#WWIIAU

[thatannoyingbitch]

Star Trek rules???? I just watched The Killing Game for the first time and no one else is doing it like Star Trek. Other franchises need to step their shit up and do more historical AUs, because I’m obsessed with seeing cool sci-fi characters with amazing 40s hair and outfits! Building a WWIIau into the plot is so cash money of them!!

[biasedwriting]

Kalopsia [VIXX, Leo] ||3|| M

Part 3 of the Kairos Series

Characters : VIXX’s Leo || OC

WWII au

Inspired by Armand!Leo and Going Solo by Roald Dahl

I am trash, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but this might be a short series.

Trigger Warnings: HELLA LONG, also implied sexual relations (lotsa) MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, indirect mentions comfort women and sex slavery  (please educate yourselves on this too, thanks)

Kalopsia: a condition, state or delusion in which things appear more beautiful than they really are

PLEASE NOTE THE WARNINGS. PLEASE.

He woke up and she wasn’t there. Instantly his mind was thrown into a state of panic as he shot up from his bed, hands feeling around the mattress. He paused when he heard her chuckle, drawing the curtain.

“Did you miss me that much?” she said, caressing his hair as he sighed, relaxing when her steady hands fixed the robes that hung loosely on his body “you do remember your surgery is today.” he nodded as his fingers laced with hers as they fixed the buttons of the robe, bringing them up to his lips to kiss her hands softly.

“I’ll finally be able to see you.” he whispered as he heard a soft exhale of her laugh and her lips caressing his forehead as he reached for her cheeks to seal their lips together desperately. Almost like he was making up for all the time they had spent toeing the line between friendship and this wondrous love. He revelled in the sensation of her lips against as her finger tangling in his hair as he sighed into the kiss.

“I hope I’m beautiful enough for you.” she breathed, resting her forehead against his when their lips parted.

“Do I have to kiss you again to stop you from saying silly things like this?” he laughed as she shook her head “you’d be beautiful to me because…” his hand rested on her chest feeling the beating heart “of this wonderful heart.”

“Jung Taekwoon is a romantic at heart, I did not know” he heard Minah chuckle as she caressed his cheek “but we need to prepare you for your surgery.” She said, fixing his robe yet again, as went about preparing him for his eye surgery. He waited in silence, trying to process all the emotions that were flooding him. This was going to be a life-changing moment and he knew it. Would he be able to rejoin the air force? Or will they send him back home before he could even take part in the war efforts?

In a short while, he could hear the familiar voice of Doctor Jaehwan talking him through the surgery process as they wheeled him towards the make-shift operation theatre the hospital had. They were never meant to treat more than a few wounds, but the war was starting to take such a drastic turn, that they needed to create some way to treat more severely hurt soldiers. Thanks to the large layout of the hospital, several of the once private rooms had now been converted into ORs. His fingers were laced with Minah’s as he was being wheeled there as Jaehwan shot her a knowing look to which she smiled back, pretending to be entirely oblivious.

“Do you want to tell me what is happening between you and our patient?” Jaehwan asked as the two scrubbed in. Minah turned around and smiled at him.

“The same that is happening with you, doctor Wonshik, and the nurse from paediatrics, Haneul was her name, right?” she asked as she scrubbed between her fingers as Jaehwan grinned.

“Touche Kim Minah, touche. But, I don’t blame you, he’s a great catch.”

“I would rather you not compare him to a fish. But if I may, Haneul is excellent.”

“Wonshik agrees…” Jaehwan nodded, wiping his hands off before handing Minah another towel.

“And I would not like to know the details, thank you very much,” she replied, dropping the fabric and making her way towards the room in which Taekwoon lay.

“Minah?” Taekwoon’s voice called to her as she walked over to him as he smiled, now being able to recognise the sound of her footsteps. He felt her finger slip through his with familiar ease as she kissed his cheek.

“I’m right here,” she whispered as he let out the breath he had been holding, the thought of the possibility of not seeing her troubled his mind. She squeezed his fingers “I will be with you and hold your hand regardless of the results of this surgery.” she said, firmly as his voice came out shakily.

“Thank you.”

“I love you Jung Taekwoon.” she whispered as the door flew open and Jaehwan entered with Wonshik, masks hiding the smug looks on their faces as a new nurse followed in to assist with the surgery. Wonshik set to administering the anaesthesia as Minah held onto Taekwoon’s hand, his breath steadying as he slowly felt his consciousness slip away from him. Minah’s gaze shifted to Wonshik and Jaehwan before nodding and closing her eyes to pray for him. She knew that Wonshik and Jaehwan were capable doctors, but it was her heart on the operating table.

Minah held her breath as the doctors set to work.

The moment the bandages came off was when she let go of the breath she had been holding. The anaesthesia had long worn off and the surgery had gone well according to both Wonshik and Jaehwan. Taekwoon lay asleep in his bed, having been given the private room with a single window and lesser sunlight to prevent the delay of his recovery. Jaehwan had allowed her to remove the bandages after she had mentioned Taekwoon’s request. He had left her in the room with a wink and a serious “call me if there are any complications.”

Minah felt Taekwoon stir and she turned towards him, noticing his sleep breaking. Her name escaped his lips making her heart tighten as she sat by him on the bed. Reaching over to hold his hand she called to him, making him stop and turn to face her.

“Do you want me to take the bandages off?”

“I want to see you.”  his voice was hoarse but firm as he grasped her hand and pulled her closer till she sat on the same bed as him. Releasing her hand, he felt her fumble with the bandages, hurrying her movements as she felt his hands slide up and down her sides, grip tightening as he felt the weight of the bandages now on his lap. Her lips caressed his eyelids as her hands rested on his shoulders.

“Open your eyes,” she said, nervous as his eyes fluttered open. She sucked in a breath when his feline eyes focused on her, pupils constricting in the new found light. Taekwoon successfully took her breath away more so than he ever did.

Taekwoon’s brain was trying to process everything, the bright light that was making him squint, the figure sitting in front of him, looking at him intently as she bit down on her lip. Her hands slid down from his shoulders and rested on her lap as her gaze followed the same path. There was something bizarrely breathtaking about her, her skin had seen the sun before the war. But now it was somewhat gaunt and pale, her long hair in a braid which hung down her back, her soft plush lips swollen ever so slightly from her nervous biting and her eyes sucked his soul in as his hand shakily reached up to caress the side of her face making her eyes gaze at him through her thick eyelashes.

His gaze was so tender as his thumb ran over her cheek gently making her feel tears spring to her eyes.

“Minah,” he whispered, eyes fixed on her face as he leaned closer, taking all of her in as the door was slowly opened and Jaehwan entered.

“I see that the patient is in good shape.” he breezed in, trying to get through his checkup of Taekwoon’s eyes without laughing at the indignant expression on Taekwoon’s face or the tears that Minah had quickly wiped away from her eyes. He may have felt a little guilty for ruining the moment, but checking if Taekwoon’s vision was okay was the priority.

“We’ll keep you under observation till you have fully recovered. Kim here will take good care of you till then. You should probably get him something to eat since he hasn’t eaten since the surgery.” he grinned at Taekwoon as Minah bowed in response and followed Jaehwan out before hurrying to put together a tray of food for Taekwoon. When she returned she found him standing by the window, looking out into the dystopian sight of the space around the hospital. She walked over to him with the tray and he looked at her. It took all of her self control to drop everything and throw herself into his arms. Yet she knew he had to eat and regain his strength.

There was a silence as he stood by the window, looking out and eating off the tray. There were several thoughts that flew through her head. Was he disappointed? Was it her dark skin? Her small eyes? Her mass of hair? Minah’s mind began listing out her flaws, every scrape, scar, mark on her skin was under her scrutiny and she blamed all of it for his disappointment.

Setting the tray down on the table she fixed his bed and checked the medications on the bed-side table. All the thoughts that were going through her head were put to a halt when Taekwoon’s hand reached for hers, spinning her around to meet his gaze. She gasped when he leaned down to kiss her, lips moulding against hers hesitantly before her arms wrapped around his neck to deepen the kiss and his wrapped around her waist. The kiss was straight out of a dream, heady with passion, savouring the moment as they tasted each other and when they parted, panting. He gazed at her heaving chest, her wobbly legs, and her swollen lips, meeting her glazed over eyes before whispering.

“Minah…” He walked her back to the lone bed in the room, the back of her calves knocked against it. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms and gaze at her till every image of her was burned into his memory. But his body was exhausted as she helped him lay back down and he pulled her into his chest. Whatever worry Minah had felt had long disappeared as she rested against him, running soothing touches over his arms feeling his breath steady as he fell asleep again.

He woke up to her dozing with her head on the bed as she sat by the bed. Moonlight streamed in through the single window, casting light and shadows on her figure. He gazed at her long eyelashes, peaceful expression, and the way her body rose and fell as she slept

She groaned when he ran his hand gently over her head, caressing it lovingly, feeling the thick strands of hair under the pads of his fingers. Stirring, her eyes wearily opened, blinking at him trying to process her surroundings. Taekwoon froze, worried that he has disturbed her sleep but when he drunk her face in, he rested his hand on her arm, tugging her towards him, inviting her to share the small bed that was his. Minah didn’t seem to question his movement, sleepily crawling into the space he had created for her, resting her head on his chest, sighing as he wrapped his arm around her and gazed at her face. She returned his gaze with a dazed smile and she closed her eyes when he kissed her forehead before floating back into the world of sleep.

In this little bubble of theirs, the war was forgotten. This moment was that of bliss.

Minah took Taekwoon’s breath away when he saw her in the bright sunlight. Jaehwan had sent the two out into the hospital courtyard so Taekwoon could get some air. Yet Minah seemed to steal whatever air Taekwoon had in his lungs the moment he saw how the sun made her glow. He had only seen her in the dank lighting that the hospital. Clearly, it did not do her any justice the way the sun did. The sun warmed his skin and he could feel his energy returning. Jaehwan had declared that he was strong enough to move around but decided it would be important to still keep him under observation to make sure that Taekwoon was truly fit to serve.

The actual courtyard itself was quite dreary. The hospital staff had tried to spruce it up with some plants, and there were some damaged benches and the courtyard seemed to lead to passages unknown. Taekwoon had a grip on Minah’s hand as they walked around the small space, discussing dreams and aspirations for a future after the war.

She took small steps looking around the empty courtyard, shielding her eyes from the blinding sun as she looked at the birds that had settled on the high walls of the hospital.

“I’m surprised to see birds with all these bombs dropping in the areas around. But it’s mostly peaceful here, maybe that’s why they’ve come. They’re beautiful.” she sighed, smiling.

“They are,” he replied, eyes following her gaze before landing back on her glowing face, there was something about it that made his blood rush. She was a vision to be beheld, warm, golden, absolutely wonderful “it’s nice to feel the sun.”

“It is, isn’t it? Sometimes I feel like we’re so caught up in this war that we miss all these wonderful things. But, I suppose we never noticed them until the war took them away from us. Life is really short isn’t it?” Minah sighed as Taekwoon squeezed her hand. The birds which had been perched on the walls now took flight to someplace neither knew of. Taekwoon followed Minah’s gaze on the birds before tugging at her hand.

“Then we must make the most of whatever little we do have,” he said smiling and ushering her to follow the birds. They hurried after the small creatures, grinning childishly as they followed the colourful feathers into paths that neither had seen before. The hospital did have a large compound, but with the things being what they were, no one had bothered to check beyond the actual building of the hospital. Panting, in a clearing so isolated from everything it was a space of its own. The birds had flown too far away to be chased.

They settled down on the ground, looking around at this space which felt so far away from the world.

“It was beautiful while it lasted I suppose. But, let us make a promise” Minah panted out, cheeks glowing with the exertion. Taekwoon gaped at her for a moment before feeling her pinky link with his “let us make the most of whatever little we have.” she smiled, raising their linked fingers to her lips as a motion of sealing the promise with a kiss. But when she felt Taekwoon’s lips meet her’s instead, her smile widened as her fingers tangled in his hair almost instantly. Taekwoon’s passion was always overwhelming but never unwelcome. His hands wandered over her clothed skin as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss, nipping at her lips. The moment they broke apart, he watched her breathe heavily, drinking in the very image of her face. He couldn’t believe he had spent so long in the dark, not knowing that this angelic face had been his saviour. His fingers dug into her uniform as he kissed her soundly again, resting his forehead against hers, he gazed into her eyes.

“I want to see all of you.”

There was a pause. A silence that took over as she blinked back at him. Taekwoon wondered if it was the wrong thing to say. But when her lips met his again, hesitantly, and she placed her shaky hands on his to raise them to the buttons of her uniform, whatever little doubt that had been left in his mind was wiped away. Every sliver of skin that was presented to him was worshipped, every layer that came off, revealing more of her to him was burned into his memory. Every sound that left her lips as his mouth met her skin was recorded somewhere deep in his brain as her hands scrambled to grip at sanity before reaching to tear at the flimsy garments the hospital had provided for him. Skin met skin feverishly as they kissed, wanting to mask the sound of their acts but too lost in each other to think beyond just being with one another.

They spent whatever little time they had left together in Taekwoon’s little room or in the space they called their own. Hours and hours flew by as they bared their souls to each other in more ways than one. They knew that the time they had together was short and they made it a point to spend every moment with each other. Jaehwan shot them knowing looks, but neither of them cared. They were desperate for time, grasping at whatever the clock offered them. Every moment was like a dream because in those moments, there was no war, just each other. They had every breath of each others memorized. Every like, every dislike, every touch was burned into their memories. How easy it was to create dreams in the air. Little bubbles of hope for the future just waiting to be burst by reality.

And reality did come.

Minah thought her heart had broken when Jaehwan announced that Taekwoon was fit to serve in the airforce again. While she was happy that Taekwoon was in full health, but it meant the impending loss of being with the man she had grown to love so dearly. Static filled her mind as she paced around the corridor

“They’ve placed me in the new 43rd unit.” Taekwoon read out, the letter from his commanding officer had arrived that morning and Taekwoon was in the midst of packing whatever little he had with a heavy heart. Minah blinked at the name.

“The 43rd unit?”

“Yes, that would be right.” Taekwoon turned to her before handing her the letter. Minah’s face instantly lit up.

“My cousin...Cha Hakyeon is in that unit!”

“Your cousin?”

“Yes! My cousin, Cha Hakyeon! Oh thank god, you’re in good hands!” Minah sighed as Taekwoon walked towards her and pulled her into his arms.

“With you around, I don’t need another pair of good hands to take care of me.”

“You can never tell.”

“I doubt your cousin would repeat what happened in the stora-”

“Jung Taekwoon!” Minah coloured, making Taekwoon laugh before leaning down to kiss her. She knew he was trying to make this goodbye as cheerful as possible knowing that there was a possibility of him never coming back. The chaste kiss broke off with another kiss to her forehead.

“I’m coming back to get you. So,” he said raising her left hand and kissing her ring finger “leave this vacant for me.”

Minah smiled into the last kiss Taekwoon pressed against her lips and cried into her pillow the night he picked up his small bag of belongings and left for the closest airfield.

Taekwoon found himself in tears too, it felt like he was leaving a part of his soul behind in the hospital. The night’s journey to the airfield had been long. The journey to where the 43rd Unit had been camped even longer. Every moment apart felt like a new wound was being stabbed into his heart.

Until he met Cha Hakyeon.

The sun-kissed man was just like his cousin - strong, warm, and welcoming. He said that Minah had written to him mentioning that Taekwoon would be coming to join him and almost instantly took him under his wing.

They trained together, ate together, waited for letters from their families together. They stayed in the same barrack, their friendship blossomed.

Hakyeon would find himself laughing at Taekwoon as he sifted through letters, looking for something written by Minah. He found it endearing and amusing as to how much Taekwoon was in love with his cousin. Sometimes he found himself wondering what it felt like, being so in love. Deeply wanting to be with another person that you read letters over and over till they frayed with the over-reading.

For three months Taekwoon saved the letters Minah wrote to him, admiring the way the ink curved over yellowing sheets of paper. They lay in a little biscuit box of  under his pillow, waiting to be read every night.

He wrote as often as he could, between flights and all the movement. All the coins he managed to save, went into the biscuit box, waiting to be converted into a golden ring for her.

He  teared up when she sent him a picture, saying that she had plead with Wonshik to take one for her. The black and white image was tucked into his jacket pocket before every flight, placed close to his heart when he wasn’t in the air. He gazed at it, trying to draw energy from her figure.  Her soft eyes, her hair in a heavy, thick braid, her lithe body clad in the white uniform he remembers divesting her of so many times.

Hakyeon convinced to send her a picture in return.

He found himself awkwardly standing, hair slicked back, dressed in is uniform as Hakyeon held a borrowed camera to his face. He waited for it to be developed, running to post it across to Minah, hoping she would be just as happy as he was to see her.

But a reply never came.

Taekwoon waited.

And waited.

And waited.

The biscuit box filled with coins, weighing down the letters. He swapped it for a golden ring. Nothing too fancy, just a gold band, dainty enough to slip onto her finger.

And waited.

For weeks.

Then the message came in the form of Jaehwan.

He had arrived at the camp, battered and bruised, rescued from an attack on the hospital. His eyes widened at the sight of Taekwoon who gaped back at him from his position next to Hakyeon.

The taller found himself running towards the doctor, dodging past his friend who tried to hold him back. Grasping the injured man by the collar, he demanded.

“What happened to Minah?!”

“Got taken to the camp,” Jaehwan croaked out, making Taekwoon frown.

“Another unit’s camp?”

“No...their camp” Jaehwan whispered, swallowing heavily. “The comfort station across the border.”

Taekwoon dropped him. He felt dizzy. He had heard of what happens in comfort stations and bile rose in his throat at the thought of his Minah being in such a situation. He needed to get there. He needed to get her out of there. He stood up.

“She didn’t make it out…” Jaehwan reached up to grasp at his hand to stop him from moving. Hakyeon rushed over to hold up his collapsing body, turning to Jaehwan.

“What did you say, doctor?”

The words that followed made the world seem to stop for Taekwoon. His knees buckled as a sob left his lips as he fell into Hakyeon’s arms.

“Kim Minah didn’t make it out. Her body has been sent home.”

previous || epilogue

---

Tag list @animeotakupooh @squeallyeel22 @tomatoholmes @tanithrea @blossomtearsleo @k-craze-97

[thecatwhogrins]

Philia

Hello friends! This is a little WWII AU for you :) Enjoy!

(The continuation of Pragma will be on day 6 of Obiyukiweek18, fyi)

20th of February 1941.

Rust and salt.

That was the smell that haunted her wherever she stepped. Even in her dreams, it permeated the air, ever present but never imposing. She smelled it wherever she went and never could get it to disappear completely, much like the stains on her uniform.

Her body had been moving on its own for a while now, her mind blocking out the horrific sights her eyes laid upon every day, and to her horror, she was becoming numb. To some, this would be bliss, sweet relief. To her this was another battle lost. She feared for her empathy. Would it ebb away too, overrun by the weight of her tasks? She wasn’t sure how much longer her spirits would hold.

When the war began, her first instinct had led her to lend a helping hand. After only a year, the war was taking its toll on everyone. She wasn’t a doctor, nor was she a nurse, things that she regretted bitterly whenever she was faced with a patient too far gone, someone she knew she could not save. Her heart broke a little each time and whenever the too small room quieted down after the struggle, after the assistants shuffled off, exhausted, defeat in their gate she would sit on the floor and wonder what would have happened if had known what to do, how to help.

But she was a herbalist and her knowledge only stretched so far and as she held the hand of the young soldier as the doctor tried to mend the broken boy, it seemed she was on the edge of losing it. His screams echoed off the walls and the moans from other men answered him, like a choir in church.

But this was no holly place and there would be no miracles today.

Doctor Garack glanced at her, worry etching itself into her fair features specked with blood and had to ask Shirayuki twice to let go of the boy’s hand. Shirayuki sucked in a startled breath and let go. The other pharmacist, Ryuu, also looked at her with worry. He was young and although she was glad to know someone on the team, she was sad to see him exposed to such horrors.

One night, as they say near their tent, under the moonlight and a bowl of watery soup between their freezing fingers, she had asked him why he had signed up.

His blue eyes and expressionless face took on a look of determination that night. A look she had worn too. He did not need to answer for she could read it on his face.

She was brought to the present by Dr. Garrack’s voice.

Her hand was trembling.

“Will you manage?” the doctor’s voice was scratchy and full of fatigue.

She did not answer, for fear her voice would give her away. She simply nodded her head and drifted away. Her hair, the colour of cherries was matted to her face, blood, sweat and grime mingling on her brow, green eyes closed as she leaned against the door, her rattling breath coming up in gasps.  Ryuu shambled away next to her, his eyes unfocused from lack of sleep.

They slowly made her way towards the front of the medical tent, three reasons keeping her from collapsing right then and there.

“Zen is on the battlefield”, and “I can still help these men” were the first two.

Zen had been in the same unit as her and on the long nights before the battle they had promised to each other that they would both come back home.

“I might need to patch you up,” she had said with a small grin, winning an indignant look from her silver haired friend.

“And I might need to save you from the enemy!” he had countered, cheeks red and his rifle at the ready.

She had rolled her eyes, had straightened his rumpled uniform and waved him to his nightly patrol through the city. It was the middle of winter and everyone felt the cold bitterly. They were on the battlefront, somewhere in France, the line just a hundred meters from here.

As she was walking with Ryuu, she could hear the thunder of war, and even though her mind was used to it, her body still reacted unconsciously, freezing up at the sound of the shell of the bomb screaming as it hurtled towards the ground and when it finally hit, as the impact shook the world, she hunkered down over Ryuu’s body instinctively to protect him and waited for it to pass. Usually the young boy would have told her he didn’t need protection, but he did not protest this time. He was too wary. Many others reacted the same way. They waited, made sure the air was clear and moved on.

As she unfolded herself from her position on the ground, a voice called out to her.

“Hey there little miss, need a hand?”

She looked up, dazed, not recognizing who was talking to her right away. A man stood in front of her, maybe a year older or two. He wore a lopsided grin and a black uniform that contrasted against his amber skin strikingly, much like the ones the officers wore but his was not as clean, as prim as the ones she had seen. His raven hair was short, almost a buzz cut but not quite. And fit was unruly, spiking up in a carefree way, so unlike a higher up.

“Do I have something on my face?” he grinned teasingly but he did indeed have something, a scar that looked like it predated the war. His cat-like golden eyes captured hers and softly she took his half gloves hand. His hand was warm strong. She shook her head at his question quickly and he chuckled.

“Up you go!” he pulled her to her feet gently and she thanked him quickly, embarrassed.

“Well, little miss, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Obi!” she grinned and squeezed his hands. “I haven’t seen you since... yesterday?” She laughed and his grinned widened.

“I am glad to know someone like you is taking care of our wounded.” Obi said.

He gestured towards Ryuu, whom she had trapped under her body.

“Selflessness is a rare commodity nowadays, you’re an exotic bird, miss.”

Her face flushed red and she thanked him again.

“No need to thank me” he grinned and winked. He then swaggered off towards the officers’ tent.

Shirayuki stared at the third reason she was still fighting, her strange friend.

[matrixaffiliate]

Glimpsing Happiness

Co-written with the amazing @hufflepuffmarlenemckinnon

FFN and AO3

Chapter 2

It started out like just a common cold. Sirius did his best to ignore the blaring headache and aches in his muscles. He was fighting in a bloody war; he had more important things to focus on than the damned sniffles.

But within a few weeks it was high fevers to the point of full on delirium. No amount of Iron-will stubbornness could have kept him on the field after that. He was lucky someone had dragged him off to sick bay before his vision gave out.

Losing his sight was quite jarring, even to a mind that was preoccupied with the fact it was boiling. Was he dying? Where was he? What was happening?

He woke up, and by virtue of doing so, he was fairly sure he wasn’t dead. He didn’t quite have a gage on how long he was unconscious, but when he woke he was absolutely sure he’d been moved.

The smell.

This was some sort of infirmary or hospital. It smelled like sickness. Death and dying. Was he next? What sort of soldier dies of the sniffles? Uncle Alphard would be ashamed.

Or he would have been...He was gone now. Sirius winced. The news of his favorite Uncle’s passing was fresh. The letter had only come a week before the nosebleeds began.

Uncle Alphard had been his hero. The only person he could really look up to in that whole god-forsaken family. He was also just about the only blood relation that Sirius had who hadn’t been ashamed of him.

To be fair, the shame went both ways. Having grown up in a house with his 1st cousin, Bellatrix Black, who kissed the ground that Herr Hitler walked on, was not something that Sirius was particularly proud of. Leaving aside the constant rumors that she was intimately close to the Führer and may or may not be pregnant with his horrible Nazi hellspawn. Sirius didn’t even believe that last bit, but he felt sure that Bella wished it were true. She’d had these awful framed photos of him up in her bedroom when they were children. She was living her dream… It disgusted him and he didn’t bring it up if he could help it.

Instead, he attempted to shake off any hints of German in his speech and mannerisms. This was a monumental task for someone who spoke German from the nursery. In truth, he was a quarter British, if that. His mother’s mother was a Granddaughter of Queen Victoria herself. But they’d married Germans, as the British nobility had been wont to do, and consequently, his Mother’s noble house of Black, was about as German as anyone in Europe.

His father was bitter that he never got to wear the crown he had lived his life thinking that he deserved. He’d never fully adjusted. It was a far fall from His Royal Highness Orion, Crown Prince of Saxony, to an untitled exile, taking his wife’s name and live off her relatives’ generosity.

Things were always tense at Uncle Cygnus’s generosity and his estate in Berkshire. Sirius and Cygnus’s middle daughter, Andromeda, clung to each other, and their uncle Alphard, in the midst of all these disgruntled Germans. The three of them were all that was left, well before England declared war. The others contended that Herr Hitler had the right idea about the Herrenmenschen. Transparently desperate to be superior to someone after losing their titles, they made their choice.

Sirius felt that he had to make choices of his own, despite being only 15 at the time. He’d opted to stay behind with his best mate from Eton, James Potter, and Uncle Alphard. This decision, and his iron-will refusal to do as he was told, did not go over well.

His mother berated him for his choices, saying he was a traitor to his blood. He said they were traitors to his country. This was the country that had educated him and taught him to be a man more than she ever could. So his parents and younger brother went on their way to support the Fürher and Sirius Black did his damnedest to be an English Gentleman through and through. That was that.

Apparently, being an English Gentleman did nothing to fend off typhoid fever. So he was to convalesce at the rather unpleasant smelling Netley Hospital for the time being.  

Those were amongst the words of the commanding baritone voice, was it a doctor? A medic? How was Sirius supposed to know? He couldn’t bloody see. How did people manage to live like this?

This was going to get old very quickly, if, like the voice informed him, he was going to live through it. Six weeks as a blind invalid?

Bollocks…

“Welcome home, Captain Black” the sound of his name startled him out of his half unconscious state.

“Did you say home? Are you sure about that? I think perhaps I died and went to Hell. Are you Hell’s secretary?”

“I beg your pardon! I’m Sister Marlene McKinnon. I’m charged with taking care of you while you recover here at Netley. So I recommend you be a bit nicer to me. You just asked the woman who’ll handle all your meals and medication for the next… ooooh six weeks is it… if she was Hell’s secretary.”

“And I’m still not convinced that you’re not. Sister Marlene. Are you a nun? I’m afraid I find myself dreadfully blind at the moment. You’ll have to tell me; are you wearing one of those nun head what’s-its?”

“Well this is going to be an eventful six weeks… No, Captain Black, I’m not a nun. Sister is a rank. Sister is my rank in Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service.”

“Ah yes. Great Aunt Alix. That was the funeral of the season when I was six.” He remarked casually.

“Captain, I don’t care if her Majesty herself was your aunt. You still have to be polite.”

“Do I? Is there a law? ‘Here in Hell, we must be polite’? I must say, that’s unexpected. Here I was thinking the Devil would be lax with the rules. Shows what I know.”

Sirius was pretty sure he heard the woman, Sister Marlene, groan.

“I’ll be back in an hour, Captain Black. Perhaps by then you’ll have reconsidered your attitude.” Her clipped footsteps faded towards what must have been the door.

[fenostarvedemon]

There's a bunch of sketches with Wilson(and Maxwell):P  Thanks for watching my art work! It means a lot to me

[thekristen999]

@indiguus​  tagged me for the Last Line meme

After that day Buck vowed that he would escape Pennsylvania, escape breathing in coal dust, and dying alone with a shovel in his hand.

I tag @agentlemuse @stephmcx @missslothy @tari-aldarion and whomever else wants to play

[ourknbheadcanons-blog]

(1/2) How about a Izuki x fem!S/o in WW2 au? Like maybe she got pregnant just before he was sent to war and didn't get the chance to tell him. But then when he comes back home he doesn't know what to do ...

I want to be sensitive to our awesome military communities so I put it under read more. I hope you enjoy it!

 Izuki looked down at his beautiful wife as she slept in his arms. The fear he had was melting into the night. In the morning he had to report to his CO for his departure. He was in the third battalion to go into the war. He was drafted as a healthy male to serve his country. Now he savored the last hours of his time at home and possibly his life.

Telling his wife was the hardest part. She cried just as hard as he did. Every day he made it the best day ever with his wife. Picnics, museums, and very intimate nights always happened. He sighed and turned over to try and sleep.

Breakfast was quiet for the most part. It consisted of all his favorites ever named. He honestly had no appetite, but he ate anyway. She cooked all of this for him, just for him. He noticed she wiped tears back from time to time. He swallowed his pancake and tried to think of something to make her laugh.

“Oh Honey, that pan you used to cook with was great! I’m sure with so many people buying it there is a real pan-demic out there! I mean you moved and held it like an expert! It was pan-handled! Listen, Honey, I think I know the answer to this one. Let me know what you think. I saw a picture of an unidentified animal wielding a frying pan...it was a pan-ther!”

By now his wife, you, were snickering at him.His jokes were always beyond terrible but today you needed them. You needed him to be himself. You looked into his eyes and mixed with his joy was fear and anxiety. You grabbed his hand, for what could be the last time.

Another hour passed with him telling more jokes and giving you reassurances. You held him for the last 20 minutes until the MP collects him. He kissed your lips with a passion only war could produce. He didn’t want to let you go and of course, you felt the same. This could be the last time you see and felt your sweet husband, A knock on the door indicated the MP showed up. It was officially time for him to leave and serve his country. He kissed you once more and left. The only thing you could do was watch, hope and pray. Hopefully, he comes back to you.

A few weeks after your husband left you kept getting sick in the morning. You didn’t think anything of it and blamed it on anxiety being the cause. The strange things is it continued for weeks. You knew your husband was brave and strong your anxieties were melting away. Why was this symptom here? You were suspicious about your symptoms so you made an appointment with your doctor. She did a routine physical be sure you were fine but she made a prediction about your symptoms.

A week later you received a letter with your health stats and one more something extra. On the last line, it states you were pregnant 4 weeks ago. That means before Shun left you were carrying his baby. A part of you was grateful for this little joy. If your husband never came back at least you would have this little piece of him.

Time went by as your body changed to accommodate your growing child. You opted not to know the sex of your baby. You wanted to know if your developing mother’s intuition was correct or was it an old wives tale. Every letter you received you read to your baby aloud. Upon hearing your reading voice you always got a kick or two when daddy was mention. So many times you wanted to tell Shun about the baby, but you couldn’t have him worry for you. You wanted him to get home so that had to stay his priority.

The night you went into labor was the worse. A storm was outside and a storm was going on inside your body. The pain that went from your lower back and down to your thighs was like nothing you ever felt. It took the ambulance much too long because of the storm. Your baby was being very stubborn and had no intentions of coming out anytime soon.   It’s a good thing the ambulance showed up when it did! They loaded you in and took you to the nearest hospital. Fortunately, your doctor did rounds there and was able to deliver for you.

13 hours later you held your beautiful baby boy. He looked just like his father with his tufts of dark hair and black pearls for eyes. He kept them open while you cooed and named him. Your tears of joy soon turned into sadness. Where was your husband??

“Y-You should be here, Shun…”

You brought your baby home and another 5 months past. You wondered if he was ever coming home. At night it was the worse, but your baby boy made up for it. He was all company you needed if...no, when he returned.

It was lunch time in the Izuki household. Your baby was quite the healthy little eater. He was digging into his spaghetti when a knock was heard at the door. You put your cup down and answered quickly. If it was that vacuum salesman again he was going to get it today! You steeled yourself and opened the door to find your, now, well built husband on the other side of it. You stared at him and he at you. It was like seeing a ghost...a handsome ghost at that.

“S-Shun…?”

“You look more beautiful than the day I left...:”

You walked over and touched his face then pulled at his clothes. Yup, he was here this time. Before you could hug and kiss him your baby started crying. Your mommy instincts were stronger than your wifely. You picked up the baby and gave his large baby head kisses. Izuki noted the distinct sound and followed you after he closed the door. His heart sank after he saw you holding a baby.

“I guess you don’t need me anymore.”

“Huh? Shun, what are you talking about? Of course, we need you!”

“Who is he!? How could do this to me? To us?!”

“Shun, please stop. You’re scaring the baby. What are you talking about?”

“That baby isn’t mine. You weren’t pregnant when I left! I left to protect you and this is the thanks I get?”

“Shun, this is our baby. I didn’t know I was pregnant yet. This is your son! Look at him! He looks just like but not as much hair!”

Izuki looked at the little kid. He did look very familiar, but…

“Our baby?”

“Yes, Shun. I love you with all my heart!I would never do that to you…”

You sniffled and held your baby close. All of the emotions all came out at once. The biggest one was relief. You looked into your husband’s eyes and tried to smile for him.

“Can...I hold him?”

“Of course…”

You gently gave the baby to his father. The little boy frowned and looked the stranger over. He’s never heard or seen this man before. This is going to take awhile. You looked on gently as the two were getting acquainted. All your hopes and dreams of his coming back finally came true.

[theperksofbeingbarbie]

I haven’t posted on in ages but lawd this is good

World War II!AU - Sherlock is from Paris and writes letters to his British Army love, John. cw: holocaust

http://logs.omegle.com/a8e180c330f570ce

[countryole]

“She wore it to every banquet, every dinner, every social or military event. She wore sheer red dresses or bright red scarves or stylish red hats. She had pins and gloves and heels, all in red.

Her husband liked the red, was pleased when she wore it, citing her unswerving loyalty to the regime. He called her his fire: Mein Feuer. He always said it with pride, his arm wrapped around her waist, as if he’d forgotten that fire burned if touched too long. As if he could not see that one day she was going to engulf him, turn him to ash along with the rest, and walk away completely unharmed.

One day.”

Once more, an edit featuring quotes from @takethisnight-wrapitaroundme WWII Alternate Universe for her original characters, which I love dearly and am complete trash for. 

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Wondering if you know of any regency or medieval AUs with letter writing as a primary method of contact/romance building? Sterek would be awesome but anything you can find is greatly appreciated. You guys are the best! ♥♥♥

UGH bb, I LOVE this idea and wish I’d found more for you!  Here’s what I could find, not all are medieval but all are historical.  Hope you like one (or all!  All is good)

Sterek:

With Warmest Regards (Affectionately Yours) by asocialfauxpas (fuzzytomato) 

(5,920 I Mature I Complete)

House Hale and House Stilinski form an alliance through the betrothal of Prince Derek and Prince Stiles. Having only met once before, they write letters to get to know one another.

I’ll Be Seeing You by thepsychicclam 

(81,489 I Explicit I Complete)

In the summer of 1941, with the country on the brink of war, diner waiter Stiles meets Derek Hale, an army soldier just passing through Beacon Hills.

Steter:

If You Want a Partner (Take My Hand) by Maledictum 

(9,291 I Explicit I WIP)

Peter is fifteen years old when he is offered up to solidify the Hale-Stilinski alliance. He’ll need to wait sixteen more before his promised will be of an age to wed.

[xbrokenxdollsx]

Writing the Gruvia!WWII AU and finding out that it’s probably going to be my darkest, mature-set and emotionally traumatizing fanfiction yet .-.

Just always remember that I love my babies very much.

[ensignfinnclifton]

A Separate Peace AU in which Ryan McCoy and Finn Clifton are roomates at Devon Prep School during World War II and are super gay for each other

[biasedwriting]

Nepenthe [VIXX, Leo] ||2||

Part 2 of the Kairos Series

Characters : VIXX’s Leo || OC

WWII au

Inspired by Armand!Leo and Going Solo by Roald Dahl

I am trash, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, but this might be a short series.

Warning : HELLA LONG, also implied sexual relations.

Nepenthe : medicine for sorrow

It smelled like disinfectant. Much too sterile as compared to the filth and rot Taekwoon had gotten used to over several months of training. Did the afterlife really smell like disinfectant?

“He'll make it.” Taekwoon could hear a male voice say “He got bashed up pretty good, but he'll make it. Kwon, go check his bandages out.”

“He looks rather grotesque. It's a little off putting Doctor Lee.” A lady's voice reached his ears as he inhaled deeply, brain still scrambling to figure out what exactly was going on. Was the after-life such a rude place as it was sterile?

“Good lord Kwon, you can’t afford to be choosy,” the Doctor’s voice grumbled “Kim, at least check if he can hear us. He really looks like he’s been bashed up, I’m surprised he’s still breathing.” Taekwoon felt a soft hand grasp at his holding his calloused palm gently as a new voice made acquaintance with his ear which somehow made goosebumps rise on his skin. Her voice was deep for certain, but something about it felt solid enough to grasp and soothed his frazzled senses.

“Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

Her hand was warm and supple, gentle and caring against his calloused ones. Taekwoon squeezed and felt her hand on top of his head, brushing the overgrown hair away, her finger’s meeting with the scalp of his head and the other gently reaching under the fabric of his uniform to test the skin on his stomach.

“He can hear us well enough. No fever caused by an infection. Broken ribs. We’ll need to clean him up and assess for any other internal damage.”

“Efficient as always Kim. Get him in and we’ll handle the rest. You’re in charge of him...since everyone else seems too put off by the bandaged head. ” the other voice came in.

“God Jaehwan, you make me sound terrible.” the initial voice that had called him grotesque grumbled as the person called Kim called back an affirmative as Taekwoon felt himself being wheeled somewhere. He hadn’t let go of the person’s hand, it was the only thing that told him that everything was real and whatever he could smell and hear beyond it was just as real as the hand that was holding his. He could feel the figure close to him, so incredibly warm, disinfectant masking a certain fresh scent lingering underneath.

“I’m Minah, once we assess what the damage is, and you can speak, you can call me that.” her voice was just as grounding as the warmth of her hand. Taekwoon wished he could taste her name on his tongue. But it felt heavy, like a piece of lead in his mouth, so he squeezed her hand in response and heard her let out a laugh. Just like fresh air filling his lungs, her short, soft laugh filled his senses and he held on. He let her take care of his bruised and broken body because he knew she would, he knew she would not let go.

Taekwoon didn’t know he could form a bond of trust with someone simply holding his hand. But here he was, placing his life in hers with the utmost faith that she would make things alright. That she would be the drug that would dull the suffering.

He felt her soul reach out to his to pull him out of the void of darkness. Maybe it was a figment of his imagination, but he felt his body relax to her voice. Things would be alright.

Maybe that's what kept him going through it all. Minah was incredibly patient with him. She fed him with care, changed his clothes without complaint, sat through all the examinations holding his hand because he'd reach out for her. Sound tried to gurgle past his throat, but she'd hush him, ask him to take some time.

“Write on my palm,” she said as his index finger drew across her open palm deftly “Taek...woon, that's your name isn't it?” She said, smoothing his hair back from the heavily bandaged face “they're going to fix your nose tomorrow Taekwoon. Then you'll be able to speak again. They got the best surgeon for you. He said they'd give you a celebrity’s nose. God knows what that means, but we'll be able to get the  bandages off you.” She laughed again, before  sighing “ Now, I have to attend to another patient, so I'm going to give you a dose of the painkillers for your ribs. Try and get some sleep alright?”

He liked that she made it a point to speak to him. That she talked him through everything she did as she injected the painkiller into the intravenous tube. Even in his drug induced drowsy haze Taekwoon tried to imagine what Kim Minah could look like. Would her features be sharp and defined or would they be mellow and pleasant? The pain in his chest dulled into a throbbing somewhere in the distance. What could a person who had given his frazzled senses such instant relief possibly look like?

“Had I know I had such a handsome man in my care I'd have put a barricade around you earlier.All of the nurses want to take care of you now.” Minah sounded amused as she unravelled the bandage around his head a week later. He blinked into the darkness. He had regained his voice, but not his sight.

His voice came out hoarse, shaky without use, his throat parched. Almost instantly a glass was held to his lips as he gulped down the cool water and cleared his throat.

“Thank you.” was the first words that left his lips after two weeks of silence. Minah smiled, setting the glass on the table beside his bed.

“You have Doctor Jaehwan and Wonshik to thank...is there anything you need? Something to eat maybe?  After that considered asking you if you'd like to write a letter home... your family might be worried. If you need me to be your scribe, I can…” she bit her lip, maybe she had said too much. She didn't know how Taekwoon was as a man, but she thought he would like to send a note home “I'm sorry. I probably said too much. We'll take it one step at a time…”

“I would like that.” Taekwoon's voice didn't match his face, but Minah found it incredibly pleasant.

“I'll fetch your lunch and some writing paper then.” He could hear the smile in her voice and the sound of her footsteps leaving the space before returning minutes later with the scent of hospital food and the rustle of crisp paper.

It became routine soon after. In her breaks she would keep him company, feed him, fix his bed, write his letters.Sometimes, when Taekwoon would feel lonely, he’d tell her about his home and she would tell him about her hometown, just so he wouldn’t feel like he was just a person there. Taekwoon was known to be silent, but sometimes, the lack of conversation unnerved him. Especially when all around he could here was sounds of sickness and death mixed with the scent of piss, vomit, and disinfectant.

She’d sit with him through all the follow ups that Doctor Jaehwan conducted. The blindness was temporary, she told him, it was caused by a blood clot. Something that couldn’t be easily dissolved. They’d have to wait for his body to recover before he could do an invasive surgery to fix that problem. Taekwoon found himself placing his hands on his blanket as she scribbled away at his letter to his mother. The question bubbled past his lips.

“Will you be taking care of me till the surgery then?”

He heard her sigh, the rustle of papers being set to the side as she placed her hand on his giving it a gentle squeeze.

“I will take care of you for as long as you want me to Taekwoon.” she said, a moment of silence followed as Taekwoon blindly looked to the side.

“Do you think you could read to me?” he asked, wondering if it was too much to ask for, she felt like the only person who was his friend here and the reading would take his mind off things as they were, provide a short escape from the reality of himself  “that is, if you don’t mind.” He added quickly. The silence he got in response made him worry a little.

“If you don’t mind me reading to you after I get off work. I have no problem reading to you. Is there a specific title you have in mind?” Minah replied, ending the silence between them and Taekwoon smiled. Minah found that his smile was almost stark against the background of the war torn world. But there was a sweetness to it that made her return it, knowing well that he couldn’t see it.

Soon Taekwoon found himself looking forward to the evenings when Minah got off work, wondering what new story she brought with her. She always brought something cheerful, full of hope, set somewhere away from reality. Her voice carried him there, like a steady dream. Sometimes he would ask her to read the news to him, her voice sounded far more soothing than that which crackled through the transistor. She would always make it a point to ask him what he thought of the story and would discuss it with him till he fell asleep.

She was strong enough to lift his body, gentle enough to tend to his every hurt. Taekwoon wondered if he was becoming far too dependent on Kim Minah or whether he craved her company because he had no other. But things cleared up with the Nurse Kwon came in place of Minah. He felt frazzled and awkward as she fixed his pillows and shifted the stand holding his intravenous medication.

“You’re a handsome guy, I feel bad for turning you down when you came in” she stated, as Taekwoon gazed into the distance, lips pressed tightly together “oh, so you’ll only speak to Kim, eh? I see how this is. Well too bad, she had to abandon you because Jaehwan wanted her to assist in a complex surgery.” she grumbled, unaware how uncomfortable he felt. He felt a pang of worry. Would Minah truly abandon him for a new patient? The anxiety that had initially started off as a flicker, burned through his system. His chest hurt, and he wondered whether it was his healing ribs crying out in pain or whether this was what they called heart ache. Other nurses came through the day to fill in for Minah, they were all pleasant with him, sufficiently so. But nothing seemed to ease the ache, nothing seemed to fill the void.

Until he heard her say “I’m sorry I’m late.” every bit of tension had felt building over the day, eased. He heard her footsteps towards his bed and she fixed his pillow just right “I thought you’d be asleep though, it’s rather late.” she whispered. Taekwoon shook his head.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Did the other nurses give you a hard time? Or did you give them a hard time?” Minah asked as she sat down, sounding rather amused as Taekwoon pursed his lips.

“What did you bring to read today?”

“I take that it was the latter. I picked out a short story since it’s late.” she laughed, thumbing the pages of the old book in her hand. Taekwoon sank back into his pillow as he heard the chair next to his bed scrape against the floor as she drew it closer to him. Taekwoon found himself focusing more on her voice than the actual story. There was a certain rhythm to it, rising and falling like a melody. He closed his eyes, savouring it. He could hear the voice lull, as her own eyes drew shut as she leaned forward into his sheets. The exhaustion of the day finally catching up. Taekwoon started at the sudden loss of sound, but the warmth of her skin seeped through the sheets as she rested on his thigh, heavy breaths escaping her as she dozed.

His shaky hand reached out and placed itself on top of her head feeling thick and heavy hair as he smoothed his hand down the thick braid it was twisted into. The strong Kim Minah braided her hair, he noted, filing away the information somewhere in his brain. The same part of his brain formed an image of her. Beautiful, strong, kind, angelic. He smiled, eyes drawing shut again. She had long thick hair too.

Minah was surprised the next day when Taekwoon stopped chewing on the rice she had just fed him and asked “Is it possible for this surgery to go wrong?”

The silence told him that she was thinking and she sighed “it is possible for you to permanently lose your sight, yes.”

“Can you describe yourself to me?”

He heard the sound of hesitance at the back of her throat followed by the sound of her setting the bowl on the bedside table.

“I’m no good with words.” Minah sighed “ So asking me to describe myself to you would be of no use. Instead, you’ll need to learn a skill. If you do lose your sight forever, you’ll need to depend on your other senses.” she said, her hands reaching out to grasp at his wrists and placing it on her face. Taekwoon gulped, feeling how soft her skin felt under his fingers. Her face was rounded under his touch. It moved when she whispered “draw a mental image of me, use your hands.” His fingers trailed over the flesh, feeling high cheekbones under her round cheeks, her eyelashes tickled the tips of his fingers as they trailed down the bridge of her nose. His thumb trailed over the swell of her lower lip which puckered under his touch.

“You’re just as beautiful as I thought you would be.” it slipped past his lips almost inadvertently, yet he meant every word. Her lips twitched upwards under his thumb.

“You know my favourite part of you, Taekwoon?” she deflected “you say things with such conviction,” she said, brushing his hair off his forehead “and I really love this birthmark. Right under your eye.” she said, her finger grazing right over the spot gently.

“You’re the first person I want to see when I get my sight back.” Taekwoon said as Minah looked at him fondly.

“Why is that?”

“Because you saved me.”

“You’re too nice to me Taekwoon. The doctors saved you.” Minah laughed, amused. Taekwoon’s hand dropped from her face, reaching to grab hold of her hand.

“This hand held me through the whole thing. I want to see the person who made this suffering dull.”

Gently pulling her hand away, she linked her pinky to his.

“I promise, I’ll be the first person you see when you wake up after the surgery. If you cannot see, I will still be the first person you hear and touch. You have my word.” she said with conviction that Taekwoon pulled her hand against his chest.

“Cross your heart and swear to die.”

“I cross my heart and swear to die,” she laughed as she leaned over to hug him. The fresh scent that clung to her filled his senses. He pressed his forehead against her shoulder, their linked hands between their chests “ I promise I won’t let go.”

He lifted their hands to his lips and sealed the promise with a kiss.

Taekwoon wondered about the gravity of their friendship. Minah had left to attend to another patient and Taekwoon could already feel his heart hurting. This was definitely not pain in his ribs. Minah not being around was causing heartache and Taekwoon, the ever guarded Taekwoon, wondered whether this was love. To find every second with her precious, to feel like she brought value to his life. To find that she was the only light he wanted to see. That he felt so safe in her presence even if there was a war being fought around them.

Maybe this was the new meaning of love in the face of war. It wasn’t just attraction. It was feeling safe in the face of anything. It was trust beyond words. It was friendship, care, and love. Minah gave him all of these and he hoped, beyond all hope that he made her feel the same way.

But Taekwoon never rushed into action. He always mulled over his thoughts, refining them until he was sure of everything. The war had changed his life even before he could take part in it, it had taken away so much, but it had also given him a new meaning of love. Maybe it didn’t count for much in magnitude, but it did count for something very valuable and that meant enough to Taekwoon.

What if this was just a utopia contained in the small space assigned to him in the hospital? he wondered. Because that was all he seemed to be doing now that the pain in his ribs had subsided, he was recovering quickly. What if this would all just be a memory after he leaves the hospital, with or without his sight. But he realized, as he fiddled with the sheets that covered him, that it was no point to constantly puzzle over something he would not know the answer to unless he asked.

“Minah,” he began as she drew the curtain around his bed, she hummed, acknowledging his call

“Your surgery is tomorrow, are you feeling alright?” she asked as she set the basin down on his bedside table.

“I wanted to talk about something.” he said, feeling the bed sink as she sat down in front of him, reaching to unbutton the robe they had clothed him in. This was a daily routine, but she slowed down her pace almost as an indication that he should speak.

“What’s wrong Taekwoon? Are you worried about the surgery?” she asked, hands sliding the robe off his shoulders, checking his skin for any signs of infection, fever, or bruising. Taekwoon wondered what would be the best way to address the person in front of him.

The warm sponge in her hand went over his long legs, cooling it while cleaning it. She shifted, knowing he was grappling with something and was trying his best to articulate it. Running the sponge over his skin, she wondered what would happen when Taekwoon would leave this hospital. The care and love he showed for her would simply be a memory of a friend he had made back when he was fighting the war. What if he didn’t make it? She worried, what if the man she had grown to love would not see the other side of the war?

“Would it be too selfish of me to say that I want to see you even after I’m better? Wanting to be a part of your life even after I leave the hospital?” he said feeling the cool sponge which had been travelling down his arm pause. It slid back up his arm and over his shoulder. Circling the smooth rounded surface of skin, Minah bit down on her lip.

“No. It would not be selfish. I would like that too.”

“Even if it means writing you letters every week?”

“Of course. I will write back to you as well.” she laughed,  sponge going behind his neck as she carefully maneuvered him forward, exposing his back to her. She gazed at the broad expanse of unmarred skin wondering where he was going with this conversation.

“What if at the end of the war, I come here with a ring for you?” he mumbled as she froze, sponge still in her hand.

“Are you proposing to me, Jung Taekwoon?” she asked, sounding a little incredulous as Taekwoon smiled into his lap as the sponge travelled down the dip of his spine shakily.

“I’m telling you I love you.” He said, looking up now, knowing that she’s sitting behind him. “If you will have me. Broken, bruised, and possibly blind.”

Yet again he was met with silence. For a moment, he thought he had ruined whatever they had between them. But her arms wrapped around his waist and her head rested against his back as she nodded into it. A shiver ran down his spine when he felt her figure against his, warm and soft. His hands reached to hers and he pressed fervent kisses on them, trailing down her wrist, only letting go as he felt her lips against the base of his neck, trailing kisses down his spine, whispering promises into his skin.

“I will love you, whether you’re bruised, broken, blind, whatever it may be. As long as you’ll keep me and have me.”

“Minah,” he whispered, skin burning under her kisses “Minah come closer to me.” he called, as her skin left his tingling and empty for a few moments before he felt her settle closer to him, forehead resting against his, their breaths mingling. Her hand caught hold of his and guided it to her face as he instinctively cupped her cheek, pulling her close to press his lips against the side of her mouth. She turned, ever so slightly, and he revelled at how soft her lips felt against his. He pressed a kiss against her lips, before placing another and realizing how addictive it was, kissing her. It was almost like he had found an oasis in the middle of a desert and he drank her in, chaste kiss deepening as his tongue trailed over the swell of her lip and he could hear the sigh at the back of her throat as her lips parted and her tongue met his. Her fingers gently tangled themselves in his hair.

She felt his hands trail down her side, gripping, sensing and feeling, as his fists bunched at the pristine white of her uniform. It was almost a relief, kissing him. She felt like she had waited for this her entire life, and now, kissing Taekwoon made her heart want to explode just like the explosion of spots before her eyes. It was almost like they had waited for too long for this to happen. This wonderous moment where their bodies met, the moment where they stopped toeing the line between friendship and love and dove headfirst into the latter.

His lips chased hers hungrily, he would consume her whole and she didn’t mind at all. She wanted him to, she wanted him to take her soul and meld it with his and the heat of his touches going under the fabric of her uniform and dancing over her skin made it feel like it was entirely possible. He groaned softly when her lips met the column of his neck spreading heat with her hands. His own shakily wandering over her bare skin, trying to bare her soul to him, trying to memorize every inch of it so he could burn it into his memory.

The night before Taekwoon’s surgery, they made love for the first time, stumbling in their own darknesses, reaching for each other feverishly, falling asleep under the same sheets with their arms around each other.

Previous 

[matrixaffiliate]

Glimpsing Happiness

Co-written with @hufflepuffmarlenemckinnon

FFN and AO3

Chapter 14

Some people might have found it hard to believe that Sirius Black had ever been personally acquainted with the concept of human emotion. It was by design, really. He'd protected himself by a front of carelessness and rebellion. It worked. He was safe behind his mask. But that didn't mean it was who he really wanted to be.

The gift of clarity about who he really wanted to be came packaged in a frankly atrocious giftwrap of war and blindness. But he knew, he wanted to be the person who everyone important seemed to believe he already was. It was a strangely freeing realization to have as Marlene clung to him sobbing after committing an act of valor that Sirius would probably still be in awe of if he lived to be 100. If he could be the man Marlene went to for comfort, the brother who James had come back to alive, and the cousin who Andromeda burst into a quarantine ward for, but for another 76 years or so, he would have succeeded in everything he ever really wanted.

He turned his head slightly towards the little spitfire in his arms. He'd never thought he'd kiss the top of a war hero's head, but he lucked into the opportunity. He felt an errant curl that must have escaped from her veil, tickle his nose. He hadn't known that he was capable of loving someone so completely. He must've lucked into that as well. The smile that took hold on his face felt poorly timed but he couldn't stop thinking about how damned lucky he was. He didn't even care if he never regained his sight. He'd still be lucky to be the blind wanker who got to love Marlene McKinnon.

"Marlene… I've never seen anything like what you did. I mean… I still haven't, but…" He smirked at his own joke.

"Really? A blindness pun? Now?" He could hear the beginnings of a smile. How was it possible to know someone is radiantly beautiful without the benefit of sight? He didn't even understand it himself but he knew.

"You know me well enough by now to know there is no bad time for a blindness pun. And I know you well enough to know that you're bloody incredible. I don't think I have the words for this…" He pulled her closer, that seemed to be all he could do. He wanted desperately to put his lips to hers. To show her how impressed he really was, how he really felt about her, but he knew she wouldn't thank him for making more of a spectacle than they already were as he held her on his cot.

"So, you're so impressed that you just had to make a pun?" Ah, she was laughing now. That was good; she needed more laughter, specifically laughter caused by his awfully good puns.

"I guess that's one way to interpret that. Yes. I hope you like puns because I'm never going to stop being impressed with you."

It occurred to Sirius, that not since the Napoleonic Wars had there been a Frenchman on British soil as unwelcome as the five present in the room at that moment. He sighed in resignation. Someday he'd get the opportunity to kiss the skin on her neck and run his hands over her soft curves and…

"It's not their fault, Sirius." She sighed and pulled her head from his shoulder. "Besides, it's time for me to go back to work."

"Was I thinking that loudly?"

"Yes." She ran a hand along his very scruffy face. He hoped she wasn't terribly fond of his beard; they'd make him shave it off once he could see. "Subtlety is not your strong suit, Captain Black."

She was right. He was very conspicuously arse over elbow in love. But there were worse things to be. It was nearly painful to feel her pull away from him.

"I'll miss you." tumbled out of his mouth before he could think the comment through. But it was true, and she may as well hear him say it.

"Not like I'll miss you." There was a sadness to her voice. He wasn't sure what it meant or if she was just exhausted to the bone. She squeezed his hand one last time and then she was gone.

The day still felt like half a dream. He hadn't been paying close mind to who came and went since Marlene had left. So he was somewhat taken aback when a small childish voice called out for his attention.

"Cousin Sirius! Mummy says you look like a vagrant. But I think you look rather happier than a vagrant."

"Thank you for that, Cousin Dora." Sirius laughed as the little girl threw herself across him in a rather dramatic hug. "Did you bring your mummy with you or wander up here by yourself?"

"Well I must say it's easier getting in now. They may have tried to offer me a job? I couldn't quite make out what the man was saying. He was excessively Northern, you know. He may have been asking for gardening advice? It's hard to say. Anyhow, he seemed glad that I was here." He heard Andromeda take a seat in the chair near his cot. He wondered if that chair was more comfortable than the one in the last room he was in. Not that Marlene bothered to sit in this new chair when she came to see him.

"I'm glad you're here too, Dromsy. But who on earth would look at you and ask for gardening advice?"

"I could garden if I wanted." Sirius could perfectly picture Droms pulling herself erect and her looking down his nose at him. He loved making her do that. "I've walked in many a garden in my day. The gardens here are lovely, actually. Do you fancy a walk in them?"

"If you lead me round like a seeing eye dog that sounds brilliant." He envied the patients that could walk about the gardens. The night nurse had had a moment to walk him around the hospital once because most of the patients were asleep, but Marlene was still running faster than a road runner, and it wasn't really worth walking around without her.

"I can be a seeing eye dog Cousin Sirius!" Dora's chirpy little voice, and her enthusiasm about a rather unglamorous sounding task, amused Sirius greatly. She was a good kid. When he stood up he felt her tiny hand take hold of his and start pulling. He followed his seeing-eye cousin happily, and heard the click of Andromeda's beside him.

He was immediately struck by the change in air quality when they made their way out of the doors. Five weeks had been enough for him to become almost used to the smell. The French certainly didn't help matters in that department.

The area where his cousin lead him smelled intensely refreshing. It was also very bright out here and he could… see that? Huh. He could see that.

He'd been able to tell light from dark for a decent stretch of time but this seemed different. It wasn't really like seeing, but there were different colors? Holy shite he could see colors!

"Droms! I can see colors!" He spun to where he thought she was, pulling poor Dora with him.

"What's that now?"

"Colors! I can see that there's grass! And sky! And you're a lovely brownish amorphous blob."

He was practically jumping out of his skin with excitement. He was still unable to see the shape of his own hand in front of his face but this was a massive improvement.

"What color am I Cousin Sirius?" Dora pulled on his hand.

"A beautiful little blob of brown!"

He ruffled little Dora's hair and then threw his arms around Dromsy's shoulders. She wasn't much of a hugger. The family's enforcement of stoicism had stuck to her more than it managed with him. But he liked to think she was at least smiling while she stood rigidly and let herself be hugged.

"I'm glad for you Coz, and I love you, but you just called me an amorphous blob and now you're squeezing me. Please stop?"

He let her loose from his embrace and chuckled. She was exactly what happened when someone is exactly the person they were taught to be, except that they're kind and loving on top of that. She was a proper lady through and through but it hadn't stopped her from marrying Dora's commoner father. He wondered what Ted thought of Dromsy's investment in the importance of fork placement.

That made him think of another matter.

"Droms do you have Grandmother Irma's jewelry? Uncle Alfie kept it. I hadn't thought of it until now, but I do hope my mother didn't get her hands on it."

"You have sudden interest in wearing our late gran's brooches, Baby Coz?"

He could hear her eyebrows rising. It was there in her voice. She had a suspicion, and it wasn't that he'd taken to wearing ladies jewelry. Sirius answered back without missing a beat.

"No, I was thinking of the tiara."

Dora's giggle came exactly on cue. "You'll be positively lovely Cousin Sirius."

"Thank you, Dora. You're such a kind seeing eye dog."

"To answer your question," she cleared her throat, "I don't have it myself but I can make some inquiries if you'd like."

"Thank you Dromsy. You're a gem."

"Yes yes, I know. I'm like the big one in the center of grandmother's tiara."

Was it possible to hear an eye roll? Andromeda Tonks either had a very loud face, or her face was the easiest to hear because he'd grown up with her eyerolls and her smiles that she thought she was hiding.

"You're the one at the center of the queen mums. Honking huge diamond that you can pry from her cold dead hands. That's you to me." He inflicted his cousin with another tight hug and knew that the sigh he heard was hiding a smile.

[whats-been-lost]

WWII AU headcanons

So Break dies saving Reim's life, right before he's supposed to go home. This being the case, Sharon never received one of those, 'hes dead jim' letters, and doesn't know Break is dead.

Reim gets back home, and has to explain it to her. He sits down and tells her how much  of a hero he was, and how she should be proud of him.

He also has a letter that Break had written to Sharon with the intention of giving it to her when he got back. Of course, he never got the chance, so Reim had to do it in his stead. It was filled with silly little awkward Break things that subtly explain how much he really did care for her.

I kinda wanna write that letter. I think I will...

[matrixaffiliate]

Glimpsing Happiness

Co-written with @hufflepuffmarlenemckinnon

FFN and AO3

Chapter 17

The past six weeks had involved a lot of sitting and waiting. It couldn’t be helped. That was the nature of the beast, so to speak. He had managed a certain degree of patience through the whole thing, until three days prior. The doctor’s visit that day had pushed him over the edge.

The modest improvements in sight were exciting, of course. It was a good sign when he started to see colors and then vaguely outlined shapes. But it didn’t become real until the day a specialist came in with all manner of tests and came to the conclusion that his current vision could be corrected to a functioning level with strong prescription glasses.

Of course, that news came with the expectation that he’d be sent to Europe, but it seemed there was some sort of regulation that he didn't quite meet. But he was told he’d still be of use to the army.

Translators were needed in London, to interpret German radio transmissions. Sirius, by virtue of his family background, spoke German from the nursery. Like it or not, German was his mother tongue. As much as he’d wanted to erase and forget everything German about himself, he was glad that some good might come of it. It would be poetic justice if he could use the tools his parents imparted on him to fight against the evil that they supported. His mother would be disgusted. That was always a nice bonus.

The three days he waited to have his sight handed back to him were some of the most restless days of his 25 years on this earth. He was on edge every minute. He’d gone over in his head every possible way it could go, and quite a few scenarios that were entirely impossible. Waiting was hell. Luckily, Hell’s secretary was good company.

She was over-worked and worn down, but the moments that he got to spend with her were like a cooling salve on the burning suspense that had taken over his thoughts almost entirely. When he told her that he’d be in London she didn’t react like he’d imagined. Perhaps she couldn’t be happy about his leaving at all, and he could understand the sadness in not being able to be together and have those treasured moments every day. But he also saw the other side of things. Once he was no longer a patient there was the opportunity to be together properly and in the open. He wanted to do things right. She deserved that. She deserved so much.

It just so happened that while he was daydreaming of her, he heard the door latch followed by her footsteps he looked up and saw the golden color of her hair mixed with the gray of her veil.

“Sunshine.”

“Captain.” he could hear the smile in her voice as she made her show of an effort at propriety.

“I was just thinking of you.” He didn’t even try to keep the stupid smile off his face. She must have been well aware of what she’d done to him.

“I’ve been tasked with delivering something to you.” Her tone was sing-song and gave away her uncharacteristic excitement. She hadn’t managed the energy to be excited much recently, but for this, it was different.

She got to be the first sight he took in with the glasses she placed carefully into his hand.

He hadn’t expected that she’d manage this. But he knew for certain he didn’t want this experience to play out in front of the still very unwelcome audience of Frenchmen. Luckily he was pretty good at thinking on the fly.

“Sister Marlene, can I ask a favor?” He used her proper form of address so as to be especially clear about the show he was putting on.

“Have I not done enough for you, Captain Black?” She was laughing at him, and the sound was music to his ears.

“I’m afraid not. I was hoping you’d come with me outside to the grounds? I thought that I’d like for the first sight I take in to be out in the daylight and slightly less… French.” The drop in his voice at the end of his sentence served to make sure she understood exactly what he was hoping for when he said he wanted to go out onto the grounds.

He heard the little breath of laughter that Marlene failed to hold in. He was pretty pleased with himself. He was pretty pleased in general, as Marlene took him by the hand and started leading him out.

When the fresh air of the outside hit him he heard her whisper. “I’m fairly certain you’re going to be the death of me, Sirius.”

“I just want a chance to fully appreciate you. You wouldn’t deny me that, would you?” He doubted he would ever be able to appreciate her fully enough for his liking. Not even if he had an eternity to do so.

“I have doubts that I’ll live up to whatever it is you’ve built up in your head, but we’re outside, and alone I might add, so you should go on ahead.” She let loose her grip on his hand.

“Marlene you can’t really think that. You know how I feel about you.”

“I do?” There was something to her voice that was off. Did she not know?

“Really?” He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I thought I was the blind one here. I love you. I love you so much that there is nothing those glasses could show me that would make me think you’re anything less than perfect. Did I really have to say all that? I’ve been thinking it very loudly for weeks.”

It was quiet for a beat, and then her soft hands were pulling his face down to her and her lips brushed against his for the briefest moment, but that moment seemed to last forever. When she pulled back, her choked voice whispered against him.

“I love you.” And she slid his glasses on his face.

His heart felt like it did a flip inside of his chest and the world came into view for the first time in six weeks. Or possibly the first time ever.

The woman he’d fallen in love with stood right there, looking up at him with blue eyes like he’d never seen before. Bright blue like a clear sky. He could get lost in them. Her veil covered most of her blonde hair, and tentatively he pulled it back, releasing her golden curls into the sunlight. She was beautiful! He had to wonder if he’d inadvertently triggered some sort of ancient good luck spell. Because this was really just too much to have happened by chance. He brought a hand up to her pinkish cheeks as he took in the sort of glowing beauty that would have brought him to his knees even before all this. She was exactly as radiant as the Sunshine.

“There’s my Sunshine.”

His gaze dropped to her lips and he knew he’d made the right call, doing this in relative privacy. Seeing those pouty lips and not kissing them would have been next to impossible. But between the giant elm trees on what looked like massive grounds, he needn’t be cautious.

He looked back to her gorgeous blue eyes just before he went in for a kiss so sweet that he could hardly bear it. He had to break away and look at her again. Having vision never seemed all that amazing until he’d parted with it, but now he was certain that he’d never take it for granted. He was going to really enjoy looking at Marlene for the rest of his life.

Sirius was never good about planning his words. It was a real chore to have to wait for Andromeda to hunt down Grandmother Irma’s jewelry. He’d really hoped that he’d have it so he could make it official as soon as he no longer looked like an unusually happy vagrant. But he stayed his will and went against his natural tendency to let his heart lead. His head knew that he only got one chance to propose and Marlene deserved better than to look back all her life on promising her hand in marriage to a newly bespectacled vagrant with no ring.

So he just stared at her smiling like an idiot until it occurred to him that she… had tears forming in her eyes? They didn’t look like happy tears?

“You’ve been working so hard. Is there anything I can do? These tears are breaking my heart.”

She leaned her head into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand over her curls. She was sadder than he could understand. Something was happening that she wasn’t telling him about. He wanted to fix it for her, whatever it was, but he knew not everything was so simple. He’d need to be patient and wait for her to decide to open up to him. He’d be there for her when she did.

He kissed the top of her head gently. He would be there for her always. No matter what.