to remove the sutures. Aalya came in after he left and began to ask you questions about supplies and an injury somebody was calling the clinic about to see if they needed to come in. You found it hard to focus. Maker, you hoped they’d be back soon.

The city Daelar had run to was in a rural region of an already rural Outer Rim world named Thyreps. Din had never been here before, barely even heard of it, and from the looks he didn’t plan on making a return trip here⏤ ever. It was a dry, barren place. Hot as Tatooine, but cracked, dead ground versus rolling hills of sand. The city was moderate in size, it must have been the main population on this desolate word, but it was still small enough that if he parked the N1 on the local tarmac he’d be noticed. Din didn’t want to give Daelar the chance to run. He had places to be after all. Din wasn’t looking to drag this trip out any longer than he needed.

So, Din parked the N1 out in the middle of nowhere and hiked into the city. There was an inn on the outskirts where he rented a room. It was times like this he missed the Razor Crest. More than usual, he should say. He was laying on the bed, helmet off, and while Grogu slept in his sealed pram in the corner of the room. Daelar liked to go from his workplace to a brothel. Din planned on catching the man on his way home. Which left him with hours to kill.

Din sat up, ran a hand through his hair, and weighed the pros and cons of calling you. It was late. You were probably getting ready for bed if you weren’t sleeping already. He only hesitated a moment before grabbing his helmet. Worse case scenario, you didn't answer. Best case scenario, he got to see you and hear your voice. Two things he was missing immensely.

He made the video call and it rang for longer than usual. Din was a second away from disconnecting when your line activated. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the dim view he had of you. From the looks of it, the holo call was being projected from your communicator which was sitting on the night stand beside the bed. The only light in the room coming from the glow the holocall gave off.

“Din?” You mumbled. Your eyes still heavy with sleep. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, ner kar’ta. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have woken you up.” Din tried to soak in as much of your features as he could. Maker, you were gorgeous. His mind couldn’t help but drift off and think of a future where he’d get to lay next to you in bed. A future where all he’d have to do is reach out and you’d be there. “Go back to sleep.”

You shook your head. “No. I’m awake. Don’t go.”

Din chuckled, but he could tell you were coming to a bit more. Your eyes growing more focused on him. He watched you sit up enough to readjust your pillow before laying back down. Din’s eyes narrowed at the color of the sheets cocooning you. “Are you… Are you in my bed?”

Your eyes widened, truly awake now, and mumbled, “Uh… yes? I’ve been sleeping in your bed since you left. Sorry.”

“Don’t⏤” Din began, his voice firm. The thought of you simply sleeping in his bed should not be as arousing as it was, but his thoughts were running wild and the crotch of his flight suit’s pants were growing tight. “Don’t apologize.” He breathed out. “There is literally nothing you could say that I would like more, ner kar’ta.”

“Hmm.” Your lips curled into a grin. “I don’t know about that. I think there are a few other things I could say that you’d like. Want an example?” Din couldn’t find his voice, and you took that as the only approval you needed. “I’m wearing one of your shirts to sleep in. Just your shirt.”

Din let out an audible groan. His head fell back, lighting clanking against the headboard he was sitting up against, and his hand shifted down to readjust himself⏤ it didn’t help. Meanwhile, you were quietly laughing and the sound had him smiling under his helmet despite the sexual frustration grabbing hold of him.

“You’re trouble.” He shook his head.

“The sooner you get back, the sooner you can punish me for it.”

“Dank farrik.” Din groaned. One hand fisting the bed sheet to keep from touching himself. He blew out a ragged breath of air. “You’re doing this on purpose.”

“Of course, I am.” You chuckled. “I have to tempt you into coming back as fast as possible.”

“There is nothing you have to do in order to tempt me.” Din scoffed. “Just knowing you’re waiting for me in Nevarro is enough.”

“Sweet talker.” You teased. “How far are you from Mandalore? I see you stopped somewhere.” The question was a splash of ice water because he technically hadn’t explained the whole Daelar side mission to you yet. Obviously, you needed to know. For the length that he had known you though, you only knew him as the Marshal. Sure, you were aware of his past as a bounty hunter, but you hadn’t been directly exposed to that side of him yet. If there was anything that could scare you away⏤ it’d be that. “Din?”

“To be honest,” Din hesitated only for a moment, “I’m on Thyreps.”

“I’ve never even heard of that world.” Your brow furrowed.

Din nodded. “It’s pretty remote.” He knew what your next question would be and continued without you speaking up. “Daelar is here.” Your eyes widened and he watched as you slowly sat up. Revealing more of the shirt you had on⏤ his shirt. “Karga and I tracked him down. I’m planning to... make things right.” Din paused. His jaw locked and he had to force himself to relax. “Is… Is that alright?”

You stayed quiet for a moment and Din could feel his nerves fraying by the second. Finally, you nodded and there was a fire in your eyes. “Good. Make him pay.”

It was the most bloodthirsty thing he had ever heard you say, and Din felt a chill run down his spine. The start of this conversation may have dampened his mood briefly, but he was even hotter under the collar now. Maker, he wished he could touch you. The temptation to touch himself while on call with you was overwhelming. The only thing halting him being the thought that the first time he’d come undone in your actual presence he didn’t just want your eyes on him⏤ Din wanted your hands on him. He wanted you close enough that he could actually feel your skin. He’s made it this long, he supposed.

“You should get back to sleep.” Din said. It was true. You had work in the morning, and he had work in just a few hours. Your eyes softened as you mumbled for him to be careful and Din sighed before ending the call. First things first, he needed an ice cold shower. Then, skira.

The sun was only just beginning to rise when Din spotted Daelar leaving the brothel. Stumbling out, more specifically. Din leaned against a wall across the street and just watched for a moment. Just the sight of the man made his skin bristle in anger. His hands balled into fists. As Daelar began to wander down the street, Din crossed the street and followed after him slowly. The side of him that enjoyed the thrill of a hunt was disappointed. This was much too easy. It wanted a challenge. However, the other side of him reminded Din that the sooner he got this done the sooner him and Grogu got home to you.

“Him.” Grogu huffed from the pram floating beside him “Him, don’t like.”

“Don’t like him.” Din corrected the order of his son’s words. “Good job, ad’ika.” Daelar turned a corner into an alley and Din sighed. Too easy. “Close your pram.”

Grogu grumbled a few words before hitting the front of the pram and letting the metal walls close over him. Din rounded the corner after the man, but came to a halt when he was greeted by three blasters. Daeler a step behind the ones holding the blasters wearing a smug grin.

“Hey, Marshal.” Daelar chuckled. “Funny seeing you in these parts.”

Din locked his jaw in irritation and shifted so Grogu’s pram hid behind him. Of the three people holding the weapons, there were two men, one human the other Rodian, and the third was a human woman. Din strategized in his head, studying the scene, and it suddenly dawned on him. He recognized that woman. Why did he recognize her? Her dark hair was tied up messily and there was an amused chaos in her blue eyes⏤ like she enjoyed that her day was starting with violence. It hit him then. Ari. The last time he had been dropping her off in Jakku. Why anyone would want to go to Jakku, Din didn’t know.

She had been a quarry initially, but the price she was willing to pay him to forgo the bounty and help her out could not be refused. Ari had given him an ingot of beskar. Karga liked to joke that Din had a bad habit of accidentally making allies across the galaxy, something he thought was far-fetched, but this was damning evidence. Helpful though.

He set his hands on his hips and tilted his head. “I see you’re still trouble.”

Ari’s eyes narrowed briefly before snapping open in shock. She lowered her blaster with a laugh and bright grin. “Mando! How the hell are ya?” Din could swear that Daelar’s face lost all color. “Dank farrik, man. Last time I saw you, your armor was shades of red, brown, and broken. Look at you now. Shiny.” Daelar, obviously able to see he was losing his ally, turned and began to sprint away. Ari snapped her fingers. “No.”

At the single, simple word, both men turned and ran after Daelar. Din hummed, mildly impressed. The woman drifted closer, holstering her blister, and pointed at him. “What’re you doing out in my corner of the galaxy? Please don’t tell me I’m on another puck.”

“Knowing you, you probably are, but I’m not here for you.”

Ari thumbed over her shoulder just as her guys dragged Daelar back kicking and screaming. “You after that guy? He’s got a bounty on him?”

“Yes, but I don’t plan on turning him in.” Din replied. His jaw locked again. He glared at Daelar and the way the man’s poor attempts to escape became more frenzied it was clear Din’s rage was understood. Helmet or not. “It’s personal.”

Ari let out a low whistle and glanced back at the man. “Shit. I knew he was dumb, but I didn’t know he was ‘piss off a Mandalorian’ dumb.”

“You’re supposed to protect me!” Daelar screamed at her. “It’s in my contract!”

Din snorted. “You hired him? You should know he’s a medical fraud⏤”

“I am not! I was the best in my field, I’ll have you know!” Daelar howled.

Ari nodded. “Oh, yeah. I know. He’s a fucking idiot.” The man stopped in his temper tantrum to stare at her with wide eyes. She shook her head at him. “Why else would I have you working in my rival’s clinic, you dumbass? I’m hoping you accidentally kill some of his crew.” Ari glanced back at Din and waved her hand at him. “I’m in the middle of a terf war. It’s a whole thing. Would take a while to explain.”

“Yeah. I don’t care.” Din replied.

“So?” Ari clapped her hands. “What do you want him for? He insult ‘The Way’?”

Din shook his head. “He tried to kill my son.”

Ari’s eyes widened in surprise then hardened into irritation. Daelar cried out. “Liar! He was fine when I left! Your wife is a dramatic bitch. She has no idea what she's talking about!” Din didn’t realize his anger could possibly worsen, but somehow it did. Daelar was digging himself deeper into a grave and Din was eager to bury him. “It was a little viral illness, the common cold⏤”

“He spiked a fever. You left him for dead. You left her to deal with it.” Din growled. That night could have ended so tragically. He nearly lost Grogu. Din hadn’t even been there as it happened. Grogu could have slipped away, gone from him forever, and Din would’ve been miles away⏤ useless to him. That loss would have destroyed him. It would have destroyed you. Din can still clearly remember the tremble in your body as you cried that night. The fear so overwhelming, wafting off you in waves, that it nearly drown him just from being near.

“I⏤I didn’t know!” Daelar tried to excuse himself.

Ari drew her blaster again and pointed it at Daelar’s face. “Want me to kill him then?”

Daelar was sobbing now, pleading, and Din shook his head. “No. He’s mine.”

“Fair.” Ari holstered her blaster again then nodded. “Mandalorian’s gonna take him to go.” The men shoved Daelar to the ground, he thrashed against them uselessly, and Din watched one of Ari’s men pull out a pair of binders. Ari drifted closer once more and crossed her arms. “Look at us. I got a crew, and you got a wife and kid. Aw.”

“She’s not actually my wife.” Din admitted.

Ari smirked. “Yeah, but I hear the word you’re leaving off that sentence, Mando. ‘Yet’, huh?”

Din grinned under his helmet and chuckled. “What are you doing out here? Jakku then Thyreps? What’s your obsession with deserted and dirty worlds?”

“I got my reasons.” Ari winked. The men dragged Daelar over and Ari nodded. “Anything else I can do for you? This is the favor I owe you so you might as well make it count.”

“Can you watch my kid?”

“Huh??”

Din stepped to the side and the pram popped open as if on cue. Grogu babbling and upset that he had been in the pram for so long. Ari cooed, “Aw. He looks just like you.” Din tilted his head at her, exasperated at the joke, and she laughed. “Yeah, alright. He’s safe with me. Be back soon though, I got places to be.”

Without another word, Din grabbed Daelar by the collar and glared down at him. Ari gave him her frequency number before disappearing with Grogu and her men. When the alley was empty, Din bared his teeth and hissed out a threat, “Ni cuy' olar par skira.”

Din slammed his fist into Daelar’s face making him crumple to the ground with a groan. He grabbed the man again and began to drag. Every time the bastard tried to slip out of his grip or yell out, Din hit him again. By the time they made it to the edge of the city, Daelar’s face was bloody and the man was limp in his hand. The sun was in the sky now and the temperature was beginning to rise. Din used his whipcord to wrap around the man’s ankle and began to drag Daelar across the cracked and hard ground.

It took thirty minutes to get Daelar out into the middle of nowhere. He stopped next to the N1 and released his whipcord. Daelar laid on the ground moaning pathetically. Din stalked over and stomped his boot on top of Daelar’s chest, he heard a crack of bone even with Daelar’s screams filling the air, and Din pressed down to keep him pinned.

“I almost lost my family because of you.” Din snapped. “That’s why this is happening.”

“It’s not my fault.” Daelar cough and Din pressed harder. The man cried, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Please don’t kill me. Your son is alive isn’t he? He’s fine! Don’t kill me!”

Din pulled his foot back and then knelt down beside him. He released the binders then roughly grabbed the man by the collar, dragging him up, and hissed. “He’s alive because of my wife’s quick thinking. She’s brilliant, an actual doctor unlike you, and she saved his life. Because of her, he had a chance.” Din chuckled. “So, no. I’m not going to kill you right now, Daelar.” Briefly, Din could see a flash of relief on the man’s bruised and bloodied features. “I’m going to give you a chance to save yourself. You’re a doctor. Best in your field. You should be able to do it no problem, right?”

Daelar’s eyebrows furrowed and, without preamble, his vibroblade was drawn and Din stabbed it between two of Daelar’s ribs on the right side. The man screamed and Din pulled the blade out and stood. Daelar grasped his side, blood pooling out onto the ground under him, and his breaths were growing shallow.

“You⏤ You said⏤”

“I said I wouldn’t kill you. I didn't.” Din tucked his blade away. He motioned in the direction they came from. “City is that way. Save yourself.”

Daelar shook his head, trying to grab his boots, “It’s too far. It’s⏤ I’ll bleed to death. I’ll⏤ I’ll drown in my own blood in twenty minutes. Sooner if my⏤ my lung collapses.” His breaths were shallow and panicked. “What would you⏤ you have me do?”

Din tilted his head. “Well, if I were you, I’d get to crawling.”

Daelar screamed and sobbed as Din marched to the N1 and boarded. Even with the engines going, Din could still hear the man’s cries but it did nothing but make him nod in assurance. Considering Daelar nearly took his family from him, Din felt like he was showing mercy. He gave the man a chance. Granted, it was a piss poor chance and his odds were in a very low percentile, but you had been stuck in a similar scenario. The N1 took off, angling toward the city’s tarmac so he could pick up Grogu, and Din felt relief at a job being done. More than likely, Daelar was going to die in the desert, and in Din’s opinion that was still more than he deserved.

mando'a translations:

Buir: father (parent) Ad’ika: little one Digur: Forget Her Kar’ta: My heart Ni ceta: I’m sorry Skira: Settle a score, revenge Ni cuy' olar par skira: I’m here to settle a score.

taglist:

@aheadfullofsteverogers @yyiikes @kneelforloki @c-ms1ut @sgt-morgan @luthienaliceisilra @fawn-kitten @missbabyjay @coldlamaspersonspy @dilfsaremyfavourite @jamesbuckybarnes @yorkeylover @teawrites01 @emily-roberts @djarinxore @impala1967666 @shelbyteller @faithrenner @dindjarindude @dankfarrick29 @rh1nestonecowg1rl @garbo-lesbo @anythingforattention @tearfulsolace @onceinamando @catharinaroxastova @uwu-i-purple-you @modiddys-blog @stagerightlauren @mini-bees @xxinvisblexx @adoringanakin @sagegreensensei @spidey-3 @sydney-1209 @thepascalofus @hrtsforpascal @banana-lol @daybleedsintonightfa11 @lil-dragon-draws @guccistardust @ideajpeg @harriedandharassed @leithatnight @elfamosotoga @damnzelsoul @the-anchored-sailor-girl @morks-watermelon @katelynmarieyt @taylorann2013 @chonkercatto @dheet @liadamerondjarin @fallinallinmendes @missdicaprio @jennaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa @alphaash99 @djarinsmixtape @pcrushinnerd @closedaddition

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rebelliousstories · 9 months ago

Text

Take My Breath Away

Relationship: Norm McLean x Reader

Fandom: Fallout

Request: Yes by @fallout-girl219

Warnings: Fluff, Brief Angst, Pregnancy, Vague Birth Description

Word Count: 1,074

Main Masterlist: Here

Fallout Masterlist: Here

Part Two of: What Did You Say?

Summary: Finding out they were expecting was one thing. Actually being there through the pregnancy is another.

12 Weeks

Norm was astounded by the change in his life. With his own vault home, he was taking care of his lovely wife, and their children. The twins were still forming, but there was a sense of duty for them. They had yet to announce that they were pregnant to anyone else except for their families, but it would be getting difficult soon to keep it to themselves. Even at the end of the first trimester, she was starting to show enough that she could not dismiss it. She continued to work during the first few months once they had accepted the fact that they were, indeed, going to be parents.

16 Weeks

“Norm! Come here!” Her excited shout startled the man who was fixing her a pregnancy meal. He rushed over, and was dragged by his hand to her growing belly. Being larger than a singleton pregnancy, her belly was a hot spot of activity. Two sets of arms, legs, feet and hands to push and prod. She placed her husband’s hand on her belly and waited. They waited for a couple minutes before Norm decided to speak up.

“What are we doing?” He asked, only to be shushed by his wife. And that is when he felt it. Norm felt one of the twins kick. She eagerly looked towards his face as he grappled with his emotions. Letting out a shaky breath, Norm placed both of his hands on her belly and was rewarded with more kicks. She placed a hand over his, and the other went to his face.

“Are you okay?” She questioned, wiping the stray tear from his face.

“Perfect.” He replied, not even realizing that it had fallen.

32 Weeks

What Norm did to be at this point in his life, he will never know. He knows that the logical explanation is that his wife is overwhelmed with pregnancy hormones and that is the reason she is acting the way she was. But the illogical part of his brain was trying to find what he did wrong. At eight months with twins, she was over being pregnant. There was always something that she complained about.

“Norm, I can’t get my shoes on.”

“Why does toast smell that way? It’s gross.”

“I don’t know why I’m crying but fix it! All I want is ice cream.”

There was always something. But Norm being the dutiful husband he was, helped her with her shoes, got rid of the toast he made them for breakfast, and was currently on his way to go get her some ice cream. His only options were chocolate or vanilla, so he got both, just knowing that if he did not, he would hear about it. The cartons were ice cold in his hands, but they made her happy. Joy erupted on her face when she saw those cartons.

“You’re the best, Norm.” And she dug into those pints of ice cream. She offered him a spoon, to which he accepted and ate a little bit of the vanilla.

“What do you think about names?” She asked in between bites of ice cream. Norm thought for a moment before responding.

“I’m not sure. We kind of need four names; two boy and two girl.” He answered, dropping his spoon and letting her take the rest of the sweet dessert.

“Well they’ll be here sooner than we think. They can’t come home without names.” She lamented, staring off into her ice cream. Norm slung an arm over her and rubbed it in soothing circles.

36 Weeks

“I’m going to kill you, Norm!” Yet again, the man found himself in a position he had not thought he would ever get to. Holding his wife’s hand, she was holding it in a death grip on the hospital bed.

“You’re ready to push, Mrs. MacLean. We need you to push when you feel it.” The doctor said, gearing up for the eventful evening.

“I swear to all that is good and holy, Norm. You’re never touching me again.” She screeched, bearing down and yelling as she tried to push.

“Anything you want, but our babies need us now. You’re doing so good.” He tried to reassure her while losing feeling in his hands. Another scream that was followed by a push, that was followed by an exclamation.

“I see the first head. Come on, Mrs. Maclean.” Her doctor encouraged, as the woman screamed in pain. A baby’s wail pierced the air shortly afterwards, and there was a brief second of relief.

“We’ve got the first one. Take them.” The doctor hurriedly passed the newly born baby to a nurse while the second one was on its way out. Two large pushes later and the second baby screamed its entrance into the world.

“Norm, come here. Do you want to cut the cord?” The doctor was already prepping the area for a second person, and Norm looked to his wife. Tiredly, she shooed him down to cut their babies’ umbilical cords, while she rested against the pillows. The doctor showed Norm what to do and pushed him back towards his wife while they took their newborns away to get all the measurements and weights they needed to.

“We did it, hun. You did it. You brought our babies into the world.” He whispered gleefully, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She breathed tiredly, and wrapped her hand around his in a weak effort to communicate. The doctor and another nurse walked back in shortly afterwards with two swaddled babies. A bundle of pink and a bundle of blue were passed to the new parents.

“Have you decided on names?” The doctor asked, while the nurse stood ready to take down the information.

“I want the Kimora name set for her.” Norm’s wife piped up with a weak voice.

“Okay,” he replied, “he is going to be Kaylan Hank MacLean.” Norm held up his son. He pointed to his daughter next to him.

“She is going to be Kimora Rose MacLean.” He smiled as he thought about his children.

“Alright. We’ll be back. Congratulations.” With that, the doctor and the nurse left the room while the parents turned to each other.

“We did it. Hi there, sweetheart.” She cooed to their daughter in her arms.

“Yeah. We did.” Norm replied, feeling breathless at the fact that he now had children. It was that moment that shifted his entire world view forever.

#rebelliousstories #writing #fallout imagine #fallout #norman maclean x oc #norm maclean x oc #norm maclean imagine #norm maclean x reader #norman maclean x reader #norm maclean

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illusivesoul · 2 months ago

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"Together, for Good This Time"

For @lelianazine Leliana's Week Event

Day 7 Prompts: Warden/ Champion / Inquisitor

Words: 740

Read it on AO3

"Serena Brosca returns home."

The familiar squeaking filled the air, mixing with the noise of metal clanking on metal as the armoured warriour approached the entrance to the villa, creating a disorganized symphony that mixed with the distant noise of waves crashing against the shore. The sound of sniffing and paws scratching wood intensified as soon as she put the large key in the lock and pulled the door on the side of the large wall that surrounded the villa open.

Before she could step inside, a small creature rushed to her excitedly.

"Hey you!" Brosca said as she took the nug that had started scratching her greaves and lifted it in her arms.

"You're Schmooples the Second, I think, unless all your siblings have this same mark here as you do” the woman said as she pointed to the reddish mark along the nugs back “Red doesn't stop gushing about you in her letters. You were this small when I last saw you, like a flea on a bronto" she said as she made her thumb and index fingers almost touch" I knew your dad, you know?"

Brosca gave it a half smile, as memories filled her mind.

"Oh, it's one of those subterranean bunny-pigs! Oh, look at him! Come here you" Leliana said as she kneeled beside the nug, softly scratching his ears as the creature leaned into the touch “Thank you so much, Serena. You made my day”

“You’ll thank me more if you have him for dinner. They taste good with potatoes”“I told you I am not going to eat it!” Leliana wrapped her arms around the nug protectively, an annoyed expression set on her face.

“Well, if you ever changed your mind, you can put some salt and butter on it and…”“Let 's go, Schmooples. You don’t have to listen to this”

The dwarf chuckled as she saw the woman walking back towards her tent with the nug.

“What kind of name is Schmooples anyway?”

The nug chirped in response, almost as if she could see what was going through the dwarf’s minds.

"It would be funny if you understood me" the warden smiled as her gauntleted hand scratched the top of the creature's head.

"What are you, like 8 years old now? You've gotten no bigger though. Don't know if you even get bigger"

"Old nugs are not a common sight in Orzammar, after all. Isn't that right, lady Paragon?"

The anxiety that had been building up in her chest since she started her journey back turned into a firestorm as the sound of that voice, her voice reached her ears. And suddenly her heart was threatening to burst out of her chest.

“Leliana”

“Serena”

Lips curving into a trembling smile, the former warden let the nug down on the floor, tears already threatening to spill forth as her eyes met hers. Leliana had more lines dotting her face, the unavoidable marks of time making themselves seen, gray already settling in and stealing some of the red from her hair. A basket filled with finely cut vegetables and fruit filled her basket hung from her arm, the latest meal for all the ever hungry subterranean bunny pigs, as she had called them all those years ago.

“The small ones are from a litter born 2 months ago, and I know they seem like a lot, but they’re not that… that much trouble to handle…”

Brosca hadn’t expected to be the first to cry, always having prided herself in “bottling up everything”, as Rica liked to say. And yet, by the time she realized what she was doing, Schmooples the Second was hastily devouring the contents in the basket, Leliana having lost all care for it and dropping it as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, the dwarven woman's mouth pressed to hers in a tight kiss, lips on each other amidst a wave of laughs and breaths that spoke of a longing that words couldn't describe.

They parted for air, forehead to forehead, and the laughter came, the joy of finally being together. For good this time.

Serena's fingers traced the crow's feet spreading from the corners of Leliana's eyes.

“Don’t say it”

"You got old"

"Oh, shut up" Leliana answered, followed by a phrase in orlesian that the dwarf couldn’t understand but still made her laugh.

“Where have you been?”

“It’s a long story. We have a lot of catching up to do”

#leliana #dragon age #leliwarden #warden x leliana #lelianaweek2024 #lelianaweek #illusivesoulwriting #dragon age fanfiction #dragon age fanfic #dragon age fic #brosca #leliana dragon age #dragon age leliana #dragon age dwarves #serena brosca #nugs #schmooples

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kit-williams · 1 year ago

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Toxic Love

tw: Solos is going to mansplain, manipulate, and manwhore his way back to his darling, obsession, possessive, yandere, he is toxic and parasitic, also some body horror because papa Nurgle loves body horror, I guess also the horror of someone calling a Death Guard Daddy is a trigger warning

Trying a larger/curvy reader for this one but its hardly really mentioned

Solos Phorgur the Reaper prides himself on a few things... being picky about his affections is something he prides himself on as some of his brothers are eager to just rush to give their enlarged hearts to a pretty little mortal or fellow brother. Solos was picky on it... where as many of his brothers would be called corpulent and bursting at the seams with Grandfather's love and gifts to the point it weighed them down. Solos was greedy and picky with it and so he was thin and wiry which made him rather quick compared to them. His mouth could pull apart and reveal his complex internal mouth easy to scrape away at the skin and get into the soft parts of a host. That's how his brothers saw him... he was greedy and hardly gave anything back... its why they teased him how he got so little from Grandfather because he was unwilling to trust him.

His relationship to Grandfather was his own and they could fuck right off! But he could give... he just was picky. Another thing he prided himself was his ability to use his words unlike his Da' who thought it would be better to use fists to get his family to do his bidding. Solos enjoyed returning home and putting him in his place! Outside of combat he used his words.

Oh there was his Lovie. Awww she looked so miserable. His mouth pulled apart for a moment as the parts all rubbed against one another. He wanted what was best for his bird. She was a plump little ball of joy. She couldn't help but be happy and love! She was practically begging for anyone and everyone to take advantage of her kindness, many would argue that surly no one who follows Nurgle would do such to another? Solos knew there were always bad actors everywhere and if he didn't have good intentions toward his Love then he certainly would be one of those people he was on the lookout for.

Solos will admit that he had handled their last conversation before he left on deployment... poorly. He didn't want to deal with her whining and her complaining about being lonely. He was there he didn't understand? He was all she really needed, she could interact with some of his friends... she had a few family around... he didn't like her friends they put stupid thoughts into her head. He was livid to come back to his quarters and see no trace of her... she left a note saying that she was done with him.

Solos had thanked Grandfather for his patience as he was tempted to rip through the ship to find his Lovie and give her a piece of his mind. Though the first problem was to find her.... he decided to play her game and give her space and let her realize how miserable she was without him. He was the bigger man... an astartes sized man in fact. Some of the mortals he trusted were his eyes and ears in finding his bird. She had moved several times and it took them ages to find her.

Solos was distraught at where his bird was hiding. Probably the fact that she hadn't bothered to cover up his mark on her was the only reason she was alive and untouched! But... she wanted space... she wanted her own life... she wanted to make her own mistakes. And Solos was going to let her and let her realize how much she needed him and when she did he was going to accept her back with loving arms. He didn't hate his bird... his Lovie... on the contrary his mates had to keep convincing him to keep going with his plan. He needed his host beloved back.

She was crying on the bench. She was barely keeping everything together and Solos knows if his mark wasn't on her she would have found herself in some unsavory situations. He already had gotten calls to "pick up" his cultist. She tucked herself some place alone so that she wouldn't be told to smile for Grandfather. His mates had done a good job of ruining what meager existence she had without him. Hardly a life really... working all the time verses showering Solos with affection... he missed her sweet coos... the way she was so deliciously soft against his boney growths.

He missed his beautiful plump bird under him when he loved her. Leaving his love bites and love bruises from just loving her a bit too hard or eagerly. But Solos believes no one would blame him given the delicious noises his Lovie made under him or the faces of adoration. He had worked himself up into a frenzy when he found out she was seeing others. How dare she share those moments with someone else?! He had them taken care of first. But... she had already been through so much. He watched her answer her communicator and just burst out into more tears as she pulled the device away from her ear.

He softly purred as his underling messaged him with that the, hopefully, final piece was set. His vox "rang" for a moment before he answered and rasped, "Solos."

A slanneshi like sickness raced down his spine as he heard that crying hiccup and a weak little, "Sol..."

"Hi Lovie." He purred, "Or was that to familiar to answer this vox with." He switched to a colder tone in his voice. His overly pink tongue licked those pale lips of his as he could hear her try to muffle that sob. She wasn't calming down or talking... "Lovie?" He crooned, "Do you want me to come by and talk? Is that what you want?"

"Yes." She whimpered out.

"Where are you baby girl?" He hummed while he waited for her to send him where she was and he pushed concern into his voice, "Lovie what are you doing all the way down there?" He listened to her cry again and blather something incomprehensible. "Shhh Shhh Lovie I'm on my way given me a bit." He let her wait 30 minutes before he walked into the hidden little park.

She had calmed down but when she saw Solos he watched her start crying again. He might be developing a kink or something seeing her cry like this. He looked down at her as she ran over and hugged his leg before he just picked her up and let her wrap her arms around his neck in a tight hug. Solos hummed as he took a deep inhale smelling her sickly sweet scent... how her hives were weeping from how much she had been picking at them... a terrible habit of hers.

She laid out so much to him before Solos just spoke up, "But Lovie... I can easily live off of your love to me. Isn't my love enough? Is it not good enough?" He cocked his head to the side, strands of brown hair fluttered off at the sharp movement as his sickly green eyes looked at his Lovie. One of his eyes had three iris in them as he swept over her form as she just looked sad and guilty.

"I never said or implied it wasn't enough. Just sometimes you suffocate me." She looks away ashamed.

"Yet you were saying how much you missed me... how much you missed the way I loved you. You know no one else can love you as much as I do or like I do. My sweet Lovie." Solos crooned his poison laced words to her watching her lashes flutter and her cheeks darken in a blush. Knowing full well that blush descended down to her chest.

"I didn't... realize that." She wiped one of her eyes with her wrist trying to wipe away threatening tears.

"Mhmm but Daddy's back now." He purred as he went in for the kill to latch onto her supple flesh and not let go.

He watched her blush again and hold out her arms toward him sniffling, "Daddy." She just whimpered to him.

Solos couldn't be mad at his Lovie... his best girl... his ultimate good girl for someone as vile as he was. "Yes Daddy is here. But Lovie can't you see? Grandfather gave you to me to help me feel a bit more love in my life. Daddy needs his Lovie as much as Lovie needs Daddy."

"I'm sorry I left Sol." She blithered once more as he tucked her under his chin and purred.

"Shhh lets go get your stuff from your place and move you back into Daddy's quarters where you belong. Okay?"

"Okay." She sighed happily and once more let Solos handle everything like he was suppose to and he appreciated her being such a good girl when she didn't ask questions like how he knew where she was living without asking her.

#tw: Yandere #tw: manipulation #tw: obsession #tw: possession #tw: toxic relationships #tw: toxic behavior #warhammer 40k #Yandere Space Marine #Yandere Death Guard #Yandere #Space Marine #Death Guard #adeptus astartes #yes this is simon riley coded #This might be the closest ya'll will get with me writing simon as a death guard #tw: daddy kink #simon riley coded #simon ghost riley #if you squint

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pipsipey17 · 2 years ago

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it's part of the job | chapter 2: poisson rouge.

ceo!dom!natasha romanoff x assistant!bot!fem!reader

series masterlist | main masterlist

chapter summary: a night at the bar with your cousin is something you needed to distract yourself, or is it?

chapter warnings: idk, jealousy?

previous chapter • next chapter

“I missed you.” Wanda said to Natasha after they broke the kiss, “You’ve been so busy these past few days, we don’t even get to go out anymore.”

“Yeah well, the company won’t run itself you know?” Natasha said as she sat back down and started to work on her computer once again, leaving Wanda standing beside her.

“You should take a break from work baby, you might overwork yourself.”

Natasha sighed deeply, they just made up this morning after fighting for what seems to be the third time this week but she really is busy, “I can’t, I still have a lot of things to do.”

“I know that you’re busy, you always are, but can we please just go out for lunch or something?” Wanda asked her wife.

“I’m really sorry Wanda, but I really can’t.” Natasha replied which made Wanda huff out in annoyance, “You know what, fine. I’ve always been your second priority after all.” Wanda lastly said as she walked out of Natasha’s office and slammed the door shut. Natasha groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose trying to keep her composure.

You were working on your desk when you suddenly saw your boss’ wife walking very quickly out of the room with a look that seemed to be like she’s angry but she was also about to cry. You sighed, realizing that they probably fought again, it wasn’t new to you though, almost everytime when Wanda would visit they would end up fighting.

Your phone suddenly rang making you snap out of your deep thoughts, you looked at the caller ID and saw that it was your cousin Meg who was calling, “Hey Y/N! Wanna go to the bar later?” Meg immediately said when you picked up the phone.

“Don’t you have final exams to study for?” You asked.

“Yeah but I just finished studying for all of them and I decided that I could go for a drink before taking my exams you know?”

You went silent for a few moments. You thought that you could use a drink or two, since it’s been a while since you last had one. You could also use a distraction from your attraction towards your married boss by flirting with other girls at the bar, “Alright, sure, I’d love to.” you replied which made Meg squeal in joy, “Great! I’ll see you later.” she said then she ended the call.

~~~

“Hey Meg!” you greeted as you saw your cousin rushing up to you and then hugging you.

“Hi Y/n, ready to get wasted?” Meg said as she wiggled her eyebrows at you.

“Hell yeah, but not so much, I have to go to work tomorrow since you won’t be able to.” You said.

Meg rolled her eyes and said, “You’re such a workaholic, can’t you at least have some fun tonight?”

You sighed in defeat, “Fine, just don’t get too wasted, I'm not going to drag your ass back to your apartment.” you replied then Meg smiled at you, “Alright, let’s go.”

A few moments later, you and Meg were hanging out by the bar since Meg thought that the bartender was kind of cute. The three of you continued to chat until you saw a familiar figure across the bar, red hair that was curled at the end (think of her hair in Civil War) plump lips, sharp yet somehow round jawline- oh no, it couldn’t be her right? You shook your head and looked at the same redhead who was now looking at you, you held eye contact for a good 5 seconds until you immediately looked away.

It was definitely her.

You would steal a few glances every now and then and when you do, your eyes would meet hers everytime, like her eyes never leave your body even just for a second. It made you feel uneasy since she is your boss and you’re seeing her outside of work, but at the same time, it turned you on.

“Do you know her?” her sister, Yelena asked as they were sitting at a soft chair while drinking some beer and champagne.

Natasha asked her sister out to have a drink with her because she just wanted to loosen up a little from all the stress that she was having from her work and her broken marriage but also the feelings that she has for you that are buried deep down within her.

Natasha drank from her glass, “W-what? Who?” she asked.

“That chick over there by the bar, you have been staring at her for a good few minutes.”

“N-no, I just thought she looked like someone I know.” Natasha lied to hopefully stop the topic at that.

“Shame, cause if you did I would ask you to introduce me to her.” Yelena said which made Natasha grip her wine glass a bit tighter, feeling her jealousy starting to rise.

Yelena cleared her throat after she finished her bottle of beer, “So, marriage problems again?” she asked and Natasha nodded in response then replied, “We have been fighting constantly these past few weeks.”

“About what?” Yelena asked again.

Natasha leaned back to her seat and sighed, “It’s just always been two things, it’s either we fight about how we don’t spend time together anymore or she accuses me of having an affair.”

Yelena hummed in response, “But do you?” she asked hesitantly.

Natasha raised a brow at her sister, “Do I what?”

“Have an affair.” Yelena simply replied.

Natasha scoffed, “Of course not, Lena. I’m loyal to my wife through the ups and downs of our relationship and I love her.” She hesitantly said the last part because of her growing feelings for you.

“Hey, care for a drink?” You suddenly heard a woman speak as you were busy scrolling through your phone. You made eye contact with the woman then looked at her from head to toe, she had brunette colored hair that was until her shoulders, brown eyes and a slender figure, she’s gorgeous but not as gorgeous as your boss- No, you shouldn’t be thinking of her right now, think of the woman in front of you. You shook your head trying to clear your thoughts of the redheaded woman.

“Sure.” you replied to her then the woman ordered two shots of vodka, she handed you a shot glass then you clinked your shot glasses together and drank it.

“I’m Maria by the way, just in case you might scream it later.” she said with a wink.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” You flirted back, “The name’s Y/n by the way since it might be you who will be screaming later.” You said to her with a smirk on your face. You honestly don’t know where your boldness came from but it could be from the alcohol.

Maria started caressing your thigh and said, “How about we test that theory now? I live nearby.” her lips were now close to your ear, “You might want to take care of your friend first, I’ll wait for you outside.” she lastly said then started to walk out of the club.

Once Maria was out of sight, your eyes immediately searched for the redheaded woman but she was nowhere in sight, she must’ve headed home since there was work the next morning.

You faced Meg who looks a bit tipsy but not drunk she’s still busy flirting with the bartender so you nudged her arm making her look at you. “Hey, I gotta go, someone’s waiting for me.“ you said to her in a bit of a hurry.

“Okay then, I’ll be staying here for a while longer.” Meg replied

“I should call you a cab-” The bartender suddenly chimed in, “Don’t worry about her, I can drive her home.”

As much as you wanted to trust the guy, your trust issues kicked in, “Why should I trust you?” You ask him.

“You can trust me ma’am, in fact, I can give you my calling card if that’s what it takes for you to trust me.” The bartender replied then he handed you his calling card, “Sam Wilson, bodyguard and a part-time bartender.” you read out loud.

You eyed him head to toe, he does seem like a bodyguard because of his bodybuild and you just hope to God that he’s saying the truth, “Alright, Sam I trust you, not fully but you get the point. If something happens to my cousin you’re dead to me, got it?” you said to him threateningly.

“Yes ma’am,” Sam simply replied, then you nodded and walked out of the club.

“Took you long enough.” Maria said to you the moment she saw you step out of the club, she was lightly seated on a black motorcycle which is probably hers

“Sorry about that,” you said to her but then you felt eyes on you, it gave you chills but you ignored it.

Maria got onto her motorcycle then you followed suit, sitting behind her. Your arms were wrapped around her waist and speeded off.

Little did you know, a certain redhead saw the whole scene unfold in front of her. Even back at the club when the woman approached you and got all flirty with you, she hated seeing it, it made her jealousy boil. But what made her jealous even more was when she saw you leave with the same woman who approached you at the bar.

Natasha has to make her move sooner or later if she wants to claim you and she’s going to do whatever it takes for her to fully have you.

#natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff x yn #black widow x reader #black widow #natasha romanoff imagine #avengers imagines #marvel #black widow x yn #avengers x reader #natasha romanoff fanfic #natasha romanov #black widow movie #natalia romanova #natasha x reader

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tuiccim · 2 years ago

Text

Though I Have Never Read It (Part 3)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female!Reader

Word Count: 2170

Warnings: Mild angst

A/N: Special thanks to my hype princess & beta reader @whisperlullaby.

Though I Have Never Read It Masterlist

You spent the weekend concentrating on Eva. You cherish your time with her and do your best not to let your thoughts stray to Bucky. Eva kept you busy. She was full of energy and curious about everything.

After lunch on Saturday, Eva squealed with joy when you asked if she’d like to help you test drive the ATV you had repaired the day before. You drove her in circles around the compound to her absolute delight. The noise from the engine and probably Eva’s squeals attracted a small audience. Wanda, Sam, and Natasha watched from the front of the building. Eva waved, calling their names each time you passed and they all waved back with grins. During the last few loops, Steve and Bucky joined the crowd.

Stopping in front of them, you smile as you remove your helmet, “Enjoying the show?”

Wanda grins, “I think Eva likes it.”

“Oh, definitely. Don’t you, kiddo?” you laugh.

“Yes! Again, again!” Eva giggles.

“Is this safe?” Steve asks.

“She has a helmet on. Don’t worry, Cap, I know what I’m doing.”

“I didn’t mean-”

“I know. No worries. Anyway, two more loops, Eva Diva, and then it’s time to put it up, okay?”

“Okay. Let’s go!” Eva bounces in her seat.

“Okay, kid- Oops!” you exclaim then you lose your grip on your helmet and it falls to the ground.

Bucky is the first to jump into action. He snatches up the helmet and hands it to you. He pauses when he realizes that everyone is staring at him, “Uh, here you go.”

“Thanks, Bucky,” you smile at him, feeling awkward. “Um, let’s go, kiddo.”

You start the ATV and complete the two loops as promised. When you pull back into the hangar Eva begins begging for a little longer and when begging turns into whining and whining turns into a crying jag, you declare it's time for a rest. Eva protested and cried more but you managed to calm her down, put on some soft music, and she drifted to sleep pretty quickly despite her protestations.

You close the door and head back to the hangar in order to clean up the ATV and make sure everything is back in order. Wiping down the machine, you wonder why Bucky was so quick to grab your helmet for you. He was as beautiful as you remember whenever you allow his face to drift through your mind. Some incredible twist of fate had put him back in your life and your mind wandered to the connection you had found with him that night. If you could find that with him again then maybe…

You brush the thought away. Bucky was just the new guy just wanting to be helpful. A picture of James at the cabin flashes into your mind and you shake it away before it can take hold again. Now more than ever you didn’t want to dwell on that night and the feelings it evokes.

“Are you okay?”

You jump at the sound of his voice behind you, “Jesus! Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Sorry,” Bucky looks at you contritely. “Uh, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“You just jerked your head and I thought maybe something was wrong.”

“I’m fine. Sorry, didn’t mean to jump down your throat like that,” you realize how harsh you may have sounded. “Is there something I can help you with?”

Bucky looks around for a moment, “Uh, no. I was wandering around and saw you in here.”

“I was just cleaning up from earlier,” you fidget with the rag in your hand.

“Where’s Eva?” Bucky asks.

“I think I wore her out. She was beside herself so I put her down for a nap.” Your nerves are near shot as you speak. All of these intense emotions seem to overwhelm you at once as you stare into his face. You couldn’t tell what he was thinking or feeling and it disconcerted you. Deciding escape was your best option, you rush your words, “She’ll probably wake up any minute. I should get back.”

“Yeah, of course. Don’t let me hold you up.”

“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” you ask again.

“No, I’m good.”

“Okay. Catch you later,” you say as you hurry out the door.

In your room, you watch a sleeping Eva as you remind yourself to keep your head on straight when it comes to Bucky. There were so many emotions surrounding that night in the cabin for you. You had always wondered what would happen if you saw James again. There is some part of you that had thought about finding him again, falling in love, and living happily ever after but that’s just stupid school girl fantasies. Real life didn’t work like that. So, you would work with Bucky but you couldn’t let yourself get too close. You were scared of your own emotions and it was hard that he didn’t seem to remember. Some part of you hoped he would. Hoped that you could get answers, maybe closure. It was stupid. You resolve to concentrate on Eva and your work until… God, you didn’t even know. Until the feelings finally go away, until the world didn’t tilt on his access every time you saw him, until-

“Can I have a snack?” Eva says as she pops up from the bed.

You smile, pulling yourself out of your thoughts, “Of course.”

You did your best to concentrate on Eva for the rest of the weekend and it helped that you didn’t see Bucky again. It was Tuesday before you did. You walked into the hangar and there was a motorcycle sitting in your work area.

“Is that a Harley Street 750?” you say mostly to yourself as you squat down to look at the engine.

“Yeah, it is. You like bikes?”

Your head pops up as Bucky walks towards you, “Sorry, I didn’t see you. Uh, yeah, I do.”

“I was in the supply closet. Needed a rag,” he holds up the red cloth. “I hope you don’t mind me working in here. The garage feels stuffy.”

“Of course not. It’s fine. Work wherever you’re comfortable,” you say politely even though his presence unnerved you.

“Do you have one?” Bucky asks.

“I do. A softail slim,” you answer.

“Nice. Do you ride a lot?”

“Not as much as I’d like. Anyway, I should get to work.”

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Bucky asks.

“Uh, no. Thank you,” you give a small smile and turn away.

“Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“Yes. No. I mean,” you close your eyes and lick your lips. Turning to face him, you take a deep breath and explain, “I don’t know you. Most of the team does, but I don’t.”

“You can get to know me,” Bucky says gently.

“Maybe,” you say quietly. “I have to get to work.” You walk away quickly before he can continue the conversation and head into your office.

–

Bucky watched as you retreated and wondered if you had seen right through him. There was nothing wrong with the garage, he just wanted to be near you. From the time he was introduced to you and he heard your voice, he was enraptured. Something about you called out to him and he wanted to be near you, to get to know you but you were so wary of him. It made him sad and confused. He wondered if you held his past against him.

When he asked Sam and Steve about you, they had little information. You kept to yourself. You were always nice, helpful, and courteous but rarely overtly friendly. The only people you seemed to know well were Tony, Pepper, and Happy.

Bucky knew approaching Tony or Pepper wasn’t going to get him much. He wondered if he could get some info out of Happy. Or maybe he shouldn’t pry. Damnit, he was so twisted up. He wanted to get close but he understood he couldn’t force it. He would offer his time and friendship and, hopefully, you'd meet him somewhere in the middle.

–

When you had finished going through your emails, reports, and signing off on requisitions, you’d had enough of sitting behind the desk. You had work to do on the quinjets and knew you couldn’t avoid Bucky forever. Taking a deep breath, you leave the sanctuary of your office and walk to the quinjet. Glancing over, Bucky gives you a quick smile and gets back to work on his bike. You weren’t sure if you were relieved or disappointed. You lose yourself in the work until Tony’s voice calls out to you.

“Hey, Abu! Where are you?”

Rolling your eyes at the nickname, you wipe your hands and walk out of the jet. Tony is eyeing Bucky as you catch sight of him.

“Something wrong with the garage?” Tony cracks.

“I like the space,” Bucky says curtly. The two had a grudging respect for each other but didn’t interact much.

“Uh-huh,” Tony squints with a smirk before turning to you, “Got a little project for you.”

“Oh, goody, I was getting bored,” you sass.

“You’ll thank me later,” Tony says enigmatically as he hits the button for the hangar ceiling to retract.

You look up in disbelief as Clint Barton makes an expert landing on his sky-cycle. He commands the vehicle to disengage and dismounts.

“Clint! I thought it was destroyed!” you exclaim.

“It’s seen better days. Definitely needs some work. That’s why I brought it to you. Figured Stark’s whiz kid could set her to rights again,” Clint grins.

“Absolutely! I’ve studied all the specs on it. I can’t wait!” you reply enthusiastically.

“Nerd,” Clint teases.

“Proudly!” you laugh.

“Hey Abu,” Tony pipes in.

“Yeah?”

“It’s later,” he crosses his arms.

You look at him confused for a moment until you remember his earlier statement. Grudgingly, you let the words slip past your lips, “Thank you, Tony.”

“Hey Bucky,” Clint notices him standing a little ways away.

“Clint. Interesting ride,” Bucky nods to the sky-cycle.

“It’s fun,” Clint smiles.

“You should help with the work on this,” Tony says to Bucky, surprising you.

“What?” you say at the same time Bucky asks, “Me?”

“You, Manchurian Candidate. You’re a decent mechanic on things pre-1980s but this’ll give you some experience with more modern technology while still being something you’re fairly familiar with,” Tony turns to you, “I know you want to work on this but you’ve got a lot on your plate. It’ll give you an extra set of hands.”

“Uh, yeah. If… if you want to,” you say awkwardly to Bucky.

“I’d be happy to learn from the master,” Bucky grins winningly.

So much for keeping your distance, you think while your heart does that flip-flop that has become more familiar since Bucky had arrived. His smile is beautiful. This was going to be a challenge.

Over the next two weeks, you and Bucky worked on the cycle. He listened, asked extremely intelligent questions, worked hard, and gave you space. He didn’t push you to talk but was always willing to engage when you did. Occasionally, even telling you stories of his life with Steve before the war. He respected your expertise and didn’t get uptight when you took the lead. He was respectful. When you ran into each other outside of the hangar, he was polite but never intrusive. It should have made you comfortable, instead you felt more and more troubled.

Your emotions were tangled and you had no idea how to straighten yourself out. You found yourself more and more attracted to him but you didn’t trust yourself. What if all that you were feeling stemmed from that one night in the cabin? You kept conflating Bucky and James, even calling him James once by accident. He had looked confused and you apologized before making a quick exit. When the bike was finished, you sat together admiring your work for a moment.

“Gotta admit, this thing is pretty damn cool,” Bucky says.

“It is,” you nod. “Clint will be by later to take it for a final test run.”

“After working on this, I feel the need to take a ride on my bike.”

“I get that. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve taken mine out for more than a quick run.”

“Would you like to go for a ride with me? We could do it this weekend,” Bucky asks nervously.

You blanch but are relieved to realize you have the perfect excuse, “Uh, thanks but I have Eva this weekend. I’ll have my hands full.”

Bucky nods to cover his disappointment, “Some other time then.”

“Uh, maybe. I, um, I need to get ready. Mark will be here with her soon. I’ll see you later, Bucky,” you make the excuse before hurrying towards the exit. You look back at the door for just a second.

“Later, doll,” Bucky gives you a sweet, sad smile that nearly breaks you.

Part Four

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lunexrin · 2 years ago

Text

"You're a little less annoying than the others."

Tsukishima Kei. (Childhood friends, high school AU.)

| this one's a bit rushed and doesn't make much sense ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ |

Seasons changed, year after year, and so do both of you. He has always been the blunt kid that he is, but he had that adorable glint in his eyes, so pure of hope and innocence. But you knew he changed after that night with Akiteru.

He can't help but to realize that you've changed too. You were like the sun, always shining so brightly wherever you go, it hurt his eyes, even. The social butterfly kid, pretty much knew every kid in middle school, younger or older. Not to mention that you were the smartest kid in your year, and even if he was a year older than you, he couldn't help but to admire you.

But eventually, the sun had turned into the moon. More calm, reserved and somewhat.. cold.

He remembered all of those family gatherings --in which his were considered your own, that's how close you are-- and would naturally catch the glimpse of you running around with the other kids. But now he sees you in the corner with a cat on your lap, head buried in a book that looked like a guide to ancient black magic or something, with headphones on.

He had not seen you speak a word since you arrived, too preoccupied in whatever fantasy you have brought upon yourself in the form of a novel.

He felt drawn to you. Hell, when did he ever not? He finds the sounds of his faint footsteps from his covered ears, the music playing in his headphones did the job enough to muffle the annoying voices of loud relatives, kids screaming, crying and whatever else, he didn't care. He stopped in front of you, staring at your figure for a moment. He took in your new haircut, your new style, your outfit, the book-- everything. But yet, you haven't noticed him.

With a quiet sigh and a chuckle, he sat down in front of you, petting the cat in your lap. "Is the book that great?" He mumbled, gently petting the cat as it purred.

"What?" You replied, taking off your headphones and letting it hang off your neck. He followed, then rested his palms on his knees. "Nevermind," he mumbled again.

"You've changed."

Just what in the heavens that has gotten into him? He would be the last person you expected to say such a thing.

"In a good way, I suppose.

But you're still a nuisance."

A smile broke out from you, followed by a small huff. He saw the cheeky smile that you had on after he said it, and he wanted to punch it off of you for being so damn adorable. He had to shift his gaze away from you and to the cat, to refrain his heart from bursting. He always had a soft spot for you, and it'll stay that way.

He thanked the Lord that you finally moved your ass here from Tokyo.

No more late night calls, no more train tickets.

He was keeping an eye on you to see if you're doing well in Karasuno, and yet he never saw you with a proper friend. And him being the sweet thing that he is, he lets you bother him and Tadashi. Tadashi was more than delighted, and the blondie acts as if he hated it, but he didn't mind, actually. If you really had no one else in the world, he would be more than honoured to fill in that void for you, and be the only one for you.

"Ano ne, Kei." He hummed as he watches you solve the darn algebra question that he explained it to you earlier.

The wind suddenly passes through, a low whistle making itself heard in your ears. The shiver that followed after was a bit painful as you tried to shake off the piercing coldness of the wind. You turned to witness those golden brown eyes, getting lost in its' beauty for a moment.

"Aishteru yo."

An irritated sigh leaves the blonde's mouth, a hand pressed to the layers of his forehead from his frowning. He slowly opened his eyes and chuckled, and it turned into the most beautiful harmony of joy that has ever hit your eardrums.

"You're so annoying," he muttered but another sweet laugh escaped him. A hand covered his mouth, the other wiped the tears forming into his eyes.

He's way too used to you throwing the L-bombs at him at the most random of times.

"I know," you said proudly, that same cheeky smile that he always loved made its way to your perfect lips once more.

"But maybe, just maybe.. you're a little less annoying than the others."

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x you #haikyuu x y/n #tsukishima kei #kei tsukishima #tsukishima x reader #anime #karasuno #kei x reader #tsukishima x y/n #tsukishima x you #fluff #haikyuu fluff

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teawithnosugar · 2 years ago

Note

hi! pls will you write some angst for Ellie Williams x reader where Ellie finds out r knew about the hospital Joel situation!

Truth

Bff!Ellie x Reader

CW: angst/no comfort WORDS: 0.6k SYNOPSIS: You betray your best friend's trust SONG: Fear - Current Joys

"I don't want you to leave"

AN: I swear to god this is so short and rushed but I’m so tired and have more stuff to write 😭 don’t worry, I already have SO MANY ideas for a part 2

Ellie had been silent since she and Joel came back from Salt Lake City. It was unlike her, usually flowing with words, seeking excuses to catch a glimpse of your face or savor your laughter. But now she avoided you like a forbidden current.

Deep within, you sensed the reason, though denial stood firm. Maybe she was tired? Maybe she wasn’t feeling well? But all those feeble excuses faded from your mind once you caught Joel's sympathetic gaze from afar. Ellie was next to you on Shimmer while you were on your own horse, Nelly. It was the first time you’ve seen her in weeks, her presence fleeting—merely for the purpose of patrolling.

Your gaze fixed ahead, towards the slowly unfolding gate. Unease filled your being, keeping you still, your mind an empty canvas. It was only when Ellie clicked her tongue and Shimmer surged forth that you jolted back to reality, urging Nelly forward with a flick of the reins, trailing behind Ellie's lead.

Silence prevailed, your words reserved solely for deciding the path ahead. Never before had guilt whispered within you during those three years of settling in Jackson with Joel and Ellie. You convinced yourself that concealing the truth was for her own sake, that ignorance was her haven, enough to repel any twinge of remorse. But now that you saw how tired she was, and how quiet she was, the guilt came crashing down on you like heavy rain.

You soon found yourself with Ellie in the abandoned pharmacy, mindlessly putting loot into your duffel bag. You were thinking of a way to fix this, to get her to talk to you, to hear her laugh again. ‘You heard Dina and Jesse broke up again?’ ‘I helped the Tipsy Bison add some items to the menu’ ‘I had to tell that kid Gabe that I’m gay cause he confessed he liked me and I had to comfort him for a good 30 minutes cause he kept fucking cryi-’

Your thoughts were interrupted by your own yelp, an obnoxious clicking resonating in the air, and the forceful sensation of being toppled to the floor. You fought against the assault, realizing a clicker had found its way inside and attacked you. You tried to push it off you but it was strong. Ellie rushed to your aid, thrusting her knife into the infected's skull. You gasped as the blade's tip protruded through its furrowed brow before being withdrawn. You heaved heavily, panic slowly waning as you pushed away the limp body.

As calm settled within you, your gaze shifted to Ellie, standing tall above you, her brows knitted together in anger. “What the fuck? Pay attention to your goddamn surroundings,” she scolded. Her angry expression caused you to remember everything, and all of a sudden, tears welled up in your eyes and you let out a shaky “I’m sorry.”

Her gaze narrowed, a scoff escaping her lips. “Jesus it’s fine, no need to cry.” You shook your head frantically, getting up and grabbing her hand as she started to walk away. She looked at you, expression still hardened but a little confused.

“N-no, I’m…I’m sorry…I’m so sorry,” I said shakily, not talking about the clicker anymore, and from my tone, she immediately understood. She stayed silent, wrenching her arm from your grasp, grabbing the bag of loot from the floor and walking out the building and climbing Shimmer.

She gave you one last cold look, green eyes saying everything before she clicked her tongue and pulled the reins. She left you there to get back on your own.

That was the last time you two ever spoke about it.

#the last of us #tlou #the last of us 2 #tlou 2 #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams #ellie x reader

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smallestapplin · 2 years ago

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Always here

For the month of Emmet.

“Dad! Dad! It’s starting!”

Arthur picks up his speed, gathering all the snacks and 2 liters he can fit in his arms before rushing towards the living room.

He sets the items down as carefully as he could while shuffling to the ground to sit next to his son, who moves over to let the large man sit in front of the tv.

“You’re gonna mess up the ship!” Despite the monotoned cry, Arthur chuckles.

“Sorry kiddo, I’m tryin’ to be easy.” He manages to make his way into the big pillow fort.

The fort is just big enough to house him, even if it’s in the shape of a pirate ship, or as good as Arthur could get it. With white sheets up like sails, and a broomstick barely stable holding up a black flag with a goof skull on it wearing a straw hat.

Emmet snaps his head towards the tv as the intro plays, mutely squealing and singing along to it.

Arthur gives a half-lopsided smile as he hums the tune. He loves these moments, and he wishes Ingo was more into these animes to spend time with him too, but the child is in his room and using these moments to make schedules.

He’s brought from his thoughts when Emmet launches forward, foot on the low coffee table, and a fake cardboard sword out.

“These bad guys got nothing on us! We are verrry strong!”

“Ain’t nothing on us with you are their side.” Arthur nudges his son, chuckling at the bright expression his boy gives.

Emmet never sits down, his whole body moving as he cheers for the pirates on screen, only taking brief moments to stop to grab some chips to eat or get a drink.

Arthur does his best to meet the boy’s energy, easily lifting Emmet with one arm and resting him on his shoulder as they both cheer on the young pirate.

It didn’t take long from all the movement to knock the fort over, but thankfully by then, the show has went off.

Emmet pops his head out from under the fallen pillows, his laugh echoing in the living room and his smile as bright as the sun.

“Dad! Dad! Did you see that!? That fight was soooo cool!” Easily he jumps up and lands on his dad’s stomach.

The air is knocked from Arthur, but he can only join in on his son’s joy.

“I wanna just as strong as them!”

“I bet you’ll be even stronger, kiddo.”

He can’t help but cherish these moments. No matter how often they happen, he never wants them to end.

…..

……….

…………..

How long had it been?

How long had he been staring at the tv?

Much had changed since that memory, it all came flooding back to the much older man seeing that same pirate anime on his screen.

It was Emmet’s favorite and what got him into anime to begin with.

Arthur stares for a moment more before realizing just how quiet his house is.

His Pokémon resting as they have gotten up in age.

His herdier napping at his feet, greying around her muzzle.

His Excadrill’s black fur slowly turns silver.

Even Arthur had grown much older.

The silver in his hair only grows, and the crows' feet on his face deepen.

It seems just like yesterday his boys were ten and running around, causing the cutest mayhem.

Now it’s just him and Emmet….

He hesitates but doesn’t stop for long when he picks up his phone, pressing call.

“Hello, I am Emmet. What’s wrong? You never call.”

Arthur knows he doesn’t call, preferring to text and meet in person, but he can’t help it this time.

“I…I was scrollin’ through my streamin’ service and I saw that show you liked. You remember that one you’d always have me build a pillow fort over?”

“Oh yeah! My verrry favorite, I haven’t watched it in a while.”

Arthur blinks the tears away, cracking a half smile.

“I was wonderin’ if maybe you’d like to visit and watch it with me.”

It’s a work day, and Emmet has been drowning himself in work to keep himself busy. He knows his sons were roommates, especially with the prices in Nimbasa, so it must be hard on him to return to an empty home.

“I’d like that. Be there after work.”

“Sounds good. I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

Arthur hangs up, placing his phone down before standing and walking around his house. His movements catch the attention of his elderly Pokémon, all making a curious sound or following him.

He roots through the boxes in the garage, trying to find the flag, his silver eyes lighting up at the familiar goofy-looking skull.

With the flag in his grasp, he gets to work.

Around seven at night, there is a knock on the door before it opens.

Emmet sighs, work has been stressful as ever, and still no signs of Ingo anywhere. He places his bags down, hanging his hat and coat on the coat rack as he kicks his shoes off and leaves them by the door.

Looking down he smiles at his childhood pets.

“Hello Pepper, hello Roxie, looking verrry cute today.” He pets the old Herdier and Excadrill.

A faint glow makes him look up.

“Hello to you too Lilac.”

The Lampet gently hums, spinning around the younger twin.

He walks through the home, and right into the living room.

“Dad I’m-“ Emmet cuts himself off, staring at the scene before him.

His dad setting up a massive pillow fort, one he remembers all too well, and said the old man trying to get the flag to stay up top.

“Damn it, I was hopin’ the girls would hold ya off ‘till I got this up.”

Emmet is stunned.

He hasn’t seen this set up in a decade or two.

The coffee table is filled with their favorite sugary drinks but no snacks. He’s snapped out of it when Arthur lets out a happy sound before he moves out of the way to show off his work.

“What do ya think? I ain’t lost my touch yet.”

Emmet laughs, but can’t bring himself to speak.

“I also ordered yer favorite takeout, I hope that’s alright.”

How long had it been since he and his dad last hung out like this? How long had he been so neck-deep in his work, he forgot he still had family left?

Arthur lets out a soft ‘oof-‘ as Emmet slams into him, the twin burying his face into his dad’s chest and arms tightly around him. Arthur is quick to wrap his arms around Emmet, holding him in a protective hold.

He can feel his shirt growing wet, yet Emmet doesn’t make a sound, even if his shoulders are shaking.

Arthur stands there, shushing his son softly but never letting him go, letting him stay here as long as he liked.

“M’sorry.”

The older man rests his head on top of his son’s.

“Ain’t nothing to apologize for. I’ll always be here.”

Emmet lets out a choked sob, clinging to his father like he’s afraid he’ll disappear too. Arthur doesn’t mind, simply sitting them down under the comfort and safety of the pillow fort.

His Pokémon grow concerned, as a dimming Haxorus pokes his head into the fort and gently nudges Emmet’s back.

Pepper and Roxie crawl in, leaning against the two men while the Haxorus Hazel guards the open entrance.

Arthur doesn’t care how long it takes for his son to calm down, he will sit here and hold him until he does.

#oc #oc.arthur #pokemon oc #the submas family #pokemon emmet #pokemon submas emmet #oc arthur #am I doing this right????#emmet month

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savebatsfromscratch · 1 year ago

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No.30. Blood Seeps Through Yellow Hair

Ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51233530

Words: 1,092

Cws: Injury, near death

Notes: Sorry, dunno why Yellow ends up getting really hurt every time I write these two.

Prompt: No. 30: “It’s okay, just to say, ‘I’m not okay’.” Borrowed Clothing | Bridal Carry | “Not much longer...”

Yellow shivered as she lay in Blue’s arms, and he didn’t need to be feeling it to see that her healing power was flickering. “No- No, no-,” He gasped, stumbling just a little faster up the hill. He didn’t know quite what that flickering meant, but he doubted that it was good.

He couldn’t lose her, not like this.

“Come on Yellow,” he was nearly begging now, “Just a little further, you can do it,”

Yellow, of course, did not respond.

She was limp in his arms, but at least she still seemed to be breathing. “You’ve got this Yellow,” he whispered, though he knew she could not hear him, “You’ve got this, j-just hold on a little longer, okay?”

Blue wished he could whip the blurring tears from his eyes, but it was all he could do to keep trudging forward. Yellow wasn’t heavy, and Blue wasn’t weak, but even a little time carrying a passed out girl could really wear on a person, and Yellow had been in his arms for quite a while now.

He couldn’t keep going, but he knew he had to. He could see the lights of the Pokemon center, as warm and yellow as always, flickering through the twisted trees. He was so close, he had to keep going, even if his legs felt like jelly and his arms felt like lead.

“Come on Yellow,” he urged the injured girl, “Hurry up, it’s not that far-,”

He was gasping for breath, and it was clear that whatever energy Yellow had left was being spent on nothing but keeping her alive as blood dripped down her face and onto Blue’s shoulder. She was so hurt that even her healing power had broken. Blue wanted nothing more than to fly or teleport the rest of the way, he knew it would be faster, but he also knew that Yellow’s condition was nothing near stable enough to try it.

Yellow’s breathing was now so faint that Blue could plausibly worry that he would not notice if it stopped.

Finding strength he did not know he had, Blue broke into a run. “Help!” he screamed as the Pokemon center came into full view before him, “Help please! She’s hurt!”

Yellow did not even groan as she jostled around in Blue’s arms, so he only screamed louder as he came closer to the center. “Please!” he screamed, feeling his voice grow hoars with emotion as the nurse rushed out to help him, “Please-,”

Blue stumbled and Yellow slipped partially out of his arms as his knees hit the muddy forest floor. He was full on crying now, and the Nurse Joy’s expression as she took Yellow into her arms didn’t exactly do much good for his panic as the two of them worked to carry Yellow the rest of the way into the Pokemon Center.

Nurse Joy was calling for backup, calling all sorts of awful sounding codes, calling for help… Blue felt Yellow be torn from his hands. He knew that it was good that she was getting into the emergency room immediately, but something deep inside him, some awful, shivering selfishness, wanted to be at her side.

Blue wanted to help her, to feel her hair in his hands as he comforted her, to watch her smile when she woke up to see him, to hear her laugh when she saw the mud stains on his clothes. Now, when he was left alone in that near empty lobby, he felt himself realizing something. He truly loved Yellow, and more than just as a coworker, friend, or student. No. Blue loved her.

He collapsed into one of the center’s chairs, suddenly aware that his legs could not hold him any longer and completely uncaring of the mud that would surely stain the carved wood.

Blue couldn’t live without this girl. This girl with the sunflower hair and the quartz white smile. This girl with the life giving touch and forest taught hands.

Blue knew that he could not wait for her, but, as he stared up at the glowing light above the operating room, he knew he had to. He wanted to spill all his secrets and stories to her listening ears. He wanted to hold her hand as she excitedly told him all about all of her forest memories. He wanted to spend time with her.

But he knew he couldn’t, not yet.

He did not know how long he stared up at that light, but it was long enough that the mud had turned to dirt by the time its red glow had faded.

Instantly, the full force of his panic was back. Did that loss of light mean she had lived? Did it mean she had died? Would he get his chance to tell her his love or had he already missed it?! Blue stood quickly as the door slid open, revealing Nurse Joy’s weak smile in his direction as she came into view.

Blue’s heart pounded in his chest, but his words caught so deep in his throat that they refused to even come out as he glided, zombie-like, towards the door.

He had started crying again (or maybe he had never stopped), and the tears made his vision blurry as he pushed past the Nurse Joy into the room. For one heart stoppingly terrifying moment, he could not tell if Yellow had made it or not, but then he saw her face break into a weak smile as her half opened eyes caught Blue’s.

Blue charged forward, all formalities forgotten as he threw himself at her. In the moment, he didn’t even realize that it might be against medical rules. He hugged her tight to his chest and sobbed, and Yellow laughed and laughed until she too began to cry.

Blue felt her healing magic pulsing through him, and he pulled back from the hug to get a better look at her. Her head was wrapped in a bandage, and the machinery around her was beeping incessantly, but she was alive.

“I love you,” Blue managed, and Yellow didn’t even have time to laugh before he was kissing her. Behind them, the Nurse Joy gasped and started to say something, but neither dexholder paid her any mind as they embraced. It was warm, classy, and quite literally healing as Yellow’s magic exploded outward, warming Blue’s heart as it reached him.

He had done it!

She had done it!

She was alive!

(And Blue didn’t think he was ever going to let her go again.)

#whumptober2023 #no.30 #Bridal Carry | “Not much longer...”#fanfic #near death #injury #feelingshipping #trainer blue #trainer yellow #nurse joy #my art #my writing #actual post #whumptober #pokespe #pokemon adventures #pokemon special

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lemoncrushh · 7 months ago

Text

Wild Horses - Ten

Summary: Amber Crosby didn’t end up with the life she’d expected, but that didn’t keep her from following her dream. A young, up and coming country recording artist, she and her band set out to do just that. Trying to leave her past behind, it wasn’t until meeting Harry Styles that she realized just how her life could take a turn and alter her future forever.

A/N: Please note all portions in italics are meant to be flashbacks :).

STORY PAGE

Chapter Ten Word Count: 5.6k+

“Just ‘cause I can’t go on, just ‘cause I die when you’re gone, just ‘cause I think of you in bed…” - Jordin Sparks; Don’t Let It Go to Your Head

Amber wiped the tear she’d felt slip from the corner of her eye just as Laci disappeared from the screen, in a hurry to get back to her dolls.

“Now honey,” said Pauline, returning to the FaceTime call, “don’t you start crying, or you’ll make me into a big ol’ slobbering mess.”

“Sorry, Mom,” sniffled Amber. “I just feel like I’m missing so much.”

“Not really,” argued her mother, trying to diffuse the emotions. “Just the everyday stuff. We’re not doing much but going to preschool and dance class. And back home again.”

“That’s what I mean,” Amber frowned.

“I know baby,” Pauline said softly. “But you’re living your dream, right?”

“Yeah,” she replied with a sigh as she wiped another tear.

Taking the initial step to call her mom had been the hardest part. Amber had been reluctant to tell Pauline about the situation with Carter, and unload all of her grief in the process. She hadn’t wanted her mother to worry, but even more, she’d felt ashamed. The call had proven to be productive, however, and after over an hour of hashing everything out, getting her mother’s point of view and ever-present unconditional love, she felt better - albeit very homesick.

“So you’ve told me about your new drummer, and how your band’s getting along, but what about Mister Cutie?”

Amber couldn’t help but laugh. “Who’s Mister Cutie?”

“Harry!” exclaimed Pauline with wide eyes. “Who else?”

“Mother,” Amber shook her head.

“Oh c’mon, hon, even I can recognize a hottie! I’m not dead.”

Amber laughed again as she rocked cross-legged on the bed. “Harry’s a sweet guy.”

“Well, that’s good,” her mom declared. “Wouldn’t want to know my daughter’s the opening act for an asshole.”

“Mom!”

Interrupting their giggles, a knock sounded on the door. Almost like deja vu, Amber recalled the last time she’d been FaceTiming her mother and Carter had knocked on the door. With a sigh, she asked Pauline to wait, setting her phone on the bed. Unlocking the door, she hesitantly opened it to find an easy, dimpled grin on the other side, green sparkling eyes above it.

“Hi,” he greeted, the one simple word in his deep voice making her insides flip and providing a sense of calmness at the same time.

“Hey,” she grinned back, speaking in a hushed tone. “I’m on the phone with my mom, but you can come in.”

“Oh, don’t let me interrupt!” Harry held up a hand.

“It’s fine. We were just finishing up.”

Harry stepped inside and shut the door quietly behind him as Amber rushed back to her phone.

“Hey, Mom, I gotta go.”

“Okay, honey. Call me soon, okay?”

“You bet,” Amber agreed as she felt a poke on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Harry gesture toward the phone, his brows raised in question. With another sigh, she smiled. “Mom, someone wants to say hi.”

“Oh?”

Before she could say more, Harry leaned over Amber’s shoulder so that his face could be in the camera’s view.

“Hi, mum, I’m Harry!” he waved with his child-like joy.

Pauline didn’t miss a beat. “Well, yes you are! Hi, Harry, I’m Pauline.”

“Hi, Pauline. How are you?”

“I’m just fine and dandy. Just miss my baby girl.”

Harry nodded and Amber felt him squeeze her other shoulder. “She misses you, too.”

“Oh, she talks about me, does she?” Pauline inquired.

“Yeah, you know. All the bad stuff,” Harry quipped.

“Harry!” Amber shouted, earning herself another dimple and squeeze.

“I’m joking. Lovely to meet you Pauline. Hope to see you in person soon.”

“Same here, sweetheart. Y’all go have fun. Time for me to get that little rascal to bed,” said Pauline.

“Night, Mom. Kiss Laci for me,” Amber swallowed, keeping her tears down.

“Of course, honey. Goodnight.”

Disconnecting the call, Amber felt Harry’s hand slip from her shoulder and down her back, stopping in the center. With a heavy breath, she turned and looked at him.

“Your mum’s lovely,” he commented.

“Thanks.”

“She looks like you. Or... you look like her.”

Amber’s lips spread into a smile then, knowing he meant it as a compliment. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, it took all she had not to pull him closer.

The last couple of days had been fantastic. Despite the ever-present nerves she had around Harry, her attraction to him building more and more each day, she took solace in merely being in his presence. He made her feel happy, assuring her - whether with words or not - that everything was going to be okay. And she figured that even if nothing happened romantically or physically between the two of them, she was glad just to know him and to be his friend.

“So…” Amber slapped her hands on her thighs. “What’s up? Did you wanna go grab something to eat, or…?”

“Oh!” Harry suddenly rose from the bed. “Well, yeah. But first, I have something for you.”

Amber’s eyes lit up as she scooted closer to the edge of the bed. “Ooh! What is it?”

“Close your eyes,” Harry commanded, backing into the dresser.

“Um...alright,” Amber obliged, but not without taking a peek to see Harry grabbing something from behind him.

“Keep ‘em shut, you cheater!”

Amber giggled, covering her eyes with her hands as Harry’s accent rang through the room. Then within a second, she could feel his presence as he stood before her, the smell of his cologne - and something else, perhaps one of his candles - filling her senses.

“Are they closed?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. You can open ‘em now.”

Dropping her hands, Amber lifted her eyelids slowly as she caught sight of the white, square box with the little apple on top in his hands.

“What?” she gasped. “You’re giving me AirPods?”

“Yeah. You need some, right?”

“Well…” Amber began as she took the box, unable to form a coherent thought. “Um...I needed earbuds, Harry, but…”

“These are better.”

“Yeah but...they’re like...way too expensive!”

“No,” Harry argued. “They’re a gift. From me. So you can workout in the gym...to ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ or anything else you fancy.”

The dimples made their appearance again as Amber replaced the lid on the box and set it beside her. Then rising from the bed, she wrapped her arms around his waist, his scent smelling a hundred times better as she pressed her cheek to his chest.

“Thank you so much,” she murmured softly.

“You’re very welcome,” he said, hugging her back.

“I can’t believe you’re not sick of me saying that yet,” she scoffed, unable to let go of their embrace. She felt Harry’s chest shake slightly as a tiny sound escaped his throat.

“Amber...I don’t reckon I could ever be sick of you.”

“Climb in!” called Faith from the driver’s side of her truck.

Amber sat on her front stoop, hugging her knees.

“No thanks.”

Putting the truck in park, Faith turned off the engine and climbed out. Walking around the front bumper, she sat down next to Amber.

“Where’ve you been?” she asked. “I haven’t seen you lately.”

“I’ve been sick.” Amber looked at her sandaled feet, tracing the V on her flip flops.

“Ugh, I’m sorry,” Faith grimaced. “Feeling better?”

“A little.”

The girls were quiet for a moment as Amber looked up to watch the one tree in her yard sway in the breeze.

“I was about to go to the store. Wanna come?”

Amber knew which store Faith was going to, and that was only because Tyler Finch worked there. He was in community college and was Faith's newest pursuit.

“Nah, I don’t feel like it.”

Faith sighed. “Are you still not over the whole Dallas thing?”

“The whole Dallas thing?” Amber scoffed. “Yeah, sure, if that’s what you wanna call it.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…it’s been weeks now. I feel bad that he did you like he did, but…did you really like him that much?”

“No!”

“I mean…I seem to remember you saying it was over pretty quickly. He obviously wasn’t that into you.”

Rising from the step, Amber opened the screen door to her trailer.

“Amber…” Faith whined.

“Bye, Faith.” With that, Amber went inside, leaving Faith alone on the stoop.

The tour was going amazingly well. Not only were the shows sold out - it was Harry’s tour after all - but Amber noticed more and more that the arenas were filling up long before her set. She would see girls in the floor section arriving early in their Harry Styles merch or even custom Harryesque outfits, singing along to every word of her songs. One night in Indianapolis, Harry hugged her so tight after her set, murmuring softly in her ear.

“I’m so proud of you, darling.”

Had the rest of her band not come up behind her to join in the camaraderie, she might have kissed him. At least that’s what she told herself. She was on such a high that night. And ever since then, as she lay awake in bed, she’d fantasize about having actually done it - what his possible reaction might have been, and if he would have kissed her back.

She hadn’t had a drink in a while. One week and five days to be exact. That was a lot for her, given the fact that she used to have at least a couple drinks a day. She owed that all to Harry too. They had been spending so much time together, whether it was for a meal, to discuss music or just to fill time, that she hadn’t even felt like she needed a drink. Amber even noticed Harry would go to the gym a little later than usual in the mornings, so he was only halfway through his workout when she arrived, rather than finishing up. She wasn’t sure a hundred percent if this was intentional, but she liked to think so.

On this particular day, an off day, Harry had invited Amber to join him for a visit to the local museum. While she’d emphatically said yes when he’d asked, Amber quickly felt the nerves return to her tummy. She was not a cultured girl. In fact, most people would call her a hick or a hillbilly, at the very least a country girl. She had never visited a museum in her life, unless you counted the wildlife museum back home that she took a school field trip to in the third grade. She didn’t think that counted. It was more like a petting zoo.

Amber made it a point to wear a dress. Not a fancy one, and certainly not one she wore on stage. It was a black dress with dainty flowers on it, a 90s babydoll style. She paired it with her favorite cardigan and a pair of tan sandals. Twirling in the mirror, she felt cute, pretty even. And it was a pretty day.

Stepping outside where Harry told her to meet her, she saw the awaiting car, but no Harry yet. She was just about to check her phone to see if he’d texted her when she heard his voice behind her.

“Good morning.”

Spinning around, Amber was met with a very comfortable looking Harry in one of his signature hoodies and a pair of shorts. He’d obviously just showered as his curls were still damp, and he smelled of very expensive aftershave. His smile faded, however, when his eyes scanned over her.

“Shit, I feel underdressed.”

Amber scoffed and shook her head. “Don’t be silly.”

“C’mon, love, you look so pretty, and I…” he looked down at his own attire, “well, look at this rubbish. I’m gonna change.”

“Harry, no!”

“Just give me five minutes. You can wait in the car,” Harry gestured as he turned for the hotel.

“Harry!” Amber grabbed his arm, laughing. “Be serious! You look great. I might be a little overdressed. I just…don’t get out much.”

Harry chuckled at her remark as he rolled his eyes. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“Why would I mind? You probably wanna look inconspicuous anyway, right? Just…c’mon. Let’s go.”

Turning for the car, she noticed the back door was already open. She slid into the seat, all the way to the left side to allow Harry room. When he climbed in next to her, he sat back and breathed a sigh.

“So, do you go to museums a lot when you’re on tour?” Amber asked, trying to lighten the mood as the driver turned onto the street.

“Oh. Yeah. I mean, as often as I can. It’s not like…a ritual or anything. It’s just something fun to do on off days.”

“That’s cool,” Amber cleared her throat. “Exactly what kind of museum are we visiting? An art museum?”

“No, not today,” Harry grinned. “I opted for the Museum of Natural Science. I hope that’s okay.”

Amber smiled widely. “That’s actually pretty awesome. I was so afraid you were gonna quiz me on some art I have no clue about.”

With a hearty chuckle, Harry nudged Amber’s arm. “I wouldn’t do that to you, even if we were going to an art museum.”

“Thank God!”

Harry was silent for a moment before he muttered, “You really do look nice today, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Amber could feel herself blushing, but she didn’t try to hide it. “So do you, actually. I hope you didn’t think I-”

Harry held up his hand. “Not at all. It was all me. I just saw you in that lovely dress and regretted my own choice.”

“Hmm.”

“What?”

Amber shrugged. “It’s just hard to imagine Harry Styles worrying about the way he looks.”

Harry laughed through his chest as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I have nothing to say to that…except…touche.”

When the driver pulled up in front of the museum, Harry stepped out of the car first, then reached for Amber’s hand to help her out. The chivalrous gesture was not lost on Amber, and she may have held onto his hand a little longer than necessary. She didn’t care if he noticed either.

The line for passes was long, but Amber followed Harry to a separate booth that only took a minute. She wasn’t sure if it was some sort of VIP entrance, as she didn’t have time to even look at the sign before Harry guided her to the first hallway to the right.

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve been here before?” she joked when they reached the end of the hall, a sign marking the entrance to the dinosaur exhibit.

Harry smirked, handing her the pamphlet in his hand. “Sorry, love. Here’s the map. They’re pretty much the same everywhere. I just wanted to get out of the lobby as quickly as possible.”

“I guess you do that a lot. It would take some getting used to…for me.”

“Yeah. The trick is to know where you’re going before you get there. If you can plan it out in your head, you’re less likely to be stopped by a fan.”

“Do they tend to surround you?” Amber asked as they strolled along the pathway that led to the first dinosaur skeleton.

“Actually, no. Over the years I think they’ve gotten more respectful of my privacy. They really only seem to stop me on the street or in a restaurant.”

“That can’t be fun. You gotta be able to eat in peace.”

“True. But I think they think of it as a casual place. And they’re not doing it to be malicious. They mean well.”

Amber hummed to herself as she thought of Harry’s words. She still had a lot to learn about fame.

And about Harry.

She’d found over the last several days that she definitely wanted to know more about him. Why was he always so kind, not just to her, but to everybody? She wanted to learn about how he decided to go solo. She was eager to discuss music with him more. And more than anything…even if she felt bad for wanting to…she wanted to know the story behind his previous relationship with Iris. But…as they say, all in due time.

“Ah, the T-Rex,” remarked Harry, interrupting Amber’s thoughts.

“He’s got little arms,” she giggled.

“Hey, don’t make fun.” Harry then bent his arms, his elbows at his chest to imitate the dinosaur, choosing a cartoonish voice. “I might have short arms, but my massive head will eat you whole.”

Amber cackled so loud, a woman in a uniform gave her an evil eye and a “shush”.

“So sorry,” she whispered, her hand over her mouth as she continued to giggle. She turned toward Harry whose grin was so wide, his eyes were almost shut tight. When Amber snorted, he let out a short laugh, catching her as she bumped into him, her head buried in his chest.

“Sorry,” he chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her. “I didn’t mean to make you laugh so hard.”

“Yes, you did,” Amber muttered against his chest as she playfully poked him in his side.

“Shh, c’mon.”

Harry took Amber’s hand and led her through the rest of the exhibit. Amber tried her best to keep her composure, but not just because Harry had made her laugh. He was holding her hand for fuck’s sake. She didn’t want to be rude and pull away. In fact, she was inner-squealing at herself so loudly, she thought for sure he could hear. Even when he would lean forward to read the information of the dinosaur in front of them, her hand remained in his, fitting perfectly - as if it was completely natural.

When they finally left the dinosaur exhibit - which itself had led into the evolution exhibit-, they made a quick stop at the restroom before Harry suggested they check out the mummies. Amber felt a cold chill when they entered the dark room, and she ran her hands down her arms, wishing she was still holding Harry’s hand.

Seeing old Egyptian boxes did not thrill her. The idea that there was an embalmed body inside gave her the creeps. As she stared at a glass case, the chill returned and she looked up to find Harry missing. Freaking out for a second, she hurried through the maze of boxes until she saw Harry standing by a large TV screen, watching a video on mummies. With a loud sigh, she walked up to stand beside him.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, why?”

“You’re breathing fast like you were just running.”

“Shut up. I don’t do well with dead people.”

“They’re thousands of years old, love. They’re not gonna bother you.”

Harry’s grin was not one of ridicule, but rather one of concern and reassurance. Amber noticed then that the glow of the low light in the room made his green eyes look like an emerald sea. And she wanted nothing more than to swim in them.

Harry must have noticed the hesitation - let’s be real, it was fear - on her face, so he guided her through the exit where they nearly ran into a group of preschool kids. They stood back while their teacher instructed them all to hold hands and walk together. A lump caught in Amber’s throat as she watched the small children. Laci was just about their age. She missed her terribly.

“We’re going to the moon!” a little boy shouted at Harry.

“You are?” he gasped. “Me too!”

The boy giggled, happy at Harry’s reaction. Then he made a motion with his arm, like a rocket ship going up.

“See you up there, buddy,” Harry waved as the line began to move, the little boy acting as the caboose.

“Bye bye!”

“That was so cute!” Amber exclaimed when the kids were out of earshot.

“Yeah, little tykes are adorable.”

“Do you want kids?” She had no idea why she asked that. The words just came from her lips involuntarily. She didn’t even have a chance to roll them around in her brain first. It was like they had intruded her mouth and she just let them fly.

“Of course,” Harry shrugged nonchalantly. “Someday.”

“I’m sure you’ll be a great dad.” What the hell, Amber?

Harry’s lips quirked up, revealing his dimples. “Thanks. Now, what d’you say we break for lunch? Then we can check out the planetarium.”

“Sounds good.” Amber let out a breath, relieved to be dismissed from her vocal faux pas.

There was a queue for the planetarium. But that was to be expected since there were scheduled times, and they only let so many people in. Amber mindlessly chewed on her thumb nail as she watched the screen that changed every couple of minutes with various images of space. Harry was looking down at his phone, his focus clearly elsewhere. Amber wondered if it was Jeff texting him. Or someone else. Not that it mattered. He didn’t have to keep her entertained.

She had enjoyed the day with him so far though, including the creepy mummy display. So far, no one had bothered him, or even seemed to recognize him. The museum wasn’t particularly full of people anyway. It was mostly school field trips, families with small children and the occasional older couple. During lunch, Harry had asked about Mal and if Amber was enjoying having him in her band. She assured him she was, that he was a really great drummer and a nice guy. For only a split second did she even entertain the notion of Carter. It was a fleeting thought that pinched her insides, and she quickly dismissed it. She didn’t miss that asshole at all. Not one little bit.

A voice suddenly came through a speaker overhead, announcing the next planetarium exhibit. Harry shoved his phone in his pocket and wiggled his eyebrows at Amber. God, she loved all his little flirty gestures. Even if he wasn’t intentionally flirting.

Following the line into a large room, Harry gestured to the far end of the auditorium, taking a seat. Amber joined him, sitting down beside him. The room was nice and cool, a calming atmosphere despite the chatter of the other people choosing their spot. Just before the lights lowered and another voice boomed over the speakers, Harry looked at Amber with a gentle grin.

“Is this where we’re supposed to lay back?” she asked in a whisper.

Before Harry could reply, the voice answered for him, instructing everyone to lie back in their seats. Then a low droning sound permeated the room as Amber looked up at the stars.

“Wow!” she breathed.

The voice continued, explaining the galaxy and the milky way. As the image shifted, the solar system came into view. When it shifted again, however, Amber felt a little dizzy.

“You okay?” Harry whispered, catching her holding her stomach.

“Yeah. Just a little queasy. Probably shouldn’t have eaten those french fries.”

“It can be a little disorienting. Close your eyes if you need to.”

“But then I’ll miss it!” she whisper-shouted.

Just as Amber was taking a deep breath, she felt his hand reach over and grab hers. She turned her head in surprise, but Harry only had a calming look on his face, his gaze on her and not on the fake sky.

And that was it. That was the moment Amber decided she liked him as more than a friend. More than a crush, even. Yes, up to that point she had definitely been crushing. She’d wanted to kiss him, and had he let her that night in the bar when she’d been wasted, she definitely would have pursued it further. But even then, it had merely been due to attraction. Now she was catching feelings. Real ones. Just great.

Amber made it through the rest of the show, her hand in Harry’s. About halfway through, she started feeling better, but wasn’t about to let Harry know. It felt too nice to break away.

She did, however, have to break away when the room began to disperse, and Harry announced it was time to go.

“Jeffrey’s been texting me,” he explained. “He needs to discuss something with me when we get back.”

“Jeez, can’t even have a day off,” Amber joked.

Harry rolled his eyes. “Just wait, Amber. He’s probably going a bit easy on you right now, but he’ll have loads of shit for you to do soon enough.”

“Really? Like what?”

“That didn’t come out right,” Harry chuckled. “I don’t mean he’s putting you to work. Just that once he thinks you’re ready, he’ll start setting up interviews and other kinds of promo.”

“Oh. What do you mean when he thinks I’m ready?”

As they stepped outside, the sunshine nearly blinding them, Harry stopped and looked at her. He was sucking in his lips as though he wasn’t sure how to word his thoughts.

“Harry?”

Finally, he ran his ringed fingers through his hair with a sigh.

“Jeffrey’s worried…actually we both are…that you might need some time. Y’know after…Carter…”

“Oh,” Amber frowned, looking at her feet.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t wanna say anything. I know you’re still fragile-”

“But I’m not, Harry.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not fragile,” she conveyed, lifting her head. “I’m not some porcelain doll. Please don’t treat me like one.”

“Amber, I-”

“Why can’t I have interviews and do promo? I’m a musician, too. Jeff’s my manager. I should be able to do that.”

Harry sighed. “Yes, you should. And you will. That’s what I was implying.”

“Good,” Amber nodded with narrowed eyes. As they began walking again, she continued. “Also, just so you know, I am way over Carter.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He was a douchebag.”

Harry chuckled. “I’m glad we agree on that.”

“He hurt me.”

Harry was quiet until they reached the car where he turned to Amber with a tight jaw. “I know. And I hate him because of that.”

Amber gave a quivering smile.

“I’m serious. I don’t hate many people. But I swear as fuck, if I ever see him again, I’ll break his God damn arm.”

Jeff was waiting in the hotel lobby when Harry and Amber returned. He sat on a big, brown sofa, talking on his phone. He gave Harry a short nod of his head before hanging up.

“How was the museum?” he asked, addressing Amber with a smile.

“Oh. It was great,” she beamed.

“Good. I’m sorry to cut your day short, I just really need to talk to Harry about a few things.”

“Sure, no problem.” Looking up at Harry, she lightly brushed his arm and said, “Thanks for inviting me. I really enjoyed it.”

“Of course, love, anytime.”

Still smiling, she walked backwards a few steps toward the elevators before turning and pushing the button to her floor. Once she was on the lift, Jeff cleared his throat.

“You two are getting rather chummy.”

“What?”

“Spending a lot of time together, don’t you think?”

“Is that wrong?” Harry raised a brow.

“Only if she’s getting the wrong idea,” remarked his manager.

“Jeffrey…”

“Harry, I’m not gonna control your relationships. God knows I wish I could have controlled the last one. But this girl is-”

“Damaged?”

“Well…yeah.”

“Then how about you help her instead of talking shit about her, huh?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re her manager, for fuck’s sake, mate! Her album is rising on the charts, she’s been on tour with us for nearly two months and you haven’t booked her one fucking interview!”

“I thought we decided she needed time,” said Jeff.

“Well, apparently she doesn’t. She told me today.”

“She told you what, exactly?

“How she’s over the whole Carter incident. And she wants to do promo,” explained Harry.

“She’s over it, huh? You really believe that?”

Harry shrugged. “I dunno, mate. I just…I don’t wanna see her sad anymore, you know? Give her something to be excited about.”

“She seems pretty excited about you.”

Harry threw his head back with an exasperated sigh.

“Fine, H. I get what you’re saying. I’ll see what I can do to get the ball rolling. Now…I do actually have a few other things I needed to discuss with you. Let’s go to the bar.”

Stepping off the lift, Amber laughed at something Harry had just said. He really liked her laugh. While still girlish, it had a bit of a heartiness to it, like she wasn’t trying to hold back. He appreciated that, and if he was being honest, it stroked his ego a bit. It felt good to make her laugh.

“There you are,” a voice called from near Amber’s door.

“Hi, Jeff,” said Amber, still half laughing. “Were you looking for me?”

“Yeah, I’ve been calling you. Did you not have your phone?”

Frowning, Amber pulled her cell from her purse. “Sorry. Harry and I were having dinner, so I had it muted.”

“I suppose that’s why he didn’t answer his either,” Jeffrey remarked.

Harry caught the look he gave him too, over Amber’s head. So now, what? He couldn’t even have a quiet dinner with his friend?

“I’m so sorry, Jeff,” Amber muttered again. “What was it you needed?”

“I got a call from Nashville Magazine. Seems they want to do a piece on you, and requested a short interview.”

“W- really?”

“That’s fantastic!” exclaimed Harry.

“Problem is, they wanna do it first thing in the morning,” Jeff added. “We’re not set to arrive until six. So it’s gonna be cutting it close.”

Amber snorted, surprising both men. “Not like I haven’t stayed up all night before.”

“So you’re okay with it?” asked Jeff.

“Are you kidding? My first article! Well…except for that time I was in the Perry Home Journal. I think my mom still has it stuck to her fridge.”

Harry caught the smirk on Amber’s face, and it made his insides flip. Instinctively, he reached his hand out to touch her lower back. She didn’t even flinch. Instead, she turned her head to look back at him, giving him a massive grin.

“Alright then,” nodded Jeffrey. “I’ll go return their call and confirm the plans. Then I’ll meet you two backstage.”

“How exciting!” beamed Amber once Jeff was on the lift. “Wait, did you have something to do with this?

“Not directly,” Harry smirked. “But I may have put a bug in Jeffrey’s ear.”

“Well…thank you. Dang. Nashville Magazine. I can’t believe they wanna talk to me.”

“Why wouldn’t they? Your songs are all over the radio now. I think Jeffrey even mentioned one of them being played during an episode of General Hospital.”

“To be honest, I haven’t been paying much attention. Besides the shows, rehearsing, and…well, being with you, I haven’t done much else.”

Harry was quiet while Amber slid her key in the door. Just as she pushed it open, Harry softly said her name.

“Yes?” she turned, holding the door open.

Her full lips were partially open, and just like when he touched her back, Harry felt the urge to touch them. But he restrained himself, holding tight to his belief that it was too soon. Not that she’d been drinking. In fact, he hadn’t seen her take a drink in a while - that evening in his hotel room was the last time he could recall. And they had been hanging out together a lot since then. A lot. Jeffrey hadn’t been wrong with his observation. But still…despite her argument that she wasn’t, she was still fragile. That’s what he’d told himself anyway. He was looking out for her. Of course, that didn’t mean she didn’t sneak a drink when he wasn’t around.

Stepping toward her, he placed his palm on the door, relieving hers. “Do you think we spend too much time together?” he asked.

“What? No! Why…why would you ask that?”

“I dunno,” Harry grinned sheepishly. “I was just…wondering.”

Narrowing her eyes, Amber tilted her head. Then stepping into the room, she held the door as she gestured for Harry to enter.

“I’m confused,” she said when she shut the door behind him. “Do you think we spend too much time together?”

Harry looked down at his hands, twisting the ring on his middle finger before looking back up at her. “No.”

“Does Jeff think we do?”

Harry chuckled. “I’m not worried about Jeffrey.”

“But…does he?”

“He might have mentioned it.”

Amber let out an audible sigh as she crossed her arms.

“But listen, this has nothing to do with him,” Harry explained. “I just…was worried that you haven’t had much of a chance to…you know…do your own thing. I mean…if you wanna go off on your own, or spend time alone…”

His words trailed off as he caught the corner of her mouth threatening a grin. Punctuating his comment with a shrug, he decided not to finish his thought. He wasn’t sure where he was going with it anyway.

“Harry…do you like hanging out with me?”

“Of course.”

“Good. Because I love being with you. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But if it makes you uncomfortable…I get it.”

“It doesn’t.”

“Well then, that settles it,” Amber smiled, reopening the door. “Now, I should probably shower. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Giving a quick wave, Harry headed for the lift. Though it was a short ride to his floor, he thought about what Amber had just said. She loved being with him. Shaking his head as he stepped onto his floor, he decided not to decipher her comment. Though she could have meant a number of things, he was going to take it to mean exactly what he would have meant had he said it.

He loved being with her. And he couldn’t stop thinking about her when he wasn’t.

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mikeyslovers-blog · 1 year ago

Text

why luffy?

The Straw Hat Pirates had achieved the unimaginable. They had journeyed across the Grand Line, conquered the treacherous New World, and their captain, Monkey D. Luffy, had finally become the Pirate King. It was a joyous time for the crew, as they celebrated their accomplishments with a grand feast on the deck of the Thousand Sunny.

After the celebrations had died down, Luffy gathered his crew together. "Alright, everyone, it's time for our next adventure!" he declared, a wide grin on his face. "We're setting sail for the East Blue!"

His crew cheered in response, their excitement palpable. They had all agreed that after achieving their ultimate goal, they would return to where it all began and have some well-deserved downtime.

As they sailed towards the East Blue, Luffy couldn't help but feel a gnawing pain in his chest. It was an ache he had been trying to ignore for a while now. He knew something was wrong with him, but he didn't want to worry his crew, especially not Zoro, his lover and best friend.

Days turned into weeks, and Luffy's condition continued to deteriorate. He would often find himself short of breath and fatigued, but he dismissed it as mere exhaustion from their long journey. His crewmates began to notice his increasingly pale complexion and frequent bouts of coughing, but Luffy was a master of hiding his discomfort.

It was when they finally reached the Twin Capes that their paths crossed with an old friend. Laboon, the giant whale, greeted them with a thunderous cry of joy as they sailed into sight.

"Laboon!" Luffy shouted, his eyes lighting up as he saw his old friend. "I missed you, buddy!"

Laboon responded with a joyous splash, and the crew couldn't help but be swept up in the heartwarming reunion. They anchored the Sunny near Laboon's side, and everyone eagerly disembarked to spend time with the giant whale.

As the crew chatted with Laboon, Luffy's condition took a turn for the worse. He tried to keep up appearances, but he was struggling to hide his pain. Zoro, ever vigilant, noticed Luffy's labored breathing and the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Luffy," Zoro said, his voice tinged with concern, "you don't look so good. Are you alright?"

Luffy forced a laugh. "I'm fine, Zoro! Just a little tired from all the celebrating. You know me, I'm always pushing my limits!"

Zoro wasn't convinced, but he didn't want to press the issue in front of everyone. He knew Luffy could be stubborn.

The crew continued their visit with Laboon, but Luffy's condition worsened with each passing moment. He clutched his chest, trying to hide the pain that was threatening to consume him.

Chopper, the crew's doctor, was the first to notice that something was seriously wrong. He approached Luffy cautiously and asked, "Captain, are you sure you're okay? I can check you out if you want."

Luffy waved him off, his breathing growing more erratic. "Nah, Chopper, I'm just... just a little... ow!"

But before he could finish his sentence, Luffy collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest in agony. Zoro and the rest of the crew gasped in shock.

"Luffy!" Zoro cried out, rushing to his side. "Chopper, help him!"

Chopper immediately sprang into action, examining Luffy with a worried expression. "This is bad," he muttered.

As Luffy slowly regained consciousness, he opened his eyes to see Zoro and the crew surrounding him, their faces a mixture of fear and concern.

"Zoro," Luffy whispered weakly, "I... I didn't want you to worry."

Zoro held Luffy's hand tightly, his voice trembling. "Luffy, what's going on? What's wrong with you?"

Luffy looked down, tears welling up in his eyes. "I have an illness, Zoro. One that even Chopper can't find a cure for. I didn't want to burden you all with it."

The crew exchanged worried glances, realizing the gravity of the situation. Luffy had been hiding his pain from them for far too long.

Zoro leaned in, gently kissing Luffy's forehead. "You idiot," he said softly. "We're a family, and we face everything together. We'll find a way to help you, no matter what it takes."

Luffy smiled weakly, relieved that he no longer had to bear his burden alone. With his crew by his side, he knew that he could face anything, even an illness that seemed incurable.

Chopper's concern deepened as he examined Luffy, and he began asking a series of questions. "Luffy, when did you start feeling ill? Have you been experiencing these symptoms for a while?"

Luffy, still weak and in pain, managed to nod. "Yeah, Chopper, it started a long time ago. But I thought it would go away on its own, so I didn't want to bother you guys with it."

As Luffy spoke, the gravity of the situation began to sink in for his crew. Usopp, who had been busy regaling Laboon with tales of their adventures, turned to look at Luffy in shock. "Luffy, you've been suffering all this time? And we didn't notice?"

Nami, who had been enjoying the clear blue skies, put a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Luffy, how could you keep something like this from us?"

Brook, the crew's musician, nodded in agreement. "Yohoho! This is unforgivable! We should have noticed something was wrong!"

Jinbe, the former Warlord of the Sea, wore a pained expression. "Luffy, you should have told us. We're your nakama, and we would have done anything to help."

Robin, the crew's archaeologist, her voice calm but filled with concern, said, "Luffy, we can't change the past, but we can support you now. Please, let us help."

Sanji, who had been preparing a meal for Laboon, clenched his fists in frustration. "Luffy, you damn fool! I should have seen it! I should have known something was wrong!"

Zoro, who had been holding Luffy's hand all this time, felt an overwhelming wave of guilt wash over him. He was Luffy's first mate, his right-hand man, and his lover. He should have been more attentive. "Luffy," he said, his voice filled with regret, "I knew something was off, but I let you brush it off every time. I should have pushed harder for answers."

Luffy looked at his crew, tears welling up in his eyes, not from physical pain but from the overwhelming emotions of their concern and support. "I didn't want to worry any of you," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "You guys mean everything to me, and I didn't want my illness to burden you."

Chopper, realizing the depth of his own oversight as the crew's doctor, sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Luffy. I should have been more observant. But we can figure this out together, I promise."

As the crew gathered around their captain, they knew that this was a turning point. They had faced countless challenges together, but now they faced one of their own, and they were determined to support Luffy in any way they could.

#angst #fluff #zolu #one piece zolu #straw hat pirates #sick #sickluffy

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