#MIRA IS HIS MOM MIRA IS HIS MOTHER

[ryoheiii]

[spidybaby]

love begin again and barça boyz ❤️ plz i need a barça boyz asparents or coparenting plz plz plz 😭

Coparenting | Barca Boys

Summary: What is it like to coparent with them

A/N: I can't lie, I love this request 🥺❤️ also, thank you, Anon. I'm happy to know that you loved Begin Again.

Pedri

"Do you have your coloring book?" You ask, grabbing your son's backpack. He nods at your question. "What about your neon color pencils?"

"I have the draw I made for papi." He answers, showing you the drawing one more time.

You gran him, walking to the Gonzalez Lopez household. You text Rosy that you are outside, thar way you don't have to knock.

"Okay, mi amor." You put him down. "Listen to your dad, don't eat too much sugar and have fun."

He nods, giving you that smile that makes you think of Pedri. He was so much like Pedri. Even the way of talking, not only did he got the accent, but the expressions.

Rosy opens the door, greeting both of you. You share a quick hug with her. "Hola, guapo." She says, greeting the smiling boy.

"Mira abu," He says, showing her the drawing. "Para papi."

"It's so amazing! Your daddy is going to love it."

You kissed him one last time. "Have fun in Sevilla, amor." You say, sending him inside the house. "You guys are going to have fun this weekend." You smile at her.

Rosy hugs you. "We will." She says, taking the backpack from you. "Are you doing anything this weekend?"

You nod your head. "I'll go to the movies." You smile. "Oh, can you please give this to pedri? These are the tickets to the game our son has next month."

You considered yourself lucky, Pedri was coming out of the house with your kid on his arms.

"Mami!" You hear your baby yell. "Papi is getting me an ice cream."

"That so yummy, baby." You smile at him. "Hi, Pedri."

"Hola." He says, a very dry tone.

Rosy knows that if looks could kill, hers would kill her son. "Pedri, this is for you." She says, taking the envelope from your hands.

When Pedri found out about the baby, he was over the moon. You were his puppy love since school, first kiss, first time, first everything.

You also were his biggest fan, there was not one game day where you weren't ready to go support him.

To him, it was a big hit when you told him that it wasn't working anymore. You had a very hard postpartum time, as much as you tried to work on yourself, you couldn't.

You move out of his house, not wanting for him to be the one to leave, plus you don't need a five room house.

He offered to get you a house and to pay for everything you needed. He didn't wanted you to move back to Tenerife.

Once you got on your own feet, you told him to only take care of the baby. You didn't want to be a bother to him.

"What is this?" He asks, grabbing the envelope.

"The tickets for the game." You explain. "I texted you that I was going to bring them."

"Mhm" He humms, kissing his boy on the cheek. "Thanks. I'll be back, mom."

You move to the side, waving at your boy. You can't lie that it hurts you to see Pedri being so dry to you.

"I got tickets for both Fernandos and you, hope you can make it." You whisper, knowing your voice was going betray you. "Please, take care of him."

Rosy hugs you, she knows that you never wanted to hurt Pedri.

When Pedri came back home, his son was asleep on his arms. He was carrying two big bags that contained toys, as always he was the one spoiling him.

Rosy was waiting for him. Her husband and oldest son knew better than to be near when the bomb exploted on Pedri.

"We are back. Gosh, he's heavier by the day." Pedri laughs.

"Take him to his room and come back, we need to talk." His mother says, a very stern tone on her voice.

Pedri does as he's told, he doesn't want to mess with his mom. At least not when she's using that tone of voice.

He lays his boy down, turning the white noise machine that helps him sleep and closing the door with care.

"What are we having for dinner?" He asks.

Rosy knows she shouldn't, but she can't help to be involved in the middle.

"Pedro, you really need to start being a little more considerate with the way you talk to Y/n."

"Mom, not again." He scuffs. "Leave me and her to deal with this."

"I try, but I can't help it. You act as if you are bothered by her. Your son is young, and he doesn't notice this, but he will grow and see that you barely even acknowledge his mom. That's not okay."

"I try my best, okay?" He says, rolling his eyes. "Again, don't mind it, this is between us."

Rosy tries to answer back, but Pedri is already going upstairs to lay in bed with his kid.

You decide to play potato at home all weekend, turning on the match when the time hits. You might not be together, but you are still turning every single match he has.

The match was like a heart attack, a lot of emotions.

But the biggest emotion you had was when your phone began vibrating. It was Pedri requesting a FaceTime.

You don't think twice and press the green button. Your screening shows him and your son cheek to cheek, both with a big smile.

"Mami, we won."

You smile so hard your cheeks feel numb. "That so amazing!" You jump a little. "Tu papi es un campeón." You say. (Your daddy is a champion)

You don't notice it, but Pedri smile grows when you say that. "We are going to sleep as a celebration." Pedri says, laughing a little. "This one's curfew already passed like three hours ago."

"Today's allowed," you laugh, making him laugh.

You talk a little bit with your son and with Pedri as he bathes and changes your son to sleep. He tells you that the nanny of Lewas girls was the one who was going to be helping with your baby.

"Okay, time to sleep. I love you, amor. Please sleep." You say, pointing at your camera so your son could notice how serious you are.

"Adios, mami." He waves at you, sending you a kiss like you taught him.

"Thank you for calling me. I love you both."

"Love you too, mami." Pedri says, knowing it wasn't just because he had to answer back. "Very much."

Gavi

"Hey, drop it." You say to your daughter, who was taking her toys out of her already packed backpack. "You need to be ready to go to your dad's house."

"Papi let me play with my Barbie when he prepares my bag."

You roll your eyes, knowing that, of course, Gavi was letting her do whatever she wanted.

"Okay, I get it." You say, getting closer to her. "But mami really needs to go to class, so please don't do that right now." You begged.

She shrugs, taking the Barbie out and leaving the backpack alone. You roll your eyes, sometimes you do hate to be the strick one.

"Let's go." You say, grabbing her hand and backpack.

You were thankful that Pablo has training in the afternoon for the whole week. You sister was on finals week at school, so she needed to focus on her exams and couldn't help you with your daughter.

You didn't have much option but to ask Gavi to watch her while you go to class in the mornings. He was supposed to have her the late evenings and nights because of you taking that time to do homework and study.

"I love you very much." You say to her, giving her a kiss. "Please behave, doll."

"Te amo, mami." She smiles, hugging you.

You press Gavi's doorbell. Waiting for him to let you in.

"Mami, I'm hungry."

"I know, perdón I didn't give you breakfast." You pout. "Daddy told me he was making you something."

You hear the click of the door. Pablo opens it with a big smile on his face.

"Vente, muñeca." He says, making grabby hands to her. "I have your favorite cereal ready."

You want to ask, knowing that it was that same cereal you asked him not to buy. But you were a little too late for that.

"Thanks again, Pablo." You smile. "Doll, don't eat that much sugar." You warn her.

You ran to your class, leaving Gavi to be the responsable one.

"We have all day to ourselves." He says, giving his daughter a kiss on each cheek. "Want to watch a movie while we eat?"

She nodded, that was already their dinner tradition. Usually Pablo gets take out for her while he eats something plain like a salad or some nutritional stuff.

He enjoys spending time with his daughter, even when he doesn't even know what she's doing most of the time.

Part of him being the < Do whatever you want > type of dad, was that he finds himself busy with something else while his daughter entertains herself.

The other part is him just being a young dad. After all, he's 20.

Being a teen dad wasn't something he had in mind. His parents almost killed him, especially when they find out.

Even tho he is a very calm dad, who allows her to do a lot of things. You know that if you and him were together, you probably would be the same.

He grabs her hand, moving her to the play room he has for her. He sits down on the couch while she plays with her Barbie dolls.

He plays with her for a while, then watches a movie together. Feeling like the time went by perfectly.

"Papi, my friend likes barca too."

"Oh really?" He asks, smiling. "That girl has a very smart dad at home." He chuckles.

"Papi, my friend is a boy." She giggles.

Pablo raises an eyebrow. Sometimes he wonders if what she says is accurate, but lucky him, his daughter happens to be as well spoken as he was when he was a child.

That meant that when she said that she has a boy as a friend, she can't be mistaking the world.

"A boy? Tu no puedes tener amigos. Recuerda, los niños dan asco!" He frowns, not approving his baby girl having a boy around her. "Who is this boy?" (You can't have boy friends. Remember, boys are yucky)

"Mami has boy friends." She frowns too.

"Mami doesn't," He argues. "Plus, mommy is a grown-up. You are my baby, you can't have a boy as your friend."

"Auntie Aurora has." She argues back. She's definitely his daughter. "She kisses him. I want to kiss my boy friend too."

"No!" Pablo shouts. "That will make your teeth fall. You can't do that." He says, very strong tone.

It looks like all the stars aligned against him. His frown softens when he sees the tears on his daughter's eyes.

"Muñeca, no." He says, lifting her up. "I'm sorry, doll. I didn't mean to yell." He coos her in his arms.

Another sign for him to know that the luck wasn't on his side that morning was the doorbell.

He looks at his phone, time showing that it was, in fact, you the one ringing the doorbell. He can't help but feel like the one who's about to get yelled is him.

"Amor, mirame." He says, grabbing his daughter's face. "Papi didn't meant to yell, I'm sorry, doll." He kisses her face.

"No." She says, moving her face away from him. "I want mami."

His heart goes faster when he hears his phone, a text from you. Asking if he was home because you were outside.

"Amor, fine!" He says, desperately. "You can kiss all the boys you want, just stop crying."

But she won't reason, thanks to him she's scared to be even be near a boy. Fearing her teeth are going to be missing.

"The tooth fairy won't come if I kiss a boy." She cries even harder.

"Por la puta." Gavi whispers. "Muñeca, stop crying."

He can't keep hiding inside his home. You rang the doorbell again, making him frown. He leaves his girl on the coach, telling her to wait for him.

He rans downstairs, opening the door to you. "Hi, I thought you weren't here." You smile. "Where's our daughter?"

"That's the thing." He says out of breath. "I made her cry, and now she won't stop." He pouts. "Don't yell."

"Gavi!" You shout.

"Joder, don't yell." He shouts back. "I didn't mean to do it."

You shake your head, pushing him out of the way and walking inside the house. You already know she's in the play room.

"Amor, ven aqui." You say as soon as you see her. "What did you Daddy did to you?" You ask her, picking her up and hugging her.

"He says my tooth are falling." She cry into your neck.

You turn to the door, knowing Gavi is there.

"Teeth," He corrected, "And if it helps, she says that you have a lot of boy friends." He says, frowning. "Why?"

You open your mouth. "I don't." You fight back. "Did you make her cry about that?"

"No, she wanted to kiss a boy." He explains. "She can't do that until she's 40!"

"So you decide to yell and scare her?" You ask.

He looks at the floor, hearing his baby sob. "I didn't mean to." He whispers.

You soften your frown, you know that Gavi is young. He obviously is going to have this childish moments with her.

You have those moments with her. It's normal that you both do.

"Doll, you won't lose your teeth if you kiss a boy. What papi meant is that you are too young to do it, and you have to wait."

"Yes, wait till you are 40." Gavi whisper. "Amor, I'm sorry. You know I didn't mean to make you cry." He pouts. "Perdoname?"

Your now more calmed daughter looks at you, waiting for you to nod and to turn back to Gavi. "Go with papi." You smile, giving her a kiss.

"Te amo." He says, kissing her cheek. "But you can't kiss boys."

"Pablo!" You warn him.

Ferran

"Hi, Fer." You smile, opening the door.

"Why was our daughter outside?" He asks, mad expression on his face.

He has her on his arms, one hand grabbing the barca mini ball he gave her the day before.

"Oh, she was playing with Nelly." You explain. "Want some water?" You ask.

"Papi, down." Your daughter says.

He puts her down, giving her the ball. He closes the door and follows you to the kitchen. You hand him the glass of water.

"Gracias," He says. "You look beautiful." He smiles at you.

You smile back, knowing that he always says something like that. "I'm wearing a food stained shirt and joggers." You point at yourself. "I don't feel very beautiful."

"Well, you are." He smiles. "Now, care to answer my question?" He blinks a few times.

"I did. She was playing with Nelly, the neighbor's daughter."

"And I assume that Nelly's dad is the one who was playing with them." He says, a very deceptive tone. "Playing with her barca ball, that I got her, playing football with our daughter."

"Okay?" You say. "I feel like you are conflicted with that, care to explain?"

"Y/n, he's wearing a Madrid jersey." He says, the disgust in his tone was enough to make you roll your eyes. "And why is another dude playing football with my daughter? She's only allowed to play that with me!"

"Ferran, she was excited to show Mario her ball, and Nelly and her play every Wednesday."

"Who's Mario?" He raised an eyebrow. "Is he Nelly's dad?"

"Ferran, stop." You scuff. "Hey, Arantxa wants to get her into ballet, by the way." You say, walking over to your room.

"I need to shower. Please turn the oven off in fifteen minutes, and don't give her juice if she asks, I know you!"

Ferran took the opportunity to go to where his daughter is.

"Amor, come here." He says, opening his arms. "Is Mario your friend Nelly's dad?"

He knows it is crazy to ask his barely three year old daughter that question, but kids know a lot so he does.

She nods, smiling. "Nelly likes my ball."

"I'll get her one." He smiles. "What do you think about living closer to Auntie Arantxa?" He asks the little girl, getting closer to her and kissing her chubby cheek.

He lifts her, hugging her closer to him.

If he can say something about being a dad, is that he loves it. Having a girl is the best thing, he loves dressing up as a princess, with his tutu and his tiara.

He knows that he fucked up between you and him. Putting more effort into his work, spending less time at home, and the time he spent there was either on the gym or the sauna.

You got tired of begging him to just give you a day. Begging him for an hour of the day, to maybe help with his daughter, to be with you.

He got home tired, eating dinner and moving to the gym to tired himself even more. You try to ask him to be there for you, but he failed.

When you told him you were moving out, that you needed to put your child first. He felt betrayed.

He even fought you, calling you selfish for using your child as an excuse. Till this day, he regrets that.

You rented a two bedroom house. Perfect and small for you and your child. You work at the daycare your daughter goes to, so it's perfect. Your house is perfect for the two of you, and the location is even better for work.

Ferran tried to buy you a house, a big four bedroom home that was in the same neighborhood. You said no, angry at him and wanting to give him the space you thought he needed.

Now you notice that he spends more time at your house than anything. Barely even going back, just to check on his dogs and to play with them a little.

"Kiss." He says, making a duck lip to smooch his daughter. "Te amo." He smiles

"Te amo, papi."

You walk back into the kitchen after your very needed shower. Ferran was dancing to baby shark.

You smile at that, "I'm back." You announce. "Want to stay for dinner?"

"Obvio," He laughs. It was obvious you weren't getting him out of there until she was asleep. "Want some help?"

You shake your head, being able to prepare the plates while he dances with her.

"I'm getting her that cupra mini car that I saw on Instagram." He says to you, grabbing his plate and moving to the table. "We are going to match, amore."

"Can that stay at your house?" You ask. "Thanks to you, I don't have that much space anymore." You point at your very busy living room."

"About that," He whispers. "I got to tell you something." He says, scratching the back of his head.

"What did you do?" You narrow your eyes at him.

"Pedri told me it was a good idea." He excuses himself. "And the location is perfect. There's a big patio. Almost next to my sister."

"Ferran!" You sigh, not wanting to fight in front of your kid. "Why?"

"Because I miss you, and this place is so small. Sorry to say it." He lift his hands. "I fucked up, okay? I did! And now I get to see my daughter only after work, I'm dying."

He gets up, walking outside for a moment. You give him a few minutes, smiling at your daughter who's looking at you with curiosity.

"Don't kiss and tell, but Papi is not the smartest of them all." You whisper, making her laugh. "I'll be back, eat your dinner, mi amor."

He's taking his time, not wanting to go back while being this disappointed at himself.

"Ferran," You call him. "Can we talk?"

"What do I need to do to fix this?" He asks, desperate for an answer. "I want you guys back."

"Let's start by not buying anything before informing the other." You joke, making him chuckle. "I know this is an ugly situation for us, but we can't play bingo with our daughter. I need to make sure you changed because I don't feel like leaving again at midnight."

"You won't ever need that."

"Let's try to finish today. After she's in bed, we can talk." You say, grabbing his hand and walking inside. "Deal?" You ask, standing at the door.

"Deal." He smiles, taking a deep breath. "Can I sleep over?" He asks, trying his luck.

"No." You say, pulling him inside.

Fermin

"Do you want the blue shirt or the white one?" Fermin asks his son. "I like this one more, because that way we can match!"

"Bu," His son says, trying to say the word blue. "Bu, papi."

Fermin smiles, pulling the shirt over his head. "Look at you," He says, lifting him and walking over to the mirror. "We match!"

He was spending the evening with his son. You needed to study for this very important test that was taking place during the evening. He took the time to spend the whole day with him.

"I'm sending a picture to your Gammy." He smile. "Say hi, grandma." He smiles, snapping a picture of the two of them.

"Mamá." Your son says after the picture is taken.

Something Fermin knows is that he's not used to being away from you that much. He might go with an hour more than usual, maybe two even, but the whole day without you? No way.

"Mami is studying, buddy." Fermin explains. "That's why you and I are going to go get ice cream!"

Fermin loves to spend time with his son, it was the highlight of his day. Of his life better say. He enjoys it too much.

He feels bad that he doesn't get to spend as much time as he would want, mostly because he didn't share a house with you and because his job has kept him bussy.

"Mami." Your son pouts.

He wants you too, but sadly for him, he fucked up. So now he doesn't have you as he wanted.

"We can call her." He says, taking his phone and dialing your number.

You answer to FaceTime. Smiling when you see your baby's face. "Hola, mi vida."

"Mami, bu!" He claps.

"Blue!" You repeat. "Love that you are matching."

"We are going for ice cream." Fermin says, informing you of the plans. "Sorry to interrupt you, but he's a mama's boy and he can't live without you."

You pout. "I love you, amorcito." You smile. "As soon as I'm done with this, I'll go pick you up and we will cuddle while watching coco."

Fermin feels jealous, he wants to cuddle and watch coco too. He wants to be able to be there and spend time with the two of you.

You can describe Fermin as a perfect dad. Even when people say that there's not such a thing. Well, there is. Fermin López is that thing.

He helps whenever you need him to help, he stepped up when you need him to, he cleans, he cooks, he knows how to change diapers, he knows how to deal with a cold or the flue, he knows how to deal with tantrums.

He's the perfect dad.

But he wasn't the perfect boyfriend. That's where he failed, and you don't blame him, you weren't the perfect girlfriend either.

Your relationship ended before the baby came. You try your best to hide from Fermin that you were pregnant.

You were afraid that his career was going to suffer. You try your best to hide it from your friend in common.

The thing you forgot was that he knew where you lived, so when he came back to Sevilla for vacations, he went straight to your house.

You opened the door without checking who it was, big mistake you thought at the moment.

He asked the obvious question. "Is it mine?"

After that, he tried to do everything he could to be there for you. Even encourage you to move to Barcelona.

He got you a place to live, mostly because you didn't want to go back together, feeling that he wanted to do all this because of the baby.

He helps you money wise with the baby, even when you mention that your parents can help you and that you will be fine.

"Thank you, Papi." You smile at Fermin as soon as he is on frame. "I really can't do this without you." You pout, feeling emotional.

"I love you, mami." He smiles. "Go get that test done, we love you."

You send them a kiss, hanging up the call.

"Okay, amorcito." He says to his baby. "Want to go get ice cream?"

He smiles when the boy in his arms starts to clap his hands. "Yeah, let's go!"

The evening was all fun and laughs. He loves spending time with his little one. He makes sure to cook something for you.

Just in time, the doorbell rang. He takes his son from the safe mini sofa he bought for him. He walks to the door with him, making him laugh by asking him if he is ready yo eat.

"Hola!" You say, smiling at them. "Amor, ven acá." You grab the baby from his arms. "Hola, Fer." You smile, hugging him. "Sorry, I forgot the keys."

Yes, he gave you a copy of his house keys.

"I made dinner." He smiles, kissing your forehead. "Come here." He grabs your hand, walking with you inside.

"Did you have fun?" You ask your son. "Did papi and you have fun today? Did you eat a lot of ice cream?"

"Papi." He smiles, looking over at Fermin.

"Send a kiss to papi!" You say, excited to show Fermin what your baby learned. "Kiss, muak muak."

He does this thing, where he places his hand on his mouth and makes a kiss sound as he puts his hand away.

"Amor!" Fermin smiles happy. "Do that again." He does. You love to see the happy face and the big smile on Fermin's face. "One more time." He says.

"Muak." Your baby says, throwing a kiss at Fermin.

Fer loves having you over, he would love to have you living with him. Maybe in the future, you said once.

He can't wait for that to happen.

✨️✨️✨️

🏷: @gadriezmannsgirl

[parkerflix]

—corazón despeinado

miles morales x gn! reader

genre: fluff?? angst???

wc: 1.7k

part two here

synopsis: your friendship with miles seemed to hit a sore spot. the reason? his hair.

warnings: atsv spoilers! like big spoilers! canon divergence (miguel would hate me sorry bae)

a/n: this is earth 42! miles! just put it under here since i put the warning okay read at your own discretion from here on!

“Ow! Que te pasa? That shit hurt, mami.” Miles sat forward, rubbing his scalp.

You sighed and rolled your eyes. Miles Morales was such a baby when it came to doing his hair. You loved doing his hair, and him letting you have full control of it, but hated how much he flinched.

“No jodas. I barely even pulled it. If you would sit still, maybe we could finish this faster.”

Miles grumbled under his breath and he sat back in the chair, wincing when you started up again.

You had been doing Miles’ hair for years, Rio being your mom’s best friend. You guys spent summers and most weekends together, always having some sort of party. Your mom owned the neighborhood beauty salon & had been showing the ropes to you.

Miles always came to you when he wanted his hair done, or if he just wanted to see you.

“So, what’s the plan for tonight? Got a steamy date?”

Miles rolled his eyes.

“A date?”

“Yeah, a steamy date with some beautiful woman or man! Or romantic, a nice stroll on the street, the sky full of stars, going to a nice dinner.”

“Ya tu sabes, I’m not the type who does those types of dates.”

“Oh, so it is a date?”

“Mira, I don’t think there’s anyone I would date.”

You reached down in your apron to grab a hair tie to finish one of his braids.

“And why is that?”

You were so focused on his braids, that you didn’t notice his eyes staring at your face through the mirror.

Miles knew that he wasn’t into anyone the way he was into you. He wasn’t sure if you knew that he liked you. Miles thought it was fairly obvious, he gave you little gifts that he knew you would like, and spent most of his time with you. His mom had pretty much adopted you into his family, showing you how to make his favorites like mofongo & empanadas. For someone so bright, you seemed to not catch the hints he threw at you.

His silence caught you off guard & you stared at him through the mirror, a little surprised to see he was already staring at you.

“Miles?”

He seemed to snap out of whatever train of thought and sent you a half-hearted grin.

“Enough about me. What about you? Any plans?”

You shook your head, laughing slightly.

“Nah. Te recuerdas de ese guy que salí con like ages ago?”

Miles hummed as a signal for you to go on.

“Well, he asked me out again and as much as I loved the first date, I just wanted to spend the night by myself. Nothing sounds better than a cheesy movie & takeout.”

Before he could say anything else, you finished his last braid and tied it off.

“Ya terminé. What do you think?”

Miles got up from the chair and glanced at himself in the mirror, admiring your work.

“It looks good.”

You clapped your hands and gave him a hug.

“I’m so glad you like them! I know they’re a little different than usual but I thought they suit you.”

He nodded and gave you a small smile.

You were about to say something, when his phone went off.

“Girlfriend texting you?”

He rolled his eyes and pulled his phone from his jacket, seeing his uncle ask him where he was.

“Ya te dije, I don’t have anyone like that. I gotta go, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded and started to clean your station, hoping if you finished early you could leave.

Miles placed a chaste kiss on your cheek & made his way towards the door.

“I’ll take you out for breakfast tomorrow!”

He walked out of the door, leaving you smiling and shaking your head at how cute he could be sometimes.

You had left the salon late in the afternoon, taking a few of your mother’s clients while she handled a few other clients. You weren’t licensed just yet, but you knew you had the skills and experience to get your license as soon as you finished high school.

Your mom had some more clients after you had left & told you she wouldn’t be home tonight as she was planning on having a girls night with a few of her friends.

You had finally got home & changed into a shirt and shorts, ready to just relax and watch some movies. Rummaging through the fridge, you realized that you actually did have to order takeout, since there was nothing already made.

Checking the time, you figured you could swing by the local pizzeria, and stop by the supermarket for some ice cream. Grabbing your bag, you slipped on some easy shoes and made sure to lock the door.

At the pizzeria, you had ordered your food, and were just waiting. Sitting at one of the booths, you were slightly confused when you heard Miles’ voice come from the counter.

You turned to take a peek, and saw Miles there with a completely different outfit, and most noticeably, his braids were gone.

You were annoyed, his braids took you some time & he had already taken them out. If he really hated them, why didn’t he just tell you?

Going up to him, you tapped his shoulder.

He turned around and saw you, giving you a confused look.

“No me das esa cara, si no te gustaron, you know I would’ve changed them!”

Miles gave you an even more confused look, and started to really piss you off.

“Okay, why are you giving me that look? Seriously if you didn’t like the braids, I would’ve fixed them.”

“Braids? Do you have me mistaken for someone else?”

“Your name is Miles Morales, right?”

“Uh, yes.”

“Then no, I’m not mistaken. God why weren’t you just upfront about it with me? I would’ve done whatever you wanted, you know that.”

“Uh—“

“What? Are you too cool for them?”

“No I just—“

“I bet you do have a hot date huh! That’s what it is.”

“Hot date? Definitely not. I am so confused.” Miles said, awkwardly scratching the nape of his neck.

The guy at the counter called your name, and you pointed to Miles.

“Stay here. We aren’t done talking about this.”

You rushed up to the counter, and grabbed your pie, thanking him and ran back to Miles, grabbing his sleeve and dragging him with you.

Once outside, you dragged him to your apartment building, stopping at the stairs, placing your pizza box there.

“What’s going on with you?”

Miles just stared at you, not sure how to tell you that he wasn’t who you thought he was.

“I’m sorry.”

You sighed and frowned. Miles rarely apologized, even when he had done something. He had always sweet-talked you into not being mad at him, knowing that you had a soft spot for him.

“An apology? That’s a first. Miles, I just wanna know what’s been going on with you. You make plans with people and don’t tell me who, which like yeah I guess I’m not entitled to that information but—” you were cut off when he hugged you, wrapping his arms around your waist.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and stayed like that for a second. You knew Miles. He wasn’t a PDA sort of person and he wasn’t big on hugs either. He wasn’t telling you something, and it seemed to weigh heavy on him.

Before you knew it, he had unraveled himself from you and you both were standing away from each other.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure this will all make sense eventually but I really gotta go.”

He gave you a look that you couldn’t decipher and left you, pizza still on the steps, getting cold.

You didn’t hear from Miles until the next morning, knocking at your window.

You groaned and threw a pillow in that direction, knowing it probably missed.

The knocking kept going, so you got up and went to open the window not even sparing Miles a glance.

You trudged your way back into bed, making space for the both of you. He laid down next to you, having a debate if he should pull you close to him.

“Amor, what’s wrong?”

“Be quiet. I'm still trying to sleep.”

Miles let out a huff and poked your side.

“Miles, leave me alone.”

“Que hice?”

“What do you mean ‘que hice?’ We talked about this. If you didn’t listen to me at all then why are—”

You turned to face him, quickly realizing the small space in between the two of you.

You stared at his face, the sunlight giving him a soft glow. His eyes even were a different shade of brown, turning more like pools of milk chocolate. But what stood out to you the most, was his hair, in braids, neatly as if they were never out of them.

How was that possible? You saw him the night before and he didn’t have them. What was happening?

Miles called your name and you blinked, face feeling flushed at your gawking.

“You have your braids.”

He gave you a confused look.

“Yeah?”

“But last night you didn’t.”

“Last night? I don’t remember seeing you last night.”

“You’re joking right? I saw you and we talked and you left in a hurry.”

You sat up and sighed, confused and frustrated as to why he wouldn’t remember this.

“Are you sure it was me?”

You stared at him. Why did he have to say it in such a condescending tone?

“Yes, Miles. It was you.”

“It couldn’t have been me.”

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“Maybe a bit delusional. Guess you missed me that much.”

You were beyond frustrated now, and got out of bed.

Without a word, you pulled him out of bed and walked him over to your window.

“What— seriously que te hice?”

Crossing your arms, you looked away from him.

“The fact that you don’t even remember our conversation yesterday, and the fact that you’re acting like it never happened and you weren’t being weird— I can’t.”

“You can't do what?” Miles' voice cracked slightly, and he cleared his throat.

“I can't do this right now. You should go.”

“But-“

“Miles.” you whispered his name, feeling so many different emotions. He knew that you had made up your mind and pressed a kiss onto your forehead.

With that, he climbed out of your room and went down the fire escape.

You sat in your room, confused by everything and feeling something new, something like a heartache in your chest.

[krispypajamalady]

SPOILERS FOR FOURTH WING AND IRON FLAME

Do you ever think of why Lilith was fine with Violet going to the Scribe's Quadrant as long as Papa Sorrengail was alive? Yeah? No? Well I do.

“That’s not happening,” Xaden counters.

Her eyes harden when she looks at him. “You of all people know the lengths I’ll go to in order to protect her.

This. This right here speaks volumes about how good of a mom Lilith actually is. She may not outright show it but after reading Iron Flame, I think that she has done a great job as a protector and a provider.

“You’ve known what’s happening out there for all these years.” I white-knuckle my weapon.

She steps forward, her gaze jumping from the dagger in one of my hands to the splint on the other, then selects a pocket in my uniform top and slides the vial in. “When you have children, we can discuss the risks you’ll take, the lies you’ll be willing to tell in order to keep them safe.”

“What about their children?” My voice rises.

“Again.” She hooks her arm around my upper back, sliding her hand under my shoulder, and hauls me against her side. “When you are a mother, talk to me about who you’re willing to sacrifice so your child lives. Now walk.”

THIS. THIS RIGHT HERE.

Violet may not know her mother well, but her mother knows Violet in and out. You think her mother does not know about her and Xaden? She does. You think she has not kept tabs on her whenever she was at Basgiath? She has.

Now, to the main question.

“He made the mistake of thinking you’d be easy to control, but I know my daughter.”

I believe that the parent Sorrengails knew that they can hide the truth from Mira and Brennan, but never from Violet.

Lilith was ok with sending Violet to the Scribes Quadrant because Papa Sorrengail was there to make sure she stayed safe.

After his death, Violet was tutored by Markham. Markham wanted Violet to be the head of the Scribes, which she definitely qouldve become, had it not been for Lilith.

But Violet would not lie. Violet, as awesome she is, would always voice out her opinions. She would not be afraid to do that in front of Markham and would've ended up dead.

Lilith sent Violet in the Rider's Quadrant because she hoped that in this way Violet would stay safe. That she would never know about the venin and live a happy life.

Lilith asked Xaden to look after Violet, to ensure that she stays alive is because she knew Xaden is a man of his words. And powerful. He was the wingleader for God's sake.

[smiling-critters-movie]

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Whoa. Guess it's been a while. *Clears off dust and old hotdogs off the desk* Hey everyone! Floofychu here. First off lemme get this off my chest. *Takes cat off chest* There we go.

I wanna deeply apologize for leaving you guys in the dark involving this project. A lot of you were patiently waiting for a new update regarding this piece of fan content and I have not been clear as to why. Well as some would know or don't know, when it comes to The Smiling Critters movie, I want it to be not just the best it can be, but the best with my own vision attached to it. I made it clear that I wanted to replicate the old 80s/90s feel with this project I've been inspired by and what goes together with 80s/90s cartoon movies? No! It's the musical numbers!

A lot of cartoons and movies from those times seem to have some cheesy but fun musical numbers where the characters sing to pad out the runtime (You probably are familiar with the extended intro of the Critters song from my movie project) And thus I've decided to add musical numbers to it. Mother Mira's Lullaby is already finished (and on the channel!), the instrumentals for all the songs are ready to go thanks to some amazing artists and friends, but there was one song that held me back for MONTHS. That... was King Tyran's theme.

Yep, King Tyran's going to have his own musical number. Who doesn't love a villain song?! There was a problem tho. The voice actor for Tyran Cougar offered to mix the soundtrack and I gave him the go ahead to do so. Unfortunately he and his mixer were dealing with some IRL issues which caused a HUGE delay (Not your fault, mates!). I was wondering if I should've moved on to other things for the movie, but as time went on I got a lot more busier. Commissions to pay bills, helping my mom out and working on an Easter project that's gonna be finished soon.

So as I kept waiting for Tyran's song I would focus more on commissions as well as my own other projects but I'm now happy to announce... King Tyran's theme is finished. When will you guys hear it? Well perhaps pretty soon maybe? ;) Right now I need to finish my easter project as well as set up to pay more bills soon, but rest assure, now that Tyran's song is finally complete, the other songs will be completed on a timely manner as well! How many are left? 2 actually. One is going to be another musical number but with all the critter crew, and the other is... well I'm gonna save it when the movie's finished. ;3

I just wanna say thank you so much for your patience, love and care for this silly little project that grew in scope because of a certain direction I took it in. It was never meant to be this big, but because you guys love what I was doing with it and have grown interested in both the movie and the lore of it involving Poppy Playtime's story, I feel like I need to finish what I started. I have tons of ambition for this project thanks to you guys, and now that one of the songs is FINALLY finished, I no longer feel stagnant.

Thank you all again. God bless you all, and enjoy the time we have. ^^ Just S-M-I-L-E everyday! ~Floofychu

[thatbookwhore]

***Iron Flame SPOILERS****

I am so incredibly disappointed with what everyone is choosing to talk about with this book. Everyone is concentrating on what happens with Xaden but you know what to me was the absolute most gut wrenching storyline in the whole book? General Lilith Fucking Sorrengail.

From the moment we see her again in the beginning of the book she is nothing but supportive and proud of her daughter. Yes, she absolutely made the wrong decision where she stands in the war, and what she did to Xaden was absolutely inexcusable. (Although I do think if she hadn’t done that they would have killed all the marked ones.) But she made all those decisions for her children. Because she did what she needed to to keep them safe. You can’t convince me that even after Violet leaves, that even after Mira leaves, that she wasn’t incredibly thankful for the fact they were together and with Xaden who would never let something happen to Violet.

Lilith went into the dungeons to get her daughter out of there and I am not unconvinced that had Violet not already been mid rescue the General wouldn’t have turned traitor right there to get her out. The scene when Brennen reveals himself to her?? She’s cracking and can hardly hold herself together and my heart felt so sorry for her in that moment. It made me mad at Brennan because he threw it in her face like ammo when Violet spent all of fourth wing describing how his death ruined their mother.

One of the most heart breaking quotes in the whole book is at the beginning of chapter 65:

“Most generals dream of dying in service to their kingdom. But you know me better than that, my love. When I fall, it will be for one reason only: to protect our children.”

General Sorrengail didn’t support the war, she didn’t fight for Navarre she made it clear fron the beginning that she was just a mom protecting her kids, and she did so without second thought. Without hesitation. She didn’t do what she did for the war effort, or even to help everyone on the battlefield. She did it for Brennen, and Violet, and Mira.

Lilith Sorrengail was just a desperate mother and everyone glossing over her sacrifice is bullshit.

[we-were-beautiful]

Marry me

Xaden x Sorrengail!oc

WC: 816

Warnings: None just Fluff

A/N: Well I decided to take part in a small writing Challenge. I had fun writing this little blurb and while it has the potential to turn into its own series; I am going to show self restraint by not doing that. The prompt was "I can never say 'no to you" From Jana over at @creativepromptsforwriting

Also fair warning; I didn't send this to any of my betas. So we die like men at this point

Thank you to @skyfallscotland and @justallihere for putting together the Fourth Wing Birthday Bash

Last but not least tumbr is being dumb and won’t let me post from my laptop so apologies about the formatting

“We should get married” I comment wrapping my arms around my beloved’s shoulders, fingers gently tracing along the scars at the top of his shoulders. I look up into his gold flecked onyx eyes and smile widely at him. Was the flight field after lessons the best place to have this conversation, probably not, but I couldn’t help myself. It had been an interesting lesson with a storm about to roll in; the thunder off in the distance rolling. But now with the rest of the third years and Professor Kaori heading back to the citadel, I figured given Xaden a small heart attack would be fun.

Where I would expect to see shock and hesitance on his face I only see a fond smile as he wraps his arms around my waist to pull me into his chest.

“When do you want to get married and how do you want to tell your mother and sisters?” I hadn’t thought of that.

It would be pretty easy to tell Violet. If I could get her away from her squad it would be as simple as that. Mira I could just write a letter too. Shed be pissed at first; she had specifically told me to stay away from Xaden. That didn’t work out since we ended up in the same squad with mated dragons; but Mira could get over it. She’d be happy for me eventually.

My mother; however, I completely forgot about. General Sorrengail hadn’t been a fan of the relationship and she had made it known to me once the word had made it to her office. That had been the only time I had formally gotten called to her office to make her displeasure known; but its been three years. Xaden and I work well together and we have been in love with each other for awhile now. Not to mention we are kinda stuck with each other until one of us dies so at one point or another she’s just going to have to learn to live with it.

I feel Tairn’s amusement in the back of my mind. The old curmudgeon had been riding my ass this last week about acting like a love sick puppy around Xaden. Like his grumpy ass isn’t the exact same way around Sgaeyl.

‘I heard that’ the rumbling voice flows through my head.

‘You were supposed to.’ I felt Tairn’s snout push at my back sending me further into Xaden’ s grasp ‘Tairn!!!’ I can hear Sgaeyl chuckle in my head.

‘I think I shall go get some sheep’ I’m not sure if it is the mighty beat of our dragons wings or thunder, but as the two dragons fly off the heavens open up above us and cold rain begins to pour down. Xaden lets out a hearty laugh squeezing me tightly.

“When do you want to get married love.” He leans down to whisper in my ear repeating his earlier question.

“Want to grab Garrick, Bodhi, Liam and Vi and sneak down to Chantara.” I would do it; grab our family and secretly get married today if he agreed.

“How about we wait until graduation. We can get our family together, before we fly to our post, and have a small ceremony.” He pushes a soaked strand of hair away from my face. “Then it gives you time to let Mira know, so she can try and get leave” leave it to this perfect man to remember that I wanted Mira there when I got married. While Brennen had Mom and Violet had Dad it had been Mira and I against the world. I still had all of the letters we had wrote to each other while she was in the quadrant and then when I started second year. She had to be there on our special day; she would kill me if I ran off today and got married.

“Ok Graduation it is then.” He looks even more breathtaking in the rain as water droplets roll down his skin.

“Alright then lets go Mrs.Riorson.” He lets go of me and moves towards the hidden tunnel entrance.

“Wait.” I call grabbing his hand to stop him. “Kiss me?” Is it cheesy and straight out of the romance books that I brought into the quadrant, yes. But I had always wanted to be kissed in the rain.

“Have I ever been able to say ‘no’ to you.” He gently cradles my face in his hands tilting my face upwards; his lips crash into mine is a passionate kiss. It starts out innocent enough but my hands quickly find their way to his hair and one of his finds its way to my ass. When we break apart we are gasping for breath; Xaden rest his forehead against mine and hazel eyes meet onyx “Marry me?”

“Yes.” I laugh and pull him into another kiss.

[auncyen]

one scene that's been on my mind for like a week and I'm not sure if will make to final draft or not

-

"Vaugarde's requirements for citizenship are quite relaxed compared to other countries. No doubt they'd welcome one of the Saviors with open arms." Odile looks to the side. "And, well, we could look into other countries as we travel. Poteria is a bit stricter, but I think still a possibility. Ka Bue, too, if you like it."

"...I thought gaining Ka Buan citizenship was really hard?" you ask, puzzled. "I've only heard of one way for becoming a citizen."

Odile's cheeks darken. "Well...I didn't expect you to already know that, but...yes, there's only one way you could become a Ka Buan citizen. I'd be willing to...Siffrin? What are you making that face for?"

Are you making a face?? Oh no, oh no, you're going to upset her, but how can you NOT make a face when she's proposing-- "O, Odile, I'm flattered, but--"

Odile's eyes widen. "Siffrin, wait--"

"I can't marry you??"

"WHAT," Isa booms, and the table rattles when his hands slap down on it in surprise. Bonnie jumps; Mira squeaks. "M'DAME?!! YOU?!"

"THAT IS NOT WHAT I WAS PROPOSING," Odile yells before pointing a finger at Isabeau. "YOU. CALM YOURSELF."

Isa folds his arms and sits back in his chair with a pout. He's...sulking???

....Wait, does Isa like Odile? Like that? They do go out drinking together every so often, but... that doesn't seem right. He called her Mom once. The whole idea makes you feel weird. But then why is he sulking?

"Gems alive," Odile sighs. "The one way for a non-native to gain Ka Buan citizenship is to become part of a Ka Buan family. So if we're going to get into the specific methods of joining a family, there are, in fact, two ways. The first is marriage, which. No. Absolutely not."

Absolutely not!!! You nod firmly.

"Though I am curious, Siffrin, as to why you 'can't' marry me?"

There is a very pointed eyebrow pointing your way. You try not to sound too nervous as you answer, "Well, it'd just--it'd be weird, wouldn't it?!" She said it herself! Absolutely not!

"...Fair enough. Isabeau's already made it very clear he wouldn't give us his blessing." Odile glances sidelong at Isabeau, a smirk tugging at one corner of her mouth. Isa's face is wine-dark as he tries to shrink into his chair, which looks silly with him being such a big guy. "The second method and what I meant is adoption."

"But you don't want to be a mom," Bonnie says, confused.

Odile pulls a face. "Which makes it very fortunate Siffrin is an adult who doesn't need a mother. Adult adoption is usually used to navigate inheritance issues, but I think this would be an apt use for it. Both my parents were travelers... perhaps in my own travels, I heard rumors or had some chance encounter and found the half-sibling I never knew existed before. And thus, I decided to correct the family registry to include them."

"...I don't look a thing like you," you say. "Do I look like either of your parents??? At all???"

Odile lets out a sharp laugh. "Oh, no, not one bit. But we don't need to prove any blood relation for an adoption--that's just what I'd tell the nosier neighbors, to see them try to work that out."

You can't help laughing at that explanation. Odile's younger sibling, helping her annoy pesky neighbors...you don't think you'd mind that at all. It sounds great. It sounds wonderful.

[onlyjaeyun]

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 – 𝟔𝟎

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗𝐓𝐘: 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝

↬ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

↬ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬!𝐀𝐔, 𝐂𝐄𝐎!𝐉𝐚𝐲, 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

↬ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟐.𝟕𝐤

"Y/N, honey, where are you?"

The sound of Sora's voice makes its way through the now empty hallways of your new home, just loud enough to reach you.

"I'm in the kitchen, doing the dishes!"

You let out a soft sigh of exhaustion as the events of today finally get the best of you and you actually catch yourself craving absolute silence.

The housewarming party went exactly as planned and you couldn't have been more grateful. After weeks of living such chaotic days one after the other, you're simply relieved that not a single thing went wrong tonight. The food was amazing, your guests were only the people closest to you, everyone had a great time and there was not an ounce of negativity.

When the girls had basically kidnapped you to go and get yourself all dolled up only ghree hours before the first guests were set to arrive, you couldn't help but feel stressed and anxious but now after not only receiving a compliment to your look of the night from basically every sinfle guest, but also realising just how much more comfortable you were once you felt a little bit more presentable and didn't have to worry about that part yourself, you're that much more grateful for your friends' thoughtfulness.

Seeing your boyfriend's sweet and genuine reaction was just a bonus to it all.

Now that most of the guests are gone and it's just your closest circle, you feel a little less stressed and a lot more relaxed than about an hour ago.

You know subconsciously hiding yourself behind household chores isn't the most mature way to get yourself the few minutes of aloneness you've been craving for the past twelve hours but at this point you're way too exhausted to even care enough.

"Oh, goodness, you really are doing the dishes!" Sora's sweet giggles fill the soace of your kitchen with this certain type of warmth and as soon as your eyes meet the sweet gaze of Jongseong's mother, you know the exact reason behind the sudden change in atmosphere.

Sora, Nayeon's mother and your boyfriend's bonus mom, as well as Mirae, have been giving you the motherly love you've never experienced in your life and as they come to stand next to you, it definitely takes a lot of self control and willpower for you to suppress the urge to just burst into tears. Their constant words of reassurance, affection and appreciation are simply something you're not used to and with each time they smile at you with nothing but love and adoration in their calm eyes, you can physically feel yourself heal from everything your inner child has been through.

"Do you need any help, sweetheart?" Mirae asks oftly and caresses your hair softly, something you'd usually feel incredibly uncomfortable with yet with her it's never bothered you, not even on the day Jongseong had introduced the two of you to each other.

"No, thank you", you reply calmly and shoot her a quick smile back, "I'm almost done anyway. The dishwasher's running and I finished most of the pans and pots the chefs had used."

"You're amazing", Sora is quick to praise you for your hard work, "but how about we help you with the drying so you can come back and join everyone on the balcony for some wine, hm?"

"Jay's asked about you at least four times since you disappeared and I'm pretty sure Yeonie's gonna punch him very soon if he doesn't stop." Mirae's little comment has you all burst into loud laughter as memories of the two siblings actually physically fighting each other during the traditional saturday brunch because of the most random things.

The fact your boyfriend not only grew up but still very much maintains the close bond he has with the women in his life makes you incredibly happy and grateful to be a part of. You never knew what it felt like to have a loving mother, a sister or a sibling who not only appreciates and loves you, but also enjoys your presence and makes you feel special and valued.

With Jongseong, you didn't just find the love of your life but he actually gave you the one thing you've always been missing: a family.

The longer you think about the actual kmpact and influence your boyfriend has had on you and your mindset despite the rather short amount of time you guys have known each other, the more you find yourself falling in love with him.

He's the first man in your life who kept all of his promises, who gives you the love you're giving him, even more at times, who cherishes and appreciates every little thing you do, be it for him or yourself. Jongseong has managed to heal the deepest wounds in your heart and your soul, sometimes with nothing but a simple look of gratitude and happiness.

You know that to some people you might be exaggerating, but you know deep down in your heart, that Park Jongseong was always meant to be yours, it just took him a little to find you.

"You've got lost in your thoughts, hm?" Mirae smiles and starts rolling her sleeves up before she reaches for a towel and then one of the pots you had just finished washing.

To Jongseong's luck, it seems like you're perfectly occupied, since he hasn't seen you in about twenty minutes, giving him and everyone else involved enough time to secretly set up the baclony for the proposal.

The past four hours felt like a whole decade to the young business man. Every time he talked to you or literally anyone who has absolutely no idea about the little black box he hid between his socks right before you came back from your hair appointment, Jay felt like losing his mind.

Keeping this to himself turned out a lot harder than he could have ever expected. Of course the guests had managed to distract him well enough, but every now and then, especially when you found your way to him, Jong couldn't help but panic.

He really wanted everything to go as planned, not because of his perfectionist nature but rather because he wants to give you exactly what you deserve. The best and nothing but that.

Thankfully his boys and your friends had managed to take care of everything, even going as far as subtly sending the last guests home just to make sure it's only the people you both care the most about.

Jongseong nervously allows his eyes to roam the little set up his sister had organised in under an hour, saving him and his one perfect opportunity the way she's done it one too many times already.

Jaeyun and Sunghoon quietly carry the last two lighted letters to their designated spot, while your best friends are busy throwing rose patels all over the floor and Heeseung takes care of giving the surprise its last touch ups by lighting the little candles, which are basically leading the way from the door.

"Moms are distracting her just a little longer", Nayeonie suddenly says and appears by his side out of nowhere, "how are you feeling?"

For some reason, Jay struggles to find words to answer that particular question.

He's excited and nervous, of course in the best ways possible. Yet, there's still that little voice in the back of his head which has been spitting the worst, most frustrating things for the past few hours and has easily turned all of his joy and happiness into worry and anxiety.

Jay knows you're going to say yes. But then again – does he, really?

You two have talked about this multiple times and each time you made sure to let him know that you'd definitely not reject him if he ever asked you the big question, regardless of the timing.

So why is it that his head is filled with scenarios of you being disgusted, horrified and at one point even angry at him for doing something like this?

"Stop overthinking it", it's Yeonie's soft voice yet again, one of the few people in his life who're not only able to read him like an open book but also find their was through those messy thoughts of his.

"I'm nervous", Jay finally says and lets out abloud sigh as his fingers nervously fumble with the ring box in his pocket, "what if she says no?"

"Oh, shut the fuck up", Yeonie rolls her eyes and lands a firm slap on the back of her brother's neck, eliciting a round of laughter from everyone around, "you guys talked about this like ten thousand times. Plus, you're disgustingly in love with each other. I promise you, she's not going to reject you."

"And if she does, I'll take the ring, brother!" Jaeyun is quick to make a random comment to lift his best friend's spirit and before he can actually laugh about it, Jay and the other two boys basically form their well known choir as they question the young man's mental stability.

"Sim Jaeyun, what the fuck?"

"Anyway", Nayeon laughs and comes to stand in front of her younger brother with the proudest expression in her eyes and a huge smile on her face, "let's do this."

And as you're casually refilling Sora's wine glass, the women can't help but smile at how awfully unaware you are of what's been going on on the other side of your apartment.

You don't even notice the way one of them pulls out their phone to respond to a message, too lost in your own thoughts and the feeling of exhaustion overwhelming your body after such an eventful and social day.

Jongseong knows you're at a point in your day where all you can think about are your pyjamas and sleep, which is why he's pretty sure the surprise is going to do exactly what it's supposed to do.

"Let's go and join the others, hm?", Mirae says and smiles at you ablittle bigger than just a few minutes ago, leaving you a little gonfused why she'd be so enthusiastic all of a sudden but you're way too tired to even question it as you nod and follow them into the big living room.

To your surprise, the lights are turned off, the only source of light coming from the balcony and with your brows furrowed in confusion, you don't even wait for your boyfriend's morhers and quickly make your way to see what's going on.

It takes your brain a whole minute to process what you're currently looking at and as soon as your eyes meet the gaze of your lover again the end of the candle way, a thick veil of tears blurrs your vision.

"Oh, my God", you whisper and read the lighted letters behind him over and over again, just to make sure that you're actually reading them right.

Both Mirae and Sora come to stand next to one of the boys a little further away from you as all of your loved ones watch the shock take over your body with big smiles and emotional eyes.

Jongseong, on the other hand, is basically about to pass out. The sught of your pretty eyes filling with tears the longer you look at him makes his heart slam even harder against his rib cage and for a moment it feels like his lungs are hyperventilating.

Your body moves to approach your lover before your mind can follow and by the time you come to stand in front of him, tears have already stained your cheeks.

"Hi, Baby", Jay sighs and chuckles when he notices the look of pure shock in your usually so excited eyes.

"Hi, Jongie", you respond almost instinctively, your voice breaking at the end of your greeting and if it wasn't for the fact that this is about to become the best moment in yojr life, you would have been a sobbing mess already.

For a short moment, Jay allows himself to stop and just look at you. He carefully and attentively takes in the way you're looking at him, the details of your beautifully crafted facial features, his gaze dropping to your quivering bottom lip and right back up into the eyes he's found home in.

"Y/N", he begins softly, knowing (or hoping) the usage of your name is going to make it feel a little realer, a little less like a dream, "my one and only love. My everything. My home."

Just as usual, Jongseong's words are carefully chosen, well thought through and hit the deepest parts of your heart in a way only he's ever been able to.

"I always wanted to believe in love and soulmates, fairytales and romance but the older I got, the more I started losing hope. Until you stepped into my office and looked at me with those breathtakingly beautiful eyes", Jong lets out a shaky sigh, not quite used to being so vocal about his feelings in front of others but right now, nobody but you matters to him.

"My sweetest angel, my sweet souled girl", he deeply inhales and reaches for your shaking hands, gently holding them in his own to calm your racing heart down and in that moment, you're reminded of just how beautiful Park Jongseong is.

"You're my best friend, my soulmate, the one person I've waited for all my life. I don't think you have a clue what your love has done to me", with each and every single word falling past his lips, another tear of joy and happiness finds its way down your cheek, yet you never once dare to avert your gaze away from his. Too mesmerized by the love and adoration gleaming in the sweetest shade of brown you've ever had the privilege to look at.

"You saved my soul, Y/N. With every joke, every pun, every single sassy comment and comeback you've brought me back to life just a little more. And here I am, Baby. Alive and happy, because of you. Before you came into my life, I never really knew what I wanted or what I was working so hard for. But now I know", Jay whispers as the rawness of his words get the best of him and tears start pricking at the corners of his eyes. But before you can even reach for his face, he lifts your hands up to his lips and places a row of soft kisses on your knuckles.

"Everything I do, everything I own, everything I am belongs and is dedicated to you, my sweetest angel. You make me want to become the best version of myself, a better man, a better human, a better friend and son. Loving you, being by your side is my joy, my happiness, my biggest achievement and privilege I've ever received."

Just when you think your heart has reached its capacity, Jongseong looks at you with gentle eyes, slowly lowers himself on one knee and smoothly pulls out a little black ring box from his pocket.

However, he doesn't say anything until he's made sure to hold your right hand in his again, the skinship easing his thoughts, calming his soul just how he needs it.

This is it. This is the moment he's been dreaming about and waiting for all his life.

"You're my best friend, the love of my life. My home. It'd be an honor to make you my wife and spend the rest of my life loving, appreciating and cherishing everything you do. So, will you marry me?"

For the very first time in your life, there's not a single doubt, worry or an ounce of hesitation in your system and without missing another beat, you start nodding your head.

"Yes, yes, yes", you say and finally throw your arms around his shoulders as nothing but happiness and the feeling of being completed in a way you've been craving for far too long finally takes over you.

"I love you so much", you whisper against his lips, Jongseong's breathtakingly beautiful face firmly placed in your palms as he looks at you with literal stars gleaming in his dyes.

"I love you so fucking much", is the only thing he says before you go in for another tight hug, knowing life has finally given you exactly what you've been waiting for all this time.

All those dark nights you spent by yourself, all alone, unloved, heartbroken and abandoned will now forever remain in the past. They can't hurt you, not anymore.

You've finally found your missing piece.

← 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

(A/N: i don't even know what to say exceot excuse the spelling errors pls it's 2am and im stressed bc SB is now officially finished im gonna go cry..see you guys for the epilogue tomorrow 🤕 thank you SO much for everything babies. i love you.)

TAGLIST CLOSED: @soonigiri i @xrr-s4sha @kwiwin @heelcvr @deobitifull @kpoprhia @doodlelibrary @abrazosolorcereza @certifiedmoa @sleeping-demons @heerinnie @ohmy-moonlightx @heeswif3y @hoonieluv @fakeuwus @jongszn @cheybabey @ineedsomezzz @super-amberlynn @kshoshi @tinie03 @jseongies @mimikittysblog @primroselover @heebrry @jebetwo @donghyckl @07myonlylove @enhamysunshines @quemirasboboandapaya @lostwonderwall @seuomo @enhaz1 @teawithbucky @beomgyusonlywife @dammit-jjk @lhsvibez @azurez @boutyouwonu @finchyyy @ocyeanicc @jaylaxies @in-somnias-world @zerasari @spookyauthorspopmusictrash @capri-cuntz @fluerz @3amstarlight

[luceracastro]

Always You

Fran Romero x reader

Summary: Fran and you had known each other for basically your whole lives, him and your older brother being friends since forever and you being his favorite girl as you would recall him calling you since forever, however after you both reach adulthood certain feelings come to light

Warnings: brother’s best friend trope, fluff, some angst with comfort, kissing but nothing too crazy!

Ever since you could remember Fran had been in your life, hell there’s even pictures of him and your brother with you as a baby all over the house framed

He was the sweetest towards you, he was kind and respectful always defending you towards your brother and everyone else, protecting you and it warmed your heart as a kid

You admired him in many ways than one. He was always attentive towards you and as you both grew it was more constant , when him and your brother entered their teen phase he was sweet to you while your brother was more rude and annoying

When you wanted to show Fran something you had made, the high grade you got on a test or assignment, the newest color you painted your nails or something new you had just bought he always listened even if that meant interrupting him and your brothers conversation, a movie, or video game session

When your brother would tell you to leave them alone Fran wouldn’t take too kindly to that “oye boludo callate es una nena,” or “nomas me quiere enseñar algo” he’d also at times punch your brothers shoulder when he made fun of you or teased you about something

He had endearing nicknames for you also, Bonita, hermosa, Linda, nena, Chiquita and etc. Fran had a huge soft spot for you ever since but once the age of 18 hit him he didn’t come around as much since he was always in his theater classes or busy with school and his new adult life

Him and your brother still met up but over at his place instead, you would be lying if you said it didn’t make you sad or mad, he however still sent you a message here and there and though he missed six birthdays from work or theater that didn’t stop him from sending your brother back from his place with a birthday card with some money and a gift

Also a happy birthday message, but you still missed seeing him and at some point you sadly got used to the fact that he had a whole different life from you, of course he would he had a whole life to live and dreams

Your 21st birthday was around the corner and though you had stopped having birthday parties at the age of 16 your mom thought it’d be a great idea to have one for your 21st birthday, you were finally officially legal for everything

You woke up to voices and music downstairs and you walked down the steps to be met with decorations around the house and in the backyard your dad and uncles moving around tables and chairs and more decorations “Feliz cumple pelotuda” your brothers voice rang out from behind you and you smiled turning around “gracias pelotudo” he gave you a hug

You had walked into the kitchen to see your mom and to your surprise Fran’s mother, “Aye Mira La Niña” Fran’s mom laughed as you chuckled your face held subtle surprise, she hadn’t came around much after Fran stopped coming

“Feliz cumple mi amor” she gave you a hug which you returned with a smile “gracias” once you both separated from the hug you looked around to see all your favorite foods were being prepared “Linda, sabes quien va venir hoy” your mom asked as you sat down peeling a orange “no, quien?” You asked not really paying much mind “Fran” she said happily and your eyes widened

It had been years that he hadn’t seen you and you him “de verdad?” You asked and his mother nodded “Si, Por fin el tiene tiempo libre” she said and you nodded, after so long he was finally going to show up.

You had showered, done your makeup and hair then got dressed, in reality you were a bit nervous for all eyes to be on you, you hadn’t really had a whole birthday celebration since you were 16 and now basically your entire family and family friends were going to show up

As you stepped downstairs there was already a line of your family members waiting to greet you and wish you a happy birthday giving you a bunch of birthday cards and some present bags, you smiled from ear to ear genuinely as it actually feel nice to see your family all together with your home full of life

“Oye boluda ten” you turned to see your brother holding two small wrapped up boxes, you grinned taking them from him and unwrapping the first, a bracelet of real gold from a famous jewelry shop, the second was a necklace from the same place and you smiled “gracias, te quiero” you wrapped your arms around him as he did the same “Si si you tambien te quiero” he chuckled as he hugged you

The party was going well and you turned hearing your brothers voice, you froze seeing Fran enter with a smile on his face, he looked a bit different with his hair more grown out and a more structured face and slightly more taller than before, he smiled greeting your parents and other family members that were around him

then he set his eyes on you, the two of you could only look at one another and you practically felt frozen, he walked over to you a soft smile on his lips, “hola, te vez hermosa” he said a breathy chuckle escaping his lips as you smiled turning red just like when you both were kids “gracias Fran” he held the neatly wrapped present in front of you with a birthday card inside a light purple envelope with your name on it

You smiled taking the gift in your hands “ya los 21, me siento viejo” he laughed making you laugh as well “no seas dramatico nomas me ganas con 2 años” you said and sat down which he followed to do and he could only look at you “que?” You asked softly “perdon, por todo” he said and you raised a brow “por que?” You asked and he sighed “deje de venir y falte tus cumpleaños” he explained and you shook your head

“No no tranquilo la verdad no pasa nada Fran no quiero que te sientes asi” you said shaking your head and he smiled at you “y todavia sigues siendo la misma dulce niña de antes” he smiled and you chuckled “quieres comer? Te sirvo?” You asked and he shook his head “pero todavia accompañame” you nodded following him to where all the food was

He served his plate and you both went to sit down, “y entonces nena, como has estado todo este tiempo?” He asked before taking some food into his mouth “bueno todo esta bien pero la escuela es un joder y tambien con el trabajo aye no” you shook you head and Fran laughed “aye pobrecita La Niña” you rolled your eyes playfully

“Y tu?” You asked “todo esta bien, sigo en el theatro y el trabajo me va bien” he said and you nodded “Que bueno” you smiled “pero te extrañe mas que nada” he admitted and you smiled “yo tambien Fran” he smiled wrapping an arm around you pulling you close planting a kiss on the side of your head just like when you two were younger making you giggle

“Recuerdas cuando tu hermano te grito bien feo que le di en la cabeza con uno de los libros de la escuela” you both laughed at the memory “si, aye tu siempre me defendias” you smiled at him and he nodded “pues claro como no defender a mi princessa” he smiled at you. That night you both talked for hours and hours about the memories you both had and you tried to hold onto it all never wanting it to end because you thought that after that he would go back to no contact all over again

But the next morning walking downstairs you were surprised to see him and your brother on the couch with plates of breakfast you were sure your mother made them “buenas boluda” your brother said and you nodded over at him “hola nena” Fran smiled at you “hola” you grinned sitting beside him he wrapped an arm around pulling your legs over his just like before

You smiled and your brother gave you both a look but then turned back to the TV “aye buenos dias mija quieres un plato?” Your mom asked and you nodded “por favor mami” she nodded walking into the kitchen, it felt like old times really.

Since then Fran didn’t stop coming over, he came almost everyday even if only for a little bit and he was constantly hanging out with you, inviting you to outings with him and your brother, or doing things together.

And both of your parents took note of it, how attentive Fran was to you how he took care of you, did anything for you “se van a casar lo tengo por seguro” your mother said

Fran then started bringing you little gifts and treats even flowers and you both became closer than before if that was even possible, he had already been told by your parents that they’d love for you to be with someone like him and his mother and father entertained the idea as well

He however deeply cared about how your brother felt about it, he knew secretly how protective he was of you and if anything were to happen to you he’d lose it completely but on one night when your brother was drunk out of his mind he said what he really thought

Your brother threw an arm over Fran as he was tipping over until Fran wrapped an arm around him laughing “oye oye escucha me mira mira, guey yo veo como vez a mi hermana eh” his words slurred and he tipped over occasionally and as Fran was about to protest your brother interrupted “no no escucha pelotudo mira” Fran was quiet now waiting for what your brother had to say “si ella va tener novio quiero que sea contigo” Fran looked at your brother like he had grown two heads

“O sea yo mismo vi como la cuidas, desde que eramos niños la cuidabas con tu vida guey y tampoco soy pendejo yo veo como la miras” your brother said giggling drunkenly and Fran rolled his eyes a playful smile on his lips “bueno bueno, si me gusta tu hermana siempre me a gustado ” Fran chuckled “pero si le haces daño te rompo los huevos” your brother said and Fran nodded “yo nunca le haria daño a esa princessa” Fran said and your brother nodded

The following week Fran had built up enough courage to ask you out, his hands were sweating and his belly was full of nerves “Fran, hola” you gave him a hug letting him in “mi hermano esta en su cuarto” you said letting him know but instead he moved to sit by you on the couch and you looked at him, he finally had asked you and you of course accepted

You had gotten ready and you knew it was a simple date but you still put effort in what you wore, you had walked downstairs to find him with pink and white hued roses in his arms for you and you smiled looking at them “gracias, son hermosas” you smiled “dame mija te los pongo en agua” your mom took a hold of the roses and you thanked her

“Lista?” He asked and you nodded, he had been a gentleman the whole time opening the doors for you and he took you to your favorite restaurant and made sure you ordered whatever you liked and wanted, most first dates are awkward or not as enjoyable but knowing Fran your whole life it was fun and enjoyable as you two couldn’t stop laughing the whole time

He then took you to get your favorite ice cream and you both took a walk at a park that was beautiful, “quieres saber algo” he said and you turned your head to look at him “que?” You asked and he sighed “que te amo” he said and you nodded “ yo tambien te amo” you said and he stopped in his tracks “no nena, te amo, te amo y no como un amigo o hermano” he said and you were a bit surprised

“De verdad?” You asked and he nodded but your first move was to grab his face and kiss him, fran at first was surprised not kissing back but after a few seconds his lips moved against yours his hands moving to hold your face “yo tambien te amo, y no como amiga ni hermana” you giggled and he smiled kissing you once again

“Siempre ha sido tu, eres la amor de mi vida” he said smiling and you smiled “y tu el mio” you said running your fingers through his hair. That night you went home as his girlfriend and him as your boyfriend

A/n: since in my last poll almost everyone chose the fic with enzo over Fran’s I decided to do a one shot instead for Fran’s prompt but might still make this a longer fic when I’m done with kuku and Enzo’s :)

Hope you all enjoy and likes,comments, and reblogs are appreciated but if you don’t want to no worries my loves as long as you guys enjoy the read <3333

(Also yk I had to tag my lovely @madame-fear )

[silentglassbreak]

delulu fan fantasy, not even my delulu.. just looking over bad omens photos and home country thoughts lol

Any name, any description lol but the boys never guy koala shots when they were in Australia last time.. soo so a scenario where they return an it involves some sort of trip to an animal rescue of some kind? OR some thing... and Noah having to lean down so the handler can help him DE-CLING the koala from his arms and shoulder, their claws can get you, the guys all joking about his new girlfriend maybe... but he'd rather the handler... -- up to you if you go on to make it smutty after the cute meet, maybe invite for drinks.. OR just an intense flirt... but...

Yep... koala flirting delulu lol, sorry, for, the ramble.

Fully understand if this is a no can do, I know specific place requests can be difficult, but I thought there was no harm in asking, thank you for reading just the same.

The amount of research I just did on Koalas is wild 🤣 I’m hoping this does your ask some justice!

After Writing Notes: This was cute, and fun to write. It's shorter than some of my others, and truly just fluffy, early stages, flirtations. I enjoyed this! I hope you do too!

Rating: Mature (language)

Warnings: Nuffin but good ol' fashioned fluff.

Please Please Please

“Now, let’s see if the little man likes you or not, shall we?”

Mira, our veteran Koala, who was used to our regular visitation schedule was lazily clung to my shirt, as she was most days. Her jaws crunched on a Eucalyptus leaf, not minding all of the sweet attention she was getting. The bright-eyed boy standing in front of me beamed at her, but I could tell he was nervous.

“Alright, now we’re going to just gently place her on your chest, and if she likes you, she’ll cling!” I carefully handed Mira over to the boy, no older than twelve, who shakily held her up. Mira’s claws grabbed onto his shirt, and she tucked her head into his neck lovingly.

She truly was a great performer.

“Oh my God, she’s holding me!” He exclaimed, excited, but still hushed as not to startle her.

“Look at that, mate! She’s very loving, isn’t she?” I held up another leaf in front of her, one of her small hands latching on and holding it up to her mouth.

The mother of the young boy looked absolutely horrified. “How long does he hold her for?”

“Ah, just a minute or two. I’ve got a few other folks waiting to get to say hello.” I stuffed my hands in my pants pockets, smiling while watching Mira tickle the young man’s neck with her ear hairs.

“Are all Koalas this friendly?” He asked as his hand gently stroked the plush hair on her back.

“Actually, no. Koalas can be quite territorial, especially around their young. They bite and scratch just like any other beast you’d come across.” I could see his mom beginning to sweat. “Mira here is very accustomed to human beings. She’s one of our rehabilitated patients who was not eligible for release.”

“Why not?” The worrisome woman eyed me.

“Poor thing got caught in the wildfires a few years ago, and she’s almost completely blind now due to the smoke. She’d never survive in the wild.” I placed a hand on her head, smiling sweetly at her. “So, instead, she’s our designated education Koala!”

The boy smiled, and moved toward me to begin removing her from his chest. “I think she’s amazing.”

“That, she is.” I graciously took my girl, and turned to place her back on her tree. I could tell she was in need of a bit of a break.

Noticing more patrons had not arrived quite yet for their experiences, I closed the door behind my guests of the enclosure, and set up a ‘Be Back in 30’ sign.

Once in the break room, I sat at the table, running fingers through my hair that was tangled where it ended on the back of my neck. Kylie, who had been working the python exhibit all morning, came bounding in, sitting next to me heavily.

“Eh, Charlie. You alright?”

I was chewing the end of a peanut butter sandwich and zoning out, trying not to let my mind wander too far.

“Good here. You?”

She smiled empathetically. “That’s not convincing, babe. Still thinking about him?”

Shrugging hard, I set my sandwich back down and put my face in my palms. “Why would he ghost me?” I sighed, feeling defeated. “I really thought we were getting on, ya know?”

Placing a hand on my back, she smiled sweetly at me. “I’m sure you were! Some guys are just fucking useless! He probably did you a favor, really.”

I laid my chin down on my hands on the table. “Maybe. It still blows. I feel like dating is just pointless these days.”

Kylie laughed at that. “Nah, not true.” Sitting back in her chair, she reached to interlock her hands behind her head. “Remember that Roy guy I went out with a few weeks back?” I just nodded. “Best lay I’ve had, hands down.”

My eyes blew out wide before my stomach began rolling with laughter. She joined me, clapping a hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t give up on dating, babe. There’s a guy out there for you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, not likely.”

-

The day was passing so slow, it almost made my eyes roll back. By the time my watch told me it was close to the end, only half hour till, I was exhausted. So was Mira. My eyes scanned the passers by, wondering how many I’d be able to fit in before the end of the day, as I saw a group of guys reading the information plaque on the glass just outside.

One of the guys, a lanky boy with tattoos shadowing the length of his arms, was the only one of them looking into the exhibit, instead of at the description. If I hadn’t known better, I’d say he was looking at me.

That couldn’t be right, though. I was holding Mira, so he was probably looking at her.

“Excuse me?” One of them had broken off from the pack and stepped inside the door. “It says on there to come in to see the Koalas?”

He was a shorter gentleman with long, black hair tied back in a bun on the back of his head. I noticed his accent, and internally groaned. Americans.

“Yeah!” I smiled at him brightly. “Come on in!”

He motioned for his friends, the other three trailing behind. The last one to come in was the tall guy with hair only slightly shorter than mine. His eyes wandered around the trees and the pond behind me.

“Oh my gosh!” The shortest one was grinning ear to ear, staring directly at Mira. “They’re so cute!”

I looked down at the gray baby on my chest, and pet her lovingly. “They are. They’re my favorite creatures here at the preserve.”

“Do they bite?” A taller man, who had a slightly different accent that I couldn’t place, asked.

“They sure can.” I nodded, and waved a hand. “But Mira here never has. She’s an absolute gem.”

Looking between them all, I noticed they were all wearing various band t-shirts, with the exception of our large friend, who only wore a black beater. He stood the most reserved, hands in his pockets.

“Anyone want to hold her?”

“Serious?!” The shortest bloke perked up first, stepping toward me cautiously. “Can I, please?”

I chuckled. “Of course! I’ll hand her to you,” I began peeling Mira from me. “and if she latches, she likes you!”

Almost vibrating with excitement, the man took her gently, and Mira wrapped her short arms around his neck, seeming to take to him exceptionally.

“Excellent!” I clapped. “You’re a natural!”

He smiled brightly at his friends. “Check it out, guys!” They all took turns looking at Mira up close, a couple reaching out to touch her head.

“You want a photo?” I asked and the tallest one nodded, slipping a cell out of his pocket and handing it to me.

The four boys posed, all smiling and wrapping arms around each other.

“Alright, one…two…three.” I snapped a picture, but noticed a couple of them blinking. I pursed my lips. “Let me get a few, alright?”

They nodded and held their spots. As I was preparing to snap another, I saw a look of panic flash over the boy holding Mira.

“She’s letting go! I don’t want to drop her!”

“Oh!” Instinctively, I slipped the mobile into my vest pocket and reached out to grab Mira.

For whatever reason, she had become startled, and wanted out of the grip. It had been a long day, and she was likely over all of the attention. When I pulled her from the guy’s arms, her nails scratched across the side of his neck.

“Ouch!” He exclaimed, holding a hand up. All of his friends were looking at him.

“I’m so sorry about that, mate! It’s been quite the day for our girl here.” He moved his hand and was bleeding ever so slightly.

Seemingly rebounded, he shook his head and grinned at me. “No, I totally get it. I appreciate her letting me hold her at all.”

I set Mira on her tree, plucking her a leaf and handing it to her before turning back to the bunch. “There’s a med room on your way out the exit. They can give you a swab to clean that with.” I smiled apologetically at them.

“Thanks again…Charlie?” The boy checked my name tag. I nodded. He stuck his hand out for me to shake. “I’m Nick.”

I nodded. “Pleasure to meet you guys.”

They filed out one by one, giving small waves. The tall boy’s eyes carried mine just a little longer than the rest, and it gave me a warm feeling in my stomach.

What a cutie.

-

“So how’d the rest of the day go, Char?”

Unpinning my tag and putting it in my locker, I nodded before sitting down to slip my runners off.

“Not terrible. Mira scratched someone, though.”

She frowned. “Oh no. Are they alright?”

Sighing, I began unbuttoning my vest. “Yeah, he was just happy to get to see her. Group of American guys.”

When I shrugged off my best, I noticed it felt heavy, which was odd. Slipping my fingers in the pockets, I felt the flat, cool screen, and let my head fall back.

“Fuck.”

“What’s that?” Kylie had turned her head to look at me.

“I snatched one of their phones on accident. Shit.”

She giggled. “Well, damn. Did you catch his name?”

I shook my head. “No. Just his friend who got hurt, and not even a last name.”

“Mm, better put it in lost and found then.”

I stood, reaching to set down the phone. Before I could, it began vibrating in my hand, and I turned it over. The face of the boy I had interacted with earlier popped on the screen with the name ‘Folio’ on it.

I bit my lip, and Kylie noticed. “Going to answer it?”

“Should I?”

She just gestured toward me in a ‘duh’ fashion.

I swiped open the call, and put it up to my ear.

“Hello?”

“So, you have my phone.” A smooth, baritone voice came through the speaker.

I smiled, sitting on the bench behind me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think about it.”

There was a soft chuckle on the other end. “No problem. Can I come get it?”

I looked up at Kylie, who was watching me expectedly. “Well, the preserve is closed for the night. I can leave it at the lost and found and you can grab it in the morning?”

“Hmm,” I heard him thinking. “I kind of can’t wait that long to get it back. Plus, I fly out in the morning.”

“Ah,” I sighed. “well, are you staying nearby? I can probably drop it off on my way home.”

“Well, the guys and I are going to Faldry’s for dinner. Could you meet me there?”

“Sure, that’s on my way.”

I heard a sigh of relief. “I really appreciate it, uh,” There was a beat of silence. “what was your name, again?”

I smiled. “Charlie.”

“That’s right.” I swore I could hear a smile in his voice. “I’m Noah.”

“Alright Noah, I can be there in half?”

“Sure, I’ll be there.”

-

The drive to the restaurant was quick, and for some reason, I felt nervous? I guess that made sense, given it was embarrassing that I managed to take this random stranger’s phone without even trying. I had a great gift for being an absolute moron. The parking lot was relatively full, so I pulled into a space toward the back. Unsure of how to let him know how I was here, I walked into the building, taking a breath and glancing around the room for the person I was trying to find.

The host approached the stand, flashing his teeth at me. "Evening. Do you have a reservation?"

Gripping the strap of my bag, I let my face fall. "Uh, no," My head whipped around more, still no luck in finding the party. "I'm here to see someone?"

He nodded tapping his computer screen. "Name?"

I closed my eyes, realizing I didn't know his surname. "Noah..." My stare pleaded with him. "He's uh, tall? Dark hair? Tattooed?"

He stared at me, clearly not following.

"He's American? With a group?"

This seemed to spark his memory, a flash of recognition crossing his features.

"Ah, I know who you mean. They're toward the back, table sixteen."

Smiling apologetically, I moved around the booth toward the other side of the dining room. Once I rounded the corner around the bar, I could see the table, more people than I recognized sitting around it.

Noah was sat, ball cap on his head, laughing at something with everyone else at the table. My chest stuttered for a moment. Now, instead of a casual tank top, he wore a plain white t-shirt. His hair peaked out from under his hat. Most noticeable was his smile, so bright and stunning. I hadn't had the chance to catch that earlier...

I gripped the phone in my hand, and swallowed before making my way over to the table. The boy I had spoken with earlier in the day - Nick - noticed me first.

"Hey!" All eyes lifted to me, and I felt more nervous than I had previously.

I gave a small wave, tucking some of my hair behind my ear. "Hello, everyone."

Noah stood, walking around the table. I handed him the phone, and he smirked at me. "Thank you so much for bringing this. I can't tell you how screwed I would've been if you hadn't."

I nodded, feeling so small stood next to him. "Of course. It was my fault, anyway."

His hand dismissed me. "It happens."

A strange, awkward silence fell over us, so I turned to the rest of the group, giving a timid grin. "Well, I'll be off, then."

"Wait," I felt fingers grab my forearm, gently pulling my attention. I looked up at Noah again, his face soft. "can I maybe," He glanced back at his friends for...something? Approval, maybe? "buy you a drink or something?"

I was caught off guard, and my face must've shown it, because his hand fell from my arm.

"Oh, uh," My eyes bounced off of the other faces at the table, who were still mostly looking right at me. "I shouldn't. I don't want to intrude."

He shook his head. "You're not! I want to do something to thank you for this." He held his phone up for reference.

I smiled, finding it exceptionally difficult to turn him down. "I mean, I suppose I could go for a cold one."

Something pulled the corners of his lips up at me.

"Great!" He turned back to his mates. "I'll be back?"

They all nodded, Nick giving him a brotherly slap on the arm. He lead me over to the bar, and pulled a stool out for me before taking the one to my right.

The bartender took our order, both of us settling on some ale before he turned his face to look at me.

"So," The drinks were placed in front of us, and I took a pull from my pint. "you like animals, huh?"

This made me laugh. What a generic conversation starter. He didn't have a lot to go on, and it was funny.

"I do. Always have."

He took a drink, and set his glass down hard on the bar. "That's really cool."

He was trying, but that topic could only get us so far.

"Do you?" I decided to venture.

"As much as the next person, I guess? I have a dog at home."

I smiled, wiping my upper lip on the napkin under my glass. "Back in the States?"

He nodded. "In California."

"Ah, what's that like?"

"You've never been over there?"

I shook my head, swallowing my beer. "Never been across the pond. Only time I left Straya was when my family would go to New Zealand on vacation. It's been a long time, though."

"New Zealand? Wow, that sounds amazing."

"It really is. It's beautiful there. And safe."

He took a big gulp of his beer, and began folding his own napkin over itself. "Well, California isn't." He said with a laugh.

I quirked an eyebrow. "I've heard." I turned my body to look at him better, studying the tattoos on his skin. "So what brings you here?"

He smiled to himself then, chewing on his thumbnail. "We had a concert."

"A concert? You flew all this way to see a band?"

He finished his drink, and signaled to the barkeep for another. "We are the band."

This made me pause. That made sense, now didn't it?

"Oh. Very nice!" The bartender brought us two fresh drinks. "What kind of music?"

"Rock music. Metal-ish?"

"What do you call yourselves?"

He smirked, staring at me from his peripherals. "Bad Omens."

"Hmm," I took a drink of my fresh beer. "that's interesting."

He snickered. "Interesting? How do you mean?"

"Sounds kind of dark."

"That's the point, honestly."

I traced the rim of the glass with my index finger, looking at him as he spoke. His lips were so pretty. And his eyes were so dark that they were almost enticing.

"I see." I finally looked away from him, down at the bubbles in my drink. "So, how do you like it here?"

He leaned forward, pressing his elbows onto the bar. "It's not my first time. It's been a while, though. I like it."

"But...?" I could tell he wasn't sold.

His cheeks tinted. "It's really hot. And the spiders are fucking crazy."

This caused a deep belly laugh to pull out of me. "That's too funny."

"Why is that funny?" He cackled with me, and I wiped a tear from my eyes.

"Ah, I don't know. A big tough guy like you being afraid of spiders? It's just funny."

He looked at me curiously. "Hey, I'm not afraid of them. I just prefer not to find giant ones in my hotel bathroom."

This only made me laugh harder, and his elbow bumped my arm playfully.

"You've got a good laugh."

This brought me back to Earth for a second, now feeling self-conscious. I contained my giggles and looked back at him.

"What?"

His smirk was silly when he brought his glass to his lips. "I like your laugh."

I shook my head. "Thank you?"

He giggled into his cup. "You're welcome."

We sat this way for a while. He continued to drink beer, but I ordered a soda after my second drink. Continuing to laugh about various different subjects, and telling stories, we then noticed the restaurant beginning to thin.

"Well then, we've been here a while, haven't we?" I mentioned as I glanced around.

"Yeah, I guess so." His eyes were sparkling when they looked at me, which made something in my stomach flip. "I've had a good time talking to you."

Returning the sentiment, I leaned against his arm. "Me too."

His mouth pouted for a second. "I'm pretty bummed I'm leaving tomorrow, or I'd offer to take you on an actual date."

This made me nearly choke on the Cola I was sucking through my straw.

"Oh yeah?" Was all I could manage.

"Well, sure. Why not?"

I raised a brow at him. "Rockstar like yourself? You've got to have a lady at home waiting, don't you?"

He huffed out a sigh, staring down at his hands. "Nah, not lately."

Chewing on my lip, I shrugged. "Then I guess," I leaned in so he could hear me clearly. "it is a shame you have to leave tomorrow."

I could feel his breath on my face, and his brow furrowed, studying me.

"I'll just have to come back soon, huh?"

Smiling, I let my stare fall on his lips. "I guess you will."

His face came closer to mine, the proximity making the air thick. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, and his nose brushed against mine. Letting my eyes fall closed, I waited for him to close the gap.

"Can I walk you to your car?"

My eyes snapped open, noticing he hadn't moved, but also hadn't moved.

A shred of disappointment filled me, but I pulled back, gathering my thoughts.

"Uh," I shouldered my purse, a bewildered look on my face. "sure."

I slipped off of the barstool, and walked past him, noticing his palm finding the small of my back to guide me toward the door.

Once outside, the crisp summer evening bit at my skin. I pulled the sleeves of my sweatshirt over my hands as we walked to my car, far in the back of the, now mostly empty, parking lot.

I turned around once I had reached the driver's door, intending to bid him a good night and a safe flight home, but - for the second time - was caught off guard.

His chest pressed against mine, pinning me against the side of my car, and his lips crashed into mine. He was gentle, but still forceful enough to make my knees goes weak.

His hands held the roof of my car on either side of my head, and my eyes rolled back as I molded into him, my hands reaching up to grasp the sides of his neck. He breathed into me, sparking something hot in my chest, and made me press my body closer against his.

One of his arms circled around my waist, lifting me up on my tip-toes to reach his face easier. Our lips fought for leverage, tongues swiping over each other. My brain was buzzing with the intensity of it.

When he finally pulled away from me, bringing me back down on the ground, I was breathing heavily, and staring up at him hungrily. He smiled, a sheen of moisture on his swollen bottom lip.

"Thank you, Charlie, for a great evening."

My pupils were dilated wide, and my hands were gripping his shirt, still.

"Thank you for the drinks, Noah."

Letting him go, my hands falling loose at my sides, he took a step back, looking down at the ground where he kicked at the asphalt.

"Could I, maybe..." He was hesitating, which was funny, given he was so confident not a moment before. "Can we exchange numbers?"

My eyebrows shot up at the absurdity of it. He lived thousands of miles away.

"You're serious?"

He just looked at me, pleading. "I am."

I scoffed, holding a hand out. "Let me see your cell."

This brought a grin to his face, his hand slipping his phone out of his pocket. "You're going to give it back this time?"

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Maybe."

He unlocked the screen, and I opened a new contact. Quickly adding myself, I handed it back to him. He looked over the screen, and nodded, satisfied.

He huffed out a sigh, and then held his arms open. I pulled into them, the abnormally long limbs wrapping around me easily.

"Be safe getting home?"

He nodded when he pulled away. "Of course."

I could see his regard, trying to decide if he should. Deciding for him, I careened up as tall as I could, and placed one last soft kiss on his lips.

"Goodnight, Noah."

I opened my door, and sat down in the driver's seat.

"Goodnight, Charlie."

The entire drive home, all I could see in my mind's eye was deep brown eyes and tattoos. Long fingers and even longer arms. Short, straight black hair. An annoyingly adorable smile.

What were the odds? I finally meet a guy, and I will likely will never see him again...

I pulled into my drive, leaning my head against the steering wheel. I'm just so lucky.

My phone lit up in my console, and I grabbed it hastily. The unknown number flashed on my screen.

Noah: Hey beautiful. ;)

[egrets-not-regrets]

Dandelions and Yarrow (3)

Their deep root systems that allows them to withstand drought and poor soil conditions.

Amelia is finally home and gets to meet the newest space marine to settle in Gannet Point. Hurricane Alcyon storms the medical wing of the base. Erriox only wants to go home to his bonded.

**Dialogue in Gothic language is bolded and italicized. **

Author’s Notes: Previous Chapter <<< Three >>> Next Chapter

TW angst

Thanks @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan for letting me use Jophiel! Poor Erriox deciding to go through the medical wing on his way out was a poor decision.

Just a few points:

This takes place before Ben/Malaran “Orca” Blackspike storyline.

Amelia is bonded to Alcyon, a chaos Iron Warrior. These two share an intense bond that teeters on the point of becoming a mate bond.

Alcyon has a pretty good grasp of the english language. He usually communicates with Amelia in english and other Astartes in Gothic.

Thanks to @squishyowl for the divider image!

OCs: Alcyon (chaos Iron Warrior), Amelia Plover

“Mom!” Amelia walks swiftly towards the older woman waiting in the airport and pulls her into a tight hug, “I missed you so much.”

Mara chuckled, hugging her daughter back lovingly, “I missed you too, fledgling. It wouldn’t have killed you to call a little more often, though.”

Amelia smiled sheepishly, “Yeah… sorry.”

Her adoptive mother patted her back before pulling away, smiling back at her, “I’m glad you’re here safe and sound. Ready to go?” She asked.

It was as if an invisible weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Amelia straightened as she walked alongside her mom to the car, “Let’s go home.”

They pulled up to Mara’s house where a very tall, rather handsome looking, armoured angel with large white wings waited at her aunt’s door. He looked at Amelia, then at Mara, and then at the luggage in the opened trunk, “I help.” He said, easily grabbing the luggage. Mara unlocked the door and the angel followed them inside the house, gently setting Amelia’s luggage down by the stairs.

Mara greeted him warmly, “Hello Jophi!”

“Thank you for your help.” Amelia said. She couldn’t help but smile. Recognizing that he was a space marine, she wondered if there were also other winged marines like him. He looked so young though, much much younger than Alcyon. Kind of adorable, really.

The winged Astartes smiled back, “You’re welcome.” He replied in stilted English. He then turned to her aunt, “Hello Auntie Mara! I am here for cookies?”

“Cookies? Ah… you mean these?” The older woman pointed at the cooled danishes and butterfly curls on the cookie racks. Jophiel nodded. Mira explained, “These are pastries. Cookies are the ones you ate in class.”

Amelia smiled, watching the space marine’s wings twitch and fluff excitedly, “Yes! I am here for the pastries.”

She helped her aunt pack a box full of the pastries then passed it to the marine.

“Your English is improving, Jophi!” Mara smiled, complimenting him. She then gasped, “I forgot introductions! Amelia, this is Jophiel, he’s been coming to my classes to learn english. He helps with heavy lifting around the house and baking sometimes. Jophi, this is Amelia, my niece and adopted daughter.”

“Daughter? Niece?… Cousin?” Jophiel asked.

Amelia laughed and said in Gothic, catching the winged marine in surprise, “You can call me “Cousin” if you wish. Did Mara adopt you too?”

“Yes.” He replied happily, switching to Gothic as well. Mara’s eyes crinkled with amusement and waved at the two, “You kids have a nice chat, I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” before leaving to package more pastry orders.

The two waved back before continuing their conversation. Jophiel gently touched her shoulder, pointing to the matching side on his neck, his voice serious, “You are hurt. An Iron traitor hurt you?”

She forgot how keen space marine senses were. Amelia wasn’t quite sure how to respond without the possibility of causing Jophiel to seek out Alcyon for revenge, “He is my bonded. We were rough with each other when we were mating.” She cringed inwardly at her own explanation, it’s like trying to explain sex to a younger sibling. A very big augmented younger sibling.

Thankfully, Jophiel wasn’t ignorant about what sex was nor did he ask for more details. He only looked rather confused and a little more than slightly concerned, “You wanted that?” He asked incredulously.

Amelia covered Alcyon’s bite mark hidden on her neck with her hand, ignoring the slight touch of pain from the tender spot, “Yes. I wanted it. Can we stop talking about this? This is embarrassing.” No, she didn’t want it, at least not at the time, but to preserve her own sanity, she was not about to have another Astartes thrown into protective overdrive on her ass about it.

Jophiel sighed, reluctantly dropping the subject. There wasn’t much he could do about his cousin being bonded to a chaos Astartes, especially when the chaos marine wasn’t present; it doesn’t mean he wouldn’t say nothing about it though. He thumped his chestplate and said, “If that chaos heretic hurts you and you need help, you let me know.”

While Jophiel’s attitude towards chaos space marines was very similar to her ex’s Black Templar, he was a lot more kind about it. Amelia smiled up at him, “I will. Thank you, Jophiel.”

“You are Mara’s daughter so therefore my cousin, it is only right that I protect you too.” He gently grasped her hand with his own.

She gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze, “Thank you.”

The angel-like marine poked his head into the kitchen to say goodbye to Mara before taking his leave. Then waved at her before leaving through the front door. She waved back, going to join her aunt.

“He’s a very sweet young man. A little skittish and shy, but a very nice boy.” Her aunt smiled warmly, “When he first arrived, people around thought he was actually an angel until Nemoth corrected them.” She chuckled.

“I can see that.” Amelia answered.

“Nemoth is still around?” She asked curiously.

Nemoth, or rather Nemoth Bassanar, was a Primaris space marine of the Dark Kraken chapter, who appeared, injured and confused, near Gannet Point many years ago. The townspeople at the time barely knew what a space marine was, but nevertheless took him in and healed his injuries. He then integrated himself with the village and soon became a beloved member of their little community.

Nemoth held a great love for natural history and wildlife, and was fascinated by the creatures that could be seen in and around Gannet Point. He could sometimes be seen assisting the fishermen and biologists or leading guided tours to see the seabird colonies and the northern gannet colonies from where the town got its namesake; if not teaching forging and metalwork at the local community centre. To say the least, Nemoth had been an integral part of almost all the children who grew up in Gannet Point in the last two decades or so.

“Yes! He’s running the decorative metalwork class at the community center around seven tonight. You should go join. I’m sure he won’t mind. He’d be happy to see you. And you might as well help me deliver that box of pastries over there to him as well.” Mara smiled.

Amelia hugged Mara warmly, relaxing as her mother hugged her back, “Thanks Mom, I’ll go do that.”

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

Alcyon stormed into the medical ward heading straight towards Eric, a fellow medical technician who Amelia worked with.

“Where is she?! Where is Amelia!” He demanded, looming over the reception desk. Eric jumped back in shock.

“She’s on days off. She’s not here.” The tech replied, confused and frightened, quickly reaching for the panic button.

“Don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing!” Alcyon growled, grabbing Eric by his front lapel and roughly lifted him up to eye level, ignoring the panicked reactions of the human staff and patients, “Amelia tells you everything! Where did she say she was going?”

Eric wheezed, trying to grab onto the chaos marine’s gauntlet to relieve the tension of his clothes strangling him, “I don’t know. She never said anything about that!”

The chaos Iron Warrior shook the poor medical technician, “Then where would Amelia disappear to?!”

“Disappear? Amelia’s gone?” The young man looked concerned and perplexed. He clearly had no idea that Amelia had left.

“LET ERIC GO RIGHT NOW!” Osteron's voice boomed.

Alcyon snarled irritably, releasing Eric from his grasp. The medical aide fell to the floor, rubbing his throat.

The chaos Iron Warrior bared his teeth, closing his eye briefly to stay the pounding in his head and ignore the ache in his chest. He knew it was from that tattered bond of his. He needed to find Amelia; her presence could fix this, somehow, or at least soothe this pain, this constant aching.

Where was Amelia? Why did she leave? The thrumming of his frayed bond called out to him to find her. Find his bonded. Fix what was broken.

How dare she leave and not tell him where she went! Didn’t she know how this bond affected him? Did she want to kill him? Did their bond and everything they had meant nothing to her? Where did Amelia go?! He needed her. He needed her to stay with him, to mend this bond. He can’t let this break. He’ll have to go home and restart his search. Once he finds her, he will never let her out of his sight. Keep her under lock and key if he had to.

Osteron knew something was very wrong with the chaos Iron Warrior, “Brother Alcyon, stay where you are!” He barked at him.

Alcyon ignored him and turned his heel to leave the medical wing.

“You two! Help me restrain him!” Osteron ordered.

Kalium quickly passed his bonded youngling to one of the nurses before going to capture the wayward chaos marine. Seeing that he was the one of the two Astartes that the apothecary was referring to, Erriox sighed and went to aid his brothers, his hope of going home to Lenora early quickly dashed.

Recognizing Kalium as the one who he’s seen being friendly flirty with Amelia and lingered around her unnecessarily (in his opinion) when she worked, Alcyon roared, “You! You’re the one who tried to steal my MATE!” and launched himself at the offending battle-brother, knocking them both down.

The other Iron Warrior tried to roll him off to no avail, “Don’t blame me! You’re the one who hurt her! That’s why Amelia left and didn’t tell anyone where she went! Wasn’t it?!” Kalium accused the older chaos marine.

Alcyon saw red.

“Everyone! Get into a room!” Osteron ordered. Doctors, nurses, patients, and techs scrambled to move to safety as a brawl erupted in the medical wing.

The chaos marine kicked Erriox off before turning his full attention to trading punches with Kalium. Metal screeched as Alcyon’s claw grazed his helm. Kalium managing to dodge the blow in the bare milliseconds the chaos marine stabbed down towards his face. His eyes widened in alarm when Alcyon used his claw with more dexterity than he ever thought possible, deftly releasing his helm and flip it off his head, the helmet skidding down the hallway before coming to a stop. Erriox quickly took advantage of their position and pinned the chaos marine, grabbing his metal claw to keep his battle-brother from stabbing Kalium with it. Osteron pinned his legs.

Alcyon switched to punching Kalium in the face with his other fist instead. A sharp sensation made him hiss as Osteron plunged a needle deep into his neck, injecting a strong tranquilizer into his system. Despite that, he managed to free one of his legs and back-kicked hard against Osteron, sending the apothecary to his knees.

“Say her name again and I will rip your tongue from your mouth!” Alcyon raged as he struggled harder.

Kalium grappled Alcyon’s one arm and leg from underneath him, keeping his other elbow under his brother’s chin to prevent the chaos Iron Warrior from biting him, snarling back, “You don’t deserve to be Amelia’s bonded!”

Erriox was nearly bucked off the chaos marine at that statement.

“Damn it, Kalium! Stop egging him on! Calm down Alcyon!” Erriox yelled irritably from Alcyon’s other side, struggling to take off his prosthetic metal claw, “How long Osteron?!” He called out.

“Twenty seconds!”

Nowhere had there been someone calming down when being yelled at to calm down if his chaos battle brother, nearly throwing him off again, armour and all, was anything to go by. Erriox smacked Alcyon in the back of his head hard in retaliation though it seemed to do little to dissuade his struggling. Osteron scolded him, “Stop that! We don’t need to add a head injury on top of what is going on!”

His skull is hard enough to take it, Erriox thought crankily. Grumbling, the Iron Warrior threw away the metal claw he removed then forced all of his body weight on top of the thrashing chaos marine. It was so tempting to repeatedly punch him in the head to knock him out faster… but Osteron wouldn’t approve. Kalium, being very glad that he wore his armour today, finally managed to slip out from under Alcyon, and pin down his other side. Eventually the chaos marine struggled less and less until he went fully unconscious.

“Strap him into a bed and put him in Room Five. This tranquilizer only lasts thirty minutes at best.” Osteron urged as they hauled the unconscious Iron Warrior onto a bed and wheeled him into the room.

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

Amelia took a deep breath as she opened the door to Nemoth’s classroom. The Dark Kraken dark eyes brightened as he welcomed her warmly, “Amelia! It has been a long time!”

“It’s good to see you again, Nemoth.” She smiled as she put down her mother’s box of pastries and hugged the Primaris marine.

He hugged her back, saying, “Welcome back.”

“Thanks. I brought the box of the pastries that you ordered.” Amelia gestured to the box on his desk.

“Yes, thank you. Your mother’s baked goods are delicious. Would you like to stay for this class? It’s decorative metalwork for beginners so I can’t see why you couldn’t join us.” The tall space marine asked her.

Amelia considered that for a moment and agreed, “I would like that.” She paused, “Would you be free to talk after class? I would like your advice on something.”

“Of course.”

That decision was well worth the experience. Amelia had taken a few metalwork classes from Nemoth when she was young, so his class was a wonderful refresher. After the class ended, the roomed cleaned up, and the students have left, Amelia stayed behind to chat with the Dark Kraken.

“Something troubling you?” Nemoth asked her. He could detect the scent of an Iron Traitor on Amelia and his sharp eyes could make out the dark bruising and light scarring on her neck that she hid under her makeup. The Dark Kraken frowned slightly, “Did a chaos Astartes hurt you?”

Her eyes widened and she stuttered in embarrassment, “Uh… no, not like that. My bonded is a chaos Iron Warrior and… we were rough with each other during sex.” She quickly ended, her face going red. It wasn’t the entire truth, but it wasn’t exactly a lie. And it was horribly embarrassing to explain it to the space marine who watched you grow up.

Like Jophiel, he asked with a worried expression, “And you are ok with this?”

“Yes. I agreed to it.” Amelia replied, blushing heavily, looking away from the space marine.

Nemoth sighed, his pale hand patted the seat beside him, “Sit beside me. I know it is not for me to judge what you do with your bonded Astartes, but I would caution to not let your Astartes be too rough, worse injuries can occur accidentally if he doesn’t mind his strength.”

“I will be careful.” Amelia said as she sat down in her seat.

“What do you want advice on?” The Primaris space marine asked, getting straight to the point.

Amelia told him the story about how her ex-husband’s Black Templar Astartes started to cut off access to her son once they had divorced, and how she had tried to remain in contact with her son, resulting in Alcyon’s eventual fight with the Black Templar which caused them to be banned from her son’s school, ending at the big argument that she had with her own Astartes.

The furrow in his brows deepened the longer he listened, “This is troublesome indeed.” Nemoth hummed, “I have two questions: One, did you contact your ex-husband to discuss this issue? It seems like the Iron Tr- Warrior acted on his own, so it is not entirely your fault. Two, your bonded Astartes, did he harm you too?”

“I’ve been in contact with him and while he understands my issue, he and his family still went ahead to file a restraining order against me. Safety reasons, they said.” Amelia spat bitterly. Her voice cracked, “They threatened to take Ben away! And that I’ll never see him again!” Tears ran down her cheeks as she started to bawl.

“I don’t know what to do! Where do I even start?”

A large warm hand rubbed circles on her back as she shuddered from the intensity of her crying, finally releasing so much stress and frustration held within her.

“It’s ok, let out your sorrows.” Nemoth said, handing Amelia a kleenex box, “It is a lot to keep inside. I gave your mother contacts for a few lawyers who specialize in Astartes and human law when she asked for help regarding your matter. Apologies, that is all I could do to help you.”

She wiped her face and smiled wanly at the Dark Kraken, “Thanks Nemoth. It’s somewhere I can start with. And to answer your second question, no, he did not.”

Nemoth raised a brow but did not push the issue, “If you ever feel that your Astartes is a danger to you. You can contact me. Alright?”

“I will. Thanks Nemoth.” Amelia affirmed.

He put his hand on her shoulder, worry seeping into his voice, “Be careful that you don’t fall into the same corruption that led your Astartes into chaos. The humans that have been corrupted in my time do not meet good endings. I don’t wish to see any of the children I’ve watched growing up become beyond saving.”

Amelia patted his hand, “I won’t, I promise.”

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

Lenora quickly picked up her phone, hearing the familiar ringtone from her Astartes’ call, “Erriox?”

“Lenora. I will be staying at the base for several more days to keep watch over my battle brother.”

Her brows furrowed with concern, “Are you both alright?”

She heard a huff at the other end of the line, “I’m fine, my brother… is not well.”

“Alright, take care of yourselves. I love you.”

“Same to you.” Came Erriox’s warm reply, “I will come home as soon as this is over. See you then.”

[sideblogdotjpeg]

i know calliope is captain mom issues of duck team but also shot out to sol "hallucinated that the crick bullywug breaking his ribs was his mom" "called mira mom within an hour of meeting her" "shouting 'are you proud of me mother' to the serpent queen while soaked in blood" bufo. what a frog

[pit-and-the-pen]

My Sisters Keeper- PT I

Summary: Rose has protected Violet for as long as they've been alive. But in the riders' quadrant, you live to be a rider or die trying.

Content warning: Cursing, canon level fighting.

WC: 6.5k

divider by @tsunami-of-tears

I stood outside of my mothers office, ringing my hands. I had stopped minutes ago. Working up the courage to walk in there and give my mother a piece of my mind. Through the thick wooden door I heard exactly what I needed to. That tone my mother so often got. The one that I fought to make sure she never used with Violet. I shoved through the doorway, ignoring the tingle it shot through my arms. 

“You can’t let her go through with this mom.” 

“Rose!” Mira scolded me immediately. But I kept my eyes locked on my mother. General Sorrengail. 

As I held her glare, I heard the faint rumble of thunder. 

“Do not tell me what I can and cannot do with my daughter.” She spoke slowly, eliciting every word,

“I will if you’re sending her off to get killed.”

“Sorrengail’s are riders. You’re a rider.”

“Brennan was a rider too.” Her face fell for a fraction of a second before she stood up a little straighter, squaring back her shoulders. 

“She is going. End of discussion.” I opened my mouth to speak. “End.Of.Discussion.Rose. Now get out.” Her nostrils flared and I clenched my hands into fists by my side. Sensing that I was about to really lose it, Mira tugged on my arm. Pulling me from the room with  Violet walking behind us. 

“Do you have a death wish?” Mira scolds me the moment we’re out of earshot from the door.

“If it keeps her safe.”

“You keep her safe by surviving the parapet, not by pissing off the general so much she kills you before you can.”

“Mira-”

“Stop. I’m right here.” Violer cuts me off and I feel shame heat up my cheeks.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t think you can protect yourself…” I grapple with the words, they come out too fast and everything sounds wrong.

“I get it. But I need you to believe in me. I need someone to think that I’m going to make it.” The words cut through me. Sobering my rage and I nod. Mira rolls her eyes at the two of us.

“Now, if we’re done being so sentimental. Here.” She reaches into her bag and pulls out two matching vests. 

“Are those…” 

“Dragon scales. Yes. Got them from Teine during his last molt. Put them on, and don’t take them off. Both of you.” She hands Violet and I the vests and helps Violets into hers. I study mine as I slide it on. A simple vest but the scales extend up higher on mine, right to the base of my head. It would completely cover my neck. Mira sees me struggling to fix the top part in place and comes over to give me a hand. 

“It ties down into the vest, that way no one could cut it or untie it if they get your hands on you.” She pulls the leather ties into two holes on the top of my shoulders. I give my neck a twist back and forth. Surprisingly, it doesn’t cut off my movement. It fits perfectly snug.  She gives me a proud nod and I try not to blush under the weight of her gaze. 

“Now, other matters. This bag weighs nearly as much as you do, Vi. What the hell is in here.”

“Just stuff that I’ll need.” Violet answers as Mira starts pulling book after book from the pack.

“You’ll still have access to the archives. You don’t need all of these.” Violet starts to protest. 

“I’ll keep these with me. I promise.” Mira continues before Violet could interrupt her. “And you need to change. Those robes will become a sail up on the parapet.”

Mira quickly shoves some riding leathers into Violet's arms. Gesturing for her to change right there. She does and I get a view of just how small my sister is. She was trained to be a scribe. She hasn’t had years to build the muscle that I have. The gray tips in her hair tell just how much the fever affected her more. 

“And if you won’t cut your hair, at least tie it back.” Mira says. I sigh and motion for Violet to turn around so I can braid it back. She finally gives her a once over and makes a content grunt. “Better.”

She looks over at me and doesn’t seem to find anything she needs to change. 

“As expected. Although you should cut your hair too.” 

“I’d have to shave half of it to get rid of it, ya know?”

I know she’s talking about the silver streak that starts from my scalp. Only about the width of my hand but enough to let people know that both twins were affected. 

“Let them know, I don’t care. It’ll just make it better when I beat them all.”

“She’s got a point.” Violet murmurs in agreement with me. Mira rolls her eyes more dramatically this time. She looks like she is about to say something before a bell cuts off her words. 

“Shit. Okay, one last thing for both of you.” She reaches into her sheathes and pulls out three daggers and slides them into Violet’s vest. Then she hands me my sword. 

“Both of them are balanced for you. I know you’re used to that sword Rose. It’s better than any stock you’ll find in the college.” I put it in place on my back and the moment it’s settled Mira sweeps both of us up in a bone crushing hug. My hands go numb but I force them to hug her back anyways. She releases us as a second bell tolls and she walks us only to the edge of the steps. 

“Don’t make me an only child. Or make me live with only one twin.”

And that’s all we get before we start climbing the stairs, watching Mira disappear around a corner. I grab a hold of Violet's hand as we start climbing, my arm out behind me. Eventually we reach the rest of the group. The others that are waiting their turn to cross the parapet. The line is longer than I imagined. 

Violet and I are sandwiched in between a girl with dark skin and curly hair tied up against the crown of her head, and a blond boy who is fiddling with a golden ring on a chain around his neck. 

“I’m Rhiannon.” She says to me, I almost flinch. Not expecting her to talk to either one of us. When I don’t respond fast enough, Violet reaches past me to extend her hand to the girl.

“I’m Violet and the grumpy one is Rose.”

“Twins?” She says, eyeing the both of us. We nod. 

“Cool.”

“I’m Dylan.” The boy behind us chips in and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Dylan goes on about the girl he’s engaged to back home. “We’re waiting until I graduate but the first thing I’m doing is marrying her. We wanted to do it before but she told me she could wait.” 

Violet nods along and I try to look interested. Don’t make friends. That was what I’ve been told for as long as I can remember. You don’t make friends here. Because it will only hurt that much more when you have to watch them die. Violet apparently didn’t get the memo. 

Violet is quiet for a little bit and I can finally see the parapet ahead of us. 

“What size shoe do you wear?” She asks the girl in front of us, Rhiannon. I’m trying to forget her name but I just can’t for some reason. 

“Eight.” She answers, seeming a little confused.

“I’m a seven and half so it’ll be tight, but you need to switch shoes with me.” I snap my head back to Violet. 

“Are you crazy?” I hiss in a whisper to her. She ignores me. 

“With those shoes, you’ll slip right off the edge.” And she’s already taking off her shoe, holding it out for the girl to take. Rhiannon does the same. Whispering her thanks. 

We finally get to the front of the line. Rhiannon gives her name before the two of us. 

“Name?��� The rider at the parapet asked the two of us. 

“Rose Sorrengail.” 

“Violet Sorrengail” The rider snapped her eyes up. Studying both of us. 

“As in General Sorrengail?” 

I rolled my eyes as I looked back at Violet before I quickly nodded to the rider in front of us. 

“The one and only.” 

“I thought there was only one coming through this year?” The rider quirked an eyebrow as her gaze fell to Violet. I felt that oh too familiar bubble rise in my chest. 

“Well there's two. So are you going to let us go now?” I crossed my arms, almost daring the rider to say something back. 

“Come on, some of us actually want to get through this thing. Are you both going to keep yapping or cross?” A voice from behind Dylan calls, and I turn my head around to see glacial blue eyes filled with so much pure loathing that it almost makes me flinch. “No one cares what your last name is. Either get moving or get out of my way.” I snap my jaw shut. 

“Go ahead.” She waves Violet through, giving my sister's hand one last squeeze. . 

“See you both on the other side.” Violet says as she takes her first step onto the parapet. It goes against everything I’ve ever been taught. Keep Violet safe. That was the reason I was the rider and she was the scribe. My breath catches as she stumbles for half a second. She’s nimble but I’m scared she'll be knocked over with the way her arms are limply held out beside her. 

Finally, she’s far enough across that they let me go. 

Mira was right, the wind was wicked up on the wall. The stray bits of my hair whipped around my face, luckily I had the sense to tie it back or else I wouldn’t be able to see a damned thing. I take a steadying breath to try to calm my raging heartbeat. I’m a Sorrengail. I am a rider. I was trained to be a rider my whole life. I will not die today. The words Violet said earlier echoes in my ears. Neither of us will. I keep my eyes trained on my sister's braid, the silver hair peeking out through the woven strands of hair. She stumbles again and I bolt a step or two closer towards her. Catching up to her as much as I can while still keeping my own footing. It’s slicker than mud up here on the smooth stones. I’m close enough to Violet that I could reach out and grab her if need be. But I know she needs to do this on her own. She’ll never let me live it down if I help her get through this. But she loses her footing as a strong gust of wind blows and she almost goes over the side. 

I curse and beg my feet to move faster. I swore I heard something pop as her knee landed on the hard ground. She’s half hanging on and I can’t catch up with her. No matter how hard I clench the muscles in my core, the wind is too strong to fight against so I’m forced to sit and watch as Violet scrambles to pull herself up. 

“Come on, Vi.” I shout and I see her rolling onto her back, safely on the parapet again. Well as safe as she’s going to get up here. I let out a relieved sigh and focused on the path in front of me again. 

But before I can pull my focus back to me, I hear a curse then a yelp from behind me. I risk a glance backwards just in time to see Dylan go over the ledge. My body acts faster than I do, leaping towards the spot where his foot would have just been but I’m too slow. Too slow by a long shot and I see his panicked look as he realizes he’s falling. I close my eyes before I can see him land. Damn it Violet. 

That move wasted strength and I have to push myself off of my stomach. Wobbling ever so slightly as I lock eyes with the boy from earlier. Jack Barlow, I heard him when he gave his name loud and proud for everyone to hear. He smirks and puts his head down like a bull as he starts to charge at me. He doesn't miss a step. Doesn’t stumble for a second as he closes the gap in between us and it’s my turn for panic to wash over me. I force my muscles to work, to turn in the opposite direction and run. I can’t make out the words Jack is screaming at me over the wind but I know that look. Jack is ready to kill me and my sister. He turns around and pulls another person over the edge of the parapet as if to prove his point. 

My side hurts, my calves are screaming at me as I put my weight into my thighs, forcing my center of gravity lower as I break into a run. 

“Violet, move.” I shout as I almost catch up with her. “Move. faster.” I grit out when she doesn’t speed up. She glances backwards and I know she sees the same thing I do. Jack barreled towards us at a breakneck speed. Her eyes go wide and she, thankfully, picks up the pace. We have less than a third of the parapet left in front of us but it’s more than enough time for Jack to catch up with us. I’m basically pushing Violet along with me, my hands on her back. Praying to Z that she moves faster. 

I feel the air whoosh around me as I push her towards the other side. Towards whatever semblance of safety becoming a cadet will grant us. And I almost sigh with relief as I see Violet land on the other side, rolling on her shoulder in an unnatural angle, but safe nonetheless. My feet leave the ground to leap and I feel someone’s arm wrap around my waist. Years of training make my body move faster than my mind. I push all my weight forward. Just barely wiggling out of the grip on my waist and feeling all my breath get pushed out of me as I land on my back. I fight back the yelp as I feel a stone press into my neck. Sending a wave of pain so sharp it brings tears to my eyes. I scramble to my feet just in time to see Violet with a dagger aimed right between Jack’s legs. 

“I’ll kill you.” He spits out. 

“No you won’t. Because the way I see it. You’re still on the parapet and she’s a cadet. And she literally has you by the balls on this one.” The rider at the ledge says and I see Violet’s hand push just a little further and I see a tinge of green color Jack's face. I fight the smirk off of my face. Maybe Violet will survive after all. He snaps his teeth at her and I’m beside her instantly. 

“Let me down.” He grits through his teeth and before I can protest, Violet is sheeting her dagger at her side and steps out of the way to let Jack step down. I gawk at her, but she avoids my gaze. Keeping her eyes locked on Barlow. 

He steps up to her, chest almost touching hers. “When I get the chance, you’re fucking dead. Both of you.” I push Violet out of the way and tuck her behind me. I make myself as tall as possible as I force venom into my words. 

“She might be our fathers daughter. But me, I got stuck with my mother.” I bit out. “So if you want to fuck with her, you go through me.” My fists balled against my sides.

“Bitch.” Jack spat near my  feet. I fought the urge to strangle him right there. But Violet tugged on my arm, pulling me away from him.. 

“At least think of something original.” I  muttered under my breath, letting my sister lead us closer to the college. 

The rider at the edge doesn’t look the least bit surprised at this interaction as she asks for our names. 

“Sorrengail?” She all but shouts and I wince. Suddenly feeling every set of eyes on us. I want to wrap myself around my sister. Shield her away from the wandering eyes of the other riders. And as I look around, there's only one that shakes me to my core. The dark hair, a rebel relic snaking along his neck. 

I watch his tan skin flush with anger for a mere second before his face becomes ice cold. I know exactly who it is. Xaden Riorson. And before I can spit out anything to him. A warm hand wraps around my arm. Tugging. I go to push whoever it is off and am met with familiar brown eyes that almost make me melt. Dain. 

“Shit.” He says under his breath as he looks from me to Violet. Violet who is desperately trying to hide the way she isn’t putting weight on her left leg. 

“Dain.” I fight to keep my voice neutral. To keep the way I’m swooning out of it. And he tugs both of us over to the side, out of hearing range from the other riders. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” And I know he isn’t asking me. His eyes are only on Violet, concern laced on every feature of his gorgeous face. I shake my head, trying to calm my mind. 

He’s changed in the last year since I saw him. His hair is a little longer and stubble covers the sides of his face. No longer the clean cut boy he was before he left for the riders quadrant. And I’m shocked at how…good he looks. Dressed in rider black, a sword peeking over his shoulder. He turns to me and I know he asked me something. Something that he’s expecting me to answer. 

Violet nudges me with her elbow and it snaps me back to where we are. I just got caught gawking at my best friend. My best friend who not so subtly told me he’d be counting down the minutes until he saw me again. My best friend who I may or may not have been in love with since he started sprouting like a weed when we were fifteen. 

“Sorry. Adrenaline.” I force the words out, my mouth suddenly feeling very dry. 

He sighs but a hint of a smile plays at the edge of his mouth. 

“Did you at least try to talk your mother out of it.” His words pull a snort from me. 

“Have you met my mother?”

His hand runs through his hair and I try not to think about how soft it must feel. Gods I need to get it together if I’m supposed to join his squad. 

“Listen, there's still time that we can sneak her into the scribes quadrant. They haven’t submitted the names and I know they would take her in a heartbeat.” Violet is already shaking her head. 

“She would just drag me back by my hair. She promised me as much this morning.”

“She’ll get over it. Once you’re in she can’t make them take you.”

“Dain, face it. I’m a rider now despite you being less than thrilled. I made it across. Doesn’t that count for anything.” I see the internal war he’s fighting as he chews on her words. Letting them sink in. 

“We’ll figure out something.” He says and Violet stalks away. Ready to give our names to the rider, not so patiently waiting for them. Leaving me alone with Dain for the first time in a year. 

He smiles my smile. The one that makes one side tug up higher than the other and makes  his eyes crinkle around the edges. Fuck it. I think and launch myself into his chest. Arms wrapping around his neck. He doesn't hesitate to squeeze me back, arms wrapping around my middle tight enough that my toes are the only thing touching the ground. He smells the same, cedar and wind and something that is utterly Dain. He releases me and holds me at arms length, looking me up and down so intensely that I fight the urge to look away. 

“You look good. And in one piece.” He puts another step in between us as I nod. “Tell the girl to put you in my squad. Flame section, second squad. Tell her this is me cashing in the favor she owes me.” He shots me a wink before he walks away, joining the rest of the riders who are looking at us with varying levels of confusion. Let them think what they want. I’m not here to make any friends. I repeat the words to the red-head taking names. And she nods. 

We wait for the rest of the rider candidates to make it across or fall. Once the formation is called, we find out that we lost almost 20 percent. The highest in the last decade. I blame the rain. 

We stand in a rough set of lines, Violet and I falling into near perfect formation as we guide Rhiannon behind us. Then I see him, staring directly at Violet and I with a look that roots me to the spot. He whispers something to the rider calling names, Nyra I think her name is. 

“Dain Aestos, you and your squad will switch with Aura Beinhaven’s.” All Dain does is nod, his face tense. Violet and I share a glance that lets me know neither of us know what is happening. 

But as we passed the next squad, I sucked in a gasp. We’re being moved to fourth wing. Xadens wing. Xaden just stands there with that smirk that makes me want to push him over the edge. But I can’t. Infighting is strictly prohibited according to the codex. Of course, unless it can be excused as training or punishment. Which is exactly what Xaden will be able to do now. Xaden nods at Nyra and steps forward towards all of us. 

“You’re all cadets now. Take a look at your squad, these are the only people who aren’t allowed to kill you, per the codex. You want a dragon? Then earn one.” 

Cheers erupt around us. Violet and I just  glance at each other. I break formation to grab my hand in hers and Dain looks back, looks down at our joined hands and shakes his head. I don’t let go as Violet goes to pull her hand from mine. 

“And I bet some of you are feeling pretty bad ass right now. You made it into your first year, right? The elite, the chosen. Invincible even?” 

More cheers but the tone of his voice makes my stomach curl. The cheers get louder but over them I can hear the telltale sound of wings. 

Rhiannon gaps besides me. I lock my muscles into place to stop from fleeing as the riot flies right towards us. Instead I keep my head held high. Forcing my heartbeat to slow. Dragons can smell a coward from miles away. 

They land mere feet from us, the force enough to shake the ground. Screams rip through the air, but I keep my gaze ahead of me. 

I hear the sound of footfalls as people start to dash out of formation. I don’t close my eyes in time as I see the curl of flame reach out. And that smell, the smell of burnt flesh is one that I know I’ll never forget. It’s enough to make me gag. Violet squeezes my hand but says nothing. 

“Anyone else feel like changing their mind?” Silence. “No? Well then, half of you will be dead by the end of this year. Another third the year after. And even fewer will make it ‘til graduation. No one cares who your mommy,” He stares right at Violet and I. “or you daddy is here. Here you’re nothing more than a cadet. So who here still feels invincible.” More silence weighs the air like a blanket. “Good. Because to them you’re not, to them you’re just prey.” 

We’re left to our own devices for the rest of the day. Dain quickly pulls Violet to somewhere deeper into the college once they dismiss us from formation. I don’t wait around for them, instead going up to the dorms to sit for a second. The dorms are already noisy. Full of cadets talking over each other and I just lay down in my bed, pushing my pillow over my ears to drown out the noise of people I don’t want to get to know. People that will most likely be dead in the next couple of months. The thought shouldn’t bother me. I was trained to be a rider. And the only thing a rider cares about is their squad and their wings. But that doesn’t stop the single tear that drips down my face as I recall the way Dylan looked at me when he realized he was going to die. When he realized he would never get to marry that pretty girl back home. I lock the thoughts away into some deep vault in my mind. I don’t have time for weakness. I grant myself the moment to feel and then sit up in my bunk. Rolling my shoulders back with a deep breath. I stretch out the tension in my neck. Feeling the nerves protest against the movement but ignore it. 

I stay in the barracks until it’s time for dinner then head back right after I’m done. Violet lingers, talking to Rhiannon and the rest of our squad. I have no interest in fighting through the awkward glances and down right hateful glares of some of our fellow cadets. 

The next morning we’re called to formation after breakfast. Then comes the worst part of the day, the death roll. Name after name is called. Not enough time to process them, let alone mourn. 

Suddenly the names just stop. And that’s all there is before squad leaders turn to talk to us. Dain only gives Violet and I a quick once over before his face takes on that neutral look that has something inside of me clawing to get out. 

“I expect to see you all alive when we get to the sparring gym later.” And I feel Violet tense beside me. Right, the first day meant we have trials. A simple way to assess where all of us are with fighting. This will determine who we are put up against throughout the year. Do well and you put a target on your back, do poorly and you get an even bigger target on your back. Either way you’re screwed. 

“Sawyer” Dain calls to the boy beside him. 

“I’ll get them to class.” 

Sawyer shouts out the instructions on how to get to the classroom and I try my best to picture the steps. Storing them in my memory in hopes that I won't forget them within twenty minutes. 

Rhiannon, Violet and I walk together. I really hoped she would let h er go after the parapet. But it seems she’s intent on keeping her around, so I’ll tolerate her for now. 

A faint bird whistle has my head spinning. I catch that familiar tuff of brown hair and hook my arm around Violets pulling us away from Rhiannon. 

He ducks into a corner, hidden from sight. 

“How’s your knee?”  

“It hurts but I’ll live.”

“Good. Did anyone try to screw with you two last night?” He’s scanning us for injuries. We both shake our heads. 

“No one tried to kill us last night, if that's what you're asking.” I cross my arms, already annoyed by his hovering. 

“Dain. Take a breath.” I snapped at him. 

“You should both cut your hair.” He points to both of our braids. 

“Don’t you start with me now.” Violet  groans. 

“Why were we moved to fourth wing?”

It’s Dain’s turn to groan. His hand went to the side of his face, rubbing the stubble. 

“Dain?” Violet presses expectantly. 

“Fine. Riorson want’s Rose dead. Well both of you. But when he heard Rose was joining this year, he never shut up about it. It’s common knowledge and you just so happen to make it even more fun for him. Two birds with one stone or something.” 

“He’ll have to get through me first.”

“And that’s exactly what he wants, Ro.” He snaps back at me. “Just try to avoid him. As best as you can. He’s a wingleader so he is personally allowed to make your life a living hell. So please.” He turns to me fully. “Please don’t give him a reason to.” 

I roll my eyes and he grabs my hand. I flush from head to toe. “Rose. I’m serious here. Don’t give him more of a reason. Please.” And it’s that hint of concern. Concern so deep it makes my face hot that has me nodding my head. 

“You’re thinking like a rider now.” Violet mutters to herself. 

“I’m still me. Promise.” he taps his shoulder, where his signet patch should be. “I just have this now.”

My eyes go wide as I realize what his patch means. Classified. What signet does he have that warrants that? 

“I can read a person's recent memories.” And it’s whispered like a confession. I feel a frisson of fear. 

“Dain, that’s illegal.”

“Not like that. I can’t hear them from across the room. I have to touch a person’s face and it’s incredible.” 

“Okay, we’re going to be late if we keep talking.” I say as I hear the noise above us grow louder. 

“Just remember, stay away from Xaden. Low profile. Both of you.” He points to us and we both nod our head before we part ways.  But as we do, I see Xaden leaning over the railing to shout down at us. 

“I knew your parents were close but this is something else.” He shakes his head. “Tell me which one of you is he fucking?” 

If I wasn’t blushing I am now. Even the tips of Dain’s ears tinge with pink.

“He can’t hurt you right? You’re a squad leader and he’d have to call a quorum?”

“Yes but he can hurt you two.”

“I expected better from you Aestos. Should learn to hide your friends better.” He locks eyes on me. He was trying to bait us and I gave him all the ammunition he needed to make my life hell. 

“Run. Now” Dain orders and I grab Violet's arm and we bolt. 

My brain is mush throughout history, but of course Violet is the star pupil without even trying. We just barely make it to battle brief. Stuck in the first row thanks to the seats Rhiannon saves for us. 

Professor Markham stands at the front of the class as Devra steps aside to make room for him. His eyes soften as he lands on Violet. Of course he would recognize her. She trained under him for most of her life and he was certain she would be the best scribe in years. And she would have been. Still is. 

We launch right into the first question. No preamble to get us ready, straight to business. My eyes cloud over as I try to study the map, trying to focus on the details. This was always Violet’s strength not mine but I fight to keep up with her as she mutters to herself. 

Markham pushes us for questions and I hear Vilet mutter something to Rhiannon who calls out loudly. 

“What altitude was the village at?”

His eyes flicker to Violet who makes a point of looking anywhere but him. 

“A little less than a thousand feet. Why?”

She shrinks into herself a little. I don’t blame her, MArkham is intense when he wants to be. 

“Just seems a little high for an attack.”

“Keep going.” Markham pushes and Violet chimes in when Rhiannon pauses. 

Question after question and my head is reeling trying to keep up. I’m trying to connect the dots that she’s already seen. Jack eventually cuts her off and I clench my hands by my side. Finding something to twirl between my fingers so I don’t choke him for the tone he uses with Violet. That self-righteous, pompous tone. The asshole has the nerve to try to talk down to her when she easily knows more than even the second years. Devra scolds him for it. And I only give him a small smirk as I turn back to the front of the room. 

We’re dismissed shortly after and we all file into the gym. Now this. This I’m ready for. Violet may have me beat in academics But I can run circles around the first years in the gym. 

We’re called to the mats in pairs. 

We all watch in shock as Jack Barlow snaps the neck of his opponent. The sickening sound of bone crunching threatens to bring up my breakfast. He lets go of the limp body as the instructor rushes forward. Shouting at him. Barlow just stands with a shrug as he looks towards Violet and I. He’s strong but he’s big. Uncoordinated. He’d go down easy but Malek help you if he gets his arms around you. 

I’m finally called to the mat after a flawless victory from Rhiannon. Stepping onto the mat, I will my focus on the person standing in front of me. I didn’t listen to their name. I don’t care about their name. I care about the fact that when they lunge at me, there's a slight twitch in their left shoulder. I dodge it easily enough. Side stepping out of the way. I catch their still extended arm between their wrist and elbow. He tries to swing out of my grip but I only use it as leverage to twist his arm behind his back, palm facing up. I don’t hesitate to bring my elbow down on his extended arm. The telltale crunch letting me know I broke some bone. He cries out and I follow him as he falls to the ground. I have to keep him from hitting me.

“Yield damn it. I broke your arm.” I grit out. But he doesn’t. Just swings widely, trying to find any purchase as I pin him on his side. And I’m suddenly more grateful than words can explain as his hand makes contact with the back of my neck. I tense for a second, expecting the wash of fire to explode from every nerve in my body. But there's nothing. Another heartbeat and nothing. I’m so happy I could cheer, but I only put more pressure onto his broken arm and he cries out again. I twist his shoulder back slightly, knee resting in the hollow of his armpit and I can feel the muscle tense under me as I place myself to dislocate his shoulder. 

“Fine. I yield. I yield.” He yells as I still my foot. Stopping just in time for me to push him off of me. My shove knocks him onto his back and I can see the way he’s fighting the urge to cradle his arm. I sigh and stick my hand out for him to grab. He shoves it away and struggles to stand, slightly off balance. 

Someone escorts him to the menders and I file back in line. 

“He didn’t even touch you.” Rhiannon gasps out when I stand next to her. I shrug. Little does she know I’ve spent my whole life avoiding that very thing. Because if they do, I’m down. If I’m down then I’m dead. And no one here needs to know that. It’s bad enough they seem to be able to sniff out Violet’s weakness. But seeing mine. That might just be a death sentence for the both of us. 

One more fight and then I tense as Violet’s name gets called. She paired up against a pink-haired second year and I freeze completely when I see the rebel mark on her forearm. Shit. 

The two circle each other on the mat, whispering to each other too low for me to hear over the sound of my heartbeat in my ears. 

Imogen is fast. Faster than humanly possible. 

“You can’t use your powers here.” Dain shouts. As Imogen flips Violet onto her back, my hand shoots out onto Dain’s arm. My fingers digging into the skin on his forearm to keep me from sprinting into the ring to pull Imogen off of my sister. A quick flash of metal makes my blood pressure skyrocket. She tried to use a dagger. I don’t feel relieved as Violet sends a punch that I know messes up her hand. Her thumb tucked in at just the right angle for the ligament to pop. 

Imogen is a blur once again and has her pinned before the instructor can scold her for using her powers. “Yield” She calls as she shoves Violet’s face into the mat. She doesn’t and I watch in horror as Imogen pulls her arms further behind her back. Further than arms should bend and I lunge forward at the same time as Dain. 

“Damn it, Violet, yield.” I call out. My voice died down just in time to hear the sickening crunch of bone again. This time followed by a cry I’m too familiar with. 

Emetterio calls for the end of the match as Violet goes limp in front of me. 

I’m rushing past Imogen, shoving her out of the way as I grab Violet. Shaking her slightly to try to get her to come back around. 

“Oops.” Imogen says in a sickly sweet tone. She walks another step before I trip her, leg hooking against her ankle. She topples to the ground and I roll myself onto her. Straddling her hips, and pinning her wrists to her sides with my knees. She thrashes in my hold but I just place more of my weight on her, pressing harder with my foot. 

“Try that shit again and you’re dead.” 

“Not if I kill her first.” She snarls at me. And I push until I feel the bone move in her hand. 

Suddenly I feel someone lifting me up by the collar of my shirt. Dain’s brown eyes stare into mine. 

“She’s in your squad. Back off before you get in trouble.” He whispers as I try to squirm out of his hold. 

“I don’t care.” I hiss back. 

“But I do. Stop. Or are you going to make me pull rank?” I stopped squirming. Pushing myself out of his grasp. 

“Go calm down. Now.” Dain hisses when I find my footing.

 Imogen is smiling up at me. Like I did exactly what she wanted. And I probably did. But as I walk out of the gym, I realize I don’t give a shit what they think. Not if it means protecting Violet.

Taglist: @ninthcircleofprythian @sarawritestories @milswrites @daycourtofficial

[dragonridersandhighlords]

Where The Quiet Listens

The Aretian Chronicles

Summary: When ten-year-old Lyra Riorson sneaks into a high-level Assembly meeting to see her legendary parents in action, she gets more than just a glimpse of leadership—she witnesses loyalty, strength, and the weight of responsibility firsthand. But when her cover is blown, consequences give way to compassion, and Lyra begins to understand what it truly means to lead. 

Pairing: Xaden Riorson x OC! Briar Veyloren

Notes: 

Warnings: none

Word Count: 2.8k

Masterlist | TAC Masterlist

She knew better.

“Stay out of the Assembly room.” Her father had said time and time again, but she couldn’t help it. Perched on one of the raptors high above, she watched, listened

The room was filled with the province's leaders. Older ones she didn’t recognise, younger ones, like her Aunts Mira, Rhi, and Violet or her uncles Garrick and Bodhi, she did recognise. They all circled the large table covered in a map and at the head, stood her mother.

Briar was still, living up to her husband's nickname ‘stillpoint’ as the general across from her, one of the older ones, argued about border scouts. “We need a show of strength, not sentiment. The dragon’s should be patrolling over the cities, no exceptions.”

“And when this show of strength causes a village to burn up because you’re set on chasing a ghost? What then?” Briar responded, her voice even yet firm enough to get her point across.

The general sharply turned to Xaden, his fingers steepled below his chin and an amused smirk plastered on his face. The Duke sat in the chair beside his wife, equal to Garrick’s chair on the left. “I don’t know why you always look at me after she speaks, General. My wife is our expert strategist.”

The little girl couldn’t contain her smile at her father’s defense of her mother. She’d been a witness to thousands of moments that showcased her father’s complete devotion to her mother, this moment was no different.

“Tyrrendor has experienced enough hardships.” Briar spoke again. “We will not torment our citizens with ghost stories. If you believe in that, then you are in the wrong province.” The general huffed in his chair. “If that’s all then you are all dismissed.” Briar ordered and the elder council members were quick to vacate, leaving the younger members.

“He makes me want to throw my dagger into his shoulder.” Violet groans, a head dropping to the table, her husband Aaric running a soothing hand over her back.

“Just the shoulder?” Xaden chuckles. “I’ll do worse the next time he tries to get me to second guess, Briar.”

Briar laughed along with many of her friends, only trailing off when she heard a creak from above. A subtle glance told her exactly what lurked in the shadows.

“Lyra,” A soft whisper causes her to jump, looking over to see her best friends Cael and Auren crawling along the raptors to her. “What are you doing?” Cael whispers, sitting to her left while Auren makes his way to the right. 

“I had to see what they were like.” Lyra whispers while the voices of the people who make up her family pick up. “They’re extraordinary. I hope I can command a room like Mama does.” She sighs watching as her parents share a knowing look, Xaden placing a kiss on Briar's knuckles.

“My mom is scary.” Cael laughs. “Guess Uncle Xay’s nickname makes perfect sense.”

“I love watching my parents.” Auren says softly. “Dad’s finally gotten to the point that he can translate for mom without messing up and Mom’s smile lights up with every sentence.”

“She does it when you sign too.” Lyra bumps her shoulder against Auren’s. “Cael’s parents are always bullying each other, it’s funny.” “Until they get home.” A shiver runs down Cael’s spine.

“You three might as well come down.” All three kids freeze, looking down to see Briar’s stern face, her arms crossed and foot tapping.

“I take it back, Ly. Your mom is scarier than mine.” Cael mutters as the three crawl to the opening that leads them to the roof, hopping onto the balcony and then walking their way down to the door of the Assembly.

When they make it back, there are three chairs set on the end of the table, everyone else makes up the three other sides as the kids take a seat.

“Sneaking into meetings now, are we, Cael?” Violet raises a brow at her son who remained on Lyra’s left side, closest to his parents.

“And you Auren?” Sawyer asks, signing as well for his wife. 

“This isn’t like you.” Jesinia signs, her usually soft features hardened towards her son.

“And you were put to bed over an hour ago, young lady.” Briar says and Lyra cowers under her mom’s stare.

“I’m sorry.” The three kids say in unison. It’s not the first time the adults had heard the trio apologize in unison. If one was in trouble, it was usually all three of them.

Violet and Aaric escort their son out, Violet rattling about how dangerous that was for her son who breaks just as easily as she does, followed by Sawyer and Jesinia who walk in silence. The rest of the riders exit, Garrick stopping to wish his niece luck before running to the door when briar glares at him.

“Explain yourself.” Briar says, reading her daughter’s emotions as she speaks.

“I just wanted to see,” Lyra protests, “and it was so cool, Mama! The way you handled yourself, the way dad put that general in his place!”

Briar’s shoulder’s drop as she sits in her seat. 

“Come here, Little Star.” Xaden beacons his daughter over, easily lifting his 10 year old daughter onto the table between him and Briar. “You know you aren’t allowed in here.”

“I know,” Lyra nods, her eyes downcast.

“That being said,” Xaden starts but Briar finishes.

“We can find some non-classified meetings for you to sit in, okay?” Briar questions and Lyra’s eyes widen at her mom’s words.

“Really?”

She knew better than to disobey her father's warnings, yet curiosity pulled at her like a current. 

Perched high above the Assembly room, Lyra's heart raced as she peered through the shadows, captivated by the tension swirling beneath the ornate ceiling. Her father had cautioned her time and time again to stay away, yet the magnetic pull of her family's world was impossible to ignore.

The room buzzed with the voices of the province's leaders. She recognized the faces of her aunts—Mira, Rhi, Jesinia, and Violet—alongside her uncles, Sawyer, Garrick and Bodhi, all gathered around a large table strewn with a detailed map. She noted the unfamiliar faces, all highly decorated with ranks and patches she had read about. At the head of the table, her mother, Briar, commanded the room like a tempest, her presence as unwavering as the name her husband, Xaden, had given her: stillpoint.

As the general across from Briar argued with fervor, insisting on a display of strength over sentiment, Lyra felt the weight of every word. “We need a show of strength, not sentiment. The dragons should be patrolling the cities, no exceptions.” 

Briar's response came swift and sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. “And when this show of strength causes a village to burn because you’re chasing a ghost? What then?” The firmness of her voice echoed with a resolute authority that filled Lyra with pride.

The general's gaze flickered to Xaden, who had an amused smirk playing on his lips as he leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know why you always look at me after she speaks, General. My wife is our expert strategist,” he quipped, his admiration for Briar evident. Lyra couldn't help but beam at her father's unwavering defense of her mother—a testament to their profound bond.

“Tyrrendor has experienced enough hardships,” Briar continued, her voice steady yet laced with passion. “We will not torment our citizens with ghost stories. If you believe that, then you are serving the wrong province." Lyra had to stifle her laughter at that, but her father didn't. "If that’s all, then you are all dismissed.” The authority in her tone sent a ripple of silence through the room, and the elder council members vacated quickly, leaving the younger ones behind in an echo of tension and unresolved debates.

Lyra’s heart fluttered with excitement, a mix of admiration and apprehension as she watched the dynamics of power and loyalty unfold before her.

“He makes me want to throw my dagger into his shoulder.” Violet groans, her head dropping to the polished oak table with a soft thud, the sound echoing in the tense atmosphere. Her husband, Aaric, instinctively runs a soothing hand over her back, his fingers gliding like a gentle breeze. 

“Just the shoulder?” Xaden chuckles, a warm light dancing in his eyes. “I’ll do worse the next time he tries to get me to second guess Briar.” His jest brings a flicker of laughter to the gathering, the resonance of camaraderie mingling with the lingering tension of the meeting. 

Briar joins the laughter, her voice rich and melodic, but it trails off abruptly when a creak from above punctuates the air, drawing her attention. A subtle glance toward the rafters reveals the unmistakable outline of small figures cloaked in shadows, and a knowing smile flickers across her lips, betraying her amusement.

“Lyra,” a soft whisper reaches her ears, causing her to jump slightly. She turns her head to see her best friends, Cael and Auren, precariously crawling along the wooden beams behind her, their faces alight with mischief. “What are you doing?” Cael whispers, settling down to her left, his excitement palpable. Auren balances himself on the right, eyes wide with curiosity.

“I had to see what they were like,” Lyra whispers back, her voice barely rising above the hum of conversation below. She watches in awe as the people who make up her family share their thoughts and strategies. “They’re extraordinary. I hope I can command a room like Mama does.” A dreamy sigh escapes her lips as she takes in the sight of her parents, watching the moment Xaden presses a tender kiss on Briar's knuckles. "I love watching them."

“My mom is scary,” Cael laughs, his voice a mixture of admiration and trepidation. “Guess Uncle Xay’s nickname makes perfect sense.”

“I love watching my parents,” Auren remarks softly, his voice filled with an earnestness that resonates within the group. “Dad’s finally gotten to the point that he can translate for Mom without messing up, and Mom’s smile lights up with every sentence.”

“She does it when you sign too,” Lyra nudges Auren with her shoulder, her eyes gleaming with shared understanding. “Cael’s parents are always bullying each other; it’s funny.” 

“Until they get home,” Cael mutters, a shiver running down his spine.

“You three might as well come down.” The commanding tone of Briar slices through their banter, all three kids freezing. They look down to see Briar’s stern face, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently, a beacon of authority.

“I take it back, Ly. Your mom is scarier than mine,” Cael mutters under his breath as the three of them scramble towards the opening leading to the roof, hearts pounding with a mixture of thrill and apprehension. They hop onto the balcony, their laughter echoing softly behind them as they make their way down to the door of the Assembly.

As the trio of children scampered back into the room, the atmosphere shifted. The long, polished table was still set for the council's meeting, but now three empty chairs awaited their arrival at the far end, where the general had once stood. Lyra, Cael, and Auren plopped into their seats, each child carefully eying their parents..

“Sneaking into meetings now, are we, Cael?” Violet’s voice pierced through the air, her brow arched in a blend of disbelief and concern, causing Cael squirm slightly, though he remained steadfast at Lyra’s side.

“And you, Auren?” Sawyer added, his hands moving gracefully through signs as he conveyed his thoughts to Jesinia, who sat beside him, her usually gentle features now cloaked in a rare sternness that could send shivers down anyone’s spine. 

“This isn’t like you,” she signed, her expression unwavering. Auren’s head dropped, the weight of her gaze settling heavily on his shoulders. 

“And you were put to bed over an hour ago, young lady.” Briar’s voice was a firm reminder, her eyes piercing through the lingering innocence in Lyra’s gaze, compelling her to cower under her mother’s watchful scrutiny. 

“I’m sorry.” The trio’s voices rose in unison, a harmonious chorus that had become all too familiar in the ears of the adults. Ever since they were little, when one was in trouble, it usually meant they all were.

With a sigh, Violet and Aaric led their son away, the echoes of Violet’s worries trailing behind them as she expressed her concerns about how dangerous the rafters were for her son who broke just as easily as she did. Sawyer and Jesinia followed suit, the silence between them a stark contrast to the animated farewells of the riders, who filtered out of the room.

“Explain yourself.” Briar's tone was calm yet unwavering, her eyes narrowing as she studied her daughter’s flushed cheeks, the hint of pride mingling with apprehension. 

“I just wanted to see,” Lyra protested, her enthusiasm bubbling to the surface, “and it was so cool, Mama! The way you handled yourself, the way Dad put that general in his place!” 

With a soft exhale, Briar’s shoulders sagged as she took her seat. 

“Come here, Little Star.” Xaden’s voice was warm and inviting, beckoning Lyra closer. He effortlessly lifted his ten-year-old daughter onto the table between him and Briar, the solid wood grounding her in the moment. “You know you aren’t allowed in here.” 

“I know,” Lyra replied, her voice a whisper, eyes lowered as she absorbed the gravity of her actions. 

“That being said,” Xaden began, but Briar interjected with a soft yet determined tone, her expression shifting as she formulated a plan. “We can find some non-classified meetings for you to sit in, okay?” 

Lyra’s eyes sparkled with the words. “Really?”

“Only if you promise to not sneak into any more meetings,” Briar offered, her voice laced with a mixture of sternness and warmth, as she watched her daughter bounce eagerly on the polished table. 

“I promise! Thank you, Mama!” Lyra exclaimed, her joy bursting forth like sunlight breaking through clouds after a storm. She leapt into her mother’s arms, her small frame wrapping around Briar tightly. 

“Hey, I’m here too!” Xaden interjected playfully, a teasing grin spreading across his face. He moved closer, fingers poised to tickle Lyra’s sides, unleashing a cascade of giggles that filled the room with infectious laughter. 

“Thank you, Dad!” Lyra squealed between breaths, reaching for her father, her face alight with delight as Xaden effortlessly lifted her into the air, her laughter ringing like bells in the serene atmosphere of the Assembly.

“Back to bed, Sparrow!” Xaden declared, his voice booming yet filled with warmth, as he cradled her against his chest, the rhythm of her laughter intertwined with the steady beat of his heart.

“Can we check on Liam first?” Lyra’s voice was a small, hopeful whisper, her eyes sparkling with the lingering remnants of excitement.

“Your brother’s asleep, Starlet. Let him rest, okay?” Briar laughed softly beside them, her eyes dancing with amusement as she watched the two of them. They began their ascent up the stairs, the muted echoes of their footsteps against the stone.

Lyra nodded, stifling a yawn as she nestled deeper into her father’s embrace, her eyelids growing heavy. “I love you guys,” she murmured, her voice a sleepy serenade.

“We love you too,” Xaden and Briar chorused, their hearts swelling as they reached her bedroom door.

With the tenderest of motions, Xaden gently laid Lyra down on her bed, the soft mattress cradling her tired body as if it were a cloud. Briar followed, pulling the covers up snugly around their daughter, creating a fortress of warmth and security. They exchanged knowing glances as they placed gentle kisses on Lyra’s forehead.

“Ten years old and fascinated with council meetings,” Briar laughed softly. “I only wanted to read at that age.” She kicked off her boots, moving about their room to get ready for bed.

“I followed my dad everywhere at ten,” Xaden replied, his tone light, yet filled with a hint of nostalgia. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Briar with a fondness that made her heart flutter.

“So she’s your kid?” Briar teased, the spark in her eyes igniting a playful challenge.

Xaden feigned shock, his expression exaggerated as he stepped back, only to spring forward again, a playful glint in his gaze. “She is beautiful chaotic blend of both of us,” he laughed heartily, filling the emptiness with warmth, and then his face goes serious. “Oh shit, she’s going to tell someone off during her first meeting.” 

Briar chuckled, shaking her head. The thought of their daughter standing strong and speaking her mind ignited a flicker of excitement in her heart.

“That still makes her your kid.”

With a smirk playing on his lips, Xaden took a playful step towards Briar, his fingers outstretched as if to tickle her this time. Briar squealed, her laughter blending with the echoes of their shared joy as she darted across the room. 

Everything Taglist: @lxnvmvrzx @bodhidurrans @bookwormysblog @nikfigueiredo

Aretian Chronicles Taglist: @harryssyndrome @ladybirdbeetle7 @sorrybaeeeeee @lagrandeourse @littlepippilongstocking

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[oh-no-its-dragons]

Baby Names

And then @suebswrites also prompted me for "naming children after the war" which actually dovetailed nicely with a conversation @sarcasticmothwrites and I had the other day. 600 words of Riorgail fluff.

"Twins, Violence? You never cease to amaze me."

"You say that like I did it all by myself," she laughed. "Okay so... names."

"Do we need to have this conversation now? I expect we have some time."

"And I expect *everyone* will have their own opinions so we might want to get ahead of them."

Xaden laughed. "And brilliant too, of course. Very well. I have one name in mind immediately. Did Andarna tell you which sorts of names we should be picking?"

"She's pretty sure they're a boy and a girl. And I have one name in mind too, but... well."

"It's probably the same one, is that what you're thinking? I don't have to read your mind to guess that one. Liam."

"Yes, that's the easy one. I've got no idea what to name a girl, though."

"What would sound good with Liam?"

"Not Lilith," Violet shuddered. "That'd be too complicated even if she'd just been my mother."

"I appreciate you taking that out of my hands," Xaden nodded. "Was that the one you're worried about other people having opinions about?"

"One of them. But if Mira thinks a child should be named after Mom, she can have one of her own. Besides, if I was naming someone in honor of a parent, it'd be my father."

"Maybe the next one," Xaden kissed the top of her head.

She laughed. "Don't get ahead of yourself, I'm not sure how well my body's going to handle *one* pregnancy, let alone more than that."

Xaden stilled. "Are you..."

"Oh, I want this. It'll hurt, but I did the math and I think the calculus works out that it'll be worth it in the end."

"So we're back to names," he changed the subject. He'd gotten used to the way Violet talked about her pain, but still struggled with accepting that it was a problem he couldn't solve for her. "Is there anyone else...?"

They both paused, thinking about those they'd lost in the war. A few suggestions tossed back and forth, but there weren't any clear answers like Liam had been, and Violet felt oddly superstitious about naming one after someone living when the other was named in honor of someone dead.

"Maybe we need to think about an entirely different angle. You're named for a flower, what about something like Lily? That would sound good with Liam," Xaden suggested.

"No flowers," Violet grumbled. "I got enough of that before I entered the Quadrant, people assuming I liked the flower as if I'd names myself after it. It's one thing when it comes from someone who means it, but too many people don't."

"No flowers," Xaden liked the flustered anger in her eyes about it, though, and he kissed her again. "Maybe this can wait a few days, at least. We don't have to tell anyone until your ready. The right name will come to us."

Violet leaned into him as his hands reached down to cup her ass, then shook her head. "No good. I'm still thinking about it."

Xaden managed to make a sound half way between a groan and a laugh.

"Does your family have any naming traditions," she prompted. "I know your mom is... Did you have a grandmother you were close to or anything?"

"Bodhi's mother was the only figure I really had and considering he's talking about starting his own family I wouldn't want to without asking him."

"Oh absolutely." Violet sighed. "If only there was someone who was as obvious a choice as Liam."

"I'm fairly certain the only person you spent as much time thinking about was Lyra of Morraine, and that was because you spent so long in her journal," Xaden said, and then Violet looked at him.

"Lyra and Liam?"

"You don't think it's too much, do you?"

"No, I think it's perfect."

"Excellent," Xaden agreed, picking her up to kiss her again. "Now then, is your mind clear enough to celebrate...?"