#I thought they were a borrower or something

[oceantornadoo]

ch10 something borrowed something blue (mafia!price x simon's sister!reader)

tw: reader is a kidnappee

masterlist | next

“How do you think we would have met in the real world?” You ask. His fingers tangle with yours, raising them high to your bedroom ceiling. “Hm. Regular customer at y’r store.” He answers. The bright Sunday morning light filters through the bedroom curtains, making the room glow like a dream. “You think I’d still own a bookstore in another life?” John nods against you, his head on the pillow next to yours. “Y’r made fer it. Tha’ I know.” You smile at the thought.

“What would you do?” He’s silent for a moment, thinking. “Military. I’m built f’r violence, can’t imagine anythin’ else.” You frown, hoping for a more positive answer. “It would be dangerous. And you’d be gone a lot. I don’t think you’d qualify as a regular.” You protest against the fake scenario. He squeezes your hand, comforting the sudden rush of emotion that made your last word wobble. You hoped for one future where a little boy named John could chase his interests, not living in a warzone. “I’d get a desk job when we got married.” You turn to your side, meeting his eyes with a grin.

“You’d marry me?” He turns on his side as well, hand catching the side of your face. He strokes the softness of your cheeks, calluses pulling against moisturized skin. “I’d marry ya in any universe. Flirt with ya at the checkout counter. Find your favorite books an’ get th’ author to sign them. Bring back stories from foreign countries. You don’t know what I’d do to find ya and keep ya.” Your breath catches. It’s the closest thing that he could give to a love confession. It’s tailored to you as a person, not just empty platitudes. You peck him on the lips, pulling back before he can distract you. “I’d find you too, John.”

When you wake, you’re cotton headed with a bitter mouth. You try to lick your lips but are stopped by the gag in your mouth, so jarring it took you a second to realize it. As the fog clears, you take stock of the situation.

A gloomy room, water dripping in the corner with a singular light hanging on the ceiling. It’s a bit chilly, air rushing through the thin button-up you’re wearing. (John’s. But you can’t think about him right now.) You’re still in the jeans you wore to work, thankfully. Hands handcuffed behind you to a cool metal chair, your legs secured to the bottom of it. And of course, the fabric gag in your mouth, reflected in the mirror in front of you that has to be watched by your captors. You glare, hard.

You were kidnapped after lunch, and thankfully you’re only a little hungry. The only sense of time you have is your bladder, pleading you to get to a bathroom. It must have been a few hours at least, since you’d only drank a little at work. You guess it’s around 6 pm, before night peaks around the earth in full. All you do is stare at your reflection and wonder how you let two enemies into your bookstore.

The metal door at the corner of the room creaks with effort. When you turn your head, Phil is standing there, sealed plastic water bottle in hand. “How’re ya feelin’?” You stay silent behind the gag, content to glare at your former assistant. He sighs and closes the door. You hear someone lock it from the outside. Phil approaches cautiously, opening the water bottle as he walks.

“‘m takin’ your gag off and you’re gonna be a good girl and not scream.” The phrase good girl is like poison to your ears. Something only your husband is allowed to call you. You stay bitterly silent as he tugs down your gag, dirty fingers brushing your face. You force yourself not to react, eyes trained on him. Phil brings the water bottle to your lips, tilting your head back to drink. While you would refuse out of spite, you don’t know the next time you’ll get water. Drops of water slip down your jaw, cooling your skin even more.

“Now, I’ve got some questions for you, sugar. Answer ‘em and you’ll be outta here in no time.” He leans back against the wall, hands in his pockets. You have a feeling you won’t be getting a bathroom or dinner anytime soon.

-

Stupid Kate and her no-phone rule. She’s notoriously strict with devices when meeting with clients, especially potential ones. John was in that meeting for many grueling hours with a potential gun vendor, watching the clock hands tick by. He needs to call his wife, needs to hear you reassure him that it was just a fight, that you’ll talk it out and be okay eventually. 

Finally, Kate lets them free a bit after six. John immediately grabs his phone from Laswell’s secretary and frowns at the slur of notifications on his screen, mainly from Gaz. He forgoes reading them, calling him while mentally calculating how fast he could see you.

“Sir, we need you at the bookstore immediately.” It sets off alarms in his head. Why would he be needed there? “What aren’t ya tellin’ me, Garrick?” John finds his driver waiting outside the office and signals to him to get going. “Shepherd got ‘er. The two assistants were his. We’re tryin’ to find her but she’s gone, sir.” John barks at his driver to step on it, then puts the phone back to his ear. You’re gone. You can’t be gone. You’re supposed to be waiting for him at the Castle, brows furrowed why he explains why he really couldn’t take you on that trip. Why you seem to be the person he forgot to search for in a past life, with your unruly snickers and magnificent brain. You’re not supposed to be gone.

John bursts into the half-made store, panting from anger. His people are untying Terrance in the corner, a medic pressing an ice pack against a nasty bump on his head. Kyle’s on the phone, barking orders to someone on the other side. 

Their movements stop when their boss bursts in. Tie half-done, hair wrecked from hands going through it. Flustered. A hundred eyes track him and none are the ones he wants. There’s only one thing on his mind.

“Where is my wife?”

-

Simon shoots out of bed, breathing hard. Johnny’s used to his nightmares, tugging his shoulder to bring him back down. Unlike other nights, his husband stays sitting up. It’s enough to raise an alarm.

“Bad dream, lamb?” Moonlight traces Simon’s scars reverently, turning them into rivers of silver. Sometimes it hurts to look at him for too long, but Johnny wills himself to focus. “Somethin’s wrong.” Simon murmurs. He reaches for his phone and dials someone. Johnny can guess who. The call goes to voicemail at the first ring. “Ye ken she’s on do not disturb.” Simon calls again and while usually it would go through on DND, it cuts short again. While he tries for another call, Johnny turns to grab his own phone, calling the man he loathes.

“Garrick.” He sounds angry and out of breath, unusual at this late hour. “Ghost is wonderin’ where his sister is. The lass’s phone isnae workin’.” Instead of biting out a sharp comment, Garrick takes a deep breath like he’s steeling himself. Johnny sits up on instinct, putting the phone on speaker and preparing himself for the worst. “She’s been kidnapped.” Johnny goes to speak but Simon covers his mouth, shaking his head. “I was about to call y’. Shepherd’s men took ‘er at the shop. Two were workin’ on the inside and slipped through. We don’t know-“ Simon snatches the phone and barks out a reply. “We’ll see you in 2 hours. Fuckin’ find ‘er Garrick.” He hangs up and the men get ready robotically, grabbing their respective guns before calling the pilot. Before they head to the helipad, Johnny grabs his husband’s neck and brings his forehead to his own. “We’ll find ‘er.” Simon nods and that’s that. There’s no other option.

-

“An’ here’s the security code f’r the guns.” Simon gestures to the passcode locks on the hundreds of secure cases. “And I need to know this because…?” Your brother sighs, then peeks down to check something on his iPad. “In case Price forgets. In case ya need to launch a coup. In case you wan’ a new weapon. Take your pick, kid.” You punch his arm, then crowd the tablet so you can memorize the code. Only Simon, Johnny, Price, and now you know this code. Not even Price’s head of security. You leave for wedding preparations tomorrow, and instead of watching Sex and the City reruns with Si, he’s forcing you to train like a military recruit. Running you through security codes, showing you how the weapons transfer will work between him and Price. He’s always let you shadow his work but this is different, a new responsibility on your shoulders. 

You know it took a lot for him to allow this. Your brother distrusts everyone, like he believes he’ll be betrayed every morning. “Thanks for showing me this, Si.” You murmur, trusting eyes meeting his. The basement of your mansion, where the weapons are stored, is cool and sterile. An opposing force to the figure of your brother, warm and painted in nostalgia that you’re already trying to not think about. “Can’t have ya in the dark, love. Now tell me the code again.”

“I don’t know the codes.”

Phil glares at you. His personality is so at odds with the assistant you trained in your store. Gone is the happy-go-lucky Southerner that you knew would charm all types of clientele. In his place is a stone-faced man tasked with extracting every single one of your secrets. What a waste of time. You might not be your brother, but at the end of the day, you’re a Riley through and through.

“You’re askin’ me to believe that the Ghost didn’t give his sister the codes to the weapons he was sellin’ her for?” You shrug, unaffected. “Like you said, he sold me. I was more concerned with that than learning how his weapons worked.” He frowns, hands flexing in his pockets. “That don’t make ya feel bad? Gettin’ sold like a cow?” You snort at the comparison. “At least cows get slaughtered. I’m in purgatory in this never-ending marriage with John.” Phil comes closer. He switches from standing to squatting on his haunches, his eyes a little under yours. You wonder why he wants the codes. Does this mean John’s security holdings are compromised? The cases were designed by Johnny himself, impervious to any sort of hacking software.

“From what I saw in the store, you seemed pretty in love.” You shrug again. The best lies, you’ve found, are woven with a thread of truth. “He’s hot. We fuck. Don’t tell me you can’t separate love from lust?” Phil doesn’t say anything. He wants you to keep talking in the uncomfortable silence, but you won’t give in. The shade of his eyes are all wrong, too light. You prefer blue eyes dark and possessive, gripping you in their stare.

After a few seconds, he breaks the staring contest, looking down at the floor. “If you don’t have the codes, you’re not of much worth to us.” You shrug again, willing your hands not to shake. “Then I guess you’ll have to get rid of me.” When he looks back at you, there’s an unnerving grin on his face. “Nah. You know them, I’m sure. We’ll just have to use other methods.”

-

“Favorite takeaway cuisine?”

“Indian. You?”

“Thai. Love me some yellow chicken curry.”

John doesn’t know what that is, so he stays silent. You drop your spoon in your cereal, eyebrows strung together in disbelief. “You’ve never had Thai?” It’s almost a shriek. He’d laugh if he wasn’t sure you’d fling milk at him. “Gaz’s allergic to tofu an’ real superstitious about it. Thinks it’s in the curry even if we get meat.” You bark out a laugh. He’s so glad he didn’t have any morning meetings today. It’s a rare weekday breakfast together and he’s enjoying the get-to-know-you questions you’re flinging his way. 

“Childhood pets?”

“One dog. Got forced to turn him out to the street when I was eleven.” Instead of answering the question, you frown with a pout. “That’s so cruel.” He nods, flicking his eyes away so he doesn’t have to see the pity in them. “My father was a cruel man. Didn’t like things tha’ made a mess, includin’ pets. Or his son.” When he looks back, though, it’s not pity in your eyes. It’s understanding. There’s a new bond of solidarity between you, formed by men that weren’t supposed to become fathers. “I think you’d be a good father, John.” He shrugs, grabbing your free hand on the table and stroking your knuckles.

“Know I’ve got to be one, but not the most excited about it.” It’s a confession he’s never told anyone. He knows he can be a good father, a good leader, but there’s never been that need inside of him to create new life. The way he lives is not good for children. He can imagine it in another life, packing school lunches and doing pickup, but it feels so limited in this one. Restrained to the house, no playdates or public swimming lessons. Anything is too dangerous for someone with his name.

“Can I tell you a secret?” You murmur in a serious tone not meant for the morning. He squeezes your hand before meeting your eyes, wet with unspoken emotion. “I know how to be a good mom, but I don’t really want to be one.” His stomach drops. He’s never heard someone say it so resolutely as him. “Why’s tha’?” He croaks out. “This life…it would be like an animal breeding in captivity. They never get to experience the joys of the wilderness. They’re restricted to the four walls around them. I’d become a captive too, never my own person again. Mother first. I respect others who do it but I just…dread it.” This time, it’s John nodding in understanding. He pulls his chair closer to yours until your legs tangle under the table like a secret.

“What if we didn’t have kids?” You whisper. He shakes his head regretfully. “I need an heir, sweetheart. If I don’t have one, there’d be mutiny.” You bite your lip in concentration and he’s entranced by it. The push of your teeth against the plumpness of your skin is magic. “What if we adopted?” Again, he shakes his head. He’s thought about that avenue too many times to count. “Can’t willingly bring a kid that’s not even mine into this shit.” This time it’s you shaking your head, moving closer until you’re practically in his lap.

“Unofficial adoption. Someone that’s past 18.” It takes a second to register. You both say the same name at the same time: “Gaz.” It’s not unheard of, passing to a non-biological heir. Mainly when the couple has problems with fertility. Usually, the new heir would change their last name for the sake of tradition. You push out of your chair and plop down on his thigh, hands running through his beard in that way that grounds him. “We could tell them I’m infertile.” He hums thoughtfully. “Maybe invent a miscarriage to really get that pity.” You move to his thick head of hair, massaging his scalp. “Wait two years to make it look like we really tried. Announce it on our wedding anniversary for full effect.” You kiss the tip of his nose. A goddess in his lap and you want him. He still can’t believe it.

“Would he want it?” John rarely asks questions, but this one is important. You nod immediately, self-assured. “He loves you like a father, John. I think he’d protest, but eventually say yes.” John captures your lips in a kiss, rough and fast. He pulls away, leaving a string of saliva between you. “I’d get a vasectomy. I’m not fuckin’ you with a condom the rest of my life.” Your eyes flare and he suddenly worries he said the wrong thing. “The rest of your life?” He nods, squeezing your hip. “If you’ll have me.” You grin and it’s the start of his demise.

-

i know this is a little shorter than usual but the kidnapping will be multiple chapters so pls stick with me :) im hoping to finish by the end of feburary but tbd. also taglist is full so she's closed sorry about that!

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[malevessel]

THE GREAT HOST IV

It had been a difficult few weeks.

After the possession, I had a hard time getting back into my normal routine. Days went by and I still felt empty.

According to police reports, it was normal to feel this way, as if it were a side effect. However, my brother and my family were always there.

I had gone back to college, to the gym, I had started hanging out with my friends again... but it wasn't the same, I wasn't the same.

Despite my mother and brother's insistence, I had not stopped smoking, I could not. But it was not just an addiction, there was something else. A thought that remained in my head and scared me.

During the possession, Bob displayed a cocky attitude that I never had. But now, months after the incident, I think deep, deep down there were parts that I liked.

As I went out into the street, I lit a cigarette and headed to the bar where I had arranged to watch the match with my friends and my brother. Antón would come later, because he was training now. I walked around the city for a while, I liked the freedom I had. When I accidentally bumped into a man

Sorry man.

Don't worry, he replied.

There was something about him that looked familiar.

Without thinking much, I continued on my way. I briefly entered the market in the square next door, I needed to go to the bathroom. I put out my cigarette with my foot. I used to find it disgusting, but I had gotten used to it.

I walked around the market before going to the toilets. But while I was urinating, I heard the bathroom door close.

When I turned my head to see who it was, the man I had bumped into earlier was standing there, a dark smile on his face.

Hello again, the man said cheekily.

I see you've been working out. Those legs are wider than last time.

What?! I said

I have not seen this man before, what is he saying, I thought

I'm glad you took care of our body in my absence, Paul. It's a nice touch on your part.

Oh no, he no, please

Y-You

Me

Bob!!!!

In the flesh. Well, not exactly, I borrowed this one. But I like you better, you know what I mean, Paul.

Suddenly, Bob's real body emerges from the man in front of him, and he falls to the ground as if he were dead. Thank God, he was breathing, but Bob quickly approached me and placed his fat old hand on my chest.

Ready to go for a ride, just like old times?

I could only hear my heartbeat, I was paralyzed with fear and a feeling of oppression made me sweat cold as I looked at him.

[starrseeker]

Still Call You Mine

Pairing: Azriel x Fem!reader

Content warnings: Heartbreak, angst, alcohol use, a snippet of unwanted touch, fluff at the end?

A/N: So I won't lie, this probably isn't good. I typically only write for my own pleasure and enjoyment. My hubby was the one who finally convinced me to post something of mine. (I have like 20 different stories saved in my drafts lol.) It's also been a very long time since I've written fan fiction so be easy on me. No idea where I was actually going with this but hope you enjoy it anyways.

You had been heartbroken for weeks. The ache within never went away, a constant reminder that a piece of you was no more. You didn't know where to start. Where to pick up the pieces that had broken apart.

One crisp afternoon you sat within your new apartment. It was too painful to stay at the House of Wind anymore. Constant reminders of what once was. Memories that had been made. It was too much.

The fresh air blew through the open windows, giving you a slight reprieve of the throbbing in your chest. Taking a deep breath of the summer air before sipping the tea you cradled in your hands. How you managed to muster up the energy to brew it was a curious question.

Maybe this is when healing began. The small moments within life that slowly, oh so slowly, brought some life back to you. The ones that give you the feeling that everything will be okay.

A knock at the door stole you from your thoughts. Mindlessly you stood, crossing the space to open the door. Mor wasted no time entering. Almost knocking into you as she began her rant. Emerie walked behind her. Giving you a small smile that seemed almost apologetic.

"Okay. I can't take it anymore Y/N. Everyone has let you mope around for weeks. You've all but shut us out. It's time to get past this part." Mor's hands flailed around as If to prove her point. An argument was on your tongue but she sent you a withering glare.

"Don't even. We are going out tonight, whether you want to or not. You have been locked up in this apartment since you moved out. It's time to get out and remember the bad bitch that you are." She placed a hand on her hip, her expression daring you to get out of it.

Emerie placed a gentle had on your shoulder, sending her mate a look. "What she means to say Y/N, is that sitting here in pity isn't going to help you. We miss you, and we want to help ease this pain." Her tone was soft as she looked at me. It almost brought tears to your eyes.

You pondered for a moment as both females stared at you. Waiting. You turned the idea in your mind. You did miss your friends. You missed the normalcy from before. You let out a reluctant sigh, nodding your head.

"Alright." You said hesitantly. "I'll go out." Emerie sent you an encouraging smile. Mor had a mischievous grin growing on her lips. That was never good.

"Great! We're going to the House. I have something you can wear." You sent Mor a cautious look. Anxiety filling your chest at the thought of going back there.

"Is...Is he going to be there?" you questioned. You weren't ready to face him. Not yet.

It was Emerie who spoke up. "No. Rhysand sent him on an assignment first thing this morning." You let out a breath you'd been holding. That tightness in your chest eased up.

"Alright. Let's go then." You wondered if this was the right decision.

*********************************************************************

You kept tugging at the short dress that adorned your body. The black fabric had a V neckline that left little to the imagination. The sheer sleeves ended at your wrists, giving you a classy look. Paired with the diamond necklace that Mor let you borrow.

"Stop tugging at it. You look wonderful." Feyre spoke as you kept looking in the mirror. Feyre had decided to join the group tonight which made you feel at ease. You and Feyre were the closest besides Mor. Though you didn't see much of her since she and Rhys built their new estate.

"I just feel so...exposed." You muttered. This dress wasn't something you would normally opt for but Mor wasn't taking to your disapproval. You took yourself in again. Hair curled in loose waves that cascaded down your back. Silver shimmery eyes paired with red lipstick. For the first time in a while you felt pretty for once.

"Well you look hot, so get over it." Nesta commented as she fixed her hair. You rolled your eyes playfully. Nesta never was one to bite her tongue.

Everyone was essentially ready for your night out. Nerves shot up your spine as it hit you this is the first time you'll be going out without him. The thought made your mood dampen slightly. Mor noticed the change.

"Hey. None of that. We're going out to have fun. I refuse to let you sulk tonight." She came over, looping her arm through yours. "Now, cheer up cause we're getting drunk tonight." Her grin was contagious as the others began to hoot and holler.

With your arms still interlocked, she led you out of her room. Feyre, Nesta and Emerie following suit. You'd gone halfway down the stairs when it hit you. "Shit. Hold on, I forgot my purse. I'll be right back."

You turned as Feyre said they'd wait for you by the door. Running back up the stairs to Mor's room. You'd found your black bag on the vanity, quickly grabbing it. The heels you wore were already beginning to make your feet throb.

Closing the door behind you before walking quickly down the corridor. Feeling bad to keep everyone waiting. You rounded the corner when you ran into the wall. The force of it knocking you backwards, right on your ass before two arms snaked around your midsection. Catching you before you made a complete fool of yourself.

"Gods, i'm so sor-" Your words were lost as you saw who it was that caught you. Your body tensing so hard you were sure you'd be sore tomorrow.

Hues of golden amber stared down at you. His gaze raking over you, the dress you wore, your makeup. A slight frown tugged at his usual neutral expression.

"Azriel I- I didn't think you were here." You stepped back from him as if he'd set you on fire. His gaze still lingered on your outfit.

"Finished early." He huffed, not elaborating further. His gaze meeting yours as he spoke. Flickers of irritation and something else you couldn't decipher within those eyes. "Where are you going?"

You wrapped your arms around yourself, feeling too exposed in front of him. "Mor wanted to take me out tonight. A group of us are going to Rita's." You muttered, wanting to just winnow away at this point.

He said nothing as he just stared at you. Your gaze fell to the floor unable to handle the intensity of those eyes. You saw his hand twitch slightly before he curled it into a fist. The shadows that swarmed him were frantic, as if they were agitated.

The silence stretched on, tension building with each second. So much had been left unsaid. Azriel seemed to consider something for a moment. His mouth opening to speak before you cut him off.

"Well I gotta go. They're waiting for me." You rushed the words out before stepping around him. Hurriedly stepping down the stairwell, doing your best not to trip in your heels. The girls all gave you a weird look when you rushed to the door.

"Did something happen?" Emerie questioned as you marched out the door. You didn't answer the question.

"Let's just go." You said as you began the walk to Rita's

***********************************************************************

The bass reverberated through your chest. Drink after drink flowing through your veins. For the first time in weeks you felt free. You didn't care about anything as you danced with Mor. A thin sheet of sweat covering your body with each movement.

Laughter filled the air between you two. The others danced nearby, you didn't catch the joyful looks they gave you. They were so happy to see you as yourself after everything that had conspired.

You needed another drink with all the dancing. Leaning into Mor's ear telling her that you were heading to the bar for a refill. You walked over to the crystal surface, the bartender immediately taking your cup. You'd been here so often, they knew what you preferred. As you waited a handsome male approached you. Brown hair, green eyes that mimicked the forest after a thunderstorm. He was cute, but he wasn't who you wanted.

"I've been mustering up the courage to talk to you all night." He had a pretty smile as his eyes raked down your body. It felt wrong. "Can I buy you a drink?"

The bartender set your glass back down, sending a courteous smile. You held the glass up. "Sorry. Maybe next time?" You offered even though you knew there wouldn't be a next time.

"Well at least allow me a dance then?" He pursued, grabbing your wrist gently. Unease bloomed in your gut from the action.

"I'm sorry. My friends are waiting on me. I should go." His hand tightened on your wrist when you tried walking away. A drip of fear trickled down your spine.

"Just one dance, that's all I'm asking for sweetness." You cringed at the pet name. You took a step back again only for his grip to tighten again. It was beginning to be painful.

"Please, let me go." You struggled for a moment before a deep velvety voice broke through your fight or flight mindset.

"The lady said no. Now, do yourself a favor and let her go." You felt his presence behind you. Felt the anger rolling off him in waves as he stared down the male in front of you. The fae scoffed before releasing your wrist. At least he knew he wouldn't win against the spymaster.

You cradled your wrist to your chest, red marks from the males grip were beginning to show.

"Are you alright?" You closed your eyes for a moment. You had hoped he'd leave after this. He was standing in front of you when your eyes opened.

"I'm fine." Your response was short, clipped. Irritation at the whole situation settling in. You rubbed the red angry skin before turning to go back to the girls.

A gentle hand on your arm stopped you. "Talk to me." He spoke to you. All of the emotions you'd locked away threatened to release right then and there. You swallowed them down, instead letting out a scoff.

"Did you follow us?" You accused him. His eyes turned dark. His body language went stiff.

"What does it matter?" He countered. That stupid mask of cool calm overtaking his face. You felt the urge to slap it off.

"What does-" Anger swirled in your chest at his deflection "You have no right to be following us."

"If I hadn't, that fae would've had his grimy hands all over you." You were taken aback by his angry tone.

"That's not your concern anymore." You seethed. Suddenly, a scarred hand grabbed your upper arm. His grip was firm as he dragged you out of the club. Walking into the alleyway but you yanked your arm away from him.

"How dare you. You have no right to be doing this." Your voice was full of rage. Azriel's eyes darkened at your words. He stepped forward, closing the space between you.

He backed you against the wall, his arms caging you in on either side of your head. "No right? What do you think would've happened had I not shown up? You think he would've taken you home and whispered pretty words to you all night? Do you believe he'd treat you like a lady?"

His voice was low, a hint of the predator that he was shown through. His night chilled air and cedar scent surrounded you as he leaned down to your ear. "No one will ever be able to give you what you want, princess. No matter where you go, what you do, who you see, you are still mine." He growled.

Your knees felt like they'd give out. The closeness of him clouding your senses before you pulled it together.

"You left me. You were the one who decided to walk away from us. I don't belong to you." Absolute certainty laced in your words. Though your thoughts were the complete opposite. You wanted to give in to him but that wasn't right. Wasn't fair.

He grabbed your chin between his index finger and thumb. Your head tilted back to look at him. Heat roared in his eyes at your challenge. His thumb gently traced your bottom lip, his gaze narrowing in on your soft lips.

"I walked away because you deserve better. Not because I wanted to." He corrected.

"How am I supposed to know that? You don't talk to me Azriel. You never have. All you did was shut me out when something happened. You push me away thinking it's for the best but it's not." You argued with him. "I don't want better. I don't want easier. I don't want simple. I want you, you selfish illyri-" His lips crashing against yours cut you off.

His kiss was heated, desperate, full of passion. His tongue finding yours as teeth clashed. Both of you had felt the weight and hardship of being separated that it only made your reunion more needy. His hand that held your chin slipped to the back of your hand. His fingers tangling within the soft curls, angling your head just right to nip your bottom lip that elicited a soft groan from you.

He smirked against your lips at the sound. Claiming your lips with yours for what felt like forever before he pulled away. Both yours and his chest were falling rapidly as you tried catching your breath. He leaned his forehead against yours.

"There's no words I can use to explain how sorry I am. I shouldn't have shut you out. I shouldn't have walked away from you." He panted. "I love you Y/N. Nothing is ever going to change that."

Your eyes searched his for any sign of hesitation. That this was some kind of trick. Maybe even a dream. When he looked at you for some type of response, desperation in his gaze, you knew it wasn't.

"You have a lot to make up for." Your breathing was even now, and you were still partially reluctant. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I'll make everything up to you, even if I have to spend eternity doing so." His words were sincere. His hands reached down to the back of your thighs, picking you up with ease. A small shriek leaving you from the action, your hands clasping behind his neck instantly.

His wings flared out behind him. "And I'll start by taking you home. Where you belong."

[serenelystrange]

What Are We Measuring Here?

Exactly what it sounds like.

I have no excuse for this, but i'm not sorry 🤣

It starts with, like so many bad decisions, a mixture of a bit too much free time and far too much tequila.

“You’re trashed,” Eddie laughs as Buck tries to drop onto the couch beside him but misses, sliding down the front of the it and settling on the floor instead.

“You’re trashed,” Buck says, tilting his head back and over until it knocks into Eddie’s bare knee. “Weren’t you wearing jeans?”

“I was,” Eddie says, pausing to think through the liquor haze. “I think I stole your basketball shorts?”

Buck nods, leaning his head up to smile goofily at Eddie, temple bristling against the hair beneath Eddie’s knee.

“It’s ok,” he hums, proud of the fact that he’s only barely slurring. “Don’t like basketball anyways.”

Eddie snorts a laugh and nods in agreement.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“I hurt your ankle,” Buck says sadly, goofy smile falling into a devastated pout.

“Like a year ago,” Eddie brushes it off easily. “It’s fine, don’t give me those shelter-dog eyes.”

“Woof,” Buck deadpans, before leaning back against the seat of the couch as he dissolves into laughter.

“Dumbass,” Eddie says, swatting down at Buck’s head before petting his hair with an exaggerated motion. “Good puppy.”

“I will bite you,” Buck snarks as his laughter dies down.

“That’s how you got sent to the shelter!” Eddie laughs, flushed red from cheekbones to the flash of chest peeking out from his loose tank top.

“Whatever,” Buck scoffs, before humming thoughtfully and closing his eyes.

“Had a girlfriend once that was into that,” he says, waving his hand as if Eddie is supposed to understand what he means.

“The shelter?” Eddie asks, blinking slowly in confusion.

“Nah,” Buck says, shaking his head sluggishly. “The whole like… pet play thing.”

Eddie stills, hand still in Buck’s hair freezing in place until he slowly pulls it back to his own lap.

“The what now?” he asks. “Like.. besti..”

“No!” Buck interrupts quickly, cackling. “No real animals! She just liked to put a collar and leash on me sometimes.”

“Oh,” Eddie says, “good. I mean, as long as you were into it.”

“It was fine,” Buck shrugs, opening his eyes briefly and immediately closing them again as the room spins. “Not something I liked enough to want to do with anyone else, but parts of it were fun.”

“Yeah?” Eddie asks, drunken curiosity winning out over his usual suppressed thoughts.

“Mmhm,” Buck says, eyes still closed as he tilts his head so it’s resting against Eddie’s knee again. “She’d pull the collar tighter and tighter while I ate her out, for hours sometimes. I think we went all night one time.”

“You think?” Eddie laughs gently.

“Passed out a few times,” Buck smirks. “Lack of oxygen and all.”

“Jesus, Buck,” Eddie says, concern managing to power through the buzz. “You know how unsafe that is.”

“Wasn’t a firefighter yet,” Buck defends. “I was like twenty and horny, don’t judge me.”

“Not judging you,” Eddie says, before rolling his eyes as Buck snaps his own open to give Eddie a dubious look. “Not judging you much,” he amends. “Just an itty bitty bit.”

“You’re an itty bitty bit,” Buck says.

His mouth is only inches from Eddie’s muscled thighs, and Buck swallows the urge to shove up under the loose fabric of his borrowed shorts and bite down with satisfaction.

“We’re basically the same height,” Eddie says. “You just have more leg than common sense.”

“Suuure,” Buck drawls. “Says the itty bitty boy.”

“What are we measuring here, Buck?” Eddie laughs around the words and at the memory it recalls.

“Nothing I wouldn’t win,” Buck says cockily.

“Keep telling yourself that, bud,” Eddie snarks right back.

Buck considers the words, surprised at the easy confidence of Eddie’s response. Surprised, and a little turned on, if he’s honest. But still, a man has his pride.

“I’ve seen you naked,” Buck says, looking up at Eddie with one raised eyebrow. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, obviously, but I’ve seen your dick plenty of times.”

Eddie shrugs, leaning back and throwing one arm over his flushed forehead as he stretches, hiking those shorts up another tantalizing inch.

“Not hard, you haven’t.”

“Whatever,” Buck chokes out around a suddenly dry mouth. “You can’t be that big.”

“I’m not setting any world records,” Eddie laughs, lowering his arm and blinking down at Buck with glazed eyes. “But I bet I’m bigger than you.”

“Tequila makes you sassy,” Buck snickers. “And no way, I’m definitely bigger.”

Eddie blames the tequila and also the entirety of the last difficult year for the words that come out of his mouth next.

“Prove it.”

“Wait, what?” Buck says, shuffling around until he’s facing Eddie from his seat on the floor. “You wanna whip our dicks out in your living-room and measure them?”

Eddie shrugs casually before nodding.

“Gotta prove you wrong somehow. I’m sure there’s a ruler in the junk drawer somewhere.”

“Yeah, alright,” Buck says, because he’ll be damned if he lets Eddie win even the stupidest bet. “What do I get when I win?”

Eddie thinks about it before shrugging again. “I think I have a twenty in my wallet. I could use another one.”

“Fuckin’ deal,” Buck says, jumping up to his feet so fast that only Eddie’s quick thinking hands steady him from tilting over. “I’m gonna find that ruler.”

“How do you wanna do this?” Buck asks when he comes back, settling down onto the couch, leaving just enough space that his leg isn’t touching Eddie’s.

“Just measure them, I guess,” Eddie says, holding out his hand for the ruler.

“Ok,” Buck says, “but if we’re playing by your rules, we need an accurate measurement, so we need to get, you know..”

“Oh,” Eddie says, flushing even pinker as he realizes what Buck means. “Right.”

“I can pull up some porn?” Buck offers, oddly polite.

Eddie thinks of all the videos he’s watched since realizing his passing attraction to men might not be so passing after all and shakes his head vehemently.

“Nah,” he says. “Just need to get hard long enough to measure, just give me a minute.”

“K,” Buck says, before dropping his eyes to Eddie’s lap and watching expectantly.

Eddie looks down, avoiding Buck’s openly curious gaze, and shoves his shorts and boxers down just enough to pull his cock out, before taking himself in hand and jerking himself roughly.

“Ouch,” Buck hisses beside him. “You always this rough with yourself?”

“Not trying to come here,” Eddie says, eyes firmly only his own lap.

“Not like that,” Buck agrees, shamelessly palming himself over his sweats as he watches Eddie’s hand move. “You should at least lick your hand or something.”

“Buck,” Eddie groans. Whimpers, really, even if he’d never admit it. “You’re not helping.”

“Fine, fine,” Buck says, using his free hand to mime zipping his lips shut.

“There,” Eddie says a minute later when he’s finally fully hard, laying the ruler at the base of his cock and pointedly staring at where the reddened tip just pokes over the 8-inch mark.

“Not bad,” Buck admits, before frowning. “You have a really pretty dick, dude. What the fuck.”

“Thank you?” Eddie asks. “I’m sorry?”

“It’s fine,” Buck says, “It just figures even your stupid dick would be pretty.”

“Your turn,” Eddie says, instead of dissecting whatever all of that was.

He wipes the ruler on his shorts before handing it over to Buck, who takes it with the hand that isn’t rubbing at his own cock through his sweatpants.

Buck shoves the sweatpants under his balls, no underwear in sight, and takes himself in hand at last, already hot and heavy in his palm.

“You’re so wet,” Eddie says in an awestruck voice before he can stop himself.

Buck shrugs sheepishly as he jerks himself off, getting slicker by the second.

“Always been like that,” he says.

“It’s hot,” Eddie says bluntly, too focused on the sight of Buck fucking his own fist to worry about how very Not Straight he suddenly sounds.

Buck moans at that, thrusting up into his hand reflexively.

“You gotta measure,” Eddie reminds him suddenly. “While you’re still hard.”

Buck stops his hand and whimpers as his hips continue to twitch, taking a large gulp of air to try and calm down.

“Yeah, ok,” he says, lining the ruler up the same way Eddie had, shivering as even that tiniest bit of contact makes him twitch.

“Hmm,” Eddie says, leaning forward and seeing Buck landing somewhere between the 6 and 7 inch mark. “Looks like I win.”

“Guess so,” Buck agrees. “My wallet is around somewhere, you find it you can take your winnings.”

“Or,” Eddie says, taking himself back in hand, “we can both finish getting off and call it a draw.”

“Absolutely,” Buck says immediately. “I really want to suck your pretty dick, Eddie. What the fuck is that about?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie says, looking over at Buck helplessly. “But you’re so thick, and I kind of want to choke on it, so I think I understand what you mean.”

“You’re straight?” Buck asks. “Right?”

“Fuck if I know,” Eddie says. “Really into whatever this is, at least.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Buck says. “Next time.”

“Next time?” Eddie asks, hand moving so fast now that it’s a blur against his skin.

“And every time after that,” Buck promises, before gasping and falling back against the cushion as he comes, covering his own hand and shirt in rope after rope of white.

The sight of it sends Eddie over the edge, and he curls over practically in half with it, spilling onto the cushion between them, too spent to even worry about the cleanup to come.

It’s an awkward few minutes as the endorphin-high comes down and the alcohol buzz starts to fade.

“So, that happened,” Eddie says, once they’re tucked back into their clothes and their hands are hastily wiped on their shirts.

“It did,” Buck agrees, sounding remarkably calm about the whole thing in Eddie’s opinion.

“We’re ok?” Eddie asks.

Buck rolls his eyes fondly.

“Of course we’re ok. As long as you don’t like retroactively hate-crime me or something.”

“Dumbass,” Eddie laughs.

Buck just shrugs, unbothered and loose-limbed.

Eddie thinks it’s a damn good look on him.

“Still want to help me figure it all out?” he asks, inching closer until he’s practically pressed against Buck’s side.

“Obviously,” Buck says, and then they’re finally kissing, Eddie not even minding when he’s being pushed down to lay over the mess he made.

“Might take a while,” Eddie says quietly, even as he’s spreading his legs so Buck can straddle his thigh.

“I’ve got nothing but time,” Buck says against his throat before biting gently at Eddie’s lower lip and kissing him some more.

“Good,” Eddie says, eyes fluttering closed in relief. “That’s really good.”

Buck moves on to the other side of his neck, rubbing his bristly cheeks against Eddie’s sure to be reddened jaw, and hums in agreement.

Eddie’s eyes snap open suddenly and he tenses, frowning up at Buck who pulls away to give him a concerned look.

“We definitely need to throw that ruler away.”

Buck laughs, loud and startled and unattractively wheezy.

Eddie loves him so much that all he can do is join in the ugly laughter, pressing a kiss to Buck’s hair as he giggles against Eddie’s neck.

Yeah, he thinks. They’re going to be just fine.

The End

[apomaro-mellow]

King and Prince 43

Part 42

Steve was getting an ominous sense of deja vu. Things were starting to feel like before, when Eddie restrained himself when they were alone. Except things were a little different now. Sometimes he’d hear a sigh and catch Eddie looking at him from across the room. Like Steve was across the ocean instead of just steps away.

And then there was the touching. Eddie’s affection could already be called worshipful, but lately it had taken on another level. Eddie touched him like he was made of glass, like he was afraid Steve would disappear, like he was a ghost. That was fine for soft mornings but sometimes Steve wanted to be pushed up against a wall and the fact that Eddie was going backwards was getting in the way of that.

He was sure there was also a larger issue at hand and wanted to discuss that too. But it was something he wanted to talk about in private and whenever they were alone Steve got…distracted. Like right now. He had come to Eddie’s study ostensibly to pass the time with a book Robin was letting him borrow. But of course, it didn’t take long for Steve to make a throne out of Eddie’s lap.

“Wasn’t trying to get you off task”, Steve said as Eddie kissed his neck. Despite his words, he pushed his back into Eddie’s chest, eyes glancing down at the documents in front of them.

Eddie’s hands smoothed up his sides. “No task takes priority over you.”

“Oh, I’m a task now?”, Steve teased. “Like a chore?”

“You are a privilege, an honor”, Eddie amended, nudging Steve’s collar down to reach more of his neck.

His teeth brushed his skin and then all of a sudden they were gone, replaced by lips without a single bite. Not even a nibble. Steve sighed and shifted, trying to turn in his love’s hold. Eddie looked up at him, confused.

“Why have you bee-” He was cut off by a knock at the door.

“The knock was a courtesy because I know Steve is in there but I’m coming in anyway. You both better be decent”, Nancy said before entering. She only looked mildly annoyed to see Steve in Eddie’s lap.

“Decent enough?”, Eddie grinned, hands up to show that neither were down Steve’s pants.

“I just came to officially set the trial date for our two prisoners. Apparently it’s cold down in the dungeon.”

Steve and Eddie shared a look. Somehow, the dungeon felt like an inside joke to them. For their crimes, Bramble and Sansweet had been arrested and locked away. But Eddie was nothing but fair. And they were owed a fair trial before having their sentence. But every time he thought too hard about what they did, that bloodlust flared back up. He got to behead Gendrid but Steve was denied his own revenge. And the children did still want to see a man’s head get smashed by a hammer-

“Hey!”, Nancy shouted, tossing a heavy paperweight at his head that Eddie caught just in time.

“You dare attack your king?”, he gasped.

“I do when he starts feeling up princes right in front of me”, Nancy said.

Only then did Eddie realize he got so caught up in his thoughts of seeing Steve rage so beautifully, his hand was more than halfway up his thigh. Steve, to his credit, didn’t appear bothered at all.

Nancy crossed her arms. “A trial date? Your Majesty?”

“Why wait? My mind is made up and I’m doubtful they could provide any evidence to save their skins but it will be entertaining to watch them try.”

“You wish to make a spectacle of it?”, Steve asked.

“I wish to have their crimes laid out for all to see”, Eddie said. “In fact, let’s give them an audience.”

“You want to give two council members a public trial?”, Nancy asked. “You’ve never done that before.”

“Not in your lifetime perhaps”, Eddie reminded her.

And that hung in the air for a moment, reminding both Nancy and Steve that Eddie had already lived several lifetimes before them. She nodded, assuring him that they’d have a full house tomorrow and that she’d be telling the prisoners their trial was set. Steve gazed at Eddie’s face, at a loss of words for a moment just long enough for someone else to burst in.

This time it was Max and Mike, arguing at the top of their lungs. They were both so loud and their faces were so red, they looked like they might explode. So engrossed in their own argument, neither even commented on the fact that Steve was in Eddie’s lap. Steve sighed. Eddie had work to do. And someone had to keep them from biting each other’s throats out. Steve stood, clapping his big hands together and getting their attention.

“Alright! Okay! Let’s take it outside! Or better yet, the training arena.”

“Good call. So I can whip his hide”, Max said.

“You think I’ll hold back just because you’re a girl?!”, Mike shouted back.

Steve put a hand on both of them and led them out, giving Eddie a look back as they left. Eddie mouthed ‘thank you’ while watching them leave.

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

They didn’t see each other again until night, when they were falling into bed together. Steve was thoroughly worn out and his eyes were already half closed as Eddie got close to him.

“I don’t know how you could possibly entertain the idea of having your own children”, Steve yawned.

“Ours wouldn’t be like that”, Eddie said defensively.

Steve raised a brow. “Dustin is practically your copy. And if Mike and Max don’t get their rage from you, where does it come from?”

“Those two came to me like that”, Eddie said. “I had nothing to do with it. And you conveniently didn’t mention Lucas, your favorite.”

Steve hid away, burying his face into his pillow, his response muffled. “Don’t have a favorite.”

Eddie chuckled, allowing Steve to run from the conversation. He simply kissed the back of Steve’s head and held him close through the night. When morning came, the castle bustled, preparing to receive those who wanted to attend the trial. Snow had begun to fall regularly now, but the road to the castle was always clear.

The royal pair got ready as well, dressing each other. Steve kissed Eddie’s wrist as he tied his sleeve with red ties. Once he was done, Eddie returned the favor. Their colors were matching today. Eddie in all black with red accents and Steve in the opposite. Eddie’s lips made a path up his arm, over his shoulder and to his neck.

There was a moment of pause. They both looked in each other’s eyes.

“I might be killing someone today”, Steve said, his voice low.

“First time?”, Eddie asked.

“First time ever doing this to someone who wasn’t armed or trying to hurt me first”, Steve admitted.

“They did try to hurt you, my love”, Eddie reminded him. “And they need to pay.”

Steve nodded. “I know. And they will.”

The trial was set for right after breakfast. Neither of them ate much. They would see the two conspirators in the throne room. Townsfolk and people who worked in the castle were already filling in. Bramble was brought in first, shackled by the wrists and ankles and looking worse for wear. Sansweet was brought in right after, looking even worse. Eddie and Steve were announced by their royal titles and they walked out, arm in arm.

Steve was surprised to see an addition to the throne that sat at the head of the room. A second throne, right next to it. He would have stopped and stared if Eddie didn’t pull him along.

“For you”, Eddie whispered into his ear, holding Steve’s hand as he guided his sweet prince to take his seat first. Then Eddie sat down himself.

There was a low murmur in the crowd. Those that had been in this room had seen Eddie sitting only by himself. For as long as this castle stood, there had never been a second throne.

A guard hit their staff on the floor three times, calling the room to attention. “Ulimous Bramble and Vance Sansweet, you stand accused of the following crimes: kidnapping, conspiring against the crown, accessory to assault, and attempted coup. How do you plead?”

“We are innocent!”, Sansweet pleaded right away. “It was all that other man’s idea. I promise you, my lord, we meant no ill will!”

“Before his untimely death, Gendrid said the same of you two”, Eddie said, crossing his legs. “He said you did all the legwork. He hardly needed to lift a finger.”

“This is preposterous!”, Bramble shouted. “It is our word against a dead man’s!”

“Do you deny any of it?”, Eddie pointed the question at Bramble.

“Even if the duke’s word is true, even if we played a part in it, how can you accuse us of conspiring against the crown? Of attempting a coup? Prince Steven is not of this kingdom’s royalty!”, Bramble’s chains shook as he pointed a finger at Steve.

A black shadow whipped and in a blink, Bramble was holding his hand against his chest. A bloody finger dropped in front of him. Eddie was gripping the arms of his throne, just barely keeping his body from shooting forward.

“Your insolence will cost you more than a finger next time”, Eddie warned.

Sansweet whimpered. Bramble’s face was pale but he could see where his partner had been going with this. They’d done many things. But if they could get the king to erase some of it, maybe their sentence would be gentler.

“Your Majesty, p-p-please listen. He merely meant to say that any involvement with Lord Gendrid can not be considered an attempt to overthrow you. Prince Steven is of noble blood, yes. But he is not a child of this kingdom. Any action taken against him is not an action taken against you.”

Bramble began to speak up again, finding his voice, but Yulia barely heard a word. Her eyes were still on the finger lying just inches away from the man’s feet. Yulia had seen the duke’s head, separated by miles from his body. She knew what she might witness if she came here today. She didn’t revel in bloodshed of course. But what were these men thinking?

“You think they’ll be hanged?”, someone whispered behind her.

“Bet they’ll be beheaded. Like that other guy was”, another responded.

“The prince is our guest and more importantly my betrothed!”, Eddie shouted, getting to his feet now. “Let it be known throughout the lands - if you lay a hand on my beloved, it will be treated as a declaration of war!”

Yulia watched as one fell to his knees while the other’s hands shook, glaring at Prince Steven like that alone could make him drop dead.

“You would choose him over us?! You would make him KING?!”, Bramble screamed.

“Yes”, Eddie answered, turning his gaze to Steve. All who could see his expression saw nothing but adoration.

“An interloper! His entire lineage wishes death on our country! He is an enemy to the crown!”

Bramble seemed to realize his end was near and was using everything in his arsenal. But to what end, Yulia didn’t know. Everything he said, everyone knew already. But he kept going.

“That prince will be your downfall! And what will you have left when he is dead?! You’ll have NOTH-ueghugh.”

This time, the black shadow didn’t disappear the moment the deed was done. It stayed right where it was, penetrating Bramble’s neck. The room felt cold all of a sudden, rivaling the chill outside. Yulia looked around because suddenly it was darker too, like all of the color had been drained from the room.

“Let these men be an example”, the king said. The shadow disappeared like fog and the first conspirator dropped to the floor. There wasn’t a sound except for the thud of his body hitting the floor and the final gurgles as he choked on his own blood. The king turned to his prince, gesturing at the second man. “Would you like to do the honors?”

A guard came up to Steve, holding the very same hammer he had used to fight Jason. Sansweet, realizing that the king was a brick wall, turned his pleads to the prince instead. Yulia didn’t know what the prince would do. He had mercy on Carver. But she wasn’t sure these men deserved that. It wasn’t just that they had gone behind the king’s back to do this. If they had gotten their way, Prince Steven would have been whisked away, torn from his love forever.

Yulia tried to imagine living as long as the king had, only to find your soulmate after centuries of walking this world. She’d never been in love like that, but it sounded heart wrenching. She watched as Prince Steven took the hammer in hand, his face expressionless.

“Gendrid begged for his life in the end too”, he said. “He was on his knees, just like you. Do you know what he was doing before that?”

Sansweet sniffled, not taking his eyes off of the hammer. There was a low rumble in the air.

“Look your prince in the eye when he speaks to you”, the king ordered.

Prince Steven didn’t continue until Sansweet obeyed. “He had taken me to his room. He had tied me to a bed. He was about to commit an unspeakable act towards me. Mercy is for the repentant, not the defeated. I showed mercy before. I let a man live who dishonored myself and the king. And for that, you both must think of me as soft.” He spared Bramble’s corpse a glance. Then he walked closer to Sansweet.

The cowardly man fell backwards, trying to crawl away while keeping his eyes on his executioner. But his chains and fear left him with very little coordination. He gave one final cry as the prince raised the hammer above his head, winding up and then swinging. People jumped in front of Yulia to get a better look at the result. She couldn’t see the point of impact but she heard the sickening crunch of crushed bone. Prince Steven walked away, the hammer resting against his shoulder as he approached the two thrones.

The king rose and there was a hush and then a gasp as he knelt and kissed the prince’s hand. Yulia knew they were passionate lovers. She’d seen it with her own eyes. But not everyone was so lucky to have caught them in a secret embrace. Today was a display of love as much as it was of power. To show that their king was truly devoted to this prince, that the courtship wasn’t just a trite thing between nobilities, and that Prince Steven would indeed rule by King Edward’s side one day soon.

The king then addressed the families of the criminals, saying that since there was no evidence of their corroboration, they were considered innocent. They wouldn’t face palace justice but having a family member executed could be quite the stain on one’s lineage. Everyone knew about the kidnapping when the king presented the duke’s head to them. But no one had known he had tried to force himself onto the prince until just now.

Yulia watched as the bodies were carted off, to be left in the forest for the demobeasts, and thought that perhaps they had gotten off too easy.

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

Steve sat before the vanity, dressed for bed and brushing his hair. He knew Eddie was watching him from the bed. He was pretending to read a book but Steve knew when he was being watched. And now, thanks to the trial, he had a feeling about what had been on Eddie’s mind.

“What Bramble said today about me, is it true?”, he asked, meeting Eddie’s gaze in his reflection.

“You know he told nothing but lies.”

“I meant…he talked about when I’m gone…” Steve had never really been the kind to think far into the future. When he imagined being married to Eddie, he imagined them as they were now. But it wouldn’t always be like that, would it? Steve would grow old.

“I don’t like to think about you being gone”, Eddie confessed. “And damn him for bringing it up when it had no bearing on the case.”

“You wouldn’t have nothing”, Steve said, turning around. “You always make new friends, new companions-”

“But I wouldn’t have you”, Eddie closed the book and got up from the bed, prompting Steve to get to his feet too. “I wouldn’t have you and I don’t want a life without you.”

“I’m sure you thought the same about your uncle.”

Eddie smiled. “Wayne was born an old man. He was practically waiting for me to get old enough to be on my own before shuffling off this mortal coil with an ‘I’ll be seein’ you, son’. But you…”

“….Me?”

Eddie grabbed Steve’s hands. “I don’t want to watch you leave. I don’t want to be without you. If you die, I’d follow.”

“Eddie….” No one had ever said anything so heartbreakingly romantic to him. “I don’t want to be without you either. Not even in the after life. If I could fight death I would.”

“Don’t say that love, you’ll give me ideas”, Eddie said, bringing their foreheads together.

“What kind of ideas?”

With a sigh, Eddie shook his head. “Nothing good. Nothing you’d want.”

“Who are you to tell me what I want?”

“Immortality can be lonely, my sweet.”

“Only if you have no one to share it with.”

Eddie pulled back a bit to look into Steve’s eyes. “Do you understand what you’re asking for?”

“I can only ask if it’s something you can give”, Steve replied.

There was a long silence as Eddie saw all of the possibilities in Steve's eyes. He leaned back in, putting their foreheads together as he cradled Steve's face. "I want to give you everything", he whispered.

"Then do it", Steve whispered back, their lips brushing with every word. "And don't hold back."

Part 44 coming soon

Taglist CLOSED

@thesuninyaface @only-evanescent  @snakeorsquid  @ignoremyworld  @theclichefortunecookie 

@goodolefashionedloverboi  @just-a-tiny-void  @0body0disphoria0  @cinnamon-mushroomabomination  @samsoble 

@jamieweasley13  @y4r3luv  @xtkxkrzrizir  @un-knownperson  @greekgeek24 

@justdrugsformethanks  @potato-of-the-lord  @notaqueenakhaleesi  @swimmingbirdrunningrock  @queenie-ofthe-void 

@nebulainajar  @lil-gremlin-things  @nicememerino  @robininblue  @hornedqueenofhell 

@anne-bennett-cosplayer  @moomkin77  @here4thetrama  @bookworm0690  @autumncrocusandladybug

@lil-gremlin-things @littlebluejane @puppy-stevee

[justauthoring]

This is the Beginning [2/?]

Summary: You never thought you'd be able to escape Buggy, and yet, a boy with a straw hat, a man with three swords and a girl with orange hair somehow manage to free you. The journey that follows afterwards is your chance at freedom and maybe something more.

A One Piece Live Action Rewrite

Part One - Part Two

Pairing: Live Action!Zoro Roronoa x F!Reader

TW for this chapter: kuro, canon typical violence, kuro makes a comment about your eye, that's about it

Word Count: 11,044

A/N: This chapter was so fun to write and I'm even more excited for the next because... SANJIIIII!! Which of course means we get to see some jealous Zoroooooo

I hope to have chapter three out soon, but school is crazy as usual so be patient with me <3

Tag List: @emmaiscool22

Chapter Two - Acceptance

“Are you sure you don’t mind me borrowing some of your clothes, Nami?”

Glancing up from the Grand Line map she’d been studying, Nami just raises a brow down at you. “I’d rather you borrow my clothes then wear those atrocious clothes that clown had you in,” she shakes her head, almost shuddering at the memory. The sight pulls a small smile to your lips. “Seriously, he had no fashion sense.”

You let out a small laugh. “They were pretty ugly, weren’t they?” You grin up at her, and she pauses, as if shocked you were smiling so openly. You don’t mind. You realize you did look pretty miserable that time they’d set you free, extremely self-pitying too. You still had your self-doubts, of course, but Luffy’s excitement at you joining them was pretty reassuring and it was hard not to appreciate how freeing the whole experience had been.

There was still the whole issue that Luffy seemed to be the only one convinced that you were in fact a pirate crew. Nami and Zoro seemed insistent on denying that, repeatedly telling him they were not a crew when he’d tried explaining it to you. Nami said she was only with the two because she had a shared interest in the Grand Line map. When you asked Zoro, he’d just shrugged, saying he was seeing where it took him. You’d snickered silently to yourself at that, thinking to yourself that the both of them just weren’t ready to admit that they were in fact a part of Luffy’s crew and probably liked that fact.

But you’d let them lie about it for now.

As for you, you nodded at Luffy when he explained how the goal was to find the One Piece and for him to become the Pirate King. In response, you’d shrugged and said; “Sure, Captain. Sounds like a plan.”

His eyes had practically sparkled at that while Zoro and Nami instantly groaned in response, berating you for enticing Luffy. You’d only laughed, saying you didn’t mind calling him Captain and being in his crew because there was nowhere else for you to go.

You’d been a captive of Buggy’s for years. Forced to be a part of his crew and do his bidding day in and day out. There really was nowhere else for you to go or call home. You’d suffered scars and injuries that would never leave, both mentally and physically. But Luffy, Zoro and Nami seemed to think nothing of your doubts, especially your eye. Despite his initial assurance, you felt extra assured by the fact that you had your eyepatch back and no one was going to be forcing you to take it off to make a mockery of you again.

Those days were gone.

With a wistful sigh, you turn, moving to the edge of the boat and breathing in the air. You never enjoyed being on Buggy’s boat but that hadn’t been because you didn’t enjoy being out on sea, but rather because it had been Buggy’s boat in the first place.

You are unaware of Nami’s eyes following you until she lets out a rather undignified snort.

“More than ugly,” she rolls her eyes as you turn back to glance at her. “More like atrocious. We should burn them when we get the chance.”

You let out a chuckle. “You think? I’d sure like to get rid of the memory of them.”

Nami’s lips part to respond, but before she can, she’s cut off by Luffy; 

“Nami! Y/N!”

Rolling her eyes, Nami shifts her attention in front of you as you spin around to face Luffy. “What?”

Grabbing the large sheet of fabric he’d been fiddling with for the past hour or so, he stretches it wide in front of him, blocking what you’re sure is a beaming smile, and calls out; “it’s ready!”

Lips parting, you tilt your head, trying to get a good look at the lopsided skull.

“And what is it?”

Lowering the fabric so his face pokes up over it, Luffy grins; “our Jolly Roger. Every pirate crew has to have one. And now we do!”

“We’re not a crew,” Nami huffs, “and you are not hanging that on my boat.” With that, she turns back to the map.

Luffy blinks at her.

Stepping forward, you smile gently at Luffy; “it’s a little lopsided too, no?”

Peeking over the top, Luffy raises a brow. “I think it’s perfect.”

You bite your lip, holding back your laugh just as the door squeaks open behind him. Glancing over Luffy’s shoulder, you meet Zoro’s gaze.

“Zoro!” Luffy wastes no time spinning to face his friend, “Zoro, check it out.”

Pausing in the door, Zoro lets his eyes drag across it for a moment before meeting Luffy’s gaze, expression never changing.

“That’s unique.”

“It’s kind of cute in a way.” You offer, feeling a bit bad for Luffy who clearly had worked hard on it. “It has its own charm.”

Zoro just rolls his eyes at you. “It’s definitely not going to scare any other pirates.”

Turning back to Luffy’s jolly roger, he turns to you expectantly. As you let your eyes drift across it again, you have to admit, it’s more adorable than frightening. With a grimace, you offer him a pitying smile.

“Nami,” Zoro calls, leaning against the edge of the boat. “I think the toilet’s busted.”

Peering at him behind her glasses, Nami blinks, “we don’t have a toilet.”

There’s a pause, before Zoro offers a short; “oh.” Turning back towards the door, he shrugs. “Well, then something back there’s leaking.”  

“What?”

Not hesitating a second more, she hops off the boxes she’d been sitting on, storming past the three of you and slamming the door shut behind her.

Luffy waits one second before he says; “where should I hang it?”

“Uh, Luffy,” you call, “I don’t think Nami will…”

He ignores you, eyes snapping round to find the best place.

“It’s best to let him do what he wants,” Zoro calls from behind you, your head turning round to glance at him. He’s crossed his arms over his chest again, leaning nonchalantly back. “And not get involved.”

“Is that what you do?” You ask, raising a brow. “Choose not to get involved?”

Zoro just stares at you. “Not if I don’t have to,” he answers, as if that’s the obvious answer.

Something told you that wasn’t the whole truth.

Before you can respond, however, Nami comes back out.

“We’re taking in water. What did you do?” She accuses Zoro.

Zoro leans towards her; “I didn’t do anything.”

Eyes flickering between the both of them, feeling the tension rising, your stomach twists uncomfortably.

“Guys, maybe we should—”

“The way you’re clanging those swords around, you must’ve broken something,” she scoffs.

Zoro snorts. “If you’re such a good thief, maybe you should’ve stolen a better boat.”

“Guys, guys, guys,” Luffy calls, successfully cutting their argument off. You let out a breath of relief at that, grateful they at least chose to listen to Luffy. “Okay, crew meeting.”

On cue, both of them huff; “not a crew!”

You offer a nervous smile.

Unphased as usual, Luffy turns to the three of you. “We're gonna need a better ship to make it to the Grand Line. A real pirate ship.” Then, pausing for dramatic effect, he smirks; “worthy of the Straw Hat crew.”

“Wait,” Nami calls, “Straw Hat crew? Really?”

“Yeah,” Luffy nods, “I thought it had a nice ring to it.”

“‘Demon’ has a nice ring to it,” Zoro scoffs. “Headgear? Not scary.”

“Well,” you speak up, meeting Zoro’s eyes before turning to Luffy. “I like it. It’s unique.”

Nami rolls her eyes, “do you have to keep encouraging him?” She asks you.

You shrug, smiling. 

Luffy beams at you. “Thank you, Y/N.” He turns to Zoro, “and who says pirates have to be scary?”

At that, both of them give pause.

“I definitely don’t want to be scary,” you mumble, more to yourself than anyone.

“The point is we need a new ship.” Luffy backtracks, “so where do we get one?”

Grabbing her maps, Nami sighs. “Our closest bet is the Gecko Islands. We can probably make it there before our ship sinks. Ditch this one and get a better one.”

“Good,” Zoro drawls, “with a working toilet.”

Nami glares at him but Luffy just grins; “great job, navigator.” He turns back to grab his jolly roger.

“You’re still not hanging that on my ship,” Nami reminds.

-

After Luffy and Nami’s disagreement of stealing a ship and the former running off to somehow convince a salesman to just give him a ship, you’re left wandering around with Nami and Zoro.

You weren’t a big fan of stealing a ship either, but you knew realistically that Nami was right. None of you had enough to berry to be able to buy a ship legally and Nami’s old ship was no longer an option. 

Trailing behind Nami and next to Zoro, you let your eyes drag across the hustle and bustle of the shipyard, unable to fight the smile that curls on your lips as you watch people flutter around, completely in their own worlds. It’s such a simple thing and yet, you can seem to pull your eyes off of the bustling crowds completely engrossed in their worlds.

“Never been to a shipyard before?”

It takes you a second to realize Zoro is talking to you. With a blink and parted lips, you turn to him, meeting his eyes. It’s clear he’d been watching you, dark and intense eyes already on you and the realization pulls a light flush to your cheeks.

“I’ve been,” you answer, nodding. Eyeing Nami out of the corner of your eye and watching as she carefully glances around, entirely for a different reason than you had been. She’s in her own world, promptly and probably pointedly ignoring the both of you. 

Focusing back on Zoro, you lick your lips. “It’s just…” But you trail off, unsure.

“What?” Zoro asks, blunt as usual.

The look on his face tells you he’s waiting to hear what you were going to say.

“Different,” you shrug, moving to hug your arm as you curl in on yourself. It’s clear you’re not as open as you were trying to pretend you were since joining Luffy’s crew. While the three of them were definitely nothing like Buggy, it was hard to deny that Zoro was intimidating. You’d only been with them for a short amount of time, but Luffy was easy to get along with. He did most of the talking anyways and his energy was infectious.

Nami you’d been unsure of at first too, and while she sometimes seemed closed off, she was easy to hold a conversation with. Sometimes short or cold, you still found her approachable.

Zoro, for some reason, made you nervous. You couldn’t rightly explain it. Every time you met his eye or tried to talk to him, you’d clam up with nerves and find yourself stumbling more than you usually did. Honestly, you made yourself look like a fool more times than not with him. His gaze was heavy, and the second it landed on you, it was like he was trying to unearth all your secrets.

“Different how?” He asks, pressing.

You lick your lips. “It’s… different seeing all these people without having to fear that Buggy might snap and kill them all.” Glancing at him out of the corner of your eye, taking in his eased stride and the way he always keeps at least one hand on his swords, you glance out towards the sea of boats. “He enjoyed making people's lives miserable.”

There’s a beat of silence before; “yours especially, it seems.”

You turn to him in shock, eyes widening at him. He’s no longer looking at you, head turned straight, but the expression on his face says it all.

“I guess,” you mumble, hugging your arm tighter.

Silence envelopes the both of you, all whilst Nami continues to lead to way completely oblivious to the tension that has surrounded the two of you. You’re careful to not glance Zoro’s way, even though you desperately want to.

Your mind races with wonder of what exactly he meant.

Luckily, you don’t have to stew in your thoughts for too long. A few minutes later the three of you hear the distinctive and familiar voice of Luffy, and with one glance at each other, you’re picking up the pace.

When you find Luffy, he’s standing at the front of a ship, grinning ear to ear.

“There you are,” Nami calls.

“Guys!” Luffy cheers, moving to make his way down to the three of you. “I found it,” he declares. “I found our ship.”

Turning your attention to said ship, you silently muse to yourself it’s not a bad choice. Luffy seemed to make rash decisions but he always followed his gut and you can’t say that this ship was a result of a bad decision. It was a decent size, not too big that it’d be unmanageable with four crew members but not small like the previous one. It had a certain charm to it as well.

“And this guy will sell it to us!”

You turn in the direction of Luffy’s gesture, noticing the man slumped over the edge of the ship that you hadn’t realized before.

Standing up, he turns to make his way down to Luffy as well, eyes wide as he stammers; “uh, w-wait, what…?”

“Yeah!” Luffy nods, oblivious. “The ship, we’ll take it.”

The man winces; “technically, she’s not for sale.”

“Huh?”

“And technically,” he continues, “I’m not a salesman.”

“Do you even work here?”

“Of course I do.”

“Okay,” you nod, smiling warmly. “What do you do then?”

He meets your eyes, “I’m Chief Technician in charge of encrustation removal and aviary waste eradication.”

Luffy’s face twists; “encru what?”

Zoro huffs next to you. “He scrubs barnacles and cleans bird shit.”

“He can’t help us,” Nami adds.

The two of them turn to leave.

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” The boy frantically calls, shaking his hands at you. “I can help you. The owner of this ship just happens to be my closest friend in the world.”

Nami seems unconvinced. “Your friend owns this ship?”

“Not just this one,” he grins. “She owns the whole shipyard. She’s rich rich.”

Luffy gasps; “oh!”

“I’m sure you could strike a deal with her.”

-

So it turns out Usopp, you learned his name was, was not lying about his friend owning the whole shipyard. It did, however, seem he was lying about how invited he truly was in his friends house—mansion.

Kaya herself didn’t seem to have any issue with Usopp, but her butler had a stick up his ass about him and that included the four of you. 

If it hadn’t been for Kaya insistence that it was her birthday, you’re sure all five of you would’ve been promptly kicked off her estate and back to square one. Somehow, that didn’t happen and now you’d found yourselves invited to dinner.

Currently, you were eyeing the room you’d been given for the night with a sheen of excitement. You’d never been in a house, let alone a room this nice before. It was a major upgrade compared to the small, dingy tent Buggy had let you stay in. The bed itself was almost the entire size of what your tent had been.

It’s astonishing enough to you that you lose track of time. After spending far too long just exploring the room—because it was big enough to explore—you went to have a shower. It had been far too long since you’d been given the opportunity to bathe yourself, and you definitely weren’t about to pass it up. 

You definitely spent far too long showering, letting the water soak into your skin and taking your time scrubbing the filth off your body.

By the time you’re finished, the bathroom is thoroughly fogged and you’re feeling refreshed.

It’s only then you remember you still have to find something to wear. Klahadore, the butler, had made it clear the clothes you all were wearing were not nearly good enough to eat dinner in—whatever that meant.

Leaving your room, you pause in the hall, glancing both ways as you try to remember what direction Klahadore had told you the clothes were in. He’d been rather gruff about it, barely able to hide the contempt in his gaze and you’d been too busy trying to ignore the discomfort to really listen to what he’d been saying.

You’re left wandering for about ten minutes before you see Nami slipping out of a room.

“I’m so happy to see you,” you breathe, grabbing her arm as she turns to you. She seems slightly unsure of your touch but she doesn’t pull away. “I’m sure I would’ve been lost for hours before I found my way. You look amazing, by the way.”

She really did. The red piece she had on was truly beautiful and it looked stunning on her.

Snorting faintly, she smiles softly. “Thanks,” she nods. “There’s a ton of outfits to choose from in there. The boys are in there too, but be careful, they’re hopeless.”

You let out a chuckle, “they weren’t any help?”

“Those two?” She rolls her eyes. “I’m pretty sure neither of them even know what a compliment is.”

Biting your lip, you pull back, letting her go. “Well, I’m gonna give it my best. Hopefully I can find something.”

Perhaps sensing a bit of nerves from you, Nami hesitates before leaving. “You’ll look good in anything, I’m sure.” She reassures, offering a gentle smile. “There’s lots of options and we might not get the chance to dress up like this again. Go crazy.”

You’re instantly eased by her words and sending her a warm smile and a nod, you turn towards the door, letting her head back to her room.

You’re instantly greeted by both Zoro and Luffy the second you slip inside, the two boys turning to face you as you smile at them gently in greeting.

“Woah,” you breathe, letting your eyes flicker across the room. “That is a lot of clothes.” You hadn’t thought Nami was lying, you just hadn’t expected this much. 

Zoro snorts as Luffy nods; “right? What would a person even need with it all?”

You let out a laugh, letting your hands drag across a rack of them, not even sure where to begin. 

“Well, I’m gonna go with this,” Luffy calls and you turn back to him, eyeing the waistcoat he’s holding in his hands. You pause when you realize he’s only holding a waistcoat.

“Uh, Luffy—”

“See ya!”

He’s out the door in the next second, leaving you gaping in the direction he’d gone.

A moment later, you turn to Zoro; “he’s aware you’re typically supposed to wear a shirt under a waistcoat, right?”

Zoro shrugs, chuckling. “Probably not.”

You let out a laugh in response before turning back to the clothes, suddenly realizing you’re alone with Zoro. You’re still unsure about the conversation the two of you had had back at the shipyard so it’s hard to ignore the slight uncertainty you feel at being in the room alone with him.

That and the fact that he makes you nervous in general.

“Did you, um,” swallowing thickly, you meet his eyes. “Did you find something to wear?”

He holds up the shirt that had been on his lap. It’s a dark bronze button up, with what looks like silk material. It’s beautiful, and you can’t help the thought that pops into your head that it’ll look extra beautiful on him. “Nami found something.”

“Ah,” you nod, “it’s a nice shirt.” You smile at him, before pausing by the folding screen at the back end of the room. “I guess I should hurry and find something, huh? I took too long showering,” you chuckle nervously to yourself. “It felt so good, I couldn’t convince myself to get out.”

Laugh fading out, you swallow thickly when you realize Zoro is just staring at you.

“Did you need help finding something?” He asks after an agonizing moment of quiet.

You turn to him in surprise. “Huh?”

“A… dress or something,” he gestures loosely to the clothes, now looking slightly uncomfortable. “Did you need help finding something?”

You stare at him, stunned. You for a moment think you’ve imagined Zoro’s offer. Maybe you were still in your room, or maybe you were still stuck with Buggy and this was one big hallucination.

You choose to ignore why Zoro would be a part of your hallucination.

“I thought you didn’t like getting involved?” You offer him.

Zoro smirks, the edges of his lips tilting upwards. “Only when I don’t want to.”

It’s hard to fight the blush that spreads across your cheeks at his words or ignore the flutter of butterflies in your stomach. You’d be stupid to say you didn’t notice that Zoro was a rather… attractive man, but you’d pointedly ignored those thoughts in favour of focusing on more important things. But when he smirked at you like that and offered to help you… find something to wear, of all things, it was hard to ignore them.

Turning away so he can’t see your flush, you swallow thickly. “S-Sure,” you mumble, before shifting the conversation to save you some face. “But Nami warned me you and Luffy were practically hopeless.”

Zoro huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m certainly more helpful than that idiot.”

Grinning, you bite your lip, turning back to him. 

Zoro frowns at your grin. “I know fashion.”

“I didn’t say you didn’t,” you laugh, holding your hands up in defence.

Scoffing, Zoro stands up, leaving the shirt Nami had picked for him over the arm of the chair as he crosses the distance of the room over to you. You freeze as he grows close, trying to ignore the race of your heart as he stops behind you, chest inches from your back, and reaches past you to grab a dress off one of the higher racks.

You watch as he pulls it down, trying to ignore the bulge of his bicep as he does.

The dress he picks is light beige in colour, floor length with one shoulder strap. The strap of the dress has an extra piece of fabric that billows out around it. It’s a simple silk material, but the hem of the dress is decorated in a darker, bronze lace trim.

It’s beautiful. 

You’ve certainly never worn a dress so beautiful.

“Here,” Zoro calls, handing the dress to you. “This one. It’ll look nice with...” he gestures loosely to your eye, as if unsure how to say it.

You blink up at him, warmed at his words and how he hadn’t just chosen the dress at random like it seemed he had. Had he seen the dress when Nami had been looking and thought of you? That thought made your heart race.

“Try it on.”

Wordlessly, you take the dress from his hands, meeting his eyes one last time before turning to step behind the folding screen. You hear footsteps grow distant so you figure Zoro went back to the chair, and with only a second more of glancing at the beautiful dress, you move to slip off your clothes. Once you’ve slipped the dress on, it takes you a second or two to fully zip it up, unused to the movement.

The second it’s fully on, you glance down at yourself, letting your fingers run down the length of the dress, marveling at how soft the material is.

“You done?”

Jumping at Zoro’s voice, you cough faintly, swallowing thickly. “Y-Yeah.”

“Let me see.”

Blunt as usual, Zoro leaves no room for argument, so, with a nervous dip of your stomach, you force your legs to carry you out from behind the folding screen. You hesitate to meet his gaze, feeling nervous and unsure in a completely different way at the way Zoro’s eyes drag across your figure.

You’ve never worn a dress before, period. And certainly not one as pretty as this. Nami wasn’t lying when the clothes Buggy had made you wear were ridiculous. Corny and too colorful, Buggy had adorned you in clothes that made you look closer to a doll than an actual human being. It had been objectifying and humiliating.

And even though this was still a form of dressing up and even though you’re nervous, you can’t deny you feel beautiful.

Truly beautiful. 

“What… What do you think?” You ask, finally meeting Zoro’s gaze as you tip your chin up.

There’s the briefest of seconds where his lips are left parted and an expression you’ve never seen washes over his eyes. Your stomach twists painfully, thinking that reaction was one of distaste, but before you can say anything, he’s coughing out a response;

“It’s… good.” The words seem forced, but not in a way that he’s lying but rather that he’s unsure of how they sound on his own lips. “You look… pretty.”

The blush returns. Ten-fold this time. Your whole body grows hot in response, nerves feeling like they’re on fire, as you stand there. You’re frozen still, for some reason scared to move.

“Oh,” you finally manage. “Thank you.”

He stands. It seems like an unconscious decision. “You’re welcome.”

Silence follows.

“You think this is the one?” You ask, before turning to the rest of the clothes. “Or should I—”

“No,” Zoro cuts in, sharp, before righting himself as he coughs, again, trying to play it off. “I mean, no, I think that’s a good choice.”

Believing it, you nod; “okay.”

Zoro glances at you, before glancing down. “I should get ready.”

“Oh,” you blink, “yeah.”

“Yeah.”

Standing there, opposite ends of the room, the two of you don’t move for a minute more. Then, Zoro finally turns.

“I’ll see you at dinner.”

“You too,” you whisper, watching his back disappear out the door.

You catch sight of the dress shirt Nami had found for him, and try not to let out a gasp when you realize the lace trimming of your dresses matches perfectly with his shirt.

-

Letting your eyes drift across the array of dinner food set out in front of you, you try not to let your obvious desire show. It was hard to deny how good everything smelled, though, and the want to just dig in and stuff your face like Luffy currently was was more than tempting.

But you wouldn’t let yourself look so silly. Not only was this a fancy dinner, you were wearing the nicest dress you ever had and surely ever will. You had no intention of soiling that opportunity by being anything less than ladylike.

Sat in between Zoro and Usopp, you tentatively glance around to see if anyone else has started grabbing food.

Luffy was the only one actively stuffing his face full. Usopp and Nami had grabbed food, but the latter was taking it much slower and Zoro… 

Well, Zoro didn’t really seem interested in eating at all. He’d grabbed the bottle of wine on the table the second he’d seen it and after managing to chug through the entire bottle in a few mere minutes, he was already asking for another.

Deciding to just bite the bullet and ignoring the nerves of reaching for food, you grab a little bit of everything that catches your attention. There’s so much placed on the table you’ve no hope of ever being able to try it all, even though that’s what your heart desires. You settle for starting with what looks most appetizing and leaving the rest for if your stomach has the room for it.

Smiling to yourself, it takes you a moment before you realize there’s a set of eyes on you.

You instantly glance to your left, in the direction of Zoro, blinking when you find his eyes already on you. He has the glass of wine he’d poured for himself pressed against his lips, angled back to be able to watch you more easily.

He seems to freeze at being caught and you quickly divert your attention back to your now full plate before either of you can say anything. You’re hyper-aware of yourself in that moment, especially the dress you're wearing.

“I’d love to try the fish tonight.”

Looking up from your plate, you glance to the head of the table, watching as Kaya turns to the maid with a gentle smile and flutter of excitement.

“I’m sorry, Miss Kaya,” Klahadore cuts in before the maid can respond, stepping towards the girl. “But that is not possible.”

Kaya’s face falls. “Maybe just a small piece?”

“Now,” Klahadore sighs, as if exasperated by her simple request. “You know that certain foods can affect your constitution. Here, Buchi has prepared your special soup.”

At his invitation, Buchi steps forward, taking the bowl off his tray and setting it in front of Kaya.

You almost immediately blanch at the sight.

Whatever that was, it didn’t look anything like soup.

“Kaya,” Nami calls, “it’s your birthday. You should be able to eat what you want.”

You instantly nod. “And certainly something more special than… that.”

“Miss Kaya’s medical condition necessitates that I closely monitor her dietary needs,” Klahadore explains.

You meet Nami’s gaze from across the table.

“Does it mean you also speak for her?” Nami challenges, glaring at the man.

Blinking, Klahadore tilts his head, the action oddly threatening.

“I’ll take her fish!”

Leave it to Luffy to miss the entire point of the conversation.

Pressing a hand to your forehead, you shake your head.

“Luffy,” Usopp says, and you silently thank him for diverting the tension. “Isn’t there something that you wanted to talk to Kaya about?”

“Oh, yes!” Luffy exclaims, pointing at Usopp in recognition. He turns to Kaya, grinning. “Usopp told me you own the whole shipyard.”

“Well, actually my parents founded the shipyard, and Merry’s been running the business since…” Her voice trails off momentarily, eyes falling to her lap. “Well, since they passed.”

Swallowing thickly, you fiddle with the napkin on your lap.

“But all of that’s about to change,” Kaya continues, pulling your eyes back on her. “Tonight, at midnight, I will become the sole owner.” Her eyes naturally drift towards Usopp and the two share a soft smile between one another.

You grin at the interaction.

“Ah,” Luffy nods. “Well, that’s great, because we want to buy a ship from you.”

Kaya’s face eases in understanding. “I see. Usopp mentioned that you’re sailors.”

“Nope. Not sailors.” Raising his glass, Luffy smiles. “We’re pirates.”

You freeze at that, pointedly ignoring the way Usopp chokes on his own drink. Your gaze falls to Luffy, as if in doubt that he’d actually just said that. By the proud grin on his face, you’d say he in fact did.

Bringing his glass to his lips, you hear Zoro mumble under his breath; “this ought to be good.”

Kaya falters. “Pirates?”

Luffy nods; “yup! We haven’t sailed together for long, but we have already defeated an evil clown,” you shift at that, “raided a Marine base, and taken down a captain with an axe for a hand.”

Biting your lip, you sink into your chair, pressing a hand to your eye patch. Maybe you’d blend in with the chair and disappear from sight.

“These sound a lot like your adventures, Usopp,” Kaya turns to her friend.

Usopp lets out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, that’s… that’s crazy.”

“Oh yeah!” Luffy cheers, and before you even realize it he’s standing to his feet, taking the glass in his hands and climbing up on the table. “And we’re just getting started.”

“Oh my God… Luffy!” You whisper, trying to meet his eyes so he’ll get down.

“What are you doing?” Klahadore bellows, astonished. “Get down from there at once!”

Luffy ignores you and the butler. “Being a pirate has been my dream for as long as I can remember. And I’m finally making it a reality.” Ever oblivious to the reactions of everyone else there, Luffy shifts to take a knee towards Kaya. “We’re heading out to the Grand Line, where even more adventures await us.” He moves to stand up straight again, making his way down the length of the table towards Kaya. “And at the end of the journey, I’m gonna find the ultimate treasure, the One Piece, and become King of the Pirates.”

Head tilting back to meet his gaze, Kaya’s lips part; “you’re… serious?”

Handing the glass he’d been holding to Klahadore, who accepts it with a barely concealed growl, Luffy crouches in front of Kaya, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Kaya, you have a beautiful ship out there. A caravel with a sheep figurehead. It spoke to me. That’s the ship we need to follow our dreams. I promise you, we’ll take care of it. Maintain it. Treat it like any other member of our crew, because a ship is also a home.”

Silence follows, no one says anything for the briefest of seconds. You focus your attention on your lap, fiddling with your fingers, wishing Luffy would get down from the table.

But before Kaya or really anyone could say anything, Klahadore’s voice booms; 

“That will be quite enough! I should’ve known Usopp would bring riffraff to our doorstep.”

Kaya shakes her head; “Klahadore, it’s okay. I—” A violent cough pulls from her lips. It starts to wrack her body, cutting off what she’d been about to say as she hunches in on herself in response.

You sit up, leaning towards her. “Are you okay?” You ask, not sure if you should get up and help.

Klahadore steps forward before you can, pointedly glaring at you before shifting his gaze to Luffy. “Now look what you’ve done. You’ve upset Miss Kaya. All of you, out of this house at once!”

“No,” Kaya rasps. “It’s late. Let them stay the night.”

-

After the disaster that was dinner, you’d elected to stay in your room for the night.

You’re almost positive that the rest of your friends wouldn’t be able to rest or stay still for that matter. Even though you’d only been with them for a short while, it was easy to tell that an opportunity like this wouldn’t allow any of them to simply stay in for the night and sleep. Luffy was probably looking for more food, given that dinner had been cut short. Nami was definitely exploring the mansion, whilst grabbing whatever shiny trinket caught her attention. And Zoro? He was probably looking for more booze. You’ve very quickly come to learn that the man enjoyed his alcohol, and needed it in most instances.

You, however, were exhausted. A lot of things in your life had so rapidly changed and being out on sea, cramped in a small ship hadn’t left you a lot of opportunities to rest. The bed you’d been given for the night seemed far too tempting to ignore, especially knowing you probably wouldn’t get a chance like this one again.

So, changing out of the dress you’d borrowed from Kaya, feeling slightly disappointed you hadn’t gotten the chance to wear it for longer, you changed back into the clothes you’d borrowed from Nami and lay down on the bed.

You instantly sink into the cushion that is your mattress for tonight, a soft sigh leaving your lips as you feel your tense muscle instantly ease.

However, you learn quickly it isn’t so easy to fall asleep. Even on a large and soft bed, you were now struggling with the actual act of falling asleep. You couldn’t completely relax. For a multitude of reasons. Even though you were free of him, you’d only escaped Buggy a short while ago. The scars of what he’d done to you were still heavily prevalent and you doubted they’d go away anytime soon. Every time you close your eyes, you can see those gleaming eyes and hear his laugh echo in your mind.

You can feel the scars that cover your body from his abuse.

Beyond that, you can’t get rid of the uneasy feeling you felt about Klahadore. It was obvious the man was more than just a nasty butler. He’d been extremely controlling over Kaya all night, starting with not letting her eat anything other than that soup (which definitely wasn’t meant to be consumed) and the presence of Usopp and you and your friends seemed to particularly annoy him. It was obvious he was hiding something, you just weren’t sure what.

An hour or so must pass of you lost in your thoughts without getting any closer to actually falling asleep. You’re just about to give up in frustration, pressing the palms of your hands into your eyes with a groan of frustration, when a large bang startles you. It’s instantly followed by a mechanical whirring noise. You jump up, gaze snapping around for the source of the noise. You frown when you realize the noise is coming from the large window in your room. There was a shutter coming down, blocking out the nightlight and effectively trapping any escape through it.

The lights in your room, despite having been turned off for you to sleep, were now flickering on and off.

Swallowing thickly, you crawl out of bed, moving towards the window. Your hands tentatively reach out for the window only to realize the shutter is on the other side of the glass pane. It was clearly intended to block people out, but also lock people inside.

“What the…” 

Turning around, your eyes fall on your door, rushing towards it and letting out a soft breath of relief when you realize that it is still open.

The windows in the hall are no different than the one in your room. You also notice that the lights are flickering on and off in the whole house, making the large mansion seem entirely eerie in a different way.

Heart racing, your unease from before triples into terror as you begin moving down the hall. Your hope is to find one window or door that isn’t being barricaded, to try and escape. That doesn’t happen. Every window is blocked out by the metal shutters. Someone was putting the house on lockdown.

You fear you already know who that someone was.

Picking up the speed of your step, you turn down the hallway, glancing back the way you’d come in fear there was someone following you. Only, that causes you to crash right into another body. You let out a startled scream, fighting the hands that fall on your shoulders, thinking you’ve run into Klahadore himself.

“Y/N! Y/N, it’s me!”

Blinking, you turn, focusing your gaze in front of you and easing when you seem a familiar head of orange hair.

“Nami,” you breathe, relieved. Reaching for her, you grab her arms. “I’m so happy to see you. Where’s Zoro? Luffy? Do you know what’s going on? Why is the house in lockdown?”

She just shakes her head at you, eyes flipping around, seeming rushed. “I can’t answer all those questions right now,” she huffs, shuffling back as she tugs you along, fingers wrapping around your wrist. “There’s no time. Kaya’s in danger!”

She turns to race back down the way you’d just come from. You let her pull you, rushing to match her pace as you shake your head in confusion.

“Kaya’s in danger?” You echo, “Nami, what’s happening?”

Glancing at you over her shoulder, never slowing her pace, Nami frowns. “It’s the butler, Klahadore. Him and that maid and chef are going to kill Kaya! They’re pirates and they want the shipyard! They’ve been poisoning Kaya this entire time…”

Eyes widening, you quicken your pace so you’re next to her rather than beyond. Briefly, Nami glances at you once more, and you just nod at her. You’re shocked and you’re dying to ask more questions; like how she knows or where the rest of your friends are. But you know time is of the essence right now and you don’t need to know all those to believe her. “Lead the way,” you assure. “You know where Kaya’s room is?”

Blinking at you, Nami only pauses for a second. “Y-Yeah,” she answers. “It’s just down the hall.”

A few minutes later the both of you are stopping in front of a set of double doors. You let Nami take the lead, chancing a nervous glance behind you in fear that Klahadore will come around the corner any second. It takes Nami a few seconds before she manages to get the door open, and the second she does, you both rush in.

Her shoulders ease when she sees Kaya, Usopp behind her. “Thank God you’re alive.”

Kaya hovers by the table she’d been sitting at, frowning. 

“Why wouldn’t we be alive?”

-

“Poison?” Kaya echos, breathless. “What are you talking about?”

Shuffling near the door, you glance between it and Kaya and Nami.

“I overheard them in the kitchen,” Nami explains. “It’s been going on for years.”

Kaya hesitates, fiddling her hands in front of her as she glances over at Usopp. “Did Usopp put you up to this?”

“I didn’t even know,” Usopp instantly denies. He doesn’t look angered by Kaya’s accusation, if anything, he looks more upset than she does. His face is distraught, eyes flickering across the tea set Kaya has on the table. “I gave you that tea.”

“Think about it, Kaya. When did you start getting sick? Was it around the time Kuro started working here?”

By the expression on her face, the answer is obvious.

“Listen to me,” Nami urges, grabbing her hands and pulling her focus back on her. “If we stay here, we die. We have to leave now.”

“Easier said than done,” you breathe. “Everything is locked down. And if Klaha—Kuro is after you, he’s probably already on his way here.” Shaking your head, you turn to look at them. “Where are we gonna go?”

Meeting your eyes, Kaya lets out a shaky breath.

-

You freeze when Kaya starts coughing, your entire body tensing.

Almost instantly, five blades slice through the wall of the mansion, missing Kaya and Usopp by an inch as the two of them fly back. You stumble back in response, trying to make room in the narrow servants corridors. But then, Kuro is pulling his blades back before slicing them back in in a different spot, this time right by Nami.

Just as Usopp turns to rush forward, Kuro’s blades stop him.

“It’s your birthday,” Kuro growls from the other side of the wall. “It’s time to celebrate.”

He slices his blades through again, this time both, one of each side of Kaya, the ones on her left nicking her on her arm.

Heart falling at the small cry that leaves her lips and processing just how dire of a situation you’re all in, the thought that pops up in your mind seems like the best option. You say it before you even realize what you’re saying. “Go,” you hiss, quietly enough that Kuro can’t hear you but the three of them can. Their eyes instantly fall on you. “I’ll distract him.”

Eyes widening, Nami shakes her head. “What? Y/N, no!” She turns to face you.

You jump as he sends his blades through once again, this time narrowly missing you, Nami stumbling back in response to avoid them as well.

“We’ve no choice,” you argue, “he’s going to kill Kaya!”

“Y/N—”

You don’t let Usopp finish, ignoring the look in Nami’s eyes as you step back.

“Stay here until I’m gone,” you whisper, meeting each of their gazes before nodding.

Then, with one last breath in, you pick up your pace, deliberating making your footsteps loud as to entice Kuro. You force a cough from your throat, hoping the barrier of the wall muffles the fact that your voice sounds different from Kaya's. As you run, you hear footsteps following you, and the distinctive voice of Kuro laughing;

“Come on then, Kaya! Don’t keep me waiting!”

With no plan in mind, you continue running, going back the way you’d just come and hope that Kuro continues to fall for the bait. You hope he’ll just assume Kaya got scared and went running back to her room.

Breathless, you continue to make your footsteps loud, forcing a cough every now and then, trying to buy as much time for Kaya and the others as you can.

Making your way back to the entrance you’d gone through in Kaya’s room, your eye flickers across her entire room, trying to find something to help yourself. You couldn’t fight to start with, but something was better than standing there helplessly. Grabbing one of the chairs around her tea table, you make your way towards the door. You definitely didn’t want to be trapped in her room with Kuro.

The second you step out of the room, you see Kuro in the hall, a few feet away from you.

You freeze and his eyes widen when he realizes it’s you and not Kaya. For a second, you both just stand there, waiting, and you watch as anger blazes in his eyes, mouth setting into a thin line. You fear he’ll go back in the direction of Kaya and the rest, so, stepping forward, you take the chair you’d grab and throw it at him. It doesn’t even reach him, crashing into the ground before his feet as his eyes lower to eye it, before falling back on you.

Then, you run. You turn to the right, racing down the hall opposite of him, making yourself move as fast as you possibly can. Maybe you could find Zoro, he’d know what to do. Nami had explained Luffy had been poisoned, but maybe if you could find him, you’d at least be able to help him. He’d defeated Buggy after all, so maybe he’d…. Shaking your head from that though, you remind yourself he’d been poisoned. Finding him would probably only put him in more danger.

Maybe you could find the switch that was keeping this place in lockdown. If you flipped it back, that’d help Kaya and the rest and give you an opportunity to escape.

You turn down a series of hallways all whilst hearing the thunderous steps of Kuro behind you. You’re happy he’s following you and taking the bait, but now that you’ve done it, you’re not exactly sure what your plan is. He curses at you, threatening he’ll do worse to you if you don’t stop. The threats make your heart race and your throat clam up with fear.

You never stop running though.

At least, until there’s nowhere else to run. As you make a turn, you realize you’ve made your way to the main foyer. 

Your eyes instantly fall on the maid and chef. 

Their eyes instantly zone in on you, gleaming with interest and smiling as your eyes widen at the sight of them.

“Fuck,” you breathe.

Just then, Kuro catches up to you, stopping right behind you.

You’re thoroughly trapped, pinned on either side by Kuro and his crew, and the only exit was currently locked down.

“Got nowhere to run now, have you?” Kuro laughs, voice thick with desire to kill. You inhale sharply, stumbling back as he steps towards you. As you make your way down the small set of stairs, you’re quickly reminded of Kuro’s crew as you hear them laugh mockingly behind you. A quick glance behind you tells you they're right behind you, so you freeze in the spot.

What the hell were you supposed to do now?

Cornered, you try to look for an escape, but there isn’t one. You already didn’t have a hope of fighting off Kuro, and you definitely didn’t have a hope of fighting all three of them. Your only weapon had been that chair, which was now broken and hadn’t even hit Kuro.

“Annoying,” Kuro hisses, glaring down at you. “Playing the hero and leading me away from Kaya.”

Shoulders tensing, you stare up at him.

His hand swings out before you can dodge it, slicing across your face in a way that pulls a scream from your lips. It hits directly on your right cheek, slicing across the strap of your eyepatch and into your skin. Blood beads across the four slices as your eyepatch falls to the ground. You watch it hit the ground in despair, shredded by his blades. Biting back the sob that wants to fall from your lips, you clutch at your cheek, turning back to look at Kuro.

He grins at you. With your right eye now visible, there’s a particularly cruel gleam that floods his eyes. “Well, look at that.”

Embarrassment brews in your chest, wanting to turn your face away and hide. The sting of your cheek is painful, and you can’t help the tremble of your body. You’re all too easily reminded of your helplessness. You’d told Luffy you were a lousy fighter and when he’d brushed it off with no concern, that’d given you the hope that maybe it wasn’t so bad. You were naive to think having no fighting skills wouldn’t catch up to you when dealing with pirates and even more of a fool to think that your brave plan to help Nami, Usopp and Kaya wouldn’t end in your death.

You didn’t regret doing what you had. You hope that by leading Kuro away, they’d already found an escape route. But you didn’t want to die either. You’d just escaped from Buggy too, and now you were going to die at the hands of another sick pirate crew.

“Such a shame too,” he mocks, “you were so pretty.”

Biting your lip, you swallow thickly.

“Finish her off for me and we’ll hide her body with the green-haired swordsman after I’ve finished with Kaya.”

Your heart starts at the mention of Zoro, terror flooding you at the thought that he might be hurt, or worse, dead.

“Zoro?” You breathe, voice pitching. Turning to Kuro, you shake your head. “What did you do to him?”

Kuro snorts, “he’s dead. Along with your captain, and your friends, as well as Kaya, will follow suit soon.” He grins, ear to ear, as his crew laughs behind him. “Try not to worry then, dear. You’ll be reunited with them all soon enough.”

Kuro turns to leave then, not sparing you another glance, leaving his crew to kill you off for him.

-

“Y/N. Y/N!”

Feeling hands grab at you, your limp body is spun and pulled into a chest as you slowly blink open your eyes. Everything hurts, your entire body is stinging to the point that even the slightest movement has you crying out in pain.

“Y/N!”

You recognize that voice. Forcing your vision to clear in your left eye, you ease when you see a familiar head of green hair. The relief that floods you is immediate, allowing you to ignore your own discomfort.

“Zoro,” you rasp, voice cracking with strain. “You’re alive.”

Zoro frowns down at you. “What the hell happened?” Shifting, his left hand falls on your waist, pressing against the nasty cut you were currently bleeding out from. His eyes fall on the wound and he huffs. “Shit. You’re losing too much blood.”

Setting you gently back on the ground, Zoro leans back, grabbing the hem of his shirt and ripping a strip of it off. You watch him with your good eye, bleary and dazed, body limp in his grasp as he tugs you up, slipping the strip under you so he can tie it around your waist, applying pressure to your cut.

Using all your strength, you raise your arm, gripping onto his arm. “Kuro,” you gasp, voice pitching. “The butler, he—”

Zoro shakes his head. “I know, Y/N. Fuck, did you really try to fight him?”

You laugh at that, weakly. “I’m a lousy fighter.” When Zoro doesn’t laugh with you, you sigh, letting your head fall back. “He was after Kaya… I distracted him to give them time.”

Zoro just blinks down at you, stunned, taking in the cuts across your cheek, and the bleeding wound in your stomach, his chest flooding with rage.

“We need to get you out here,” Zoro says, moving to pick you up. “We need to get you help.”

You just shake your head, pushing against his arm. “Kaya, Usopp and Nami… They… They need help.”

“Luffy’s got it,” Zoro says, trying to grab you.

You push harder. “Those two—the ma-maid and chef… they’re still—”

“Here?” A new voice cuts in, both you and Zoro glancing towards the front door only to see both of them there. Despite their ridiculous get up, your heart races with fear.

Something shifts in Zoro’s gaze. It’s an expression you’ve never seen. His eyes darken as his lips straighten, and he’s gently pulling back from you, making sure you’re settled on the ground, as he stands, pulling out the two black handled katanas.

“Just hang on, Y/N,” he whispers down at you, meeting your eyes from above as you glance up at him. You’re surprised by the burning rage in his gaze and it’s not at all directed at you. “I’ll kill them and then we’ll get you somewhere safe.”

Too tired to realize how those words would’ve made you feel normally, you nod weakly, letting your head fall back, knowing that Zoro will keep his word.

-

Zoro had been deliberate about keeping the fight away from you.

Having tucked you into the corner, you could only really hear the sounds of his fight. You wanted to get up and help, but you knew even without your injuries, you wouldn’t be able to do anything. And as you hear the sounds of metal clanging against metal, you make a mental note to actually take those lessons from Zoro up. You were learning and had learned far too quickly that having not even a bit of self-defence skill was not possible if you were going to be on Luffy’s crew.

It takes Zoro an impressively little amount of time to defeat Kuro’s crew. You can hear the waning sounds of fighting as you force yourself to turn, ignoring the ache that burns through your entire body. Your left eye shows you he’s in the midst of tying the two up, both of them growling in frustration and fighting weakly in protest. 

Unaware of the way Zoro’s gaze falls on you, you press your hand to the ground, using it as leverage to push yourself up to your feet. Your teeth grind against one another as you lift yourself up, managing to shift your feet underneath you before a sharp shoot of pain has you crying out. Instantly, your arm gives out beneath you, and you go crashing towards the ground.

Or, at least, you would’ve, had an arm not caught your fault.

“Are you crazy?” Zoro breathes, shaking his head at you as he shifts you in his grip. “You’ve lost too much blood for you to be trying to stand up.”

Letting your hand fall on his arm, you breathe in sharply. “We… I’m worried about Kaya, Usopp and Nami,” you rasp, voice cracking at the end. “I need to check on them.”

“I told you Luffy had it, damn it,” Zoro huffs, before he shuffles, setting his left hand on your back and the other moving to hold your hand. He helps pull you to your feet, going slow to not hurt you more as his eyes flicker from the wound in your stomach to your face. You're drenched in sweat and blood, but the expression on your face is determined. “Worry about yourself.”

He says it with an expression of frustration, but he lets you lean your entire weight against him and doesn't pull away.

Meeting his eyes, you frown. “I’m worried about Luffy too.” You breathe, “and not because I don’t have faith in him but—”

“Zoro! Y/N!”

Lips parting, you glance up, eyes falling on Luffy himself as he comes racing down the stairs to your right. Behind him is Nami and then Usopp and Kaya. The smile that had been on Luffy’s lips falters at the sight of you when he sees the blood on your shirt, hesitating by the bottom of the stairs. Something shifts in his gaze, a look of anger you’ve never seen on the boy before. But before you can ponder on it for much longer, Nami pushes past him.

“Oh, my God,” Nami calls, eyes wide. “Y/N.”

She reaches you in seconds, bending to get a better look at the wound in your stomach.

You glance at her, then at Luffy, before your eyes drift past him to Usopp and Kaya. Everyone looks at you in a similar way, eyes drowning in concern.

“I’m okay,” you assure, trying to ease their worry. “It’s just a scratch.”

“She’s lying,” Zoro grunts, never letting go of you. “She needs medical attention.”

Nami shakes her head. “She probably needs stitches,” she breathes, voice pitching in panic as she pulls back your tattered shirt, getting a closer look at the wound. Turning to Zoro, she meets his gaze. “I know a little bit but not for something like this.”

“I can help,” Kaya calls out, weakly stepping away from Usopp’s arm as she smiles at you. “I know a little about stitching and cleaning a wound. Plus, it’s the least I can do. Leading Kuro away like that… I can’t ever thank you enough, Y/N.”

Smiling faintly, you brush her off; “you don’t need to thank me. You’re my friend, I wanted to help.”

Kaya looks at you astonished, but before she can respond, Nami is turning to her. “We better be quick,” she urges, looking concerned for you but also antsy. “The marines already know where we are. The longer we stay, the closer they get to catching up to us.”

Kaya nods, instantly moving towards her, just as Luffy speaks up; 

“Where are we gonna go?” He asks, seemingly snapping out of his revere as he glances at his friends. “We don’t even have a ship.”

Pausing by you, Kaya turns to him; “yes,” she smiles. “You do.”

-

“Honestly, the both of you, I’m fine.”

Glancing at each other, Nami and Zoro make it clear they don’t believe you.

Sat in between them, you huff, touching the now stitched and bandaged wound on your stomach before letting your fingers drift across your cheek. After Kaya had stitched you up and given you something for the pain, you’d all headed out immediately. The ship she’d given you was named the ‘Going Merry’ in honour of her late friend Merry and Usopp and Kaya had shared a rather sweet kiss before the former agreed to join you.

Now with a bigger ship and five members, it was starting to feel like you all were actually a pirate crew. You felt closer with all of them and sharing that fight together, even if all you’d managed to do is get hurt, felt like you’d all truly bonded.

That, however, seemed to have both Zoro and Nami acting like overbearing, worried mothers over you. You could barely take two steps without one of them telling you to rest. 

“Seriously,” you pout, crossing your arms over your chest. “I’m not a child. I can still do things for myself.”

“You have a cut that wraps around your entire waist, Y/N,” Nami reminds, curling a brow at you as she sets down the Grand Line map. “Not to mention your face.”

You gape at her, trying to find something to argue against and coming up blank, you turn your gaze to Zoro. He’s slouched back against the edge of the bench you’re all sitting at, head turned towards the window, but the expression on his face and his returning silence tells you he feels the same as Nami.

Seriously, for two distant and rather intimidating people, they sure were overprotective.

“I promise I’m fine. And the second I’m fully healed, I’ll be roping Zoro into giving me some fighting lessons so something like this never happens again.”

That pulls Zoro’s eyes on you. “I definitely will be teaching you some moves,” he assures. “For the next time you decide to sacrifice yourself.”

He glares at you but it doesn’t amount to much and you let out a small giggle at that, cheeks warming faintly. You miss the way his gaze softens the second you do, but Nami who’s sat across from him definitely doesn’t. Zoro promptly ignores her knowing smirk.

“I think it was badass!”

Sharply reminded of his presence, all three of your eyes fall on Luffy who’s sitting at the other side of the table.

“Though,” he pauses, a smile faltering on his face. “I would rather you didn’t get covered in blood next time we fight.”

You snort at that, sending him a reassuring smile. “No worries, Captain,” you send him a thumbs up. “I’ll make sure not to worry everyone again.”

Nami rolls her eyes and Zoro scoffs, but Luffy’s face stretches into a wide smile, nodding at you.

“A shame though,” he adds a moment later, almost as an after-thought. “I did think your eyepatch was cool.”

Shoulders tensing, you’re sharply reminded of the fact that because of Kuro, your eyepatch had been sliced to shreds. You’d asked Kaya if she’d be able to stitch it back together, but she’d only frowned and said it was ruined beyond repair. You knew you could just get a new eyepatch, but you didn’t know when you’d get the opportunity to do so. Let alone if you’d even have the money to buy one.

As a result, you’d been forced to depart from Gecko Islands without it and feeling entirely too seen and vulnerable with your eyes there for everyone to see. You’d been hiding behind it for as long as you can remember and you were desperately trying to ignore the fact that you couldn’t until now.

You knew Luffy meant nothing behind it, but you couldn’t help the way you instinctively curled into yourself in response.

“Cha,” Zoro calls out, clicking his tongue, “she doesn’t need it anyways. She looks badass enough without it.”

Lips parting, your stunned eyes fall on him. He’s pointedly not looking at you, eyes focused back on the window to his right, but you notice a faint flush across his cheeks.

Nami giggles quietly to herself. “Zoro’s right,” she agrees, smiling at you when you turn to look at her. “The eyepatch just hid your face and you shouldn’t be ashamed of the way you look.”

Lips still gaping, the warmth that floods through your chest is undeniable. 

“Ah!” Luffy exclaims a second later, “you guys are right! Your eye is even more awesome than the eyepatch! Both of your eyes!”

A smile curls onto your lips, eyes falling to your lap as you let their words flood through you, basking in the kindness. No one has ever made you feel so… normal about your eye and the way it looks. Not just normal, but accepted. 

In that moment, every cruel insult that has ever been thrown your way becomes immeasurable to the words your friends say to you then.

“Guys! Check it out!”

Swallowing thickly, the moment is interrupted as Usopp comes bounding into the room, a grin plastered on his face. “Using my unparalleled artistic talent, I made us a new Jolly Roger for the ship.” Grabbing Luffy by the arm, he pulls him up to his feet, making Luffy hold the Jolly Roger as he opens it to show you all. 

It’s a skull, as expected, but… Usopp-ified. 

“Ta-da!”

Usopp chuckles in excitement, still grinning from ear to ear, as you grimace. Luffy was not going to like that.

“I know. I know,” Usopp laughs, “my flair for design often leaves people speechless.”

Folding the Jolly Roger back up, Luffy hands it back to Usopp with a forced smile.

“I already drew our flag,” Luffy explains.

“Okay,” Usopp snorts, “but this one is so much better.”

Zoro just sighs from beside you. “Neither of the flags are gonna scare anyone away.”

“Okay,” Usopp drawls, wrapping his Jolly Roger around his shoulders. “But the Jolly Roger is supposed to reflect the captain.”

Luffy doesn’t hesitate; “I am the captain. We are the Straw Hat crew—”

“—They call me Captain Usopp.”

You bite your lip, watching as the two proceed to talk over one another.

Then, Nami laughs.

It gives everyone pause, turning to her as she lets her head fall in amusement, shoulders shaking with laughter.

Everyone follows suit after that. 

Pressing your hand to your lips, your eyes crinkle in warmth and delight.

“You see?” Luffy grins, patting Usopp on the shoulders. “This is what it’s all about. From now on, it’s all gonna be smooth sailing.”

As if jinxing it, the sound of a cannon firing echoes right after his words. A second later, a thud hits the boat as the entire ship rocks, causing you to lose your balance and fall forward. You tilt, pain shooting through you as you agitate your wound.

Hands fall on you.

“You okay?” Zoro asks, eyes flickering across you.

You nod, “yeah.” You say slowly, breathless, as you glance around at the rest.

“What was that?” Usopp gasps.

Nami just sighs, moving to stand. “You had to open your mouth.”

Waiting for Zoro to stand, you follow after him, moving slower than the rest as they make their way up to the deck. Cannon continues to fire, some rocking the ship, until you all see the cause of the explosions.

“Marines!” Nami yells, “we’re under attack!”

Moving up the stairs, you nod gratefully at Zoro as he helps you up the final few steps, watching as Luffy takes the telescope to see who's attacking you.

Your eyes widen, however, when he calls out;

“Grandpa?!”

[aplaceinthedark]

interlude: SOMETHING BAD will HAPPEN if you are with SOMEONE ELSE

Summary: The Appalachian Mountains hide numerous monsters, and it's up to Taylor and the Bad Omens to prevent them from causing any harm. 

Word Count: 1,428

CW: supernatural themes, blood, maiming, decapitation

This is RPF, and thus will contain real people, but names and events will be changed. If this bothers you too much, then please leave this temple without causing harm. 

Divider by @saradika-graphics

NOAH

I am royally fucked, Noah thought as he paced around the Grove. 

Not too long after Taylor had fallen asleep, Noah had extracted himself from their hold. He scrambled in the darkness to pull his jeans on before searching for Taylor's clothes. Not wanting to wake them, he stuffed their clothes in their bag and wrapped them back up in the blanket he had borrowed from their house. He then proceeded to go into a spiraling crisis.

He wanted to run away as far as possible as fast as he could. He tried to at first, but he realised that he couldn't just leave Taylor alone. The Grove might be full of… whatever magick, but it couldn't protect them from any Things that might still be lurking despite the ritual. 

Noah could feel that magick now. Even without focusing on that force of nature that seemed to be etched into every rock and root in this valley, he could feel it ebbing away like a shadow that would wait and bide its time before striking again. The forest around him seemed to sigh with satiated content, and it made him sick. 

Noah sat down at the base of the ancient oak tree, knocking his antlers gently back against the trunk. They were barren again, scabs forming over the wounds he made when he had torn the flowers out. It had felt like he had ripped chunks of his hair out of his scalp, but he didn't care since they just served as reminders of what he had done.  

He couldn't help glancing down at Taylor, peacefully curled up and sleeping next to his outstretched leg. Without thinking, he placed his hand on their hair, disheveled from his hands previously being tangled in them. 

They had had sex. He had liked it. And now… Now he didn't want to give Taylor back. 

He wanted to take them away to the darker recesses of the woods, fuck them senseless into the ground until he was in their ribcage and they fused together into one being. He had even marked them - multiple times - as if they belonged to him. They weren't even his to begin with. 

Nicholas was waiting for Taylor back at their house. And he would absolutely kill Noah if he left Taylor in the woods to walk back by themself. Who cares if Noah could feel the Pale Things retreating to the darkest recesses before the sun could come up and boil their skin to the bone? The woods were still dangerous. 

Noah tried hailing Folio or Jolly but got no response. Jolly was probably sleeping  behind his waterfall down in Devil’s Creek,  and Folio... Hm, he must have had a rough time taking care of whatever har followed Taylor to the holler. His life essence was faint, but Noah could sense he was still alive and just sleeping the injuries off. 

Which meant Noah had to take Taylor back whether he wanted to or not. 

Noah tucked one arm under Taylor’s  shoulders and the other under their knees,  picking them up and holding them close to  his chest. They stirred at the movement, but they only huddled closer to his chest. He took in a deep breath and forced himself to walk in the direction of their house.  

Of course, the woods were silent and restful now, so he didn't have anything to keep his mind preoccupied. He had to deal with the storm in his head. He gritted his teeth together and pressed on, trying to get to his destination as fast as possible. 

The house was dark when Noah walked up to the porch. Shuffling Taylor a little bit, he tried the doorknob. He swore when he discovered it was locked and he had to dig around for the spare key. Despite all the movement, Tayler didn't stir.  

Nicholas wasn't waiting up for them on the couch. Instead, Folio was passed out there, his arm bandaged up. And when Noah went to put Taylor in their bedroom, he saw that Nicholas wasn't waiting up period. He was passed out under the blankets, Lydia tucked in his arm. 

Noah quickly tucked Taylor under the  covers, pulling the dirty blanket from their  body. He put their bag on the floor and then turned away and quickly headed for the front door. 

When he was outside, Noah let out a long, shaky breath. He was halfway across the porch when he heard Nicholas' voice in his head. Noah? He shook it out. There was no way he could look Nicholas in the face tonight. Or perhaps ever.  

As Noah sprinted back through the woods, he didn't hear Nicholas again, so he must have fallen back asleep. Not much longer Noah found himself back in the Grove.  

Anger roused in his gut, roiling until it boiled over, releasing from him as a guttural scream that lasted for several agonizing seconds. As he dropped to his knees he saw that he was already half transformed into the Watcher of the Woods.  

He let the transformation complete itself. This form suited him more than his human form, for now he truly looked like the monster he felt he was.

As Noah walked away with Taylor in his arms, something stirred in the Grove. Just on the other side of the ancient oak tree, a shape formed.  

Void of light and color, it brushed along the dead leaves and grass like a hiss in the night. It slowly gained a physical form, until skeletal hands pulled sinewy arms along the dirt. Maggot colored skin stretched over a formless face until a mouth hole appeared, and a death rattle burst forth from an airless voicebox.

More and more pulled itself together, until a long black veil draped over its humanoid form and dragged behind them. And then it took one shaky step towards warmth. 

Three warmths, to be exact. One blazing bright, but lifeless. The other two were small, but full of life. The woman - the figure filling out to a shape more suited towards what society thinks a woman looks like - moved towards these two small warmths, practically floating. But she isn't attracted towards that warmth itself. No, she's attracted more to what is fueling that warmth.

The lies.

The joy in another's pain. 

The pain.

The Thing Under A Veil stops at the edge of the Warmth, taking in the sight of two men drinking by a campfire. They're clearly drunk, loudly and boisterously talking. One of them is startled when he sees the female figure standing just outside of the fire’s glow. “Hey, you lost or sumthin’?”

The Thing isn't looking at him. Her sights are set on the man whose heart blazes coldly, reveling in the fact that he has two side pieces while his wife is asleep at home, blissfully unaware of his escapades. 

The Thing points at him, still silent as the grave. He's not at all intimidated by her. He stands up and walks over to her, yapping something that she doesn't acknowledge.  Obviously, this man doesn't have a brain banging around between his ears. 

“Alright, look here. You're just messin’ with us now, and I'm not gonna stand here and–”

He stops in front of her. A crunching sound interrupts him as the lady lifts her hands and puts them on the sides of his head. It was intimate, like she would pull him in for a kiss. But with a twist of her arms, the man’s head turned sideways to an impossible angle, and she wasn't stopping. The other man looked on in horror as she completely tore the head off the body, leaving it to slump down in front of the fire. 

The other man tried to scream, or shout at the woman, or do something, but instead he just stood there, frozen in complete shock. Instead of his brain telling his legs to run, it only tried to process how in the hell this woman managed to decapitate his friend just with brute strength. 

And then she was in front of him. 

Before he could try to move; before he could think of defending himself, he heard a single word come out from under her black veil. “Liarrrr…” she hissed, her voice sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

And then everything went black for him, too.

She stood as still as a statue among the carnage. It wasn't until she heard an anguished roar that she even moved. With that, she vanished with a sinister whisper, leaving behind the beheaded corpses. Just one word; a name:

“Noahhh…”

tysm for reading! If you enjoyed this, please reblog to share the word of the Revered Father. Next chapter coming soon.

Featured Creatures

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@sitkowski @screamsinsilver @darksigns-exe @nojoyontheburn @baddestomens  

@poisongirl616 @lacktoesandtoddlerants  

[pukefactory]

i haven't seen ANY gigi x reader content. ive been STARVED of my little kleptomaniac.. please. gigi x reader who likes to draw. and they draw good too. maybe she steals their sketchbooks on occasion and the reader had to buy more...heh.

HAWK TUAH!!

✦ ─ ˗ˋ LOVE LOVE DELUXE ˊ˗ ─ ✦

➽ Summary: Gigi steals the reader’s sketchbooks and has to give one back

➽ Character(s): Gigi (Dandy’s World)

➽ Reader Pronouns: Non Specified

➽ Genre: Short Story, Fluff, SFW

➽ Word Count: 453

➽ Warning(s): None - Completely Safe!

It starts small. A missing pencil here, a misplaced eraser there. Nothing too unusual—you probably just forgot where you put them. But then, one day, your sketchbook vanishes. And then another. And another. You check every possible hiding spot, every corner of your workspace, only to come up empty-handed. Then, as if on cue, Gigi waltzes in, sleeves swaying past her hands, a familiar-looking notebook tucked snugly under her arm.

“Ohhh, this?” She flips the sketchbook open, smirking as she flips through your drawings, her half-lidded eyes glinting with amusement. “Weird, huh? I just found it lying around. Figured I’d, y’know… take care of it.”

“Gigi,” you sigh. “That’s mine.”

“Pfft, yeah, was.” She hugs it to her chest, tilting her head dramatically. “It’s got me all over it now. My fingerprints, my love, my admiration… I cherish this, you know?”

“Then cherish it from a distance and give it back.”

She gasps like you just asked her to give up her entire existence. The sweater-covered hands press against her face in mock devastation. “Unbelievable. I thought we had something special.”

You don’t entertain her theatrics—you just snatch your sketchbook back when she isn’t looking. But this is Gigi. You know this isn’t the end of it. Sure enough, the cycle repeats. She “borrows” your sketchbooks, hoards them somewhere only she knows, and maybe returns them if she’s feeling generous. At this point, you’ve resorted to buying extra sketchbooks just to have something to draw in. But even that isn’t safe—Gigi finds them, every single time.

“You shouldn’t keep so many,” she hums, flipping through yet another stolen book. “It makes them feel less special, don’t you think?”

“They were special, before you kept stealing them.”

She shrugs, unconcerned. “It’s a compliment! You’re just too good. Can’t blame me for wanting to hoard all this fine art.”

And to her credit, she does treat your work with care. No torn pages, no accidental smudges. She doesn’t even doodle in the margins, even though you know she’s tempted. As annoying as it is, there’s a weird sort of flattery to it. She could collect anything, but she chooses your art. She likes it enough to risk irritating you. Not that it makes up for the mountain of sketchbooks you’re missing. The worst part? Even when you do get them back, she always acts like she’s doing you a favor.

“Fine, fine, take it back,” she sighs dramatically, tossing a sketchbook into your hands. “It’s about time you appreciate all I’ve done for you.”

You stare at her, baffled. “You mean stealing from me?”

“Curating a collection,” she corrects. “You wouldn’t get it.”

You do get it. And you know she’s never going to stop.

[softgh0stbites]

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒ Something Pink, Something Borrowed

A Vincent Valentine Week Prompt! Day 1 Pink/Glass/Kiss

Rating: SFW Pairing: Vincent x Reader Synopsis: What does Vincent get the girl who cherishes everything? He wants to make her feel special, offer an apology for all she has to put up and at the same time appeal to her affections. Though he doesn't want to stumble over his words, maybe there's another way? Maybe the language of flowers isn't so bad after all. Notes: Just a cute and sweet drabble I cooked while being in a car for 3 hours. What flowers do you like? And have you ever been gifted flowers? Anyway, enjoy~ Music I listened to: Fade into you by Mazzy Star and Angel by River Styx [Unhealthy obsession with this song for them lowkey]

˚❀　.　˚　　✦　　✿　.　˚　. 　 ˚　✿.　˚❀　.　˚　　✦　　✿　.　˚　. 　 

The day was bright and warm—spring had snuck up on everyone like a gentle embrace. The center of Kalm was alive with movement, people bustling about, getting their homes in order for the new season. Pastel fabrics swayed in the breeze, and the rhythmic sound of footsteps against cobblestone filled the air. There was idle chatter, children’s laughter, a distant bark as a dog chased after giggling kids with sticky candy-covered fingers.

And despite the warmth of it all, Vincent felt completely out of place.

He rarely ventured into town when it was this crowded, much less left the security of his upper-floor room at the inn. The happiness in the air made something inside him squirm like it was pressing him toward an inevitable interaction he wasn’t prepared for. As he wove through the crowds, he made a conscious effort to look unapproachable, his usual armor against unwanted conversation. He wasn’t here for idle pleasantries anyway. He was looking for something specific, a place he had seen once when you arrived but had given no thought to until last night when overhearing your conversation.

Vincent wasn’t usually one to eavesdrop on conversations, but your voice had been involved, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy hearing you speak.

-----

You had been helping Aerith carry drinks back to your table at the pub, both of you engrossed in conversation. Tifa had gone with Cloud to get supplies, Cid was busy with learning new navigation equipment, and cait sith- not really sure what he was up to. Vincent had straightened slightly from his usual slouched position in the corner of the establishment, trying not to make his attentiveness too obvious as he lazily draped his arm over the back of the bench. He was only here because he didn't trust sleezy drunkards not to try to follow you two back so despite your insistence that they would be okay, he came along anyway. His eyes followed you, but you hadn’t noticed yet. Good.

"Do you have a favorite flower?" Aerith asked, her face lighting up with a bright, eager smile, clearly thrilled to finally have someone to talk to about it.

"I’ll be honest, I don’t know enough to pick one. But I used to read about flower language all the time!" You admitted, a faint blush dusting your cheeks as you scratched behind your ear. "Kind of silly, I know."

Vincent’s brow furrowed slightly. Flower language. He had never given much thought to it before, never had a reason to but the way you spoke about it, there was a quiet sincerity there. Did you see meaning in those kinds of things?

Aerith gasped, clapping her hands together. "Of course not! Flowers have been an important part of history. It’s not silly at all! The language they hold—" she leaned forward, propping her chin on her hands, "—even back then, people used flowers to say the things they couldn’t put into words. And I think we both know a few guys who aren’t the best at talking."

She playfully nudged your ribs just as you were taking a sip, making you choke slightly as a few drops dribbled from your mouth. You wiped it away with the back of your hand, grimacing softly.

"Yeah, Cloud is pretty quiet unless you prod him too much, huh?"

Aerith gave you a knowing look. "Oh, don’t think I haven’t noticed your little telepathic connection with Vincent." She took a swig of her drink, eyes twinkling mischievously. "You’re practically attached at the hip! You sure stare like you want to be."

Vincent stiffened. Telepathic connection? His clawed fingers curled slightly against the wood of the bench. That was an exaggeration. Surely.

Your hands flew to your face, groaning in mortification. "It’s that obvious?"

"Mmmhmmm," Aerith hummed, grinning. "But that’s okay. I think it just means you find comfort in each other, right? He’s around the group a lot more when you’re there." She pointed out matter of factly.

Vincent exhaled through his nose, gaze flicking toward the wall. He wasn’t aware he had been that obvious, maybe he should tone it down and give the both of you some space. It didn't bother him per say, just complicated the moments you two were able to hide away in the corners and sneak intimate moments. Particularly that old storage closet on the HighWind, it had become his favorite place to linger by, seeing as most of the time you pulled him in there it ended with the both of you breathless, your clothes disheveled and his hair out of place.

"Really? I never noticed…" You shyly toyed with a loose strand of hair, gaze flickering across the room until it settled briefly on Vincent.

His eyes snapped away instantly, fixing very intently on the faded menu beside him on the wall.

"He makes me feel really safe," you admitted quietly. "Even though his gaze is… intense sometimes. I don’t think he means to be. At least, not usually?"

He barely kept himself from shifting in his seat. Safe. The word rang in his ears, foreign yet something else. The way you said i made it sound like a miraculous compliment. He may have felt a little grateful for his superhuman hearing after all.

"Well…sometimes I want to know how he feels," You hesitated, continuing but lowering your voice. "It makes me think about love languages. What do you think guys like that want?"

Vincent’s opposite hand twitched slightly where they rested against his knee. Oh, this would be interesting.

Aerith pursed her lips in exaggerated thought. "Hmmm. Touch." She dramatized it by saying it breathily with a teasing look.

You went rigid, face heating. "Ahhh… maybe," you mumbled. "But I was thinking more along the lines of gifts, quality time, words of affirmation…"

Vincent slouched even further into the bench, his legs spreading wider as a couple of ladies happened to glance at the empty spot beside him. One look with his glowering eye was enough to have them turn around and perish the thought of approaching.

Love languages? He supposed he had heard of it before, but the idea of applying it to himself felt somewhat foolish. A man like him, who had spent decades trying to erase himself, thinking about something as trivial as love languages? He supposed he did have a soft spot for the classics of all things.

Aerith sighed dramatically. "That’s a tough one. I don’t know him well enough to say, but—" Her gaze lowered to the hands wrapped around her mug, her expression softening. "There used to be someone I loved. He would always drop by unexpectedly, like he always had the time to do so." She smiled wistfully.

Vincent studied her expression carefully. He knew that look. It was the same way someone smiled when trying to mask old wounds.

"Ah! That’s cute, spill more." You linked your arm with hers, trying to comfort her a little.

Aerith chuckled, lifting a hand to toy with the ribbon in her hair. "That’s how I got this. He gave it to me as a gift, and I never could let it go… even when he disappeared."

Your eyes seemed concerned, you reached up, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. She beamed at you, as if to say she was okay talking about it. It didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"It’s okay, I’m mostly over it. And anyway," she paused to take another swig, "We were talking about you. So, what is it that you think he likes?"

Vincent was still staring at the menu vaguely, eyes reading the faded lettering there. Raspberry sorbet. He had never had it before, but he had been reading the word over and over long enough that he could almost taste it. Sweet.

"He seems like a more traditional person, I guess… maybe at one time he would've liked dates?"

His breath stuttered, his hand coming up to his face, gazing at his empty leather glove. At one time. That was true, wasn’t it? At one time, he had been a man who could have entertained the thought of simple joys like dates. But those years were long past and the world had moved past simple walks on the beach hand in hand, probably. Picnics on Sundays with watermelon in the summer, rolled up button down shirts and bare feet in the grass. He remembered thinking he would court a woman someday, bring her lavish gifts from his corporate job, be home on time for dinner, but even then his bodyguard work never allowed him those luxuries. That life was entirely foreign now and not something he was sure of.

"So no Golden Saucer raves, check." Aerith made a swishing motion in the air as if marking off an invisible list.

"What about you though, what would you want?" She asked as you were still concentrating on what Vincent could possibly like.

"I think flowers is a good place to start, I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic," Your signature lop sided sunshine grin in place made Vincent's lips smile under his cowl. He could do hopeless and romantic, it wasn't too far off from his own views really.

-----

Vincent let out a silent exhale, pulling himself back to the present as he picked up his pace through the streets of Kalm. He didn’t know why your words lingered in his mind, but they did. You had considered him—his past, his nature, his preferences. In a way it felt good to be noticed by you.

You’d taken a leap of faith with him, putting yourself in a vulnerable position and gave him something he didn’t know how to ask for. The least he could do was acknowledge it, even return the gesture. He wasn’t good at these things, but he could at least try for your sake. His steps carried him toward the center of town, but instead of the busy marketplace, he turned into a quieter alleyway where a wooden sign swayed in the breeze, adorned with a cascade of trailing ivy.

Mira’s Floral Boutique

He hesitated. Standing outside a flower shop felt more daunting than hunting Sephiroth himself. He exhaled sharply, shaking his head as if to clear the absurdity of his thoughts. Why was this so difficult?

His fingers flexed at his sides, his body caught in an awkward limbo between entering and leaving before anyone from the group saw him lingering here.

Then, before he could overthink it, he stepped inside.

The chime of a bell overhead rang far too loudly in the small shop. He grimaced as the sound echoed, announcing his presence before he even had a chance to collect himself.

The space was quaint, filled with the soft scent of earth and blooms. Clay pots were stacked near the door, ferns and ivy hung from wooden beams, their long vines brushing against his head as he moved. He ducked slightly, feeling out of place—like some great beast trying to navigate a dollhouse.

His crimson gaze scanned the shop, looking for something—though he wasn’t quite sure what.

A rustling from the back caught his attention as a small, elderly woman shuffled out from behind a shelf stacked with yellow carnations. She looked old enough to have seen several lifetimes, her wrinkled hands covered in dirt from tending to the flowers. She squinted up at him, eyeing his dark attire with curiosity before waving him down.

"Ah, there you are! Can't see ya with those legs," she chuckled, shaking her head. “I’m assuming you’re here for the flower deal?”

Vincent swallowed. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. Was there a deal? He could just nod and pretend. God, no, that wouldn’t work. He exhaled slowly, shifting uncomfortably.

“Uh…”

Great start.

The woman’s expression twitched with amusement.

"You're not used to this, are you, young man?" she teased.

“…No.”

She let out a knowing laugh, motioning for him to follow her toward the back of the shop, where buckets upon buckets of fresh flowers lined the walls. He had never seen so many colors in one place. The sheer variety made his mind stall. How was he supposed to know what you like when there were this many options? Roses, gardenias, some kind of bleeding flower- oh, bleeding heart. Nice.

"Alright then," she said, dusting her hands off on her apron. “Are these for someone special?"

Vincent hesitated tearing his gaze away from the stressful choices he was about to make, his grip tightening slightly at his sides.

“…Mm.” A hum of agreement, she could think that if she wanted. Make it out to be whatever.

A rolled-up piece of wrapping paper lightly thwacked against his arm. He blinked, mildly stunned, as the woman squinted up at him.

“She’s either special, or she’s not, young man.” She scolded and shook her head. “Now, tell me about her.”

Vincent stiffened. His first instinct was to shut down the conversation entirely, but she was already walking toward the flowers waiting for his answer. He wasn't used to speaking about someone else to some random stranger, but something about the old woman seemed earnest. It wasn't like she was going to run down the road gossiping about this strange, lanky man who walked into her store with his gun still attached- He hoped.

He swallowed, choosing his words carefully as he didn't know exactly how to explain you.

"She’s… steady.”

The shopkeeper hummed, plucking a stem from one of the buckets absent-mindedly, it seemed like she did this a lot.

“She doesn’t push, but she doesn’t waver either,” he continued, voice low. "She’s perceptive, she listens." He tilted his head, one hand steady on his hip as he put serious consideration into it.

The woman smiled knowingly. "That’s rare," she mused. "Most people only listen to reply."

Vincent’s gaze drifted over the petals of a flower near him, the way they curled delicately at the edges. His voice was quieter when he spoke again, not really sure why he was suddenly becoming an open book to the florist about you.

"She makes space for people, even when they don’t know how to ask for it."

The shopkeeper nodded approvingly. “You talk about her like she’s something worth protecting.”

He tensed at that, but didn’t refute it.

With a satisfied hum and a tap of her fingers on the counter, she started plucking flowers from various buckets. Her steps shuffled through the shop, the wood creaking beneath her feet in protest. “Alright, I have just the thing.”

She selected a pink camellia, its soft petals full and vibrant. “Admiration and deep respect,” she explained, handing it to him first to let him smell.

Vincent studied it in his palm. That was a good start. She waited for him to bring it to his nose, he nodded his head in approval. It smelled sweet, soft.

Next, she added a few sprigs of blue salvia, their tiny blossoms delicate but striking against the soft pastel pink of the camellia. “This one means I think of you.” She shot him a glance. “Seems appropriate, considering you’ve been standing here looking like a man lost in thought.”

His jaw ticked slightly, but he said nothing. His eyes fixing her with an unamused stare.

Then came bellflowers, their lavender hue complementing the bouquet. “Gratitude,” she explained. “For the quiet kind of devotion, for the things left unsaid.”

Vincent’s fingers curled slightly around the stems as he collected them one by one.

Finally, she plucked a few delicate statice flowers, their clusters of violet petals weightless in her hands. “This one,” she said softly, “is for remembrance. For missing someone, even when they’re still near.”

A sharp pang pressed against his ribs, a sense of understanding settling deep in his chest. Though he wouldn't let it show as he shrunk further behind the red of his cowl.

The woman said nothing more as she wrapped the bouquet with a simple ribbon, tucking the stems into a soft white parchment before pressing it into his hands.

“There,” she said. “That should do it.”

Vincent looked down at the bouquet, the colors blending together in muted beauty. The weight of it felt different. More intentional than anything he had carried in a long time. It was like all his words were staring back at him in the face, yet the only people hearing it was in this room.

“…She’ll like these?” he asked, voice quieter than before a bit uncertain if his silly idea was truly just that, ridiculous.

The shopkeeper smiled knowingly. “If she’s anything like the way you just described her, she won’t just like them. She’ll understand them.”

Vincent nodded once, slowly, before pulling out the gil to pay. He tucked the bouquet carefully into the crook of his arm before turning toward the door. He could hear the shopkeeper call out to him once more about extra gil he was leaving behind, but his just raised his hand in acknowledgement. He figured since he was being so generous today a little extra spending wouldn't hurt his agony image.

The warm breeze met him as he stepped outside, ruffling his cloak and carrying the scent of fresh blooms with him. The bouquet felt heavier in his grasp than it should have. For the first time in a long while, he was bringing something to someone instead of pushing them away.

His skin tingled, his mind a restless current of thoughts—how you would react, what you would say, and, perhaps more troubling, what you might tell the others. Would you tease him? Would the group pry? Had he been too boring? Too traditional? Too old?

His long strides slowed, deliberately wasting time as the afternoon sun dipped behind passing clouds.

Was he being too traditional?

What even was dating like in this time? Generations had passed—what if the rules had changed? He had discarded his ideas of fun the moment he became a Turk, and after the experiment… did he even understand people anymore? What if he had gotten you all wrong?

A familiar voice broke through the haze of his thoughts.

"Ah, Vincent! I’ve been looking for you. I heard it’s going to rain soon, so I brought an umbrella! I've been looking all over, Yuffie said-"

Like the chime of the bell in the flower shop, your voice pulled him back, parting the murmur of the town around him. His gaze dropped first to the scuffed sneakers stepping into his path before flicking up to meet yours.

Instinct took over. His arm shifted, subtly tucking the bouquet beneath the folds of his cloak as if it would disappear behind the curtain of scarlet.

---------

Your eyes missed nothing. He was lost in his head before you even approached, you could tell by the way he was studying the ground below, the way his strides faltered.

You opened your mouth to ask, but before the words could form, a single drop of rain struck the tip of your nose. You blinked in surprise before laughing softly, rubbing at the spot with your sleeve. The sky had been clear earlier, but you supposed the clouds had been creeping in while you weren’t paying attention.

Still, your focus drifted back to him—Vincent, standing there stiffly, shoulders tense as if he were bracing for something. You knew him well enough to recognize when he was uncomfortable. The shifting crowds, the open space—he didn’t like being seen like this.

So you did the first thing that came naturally. You reached for his hand.

For a second, it almost felt like he didn’t want you to. His fingers remained rigid, unmoving, and you braced yourself for the possibility that he might pull away. But then, slowly, his hand relented, letting you take it.

You didn’t say anything, only gave a light tug, guiding him away from the bustling street. He followed without protest, his long stride easily matching yours as you led him toward the bridge by the water wheel. The hum of the town grew softer as you stepped beneath its arch, the sound of rushing water covering the world beyond.

It was quiet here. Private, sort of. The way he preferred things.

Still, he hadn’t said a word.

Your eyes flicked toward him, watching as he remained unnaturally stiff. His arm was still pinned to his side, his cloak folded awkwardly beneath it like he was hiding something.

"Hey, you okay?"

Your fingers squeezed his gently, a small tug to get his attention, but he was already leaning against the wooden railing that kept people from falling into the water, unmoving. You let go of the umbrella, it becoming cradled by the blades of grass.

You frowned, scanning him for injuries, fingers adjusting his cloak that wasnt pinned to his side.

"Are you hurt?"

He shook his head. "No, It's nothing."

His voice was slightly strained. And—was that pink on the tops of his cheeks? You weren’t sure if you’d ever seen him look quite like this.

Your lips quirked, curiosity sparking. What could possibly fluster Vincent Valentine? He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, as if he was in some kind of trouble.

"Does it have to do with whatever you’re hiding then?"

You leaned in, pressing his hand to your waist, tilting your head up to meet his eyes with a knowing hum. You were teasing, but only a little. Mostly, you just wanted to see what he would do.

His crimson gaze flickered to yours, unimpressed. A long-suffering sigh followed.

"You miss nothing, do you?"

"Sorry," you grinned. "Someone taught me how to be extremely observant."

He huffed—whether in amusement or exasperation, you weren’t sure but after a beat of hesitation, he finally moved.

"Fine."

With careful precision, Vincent unpinned his arm from his side, shifting his cloak away to reveal what he’d been hiding all this time.

A bouquet.

The rain started to fall down harder, the sound of it pelting the water snapped you out of your haze.

Soft pink camellias, delicate sprigs of blue salvia, the gentle violet of bellflowers and statice—all tied neatly together with a simple ribbon.

Your breath caught, eyes widening just slightly. You had expected something a lot more practical like maybe he bought himself a new weapon or at most a saucy magazine- although the idea of it would make you giggle. The idea of the Vincent Valentine viewing half naked articles of women with his skeptical gaze was hilarious.

Vincent said nothing, only held the bouquet out toward you, his expression unreadable but his body language screamed cautious. Like he wasn’t sure what you’d think about this gift.

You took your time viewing his outstreatched hand wrapped in the flowers, the delicate arrangement of soft pink camellias, sprigs of blue salvia, and violet bellflowers carefully tied together. It wasn’t just a bundle of flowers—it was intentional. Thoughtful. Him. It made you smile thinking of him having trouble picking out any of these, possibly having to ask for help. That alone made your heart flutter, he went out of his way to do something for you even if it made him nervous.

For a moment, you just stared, your fingers hovering over the petals like they might vanish if you touched them.

"Vincent…" Your voice was barely above a whisper.

His expression was unreadable, but his grip on the bouquet was firm, as if bracing himself. He wanted you to say something more, anything to ease him, maybe change his mind about tossing them entirely. He looked somewhat adorable with something so fragile in his grip, this tall man wearing dark leather with layers of belts and a warning sign practically hanging from his neck that said, 'Danger'

You exhaled softly, finally reaching forward, your fingertips brushing against the pink paper wrapping before you took it from his grasp, cradling it like something precious before you brought them to your nose. The pinks, violets, and lavender colors all seemed to compliment you as well, almost like a miracle. The petals ghosted your lips as you tried to commit the smell to memory, you're certain you would be sneezing later. Your eyes caught the movement of a little bell charm hanging from the end of the ribbon, it's glass reflection glimmering.

"They're beautiful."

The tension in his shoulders eased just slightly.

You traced the edge of one of the camellia petals, your heart warming at the meaning behind them. Admiration. Respect. Then the salvia—I think of you. And the bellflowers—Gratitude. Even the statice, nestled among them—Remembrance. You swallowed, blinking back the sudden sting in your eyes. He might not have said the words out loud, but he had. In his own way. Your fingers curled around the stems, holding them close. He thought about this. He thought about you.

Warmth bloomed in your chest.

Stepping closer, you tilted your chin up to meet his gaze, the corners of your lips curling into something soft. His crimson eyes searched yours, still cautious, still waiting.

You didn’t make him wait long.

Rising onto your toes, you pressed a feather-light kiss against his cheek, just above his jaw before sliding to the corner of his mouth. You pressed a little more firmly, but still gentle. It wasn’t rushed, nor fleeting. Just soft. Intentional. The way he deserved.

When you pulled back, you lingered in his space, just close enough to feel the warmth of him beneath his cloak.

His breath had hitched—so subtle that most wouldn’t have noticed, but you did. The way his fingers twitched at his sides, the way his jaw tensed ever so slightly.

"Thank you, Vincent," you murmured, your voice warm, sincere, "You did so much for me today,"

A beat of silence stretched between you.

Then, slowly, his gaze softened. He exhaled through his nose, tilting his head just enough that a few strands of his dark hair fell across his face. It looked like your gentleness had brought him back down to you.

"Hm."

That was all he said. But then, just as you started to pull back, his fingers ghosted over yours—the metal of his gauntlet cold, his other hand warm. Before you could react, he grasped your hand, his grip steady but careful not to wrench you out of place. In one smooth motion, he pulled you closer, guiding you against his side beneath the cover of his cloak. It wasn’t forceful, nor awkward.

Your breath stilled for half a second, heart drumming against your ribs as his warmth bled into you.

You glanced up at him, but he didn’t look down—not at first. His eyes remained forward, as if this was nothing of note, as if it was just practical—a way to shield you from the cold, the wind, the world outside of this moment. It reminded you of that moment on the hill, where you had finally mustered the courage to get close to him.

But then, after a pause, he spoke, voice quiet.

"You're welcome."

And though it was just two simple words, you felt them float down deep in your chest.

Because for a man who had spent years keeping others at arm’s length, this—his warmth, his presence, the way his hand curled ever so slightly around yours—was something far more than words could ever convey.

And you squeezed his hand in return, letting him know you understood.

Your eyes widened though as realization struck.

"You totally eavesdropped on me and Aerith yesterday, I knew it!"

Horror flashed across your face as you stared up at him, clutching the bouquet to your chest. How else would he have known about the flowers?

Vincent let out a long-suffering sigh, and though he didn’t say a word, you could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

How diva of him.

"You were loud," he countered, voice flat, as if that was a perfectly reasonable excuse.

"Loud?!" you gawked. "It was a normal conversation—oh my god, were you lurking again?!"

He huffed through his nose. Not a denial.

Before you could press him further, he shifted, his hands lightly guiding you until your back was pressed against his chest. The bouquet was still nestled safely in your arms, but now, Vincent’s cloak draped over your shoulders, encasing you in a warm cocoon of crimson fabric.

Then, to your absolute surprise, he rested his chin on your head.

Your mouth opened—then closed. Opened again. A fish out of water.

Did Vincent Valentine just cuddle you? Voluntarily, out in the open?

"You’re lucky this is cute, because you'll still owe me an explanation later." You murmured, feeling a bit shy suddenly.

"Sure,"

You huffed, shaking your head with a small smile, but you didn’t pull away. Instead, you adjusted your hold on the bouquet, inhaling the soft, lingering scent of the flowers.

"You know," you mused, "this does make us look like a very romantic couple. People are probably passing by and looking at us, thinking, ‘Wow, what a devoted lover, buying his partner flowers and wrapping them up in his cloak.’"

You expected him to reject your notion that you were a couple in the first place, not knowing if he wanted to label what you had between you anyway.

Instead, he scoffed, "Then stop talking, you'll make them look more."

You grinned. "But it’s cute—"

"Stop talking."

"I bet Aerith would—"

His hand gently covered your mouth.

You laughed against his palm, feeling the softest shake of his head above you. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, you knew the truth, that Vincent Valentine had absolutely eavesdropped on you.

And judging by the warmth of his embrace, the brush of his lips on the top of your head, he didn’t regret it one bit.

[ofspvrta]

Roxana had taught her something long ago: Destiny is what you make it. While certain things in her life were set in stone, other things were not. She could choose who to love, and she could choose to let herself be vulnerable to those she loves most. And her love for Roxana never dimmed in those intervening millennia. It's why she's doing this now, to recapture what she thought she could never have again. A second chance. She's been alone since the start of the Second World War. She kept tabs on the Frye family, as she promised, but she was still overwhelmingly alone.

But here stands Roxana, those big brown eyes staring right back at her as if they were back on that island. The dead scientist and Abstergo were now their Drakios and the Cult. A choice had been made. There is no turning back now.

Kassandra reaches the midway point of the last flight of stairs before entering the main worship area. Her eyes blink before reopening looking like the eyes of her eagle, Ikaros, borrowing his sight to survey the area outside. Her back is completely exposed to Roxana right now and she doesn't even care, she trusts her not to shoot her in the back. The gun had been dumped. Besides, the look on her face back there, she knew she needed to know more. The coast seems to be clear for now. Whether Abstergo has more men stationed by, she doesn't know. But Roxana might. Kassandra moves into the main entryway and then out of one of the side doors that faces away from the nearby town.

Upon hearing her voice, her eyes revert to the glowing golden state of her Isu heritage as her wounds slowly close. One bullet from the fight upstairs falls to the ground from her body. "I do. I didn't say I wouldn't be back, but for now, you need to be taken somewhere safe. Does Abstergo have any other men based nearby? I didn't see any on my way in, nor did I see anything just now."

DOES LOVE ACTUALLY DRIVE PEOPLE TO MADNESS ? or does it just finally give somebody a clarity they need to see from outside the view of the world they usually see in? maybe a little bit of both. THAT FEELING OF DEJA VU IS STILL RIDING IN THE FOREFRONT OF ROXANA'S MIND . and she can't shake it. she'd say it's driving her nuts , but it's not. IT'S JUST GIVING HER A SENSATION THAT FEELS LIKE ... happiness. a little bit of relief. AS IF THIS IS ALL JUST A THRILL SHE SUDDENLY CAN'T WAIT TO EXPLORE .

why the ever loving fuck would it be smart to trust the stranger that just tried to kill her to give her a one way ticket to a new life without the aching duty that abstergo had forced on her? IT WOULDN'T BE , REALLY . she has a boat !

kassandra finally drops her hand and it almost feels empty that she isn't trying to stare into the face she recognizes from a dream. LIKE SHE'S WILLING THE WHOLE THING TO BE REAL . the dream , that is. not necessarily the situation. it would be rather peaceful to be sitting on a cliffside watching the ocean in the setting sun. she adjusts the flashlight to see that helmet. HER FOOT GIVES IT A LIGHT KICK . then she turns and follows the not-so-stranger , actually. they'll probably have to find a path that isn't through the main portion of the monastery and the tourism it actually brings to this island. MOSTLY BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'VE BOTH BEEN IN A FIGHT . one of them still has bullet holes. it's not her.

" you don't care about what's in the temple? " roxana's voice is surprisingly more soft than it has been -- now that's just pure curiosity. it's asked when they get just outside the monastery. ABSTERGO HAS A GREEDINESS THAT KNOWS NO BOUNDS . she knows that. one of the many reasons she's doing this whole fucking thing right now.

[sforzesco]

I love how much Lucullus can't stand Pompey, and also this

Pompey the Great: A Political Biography, Robin Seager

with something from this thrown in for extra flavor

Crassus and Pompey, on the other hand, ridiculed Lucullus for giving himself up to pleasure and extravagance, as if a luxurious life were not even more unsuitable to men of his years than political and military activities.

Plutarch, Lucullus

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / tip jar!

[cloudinal]

We're all in love tonight

[mishy-mashy]

Probably not gonna match with when this comes out translated, but still—just a few things I liked about BNHA 423

WE GOT TO SEE THE VESTIGES AGAAAAINNNNN!!! HI BRUCE!

I think Bruce gets a lot of bad angles. This is an example (but it's okay honey, you're still hot stuff)

Unfortunately, I have a favorite. It's Bruce. The most Normal Guy™ in the vestige line up. And the special-est sopping wet cat for Kudo ever (Yoichi is a dry cat because at least Kudo remembered to take Yoichi inside).

The vestiges were all gearing for a punch, but Tomura/Tenko is reaching out.

The rest of the users usually use OFA to punch, is the general idea we see. But Tomura/Tenko's Quirk isn't that.

Tomura/Tenko reaching his hand out to grab, and the vestiges readying a punch—it's their ways of putting the hurt on.

And Tomura/Tenko knows what happens if he puts his fingers on someone. He was aiming for AFO's head too. Guy was pissed.

I like that the vestiges look like they're crawling out of hell (or the depths) here. Technically for OFA itself, which they embody, being in AFO's realm was hell. It meant they failed their collective goals to win against AFO, and keep OFA [Yoichi] out of his possession

Also, they're all embers of who they once were. If Factors embodied their personalities, these embers are the leftovers of that embodiment. Their eyes are blank.

And even when they're only shattered fragments of themselves, they came for AFO to take him down.

They really embodied that purpose. Even as husks of themselves, or sad leftovers that scattered from their destroyed Factors, they still reached forward to clock AFO one last time.

They were that determined, and that determination was all that was left of them.

Meanwhile, with Yoichi, his itty bitty remains continued trying to talk sense into his brother till the end.

Yoichi has such a bleeding heart. But he also loved his brother.

AFO is standing in the dark. But in that dark, there's a light. It's Yoichi, as if he were the light at the end of the tunnel.

AFO chased OFA for decades, and ruined a lot of lives, just to have Yoichi by his side again.

Joining hands with Garaki; killing Banjo, En, Nana; forcing the creation and upbringing of Tenko; the whole Shimura incident; everything he did to UA and the Aoyamas to get close to the wielder of OFA [Yoichi]. He did all that, and more.

He just wanted the chance to have Yoichi with him again. That was his purpose in obtaining OFA this whole time.

Yoichi was AFO's light at the end of the tunnel.

Too bad for AFO, the light at the end of the tunnel was an oncoming train.

Yoichi is telling AFO what happened, but I love that in front of Yoichi, AFO became himself. I mean, not a mass of scar tissue, but who he originally looked like

Idk, there's just something symbolic about it?

Midoriya calls AFO a lonely man. And Yoichi comes to him, and AFO says he wants Yoichi by his side. He wouldn't be lonely if that were the case. Yoichi could make him not lonely anymore.

And the lonely man, a bundle of scar tissue from his warpath to see Yoichi again, reverts to a time he had no injuries or scars. He looks like the period of time where he and Yoichi lived in the same era.

In front of Yoichi, he's just.. himself, I guess is how to put it. Not a mass of scar tissue, or the evil villain everyone feared: he's literally just Yoichi's "Nii-san".

It's like, the scar tissue shed itself to reveal AFO's true face.

He wants to see Yoichi's face, and ended up showing his own without even meaning or thinking to.

He's finally looking straight at Yoichi, trying to see his face. It's not like when Yoichi was alive, when AFO always looked down on him, and just waited for him to bend to his will.

Now, AFO has little time left with Yoichi, and he's lost his composure for it, wanting to see Yoichi as more than an ember. But maybe he got to the point he only ever saw Yoichi for his Factor, rather than the Factor for Yoichi: how often has he said he was chasing One For All, instead of his younger brother?

AFO wanted to see Yoichi's face, but when he saw Yoichi next to Kudo... yeah, he lost his mind a bit there. Probably (Definitely?) because he saw Kudo's Ability, and Kudo with Yoichi. And Kudo is "to blame for everything".

Maybe he lost it seeing Kudo and Yoichi together, because it was a repeat of the past, I suppose?

(Technically, he did see Yoichi's face one last time already. Just that he also saw the bastard Kudo's face again too. And AFO did not like that.)

[sanestlunaticyouevermet]

@robophantom

how am i meant to show my love when i peel an orange but need a shovel to give you a slice

[gideonnavsenormousbiceps]

think part of the reason I love loz is that it allows me to indulge my urge to explore ruins, finding treasure. and also have a sword. the sword is good too.

[i-3at-s0ap]

It's actually kinda crazy that the second I came out as trans I forfeited the ability to politely join a conversation without having to hear slurs and mocking the second I walk away.