#UVAJED

[steelcladbutterfly]

Yandere Poseidon

My current longest work to date. There will be a character sheet added shortly, and the link will be added down below for this specific version of Poseidon. (UPDATE: link has now been posted) Obviously, this won’t be fully historically accurate, but then again who looks for complete historical accuracy on a yandere fic.

Character Sheet

The Greek god of the oceans and earthquakes. Also said to be the creator of horses. 

This ended up being 52 pages long and a little over 18,500 words. Hope you enjoy.

The village of Whesprey was a relatively peaceful place that was a few minutes inland from a large beach with white, sandy shores. However, many large rocks were also present, looming up from the ground like the shattered remains of a lost golem. Many even suspected it was such, because of the designs etched all over the surface of every single rock. 

Mist was often present, leaving many travelers spooked when they visited, suddenly having large, jagged rocks appear silently out of the mist in front of them. It was honestly amusing to you. You enjoyed exploring the beach, finding new shells and rocks washed up on the shore, sketching out the designs present on those rocks whenever you were hiding out from any angry villagers, mad at some prank you pulled on them. The other villagers were fine with the beach. They were somewhat superstitious, but no one attempted to stop you from going. 

Of course, Beorn, the owner of the tavern and inn where you worked at as a barmaid and waitress, was always worried you would slip and fall from your reckless behavior. He acted like an overprotective brother or lover and would always clam up and blush if you teased him about his behavior. He was so easily embarrassed, it was always a laughing fit for you compared to the rest of him. Well over six feet tall, with a natural glower and dark eyes and hair to match, he made it incredibly easy to avoid any really bad encounters among the general drunken crowd. Or any of the angry travelers or villagers you had chosen to prank that week.

Cassandra Mitchell, a close friend, was one of the only villagers you had yet to mess with in your pranks. She always seemed to know exactly when, where, and what the prank would be. It was disappointing, but she had a bit of a pranking streak herself, telling you every so often where to set up a trap or what type of ingredient to stealthily slip into a pie. The day when Mrs. Uvaj made lemon pies and you switched out the sugar with salt was a glorious day. The looks on everyone’s faces was priceless. 

Of course, you had instantly given yourself away when you started laughing hysterically and didn’t look like you had eaten a lemon like everyone else did who had tried the pie, leading to a few bumps from Mrs. Uvaj’s ever feared wooden spoons.

It was still worth it, of course. That had also been the day you started listening to all of Cassandra’s suggestions for pranks. And, of course, you were never disappointed. You were actually often doubly lucky due to the open nature of the village, people stopping into kitchens and meals and living rooms to greet each other or have a meal together or just to see what was happening.  Your pranks aside, the nosiness of any neighbor was always satisfied. 

~~~~~ 

“Get back here!” 

You laughed loudly, racing through the street with your bag thumping against your lower back and legs, glancing over your shoulder and smiling teasingly at Ford. He had a pink blush set high on his cheekbones and shaggy hair still slightly damp as he raced after you, even as titters exploded in the crowd around him as they caught sight of his now bright pink hair, previously a ruddy maroon, bobbing about a half a foot above the general public. Not as tall or as broad as Beorn, but just bulky enough to make the pink hair look absolutely more ridiculous on him. It was his own fault of course, allowing you to help him pick out a new shampoo. 

You just hadn’t expected him to use it and come looking for you just as you were passing by on the way to the woods for more kindling. Luckily, Cera had come as well, your fellow worker shaking her head in exasperation when Ford had burst out the door with cheeks as pink as his hair. As you let out a bark of laughter and he immediately lunged at you, she had shouted after you, “I’ll just go on ahead!” 

You had waved at her as you danced out of Ford’s reach and took off down the street with him in fast pursuit. Even with the crowd and the laughter, Ford doggedly pursues you even as you watched, with fascination, from the corner of your eyes as his blush spread down his cheeks and over his neck. “You’re not likely to catch me any time soon Ford! Are you sure you don’t want to just give up?” 

You snickered and sped up, breaking through the last of the crowd, loud laughter and the stomping on cobblestones changing to grass and dirt and the muted thumping of feet on the terrain. You were heading towards the beach by this time, hoping for enough mist and a lucky break to leap up on one of the rocks and evade capture. If you were captured, he’d likely change your hair to an equally embarrassing color in retaliation. 

Your highly structured and well thought out, not really, code of pranking would crumble if you let that happen. Or, at least, you would then have to suffer the same humiliation until the dye wore out. And, of course, that’s humiliating. Beorn would laugh at you. So would Cassandra. And while you didn’t mind being the butt of someone’s joke, the idea of staying as it for more than a few days wasn’t your idea of a good time. 

You perked up upon seeing the beach, only to become disappointed when you could clearly see the ocean glittering in the distance. After all, if you could see the ocean from here, it meant there certainly wasn’t a lot, if any, mist for you to hide in. Darn, guess you’ll just have to climb the rocks and hope Ford gives up after awhile. 

As you went to do that, out of the corner of your eyes, you noticed a prone form. Stopping abruptly, you let out a huff as Ford bowled into you and then, promptly let out a wheeze as the force knocked you over and him on top of you. “Get offa me!” 

Ford scrambled off with a smirk but, just as he opened his mouth for a smug comment, you scurried over to the form you had seen. 

“Hey! I was just about to...” 

Ford jogged over, already ready to complain, but had trailed off as he saw the man on the ground. “What the hell happened?” 

You rolled your eyes. “I don’t know dingus, maybe your hair surprised him so much he had a heart attack and died.” 

“Really?” 

“No!” 

“Well, what happened then?!” 

“I don’t know! But yelling about it sure isn’t going to do anything to help!” 

He pouted at that, but quieted down. After making sure he wasn’t going to say anything else, and also silently cheering that he likely forgot about dying your hair in revenge, you inspected the man. You were certainly no doctor, even if many of your stunts ended with you getting your scrapes and bumps checked out by Mr. Ava after Beorn threw up enough of a fuss about your injury of the day, but the man looked to have near fatal wounds. 

He was likely washed up onto the shore, which explained a lack of old crusted over blood, but the gore filled sight of deep lacerations in his arms and legs, with a gaping wound on his side, deep enough to expose the rise and fall of his rib cage and a few glints of bone was more than enough to make you queasy. The choked sound from over your shoulder and the sound of a hand slapping over a mouth, likely to prevent himself from throwing up, indicated Ford felt the same way. You grew worried, noticing the ashen pallor of the man’s face and the black strands of his hair sticking, partly from sea water and partly from sweat, to his pain filled face. The gash to his side likely didn’t help him with breathing either. 

“This is bad,” you stated worriedly, “We need to get this guy some help and fast. Ford, run back to town and get Mr. Ava, a stretcher, and anyone able bodied enough to lift it with this guy on it. If you hurry, Cera may still be in town.” 

When he hesitated and the man you were trying to set into a more comfortable position let out a weak groan of pain, you snapped at Ford. 

“Hurry!” 

That did the trick. He bolted off like a startled deer, bounding off back in the direction of town. You watched him for a few moments, before a slight movement and a sudden, light squeeze of your hand brought you back to the man. He was looking up at you, bright aquamarine orbs peeking up at you from between dark lashes and squinted eyelids. 

“Ah, don’t move too much, you’ll aggravate your wounds!”

You quickly settled him back down when he tried to shift his body upwards. You kept him there, when he parted his lips and spoke in a cracked and raspy voice that was most likely indicative of dehydration or heat exhaustion.

“Where am I? Are you the one who saved me?” 

You snorted lightly, reaching into your bag for the water skin you always kept for trips out of the village.

“No, I just found you stranded in this beach, but don’t worry, help is coming! You’re lucky you got washed ashore here, you’re only a few minutes away from my village, Whesprey.” 

The look he gave you as you held the water skin up to his mouth was weird. His eyes crinkled as he gave you a dopey grin that didn’t completely fit the rest of his striking features. He looked a bit like a puppy getting a treat for the first time, not very dignified whatsoever.

“But you did save me, angelfish. You’re here now, aren’t you? You could have just left me.” 

You blinked, but smiled even as you gave a huff of amusement as you tilted the container slightly, allowing some water to trickle down his parched throat. 

“Anyone could have stopped and helped. I mean, most people don’t just see a heavily injured person lying on the ground in an out of the way location and pass them by without a moment’s hesitation. Common decency and caring for one another is a thing after all. Now be quiet, you’ll choke if you try to drink while speaking.” 

Frowning, you glance down worriedly over the man’s wounds once more, noticing welts and bruises alongside the open lacerations slowly oozing out blood. You kept him as still as you could, mentally noting down all the injuries you could see and slowly giving him more water for another ten minutes before you heard the sound of footfalls and the rustling of plants from behind you. Glancing over your shoulder, you noted Ford’s pink hair  bobbing up and down at the lead, followed closely by Beorn, Mr. Ava, the Mitchell twins, and Cera. 

You were relieved to see them, but you were curious about how Ford had managed to convince the twins to help. Both men usually tried to stay away from work, preferring to laze around and flirt with any pretty travelers passing through. Personally, you would have just used any blackmail you had on them to get them to do something. Either that or convince them to help you with a prank, only to trick them into doing some work. 

However, your answer quickly arrived as Rion looked over the man, stating, “You were right Ford, he is awfully pretty looking. Don’t you agree Raymond?” 

Raymond agreed with his brother of course, nodding in agreement. You deadpanned at Ford as he chuckled nervously. “What? It was the only way I could think of to get them to help.” 

Mr. Ava had pushed his way to the front by then, slowly kneeling down beside you, as the others unfurled the stretcher Beorn had carried through the woods. “What’s his status currently?” he asked you quietly. 

“Well, you can obviously see all the injuries, but he also appears to be having trouble breathing, he likely has heat exhaustion, and I’m pretty sure some of his injuries came from being knocked against things. He appears to have washed ashore, so who knows how long it’s been since he landed here or even when he was first injured.” 

Mr. Ava hummed in acknowledgement as his eyes flitted over the wounds and the curious look in the man’s eyes as he watched everything unfold around him. “He seems to still have most of his wits about him, so I’d like to bring him to my clinic before I start any procedures. Ford, the foolish boy, pulled me away before I could grab my medical bag.” 

You snickered. Ford making a fool out of himself even now was hilarious. Of course, you quickly stopped as you were swiftly whacked across the head. “Now, now young (Y/n). No need to laugh at the poor boy. I’m sure he’ll be getting plenty of that already from that pink hair you gave him.” 

You pouted, rubbing the back of your head lightly, noticing that the man had tensed up slightly when you had gotten whacked. “Boo, you’re no fun. And how did you even know that was me? Any number of people could have done it.” 

At the dry look he shot you, you smiled. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m the only one who would do it.” 

The man looked ready to say something, but Rion quickly interrupted him. “Oi, old man! We’re ready over here!” 

Mr. Ava glanced over, asking him to bring it over. You backed up a few steps to allow them to carefully maneuver the man onto the stretcher and lift him up. You aimed to walk ahead to help clear the way, but a sudden tug at your hand stopped you. You glanced down, seeing a large, tan hand enveloping your own. You followed the arm up to meet pleading, aquamarine eyes.

“Please.” 

You hesitated for a moment, but seeing as the man didn’t seem likely to let go of your hand anytime soon, you acquiesced to his mostly silent request. Beorn frowned slightly at your entwined hands, but said nothing of it, his hands tightening slightly on his handle of the stretcher. The walk back into town stayed mostly silent, with only a few scattered conversations among the twins, Ford, Cera, and Mr. Ava. The man squeezed your hand lightly loosening and tightening his grip with a faraway look in his eyes. He seemed like he had something he wanted to say, but wasn’t sure how to phrase it. 

This continued until you reached town, where the crowds parted, murmuring amongst themselves as the stretcher bearing the wounded man passed by. At this point, the grip on your hand tightened considerably and didn’t loosen. Looking down, you were somewhat surprised to see him almost glaring at the crowds around him. A great hatred of crowds you supposed. You squeezed his hand lightly in return, startling him out of his hard stare at a handful of tittering ladies, Mrs. Uvaj among them. He looked up at you and you smiled at him in return. 

Your smile twitched somewhat as a look of wonder filled his face, uncertain about why that look had appeared. At this point, you had arrived at your destination. Once inside he was placed down on a cot. Cera left, stating she needed to get started on collecting firewood, Ford raced off, likely to try to find something to get the dye out of his hair faster, and the Mitchell twins were pulled away by the group of women who likely wanted their fill on who the stranger was. 

Beorn waited for a moment in the doorway as Mr. Ava asked him if he would be willing to put the man up in a spare room at the inn, or in the worker’s quarters. “Well, I suppose it would be no problem, but why?” 

“If he stays here, those darned ladies will be waiting at the door, tittering and gossiping away, staring at the man. That’ll only distract me from my patients, including him. I still obviously need to fix him up, but if you could put him up for recovery and until we manage to find where exactly he even came from, that would be extremely helpful. Also, doing it out of the kindness of your heart, you’ll feed him, so I won’t have to worry about buying food for someone else.” 

Beorn let out a huff, but smiled slightly. “There’s the real reason. You’re awfully stingy for a doctor, you know.” 

“Oh, I know, I get told that all the time by the missus.” 

“All right, fine. I’ll put him up and feed him during his recovery. Goodbye, Mr. Ava. And, (Y/n), make sure to go help Cera out.” 

You gasped, “How could you Beorn? Assuming I would skip out on my duties simply because of all of this.” 

At the looks both men leveled you, you deflated and pouted slightly. “I’ll get to it.” 

You sighed and moved to follow Beorn’s retreating back, but was stopped by the hand still gripping onto yours. You glanced back at the man who was now looking at you earnestly. “Your name is (Y/n), right? I’m Poseidon. Will I be able to see you again?” 

You blinked, surprised by how fervent he was. “...I suppose,” you started hesitantly, “I will likely be staying in a room close to yours considering I work there, so it shouldn’t be too hard to cut out some time to spend with you.” 

His grip on your hand loosened as the newly dubbed Poseidon smiled brilliantly up at you. You managed to slip your appendage out of his grasp just in time to be ushered out of the room by Mr. Ava. Just before you ducked out of the room, you paused to throw back over your shoulder, “It was nice meeting you, Poseidon.” 

With that, you were fully ejected from the clinic. 

~~~~~ 

The crisp sound of an axe biting into the wood of a tree sounded rhythmically through the air as you jogged through the forest. Collecting wood with Cera was always fun. She was usually the one cutting down the trees and you collected the chopped up wood. You may not be looking for a relationship with her, but her flexing muscles as she lifted and swung the axe certainly didn’t leave you complaining. 

As you arrived, she halted the swing of the axe for a moment, looking over her shoulder. “Good, you’re here. Collect that pile will you?” 

Your shoulders slumped as you looked over at the large pile of already chopped wood. Sighing and rolling up your sleeves, you started collecting the wood scattered in the pile into one of the two wheelbarrows that had been lugged out into the woods. You respected Cera, continuing with her job with no complaints even after you had been chased away by Ford and had helped carry Poseidon into town. 

The chopping sound continued for some time as you lugged the pieces of wood, one after the other. Then, Cera’s voice pierced the semi peaceful silence. “So, what was with that man anyway? Did you find out where he came from? Or what happened to him?” 

You glanced up and caught your breath, before answering. “I don’t know yet. He gave me his name before I left, but that’s the only thing I got before I was shooed out by Mr. Ava.”

Cera paused, her dark green, gold rimmed eyes taking you in steadily. “Hmm,” she hummed noncommittally before continuing chopping, “I suppose he was heavily injured. I just don’t like a stranger arriving out of nowhere with no real reason for why they arrived.” 

You snorted at that, before full out laughing. “Well, that’s just like you Cera, always suspicious of those you don’t know.” 

“I prefer cautious. And you are also the same as always. Easily amused.” 

You laughed again at that. “Ha! You’re not wrong!” 

The banter continued for some time as the two of you finished collecting the wood and picked up the handles of the wheelbarrows to begin the slow journey back to the village. 

~~~~~ 

Once back in town, you distributed one barrel full of wood to the townsfolk, popping in for a brief moment in each house to put a few logs in their own pile of firewood. Doing so at Mr. Ava’s clinic showed him with blood coated forearms and Poseidon knocked out cold either from a sleep agent or from the pain. Or both. 

After the distribution was finished, the other wheelbarrow trundled over to the inn’s stable to drop off the wood for all the rooms in the inn, as well as for the large fireplace contained within the walls of the tavern. It was set up behind the small stage, so during winter, whoever was performing would be silhouetted by the flames. It often provided many of the performers with dramatic lighting. The musicians usually complained about some ash getting caught inside their instruments though. 

The tavern was most often filled in the mornings and evenings with people, as travelers were served a complimentary breakfast if they stayed at least a night, and evenings brought entertainment and the flow of alcohol, drawing in travelers and locals alike. Most nights were relatively peaceful, but the nights with rousing entertainment usually lead to a slip in inhibitions, leading to raucous drunks with no problem trying to slap your ass when you went by. 

Apparently, you pranced about, bouncing a little more than walking, when you were on duty for serving and that drew their eyes. Of course, Beorn, and Cera for that matter, managed to stop most of the handsy drunks, but the more persistent needed a little more scaring. And the really persistent were often thrown out and found passed out near the door in the morning. Of course, you usually just laughed it off, as easily amused by that as any of your pranks, much like Cera had said earlier. 

Arriving at the back door that lead into the kitchens of the tavern, you parted ways with Cera, her heading back into the main avenue of the village with a list of ingredients, while you headed in through the kitchens, waving at the cooks and heading into the side door from there that lead down a hallway for any workers that would choose to live there. Most had homes of their own, but a few chose to stay. The assistant cooks often stayed to be ready for early mornings learning under the head chef and older, more experienced cooks. Beorn owned the entire establishment, having been passed the reigns of it after his mother had taught him all the ins and outs of the business before she retired, so he had his own quarters at the end of the hall. The maids who looked after most of the inn usually had rooms they stayed in, for customers could come in at any time of the night. You also had your own quarters, the rooms to the left of Beorn’s. The rooms to his right were currently empty, so you assumed Beorn would have Poseidon be placed there.

Your parents had died from the same strain of illness that had struck his father during a harsh winter many years back. Many others had been struck with it as well. While life did continue on, many had lost someone important to them that winter, so there was one day of established mourning for all the lives that had been lost. 

Walking down the hallway, you were startled when one door suddenly banged open and a hand shot out and grabbed you, tugging you into the room. You waved your arms around in vague fighting positions while you kept your eyes clenched shut when the sound of giggling stopped you. Cracking open your eyes, you slumped slightly when you saw it was Mindy, Tessa, and Jenna that greeted you. Three of the maids who often worked the night shift, they shared one of the bigger rooms in the hallway, and you had gotten to know them as they provided most of the gossip you used for various pranks. It helped that they were younger and more approachable then Mrs. Uvaj’s gaggle of ladies. 

“What do you need?” you asked them, wondering why they chose to suddenly drag you into their room. 

They glanced at each other, failing to hide the smiles about to break out on their face. When you raised an eyebrow at them, Tessa stepped forward at last. “Well, when we were passing through town, on the way back from visiting our Mamas, the whole town appeared to be in a tizzy. Of course, the ladies refused to tell us what was going on, but Cassandra, when we passed by her, mentioned that you would know what was going on. So we waited for you.” 

You squinted your eyes slightly, before whirling around and shaking your fist. “Darn it, I should have known Cassandra would do something like this.” 

You turned around once more and looked at their pleading eyes. “I don’t know. You guys will probably make a big deal out of this.” 

“Oh come on,” Mindy begged, “Just tell us, please?” 

You balked at them closing in on you, with clasped hands and large, questioning, pleading eyes. You whimpered slightly. 

~~~~~ 

The loud chorus of squeals from behind your defeated form signified your defeat. You sighed, closing the door on the loud screeches. You had tried to stay strong, but it was three against one. You ended up telling them everything. “If it was Ford or the twins trying to do this, I wouldn’t have given in,” you muttered to yourself, “Curse my weakness to their large, pleading eyes.” 

They always managed to pull something over on you, no matter how you tried to resist. Whether it was Cera’s arms, the maids and their puppy eyes, or Cassandra and her mysterious aura, they had something to make you give in. The sound of laughter ahead caused your head to perk up. You were surprised, and slightly embarrassed, to see Beorn leaning in the doorway to his room. 

“Ah, you heard all that didn’t you?” 

He chuckled. “Of course I did. Besides, it’s not like that’s a secret really. You’re kind of like the twins, falling for anyone pretty. Only with you it’s more in line with something pretty about them than simply looking pretty.” 

You groaned, finally making it to the end of the hall, and face planting against his chest. “I just can’t help it Beorn! Everyone has something to them! I mean you have very pretty eyes. And a pretty smile for that reason whenever you actually smile. It’s so not fair, I mean even Ford has the cute shaggy hair going for him.” 

A rumble resounded in his chest as he laughed, with a slight blush on his cheeks, but only a lopsided smirk on his lips. “You need to stop worrying about all that (Y/n). Thanks for the compliments though. Now,” he stated as he escorted you to your room, “Get some rest. All that running around and saving strangers and giving into the girls’ demands must have tired you out. Don’t worry about working tonight, just get some rest.” 

You hummed in agreement, getting under the covers. “Poseidon, the stranger, was pretty too. Pretty eyes and a pretty face. His smile was cute. Like a puppy.” 

You mumbled, turning over and drifting off to sleep as a concerned hum from Beorn vibrated in the air quietly, as he closed the door behind him, leaving you to the peaceful land of your dreams. 

~~~~~ 

The next week passed by in relatively the same way. There was still a little hubbub from Poseidon’s arrival, but the village had all but settled down already. You were kept busy with work and pranks, this time on the large Mitchell family. The twins took it in stride, Rion and Raymond getting pastel blue and green that went wonderfully with Ford’s still bright pink hair. Mrs. Mitchell was in a tizzy over every single one of her cooking implements being in the wrong place; it had taken you a whole night, but it had been worth it to see her so flustered. You hadn’t seen someone basically self destruct from kitchen tools before. It was glorious, you were still chuckling when you thought about it, even if you got a sizable lump from her for it. Mr. Mitchell, on the other hand, was stuck chasing the chickens you had released for an entire day alongside Richard, their eldest son. 

Cassandra had, of course, avoided all of the traps you had set for her, but you had managed to get quite a few of her other siblings with them. Kitty had been flung into the pig pen and had spent the better part of the day giggling as her mother tried to remove the layers of mud she was caked in. Most of it wasn’t even your fault. She had just started to roll around and play with the piglets before her mother could drag her out. Ollie, on the other hand, had spent several hours freaking out about all the flour that had been dumped in his hair after he set off one of your trip wires. You got a scolding and a few hours of dishwashing as punishment when Ollie went complaining to Beorn and it was found out the bag of flour had come from the kitchens. It was still funny to see his meltdown. Ollie always did have really nice hair though. You only wished he wouldn’t see it as such an important part of himself. The youngest two, Mack and Trish, had burst into Cassandra’s room before she could return and were doused in glitter for their troubles. Somehow they managed to have it be set off on them so that not even a speck of glitter got into her room. That was a punishment in and of itself for you. Luckily, they didn’t tattle on you. Mrs. Mitchell did look close to an aneurism when she finally finished cleaning Kitty off only to come across her two youngest chasing each other while covered in glitter and shedding said glitter everywhere. 

While you had been busy with that for a while, when you arrived home at the end of the week, with a few specks of mud, glitter, and soap on you, it was to the sight of Mr. Ava conversing with Beorn as one of the cooks helped Poseidon down the hall of the workers quarters. You, of course, only then remembered that Beorn had agreed to set Poseidon up for his healing process. As you walked closer, you caught the tail-end of their discussion. 

“Yeah, it was tricky to reset the bones and to stitch up that wound in his side, but getting it clean was the hardest part. All the sand that was stuck in the blood, eugh! It put me off meat for a while to say the least,” Mr. Ava was saying when he noticed you coming over, “Ah! (Y/n)! Back from the fray I see!” 

Beorn excused himself to make sure Poseidon was settled in the right room, and walked off, leaving you to a conversation with Mr. Ava. 

“Oh, you know it. I think I upset Mrs. Mitchell the most. You should have seen her get mad over spoons! Spoons! Ha ha, it’s still funny.” 

You smiled, chuckling slightly, while Mr. Ava rolled his eyes. 

“That’s just like you. Oh yeah, Poseidon was rather upset you didn’t visit him. He looked like a dejected puppy actually, which really didn’t match the structure of his face.” 

You gasped excitedly, waving your hands slightly. “I know, right!? I mean, it’s still cute, but it’s cute in a weird way because of his face! It doesn’t look like it should be able to pull cutesy faces!” 

That managed to pull a slight chuckle from Mr. Ava. “I must agree. But you do have a weird way of stating it. Anyways, seeing him dejected might just suggest that you have an admirer in that man. ...Puppy love, I suppose. Though it may have just been the heat exhaustion, I’m sure seeing the way you usually act will reveal his true feelings.” 

You laughed. “That was kind of an insult wasn’t it! Ah, my heart! I’m not sure I’ll be able to live on! Ohhh, Mr. Ava! You wound me.” 

You dramatically staggered about, clutching at your heart, before collapsing at his feet. You ruined it immediately after by snorting and starting to laugh again. “Puppy love! That’s great!” 

He shook his head at you before walking off. “Always so easily amused, aren’t you? But I suppose that’s a good thing. After all, where would we be without fun?” 

You scrambled up, still smiling, and waved the doctor off. At that point, you popped into the room across from yours to see how the temporary guest was getting along. Hopefully , he was pawsome. You halted at the pun and looked around, before deflating when you realized you hadn't said it out loud. You shook it off easily enough, poking your head in to see Beorn and Poseidon having what looked like a staring contest. Oh, wait, no, they were just glaring at each other. 

“Hellooo,” you trilled as you popped up, startling them both, “And how has life been progressing for you guys, hmmm?” 

Poseidon perked up, while Beorn relaxed and smirked at your idea of changing the mood. “(Y/n)! I’m glad to see you. You didn’t visit me. I was left with that cranky old man and giggly old ladies peeping in from the door for a week!” 

You giggled to yourself. “Sorry Poseidon, I was caught up in...stuff. Yeah, stuff! But hey, you’re here now, aren’t you? Now I can spend time with you!” 

His eyes lit up when you said that, but you were swiftly guided out by Beorn before he could say something in reply. You saw Poseidon frown and resume his glare at Beorn’s back as he hovered over you protectively, before your eyes were drawn away when Beorn started whispering to you. “(Y/n), that guy is strange. You can’t just promise to spend time with him when you don’t even know what he wants!” 

You focused on Beorn, grabbing the sides of his face with your hands before you replied. “Beorn, sweetie, pretty eyes, bro, I know that. But I also know that that man is still hurt right now. What can he do to me?” 

From between your hands, you felt heat in the squished cheeks you held, but he still raised an eyebrow at you and asked dryly, “And?” 

You pouted and let out a humph. “And he acts like a puppy which is absolutely adorable. Come on Beorn, let me hang out with the cute puppy guy. I’ll do anything you want in return?” 

He inhaled, but paused at what you said, looking thoughtful. “Anything?” 

You pulled his face close, touching foreheads and looking at him with a serious expression. “Anything. ....As long as it in no way embarrasses me.” 

His cheeks grew even darker and warmer, but he let out a snicker. “Of course not. Wouldn’t want the one embarrassing everybody to become embarrassed herself.” 

“See, now you’re getting it.” 

“Alright, fine, you can hang out with him. As long as you’re fine with sharing a meal with me, for the whole time, mind you, at least twice a week.” 

You laughed at that. “Hey, why not, it can be like a date! A family date! Thanks Beorn!” 

You kissed him on the cheek and skipped back into the room, closing the door behind you, leaving the red-faced Beorn behind you. He sighed, staring at the closed door longingly. “Yeah, like a date. Wish it could just be that.” 

He sighed once again, walking off dejectedly. 

~~~~~

Once you had closed the door behind you, you flounced over to the bed and settled in the chair beside it. Poseidon looked rather eager when you had come back into the room. “What? Did Mr. Ava not provide good company?” you asked teasingly, “You seem rather eager for someone to talk to.” 

He rubbed the back of his head bashfully. “Am I really that obvious?” 

“Yeah. It’s kind of cute actually, like a puppy. I can almost see the tail wagging.” 

The look on his face sent you into a fit of giggles. It was a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and amusement. “Hey, stop that,” he protested as you continued your laughter, “It’s not that funny!” 

“I-I’m sorry,” you apologized, trying to stop the fit of laughter his expression had started, “But, in all fairness, your reaction was great. Just the right mixture of affront and confusion.” 

He huffed, but began a conversation readily. “Anyways, what was the stuff you were busy with exactly? I somehow doubt that it’s anything really serious.” 

You gasped in mock anger. “How dare you! I’ll have you know that my pranks are a very serious business to me!” 

“So it was pranks was it? No I get it, pranking is a very good reason not to visit an injured, lonely man all by himself with a grumpy old codger who refuses to get into a conversation about anything other than your injuries with you. Really, truly, I understand.” 

You shook your head at that, but laughed anyways. “Are you trying to emotionally manipulate me to keep you company? Because honestly, all you had to do was throw me another one of those goofy smiles you gave me when we first met.” 

“Really? Wait, goofy?” 

“Oh yes, it was extremely goofy. It didn’t look right with your features whatsoever. What it was however, was absolutely adorable.” 

You nodded with a grave expression on your face. The look he shot you then had the corners of your lips twitching up before you were suddenly laughing hysterically, right alongside him. Of course, you grew worried and reached out to steady him when he began a coughing fit.

“Sorry,” he said as he clutched at his side with a look of pain present on his features, “That aggravated my side. That old man would be so angry to learn that as soon as I’m out of his clutches I manage to hurt myself again.” 

You snorted at that. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Should I leave then? Let you rest?” 

You moved to get up, but a hand shot out, in a fashion similar to when you had first met, and clutched onto your wrist. He shot you a pleading look. “Please, stay a little while. I could use someone to keep away the boredom or, rather, to keep me from going stir crazy.” 

“I suppose I can stay for a little while. How about I tell you about the time I managed to mess with Mr. Ava?” 

So you stayed, talking and laughing the hours away. You lost track of time until finally Cera arrived to tell you that you were already late an hour ago for your shift. At that point, you scrambled up, giving your goodbyes to the suddenly subdued man who had been laughing and talking just as much as you a moment ago. You assured him not to worry as your room was right across the hall from his. You also promised to visit him more often. You had no idea why Beorn could be so suspicious of him. He was practically harmless, told great jokes, and had really nice eyes and a nice smile to match.

~~~~~

“Oh my, did he really?”

“Yeah, that guy’s great! He may be stuck with limping or staying in bed right now, but he’s great company! Him and Beorn still don’t really like each other, but I guess it has only been a day so far, can’t expect them to automatically get along.” 

A bell like laugh resounded from Cassandra’s lips. She smiled at you, making you duck your head and blush. “Ah, stop that! You’re too cute!” 

Another laugh from Cassandra. “You always say that. So, when are you going to meet Beorn for one of those meals you promised?” 

“How did you- Ah, never mind, of course you somehow know that too. Maybe after this? He did mention he had something set up. Though Poseidon did seem eager to meet with me again.” 

“Hmmm,” Cassandra looked out across the forest from the top of the wall you were both sitting on. It was wide enough to sit on and was situated on top of a hill that had one of the best views for sunrises, sunsets, stargazing, any time really. 

“Well, I’d suggest going with Beorn. Who knows, maybe something will change for the better between you two. Just be wary of getting too close to that Poseidon fellow. Just because he’s new and different doesn’t mean the old and known should be left behind.” 

You laughed, swinging off your perch. “Always a warning with you, isn’t it? Well, I’m sure I’ll be fine. I’ll meet with Beorn, but Poseidon is still very interesting. Besides, he’ll be gone when he’s fully healed, so why shouldn’t I take this time to hang out with him?” 

You waved goodbye to Cassandra and trotted down the hill. She watched you go and heaved out a sigh. “I hope you will listen to me (Y/n),” she said quietly as she watched your retreating back get smaller the farther you went, “You have no idea what the consequences could be otherwise.” 

~~~~~ 

You had arrived back at the tavern to see Beorn waiting out front. You smiled slightly at him, seeing him start when you came into his line of view. You stopped in front of him and executed a little curtsy. “So, where are we going? Anything fun planned?” 

You smiled as he stuttered over his words at your light teasing, but he quickly managed to pull himself together again. He offered his arm to you as he appeared to steady himself for any possible rejection. You rolled your eyes, but smiled and looped your arm through his. He startled slightly, but adjusted your hold on his arm and guided you around the tavern to the small garden that was kept to provide the tavern with fresh fruits and vegetables. 

The sight of a small table with a candle on a pretty, pink, green, and white patterned tablecloth gave you pause. Despite what many in the village may think of you, you weren’t dense. You knew a romantic setup when you saw one. Glancing at Beorn, you felt fondness well up inside you at the nervousness he was currently portraying. You smiled and giggled silently. It wouldn’t hurt to go along with this for a while. Either he would give up or you would see something in him. Whichever came first really, you didn’t mind seeing Beorn in that light. You just didn’t feel that way currently, but love was an ever changing mistress after all, cruel to some, while kind to others.

You thanked him as he pulled out your chair for you. Smiling when you saw your favorite dish and drink set up for you. “Well, isn’t this just fancy? So, should I expect baklava for dessert or did you not plan any for this date?” 

Beorn stammered and blushed. “I-I thought this wasn’t really a date? Wasn’t that the opposite of what you wanted?” 

You sighed, but kept your smile in place easily. “It’s obvious you want this to be a date. I don’t mind but,” you reached out and laid a hand gently on top of one of his own, “I currently don’t feel the same. You may feel that way, but I don’t want you to force me into anything so suddenly. Do you think you can just keep it at this? Woo me if you must, but if I say no, can you respect that?” 

Beorn looked at you with a vulnerable expression on his face. He nodded eagerly, agreeing to that. You huffed out a laugh. “Now you’re the one looking like an eager puppy! Anyways, you didn’t answer my question. Is there baklava or not?” 

“Oh, sorry. Yes, actually there is. It’s one of my favorites, so I figured where’s the harm.” 

“Of course there’s no harm! It’s dessert! There is never, in my humble opinion, anything wrong with dessert!” 

He let out a full laugh at that, smiling widely, and you blushed slightly at the way it seemed to change his whole visage. His usually dark and intimidating features suddenly became lighter. Of course, when he noticed you staring, he blushed and averted his eyes. “What? Is there something wrong with my face?” 

You gasped, slamming your hands on the table and leaning over it slightly. “Quite the opposite actually! If you keep smiling and laughing like that I might fall for you by the end of the evening. You have a very, very pretty smile.” 

He rolled his eyes, but his lips did quirk up into another smile. “You say that about everyone.” 

“Ah, but I extra mean it with you.” 

“Oh, extra mean it, hm? Well, sorry for doubting you.” 

“Of course, you should feel sorry for doubting my magnificent compliment.” 

You tried to keep a straight face as you said this, but eventually you cracked and starting laughing. Beorn actually started to laugh right alongside you. You were happy to see him break through his serious facade. You had known that with all the pressure to succeed with the inn and tavern and taking care of you when his mother couldn’t, after the horrible winter, he had been forced into the more serious, responsible role. So, you had decided to put any feelings you had felt for him other than familial off the shelf until he had begun to actually loosen up some and enjoy life. 

It seems as though the arrival of Poseidon and the suspicions and jealousy had convinced him to take some initiative with his life. Even if the two of you didn’t work out, you would try your best to support the man you had grown up with. You snorted, noticing the few watchers behind his shoulder. He must not have been as stealthy setting this up as he thought. He wasthe man you grew up with, but he was also a pretty eyed goof who was fun to make fun of. 

At the questioning look he shot you, you gestured discretely over his shoulder. “It appears as though you goofed up if you meant this to be a private affair. We have some peepers after all.” 

His eyes slowly widened with realization and he whirled around, seeing the noticeable dyed blue and green hair of Rion and Raymond and heard the squeals of Kitty as they ducked out of view. You burst out laughing at the bright red of Beorn’s face when Rion yelled out, “If you didn’t want us to see, don’t set it up where we can! You’re like an old woman if you’re getting angry right now!” as they quickly scurried away. 

Beorn turned to look at you with a betrayed look on his face as you continued to cackle. “I-I’m sorry, but that comment! An old woman! And your face! Priceless!” 

He sighed heavily and sat back down as you started to quiet down, catching your breath from your fit of laughter. His lips quirked up slightly and his gaze softened even as he rolled his eyes. “Hey, at least they didn’t try to steal the food. Besides, I’m pretty sure they’re just trying to pass their embarrassment about their hair onto someone else. And that’s not myfault, now is it?” 

You hummed happily. “I suppose you have a point there. Anyways, let’s not place blame, as I am obviously not at fault for knowing they would do this,” his eyes narrowed at your choice of words, but you quickly continued, “So, how’s your hobby going?” 

His eyes stayed narrowed from some time, but he did take the bait. The rest of the evening passed peacefully, with him talking about his hobby, then you making a joke about it, then him replying with a dry and sarcastic comment that made you laugh, before he asked you a question of his own. And, somehow, despite the immense amount of time the two of had spent basically growing up together, you both found out a new facet to the other. For you, it was the surprising streak of a jokester, filled with dry wit and intelligent, if rather snappy, comebacks. For him, it was the level of maturity deep within you that many, including him, never really sought to find after seeing the prankster on the surface. 

By the time dessert had been long over with, you were actually just as ready as him for the next date. 

~~~~~ 

A few weeks passed in a similar fashion to before. You worked, talked with Poseidon, and ate with Beorn. The closer you felt to Beorn in a more romantic sense, the closer Poseidon seemed to get to filling in the more brotherly role left behind. He was fun to talk to, had many fantastical stories of his own, and provided a relief of sorts from the rest of your life. You remained mostly oblivious to the tensions rising between the two men. 

During one of your breaks, you had been conversing with Poseidon, telling him a joke when he cut you off by laying a hand on one of your own. You tilted your head, quiet and curious as to what he wanted to say to you. However, he opened and closed his mouth several times, but seemed to still be thinking of the words. Finally, your curiosity overcame you and you blurted out, “What is it?” 

At that, he seemed to have prepared himself to finally begin talking. “Well, I have come to know you well over these past few weeks, as I am sure you have come to know me. I think you are a wonderful person, someone I could see getting to know even more about. And... w-well, I was wondering if maybe...” 

He trailed off and shifted so as to grasp both your hands in between his. He looked at you imploringly, before starting again. “I was hoping I could have the honor of escor-“ 

He was cut off abruptly as the door opened to reveal Beorn. He looked in and noticed the position the two of you were in. He frowned, but started talking despite seeming like he wanted to do something else. “(Y/n), your break is over. You’re needed out as soon as possible.” 

“Ah! I’m sorry, I lost track of time. I’ll get right out there!” 

You quickly got up, ready to leave, but the hands still curled around yours tightened, pulling you to an abrupt stop. You glanced back to ask Poseidon to let go of your hands, but shivered at the dark look on his face. He held onto you but glared at Beorn, practically ignoring your struggles. Finally, you looked pleadingly at Beorn. He frowned further, striding forward and prying the man’s hands off of yours. You gave a quick nod of thanks, before you ducked out of the room with an uneasy look over your shoulder as you closed the door behind you. 

Once your footsteps had faded away down the hall, there was a silence that permeated the room as both men glared heavily at the other. Finally, Poseidon spoke up. “It just had to be you, didn’t it? You keep on ruining my chances.” 

Beorn growled quietly. “Well you shouldn’t get so attached. You’ll be gone soon after all. Mr. Ava should be coming in a few days to approve you to finally be well enough to leave. No idea how you are healing this fast, but the sooner the better. And I doubt you have any chances with her anyways. I’ll still be here long after you’re gone.” 

Poseidon snarled at the man he saw as an obstacle. Beorn had prevented him time and time again from finally asking the one who had saved him out for a date. A courtship could only start with consent from both sides, and if he couldn’t ask her without buffoons getting in his way, then he couldn’t get the consent to start courting her. 

“You shut up!” Poseidon growled, baring his teeth at the fool standing in his way, “If you would stop getting in my way, she would finally be mine!” 

Beorn’s eyes widened at the aggressive, injured man nearly rising out of bed, almost looking ready to rip out his throat with his teeth. He laughed at him, in spite of the undercurrent of fear racing through him. “Ha! Even if you asked, I doubt she would say she wants you! I’ve known her for most of my life and am only now getting close to her finally saying yes to me. Her saying yes to you is as unlikely as her turning me down!” 

He smiled, but tried to back up as the other man’s eyes filled with hatred, and he let out an enraged screech and lunged at him. They grappled with each other for several tense moments, Beorn trying to get the man away from him, while Poseidon tried to strangle, or at least injure, the other. The tense atmosphere was interrupted as the door slid open and Cera walked in, saw what was happening, and reacted the next moment. Within seconds, Poseidon was held in a chokehold by Cera as Beorn caught his breath and stumbled upright from the chair he was leaning against. Another few seconds passed, filled only by the sound of panting and slight growling emanating from the tense man stuck in the hold. 

Cera was the first to break the silence. “I don’t know what this was over, but Beorn, you shouldn’t have taunted this man. I’m sure that’s what you did, your tension with this guy is palpable even from the tavern. Just be lucky that I actually had a reason for coming over here, otherwise this would have become public. Beorn, you are needed in the tavern, so I suggest you go. Now.” 

He hesitated, but the glare Cera sent him got him moving. With a swiftly muttered thanks, he slipped out of the room. His footsteps faded away quickly and Poseidon was finally released from the chokehold. He sent a glare at the door and went to move towards it, but a hand on his shoulder swiftly guided him back to the bed. He growled, but complied. 

Cera once again began to talk. “I’m sorry for what that idiot did to rile you up, but your reaction is concerning. The fact you are able to move this well after so many weeks of bedrest is strange and physically impossible. I doubted you were human from the beginning, but this just proves it.” 

Poseidon let out a chuckle, even with his gaze still firmly on the door. “Of course I’m not. But I know that you aren’t human either. No mortal I know of can move that fast or restrain me when I’m actually trying to escape. And I don’t give a damn if you find my reaction concerning. As long as you stay out of my way, I won’t give you any trouble.” 

Cera narrowed her eyes at the threat, but let a smile slip across her face regardless. “Hmm, most people can’t even tell. You must be clever to have figured out my secret. But I should warn you. Try to harm my people and I will harm you.” 

Poseidon finally looked away from the door. His suddenly bright, almost glowing, aquamarine eyes met Cera’s own and she stiffened at the sight. “I could tell more from your aura when we first met at the beach, shifter. I don’t know why you are here, but trust me, merely getting me in a headlock when I am not completely healed and distracted by that fool does not mean you can come even close to stopping me. So, I’d suggest you. Stay. Out. Of my. Way.” 

He snarled at her and relished in the flinch he managed to draw from her. The shifter was strong, but was certainly no match for him. She had tried to threaten and it hadn’t worked out for her. He stopped her for a moment before she could leave completely. “Tell me why the fool was even called back in the first place, will you?” 

She paused and looked back at him warily, no longer filled with certainty in her movements. “...There’s an....incident. One of the travelers got too drunk and tried to start something with (Y/n). I was told to get Beorn to deal with it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.” 

He frowned as he watched her slink away, before he fell back into the pillows to wait for the lovely (Y/n) to return. The fact that someone had messed with her just showed she was much too good for this place. Between the fool trying to lay claim to that which didn’t belong to him, the drunken bastards thinking they could mess with her, and everyone else in this awful place, it was no wonder (Y/n) talked with him for so long. The poor dear was sending him a quiet cry for help by staying for so long. Well, it wouldn’t be long before she no longer had to deal with this awful, frankly poisonous rabble. Not long at all. Thoughts of her safe and sequestered away made him smile and finally relax after the fool’s antagonistic words.

~~~~~ 

A few minutes earlier. 

You trotted down the hall, humming happily as you reached the kitchen. A few trays with food were shoved into your hand by a harried waiter. He quickly picked up another two trays as soon as you were steady. “It’s a good thing you’re finally back from your break. It’s chaos out there! Those go to table seven, but be careful, the people there had a little too much to drink already.” 

Then he was off and pushing though the door to the noticeably louder tavern. You blinked and glanced at the trays, noting the many tankards filled with spirits that were only distributed from the kitchen, because of their dual use in cooking and as a drink, and a few large dishes filled with the day’s special. You shifted slightly, unsure if you should wait for the next poor sap to dump the trays on, but the head cook quickly berated you for standing in the way and shoved you out. You stumbled, earning a chuckle from Cera, who was currently on bar duty with another bartender at the other end of the long counter.

You gave her a slight smile, but started moving when someone jostled by you to get to the bar, causing you to nearly spill the drinks you carried with you. You slipped between tables, ducking in and out of grabbing hands, gesticulating arms, and other waiters and patrons also walking around with the ease of years as a waitress. 

Finally, you arrived at table seven, a large rounded table tucked into one of the alcoves, it was out of the way of the rabble, and offered booths as opposed to chairs and was currently filled with empty tankards and several large, drunk men. You walked up and set the trays down to begin distributing the food and drinks. Most of the men were still in enough control of themselves to only ogle at you slightly. But one man, at the end of the booth, was either less in control of himself, hadn’t been around long enough to find out all the rules, or just thought he could get away with it. When you had arrived, he had immediately tried to fondle you. The others at the table had chuckled, but didn’t do anything to back him up when you slapped his hand away. Of course, they didn’t do anything to stop him as he then began to caress your side. 

You began to get uncomfortable, especially as his hand began to slowly drift down, but you were mostly done, so you left him alone to finish your distribution to get away as fast as possible. However, just as you were finishing, you yelped as he pinched your butt. You glared, but said nothing, merely collecting the trays and aiming for the kitchen and Cera to tell them table seven had had enough to drink. But as you turned, your wrist was grabbed and your body was yanked backwards into the man’s lap. You struggled, wrinkling your nose at the strong smell of alcohol on his breath, but you were impeded by his arms. His table-mates merely chuckled again, and did nothing to stop the man from trying to fondle you. 

“Oi! Stop moving, will you girlie?” 

You saw a waiter out of the corner of your eyes hesitate as he caught sight of you from across the noisy tavern. You aimed to wave him off, to either get help or at least draw attention to your plight, not wanting to scream and disturb the other diners meals. However, the man holding you grew annoyed with your squirming and cuffed you in the side of your head. You lost focus as the pain radiated through your skull, but you saw a movement as the waiter headed urgently towards the bar. All you could feel was the man groping you. A sudden voice told you the waiter had arrived and tried to pry you out, but one of the other men quickly shoved him off. The noise in the tavern continued, surprisingly few noticing what was happening, but a few other waiters headed over to try to help, but they were also blocked by the others sitting at the table. 

All throughout this, you tried to struggle, but the pain and the forceful touches of the man distracted you. You squeezed your eyes shut, tears pricking at the corners of your eyes, as you felt one hand move purposefully down from your breasts. Suddenly, it stopped, before a familiar arm wrapped around your waist and tugged you out of the man’s hold. You clutched at Beorn’s neck as he held you protectively, relieved that he had arrived and that he had managed to save you. 

~~~~~

Beorn felt her hold on to him tightly, but glared at the man who had caused (Y/n) to have hold onto him like this. The man had pushed himself up and looked about ready to try to fight him. When he had arrived, the others at the table had taken one look at him and either backed off or made themselves completely scarce. The man, however, didn’t seem to take that into account until he was right in front of him. Beorn calmly handed the shaking woman off to Ford, one of the bulkier waiters on staff that day. Even if the pink hair did make him look slightly less intimidating. 

“What’s your problem man! I was just about to get some action when you came and...ripped her...away...” 

He trailed off, looking less angry and more fearful as he came face to chest with Beorn. Being taller than most other people did have its uses. Intimidation being one of the perks. Beorn tilted his head down and sneered at the man who backed up a few steps and gulped nervously. 

“Hey man, come on. I wasn’t being serious, I would have let her up, seriously! Come on, can’t you give me a break?” 

He narrowed his eyes at the previously confident man before he swiftly moved forward, grabbed him by the collar, and began carrying him towards the door. “I doubt you are being truthful. If nobody had come and scared the others off, you would have just kept going. Men like you are some of the ones I hate the most! You only back off if someone bigger and stronger than you forces you to!” 

He continued to drag the squirming man out the door and a little ways down the street before he heaved and tossed the man away from him. “She obviously didn’t want that, yet you decided to do it! Now get out of my sight before I decide tossing you out wasn’t enough!” 

The man scrambled to his feet, nodding hurriedly, before running away as fast as his drunken body could allow him to. Beorn scoffed, glaring a final time at the hastily retreating back before turning around and heading back through the tavern. He nodded at an oddly shaken Cera as she headed back to her post, before opening the back door to find Ford trying to comfort the shaken (Y/n). 

Ford glanced up and, when Beorn titled his head towards the door, got up and headed back inside. He paused as he drew level with him. “Be careful with her,” he muttered quietly, “She’s never had this happen to her before, so you have no idea how she’ll react.” 

Beorn pursed his lips, but patted Ford on the shoulder and headed over to the slightly curled up form of (Y/n). He knew that already, but Ford telling him that at least indicated he hadn’t done anything to further upset her. The door closed as he sat down beside the woman he had known since childhood and had loved nearly as long. She leaned into him slightly, trembling almost imperceptibly. He lifted his arm and wrapped it around her back, rubbing slow circles into her tensed shoulders. A few minutes of silence prevailed before he felt she had calmed down enough to start talking.

“How are you feeling?” Beorn asked cautiously.

She let out a slight hum, but answered. “I’m fine, I suppose. A little shaken up, but not too badly. I feel if they drink enough, people will likely try anything, after all. But, if he had managed to go any farther though, I don’t know how I would have felt. Is he gone?” 

He tightened his hold on her, pulling her flush against his side before responding. “I kicked him out. No need to worry there. I don’t know what I would have done if I got there too late. I don’t even want to think about it honestly.” 

Beorn was surprised when he felt her wrap her own arms around him. She placed her head on his upper arm, stating, “Well, you don’t have to. You got there in time after all. Now, how about I just help out Cera and you can get back to your job?” 

He smiled and agreed, getting up and guiding (Y/n) back inside, before heading back to his room to finish the paperwork he was doing before he called (y/n) away from the conversation she had been having with Poseidon. He felt he should call Mr. Ava to check on the man soon, as he was getting more bold in his intentions towards (Y/n) everyday. And if the way he had fought him was anything to go by, he was likely almost completely back to his normal state of being. The sooner he was healed though, the sooner he could leave, and then Beorn wouldn’t have to worry about the dangerous man being around (Y/n) anymore. 

But first, he was going to give her a day off and ask the girls to keep her away from Poseidon tomorrow. 

~~~~~ 

The rest of the night was spent behind the bar, assuring various staff and customers that you were fine. Of course, many were also apologizing for not seeing your plight until after it was over. But, you understood, the booth the men had chosen was off to the side and away from the general crowd. Beorn, on the other hand, had to carry the man through that crowd to kick him out. Of course more people would notice that. 

You were honestly even more exhausted than before from answering the repeated questions and apologies, so, when the tavern closed and the remaining guests filtered back to the inn or back to their houses, you stumbled back to your room and fell asleep almost as soon as your head had hit the pillow. The day after, you found out that the man had been staying at the inn, but was kicked out and basically run out of town before you were even fully awake, and that you had been given a day off. You had aimed to spend that day off talking with Poseidon, since he was bound to be released as fully healthy soon, but as soon as you opened your door, Mindy and Jenna dragged you out to town. 

In the whirlwind of clothes and food that they dragged you through, you were told that Tessa still had work, they had found out you had the day off, and well, “Everything is better with three people!” Jenna exclaimed as she thrust a few scarves into your arms to try on. 

You usually didn’t do a lot of the shopping required for the tavern, but you did end up enjoying the day spent exploring the shops and trying out new outfits. By the end of the day, which had come way sooner then you had expected it to, you were carrying several bags filled with snacks and clothes that either you, Mindy, or Jenna had taken a liking to. You parted ways with them in the hall, taking your own small handful of items with you. You stopped at the end, noticing Mr. Ava in Poseidon’s room through a crack in the door. You quickly ducked into your own rooms and dropped off your items, but when you popped back out, Mr. Ava and Beorn had walked down the hallway and out of your sight, appearing to be deep in conversation as they walked away.

Tilting your head curiously, you instead decided to check in on Poseidon, knowing you were more likely to get answers out of him than by trying to interrupt the conversation the other two men seemed to be enveloped in. You knocked out a little pattern on the door before opening it and slipping inside. You giggled when you saw him perk up as you stepped in. 

“Hello angelfish!” Poseidon exclaimed, causing you to giggle again at one of the nicknames he insisted on calling you.

“Hello Poseidon. So,” you started, sitting down in the chair beside the bed, “What’s going on? Sorry I couldn’t visit today, by the way, some of the girls decided they wanted me to go shopping with them.” 

He appeared to frown slightly at that, but he shook it off and began speaking in earnest. “Ah, so that’s why you didn’t come until now. Anyways, the doctor just left, and he told me I’m healed to the greatest capacity that he can tell! I can leave whenever I want!” 

You clapped your hands happily. “That’s great! Now you can get up and explore! Or, do you have to get used to walking again? You were in this bed for an awfully long time.” 

Poseidon smirked and let out a chuckle. “That’s no problem. I’ve been....practicing at night. So, that way, rather than wait until I was completely healed, I figured I could walk around at night for a little while to make sure I’m not stuck learning basic motor skills again.” 

You hummed in thought, tilting your head as you thought it over. “I don’t know if that’s completely safe, but I guess if it works for you.” 

You were still in thought, so you didn’t notice the change in expression on Poseidon. A malicious light appeared in his eyes and a dark smile crossed his face, but he wiped it off soon after, replacing it with a genial grin. He brought you out of your thoughts by placing his hand on one of your own where they rested in your lap. You watched as he lifted it up to his lips and kissed the back. You were flustered and felt a blush spreading across your cheeks as he pulled away and smiled at you. 

“Well, you don’t seem too convinced. How about you come with me to see me off tomorrow morning? That way, you can see me walk perfectly fine.” 

You giggled at the way he perked up slightly, waiting for your answer. “I suppose I could. But, why tomorrow? Surely you don’t have somewhere to be so soon?” 

He smirked at that, and lightly swayed your hand, still held in his own, back and forth. “I suppose I don’t really, but I would much rather it not be a big event. Those tittering old ladies from the doctors office would likely come to that. And, honestly, you’re the only one I want to come with me.” 

You blushed, embarrassed this time, but giggled as he kissed your hand one final time before he reluctantly released your hand as you got up. “Come on, surely the village hasn’t left that bad of an impression on you. But, if you insist. I’ll see you tomorrow morning then, to see you off.” 

You smiled and waved as you slipped across the hallway to your own room. Poseidon watched you leave, a sigh leaving his lips as he collapsed happily back onto the sheets. “Oh, don’t worry, angelfish. The village itself isn’t bad. It’s everyone in it that makes it horrible. I don’t see how you can possibly stand it! Not that it will matter after tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll be happy to accept my offer of courtship and then, together, we can leave this awful place behind.” 

He smirked as he heard the footsteps belonging to Beorn tread back down the hall. When the doctor had arrived, the fool had had a smug air of confidence surrounding him, which only grew as he was proclaimed healthy. Poseidon laughed to himself, knowing the fool thought he had finally won their quiet battle for the lovely’s attentions. Too bad for him. Poseidon didn’t need his injuries to win over the little scallop across the hall. And he was confident that by the end of tomorrow, he would have won the war, leaving the fool behind in misery. The thought of his rival devastated, while he kept (Y/n), safe and protected, in his arms, soothed Poseidon to sleep with a self-satisfied smile fixed firmly in place. He would need the sleep. Tomorrow was a big day after all. 

~~~~~ 

The next day dawned bright and early when you stumbled out of bed. Or, it would have, if you hadn’t been shaken awake even earlier. As you rose from bed, grumbling and groggy, the world was not highlighted in sun, but rather tinged in the grey of early, early morning. You sighed, apparently Poseidon meant morning, as in before the sun was even out. You paused, thinking it over, your sleep clogged gears slowly turning. 

You looked over and, lo and behold, there he was. Poseidon was standing upright, on strong legs, and smiling down at you with a full force smile that still reminded you of a puppy. So, of course, the first thing you said to him was, “How are you happy? It’s morning. Actually, it’s before morning. Morning is evil.” 

He laughed quietly at your disgruntled face. “Not a morning person, are you? No matter, I figured I should wake you up, considering I merely told you this morning. I’ll wait in the hallway for you to get changed.” 

Then, he was slipping out and silently closing your door behind him. You half glowered in his direction, because it was way too early for anything in your opinion, before heaving yourself out of bed. You shuffled around for a few moments as you got your clothes out, it was also way too chilly to be up and about, but you persevered. You went through a few of your other daily rituals, before you were slipping out into the hallway as well. You grumbled to yourself as you ambled down the hall, but the chuckles you heard emanating form Poseidon indicated he heard you. 

“Stupid puppy grin. Getting me out of bed before the crack of dawn. Why does that smile have to be so cute. Curse me and my weakness to that stupid, but oh so tempting, smile.” 

You blushed when you heard him chuckle, and stopped muttering. You were surprised when a heavy arm was thrown around your shoulders. Looking up, you were met with the grin and bright, amused blue green eyes of Poseidon. 

“Oh come now, your muttering was adorable. Do you really think my smile is cute?” 

You scoffed and looked away, “I guess. Just stop pointing it at me, I swear it’s actually emanating light.” 

His shoulders shook with constrained laughter as you arrived in the mostly silent kitchen. There was some sound emerging from the pantry, so you supposed it was the head chef, gathering items for breakfast. You quickly snatched up a few loaves of bread and dried meats before ushering Poseidon out the back door and around into the quiet and still road. The shop keeps would likely be out in another hour or so, a few farmers would probably be waking up even sooner. You headed up the hill to where you had had a conversation with Cassandra a couple weeks ago and settled on top of the wall. You patted the spot next to you. 

“Come on, this place has the best view. We can eat here and then see you off.” 

Poseidon smiled and hefted himself up and over so he was sitting beside you. You handed him half the food you had managed to swipe, before settling down and looking out across the forest. It was peaceful, just being able to sit and eat. Of course, by the time you were finished, Poseidon had managed to eat his own portion and was waiting for you to finish. You turned, ready to get up, but he swiftly reached over and grabbed you around the waist. He then lifted you up and spun around a few times. You giggled and had to put your hands on his shoulders to steady yourself as he slowly lowered you to the ground. You smiled up at him, before walking back down the hill. He smiled after you, his gaze soft and love struck on your retreating form. 

You skipped down the last stretch of the hill and turned towards the entrance of the village. Before you could go far, an arm hooked around your middle and pulled you in the opposite direction, towards the beach. You were confused, but let him lead you through the trees, towards the currently mist enshrouded beach. You figured he had gotten someone to build him a boat or something, but as you were pulled between the rocks you visited and explored on and off, you quickly found out you were mistaken. As soon as you broke free from the rocks and a glimpse at the stretch of the ocean, covered by the mist, but clearly heard, revealed no shape in or around its waters to suggest a boat of any kind. 

You grew uneasy, slowing down slightly. However, the hand that had moved from your waist to your wrist tugged you forward insistently. You glanced up, seeing a determined look on Poseidon’s face, even as he kept walking forward. You stumbled as he picked up his pace, soon striding into the water itself. You struggled as he didn’t seem intent on stopping anytime soon, eventually wrenching yourself out of his grip as the water began to creep up around your thighs. You swiftly half waded, half stumbled backward out of the water. Your breathing was shaky as you shivered slightly, your legs now cold as the cool air kissed at your wet calves. You stared at the man who seemed about ready to drown the both of you as he glared slightly back at you. He took a step towards you and you scrambled several more steps away. 

“Woah, woah, woah! I don’t think so! I agreed to see you off on your way, not off to your death! And I certainly have no intention of drowning with you!” 

You panted slightly from your outburst, as he cocked his head with a confused look on his face. You grew wary, and stepped back several more paces, as a look of understanding dawned on his face and he began to laugh and stepped forward onto dry land.

“Drown? Heh, no, no, it’s quite the opposite actually, lovely. I have no intention of dying, nor do I ever intend on letting it happen to you. My home is below the waves, is all. Now, come on, don’t leave me waiting.” 

He stretched his arm out for you to take. You ignored it though, and backed up again. What he said and his sudden ability to walk despite weeks of bedrest suddenly made sense. 

“You’re an ocean spirit, aren’t you?” 

Poseidon frowned when you ignored his hand, and instead chose to retreat, so he slowly pursued. 

“No, not quite, little star. I’m a god. A god of the oceans. Of course, it doesn’t mean I’m impenetrable. I can still get hurt after all. Honestly, even if you hadn’t found me, I still would have healed, just not as fast. But you did find me. When you came it was like everything became brighter. You were beautiful. I fell in love with you.” 

You retreated farther, even as he stepped closer. A god was powerful. But this one was deluded. And you got the sense that made it even worse. 

“You don’t love me! You’re in love with the idea of me! If someone else had saved you, you’d probably be in love with them!” 

“Maybe at first, but I got to know you and I did fall in love with you! Please, stop saying such hurtful, untrue words, angelfish! I love you, I love you, I love you! And I’ll keep on loving you!” 

You yelped, ducking out of the way as he lunged at you. You scrabbled up one of the rocks, shaking off any hold he tried to land on your ankles. You panted, cautiously eyeing the god pacing around the rock. 

“Come on, lovely,” he called up to you, “Come back down! I’d hate to have to force you! You were the one who agreed to come with me in the first place.” 

You furrowed your brows as you held on to the top of the spire. 

“What do you mean? I agreed to see you off, but I didn’t agree to come with you.” 

You heard a growl and gulped as the sea suddenly started showing choppy waves. Apparently that was the wrong thing to say. You tried to think of what to say that would calm the man down. 

“Look, I’m sure you’re a lovely god, outside of this whole...thing. I’d love to go with you, maybe for a visit, maybe if this whole thing had played out differently, but not long term. My home is here, everyone I care for is here, and I can’t just abandon them.”

You got quieter near the end as you noticed the water calming down. You glanced over the edge of the rock you hung on to, and saw that Poseidon appeared to have stopped moving. You licked your lips, and cautiously hopped down, on the opposite side of where he was standing. When he didn’t immediately try to grab you, you worked up the nerve to glance around the side. When you deemed him shocked you backed up, slowly at first, before picking up speed, swiftly bounding through the woods. 

“I’m sorry! But whatever this is, isn’t what I’m really looking for! Please, just leave me alone! But, I do hope you get home safely!” 

With that said, you bounded out of sight, leaving behind a slowly grinning god. 

Poseidon chuckled, staring straight ahead. 

“She thinks I’m lovely. She wants to go with me,” he chuckled more, his eyes twitching and narrowing, before his smile shifted into a scowl, “But those bastards. That village full of them. She feels as though they should matter to her. Well, don’t worry lovely, I’ll make sure they can’t keep you away for much longer.” 

His breathing picked up as he became excited at the thought of you finally in his arms. He swiftly turned around and strode confidently into the waves. The waters remained tranquil for another day, but at the same time the next morning, they grew tumultuous as several hulking beasts emerged and lumbered through the trees and a storm began to form on the backdrop of broken shards of rocks and torn apart trees. 

~~~~~ 

You raced through the trees, looking over your shoulder every so often to make sure Poseidon didn’t choose to follow you. You burst through the last few bushes and raced down the street, passing by surprised looking shopkeepers, before turning abruptly toward the back of the tavern. When you arrived, you slammed the door shut behind you, startling several cooks. They stopped and stared for several minutes before the head chef yelled at them to get back to work. You heaved for breath, waving off the concerned glances, before walking as fast as you could down the hallway to the first person that had come to mind for comfort. 

You swiftly opened the door and shut it behind you. Beorn looked at you, startled and half dressed. He looked over for a moment before cautiously asking if you were alright. At that, you burst into tears and barreled into his chest, blubbering and explaining what had happened through the heaves for breath and sobs that exited your mouth. He stilled from his half hearted attempts at first to remove you and wrapped his arms firmly around your back, clutching you protectively to his chest. Eventually, he picked you up to sit down on his bed and cradled you in his lap, murmuring soothing words to calm you down. 

“It’s going to be alright. I’ve got you, he isn’t here, everything will be fine. I’m sure if he really is who he says he is, he’s already forgotten about you. Don’t worry (Y/n), I’ll keep you safe.” 

You slowly settled down, sniffling slightly. As you calmed down, he tucked you into his bed, stating he would be back as soon as he could. You whimpered slightly as he left, but slowly relaxed as time passed and nothing else happened. Soon enough, you got restless and ambled over to the bookshelf in his room. A few hours passed as you steadily read your way through the book you chose, before the door opened and Beorn slipped back inside. 

You looked up at him, with the unspoken question of what happened, present in your eyes. He settled himself down next to where you were perched on the bed before answering. 

“Well, there’s no sign of him at the beach, and the waters are calm. And your footprints were the only ones we found leading away from the beach. It seems he’s gone.” 

You wilted with relief into his side. You felt a few stress filled tears slip silently out of your eyes as Beorn settled you back amongst the sheets of the bed. 

“It seems this week is just one stress after the other, huh (Y/n)? You can stay here for now, but if you’re up to it, do you think you can work a shift tonight?” 

You nodded slightly, feeling better now that you have been given confirmation that he wasn’t still there at the beach. Beorn sighed, patting you slightly on the head, before getting on to his own work. You stayed there in peaceful silence, eating lunch with him, before heading off to your shift, getting some minor teasing from Mindy, for staying in Beorn’s room, as you passed her in the hall. Working your shift, it seemed most of the town had already found out what had happened, since everyone was slightly uneasy, but offering heartfelt offers of protection to you. You waved most of it off, not wanting to really be reminded of the incident. By the time you were back in Beorn’s room, stating you felt more at ease if you could stay with him for the night, you were as exhausted as you were two nights ago. You managed to drift off, curled up to Beorn’s warmth, even if he was still stiff and uncertain. He just didn’t know how to handle it yet. It was actually rather cute, how embarrassed and awkward he was about it. It cheered you up, even as the events of the day finally drained you completely. 

~~~~~ 

Heavy thumps resounded at the edges of your consciousness. You shifted slightly, curling more into Beorn’s side, who had, by now, wrapped his arms around you and drew you closer during his sleep. You almost drifted off back to sleep, but the thumping continued, getting louder and louder. Your eyebrows furrowed. Beorn started to shift himself. Suddenly, a huge rumble of thunder and a crack that sounded like a tree being knocked over ripped through the sleepy haze and startled you awake. 

You nearly fell out of bed, but Beorn managed to keep a hold of you, even as he was also suddenly pulled out of sleep. You were both wide awake and panting, as suddenly, drop by drop, rain began to fall on the roof, picking up in numbers as it then began to pound furiously against the roof. The thumping continued, and the sound of trees being knocked over continued, eventually splitting up until it felt like that sound surrounded you on all sides, just as much as the rain did. You glanced at each other for a moment, before racing to pull off the covers, you running to your own room to pull on some suitable clothes, then rushing down the hall, to join the crowd of other workers already standing under the front entrance. 

Looking outside, the rain blocked most visibility, but giant shapes suddenly loomed into view as thunder rumbled and lightning raced across the sky. A few cries resounded as it highlighted giant creatures, draped in what looked like seaweed, with either craggy rocks or glittering, but sharp, coral making up the majority of their bodies. Glowing red and blue eyes looked over the village, seeming to be unimpeded by the lashing rain pounding into the ground. You shook, fearing the worst, knowing where these monsters came from. 

There appeared to be at least five monsters, slowly making their way around the perimeter of the village. A few people braved the deluge to race between houses to check on their neighbors. You slowly backed into the tavern, unnoticed by everyone else, all of who may were too busy gaping at the creatures or braving the storm to check on their families to notice you stumbling to the kitchen to look out the other way. More rain and monsters greeted your sight. You trembled, close to tears, and just about ready to run back inside before you were swiftly yanked out as a tight hold suddenly grabbed onto your wrist.

You tried to scream for help, but a bruising kiss muffled any sound that tried to exit your mouth. Squinting against the rain, you were met with familiar glowing aquamarine eyes boring into you. Your eyes widened and you struggled to escape the hold Poseidon had on you, but he merely pulled you closer, the hand holding your wrist wrapping around your back to pull you flush against his front, the other hand on the back of your head, tilting your head as his tongue swiped across your lips, asking for entrance. 

You refused, continuing to struggle against him as he continued insistently, prying open the seam of your lips. You could feel tears welling up as your struggles slowed as the rain continued to beat down, plastering your clothes to your body, and allowing a deep chill to begin to settle in your bones. The tears began to slip down your face, swiftly lost in the rain, as he began to slowly retreat, nearly dragging you along, still attempting to delve deep into your mouth. You nearly gave up hope, before you felt arms wrap around you and pry you from the god’s arms. 

You trembled, as you heard Poseidon snarl wordlessly as you were ripped from his grasp. He tried to snatch you back mindlessly, not even thinking about the ones who saved you, before he was met with a swift punch to the jaw. You were pulled protectively into the arms of Cera, before being bundled back to the door, where Cassandra held on to you as Beorn confronted the god who tried to take you. 

“I should have known this was all your fault,” Beorn snarled, “I’ll admit, it felt good to finally give you the punch you deserved, but you’d better leave, now.” 

Poseidon chuckled, shoulders shaking, before he began to devolve into maniacal laughter. 

“You’re a fool! I’m not leaving until my angelfish is back in my arms! I’ll admit, I was planning on simply waiting for her to come to me, but then she was at the back door, by herself and staring outside so sweetly... I couldn’t resist myself. Oh lovely, won’t you come over here? Back into my arms?” 

He directed the last part at you, imploringly beckoning you over to him. You shivered, pressing yourself further into Cassandra’s warmth as Cera and Beorn bristled with agitation and fully blocked you from his sight. You heard him growl, before another thundering boom rang out and the rain, somehow, picked up in speed. 

“Fine then. Keep her for now. But I swear, I won’t leave and neither will any of you until she is back in my arms!” 

A blinding flash of lightning and near deafening boom of thunder, and Poseidon had vanished. You cried, scared and horrified that he hadn’t simply left you alone when you asked him to. You soon found out Cassandra had been the one to mention you were gone, having braved the storm to check on you, leading to Beorn and Cera to rush to the back, to find you being held and nearly carried away. You tried to apologize multiple times for this, but they assured you the blame rested completely on Poseidon. 

You remained shivering for a long time, even bundled up and set in front of the fire when it had finally been coaxed to life. Any villagers or travelers who arrived, stayed in much the same position as you. You remained inside, even as the day drew to a close and most of them trickled out through the tempest raging beyond the doors. The real trouble began the next day. Several travelers and farmers were injured trying to leave the perimeters of the village. They had been batted back into the streets by the monsters. 

You gulped, Poseidon’s words from yesterday echoing in your head. Nobody would be able to leave. That’s the purpose for those creatures. You mentioned this to Beorn, whose face grew grim. Without any access to the outside, the travelers would be stuck here indefinitely, the farmers would be unable to tend to any of their crops or livestock, and it meant no chance of running for help. 

The only chance would be to try to survive off any gardens, livestock, and supplies already in the village. The next few days were a scramble to salvage the gardens, cover what could be covered, and keep all food accounted for. You wanted to help as best as you could, so you were stuck grappling with a tarp with the twins to cover the garden at the back of the tavern. While you were cautious because you had nearly been abducted there, you felt safe with the twins there to keep watch for the god. 

When you had finally managed to wrestle the tarp onto the stands that were set up, finishing the patchwork covering, a sigh of relief resounded from all three of you from above the sound of the pounding rain and rumbles of thunder. You giggled, joining in on the laughter the twins were emitting. They began to head in, with you aiming to follow swiftly behind. A whisper of your name caused you to slow, but you ignored it as best as you could and hurried inside. 

~~~~~ 

The storms became worse and more people were injured as a result of attempting to leave. Unrest began to spread, many villagers settling in for the long run, but a few farmers were uneasy and worried about their crops and animals. The travelers were restless, wanting to leave, and, not learning from experience, they continued to attempt to leave, many becoming injured in the process. 

You attempted to bunk down as far away from the storm as you could get. Whispers from Poseidon continued to reach your ears, crooning out the little nicknames he gave you and pleas for you to leave behind the village and come into his arms. They were nearly constant, getting louder if you were near Beorn or Cera, keeping you up at night. You tried to hide it from everyone, but the soothing tea Cassandra kept offering you indicated she knew. You were glad she hadn’t told anyone else, you didn’t want to worry anyone, but you figured if this kept up, you might not be able to hide it anymore. 

The worst part was, the closer you were to the storm, the quieter the sound. This lead to the day you volunteered to collect the vegetables from the garden out back. It was a one person job and the storm would surround you on all sides, but you managed to convince Beorn to allow you to do it. 

You sighed, even with the pouring rain, the whispers were finally gone for now. As you began to collect, you tried your best to ignore the sudden increase in sound as the tarp was lifted, before it dropped back down. You knew what was coming, but you tried to stand your ground as best as you could, squaring your shoulders and ignoring the hands that began to caress your sides and the lips that pressed themselves gently on your neck. You finished your collection on one section, and moved to another. The hands followed, soon wrapping around your stomach. It became harder to not tremble as you felt a chest slowly and firmly press up against your back, and the lips trail up your neck before being replaced by a chin resting on the top of your head. As you finally finished, you tried to shrug off the arms entwined around your body, but let out a wheeze as they squeezed your body in warning. You couldn’t stop your trembles at this point as Poseidon began to sway you back and forth, humming slightly, as you heard a sudden thump and shouts ringing out in the distance, likely the travelers trying to leave again, before he finally broke the silence. 

“Oh (Y/n), why won’t you just give in? I’m waiting patiently for you, but I fear you are being kept away from me by the fool and the shifter. That one sun blessed lady seems to have a good head on her shoulders though. Oh well, I’m sure you’ll be convinced to come to me soon enough.” 

With that ominous statement, he departed with a final kiss placed on the side of your neck. You shivered, unsure of what to do next, other than to take in your haul. As you stepped out, and back across, you grew worried as the whispers didn’t return. As you handed off the vegetables, you headed into the tavern, where a hubbub was gathered. You grew concerned as people parted in front of you, with saddened looks on their faces as you drew near the center. As you reached the middle, you stopped, seeing with clarity what the problem was and what Poseidon had meant by his ominous parting statement. 

You shook your head, tears filling your eyes as you were forced to behold the heavily injured body of Beorn. 

~~~~~ 

Mr. Ava had been brought soon after you saw what had happened. You were in tears, nearly unconsolable as you clutched onto Beorn’s hand. Apparently, he had tried to stop some of the more foolhardy travelers from attempting another run at the monsters, when the one closest had lashed out. One of the travelers had ended up catching the brunt of the attack. He ended up being one of the other men at the table about two weeks ago. He was also dead, with a neck at an angle it shouldn’t be at and at least two limbs mashed into an unrecognizable shape. Another ended up crashing into a table and currently had a huge piece of wood speared through his upper thigh. A few others had also been caught, but only suffered a few bruises and broken bones. Beorn had been right behind the dead traveler. He barely survived, with a dislocated shoulder, multiple fractures in his legs, and several gashes carved into his sides. He looked eerily reminiscent of the injures Poseidon had suffered when you had first found him. 

Eventually, you were escorted away from the scene, and left in your room to calm down, with assurances that Beorn would heal. But you knew what this meant. The travelers hadn’t been able to actually start trying. The monster had lashed out directly and purposefully at Beorn. It was a warning. 

You sniffled, finally staggering to your feet. When you went to open the door, Cassandra met you there. You faltered, but she merely sighed and began to escort you out the back. 

“I wish it hadn’t come to this. If you had listened to my first warning, maybe it wouldn’t have. But it’s too late for what ifs. Head to the beach (Y/n). I....I wish I could assure you that everything will be fine, but I can’t. Just try to stay safe.” 

“W-Wait,” you exclaimed, quickly grabbing her arm, “Tell him...t-tell him... I love him.” 

You sniffled, looking pleadingly at her. A look of heartbreak and acceptance briefly crossed Cassandra’s face. 

“I will,” she promised, leaning in slightly.

Then she was gone, leaving a slight pressure remaining on your lips as she quietly closed the door behind herself. You teared up, but took off through the streets, nearly slipping several times as you lost traction on the wet cobblestones. But soon, you were reaching the end of the village, passing between two giants, one was coral with red eyes, the other was rock with blue eyes. They made no movement to stop you, just watched silently as you raced between them and slipped into the woods. 

The trees you ran through were devastated by the wake of the giants when they first emerged. This meant you not only had pouring rain lashing at your back, rolling down your already soaked clothes to drip down to the forest floor, but you also had the fallen trunks of trees to avoid or leap over. The tears slipping down your face mixed with the rain as soon as they exited your eyes, but still managed to blind you more than the rain ever could. It was a miracle you managed to reach the beach without seriously injuring yourself. 

You stopped short as you arrived, seeing mere fragments of rocks where there once was tall spires carved with etchings of a long forgotten language reaching high into the sky. This made you even more upset for some reason. You gazed off, seeing the figure of Poseidon facing away from you. You hesitated, but, seeing as he wouldn’t stop until you were with him, cautiously made your way over to his side. 

You paused as he merely stood there, looking out across the water with a glare. His jaw clenched slightly, before he spoke. “I really hate that fool. He somehow managed to avoid the killing blow thanks to that idiot. And, of course, the old codger got there in time. I suppose I’m more upset by the sun blessed woman now. She may have guided you out, but as for that kiss, I don’t think I can forgive. Hell, if the fool or the shifter did the same, I don’t know what I would do.”

You flinched at the bloodlust that he exuded, feeling the sudden need to get even farther away from the man than you had wanted to before. You shifted in place, contemplating your options, but he swiftly decided for you, as the aura dissipated, he visibly relaxed, and he turned towards you to wrap you in his arms and tug you closer to him. You squirmed slightly, but knowing the lives that hung in the balance, you went limp as soon as he leaned down for a kiss. He kissed you deeply, you pliantly parting your lips as he asked for entrance this time. You whimpered slightly, and only did the bare minimum to reciprocate, while he took full advantage of your compliance to eagerly explore your mouth. By the time he was done, you were gasping for breath, a faint string of saliva connecting your mouths as he reluctantly pulled away. When he caught his breath, he kissed you several more times, before beginning to walk into the ocean as he murmured to you. 

“Oh, my sweet little star. I knew you would come to me eventually. Those fools tried to mess with your mind, poisoning you into thinking your love for me wasn’t important. I knew a little coercing would convince you otherwise though.”

Knowing the god currently rambling into your ear had no problems threatening an entire village with death to get what he wanted, you felt there had been little choice in the matter in your own viable options. It seemed to come down to give yourself over to the deluded god and save the lives of many innocents, or stay with them and risk having them all die until he either gives up or drags you away kicking and screaming. 

You shifted in his grip as the two of you slowly sunk into the water, a bubble beginning to form around you. You glanced over your shoulder to see the sun finally beginning to break free from the clouds and the monsters begin to turn towards the ocean and slowly lumber back to the waves. You shivered as the water fully enclosed over your heads, a large bubble of air now surrounding the two of you, at which point you finally tuned back into his words after absently noting it seemed to have its own form of gravity as you were currently floating in the middle.

“I don’t really need this bubble of course, but since you are still mortal, and liable to drowning, at least until I figure that tricky little problem out, the bubble shall be the way to go. Don’t worry, I’ll make it so you can still explore! I’d hate for my little scallop to be bored and stuck in one place.” 

He nuzzled into you, scooping you up into his lap as you bobbed in place, the bubble picking up speed, and the ocean turning into a blur of color so as you passed exotic looking plant and animal life in the slightly murky water. You were drawn in by the colors, staring at what you could as the bubble picked up speed. You winced as Poseidon went from nuzzling your neck to sinking his teeth into a particularly sensitive patch of skin on your neck. He peered up at you apologetically, but that didn’t stop him from sinking his teeth into the other side of your neck as well. You whimpered, trying to draw yourself away from the source of the pain, but he was persistent. He kept you still, pinning your arms by holding your wrists together in one hand, while keeping you still by boxing you in his lap with his legs and other arm. Several minutes passed, and by the end of it, not only was your neck in the process of being covered with some large bruises, but your lips were slightly swollen from being kissed passionately. He had then proceeded to pepper kisses on your cheek and over the forming bruises as a wordless apology before he gave you his excuse. 

“My apologies, lovely. But until I can fully make you mine, these will do to ward off any who try to come for you,” he pouted slightly at the teary eyed look you gave him, “Don’t worry, angelfish. We’ll be home soon.” 

He resumed nuzzling your neck, humming with delight. You sighed, looking out at the blur of colors with less awe then before as you contemplated how your life was changing in a way you wouldn’t have thought possible about a month ago. You regretted not listening to Cassandra’s warning earlier. As if hearing your thoughts and disapproving of them, Poseidon nudged at your neck a little harder, drawing your attention back to him. Well, looking on the bright side, you’d probably be able to breathe underwater soon. As he let go of your wrists to hug you, and you raised your arms to lay them on his back to hopefully appease the god with at least a facsimile of a hug, you closed your eyes to the blurred colors outside the quiet bubble you were being kept in, and kept trying to look on the bright side. It was all you could really do at the moment.

Kudos to to anyone who knows what myth Cassandra is based off of. 

Baklava is a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the Levant and the broader Middle East, along with Greece, the South Caucasus, Balkans, Maghreb, and Central Asia. 

[playmoss]

► LISTEN to this Playmoss playlist: Good Fridays by Hinds Hinds, a quartet from Madrid, released their first LP, “Leave Me Alone,” in 2015: a powerful and sunny collection of songs halfway between garage pop and lo-fi indie with which they obtained a great international repercussion, having them play in festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury and SXSW. Currently about to publish their second album, they are immersed in a tour that will take them around half the world again. 

Hinds serve up an energetic and very fresh playlist full of hits. A cheeky and accurate selection of tracks with the spotlight on indie, electronic pop and rock, in which there is also room for soulful hip-hop and hidden soul gems. T. Rex - Lean Woman Blues Paul Cherry - Who's Up? Kirin J Callinan - Bravado The White Stripes - Little Bird Grapetooth - Trouble Deerhunter - Living My Life Knox Fortune - Lil Thing Rejjie Snow - UNBORN Allan Kingdom - Uvaje'D The Parrots - No me gustas, te quiero Barbara Acklin - Am I The Same Girl

[darko-pribeg]

Uvaj video shvatite kao jedno kratko "uranjanje", dok ga gledate, obraćajte pažnju na to kako se osjećate i puštajte se sve dublje u taj osjećaj. Bez bilo kakvog djelovanja, analiziranja ili suda, samo Bivanje.

[islamiconlineru]

Увайс аль-Карани (Султан Ваис)

https://islamiconline.ru/islamskie-kinofilmy/uvajs-al-karani-sultan-vais.html

Увайс аль-Карани (Султан Ваис)

[wiggitywacky0]

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