#If it starts glowing though it's a sign she's really pushed herself too far

[sakurarisen]

Although Sera's back is covered by one large tattoo of a leaping koi fish, a reminder to keep looking and moving forward and not let her past tear her down and into pieces, every so often a little more can be seen underneath the colorful ink. This 'more' is an odd, fractured mark in a mix of deep and light blue, pieces of which are scattered across the top half of her back and focus mainly around the back of her shoulders, shoulder blades, and upper back - An odd mark labeled as a birthmark by her parents when she was but an infant, but also one that is an exact match for more red-leaning marks resembling scars across her eldest brother Thoma's back.

Despite being told it's a birthmark and not bothering to give it a second thought, the odd markings are, in truth, only pieces of a much larger mark that slowly becomes visible the more Sera taps into power she truly shouldn't be getting even remotely near - The power hidden beneath the 'frozen lake' within her. Tapping into her magic ever so slowly reveals more of it and brightens the colors, until it no longer hides underneath the colorful ink of her koi, and instead almost shines above it, forming a simple outline of fluffy wings reminiscent of the phoenixes of legends and mythos. The more she continues to use magic, however, the more it stands out, a gradient of icy blue to a rich, deeper blue similar to that of snow and ice atop a deep lake in the evening, and over time eventually begins to actually glow, albeit faintly and only truly noticable in the dark.

Unknown to Sera, this 'birthmark' she's always shrugged off is actually a heavy nod to what lay underneath that internal frozen lake: Her true power as Aria, the Snow Fenix. In her original life as Aria, the markings were far more obvious and traced across her back, shoulders, and upper arms to just past her elbows, as well as peeking up along the sides of her neck and over towards her chest whenever she had used her power to hide her wings through her magic, leaving her with an outline of her wings along her back and marks that once resembled veins of ice magic that seemed to rise up and vanish back into her skin. The various lifetimes used to shift into Sera should have prevented those marks from appearing once she'd fully assumed a human form, sealing her power and magic underneath that internal heavy sheet of ice, yet just like her brother, nothing has quite gone exactly to plan.

Though these magical marks should be hidden, they've refused being buried like the era they can from, and still show themselves as a mere fragment of their original clarity and strength, a tiny, uncontrollable leak of Aria that will forever signal Sera is no mere human no matter how she tries to hide it throughout her various lifetimes. However, with the vast majority of her magic sealed underneath the frozen lake within, the marks will never shine like they once did, and now serve as a sign of Sera unknowingly pushing herself too far, either knocking her unconscious or rendering her bedbound to rest before they can become any brighter than the typical glowstick, or manifest anything larger than the fluffy wing outline.

Though she sleeps, Aria cannot be fully, completely, totally hidden any more than her brother Aelius - She can only do her best and strengthen and thicken that layer of ice with each lifetime, even if there will always be signs Sera isn't quite fully human... Signs that are, thankfully, all too easy to miss without a critical and overthinking eye.

This HC also applies to @yoroiis Thoma, and has her approval and permission for posting.

[boldlyanxious]

Race to Prove

ttt 2023

Masterlist

“It wouldn’t even be hard,” Marinette argued. “He isn’t really a bat so he had to find some other way to stop me.”

“I’m not saying it can’t be done,” Kon said. “I’m saying you can’t do it.”

“That’s where you're wrong. I could easily bike through Gotham without getting caught by Batman.”

“Oh really? Prove it. You have to take the bridge into Gotham, loop through the city, and get to Arkham Island before Batman or any of his affiliates catch you.”

“Done. Are you up for a race?”

She watched him freeze for a moment. Batman was very specific about who was allowed in his city and magic users and supers were at the top of that list.

“Definitely.”

His jaw set firmly. He couldn’t turn down the challenge but she was certain he didn’t actually want to do it. But if she weren’t backing down then neither would he.

They turned their Harleys around and lined up at the starting line. It was dark and traffic had thinned out as the time passed so they had a clear shot. They revved their engines and then shot across the bridge.

It was an even race across the bridge and there were no concerns about flying mammals until they were actually in Gotham. Once they crossed over though, they could already see the glowing bat lighting up the inky dark sky.

She thought he might actually have an advantage over her. She had been to Gotham twice. But it was in the daylight and she had been riding in the car, not navigating herself. Kon definitely had a better idea of where he was going. He got ahead of her quickly. He turned to make the loop around the city center and she was right behind him but he got some distance while she came into the roadblocks and had to slow down.

She could still see him ahead and he made the turn but she heard screeching as he braked. She moved past the turn and looked. He ended up turning nearly into the Batmobile. He was behind her again quickly, having gotten away from the car but it wasn’t long after before it became apparent they had a tail.

She could see Wayne Enterprises and the Clocktower ahead so she took a hard left through the diamond district and ended up passing by Robinson Park. She wasn’t very certain exactly where she was going but they needed more distance from the Bat. No one would win if they were both caught first. She veered off again and got nervous as the road ahead was long and dark. She pressed on and got some speed until she found a turn.

Kon turned too. They were neck and neck weaving through what looked like alleys between sketchy warehouses. She could hear the water nearby and something ringing a distance from the shore but she couldn’t see either. If Kon figured out where they were first, he would definitely be able to win.

She nodded one direction, away from the sound of the Batmobile. He was still attempting pursuit. He probably thought they were involved in one of the shady businesses. Kon pushed the gas and got ahead of her on the turn. She waited until she was far enough ahead before she accelerated herself and headed straight for the next bridge.

She wasn’t even sure if he knew she was there yet. It was definitely not their planned route. The docks were not a place they intended to be and she found herself right in crime alley when she crossed the river. A couple cars attempted to box her in. She took off her helmet and asked for directions, pretending she had no clue what they were doing. When one stepped a bit closer and moved to turn off her bike, she flung it out at him and sped off.

She blazed away from crime alley and soon started seeing signs for the botanical gardens. She took the moment to put her helmet back on before continuing around. She heard another motor in the distance and suspected it was the competition. She turned away from in and in the direction of the Arkham bridge. She was looking behind and barely noticed until after that the parked car was the batmobile until the lights turned on.

She grunted an expletive into her helmet and pushed faster. She was nearly to the turn. She just had to take it a little too fast and then it was a straight shot.

She launched herself into the turn and nearly swiped Kon who was already on the street. He must have taken an earlier turn but he stayed upright and she needed to keep going to win. He was there behind her but there was no way for him to win now. They just needed to both stay ahead of the car that was chasing them down.

She was laser focused on the finish line. She suspected that Kon had the same laser focus but for passing her, which she wouldn’t allow. She was too close. She crossed the marker and then pulled off and waited a second more for Kon to join her.

She jumped up and tore off her helmet, whooping at her victory. Kon caught her around the middle and spun her around. She was gonna rub her victory in his face but he put a hand to her face and she froze. His thumb brushed against her lower lip just before he leaned down. She surged forward to meet him in the kiss. She didn’t know if it was the adrenaline from the race or if he was also interested in her but she didn’t care right now.

They stayed together until there was a shuffle of boots and someone clearing his throat. She could see Batman’s boots in the gap between them when they pulled apart. They had some explaining to do.

[jdetan]

"For the Good of Hyrule"

Two months after defeating Calamity Ganon, Zelda goes for a medical checkup with Purah, and seven years later, she finds herself doing the same exact thing for a slightly different reason.

Two months after the defeat of Calamity Ganon

“It’s for the good of Hyrule.” Zelda said, simply. “An educational system is vital for the populace– more people can read, more people can develop multiple skills, it frees up time from the parents and standardizes the information the children learn…” “Oh Farore, no!” Link cried from a few feet away as a black plume emerged from the cooking pot. “Oh no… that turned out badly…” He lifted up a gelatinous mass, green and purple, and smelling awful. “Oh well, waste not, want not.” He shoved the mass in his mouth with a loud ‘nom’. “Hey, it’s not bad, actually… oh no my organs.” “And it prevents them from having to be self taught, which…” Zelda blanched as Link quaffed a fairy potion while groaning in pain. “Can lead to some less than ideal outcomes, as you can see.” “Well, I can’t argue with that.” Reese mumbled as Link frantically tried to chisel the remnants of the food out of the cooking pot. “Miss Lucina, we’ll build your school.”

---

“Whatever happened to that goo you made earlier today?” Zelda asked as Link whipped out a much more appetizing meal for them. “It looked corrosive.” “I declared it ‘Dinnerblight Ganon: Scourge of the Cooking Pot' and threw it into the Death Mountain crater.” Link answered with a shudder. “Along with the cooking pot itself. It was unsalvageable.” Zelda cracked up and laughed loudly as she took a bite of food. “The funniest part is that I know you’re serious!” She hummed happily as she ate her meal. “Your regular cooking is wonderful, though– you’ve been practicing, haven’t you?” “Every day.” Link admitted with a blush. “I wanted to make sure that anything I made for you was of the highest quality.” He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling lightly. “You deserve the best, after all.” Zelda damn near tackled Link to the ground and kissed him for saying that. Instead, she bit her lower lip hard, and repeatedly reminded herself to exercise control. “You’re far too kind, Link, especially when I can’t cook nearly as well as you do.” “I could teach you.” Link offered. “It’s really just timing and math, at least for established recipes, which is what we’d start off with. Then it’s more just learning the flavors and how they interact and meld together.” Link waggled a fork at her. “Really, cooking is just science!” Zelda raised an eyebrow at Link, her fork stuck in her mouth. I could push you to the ground and ravish you right now, you beautiful man. Her internal monologue was getting spicier– readjusting to having hormones again after a hundred years without them was its own set of challenges– but instead she just smiled. “It’s a date, then! Lunch tomorrow?” “Sounds wonderful. But be warned: you eat what you make!” Link chuckled lightly. “Unless I have to throw it into Death Mountain, of course– but I’m sure whatever you make will be delicious.” Zelda blushed, a light glow playing across her skin– a sure sign she was truly happy, Link had found– and finished her plate. “I’ll do my best to reward your faith in me, oh Good Sir Knight.” She said with mock pomp. “But now I fear I must go to my doom… and have my two month medical checkup with Purah.” “Want me to walk with you?” Link asked, tossing the plates into the sink. “Sure. Just remember that the checkup is…” Zelda waved her hand around, trying to find a polite way to describe the procedure. “EXTREMELY private, alright?” Link laughed. “Gotcha. I’ll run off and play when you get there.”

Read the Rest on Ao3!

[whitchygaythem]

Lure

Lill swam lazily in the warm ocean water, her eyes closed and her arms tucked behind her head. She laid on a coral shelf overlooking a dark canyon, sighing contentedly. She had been sent out here to catch brine crabs for the pod, but she never liked chores, and this spot of sun was so warm and inviting… Her tail flowed lightly with the faint current, her lavender scales contrasting the bright oranges of the coral with blonde hair and white skin. She began to nod off when a strange noise shook her awake. A screech, no, a song? rang out. She rose from her spot of sun to timidly peek over the coral shelf into the canyon. The noise rang out again, definitely coming from the canyon. It sounded sad, lonely maybe? Lill shook her head. No, she was not going down there! It was off limit! She'd already used up her three trouble strikes for the week and La-Sen promised that they would kick Lill out if she made too much trouble. She was pushing her luck just by being this close! She repeated this in her head, until the wailing started again, filling with longing. It couldn't hurt too much to peek right? Even if La-Sen and the rest of the pod didn't like her much because of her… let's say.. daring escapades, she went places they would never think to swim! They needed her to do the scary stuff they didn't want to! It'd be fine if she just took a peek, right? She pushed up and off her coral shelf and let herself sink, her long hair floating in and out of her vision. It got darker, and darker and darker, until Lill could barely see a foot in front of her. The water felt colder here, and the currents were stronger. Maybe she should leave? The wail came again, close. Very close. Lill spun, darkness still surrounding her. Where was the other mer?! She could still see her hands though, so she could still communicate. At least one thing was going well. She may be cold, far from home, and being tossed around by current but she could still sign. A warm current brushed her arm, bubbles following. Lill spun, desperate to see who, or what was near. She got her answer.

A huge mer, maybe her age was looking at her, a hungry look in her eyes. She had a thick antennae on her forehead, ending with a strange bulb giving off greenish light. The mer had long dark green hair, and equally dark brown skin. Lill couldn't even see her tail, though from the scales on the mer's face, she could assume it was emerald green. Her eyes though… They were black. Pitch black, except for her irises, which were a bright green. The mer smirked at her, and Lill realized she was staring.

"Aw, the little minnow is embarrassed? By little old me?" Her deep, smooth voice set Lill's face ablaze, and she stopped treading water, almost being swept away by the currents. The mer chuckled and scooped Lill up in one hand, nestling her in her palm. "So small, and so cute!" She smiled revealing her long pointed teeth. "You were so daring before, and now? Just a little blushy little sardine. I think I want to keep you for awhile~"

Lill raised her hands and signed "Keep me? For what?" The mer laughed again.

"Oh, you really are just adorable,!- there's that blush again! Does the name Angler ring any bells darling ?~" Lill was about to restate her question, when Angler lifted her hand up to her face. She puckered her lips and pushed Lill's head against them. She then opened her mouth, and Lill fell right in. Angler shut her mouth quickly, Lill's front half filling her mouth entirely, while her tail thrashed furiously outside. Lill heard a sucking noise and was pressed into a tight tube. She was pressed down, down, down with each loud gulp, until her head and shoulders were free. She was in a large chamber, the stomach. It was filled with water and the fleshy walls glowed dimly. Lill was rattled around when Angler burped, then giggled.

"Sorry darling, but you were very good! Best little minnow I've had in awhile~" Lill slammed a fist against one of the stomach walls, hoping for a reaction. Instead, the stomach "grabbed" her fist, sucking Lill's arm into an unknown chamber. "Ah, ah, ah. You're going to stay there for as long as I want. You'll be fine, so don't worry. I just needed a little snack to keep me fed for a while. Catching little minnows like you is hard, you understand, right little fishie?"

[lipstickstainz]

five times - s. r.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader Summary: A collection of the times Spencer says “I love you” without saying it, and the one time he actually does. Warnings: tooth rotting fluff Word Count: 2k, it’s a short one A/N: happy new year guys! since you wanted this to be fluffy, here it is! hope you enjoy! gif not mine.

Spencer didn't know what he had been expecting when Hotch had announced to the team that they would have young additions. He had assumed that the newcomer would be pretty serious so that he would be taken seriously, and that he would be very reserved at the beginning to get to know the team first and not offend anyone. But he definitely wasn't expecting you.

On your first day, you showed up to work in a knee-length summer dress and high Converse, which threw him off right from the start. While JJ and Emily always wore something office appropriate, you didn't seem to mind catching everyone's eye. With an infectious confidence and a big smile on your face, you introduced yourself to the others. While most of the team looked at you as if you were from another star - except for Penelope Garcia, of course, she was incredibly happy to finally know another colorful bird in the midst - Spencer liked that you stayed true to yourself. No matter what anyone else thought of you.

You went through life with an ease that was quite atypical of your profession. It almost reminded Spencer of Garcia, but only almost. You didn't have to look away when someone showed you photos of dead bodies. He sometimes caught himself worrying that the job would eventually take away your cheerfulness.

"'DO NOT TOUCH' would probably be a really unsettling thing to read in braille“, you said as you sat in the bullpen. Your desk bordered his, so Spencer only had to look up from his files to give you an amused look.

"Where did you come up with that?", he asked, a smile curling his lips.

You shrugged before looking at him. "I don't know. But it would be pretty disturbing, wouldn't it? How fortunate that it can't happen to me."

Spencer tilted his head. "Because you're not blind?"

"Because I can't read braille“, you replied with a grin, and he laughed out loud, drawing everyone's attention. Spencer smiled briefly at them and motioned for them to turn back to their work so you could continue talking undisturbed.

He leaned a little in your direction before whispering to you.

"Your head must be a wonderful place to live in."

-

It was incredibly loud and the air was too stuffy to be able to grasp a clear thought. But maybe it was just the alcohol the bartender was pouring out like Penelope had certain nicknames regarding Derek. But it also seemed to be Garcia's goal to get the entire team drunk on her birthday. She had round after round coming to your booth, repeating "one of you is dancing on the table today" several times. You were sure it would be Penelope herself. Or JJ.

You were enjoying yourself with Emily on the dance floor of the club. You were incredibly warm, which was probably 75% due to the alcohol you had already drunk. You were wearing tight jeans and a backless, loose top, and yet your skin was so hot that the clothes almost stuck to you. At first you had worried that Emily and you were too different to become friends, but one day she showed up on your doorstep after an exhausting case and stayed all night. It had bonded you together.

In a quiet moment, you looked to the others and Derek raised an arm, signaling you were ready for the next round of shots. You grabbed Emily's arm and, singing, you squeezed through the crowd toward the table.

"If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends“, you sang, and you dropped into the empty seat next to Spencer, who looked at you with amusement. "Make it last forever, friendship never eeeend“, you sang on, leaning back in Spencer's direction without touching him. When he tried to put his arm around you to pull you close, you pushed him away. "I'm sweaty and sticky, Spence. I don't think you're into that."

But Spencer reached for your hand and intertwined his fingers with yours before pulling you onto his lap. His breath brushed your face and you smelled the alcohol in it. "I don't care. I love touching you."

-

"There's a documentary about the formation of the universe and black holes in theaters tonight“, Spencer said. The team was on its way back from a case in Dallas, and while the others were resting or listening to music, you two were playing chess. Not that it was fair, but you liked the challenge and Spencer finally had someone to play with again. "I was wondering if you would like to join me. This case has been exhausting and I think we could use a distraction." He asked without looking up from the chessboard. His face turned glowing red, which you didn't notice because you were trying not to go checkmate in three moves.

You moved your queen before you looked at him. His shoulders were tense and he was breathing shallowly. Spencer bit the inside of his lower lip nervously. "I'd love to“, you smiled, and at your reply he seemed to visibly relax.

Spencer picked you up at home after you showered and got ready. You were wearing jeans and a loose sweater. Up until that point, Spencer had been sure you couldn't get any more beautiful, but when you hugged him with a sparkle in your eye and a warmth in your smile, he wasn't sure anymore.

"Origin of the universe and black holes?", you assured yourself as you stood outside the movie theater. Spencer nodded, his hands buried in his pants pockets. You smirked. "You have to promise me one thing, though."

"And that would be?", he asked as he paid for the tickets and put yours in your hand. You smiled at him.

"You have to promise me that you will tell me every one of your clever thought processes. I want to hear every comment you make, all right? Even if people around us complain."

It was the second time Spencer and you had done something together outside of work, and you enjoyed his company very much, which of course was partly because you'd had a crush on him ever since he'd once explained something to you about his case that you hadn't understood. Spencer had explained it to you as well as he could, and when you thanked him afterwards, he didn't know what hit him. No one cared about his clever anecdotes or explanations, and the fact that you had even thanked him for it made his heart beat faster. Just as it did now.

Spencer looked at you, pleased. "We're the only ones at the movies, Y/N. No one's going to complain."

"Then you can explain everything I don't understand at your leisure."

You entered the movie theater and took your seats. He handed you the packet of popcorn. "You are my partner in crime. You are my favorite person."

-

"The exhibit was very interesting“, you said as you left the museum. It hadn't been your first visit, but visiting it with Spencer was a very different experience. You liked that he had something to say about most of the exhibits. "Thank you for being here with me."

Spencer smiled down at you. "Well, actually, I asked you to go here with me. So I have to say thank you."

"But I wouldn't have been here tonight if you hadn't asked me. So, thanks for that."

Your apartment wasn't far away, and with each step you hoped the evening wouldn't end just yet. As you stood in front of your apartment complex, Spencer nervously stepped from one foot to the other. "I had a really nice evening“, he confessed.

"Me too." If you didn't want the evening to end now, you had to take the plunge. "I'd never been on a date to a museum before."

Spencer's eyes widened and for a moment you feared you had misinterpreted everything. The looks, the stories and the touches. But Spencer stopped your train of thought. "Neither have I. Well, I had been to a museum before, of course, but it had never been dates, and I'm glad I was there with you“, he babbled, blushing, which made you smile. You liked that you could read his feelings from his face. "Um, maybe we can meet again tomorrow? For dinner? If that's not too much for you?"

You didn't answer him, but put your arms around his neck and gently pulled him down to you. In his face you searched for signs that he didn't want this, and when you couldn't find any, you gently placed your lips on his.

At first he didn't return the kiss, which you attributed to his surprise. He stiffened and it took a moment for the synapses in his brain to realize what exactly was happening. You were kissing him. And you had kissed him first. When his mind started thinking again, his hands settled on your waist and he pulled you a little closer to him to deepen the kiss. When you broke away from each other, he had a gleam in his eyes.

"I recorded a short film about quantum physics that was on TV“, you whispered, opening your eyes while he kept his still closed. "If you like, you can come upstairs with me and we can watch it together."

The short movie played as background music while you sat on your couch and kissed until your lips were swollen and your lungs were gasping for air.When he broke away from you for a moment, all he could do was whisper.  "I'm addicted to you."

-

You had tried to keep your relationship a secret, and had failed miserably.

It had taken a psychopath, a hostage, and an explosion for you to fall into each other's arms and for Spencer to kiss you stormily in front of the team. His fingers dug into your skin and would surely leave bruises, but you didn't care. You had escaped the explosion by a hair and Spencer couldn't help but thank all the gods and pull you close to him as you stood in front of him.

"I thought you had been in the building“, he breathed as he gently pushed you off of him to look at you. "I thought I'd lost you."

A tear rolled down your cheek, which he wiped away with his thumb. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Spence." He pressed another kiss to your mouth before someone cleared their throat. The team stood just a few steps away from you, watching you, which was pretty embarrassing. Except for Hotch, everyone looked pleased and delighted, but you also didn't miss Hotch pressing a bill into JJ's hand.

"That's why you didn't want to go on that blind date I set you up with“, Derek grinned, putting a brotherly arm around Spencer's shoulders. "Pretty boy has a girlfriend."

Nothing ever felt so good as sharing a bed with Spencer after that day. You were half on top of him, he had his arm wrapped around you, and your legs were tangled under the covers. His fingers stroked your bare back and yours danced across his chest. He took a deep breath.

"Are you all right?", you asked, looking at him.

He swallowed. "I know we haven't been together that long and it's probably way too soon, but I almost lost you today and I can't keep it to myself any longer." Gently, he pushed you off of him and propped himself up on his elbow so he had to look down at you. "You're not just my favorite person, Y/N. You inspire me every day and you complete me in every way. You are the person I want to spend the rest of my life with." He put his hand to your cheek and you snuggled against his warm skin. "I love you, Y/N."

- tags below -

@mollygetssherlockcoffee​ / @averyhotchner​ / @ravenclawrandomness​ 

[keiarchived]

Can I request Hawks with a very shy darling that is always shying away from him because she’s nervous to talk to him because he’s a stranger, and maybe it’s about how he slowly gains her trust and coaxes her out to his loving arms 🥺

@yanbaere: I’m in love with you blog 🥺 yandere Hawks makes me really soft and I love him,,, can I request some yandere hawks with a shy and insecure s/o? 🥺 he would be so protective and sweet with them and would definitely harm anyone that tries to hurt them or makes them feel bad,,he just hits different when he’s a yandere 👉🏻👈🏻 I adore your blog and your writing! It’s amazing 💕💕

anon: how about a one shot of yandere! Hawks x virgin/! reader ? 👀 I imagine he would be so freaking happy he got to be his s/o’s first time but of course he probably already knew that; he’s a little rough and haz a breeding kink but nothing you can’t handle, right? >;)

Yan Hawks with a shy birdie 🥺 this low-key adorable but also flirty af so like prepare yourself ♥️ Also thank you for the support guys! ♥️

Sorry it took so long 🥺

Yandere!Hawks x Shy!F!Reader

warnings: Yandere, manipulation, possessive, obsessive, breeding kink

words: 1.4k

The moment Keigo laid his eyes on you, he knew you were different. This pure and glowing aura radiating off you is unreal, it’s not often the number two hero let other catch him by the wings. Even rarer for him to be so interested in someone but you... you’re a breath of fresh air.

It was during a Christmas party when he met you, trying to make yourself as small as possible behind your mother. Being the child of a single mother hero meant attention often find its way towards the two of you, with men and women alike wondering how she do it. Raise a kid as well as dedicate herself to being a hero, there honestly are no secrets. Your mother and you function like any other family, sure there will be times where she would come home late and you have to help out a lot more than usual. But you don’t mind, your mother have been working hard for the two of you after all.

Plus it’s not like you’re a child, you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. Just a little shy and nervous around the edge, nothing Keigo couldn’t help you through. “Hey, glad you could make it.” The winged hero said in his usually layback tone as he greeted your mother, they had worked together on the same mission before and needless to say she is more than impressed by Hawks’ skills. The perfect son in law wouldn’t you say?

As per usual, you hide before your mother as the two heroes continued with their conversation. Catching up with each other whilst chuckles and laughs were heard but of course, Keigo’s eyes were set on you -- like how it had been in the last couple of minutes whilst talking to your mother whilst wondering how he could get you alone. It’s you he wants to talk to after all, as if lady luck is on Keigo’s side today, some other hero waved at your mother and has kindly asked her to come over, perfect. “Honey, why don’t you stay here with Hawks for a moment? I’ll be right back. You wouldn’t mind would you?” 

Oh if only she knew the danger that lurks behind his artificial smile, how this man have already laid his trap to lure you in. “Sure, of course. I don’t mind.” Keigo smiles with teeth rooting sweetness behind those word, before you could even protest, your safety shield has wander off.

There was a moment of awkward silence when you watched your mother’s figure blends into the crowd, greeting her fellow heroes but before you dig deeper into those mindless thoughts Keigo managed to snapped you out of it with a simple chuckle. Was it if ill will or kindness, you don’t know. The only thing you know is how handsome his face is upon a closer look, sandy blonde locks with a few strays among those well swoop back ones and a pair of dangerous looking golden hues to pair with. “What’s your name dove?”

“Y/N...” You were hesitant to give Keigo your name, felt as though you had just signed a contract with the devil himself and rest was history.

It took a while for you to truly open up to the winged hero but surprisingly or unsurprisingly, he was patient. Taking those small but necessary steps in order to make you comfortable, as much as he is obsessed with you, Keigo still put your comfort first above everything. Bring you small gifts that reminds you that he’s there whenever you need him, despite the hours of a day. If it’s for you, he will make it work. Date nights often resulted in spending inside and Keigo is fine with it, movie nights, game nights as long as he get to spend the time with you he is more than happy. Needless to say, your mother is supportive of the relationship with Keigo, how could she not when the perfect son in law present himself as your boyfriend?

He would never hurt you unlike all those other corrupted men, you know that right? As long as you are under his wings, nothing could harm you.

Keigo have been patient, he really have. Only doing whatever you’re comfortable with, soft kisses, caressing those cute flustered cheeks of yours, a hand tracing shapes on your thighs but it was all becoming too much. He wants you.

The thought of you crying out his name in pleasure, body quivering in needs as lewd wet sounds bounces off walls surrounding the two of you is enough to have his own cock grow hard. “Keigo...” Oh, if only you could see the expression you said his name with. So cute but yet alluring, “Princess... if you keep saying my name like that, you’re in trouble.” But you already know that don’t you? The way Keigo have been eyeing you ever since he have you cages beneath him on these soft sheets, golden shimmers with minimal lights, soft kisses soon became desperate and needy.

Your breath soon became unevening as Keigo trails those kisses further and further away from your lips, nibbling and biting hard enough to leave beautiful marks. “Wa-wait! Keigo please...” It wasn’t as if you didn’t want him to take you, in fact is the complete opposite. Everytime the winged hero left you breathless, a shameless patch of dampness gathers between your thighs. “Hm? What is it baby? I’m sorry I-“

“I’m a virgin.” Keigo’s eyes widen slightly, pretending as if he was completely clueless about the news. Sweetheart, Keigo knows every details about you and he is well informed. But the way you said it, cheeks red as his own wings and a slight pout on your lips — the less he could do is give you a reaction you wanted. “We’ll take it slow princess...”

Well at least the beginning he was.

When Keigo finally inches his cock into those throbbing tightnsss, it was surreal. The mere feeling had him tossing his head back in bliss whilst he tries to hold himself back, gritting his teeth until he was balls deep. Peppering you with kisses in order to help you ease up, adjust to the size of his cock stretching your untouched cunt open. “Fuck... you’re doing so good baby...” Keigo would coos, tugging those loose strands of hair behind your ears and away from your forehead before he finally started rutting into you. Those soft moans and whimpers only egged him on, feeling the way your nails dug at the sides and under his wings. God, it was like you wanted him to go wild, to go feral and eventually he did.

Hips snapping against your mound with long deep strokes, hard enough to leave them red even in the morning after as Keigo have you folded into a mating press. Hands gripping firmly on either sides of your ankles, drinking ever last bits of those delicious twists of pleasure from you. “Hm.. you like that?” A lazy grin stretched across his lips, “Like being breed like a bitch in heat even though I just took your virginity?” The mere thought of him being your first and last man, the one to corrupt you is enough to drive Keigo’s little edge further, drilling even deeper into your cunt to leave your body arching in bliss.

“Ke-Keigo no more-!” You have already lost count of the number of orgasm he managed to rip out of you in the last two hours, but you’re damn well sure if Keigo edges you to another, those pretty eyes of yours just might roll back and stay close. “Just one more baby, you can do it for me can’t you? You’ve been doing so well so far princess.” Keigo coos, with the same sweet smile as he pressed a soft kiss to your ankle. Just a little more until he soils you, nothing you can’t handle right?

“Gonna fill you nice and good~” The winged hero promised and he always keep his promises, at least with you. With the last deep thrust meeting your pelvis, Keigo grunts before ropes of cum painted your once virgin walls white. Panting as he collapsed atop of you slowly, letting out a blissful hum.

After a while, Keigo withdraw from you as he watched the way his own seed seeps out of you only to push those back where they belong. “Good girl, you did an amazing job baby.” He coos softly, peppering you with kisses all over.

As Keigo expected, you’re different and he’s glad to call you his own.

[aries-writingblog]

Child’s Play

Summary: Steve is falling fast for a girl that he’s only been on a few dates with (I suck at descriptions🤦🏻‍♀️)

Word Count: 1968

Pairing: Steve Rogers x reader

Warnings: none

AN: GIF is not my own, credit to original creator

“All I’m saying is that you should really consider bringing that uniform back.” She nodded, wiping her fingers delicately on her napkin. Steve cocked an eyebrow, trying not to smile too broadly. “It did wonders for you.”

Steve lowered his eyes, heat creeping onto his face. It was a good embarrassment, though. He couldn’t remember when he last laughed so hard. Even if it was at himself. He had to agree the things he did once were a little cheesy.

“You we’re supposed to pay attention to the message. The videos had a message.” He scolded lightly, dipping a fry in his ketchup. YN scoffed, stealing two fries from the plate and dunking them in her milkshake. Steve scrunched his nose in distaste.

“I was in high school, dude. And you were hot, what was I supposed to do?” She grinned as his cheeks shifted from a shade of pink to a deeper shade of maroon. “It was detention and I was bored. I had to think of something or I’d lose my mind.”

Steve tried not too think too hard about the age difference. It jarred him to take into consideration she watched the stupid patriotic videos he had to film in her high school days. He focused mainly on the present age gap of only a few years. Not the seventy year gap.

“Okay, if I see one more fry go into that milkshake, I’ll flip this table.” Steve threatened, eyeing the drink suspiciously. YN laughed, a bright giggly sound Steve had come to enjoy.

This would be their fourth date. He had the idea to take her to an old diner he’d stumbled upon. Mainly because it had been around in his day- the coffee was still outrageously disgusting. He wasn’t sure how they’d managed to keep the same flavor the whole time but the moment it touched his tongue, Steve was thrown back into his youth.

“Just try it.” She demanded, shoving her glass across the table. He lifted his eyebrows, glancing between her and the chocolate milkshake.

“Absolutely not. The fries get soggy in there- I know they do.” He explained, observing as she rolled her eyes. Slumping back into the booth in playful defeat. “You enjoy that?”

“Uh, yeah. Get with it, gramps.” She dusted her hands off, placing her phone and wallet on the table. “I’m gonna run to the bathroom really quick- watch my stuff?”

“Yeah- of course.” Steve watched her as she stood, pulling at her shirt before starting towards the bathroom. He then turned his attention to their mostly finished plates, stacking them neatly to one side of the table.

Just as he went to catch a waitresses attention, he looked around. They were the only two customers remaining. Steve felt the guilt immediately, seeing the women cleaning around their table. They had been so distracted he had forgotten time could pass. He flicked his wrist, checking his watch. They had been at the restaurant for way too long.

YN emerged from the restroom just at the same moment he stood to approach the register. She noticed he had taken her things, tucked in his jeans pocket. So she found her way to his side, curling her arm around his and hugging it to her chest.

He finished paying, apologized several times to the wait staff for taking the booth for so long. She had brushed it off, telling him it had been a pleasure to serve Captain America himself. Steve still felt guilty, leaving a very large tip for her.

“Ready?” He asked, turning to face YN. She gave an enthusiastic nod, clinging to him as they walked to the door. He pushed it open, holding it for her.

“It’s so late- I don’t think we’ll ever catch a cab.” YN checked her phone, the time shining up at her.

“I’ll walk you home. It’s not that far, if you’re up for it?” He offered. Steve watched as she frowned at the device in her palm, the streetlight gleaming down onto her hair. Giving her face an ethereal glow, eyes sparkling. Her lipgloss was incredibly distracting- shimmering and glittering under the lights.

“Steve?” She asked. He jolted, breaking his stare as he realized he had been zoned out while she was speaking. The heat crept back into his cheeks; He never seemed to get rid of it around her. It was always lurking under his skin, readily revealing itself at any moment.

“What?” She laughed.

“I said that I’d take that escort home, if it doesn’t put you out of your way.” She repeated. Steve shook his head immediately.

“You’re never out of my way, sweetheart.” In truth, her apartment was seventeen blocks to the east of the diner. The Tower was nineteen from the diner, to the north. Steve would’ve done pretty much anything to keep her with him longer, even walk the entire length. Carry her if she wanted.

“I just don’t want to keep you.” Her hand found his forearm again, slithering down to his hand. Her fingers twined with his and he squeezed her hand gently. “You had mentioned that you had to get up early tomorrow. I don’t want to make you late.”

“It’s just some work. Nothing drastic. Can’t leave until I get there anyways.” He assured her, their sides bumping together as their strides evened out. It was practically true- it was work and it wasn’t drastic. He had to leave early for a stake out mission with Natasha. She would eventually forgive him, if not immediately. “I might be gone for a couple weeks… I’m not sure how long it will take.”

“That’s okay.” She shrugged, swinging their arms between their bodies. “Just means our next date can be even better, cause we’ll be really excited to see each other.” Steve smiled, his free hand finding his front pocket. He was always excited to see her.

They fell silent for a moment- something that didn’t happen often. YN was a regular chatterbox when she was excited. And as far as Steve could tell, she was always excited to be around him. He didn’t mind, he loved hearing her voice. Liked listening to her. Telling him fun facts, stories, asking questions, going off on tangents. It was always amusing, watching her face go through several ranges of emotions during her stories. Hands gesturing vibrantly.

“So you’re gonna let me hang around for another date?” Steve asked, risking a glance to her. A light smile on shining lips.

“I may.” She nodded. “Depends.”

“On?” Steve pressed, nudging her with his elbow. YN pursed her lips, feigning concentration with her eyes rolling to the side.

“Well, if I finally get a good night kiss I might let you stick around.” She teased. Steve chuckled, shaking his head. He’d wanted to kiss her the first night, but didn’t want to scare her away. He was still unsure on twenty first century mannerisms, caught in between the centuries. Wanting to move into the current for her, but clinging onto the values instilled in him growing up. Remembering the awkward dates he had with girls. How he never really knew what to do.

But now that she had mentioned it, Steve figured it would be safe to push his luck.

Suddenly, YN gasped and yanked his hand- jeering off course. His feet hit grass as she released his hand. Steve looked up, seeing a playground laid out before them.

“What are you doing?” He followed her at a slower pace, watching as she leapt up. Hands catching on a set of horizontal bars. She twisted upward, hanging down by her knees.

“What- you’ve never played on a playground at midnight before?” She demanded, pushing her shirt back down. Steve laughed, standing in front of her, hands on his hips.

“Not that I can remember.” She released her hold on her shirt, hands reaching out to him. The fabric fell back down, bunching around her chest. A snippet of her dark red bra peeking over the edge. Steve snatched the end and shoved it back upward, covering her torso. “You’re gonna get hurt, YN.”

“Not if I have a superhero boyfriend here to save me.” She argued, leaning back up to take the bars. “Come on, Stevie- let loose for a while.”

He sighed, meeting her eyes as she turned herself right side up. Dangling by her hands. She gave him a pout, eyes twinkling in the park lights.

Steve stepped to her left, tucking his loose t shirt into his belt. Ensuring his hands were clasped tightly around the metal bars before pulling himself up and hanging beside her.

“There you go, now- pull your feet up and hook your knees around a bar and you can hang.” She instructed, then quickly giving him a visual reenactment. He picked it up easily, releasing his grip and turning his body upside down to hang beside hers. “You’re doing it!”

YN wiggled her body happily, figure swinging wildly. Steve reached out, hands on her waist to steady her, worried she would tilt or lose her grip.

“Take it easy, YN.” He squeezed her hips as she laughed. “I don’t think a date should end with an emergency room visit.”

“Then you definitely haven’t been on a really good date.”

“Should I be worried about that statement?”

“I wouldn’t think about it too hard.”

“Oh, for sure.” He smiled, feeling the blood begin to rush to his head. His face felt tingly as he hung beside her, pins and needles pricking at his skin. “We should probably start back, it’s getting late-“

Steve felt her hands grasp his shirt, pulling him closer. YN’s lips brushed against his before planting firmly. He grunted in surprise, hands clasped to his chest, between hers. She moved her lips slowly, gently. He could taste her lip gloss- mix of cherry and vanilla flooding his system with error messages. Brain flashing a ‘vacant’ sign before his consciousness.

“I don’t know if you’re a really good kisser or if all my blood rushed to my head but I’m really lightheaded.” She murmured, not even allowing him to go far as she spoke, lips still touching.

His wide blue eyes stared gleefully into hers, swinging himself down to his feet. Reaching to help her back to the ground next. YN huffed, readjusting her shirt before leaning to pick up her phone that had slid from her pocket whilst upside down.

“Y’know, I think my research isn’t complete yet- still not sure which caused the lightheadedness.” She pressed a finger to her lips, the gloss smudged down her chin. Steve narrowed his eyes at her grin.

“Now you’re just trying to get me to kiss you.” He clarified, able to see through her actions easily. She shrugged, as if to say ‘you caught me!’

“Only if it’s working.”

Steve chuckled, one hand grasping the back of her neck while the other found a place on her waist. Pulling her body to his. She stumbled forward, colliding with his chest as he angled her mouth up to his. Leaning down to meet her height. He pressed them together, cradling her body. His fingers tangled in her hair. YN’s fingers curled into his shirt, finding purchase in the fabric. He felt her lips curl upward in a smile, still pressed to his.

He pulled back, keeping his eyes on her face as he did. A happy, dazed smile on her features- eyes crinkled in the corners. Her fingers drummed against his chest in time with his heartbeat as she ripped herself away. Breaking into a full sprint across the grassy playground.

“Race you to the swings!” She shouted over her shoulder, feet pounding the ground.

Steve chuckled. For once, he didn’t feel the need to be an adult, to be the mature, responsible one. He could turn everything off- even if only for a few minutes. Even if it was something as simple as sprinting across a playground with a girl that was slowly changing his life and perspective. He decided he liked that feeling.

“You asked for it, sweetheart!”

[love-archon]

A Day With The Genshin Characters: Liyue Edition

Today's going to be a busy day! Check your planner for who you'll be meeting with- as one of the esteemed members of the Liyue Qixing, you cannot afford to be late to any appointment. 

• 6:00, Ningguang: Morning Tea 

Although you say you love your job, waking up at un-archonly hours has to be the part you like the least. Even getting up at five in the morning, the hour when tigers prowl, is still not enough time to prepare for a meeting with the Tianquan. You rush around frantically choosing the best outfit, fragrance, and hair arrangement to present yourself to Lady Ningguang, and you're halfway out the door when it hits you- you forgot to bring a gift with you!

"Right on time," Ningguang says, pleased. You smile, hoping she won't hear your heart beating from anxiety. "And what a lovely present, too... is there any doubt you were appointed as one of the seven Qixing?" (You can't tell if it's her rare praise, or the sheer altitude you're at within the Jade Chamber, that's making your head spin).

• 7:00, Keqing: Business Meeting 

You barely have time to rest before Keqing whisks you away to Yuehai Pavilion. You're very close friends, and you admire the girl for her tenacity and diligence. The conversation flows easily as you walk to your destination under a cloudless sky. It's a wonderfully sunny moment, but the moment the doors lock, you mean business. In the next two hours, you conquer matters that would normally take days to resolve, and the two of you exchange grins. 

"There we go!" Keqing breathes a sigh of relief, pushing away the last stack of papers. She holds up her hand, and you high-five. "You know, I like how easily you keep up with me. You even caught mistakes I would have missed... things like this make me even more certain Liyue is better off in human hands."

• 9:00: Check In With Ganyu

With such a hectic schedule, Ganyu is your saving grace. It's always important to check in with her, just to make sure nothing you have planned catches you by surprise, and sometimes you wonder why others rarely do the same. She's quite lonely, and often mentions how nice it is that you speak with her every day and bring her gifts to help with work. It may be part of your job to be courteous, but... it does help her feel less lonely and conflicted with herself. 

"Qingxin flowers? Thank you so much." She accepts them gratefully, smiling at you with warm eyes. "I still have that new stationery you gave me, too. You're so kind for remembering the things I like!"

• 9:30: Talk to Beidou

The tea in the Jade Chamber was just a front for Ningguang to spring a request on you- meet with the captain of the Crux Fleet to discuss her... recent smuggling habits. But Beidou merely laughs heartily when you arrive. A crewmate tosses her a sack of Mora, and she slits it open, letting the payment shower over you in a spray of gold. And then, before you know what's happening, you're roped into helping them find a treasure rumored to be lost beneath the waves. 

"So, Ningguang though sending her star diplomat would get me to let up, huh!" You blush, wondering how you could be so easy to read under her ruby eye. "I was impressed by your words, and how well you fought by my side. But the annoyance of the Liyue Qixing is of no concern to me."

• 12:00, Tartaglia: TEACH HIM A LESSON!

As the member of the Qixing that oversees diplomacy and foreign relations, it's you that must meet with the Fatui Harbinger. He's quite good at playing pretend- all your underlings believed he was a naive, careless young man, and easily manipulated, too. And all of them ended up suppressing the urge to break something after they were done conversing with him. On your honor as one of Liyue's seven stars, you vow to not make their mistakes. 

"You're asking why I don't try to drive you mad?" he said, setting down his fork. You'd caved in and given him one after watching him struggle with chopsticks for far too long. "You're the only one who isn't a bore to talk to, that's all-" so this was on purpose?!- "and besides, I want to challenge you to a fight afterwards! Your vision's getting quite dusty from neglect, comrade. Let's fix that!"

• 2:00, Yanfei: Discussion of Legal Matters

Yanfei's counsel is an invaluable treasure. Especially when dealing with an opponent as vicious as Snezhnaya's Fatui, who deserve to have her wrath unleashed upon them. You walk to her office with a gleam in your eyes, and are delighted to see an equal fire already blazing in hers. For the next few hours, you two take the "suggestions" Tartaglia passed on from the Northland Bank and scheme on how to best tear them to shreds with the law.

"That man-childe's been giving you trouble again, huh," she giggles. "What did he come up with this time~? I've been waiting for an excuse to bring out the latest edition of my lawbook!" And with that, Yanfei slams it down, and the sheer weight of it nearly cracks her desk. "He won't know what hit him!"

• 4:00: Free Time

Of course, "free time" simply means that you have no meetings scheduled for this hour, which lets you adequately prepare for the next day's events. Tomorrow is your appointment with the Feiyun Commerce Guild, which you already know will require great patience and strength of mind. Because the head of the guild, and his eldest son, the future head, are- to put it mildly- not very bright... it's fortunate, then, that the second son Xingqiu has a good head on his shoulders.  

"Tomorrow, you should go straight to me instead," Xingqiu informs you cheerily, handing you a popsicle. Apparently, he keeps them around for his friend Chongyun, who's off to complete another exorcism. "I'll be sure to set everything in order." His eyes gleam. "And then, I can tell you the latest developments in 'A Legend of Sword'!"

• 5:00: Catch Xinyan's Concert!

Liyue's one and only rock musician isn't hard to find, thanks to the designated performance spots scattered around the city. You stop by at the raised platform where she's rocking out, where other people are listening as well. Xinyan strikes a peace sign in the air, and her vision glows with energy before the stage erupts with pillars of fire; her audience bursts into cheers and applause, and she's beaming as she leaps down to meet you. 

"Wait, seriously? You really changed up the rules a lil' so it'll be easier for me to hold concerts here?" Her eyes shine as they scan the papers- one of the many results of your work today in Yuehai. "Thank you so much! Wait-" she picks up her guitar again, giving it an experimental riff. "Let me think up a quick song for ya as thanks- I insist!"

• 6:00: Wangsheng Funeral Parlor 

Lately, you've been sent particularly determined requests from the other nations about allowing tourists to observe the ancient funeral rites. You already know the answer's gonna be a hard no, but the laws written by Rex Lapis state that you must check with the director anyway. She's not there when you arrive, so a consultant, Zhongli, brings you tea while you wait for her. You sit together in the fading sun, waiting for Hu Tao's familiar song to rise above the hill. 

Zhongli takes a quiet sip from his cup, closing his luminous eyes. "Although it was Rex Lapis who created the laws, they are not meant to be set in stone. Humans must revise the contract as they see fit, so that it will not erode with the passage of time." Something makes you feel as though it's more significant to him than you know. Then, he smiles slightly. "But, just looking at the people leading the way in his absence, like you... there's no need for me to worry."

• 8:00: Dinner; Request Chef Xiangling

The Wanmin Restaurant, run by Chef Mao and his daughter, is a breath of fresh air. While the rest of Liyue is divided between the "Li" and "Yue" styles of cooking, Xiangling pays the conflict no mind. Instead, she's not afraid to be daring and experiment, blazing ahead without worrying about what others think. You can see some similarities between her and Keqing, but it's best not to mention it after that disastrous banquet they organized together... 

"Had a rough day, didn't you?" Xiangling asks, her golden eyes twinkling as she hands you the steaming hot bowl. "Well, for you, I made sure to prepare your favorite dish! I hope you don't mind if I added a lizard or two this time- I'm kidding!" she adds quickly, upon seeing alarm flash across your face. 

• 9:00: Return Home

After everything that happened, you're eager to collect the reports from your subordinates and head home to draft new revisions for Tianquan Ningguang to look over (and then, hopefully, get some rest). But as you're walking on the path to your neighborhood, you spot a little girl sitting in the grass, clutching her head. Alarm rises in your chest as you rush over to see what's wrong, and why she's alone- only to realize with a start that she's the child that returned from the dead.  

"Thank you for taking Qiqi back to Bubu Pharmacy," she says, reading solemnly from her notebook (where the entire thank-you script is written). Even when you set her down, she's still reading the pieces of paper. "Will you tell Dr. Baizhu where I got lost? Please and thank you, again."

• 10:00: Sleep

In the end, you never did get to those revisions. You can hear your fellow Qixing scolding you in your head, but at least you got plenty of other things done; the well-oiled machine that is Liyue will still keep running on thanks to the tasks you accomplished today. Someday, even the adepti will have to acknowledge the ability of humans... you turn in your bed to feel the coolness of the other side. Speaking of adepti... the night air coming in... reminds you of... "Xiao..."

"I thought you were in danger," the adeptus huffs. The moment you said his name, you'd finally fallen asleep, but it still brought Xiao to you- balanced on the windowsill, hair waving in the breeze. "Still... I'm... glad that you're alright," he admits, glancing at you to make sure you're not awake to hear. "Rest well, bright star of Liyue." And then, with a sound like a sigh- or was it the wind?- he's gone.

[robbyswayzekeenes]

fuck up our friendship━ eli moskowitz imagine

eli moskowitz x fem!reader

set after the party in 2x09, pretty wholesome with admitting feelings but also angst bc the reader is tryna be friends with both eli and demetri and it is NOT going well

Once the police busted the party, Y/N knew she had to find Eli. The girl was a Miyagi-Do student, and she knew full well that Sam and Robby would not appreciate her going to find her oldest friend and Cobra Kai’s number one asshole, but the pair were having their own issues, so it was unlikely they would find out. Y/N and Eli had been friends since the girl moved to the Valley at the start of freshman year. She wasn’t exactly a loser as someone like Yasmine or Kyler would word it, and many people never understood why she signed away her high school popularity to be friends with the two biggest dorks in school-- Demetri and Eli-- but she wouldn’t have wanted anybody else. Demetri and Eli had been best friends since kindergarten, and the h/c slotted into the group perfectly. They may have had it pretty bad at school, but they had each other.

Then, two years later, at the start of their junior year, karate came back to the Valley. Whilst Y/N and Demetri had always been seemingly content with living their lives as losers, apparently Eli didn’t feel the same. It wasn’t the mohawk or the new name they particularly had a problem with, or his newfound popularity that bothered them. It was the way he went about getting it. Hawk was becoming the very person he had always hated. Both of his best friends knew this wasn’t the person he really was, but when Demetri had addressed this, Eli declared an all out war against him. So now Y/N was left as the middle-man, trying to care for both of her best friends and bring them back together without choosing a side. And neither of them made it easy.

Tonight, at Moon’s party, Y/N had been so hopeful. The two sat talking about Doctor Who whilst the girl stood beside Robby and Sam, sipping her drink and pretending she wasn’t listening in to what Demetri and Eli were talking about. She allowed herself to get distracted for one moment to talk with Robby about skateboarding and suddenly, Eli was pouring his drink all over Demetri’s head. With a shameful sigh, Y/N walked over to the two, handing paper towels to the dark haired boy and raising her eyebrows at Eli. The red haired boy gave her a sheepish, apologetic smile before wandering off to join the other Cobras.

In all fairness, Hawk had it coming when Demetri stood up on that stage with the mic in his hand, but the brown eyed boy didn’t need to take it that far. Watching from where she stood with the other Miyagi-Dos, her e/c eyes flitted between Eli and Demetri. It pained the girl to watch her two best friends fight, but it hurt more knowing she was watching her best friend and the boy she was in love with attempt to tear each other’s heads off. Y/N had developed the biggest crush on Eli in their sophomore year, and everybody knew it except the boy in question. Demetri knew it, too, which was why initially he was so hesitant to launch an attack against his best friend, no matter how much he deserved it. But that night, he hadn’t held back.

Once the cops pulled up outside, everything descended into chaos. Her eyes met with Demetri’s, which were filled with remorse, and he nodded at her. “Go find him. Make sure he’s okay.” Y/N offered the boy a small smile in return. She knew Demetri still cared for Eli, and Eli still cared for Demetri. It was just Hawk who appeared not to. Rushing out the house so as not to get caught by the police, the h/c found Eli walking out the back of the house alone. The rest of the Cobras weren’t around, which reassured Y/N, but only slightly. “Eli!” She called, causing his head to swing around, his blue eyes catching hers. “What do you want? Come to humiliate me even more?” “Eli,’ The girl breathed in response, sounding exasperated as she caught up to him. “You know I wouldn’t do that.” “I didn’t think Demetri would, either,” He responded, allowing Y/N to see how hurt he really was. “And I didn’t think you would attack him when we were at the mall the other day. Or pour beer on his head.” Eli let out a sigh-- he was Eli now he was around Y/N. She was the only person he trusted enough to let his newfound guard down around.

“I’ve told you this before, Y/N,” The red haired boy said with a sigh. “Demetri chose his side. He went against us. Against Cobra Kai.” “I don’t need to hear it again, Eli,” The h/c haired girl huffed. “I’m just here to make sure you’re okay. Cobra Kai or not, you’re my best friend. I care about you, and so does Demetri.” “Whatever,” The boy exhaled, but he still allowed Y/N to walk the rest of the way home with him, and even come in when he opened the door and headed inside. “Mom isn’t home,” Eli spoke, closing the door and flicking off his shoes, “She’s on night shift tonight.” “Good job I’m here then,” Y/N nodded, knowing how much the blue eyed boy hated being alone. Eli didn’t say anything in response, just smiled smally.

Any alcohol consumed at the party that evening had begun to wear off, as Eli and Y/N sat on the couch in the front room. The silence was awkward for the first few moments; it always was now that there was a clear divide pushing the two apart, but both of them more than anything wanted to stay close. As much as Y/N’s crush on Eli was clear as day (to everyone other than him), the boy’s reciprocated feelings were much better hidden, especially with his new Hawk facade. However, Cobra Kai had thrown in the spanner in the works, and any chance the boy may have had with his best friend was seemingly gone. Yet, every few nights the girl would still come over and spend time with Eli, alternating the time she used to spend with both her best friends.

Eventually, the awkwardness faded, and the two would begin to speak about anything and everything they hadn’t caught up on, considering they had spent most of the summer apart at their separate dojos. An hour or so past, taking the time up to midnight, before Eli invited Y/N to stay the night like she had many times before. The h/c hastily agreed, and followed Eli upstairs to his bedroom, yawning quietly due to exhaustion. Once they made it up, her e/c eyes widened. “What the fuck happened in here?” The once blue walls, littered with posters, were now red and bare. A punching bag stood where a fake TARDIS used to be, and there wasn’t a funko pop in sight, which was not at all like Eli Moskowitz. The bedsheets were just plain black, rather than Star Wars themed, but when the h/c craned her neck, there were still small, glow-in-the-dark stars littered across the ceiling. “I redecorated,” Was all Eli said, flopping down on his bed.

Y/N flopped down beside him. “I think I preferred the Doctor Who merch,” The girl admitted honestly, causing Eli to look at her with wide eyes. “Did you know the new Doctor was female?” “Of course,” The h/c smiled, “Me and Demetri still watch every Friday night.” At the mention of this, Eli’s face fell, causing Y/N to frown. “You know he didn’t really want to hurt you tonight,” The girl sighed, attempting to lock eyes with Eli who was staring down at his fidgeting fingers. “It was a shitty thing to do, but you’ve both done shitty things to each other.” She continued her speech, becoming more and more passionate as she spilled her frustration out to Eli: “Do you know how hard it is for me to watch my two best friends fight with each other? Over something as petty as a fucking karate dojo! I know that I can’t stop you two fighting and the best I can do is try and maintain the middle ground, because the last thing I want to do is choose between my best friend and the others at Miyagi-Do, and the boy I’ve had feelings for since forever.”

Y/N’s voice began to fade out as she calmed down, but Eli was still staring at her, seemingly in shock. Noticing how panicked the boy looked, the girl’s face softened. “I’m sorry for yelling, Eli, I-” “You said you had feelings for me.” His voice was deadpan, showing no emotions as his blue eyes bore into Y/N. The girl’s mouth opened and closed in shock. “I- Maybe I said that. Accidentally. Maybe-” “You have feelings for me?” Eli spoke again, and for a second, he sounded like Eli, like the person he was before all this karate shit took over. With a sigh, the girl nodded. “Congratulations. You’re officially the last person to know.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” The boy asked, his eyes wide. “I don’t know,” The girl shrugged. “Guess I didn’t wanna fuck up our friendship, but I guess karate’s doing that for us.” Y/N’s e/c eyes chose to rest on the bed sheets beneath her instead of on Eli as he responded. “Well, what if I want to fuck up our friendship?” At this comment, however, the girl’s eyes shot up, just in time for Eli to place his hand on her chin and placed his lips against hers.

She was shocked at first, but Y/N soon kissed back, placing her hands on the boy’s face to pull him closer. The girl felt him smile into the kiss as he rolled himself closer, wrapping a hand round her waist to draw her in. “I’ll fuck up our friendship a hundred times over if it means I can do that again,” Y/N smiled, resting her forehead against his. Eli kissed her once again, softly, before saying: “For the record, I like you, too. I’m surprised Demetri didn’t tell you.” “That rat!” Y/N exclaimed, though she wasn’t really annoyed. “I’m going to kill him!” “Right now?” Eli asked, quirking his eyebrow with a cocky smirk. “Hm, maybe not,” The girl grinned, biting her lip and pulling the boy closer. “I think I’ll just stay here and kiss you.”

[moondancediner]

Be My Escape

Chapter One: Home

summary: penny's forced to return to her hometown of beacon hills

warnings: Language, mentions of death, Slow-burn (Is that a warning?)

pairing: Stiles Stilinski x OC (eventual)

word count: 7k

a/n: Hello and welcome! This is my Teen Wolf rewrite with my original character Penny. I plan on doing a full rewrite of the whole series (and maybe the movie eventually) with this new character.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Also shout out to everyone who inspired me to keep writing this, your writings give me fuel on the bad days.

edited 9/17/2022

xoxo

masterlist || ch.2

---

Melissa was sure it was the middle of the night when her phone started ringing. She was also sure that whoever was on the other end of said phone was not going to like her very much after this call. The red glowing lights next to her confirmed her suspicions. She had only been asleep for 2 hours, having just gotten home from work and she didn’t bother to check the caller ID, mainly because her eyes weren’t fully open yet, and partly because she thought it would be the hospital, calling once again to try and drag her out of her warm bed for some unforeseen emergency that couldn’t wait until her next shift. 

“Hello?” She answered, rubbing some sleep out of her eyes. She heard a sniffle on the other end, before a voice that washed over her like an ocean wave, shockingly cold and alarming to her system, dragging her to the depths of a place she never thought she would see again. 

“Aunt Mel?” The little voice asked, hoping she still had the right number, trying to compose herself and calm her beating heart. Melissa sat straight up at the sound, panic coursing through her body before some of her training kicked in.

“Penelope? Are you okay? What’s wrong? Where are you? Where’s your mom?” She knows she asked too many questions but she couldn’t stop herself.

“She’s gone.” Penelope whispered, unable to say anything more, the tracks that started to dry on her cheeks wetting once again. Melissa tried to take a deep breath, tried to push down some anger and hurt for her niece, but the small whisper made her want to scream.

“What do you mean she’s gone sweetheart?” She sighed, slipping out of bed and getting herself ready for either a long drive or a long night. Melissa was met with sniffles on the other end, and a little sob and her heart broke a little more. “Hey, it’s okay just tell me what happened, Pen.”

“I don’t really know, she left again like she always does, but-but it was different this time, she was so scattered -and she-she kept saying someone was coming to get her and then some man just came to the apartment and told me I had to leave. I grabbed as much stuff as I could and got in my car and left - and, and, oh god I don’t even know where I am.” Penelope’s voice broke again as she sat in her car and cried for what felt like the 100th time tonight, head falling forward onto the steering wheel, phone clutched tight in her hand like a life-line.

Melissa took a deep breath, knowing her brother's daughter was at least safe, where she was though, was a whole other challenge. 

“It’s okay sweetheart, do you want me to come get you? I need you to look for some road signs to tell me where you are.” Melissa turned on her bedside lamp and slid on her slippers, ready to run out the door. 

Penelope gathered herself, cleared her throat and wiped her face for the upteenth time this evening - or rather, morning. “Um, well I’m definitely in California, I think I’m near Sacramento.” She gave a breathy laugh, knowing what her dad would be saying right now if he could see her. Girl got lost in her own driveway, what was she thinking driving across states in the middle of the night? 

Melissa let out a sigh of slight relief, at least she was in the same state, a very large state, but still not too far away. “Okay... are you okay to drive? I can come get you, or send someone?” Melissa listened to more sniffles and a few deep breaths before Penelope answered.

“No, no I think I’m okay, I just need to get on route 5 right? And go south?” Melissa heard her car start, which made her heart jump a little, just realizing she was probably pulled over on the side of some road where anyone could get her, all alone.

“Yes, look for Beacon Hills signs and then call me when you’re close-actually call me every thirty minutes, okay?” Melissa went full mom mode, fully intending to not lose another member of her family. She heard a grimm little chuckle on the other end of the phone.

“Okay aunt Mel, I promise I will.” After a pause, Melissa heard a very small, breathy thank you before the line went dead. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and laid back on her bed for a few seconds, gathering herself, before standing up and heading downstairs to make herself some coffee, glad she was working the night shift tomorrow - or rather, today - because there was no way she was going back to sleep now. Once downstairs, she made herself a pot of coffee and settled on the couch, turning on whatever was on TV at 2 am. 

---

It was almost 8AM by the time Penelope managed to find her way to Beacon Hills. Between missing her exits, stopping for bathroom breaks, and just getting straight-up lost, this was one of the only times she wished she had a newer car with a GPS. Or was smart enough to bring a phone charger that would work in her ancient car. After she hung up with her aunt, her phone had lasted just long enough to get her to route 5 before it tragically died, leaving her to do things the old fashioned way. She studied road signs and looked for familiar town names, and knew that pulling over to ask for directions was just asking for more trouble than she could handle. 

Once she was in Beacon Hills it was easy to remember where to go, the town wasn’t huge and she’d spent enough of her life here to remember the street her aunt and cousin lived on almost her whole life. A few neighbors gave Penny strange looks as her loud car rolled down their quiet, quaint little neighborhood, and she begrudgingly had to turn down the Motley Crüe blaring through her radio to deter some not so friendly neighbors.

She stopped in front of the McCall household, pushed her hunk of junk into park, and looked over the familiar surroundings. It looked exactly like she always remembered. Same color, same bushes and flowers, same sheer white curtains billowing in the morning breeze.

It took all of five seconds before her aunt was out the front door, still in her pajamas, covered by her robe, her arms crossed in front of her chest but wearing a relieved expression on her face.

Penny grabbed her stuffed duffel bag, and headed out. She was met with open arms and the smell of home almost immediately, and while she tried, she couldn’t stop the tears from hitting her aunt's shoulder. The flood gates opened once again from a well Penny thought was bone dry. Her body shook with her cries, and though she tried to control them, her tired body continued to shake. Penny squeezed her anchor tighter, holding on like her life depended on it. 

Melissa let out a sigh of relief, finally having her niece safe and in her arms. She gave her Penny an extra tight squeeze when she heard the first sniffle, and let herself get a little teary eyed as well. Melissa pulled back after a minute, but kept her hands on Penelope’s upper arms, rubbing them a few times. Melissa looked her over, and though she looked like the same old Penny - long dark hair, big brown eyes, impossibly long eyelashes, the slight crook in her nose from when she broke it all those years ago - the little sparkle that resided in her eyes was completely washed out. “Come on, let’s get you inside.” 

Penny followed her inside, into an actual home, so not like the many apartments she bounced around in through the past six years. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her flannel covered hand and looked around, it looked exactly the same - sans Scott - but she figured he left for school already. 

“Scott left for school already,” bingo, “he had practice this morning, but I didn’t tell him you were coming, so… fun surprise for him.” Melissa laughed a little and Penny smiled at her sense of humor. “You can put your stuff up in your usual room next to Scott’s, you’ll have to share a bathroom with him,” she made a face that said sorry about that, “but he doesn’t smell too bad, do you want some coffee, or breakfast?” 

“Oh, no I’m okay I stopped by Dunkin’ on my way here… well I stopped at pretty much every coffee place with a drive thru on my way here.” They shared a smile, and Penny dropped her duffel on the floor next to the kitchen table. Melissa eyed it while she stirred her next cup of coffee, a million questions behind her eyes, but she didn’t want to bombard her after the night she just went through.

“Well why don’t you go shower and change, I know you probably want to nap but we have to stop by and see a friend of mine before we go to the school and get you signed up.” Penny stopped in her spot, a slightly confused expression taking over her features, she wasn’t sure what to say if she was being honest. Part of Penelope thought she was just staying for a little while, until they found her mom, and then she could get on with her life, but Penny sensed that her aunt had other plans.

“What do you mean? What friend?” 

“Sweetheart, why don’t you sit down.” Penny obliged, if only because her world was slowly crumbling around her. “I called Sheriff Stilinski this morning before you got here, you remember Stiles right?” Stiles. Of course, how could she forget him? Not only was he Scott’s best friend, but when Penny lived in Beacon Hills he was hers too. At Penny’s head nod, Melissa continued, putting her hand on her niece’s arm, a sign of comfort that was not missed. “His dad is the Sheriff, and he thinks it’s in your best interest, and I agree with him, that you stay here with me until we can get this all settled with your mom. Which means the court is going to issue me temporary custody over you.” Melissa let the words sink in, seeing the shock and hurt written all over the young face next to her. Slowly, Penny started nodding, not trusting her words, and trying to accept what would become her new life. 

“What if we don’t find my mom?” Her voice was thick with tears and it shattered her aunt's heart. It was a grimm question, and Penny knew that but she had a bad feeling about her mom leaving this time. She was usually gone for a day, maybe three tops, and Penny never had any doubts that she would walk right back through their front door like nothing had happened, but some nagging voice in the back of her mind kept taunting her. You’ll never see your mommy again.

“If you want, I can get permanent custody and you can stay here until you’re 18… or we can find other family if you want to live with them,” Yeah right Penny thought, what other family? 

“I’m gonna go take that shower now.” Penelope stood suddenly, almost knocking the chair over and grabbed her duffle bag, which was overflowing with all the crap she doesn’t even remember throwing into it, and headed up the stairs, letting her feet take her in a direction they knew how to go all by themselves. 

Throwing open the door to her old room - her new possibly permanent room - she tossed her bag somewhere on the floor before moving to the bathroom door. Her brain processed nothing about the room as she walked through it, flung the door open until it hit with a bang against the wall to her right, hand automatically found the light switch while her body turned to the left and into the shower. She stepped in over the edge and turned the water on before sliding against the back tile until her body hit the bottom. Her breathing was shallow and quick and she was fully aware of the panic attack that was taking her over but was completely hopeless to stop it.

The cold water beating against her clothed body brought her some comfort, shocking her body into relaxing, and turning off her fight or flight instinct, but it did nothing to stop the full body sobs that were coming out of her. She didn’t try to be quiet, she just hoped her aunt, her sweet, loving, perfect motherly aunt, wouldn’t try to come in and stop her. 

----

It took about 20 minutes before she calmed down enough to actually take a shower, but even that was short lived, because after she peeled - literally peeled - her clothes off her body she realized she was in Scott’s shower and there was only one bottle in the whole tiled monstrosity. Seriously, what kind of psychopath uses three in one. She used it anyway, just on her body, and felt her skin cringe back in disgust. She was going to have to stop and get some real shampoo and conditioner before her next shower, since the psycho who came into her house this morning - uninvited - didn’t give her enough time to go into her bathroom and grab even a toothbrush. Bitch. 

She tried to quell the anger that rose in her. Her mother was no walk in the park to deal with on a daily basis, and she made some questionable choices when the cards were down but she never put her daughter in danger like that. Not even on her worst days. 

Penny stepped out of the shower, and grabbed a towel she hoped wasn’t used and dried off, walking into her room to grab her duffle. She unzipped and lazily dumped the contents onto the lilac sheet covered queen. Assessing her very limited options, she opted for ripped at the knee medium wash high rise jeans, a white plain slightly fitted tee, and her black denim jacket that she threw off and left on the couch downstairs when she walked in the door. Shoes were kind of a problem, seeing as she only brought one pair and they were soaked, hanging by their strings over the bathtub. 

She didn’t have many options, and seeing as she couldn’t wash her hair, so a braid was going to have to do while it dried. She never wore much makeup, unless she had a particularly nasty breakout, so mascara was all she needed to feel like a human being again and not a drowned puppy. 

Heading downstairs she found her aunt on the couch, watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. “Great show,” Penny joked, joining her aunt on the familiar cushions. It seemed crazy that after six years her aunt hadn’t gotten a new couch, especially considering all the spills and stains that Penny remembered both causing and witnessing throughout her life. 

“It’s my guilty pleasure, don’t tell anyone,” Melissa lolled her head to the side, and gave Penny eyes that said or else. Penny laughed, a sweet little sound Melissa missed dearly, “You ready to go?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” came Penelope’s response as they worked themselves up off the well worn couch. “Hey, do you have an extra pair of shoes? Mine got kinda wet…” Her sentence trailed off and she gave a smile that said I kinda fucked up. Melissa laughed but handed her a pair of flip flops out of the closet.

“These are all I really have, unless you want to wear my clunky nurse sneakers.”

“I’ll stick to the flip flops, thanks.” Penny slid them on, and grabbed her jacket, now charged phone - thank you aunt Mel -, sunglasses, and wallet before following Melissa out the front door, remembering to lock it on her way out. Old habits die hard, she thought while shutting the piece of dark wood behind her.

“You should take your car and follow me, I have to go to work after this and I don’t want to leave you stranded.” Penny nodded and headed over to her car, putting her sunglasses over her eyes to block out the Cali sun. She started her dad’s old lemon, and turned up the volume as one of her favorite tracks came on before putting her in gear and following Melissa to the Sheriff’s station. 

--------

It took way longer than Penny anticipated, Mr. S had already gotten the approval from the court but they still had to wait around for the judge to come and sign all the right papers, and Penny had to file a police report for her file, all so they could print out one paper - ONE - for them to bring to school so she could be enrolled. Sheriff Stilinski was as nice as Penny remembered him being from when she was a kid, which made giving all the dirty details a little easier, though, sharing details about your mother’s mental stability isn’t easy in any circumstance. 

“Well ladies, I think I have everything I need, here’s your paperwork for the school... and welcome back to Beacon Hills kid.” Noah smiled at Penny, and it was such a dad smile she almost teared up. 

“Thank you Noah, I really appreciate all your help.” Melissa stood from her seat in front of the Sheriff’s desk and walked around to give him a quick hug. 

“Anytime Melissa. Good luck kiddo, it was good to see you again.” 

“Thanks Mr. S, it was good to see you too.” Noah waved her off and with that the two women made their way out of the Sheriff's department. 

“Okay, next stop, Beacon Hills High School.” Penny smiled at her aunt's words as they made their way to their respective cars, Penny however didn’t wait for Melissa this time, already knowing the way to the High School. 

It was a short drive and as she pulled into the parking lot there were a few kids outside the building, lingering slowly to their next class. She got lucky and parked in the front next to a grey Porsche, which she admired for a second before walking to the front of the school. A few heads turned, if not for her louder than average car, then for the sight of fresh meat on campus. She kept her sunglasses on but smiled at the onlookers, before deciding to lean on one of the railings outside the front door to wait out her aunt, who’s poor car couldn’t really keep up. Her dad’s car might have been an old hunk of metal, but the rebuilt engine still purred like a kitten all these years later. 

It only took a few more seconds for Melissa to arrive, and she found a spot easily, walking up to her niece with a scolding face. “Do we need to have a talk about speed limits?” Arms crossed, head down, looking through the top of her sunglasses at her niece, Penelope at least had the decency to look sorry. 

“Sorry,” came her sheepish reply. Melissa just shook her head and tried not to smile. 

“Let’s go, trouble.” 

“Oh, old nicknames resurfacing already?” Penny joked, following her aunt into the high school, which apparently just let out of one of their classes because the halls were packed.. Penny was a little grateful, less people will notice the new girl walking in with her Aunt when there’s other things and people to focus on. 

Penelope felt a chill rush down her spine as she made her way through the halls, a cold breeze pushed down her back like she was standing in a night-cast field stark naked - exposed, vulnerable, completely alone. She turned her head around, quickly looking around for the source of the cold air and found nothing but average high school teenagers. She tried to push the feeling out of her mind, knowing the last time she felt like this some strange man broke into her apartment and kicked her out, and instead looked to her other side, down one of the hallways they were passing where she noticed a mop of hair and crooked jaw standing by the stairs.

“Hey, McCall!” She yelled, getting more than a few looks her way. She didn’t really care though, and pulled her sunglasses off her face before running down the hallway to her cousin, who looked up as soon as his name was called. A smile replaced the confusion between his eyes when Scott realized who it was running toward him in the middle of the school hallways. 

“Penny!?” They embraced in a hug that almost knocked Scott on the ground, and Penny - who wasn’t used to her cousin being taller than her - let out a yelp and a laugh when her feet left the ground. 

“Hey, Scotty.” They hugged for a second longer, before Scott pulled back, dropped her back to the ground but kept his hands on her arms.

“Man, when did you get tall?” Penny asked, sizing up her once shorter than her cousin.

“More like when did you shrink?” Scott joked back. “What the hell are you doing here?” 

“Long story, but I’m your new roommate for the foreseeable future,” Penny shrugged and smiled, still not noticing the very pretty brunette standing next to Scott.

“Oh man,” Scott exclaimed, but suddenly remembered who he was talking to moments prior. “Oh! Penny this is Allison, Allison this is my cousin, Penny.” He gestured between the two girls, who were now smiling at each other. Allison looked much more relieved now that she learned her almost-boyfriend’s new roommate was just his cousin. 

“Hi! It’s so nice to meet you,” Penny waved in her direction, not really sure if a handshake would be too awkward, but knowing full well that if she broke out the ‘I’m a hugger’ on the first day it might cost her some awkward encounters later on. Penny sized her up, assuming that Allison was doing the same. She was pretty, like, way out of Scott’s league pretty, but she could almost feel their connection - it felt like the sun was shining on only them and Penny felt lucky to experience the warmth between them. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, uh Scott I have to run to French class, but I wanted you to know that I’m coming to see you play tomorrow.”

“You are?” He seemed very surprised and Penny tried to push her smile away. 

“And we’re all going out afterwards - you, me, Lydia, Jackson… It’s gonna be great. Tell Stiles to come too - Oh, and you too Penny.” Penelope smiled at the invitation, nodding her head yes - nothing like making friends before school even starts. “Uh, save me a seat at lunch. I gotta go!” Scott watched her leave, probably staring a little too long. Penny cleared her throat to regain his attention. His head snapped back, confirming that he totally forgot she was there.

“Well, me and your mom have to go talk to the principal but I’ll see you at home later, we apparently have a lot to talk about.” Penny squeezed his arm, and wagged her eyebrows up suggestively at Scott. He smiled sheepishly, head ducking down until his chin almost touched his chest and Penny walked off, waving goodbye to him behind her back. 

“Yeah, see you later Pen.” Scott said in amusement at his cousin, he knew something had to be seriously wrong for her to be here, but he also knew not to push her to talk - she would open up when she was ready. They grew up like siblings, practically twins, and Scott swore they could read each other’s minds sometimes. 

Penny met back up with her aunt, who respectively watched the two reunite from a distance after she saw who Scott was talking to. Melissa waved her hello/goodbye to her son and the pair made their way over to the Principal’s office where Penelope settled in for another long wait. 

——

It surprised Penny when it didn’t actually take very long at all. The principal was a nice British guy and though Penny found that fact extremely strange, the man got everything situated as quickly as possible - Penny thought he noticed the I haven’t slept in 24 hours look she was sporting- but nonetheless, she was grateful. 

“Ms. Delgado, here is your schedule, you have the same homeroom as your cousin, so hopefully that makes it a little bit easier on your first day.” She nodded her thanks at his words, taking her folder full of papers for her first day next week. 

“Thank you, again, I really appreciate your help in all this.” Melissa said, standing from her chair next to Penny. 

“Anytime, and please don’t hesitate to come by if you have any questions,” The principal stood, matching Melissa, and shook both girls' hands before they headed out of the building. 

“Well that was painless… and I have to run to work,” she sighed, looking down at her watched wrist. “I'm covering someone tonight so I can have off for Scott’s game tomorrow.”

“What sport does he play?” Penny asked, scrunching her eyes at the question and walking next to her aunt on their way out of the school's front door and down the steps to the parking lot. Scott was never athletically inclined, and the idea of him playing any school sport made Penny want to laugh a little. 

“Lacrosse, it’s like football in this school,” Melissa explained. “You remember how to get back to the house from here?”

“Yes,” Penny dragged out, “I’ll try not to get lost. Again.” They both laughed at her statement, but Melissa was internally grateful that phones were smart enough now for GPS’s because that poor girl didn’t have a directional bone in her body.

“Alright, here’s the key to the front door, I’ll have another copy made for you soon, school should be done soon and then Scott will be home, don’t let him get in too much trouble, alight?” Such a mom, Penny thought, smiling gratefully at her.

“You got it aunt Mel.” Melissa gave her niece’s arm a little squeeze and walked off to her car. Penny followed suit and got in her baby, started her up, and headed out.

-------

After a trip to the local Target to get all the essentials she could think of, it was a short drive back to the McCall household, and once she was back in the comfortable setting she headed upstairs to make herself at home. She grabbed some bed sheets, pillows and a comforter for herself while shopping - sponsored by the wallet of the man who broke into her apartment. Penny didn’t want to seem ungrateful for all the things her aunt has already given her, but it gave her a sense of peace to have things she could call her own.

After wrestling with the light gray bed sheets, getting them exactly how she liked them, Penny started to tackle the pile of crap on the floor from earlier. What little clothes she had were quickly folded and put away in the dresser - the only storage area in the whole room. She placed her makeup bag on top of the white dresser for easy grabs, and then grabbed her mom's tarot cards that she took while running out the door of her apartment. She wasn’t totally sure why she grabbed them, she had never actually used them before, but when she passed them in their altered space under the windowsill, it was almost like her mom was whispering in her ear to take them with her. So, Penny wrapped them up in the cloth they were sitting on and shoved them in her duffle. The cards were placed on their cloth - something her mom taught her, they should never touch a hard surface - on top of the white wood, out of direct sunlight so they wouldn’t get worn. 

Once those were placed, Penny turned around and looked to see everything cleaned up. It was a little depressing how little she now owned, but her pity party was cut short at the noise of her cousin slamming the front door and stomping up the stairs. He must have forgot she was there because he went straight into his bedroom and slammed that door too. Penny chuckled a little at his antics, and at the fact that he didn’t realize both of their bathroom doors were open and she could see him huff and puff. He settled at his desk and opened his laptop, probably to get some homework done, so Penny walked through their shared bathroom and leaned on the opening of Scott’s door. 

“Rough day?” Scott jumped in his seat at his cousin's question, part of him a little worried about the fact that he wasn’t able to hear her coming. 

And that he forgot she was here to begin with. 

Penny laughed at him and made herself at home in his room. Plopping down on his bed and lying on her back to stare at the ceiling. 

“Yeah, you could say that.” Scott finally replied. 

“You seemed pretty happy when I saw you at school earlier,” Penny rolled herself onto her stomach and propped her head up on her hands. She watched Scott’s right cheek raised in a smile at the memory of Allison telling him she was coming to see him play tomorrow, but it quickly faded when he remembered the rest of the day's events.

“Yeah, but then…” Scott trailed off not really knowing how to explain the situation without explaining the situation. He wanted to tell her everything that’s happened the past week but he didn’t know how long she was staying and if he wanted to even get anyone else involved in this mess. So he decided to deflect. “Hey, are you gonna tell me what happened, why are you here?” 

“Well one, thank you for the warm welcome, it’s very appreciated,” Sarcasm laced her tone, something Scott was very familiar with, “two, nice deflection, we’ll circle back to your problems later, and three,” Penny sighed, not really knowing where to start since she herself didn’t fully understand what happened. “I don’t even know what happened Scotty… things were good for once, mom wasn’t disappearing all the time, we moved into a nice apartment, she got a steady job, and things were just… I don’t know, normal for once.” 

Penny hadn’t realized she was crying until Scott got up from his spot and kneeled in front of the foot of his bed to wipe the tears off her face. “How long has it been since her last…” Scott trailed off, not really knowing what to call what his aunt went through. 

“Episode?” Penny filled in. “I don’t know, maybe six months? It’s the longest she’s ever gone since -“ she cut herself off, not able to actually say the words. 

“Hey, it’s alright, you don’t have to explain it to me.” 

Penny smiled at her cousin, thankful that someone knew enough about her that she didn’t need to explain any part of it. 

“So what happened before she left?” Scott sat cross-legged on the floor in front of her, looking up at his younger cousin. 

“It was weird, it wasn’t like the other times where she starts hearing voices slowly, it was like it hit her all at once. One day she was fine, taking her meds, and the next she was screaming about how they were coming to get her, and that we needed to get out of there. And then the day she left… Scott it was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I mean, she was acting like there were real people in our apartment, moving around them, not sitting in certain spots because she said there were other people sitting there already, yelling at me not to go in the bathroom because someone was in there already.” Penny laughed a little at that one. She was trying to get ready for school and her mom all but barricaded the door. “And when I came back from school, she was gone. No note, no cryptic messages for me to solve, just gone… and then a few days later a random man showed up, pounding on my door, telling me I need to leave now. None of it makes sense Scott.” 

“What part?” He questioned. Sure, none of it made sense to Scott, but this wasn’t his life, this wasn’t something that he had to deal with on a daily basis. 

“She’s never seen things, only ever heard voices telling her not to go somewhere or talk to someone important or tell someone they’re going to die soon.” Penny huffed in annoyance at her situation and picked at the skin around her fingers.

Scott chucked a little at the last comment. He remembered when her mom was first diagnosed with schizophrenia and they still lived in Beacon Hills, the four of them were out to lunch and his aunt Kelly leaned over to the next table and told the man he was going to die in the next year. 

They left the restaurant after that. 

Penny rolled her eyes but smiled, remembering the same memory as Scott. She could still smell the banana pancakes and the greasy bacon, could still see Scott sitting across from her, putting toothpicks under his lips to try and make her smile. They left Beacon Hills pretty soon after that. Her mom always said it made her worse to be in this town, but Penny always just thought it was because it was where her dad died. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

“She also kept saying ‘I won’t go back, I won’t go back’ over and over.” 

“Go back where?” Scott questioned. 

“Who knows,” Penny huffed, “we’ve moved so many times it could be anywhere at this point.” Penny flopped her head down dramatically, face smushed down into Scott’s comforter and let out a little grunt-scream that pretty much summed up how she felt in this moment. Scott ruffled her hair before standing up off the floor. 

Penny’s mom went into full flight mode after her husband died. They never stayed in one place for too long, because every time they started getting comfortable, Kelly would come up with some reason to move again and Penny tried not to blame her for all of it, tried to push down the hurt that bubbled to the surface every time she thought about it because she knew her mom was just trying her best. 

“We’ll figure it out, Pen, don’t worry.” Scott looked down at his cousin, his almost twin, and smarter half with sadness, he just wanted to help her but he had absolutely no idea where to start. 

Scott heard a muffled ‘promise?’ Come from the brunette on his bed before her hand shot out, pinky finger up. He smiled, reached his hand down and connected their pinky’s. It was an old tradition of theirs. Sure everyone did pinky promises, that was nothing new, but whenever they did pinky promises it meant something more. They used to sit across from each other, pinky’s locked, and spill all their guts. The other person wasn’t allowed to talk, or laugh, or ask questions. Just sit and listen. 

After a little squeeze, they both let go and Scott got back to the homework he was trying to do before Penny came into his room. He sent his text to Stiles about what he found earlier at Derek’s house after school and awaited his response. After a few minutes of silence, he turned to ask Penny a question about her schedule only to find her softly snoring. 

Scott smiled and got up to pull a blanket over her, hoping she was getting some good rest after everything she just went through. 

——

Scott heard the door slam, and pounding feet barreling through the house and up the stairs. He got worried, knowing that Stiles would most likely slam his body into every surface until he reached Scott. He really should’ve hoped for something else though, because Stiles all but knocked his door off the wall when he finally reached it. 

“What did you find? How did you find it? Where did you find it? And yes I’ve had a lot of Adderall, so-“ 

“Dude, shut up!” Scott whisper-yelled pointing at his cousin, still asleep on his bed and Stiles turns, arms flailing trying to find his balance. 

“Is that Penny?” Stiles asks, brows furrowed in confusion. Dark, chocolate brown hair sprawled out behind her, arms tucked under her face like a pillow, wearing a plain white t-shirt that brought out her Puerto Rican - identical to Scott’s - skin tone. Pink lush lips slightly opened, Stiles could see her long eyelashes spread out over her high cheekbones, and closed eyelids hid her eyes from him. She was absolutely gorgeous and Stiles had to catch his breath and try to compose himself. 

Stiles always had a little crush on Scott’s younger cousin who he’s known since they were all in diapers. How could he not? She’s drop dead gorgeous, and seeing her again - even sleeping - instantly brought those feelings crashing back to the surface.

“Stiles.” Scott urged, quietly of course, “I found something at Derek Hale’s.” Snapping back to reality, Stiles tries to focus on what’s important right now. 

“Are you kidding? What?” 

“There’s something buried out there, I could smell blood.” Scott whispered the last part, hoping his cousin would just stay asleep for this. 

“That’s awesome!” The look Scott gave him said otherwise so Stiles backtracked as quickly as his Adderall filled brain could, “I mean, that’s terrible. Whose blood?” Scott stood up, finally finished re-tying the net of his lacrosse stick.

“I don’t know… but when we do, your dad nails Derek for the murder. And then, you help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing, because there’s no way I’m not playing that game.” 

----------

When Penny woke up it was dark and the room she was in was quiet. She glanced around the dark room, before the memories of the past day's events came back to her. 

She was at Aunt Mel’s house with Scott.

Her mom was missing.

And some creepy dude kicked her out of her apartment. 

She was rolling over, stretching out her tired limbs, when she felt something on her forehead. Pulling it off she found a blue sticky note pressed there.

Me and Stiles went for a drive

Won’t be long

Scott

Ps Stiles says hi

Penny smiled, the little doodle of a stick figure waving an oblong arm hello in the corner.

She stared at the white ceiling for a minute, thinking about how fucked up her life had gotten in such a short amount of time. She went from her normal life to one she didn’t recognize in less than 24 hours. She loved what little family she had left, treasured them in ways nobody could understand, but did that mean she wanted to live with them? Should she just sit back and expect others to find her runaway mom? Or should she start looking herself?

Nobody knew Kelly the way Penny did. Nobody’s been there through the shit storms and the rainbows the way she has. Her mom’s family was completely absent from her life, Penny couldn’t even tell you her grandparent’s names or where they lived. Melissa and Scott tried the best they could but Kelly was too flighty, nobody but Penny could keep track of her and tell when she was getting close to fleeing again. 

Maybe that’s what made this time so different. There were no warning signs, no way for Penny to tell that her mom was ready to take flight before she just took off. Normally Penny had time to plan, figure out where her mom wanted to move, and start packing up valuables, but this time she was just as blindsided as everyone else in her life. 

Penny’s stomach gurgled a loud protest of its hunger that stopped her train of thought from going any further, so she decided to make her way downstairs to find food before she passed out. Low blood sugar and all that jazz. She first decided to change into something more comfortable. She peeled out of her jeans, which now left marks on her legs and stomach from sleeping in them, and changed into some soft black shorts and one of her dad's old sweatshirts that covered her shorts and nearly reached her knees.

Once downstairs, she found some cereal, plopped down on the couch and tried to find something good to watch, and quickly found reruns of supernatural on CW and settled in for a good night. 

She was two bowls of cereal down and working on her third when Scott and Stiles came through the front door, covered in dirt.

“Rough night boys?” Penny asked, glancing at the clock to see it was almost 10pm. “Hey Stilinski,” She nodded and smiled at the skinnier of the two boys. He was sporting his usual buzz cut, jeans that were probably ruined because of whatever dirt pile they fell into, and a green flannel that made her question his fashion choices.

“Hey Pen, long time no see.” Penny got up off the couch and Stiles tried - like he really tried - not to look at her legs.

It didn’t work. 

Penny got close enough and threw her arms around his shoulders, having to stand on her tiptoes a little because damn, when did everyone get so much taller than her? Stiles reciprocated the hug of course, wrapping his arms around her middle and putting his face in the crook of her shoulder. It was familiar. It felt like home.

Scott smiled from a distance, shaking his head, already knowing. 

They broke off after a few seconds and pulled away, not too far though because Stiles almost felt cold as soon as she stepped away, like stepping out of the sun and into the shade. He wasn’t a fan of being out of the sun.

“Geez, did you both hit growth spurts after I left?” Penny joked, turning to walk back to the couch and get back in her comfy spot. And finish her cereal before it got soggy and inedible. There was truly nothing worse than soggy cereal.

“No, you just never grew,” Stiles joked right back, shoved his hands in his pockets and stayed glued to his spot by the front door. He had to get home before his dad noticed how late he was but she laughed, a sound that could make him fall to his knees and he never wanted her out of his sight again.

“Ouch, Stilinski, I’ll have you know I grew five inches in the last six years.” Penny gave him a ‘thank you smart ass’ look and Stiles couldn’t help the laugh that came out of him. 

“Yeah, whatever you say Delgado. Hey, Scott I gotta get home before my dad makes me the next murder victim in this town, but I’ll see you tomorrow before the game.” Scott was neck deep in the refrigerator but waved goodbye anyway, muttering something incoherent with all the food in his mouth. Stiles waved goodbye to Penny, taking an extra second to admire how cute she looked in that giant sweatshirt, no makeup, and hair tied up in a messy bun on top of her head. She waved back, mouth full of cereal, but a big smile still on her face. 

This might be a good year after all.

---

thnxs for reading, i love you a whole lot

of you liked this, please consider reblogging

[bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher]

"I'm truly sorry, but I don't think we've ever met." memory loss angst? 👉👈🥺

anon... fam, this turned into an emotional rollercoaster and totally stole my braincell.

3.8k words. angst with a happy ending. 

tw: memory loss, minor anxiety, repressed memories, idiots to lovers, whump, angst with a happy ending, angst with a fluffy ending

---

It’s been three hours, five minutes, and forty-two seconds since the frigid breeze whipped Geralt’s angry words at him, shattering his fragile, stupid heart to pieces. Every syllable rings through Jaskier’s head over and over, slamming into him from all directions and crippling him with a bone-deep pain far worse than anything he’s ever felt before. The ache ebbs and flows, lancing through him with every step. Not even Geralt’s first frustrated blow to his abdomen had been this terrible.

Geralt… That’s the problem, isn’t it? He hadn’t been smart enough to get out of the gorgeous Witcher’s long, silvery hair soon enough. He’d overstayed his welcome, fallen in love in the meantime, and is now very out of sorts (and also alone in unfamiliar territory). The bard laughs but it’s a hollow sound. Jaskier has reached the edge of hysteria, his intelligent blue eyes now vacant and unseeing. Even as he stumbles through the underbrush, all he can picture is the snarl on Geralt’s face as the Witcher yells at Destiny to take Jaskier off his hands. 

Jaskier’s own hands are covered in sap and splinters from pushing tree branches away from his face as he traverses the darkening forest. His hair is full of debris and his clothes are torn and dirty; Geralt has all of his emergency supplies, still. Jaskier is pretty sure that his lute is still strapped over his shoulder but he realizes, with no small amount of surprise, that he doesn’t actually care.

He doesn’t have the capacity anymore. 

He can’t care… caring hurts too much.

If only Destiny had taken him off Geralt’s hands. Maybe then it would be okay. Maybe then, if Geralt was well and truly free of him and his irritating presence, the Witcher could be happy. He and Yennefer will surely come back around, they always seem to, and Ciri will be joining them soon enough it seems. 

There’s no need - no room - for a humble bard anymore.

Only five hours, thirty minutes, and twelve seconds after Geralt’s outburst at the top of the mountain, Jaskier’s delicate human body succumbs to the stress of the day.

He drops to the forest floor without a sound, grateful for the darkness.

---

Yennefer finds the bard in a heap a few miles away from the previous night’s elevated campsite. When she presses the back of her hand to his forehead she yanks it away almost immediately; he’s burning up, and his skin is clammy and sticky with sweat. The feathery bangs he flicks about and preens so much are stuck to his forehead and temples. He’s on the verge of shaking apart and Yennefer tosses her head imperiously, swearing.

“Damnit, Geralt. You and your incredibly foolish need to be alone all the time so you can brood and self-flagellate. Me, an ageless sorceress from one of the greatest magic schools on the Continent? I can handle a thorough tongue lashing. Fuck, I’m older than you and I’ve seen far worse but this… oh, you great lummox. You absolute bastard…” Yennefer mutters to herself as she assesses the bard’s deteriorating state of health, ranting to an invisible Geralt all the while. “You’re absolutely going to be hearing from me about this, Wolf.”

--- Three days, one hour, and fifteen minutes after Geralt dismissed him forever, Jaskier wakes up with a loud gasp and a violent shudder. He blinks slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the bright light streaming in through a window. Whatever he’s lying on is comfortable and the sheets smell fresh and bright, like lilac and freesia. A hint of gooseberry lies beneath it all, delicate and sweet. He glances around the space and finds it to be relatively bare; a guest room, perhaps. Maybe he’s a servant at some noble house? 

Jaskier only really knows that his name is Jaskier and that he plays music. He’s also rather talented with floral arrangements. 

Shortly after he’s finished purveying his (borrowed?) chamber, the very image of grace, beauty, and terror enters the room. The woman, whose coppery skin and enchanting violet eyes practically glow in the midafternoon sun, smiles down at him in a way that toes the line between Motherly and Shark-like. 

“How are you feeling, Jaskier?”

“I’m alright. And you?”

“Just fine. Geralt really did a number on us, huh?” she asks, a playful grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. He has the feeling that something isn’t right; she shouldn’t be looking at him so kindly. 

Her expression changes from friendly to horrified to confused in an instant, as soon as Jaskier manages to ask: “Who’s Geralt? And, pardon me, but I feel as if something is rather amiss. Who are you, my Lady?”

Whoever the gorgeous and terrifying woman is, she grimaces briefly. Then, as if by magic, the comforting smile returns. “I’m Yennefer, of course. I saved your life a few years ago, remember?”

Jaskier wracks his brain but cannot call the occasion to mind. “Unfortunately no, I don’t remember your no doubt heroic deed. Although I suppose that means I’m in your debt, doesn’t it? Do I work for you? Is that why I’m here?”

The woman blinks a few times, slowly, and then nods. “You’re my gardener and personal musician.”

Jaskier brightens, happy to have found himself in a safe environment. 

“But you’ve had a nasty illness and your mind is clearly fatigued. Rest another day or two and then we can see about getting you back into the fresh air.”

“Thank you, my Lady,” Jaskier nods.

“Yen is fine.”

“Thank you, Yen. I don’t know where I’d be without you,” he grins. 

---

Yennefer turns away to hide her pained expression. You’d probably still be with your beloved Witcher. 

She makes her way to the kitchen to fix Jaskier something to eat. He must be hungry after spending three days in a deep, healing sleep. She hadn’t been expecting the amnesia, though; it was an unexpected but not unsurprising turn of events. Heartbreak had done stranger things than a little bit of fever-induced memory loss. When she’d delved briefly into his mind she hadn’t seen any sign of Geralt. His face was absent from the bard’s consciousness; she would have needed to dig to unearth those memories. Whatever the Witcher had done was grievous, especially if Jaskier’s mind compensated with something as dramatic as burying Geralt completely to save itself from further harm.

No matter, she decides, the bard can stay here as long as he likes. It’s the least I can do for all the upset Geralt and I have caused him. Where is that idiot Witcher, anyway?

The sorceress quickly clears her agenda and her mind before returning to her guest room with a large tray of food, a bottle of Toussainti red under her arm. “Jaskier, darling, let’s get your convalescence started in style!”

---

2 months later

---

Jaskier watches a strange man ride up the long path to Yennefer’s manor, the hilts of his twin swords glinting in the sun where they’re slung over his shoulder. He has long white hair and the most devastating jawline the bard/gardener (or ‘bardener’ as he says to irritate his darling employer) has ever laid eyes on. He’s clad all in black, from his plain linen shirt to his tight leather trousers; Jaskier thinks he’d also look rather lovely in dark blue or perhaps forest green.

In front of him, wrapped securely against his chest by one strong arm, sits a little girl with ashen hair and frightened eyes. Haunted eyes. Jaskier’s mind fills with ballads, some familiar and some oddly dreamlike, their lyrics half-obscured and hazy. Ciri, he thinks for no reason. Her name is Ciri. And she is a Princess.

The brunette scurries from the garden alongside the house to the kitchen, searching for the familiar cloud of Yennefer’s strong perfume. “My Lady?” 

“Darling?” the sorceress replies, coming around the corner. She raises her perfectly maintained eyebrows and her lips quirk up into a smirk. “Did you sprint all the way from the west lawn?”

“There’s a- strange man- on the- drive!” he huffs. “White hair- horse!”

“Oh,” her eyes go wide with surprise. Then, in a split second, they narrow to slits. “Oh.”

“Do you, uhm, know him?” Jaskier asks, twiddling his fingers. “He’s rather handsome, Yen. Is he a former lover?”

“Unfortunately,” she growls. “I can’t believe it’s taken him two fucking months to get here. He’d better have a damned good excuse.”

By now Jaskier can breathe normally again and he straightens up, shaking his long, shaggy hair from his eyes. “He had a child with him. She looked scared, Yen.”

“Cirilla!”

Yennefer dashes for the front door and Jaskier follows instinctually. They’re always together and he can’t bear to let her confront this man alone. He’s spent every waking moment with Yen since he awoke that first day and she has grown to be his dearest friend; he’ll protect her even unto death. “Yenna, what’s wrong? Who is he!?”

“Geralt of Rivia,” she snarls. The name seems familiar; maybe from a ballad or story? Perhaps Yen has mentioned him before? 

“What about Geralt of Rivia?” a low, rumbling bass asks from the front hallway. Jaskier and Yennefer arrive in the doorway together and the man, Geralt apparently, takes a shaky step back. He recoils a bit, as if he’s been slapped, and Yennefer’s smile grows cruel. His voice, still incredibly low but now with a slight tremor to it, stutters out; “Wha- Yen, what is he- Jaskier? I only came to ask for help with Ciri, I didn’t know- I didn’t-”

Geralt’s stammered speech tapers off into silence and Yennefer’s brow furrows a second time. When the sorceress sets eyes on the child, who cannot be more than twelve years old, her expression softens again. Jaskier watches the most imposing woman in the world kneel, taking one small, pale hand in both of her own. “My name is Yennever of Vengerberg, former Sorceress of Aretuza. I am honored to meet you, Princess Cirilla. Geralt has come seeking protection, no doubt, and it is easily granted. I will do everything I can to help you.”

“Thank you, Lady Yennefer. And, uhm… Ciri’s fine,” the girl replies. Her voice is high and reedy, shot through with anxiety. She’s so young, Jaskier frowns. And yet she seems to have weathered an incredible storm.

“Ciri,” the bard bows from the doorway, low and dramatic. He sweeps his arm out to the side and bends his knees as awkwardly as possible, “I am Jaskier, private troubadour and gardener extraordinaire, under the employ of the magnanimous and dangerous Lady Yennefer, here. It is my greatest honor to make your very mighty and very royal acquaintance.”

“You’re silly, Master Jaskier,” the child giggles, hiding her mouth behind her hands. Geralt’s eyes grow wide and dart between Jaskier and the girl. Yennefer makes meaningful eye contact before nodding toward the door. Jaskier looks down at Ciri again when she asks: “Do you grow lots of flowers in Lady Yennefer’s garden, or just herbs and things for magic?” 

“I grow lots of things all over the property,” the brunette man steps forward and offers Ciri his hand, gesturing towards the front door with the other. “Would you like to come and take a look? I know all the scientific names, you can even quiz me if you like.”

“I know some,” she smiles shyly, accepting the offered hand. “May I go take a look at the gardens, Geralt?”

“Go ahead,” the Witcher nods dumbly. “Jaskier will take good care of you.”

“That I will. Now, let’s take a look at the flowers and let these silly adults have a chat,” Jaskier grins. He winks at Yennefer and disappears out the door, exiled Princess in tow. 

The two lively companions have toured through all the medicinal herbs and are halfway through Yennefer’s large collection of rose variations when the two other members of the party approach. Geralt looks sheepish, his eyes downcast. Yennefer looks triumphant; she is radiant in her victory as always. 

Geralt steps forward, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. “Jaskier, I’ve come to apologize for what happened when we parted.”

“Excuse me?” the bard chuckles, raising an eyebrow.  "I don’t know what you’re apologizing for, exactly.”

“When I yelled at you after the dragon hunt. It was only two months ago, Jaskier, surely you remember?”

Jaskier blushes, glancing anxiously between Geralt and his friend, whose violet eyes are stormy with emotion, “I'm truly sorry, but I don't think we've ever met."

Geralt gasps sharply and takes a step back, as he did in the entryway. Jaskier winces, seemingly on instinct, and shies away from the larger man. “You don’t remember me?”

“No…” Jaskier sighs. “I really don't. Should I?”

“You don’t… You don’t even remember Toss a Coin?”

“Oh, that ditty from town?” Jaskier perks up. “I know that song! It always gets stuck in my head.”

“You… You wrote that song,” Geralt’s face crumples. “About our first adventure together outside of Posada. With the elves and the sylvan...”

“I’ve never been to Posada,” Jaskier laughs, waving his hand dismissively. “They hate bards. They prefer troupes of traveling play-actors. Posada is far too serious for my tastes.”

Geralt seems to be in agony. His chest rises and falls unevenly, as if he’s on the verge of tears but unable to shed them. Can Witchers cry? 

How does he know that Geralt is a Witcher? Is it the two swords, the scars, or the strange eyes? How does he know that those are common Witcher traits?

His stomach lurches and he turns away from the group in case he needs to be sick. The ground spins and shivers in little ripples around him, unstable and impermanent beneath his feet. Yennefer is calling his name from somewhere far away and a pair of warm, strong arms are looped around his waist. Still, he can’t seem to breathe. Or focus.

There’s something missing. 

He starts to hum, trying to remember the words of that damned song.

The rest of the world fades in and out around him, finally disappearing altogether.

---

He’s gorgeous. 

Jaskier shoves another roll into his pocket. His eyes are focused on the man in the corner. He has long, snow-white hair and his shoulders are hunched forward protectively, as if he can hold the world out by sitting by himself. He’s glaring the table into submission, one fist clenched around his tankard. 

I want to write him a thousand ballads. I want to know what his hair looks like when he wakes up in the morning, before he brushes it out again. I want to know if he snores. I want… he stops himself. 

He makes his way across the room with eyes only for the stranger. “I love the way you just sit in the corner and brood.”

The man looks away and Jaskier notices that his irises are gold. “I’m here to drink alone.”

Gods, his fucking voice… Velvet and gravel all at once. Melitele, does Jaskier want. “Good, yeah. Good. No one else hesitated to comment on the quality of my performance… except for you.”

The man, the Witcher, Jaskier realizes, rolls his eyes.

“Come on,” he wheedles, sitting down across from the gorgeous stranger. “You don’t want to keep a man with bread in his pants waiting. You must have some review for me, three words or less.”

The man’s face stays stoic, expressionless. “They don’t exist.”

He realizes shortly thereafter that this man is not just any Witcher but the infamous Butcher of Blaviken, Geralt of Rivia. He could try to disengage himself from such a daunting character; he could easily make some kind of excuse and disappear back to the troubadour’s path, heading towards civilization, but it’s already too late. He doesn’t want to leave Geralt’s side ever again; he wants to write all those ballads he was thinking about earlier, when he glanced across the room. 

Jaskier has fallen head over heels in love. ---

Geralt cradles Jaskier against his chest and presses his nose deep into those chestnut brown waves. “Wake up, Jaskier. Come back to me, bard, it’s been too long.”

“Don’t you usually go all winter without seeing him?” Yennefer asks from the doorway. 

“It’s hell,” he replies easily. There’s no point in hiding his feelings from her. “I miss him every minute of every day.”

“Verbose this evening,” she remarks, taking a seat by the fire. “He’s dreaming, you know. He’s remembering you.”

“He’d forgotten?”

“He’d repressed it all,” she shrugs. “When I found him that day, feverish and nearly dead on the side of that godsforsaken mountain, he was barely coherent enough to open his eyes. He just kept asking for you, Geralt. Over and over he called for you, reaching his arms up, weak as they were. Gods, it was pitiful to watch.”

Geralt swallows. 

“I thought you were going to come back sooner. I was surprised when his memories didn’t resurface after two or three weeks. Short-term memory loss after a fever isn’t uncommon but repressing twenty years worth of feelings and experiences-” she whistles lowly “-it was impressive and tragic, all at once.”

“He forgot me?”

“Entirely.”

Geralt glances down, shame-faced. He adjusts Jaskier in his arms, holding him close and pillowing the bard’s head against his shoulder. “I deserve it, Yen.”

“He’s remembering now, though. He’ll probably be a little less than pleased to see you when he wakes up, but he knows who you are.”

“When will he wake?”

“Can’t say,” she shrugs again. “After I brought him back from the mountain it took three days for him to wake up. The first day was magically induced but after that it was just him… exhausted and heartbroken to the point of self-induced amnesia.”

“Fuck, Yen,” Geralt groaned, pressing his forehead into the soft warmth of Jaskier’s cheek. “How can I make it up to him?”

“Stay.”

“Hmm?”

“When he wakes up and he’s angry and upset, stay. Don’t stomp off or blow up or freak out,” she instructs. “If he asks you to leave, go, but otherwise… prove yourself, Geralt of Rivia. You wanted to be a knight once, didn’t you? Now’s your chance to play Prince Charming. Get down on your lovely knees and beg and apologize.”

“Hmm. How’s Ciri?”

“Fed, bathed, and put to bed. I’ll take care of her for as long as it takes you two morons to make nice again. Good luck, Geralt, I’m sure he’ll forgive you too easily for my tastes.”

She stands from her seat and leaves just as efficiently as she entered, carefully closing the door behind her. Geralt lays Jaskier back on the bed and takes a seat beside him on the mattress, kneeling just within touching distance, should Jaskier reach out for reassurance in his sleep. Geralt closes his eyes and slips easily into meditation. 

The Witcher is pulled from his trance a few hours later when Jaskier makes a startled sound and tries to sit up. Geralt opens his eyes and splays one warm, broad hand against Jaskier’s chest, forcing him back against the goose down pillows. “Stay still, Jaskier. You’re feverish and weak.”

“I’m still dreaming,” the bard grumbles, reaching to rub at his eyes with the heels of his hands. It’s adorable and Geralt grins widely, warmth spilling into his chest from some newly discovered fount of happiness. “You’re being too nice to me, Witcher.”

“I’m so sorry, Jaskier, for everything.”

“What’s everything, Geralt?”

“I’m sorry for pushing you away when I was angry and confused instead of communicating with you. I’m sorry for hurting you with my brash words and foolish actions; you have always deserved so much better and I’m so afraid that I can never give that to you. I take the wrong step at every turn, it seems, and yet you stay by my side. I didn’t want to risk hurting you the way I’ve already hurt Yen and Ciri, by tying us together against your will.”

“Darling Geralt,” the bard sighs. The Witcher scoots slightly closer and Jaskier lays a gentle hand atop his thigh. “It has always been my greatest pleasure to travel the Path with you and write of our adventures. I appreciate your concern for my agency and wellbeing, dear heart, but I am quite happy spending my entire human life in your presence.”

“Hmm,” the Witcher frowns. “You’re going to die someday.”

“And? So are you. So shall Yennefer, maybe.”

“Not likely,” Geralt jokes. Jaskier grins and the sight of it is so heartwarming that the Witcher wishes he could break down into tears. At least then Jaskier could see just how deeply his feelings ran. “I’m sorry, Jaskier, for blaming you for things that I brought upon myself. I love you dearly, and I hope that someday you can choose to travel with me again.”

“Excuse me?”

“I hope that you’ll-”

“No, the other bit.”

“I love you?”

“Yeah, that one.”

“Oh. Yes, I-” Geralt clears his throat and looks Jaskier in the eyes, gold and blue locked together, “I love you very much, Jaskier.”

“Fuck.”

“May I kiss you, Jaskier?”

“Yes,” the bard breathes.

And then Geralt is lifting him up into his lap, one hand cradling Jaskier’s skull so so fucking carefully. Geralt’s other arm supports his waist, holding him steady. Their lips come together softly, carefully, and Jaskier’s soul spirals up to the ceiling with joy, his body abandoned. He is merely a vessel for the happiness that comes with kissing his Witcher. When they pull apart, both men are grinning like fools. “Oh, dear heart.”

“Yes, my love?”

“Never stop calling me that.”

“I swear I won’t, my love.”

From downstairs, Geralt hears Yennefer mutter, “Fucking finally.”

It takes twenty-two years, seven months, and one day, but Geralt and Jaskier manage to figure things out.

[cursestothemoon]

Love, Flowers, and Cedric Diggory

Requested: nope

Cedric Diggory x Fem!Reader

House not specified (technically either hufflepuff or ravenclaw but not explicitly stated)

word count: 3369

Hope you guys like it :))

✧✧✧

“Alright, alright, everyone settle in.” Professor Sprout was firm with her suggestion, and soon laughter died down and students retreated to their tables. 

The weather was just warm enough for school robes to be left in dorm rooms and a breeze was not only accepted but thoroughly enjoyed seeing as the greenhouse held onto the humidity that wafted through the spring air.

Cedric gave a handsome chuckle that danced through his pink lips, hand absentmindedly coming up to scratch at his sideburn. His tablemate, a Ravenclaw bloke, had just finished his retelling of how he had the terrible fate of being hit by a fanged frisbee in the groin.

“I’m telling you, next time I see those twins I’ll really give it to ‘em.” The raven haired boy muttered, his grin a sign of an empty threat.

“Sure you will, mate.” Cedric laughed.

The odds seemed to be in Cedric’s favor, at least he thought so, as he turned his head to the right just as Y/n L/n was about to pass his table. He waited, patiently waiting what he knew was about to come, and lethis shoulders slump ever so slightly as the familiar scent of peaches and jasmine wafted through the air in his vicinity. He couldn't help the slow closing of his eyes or the quiet groan of content passing his lips, he loved the smell of peaches and jasmine.

If you asked Ced, he wouldn’t hesitate to pat his own back for his MI6 level of stealth. The Ravenclaw boy however, poor bloke’s name long gone from Cedric’s mind, couldn’t help but shake his head at the ridiculous obviousness of his tablemate.

“Try to keep it to yourself mate, we’re in public.”

Cedric’s neck snapped back toward the boy, eyes wide and an aggressive ‘shush’ coming out.

“I wasn’t...leave me alone.” He grumbled the last bit.

Y/n walked to her table, coincidentally the table directly behind Cedric’s. She took her seat and reprimanded herself for staring at the way the Hufflepuff’s golden curls seemed to curl just perfectly today and the tips of his ears were glowing the most endearing shade of pink.

It’s the heat, she thought to herself before quickly averting her gaze.

Cedric relaxed as he listened to his head of house start to speak, though he still made sure to sit with a straight back. He couldn’t have Y/n thinking he slouched now could he?

“It’s a lecture day today, quills and parchment out for notes.” Professor Sprout instructed as she placed three different plants on her table.

With a huff and careful fingers Cedric pulled parchment out of his bag, two for now, and then reached for his bottle of ink. The bottle made its way to the light, only for it to be completely empty, and this was the spare’s spare.

“Damn…” He muttered quietly.

“Not to worry Ced, I’ve got so-” The Ravenclaw’s words fell upon deaf ears as Cedric already had an idea bubbling.

The golden haired boy turned to the table directly behind his, face adorned with his most charming smile.

“Y/n,” Her name came out in a low, husky voice causing her to look up from her paper and meet the cool blue eyes of none other than Cedric Diggory.

She raised her eyebrows in question but kept her mouth shut, she’d rather look disinterested than desperate. Why she thought common manners would seem desperate was beyond her but she didn’t question it now.

“Well,” He leaned closer to her. “I’ve run out of ink. Think we could share?”

Y/n gave a quizzical smirk as she looked from him to the Ravenclaw next to him, “Your tablemate hasn’t got any either?”

The thought of having him sit next to her, talk to her… nerve wracking. She could handle the occasional flirty remarks in passing, maybe a look or two here and there, but she was just barely managing that. He couldn’t just...sit next to her.

The handsome boy was quick to answer, “Yeah, but I’d much rather share with you. You’re far prettier.”

The heat rose to Y/n’s cheeks and Cedric felt his stomach jump as he thought, prematurely, that he had gotten himself a one way ticket to sitting with the pretty girl. His smile fell when she pulled a spare ink bottle out of her bag.

“Lucky for all of us then, I’ve got a spare bottle you could use.” A smug smirk was painted across her lips as she watched Cedric’s expression go blank, a miniscule high coming from knocking him down a few notches.

She reached her hand out, giving him the bottle of spare ink, and felt his fingers brush hers with the utmost gentility causing butterflies to soar through her belly. Cedric was quick to alter his plan as he felt the shock her fingers offered when coming into contact with his own. He grabbed hold of her hand, and with the instincts only a seeker possessed, his other hand shot out to catch the bottle of ink that had fallen from her grasp in her state of surprise.

“No need to get so flustered, Darling, it’s just me.” Cedric laughed, his eyes sparkling with adoration at the way she scrunched her nose in annoyance.

“I’ll take the ink back, don’t test me Diggory.” Although her voice was strong, her lips fought back a smile.

“Excuse me, Mr. Diggory, Ms. L/n, anything you’d like to share with the class?” Professor Sprout asked, causing both of the aforementioned parties to turn to her, one looking far less nervous than the other.

Y/n felt her mouth open and close, tongue dry, and words lost as Professor Sprout scolded her. To her fortune, Cedric took control of the situation before the awkward silence could be prolonged.

“My apologies Professor, I was bothering Ms. L/n for a spare bottle of ink.” He answered with a kind smile.

Professor Sprout looked as if she was thinking for a moment before dismissing the two with a warning to not let it happen again.

The afternoon Herbology class continued just as it usually would, Cedric would pretend not to catch careful whiffs of peaches and jasmine while Y/n pretended she was not absolutely flustered from the conversation with the boy that had happened at the beginning of class. For a moment, as Professor Sprout was talking animatedly about the second plant in the row of three that was used for potions of hatred, Y/n allowed her mind to wander. Dashing pirates and misunderstood gentlemen invaded her daydreams, confessing their undying love for her, sweeping her off her feet, and with each vampire that fought for her hand or prince that gave up his crown she noticed that they started to look more and more familiar.

Soon all she could think of were cool grey-green eyes, delicately rosy cheeks, and a crooked toothed smile. Cedric Diggory laughed and smiled aimlessly in her mind and suddenly she was no longer daydreaming of dashing pirates and brooding vampires, but instead of a kind, confident Hufflepuff. She caught herself before she could imagine the way his hands would dance delicately on her hips as they swayed to a soft buzz of Celestine Warbeck. As if to throw out the thoughts, she shook her head slightly, face scrunching as she reprimanded herself, yet again, for thinking such things about a boy who so clearly was flirty merely because his being was simply crafted of charm.

“And now, the third plant here…” Y/n forced herself to listen to Professor Sprout, pushing down her previous thoughts and daydreams.

“To louloúdi ton erastón in Greek, seeing as the plant originates from the Corinth Canal in Greece. It translates to The Flower of Lovers which you may feel free to refer to it as.”

Professor Sprout rounded the table and picked up the plant, walking from table to table to show what looked like premature flower buds, a simple plant of green.

“As you can see, it has not yet bloomed as I was expecting it wouldn’t. You see this flower only blooms in the presence of two people newly in love. Seeing as I doubt no one has just fallen in love, the buds are still closed. Even more peculiar when they do bloom, they look as though any ordinary white flower. The giveaway, however, is the pollen on the stigma which glows a soft gold color that shimmers in the full moon light, it will also drop a single white petal before retreating back into a bud.”

Many of the girls in the class let out quiet giggles as they took in the information, but the plant only made anxiety rise in Y/n as it offered a plethora of scenarios she could dream of. Plenty of them including the Hufflepuff in front of her, coincidently his thoughts were neither strictly botanical.

“The flower has no detectable odor, but smelling it for too long or getting a far too concentrated waft of the odorless pheromones could result in dizziness, intense infatuation, blindness, tingly lips, and on rare occasions...loss of one's toes.” Professor Sprout grimaced before continuing, “Because of the flowers strength and potency it is often used in expert level love potions and highgrade elixirs.”

The plant was now back on the front table and Y/n squinted at it, trying to see if she could visually identify that it was, infact, a magic flower. The buds were fat and round, the leaves, on the narrower side, looked delicate and hung gracefully reaching the top of the table. Beautiful, yes, but Y/n concluded that it looked like any ordinary plant and identifying it in the wild would be incredibly difficult.

The class ended and Y/n grabbed her things in a rush as she wanted to leave the uncomfortable thoughts of love, flowers, and Cedric Diggory in the classroom but whether she was lucky or rather unfortunate she did not know, what she did know was that Cedric had grabbed her wrist before she could leave the greenhouse.

“You’re ink.” Cedric said, head tilting in the direction of his table where her ink sat.

Y/n shook her head and pulled her wrist from his grasp gently as she put a gentle hand to his chest.

“Keep it I’ve got a spare.” She smiled bashfully as she turned to rush out.

Cedric called behind her, “I thought this was your spare?”

“I have a spare... spare.” She answered without turning to face him as she ducked out of the class.

“Tough luck, mate.” The Ravenclaw said with a pat to Cedric’s shoulder.

Cedric shook his head as he grabbed the ink bottle, “No, I think I’m getting somewhere. She put her hand on me, you see that?”

The boy gave an incredulous chuckle at the blinding grin that refused to dim on the Hufflepuff’s face.

___

Y/n L/n wasn’t one for breaking rules, they have been placed for a reason therefore they should be adhered to. And as she rushed through dark halls to get back to her dorm, she couldn’t help but think that if she were to get caught it would definitely lead to a punishment she didn’t want.

It wasn’t her fault arithmancy was so boring and it most definitely wasn’t her fault that she happened to fall asleep at the back of the library, only waking up well past curfew. She gave a few curses directed towards anyone who enjoyed, thought of, or taught the blasted subject she failed to notice an opportunist Hufflepuff prefect also walking through the corridor.

“Bit late for a walk, don't you think L/n?”

Her breath was caught in her throat as she met the eyes of Cedric Diggory, and never having been good under pressure, she couldn’t help but to sing like a canary in hopes that he wouldn’t turn her to her head of house.

“I was in the library and I fell asleep because, arithmancy and I’m going back to my dorm. I swear please don’t stick me in detention, Cedric.” The words came out jumbled and in a single breath but Cedric was sure he got the jist of it.

Cedric couldn’t help but laugh, she couldn’t actually think he’d get her in trouble. Y/n, on the other hand, seemed to take the laughter very differently.

“Oi, just do it then. Don’t laugh about it.” She grumbled as she looked away from him.

The boy shook his head with a grin, “First off, I would never stick you in detention, and second, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

Y/n felt herself relax before furrowing her eyebrows upon realizing what he said.

“What do you mean you couldn’t?”

He shrugged suddenly feeling very bashful and if there was enough light Y/n would be able to see the endearing pink glow of his ear now creeping onto his cheeks.

“I was off prefect duty about…” He looked down at his watch. “Ten minutes ago. I’m not supposed to be here either.”

Her mouth fell into an ‘o’ shape, not realizing she had been asleep that long or that it was so late.

“So...you’re just standing in a dark corridor… for fun?”

Bit weird, she’d have to admit, but she was just glad to be off the hook.

Cedric seemed to blush harder at the question but was soon giddy with the opportunity that had just been brought to him.

He walked toward her quickly, taking hold of her hand and pulling her along with him wordlessly. To say she was surprised at the action would be an understatement and suddenly Y/n would rather get put in detention instead of possibly making a fool of herself infront of Cedric.

The questions of where he was taking her and his plans of cold blood murder were answered by quiet laughs but nothing else as he managed to sneak them out of the castle and out into the open. Y/n felt her nerves calm, only slightly, as the greenhouse came into view in front of them.

Cedric pulled open the door, letting her go instead first, but still having a firm grasp on her hand. He tried to ignore the way the tips of his fingers felt tingly and he prayed to Merlin that his hand wasn't sweating as much as he thought it was.

“This is a less than optimal place to commit murder, Cedric. I thought you were smarter than this.” Y/n said as she looked around at the fairly dark greenhouse she was in just hours earlier.

“I’m not going to off you, Y/n. You can relax.” He reassured her before, reluctantly may he add, he let go of her hand to walk towards a group of plants in the back.

Y/n laughed to herself, if only he knew the possibility of being murdered wasn’t what was keeping her from relaxing. She craned her head to try and see what he was doing, but his shoulders were far too broad and he was tall enough to keep everything just out of view. Moving her gaze from, what she thought, were incredibly handsome shoulders she looked toward the plants from their lesson still on the front table. With curious steps she moved toward the third flower, the buds still tightly shut. Her finger was just a hair away from touching one of the leaves when she felt Cedric grab her other hand to turn her to him.

When she did turn to meet his eyes, he was holding a sparkling purple flower. Cedric gently thrust the flower toward, taking a few steps himself to come closer to her.

“Moonflower, they only bloom at night.” His words were gentle and whispered and if it weren’t for the flower and his hand between them their chest would’ve touched with each inhale.

Y/n’s gaze lingered on the flower, it was truly breathtaking. Cedric watched her reaction with a gentle smile playing on his lips, one hand still holding hers.

“It’s beautiful.” She said just as quiet as he was.

Cedric dropped her hand from his before reaching to gently pull her face up to look at him.

“You’re beautiful.”

Though his words were quiet and spoken with the utmost sincerity and truth, as if it was the most common of knowledge, she still felt her heart rate speed up and her face get hot.

Cedric, having waited and played the game of cat and mouse long enough, inched his lips closer to hers before stopping just before they touched.

“Kiss me.”

He didn’t need to be told twice as he closed the gap between them and kissed her. Peaches and jasmine invaded his senses and he couldn’t help but feel as though this was all he wanted, all he needed.

Both of Cedric’s hands came up, the moonflower dropped onto the table, and grabbed the sides of Y/n’s face. Eyebrows furrowed as one hand trailed to the back of her head, fingers lacing through her hair and keeping her in place against his lips. The sound of lips smacking and crickets chirping were the only things that could be heard in and around the greenhouse.

Y/n was both light headed and completely for lack of better words, frazzled as Cedric kissed her. Her hands went under his now untucked school shirt to rest just above his hips. Goosebumps erupted across his soft skin making her almost feel bad for how cold her hands must have been, almost.

Cedric couldn’t help but have his lips follow after Y/n’s as she pulled away slowly, presumably for much needed air. His mouth stretched into a blinding smile at her giggle, but kept his eyes closed not wanting the moment to end just yet.

“You snuck out to see a flower that bloomed at night?” She whispered quietly.

Open his eyes slowly and with an endearing chuckle he answered, “Would you think I was completely mental if I told you that I knew you hadn't come back from the library and I wanted to wait for you to make sure you were ok?”

Y/n felt her heart flutter at what she heard but decided to tease the cute boy.

“I would think you are completely mental.”

Cedric laughed, “Then I must be mental,” He paused giving her a sly smirk before adding, “But something tells me you like that.”

That earned him a shove to the shoulder and a laugh followed by a scoff of feigned offence. He just continued to smile at her, eyes holding so much adoration it made Y/n weak in the knees, and just like that silence fell upon them again. Cedric reached toward the table without looking to grab the moonflower again and gently placed it behind Y/n’s ear before taking in how she looked.

With a reluctant sigh he pulled her towards the door, “We better get going, you’ll want to be well rested for our date tomorrow.”

Her eyebrows shot up as she looked at him, feet still moving in step with his and their hands swinging, “Date? I haven’t been asked on any dates.”

They had now made it just barely inside the castle as Cedric turned to her, “Y/n?”

“Cedric?” She mimicked his tone.

“Will you go on a date with me, tomorrow?”

Y/n smiled and pretended to think for a moment, “I’d have to check my schedule.”

“Please? For me?” He batted his eyelashes comically at her as he nudged her cheek with his nose.

She laughed at his actions and responded, “Oh, alright.”

__

“Just a minute, Minerva, let me grab my scarf.”

Professor Sprout walked into the greenhouse in search of her scarf having left it there the day prior during her last lesson. She had found it and was just about to leave the room to join Minerva McGonagall for lunch when something caught her eye.

A single white petal lay on the table next to the third pot of flowers, louloúdi ton erastón, the flower of lovers.

[crowdedimagines]

Leaked (Finale) Harry Styles

“You guys got to see a very raw and real side of us. It’s a bummer that it wasn’t our choice, we didn’t choose to reveal such a personal thing that happened, not to mention what else has been leaked.” I sigh, finally breaking eye contact with the camera sitting on a tripod in front of us. The fans will be getting a glimpse into Harry’s home for this video.

“I know what I signed up for when I got into this business, very little privacy, but I never expected it to come to this extreme. M’very private with my relationships, and I never want to see anyone-'' He pauses to focus himself again, I place a hand on his thigh and attempt to carry on. Against the better judgement of both Jeff and Jordan we both decided against a script, we had highlighted points we wanted to address, but didn’t want it to seem disingenuous.

“Harry and I lost a child last July.” I pick my head up letting the tears openly fall without letting myself choke over them, “And the song you guys have all heard came from that, a place of hurt and exhaustion. We never expected the world to hear it, and we never thought those pictures would be out in the world either. But that’s life isn’t it?” I laugh humorlessly.

The song was leaked a few hours ago now, my name having never left the top trending on twitter, but now Harry’s and several conspiracies have joined it. People cutting parts from it with raw and loud sobs coming from each of us, open for discussion among the whole world.

“We love you all, but please understand our choice to step back from the public for the time being.” Harry chimes in. We both look at each other and nod, feeling we addressed what we need to.

“Treat people with kindness, yeah?” I ask as we both get up from our spot on Harry’s couch.

“Yeah.” He pulls me in for a hug, as Jeff gets up to cut the camera. Our teams were both getting the footage and posting it to our accounts. Harry and I have both agreed to a break from phones for a bit.

“Okay, so this will be posted across all platforms, on both of your accounts shortly. I don’t think we’ll need to edit much.”

I walk over to the other side of the living room where Jordan is standing reading through her phone, she glances up as soon as she sees me coming. She puts on a smile, and pulls me in for a tight hug. She knows just how long the past few days have been.

“Alright, Paula and I booked flights, we’re heading out this afternoon to go home.”

“What about me?” I question.

“We both know that you need to stay here for a while.” She smiles, “Take some time to heal, just remember you two never fell out of love. Call me if you need anything.”

I glance back at Harry whose now joined by his sister and mother. I don’t want to leave, to be completely honest. The last thing I want is to have to go home to my empty house in L.A. Harry and I ran away from each other last year, maybe this is the opportunity for us to finally stop running.

Harry’s POV

“Don’t you think that you need to heal together this time? You can’t let her leave again.” My mum explains, trying to make her point, as quietly as possible. I watch as she glances over my shoulder to where Y/n must be somewhere.

“Mum, I can’t make her stay.” I shake my head. I couldn’t make her stay before, now we’ve spent so much time apart. All I want is to pull her into my arms, but I don’t know if that’s what she wants after all this time. Hell, after this week she might not ever want anything to do with me.

“No, but you can ask her.” Gemma nods her head in Y/n’s direction as she walks over to join us.

“Harry, can I talk to you?” Her voice is soft and calm. My shoulders visibly drop as I relax and follow her to the back porch. We sit in the same spot on the couch as we did yesterday.

“What’s going on, love?” I ask once we’ve both taken a seat.

“Well, Jordan and Paula are flying out this afternoon.” She says, she pulls her legs up close to her chest.

“And you?”

Please god tell me you’re staying.

“I think I might stay.” She picks up her head, “If that's alright with you.”

I can’t fight off the smile at this point. I just give her a simple nod, pulling her close to lean on my shoulder. I should’ve known that we were on the exact same page, we always have been.

“I don’t think I could go back to an empty house, to be honest.” She sighs.

“I don’t think I could let you walk out of that door again, to be honest.”

Y/n’s POV

“Do you mean that?” I ask, picking up my head, “Truly?”

He simply nods and bites at his bottom lip.

“What are we supposed to do, Harry? I don’t think we can just pick up where we left off?”

“No, but isn’t that the beauty of it? We can try again, try for a different outcome. Build on how much we already love each other.”

“Hmm, how much we already love each other?” I smirk, my tone taking on a teasing edge.

“Mhm.” Harry hums, his cheeks taking on a pink hue.

“Alright Styles, lets give this a shot.”

T W O Y E A R S L A T E R

“Hello? Is anybody home?” Anne’s voice rings out loudly as she lets herself in the front door.

I make my way downstairs, I’m sure that she’s found Harry who's in the kitchen getting dinner prepared. Gemma got here about ten minutes ago. I put on a record and go to stand in the doorway and watch the encounter. Anne gives her son a big hug, stealing a carrot from his cutting board as they make small chat to catch up.

“Hello.” I walk in, making my presence known.

“Look out you!” Anne squeals, “You’re glowing!” She immediately walks over to pull me in for a hug, her hands resting on my belly once I pull away.

“I feel like a bit of a whale, but thank you.” I smile.

“Oh hush it.” Harry scolds.

“How’re you feeling?”

“Like I’m having a baby in four weeks.”

“Yeah, and she’s still going on runs!” Harry says with a proud grin, “Every morning she gets up with me and we run a few miles.”

“It’s pretty much a fast walk for Harry though.” I smile.

“Yeah, but he isn’t forming a pancreas while he does it!” Gemma cuts in making us all laugh. “We’re more impressed with you.”

“Exactly.” Harry presses a kiss to my temple.

I join Gemma at the counter while Anne helps Harry finish cooking everything. I would help, but my ankles are too swollen by the end of the day, and I know everyone in the room would kick me out before I could even start.

“So, things have been going well with everything? You guys feeling ready to be parents?” Anne grins.

“Is anyone ready before they are?” I ask, “I’m just trying to take it one day at a time, and read as much as I can.”

“You guys will be wonderful parents.”

It means the world to hear this from Anne. It’s been weird to be in London for most of the pregnancy and away from my own mother, but it’s been a blessing to have Anne. She’s an amazing mom herself, and she hasn’t complained once over my odd and annoying questions.

“And if not they’ll have the best Aunt ever to make up for it.”

I roll my eyes and take Gemma’s hand in mine and set it on the front of my belly. Moving and adjusting to the exact spot that the little bean is kicking in.

“That’s mad.” She sighs, “I don’t think I would ever be able to get over that.”

“Harry can be like a leech sometimes! Can’t get him off.” I laugh.

“You feel it all, I’m going to steal as much time as I possibly can.”

We all sit down to eat, and catch up on everything that we’ve missed in life over the past few weeks. Ever since the pregnancy both Anne and Gemma have made an effort to come to our house as often as they can for meals, or even just a visit.

I think we were all a bit shocked to find out I was once again pregnant. Harry and I couldn’t believe it at first, I don’t think we wanted to. Didn’t want to risk getting our hopes up. It had been a year and a few months since we got back together when we found out. Four tests sitting on the counter, two thins lines on each of them.

We waited a long time before telling anyone, too afraid that it could be a repeat of what happened those years ago. Once we did finally tell our families they couldn’t be more excited. The fans were too, surprisingly. I debated pulling a Kylie Jenner and just disappearing from the world for months, but I knew I would get too stir crazy. So as soon as the bump was visible, Harry and I both confirmed it on social media.

The fans were happy for us, most of them were so disappointed and saddened about what happened, they felt bad that we were made to share things neither of us were ready too. This time we were trending for positive reasons, and I’ve never felt more supported by everyone in my life.

F O U R W E E K S L A T E R

“Love, are you sure I’m good to go to the studio?” Harry asks for the millionth time, not wanting to leave me home alone so close to my due date.

“Yes!” I laugh, pushing him closer to the door, “You actually have the time while the bean is inside me, I’ll need you here once they’re out.”

“Alright.” He says with hesitancy, “Please call me for anything. The studio isn’t even far from here, so please don’t hesitate with anything.”

“Ok, babe, just go so you can come back!”

“Promise you’ll call?”

“Yes, I promise.” I laugh, he’s always been protective, but now he’s to a whole nother level since the pregnancy.

“Alright, I’ll bring home food too, I really shouldn’t be gone too long.”

“That’s perfect, babe! Maybe we can get - ow!”

He instantly turns around and pulls his hand from the door when I cry out in pain.

“Darling? Are you okay?”

“No, I’m fine.” I hold out my hand, “It was just this really sharp-ow!”

I cry out again, clutching my belly. Before I know it, a warm liquid is spreading down my legs.

“Love, your water just broke!” He cheers, his eyes saying nervous but he has a smile on his face. “I guess I’m not going to the studio.”

“Oh god!” I groan, I start waddling towards the door, “Okay, you grab the go-bag, I’m gonna start walking to the car.”

I know it might take me awhile to get there. I know it’s not true, but I feel like I need to keep my knees shut from keeping the little bean from falling out.

“Right, go bag.” He mutters to himself, slowly becoming more flustered, “Should we call an ambulance?”

“No.” I laugh, taking deep breaths.

“Love, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Just grab the bag so we can go to the hospital.”

“Yeah-”

“Harry!” I yell, “In the coming hours I am going to force a human being out of my vagina. Now I personally would like to do that at a hospital, will you go grab the bag, or do you need me to do it?”

He swallows and runs upstairs to grab the bag and I make my way to the car. It doesn’t take him long at all, now he’s finally had some sense smacked into him.

“We’re really doing this?” He asks, smiling as he pulls out of the driveway.

“We’re really doing this.” I grin, taking his hand in mine.

O N E   Y E A R  L A T E R

“Happy birthday to you dear, Anderson, happy birthday to you!” We all sing to the little one year old boy I hold tight to my chest.

“Let’s blow out the candles, baby.” I lean forward and blow out the singular candle for the one year old. We made a true event of it, calling everyone we knew practically to celebrate in our backyard, complete with so many games for other children, even though our son was still too young to play most of them. Harry and I couldn’t be more proud of our little boy.

Everyone cheers, I smile looking at Harry who’s got a similar grin. A year in the making to get to this day, lot’s of late nights, but more laughter than anything else. It’s been a wonderful afternoon, everyone loving the little boy who looks practically identical to his father. Cheering as he smashes his little cake all over his face, the table, and his clothes.

“Alright, let’s have Grandma get you all cleaned up!” Anne says as she steals Anderson from me. I smile watching her take the giggly little boy inside to get the cake he’s managed to smear everywhere cleaned off.

Most everyone has left at this point, it has been a packed house to celebrate the one year old, but as it gets later things slow down. It’s finally just down to immediate family and Harry and I can put our feet up for a few minutes.

“Can you believe it? A whole year we’ve been parents.” I lean back into Harry’s side. We’re sat on the outdoor couch, a spot that has grown to contain a lot of heart to hearts over the years.

“No, he’s getting too big too fast.” Harry presses a kiss to the top of my head, “He’s going to be needing another sibling soon.”

I let out a soft chuckle.

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yeah, who wouldn’t want another kid like that?” We both look over our shoulders to peek in to see Gemma and Anne playing with blocks on the floor in the living room.

“Are you gonna push the next one out?” I tease, I get up and grab the only unopened present that’s remained on the table all day.

“It’s funny that you should say that.” I smirk, turning my attention back on the man I love. I hand him the box, neatly wrapped in polka-dot paper.

“What’s this?”

“Just open it.” I sit down again.

He tears the paper from the box and flips the lid open. His jaw dropping as soon as he sees the contents. Pulling out an olive green tee shirt for Anderson. Simply written across it is “Big Brother”

“You’re teasing me?” His eyes look hopeful though, like he’s praying I wouldn’t tease him like that.

“You can check the four tests in my drawer in the bathroom if you don’t believe me.” I smirk, “Or the fact that I have an appointment at the clinic this Monday.”

“Shut up.” His grin only getting wider.

“Baby Styles number two, coming soon.”

He tackles me down to the couch, a big warm hug.

“Oh my god.” He sighs into my neck. “I can’t wait to do this all again.”

“Me neither.” I grin, rubbing my hands up and down his back. He finally pulls back to get a good look at me, holding my face in his hands.

“God, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

kinda cheese, but a fun way to end it! this was cute lol

[emospritelet]

Heatstroke - chapter 23/24

I was planning on this being the final chapter, but it got away from me, so it's the penultimate chapter instead :)

Last time, Gold and Lacey banged :D

Word count: 3,721

[AO3]

x

Gold made her dinner, fillet steak with a sauce made from beef stock, red wine and rosemary, alongside soft, creamy mashed potatoes and carrots glazed with butter. They drank wine with it, rich and red, and afterwards carried the dessert upstairs to bed, where they took turns spooning dark chocolate mousse and raspberries into their mouths until their lips were sticky and sweet. Gold watched as Lacey sucked the last of the chocolate mousse from her spoon and dropped it into the glass dish with a contented sigh.

“That,” she said. “Was pretty bloody amazing. You can definitely cook.”

“Thank you.”

He set the dish on the nightstand, handing her a glass of wine, and Lacey wriggled, sitting up against the pillows as she took it. Darcy had curled up at the end of the bed with his tail over his nose, and Lacey gestured at him with a foot.

“You do realise now he’s been up here, he’s probably gonna spend as much time sleeping in your bed as he does mine,” she said, and Gold grinned.

“I don’t mind that too much,” he said. “Maybe he’ll keep the mice away.”

“No sign of that so far,” she remarked. “Not that I’ve seen any mice. Only rats.”

“You’ve seen rats around here?” he asked, surprised, and she shrugged.

“I saw one the day I moved in,” she said. “Standing on his hind legs, bold as brass. Not the best welcome gift, to be honest.”

“I don’t suppose it was.”

“Yeah, Darcy came to get me to chase it off,” she said casually. “So if you’re hoping he’ll deal with any vermin that turn up, you’re out of luck. Turns out he’s a coward.”

Gold laughed.

“Well, he’s a very handsome coward,” he said. “If we get a rodent problem I can always deal with it another way. I can’t say I’ve seen any rats here, though.”

“I guess it might have wandered in from the forest,” she acknowledged. “I was worried there might be a nest of the little buggers, but I haven’t seen any since then. It was definitely male, though. All big balls and unimpressive cock.”

Gold blinked as a feeling of déjà vu washed over him.

“Really?” he asked neutrally.

“Yeah.” She wriggled onto her side, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Have you ever seen a rat’s balls? They’re huge!”

“I can’t say I’ve looked all that closely,” he said, and licked his lips. “Uh - you said his - other equipment - was somewhat lacking.”

“Yeah. Minuscule.” She held up her little finger. “Still, I guess they manage okay, right?”

“Right,” he said, and hesitated. “And this was the day you moved in?”

“As I was carrying my stuff in.”

“Uh-huh.” He sucked his teeth, nodding slowly. “You - didn’t happen to mention this to Miss Lucas in the bar that night, did you?”

“Huh.” Lacey pursed her lips, a vague expression on her face. “Yeah, I did. Why?”

Gold sighed heavily.

“Because I might have thought you were talking about me.”

Lacey stared at him for a moment, mouth slightly open, then burst out laughing. It bubbled out of her, washing over him as her eyes sparkled with mirth, and he felt a little of his awkwardness melt away.

“You thought I was telling Ruby about what you were packing?” she giggled, and he shrugged.

“Let’s just say I overheard your conversation and made some assumptions.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what you get for eavesdropping,” she said, and pushed up on her elbow. “Wish you hadn’t?”

“Yes,” he admitted.

“Good.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “Because your assumptions were shit.”

“That happens more often than you might think,” he said, and she giggled again.

“Oh, but I’m definitely telling Ruby about your junk now,” she said, and winked at him. “She did ask for a blow by blow description if you and I ever got up to anything.”

“In that case.” Gold put down his wine. “I’d better give you lots to talk about.”

-

Lacey stretched, eyes closed, mouth widening in a grin as she felt the press of hot flesh against her own. She was nestled in soft sheets, Gold’s arm around her waist and his cool breath on the back of her neck, making her shudder in pleasure. Morning light was shining through a tiny gap in the curtains, sending a shaft of golden dawn across the bed and making the pink walls glow. The bed smelled of musk and sex and the faintest hint of his cologne, and she wriggled, turning in his arms to kiss his chest. At the touch of her lips he inhaled sharply, body stiffening as he woke, and she heard a contented rumble from deep in his chest as his arms went around her.

“Morning,” she said, and sucked at his nipple.

Gold jerked, snickering, and tugged her close against him so that she had to kiss back up his chest to get some air. He pushed her onto her back, one hand sliding down over her hip to squeeze her rear as his mouth found her ear.

“Morning,” he murmured, and Lacey moaned as he sucked at her throat. His hand strayed to her hip again, sliding along the crease at the top of her thigh, and she caught his fingers in hers before he could reach between her legs.

“Really interested in where your mind’s going,” she said. “But I need the bathroom. And coffee, to be honest.”

Gold pulled back immediately, rolling onto his side, and she slipped from the bed, drawing on his discarded shirt. He was watching her with a sleepy-eyed grin, his hair dishevelled and a day’s growth of stubble on his cheeks. It made her want to crawl straight back in bed with him.

“I guess I’ll make the coffee, then,” he said. “You want some breakfast?”

Lacey sighed.

“Does that mean getting up?”

“Doesn’t have to.”

“Well, alright then.”

She winked at him, making his grin widen, and trotted off to the bathroom.

When she returned he had already gone downstairs, and she poked around on his dresser for a hairbrush, dragging it through her curls and teasing out the knots that had formed over several hours of the best sex she’d ever had. Gold had stamina. He was also extremely generous, and wanted to please her, which was a first in her experience. She could see herself falling deeply in love with the guy if she wasn’t too careful, and was surprised to find that the idea didn’t bother her. Glancing in the mirror she shook out her hair and set down the hairbrush, sending her reflection a satisfied grin. Apparently Ruby was right. I do want more than hot crazy sex. Although the hot crazy sex is amazing.

She padded downstairs, following the sound of him clattering around in the kitchen. The scent of coffee was drifting towards her, and she took a seat at the kitchen table, watching Gold in his silk robe as he made scrambled eggs and spooned it onto hot buttered toast.

“Hot sex, great coffee and a delicious breakfast,” she remarked, as he set a plate in front of her. “How is it you’ve been single for so long?”

Gold chuckled, sliding into the chair opposite.

“My son would say it’s because I’m completely dense and have no idea when someone is interested,” he said.

“Well, he’s not wrong about that,” said Lacey, making him grin. “Although I guess I shouldn’t really tease you about it. Pot, kettle, and all that.”

He grinned at her, eyes gleaming, and she felt herself fall in love with him a little more. She turned to her breakfast to stop herself blushing with the thrill of it. The eggs were soft and buttery, seasoned to perfection, and she made a noise of approval and cut a piece of toast, pushing it into the growing pool of melted butter and popping it into her mouth. Gold was watching her over the rim of his coffee cup, and she took a sip of her own and set down her cup.

“Any chance we can finish that interview today?” she asked. “I had other questions to ask and you kind of distracted me with orgasms.”

He smirked.

“I have to open the shop at some point,” he said. “Can it wait until later?”

Lacey pursed her lips, trying to hide her smile.

“You want me to come over tonight, is that what you’re saying?”

“You’re the one that wants to interview me,” he said, one eyebrow flicking. “Maybe I’d be more inclined to open up if we were more - intimate.”

His voice had dropped to a low purr, and Lacey squeezed her thighs together.

“Okay, but no distracting me this time!” she ordered, gesturing with a fork. “I have to get some stuff on tape I can actually use! I don’t want Sidney weaselling out of this pay rise he promised.”

Gold pressed a hand to his heart with a wounded expression, and she wrinkled her nose at him. He turned back to his breakfast, a tiny grin on his face.

“I suppose he’ll have you covering the mayoral election,” he said, and Lacey nodded, chewing and swallowing.

“There’s gonna be a debate next week.”

“Really?” Gold pulled a face. “So maybe that’s why I’m starting to hear whispers against Regina.”

“Whispers?” Lacey sat up. “What are they saying?”

Gold took a drink of coffee, setting the cup back down and sucking at his teeth a little.

“The rumour,” he said, “is that money has gone missing from the accounts. Not a huge amount, perhaps a few thousand dollars, but enough to trigger an investigation. The whispering I’ve heard is that it’s the Mayor herself getting greedy. Trying to maintain a lifestyle she can’t afford on the back of hard-working townsfolk.”

“That can’t be true,” she said in disbelief. “It’s election year. There’s no way the Mayor would risk her position, right?”

“Regina and I have certainly had our differences,” he agreed, “but I don’t believe for one second that she’s been stealing town funds.”

“Me neither,” said Lacey. “I think it’s Zelena stirring shit.”

Gold gave her a slanted grin, cutting a piece of toast.

“And where’s your proof of that?”

“Don’t have it yet,” she admitted. “But a friend of mine gave me some info on her New York dealings that makes all this sound kind of familiar. Given what you told me last night, I think we can guess that there’s a personal element as far as Zelena’s concerned.”

“So what’s your plan?” he asked.

“I guess we could tell Regina what she’s up to,” said Lacey. “Give her a chance to stop Zelena.”

“It’ll just look like dirty politics if it’s Regina against her rival,” he said, and she nodded in agreement.

“Okay, how about this?” she said. “We tell Zelena what we know. Maybe it’ll make her stop scheming and leave town.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then we go to the town,” said Lacey. “Let them all know what she’s up to.”

“Difficult to do that without evidence,” he said, and she shrugged.

“Maybe we’ll get a confession.”

“You think she’s going to reveal her diabolical plan to you in some sort of tell-all interview?” he asked, with a grin, and she sent him a flat look, reaching for her coffee.

“Not in a million years,” she said. “She can’t stand me.”

She took a sip of her coffee, setting down her cup.

“But she might tell you,” she added.

-

Gold drummed his fingers slowly on the counter top, eyes fixed on the shop door. The clock on the wall opposite showed that it was nine-thirty, and he was expecting a visitor. Right on time, the door opened, the bell above jingling as Zelena stepped into the shop, a predatory smile on her face. She strode towards him with purpose, and Gold eyed her with a flat stare as she leaned on the counter, pushing her face towards him as though hoping for a kiss of greeting.

“Mr Gold,” she said, in a breathy voice. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when you said you wanted to discuss my election campaign.”

“Well, before you get too excited,” he said. “I want to talk to you about these rumours against the Mayor.”

“Rumours?” She tried to look puzzled, but it was unconvincing.

“The ridiculous talk of her embezzling town funds.”

Zelena gasped, hand to heart.

“She’s been stealing from the town?” she said, in a hushed voice. “Well. About time someone else took over, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Don’t play games with me,” said Gold, in a bored tone. “You know she didn’t do it.”

“That’ll be for the investigation to determine,” she said smoothly.

“Which you’re hoping will overshadow the campaign and leave you the victor.”

“If the people of this town decide they want me rather than her, who am I to deny them?”

Gold sighed heavily, pushing back from the counter and walking around it. Zelena turned to face him, and he grounded the cane between his feet.

“I know what you’re doing,” he said. “I’m a little unclear as to why.”

“I’m running for Mayor,” she said, showing her teeth in a somewhat manic smile. “As I said, it’s all about wanting to help the town. Family values, that sort of thing.”

“Really?” said Gold. “That’s interesting. Especially as the current Mayor is your half-sister. Perhaps those family values only stretch so far, hmm?”

Zelena’s mouth fell open, eyes wide with shock, and he bit back a smirk.

“Interesting how differently your lives turned out, isn’t it?” he went on. “You raised in England by your adoptive parents, Regina over here with your birth mother. I suppose that must sting, being abandoned. As I understand it, she left you at the kids’ home in Boston with a note saying she had to give herself her best life and she couldn’t do that with a baby.”

Zelena’s eyes widened further, her jaw tightening.

“How the hell do you know that?” she demanded. “Who told you?”

“I have my sources,” he said. “Which I obviously won’t reveal.”

“That slut of a reporter’s been poking her nose in where it doesn’t belong and then selling to the highest bidder, I suppose,” she said bitterly, and he felt his fist clench around the handle of his cane.

“If you mean Miss French,” he said evenly. “Then no. My information predates her arrival in Storybrooke.”

Zelena drew herself up, brushing her hands against her skirts as though ridding herself of something unpleasant.

“Well,” she said. “My tragic history is none of anyone’s business.”

“It’s my business when you try to use it to take over my town.”

“Your town?” she said, letting out a humourless laugh. “Did you become Mayor when I wasn’t looking?”

Gold smiled coldly.

“Regina may have the title of Mayor,” he said. “But I’m the one with the power around here, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. Disruption, disputes – family drama – it hurts the bottom line.”

Zelena took a step closer, licking her lips. It was repellent, but he made himself meet her eyes.

“Well, if you could see your way to supporting my campaign,” she said throatily. “I’m sure we could - work something out. Help each other, so to speak. Perhaps we can discuss it over dinner.”

She reached out to touch his chest, and Gold stepped back smoothly, resisting the urge to swat her hand away.

“I try not to get involved in politics.”

Zelena looked as though she’d bitten a lemon.

“And yet,” she said. “Here you are. Getting in my way.”

“I know where I am with Regina,” he said. “She may be a little hard-headed at times, but she has fairly good judgement, and a genuine concern for her citizens. You have neither.”

“Perhaps I’m just untested.”

“Perhaps you’re unstable.”

She clenched her jaw, her eyes flashing.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re incredibly rude?”

“Usually I get ‘heartless’,” said Gold. “I like to think I’m merely a good judge of character.”

“And you judge the Mayor’s character to be better than mine?”

“I imagine most of this town does,” he said calmly, and Zelena sniffed.

“In case you haven’t noticed, most of the residents of this town are incredibly stupid,” she said. “Small-minded. Stuck in the past and terrified of change. It didn’t take much effort on my part to find bad feelings towards the Mayor.”

“Which you’ve no doubt been exploiting.”

“Well, that’s politics,” she said airily. “Can I help it if the townsfolk have had a difficult year and I remind them that while they struggle to pay their bills, Regina Mills and that wife of hers are lounging around doing heaven knows what on the taxpayer dime?”

“What is it you think they’re doing?” asked Gold, puzzled. “Mallory is a lawyer. Regina is the Mayor. They both earn a respectable living and I’m fairly sure neither one of them is lounging around.”

“Respectable?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Well, that’s not the concern I’ve heard from some of the townsfolk. There’s talk of some seedy club that’s been approved by the Mayor to open next month. Queens of Darkness, or something?”

“Yes,” said Gold patiently. “It’s a gay bar. So?”

“From what I hear there is deep concern amongst the townsfolk about the image of Storybrooke,” she said. “I’m told it could attract all kinds of perverts to the town. Think of the poor children.”

Gold stared at her, then burst out laughing.

“Are you expecting to challenge Regina on some sort of morality grounds?” he asked. “Good luck with that. No one but a tiny, bigoted minority cares that she’s a lesbian. If you think you can win with their votes alone, you’re wasting your time.”

“I think the family values crowd is more numerous than you might believe,” she said. “Something tells me I’m on the right track. Outrage is so easily manipulated and weaponized, don’t you agree?”

Gold stared at her for a moment.

“So you don’t care about being Mayor at all,” he said. “You just want to take it away from Regina.”

Zelena smirked

“Can you imagine the look on her face?” she asked. “Because I have a little scene in my head that I’m hoping will play out on election day. I’m announced as the winner in a landslide victory, the simpletons that voted for me erupt with cheers, and she runs out of the town hall crying.”

“Clearly you don’t know her very well,” remarked Gold. “Why do this? You don’t want this position, you clearly don’t give a flying fuck about any of the townsfolk, why go to so much trouble to take it from Regina?”

Zelena rounded on him, nostrils flaring.

“Because she deserves it!” she hissed. “Because she had everything that was supposed to be mine! Because she was given the world on a silver platter and even that’s not enough for her!”

Gold shook his head.

“You’re saying that like any of this is Regina’s fault,” he said. “She can’t help it if your mother abandoned you. If you have to take your anger out on someone, surely your mother is the place to start?”

“Well, I can’t very well talk to her about it, she’s dead!”

“Then let it go,” said Gold patiently. “Stop blaming your sister for the two of you having a terrible parent.”

“This life should have been mine!” said Zelena, eyes flashing. “She doesn’t deserve any of this!”

“My thoughts exactly,” he said dryly. “You won’t beat her, you know. The town has supported Regina for years because she does a good job. They won’t simply choose you because you bat your eyelashes at them.”

“Well, maybe they’d prefer a Mayor who isn’t corrupt,” she said. “I think you’ll be surprised at what the townsfolk might want, when the truth is presented to them.”

Perhaps so, he thought. Aloud he said: “You know as well as I do that there’s no truth to the corruption rumours.”

Zelena smiled brightly.

“Do I?”

“Yes,” he said evenly. “So unless you’ve planted a bunch of phoney evidence, this vendetta of yours is doomed.”

Zelena had pursed her lips at his words, and he wanted to shake her.

“You’re telling me you have planted evidence?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Gold sighed heavily.

“I don’t even know why I’m trying to help you,” he said, almost to himself. “Why don’t you just leave town? Go and live your life and stop worrying about what you think you’re entitled to.”

“I will destroy her happiness!” spat Zelena. “If it’s the last thing I do!”

She whirled away, red curls tossing, and stomped towards the door.

“If you try to bring her down,” he called, making her pause. “I’ll stop you.”

Zelena swivelled slowly on her toes to face him, a smirk twisting her lips.

“Oh, really?”

“Really,” he said. “I’ve taken time out of my busy day to try to make you see sense, but I can just as easily talk to the entire town.”

She laughed at that, eyes gleaming with mirth.

“The reclusive Mr Gold, whom the entire town distrusts, is going to convince them that their beloved charity queen is really a fraudster with an axe to grind?”

“Yes,” he said simply.

She looked him up and down briefly, pursing her lips, and took a step forward.

“Go ahead and try, then,” she said. “You’ve no proof.”

Gold held her gaze for a moment, then nodded.

“You’re right,” he said. “I don’t.”

Zelena nodded in satisfaction.

“In that case, I think we’re done, don’t you?” she said. “Unless you want to take me up on that offer of dinner, of course.”

“I think not,” he said coldly, and she sniffed.

“Your loss,” she said, and flounced off, the bell above the door jingling on her way out.

Gold stared after her, shaking his head, and heard the click of heels on the floor behind him.

“Well.” Lacey’s voice made him turn. “That was interesting.”

She was leaning in the doorway, the curtain to the back room draping the curve of her hip, and he smiled.

“Did you get it?” he asked, and she held up her camera.

“Every word.”

[sweetpickolwarrior]

The Three Times You Didn’t Want Them To Hear You, The One Time You Did (Part 2)

Established fic

Small!Brown!Female!Reader

Not too apparent but just letting you know in case.

TW(for this chapter) - 3rd person descriptions of intoxication (mild?)

Fic summary: You have been travelling with geralt and Jaskier for quite some time, you had always been told that your voice would take you places before you had no choice but to abandon your previous life. You still loved it though. This fic explores the times you let go and let yourself sing.

PART 1 HERE

In the days that followed, Geralt had not mentioned the river incident during training. they never talked about the episodes. He had caught glimpses of you practising your sword strokes in the mornings, caught onto the way you counted your steps, moving with a rhythm that was rehearsed and almost musical. But combat was not like music. Far from it. you could afford to take your time and be meticulous when conducting your bow and arrow, however, swords were rarely so forgiving. You miss a beat, you die. Even so, he supposed, you were coming along well.

To say Jaskier was having trouble containing himself would be an understatement. He was practically bursting at the seams, wanting to hear the warm tones of your voice again. He had been told by Geralt that the alghoul hunt had shaken you, and understood how letting your voice free after Meletile knows how long would have felt. The yearning and relief in your voice had touched him in his bones and memories of performing for the first time after sickness, or a bout of dejection rang in his head. Though he supposed the longest he had ever gone without uttering a full bar would have been less than a week. He wondered how hard it must be for you to keep your passion locked away, suppressing it if you felt in any way like he did when singing. He had met milkmaids with voices sweet as honey who could care less that they could carry a tune, tavern keepers with brassy voices thick and golden as the ale they served that only sung to watch the clock tick to close. But he knew you felt the sound you created cradle you, the way your eyes were closed, the glimpse of your wistful sways, basking in the safety of the melody you were singing, his only regret now being that he cut your comfort short.

You had been undoubtedly back to your usual, chipper self for quite some time now, and he reckoned that after almost two days of silence on the issue (prescribed by Geralt) you would be shifted by a little persuasion.

The bard began to strum a well-known tune, one he knew everyone on the continent had heard. One he often used to gauge where his pupils were starting in his single year at Oxenfurt. The unperturbed original version was chock full of melisma, dynamics, and sung in off-beats before being simplified for children to be taught in schools. This inevitably led to those children singing it in their playgrounds, and when these children grew, sung (in the loosest possible sense of the term) in pubs late into the night; losing all semblance of its former beauty. the memory of the thudding, syllabic, droning chorus sung over and over made Jaskier cringe.

“Geralt, do you know this one?”

your ears perked up at the familiar words, but the melody was something more developed and bouncy, much more pleasant than the veritable chanting you had often been subject to when tucked away at the back of a tavern.

Jaskier’s voice flit about the words like a spring bird, you payed close attention to the way he controlled his breathing and projected so effortlessly, beauty added to the song you knew so well made you smile.. That is until you felt the bard jostle up to your shoulder, “surely you’ve heard this one, Y/N, come on, I could use a harmony!”

He continued, drawing out his vowels, giving you space to come in, but you shrank away. You knew that he would not have forgotten the unwelcome experience by the river, but you dared hope over the last few days.

“I dont know how to do that, Jask.” you muttered. He could sense that you had started to close up, but he felt some gentle coaxing and encouragement would bring you out of your sudden shell. Unfortunately, Jaskier’s definition of gentle when it comes to things like encouragement is about as akin to the word as a frog to a bird.

“Well, as you may know, I was a professor at Oxenfurt’s school of music, and I can assure you that within this very hour, we will be singing harmonies to make Meletile herself weep!  Here’s your note, young protege” He sang this last phrase, letting it ring so you could catch on. You attempted to shoo the bard away, pushing out a chuckle and putting on a polite smile so as not to offend your eager friend. It’s not that you didn’t want to sing with him, it’s just that… well, you couldn’t. You were no stranger to harmonies at all, being able to work them out for your small group of friends who would run off to sing behind the schoolhouse at every spare moment, the parts clicking neatly into your head like the nock of an arrow to the taut string of your bow.  You could almost see a harmony like a road winding along a melody and remembered the warm resonant feeling when your voice blended with another perfectly, listening as if you were one entity, blindly trusting your voice to take the right path. Over the last few years, one of your frustrations had been that while traipsing over the continent on your own, singing had kept you somewhat sane, it just irritated you that you could hear a lovely harmony along in your head, yet you could not sing two parts at once. You supposed you really did miss it. Maybe-

These thoughts must have passed in a flash as right then, Jaskier was hooking his arm through yours quite alarmingly, his step falling into a lively jig;

Somehow he kept his breaths even and the sound still flowed out, unobstructed, while you were pulled harshly out of your thoughts.

"Jaskie- hey, hey! Stop! I don't know what you're talking about, okay?" You shook the bard off, not meaning to come across as harsh, but you couldn't help it. He shrugged off your rejection and marched off, no doubt to prod at Geralt now.

You didn’t want this to be a thing. You had been without singing for quite some now and were sure that you could live without it. You had people who cared about you again. Jaskier would give you the food he left over, let you borrow his blanket when you were cold, he would always try to be making you laugh and would pick you flowers from the paths you walked. Geralt would always look back to check how you were, he let you ride roach when you were on your bleed and your legs felt they were going to fall off, he was a veritable wall when it came to standing between you and danger.  Why would you need to sing to yourself like you were still a child? It was time to move on. That couldn’t happen if you started going along with Jaskiers sudden obsession with being a duo. It was soon to blow over you were sure. Just have to wait it out.

You lagged slightly behind and listened from a distance. You let yourself focus on the thought of having some proper food and a warm bed soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Geralt’s shoulders dipped slightly as the three horseshoes tavern came into view, the amber glow spilling out of the windows to the dirt street softening the nip of the brisk night. He pat roach on her shoulder as they neared the front of the tavern, leading her to the right while Y/N and Jaskier made their way into the warmth of the tavern, the stables waiting for the chestnut mare. He led her into the small pen, dismissing the stableboy with a wave. He proceeded to check the bedding was dry as roach set to touch the nose of the horse in the next stall. He slowly undid the buckles of her saddle and undid her reins as she took a long drink from the trough within the stall. He had become fond of this tavern during his travels, watching it grow from a horse stop to a pub and then an inn over the many years. The swell of the chorus to "Toss a coin” gushed through the walls and Geralt knew he was to be greeted with an uproar when he entered. He let his mind drift as he pulled out Roach’s brush.

He wasn't to keep Y/N waiting very long, but he thought she may appreciate a moment to herself. He let his mind wander a little as he brushed roach before leaving her for the night. He had noticed how Y/N would clam up at the mention of her accompanying Jaskiers musical endeavours. He wondered why as, as far as he could remember, her sound was not unpleasant at all. He remembered the way she had snatched herself away from the conversation earlier, holding onto her arm like she was cradling herself. Geralt picked up little signs of discomfort in his… well… friends, he supposed.

Jask would become less verbal and more softly musical, he would hold his lute, often slung on his back when not using it, to cradling it around his front, as if constantly mid-song. Y/N would let her thick hair down as if she could hide away behind it, hold her arm, and often trail a ways behind the two if they were on the path. She had taken to slipping behind him, actually, and ushering Jaskier to her side, using the broad witcher and her tall friend as a sort of wall between her and the world if they were places where there were people or if she felt one of her episodes coming along. Not many words were needed, to Geralt’s convenience when it came to things like this. He was glad that the girl had taken to trusting him, though he still only knew snippets of her past. (Though he knew that a lot of her information on him had come through the bard’s songs.)

Still, there was a mutual understanding between the three that was pleasant and unperturbed. That was until Geralt had realised that she had effectively been shutting herself up when it came to singing. He didn’t see why it was such a big deal if he was honest. Jaskier certainly wasn’t afraid of it. He had observed over a great any years people who would hum to themselves while working, walking, and the like. Ladies in brothels and pubs warbling over the bustle, even if they sounded more akin to banshees than sirens (that some would claim to share blood with, for extra coin) mothers singing to their children out before their houses… in fact… if he tries quite hard, he thinks he recalls a soft melody… something with long, sad words in front of a wooden arm chair, fingers running through his then... brown curls, he thinks.

Roach has had enough of a brushing.

He makes his way into the tavern, the smell of ale, sweat and stew making the air thick and heavy. A swell of patrons surrounding the table Jaskier was is currently perched upon raise their tankards in his direction “WOOIIIIII(WAHEEYYY)”. He urged the corners of his lips to a slight curl and gave a nod in their direction. The Trio’s arrangements for the night had not yet been set as geralt harboured all the coin for the moment. He would have to keep Y/N waiting a moment longer.

After the alghoul hunt, geralt had a hefty jangle in his coin pouch, initially from the coin of slaying the beasts, then some more due to the fact he had been able to sell some marrow at the same market he had got the apples from Roach.

He paid for two rooms that night - a room with two beds and a room with one. He felt that it would be nice to treat Y/N with a proper dose of privacy through the rocky last few days.

The trio usually bought a room that had two beds and took turns sleeping on the floor. Geralt rarely slept, opting to meditate instead and when he did, he insisted that he had never been used to the softness of a bed, and it was enough that he was out of the cold and rain. This had led to many occasions where he might not have paid for a double bedded room in the first place, the youngest of the three ignoring him and placing her bedroll over the floor that he would be forced to take the bed, the witcher stubbornly placing his bedroll on the other side of the room that she would wake up during the night and take the bed, and sometimes Jaskier joining them on the floor simply because he enjoyed “camping indoors”.

Making his way to the back of the tavern where Y/N was, he heard the opening notes to “toss a coin” once again, he supposed that they would toss more if the bard subject was within the room. He caught Y/N eyes, reaching to finally unbutton his dark cloak, she had reserved a relatively secluded booth at the back of the tavern, her bag strewn over the table as to show she did not want company, her arm draped over her drink and her eyes… glassed over?

“Geralt! Come sit… there’s space”

She tugged lightly at his sleeve as he came to sit down resting her head on her arms atop the wooden table.

“We came here to eat and sleep Y/N”

“But you and Jask drink!” she whined “Besides’ve only had one… pint… before this one...yeah”

In the few months they had been together, Geralt had never seen Y/N drunk, she would often help Jask nurse his drink if she hadn't any water left from her pack. Even after a successful hunt, she would turn down Geralt's offers of buying her a pint. He always thought it was because she had never actually been drunk, it would have made her extremely vulnerable travelling alone all this time, and he figured that she had not done so around him because she was afraid of what they may think of her, what she may be like, the net removed to catch her thoughts. Needless to say, he did not expect this tonight.

“ Y/N you’re barely five foot and you’ve eaten what today?”

“Hey! I’m almost five foot two, andI’vee eaten just about enough of Jask’s horseshit about singing to last me a lifetime”

So that’s what this was about.

“Hmm...he thinks you sound good. Do you want meat or potatoes?” he tread lightly.

“M’not hungry. I dont sound anything. I haven’t sounded anything for ages.”

“Hmm”

~~

The girl nibbled on a few potatoes from Geralt's plate, electing to ignore her bowl of meat, now leaning back, clutching her tankard close to her chest. Odd.

Jask had taken to playing toss a coin in an insatiable loop, the patrons of the Three Horseshoes not seeming able to get enough, the clink of coins coming in a wave every chorus -

“He wipe out your chest… something.. Pest.. friend of humaaanity.. Hmm hmm hmm rest…”

Y/N’s eyes were closed, a soft smirk on her lips as she leant back in the booth, her voice trailing along the words of the song haphazardly still sounding...nice. Geralt decided not to comment, the song having a somewhat fresh flavour coming in clumsy slices from his smaller companion.

“Pour him some aleeee... ” geralt was fast to react, catching the girls wrist, the drink sloshing over the side of her mug.

“Let’s go up.” he’d had enough of the bloody song for about three lifetimes.

He ushered Y/N through the tavern, her pack slung over his shoulder. Jask caught his eye as they were walking slowly through and he was...glaring? Geralt was just about done with indecipherable emotions and was glad he’d get a moment to himself before the bard came up to their room if he had not chosen to go and chase some poor lass.

Geralt was practically pulling Y/N up the stairs as a mother cat does a kitten, her feet all but failing her on the creaky wooden steps

“Harmnising.. Mmmfghsnn cocky...teach me...I can bloody harmonise.. din’t evennn go to ..to Oxenshite…dn’t need to be bloody taught..mmff”

“You sound nice.” geralt had certainly let his tongue loose tonight; it seemed fair as he wasn’t sure how much Y/N would even remember and that she had also let her voice loose before him, if not completely of her own volition.

“m’not nice geralt.. ’ve killed people.. Let people die-”

“You have your own room tonight.” he hastily added, he did not need her mind wandering down that path in this state. Gods, he knew it would be a hole to climb up out of especially if she were to spend the night alone. Maybe he would take the room, perhaps it was a mistake to-

Y/N’s weight had shifted into his side “you’re nice.. Jask can pay for my druddy blinks..his fault ‘nyway..druddy blinks”

They had finally reached the room, Jaksiers voice floating up towards them

“Lovely ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have had enough excitement for the night - a final round of applause for our dear protector!  A soft ballad now, ladies and gentlemen, to ease us into this splendid night”

Geralt pushed the flimsy door open (he was glad to be just next door) and Y/N practically threw herself onto the bed, letting out a sigh.

“I know this one” she mumbled, legs still dangling onto the floor, eyes closed.

The witcher set her pack down at the foot of the bed and went to shift her so she could get under the covers as she started to sing along, loose ribbons of sound falling in a pleasant heap. Again, he decided not to comment, drinking in the sound to make up for having to be the only one dragging through this night completely sober. Her voice lingered on the notes a moment more than they fit, words being replaced by simple mm’s until a soft burst of a familiar phrase came through. She sighed as the covers of the bed rest just below her chin, he could still see her foot wagging along to the ballad as he clicked the door shut.

Finally sitting in front of the fire in the room he would be sharing with the troubadour, he started to meditate, focusing on the wood beneath his knees, the warmth on his face, and the thrum of the voices below and beside. There had been a shift - Y/N was no longer walking along the same note as Jaskier, her voice was gliding somewhere lower, the sound slightly more deliberate than a moment before. The unsteadiness he heard in her voice reminded him of his first swordstrokes after wintering in Kaer Morhen. Hesitant, yet sure. Afraid he had forgotten everything yet trusting his muscles to carry him. He could not decipher the words from her mouth, but every note, however wavering and reluctant fit with the clear bright sound of Jaskier beneath. The witcher felt he could hear the lumber of the tavern resonate with the emulsion of the two, he let out a deep breath, almost feeling the wood curve to him.

~~~~~

In the lower half of the Three Horseshoes, Jaskier had watched till the pulsing crowd before him grew sparse as he announced his wind-down. It was a good night for coin on his part, and he could've made even more, singing out till the sun broke through the wee hours or the innkeep shooshed him away. However, he wished to retire with the rest of his troop. Especially since he was to give geralt a hearty piece of his mind when he arrived. This town had clearly seen much of the witcher over the years, pleasant mumblings with Geralts name instead of witcher and butcher had littered through the tavern when they entered. Rare, but welcome. They even cheered him as he came through the doors!

The muscle memory of his calloused fingers started to fade as he neared the end of the song, added a few musings of his own since he could not entirely remember the lute score, he landed gracefully on a perfect cadence, his voice waning away.

There were 4 people left before him now, a young couple, nuzzling at each other in a close booth, the innkeep and a young maiden sat cross legged well nigh his feet. He figured he would have chased after her was this some other night, her pretty blonde curls cascading past her shoulders. However, the bard needed questions answered and his bones ached from sleeping out in the cold for the better part of a week.

“Ladies and gentlemen” he started, hushed, much less declarative than earlier on “it has been my absolute pleasure” he held his hand out to the girl on the floor and raised her up, planting a feathery kiss on her fingers “to sing for you tonight”. He straightened himself up and strode out the room, not turning to see the remaining patrons’ reactions to his somewhat hasty departure, however much he had tried to wrap it in a neat bow.

He passed the stairs in a flurry, and spotted a room with the door ever so slightly ajar, Geralt’s way of showing him what room they were in, had he not the chance to disclose. Jaskier figured Y/N would be asleep by now, and so his anger would have to be quite silent. Since seeing geralt lead Y/N up, he had felt the red hot emotions bubble up inside of him, however much he hid behind soft songs, words and kisses.

“Geralt! What the fuck!” his whisper harsh and piercing “she sang?! She was singing?! Next to you! What did you say? What did I do wrong? Answer me geralt or I swe-”

“Listen” the witcher's amber eyes met him with a cool gaze as Jaskier then realised that Y/N was not to be seen in the room. His mind slowly registered the single word and the bard perked slightly when he heard a soft, round sound seeping through the wall.

“She said she knew the song. The last one.”

Jaksier hastily pressed the side of his head against the wall, soaking up the sound.  She was winding somewhere around the chorus, not all the words present.

“she was singing with you " the witcher still knelt with his eyes closed “lower than you but.. Together”

Jask's eyes widened slightly as he began quiet ministrations to relieve himself of his lute for the night, still keeping his ear tuned to the soft hums next door.

“Harmonies?” he asked, praying Geralt may spill a bit more.

“I know nothing of music bard… but it fit. Well.”

“I still don’t understand where this came from, Geralt.” Jaskier thought she didn't even know the words to Toss a coin, but as he glanced over to the farthest corner of the tavern that night whilst atop a table, he was sure that Y/N lips were moving in unison to his, Geralt sat beside her, almost ignoring her it seemed. It just made no sense to him. Perhaps he had pressured her with mentions of his academic endeavours? Geralt exhaled audibly through his nose as his mouth twitched upwards. His version of a chuckle Jaskier supposed.

“She’s drunk”

“D-drunk? Very drunk?? Gods - I know I upset her a few days ago, but today I tried - that is-”

"It's not you, Jask" a breathy laugh followed "she tried to throw her mead at me thanks to your ditty"

"Yes well, I suppose that is one way to take it" Jask smiled as he slipped under the covers, noticing that the sound next door had slowly crept away. "She's sleeping?"

"Hmm."

The men continued in hushed whispers, Jaskier coaxing the haps of the night from his friend like he would the events of a hunt he was not present for. Geralt entertained him, somewhat grateful that the story he was entrusting was not to do with monsters, blood or death this time.

~~~~

The morning was crisp and light as you woke to a quiet, empty room. Your brows furrowed as your head felt heavy against the pillows. You rose, a bitter taste lingering upon your dry tongue, seating itself at the back of your throat. You didn't mean to get drunk last night and it wasn't what you expected. You tried to push your thoughts to the back of your mind and made your way hastily to the stables, grabbing your pack trying to ignore the churns in your stomach.

The morning sun flared in the clear sky, the cold air still and electric. You squinted until the canopy of the stables sheltered you. You greeted Roach, kissing your hand and giving a rub above her nose, the mare huffing in response.

"Good morning Y/N" you heard Jaskiers voice, hushed and deliberate and turned to see him holding a small wooden cup of tea

"Chamomile. It will help."You sipped on the tea, sweetened with a little honey leaning against the wall of the wooden structure.

"Where's Geralt?" You felt how raspy that would have come out had it not been for the few sips of tea.

"On the look for some contracts, I suppose. A nice town, this. Good coin. Oh! Here,"

He handed you a heel of bread, soft and fresh smelling.

"Thank you, Jask."

He shuffled over to you, shoulders now touching

"sweet tea and sweet bread, young miss. Cure of all cures. Trusty after unruly nights at Oxenshite"

Hazy glimpses of a low rumbling voice, swathes of people chanting a song, warm covers and your own voice swimming amongst all these scenes.

Oh good grief.

Your eyes widened at the unorganised reflections, you thought people drank because it actually helped things. Gods, never again."I- uhh.. need to see geralt about… swords." You stumbled away hearing Jaskier chuckle warmly to himself.

A/N

Hey ya'll thank you for being patient with me I know it took ages and this is literally the last day of the deadline I set for myself a fortnight ago 0_0 but I really hope you're enjoying the story far! Thank you so much for the notes on the last chapter I haven't published any stories in a very long time and it's nice to know I can still write lol. Reblogs, comments and criticism are very welcome! Please let me know if you'd like to be tagged in further chapters/stories and if you have any tips on adding tags and things i'd love to hear them as I'm still trying to get the hang of navigating Tumblr as a writer again it's changed quite a bit lol. Thank you again and chapter 3 will be on its way!

mwah x

tagged people

@ladylizzieofdarbyshire

PART 3

[rmg91]

Zoe Week; Day 5-ROTT

So I know we got given a free day considered ROTT was...what it was but I decided to still go with the prompt and it turned into more of a small rewrite than just a ‘Let’s slip Zoe into this scene’. Zoe is everyone’s braincell and we know it.

Also I tried writing a fight scene....I donno how well it turned out lol

AO3

~*~*~*~*~*~

“He WHAT?!”

Zoe stared at the assembled guardians, the kids, that had gone up against the demigods bent on restarting the world with that crazy plan to strip them of their powers, only for it to fail. Yes, they were alive. Yes, they had Nari, in spirit, but the Arcane Order had her body, had Douxie, and that was not okay for her! That stupid, self-sacrificing idiot! Of course he'd do something like that! But all it would do would buy them time and just what was going to happen when those power hungry beings found out?! It wasn't going to be good, that was for sure and now Zoe had to hatch a plan to try and save her idiot before something bad happened.

Ignoring the overlapping explanations and assurances they'd come up with a plan, Zoe marched her way out of the ex-throne room and down to what was becoming her studio. Shuffling around the various tomes and grimoires, she searched for the one she was certain had the spell she needed to find him, growling to herself when she couldn't. This is what she got for not sorting through all these yet. Finally, just when she'd been about to say 'fuck it' and do it without the book, she dug up the dusty purple codex of scrying and grinned in victory. Oh, she was finding that idiot of hers and then she was going to give him a piece of her mind once he was safe.

Coming back upstairs, the pinked haired witch flipped through the book, looking for the magic circle that would allow her to find Douxie. Ignoring everyone's voices, she quickly read through the directions, reminding herself how it worked and set to etching runes in the air with her wand. The symbols of power fell to the floor in sparking pink power, forming the necessary element for her spell. “Nari.” She called, “I'm gonna need Archie for a moment.”

The little nature spirit, inhabiting her partners body, let his familiar go from her hold as she finished the magic circle, sending the tomb to rest on the floor outside it. Sitting in the center, Archie crawled into her lap in dragon form, already having a feeling on what she was going to try to do. Normally she could sense Douxie's power, they'd known each other for so after all it was easy, but between distance and most likely being blocked, she couldn't without help. It would be easier if their magic was bonded, tied together for the rest of eternity and the ultimate sign of trust and love between magic users but...they weren't. Not for lack of wanting to but their lives had been pretty hectic and dangerous and bonding their magic came with lots of consequences as well as benefits. If one of them died...it would be the worse kind of hell on the other. And as much as they loved each other they hadn't wanted to have the other suffer so. But maybe, after all this, they'd change that.

“Uh..what are you gonna do?” Toby asked, standing near as he watched the pulsing pink runes.

“I'm going to track Douxie using the bond between him and Archie.” She explained, holding the dragon-cat gently, one hand scratching between his ears, “It should, in theory, help me find where the Order is holding him.” Then they would retrieve him and she was going to kick his ass for putting himself in danger, again.

Everyone took that as the queue to be quiet, to let her work, and Zoe breathed in deeply, letting her magic seep out and take shape. The circle glowed as she let herself fall into a trance, focusing on Archie, who was relaxed in her lap, his own magic open to letting hers in. She found the bond, a shining string of magic that was warm, comforting, powerful, reaching out beyond their little space in search of their missing wizard. She followed it as it swirled, twisting and turning through the space between, searching, searching, searching until-There! It sung brightly, tightening like a perfectly tuned guitar string and humming with life and she knew in that moment just where to find him.

Opening her eyes, a pink glow encompassing them, she grinned sharply. The Order didn't know what was coming to them.

~*~*~*~

The group entered the abandoned train tunnel, sans one Trollhunter, looking for any sign of the Order or Douxie. Zoe knew she had been harsh when she told Jim he needed to stay behind but she was not going to take back what she said. He was injured and therefore a liability and she wasn't going to let him kill himself or any of his friends if things were to go pear shaped. But hopefully they wouldn't and they'd be able to rescue Douxie with minimal trouble.

Her blue eyes roamed over the various crates and scaffolding, sensing him near but unable to see him. But she just knew he was here. Even as the group spread out and looked around old, crumbling crates and rusty metal drums, confused as to why they couldn't find anyone, Zoe was reaching out with her magic, searching for her wayward husband. Frowning down at the tracks, something just wasn't sitting right with her, she tried her best to see and think like Douxie would. There had to be something here she was missing...

She blinked, a thought coming suddenly and could it really be that easy?

Trotting up a staircase to get higher ground, she looked down at the tracks, shaking her head lightly because for some eon's old beings, Skrael and Bellroc really couldn't be original? “Their hiding in plain sight!” She shouted to assembled guardians, flicking her wand out and rearranging the train tracks, “They've made a giant sigil with the tracks!” The tracks moved, soon lighting up and dispelling the room around them, revealing a much darker room and three beings in the center.

She wasn't sure if they were aware they weren't alone anymore but it looked as if the demigods of ice and fire were taunting who they thought were Nari. She, or rather Douxie, was hovering in the air, held aloft by his hands in glowing magic and maybe, possibly keeping quiet as to continuing fooling the gods. But then, as they were staring confusedly as the Genius Seals, wondering why they weren't opening, he opened his big fat mouth.

“Abracadabra, Buttsnacks.”

Zoe groaned, because why had he said that?! But before the Order could do more than threaten him, she raised her wand high and cried, “Hey! Hands off!” She then sent a bolt of pink lighting down, just barely hitting Skreal, and then it was on!

Everyone jumped into action, firing and fighting the two remaining members of the Order. Zoe jumped down, joining the fray, firing spells and shields as she made way to Nari's body. She was put to a stop though as the icy wizard floated in front of her, brandishing his staff. Oh, if he wanted a fight, he was getting a fight. Ignoring Douxie's strained call of her name, the hedge-witch ducked a swing of the staff, dodging to the right and not giving in to Skreal's taunting. Hedge-witch or not, didn't mean she wasn't powerful and she wasn't about to let these bastards win.

Zoe fired spell after spell, wildly missing the floating god as he chuckled darkly at her. But that was okay, all part of the plan because when he least expect it she smirked and performed a round-house kick, planting her foot below his belt with a cry of “Rule Number Three!!”

As Skrael crumpled, she turned back to Douxie in Nari's body, running closer and hoping she could break the spell keeping him in the air. Fire had started to burn everywhere, the old wood catching easily to the spells Bellroc fired off but she ignored all that as she examined the magic around Douxie's wrists. She shushed him as he tried to talk to her, needing to concentrate on what she was doing, hopefully she wouldn't need Claire's help. Then a dark chuckle came from behind her.

“You won't break him free.” She turned to glare at Bellroc, their ever fluctuating voice grating on her nerves, “That magic is too powerful for even a full fledged wizard, let alone a little hedge-witch.” She growled as they laughed at her. And maybe she wouldn't be able to break it herself but if she could break this beings concentration... A wicked grin came to her face, feral as she remembered the chaos she'd wrecked at Killahead, and she began drawing runes behind her back.

“You're right...Guess I'll just have to make you break it.”

And with a flash of pink, twenty more Zoe's surrounded the demigod.

Crying out, Bellroc began to blast away her clones, easily poofing them from existence, which was fine as it was only meant as a distraction. The real Zoe dodged behind him, thankful for the rest of the crew keeping Skrael busy as she charged her magic. She'd only have one shot at this and she hoped it worked. It had been a while since she last did this. Bringing her now brightly flashing hands together, she drew them apart, a glowing, sparking, pink arrow held between them.

“Foolish girl! This won't defeat me!!” Bellroc cried with rage, dispelling the last of her clones.

“It's not meant to!” She yelled back before firing the arrow, sending a million volts through the wizard and causing them to spasm. And it was enough, for the spell holding Douxie up sputtered and died, dropping him to the floor. Zoe dived for his staggering form as Bellroc cried out again, pushing him out of the way of a blast of fire. Of course now she needed a plan to get them out of there...

Just as the fire god was approaching, already up from her attack and ready to end her life, a black portal formed beneath her and Douxie and they dropped away.

~*~*~*~

Zoe groaned as she was dropped onto the floor of Camelot, rolling onto her back. That had been...something. She really needed to practice that attack again, it took far too much out of her but at least now Douxie was safe. And Nari. She heard the rest of the guardians tumble in, shouts from their assembled allies rising and still she laid there, catching her breath.

“Zoe! Zoe, are you alright?!” She looked up at Douxie's voice, finding Nari's face above her looking at her with concern and they were needed to change back because this was just getting too weird. She watched him sag with relief, most likely due to her opening her eyes and he sighed, “You were nuclear, Love.”

“You better switch back before you kiss me, Casperan.” Was her only response.

Chuckling breathlessly, he nodded and she watched him hold out his hand for Nari to take, the goddess now crouching on her other side. A flash of magic and she was then being pulled into Douxie's lap, the wizard now back in his body. She let him nuzzle his face into her neck, still recovering from the adrenaline and almost overuse of her magic as they sat there, friends and allies all around.

“Thank you, Zoe.” Nari said softly, sitting primly in front of her, “You risked so much.”

“It's fine, Nari,” Zoe said, smiling at the forest child, “There was no way I was letting them keep your body and Douxie's mind.” Let alone risk the possibility of them forcing the two back into their proper bodies. Then they really would have been in trouble.

“So what do you do now?” She heard Claire ask because now they were back at square one. Keep Nari out of the grasp.

“I donno,” Zoe sighed, “But the important thing is the Order doesn't have Nari anymore.”

“That's not all they don't have..” The nature goddess smirked shyly before holding up the Genius Seals.

Zoe's eyes widen as cries went up around her, Douxie laughing in surprise, before she grinned wide and shark like. Oh, things were about to get interesting.

~*~*~*~*~*~

How the rest of the movie would play out from here I have no idea but there’s some choice Zouxie protecting each other/Nari/Archie so...there’s that. I hope you all enjoyed!