#Sorry to get so sappy on you guys lol
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misslavenderlady · 1 year ago
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Thought is asked based on the horrible question number 57
57: Do you believe in true love?
I do. I found it myself. 💜
So I'll go ahead and use this opportunity to tell the story about how I met my fiance.
We actually met on Cherubplay, a writing forum for those of us in the Homestuck fandom (yes I was a Homestuck fan don't judge me). I posted a writing prompt that I really liked and someone answered it. The two of us had very compatible writing styles and ideas to share with one another. Since we hit it off so well we exchanged Tumblr and Skype usernames so we could talk more.
The two of us developed a really good friendship, talking over video call and in messages. After a couple of months I realized I was developing a crush on him, but didn't really know what to do with my feelings. Then one day I got lost on my way home from work, and I was really scared because of how dark it was outside (we were both only 17 at the time). He comforted me and let me know I wasn't alone and when I finally got home, he made sure I felt safe.
That's when I realized I was falling in love.
I didn't want to say I loved him more than as a friend because I didn't know if he felt the same way. But the day after his birthday, we ended up flirting a bit, and I outright asked if he liked me. Turns out he did and he was worried about saying anything because he thought I didn't feel the same way. So it was a big misunderstanding lol.
We jumped right into being boyfriend and girlfriend. It would be hard since I lived in Maryland and he lived in New Jersey. I'd never been in a relationship before, let alone a long-distance one. But I was optimistic.
The two of us met in person a few months later. We were in NYC to see the Rockettes, and I was chaperoned by my family in public for safety. Getting to hug and kiss and hold him for the first time was pure magic. That whole day was perfect.
After that, we ended up doing visits every 3-4 months. He was my date for my senior prom, I got to meet and befriend his friends in New Jersey, we went on beach vacations, went to museums, got to get to know our families better, and so much more. He was my biggest supporter as I studied for my degrees in college. He was there for me at my graduation too.
I had hoped we'd move in together soon after that, but Covid threw a wrench into things. He was working in a hospital at the time, so he got it right away. I was scared to death because nobody knew anything about it or the danger is posed. Thankfully, his symptoms were minor and he made a fast recovery.
By 2021 we FINALLY moved in together. It's been incredible. I get to see him every day, we get to go on adventures and have fun together whenever we want. And we both work hard to provide for my family. I'm incredibly grateful for the work he's done to help my family, as my mother is disabled and my grandparents can't work like they used to. He's such a kind-hearted man and has such a loving soul.
On 2-22-22, he proposed to me. I obviously said yes. He picked that date because it was a special good luck day from all the 2s. We're moving into our first house together next year.
So yes, I believe in true love. Not just romantically though. My partner shows true love when he picks up a special treat that he knows I like. It's how he helps make sure my mom gets her medicine. How he helps my grandfather move heavy furniture with no issue. He's kind to everyone, brightening up their day with his amazing smile and personality. He gives me big belly laughs with all the silly things he says. We write together and help one another with our stories so we can grow together as a team. And his hugs remind me that I'm loved so very much.
I believe in true love 💜💜💜
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crossbackpoke-check · 4 months ago
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♾️!
shuffle said “your apartment” by wallows!!
Who said / I don’t understand or that I probably don’t remember / Time in the palm of your hand / we both let go together
&
Who’s been tryin’ to get their signal sent? / I promise I get your sentiment / I wonder who’s been at your apartment?
not like. lyrically the greatest song but i love that there’s a storyline that runs through the first few songs of the album and the ways they reference each other (you called me over to your apartment, whose signal sent? -> you can call me anytime -> i know you’re calling after me). shout out also to the pre-chorus pauses for questionable punctuation and interpretation because it’s one of my favorite things when the inflection and performance can change the meaning of the lyrics!!
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bmpmp3 · 4 months ago
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the really beautiful landscape/skyscape animation in makoto shinkai's works tends to be the big thing i see focused on and that is understandable and deserved like the weather and lighting effects are unREAL but i do think we should also appreciate how absolute insane the plotlines of his original movies get. at least two movies with in universe catastrophes with major ecological implications. the guns and explosions. theres that one movie i havent seen yet with the guy who turns into a chair (?)
#just watched weathering with you. it was really good. REALLY good#i remember when it came out people were saying it was better than your name. but now it seems the general opinion switched?#your name changed my brain chemistry and outlook on life. i think weathering with you may do the same#so to me i think they're like on pare with eachother. i dont know if i can choose which is my fav now LOL#they are sisters to me..... sisters to me...... quick review below watch out for spoilers#i dont think i'll be too detailed but i do also just recommend watching it its a great movie#I DID like the soundtrack in your name a BIT better like the score had a few more hooks for me and i loved all the insert songs#while in wwy i liked the last three inserts but the first couple didnt really grab me. but its all radwimps so its all good LOL#the side characters in wwy were so good tho like i loved all the cast so much#of course i adored the main characters of your name and wwy both. but the side cast in wwy ruled i think i'll remember them for a long time#the taki jumpscare was also great. my boy was here. my boy was here. just for a minute#i also adored how unhinged the main character of wwy was. hodaka was like. a bit unwell? HJKDJHKFD i thought it was great#weird and quiet but desperately a bit violent in a way that i think was very relatable#i also loved the like. message? sorry that sounds sappy but i liked that like the story was kind of like#coming to hina who is working so hard and forced by herself and circumstance to grow up so early and sacrifice so much#and grabbing her by the shoulders and telling her YOU CAN LIVE!!! YOU CAN HAVE FUN!!! ITS OKAY!!!!!!#i think it was so sweet and such a strong sentiment. wonderful movie. also there was guns and i was so scared#i think that might actually by why i love how high stakes the plots get in these movies like the character design and personalities are so#real and down to earth so when you go to the beautiful planetary skyscapes and also the exploding vehicals you get like so in awe or scared#it does also make me laugh tho now thinking about the your name nendos. you can just barely make nendos of them. you cannot make a nendo of#hodaka. hina maybe. but not hodaka. he is. some guy. the most some guy. visually at least. mentally hes got. something happening <3#loved him so much. hes normal. hes normal. oh they did make some popup parades thats cute#altho it is a bit funny looking. that is just like two normal teenagers JHKLDSHKFDLSafdjksd#anyway next up i'll probably watch the chair movie. ive heard a couple songs from it and they were pretty good so im excited#it also makes me realize i need to watch more of his back catalogue other than 5cm.... he has way more movies than i remembered#i hope someday he gets to make the yuri movie he wanted to. it would be unreal. huge beautiful skys. ecological disasters. girls kissing#oh i hope he gets to do it one day..... one day.....#EDIT: WAIT THEY DID MAKE A NENDO OF HODAKA AND HINA.... LIKE FULL NENDOS NOT EVEN PETITE.....#HODAKA REALLY DOES JUST LOOK LIKE SOME DUDE.... AWESOME
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teknikolor-walters · 1 year ago
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Me when my friends compliment me on system / consolidation / fictive stuff
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divorcedyaoi · 2 years ago
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I am rly happy to have made it to 2023 w all of u, I appreciate u all as presences on my dash, as friends, as people. I’m rooting for all of u and your endeavors and seeing updates on your guys’ lives and interests brings me so much joy (or at times concern, ik a lot of y’all have been going through really rough patches and I am hoping that an end is in sight). I’m grateful to be here, to have met the ppl here I have met, and to be able to call some of u friends w my whole heart. happy new years everyone, and thank you 💓
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scatterbrainedbot · 10 months ago
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pulled up some more chairs blankets and pillows!!! this is officially the coziest moot lounge around <3
@diona-98 @onionninjasstuff @temva @triona-tribblescore @shardkn1ght @danksy-ns
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Come to the moot lounge to do moot activities
Like catching on some sleep *side eye*
@lil-beanz000 @banana-jar-studio @scatterbrainedbot @cuddlebugmonster
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Here if you wanna color them
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mrs-weasley-reid · 3 months ago
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JULY REC FICS
Hello, my sweets!! I wanted to try something out to provide my full and utter support to all the amazing writers I've come across in the form of monthly rec fics (starting this month). Join me in giving them love through comments and reblogs. It really is a joy to hear how you're doing as a writer. It makes up for all the angst we write lol
I will be going based on what I've read recently and not by the date the fic was posted. And the number of fics will depend on how much I've read the entire month. Also, please respect these writers. Some contents are 18+, so MINORS should not be interacting in any way, especially when the authors themselves specify it.
— ✿ — ✿ ✿ — ✿ ✿ ✿
Spencer Reid
✿ a question unasked by @easy-there-leftovers ↳ SOOOO ADORABLE. I'm a workaholic craze gal, so it speaks to me on a silly level.
✿ missing the happy hormone by @lavenderspence ↳ I'm a sucker for Spencer fluff this month, what can I say? This fic Tina made had my waterworks going on for about a minute because it's so sweet
✿ desk duty by @reiderwriter ↳ All you have to know is the amount of evil laugh I made while reading this
✿ the theory of love by @ophelia-is-complex ↳ Genuine intimacy is quite a challenge to write, but THIS ONE, this one had me in a sappy mood
✿ like nothing matters by @cerisereids ↳ gagged and had to pause the reading so many times because HELLO— had me spiraling at work
✿ the devils disguise by @qlossytbh ↳ I said I sobbed a little bit, but I actually cried so much I ended up taking a nap and felt better afterward. It's all fluff, though, don't get me wrong. I'm just very dramatic when the red devil's on the clock
✿ not so funny by @reidmania ↳ Angsty, that made me wanna start a fight with some random twiggy tall guy. Sooooo good!
✿ cloaked in passions touch by @raekensluver ↳ If you don't like Spencer's hands, you're fucking lying to yourself!!!!!
✿ language of devotion by @gghostwriter ↳ I'm in love with reid, and this fic just had me stumbling back onto his lap like a good gal
✿ this req response by @mandarinmoons ↳ Sorry, I'm not sure what the title is, but it's so adorable and got me to go to work, so kind of a lifesaver tbh
✿ hallucinate by @gghostwriter ↳ Oooo, this one was so cute, hehe. Honestly, I lean towards Spencer fluff lately just because I've been too overstimulated with work this past month, so READ THIS ONE ITS CUTE
✿ it's golden, like daylight by @dudeitiskarev ↳ I actually felt like I was reader the entire time I read this. It's well-written and so adorable and something that should be framed in a museum
✿ much ado about nothing series by @incognit0slut ↳ binged it all morning, and I was whipped !!! It's ongoing, so if I have to wait, so does everybody else
— ✦ — ✦ ✦ — ✦ ✦ ✦
Aaron Hotchner
✦ choiceless hope series by @hotchfiles ↳ This series had me rolling over my bed on a Saturday. A lot of feelings getting played (mostly mine)
✦ beanstalk by @solardrop ↳ I kid you not; I was giggling like a weirdo when I read it. And that itself deserves the recommendation.
✦ too busy being yours by @hotchfiles ↳ Lari knows how to get a sick gal to giggle. I love bau!rossi!reader. I love Rossi as reader's dad, so I enjoyed it more than I thought I would
✦ ignorance by infatuation by @boneblushed ↳ Oh, this one was a nice snack while on my break at work. LOVED IT SO MUCH
✦ hungover by @basketonthedoorstepofthefbi ↳ Mmmm, such a good read! Plus Jemily is there sooooo
✦ from across the bar by @hotchscoffeecup ↳ Evil laugh ensues. A nice cuppa of some good ole kinky stuff
✦ doomed by @hotchfiles ↳ guys, I stopped my car in the middle of driving home just to read it, so it's THAT good. Honestly, I strongly encourage everyone to read all of Lari's works! She's my writer crush, if none of you realized it by now
✦ a bunch of cuties in love by @lavenderspence ↳ hehehehehehe this definitely did not remind me of that one older guy I used to flirt with who had an adorable younger brother that I babysat🤭
✦ schrodinger's cat by @none-of-your-bullshit ↳ angst on a Saturday morning is like taking a shot of soju before 11 am, and this one felt like it <3
how about you also comment your top 3 fave fics for this month to spread more love to our great writers?
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joosthead · 4 months ago
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touch tank || j.k. f!reader
WARNING #1: explicit real person fiction ahead, dni if below 18. dni if anti-rpf
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WARNING #2: explicit rpf/real person fiction content ahead. read at your own risk. dni if anti rpf, dni or read ahead if you simply don’t like rpf lol
₊˚⊹⋆ prompt(s): 16S) the classic “oh, let me help you put some sunscreen on” but then the little massage turns into something more
part 2 of just too soft for all of it — this is a standalone fic but both of these are set in the same universe if you want some more : )
₊˚⊹⋆ reader: f!reader, gets referred to as joost’s girlfriend. notfamous!reader. if you are a person who does not tan/burns—pretend that you can tan easily for this fic😭 exploration into joost and normal!reader’s dynamic. little bit opposite aesthetic reader
₊˚⊹⋆ word count: 7.7k
₊˚⊹⋆ cw: smut (oily massage, f!receiving oral+eating from back, unprotected piv, outdoors [but still private] sex, creampie), perfect world w perfect temperatures and pools, quite sappy lol didn’t know i could top jtsfaoi but here we are, google translate dutch. note: ice lolly/popsicle in mind. yes this is important. idk if they have these in nl but they do now < 3
WARNING #3: rpf ahead—don't like it, don't read it. do not repost this on any other platform, screenshots or text alike. do not click ahead if you don’t want to read rpf. do not interact if you are below 18. how to block tags/words on tumblr.
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₊˚⊹⋆ track(s) of the fic: “touch tank” by quinnie, “love is strange” by mickey & sylvia, “pink in the night” by mitski
₊˚⊹⋆ junote: i really wanted to combine this with prompt 14 but i couldn't make it work : ( i do have requests for that that i’ll fulfill so stay tuned teehee !! sorry this took so long, i am a perfectionist and absolutely adore this prompt so—here you guys go !! enjoy : 3
₊˚⊹⋆translation: "Kun je me hier voelen, diep in je?" - "Can you feel me here, deep in you?"
18+ only — explicit rpf content ahead, minors dni, anti rpf dni. 4th and final warning!
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Because your life is so perfect, the day after your meltdown and subsequent putting back together (courtesy of Joost), your area gets hit with the worst heatwave of the summer. 
You guess that this is some cruel tactic of the universe to make its stars align for you in any way it can. The unbearable beams of sunlight beaming down upon you the moment you exit Joost and your shared home into the backyard. “Are you sure we should have a day outside?” you call back behind you, putting on your sunglasses. “Shouldn’t we just chill inside and watch something?” 
Joost comes up behind you, arm snaking around your waist, lips planted on your cheek in a second. “Some sunlight will be very good for you, you’re always holed up in the office or library,” he mumbles into your shoulder, covered by the baby-blue cotton fabric of one of his button ups. “You can bear it.”
You shake your head, but keep walking forward down the steps anyways, sandals slapping against the small wood deck. “I think the heat might kill me.” 
“It won’t—I won't let it!” Joost exclaims proudly, letting you go and going ahead of you. Even without seeing his face, you know how big of a smile he’s got on his lips. 
The pool sloshes on its own, the aqua blue water spilling over the sides and darkening the gray pavement next to it. On one of your loungers, Joost sets down the tote bag he prepared of towels, sunscreen, the change of clothes you’ll wear when you go back inside. You woke up to it this morning, along with a butcher paper wrapped breakfast sandwich and a glass of water. A text accompanied it—he would be out back, taking the cover off the pool and setting everything up. 
Usually, you're the one setting everything up, preferring to have it your own specific way, but—you chose peace last night, going straight to bed after taking that bath together  After these few years together, Joost may not be as Type A as you, but he can certainly hold his own now around the household. 
Your backyard is a quaint sight: the fence lined with various flower bushes, clean cut grass all around. A tree stands in the corner, roots surrounded by a ring of decorative rocks and pink carnations—there isn’t much either of you have done to upkeep any of it, but somehow, they bloom year after year. Your loungers are baby blue, covered in the towels that Joost has set out, the tote bag spilling over on the left one. 
It's almost like you’ve taken an outing to the beach and you're not in the little old house you’ve lived in for the past few years. Any day with Joost is that extravagant, he makes it that way. Already, you can relax, your shoulders lowering as you sit down on the edge of your lounger and watch as Joost squats, running his fingers along the surface of the water in silence. 
Low on his hips, Joost’s swim trunks are black and needlessly designer, just the way he likes them. He’s shirtless, the expanse of his back to you—his own name is tattooed on his right shoulder in some sans-serif script he must’ve liked before he ever met you, and in this sunlight, you wish in secret to see your own next to it.  
“You’re staring, lieverd,” Joost remarks over his shoulder, giving the water one final splash as he stands up and you smile. 
“How could I not?”
“I’m just too beautiful, aren’t I?” He comes over to you, standing in front of you and shielding you from the sun. “You ready to get in the pool?” 
Behind your sunglasses, you squint up at him and nod. “Put on some music and I’ll go.”
Goofy as always, he salutes to you and marches away like some Supreme swim trunk clad soldier. As he sets up the speaker on the far side of the pool, you unbutton your shirt, get ready to slip off your flip flops, but in your pocket, your phone vibrates. 
You check it—it’s an email from your supervisor, asking you to look over a few files for her. Regardless of your big day out taking up your time…it’s a Saturday. And yet you still find yourself about to respond, about to start typing when Joost places his big hand over your phone screen, saying, “We can look at that later, yeah?” Your grip on the phone loosens; he’s right, you can look at that later. There’s still a part of you that wants to reply, scared of what the consequences will be if you don’t, but—“Today will be great.” Taking your face in his hands, he presses a kiss to your forehead. “Come, now.” 
You stand up and he slips off your button up for you, dropping it on the deck chair. You adjust the strings of your bikini; white and blue and flowery, patterned like a delicate porcelain vase, so pretty on you and Joost tells you such.
Turning to him, you hold your hands out to the side, showing yourself off. Joost’s hand comes up to your collarbone to fidget with the matching necklaces you both have that you wear now—pearl pendants in dainty silver cages attached to short chains and these green and tarnished (“well-loved,” Joost calls them) old halves of a “BEST FRIENDS FOREVER” heart-shaped necklace from a Claire’s you both visited on a trip to America. He wears them both today, too, chains intertwined and tangled as always. 
“Do you realize how pretty you are? Zo mooi mijn liefste,” Joost says, taking your hand and twirling you around for a better look—he wolf whistles, and it makes you laugh, cheeks warming with his eyes on you. 
“With how much you tell me, I think I’m starting to realize it.” 
“Very glad,” he says, pulling you in for a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll tell you more then.” 
Grinning, you pull away and make for the pool steps, but not before Joost taps you on the ass; you act scandalized, dropping your mouth open, narrowing your eyes at him, but it’s lighthearted, and just makes you want to finish what you started last night. “Smokeshow!” he whisper yells through his cupped hands around his mouth as you walk forward and to the side of the pool—it’s still morning, and your neighbours are weird about noise. This is his version of being considerate of that. Too bad for them that you moved Joost Klein into your once quiet home. 
Dipping a toe into the water, you immediately suck in a breath through your teeth at how cold it is. Even with the tarp and the sun shining down upon it for hours, the water still nips at your skin, something in your brain perceiving it to be freezing and impossible to step into. “Ew,” you mutter, and Joost snickers from behind you. 
“Baby can’t handle it?” he teases. 
“Not true,” you mumble, going down the second step, ankle deep, and immediately scrambling out of the water. “Jesus Christ, what the fuck?” 
“You’re surprised that water is supposed to be cool?” 
“It’s not supposed to be that cool.” 
“Come here.” You turn around, walk right up to him. Even without shoes, you still have to look up at Joost, and he smiles right down at you—you know that’s going to happen. “C’mon. Jump, schatje,” he says, tapping the backs of your thighs, so you do—he can carry you with ease, all the times he’s brought you upstairs this way, all the drunken piggybacks he’s given you. You wrap your arms around his neck, wrap your legs around him tightly, while he has his hands under your ass. “Good, baby.” 
He takes the opportunity to press a kiss to your neck, then starts forward down the pool steps, slowly so you can adjust. “Agh!” you yelp softly as he moves further into the pool, the cold water coming up around your body, engulfing you. The temperature is a shock to your system, though the way it cools your hot skin is so, so welcome. It isn’t as cold like this. 
“Is it okay?” 
“I’m okay,” you say, though you hug him closer to get any sort of warmth on you. 
“Are you sure?” he laughs, and you nod, still clinging onto him like a little bear. “You’re so cute. I think I deserve a kiss for that.” 
“One for carrying me,” you say, kissing him on his soft lips. “Another for setting all of this up.” You kiss him again, and Joost deepens it, somehow squeezing your body even tighter to his, tongue teasing at your mouth as he squeezes your ass, as you rest your hands on his chest.  “Have we ever done it in a pool?” you ask once you pull away. 
“Never.” Joost gives you one last peck, one last kiss on the jaw as he smiles at you. “Do you think today is the day?”
“Maybe. We’ll see.” 
After around an hour of wading around—you’ve both decided that today is not the day to do it in a pool. It’s too hot, even with the cold water you’re situated in. Not even your house or the tree in the corner of the yard provides good shade for the water as the day gets later, the sun beating down on your shoulders; it would turn into a burn if you were that unlucky, but you, however, are not. 
In the morning when you first stepped out, the pool was still shaded and you and Joost could do whatever you wanted: breath holding contests, Joost trying (and failing) to do a handstand underwater, racing each other across and back several times like this was some backyard Olympics. After a bit, you floated on your backs together, laughing about what the water feels like in your ears, laughing about how terrible he is at floating. Finally, you felt all of the worries from the past month melt away and into the water as you gazed up at the blue sky above you. 
You heard it before it came—Joost swiping the surface of the water, making a large splash that drenched your face as you floated. You exclaimed, “You dick!” and freed yourself from your float to splash him back in the face hard, then he feigned the hurt and sorrow that fills one’s heart after chlorine fills their waterlines, rubbing at his eyes—you weren’t not going to come over and dote on him, but then he splashed you back as you looked over his red eyes, and it made you splash him back even more. 
Noise be damned, you were both laughing and shrieking and splashing for around an hour—in the midst of your splash war, you noticed how pink Joost’s shoulders were, the beginnings of a nasty sunburn afoot with the afternoon sun shining down on both of you. You shooed him out of the pool and into the refuge of the umbrella covering your lounge chairs, and started to rummage in the bag before he sprung up from his seat. 
“Wait, wait, wait! Before I forget—” Joost exclaims, running back up the stairs and into your house. A minute or two passes, and he comes back with his hands behind his back, closing the sliding door shut with his foot. In front of him, he holds out a twin popsicle—two sticks encapsulated by sweet red syrup and already melting in its package. “Ijslolly!” He presents it to you as he comes down the stairs, then bows to you deeply and dramatically, which makes you laugh. “Here you go, m’lady,” he says, then tips his imaginary fedora to you because. Because of course he would—anyone else, it would make you cringe, but it’s Joost. Perfectly goofy, perfectly sweet, perfectly Joost. 
You laugh as he opens the wrapper and splits the popsicle in two—one for him, one for you. “Thank you, kind sir,” you giggle, playing along. “Where’d you even get this?” you ask, taking your half and licking at the melting syrup already dripping onto your hand. 
“I went to the store while you were sleeping,” Joost says proudly, biting into the popsicle. “It’s strawberry, do you like?” 
Walking forward, you nod and get up on your tiptoes to give him a kiss. “I love.” 
He beams at you, sits down, chomps at his popsicle while you eat yours; he puts his hat and sunglasses back on and you do the same, and you sit together as the music plays for you. 
A new Charli xcx song, Joost and Käärijä’s recent collaboration, an incredibly sexual recent Ski Aggu release that you make a note of texting him “???” about later. 
Before you know it, you’re left with a red-stained stick, a red-stained mouth, a satisfied sweet tooth. “Okay, Joosty. Sunscreen time.” He gives you an exaggerated grumble but sits down at the edge of the lounger nonetheless, and you stand between his legs, taking the sunscreen from behind him and uncapping it. “You need it more than I do.” 
“Shush,” he says, but lets you take out two fingers worth of sunscreen, lets you take off his sunglasses and spread the sunscreen on his cheeks, rubbing it in. You can’t resist him and his pretty face, dusted pink cheeks, ocean blue eyes looking up at you through long blonde eyelashes. 
You’re so distracted by his face that you don’t pay attention to where you’re going—“Oops,” you giggle. “I got sunscreen on your mustache.”
“Oops,” he repeats. “I don’t mind.”
Hands on the backs of your thighs, Joost pulls you close by them and presses a kiss to your stomach, then hugs you tight around your waist. Automatically, your hands come up to play with his hair, combing your fingers through the strands. “All of your sunscreen is going on my stomach, Joost.” 
“Don’t care. You think if I lay out in the sun for long enough, it’ll bleach my hair more?” 
You snicker, “The heat will singe you to pieces before it can even bleach your hair.”
Sighing, he presses another kiss to your stomach. “You’re lucky. You get to tan today.”
“I ran out of my oil in Cuba, Joosty, I can’t.” A couple’s vacation with Appie and Alanis in Havana, feels like so long ago even though it’s only been two months. Fruity cocktails on the beach (and in your hotel room, and at the bar, and in the club, and…), running down hallways, fussing over Joost’s sunburned cheeks, Joost ogling you sunbathing but unable to do anything out of respect for your friends right next to you. You should have picked up another tub, but you weren’t exactly expecting to be tanning back in Amsterdam anyways. 
“You can't, or you won't? Look in the bag,” Joost mumbles into your tummy. You lean over behind him and reach into the tote—most of the other things have already spilled out and onto the lounger behind him: your sunglasses, two droom groot caps, the wrapper of your popsicle, a cheap film camera, and…a brand new tub of coconut oil. Your favourite brand. He must’ve picked it up on his trip to the store this morning, and you laugh, “You're so sweet.” 
“Mm-mm,” Joost hums. “That’s you, lieverd. You should lie down, I’ll put the oil so you can tan your back.”
Cocking an eyebrow at him, you snort, “Feels like you have something up your sleeve, Klein.”
He grins a toothy smile up at you—“Maybe I do.”
Joost gets up and moves all of the things to the other lounger, allowing you to lie on it on your stomach. You wiggle around a little on it, settling into the soft cushion, your back already stretching with your position. 
“I will be a great masseuse, schatje, don’t you worry. “ Careful not to put too much weight on you, Joost straddles the backs of your thighs. 
“Should I be worried?”
“No.”
“I feel like I should be worried.”
“Don’t be.” From behind you, he gets up, and you turn around to see what he’s doing—he gets your/his button up from the other chair and slips it on. “No more burning today for me.” 
You nod as he settles back on you, and you hear the sound of your little coconut oil tub being opened, the safety seal being ripped off, the clicking of his tongue at it ripping off unevenly. The air is a comfortable blanket of warmth upon you now, your worries melting away with it as you wait for Joost. 
“Can you untie the string around my back?” you ask before you forget. 
A few beats of silence pass until Joost finally says—“What?” 
“Is there a problem?”
“Why untie?” 
Joost’s voice has deepened an octave—almost grave, the tone of his voice is, because all of the possibilities in his mind floating around. Just your bare back and its expanse in front of him.
“I don’t want a tan line,” you explain. “Untie it and I won’t get one.” 
“Okay,” he affirms, though sounding uneasy as he undoes the tight strings of your halter top, the strings around your torso. He swipes them out of his way, and you assume the pause in his movement is to dip his fingers in the coconut oil and warm it up for you. 
Your assumption is right. In a minute or so, Joost’s big hands smooth across your back, firm yet gentle—he knows exactly how to handle you. The oil provides a lovely glide for his palms against your skin, and it smells so great; the pressure he’s applying is perfect on you, and you let out a little mewl of pleasure. The knots in your back are melting away with every swipe of his hands across it and you have to ask—“Where’d you learn to give such a great massage, Joost?”
“A magician never reveals his secrets.” 
Even if you tried, you couldn’t deduce how he learned to do this; maybe you’re just super tired from the last month (very likely) or he was a masseuse in his past life, but you’re already less tense with his hands on you. He digs his thumbs into the small of your back and rubs circles into it as you sigh in contentment at how it feels.
“I like this song,” Joost mumbles as it changes to this one you found years ago, some song about baby blue shirts, how pretty he looks going down on you.
“Mhm,” you hum.
“Seems very appropriate for the situation, right?” Eyes closed, you smile with his fingertips hovering just above your skin, a pause now in his treatment for you. “Can I…you know…” with his finger, Joost writes a small J, one, two, three times, on your back and sliding with the oil waiting for your response. 
“Massage me for a little more, I’ll think about it.”
“Fine,” he breathes, then gets back to work. 
Joost smoothes his hands over your back muscles; first over the top, over your trapezius, then up to your shoulders. He pinches a little around the shoulders, gliding over the smooth skin there. Hands sticky with oil, the solid melts with the sun-warmed dip of your spine, the valley of your back before him. The dip is perfect to smell, perfect to kiss; perfect to put a light hand on in public and a harsher grip on in private. With every movement of his hands, it smells more like coconut, smells less like you, and Joost has to resist the urge to bend down and nose at it to get your scent back. Every movement is accompanied by a little—a little breath. A little happy sigh from you, and it makes him go insane with every press of his hands against you. 
You’re much more refined than he is, more able to keep it together; if Joost was in your position, he knows he’d be a mess under you, quick and fast and easy. You’re his favourite person—the wave of your hand could bring him to his knees. Taking care of you comes so easily to him, even if he’s so commonly doted upon by other people. This feeling—no wonder you like taking care of him as much as you do. 
Today is so happy, a day that’ll get him through weeks and shows to come without you, long days on the tour bus wishing you could be by his side. Joost got through yesterday, his flight, the ride home using the prospect of you, seeing you, to get by. Then he got home, and seeing you was all he could look forward to after being away for what felt like forever, and he finally did, and he was so overjoyed and then—then you were crying, and he felt so sad that all he could do was hold you. He wants badly to understand why. 
“Can I ask…can I ask why you cried yesterday, lieverd?” Joost adds in a soft voice, still running his hands firmly over your sore muscles, “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it right now, I understand. But I’d like to know sometime, so we can help you feel better.”
You’ve known since the moment you started crying that you’d have to talk about it sometime. Sharing everything with each other is the way your relationship is, how it always has been—you thought about it in the bath with him, his chest against your back, deep and tired voice reverberating with it. How to word it as he played the first track on the new album, so crazy experimental and unlike anything you’ve ever heard from him before. Thought about it in the pool, thinking about it now. 
“I just…I’m probably the most mundane part of your life. There’s this little voice in my head, maybe it’s what I think people are saying about me—‘You’re telling me Joost Klein couldn’t find someone more interesting?’” You think back to an offhand Tweet you saw come up on your timeline, 10 angry quote tweets already defending you, no likes, but it still sticks to the back of your mind like some aggravating super glue: “‘His girlfriend doesn’t even do music or anything special and she still can't show up for him.’ I don’t travel like you do, I’m not always making music or doing things. And still, I couldn’t be there for you. 
I watch you at your shows and you’re this…enigma, you’re amazing. I want to be as good as you, I wanna show you off like you show me off. But there’s always something in the way. My schedule, or university, or work.” It’s truly difficult now not to feel like you overshared, dumped something on him that maybe you weren’t prepared to dump on him—a cloud shadows the sun, just at the right moment, and the parts of your skin not already touched by the umbrella’s shade are cooled momentarily. “Or maybe I’m just not trying hard enough for you.”
“I’m not flashy,” you say softly, settling on your forearms. “My way of being flashy is the way I love you, and I don’t know if I’ll ever think it compares to how you do it. I feel bad, that’s all. Like I could be doing more for you in every way.” Whatever it is, whether or not you were prepared to say it—it’s out now. “‘Cause you deserve it, you always do.” Blindly, you reach behind you and hold your hand out for him to hold, and he does, squeezing it tightly. Your cheeks warm, and it’s certainly not because of the temperature outside anymore. “I’m sorry I killed the vibe.” 
From behind you, you hear a sniffle, and you raise your head and look back, alarmed. Joost wipes a tear away with his other hand, laughs a sniffly laugh as you laugh, “Joooost. You’re gonna make me cry.”
“No, no, no vibe killing in this house.” You crane your head back again, pursing your lips, and he leans forward so he can kiss you, then peppers kisses until your shoulder, mumbling, “I should be comforting you, lieverd.”
“It’s okay,” you say softly. “Don’t really need to be comforted, just need to get it through my head that it’s not like that. I’m just sad that you’re sad.” 
Joost rubs your back, though it seems like he needs that more than you do if you’re judging by his sniffles and wavery voice alone. “I never knew you felt that way.”
He wraps his arms around your torso, hugging you close and continues, “If it’s any consolation, which I hope it is—you could never be careless. You set out my favourite sleep clothes for when I got back, favourite snacks, plushies on the bed, a place in the dresser for new stuff.” You have to admit—you were pretty proud of that last idea when you came up with it. “You’re thoughtful, and you’re kind, and I’m so lucky to have you. I love you, I love you. I love you.” 
With every “I love you” is a kiss upon your skin that you can’t see, but feel wholeheartedly anyways. “My muse, my saviour,” he says, and you have to laugh a little. “I mean it, you know I mean it.” And you do, you know it—how could you not when it comes from Joost? “You’re the most extraordinary part of my life, schat. Every show, your presence is there with me, even if you feel you aren’t.” 
“Not true,” you say, voice teasing. “That would be impossible, wouldn’t it?” 
You can feel the roll in his eyes from here, even though you can’t see it. “Yeah, yeah. But you know what I mean, right? Best friends forever, that’s what our necklaces say. Always there for each other. You’re always there with me.”
He kisses your shoulder. The oil is strange on his lips, but he doesn’t mind—it’s you. “Nothing compares to you, everything we have together…I hope you know how I feel now.” Pausing, Joost rests his forehead on the back of your head, breathes you in. “I’m obsessed with you, I think,” he whispers into the nape of your neck, then kisses it, and you laugh with the tickle of his lips, his facial hair against your sunwarmed skin. 
“You are? I didn’t know,” you tease, perking your ass up against Joost on top of you because—somewhere in your conversation, he’s gotten hard, and it’s poking against your thigh now, making you bite your lip. Stroking each other’s egos has gotten you both excited, it seems.  “What’s up with that, hm?” 
“You should know. I’m telling you right now, I’m obsessed with you. And this?” Joost grinds his crotch against you just lightly, kissing the side of your neck as he lowers his voice, “This, I like talking about you too much. You can’t blame me for it, you’re gorgeous.” 
“I don’t think I know how obsessed with me you are yet. Tell me more?” 
“Do I have to tell you, schat?” he says, gentle and low, fingering the delicate ties on your sides and the sensitive skin of your hips under them. His fingers drag down the column of your spine, tease at the edge of your bikini. “I don’t think I have to tell you, right? That I love you, need you?” 
“You don’t? Have to tell me?” 
“I’ll show you.” 
You imagine what he looks like behind you—burnt shoulders, rosy cheeks, dark sunglasses, chlorine dried blonde hair all messy and the tips dripping with water still upon the billowy cotton of his button up. Those blue eyes, blown out at the sight of you underneath him, wandering every lovely curve of your body. Slowly, he unravels the ties that hold both sides of your bottoms together, the nylon springing back against your skin, and you fight the urge to smile in anticipation of Joost all over you soon. 
“You don’t want any tan lines down here?” he asks, fingers already underneath the damp fabric of your swimsuit bottoms. You shake your head no. “Ok, then no tan lines.” 
Joost slips the fabric off of your skin; the dampness makes it cling to you still, though it’s easy enough to take off completely. You hike your leg up for easier access, turn your head so you can get a good look at him. In a sort of headband, his sunglasses are perched atop his head; the button up wrinkled and a bit stained with oil; rightfully, his eyes are half-lidded with want, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his trunks.
“What do you want to do?” Teasing him, you run a finger down his bulge and he smiles at you. Truly, you haven’t a single idea about what Joost wants to do with you next, and it looks like he doesn’t either—until his eyes light up, and you figure that tugging gently at his trunks for him can help expedite the process.
“Can I try something?” 
“Go right ahead.” 
You lie in wait as Joost lowers his shorts, erection springing out and his hand coming to wrap around it and give it a few pumps—you reach behind, running a finger down the slit, and he sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth as he strokes himself, then settles his cock on the soft cleft of your ass and glides it against, between it. 
You laugh, “You’re such a dog, Joost,” but as he ruts gently against you—the little moans he’s doing in your ear, already rambling about how good you feel and he’s not even inside yet, one hand gripping your hip and keeping his cock in place and the other on the back of the lounger so he can keep his balance; this is your personal paradise. 
“Fuck,” Joost whispers, biting his lip. You love a show, and he’s ever the showman—but you’re outside, he’s outside, he’s very aware of your cranky old neighbours, and he loves you and your house. One day, you’ll share the lease together, so he tries and stays quiet for the sake of that dream, so you both won’t get kicked out for verbal indecency today. 
“I know how much you like it, Joost,” you purr from under him, voice muffled by your arms. “You can tell me.” 
From Joost’s point of view, you look like a line in his song, the notes in the margin crafting and tailoring the work to his perfect vision; you look like the fully realized final draft of something he’s been working on for months, trying to find the sound of for years. 
If he could write something about this moment, it would probably result in entire sagas, but for now—keeping you like this close to his chest is a gift only he has. 
“I can’t be eloquent like this,” he laughs, and you have to agree; whatever goes on in that head, he short circuits before he can say it in this state of pleasure. 
Joost pauses his small thrusts, catches his breath. “Go on,” you encourage, but he breathes a quiet, “No. If I go any more, I’ll cum early and that would be so lame, schat.” 
“Not lame. I would personally love to see it.” 
“Mm-mm. We are not doing that today,” he laughs, and the sound makes your heart warm. 
“Put it in,” you say softly, trying to convince him to keep going—it’s so cute how far gone he is already, how hard he’s trying for you. 
“No, no, no. Let me taste you first.”
You cannot argue with that. 
In an instant, you abandon your bikini top, abandon the bottoms too in a crumpled mess on the ground laying on your sandals and his flip flops. “Hands and knees, lieverd,” Joost says, and you follow his direction, settling so you’re on your elbows and your ass is hiked in the air. 
A few moments pass as Joost sits behind you, and you have to ask—“What are you waiting for?”
“Just enjoying the view,” he says, then gives a kiss to your ass cheek, making you giggle. “So impatient today, schat. Is it because I was gone for so long?” Joost moves your knees so they’re spread even wider, giving him more access to you. “How much did you miss me?” A kiss to the back of your thigh, right near your center, your stomach caving in with the deep breath you take in anticipation. 
“I missed you a lot,” you whisper, looking back at him focusing his dilated eyes on your pussy, and your cheeks grow hot at the sight. “Missed you more than you know.”
“Did you?” He licks a tentative stripe up your slit, up even higher over your hole—so sensitive, your knees could shake with only the tip of his tongue teasing you. “Show me, let me hear it, lieverd.” 
“Joost,” you scold, though your arching back reveals your true feelings about what he’s doing.
“Sorry, can’t resist.” He presses a kiss atop it before coming back to your pussy.
So exposed, so vulnerable, so open, Joost’s fingers parting your folds. He spreads them gently so you’re even more open to him and licks in between, drinking from you. The smacking of his lips against you—it’s filthy. You’re so cognizant of the sound; is it unmistakable from outside, Joost’s tongue flicking against your clit, his fingers rubbing circles on where he can’t reach? You hope the sounds of the city outside your flat cover the mewls that spill out of you as he lays his tongue flat against it and laps up your wetness. 
“I think we should get you more tan in the front, too, right, schatje?” Joost says, breathless, and you flip over, laying on your back for him. Before he can get back to business, you cup his chin, pinching it gently between your fingers. His lips are covered in your wetness, glistening with it in the sunlight. You pull him to you, bringing his lips to yours, the salty taste of yourself on your tastebuds, on your chin as well now. 
This all makes you realize—you weren’t wrong at all for missing him so terribly. 
When you pull away, Joost pauses, gazing at your face, brushing your hair out of your eyes. On top of you, lying partly on you, he cups your cheek, silver chain resting on your chest, the pearl pendants and the halves of one heart of the matching necklaces you own together right next to each other. 
“Zo mooi,” he says quietly as he lowers down, kissing your chest right next to your pendants, kissing down between the valley of your breasts, maneuvering so he can graze your nipple with his teeth, flatten his tongue over it. His hand comes up to cup your other breast as he sucks at the bud, then sucks at the skin next to it; that will leave a mark tomorrow, a sweet reminder of your time together. 
Finally, he’s satisfied with his work on you and starts down your body, kissing your stomach, your hips. Before you can even process it, he folds you in half, hands on the backs of your knees; licks one long stripe through your folds, then attaches his lips around your clit, sucking it, forcing a loud and choked moan out of your mouth as he alternates between licking hard at your bud with the tip of his tongue and sucking.
Joost is a fiend for it, devilish look in his eyes, smile on his mouth even when it’s pressed up so close against you—his fingers tease at your dripping wet hole, then his middle fingers are inside you, and then he’s there to the knuckle and petting at your g-spot incessantly. 
Joost knows you inside and out; can already tell that your pretty hands resting on the back of his head and holding him there will result in your fingers tangled in his hair and tugging lightly; knows that a few more seconds of his curling fingers and his tongue on you will make you try and push against his hand still holding you open with your thigh, you’ll fail to do so, and be happier for it. 
You’re too lost in your pleasure to look at him like he wants you to. No matter—you’re a beautiful sight coming undone for him, eyes closed, chest heaving with your breaths, a slight sheen to your skin. “Joost,” you sob quietly as he continues pumping his fingers in and out of you, continuing to lap at your pussy like he’s trying to quench an unquenchable thirst. 
“Mhm? Do you like it, schat?” Joost says against you, the vibrations of his deep voice making you twitch. You nod, and there it is—he pauses to smile when he realizes you're holding his head in its place, burying his face in your center. Who is he not to give you what you want? He drinks you in, and it makes you moan louder. “Keep quiet,” he mumbles. “We wouldn’t want the neighbours to hear, now would we?” 
You’ve come back to reality enough to nod, quiet down a little, but after a few more seconds of him sucking your clit, pistoning his fingers in and out of you, you cum, saying his name over and over again, then whispering it once you realize that yes—you’re still outside. Joost presses one last sloppy kiss against your overstimulated bud, and you nudge his face away with your fingertips, laughing breathlessly. 
Joost laughs too as he settles his cheek on the inside of your thigh, peppering soft kisses to it as he gazes at you; the look in his eyes is so tender, you almost want to look away, but you don’t. You’d take a picture if it wasn’t so glaringly obvious what you were doing before. You cup his other cheek, and he nuzzles further into your thigh, eyes closed. 
For a few moments, you stay like this, catching your breaths, basking in the afterglow of your orgasm together. After a little, Joost wipes his mouth and his cheeks with the back of his hand. “Owie,” Joost winces, reaching back to rub over the spot on his head where you pulled on his hair. “You really enjoyed that, schatje,” he smiles, climbing up over you. 
“I'm sorry,” you say softly, putting your hand over his as he lies down on you, head on your chest. “I shouldn’t have tugged so hard.” 
“It’s okay, it was worth it.” You pet his hair—Joost is so warm, the air is so hot around you, but you’ve never felt better. “I’m so hard it hurts, schat,” he mumbles, and you laugh as he shifts around on top of you, erection through his shorts poking your thigh. 
“Let’s fix that?” 
“I thought you’d never ask.” 
With quickness, Joost is up and off of you, straightened on his knees and parting yours, but you sit up. Hooking your fingers on the waistband of his trunks, you pull them down slightly, pulling him in to kiss you as you pull them lower, letting his cock spring out as you kiss sloppily, strawberry stained tongues meeting. You wrap your hand around his thick shaft, run your thumb over his weeping pink tip to spread around the precum, which makes him groan into your mouth, makes your teeth knock together. 
You stroke him a few times, Joost’s hand resting at the base of your neck. It’s like time slows down when you pull away from him and watch him and his furrowed blonde brows, the way his lips are dropped open, the pink blush of his skin creeping down his neck to his chest with all of this exertion. 
Joost opens his eyes, catching you gazing at him intently, and he brings his forehead to yours as you keep jerking him, and holds your face in his hands. “Catch me if I fall?” he asks, and you laugh. 
“So dramatic.”
“You don't even know, dude.” A few more kiss-filled seconds pass until Joost finally calls it—“Enough, baby, I need to be inside of you now, please.” 
Nodding, you lie back, opening your legs for him. He sits back, stroking himself. “No crying today, hm, schat?” Joost says as he takes his place between your legs. “No crying unless it’s out of pleasure, of course. Or if you want to cry out of sadness, that’s okay, too.” 
“I’ll take note of that, thanks,” you smile as Joost lines up with your entrance, lying over you. You slip your hands underneath his shirt, fingers running over Rayquaza, his skin piping hot on yours. The pool still sloshes, the sun is much higher, he's inching his cock inside of you and saying something in Dutch that sounds like whatever is equivalent to “fucking Christ,” his face screwed up in pleasure. 
“So warm,” Joost practically whimpers, and you both know that he certainly didn’t mean to say that in such a whiny tone. “So warm,” you laugh, making an exaggerated moan to tease him as he covers his face with his hands and laughs with you. 
“Shut uppp.” Another inch inside you, so deep. “I wish you could feel how it feels, it’d change your life.” Every vein and ridge on his cock, you can feel as you envelop him fully. “You changed mine,“ he says, and it makes your heart soar. “Over/under, 3 minutes, schat?” 
“Under. Over/under 30 seconds?” 
“Under. Maybe. Jesus fuck, you feel so good,” he laughs, breathless. “So tight, you’re amazing.” Joost goes silent as he fully bottoms out in you, but a few moments pass, and he states like he’s been thinking of it the entire time, “Lowkey, I wish we had one of those squeeze bottles,” he makes a disturbingly good squeeze bottle sound with his mouth, “Pfft-pfft. We could be oiled up super quick if we did. Maybe for next time I give you a massage.” 
You give him a puzzled, amused look—you know him like the back of your hand, but where his mind wanders sometimes, you aren’t sure. “I just don’t know,” you laugh. “Maybe we can workshop that idea.” Joost grinds himself against your clit, and you moan into his mouth as he comes down and kisses you. 
Joost fucks you like you both have all the time in the day to be here—as far as either of you are concerned, you do. Long, languid thrusts that you both watch as his cock disappears inside of you, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on your clit. The wet, hollow slaps of his hips against your ass are filthy music to your ears; you pant into each other’s mouths, close enough to touch, but not wanting to for the sake of watching each other, eyes open. 
You snake your arms around his neck, bringing him closer as his thrusts become shallower, quicker, erratic, punching into your g-spot. Without warning, Joost straightens up, exiting you fully, then lifts your hips up to meet him where he is, his shaft rubbing against your clit. 
“Ik hou van je, lieverd."
“Ik hou van je, Joost, I love you so much.” 
Joost’s face lights up then melts once he hears you speak Dutch—it’s so cute, like a little surprise for him even though you try to speak it with him regularly. Since it’s easier for you to express yourself in English, he'd rather you just speak Dutch at work and school like you already do, but the excitement in his expression when you do speak it is priceless. 
He sinks inside you once more, a loud shared moan between you two; this angle allows him to be deeper inside you than before. You tighten around him, and he sighs in pleasure. Joost splays his fingers out on your belly. “Kun je me hier voelen, diep in je?” 
“Ja, je voelt je zo goed, schat,” you breathe. Your praises seem to incense him to thrust into you firmly, out, in, out, in, sloppy, though you can’t blame him. Still, the head of his cock hits your spot with every seat of himself in you. He smoothes his tattooed hand over your chest, your erratic heartbeat probably felt through to his palm; he moves up to put his thumb in your mouth, and eagerly, you suck as he fucks you. Anything to quiet yourself, anything to have more of him inside of you. “I’m close, Joost,” you say once he moves his hand to your shoulder for leverage. 
Nodding, he says, “Me too,” keeping the pace, smearing more of your wetness over your clit so his fingers slide over it better as he rubs it for you.  
A few more reckless thrusts, your arms flying up around his neck for support, lips catching each other’s, swallowing each other’s moans. That familiar tugging feeling in your stomach grows and grows until you can’t ignore it anymore, your core tightening, your pussy tightening around him as you gasp out his name over and over again with your climax, and he gasps out yours. He’s not finished yet, but his hips have lost the rhythm they once had, his control over his impending orgasm with how you’ve constricted around him. 
“Schat, hold on for me a little.” 
“I should be telling you that,” you say, though you understand—the overstimulation of his cock dragging against your insides is getting to be a lot. You hug him close, your lips right next to his ear, his panting breaths right in yours as he ruts into you. “Cum inside me, Joost,” you whisper, and with one last deep thrust inside of you, he cums with a groan, with a breathy moan of your name, clutching your body tightly in his hands as he shoots inside of you, cock pulsing; so warm, being filled up like this, no space between you two, his stuttering hips fucking back into you for a few final thrusts.
In each other’s arms you lie there, panting—sweaty skin on sweaty skin, music still playing from the speaker, him softening inside of you. Joost kisses you deeply, kisses your cheeks, your chin, and you smile. “You are everything I’ve ever wanted and more, schat,” he says into the side of your neck. “Don't forget that.” 
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thank you so much for reading! likes, comments, reblogs always so so appreciated <3 : ) - juno
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lindssunflower · 2 months ago
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𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔, 𝐈'𝐌 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐘, bradley bradshaw
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♡ ✈︎ authors note: guys i'm attempting to write again! this is gonna be so sad or not necessarily sad I guess? idk lol - also this is based on the song "I love you, I'm sorry" by gracie abrams.
♡ ✈︎ summary: you and bradley had been in a semi-serious relationship, at least it was to you. that was until you asked him about you and his future. he decided to end it that day. completely breaking your heart. you wanted to settle down and he wanted to fly. communication was completely cut off after the breakup. that was until bradley almost gets shot down by an enemy aircraft. his mindset changes.
♡ ✈︎ pairing: bradley bradshaw xf! reader
♡ ✈︎ warnings: lots of angst. mentions of a near death experience.
────୨ৎ────
it has been three months since you've talked to bradley bradshaw. three months since you've seen him. he's blocked you on all social media, but of course that's never stopped you from reaching out to phoenix to ask her how he's been. even if he completely broke your heart over wine and reality tv.
you still loved the pilot.
you were sitting on the ugly jean blue couch that once belonged to you and bradley but its just yours now. you were curled up on the couch reading another sappy romance novel, light music playing in the back. it was a regular saturday night. you would usually be at the hard deck bar with bradley's all- so -familiar arm around your shoulder as you laughed at something stupid with pheonix and bob.
you miss the feeling of his arm around you. his smile when he'd talk about his mom with you. or his stupid dancing in the kitchen. the scars on his face and neck. everything about the man.
however, he didn't want you anymore. he left you. he didn't want the pickett fence and the golden retriever with the two kids. no, bradley wanted to fly. he wanted the rush of dogfights and the pride of fighting for the country he loved more than he wanted a family with you.
and that hurt. you knew you couldn't ask him to give that up. of course not, he loved flying with his entire heart. you wouldn't ever ask him to give that up, but just the fact he didn't want to give up a little bit of that for you that hurt. you realized the night he broke up with you his heart wasn't all for you the way you're heart was all for bradley.
you sighed as you went back to reading your novel, until your phone dinged on the coffee table. you weren't expecting anyone to message you, especially not at 1:18am.
you assumed maybe it was your best friend ranting about her new situationship of the month. bradley hated her drama.
what you didn't expect was for your heart to completely drop when you saw bradley's caller I.D to show up on your screen.
what you really didn't expect was the message he sent.
I know this is sudden. I almost died today. I don't want to get into the details of it. It made me realize that I've been such a coward and I want what you want now y/n. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you, I'm sorry.
is this real? you thought as the book that was in your left hand dropped to the soft carpet that you and bradley have too many times danced on.
you feel tears brim your eyes as you put the phone on the coffee table and contemplate if you message him back. is he okay? is he hurt? is he realizing that he actually loved you? these thoughts ran through your mind.
nobody could fake the way he looked at you, not even him. cause you sure didn't fake the way you looked at him.
what do I say? what do I say? the four same words raced in your mind. do you text your best friend? your mother?
what? > sent
that's all I could come up with? you mentally scolded yourself for the pathetic, boring response. but then again, what were you supposed to say? this was the same man who walked out of your life just as quick as he walked in.
your phone rang the familiar text tone;
I miss you y/n. I miss us. and I just now realized that and I'm so sorry. being in that cockpit today not knowing if I was going to make it made me realize how much I loved you and that I want that pickett fence and even the stupid dog. It changed my perspective on everything.
tears fell down your face as you stare at the message.
come over. let's talk.
you sent without even thinking of the response twice. is this a bad idea? probably. you quickly stand to your feet and try to clean up the fact you've been sitting on this couch for at least 5 hours. you wipe your face and run to the bathroom to brush your hair before bradley shows up. what if he doesn't? is this a joke?
I'm on the way.
what am I thinking?
────୨ৎ────
♡ ✈︎ authors note: SO what do we think? let me know! part two?
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ping-ski · 2 months ago
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UGLY CRYING I AM UGLY CRYING PLUCK THANK YOU OH MY GOD
The Finale we've all been waiting for. The End of the Good End. Thanks for joining me on this wild ride, and don't forget to check that author's note at the end for a special surprise.
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reidsaurora · 2 years ago
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"Overnight" ~ S. Reid
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Summary: When Spencer offers to clear out a drawer for Y/N in his dresser, it has him explaining some things he'd been hiding from her.
Pairing: Spencer Reid x GN!Reader (i think? i don't remember using pronouns in this lol)
Word Count: 814 why is she so short
Content Warning: allusions to sex but nothing in detail, mild mentions of nudity i guess, this whole fic is basically aftercare lol, lmk if i missed anything!
Genre: Fluff, what else did you expect out of me?
Extra Notes: i truly meant for this to be posted on time, i'm so sorry guys
Based On the Prompt: "The Things In That Drawer" from this year's @domaystic prompts
Originally Written: 05/08/2023
Beta Read By: @dungeons-are-too-cold (i love you literally so much)
Criminal Minds masterlist can be found here!
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Nothing could get Spencer Reid in a sappy mood like a night of slow, passionate sex. Something about moments like these—the way he showered you in kisses, the sweet compliments he'd give you, the love he'd show you—just felt right. Like his embrace was exactly where you needed to be.
Spencer's hand settled on the soft skin of your hip, drawing various shapes with his fingertips. Your head rested against his chest, your hand moving up to his tummy. He placed a soft kiss on your hair, the scruff of his five-o'clock shadow scratching against your forehead lightly. "I love nights like this," he told you.
You craned your head to face him, kissing his cheek. "I do too. I just hate that it always ends so quickly," you said, thinking about the work nights where you had to head home early, not quite ready for the night to end but knowing that you needed to go home for a change of clothes.
"You know," he said, pausing to flip the two of you over, his body hovering over you, "I could always clear a couple drawers out for you."
Your eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. You'd been hinting at the idea for a while, lamenting about needing fresh panties or complaining about missing your skincare regimen. But Spencer hadn't seemed quite ready to take that step yet, so you didn't pressure him.
"Wait, are you serious?"
He nodded, bending down to kiss you on the lips this time. "I'll even let you pick out which one you want."
You practically pushed him into the floor as you jumped up. Spencer chuckled as you ran over to the dresser, pulling his boxers back on.
You pulled out the second drawer, where you knew his tee shirts were, grabbed one of his giant ones and tossed it on. "Any of them?"
"Mhm," he hummed, walking over and settling his hands on your waist. "Whichever one you want."
You considered it, eventually deciding on the bottom drawer. "What about-"
"Wait, Y/N, don't-" he shouted, reaching out to stop your hand.
He was too late, though. You pulled open the drawer, revealing an entire drawer of nerdy memorabilia. The lightsaber was the first thing that caught your eye, followed by a sonic screwdriver, and a couple geeky Pop Figures, among other things.
"You have a lightsaber," you examined.
Spencer scratched awkwardly at his neck. "Yeah, I guess I do."
You grabbed the lightsaber from the drawer, your face lighting up as you turned it on. "You have a lightsaber!"
He chuckled as you poked him in the ribs with the lightsaber. "You're having too much fun with this."
You set the lightsaber down on top of the dresser, turning back to the drawer. Next, you pulled out the infamous Jason Voorhees mask, holding it in front of your face. "Please tell me you've scared your coworkers with this."
Spencer let out another chuckle, taking the mask from your hands. "I got Morgan with it one time. He nearly choked on his coffee."
You continued snooping through the drawers, sifting through Polaroids of Spencer and his friend Penelope at various conventions, some D.C. comics, and a couple signed posters. Your heart nearly flipped when you spotted a picture of him dressed as the Joker. "Who did your face paint?"
"You're loving this, aren't you?"
A squeal escaped your lips as you threw your arms over his shoulders. "Spence, this is adorable! Why would you hide this from me?"
He sighed, somewhere between relieved and exasperated. "I didn't want you to think I was weird. I mean, I'm a grown man and I have a collection of legos and Batman comics?"
"Spencer, I think it's cute that you have something you love so much. You don't have to be afraid to show how much you love and support it."
He bent forward to kiss you again, pulling your body flush against his. "You really mean that?"
"I mean, any man that has the balls to wear makeup like that in public is sexy in my book," you kidded.
Spencer diverted your attention back to the drawer, pointing his chin toward the dresser. "Is that really the drawer you want?"
"Does it come with all the nerdy memorabilia?" you teased, poking his chest.
"In your dreams. I spent good money on those things." He rolled his eyes, leading you to the bathroom. His hands were warm and big on your bare skin, the feeling absolutely heavenly. He placed a trail of kisses along your shoulder up to your head before hooking his chin over your shoulder.
You lifted your head to face him, kissing his jaw. "Hey, does this mean we can go as the Joker and Harley Quinn for Halloween?"
"You know what? I think that might just be something out of my dreams."
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-> taglist: @lowsodiumfreaks67 @drayshadow @alexxavicry @nomajdetective @kbakery @leigh70 @darkloverfox @sammyrenae68 @cherrycandle @asgardprincess97 @gh0stgurl @esposadomd @randomwriter1021 @eddieharrington @lunar-affection @givemeth @lavhoes @rhyanishere @cat-lockwood @danielle143 @marsmallow433 @handsupforamiracle @topguncultleader @mente-sindescanso @reverieofmgg @spencer-reids-adventures @ah-blossom @encyclo-reid-ia @reidselle @thevisionthedream @dungeons-are-too-cold @wwwonzeee @louderfortheback @reidsbookclub @annahalstead5021 @cwritesforfun @soapiebear @maelartasch @buckyyyismahhlife @cynbx @hellooitsrose
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laikabu · 5 months ago
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saw someone who hc kabru as aromantic bisexual. thats actually kinda good. i dont necessarily subscribe to it but i could see it. not fully aro but in the spectrum i guess
im now just going to ramble about how i think this would work in my head. also labru bc this is my page
he sees flirting more as a game n marriage as something convenient than something he aspires to achieve w the one he loves
flirting n dating is more of a tool to make friends. he isn’t interested in getting serious so that usually turns them off, so he gets labeled as a ‘player’
he doesn’t return rin’s feelings even though he finds her physically attractive, because he genuinely values her friendship and the way he views romance is incompatible with hers and would just break her heart
ok labru territory turn away now sorry im pulling shit out of my ass atp
laios would fit right in with his preferences, because their relationship would be boiled down to “best friends who have sex” like, the easiest way for them to explain their thing
even if they go on dates, they’d be more interested in talking about a current topic or something they need to do, than super sappy stuff. they still do it! but kabru would kinda get uncomfortable with saying sappy stuff, it’s different from flirting. once laios recognizes this, he tells him he doesnt have to do that
it works out because while laios is kinda sentimental, he isn’t really a romantic person. when they were still figuring stuff out, laios just goes “x is mad at me because they think not doing y makes me a bad partner” but really, kabru doesn’t care whether he does it or not
if laios is saying this about a different partner, kabru would chastise him, but since it’s him, he’s totally fine with none of that happening
when it comes to them becoming spouses, they would rather forgo a real wedding and just do the paperwork to make it happen. marcille takes offense to this n thinks its an “affront to romance” esp since kabru wants to plan HER wedding, but neither of them think it’s a big deal
laios has a very hard time distinguishing his platonic feelings to his romantic feelings. he’s just very happy kabru that wouldn’t leave him or get bored of him. getting to kiss him and have sex with him is just a nice bonus.
kissing and cuddling is more of an emotional recharge or comfort etc for kabru than a romantic activity. his friends don’t get it at all.
even in my stupid baby universe its just “kabru wants to have a baby with me for the kingdom? he’s such a nice guy. he told me he wants utaya to live on too… thats so thoughtful.” their relationship is ‘blunt’ and ‘convenient’. the marriage was just to legitimize the heir and otherwise it was just a regular wednesday.
they love each other, but kabru expresses it to the extent that he could, and that works out for laios.
tl;dr basically someone who views romance as a performance than something ingrained w him x someone who struggles w romance. its totally fine if you dont see kabru on the aromantic spectrum, i don’t necessarily see it that way either! i just want to think about how it would work in my fanworks. what do u think. i should add more but im just going off at the top of my head LOL
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maxwapan · 3 months ago
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A Certain Euphoria
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leon s. kennedy x male!reader
wc. 1.7k
cw. incest, dad/son incest, OOC(duh), implied abuse, alcoholism, mutual interest (mostly from reader in this one), internalized homophobia
note. sort of continuation from this fic right here… no smut (yet) sorry but uhm there are some implied sexual acts? also the writing is kind of boring I think .. sorry excuse how bland it is please lol… feedback always appreciated :3 || title is A Certain Euphoria by Strange Boutique
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You squirm, wriggle your hips and scoot your bottom back, but no matter whatever you try to do, you can’t seem to find a comfortable position on the thick muscle of your father’s thigh.
Yeah, his lap.
You were on your dad’s lap at your grown age. Willingly, too.
It didn’t take much for him to be able to coax you, just some sweet words and playful teasing and you were at his beck and call like a mindless dog.
That’s normal though, isn’t it? To be this close with your dad. You’d rather he baby and coddle you than beat you, which is why you try your best to stay on his good side. It doesn’t take much to set him off; one small, snide comment and he starts bugging out like a gas station cokehead. Plus, it’s not good for an old man like him. His heart could give out or something. Who’d take care of you then? Not your mom, that’s for sure.
Large hands steady your hips, squeezing gently.
“Relax,” Leon coos, nosing your nape, the action making you shiver. He’s so touchy, so brazen. A part of you flusters, unsure of what to make of his attention. It’s sweet, but it makes you feel dirty. Not gross dirty, but an “I feel like I shouldn’t be this close to my dad” type of dirty. You’re a boy, after all, aren’t you? Boys don���t get all sappy and sit on each other’s laps. Maybe you should be more worried about the dad part, though. Being gay is the least of your worries, and not something you should think about at this point in your life.
“Sorry,” You mumble, heat searing your cheeks, making you sweat. “I’m just kinda uncomfy.” Honesty is the best policy, you remind yourself. Pushing back against your dad, you turn your head slightly to nuzzle your cheek against his chest apologetically, acutely aware of the fact that you had accidentally bumped your ass into his groin. Your heart skips a beat, but dad doesn’t say anything, simply tightening his hold on you and kissing your cheek, making you wilt with disappointment.
“Gonna have to deal with it,” Leon grumbles, arms wrapping around your waist, keeping you caged against him. “I want you close.”
You let out a huff, but otherwise say nothing. It’s sweet, you think. Your old man has quite the soft spot for you, and you don’t want to overthink his intentions, so you stay put and rest the back of your head against his firm chest, eyes focused on the TV ahead. One of Leon’s hands slips from your waist to your belly, fingers squeezing gently at the soft skin, coaxing out a sharp inhale from you.
Your hands follow, meekly grabbing onto your dad’s hand and tugging feebly, halting those curious fingers. “Don’t do that,” Your brows pinch together, a mixture of embarrassment and warmth pooling in your lower abdomen and down there. It’s just instinctual, you think. You hope. You can’t control yourself when it comes to stuff like that. You’re just sensitive is all. You can’t get touched in certain places or ways without pitching a tent. You just can’t.
This brings you back to your first time in the locker room with the guys. Some random boy had patted you on the hip playfully, but his hand had lingered for a tad bit longer than you would’ve liked, and you swore he gave you a little squeeze too. Needless to say, it was humiliating when everyone noticed your poor attempt at hiding the boner that had decided to pop through your underwear.
Word had somehow got out too, and dad ended up hearing about it. He went on the whole “boys your age go through changes” spiel, and you almost considered suicide that night.
Anyways.
Leon takes offense to your attempt at redirecting him, his grip growing strict. He doesn’t scold you, much to your surprise. He just looks at you as if you were a child throwing a fit, brief amusement swelling in his eyes. “I’m your dad,” he says. Yeah, you know that, dad, and the sky is blue. “don’t gotta be embarrassed around me, tiger.” You cringe at the nickname, face scrunching up as if something sour had snuck its way into your mouth. He squeezes again, and you gasp this time.
“Yeah, no, I know, but-“
“But nothing,” Leon cuts you off, pinching your side and making you squeak.
You focus on the lingering sting instead of complaining, hand trying to soothe the irritated skin with small rubs. “Sorry,” You mumble, eyes fluttering shut when he squeezes again and again. Over and over.
His pinkie dips beneath your waistband, and you start to feel your head go fuzzy, your briefs tightening painfully around the crotch area. It hurts so good, and your hips twitch upwards involuntarily, seeking friction. Oh god, you’re going crazy and he’s not even doing anything that provocative.
Touch my dick, touch my dick, please.
He doesn’t. Instead, his hand slides over to your chest, fingers splayed out to feel as much of you as he could. Disgruntled, you pout, letting out a weary sigh and slumping against your dad in defeat, his hard chest pressing into your back. His body isn’t what it used to be, softened after years of drinking, but you can feel what slight muscle he has left. For a guy his age, he should be proud, you’ll give him that.
He leans forward and rests his chin on the top of your head, the weight making you tilt downwards slightly. His hand movements still and you frown, confused. It’s silent for a minute, the only sounds in the room coming from the television’s stereo. Some cheesy flick is playing on screen. A girl chews her gum lazily before popping it, eyeing a male character coquettishly as he speaks. You can’t bring yourself to focus on the corny dialogue, lost in thought.
The silence draws out, and for a moment, you think you’ve done something wrong, but then dad speaks, his voice gruff and his eyes fixated on the film ahead, “Think you can get me another cold one, sweetheart?”
You can’t say no to that. Not if you want to keep your face looking pretty.
You nod, giving an anxious little hum before scooting off his lap. Leon taps his foot impatiently, glancing over at you pointedly as you scurry off to the kitchen.
The lack of warmth makes you shiver, goosebumps spreading across your skin when the icy air within the fridge lashes at you. The top layer is the only one that isn’t scarce, filled to the brim with the kind of alcohol dad likes, some of the bottles gifted by his suck-up coworkers. You can tell by the rich designs on the front and the fancy fonts (and definitely not by his habit of skimping out on things). One of them still has a bow attached around the neck. A charming man is a charming man, you suppose.
You take the easiest one to open and rush back, handing Leon the bottle before hopping onto his lap again, sighing in relief when his body heat starts to seep into you once more. Your ears manage to catch the small grunt he makes when he unscrews the cap and brings the opened top to his mouth. The large gulp that follows makes you lick your lips, a subconscious craving for something to quench your thirst. Water sounds nice right now, you think.
Eyes flickering back to the TV, you try to follow along with the poor plot, only to startle and yelp when cold glass is shoved and squeezed between your thighs, the alcohol bottle held upright.
“Dad-“
“Shh,” Leon shushes, tugging at a few locks of your hair near the back of your head, a silent warning. “The table’s too far to reach from here. Just hold it for me, okay?”
You make sure to squeeze your thighs together extra tight now, not wanting the bottle to slide out of your grip. That’d be life-ending. “…’kay.” You nod, feeling heat tingle all over your face, melting down to your chest. You squirm slightly, trying to get used to the cold somehow without being too dramatic. Leon notices, and he clicks his tongue in disapproval, annoyed by your fidgeting.
With a swift movement, he brings the bottle back and slides it up your inner thighs until it presses firmly against your crotch. Luckily, your shorts protect you from the full extent of the chilly surface, but some of it manages to seep through the fabric. A soft whimper slips through your parted lips, but you don’t complain. You can’t, you remind yourself. Besides, you’re grateful he doesn’t shove it up your ass instead, because he could, and he would.
You try to focus on your task as a drink holder and continue to keep dad’s bottle secure between your legs, but no matter how hard you try to be good, you’re unable to keep from squirming and giving subtle pushes with your hips against the glass. You could lie and say you didn’t mean to, but the truth is you just can’t help yourself, not around dad. It’s almost like you’ve got a knack for it. For being a little needy. But that’s not a crime, is it?
Leon’s hand comes down and grips onto the neck of the bottle, yanking it out without second thought to take another swing, ignoring the little “uufh!” that escapes you.
You look back woozily, head fuzzy. Leon’s Adam’s apple bobs as he takes three big gulps, the burn of fresh whiskey making his face screw up funnily. He pats your hip with his freehand, and falls back against the couch with a groan, bringing the bottle down to recline against the armrest on his right. Blinking up at him, you tilt your head in a silent question.
Leon’s gaze lingers on your face for a second or two before he lets his eyes flutter shut, his head lolling back against the couch. “Hmpff,” he yawns, “daddy needs his sleep, kiddo.”
You open your mouth to protest, but he pats the top of your head with a gentle palm before you could even manage to get a word out. You lean into it. you always do. Even if he was dismissing you as if you were a toddler incapable of thinking for yourself.
“Go to bed,” He murmurs groggily, pushing you off his lap with small nudges, “I’ll join you soon…” He’s already snoring.
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oldiesstationlover11607 · 1 month ago
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hihi i LOVED the elevator imagine !! i notice you have 5sos on your masterlist but none written yet. could you maybe write a platonic! 5sos x reader where she's been with them since the beginning and helps them out with all of their music videos and stuff?
thank youuu and have a good day :)
🍁anon
Music Video - 5sos x Reader
Warnings: none!
Word count: idk lol bc I typed this on ma phone 📞
A/n: hope you like this! Would love to more 5sos stuff!!!
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I stood behind the camera, clipboard in hand, watching the chaos unfold on set. Lights were being adjusted, Calum was running late (as usual), and Luke was trying his best not to trip over the wires as he rehearsed his part. A smile tugged at my lips, the scene all too familiar.
“Hey, can we get a little more light over here?” I called out, waving toward the far side of the set. “This angle’s too dark.”
The crew adjusted the lighting, and I nodded, satisfied. Keeping things together behind the scenes wasn’t always easy, but after so many years, it had become second nature. I’d been with these guys since the beginning—since the days when they were just a group of teenagers uploading covers to YouTube.
The familiar sound of Michael’s guitar strumming filled the air as the camera started rolling again. I watched him, remembering the first video I’d ever helped them with. Out of My Limit. Back then, they were just figuring things out. I guess we all were.
“Y/N, you’re a lifesaver.” Luke’s voice pulled me from my thoughts as he came over, brushing his hair out of his eyes. “Seriously, we’d be lost without you.”
I grinned. “You’d manage. Eventually.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t know about that. Thanks for always making sure we don’t completely fall apart.”
“Someone has to,” I teased, nudging him with my elbow. “You’re lucky I haven’t quit yet.”
Luke’s face softened, and for a second, it felt like everything around us blurred out. “We’re really lucky to have you. Don’t think we don’t know it.”
I rolled my eyes to hide the warm feeling that bloomed in my chest. “Alright, enough with the sappy stuff. Go check on Ashton before he forgets his part again.”
Luke laughed and wandered off. As he left, I spotted Calum sitting off to the side, tuning his bass. He gave me a small wave, and I made my way over, plopping down next to him.
“How’s it going, Cal?” I asked.
“Good,” he replied with a grin. “You know, the usual last-minute panic.”
“Of course. Wouldn’t be a 5SOS video without it.”
He laughed, then turned a little more serious. “You know… I don’t think we ever say it enough, but you keep us grounded, Y/N. Especially when things get a little crazy.”
I blinked, surprised by his words. “You guys do fine on your own.”
“Nah,” Calum said, shaking his head. “We really don’t. You’re always here, making sure we don’t go too far off the rails.”
I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat and smiled. “That’s what friends are for, right?”
“Right,” he said softly, before smirking and nudging me with his elbow. “Plus, who else is gonna keep Ashton in check?”
Speak of the devil, Ashton appeared, his hair a bit wild, clearly having rushed to make it to set. “Sorry, sorry,” he panted. “Traffic was insane.”
“You’re always late,” I teased, raising an eyebrow. “I swear, one day we’re going to lock you out.”
“Hey, if you do that, then who’s gonna bring all the creative flair to these videos?” Ashton shot back with a grin.
I crossed my arms. “Creative flair, huh? Remind me again who came up with the ridiculous prop idea for ‘Amnesia?’”
Ashton blinked. “Okay, maybe not my best moment, but I stand by it.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Sure, sure. But we all know who really has the final say around here.”
“That’s true,” Ashton admitted, holding his hands up in surrender. “You’ve got the vision, Y/N.”
Before I could respond, I felt someone behind me. Turning, I saw Michael, guitar in hand, looking at me with a mischievous grin.
“You remember the first shoot?” he asked, his tone full of nostalgia.
“How could I forget? You were the one who almost knocked the camera over—like, every five minutes.”
“Hey, I was nervous!” he defended, laughing.
I punched his arm lightly. “I kept telling you not to stress so much. Look at you now, rockstar.”
Michael shrugged, his expression softening. “You’ve been here since day one, Y/N. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”
Hearing that from Michael, of all people, made my heart swell. These boys—they’d been my boys for so long. I wasn’t just their friend; I was part of the family. And as much as they had grown and changed over the years, some things stayed the same. I was the glue behind the scenes, keeping everything running smoothly. And they never let me forget how much they appreciated that.
By the time the video shoot wrapped up, we were all sprawled out at a small table, eating takeout and reminiscing.
“We should do something special for you,” Luke said through a mouthful of fries. “Like, I don’t know… throw you a parade or something.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Just keep making good music, and we’re even.”
“Deal,” Ashton said, raising his drink in a mock toast.
The rest of the guys followed suit, their eyes full of warmth and gratitude as they raised their drinks.
I grinned, holding up my own. “To the next video.”
“To the next video,” they echoed.
As I sat there, surrounded by laughter and the comfort of old friends, I couldn’t help but feel grateful. I’d been with them since the start, and I wasn’t going anywhere. Not now. Not ever.
//
REQUESTS OPEN
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anyasathenaeum · 8 months ago
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if requests are still open, maybe something for wolfwood where the reader gets injured pretty badly and he accidentally confesses? there’s been a lot of this kind of request lately LOL sorry- I’m rewatching badlands rumble and his little widow phase of destroying his hotel room then swapping his shades for vash’s is doing something to my brain… that and how brutally he internalized livio’s “death” in stampede.. like, maybe reader tried to hide the injury at first not wanting to hold whatever they were doing up, and he doesn’t really get any time to process so he doesn’t really realize what he’s saying until reader comes to in the hospital and gets to coyly tease their grumpy unhappy-but-very-happy but still somewhat stressed and upset over the “ok but what if you *had* died” wolfwood over how sappy and soggy he’d been lol (very “subtly” adding in the trope of sharing a hospital bed but if someone asked? totally wasn’t my idea)
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A/N: HEY ANON, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS. WHAT A GOOD IDEA. Also not the widow phase omfg poor Wolfwood. Let's be real, Wolfwood really internalizes all his pain and grief and he needs a hug. Anyways, have this! Hope you like it, and sorry it took so long. Warnings: Mentions of violence, injuries, blood, death (almost), Wolfwood being bad at feelings (he's trying, okay?).
You weren't really sure how this had happened.
One of the downsides of travelling alongside Wolfwood was that he somehow managed to find himself trouble wherever he possibly could. This only worsened when he met Vash.
So, here you were, hiding behind an abandoned building in the middle of some crazy shootout between law enforcement, an undertaker, and a wanted fugitive with the biggest bounty on his head that No Man's Land had ever seen. Although, it seemed like law enforcement and the undertaker you called your best friend were the ones doing all the shooting.
At some point, a stray bullet ricocheted and lodged itself in your side, causing you to cry out in pain. Thankfully, neither Vash nor Wolfwood had been near you at the time, so they hadn't been there to witness you getting shot. Gritting your teeth and biting down on the collar of your coat, you quickly dug out the bullet, silencing your screams as white-hot pain coursed through your veins. Thankfully, the bullet came out cleanly with minimal digging, the small "plink!" as the metal casing hit the ground announcing your success in getting it out.
Sweat coursed down the side of your face and beaded your forehead, your chest heaving from the pain of your wound. With shaking hands, you fumbled through your coat pockets, digging out the piece of cloth you used as a handkerchief. It was clean enough, so biting down once again, letting out a groan of pain, you clumsily packed your bullet wound using your handkerchief. Once you were satisfied, you wriggled your coat off and tied it tightly around your waist, directly over your wound to apply pressure and stop the bleeding as best as you could.
"Move, (Y/N). You have to move," you gritted out, trying to get your body to listen to you.
You could still hear gunfire, and you heard Wolfwood's voice yelling various things at Vash between blasts and shots, so you knew both of them were still alive. In a moment of calm, you got to your feet, scrambling over to where the two of them had taken cover as best as you could, trying to ignore the pain radiating through your body with every step.
"(Y/N)! There you are!" Vash exclaimed, clearly glad to see you. Wolfwood, however, was otherwise occupied, using The Punisher to keep the law enforcement at bay and said nothing, merely glancing at you and nodding in acknowledgement of your arrival.
"Y-Yeah! Sorry, guess I got separated from you guys!" You shouted back over the sound of gunfire, glancing around and trying to figure out how to escape.
After a couple moments, Vash and Wolfwood managed to orchestrate an escape, and you followed as best as you could. However, the more you ran, the more you felt bile rising in your throat, the pain from your wound overwhelming you. Your vision began to fade in and out as you struggled to keep up with the two men, and just as you believed you would pass out, they stopped, giving you time to catch up.
Your chest heaved as you stumbled to a stop, your entire body in pure agony, sweat pouring down your face.
"Well, good job keeping up, sweetheart!"
You heard Wolfwood's teasing voice addressing you, and as you looked up at him, you could see him smiling at you with a crooked cigarette hanging from between his lips. His face was covered in ash and dust, but thankfully, he seemed unharmed. You felt a weight lift off your shoulders as you processed this, your heart all but singing in relief in your chest.
While you refused to acknowledge it openly, you knew, deep down, that your feelings for Nicholas D. Wolfwood had long since changed from simply friendship. Somewhere along the way, your heart had become his, and your feelings deepened. Somewhere along the way, you had fallen in love with the man who was your closest and best friend.
However, now, as you gazed at the man you loved, your vision began to blur. Your entire body suddenly felt light, and you felt dizzier than ever before. You could make out Wolfwood's face, his expression changing almost in slow motion, his teasing smirk falling away as he looked at you, his eyes widening in fear as he realized that something was desperately wrong.
"N-Nick..."
'I must've lost more blood than I thought.'
The thought vaguely crossed your mind, but you didn't pay it much attention as you felt yourself stumble and fall forward. Before you could land face-first into the sand, though, you felt strong yet gentle arms wrapping around you, supporting you and catching you before you could fully collapse.
"(Y/N)!"
You could make out a voice calling your name, their tone frantic and clearly frightened, and as you looked up, you could just barely recognize that it was Nicholas who was holding you. You could no longer make out his entire face, parts of vision fading in and out, but you caught glimpses of his expression, and you could see that his lips were moving.
"-tay awake! Ya hear me?! Stay awake! Goddamnit!"
His voice sounded far away, muffled as though submerged beneath water, but the panic in his words was evident. You could feel the pressure of his body against yours as he clutched you to him, but you could no longer feel the warmth that should've been radiating from him. The pain had disappeared, but so had just about everything else, too.
"(Y/N)! Look at me, just look at me, doll! That's it, just-"
You could no longer hear him, the only remainder of your consciousness the fragments of your vision and some ability to feel. You could see blood on Nicholas's hand, but somehow, you knew that it wasn't his - it was yours.
'Nicholas, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'
You watched as Nicholas reached into his suit frantically, clearly searching for something. You could just barely make out what looked like one of his vials in his hands as he broke it open - would that stuff even work on you?
You felt your head being tilted back, strong but surprisingly gentle fingers on your jaw and your cheeks trying to open your mouth so he could tip the regenerative drug down your throat. It must've proven difficult because you could see a frustrated expression on Nicholas's face, sweat beading on his forehead as he struggled, unable to get the vial's contents in your mouth.
Before you could process what you were seeing, you suddenly felt something pressing firmly against your mouth - something soft and supple, and you could taste something strangely cold dripping down the back of your throat.
When your vision cleared slightly, you realized what you were feeling - Nicholas's lips were pressed against yours in a desperate kiss, a frantic attempt to get the drug that could potentially save your life into your system. While you had been guilty of imagining what your first kiss with Nicholas might've looked like, this certainly wasn't it.
'A kiss?... Nicholas...'
And then the darkness swallowed you, taking Nicholas and the world with it.
---
Darkness.
That's all you knew and all you could make out - the darkness that surrounded you completely. Somehow, though, you knew you weren't dead. Not yet.
Slowly, over time, you felt yourself beginning to regain bits of your consciousness - you hadn't yet opened your eyes, but you had become aware of the sounds and goings-on around you, wherever you were presently.
You could hear a steady beeping from whatever machine was beside you. You could hear the footsteps and voices of whichever healers had come in to check on you. You could feel the ache from your wound, no longer the sharp, agonizing pain from before but still painful and uncomfortable. You could feel pressure of something warm laying in your lap, and something rough yet soft and warm enveloping your hand.
The darkness seemed to ease bit by bit, slowly giving way to more and more of your senses and allowing you to piece together information about what happened and where you were - you were in a medical center a couple towns over from where you, Vash and Wolfwood had gotten caught up in the shootout with law enforcement.
By the bits of conversations you had caught from healers, you'd lost quite a lot of blood by the time you were brought in, and you were on the brink of death for a time before stabilizing. You had also caught snippets of conversations referring to "your visitor", a person who had apparently not once left your side and whose identity you weren't entirely certain of until you'd heard them speak.
"You idiot."
'Nicholas.'
His voice was low and gravelly, and to your surprise, his words were slightly shaky. You had only heard his voice do that when he was afraid or overwhelmed.
"Y-You... you got shot, and you didn't think to tell me? You idiot, we're supposed to trust each other. You're supposed to trust me! We always have each other's backs, don't we? Just like we always have. So why didn't you tell me, (Y/N)? Why didn't you say something? Instead... I watched you die."
'But I'm not dead! I'm right here, Nick!'
You wished you could speak and reassure him, explain why things happened the way they did, but you were still just waking up, not yet fully conscious.
"Do you have any idea just how afraid I felt, (Y/N)? Seeing you like that, bleeding in my arms, unable to get you to wake up or to stabilize you? I thought you HAD died, I was convinced that that was it - I'd lost the one person in the world who meant absolutely everything to me, the one person I loved."
Your heart all but stopped when you heard those words - he loved you? Nicholas D. Wolfwood loved you? Was this reality, or were you simply dreaming?
Before you could begin to process his confession, you heard Nicholas continuing to speak, his voice still low and even shakier than before.
"This world is crazy, a-and terrible, and you were the only person who ever made it make sense, (Y/N). W-When I thought you were dead... God, I wished I were dead, too. So you don't ever get to do that again, do you hear me?! You don't ever get to do this to me again. I'm not losing you again."
Nicholas's voice was so filled with a mix of emotions - anger, fear, sadness, grief, frustration, and so much pain. Had you been able to cry, you would've, guilt flooding through you as you realized just how much you had affected him.
You hadn't intended for this to happen. You just hadn't wanted to worry him in the middle of a gunfight, but afterwards, things had just moved so quickly that you hadn't had a chance to alert him or Vash to your injury.
'Wake up, (Y/N). Wake up now, you have to.'
You let out a soft groan as you struggled to open your eyes, wincing as the light stung after however long you had spent in darkness. As your eyes adjusted, you looked over to see a very unshaven, rugged-looking Nicholas sitting by your bedside, his eyes wide in surprise as he looked at you.
As soon as you made eye contact with him, you gave him a soft smile. Your throat and mouth were dry, and your voice was extremely hoarse and ragged.
"H-Hi."
Nicholas just stared at you, not saying anything as you slowly sat up in your bed with a groan, your wound aching as you shifted. You struggled to sit up, your muscles weak as you tried to move for the first time in a while, and you suddenly felt an arm around you, helping you sit up. When you glanced over, you saw that Nicholas was the one helping you up.
"Thank you," you whispered hoarsely, your face darkening slightly from embarrassment as you processed everything that you'd heard. You reached over to your bedside table for the glass of water, finally taking a sip to parch your throat.
"How are you feeling? Any pain?"
Wolfwood's voice was quiet, no longer shaky as it had been before. Instead, now it was concerned, his gaze looking you over from top to bottom. He was surprisingly good at keeping his emotions hidden when he needed to.
"I'm achy, but otherwise, I think I'm okay," you replied, smiling at him a bit, "H-How long have I been out?"
"A few days. Almost a week, now."
"That explains a lot," you sighed. "I'm sorry, Nick. For everything. I..." You looked down at your hands in your lap. "I got shot in the middle of the gunfight, and both you and Vash were busy. I just... I didn't want to distract either of you or worry you in the middle of it all. I figured I could tell you afterwards, but then... things went so fast. I'm so sorry..."
Wolfwood just sighed heavily, shaking his head as he spoke, "You scared the crap outta me, (Y/N). You know that?"
"I know..." You felt ashamed as you continued to look at your hands, unable to make eye contact with Nicholas just yet. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that. I hope that you forgive me, eventually."
Wolfwood just sighed again, standing up from his seat and walking over to your bedside once more. He gazed at you for a long moment before asking, "Well? Aren't ya gonna move over?"
You blinked.
"W-What?"
"Move over, idiot," Wolfwood scoffed, rolling his eyes at your lack of understanding.
You blinked again before feeling heat rising to your face and shifting over in the medical bed, making enough room for Wolfwood to climb in next to you. The undertaker got comfortable in the bed next to you, his arm wrapping around you and pulling you close to him, hugging you close to him. You immediately wrapped your arms around him in return, burying your face into his chest and taking comfort from his presence. Despite his rough exterior, the man was a huge softie who needed this just as much as you did.
"I missed you, Nick," you mumbled softly, letting your eyes fall closed and allowing a small smile to appear on your face as you continued, "And I love you too, by the way."
Now it was Nicholas's turn to blink, clearly stunned.
"What?"
You couldn't help but giggle softly, "I heard your words, Nick. Including your confession of love."
"What confession of love?"
Now you were properly laughing at the expression of confusion on Nicholas's face and the fact that his face had turned a shade of deep crimson.
"You didn't even realize that you'd said it, eh, Punisher?"
You couldn't help but tease the man who was your best friend, stifling your laughter as best you could as you watched Nicholas trying to figure out exactly what he had said to you and the colour of his face only darkening.
"You said "I'd lost the one person in the world who meant absolutely everything to me, the one person I loved" when you were talking to me. You thought I was still unconscious, but I could hear you, Nick - I just couldn't answer you then," you explained softly, reaching up and tilting Nicholas's face so he was looking at you as you spoke, "I love you, too, Nicholas D. Wolfwood."
"Seriously?" Nicholas replied cautiously, studying your face as if to ensure you were telling the truth.
"Yes, you moron, seriously!" You laughed, tapping his cheek playfully. "I've loved you for a long time, I just never told you. And now, I'm glad I never told you. Otherwise, I never would've heard your dramatic love confession. I never knew you were such a hopeless romantic, Nick! Didn't think you had it in you."
"Oh, shut up," Nicholas muttered under his breath, his blush darkening as he looked away from you in embarrassment. "You're lucky I love you."
You couldn't help but grin teasingly, "Oh, I'm sure. By the way, I really wasn't expecting my first kiss with you to be when I was borderline unconscious and with you pouring whatever is in those vials into my mouth."
"I-wha-you-!"
Nicholas was spluttering, his face crimson as he tried to argue or contradict your statement, and it only made you laugh harder than you had been previously. You burrowed into his embrace, holding him as tightly as you could without worsening your injury.
"Splutter all you want, Undertaker, you're not escaping this. Although..." You trailed off with a mischievous grin before saying simply, "I'd be happy to do a retake of our first kiss."
After a moment of recovery from his embarrassment, Nicholas ran a hand through his hair before chuckling slightly, "Yeah? That so, doll? I think I could be persuaded to do that... for the right price."
"The right price? What price is that?" You asked, looking at him curiously.
"I dunno yet. I'll think of something later."
Without another moment of hesitation, Nicholas leaned down, his hand coming up to cup the back of your neck as he pressed his lips to yours in a surprisingly gentle kiss.
Unlike before, this kiss wasn't desperate and filled with fear of you dying. This kiss was tender and gentle and loving, chaste and almost unsure. You felt your heart fluttering in your chest as you happily returned the kiss, the rest of the world falling away for the moment.
When the two of you pulled away, you snuggled into Wolfwood's embrace, at last feeling content and safe.
"Hey, Nick?"
"Yeah, (Y/N)?"
"Where did Vash disappear to?"
Nicholas just chuckled.
"Blondie's been chillin' in the inn in town. I haven't seen him much since you ended up here."
"Well... maybe you outta go shower and take a nap and shave or something. Because as much as I love you, you look rough."
"Hey! That's a rude thing to say to your hero, sweetheart!"
You couldn't help but smile.
"My hero, indeed."
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dulcewrites · 1 year ago
Text
Fool Me Once (part 10)
Summary: As tensions arise in King’s Landing, you make moves to assure the safety of your children. Final breaths are taken, pacts are made and broken, steel is drawn and the dragons dance.
Warning: mentions of stillbirths/pregnancy issues, allusions to self harm, some unreliable narrator if you squint. In our f&b bag fr!
A/N: you guys 🥺 we are finally on the last part. First, I want to say I am sooooo sorry about how long it took to get this one out. By the time I’m posting this I’m sort of like, do people even still care lmao 💀. Life has been hectic and tbh I’ve been putting some focus onto other things. Shameless plug to my other, more happy Aemond x oc series, on ao3. As well as I’ve gotten so much amazing feedback and interactions about this fic that I was slightly worried about how people would take the end. Speaking of feedback, and moving on to the more sappy stuff. My writing side blog has grown exuberantly since posting part 1 of fmo last year. It genuinely makes me emotional thinking about the little community that’s come from it. I hope to continue to make more stuff that I’m not only happy with, but further pushes said community ❤️❤️ if y’all have any hotd request let me know. Please reblog, like, and comment. As well as come chat in my inbox if you see something you like.
Slight housekeeping, though if you made it this far you probably already know. This fic does change the dance for self indulgent reasons (lol) and for the narrative of it all. This started as a cheating story and has sort of spun into something entirely else.
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Ninth moon of 129 AC
Rhaenyra’s voice could be heard from down the hall.
You wanted to reassure yourself that you had heard those screams before from Helaena, or even from yourself giving birth. But there was something so terribly guttural about the ones Rhaenyra was making.
As if outcome of the birth hung in the air. Lingering with the ghost of the past death that happened in the Red Keep. You try not to focus on the sheer look of panic on Jace’s face once you leave him at the door.
By the time you got to her chambers, Rhaenyra is already surrounded by midwives as she is hunched over, palms spread out against the wall. Midwives, and Alicent, whose face was terribly pale. Almost as drained of color as Rhaenyra. Her normally straight blonde hair wavy and stuck to her forehead with the sheen of her own sweat.
Alicent spots you, and gets away from her position from around her. She pulls you over to the side, but before she can even speak you interrupt her. The midwives begin to move Rhaenyra from her standing position to on the bed.
“Has this happened before,” you watch as Rhaenyra pleas lessen and lessen, her state becoming more sedated than what is probably normal.
Alicent shakes her head. Her auburn curls had been released for the night from the tight updo they were in earlier.
“No, at least not the first three,” she swallows hard before coming closer to you. “I fear - I fear this labor may go awry. I think we need to make preparations for if…”
The words catch in the back of Alicent’s throat. She is here with Rhaenyra; she has always been with Rhaenyra. Even when they were at odds; two ghosts haunting each other’s memories. Two sides of the same coin, causalities of the cruel fate. You want to feel sorry her; knowing that she is watching a close… companion go through this, but your mind has been elsewhere since earlier that day.
“Your son has made preparations,” you cross your arms. “All of them actually.”
Alicent brows furrow in confusion, and it dawns on you that Aemond and Aegon never clued their mother in on their little plan.
“You do not know, do you?”
“No, I do not know what your husband has been getting into. I rarely do these days.”
You and her both.
Rhaenyra lets out another groan.
“Where is Daemon,” you ask as Rhaenyra begins to mumble things incoherently to the midwives.
“He took one look at her, and left the room,” Alicent frowns. “She called for him but he went to get Jacaerys instead.”
And Jace came for you on the behest of Alicent. Tis the way of men you suppose. Often, they are absolute nuisance in situations like this, but you could not help but think that mayhaps if Daemon had stayed to seen her in this state, he would not put her through such things again. But that is giving him far more credit than you know he deserves.
“Alicent,” Rhaenyra manages to mumble out the name louder. Her eyes fluttering open and shut.
Alicent instantly rushes over, dropping the conservation she has started with you.
As you watch Alicent coax Rhaenyra through this, her words ring out. Though she did not elaborate on what those plans should be, she was right. Aemond had taken the reigns from your hands plenty times before. Safety will not be completely ensured until any threat is taken out. You have never been to battle nor war, and even you know that. A slightly morbid thought creeps into your head.
If Rhaenyra dies, Aegon could descend the throne.
It was laughable for Rhaenyra, or anyone who supports her claim, to believe known bastards would follow her in the line of succession. Or that Daemon would not bypass Rhaenyra’s first three boy in order to ensure power for her last two. It would mean an all-out war between Aegon and Daemon… but maybe it did not have to go that far. Not if plans were made to undercut whatever moves you know Daemon could put into place.
They are all back in King’s Landing, no longer under the false tranquility they tried to spin at Dragonstone. Amongst their patrons who already have much to say about Rhaenyra’s still short reign.
Aegon on the throne would ensure the safety of all of the kids. And not only the kids, but the kingdom as a whole. A war of succession, especially including dragons, would only bring destruction. Rhaenyra’s boys would have a chance to swear obeisance after Daemon is out of the way, and if not, their presence will not be needed. Bastard blood being spilt is nothing compared to the life your children.
They could go back to Dragonstone and live their lives out there with young Egg and Viserys. With the possibility of Daemon for a father, they would be better off for it.
Your thoughts are broken by the midwives telling Rhaenyra to try and push.
There was already a significant amounts of blood trailing where Rhaenyra had been. Her pushes do little to soothe the position she is in. In frustration and pain, eventually Rhaenyra, much to the chagrin of the midwives and Alicent, shoos them all away. Reaching down to pull the babe out herself.
Letting out an already grief-stricken scream as she does it.
The air is sucked from the room as a gush of blood rushes out of Rhaenyra, followed by a tiny body.
A tiny… silent body. Wrapped in scales and slightly deformed.
No one speaks as they watch Rhaenyra pick up the baby from between her legs and rocks it as if trying to lure it into crying, into breathing. But nothing comes. Just silence, and the aches of a daughter stuck in the self-fulfilling prophecy of a mother that is no longer around.
It is not proper nor lady-like, and you can hear your own mother’s voice in the back of your telling you how rude it is in a time like this, but you just turn and leave. Without a word or peep. Suddenly feeling sick you go back down the hall, back to your chambers. Ignoring Jace who calls your name out in confusion by the sudden silence coming from his mother’s room.
By the time you make it back to the room, Aemond had gotten himself ready for bed. Completely casual as if the events earlier meant nothing to him.
“What’s happened,” he notices your ashen face.
You take one look at your husband, you think of your children away in a place foreign to them, and the stillborn baby Rhaenyra clutched in her arms.
The bile comes up quick. So quick you barely make I to the basin on the other side of the room. The dry heaving reminds you that you barely ate anything today, too worried about the task at hand.
You flinch when you feel a cold hand on your back. Shrugging Aemond’s hand off, you turn head with a glare.
“You made your move,” you mutter. “I’ll give you that. But now we are going to this my way. And Aemond, so help me, a single hair on those kid’s heads is harmed and I am not with them, I burn it all to the ground, you with it.”
You don’t know how and when, but you would do it for them if it came to that. You’d do anything for their safety. It may be time for others to realize that.
— — —
Princess Visenya Targaryen is set on the pyre a day and a half later. A small swaddled body lit on fire once Rhaenyra croaked out the words. Syrax blowing a mighty flame to burn Rhaenyra’s only little girl.
She was advised to stay in bed. Though her outward physical ailments had started to heal, it was clear Queen Rhaenyra was sick. Pale skin still prickling with sweat despite the cool air outside, dark bags starting to form under her eyes as she leans gently against the cane she was given.
You stand next to Aemond, Helaena, and Aegon. The only warm you feel from the fire in front on you.
It was slightly shocking when Helaena came up to you before the funeral with guilt written over her soft features.
“I just had… a funny feeling about the kids being here. I’m sorry.”
She knew.
You were not happy about once again feeling like you’re on the outside looking in with people you are supposed to call family. At least Helaena had the decency to feel ashamed by the omission. The decency to apologize. Guilt and Aemond is laughable being in the same sentence, and Aegon had been avoiding you. A thing that has not happened in months. Helaena was always right about these things; the scary part is that you all never really knew till the outcome already happened.
You run your hand over your black mourning dress. Peering out from under your veil, you make eye contact with Daemon across the fire.
Normally mirth filled eyes, and folly written all over his face had been replaced by an emptiness that scared you. Often, you had felt the unearned confidence and ambition around you was just noblemen living up to an expectation put on by others around them. But a Daemon, already known for his rogue behavior, feeling emboldened by the death of his brother, daughter, and the newly weakened state of his wife, made you nervous.
Only compounded when you think about the conversation shared at Dragonstone. Your loyalty was not expected, but even demanded. You can’t help but wonder if the kids not being around has only put a fiercer target on your back, or even on theirs.
You look over at Aegon - messy hair, bored expression, purple circles under his eyes. But he is no worse for wear compared to Rhaenyra.
If it one thing you have learned since being around this family, it is appearances often make up for everything. Slap a smile and nice outfit on, and people tend to believe what they see versus what is underneath the surface.
The funeral ends, and you make a sharp beeline towards Otto.
“I need to run something past you.”
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You rake your knuckles against Aegon’s door, and get reply in return. You do it again, this time with more vigor, slightly embarrassed at Ser Arryk just watching you pound away.
“He is in there,” you question, turning to him.
“The last time I checked, he was my lady.”
The last time he checked?
You supposed not ever sworn protector can be as diligent as Quinton, and not every subject can be well behaved.
“Aegon,” you knock once more.
Blowing out frustrated air through your mouth, you turn to go but the door eventually swings open.
His hair is crumpled on one side, shirt unbuttoned, and reeking of wine. It had not hit you that he may be with someone.
“If you are… predisposed, I apologize. I can come back”
A dopey grin breaks out of face, before he hitched the door open wider. “No one is with me. Oh, dovelet were you worried about that?”
You look over to see Arryk raise a brow at you. You push at Aegon, further annoyed. “Go.” Forcing him back into his chambers.
“Everyone is so touchy today.”
You were there, before the funeral, when Alicent fussed at him about going to it. About trying to look engaged, which he clearly did not. You think about the conversation you had with Otto in his office.
“He is not going to like it. He has long come to terms with not wanting to be king.”
“But his wants are of no concern to you now, are they?”
When put that way, you can’t help but feel a bit bad. But it is true. What Aegon wants right now means little to you. He will eventually learn to like it, and if not like it, he will learn to tolerate it. The way others have to tolerate their fate in life. We are all stuck in the same miserable cycle; the only difference is some of us will not be able to call ourselves King of the Seven Kingdoms.
“We need to talk about some things.”
“Black is one your colors,” he changes the subject. “You should wear it more often.”
“Aegon, I’m serious,” you pinch your nose.
“Is this about the kids? I thought you would be happy they are out of harm’s way.”
“They are not out of harm’s way,” your voice raises, and this is not going the way it was supposed to.
You must push him with a gently hand. A woman’s touch.
There was a something slimy about how Otto ended the conversation. Sending you to Aegon to enact a woman’s touch… whatever that meant.
“But they could be,” you lower your voice. “If - If there was someone else at the helm. None of us would have to worry about their safety. About our safety.”
Aegon give you a funny look before flopping down on his bed.
He is drunk so he may not remember any of this by next morning. You sit next to him on the bed.
“There is no running from this. Despite what you may say, you know you would not be able to live with yourself if you left your family, your kids. Aegon, you are too smart not to know what this is all coming to.”
Though not something you voiced yourself, running was an option that crossed your mind. Finding a way out to Oldtown, grabbing your kids, and running. The logistics seemed all to wash away when the word dragon comes along. Traveling with two young kids would be difficult enough, managing to travel discretely with a giant dragon would not work. You don’t know how you would tell Daella to leave Vermithor.
And then a chill would run up your spine. Where could you go where he would not find you on dragon back?
The two of you sit in silence before Aegon sighs softly.
“Share a drink with me,” Aegon whispers. “Before we all die.”
It makes you laugh. Because that is all you can do at the folly that is your life. You nod softly.
The wine is a Dornish Red. Sweet, warm, and sultry tasting drink. It reminds you of the look Aegon is giving you.
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Alicent peaks her head into the door.
“Rhaenyra,” she sees baby Aegon and Viserys sitting on their mother’s bed. Both babbling away over each other. Rhaenyra weakly waves her in. Both Egg and Viserys give Alicent tiny little bows. They do it to everyone, even those who technically do not have the same amount of power toddlers do. Bowing at guards, nursemaids, and court members alike.
The boys are eventually escorted out by one of the maids, but not until they both tell Alicent about the flock of lizards they found in the garden. It’s sweet, Alicent thinks. Reminds her of when her kids were that age. Not yet tainted or disrupted by the life around them. Alicent supposes she also has herself to blame for that when it comes to own children.
Both boys not understanding the position their mother is in. She knows that Rhaenyra is grateful at least two of her kids are not aware of her vulnerable state.
“How are you feeling,” Alicent sits at the edge of the bed next to her, taking in scattering of notes around Rhaenyra. Members of Rhaenyra’s small council have written notes for Rhaenyra to read while she is abed. From things as simple as the mouse problem in the Red Keep to things more serious. Like the Shepherd’s continued teachings; this week sermon’s going as far to say the death of the Visenya was an act of the Gods. That this is Rhaenyra’s punishment. Punishment for the dragon, the incest, the Targaryen of it all.
Alicent makes sure to only visit Rhaenyra when she knows she will not run into Daemon. He flaunted around the castle as if he has never left. Still the same air of arrogance and fire, only now swathed under a layer of coolness. The passing of Viserys, clearly leading him in a quieter path.
So many awful things lead back to that man. Alicent is sure of it.
All Rhaenyra can do is give a small smile and the shake of the head.
“A bit better now that you’re here.”
Alicent just ducks her head shyly.
Rhaenyra was always good at that, making Alicent feel like she was a girl again. Ten and four and completely out of her depth when it came to her feelings. An issue she worries she still has not gained control over.
“I am thinking of naming Daemon protector of the realm,” she then croaks out. “I do not know how much I can get done while in this bed. Watching it all crumble beneath me.”
Naivety. It is the only word that comes Alicent’s mind when it comes to how Rhaenyra handles Daemon. Ironically, it is the same way Otto describes her relationship with Rhaenyra. Her father never forgets a chance the remind her the nostalgia of girlhood, and security she wraps in Rhaenyra. The same way Alicent does not know if Rhaenyra has convinced herself that Daemon’s will head her council above anyone’s else is her true feelings, is the same way Alicent does not know if she holds onto the good parts of Rhaenyra because they still exist. Or because without holding onto them, she would be again flailing and alone. Once again left with the cold, empty feelings that comes with duty above else.
The only person Alicent saw ever cut Daemon down to size is now dead, rotting and finally silent. If Rhaenyra thinks the bond, she had with Daemon is anything more than him trying to hold onto the last semblances of Viserys he could find, she has been sorely mistaken.
“Mayhaps, you should speak that over with the rest of your council,” she pushes the duvet further over Rhaenyra. It is not her job to advise. She doesn’t know if she has it in her advising another clueless monarch. Another seemingly well meaning, but headstrongly clueless monarch. Rhaenyra gets her same propriety from her father.
Rhaenyra is not a bad person. The same way many people would say Viserys was not a bad person. But when all things are said and done, Viserys will be remembered as peaceful. Alicent worries history will not give the same charitable read to Rhaenyra. Who fumbles and doubles down on her bad actions in the way she learned from her father. Terribly misguided in each path they take, paying no mind to the carnage left behind.
Too much trust in Daemon. A fault both will have to live with or die by.
“Everything will be fine, once I recover,” she takes note of Alicent’s distant eyes. “It will be alright.”
You look so much like your father when you lie to me. So much like him with false hope and no tact. They riot in the streets over your reign already, and you are sure it will be alright.
Alicent just squeezes Rhaenyra’s hand. The way she used to when she used to get the urge to pick at her hands. She looks around the room. Rhaenyra, now laying in the same bed her father did before her. Alicent just hopes the morbid memories of Viserys do not haunt her in the way Aemma’s ghost still haunts Alicent to this day.
Aemma was right, and they did not even know it at the time. The birthing bed was their battlefield. And it feels like it is all catching up to them.
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It has been a few minutes since your parents welcomed you into their parents, and in those few minutes your mother has done nothing but pick at your hair and fret over your outfit.
The sun was at its height in the sky, brightness peaking through their windows. This morning you woke up, and did what have for the past couple of days. Remember your children are not there for you to kiss and hug, and look over at your sleeping husband. Multiple ways of smothering him popping into your head.
“Wearing your hair back makes you look so severe, my darling,” she fiddles with bun. Your hand goes up the move it way. “And grey is not slimming on everyone.”
“Yes mother,” you try to grin and bear like you have always done. Your resolve faltered when she gushed about how lovely of a father Aemond was for wanting the kids to spend more time with their uncle, the excuse the both of you had parroted whenever someone asked here Daella and Alaric were.
“I think it may be best, if both of you go back home,” you sit both of them down. “I just worry that things may get a bit hectic, and I would feel better if you both were far from it.”
They both give you a curious look. There is only so much you can say without giving all away. Your father gets up and pulls you to the side.
“There has been… rumblings,” he mutters. “About the Queen and her state.”
He chooses his words wisely. As if he was worried others are listening.
“I want you to know that whatever path may arrive. The full backing of the house is behind it. Your uncle and I will make sure of that. If there was a change in power.”
Tears pinch and sting your eyes. It should be reassuring but it only makes you realizing that backing comes at the whim of others. This will always come back to who is ruling, and who people think should rule.
That is why you married Aemond right? To be put in the best position for your house.
“Thank you, father.”
He kisses you on the cheek, before leaving. You turn towards your mother who sits on the bench in front of the bed.
“I do hope your little excursion has renewed your spirit,” she gets up. “Your husband seemed just beside himself after you left. No wife, no children around. I can only imagine how hard that was for him.” You just stand there as she comes towards you. She stares at you for a moment, taking in your new dark dress, and hair. You cannot tell if the look is unimpressed, or filled with sadness. Your mother’s faces tend to blur together into nothingness.
“Of course, that is what you took from it,” you mutter.
“What was that, lamb?” Another hand runs over your hair.
“Nothing, mother.”
Your mother laughs a bit, in that cold, jilted way she does. The joy never reaching her eyes.
“It’s always been that way. Sweet with him, distant with me.”
You stare at her in slight shock, slight mortification when she leans back. Is that how she’s read the situation? You choosing your father over her. Not the paralyzing fear that came with having to please her. The heart arching want to make her proud of you, even at the expense of your own wants.
“You made it that way. I - you sent me away to - to this place and -“
“Oh, here we go. You got married to a Prince, you had your babies, and I am still the evil mother.”
She bows her head as is she about to cry. Initiatively, you put a hand on her shoulder.
“You’re not evil,” you don’t understand how the conversation how switcher so fast. How now you have to the one to comfort her. “We just don’t see certain things the same way.”
An understatement.
“Mayhaps, I was never meant to be a mother,” she looks up, eyes dry. She says it so casually.
“What?”
“I should have taken the hint after the first miscarriage. But your father just begged and begged about wanting a child.”
You just watch in horror.
She runs another hand over your hair, nagging on the bun and frowns.
“Some women just aren’t meant to be mothers. Too headstrong for it, too weak for it,” there is an air of pity when she says it.
She leans in, and her breath hits your ears. “Be careful, my lamb. The softer the heart, the harder the fall.”
You swallow hard. She’s fed a poison that is hard to be weaned off.
— — —
Leaving the room, in a slight daze. Softly shuffling the opposite way of your chambers, and up the large stairs. You had promised Rhaenyra you would come see her soon.
The only thing that breaks you out the trance is the heavy footsteps of Daemon. You stop and lower your head in acknowledgment.
“My prince, I have not been able to catch you to give my condolence.”
Daemon hums. You’ve noticed how he walks around with Dark Sister attached firmly on his hip. Sometimes sheathed, other times unsheathed as he leans against as some sort of crutch.
“I suppose I should be sending you sorrows too,” a small smile on his face. You tilt your head in confusion.
“Your children.”
Your blood runs a bit cold.
“They are just with their uncle. Taking it the beauty of Oldtown. We want them to see many parts of the realm.”
“With Vermithor?”
You just nod. “You must know how important the bond is between dragon and dragon rider. More importantly during these early stages.”
Daemon’s mirth grows as he comes closer. “I do remember our conversation. About how your loyalty would be not only expected but rewarded. I would absolutely hate to see anyone get hurt, especially as our queen is recovering.”
You smile, brightly and sound.
“Of course, it would be quite a shame if anyone was putting their own needs ahead of Queen Rhaenyra’s. Those close to her must be diligent, and kind.”
The two of you exchange more fake smiles before he steps around you, sword glistening under the flicker of flames in the hallway.
Trying to compose yourself as you make your way to the master chambers. You are slightly relieved by the changes that were made by the time Rhaenyra arrived and settled in. The model Viserys spent even his last days speaking about that collected dust had been removed. Different drapes that let the sun in, the furniture moved around a bit, and the smell. Thank Gods, the smell was different.
The smell of rotting, and noxious air replaced by something a little sweeter. You know that Alicent would come in daily and light different incense for Rhaenyra.
The guards let you in, and she is still in the same place she, day after day, the large canopy bed. The bed you see Viserys lay in as you visit him with Daella and or Alaric.
“Rhaenyra,” you pull back the certain a bit, to let light in. “Have you eaten today?”
You walk over and lay a hand on her forehead. She is burning up. Her fever spiking again. All you get is a groan and the shake of the head.
“Rhaenyra, you need to eat something.”
She just gestures toward the table. Different tonics, drinks, and glasses on top of it. You walk over to see tea as well as a familiar milky substance on it.
You remembered seeing how Viserys was when he was on milk of the poppy. Hells, you understood the strength of it, and you only took it while having Daella and Alaric.
It was the beauty and ugliness of the drug once it was taken too much. The pain was gone, but then came a new problem - the grogginess of the mind and withdrawals.
“The Queen only needs five dops of it,” said the maester, a sour look on his face once asked to leave when you visited her a few days ago.
In all her paranoia, Rhaenyra had asked only those closest to her to help administer it. Not trusting the maesters the very same way she did when it came to Viserys. Out of part guilt of what she just went through, and frankly fear, you agreed when she asked you. But now, as you feel the tides changing once again for the battle for power, your hands shake a bit applying the remedy to her tea.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five….. Six. Seven. Eight.
Before you can change your mind, you a twist cap back on the milk of the poppy.
You walk back to the bed, giving a pale Rhaenyra a strained smile. “Let’s sit you up.”
Rhaenyra winces, eyes in a faraway stare as you help her lean up in the bed. The same bed she had been beholden to for the past week. You bring goblet to her lips and watch her all but chug most of it.
A part of you wants to say a prayer to the Father. Perhaps he will forgive you for all that will happen beyond this point. Understanding how stray animals often act when they are backed into a corner. Teeth bared and fighting for their lives.
She will name him Protector of the Realm if she stays abed any longer. Despite the mistreatment, Daemon has always had a way about him when it came to Rhaenyra. I have no way to stop it. Did not back then, and do not now.
Guilt only mounts when you think about the sadness in Alicent’s eyes when she said that. But then you think about your daughter’s laugh or the wide-eyed innocence of your son, and the guilt fades. All that is left is resentment. A deep hole where you think your heart used to be.
You have to shudder thinking about anyone from this family sitting the throne but at least you know some options are more… malleable than others.
“I can come back to give you more when you need it,” you brush a stray hair behind Rhaenyra’s ear. “Maybe I can read to you too.”
She gives you a tired smile, and nod before her eyes begin to flutter. You watch as her breathing labors as she drifts into a hazy state. In and out of sleep. Here she lays, a victim of the birthing bed like her mother. Ill equipped, and far too foolish to see the damage she will leave behind like her father.
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“What is all of this?”
You walk into your chambers to find a table of food in the room. Aemond hops up from the bed. You take a look at the array of breads, and sweets on the table.
“All this for me,” you question, popping one of the lemon candies on a lemon cake in your mouth. “How romantic. The last time I had the pleasure of such a spread, you were telling me you got your mistress pregnant and it sent me into excruciating labor.”
Aemond face falls, and for a moment you understand what it has been like for him the past few years of marriage. To hold power over him, even if it is small and fleeting in the moment. Dangling kindness in front of his face to rip it away for no reason other than you can.
You continue to pick at the food, as Aemond just stares.
“Are you gonna say what this all about or just stare with that silly look on your face?”
His face flashes from sad stoicism something a bit angrier. Ah, that’s your husband.
“I am trying to mend things with you, and all I ge-“
“Oh, that is your first mistake,” you hold up a finger. “Well, not the first. You know your first. But trying to mend something that was never there to begin with? And with food that I could get myself. You’re smarter than that Aemond,” you tut at him.
“So, what now? We spend the rest of our days hating each other?”
If we even get that far.
“It has worked for others,” you shrug.
“It won’t for you,” he rebuts. “The hate will eat you alive. You’ll be miserable.”
Promise?
He speaks as if he is so sure of it. As like Helaena does at times, he has seen into a murky future, and pulled this out. You utterly miserable as you let that dark voice in your head play out all your morbid desires.
“But you would like that, wouldn’t you,” you think about the look he gave you when you wanted to reach for his knife. “Why else would you put through all of this but to make me as miserable as you are?”
It hang on the tip of your tongue. You could push you luck again, and tell him that she is gone, and never to be seen again. Twist the knife that you already have point at his back. But then you would have to be sure of things yourself. Dreams have dissolved into nightmares. Blood mixing the salty water of Dragonstone.
Then you wake and Otto’s words ring in your head. He took care of it. Now you are left trying to sort out the mess of memories that makes up your head. Guilt, anger, and sadness all managing fuck with your head in ways you could not imagine.
You eye the wine on the table. As much you admonish Aegon for it, you do get why he turned to it from such a young age.
The few hours of solace it gives is wonderful. Fleeting but necessary when everything else becomes too loud. Too much.
“It was not an absence in you. It was one in us… in me,” he looks so young when he says it. It almost reminds you of him when he ten and five. Fresh off a growth spurt. Terribly shy, terribly distant. But that was before. Before the expectation of marriage, of children and semblances of loyalty and care.
That boy is gone, and you are surely not the girl you were once you came to King’s Landing. You mourn that girl, the way you mourn the boy Aemond was before he lost his eye. You did not know him then but you always wonder what strings in him broke when that happened. An unjust act with no reconciliation to follow. If any of that led up to the man standing before you today.
“Well, at least that is something we can agree on,” you look down, trying to get rid of the hot tears in your eyes.
You have spent time trying to build up an armor in front of him. You’d hate to have it crack now.
“My grandsire told me about your little plan.”
It makes you look up. Aemond’s arms are crossed in skepticism.
“Your sister’s health is declining rapidly. Aegon needs to ready himself for this.”
“And he has agreed?”
“Your brother will fall in line as he realizes this is the only way to keep those dear to him safe,” you fiddle with the chocolate tart. “He already has actually.”
Helaena and him took a trip to one of the orphanages down in the Red Keep. It is about time people outside of this castle get a look at those in power. Aemond still does not look convinced.
“Does that upset you? The thought of him being king?”
“No more than it does having my useless sister or foolish nuncle on the throne.”
“What, no mention of the bastards technically in front you for the throne right now,” you think the joke falls flat till Aemond narrows his eye, and tilts his head to side in merriment. You have to do a bit of double take at the slight smirk on his face.
“You danced with one of those bastards.”
So, he remembers that.
“A tactical move,” you roll your eyes. “And when I advise Rhaenyra and Jacaerys that he should go back to Dragonstone as the new heir to the Irone Throne and Prince of Dragonstone, it would have payed off.”
“Leaving Rhaenyra as she’s abed, and stuck with Daemon? How would you manage that?”
“I can be quite convincing,” you shrug. “Not that you would understand.”
He takes another dig on chin, uncharacteristically good natured this day, but he gives you that look. The look where you don’t know whether he wants to skin you or kiss you. No one really has ever looked in the way Aemond has. As if he sees nothing of what you’re really made of while managing to look right through you at the same time.
“Better yet, I may even tell Baela and Rhaena that they should take this time to be with grandmother and grandfather, especially as Corlys may stand a similar fate as Rhaenyra.”
“What about the other one,” Aemond frowns.
Your brows furrow in confusion before it dawns on you. Both him and Lucerys had done a good job of avoiding each other since you all came back from Dragonstone. But you can tell the tiptoeing has created strain and awkwardness for everyone.
“If Baela and Jace are gone with Moondancer and Vermax in toe, that just leaves a clearly petrified Luke and Arrax. I think Vhagar, Sunfyre or Dreamfyre can handle that, no?”
Aemond raises a brow. “You want them to die?”
“I don’t want anyone to die,” well that’s not entirely true, and the look Aemond gives you lets you in that he does not believe that as well. “As few casualties as possible is the goal. They can swear to Aegon when the time comes or be put the King’s Justice. As of now, we should take advantage of the uncertainty that rest amongst everyone.”
Aemond laughs, like really laughs. It takes you for surprise, and only upsets you. He laughs as if he finds your thoughts funny in the way seeing a squirrel run up a tree is funny. “What?”
“Nothing…. Lady Hightower.”
You scoff and throw the pieces of the fruit on the table at him. “Fuck off.”
“You make those faces and turn up your nose at Aegon being king, but you and I both know you will be the first to defend his throne,” you throw a strawberry at him but this time he catches it and eats it. “This is all for the kids, right? It is why they are not here, away from their mother?”
“They are away from their father as well. For their safety.”
You just hum.
“I want to write to them. They did not even get to say goodbye.”
“That could be dangerous.”
“I do not care, Aemond,” you raise your voice.
There is a knock at the door and Quinton comes in with a note in his hand. He eyes the food on the table as you read the note. It is from your father, assuring you about your parents soon departure back to the Riverlands.
“Are you alright,” he whispers. You nod softly. Quinton had been hovering somewhere in the background whenever Aemond was around, especially with the children gone. Clearly not trusting him around you.
Quinton should probably be more worried you around him. His cape swishes behind him when he goes to leave the room.
“You can write to them when the timing is better,” Aemond continues once you two are alone again.
The timing is never right. Not with him, not the with situation you are in.
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The end of ninth moon of 129 AC
As you walk down the hall, a soft hand brushes against your arm.
“Are sure you are alright,” Quinton’s voice rings in your head, and tickles your ears softly.
“Of course,” you give fake smile, tilt of the head. He stops in the middle of the empty hall. Though he is your sworn protestor, you feel it is best to keep Quinton on the fringes unless needed otherwise. The less he knows, the safer he is you assume.
“I know you are not well without your children around,” he sighs. “But I would not want you to… sully yourself with things before you can get back to them.”
Sully. You take a long look at Quinton. There is something sweet about the way he views you. Entirely too earnest at time but sweet. You wish you could tell him he had nothing to worry about, and meant it. The pedastal he puts you on, my would it be a hard and long fall.
“I appreciate the concern, but I am ok,”’you reach up to touch his cheek. “You will be the first to know.”
He gives a half-hearted nod before then both of you continue your way to Rhaenyra’s chambers. When you get there the maidservants are beginning to place lights out in the hall for the night.
When you walk in, Rhaenyra is perched where she has been for some time now. Fiddling with the books on the shelf in the corner of the room.
“Maybe something a bit more upbeat. A love story,” you whisper. You go sit next to her on bed, flipping through the large brown book in your hand.
Rhaenyra begins to mumble as you shush her softly.
“It’s ok,” you reach over for the cup next to her bed. Sniffing the cup, you take note of how differently it smells compared to the tea and milk of the poppy mixture you used to.
The tonic seems different, stronger than usual. You put it to her lips and watch Rhaenyra drink it. You wipe her mouth. Even if this weakened state, you find her tragically beautiful. Like a fallen Angel. She resembles her siblings in that regard.
“I need - I need,” her eyes flutter open and shut. “The Prince that was Promised.”
You frown.
“Aeg- Aegon…”
“Your brother?”
“Tell Jacaerys.”
She trails off. Your back straightens as you watch as Rhaenyra’s eyes close, and her breathing slow.
The Prince that was Promised… Aegon.
You lean down and kiss her forehead. Mayhaps, in another life things could’ve been different for her. For her siblings, for her children, for you… for your kids. Climbing off the side of the bed, you gently tuck Rhaenyra in.
When you walk out, you see Quinton standing at attention. You motion for him to come with.
“I need you to do go get Otto,” you mummer. “We have business to get to.”
You cannot see the look Quinton gives you as move to walk ahead of him, and to that you are grateful.
Sullying is your only other option.
In the tenth moon 129 AC, the bell connected to the Royal Sept tolled for thee.
The death of Queen Rhaenyra, First of her Name, sent ripples through the Realm. But that was just beginning of the great strife that would follow her passing. A years peaceful period of reign for the Targaryen family ended by infighting.
Histories will say the first problem came the moment the then Princess and heir decided to sire bastard heirs. Others would say it began the moment, Rhaenyra left her succession vulnerable to her young brother. Not ending his line the moment she had the chance to.
Throughout her short reign as queen, there were festering rumors of usurping. That Lord Otto Hightower would hold secret meetings planning for the best moment to strike to get his grandson son on the throne. Others dispirited this claim, saying that the Dowager Queen Alicent’s afflictions for Queen Rhaenyra would never let that happen.
Ironically, it was not the death of the Rhaenyra is not the official start of what would later be called the Dance of Dragons. Instead the death of Prince’s Aemond One-Eye Targaryen’s lady wife’s parents triggered the domino affect. An escalation of plans.
Most would say the overflipped carriage was a tragic accident, but others whispered about something more serious. An inside attack from a member of the Targaryen family themselves. It was this tragedy that led to a public outcry from the members of the house in the Riverlands, coupling with the public crowning of a new king.
It was Ser Criston Cole, member of the Kingsguard, who crowed King Aegon, Second of his Name, in a private ceremony. Only flanked by his new crowned Queen Helaena, Prince Aemond and his wife, and Lord Hightower. King Aegon was crowned in front of the septon of faith, dawning his namesakes crown.
Back on Dragonstone, Jacaerys Velaryon recieved the news of not only his mother’s death, but also the usurping. Except it was not allies with the news, but foes. Jacaerys was slain at the footsteps of the castle.
It is still debated which side has more to gain to having Jace out of the way. King Aegon or Prince Daemon. But in the end, it was the later who eventually set up him home base at Dragonstone. Fleeing under the watchful eye of his spies in the Red Keep. With only two of his sons with him.
Both sides strategizing their moves. Daemon labeling Aegon and his supporters traitors to the realm, while Aegon set out to kill his uncle himself in given the chance. Under the insistence that it was him who accerlated Rhaenyra’s already bad condition.
Support the amongst the realm split as some supporter the efforts of the new king, far more open to his tactics than one of the Rogue Prince or Rhaenyra’s Bastards. While others scoffed at the boldness of Aegon the Usurper.
Those called on the opinions of the sons that remained at King’s Landing. Rumors of the Lucerys and Joffrey Velaryon being chained arriving. But it was not Daemon who negotiated the release of the boys. It was members of House Velaryon.
But there was one condition. It would be Baela and Rhaena, of both House Targaryen and Velaryon, that recieved equal titles after the passing of Corlys. Lucerys would be stripped of title of heir to the Driftmark Throne. It was rumored that this was not a cruel twist of fate from team green, but instead a plea from Lucerys himself.
It was Rhaena Targaryen, in all her wisdom, that worked through the terms. With a heavy heart, and no more bloodshed in her pleas. The more bold sister of the twins, Baela, had other plans. Sensing the release of Lucerys and Joffrey was a trap. She climbed on top of Moondancer, despite the calls not, and made her way closer to King’s Landing herself. But she was not alone. Her grandmother was with her.
Never one to sit from a battle himself, it was King Aegon who climbed his dragon to take them both on. All three dragon and riders fought diligently. Moondancer sustaining life ending injuries, while both Sunfyre and Aegon were injured at battle. But the most costly lost came at the hand of the One-Eyed Prince himself. Taking out Rhaenys and Meleys before further injury could come to his brother.
Enraged at the news of the death of Moondancer, and the almost costly lost of Baela, Daemon began his March. But he also had other plans at play. In efforts to lure the new Prince Regent out of the castle, he sent spies to Oldtown. Where not only Prince Daeron worked with all of Reach to support King Aegon. But also where the young Prince watched over his younger nieces and nephews.
There was an attempt to take the Jaehaerys Targaryen, son of Aegon and Alaric Targaryen, son of Aemond. But the plan was thwarted by a terrible beast. Vermithor lurched and lured over Oldtown like a tower himself. His flames as green as the Hightower Beacon. Highly protective over his new rider and those close to her. At just six and seventh month, Daella Targaryen was feared as her father.
Still not wanting to be outdone, Daemon sets his sights towards not only Harrenhal, but another certain house in the Riverlands. His march pillaging those close to Aemond’s wife. Still grieving the lost of parents and seperated from her children, it was rumored the lady became more quiet, drowning herself in her cups.
It was she, with Queen Mother Alicent and Queen Helaena, who pleaded for Aemond to not take the bait. But it was too no vail. After he heard of the attempted kidnapping, he set out with men of his own.
His march mirroring his uncle’s not only through the Stormlands but as well as the Riverlands. There were whispers of inhabitants at Harrenhal. It is still speculated by both Daemon and Aemond did not burn the structure to the ground, when they had to chance. Tales would be written of a certain magic soiling the ground. Keeping safe from harm.
Though those tales are all rumors, what was undeniably true, is that two Targaryen princes breathed their last breaths over God’s Eye on the sixth moon of 130 AC. No one saw the battle, but the sound of snapping dragons and the sight of green and red flames that called attention.
Vhagar and Aemond both fought a valiant effort but it the wounds to both proved to be to substantial. Aemond Targaryen died on top of his crowned dragon. The burns from Vhagar burning Daemon beyond repair.
When their deaths made it back to the Red Keep, the halls recount the Queen Mother tearing her hair in anguish, calling for the deaths of not only everyone who supported Daemon, but Aegon the younger and Viserys alike.
A story of crowns and iron thrones whittled down to death and fire. The grief felt by team green only compounded by the body of Aemond’s lady wife found charred in their chambers. It was Ser Quinton, her sworn protector, who lived to tell the story of having to fight off several guards before it was too late. In a matter of days, Daella and Alaric Targaryen missing from their places in Oldtown.
Both jobs speculated to be last minute plans carried about for Daemon Targaryen, done by his loyal Gold Cloaks. It is said that King Aegon never fully recovers from the death of not only his brother, but his good sister. Punishing those he deems responsible once he comes to.
But there are merchants in Essos that believe they have spotted a beautiful lady hand in hand with her children. One with sparkling white hair, the other with blonde streaks through her dark curls.
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