#after that he start eating correctly which mean eat the meat and leave the rest tbh đ BFJSBXBD
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
I made mini hamburgers for Puppyâs birthday !
#i wanted to post a video but It wonât let me đ#maybe later but if you wanna see this I post one in my Instagram story !#i wanted to make him something special he could eat safely for what could be his last bday (cause he wasnât even suppose to get there đ)#we bought him nature greek yogurt and strawberry to make him a lil dessert đ„°#i would have make him a pupcakes or cookies but last time he did he wouldnât eat them more than a bite đ cjbdjdbd#i had to cut it in little piece he absolutely had no idea how to eat it (he mostly wanted the meat letâs be honest)#after that he start eating correctly which mean eat the meat and leave the rest tbh đ BFJSBXBD#but he ate a little of everything !#alex.txt#Puppyđ¶
0 notes
Text
haha, what if we kissed? (lol jk... unless?)
fact! youâre secretly in love with your best friend, and so is he!
pairing :: zhong chenle x reader genre :: fluff / best friend, buzzfeed worth it au word count :: 5,072 words warnings :: none playlist :: sunny afternoon (red velvet) â about love (marina) â all about you (nct u) â love (x lovers) â bella notte (f. murray abraham & arturo castro) authorâs note :: i literally just finished writing the rest of this in my meetings today and am posting during my lunchbreak, but happy (1 day late) birthday, chenle sweetheart!! ⥠Ⳡpart of the not clickbait series.
âHello, and welcome back to another episode of Dream: Worth It!â
Chenle shouts loudly from the driverâs seat, waving excitedly at the camera attached to the dashboard as he waits for the traffic light to turn green. You visibly flinch in your spot on the passenger's side, startled by the sudden greeting, and even Jisung jumps in the backseat, almost dropping the camcorder he was fiddling with.
Your best friend continues to give the camera a dazzling smile, paying no attention to your and Jisungâs brief glares. âToday on Worth It, thanks to a fanâs suggestion, weâll be trying out three different spaghetti dishes at three drastically different price points to find out which one is most worth it at its price!â
âYes,â you chime in, nodding excitedly at the camera and giving a little wave. âSo if you want to see another riveting episode of Chenle and Jisung going on three dates at three drastically different price points while I third wheel again, please stay tuned!â
âHey!â
Both the boys wildly protest, but you blatantly ignore them, checking your phone quickly before beaming at the camera again. âSo hereâs our first spaghetti fact! The word âspaghettiâ is actually the plural version of spaghetto. Spaghetto comes from the Italian word spago, which means twine or thin string.â
âWait, that actually makes sense. Spaghetti looks like thin strings,â Chenle says, eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
âYeah, basically every language makes sense, except for English,â you remark, setting your phone down in your lap before turning to your best friend. âSo are you excited for this episodeâs dish?â
âYes! Shout out to Moony for your suggestion,â Chenle calls out, driving forward before making a right. âIf anyone else has any suggestions for future videos, please feel free to comment below.â
You start to explain the first restaurant to your viewers. âOur first stop is called Legalize Marinara! Itâs a small hole in the wall place in downtown LA, and fresh pasta is made everyday. Weâll be talking to the owner and chef Johnny Suh about the daily process.â
âAnd cut!â Jisung calls out, and you stop there, pressing the off button to end the recording. Later on, the three of you will have to work on snipping up the recordings to create a smooth transition from there to a shot of Johnny and his restaurant before jumping into your quick interview with him.
You quickly scroll through the questions you had written ahead of time to ask Johnny on your phone, mouthing the words and memorizing them. You were always the one who asked about the history of the restaurant because Chenle wasnât as good with the more sentimental questions and preferred the light hearted ones about the food specifically, which you didnât mind. As long as you get to try good food at the end of it, youâre one very happy, very stuffed camper. You are very much looking forward to visiting Legalize Marinara.
ââand thatâs how the pasta is freshly made everyday in the morning.â Johnny finishes up, giving the camera a very charismatic smile and a wink. âWe also have a special brew of coffee created by my dad, but thatâs a story for another episode. Iâll bring out the spaghetti once itâs ready.â
You and Chenle thank him before going over to sit at one of the small metal tables near the entrance. The place had a sort of modern, yet retro feel to it with an eclectic mix of vintage, kitschy furniture adding pops of color here and there to the otherwise simple space with a neutral palette. The name of the restaurant flashes as a neon sign, serving as the main wall decor along with records scattered here and there on the wall as well.
Jisung stands across from the two of you, propping the large camera on his shoulder in preparation. You and Chenle both take a sip of the special coffee drinks Johnny prepared for you each on the house, pleasantly surprised by the crisp, refreshing taste your taste buds are immediately hit with. Johnny appears minutes later, a pretty plate of simple spaghetti and meatballs along with some Parmesan and garnish on top in hand.
âHereâs our most popular dish: spaghetti with meatballs!â he announces, placing the plate in front of you both carefully. âItâs a simple tomato sauce, but itâs made with organic, local ingredients that we get from the farmerâs market every morning. We get the fresh meat from the butcher down the block everyday to make the meatballs and buy the cheese from local sellers as well. We also add the secret spice mixture created by my mom to the meatballs, which gives it a distinct flavor from other restaurants. Please dig in, guys!â
You immediately swirl your fork into the plate of spaghetti. It looks and smells absolutely fantastic, and your mouth is already watering. You cannot believe that this only costs thirteen dollars. This is an absolute steal. You are just about to take a bite whenâ
âWait! We didnât do a âcheersâ yet!â Chenle exclaims, sticking out his fork towards you. You clink your fork against his own metal utensil, and heâs finally satisfied, retracting his arm. Finally, you take the much anticipated bite. The flavors absolutely explode in your mouth, and youâre already reaching out to take a second forkful of the delicious masterpiece.
âThis is amazing,â you declare, and Chenle nods enthusiastically, spearing a meatball with his fork. Jisung briefly pans the camera over to Johnny, who shows a double thumbs up before doing finger guns and giving an exaggerated wink.
âHere, try this.â Chenle cuts a piece of the meatball and offers it to you. You reach out for it, but he pulls back, smiling widely and eyes sparkling. âNuh uh, thatâs too easy. Say ah, Y/N.â
âIââ Your cheeks grow warmer than ever, and his grin grows broader, wriggling the fork in front of you. Face burning, you move forward and take a bite. You can hear Jisung fake gagging behind the camera and very much would like to flip him the bird, but you are a professional. Youâll get him back for that later. After all, revenge is a dish best served piping hot and spicy, and you have some Carolina reapers leftover from another video that may accidentally find its way into Jisungâs ramen next time.
You and Chenle spend some more time describing the dish in between bites as Johnny pipes in here and there with some well placed dad jokes that has Jisung shaking his head behind the camera. By the end of it, you both are very happy, and you switch places with Jisung who has a chance to try out the pasta himself at last. He silently eats it before tossing a thumbs up at the camera, and you stop the recording there. After thanking Johnny once more before the three of you leave, you all pile into your car and get ready to go to the next stop.
Up next: Penne for your Thoughts.
âCan we stop here?â Jisung pipes up, peering out the window with interest. His eyes scan the surroundings, peering at the empty space and the wide stairs in front of the spiraling columns of a grand building.
You furrow your eyebrows, glancing at your friend in the backseat. âWeâre still a couple blocks away from the restaurant though.â
âThis looks like a good spot to film a dance,â he muses to himself before sitting up straighter. âCan we take a quick break? Weâre still early, and I wanted to film a quick TikTok before the sun sets.â
You look over at Chenle, who shrugs and pulls over. He backs up into an available parking space, parallel parking smoothly, one hand gripping the back of your seat and the other on the steering wheel. âAlright, do your thing, Jisungie.â
Jisung excitedly hops out from the back. You and Chenle follow suit, locking the car behind you. Your friend is busy setting up his collapsible tripod before placing his phone on it and calling over to you, âHey, can you stand in front, Y/N? I wanna angle this correctly and check the lighting.â
You move in front of his phone, standing several steps in front of the stairs. Jisung fiddles around with his phone for a few moments, switching up some of the settings and zoom functions before straightening up, eyes bright. âOkay, stay there to mark the spot! Iâm gonna press the start button to record. Chenle, can I borrow your phone? I need to play the song for the dance.â
Chenle hands him his phone, and the familiar intro to Doja Catâs âSay Soâ begins to blast on top volume. Jisung hands it back to its owner and hurriedly moves to stand in front of his own recording phone as you step aside. âI kinda also need you two in my TikTok.â
âWait, what? I donât know the dance,â you protest, starting to back out, but Jisung grabs your hand, pulling you into view, as Chenle bounces over with a shrug of his shoulders, never one to shy away from the camera.
âYou donât need to dance. I just need you both to uh, kiss my cheek on, um, both sides when I tap on them both. It should be the fourth time she says âsay soâ in the song,â he stammers slightly, face turning slightly pink. He avoids making eye contact as you give him a suspicious look, crossing your arms over your chest.
âWhat? Why?â
âItâs part of the dance! Now get out of the shot please because the chorus is finally coming up again!â He unceremoniously shoves you out of the frame, and Chenle quickly catches you before you faceplant into the ground. You have a few choice words to yell at your friend and are about to furiously march over to him, but Chenle tightens his grip on you. âLetâs just let him finish, and we can go on. You know how he is about dancing.â
âIâm paying Renjun to put another cockroach picture as his lockscreen again,â you huff, frowning at the dancing boy. âWhy didnât you say anything about the whole kissing request anyway?â
âEh, Iâve done it before. Itâs no big deal.â Chenle shrugs, and you start to stutter, brain malfunctioning, âWait, you did whaââ
âOh, itâs almost our cue!â Chenle pushes you towards Jisung as he runs behind the camera to the other side, and you find yourself stumbling for a second time before catching yourself. Grumbling to yourself, you catch Chenleâs apologetic expression, and you sigh, shaking your head as you wait on the sidelines for Jisung to do the move.
And there it is.
Jisung points at his cheeks, tapping them on both sides, and you and Chenle jump into the frame. You lean forward, pressing your lips softly againstâ wait.
Eyes widening, you jump back in shock, mouth popping open, and the same reaction comes from your best friend when you two realize that you just kissed each other. On the lips.
Crouched on the ground, Jisung looks rather smug after quickly dropping down mid-dance and orchestrating the whole incident. He quickly stands up, striding towards the camera and ending the recording, before efficiently packing up the equipment and walking back to the car without another word.
âDid we justââ you splutter, unable to continue your sentence, as your face grows increasingly warm. Chenle refuses to make eye contact with you, the darkening blush spreading across his face like wildfire. The two of you both direct your disbelief at the same target, rushing over to the car which he boredly stands next to, waiting for Chenle to unlock it.
âJisung!â You both shout his name, and he just stares at you both, a small grin across his face that he struggles to hide. âWhat?â
ââWhat?â Thatâs it? What was that?! Why did you do that?â you exclaim, waving your arms around. Chenle is rendered speechless, unable to say anything after the quick outburst of his other best friendâs name.
âI was tired of listening to Cheâmmph!â Jisung is abruptly cut off as Chenle throws his hand over his friendâs mouth, effectively interrupting whatever he was about to say. The two of them silently look at each other, maintaining some sort of telepathic stare thatâs probably discussed in the universal book of the bro code. Youâve seen Jaemin and Jeno or Renjun and Donghyuck share the same look before and never really understood it. To be honest, it kind of reminds you of that one moment where the main characters of a chick flick gaze into each othersâ eyes and then kiss.
The sound of a text notification cuts off your train of thought and breaks the intense stare down going between the two boys, and you check your phone, eyes widening. âOh my god, weâre going to be late if we donât go now! Taeyong just texted me to confirm if weâre coming.â
The three of you hurry into the car, buckling up in your seats. Your hand lightly grazes Chenleâs amidst the rush, and you freeze. You look up, heat spreading across your face, as Chenle meets your gaze, turning redder than spaghetti sauce.
âAlright, you can continue this moment at the restaurant,â Jisung says loudly, jolting the two of you out of your stupor. You quickly retract your hand, mumbling a quick apology, and look away, cheeks still growing warmer than ever. Chenle awkwardly clears his throat and starts the car up, driving to your second stop on the map.
Penne for your Thoughts is simply lovely. It reminds you of a place you would see on the shiny cover of Architecture Digest: a hot spot where all those social influencers would take aesthetic snapshots and post to their Instagrams. The restaurant is quaint and spacious: a large area filled with lots of greenery, hanging plants in simple white ceramic pots, white painted brick walls, and wooden tables with soft cushions on each seat. Once you wrap up the interview with Taeyong, you are seated next to an open window with a great view of a pretty koi pond in the back.
âWe serve Korean fusion style food here, and our spaghetti has a freshly made tomato sauce that includes chopped kimchi infused in it. We found that using garlic marinated pork belly makes a more flavorful meatball, which we char slightly, paying homage to the wonderful KBBQ samgyeopsal. We also found that a raw egg yolk on top adds a richness to the pasta, which is similar to a bowl of bibimbap. And thereâs some grated Parmesan and mozzarella on top.â Taeyong sets the plate of gorgeous spaghetti in front of you and Chenle with a shy smile. âI hope you both enjoy it.â
You donât know how else to describe the dish, except that it is beautiful (Just like the restaurant owner, like have you seen his face? Lee Taeyong is the true modern day Adonis, but you digress). You swear you saw Chenle wipe a tear from his face out of the corner of your eye. Practically salivating, you impatiently wait for Jisung to take a few close up videos and pictures of the dish before you immediately dig in.
Fork awkwardly hovering in the air, you pause, turning to Chenle. âUh, cheers?â
His own loaded fork is halfway to his mouth when he halts. âOh! Right. Yes. Um, cheers, Y/N.â
The two of you stiffly tap your forks against each other before facing forward again and finally taking the much desired bite. The flavors are bursting like fireworks, and if someone told you that you had died and gone to heaven, you would believe them because thereâs no other word to explain the taste other than heavenly. Dante had many circles leading to the center of hell. If you are to apply the same concept to heaven, Legalize Marinara would be the first circle you enter once you go past the pearly gates, and Penne for your Thoughts would most definitely be the second.
The clinking of Chenleâs fork against the plate breaks you from your thoughts, and your good mood falters when you remember the incident again. You plaster a quick smile as you begin to describe the dish to the camera. Chenle chimes in with a wide smile of his own that looks a little too forced, but the only one who seems to notice is you.
Once the recording is wrapped up, Chenle drops you off at your apartment building for you to change into a more dressier attire for the last stop. He and Jisung will change at their place before coming back to pick you up for dinner.
Up next: Terrazza San Valentino.
The place is positively breathtaking. It is an upscale restaurant with open seating on a terrace, leading to a beautiful view of the ocean. Wisteria vines and bright flowers weave their way through the twisting low iron fences encompassing the space as they climb the sides of the building. You have the perfect seat to witness the picturesque sunset over the rippling waters. A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon had been brought out and now rests on the covered table, uncorked and already poured out into two glasses. It very much reminds you of the beautiful restaurants you visited along the Amalfi Coast, specifically Il Capitano in Positano. You only hope that the food here will be just as amazing as the pasta you ordered there.
You just wish your company was a little better. The atmosphere felt more awkward than the time your mom had set you up on a blind date with her coworkerâs son. You had to text Chenle for help that time, and he came to your rescue, helping you escape after pretending to be your long lost son. Obviously, your date wasnât dumb enough to believe that, but he did believe that you were completely off your rockers and immediately took off after that.
Sneaking a glance at your best friend, you sigh when you realize that he refuses to look your way. You carefully tuck the skirt of your wine red dress under your crossed legs. The sweetheart neckline emphasizes the simple gold necklace you have on, and the dress tapers off at your waist, accentuating your figure perfectly. You paired the outfit with a matching lipstick, a simple black clutch, and some elegant black heels with ribbons that loop around your ankles into a pretty bow.
In other words, you look stunning, and Chenleâs palms are growing sweaty. He undos the first few buttons of his white dress shirt, desperately wanting to take off his tailored suit jacket, but his attire would look much too casual without it. He avoids eye contact with you and remains silent, growing even more flustered by the second, and looks at Jisung helplessly.
Of course, his other best friend proves to be useless again (Disappointing, but not surprising). Jisung simply wriggles his eyebrows at him, eyes darting from you to Chenle, before zooming into his face at a very unflattering angle. Chenle throws him a dirty look, and Jisung merely sticks out his tongue in response. However, they immediately smoothen their expressions into much more pleasant ones when Jaehyun comes out with the plate of food on a small cart.
âThis is our play on spaghetti.â He gives you a dimpled smile, and you briefly wonder if the customers rave about this restaurant because of the food or the chef. Perhaps it is a combination of both.
He continued to explain the dish, setting it down in front of you and Chenle. âWe use strangozzi that is made fresh every morning. We infuse sun dried tomatoes that we dried ourselves into the olive oil for a minimum of thirty days. The pasta is cooked for sixty seconds, while we slightly sautĂ© grated truffle in the oil in a pan. Once the pasta is ready, we transfer it to the truffle pan and cook it for another minute, making sure to coat the pasta in the sauce. And then we grate some Parmesan and truffles right on top at the table.â
Jaehyun pulls out the expensive mushroom, generously grating thin slices on top of the glistening strands of pasta. The smell is incredible, and your eyes are already hyper fixated on the dish in front of you. He puts down the mushroom and grater, picking up the second grater and the cheese from the cart before shredding the cheese perfectly.
When he finishes, Jaehyun places them back on the cart and smiles at you both charmingly once more. âI hope you enjoy your meal. If you need anything else, please feel free to ask.â
You thank him before he leaves, and Jisung takes all the necessary shots before giving the okay to start eating. You and Chenle offer up some comments about the elegance of the dish, describing its appearance and finally twirling some on the end of your fork. You murmur a quiet âcheersâ as the two of you clink your glasses of wine together and take a sip before having the first bite.
The amount of money you have to pay to have a truffle dish is absolutely worth it. The taste is simply indescribable, and you truly have no words. You are blown away by the amount of flavor that can be created with just a few ingredients, and your taste buds are singing. Wide eyed, you turn to look at Chenle, who has the same astonished expression on his face, already staring back at you in complete surprise.
âHoly shit,â you breathe out, and your best friend agrees with you. âHoly shit indeed.â
You immediately go for another bite, and Chenle quickly follows suit. âThis isâ this is incredible. I donât know how to describe it, except, except, wow. I canât stop eating it, and the sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, fresh pasta al dente, and truffles just work so well together. Itâs like a symphony in my mouth.â
âI agree,â Chenle nods enthusiastically, swiping another forkful of the yummy goodness. âThis has to be one of the best dishes of the entire season.â
âYeah, absolutely.â You spear a slice of the truffle with the pasta, and the ensuing bite is simply perfect and delectable. âI would come back here every single week if my bank account would let me.â
The stifled atmosphere between the two of you suddenly becomes relaxed at that point, the thick tension dissipating with food never failing to act as the perfect ice breaker and buffer simultaneously. For now, you can pretend the kiss didnât happen and almost forget it (key word: almost).
âThereâs a very popular fan suggestion,â Jisung pipes up, looking at the comment section of the previous video where you and Chenle announced your current recordingâs star dish. âIt got over twenty thousand likes and five hundred responses.â
âWhat is it?â You pause in eating, fork poised in the air, as you look over to your friend behind the camera. Chenle pays no attention, continuing to take another bite.
âRecreate the Lady and the Tramp moment.â
Your jaw drops, and your eyes grow round. Practically scandalized, your voice goes an octave higher. âYou mean the kissing scene?!â
At the mention of kissing, Chenle chokes on a noodle, spluttering and nearly hacking up a lung, and you quickly reach over and firmly pat him on the back repeatedly until he stops coughing with a weak âthanks.â
âWhat? This is a food show! Why do they want us to kiss?â your best friend wheezes, and you pass him a glass of water. He grabs it from your outstretched hand gratefully and takes a large gulp.
âI donât know, fan service? Anyway, itâs good for the views!â Jisung gives you a thumbs up, and you frown at him, crossing your arms over your chest.
âWhy donât you do it with Chenle then?â
âIt specifically says you and Chenle,â he informs smugly with a smirk, and you glower at him, much to his amusement.
âWell, if itâs for the fansâŠâ Chenle trails off, a faint blush beginning to make its appearance on his face. He hesitantly pulls out one strand of the pasta, picking up one end on his fork.
You canât believe this. Yet, you slowly reach out for the other end of the strand with your fork, twirling it onto the metal prongs securely. You move to take your end of the noodle, while Chenle does the same, both of you actively avoiding eye contact.
âOh câmon, at least make it a little more romantic than that. Jeno and Jaemin have more chemistry than you two right now,â Jisung complains, and you would very much like to chuck the half full bottle of wine at his big, annoying head (Chenle also has similar thoughts).
Taking a deep breath, you finally place the noodleâs end in your mouth. Cheeks burning, you can feel your heart rate already skyrocketing at the mere thought of kissing your best friend again. You know youâll freeze up if you look at him, so you do your best to focus your gaze on the center of the noodle strand. Youâll have some time before the two of you meet in the middle, right?
Wrong.
It comes much too soon, and your palms are growing sweaty as your heart races in your chest at a breakneck speed. Your lips are mere millimeters away from his, and you pause. You canât hear anything, but the pounding of your heart and the blood rushing to your cheeks, and you finally find the courage to peek up at your best friend. You find him already gazing at you, a soft expression on his face. His eyes dart down to your lips before meeting your eyes once more, and you suddenly realize that heâs waiting for you, that he wonât do anything unless you want it too, that itâs okay if you donât.
But you do.
So you muster up all the courage you possibly can and close the distance, carefully pressing your lips against his for a tender kiss before biting off the noodle. When you pull back, you finally notice the awestruck expression written all over Chenleâs face. He lets out a small laugh of disbelief before he positively beams, bouncing in his seat, and you sport a matching smile, albeit a little bashful.
âUh, anyway, who left that comment? We should probably give them a mention,â you say, clearing your throat and hoping the heat subsides in your cheeks soon. Chenle continues to grin like the Cheshire Cat and secretly grabs your hand underneath the tablecloth, intertwining your fingers with his. You can feel your face exponentially growing warm once again, but you still send a pleased smile to your best friend.
âUhâŠâ Jisung awkwardly laughs, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. ââInsert goofyâs chuckle.ââ
At Jisungâs answer, you freeze up entirely in your position before immediately turning and locking eyes with Chenle in complete horror, the both of you instantly coming to the same, dreadful realization.
âHYUCK?!â
One new notification: Dream: Worth It uploaded a new video!
insert goofyâs chuckle commented:
oh my god you guys actually did it. your relationship started all thanks to ME đđ» youâre welcome btw đ I take payment in the form of your first bornâs name
notanimpasta replied: @ insert goofyâs chuckle ok calm down rumpelstiltskin
jisung pwark replied:Â @ notanimpasta what a perfect nickname for him. Heâs an ugly little greedy man
ghosts are real so suck it hyuck replied: @ jisung pwark LMAOOOOÂ (and congrats, chenle and y/n!)
 insert goofyâs chuckle replied: @ jisung pwark what tf no one asked???Â
notanimpasta replied: @ jisung pwark wait hold on you were supposed to edit that end part out????
jisung pwark replied: @ notanimpasta i left it for the views âșïž
big head king replied: @ jisung pwark people watch for the food tho!!! đ
nana àŹ(à©*Ëá”Ë)à©* à©âĄâ§âË replied: @ big head king I watched it for the kiss. Love is so beautiful đ„°đđđ„șđ„șđđđâšđ
jenojam replied: @ big head king I had watched it for the food! but congratulations, y/n and chenle :)Â
insert goofyâs chuckle replied: @ big head king i watched it because ron jeon said you mentioned me
ghosts are real so suck it hyuck replied: @ insert goofyâs chuckle ITâS RENJUN!!!!!! đ€Źđ€ŹÂ
mork lee rawr xD replied: hahaha I watch for the food~
insert goofyâs chuckle replied: @ mork lee rawr xD Thank you Mark, very cool!
winwin in past tense is wonwon!!! commented:
whoop whoop congrats lele đ„łđ„ł
rapperpunzel commented:
the pasta looks good đ
johnnyâs communication center commented:
Thanks for stopping by! Come back for the coupleâs special discount anytime đ
baa baa yang sheep commented:
oh my god finally!!!
ghosts are real so suck it hyuck replied: @ baa baa yang sheep you owe me $50 I was right, it happened before the season finale
baa baa yang sheep replied: @ ghosts are real so suck it hyuck suddenly iâm jared, 19
xiao dejasmine commented:
hahahaha cute ! đđ
ty track commented:
Thank you y/n and chenle for visiting ~~ congrats on your relationship !!! -TY
junguwu (ââżââż) commented:
YAAAAAS CHENLE SWEETIE đđđ
jisung pwark commented:
check out my latest tiktok video @ jisungpwark to see their actual first kiss!!! and donât forget to like, comment, and subscribe âșïž
notanimpasta replied: @ jisung pwark STOP USING US AS CLICKBAIT
jisung pwark replied: @ notanimpasta no â€ïž
jisung pwark replied: @ notanimpasta also red is sus
big head king replied: @ jisung pwark so when are you gonna do the best friend kissing challenge huh đ
jisung pwark replied: @ big head king SHUT UP CHENLE
honeyfairy replied: @ jisung pwark đłđł
gu ren gui god commented:
wow~ very cute, chenle! my angel đ
FIGHTING HAEYADWAE commented:
YOOOOO CONGRATS, MAN đ€©đ€Șđ€Ș
prince jae commented:
thank you guys for coming by! please stop by next year on your anniversary free of charge (:
insert goofyâs chuckle replied: @ prince jae omg mark and I will be there for sure â€ïž
showmethemonet replied: @ insert goofyâs chuckle my new boyfriend and I will be there too âșïž
insert goofyâs chuckle replied: @ showmethemonet Iâm sorry, I was wrong, pls donât leave me for bts jin even though i am so much more handsomer and talented than him đ
apado gwenchana god commented:
nice đđđ»
#chenle scenarios#chenle imagines#nct imagines#nct scenarios#nct fluff#nct dream scenarios#chenle fluff#chenle x reader#nct dream fanfic#nct fanfic#chenle fanfic#nct scenario#nct angst#chenle angst#nct dream fic#nct dream fluff#zhong chenle#chenle#nct#nct dream
2K notes
·
View notes
Text
Not Part of the Deal
{ Childe x GN!Reader }
{ Summary } Living with Childe is starting to feel a little too comfortable. Series Masterlist
{ Warnings } Swearing, Physical Intimacy, Alcohol, Intoxication, Undefined Relationship.
{ Notes } This took a long time, I'm having a hard time writing. I can't decide what I want to write but I didn't want to leave this unwritten for too long. Hopefully, I'll be able to wrap this series up nicely soon. Masterlist
{ Word Count } 1,846
The bed was empty when you woke up to the sound of laughter, which was reasonable considering it was Childeâs laughter coming from the kitchen. You sat up, noting that this was the second time your sleep was disturbed by the Harbinger being loud in the kitchen. Groggily, you rolled out of his bed to figure out the source of his amusement.
When you entered the kitchen, bright blue eyes shining with laughter met your gaze. They were so beautiful, framed by long lashes and accompanied by a goofy smile that could probably light up all of Teyvat for weeks. Were those dimples?
âI thought you didnât want me âcooking enough to feed a small armyâ, why so much food?â Childe asked through his laughter, seeming much more amused by this than he reasonably should be. Not that this stopped you from laughing along with him.
âWell, I didnât know what you might like to make, so I decided to err on the side of caution,â you replied somewhat bashfully. It was the truth, minus the fact that most of it was fueled by panic.
âI guess that means I should make a lot of dishes for dinner!â
This turned into quite the ordeal, with several different things being prepared simultaneously, Childe needed to split his focus and time things correctly. You couldnât even help with much of the preparation, too focused on clearing counter space of his used cookware and cleaning dishes so you wouldnât be left with a mountain of them afterward, it was especially useful that you cleaned dishes he would later need to reuse for a different component of the meal he had planned.
âChilde, this all looks really good but I think this is enough food to feed all of Liyue.â
âI donât mind sharing.â
Scoffing at his reply, you could only shake your head. You assumed Childe would pass the leftovers off to his subordinates in Liyue so you didnât mind too much, so long as the food didnât go to waste and you didnât have to do the distribution. Not many of the Fatui in Liyue were very fond of you, considering your history of fights with them. Maybe thatâs why the guard didnât like you.
Redirecting your attention to the food laid out on the table, you were impressed by the array of dishes. There was a cold, primarily vegetable soup that had caught your interest when Childe began preparing it. There was also some sort of potato salad with plenty of mayo, something similar to dumplings with meat filling, and fruit cooked in a syrup. Several other dishes filled the table and you felt bad not sampling at least a little bit of everything, so you kept your portions small.
Throughout dinner, you listened to the Harbinger tell you about the times he made these dishes with his family or sometimes a little bit about the history of a dish. While you didnât say much, it was pleasant to have his chatter fill the air. He continued to talk about his family back in Snezhnaya and the long days spent fishing even after the both of you had finished eating and were clearing the table.
âI need to start exercising again, I donât want to get out of shape,â Childe lamented once you had finished with the cleaning. You had both settled on the couch, sitting on opposite ends facing each other.
âHave you forgotten about your broken ribs already?â you ask, a bit of incredulity dripping into your tone.
âNo, but it wonât hurt that bad. I can handle it.â
You really couldnât tell if he was being serious or not with that statement, his tone was serious but he couldnât be that careless. Surely he understood the strain would impede recovery, perhaps even make things worse.
âNo, you canât. Youâd just mess up your recovery trying. Not to mention we have a deal,â you try to reason, wondering briefly if that kind of thing even worked on him. You knew Childe wasnât one to break his promises but he also cared greatly about his strength.
âI will exercise restfully,â he said decisively, though his playful undertone made it apparent he was joking.
âYouâre impossible.â
âAnd yet you adore me.â
Scoffing at his response, you meet his gaze. He wore a cheeky grin, eagerly awaiting your response in hopes of being able to further tease you. You know if you hesitate for too long he will also tease you about that, so your options were limited.
âYou sound awfully confident in that,â you reply coolly. It was not an ideal response, but it was the best you could think of in the moment.
âBecause itâs true, you didnât even deny it,â the Harbinger gloats, seeming very satisfied with himself.
âMaybe,â you reply vaguely, rolling the thought around in your head. What were your feelings for him, exactly? It was clear you werenât just friends, but it seemed like a lot to say you were in love with him and it didnât seem to be enough to say you just liked him. You felt confused about him.
For the rest of the night, you thought about the same question, but even by the time you were falling asleep, you couldnât bring yourself to give a solid answer. It left you feeling restless for the next few days, though things remained the same with Childe. To pass the time you took the dog Harbinger on regular walks through Liyue. Sometimes the two of you would stop at the various vendorâs stalls in the markets and others you would walk closer to the harbor.
Even with your uncertainty about him, Childe was as easy to get along with as ever. He joked and made you laugh, cooked most of your shared meals thankfully not making quite as much food, and explored Liyue with you. Sometimes you visited the restaurants and Zhongli would join the two of you, making a habit of keeping the two of you for hours with his stories before dumping the bill on the Snezhnayan.
Though fewer than normal, you still took up commissions around Liyue, leaving Childe unattended for some time. You couldnât be certain, but you were pretty sure he still behaved in the time you were gone. It seemed he most often did some work for the Fatui in the time you were gone, you often came back to him reading over a report or writing something he would later handoff to the guard outside his door.
All in all, living with him was becoming fairly comfortable.
âOh fuck weâve been eating all this Snezhnayan food and stuff and I forgot to show you our most famous commodity,â Childe exclaimed one night as he was cleaning up in the kitchen after dinner. You looked over from drying a plate to see him pull two small glasses and a bottle of clear liquid from the cupboards. You knew enough to recognize it.
âFire-Water?â
âYeah, have you had it before? This is a bottle of the fancy stuff,â he hummed, already pouring some into the glasses, one with a noticeably smaller amount.
âI havenât, I donât drink much,â you admitted, taking the glass from him when he offered it to you.
âOh, perfect,â he said with a grin that made you think it would not be perfect for you. That didnât stop you from drinking the small amount in your glass after watching him knock back his.
The taste was awful, but the burn down your throat and how warm it made you feel was rather pleasant. Childe had been watching you, eager to gauge your reaction. He would be disappointed by the fact you didnât cringe at the taste but also pleased you didnât seem to dislike it.
âItâs not bad,â you said after a moment, which Childe responded to by pouring a more generous amount into your glass. They were small glasses, so it still didnât amount to very much.
âI think youâre fully prepared for a visit to Snezhnaya now,â he laughed, also pouring more of the Fire-Water into his glass. Being awfully classy not drinking straight from the bottle.
âIs that your way of telling me you want me to visit you when youâre back in Snezhnaya?â you cooed teasingly, emptying your glass before setting it on the counter. It was already starting to feel a little hazy. That did not stop your companion from continuing to drink.
âMaybe. Maybe I would like to take you back with me,â he returned with a cheeky grin, wrapping an arm around your waist to pull you into his side, not letting you go once you were there. Not that you particularly minded being held snugly against his side. âWhat do you say? You might even like the cold.â
Heart fluttering at his words, you wondered if he meant them. Of course, he had said it in response to your teasing, but maybe he did want you around. Did you want to stay with him, by his side when he returns to Snezhnaya? Perhaps even going with him when the Fatui send him to different nations?
âI donât know, I think youâd need to convince me itâs worth going with you,â you mused, giving him a playful smirk.
âIs being with me not enough for you?â he pouts, setting his glass down before using his grip on your waist to turn you around so your back bumps against the counter. His hands rested against the surface on either side of you caging you in as he gazed down at you with an expression that made your heart stutter.
The Harbinger observed your expression for a few beats before leaning down to press his lips to yours. He was much rougher than heâd been in the past, more eager, but you mimicked his pace and intensity nonetheless. Perhaps it was the alcohol you could still taste on his tongue that caused the change.
When you wrapped your arms around his neck, he lifted you up and seated you on the counter. He pulled away from the kiss to brush his lips against your cheek before moving to your neck. The kisses he left there started out delicate but when his teeth grazed against your skin you couldnât help but close your eyes and sigh pleasantly.
When his hands hooked under your thighs to lift you up, your eyes flew open and a surprised squeak left you. On instinct your legs wrapped around him to prevent you from falling.
âChilde?â you asked when he began walking with you in his hold. It became apparent that the Harbinger was carrying you in the direction of his bedroom, causing your heart to speed up. It seemed like things were moving too fast.
âAlcohol makes me sleepy sometimes.â Oh.
You were promptly dropped on the bed, still feeling a little shocked. He leaned down to press another kiss to your lips, smiling at your expression. That night was the second time you found yourself falling asleep in Childeâs arms.
#genshin impact#genshin#genshin impact childe#childe#tartaglia#ajax#childe x reader#genshin impact x reader#genshin x reader#gender neutral reader#gn reader#alcohol#intoxication#physical intimacy#undefined relationship#swearing#my writing skills are getting progressively worse#going downhill fast
154 notes
·
View notes
Text
Letâs Pretend (Charlie x Reader)
Summary: Charlie asked you to come with him when he visits his family to pretend to be his girlfriend so his mom would stop setting him up. Â
Word Count: 2,8k
A/N: I know nothing about Romania and I really tried my best. I tried to find a traditional Romanian dish but they were all with meat and I donât eat meat for three years now so I couldnât write that. If I googled it correctly draga mea means my love. Â
In all those years that you had known Charlie you had never seen him beg. So seeing him standing in front of you, holding your hands in his blistered ones and to hear him beg, you werenât sure if you could refuse him.
âWhy do you even need to bring a date? Why donât you tell them that you are single and happy?â You asked.
He sighed and let go of your hands. âBecause my mum doesnât believe me. And then she tells me all about the women she knew were still single. I guess she thinks that I'll move back if I just find the right woman. One time I was supposed to meet up with my mom but she wasnât the one turning up. It was a blind date and an awkward one none the less.â
You had to admit that this didnât sound like fun. âAnd you think that she would believe you when you tell her one month before your visit that you found yourself a girl?â You took a glass from behind and started filling it with Zaguna.
âOf course not!â Charlie scoffed. âBut I already told her about a girl I met here and she wanted me to bring her along. And that is why Iâm asking you to pretend to be my girlfriend. I swear my family is not as bad as I have pictured them. To be honest I think youâll get along just fine with at least two of my brothers, if not more. You get food and shelter and I swear we only have to act a minimum.â You pushed the full glass in front of him.
âAnd why me? I know about your co-worker at the reservoir. Why not her? I bet your mother would like that more than someone working at the bar?â
âNo, I think you would just work fine with my family. Think about it, please.â You nodded and then he left for the table where the other dragon keepers were enjoying their after-work beer. You saw him sneaking glances at you and before he left, you told him youâd go along with it. He hugged you and you heard some hollering behind him.
âYou owe me, Weasley.â You had to laugh when you saw his relieved expression.
Time flew by and before you knew it you were standing at the ministry of magic in London and were questioned about your stay in England. You told them you were there for a vacation and after the inspection of your wand you were free to go. Charlies father Arthur would pick you up as he was working at the ministry. He run a little late, but that was okay with you. It just meant more time to inspect everything.
You recognized Charlies father immediately. He hugged his son and shook your hand and told you that Charlies mother was so excited and that you were already late and should hurry up. You changed a glance with Charlie and followed his father. He walked over to one of the chimneys and you went by floo powder to Charlies childhood home. He had told you stories of him growing up in this house with his many siblings.
The perks of working at a pub was that you get to know your customers. As it wasnât a big pub and Charlie and his co-workers came in often you talked a lot with them. There wasnât much to do out there so you saw them at least once a week to spend their wage. The pub wasnât in the best shape, but the cosy atmosphere as candles stood everywhere (a nightmare when you had to change them) and the many lights filled it with warmth. The mismatched chairs and the old sofas added to that, but what brought the customers back was the cheap beer and your food.
âOh Charlie, it's been so long,â you heard as soon the flames and the soot disappeared. âAnd you actually brought a girl over. To be honest I thought you would tell me a flimsy excuse.â The woman who talked let go of Charlie and turned towards you. âCome on in, dear. You have to tell me everything about you.â She tugged your hand and led you to another room. âI hope youâre hungry, I prepared dinner.â
Before you could blink you sat a table in the warm kitchen and food was shoved onto your plate. Charlie put his hand on your arm and squeezed softly and wanted to say something to you until he was interrupted by a tall man who walked into the kitchen. Based on his long hair and the scars on his face you assumed it must be Bill. Charlie stood up immediately and hugged his brother hard, before he turned around and introduced you.
âOh, I heard so much about you. Did Mom already tell you, that the two of you will stay at our place? We prepared the guest room and I canât wait to hear what my dear brother is up to.â Bill said with a nice voice when he shook your hand.
âIâm so sorry, but weâre full. Itâs not that we donât want you here, I assure you. But we thought it would be better if the two of you slept at Bills place rather than the younger ones.â She touched your shoulder shortly. âAnd now sit down, Bill. You need to get some meat on you,â she scolded her oldest son and he shot a wink at you before he sat down next to his brother. Â
You and Charlie were bombarded with questions and you were grateful when Bill said you should probably leave because you were exhausted from that day and need to rest. You said your goodbye and promised to come back tomorrow and left for the night.
The atmosphere when you entered shell cottage was completely different. Bill was one of the most laid down people you have met and when you met his wife you noticed that she calmed down more the more time she spent with her husband.
You were sitting at the table with drinks in front of you when Bill turned towards you. âI do have a question for you,â he said and you gulped. You hoped you wouldnât mess up. You and Charlie werenât constantly touching or anything like that and so far it didnât raise suspicion from his family. âCharlie told me you make the best sweet bread and he talks about it for years. So, would you maybe make some?â
You let out your breath in relief and laughed a little bit. âOf course. You mean Cozonac. It does take time to make it, but sure. I mean youâre letting me stay here that is the least I can do.â
âWell, youâre Charlies girlfriend. We couldnât let you sleep under the bridge,â he laughed and when he called you Charlies girlfriend something warm floated through your body. His hand found yours and squeezed it softly. You talked for a little while longer until you decided to call it a night. Bill showed you your bedroom and whished you a good night. You walked into the small room and stared at the bed in the middle of the room.
âUgh, Iâm sorry,â Charlie scratched his neck. âI assumed we would stay at the burrow and mom is very strict, so I hadnât really thought we would have to share a bed. But I can take the couch in the living room and tell them I snore too loud and I didnât want to disturb you. Actually, I do think thatâs not a lie, though.â
You let out a little lough. It was cute that Charlie was so nervous that he started rambling. âCharlie, calm down. It is a pretty big bed. I think weâll manage, unless you donât want to share.â
âNo, no!â he said suddenly with force. âIf thatâs okay for you, it's okay for me. Iâll go change in the bathroom. Iâll knock before I come back.â He left the room and you stared a second at your bag before you dove in and took out your clothes to sleep in. You changed quickly and waited for your turn in the bathroom.
âDo you mind if I read a little bit? Iâm not used to sleeping early with me having most of the evening shifts,â you asked when you came back.
âNo, of course not. Thatâs totally fine.â He was already in bed and âthankfullyâ wore a shirt and you tried not to stare too long at his muscular arms which were covered in freckles and burns. It wasnât as if you havenât seen Charlie shirtless before. One evening his friends pestered him to show them his tattoo and after a while he had given in and pulled of his shirt, but you had been on the other side of the room then and hadnât gotten a closer look.
You tried to stay as far to the side as you could and started reading until you noticed that Charlie had also a book in his hands.
âWhat are you reading?â you asked him.
âItâs actually a book about dragons. We have that new Peruvian Vipertooth and we have a lot of trouble with her and Iâm trying to find some helpful tips here. Sheâs actually really dangerous but sheâs so beautiful,â Charlie rambled.
âI think you have to take me with you some day,â you said and turned around to look at him.
âExcuse me?â he looked actually confused as if he didnât understand what you just said.
âYouâre always talking about dragons and you tell me these great stories and I think it's finally time that you take me to the reservoir to let me see them so I can finally understand why you are so obsessed with them.â Â
âIâm sorry if I talk to much about them. I know that it scares people away.â He looked almost a little bit sad.
âNo, I donât think you understand,â you put your hand on his warm arm. âI find it endearing that you love your job so much that you even do some research when youâre on vacation. You donât have to be sorry for anything! I mean it, I finally want to see the creatures that amaze you so much.â
âOh, okay. Well then I have to take you with me one day,â he said with a light smile on his face. You patted his arm and told him that youâd try to sleep now and that he should just kick you if you started to snore.
The next few days passed by quickly and you got used to be surrounded by Charlie 24/7 and you werenât complaining. âGood morning,â you heard George say one morning and his twin followed him into the kitchen of shell cottage. âWhat are you doing?â
Fred took a cup from the cupboard and filled it while George studied you. âI'm making Cozonac. Bill asked me if I could make some. I'm making loads you can also have some when its ready,â you promised. You put away the bowl and washed your hands when you asked them what they were doing here.
âWe thought we take you with us to Diagon Alley. Show you the shop and what London has to offer.â
âOh yeah. Iâve been dying to see the shop and your products. Seriously I canât wait to see them! And when we come back, Iâm making dinner and weâll eat the sweet bread for dessert,â you said excitingly.
âWell, who would have guessed that I had to ask my brother Charlie for girl advice, because I think he might have hit the jackpot,â George looked you up and down with a smirk on his lips. You told him to shut it and went to go changing.
When you came back you were carrying two bags full of WWW products. George had showed you around and pointed you to Diagon Alley where you spent a lot of your salary. You stopped by the twins to let them know that the offer for dinner still stands and then you made you way back to shell cottage.
âAre you preparing to feed an army?â Charlie asked when he stepped into the kitchen and took a look at all the pots and pans around you.
âActually I am. George and Fred are coming over.â Just as you finished your sentence a loud noise was heard and said twins stood in the kitchen.
âThis smells good, sweetness,â George didnât miss a beat to stroll over to you, kiss your cheek and lift the lid to look inside one pot.
âSweetness?â Charlie asked.
âOh, you need to watch out, brother. I think you might have competition,â Fred laughed as he sat down at the table. Two seconds later Charlie slung one arm around your waist and pushed George out of the way.
âBugger off,â he told his younger brother and although you were a bit confused about his quick acting you were comfortable in his arms and pressed yourself against his body. After that he didnât leave your side and helped you preparing the food. Every time George made a comment about you, he threw something at him. You were glad that it was only peppers and not the knives. Bill really had a laugh when he came home and noticed the tension that was clearly building.
That evening you noticed that Charlie was always touching you: a hand on your thigh, your arms or knees touching when you sat next to each other over dinner, him kissing your cheek to thank you for the dinner. While George and Fred left right after dinner Charlie and Bill decided theyâd do the dishes so you had a conversation with Fleur. When she asked you questions how you and Charlie got together you squirmed a bit and made an excuse to get to the kitchen.
The conversation between Charlie and Bill ended as soon as you stepped into the kitchen. You walked over to fill your glass with water and when your eyes fell at the bags you brought with you from Diagon Alley you remembered that you brought a book for him. You pulled it out and put it on the counter as Charlies hands were covered with dish water. âI brought this book for you. They had only two books about the Vipertooth and I recognized you had the other.â
You noticed the glance Bill shoot at Charlie before he turned around to put away the plates while Charlie came to you, put his soaking hands on your cheek and kissed the corner of your mouth. You didnât mind the wetness there as a warmth spread through your body when he whispered the words: âThank you, draga mea!â He wouldnât tell you that he owned this book already, because he was so touched that you remembered the dragon he talked about and you went around searching for something that meant so much to him. Â
âYouâre welcome,â you beamed at him and when he stepped back you giggled as you wiped away the water with the sleeve of your shirt. Bill had left the room without you noticing so you stepped in to finish the dishes with Charlie.
âIâm glad you asked me to come with you,â you said while you put away the cutlery. âI have a really good time and Iâm a little bit sad that tomorrow is our last day here.â
âYou can come with me the next time Iâm visiting,â Charlie said while he dried off his hands and leant against the counter. âI like spending time with you and actually I wanted to ask, if you want to go on a date with me.â You noticed that every time Charlie got nervous he started scratching his neck. âLike a real one without pretending.â
âOh Charlie, we donât have to pretend anything. I love spending time with you and I would love to spend even more with you in Romania. And if I remember correctly you had already promised me a date. You wanted to show me your dragons, remember?â
Charlie was speechless. You considered him showing you dragons as a date? He didnât know what to say, but he felt the need to say something back right now or you might go. And he wasnât sure if he could let you go. Â He did the next best thing that came to his mind and with two steps he stood in front of you and pressed his lips against yours. You let out a light giggle and then you pressed your lips against his and slung your arms around his waist.
âSo, itâs a date then?â you asked with a smirk on your face when you parted.
âBlimey, one or hundred or as many as you want,â he answered and gave you a peck.
#charlie weasley x reader#charlie weasley ff#weasley x reader#charlie weasley fanfiction#amwriting#fake dating#charlie weasley
294 notes
·
View notes
Text
Kitchen Confidential | Jin | FINAL
Pairing: Seokjin / Reader
Rating: 18+
Genre: Enemies to lovers, chef AU
Warnings: explicit sex, cursing, no longer a slow burn ( ͥ° ÍÊ ÍĄÂ°), unprotected sex (donât do that), traces of a biting kink, oral (f receiving), short handjob, feelings. A LOT of mentions of food, so youâll most likely be very hungry for both food and Kim Seokjin.Â
Word Count:Â 9k+, previous chapters total to 16k
Summary: After years of annoying the life out of you, your rival, Kim Seokjin, pushes you a step too far and he knows it. As angry and resentful as you are, you donât realize that something has been brewing under the surface for years. This weekend, that will change.
Read previous parts here: 1Â /Â 2Â /Â 3Â Â
SPINOFF ANNOUNCEMENT: COMING SOON, JUNGKOOKâS STORY IN THE SAME UNIVERSE AS KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL
A/N: And itâs done! This one took a while but Iâm proud of myself for finishing this fic. Iâm more responsible with my writing each day, and that includes actually finishing the stories I start. I have a few ongoing ones and a few wips that I am yet to post but Jungkookâs spinoff will come soon. If all goes according to plan, I will have about...20ish fics in 2021? So, letâs hope all DOES go according to plan. Thank you for following through with this story. Let me know what you think!Â
Yesterday was something else entirely.
You may or may not have called Jungkook more than ten times. Of course, you had complete faith in him and deep down, you knew he was more than capable of running the kitchen without you but it didnât hurt to check, did it? So you did. Ten times, before he threatened to block your number, which then had you dialing Namjoon. You had reassured him that your leg is perfectly fine and that you are perfectly capable of standing through service for one night. He insisted that you should rest and that they have everything under control. Which you believed, you really did but you still wanted to check. Youâve stopped calling when he threatened to fire you.
Today was a different story. With no news of a fire breaking out in Bonsaiâs kitchen, you were noticeably more relaxed, ready to spend the entire day with your leg propped on a pillow, a tube of ice cream in your hands while rewatching the first season of The Office. All was going according to plan by the time the doorbell rang.
Looking at the clock, you see that it is only 7PM - Bonsai was still open, probably ready for dinner rush hour. It couldnât be Jungkook and he is quite literally the only person who drops by unannounced whenever he pleases. Did you order food and had a memory blank? You were going to order the house specialty from that new fancy Italian place at the other side of town, just to keep an eye on competition. But did you actually order it? Or are you going crazy?
The doorbell rings again and begrudgingly, you start getting up. âComing!â you yell, grabbing your wallet as you go, wondering if you even have enough spare change for a tip. No longer wobbling, you simply walk slowly and unlock the door, your jaw dropping when you open it.
On the other side of the door, with a goofy smile on his face and his hands full of paper shopping bags is no one other than Kim Seokjin himself.
âHi,â he offers a greeting and you could swear you see nerves hiding behind the smile - sure enough, when you stay silent for a second too long, still too confused to speak, you see the tip of his ears turning red. That always used to happen whenever one of the teachers at culinary school was about to taste his dish in front of the entire class. And you probably shouldnât be aware of that.
âUm⊠to what do I owe the pleasure?â you ask, once you can finally speak.
âI took a day off,â he announces, as if that is the only explanation you need. âI figured since youâre still officially on sick leave and your leg must hurt, you probably donât want to cook,â he trails off, his ears now becoming redder. âI guess I just wanted to do something nice.â
âYou want to make me dinner?â you check if you heard him correctly. This entire situation seems like a figment of your imagination, a very bizarre one at that. And you donât even want to know how he knew where you live - that can of worms is not going to be opened.
âYeah,â he nods proudly. âI mean, Iâll eat too, if you let me,â he jokes and when you stay silent, the smile slowly melts from his face. Realizing that you are leaving him hanging, you step aside to let him in.
âCome on in, the kitchen is the second door on the right,â you inform him and watch, still in a state of shock, as he takes off his shoes in the hallway before making his way down the hallway. Thatâs when you finally snap out of it, realizing that you wonât have enough time to process this as itâs happening. âWhat are we making?â you ask as you follow him into the kitchen.
âWe are not making anything,â he emphasised as he sets the bags down on the kitchen island, before turning to face you with a stern expression, which instantly makes you feel like a scolded child. âI will be doing all the work as you sit back, relax and have a glass of wine. Unless youâre taking meds for your leg? I didnât think of that,â he mumbles softly, frowning at the ground.
âNo meds,â you inform him. His solemn expression turns bright so fast, you think you might be experiencing whiplash. What the fuck is going on here?! âWhat are you making?â
âI was wondering what would make an enjoyable, hearty meal that could speed up your recovery process,â he starts explaining. You want to tell him that a leg injury canât be cured with food but you bite your tongue, not wanting to appear hostile, especially not when heâs in the middle of his grand gesture. You watch as he starts taking the ingredients out of the shopper bags - not one, but two bottles of Pinot Noir, the expensive kind too, followed by mushrooms, a whole bunch of veggies and one gigantic chunk of meat. Itâs wrapped, but judging by his choice of wine, it has to be beef.
âYouâre making beef stew?â you guess, surprised but not disappointed by his choice of dish. He, on the other hand, seems offended.
âWhat do you take me for?â he asks, very obviously exaggerating his reaction. âIâm a trained chef, Y/N. Iâm making beef bourguignon.â
âWhich is just a slightly fancier version of a beef stew,â you laugh, using humour to avoid thinking about the cook and prep time of beef bourguignon - at the very least three hours, even more if you want to Julia Child it and let it simmer properly. More than three hours with Kim Seokjin, in a row, without anyone around to hide behind? âSounds good!â you lie, trying to look excited because you truly donât want to ruin something that just seems like a nice gesture.
âPerfect!â he beams at you. âNow, where do you keep your chopping boards?â
No, you donât have the time to think about it, not while itâs literally ongoing. You shake your head and decide to roll with the punches. âI want to help you, though. I canât just sit here and let you do all the work. Not to mention how wrong it feels to have someone cooking in my kitchen,â you add, realizing that no one other than yourself ever cooked here - no one, ever.
âThe cupboard under the sink,â you tell him as you sit down drag a chair towards the kitchen island, worried about the predicament you are in. First, the feelings, the ones you have shamelessly pushed under the rug and had refused to acknowledge. They have blindsided you and you canât even properly define and understand him and now he is here, in your apartment, your kitchen, making dinner.
Not to mention that you arenât exactly wearing your Sunday best. Heâs all jeans and an elegant blue sweater, while youâre in mis-matched sweatpants and sweatshirt, which are both a size or two too big for you. Your hair is a mess and frankly, you canât even recall if youâd washed your face this morning. You are a mess, both physically and emotionally and he has cornered you, most likely without even realizing it.
âIn that case, you can peel and chop,â he starts laughing at your exasperated expression. âCome on, donât look at me like that - Iâm trying to do something nice here. The point is for you to relax and enjoy a good meal, a meal that someone else has cooked for you. And if you do insist on helping, then you can peel and chop.â
Thereâs a lump in your throat and you think you know why. Itâs the feelings, theyâre making you feel touched by his actions. He is spending his day off here, doing something nice for you, on his own free will? Just a week ago, all of this would have been a major red flag. And now itâs just something that makes you feel thankful, giddy even.
âGive me my peeler then,â you say, holding the palm of your hand open, waiting.
He smirks at you, shaking his head with what looks like disbelief and you smirk back, unable to stop yourself. The not so subtle stare off between you isnât uncomfortable. Itâs miles away from the feeling you had over the weekend, when you were straight up avoiding making direct eye contact with him. This time, youâre keeping it up, smiling when he is the one who breaks. He turns around and opens one of the drawers, finding the peeler on the first try before leaning over the island and handing it to you with a smirk still present on his face.
âLetâs start working, chef.â
The decision to slow down with the wine after your first glass was a good one. Not only is the wine one of the best ones youâve tasted in a while, you also wanted to keep a clear head. Alcohol tends to greatly weaken your brain to mouth filter and that canât happen when youâre one on one with Seokjin. You donât want to ruin the evening.Â
It felt as if he was the same Seokjin he was back when you first started school. The interesting, charming guy with a good sense of humor. He can still act over the top, which he did, but he was more toned down than usual. Is usual even the right word? Itâs not, not when you donât have much to compare it to. This is the first time the two of you have been alone for more than a few minutes, simply talking and enjoying the conversation.Â
âYou canât be serious,â Seokjin laughs, putting one of the plates that he was washing back in the sink to turn around and give you a doubtful look. âYou mean outside the subway, right?âÂ
âNope, it was below ground, right around the corner from the trains,â you confirm, remembering that day clearly. âI remember that I was starving, so maybe thatâs why the croissant was so good. It was cheap, on a Parisian subway and it still is my favorite food memory from Paris.â
âYouâre picking that subway croissant over⊠ratatouille or bouillabaisse?âÂ
âI said favorite, not the most delicious one,â you point out with a laugh. âTravelling and eating go hand in hand, at least to me. Wherever I went, Iâve made a point to spend a good amount of my budget just on food. Iâd go where the locals go, try food I didnât recognize⊠Honestly, I miss that. Iâm limited to one vacation a year and itâs usually just one destination.â
âI get that,â he tells you as he continues washing the dishes, which he insisted to do, despite your multiple offers to at least cover the clean up part of the evening. âA good friend of mine lives in Greece, owns an amazing restaurant. Iâve gone there for the past three years and donât get me wrong, Iâm not complaining, I live for Greek food. But I want to explore more, you know?âÂ
âThatâs very relatable,â you sigh, suddenly feeling a little bit regretful. âIâve been to Italy, Japan, France numerous times, had the most amazing experiences but there are so many other places waiting to be discovered and I just play it safe. I want to go somewhere and try⊠I donât know, all the weird stuff that sounds unappetizing but is actually the local specialty. Iâm a bit tired of the classic dishes that end up on our menus and comfort food.â
âWhatâs your favorite comfort food?â Seokjin asks you, as he finally wraps up his work and joins you, sitting across the island and reaching for his own glass of wine as you try to think of an answer. Comfort food by taste or comfort food by memory?Â
âI have to go with potatoes.âÂ
He chokes on his drink, making you laugh at his reaction. Once again, you are met with a look of disbelief. âAre you kidding me? Potatoes? Out of all the food in the world?â
âYou said comfort food, not favorite food,â you remind him with a grin. âAnd yeah, itâs potatoes. Theyâre so simple and versatile and you can do whatever the hell you want with them. When I was a kid, my mom used to make me and my brother these stuffed, roasted potatoes. I donât even know the ingredients honestly, Iâve never tried making them myself like that. To get that original comfort food taste, it has to be made by my mom. No one else.âÂ
âIâm a professional chef and I still fully acknowledge that Iâm nowhere near as good as my mom is,â Seokjinâs admission makes you laugh but you understand it fully. âShe used to make the most amazing mac and cheese. Unlike you, I did try to recreate it - I followed her recipe to a T and still ended up with a sad imitation. Nothing ever beats the food you grew up eating.â
âAre you close to your family?â you ask and regret it immediately, wondering if that is too much, if youâre asking questions you have no business knowing answers to. Youâve known Seokjin for years but you could hardly call him a friend when you know so little about him.Â
âYeah, Iâd say so,â he nods, not even hesitating to share information about his personal life. âI visit them often and I try to go fishing with my brother as much as I can. What about you?âÂ
âAs close as we can be,â you shrug, reaching for your wine. âYou know what our working hours are like and as much as I want to drive and see them on the weekends, I often just canât. And my brother lives abroad with his wife and kids, so we rarely see each other. We facetime often, though. His kids are already starting school next year.âÂ
âI have a niece,â Seokjin smiles with that cute, content smile that now feels familiar. You wait as he pulls out his phone, turning it to proudly show off the photo he selected - itâs him with a child in his arms, a little girl with the cutest face, big smile and tiny little pigtails. She canât be more than three years old and she looks so happy to be held by her uncle.Â
âOh, she is so cute! She adores you, doesnât she?â the words leave your mouth before you can stop them.Â
âI think she loves me more than her parents,â he admits, breaking into a fit of laughter. âShe doesnât let go of me, which I donât mind, I adore the kid, but she just fuels my motherâs need for more grandchildren and when she clings to me⊠wellâŠâÂ
âOh, I know,â you wave your hand. âMine have two grandchildren and not a single reunion passes without them wondering when Iâm going to reproduce.â They mean well, you know that and you donât hold it against them. There are just times when they make you feel like youâre not doing a good enough job with the life theyâve given you, just because you havenât had kids yet. Yes, they mean well but thatâs not something you often want to hear. Â
âDo you want kids?â he asks. It should feel weird, it really should, talking about these things with him. Itâs personal, too personal even, but you feel so at ease around him tonight, you canât be bothered to care. It doesnât feel wrong, not in the slightest.Â
âOne day, yeah,â you shrug, seeing as this wasnât something you thought about often. When youâre single and havenât had a serious relationship in years, kids are on the back burner. âWhat about you? I donât know why, but I never pegged you for a parental type.â
âYou donât know me very well then,â he laughs and the way he does it is so⊠cheeky and teasing. If anyone else was sitting here with you right now, you would swear on your life that they were flirting. Without a doubt, the teasing smile and raised eyebrow would make your mind go in that direction. Seeing as this is Seokjin, you canât be too sure. It goes against everything he has ever said and done. But like a curse, Jungkookâs words come back to haunt you again. Would it be so weird to think that he likes you? He is here, after all.Â
âYouâre right,â you nod as you put down your glass. âI donât know you very well, do I?â he seems surprised at your question, even going so far as to look uncomfortable. Only for a second, before he offers you a smile.Â
âWhat would you like to know?âÂ
âWhy are you here?â you ask. It wasnât what you were planning on asking, not by a long shot. You wanted to ask stupid questions, to find out what his favorite movies are, whatâs his most embarrassing memory - the things you know about your friends. A game of 20 questions was what you had in mind when pointing out that you donât really know a lot about him but when the opportunity presented itself, your self control had other plans. And seriously - why is he here?Â
Seokjin blinks a couple of times, seemingly needing time to process your question and think of a decent answer. âI wanted to do something nice,â he shrugs, giving you the same excuse that he had given earlier. You didnât doubt it much then but now youâve started wondering. âWeâve decided to start over and I⊠wanted to extend an olive branch.â
It makes perfect sense and you donât believe a single word of it. âWhy are you really here?â you push, following your instinct. Said instinct might be affected by the feelings but itâs there. And if there is one thing youâve learned in life, itâs to follow your gut feeling - always.Â
Seokjin chuckles nervously and lo and behold, his ears give him away. âDo you think thereâs an ulterior motive here?â he asks, shaking his head. Heâs a decent actor, but not nearly as good as he thinks he is. Heâs way too defensive for someone with no ulterior motives. âI didnât poison the beef bourguignon, if thatâs what youâre aiming at,â he adds, pointing back at the stove, where your dinner has been slowly simmering for about an hour now.Â
âNo, I donât think youâre trying to poison me,â you chuckle, shaking your head, wondering if you should just stop talking and drop the whole thing entirely. âI thought that⊠You know what? Never mind,â you decide, knowing that some questions are perhaps better left unanswered. âTell me, whatâs your favorite TV show? Are you a binger or a once a week type of guy?âÂ
âY/N, you donât get to change topics on me like that,â Seokjin looks serious now, refusing to break eye contact. You struggle to not look away, knowing that you have pushed it too far and now youâre unable to backtrack. He wonât let you. âWhat did you think?â he asks.Â
Whatâs the worst thing that could happen if you answer truthfully? He could laugh at you and thatâs pretty much it. And if he does start laughing, you can play it off and join in on the joke. And if he pulls the ultimate dick move and tells your mutual friends about it, you can always deny.Â
âThe things that happened over the weekend had made me wonder,â you tell him, deciding to leave out the part when Jungkook opened your eyes to this possibility. âSome of the things that youâve said kind of got my wheels spinning, you know?â you ask. As he swallows a lump, still not looking away from you, you decide to rip off the bandaid and throw your theory out. âCall me crazy and feel free to laugh and tell me Iâm a fool but⊠Seokjin⊠do you like me?âÂ
Zero emotions are shown on his face. Itâs the most perfect poker face that you have ever seen - exposed forehead, full lips and all. Self confidence was never a strong suit of yours, except in the kitchen of course, but you know better than to try and backtrack now. Seconds ago, it was still salvageable. Now, youâve said it and itâs out in the open. You were either right or wrong.Â
You wait, not backing away from the nth stare down of the night. You wait, letting him have his time to prepare an answer, whether itâs the truth or a lie. If your suspicions werenât correct, wouldnât he have already said something?Â
âWhat gave me away?âÂ
And there it is. Jungkook was right and you were blind. How are you supposed to feel now? Relieved? Worried? Panicked? Amused? None of those make sense, nor do they describe the way you are feeling now. With Seokjin looking at you as if he has finally given up, finally surrendered, the only emotion that you can single out with clarity is curiosity.Â
âWow. I mean, I wasnât sure, I half expected you to laugh mockingly or something,â you admit, finally looking away and shaking your head, as if thatâs supposed to get your thoughts in order. âThe other night, when you said that you just did it to make me laugh⊠I thought, maybeâŠâÂ
Lies. Jungkook figured it out, and even then, you refused to believe. Even now, youâre still expecting Seokjin to start laughing, claiming that he had pulled off the ultimate prank. He doesnât - in fact, he looks more serious than youâve ever seen him.Â
âMakes sense,â he lets out a dark chuckle. âI suppose I shouldnât be surprised. Or pissed at myself. Iâve said too much, Iâve set myself up,â the way he runs a hand through his hair, with that solemn look on his face makes him look⊠hot. Like, really hot. âBut at least itâs out in the open, right? Now you know.âÂ
âWait,â you raise a hand. âI have no idea what youâre trying to say. Like⊠since when? How? Why? I⊠I donât get it.âÂ
âSince when?â he laughs. Now youâre borderline worried, the guy looks like heâs going to experience a mental breakdown any second now. âPretty much for as long as weâve known each other. I know, shocking,â he adds, seeing how your eyes had widened when you heard his answer. âTo think how I thought that I was obvious.âÂ
âOh no, you werenât,â you sit up straighter, your voice raised up a notch. âYou were anything but, Seokjin. I thought you despised me! That I was your arch nemesis or some shit like that.âÂ
âWell, maybe I wasnât obvious to you but I was to others, Iâm damn sure all of Catnip knows by now,â he tells you and he looks as if he is calming himself down. His voice is lower and heâs no longer making eye contact, but staring at the island between you. âWhat I said was true, I did do it to make you laugh and somewhere along the way, Iâve pissed you off, so much so that you went on thinking that I hated you. Which I donât, by the way. Never have.âÂ
âYou⊠you are a horrible flirt, you know that, right?â is all you can say now, still trying to wrap your head around the fact that the man had a crush on you for years. This time when he laughs, itâs not the dark tone that his laughter had just moments ago. This time around, his laughter is very much genuine, but it also dies down fast.Â
âIâm very much aware of that,â he confirms, finally looking your way again. Thereâs not a trace of positive emotion on his face. Itâs as if he has completely given up on this conversation ending with a positive outcome. You canât blame them for that - given the questioning that youâre putting him through and your history together - if you were in his shoes, youâd also see this as an uncomfortable rejection conversation.Â
Is it, though? It would be, if it werenât for the feelings. Theyâre there. You have no fucking clue what they are, much less what they mean but they are there and you canât ignore their existence any longer. They remind you that once upon a time, he really did make you laugh. That this whole dumb rivalry made you want to work harder and be better, even if it was for the petty reason of simply being better than him. The feelings remind you that you did always consider him attractive, that that stupid smile that he has when heâs truly happy and content does things to you. The feelings remind you that you can recognize the tell-tale signs of his embarrassment. You might not know him well, every line and crevice, every positive and negative but you still know more than you had originally thought. And you want to know more.Â
âWhy?â you ask, knowing you wonât have a peace of mind until you know, even if asking such questions might make him feel uncomfortable. âWhy me? I just⊠I donât get it.âÂ
âNeither do I,â he answers immediately, shrugging his shoulders. âI donât have a big reason behind it or a particular moment when I realized. Liking you was instant. Of course, it didnât develop into something⊠deeper straight away. That part lasted years, but it was impossible not to like you, Y/N. Weâre chefs. We make food, thatâs our job - our job is to take food and cook it, presented in a visually appealing manner and charge for it more than we should. And you take such a simple, almost meaningless thing and turn it into an art form.âÂ
Although touching and meaningful, his words confuse the life out of you. âYou like me because Iâm a good chef?â you ask, wondering if youâve missed something.Â
âI like you because of the dedication you give to it,â he elaborates. âThat stupid excercise that we did the other day didnât let me do you justice. The look on your face that youâve had on that first day remains the same now, whenever I see you taking the simplest ingredients and turning them into art. I have admired that and itâs one of the reasons why my eyes would look for you every damn time we were in that test kitchen. You were there and so focused, so beautiful and so damn good at what you did. And smart, funny, a good leader and a good friend. It also didnât hurt that you look damn hot when youâre focused on something.âÂ
The last part he adds, almost like an afterthought and it makes you laugh. He laughs too, when you make eye contact. The feelings have gone haywire. You officially have no control of them because the things that he has said about you, you recognized in him as well, at one point or another. He is so good at what he does, dedicated and driven, while also being a good leader and from what youâve seen, an awesome friend. To others he was funny - to you, he was a pain in the ass that just so happened to look damn hot when he was focused on something.Â
âI donât know what to say,â you admit when you start feeling as if the silence is lasting too long.Â
âYou donât have to say anything,â he waves his hand, dismissing your suggestion and once again, confusing the hell out of you. âItâs out in the open and now you know why I was an idiot for all those years. I meant what I said when I told you that I wanted us to start fresh and be friendly with one another. Iâm a big boy, I know that whatâs not meant to be is not meant to be.âÂ
âNo, youâre not,â you shake your head, amused at the confusion etched on his face. âYou are childish and often petty and honestly, at times you are the most insufferable being on this planet and I canât even begin to describe how confusing it is that I find that endearing.âÂ
As you listed all the things he is, you watched as his face fell, but you didnât have a chance to feel bad about it, not when you know that despite all of that, heâs still a good guy. Heâs still Seokjin, with all his quirks and insufferable moments. And as much as you might want to deny it, you like him. You really do like him.Â
âDonât get me wrong, it wasnât always endearing - in fact, more often than not, you were a real pain in the ass. Youâre not a big boy who can handle rejection well and I donât want to see you handle it. I donât want to watch you struggle to get over this crush of yours for weeks, months even. I also donât want to watch you finding it easy to get over it, completely forgetting all about it in a matter of days,â you tell him and youâre not even sure if the words make sense but they go out of your mouth and into his ears, making his eyes go wide.Â
âY/N, what are you trying to say?âÂ
âI have no fucking clue,â you shrug, getting up from your chair. âI didnât have enough time to process any of this. Just minutes ago, I thought thereâs no way in hell that youâre that dumb to pull a third grader flirting technique,â you keep talking as you walk over to him, watching him as he turns to face you, slightly alarmed by your sudden proximity, even if thereâs a good two feet between you. âIâm not fully aware of what Iâm saying, or feeling for that matter, but I do know that I am feeling something. Donât ask me to define it, cause I canât, not in this mindfuck of a plot twist that my life did not prepare me for. I just know that I want to test something out.âÂ
âTest? Test out what?â he asks as you take the final step to close the gap between you.Â
âThis,â is all you tell him as you grab a hold of his cute blue sweater and pull him closer, not wasting a single second before you press your lips to his. Neither of you moves for a moment or two, he out of shock and you out of pure confusion because why the hell are you kissing Kim Seokjin?! A few seconds pass and itâs he who starts moving, bringing life into your dead kiss. And the moment he does, you feel it in the pit of your stomach that there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong about this. When he puts his hands on your sides, you let yours move from where they were clutching onto his sweater up and around his neck, pulling him down, closer to you. The strands of hair that reach the nape of his neck feel like silk under your fingers and when you feel his tongue graze your bottom lip, you softly gasp.Â
That makes him pull away - that little gasp of yours seems like a wake-up call for him because he is pulling away, his eyes wide, making him look as if he thinks he is imagining all of this. He looks shocked but he is not letting go of you and your hands are still locked behind his neck.Â
âKissing you is good,â you conclude. âI want to keep doing that.âÂ
âZero complaints here,â is all he says before he stands up and kisses you again. Without breaking the kiss, he twists your hips to the side, making you lean back on the island, the edge of the surface pressing into your back as he essentially cages you.Â
Itâs funny, how many things about him you never really realized. For example, how tall he actually is and how much he has to bend down in order to kiss you, which he does, diligently. You also have never noticed how clear his skin is, not until your fingers grazed his cheeks softly. He was in front of you, right in front of you, all these years and until tonight, he was nothing more than an annoying guy with a good face. How wrong you wereâŠÂ
âOf course, youâre a good kisser too,â he sighs as he breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead on yours, his eyes still closed. âAre you an overachiever in every aspect of your life?âÂ
âWouldnât you like to know?â you tease, chuckling when he backs away, startled.Â
âThatâs not⊠I wasnât trying to insinuate something,â he defends himself immediately.Â
âBut I am,â you giggle at the way his eyes widen. You canât blame him - this night has made you go from zero to sixty in no time. That realization does make you nervous but youâve already decided to push it back and just do whatever it is that you want to do. âIâm telling you, I donât want to think or define. We can deal with that later. Now, I just want⊠you.âÂ
Seokjin takes a second, gulping, looking at you as if he is waiting for you to laugh in his face or take the offer back. When he stays silent for what you deem as a bit too long, you smile softly at him and drag your thumb across his bottom lip - itâs so soft and inviting, already red from the kisses that youâve shared. You want him and he needs to stop second guessing that.Â
Whatever it is that he was looking for on your face, he seems to have found it because heâs suddenly kissing you again, with a lot more ferocity than he did just moments ago. That was a kiss, a first kiss, a getting-to-know-what-this-feels-like kiss - this is a kiss. Hands digging into your skin, tongue driving you crazy with gasps and heavy breathing kind of kiss.Â
You are the one who pulls away but you stay silent, taking his hand into yours and leading him towards the door. A silent moment is exchanged when he looks at the stove, where your dinner is still cooking, then back to you. Beef bourguignon takes hours to make and given the years of expertise between the two of you, youâre comfortable with leaving the stove on. So you laugh and he does too, before you pull him into the hallway.Â
Along the way, you kiss, hit a few walls and your sweatshirt is left discarded on the floor - you donât have time for another freakout at how ridiculously unprepared you are for this because the way he looks at you kills the little insecurities that haunt you. His eyes scan over any area of skin that they can see while his fingers slide over the very edge of your bra, tickling the skin they graze. Goosebumps cover your skin and you all but slam him into your bedroom door.Â
âWoah,â he laughs. âNever thought you were this impatient.âÂ
âIâm usually not,â you admit with a shrug.Â
âIâm not complaining,â he laughs as the two of you waddle towards the bed, still pressed to one another. You smile as you push him gently onto the bed. He looks up at you, mouth open and eyebrows raised. âOh, I am not complaining at all!âÂ
Smiling, you straddle his lap and pause for a second, taking a moment to get used to whatâs happening. Unlike you, he is patient - he simply looks at you, a strange mix of awe and giddiness written on his face. His hands are glued to your hips and he runs his thumbs in circles, gently. It looks as if heâs relishing the moment and letting you take the lead in whatâll happen next. âThis is really happening, isnât it?â you ask, your chest filling with pride when he shows you that signature smile of his, the one that causes a ruckus among the butterflies in your stomach.Â
âI think it is,â he leans closer to you, connecting his lips to your neck and that one, simple action is enough to make you realize that if heâs down, youâll be more than happy to take it all the way tonight. Neck kisses are a universal weakness and youâre gladly going to let him use it to his advantage. âIf this ends up being a wet dream of mine, Iâm going to be so pissed when I wake up,â he admits before nipping at your skin, an action that elicits a whole new wave of horniness to take over you. Neck kisses are bad enough - neck bites will be your downfall.Â
âIf it is a wet dream, come and find me when you wake up and tell me what youâve told me tonight. Then weâll see what we can do about it,â you joke, laughing even harder when he grabs a hold of you and moves you down on the bed. This is the first sign of initiative that he has shown so far and you are not complaining. Itâs your turn now to gulp as he hovers above you, looking down at your body like he is seconds away from eating you alive.Â
âI thought you were hot before but I never thought you were hiding all of this under your clothes,â he tells you as he pulls down on the straps of your bra - at least your underwear is a matching black set, if the rest of you is a mess. Lifting your back from the bed, you help him take the fabric off and he grins up at you once your boobs are out in the open. âChefâs uniforms really didnât do your boobs justice.âÂ
âYouâve seen me in casual clothes plenty of times,â you laugh at his antics. Heâs known you for years, thereâs no way he didnât catch a good view of your cleavage in all that time.Â
âNot nearly as often as I should have,â he mumbles and before you have a chance to talk back, he leaves you speechless as he attaches his mouth to you, immediately giving your nipple a gentle bite. Eyes rolling into the back of your head, you do your best to stay silent - thereâs no way in hell Seokjin wonât be cocky about this later and you donât want to give him too much material to work with right off the bat.Â
It doesnât take long for you to realize that one of the hottest things about being with Seokjin like this is simply seeing Seokjin like this. There is just something so inherently hot about the way his eyes close as rolls his tongue across your nipple. He makes the sight even hotter than the action itself, especially when he reaches for your other breast, gently playing with it as he pleases. Simple actions like that are already driving you nuts and you can only worry about whatâs to come later. And it gets worse - turned on by the sight, you reach for him, moving the hair away from his eyes and the second you two make eye contact, a moan leaves you - a loud, shameless one at that. You could swear his eyes twinkled then and there.Â
âPlease tell me you have a condom,â he starts kissing down your body.Â
âIf youâre clean, you donât need it. Iâm clean and on the pill.âÂ
He suddenly stops kissing you, choosing to laugh instead. âYouâre telling me that a week ago you could barely stand being in the same room with me and now youâre letting me sleep with you without a condom?âÂ
âI mean...â you shrug, joining in on his laughter. âIâm sure stranger things have happened.âÂ
âNot to me they havenât,â he jokes, before immediately turning serious. âAre you sure you want this? I really donât want you to regret it,â he admits.Â
âThe only thing Iâm going to regret is letting you take the lead because youâre taking too long and youâre still in your clothes.âÂ
âEasy,â he laughs as he hooks his fingers past the waistband of your sweatpants and slowly starts pulling them down, leaving your underwear in place. âEat what makes you happy, they say,â he says and you roll your eyes. Of course, leave it to Seokjin to think pussy.Â
âThey also say donât play with your food,â you playfully remind him as you kick off the pants. He doesnât laugh - instead, he reaches for your leg and softly caresses it.Â
âIs your leg going to be okay?â he asks and if you werenât whipped beyond belief before, you are now. Even you have managed to completely forget about your injury but he hasn't. Even now, Seokjin finds ways to prove you wrong and show how thoughtful he actually is.Â
You simply nod and thatâs confirmation enough for him. His hand trails up and on the inside of your thigh pausing before touching your wet underwear. He gives you a questioning look, not touching you until you confirm that thatâs what you want. You nod quickly and in a matter of seconds, the last of your clothes is on the floor, and Seokjin is diving right in.Â
Despite complaining that heâs taking too long, you realize that heâs not the one to tease - at least not tonight. His mouth connects with your clit almost immediately and itâs enough to make you moan again. He licks, sucks and grazes his teeth against it, letting you hold onto his hair like your life depends on it. Heâs good, which makes perfect sense because leave it to Kim Seokjin to give you the best oral sex of your entire life. You wonât tell him - not now, perhaps not ever, cause he doesnât need that to get into his head too, but good lord is he good.Â
âCan I?â he asks, tracing his finger across your opening.Â
âSeokjin, at this point you can do whatever the fuck you want,â you laugh, a laugh that turns into a moan when he sinks his finger in, curving it up immediately and making you arch your back.Â
âIs this good?â he asks and the feelings go berserk again. In your mind, it canât get any better than a man that actually pays attention to what his lover enjoys.Â
âMore than,â you moan as he adds another finger and effectively ends your conversation. He is driving you crazy - something that youâve noticed before, when you side eyed his chopping skills years ago, is how he has beautiful hands with long, almost elegant fingers. Never did you think that those fingers would be inside you, making you count your blessings and struggle to not moan out his name. A struggle that you have lost when he puts a third finger to use.Â
You want more - as amazing as it is, you want more. You want to kiss him, to feel him inside you, to make him feel as good as he is making you feel now. As much as you didnât want to stop him, as much as youâd gladly spend hours like this, you wanted and needed more.Â
âSeokjin, stop,â he does so immediately, looking up at you in worry. His face is covered in your wetness and the sight makes you want to cry. He has never looked hotter than he does right now, between your legs, the evidence of your pleasure all over his face and his hair a mess because of you. âI want you. Wanna kiss you.âÂ
âBut you taste heavenly,â he pouts, turning his head to leave kisses on your thigh.Â
âIâll taste heavenly a bit later too,â you push, knowing that no matter how good this feels, it can get better for the both of you. âCome on, I want to see you.âÂ
Grinning, he gives your thigh a quick bite - the man has a biting kink, thereâs no denying it. While thatâs something youâve never given much thought before, you are now finding it very enjoyable. Whatâs even more enjoyable is the sight of Seokjin taking his sweater off. Youâve known heâs handsome, youâre not blind, but never in a million years would you think that heâs so well defined. Heâs not buff, far from it. He is just so perfectly defined, every muscle on his stomach noticeable and if youâre being completely honest with yourself, lickable.Â
He undresses quickly as you ogle at him, your breath hitching the moment he drops his pants.Â
âWell, that explains a lot,â you comment as you eye his dick - hard, girthy and surprisingly big.Â
âWhat?â Seokjin is confused and you giggle at the way he hides his dick with his hands. âYou think Iâm compensating for something?âÂ
âQuite the opposite,â you answer honestly. âI imagine itâs easy being so full of yourself with a dick like that.âÂ
âIs that an insult or a compliment?â he laughs.Â
âBoth,â you would have been more cheeky if he hadnât started stroking himself, the sight driving you absolutely crazy. âPlease. I want to feel you.â
You donât have to say it again - he moves to loom over you and finally, after what feels like hours and not mere minutes, you can kiss him again. The taste of you on his tongue doesnât bother you. Itâs the opposite, actually, making this moment and Seokjin himself even hotter to you. He lets you push him down onto the bed and without breaking the kiss, you station yourself above him. For the first time tonight, his hands grab a hold of your ass and he squeezes - hard.Â
Both of you stay silent as you move, putting your arm between the two of you to grab a hold of his dick as you kiss. He lets out a groan the moment you wrap your hands around it. Movements gentle and slow, teasing even, knowing that this is the only chance you get to focus on his pleasure. Youâd gladly take him into your mouth but youâre much too impatient for that tonight. A brief hand job will have to do, and judging by his reactions, itâs more than enough.Â
You are surprised at how vocal Seokjin actually is in bed, not that youâve given it much thought before. Heâs not holding back, his moans low and deep, not embarrassed in the slightest to show you how good youâre making him feel. After one particular, higher pitched moan, you decide to do the same. You were holding back before, stupidly worried about your own dignity and giving him material to tease you endlessly. You wonât anymore.Â
Biting your bottom lip and pulling it as he breaks the kiss, he leans back, looking at you with lust in his eyes, his cheeks the exact same shade as the tips of his ears. You want to take a photograph, to memorize the sight of him being turned. It feels like a privilege that only you have and you want to commit it to memory. âY/N, please,â is all he says.Â
Slowly, you line him up to your entrance and with your bottom lip between your teeth, you sink down on him. Immediately, the both of you groan at the feeling. Him being inside you feels right in all the wrong ways, a feeling so right that you know youâre going to miss it when itâs gone.Â
He is the one who moves first, lifting his hips to get you to move. Smiling down at him, you grab a hold of his shoulders and slowly move your hips, letting him almost slip out of you before swallowing him whole again. Each roll of your hips faster than the previous one, not even a minute passes before Seokjin moves his hands away from your ass and pulls you directly on top of him, chest to chest, lips stuck in a slow kiss as he slams up into you.Â
âFuck, you feel so good Y/N,â he tells you and follows it with a particular hard thrust that makes you grip his shoulders harder, holding on for dear life. Having never been with him before, you couldnât tell if he was close or not. You werenât, yet strangely, that doesnât bother you whatsoever. That can be dealt with easily - now, all you want to do is enjoy the feeling of him slamming into you, hard and fast, and the sight of him barely keeping it together.Â
âHappy to hear that,â you giggle before said giggle is rudely interrupted with another harsher snap of his hips. âFine, fine, youâre not so bad yourself,â you tease and the look he gives you is enough for you to know that youâll regret saying that. Immediately.Â
Without any warning, he flips you around and slams you down on the bed, his dick never leaving you. Before you can even react in any way, your healthy leg is pushed up towards your chest and Seokjin slams into you with a purpose. âYou talk about how I annoyed the life out of you, pretending like youâve never bickered back with that mouth of yours,â his words are menacing and incredibly sexy, but the way he is eating you up with his eyes kills any doubt that his words are actually resentful. âIâm glad Iâve found a way to shut you up,â he announces and as if you werenât losing your mind already, he sneaks a finger between your legs and pinches your clit, eliciting the loudest moan of the night. âOr maybe not.â
âSeokjin!âÂ
âFuck, you sound so hot screaming my name,â his pace speeds up, knowing that your orgasm is right around the corner - his thrusts become more shallow but his fingers rub your clit in the speed of light. âCome on Y/N, come for me.âÂ
As much as you wish that your body complied and let you come on his command, it didnât happen that way. It took a few thrusts more, a few more harsher movements of his fingers, but by the time your orgasm has washed over you, you were gasping loudly, digging your nails into the skin of his back. Your brain was mush and you could barely recognize the words heâs saying, something about how youâre squeezing him so good. He doesnât stop moving, helping you ride out your orgasm to the point of overstimulation. Coming out of your post-orgasm haze, you fight the overstimulation and focus on him, noticing how his thrusts are getting more erratic. He looks so out of it, hair sticking to his sweaty forehead, his shoulders red with how strong you are gripping him. Slowly, you slide your hands up and around his neck, pulling him down to you, ignoring the painful stretch in your leg.Â
âYou can finish inside me,â you tell him, hushing his loud moan with a kiss. Itâs a hectic kiss, your lips barely moving because heâs gasping into your mouth and youâre moaning at the feeling of his dick twitching inside you. âSeokjin, please come for me.âÂ
Was it you begging for him to come or a creampie kink, you have no idea and you donât particularly care because the moment he comes and starts filling you up, youâre on cloud nine. It feels as good as an actual orgasm, to know that you, your body, the way you made him feel was enough to make him explode, very literally. You were the one helping him now, lifting up your hips as he stood still, his face buried in your neck, his groans filling your ear. His dick is still twitching but his body has completely given up - he drops your leg and practically falls on top of you, having enough strength and sanity to soften the blow with his hands.Â
His hands give up slowly and in a matter of seconds every inch of him is pressed up against you. You donât care, too busy relishing the feeling of his breaths on your neck and his cum slowly dripping out of you and around his dick. God, you wish you could see it but the position wonât let you. Instead of pushing him away to get a better view, you close your eyes and let your body calm down together with his.Â
His weight on top of you should feel suffocating but itâs not. It feels comforting and right, which scares you to an extent but not enough to chicken out and push him away, especially not when he starts kissing any parts of you he can reach, focusing on your shoulder. After a few moments he rolls over but stays close, his hand draped over your side. You look at each other and itâs impossible not to smile because he is beaming. You canât remember if youâve ever seen him this happy. You must have - itâs just that you probably werenât paying attention.Â
âSo⊠that happened,â he speaks up first.Â
âYup. Talk about a plot twist, huh?â you joke, shaking your head as you realize how weird this is on paper. âCulinary school Y/N never thought a day would come when sheâd have sex with Seokjin.âÂ
âYesterdayâs Seokjin never thought a day would come when heâd have sex with Y/N,â he laughs, shuffling closer to you. By the looks of it, he is a cuddler and you have zero complaints about it. You let him hold you, snuggling against his chest, enjoying the moment a lot more than you ever thought you could. âLet me take you out, Y/N,â he tells you. He seems earnest and a lot more hopeful than he was back in the kitchen. âYou found it in you to put the tension behind and give us a shot at being friends. Why not give this a shot, too? I like you a lot and Iâve liked you for a while⊠maybe you could find something to like in little old me?â he shrugs.Â
âItâs already too late for that,â you laugh, lowering your head to leave a few kisses on his chest. âIâm still not ready to define it and put it to words but Iâd be happy to go out with you,â you admit.Â
âIt might not take us anywhere,â he shrugs, making your head bounce with the movement. âFor all we know, you might realize you do hate my guts after all. But maybe we end up getting along better than anyone would expect?âÂ
âSeokjin⊠with your cooking skills and your oral skills, weâre already getting along very well, if you ask me,â you joke but after a few seconds of laughter, he sits up and pushes you away.Â
âThe beef bourguignon!â he gasps. The sight of Seokjin running out of your bedroom, naked, to check on the food brings tears to your eyes. You can even hear him berating you, yelling something about how this is not a laughing matter but that only makes it more comical. Isnât it ironic how now, he can make you laugh without even trying?Â
The beef bourguignon didnât burn. It was the best beef bourguignon that youâve ever had. The entire evening was one of the best in your recent memory. Whether it was the dinner, his sweater that you were wearing while you ate, the wine, the shared shower or waking up the next morning in his embrace, the time youâve spent with Seokjin was enjoyable, perhaps even meaningful and definitely worth repeating.Â
As long as you are both willing to give it a go, itâs worth it. And it has to be kept between the two of you, at least for now. Cause as much as you like Seokjin, his cooking skills and his dick, your group of friends will never, ever, let you live this one down. Although, for all of the above⊠it might just be worth it.Â
THE ENDÂ
#BTS smut#bts fanfiction#seokjin smut#jin smut#jin fanfic#seokjin fanfic#seokjin x reader#seokjin x you#bts au#seokjin au#bts scenario#bts fanfic#jin x you#jin x reader#bts jin#seokjin fanfiction#jin fanfiction#yoonjinkooked#jin scenario
235 notes
·
View notes
Text
Disney Romance - Mermaid Mullan! - 200 followers special
Thankyou for requesting Bas!!! ( @basilisa-scorpiiâ ) I was a bit nervous writing this! As you are one of my favorites and are so talented. Actually i too didnât watch many movies. Only those 10 that I mentioned. My friend was in disbelief when I told her that I didnât watch frozen. Apparently it was a big deal for her as he almost watched every Disney princess movie.
So, its my first fic writing for the 200 followers! Please read it without having any high expectations. I may not reach them.
Pairing : Zoro X Mermaid! Reader
Word count : 3.6K (Sorry, the concept was so interesting and I couldnât stop)
Warnings : A long ass fic written by me, read at your own risk. CRINGE ALERT!, has magic, bad action scenes, happy ending or else Iâll cry, a lost marimo.
âTsk⊠Lucky mermaids. They just get to go and play while I have to learn these stupid spellsâ, you opened the new book of spells, which had a brown cover and was very heavy. The cover had a design of a mermaid.
You started to read the spells. Being born in the clan of spells mermaid, you always thought that you were one of those unlucky mermaids who canât just play with the fishes. You were a very young mermaid and didnât understand the importance of them.
Growing up, these spells always helped to escape from so many troubles. You could even go to the land using these spells. Hiding your scales and turing your tail into legs.
One fine day in the ocean, while you were making preparations to go to the land, a white-haired half â octopus approached you. âNot againâ, you sighed.
âWhat now Ursula? I need to leaveâ, Without hiding your irritation, you asked her.
âY/N going to the land again? Why wonât you use my help? Iâll turn you into a human then you donât have to rely on your powers and get weak every timeâ, she said as she twirled around you.
There are many powers that can be mastered in the spell book and your main power being in Teleporting but you did learn many other spells, including turning your tail into legs. But every thing has a counter action. The more demanding the spell, the more of a toll it pays on your body by making you weak, leading to even death. Taking your real mermaid form and taking rest in the ocean can help you regain your power.
âThe princess asked me for legs and I gave her what she neededâ
âThe princess? Why did she ask you for legs?â
âLove, she was in love with a man, are you also in love?â
âNo and Iâd never do that for a silly thing as Loveâ
âBut, you are going to Land using your powers. Arenât you tired of it dearâ
You sighed at how she never gave up on you. âWhy? So that you can take my spell book or my family sapphire stone?â, your eyebrow raised with annoyance. She gulped and tried to open her mouth to say something but too late. You werenât interested in listening to her so you snapped your fingers and Teleported to land.
You didnât like to teleport when people were talking but you didnât want to listen to her toxic convincing again. Like hell you needed her powers. Youâd rather lose your powers then to give her your spell book or the sapphire stone, which was now, in the necklace you were wearing. It was also called as the second chance.
You went to the small house mostly made of stones. It was just had 2 rooms. You opened the box which you found in the ruined ship and wore the male clothes which were in it. After coming to the land you observed that, most of the men would be creepy when you were wearing women clothing, which lead you to throw those men away. When you wore men clothing, no one glanced at you. And you didnât get the chance to waste your powers. So you preferred to be dressed as a man.
You took the gold coin which was actually the last one you had in the box. âI need to find a way to stock theseâ, you thought as you started to make your way into the town. Apparently, these people got super mad at you when you ate and tried to leave. They called this⊠money? If you remember correctly.
At first it was pure curiosity what the Land was of. But after being addicted to the food here, you couldnât help but to come back regularly. While in the sea all it was available was sea weed and raw food. It was good but it wasnât even comparable with the food on land. The humans had some tasty food called fruits. And they were of different varieties like mango, orange, apple, berries etc. Oh, how delicious the meat was, when it was cooked. So, you kept coming here using your powers. The food was worth it!
You headed towards the place where the old humans make food, you were their favorite customer as you always gave them a gold coin every time you visited. They were poor and the gold you gave them, helped them to even get out of the debts. You reached the place and started to eat while some people quarreled. But you didnât care. All you looked at was the food before you. You were always given a small size powerless trident and a small sword with it. You didnât know why they were used.
âHEY IDIOT! ARE YOU THE ONE WHO ALWAYS GIVES GOLD COINS? GIVE THEM TO MEâ, someone shouted but you were too busy in eating.
âSir please, leave our customer. That man is being very kind to us old peopleâ, pleaded the old man but he didnât care.
âYou jerk! Why the hell are you ignoring me?â, some one slammed their hand on your table making your apple almost fall down. âUnforgiveableâ
You glared at the man beside you as he grabbed you by the collar and pulled you up, just before he punched you, you snapped your fingers and he froze in his place. He couldnât move. You clenched your fist and punched him in the face making him fly across the room.
Everyone stopped doing what they were doing and looked at you in disbelief. The person you punched was a strong guy who always took peoples valuables. A green haired soldier was totally stunned. âA person this strong was in a small town like thisâ, he thought. He went towards the person who was trashed by you and noticed that he was knocked out. âIt seemed a bit different but, that guy can help a lotâ, he thought. The soldier turned around to look at you but you were already leaving.
Placing the money which was required to pay on the desk, the green haired man ran in your direction. âHey dude!! Wait a minute!â, he called to you. But you were busily eating the apple which had the pretty red colour.
âI need to get more of these golden coins. Maybe the ship which crashed in the western side has some of theseâ, making plans on how to get more of these, you walked towards the shore.
You then felt a hand on your shoulder which made you to stop. Looking over your shoulder, your eyes met with black orb. The man had green hair and a scar on one of his eyes. He was muscular and well built. He had three golden coloured earrings on one of his ears.
âHey dude! I wanna talk to youâ, he said removing his hand from your shoulder. You took a bite of your apple and turned towards him. You raised one of your eye brow at him as you folded your arms.
âI am so amazed that a powerful man like you is in this small town. Actually, seeing you fight that rogue, I wanted to ask you if youâd come to the war and be a soldier, like meâ, he said with a proud smile.
After listening to the weird man, You turned around and started to walk towards the shore. His smile curved into an awkward one as you walked away. âHEY!! Iâm NOT DONE! LISTEN TO ME ONCEâ, trying to stop you he shouted again. But as his attempts failed, he ran again and stood before you blocking your way. You glared at him because of it.
âListen to me. I mean no harm. Iâm Zoro, a solider of the Straw Hat armyâ, he introduced himself as he took your hand and shook it. âWhat⊠What a weird manâ, you thought looking at him.
âYou see, we want to use all the help needed to destroy the beard Kingdom. So, come with us and be a soldier of the Straw hat armyâ, he said.
âWhy do I need to fight for your army. I donât wanna involve in these fightsâ, you said sternly, speaking for the first time to the man.
âWhy not? Just join us. We are fighting on the good side. We wanna give freedom to the people of beard Kingdomâ, he inhaled and continued, âIf you join Iâll make sure you get good food and 500 pure gold coinsïżœïżœïżœ. He was really determined to win the war and also claimed that he wanted to free some people.
You could get the gold coins from many ruined ships, but the way he looked at you with determination to win in eyes you couldnât help but to sigh. âLetâs meet here tomorrow at exactly at dawnâ, with that you continued to walk towards the shore.
âI never caught your nameâ
âIts Y/Nâ, you say without turning around but smirked. He was the first human you ever told your name to.
His eye clearly lit up and he grinned as he said, âIâll waiting, Y/Nâ. He didnât notice that his heart definitely did skip a beat then.
Swimming deep into the ocean, you reached your house with in 10 minutes. Before sleeping, you took the spell book and started to refer it again even though youâve read it multiple times. You still had 12 hours till dawn and itâs be sufficient amount of time till you regain your energy.
As the first rays of sun hit the country, Zoro looked at how beautiful the sea looked. He was mesmerized by its beauty.
âHeyâ, you almost startled him.Â
âWhat the⊠when did you come here? How did I not notice?â, he said with confusion in his eyes.
âLets go nowâ
âYeâŠYeah. Letâs goâ, he said leading you forward. âThis person is hiding somethingâ, he thought
âHeyâ, you call him as he turned to look at you.
âWhy are you going towards the sea?â, as soon as you said that, his cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
âDonât tell me you donât even know the rout-â
âI know!â, he said interrupting you and opening the map. You peaked at the map and then looked at him. He was sweating.
âGive, just give it to meâ, you took the map and continued, âSo where is the locationâ
âHereâ, he pointed towards a white surface on the map. âIf we go quickly-â, you tooe his hand in yours and closed your eyes, âWe can reach in maybe 5 daysâ, he ended as you snapped your fingers. He just looks at the place before him. Your eyes open wide upon seeing the white substance in front of you. Your hands hug you as the place was very cool but you were truly in awe by the view.
But Zoro was actually speechless. âWhat? How? Why? When? Its not even been 5 secondsâ, he screamed and continued, âWhat are you actually? Are you using some sort of Magic?â, he then sneezed.
âI used a spell. Now donât make a fuss about it. Anyone can do itâ, you replied
âNO ONE CAN DO IT!â, he screamed again only for you to ignore.
âWhat is this white substanceâ, you asked him as you slowly crouch down and touch it. It was soft and very cold, Making your hand numb. But you were amazed by it.
âIts snow. Donât do that, your hands will become numbâ, he said and took your hands in his and started to rub them. You heart skipped a beat and you didnât know why.
âLets go. I think, I know the way from hereâ, he said and pulled you up with him. With your hands still in his he walked forward. Even though your knees felt weak, you kept walking. He talked about the prince and how great he was.
After 10 minutes, you both saw some men with weapons in the area. With one swift motion, Zoro attacked them and knocked them out. You were actually surprised. You didnât even notice when he left your side and attacked them. He held three swords at a time. You never saw a person so perfectly using three swords. Oh god, he looked like a demon. He pulled the clothes from those men and handed you one. âWear this sweater. I donât want you to get sickâ
You wore it and it felt really warm all of a sudden.
âWoah!! Its so warm, fells like Magicâ, you smile pulling the sweater even closer to you.
âTsk⊠you call this magic and call your spell normal. I cant understand youâ, he again took your hand in his. âDonât⊠Donât get it wrong. Its only because I brought you here so its my responsibility to keep you safeâ. You place your thumb on his wrist and observe that his heart beat was increasing.
âYour heart beat is increasingâ, you said making him glare at you.
After walking for a while, you notice a building ahead of you. It was black in colour and had black smoke coming out from it. Suddenly Zoro stops in his tracks.
âIs it the secret base of straw-hat kingdom, you were talking aboutâ, you asked him.
âItâs the secret base of Beard Kingdom that we are searching for past 1 month. Oh my! We found it Y/Nâ, he said with a smirk on his face. You snapped your fingers and made the black smoke red hoping someone from the straw hat base see it.
âNo, you found it. I just waked with you. What type of shit directions you haveâ
âHey! Thatâs not true. I⊠I actually was planning to search this with you. But whatever we found it!â, he grinned looking at the building.
âDonât tell me you wanna take them on all by yourse-â
âWhat are you saying? I have you now! Letâs kill them Y/Nâ, he said taking his swords and positioning them. He was a demon. But your heart started to race. It was because of this jerk.
âOk! Lets goâ, you said and silently you both infiltrated the base. Knocking out who ever came across your way.
âDamn it. There are a lot of people hereâ, you thought as your breathing became heavy and your legs gave out.
âY/N, you okay?â, Zoro whispered getting close to you.
âIâm fineâ, you said. This wasnât the time to wine and you knew it.
âThankyou. Its dawn and everyone are mostly sleeping. So lets just finish this off and leaveâ, he said as he placed his hand behind your waist and in one swift motion he pulled you up. Your heart skipped a beat. AGAIN. âThis is just like the useless romance novels I readâ, you thought. âDo I like him by any chance?â
âLets goâ, he said facing the opposite direction that you actually should go.
âWe need to go this wayâ, you said to him as he blushed and walked in the correct direction. âDefinitely notâ, you concluded and continued to trash the soldiers in the way. You were late once and a bullet hit your shoulder. Still you didnât give up.
âY/N! Iâm sorry, Iâll make sure to get you treated by our doctorâ, Zoro shouted as he slashed another person, who was twice as big as him.
After a while, you knew, you really needed the ocean. Your body was getting weaker. Teleporting to a really far place with another person, being hit by a bullet and continuously knocking out these strong ass soldiers is really getting hectic.
âYou did great Y/N, its okay. Leave now, ill take care of the rest!â, Zoro said but you got determined even more to fight.
âWhat? I donât take orders, especially from humans. Lets see who gets more knockoutsâ, you said. Zoro didnât know if he should be happy that you didnât give up or be concerned that you called him a human? So were you not one?
Snapping fingers, you teleported Zoro from one enemy to another and sometimes yourself to win over the enemies. Your shoulder was turning into a shade of purple, but you were too busy to notice. He soon got used to your help. âYou make one hell of a partner!â, Zoro said looking at you as he stood on a pipe which was approximately 10 feet above you. You smirked as a big sound made you to look at the strong wooden door.
âWHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING HERE!â, A man with a big beard shouted. You snapped your fingers and Zoro was beside you in a second.
âThatâs Beard. We need to destroy himâ, Zoro mumbled as he proceeded to run further. You were ready to go with him but your vision completely became black and you fell to the ground.
âY/N!â, Zoro called out to you but you didnât wake up. You could hear him. You wanted tell him to escape. Then you heard an explosion.
âBEARD!!! IâLL KICK YOUR ASS!!â, an unfamiliar voice was heard.
âJeez Luffy! Could you hold your horses?â
âNAMI!!!! Iâm Scared!â
âShut up Ussop! We need to protect the peopl- Ladies! *ahem*â
That was too late. Luffy was already fighting with Beard at this point. With the prince fighting, all Straw hat soldiers started to fight with Beard Army.
âY/N! Y/N Wake up!! Please wake up!â, Zoro took your body in his arms and shook you trying to wake you up.
âI want to see you one last timeâ, you thought before your hearing also faded away.
âPlease wake up. Donât dieâ, he shook you like crazy.
âDonât do that Zoro! Let me take a look at the woundâ
Handing you over, Zoro clenched his jaw. âPlease donât let him dieâ, he said and positioned himself.
âASHURAâ, he said and went full demon mode on the Beard Soldiers.
After winning over the Beard army everyone was really relieved. But they didnât celebrate. Knowing one of their soldier was in a critical position.
The doctor checked your pulse and you werenât alive. He sighed and got up. Covering you with a blanket, he walked out.
âHow is he?â, Zoro asked as soon as the doctor stepped out.
âThat was a girl and sadly her pulse stoppedâ, the doctor replied only for Zoro to grab his collar and ask again. âWhat did you say? It cant be happening. He i mean She cant die, do somethingâ
âIâve tried everything, Iâm sorryâ, the doctor said and Zoro let go of him.
He went inside the room to find you covered with a blanket. He pulled the blanket down to see your face again. He sat beside you and took your hand in his.
âIâm sorry. I made you come here even when you clearly didnât want to. I am sorryâ, he apologized holding your hand tightly. âIs there any spell to bring you back. If there is, I wish you to come back, please get a second chanceâ
Then he saw the sapphire necklace glow. He was shocked at this. If anyone wouldâve told him that magic existed a few days earlier, heâd have brushed it off. But after seeing you, he believes in it.
Just when you felt that you were surrounded with nothing but light, your ocean coloured necklace glowed, as if it was calling you back. You opened your eyes and could see light and also a person with green hair. His face lit with happiness and he hugged you.
âZo...roâ, you called as he pulled back to look at you.
âY/N! You are alive!â, he said as he took your hand and kissed it.
âYou!! You Human! How could you!â, your cheeks turned pink at his actions.
âWhy didnât you tell me that you were a girl?â
âI never said that I were a boyâ
âYou are alive again so Iâll let it slide for now, also that stone and those scales on your cheekâ, he said and you snapped your fingers to hide the scales.
âWhatever⊠I saw that you cried when I diedâ, you blabbered but it turned out to be true as his cheeks turned red.
âI did notâ, he tried to hide his embarrassment but failed. You chuckled at his reaction and he smiled at you.
âEHHH!!!! YOU ARE ALIVE!!!!â, the doctor screamed looking at you then suddenly a weird guy with a straw hat came in beaming with energy.
âSUGOI!!! You are alive! then we all can celebrate on the occasion of you being alive and also winning the war!â, he said coming towards you.
âI guess⊠Thanksâ
âShow me your powers when you get well okay!â, he said as he gave you a wide smile and left.
âWas he the prince Luffy that you are so fond ofâ, Zoro nodded
âHe is the man worthy to become a King. But tell me this, are you a fish?â
âActually, thatâs not totally wrong. Iâll tell you what you need to know. Letâs teleport again after some time.â
The next day.
âIts⊠Its actually pretty cool. I never thought Iâd see a half fish and half humanâ, Zoro said as he tugged on your tail.
âOuch! Be careful. The tail can be strong but it is also very sensitive, and can you please start using the word mermaidâ, you said splashing water on him.
âSo, tell me. How strong are the mermaids? Are they all as strong as you?â, he curiously asked not hiding the intent to fight. You chuckled and started to tell him about the creatures of the ocean. But its just been 3 days since you met him, but you two already had a.... weird connection.
Zoro tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and looked into your eyes. The timing was so perfect. Maybe it was because he was there. You moved closer to kiss him and he also returned it. Maybe the mermaid princess wasnât totally wrong to choose loveâŠ
XOXOXOXO
Thankyou for reading. I warned you with cringe alert in the beginning but if you made it through the end, congratulations!
Comment your feelings down in the comments!
Follow for more sappy content!
#zoro#one piece#Zoro One Piece#ronoroa zoro x reader#roronoa zoro x reader#zoro roronoa x reader#roronoa zoro#zoro roronoa#one piece x reader#one piece x you#one piece x y/n#One Piece Fanfiction#onepiece#mermaid#disney
73 notes
·
View notes
Text
Master of All
My Witcher Secret Santa gift for @motionalocean! @thewitchersecretsanta
Crossposted to AO3 HERE
nearly 9.2K of BAMF!Jaskier and Geralt being progressively more smitten. 5 Times Jaskier Is Good At Things Geralt Didn't Expect And The 1 Thing He Knew Jaskier Was Good At. PG-13 for bad words, canon-typical violence, and the +1 Under cut because itâs hella long.
1. Pickpocketing
âWell,â Jaskier huffed, âI sincerely hope you missed one of those ghouls and they come back and eat this whole rotten village. Starting with that alderman. No, starting with his appalling son who has the AUDACITY to claim he was a better singer than me. My gods, Geralt, I donât even think Iâll complain of the lack of a roof and a bed this evening. Sleeping under the stars with my very dear friend-â
â-not friends,â Geralt huffed.
The interruption entirely ignored by Jaskier. â-who is twice, thrice, no no no ten, a hundred, a THOUSAND times the man that they could ever dream of being. Asking a man-â
â-not a man,â Geralt said, expecting, correctly, Jaskier would ignore this comment too.
Jaskier, instead, whirled and looked at Geralt like he had punched him. Actually, he looked more upset than when Geralt has, in fact, punched him. âOf course youâre a man.â Jaskier tilted his head. âWell, I cannot say for certain as I have not yet seen you⊠in a state of undress. Though not that the having of a penis makes one a man. Itâs more about your own identity-â
âJaskier,â Geralt sighed, sliding two now-skinned hares onto sticks over the fire.
âYouâre a man because thatâs who you tell the world you are.â
âI donât.â
It seemed only every other sentence was going to get through Jaskierâs tirades as he stopped speaking.
For a few blissful seconds. âGeralt,â Jaskier put his hands on his hips, voice exasperated as if he were a teacher who expected better of his pupil. âGeralt,â he said again, âyou are the best man I have ever met. Smarter than any scholar, kinder than any priest, more noble than any titled twat.â
Geralt blinked. Jaskier seemed so sincere. âWeâve just met.â
âRight, well, weâve actually been traveling together for four months, but I imagine time feels different when youâre basically immortal, so weâll let that slide.â
A frown twisted Geraltâs face. âYouâre young. You canât have met that many people.â
Jaskier pursed his lips and put on what he called his Viscount voice. Though why heâd pretend to be a Viscount was beyond Geralt. âI studied for years at the most prestigious and widely attended university on the Continent. I have met plenty of people, Geralt. And you are still the best one I know.â
Geralt hmmed. âYour good opinion wonât buy us a roof and a bed.â
A grin like a succubus, pretty and dangerous, spread over Jaskierâs face. He reached into his trousers and produced a bag of coins. âIt might do.â
The same bag of coins that the alderman had refused to give Geralt after he cleared a nest of ghouls from a field. Heâd taken three crowns and told Geralt that it couldnât be worth the whole bag if it only took him an hour.
As it was, most of that hour was building the bomb heâd need to destroy the nest. The ghouls had been sated by feeding on villagers whoâd tried to kill them and were slow.
âWhere-â Geralt shook his head, he knew the answer to that one. âHow?â
Jaskier tossed the bag in the air and caught it. He continued doing so as he spoke. âRemember when I gestured around his, frankly gaudy and most certainly fake, prized vase?â
Geralt stared at the boy. âYou distracted him by making him think you might break his vase and then stole his coin out of his pocket.â
âExactly! Really itâs his fault for so blatantly putting the coin away while looking down his nose at you.â Jaskier grinned bright and extracted one coin from the bag before handing it to Geralt.
âThiefâs fee?â Geralt nodded at the coin.
Jaskierâs smile got even more mischievous. He balanced the coin on his thumb, then flicked it.
It hit Geralt in the chest and fell into his lap.
âWell, tossing a coin is the chorus of the song anyway,â he winked, then spun around, grabbing a cooked hare and blowing on it before taking a large bite. âTheyâll see,â he said as he chewed, âmy song will become a hit! âToss a Coinâ will be sung the entire length and breadth of the Continent and men like that will be the pariahs, the outcasts. Anyone who denigrates a witcher will be spit upon in the streets. See how they like that!â Jaskierâs next bite was near savage, tearing the meat from the bone. But the next moment, he grinned over the fire at Geralt. âAnd until it does become a hit and you are lauded as the hero you are, and donât say youâre not a hero, I see your mouth opening and you can very well shut it again for all the credence Iâm going to give you saying youâre not a hero.â He gestured wildly with his hare, grease dripping slowly down his hand and forearm, on display since heâd rolled up the sleeves as his chemise on such a warm night.
Geralt found his next breath a little harder to take as he stared at the bare forearm. He hmmed and took up his own meal.
âSo until that day, I will gladly make sure you are properly paid for your work,â he waggled the fingers of his left hand at Geralt. âOne way or another.â
âDonât get caught,â Geralt said. âI wonât break you out of any jail cell you land in.â
Jaskier laughed. âThat is a bald-faced lie. You did the exact thing two towns ago and that wasnât even me risking my freedom and safety for you to be given all you deserve.â
Geralt looked up at Jaskier, then quickly back to his hare when he found the expression on Jaskierâs face too⊠too much like something warm settling in his stomach. He ate the rest of the hare as fast as he could.
No one had ever said Geralt deserved anything. Not anything nice, anyway. But Jaskier seemed to think that Geralt was a kind of hero in a tale and wanted him to be treated as such.
Foolâs errand, he thought. Jaskier was young and didnât know how the world worked outside of the high walls of a university. Heâd learn. Until thenâŠ
âFine.â
Having gone back to eating, Jaskier was silent for a moment as if trying to recall where the conversation was picking up from. âWhatâs fine? Oh! Me stealing when people refuse to pay you your just wage. Of course itâs fine. Donât worry your pretty head for a moment; Iâve never been caught yet.â He waggled his fingers in Geraltâs direction. âDexterity is name of the game when one spends oneâs life dedicated to possibly the most delicate and finnicky instrument known to man.â He looked down at his gifted elven lute like it was his flesh and blood child, so loving and soft.
When he raised his head and looked at Geralt, his adoring expression didnât change in the least.
Geralt cleared his throat and threw the hareless stick onto the fire. âGo to sleep, Jaskier.â
A few more large bites and Jaskier did as he was told, snuggling into his bedroll. Which Geralt had bought him when Jaskier proved that no amount of silence or disinterest would keep him from staying at Geraltâs side, praising every deed in song. He picked up the bag of coin and wandered over to Roach to tuck it safely in her saddlebag.
The horse nickered softly and seemed to throw her head repeatedly in Jaskierâs direction.
âDonât get attached,â Geralt scolded.
Roach tilted her head in Jaskierâs direction and kept it there.
Geralt sighed and whispered into the still night air. âThank you, Jaskier.â He patted Roach, now seemingly satisfied, and made his way to his own bedroll, set a bit behind Jaskierâs so the bard was close to the warm fire and that anything that leapt at them from the woods would have to get through Geralt before it could get to Jaskier.
He laid there, thinking about how quickly making sure the boy warm and safe had become a priority.
2. Knowing Who The Nobles Are Everywhere They Go
âNope,â Jaskier plucked the sun-faded paper from Geraltâs hand, ignoring Geraltâs exasperated expression. âOh no, no, no, no. Nope, you will not be taking this. Well, you will not be taking this contract with Duke Hereward. Heâs an absolute bastard and will quite surely stiff you of your deserved coin. No, weâd best find where,â he squinted at the ink, âMeadwood Farms is and go straight to the farmers themselves. Hereward will weasel his weasely way out of giving you anything. Iâd gladly steal anything he might have of worth-â
Geralt glanced around, hoping no one who worked for the Duke was listening, as Jaskier did not seem to understand what the word âdiscretionâ meant.
â-alas the double-edged sword of fame means if something were to go mysteriously but deservedly missing after we took our leave, Iâd find my lovely new position as a professor at Oxenfurt suddenly taken from me.â He smiled at Geralt. âI need something to do during the winter while you hide away in your Witchery mountains to do⊠mountainous Witchery things.â
Suppressing the urge to smile, Geralt nodded towards the inn. âIâm sure someone will know who owns the farm in there.â
Jaskier grabbed Geraltâs arm and began to drag him (well, steer him as if Geralt had truly not wanted to be led, there was no way the boy, barely into his twenties, could move him) towards the inn. âGood people of Ellander!â
âJaskier,â Geralt nearly rolled his eyes.
âYour prayers to the Great Meletile have been answered,â Jaskier continued. âGeralt of Rivia, the White Wolf himself, has come to aid you with your monster problems. Merely point us to Meadwood Farms and you shall soon see why Geralt is the hero of the Continent.â
Geralt was strangely glad his body no longer had the ability to blush. Jaskierâs absolute faith in Geralt was steadfast and it made something heavy and warm settle in Geraltâs chest. He wasnât sure he wanted to be able to feel this way, to be so⊠cared about.
A pretty-eyed maiden made her way over to them. She smiled brightly at Jaskier. âI work at the farm. Iâd be ever so glad to lead you⊠and the witcher there.â
The eye rolling couldnât be controlled this time, as Jaskier immediately brightened under her attentions. âWell lead on, good miss. I presume itâs miss?â
âIt is,â she giggled.
Geralt was rather glad they barely paid any heed to him as they flirted their way across town to the countryside. âWhat is it?â Geralt eventually asked.
Both Jaskier and the young woman, Elzbet apparently, startled as if theyâd forgotten Geralt was still there. They probably had.
âThe monster,â Geralt clarification. âWhat is it?â
Elzbet shrugged. âI didnât see it. I do not know. Master Prospero was the one who saw it. Heâs in the big house.â
Jaskier grinned. âYes, yes, Geralt head up to see Master Prospero. Elzbet has promised to show me a most charming little corner of the barn. Apparently, thereâs an owlâs nest there.â
Geralt would turn over every coin he received for the contract if there was actually an owlâs nest anywhere in the barn. All Jaskier was likely to see was up the girlâs skirts. Stomping away with a little more force than he probably needed to use, Geralt found the farm owner and got the information he needed.
It was a nest of nekkars and Geralt has cleared them all out by that night. The reward scraped together by the workers was only a third of what Hereward had promised, but it was given in gratitude and with open hands. Prospero himself was so grateful, he offered Geralt and Jaskier a room in his home for the night, as well as their dinner that night and breakfast the next morning.
Jaskier spent most of the night trying to find a suitably dirty rhyme he approved of for owl.
âHowl. Or yowl, which I will make you do if you do not put that candle out.â Geralt said at last.
âOh you,â Jaskier tsked as he quickly scribbled down a few more lines. âYou know what that Witchery magic does to me.â He winked.
Geralt buried his head further into the pillow. âDidnât get enough with your farm girl?â
Jaskier gasped, affronted. âExcuse you, Elzbet is more than a farm girl, she is the love of my life.â He sighed dreamily. âI might stay, you know. With her.â
âBetter her than me,â Geralt grumbled.
âI know you donât truly mean those words or Iâd be heartbroken beyond repair to hear you say that,â Jaskier shrugged out of his doublet and pinched out the candle flame between his licked fingers. âBut what if I did? Stay?â
Geralt huffed. âYouâd make a piss poor farmer.â
Jaskier laughed lightly. âProbably true.â He sighed. âWould you miss me?â
âGo to sleep, Jaskier,â Geralt said in lieu of an actual answer. âIf youâre to be a farmer, you must get used to early mornings.â
Humming thoughtfully, Jaskier settled down, the line of his back just an inch away from Geraltâs in the bed. âGood night, Geralt.â
In the morning, Jaskier packed and took his place at Geraltâs side. He tried out lyrics and chords and by the time he and Geralt made camp that night, Jaskier had a new ballad. It was about love between a wanderer and a maiden, whom he loved but left to follow the open road he had long ago promised his heart to, his truest love.
Though he never actually sang the word road, Geralt realized as he watched Jaskier sing it a week later in a tavern. The song itself was called Walking The Path.
3. Gwent
âDammit,â Geralt growled as he threw down his remaining card. A clear weather was useless when there were no weather cards in effect. The score was tied, but his opponent played with a Nilfgaardian deck and therefore won all ties.
The smarmy git was smiling at him like a smarmy git. âFair is fair,â he held out a hand, âIâll be taking your unique card now.â
It was lying next to the card the other man had anted up in the center of the table, but clearly humiliation was part of his winnings.
Geralt picked up the card and dropped it into the other manâs hand. âHere.â
âBetter luck next time,â the bastard called out and he gestured another player to take Geraltâs place.
He still had all the coin heâd won, the cards had been the only prizes in that last round, so Geralt went over to the bar and ordered two ales and a glass of wine.
By the time he was picking up the second mug of ale, Jaskier had finished his set and bounded over, downing the wine in one go as always and ordering himself another.
âWhatâs this face? Is my singing truly that bad? Please know, if you say anything about pie, I will be forced to waste this lovely wine on your rude head.â Geralt grunted. âSinging was fine. Lost my game is all.â
Jaskier tilted his head. âYou were winning when I last checked in on you.â He looked at his glass. âDo you need some coin? I got a fair amount tonight, people around here are very anti-Nilfgaard and my lovely little ditty went a treat. You must have heard the cheers.â
Geralt nodded. He had. In between games, heâd kept his eye on Jaskier. The djinn incident was two weeks ago, but this was Jaskierâs first performance since he almost lost his voice. And life.
The bard had been nervous and Geralt hadnât even started playing gwent until the anxious scent faded into his usual confident burst of sundried linen and mint. The crowd was just as adoring, just as loud as always. Jaskierâs voice hadnât suffered any permanent damage and Geralt was relieved. After all, his unthinking words had been the reason Geralt had almost lost⊠that Jaskier had almost lost his voice.
âNot coin,â Geralt said at last, draining his mug. âLost my best card though. Drew an unlucky hand and couldnât seem to bring it back around. Ended in a draw, but the bastard played as Nilfgaard so he took the tie.â
Jaskier frowned. âNo chance to get it back?â
Geralt shrugged. âHe plays here a lot, apparently. Has rules about only one match per opponent.â He shook his head. âNothing for it.â
Putting down his half full glass, Jaskier nodded. âRight, well then.â He turned and headed towards the tables set up for cards.
âJaskier?â Geralt blinked at the space the bard had occupied a second ago. âJaskier?â
Jaskier was already standing in front of the bastard.
Geralt couldnât remember his name, wasnât even sure heâd been told who heâd been playing against.
Jaskierâs relaxed ease was gone, instead his shoulders hunched up, making him look for all the world like an angry cat about to take a chunk out of the next person who tried to pet it. âValdo Marx,â Jaskier hissed out like the very letters of the name offended him.
Huh. Geralt looked at the man whoâd defeated him.
Valdo looked up with a beatific smile. âJulian, is that you? I did think I heard your particular brand of empty words and trite notes in that boyish tenor of yours.â
Now no longer just upset about the card, Geraltâs fingers twitched towards his sword. Sure, heâd not exactly complimented Jaskierâs songs recently, but his insult was born of trying to offend the man into shutting up so Geralt could find the damnable djinn and get some fucking sleep.
Which, looking back, was a useless attempt as Jaskier had been drunk and Drunk Jaskier was even more prone to rambling than Sober Jaskier.
âNormally, Iâd be quite glad to just punch you in the nose,â Jaskier smirked, âagain.â
Taking a closer look, Geralt did notice that Valdoâs nose was slightly crooked. As if broken a few too many times.
âBut if seems you have some pretentious rule about not allowing people to win their losings back from you like an honourable gentleman would.â Jaskier crossed his arms. âSo Iâll play you for Geraltâs card.â
Valdo blinked blankly. âGeralt?â
Jaskier clucked his tongue as he sat down. âMy goodness, you are out of touch. Everyone on the Continent knows I sing of Geralt of Rivia, heroic Witcher of legend and my very best friend in the whole world.â
Geralt didnât bother to object.
âThen again, you rarely get to leave Cidaris, donât you?â Jaskier produced his gwent deck and began to shuffle it. âI often wonder how youâd do in a town you didnât grow up in? But then your fatherâs money wouldnât be there to buy you a court position now would it? Has he bought you a title yet?â
Though Jaskier couldnât see it, perhaps because Jaskier couldnât see it, Geralt grinned broadly at that.
Valdo grinned back nastily, revealing he had a missing canine tooth as well. âIf he did, at least one of us would use their title to make a difference to their homeland. Tell me, Julian,â he laid out his deck and dealt himself a hand, âwhen did you last visit Lettenhove? Or do you still think wandering amongst the common folk singing dirty songs in dirty taverns is the proper way a viscount should behave? Whatever would your mother day?â
Geralt watched Jaskierâs grip on his own hand tighten, just slightly. âJust play, Marx.â
Huh. Apparently Jaskier wasnât making the whole viscount thing up.
âOh now now,â Valdo laid down his hand, âwe havenât set terms yet. You want the Witcherâs card, right? This one,â he picked it up and flipped it along the back of his hand. âBut what will you bet? I never play for anything as gauche as coin. Some of us get wages, not a handful of coins in a dusty lute case. Actually,â Valdo leaned forward, âthatâs what weâll play for. Your pretty lute. See if you can perform in royal courts without your maaaagical little instrument.â
âNo.â
Jaskier and Valdo both snapped their attention to Geralt.
âNo,â he repeated. Jaskierâs lute was his livelihood, his most precious possession. Geralt wanted his card back, but not at that price. Jaskier was a clever player, Geralt knew, but Valdoâs deck was evil, full of spies and scorch cards. âNot the lute. Choose something else.â
Valdo shook his head. âDonât think I will,â he turned back to Jaskier. âYou bet your lute or I walk away and your witcher never sees his card again.â
Geralt put a hand out to grab Jaskierâs shoulder and urge him up to their room, but Jaskier just nodded. âItâs a bet. Play, Marx.â
Worry came over Geralt and he found himself pacing behind Jaskier, trying not to look at his cards because then heâd know if Jaskier had a good hand and if he didnâtâŠ
If Jaskier lost his lute, heâd be crushed. Geralt would buy him another; heâd have to. But to lose the lute Filavandrel had given him⊠Jaskier always said it brought him luck, sounded sweeter than all others, even when slightly out of tune.
âIt will always remind me of the day my life changed forever,â heâd smile at it, then at Geralt.
Geralt still hadnât worked out whether he meant the day he wrote the song that made him famous or the day he learned the world was much more complicated than his human-written studies might have led him to believe.
Geralt watched as Jaskierâs hand dwindled to two cards.
Valdo still had half a dozen.
It was the last hand; both had won a turn and this would decide the winner.
Rubbing a hand over his face, Geralt closed his eyes and leaned back, trying to meditate or at least clear his mind. He still had his winnings from the other matches heâd played tonight. He had no idea how much a lute cost, but heâs fairly sure heâd be able to cover it. Did this town even have a shop that might carry one? It was only just inside the borders of Cidaris, not a particularly large village now that Geralt thought about it.
âYou,â he heard a hiss, âcheated.â
Jaskier was smiling. âI did no such thing. I merely used your same tactics against you.â He held out a hand. âThe card. Unless youâd like to try and win it back?â
Valdo spit out some words in Elder as he threw the card at Jaskier and stomped out like a petulant child.
Geralt was rusty and only caught every few words. Something about Jaskierâs bedroom habits and something else about being a pathetic, he thinks the word was supposed to mean hound or something like that. One phrase that Geralt did catch, as heâd heard it assigned to him once or twice before translated to âunlovableâ.
Jaskier sat frozen through the tirade and when Geralt rounded the table, he found Jaskierâs eyes to be far more full of wrath and pain than it ought to for someone who had just won a game against a rival.
His face schooled into a triumphant grin, though there was still a sheen of sadness in his eyes. âYour card, Geralt.â
Geralt took it gently, sliding out his deck into order to tuck it away. âYou didnât have to do that.â
âWell, if I lost I was thinking of just stabbing him and making a run for it,â Jaskier waved a hand.
âItâs not that important,â Geralt insisted, ten minutes later as they readied for bed. âIt wasnât worth risking your lute. If youâd lost it. Itâs more precious to you than everything, else youâve said so yourself.â
Jaskier looked up from folding his doublet and smiled, not his cheeky performance grins but a small, genuine thing. âNot everything. Now,â he sat on the edge of the bed and tugged off his boots, âmay I see the card I won from Marx in what is going to be immortalized into an incredibly epic song as soon as I come up with a rhyme for âthrice broken noseâ?â
Geralt took it out and handed it over.
It was a fairly new card for the Northern Kingdoms deck. An ashen haired little girl pouted in a frilly pink dress, clearly displeased at being painted.
âCirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Princess of Cintra,â Jaskier read. He handed back the card but his hand hovered, as if he might reach out for Geraltâs shoulder or even his cheek. âYes, this is something worth taking a risk for, no question. âŠ15 points and all,â he said after a moment, when he realized Geralt wasnât responded. âCourse I missed the opportunity of stabbing Marx, but Iâve no doubt the chance will arise again someday.â He laid down and stared at the ceiling.
âJaskier,â Geralt began, finding his words dry up when those beautiful (when did he start thinking of Jaskierâs eyes as beautiful?) blue eyes blinked up at him. âI⊠th- you played well.â
A pleased and nearly shy look came over Jaskierâs face. âI know how much you enjoy it. Just wanted to be sure Iâd be a worthy opponent for you, dearest witcher.â He stared at Geralt a moment longer, as if looking for something in his face. He shook his head slightly as if coming out of a dream. âGoodnight, Geralt.â Jaskier turned and faced the wall.
âHmm,â Geralt hummed as he laid down, facing the opposite wall. âGoodnight. Jaskier.â
4. Sailing
Geralt surveyed the people sitting around the table and frowned to notice one missing. âWhereâs Jaskier?â
âWent fishing,â Eskel said off hand, jumping right back into his conversation with CoĂ«n.
âHe what?â
Lambert looked up from his gwent match with Ciri, âHe took my boat and went fishing. Said he wouldnât be much help in a hunt, but this way he wouldnât be and I quote, âuselessâ and he could be a âworthy winter companionâ.â
Geralt winced. Heâd apologized for his harsh words on the mountain and Jaskier had forgiven him. But it seems some of the hurt from that day still lingered.
âWhere did he go?â
Eskel and Lambert exchanged a look.
âI donât know his coordinates,â Lambert answered.
âDammit!â Geralt barely kept himself from hitting the table; he didnât want to scare Ciri, who had put her cards down and was watching the scene with interest. âYou know whatâs out there. Drowners and bears and Iâm not sure we entirely destroyed that harpy nest from last winter and-â
âAnd he assured us he could handle it,â Eskel said.
Geralt growled. âHeâs human! He could get hurt.â
CoĂ«n piped up at last. âJaskier went north from the lakeside hut.â When all eyes turned to him, CoĂ«n shrugged, âHe wanted to know where the good fishing spots are. I told him.â
Spinning on his heel, Geralt headed for the door to the keep, grabbing a silver sword from a rack of them on the way. He had a location and a direction. He could pick up Jaskierâs scent from there.
Geralt hadnât bothered to grab a coat and the winter winds bit through his leather and linen clothes almost immediately. It didnât matter. Jaskier had been alone in the wilds for who knows how long and even without the monsters and the beasts, there were dangers. The bard could overbalance and tumble into the icy waters. What if he hadnât thought to grab warmer clothes? Geralt picked up speed, wishing heâd thought to bring Roach. Wishing heâd thought about anything other than running to get to Jaskier andâŠ
And he wasnât sure what would happen after. He just⊠needed to know that Jaskier was all right. That he was safe. He hadnât been safe, Geralt sighed to himself as he ran, after Geralt had snapped at him.
Geralt was sure it was just another spat; that heâd arrive back at camp and Jaskier would be there very pointedly writing a song about a heartless cad who was mean to his very best friend in the whole wide world. Jaskier had a good half dozen songs like it already, this would be one more.
Only he wasnât there. Geralt arrived to find Roach eating the last of the apples Jaskier had packed just for her and giving Geralt a very judgmental look. âLeave off,â he growled at her as he packed up what was left and led her down the mountain. âWeâll pick him up in town and you two can whisper about how mean I am.â
But Jaskier wasnât in town either. Nor could anyone say which way he went. Geralt cursed then like he cursed now, seeing the roof of the hut by the lake and yet no sign of Jaskier.
Bad things happened when Jaskier went off alone. Geralt shook his head to rid himself of the image of Jaskier, strung up by his hands, those beautiful talented livelihood-making hands threatened and Jaskier said nothing, gave no secrets away. Some because he didnât know and some because heâŠ
Geralt doesnât know why Jaskier didnât break, except he does. The man is brave, heâs stupid and criminally loud, but he is also the most loyal man Geralt has ever known. Steel dressed in silk.
Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, Geralt picked up Jaskierâs scent. Itâs his soap and sweat and Geralt knows it like he knows his own.
Jaskier has the only boat and Geralt doesnât fancy a swim, so he sticks to the shoreline, eyes casting about for any signs of danger or Jaskier.
Geralt very specifically tries to avoid thinking about danger AND Jaskier, which means that is all his brain will show him. Images of Jaskier surrounded by drowners, of a boat floating listlessly because the man at the rudder had been torn to pieces by harpies, a bear raising its blood-covered maw with a scrap of bright fabric caught in its teeth.
The last thing heâs thinking is that he will come upon Jaskier peacefully hauling a net of fish into the boat, adding the larger ones to a bucket next to him. So of course, thatâs how the story goes.
âGeralt?â Jaskier called, eyes as round and surprised as the fish wriggling its last throes in his hands. âWhatâs wrong? Are you okay? Is everyone okay?â
Jaskier dropped the net thoughtlessly onto the boatâs hull and with a series of quick and efficient movements, had the boat floating over to where Geralt stood on the shore. The bard hopped over the side and hurried to Geralt, hands twitching as if he wanted to check the witcher over for any injuries. âGeralt?â
âWhat the hell were you thinking?â
A frown coming to rest on his face, Jaskier put his hands on his slim hips. âWhat was I thinking? What were you thinking? Youâre going to catch your death without a coat, yes I know,â he said as Geralt opened his mouth, âwitchers canât catch colds, immune systems, mutagens, blah blah,â he went back to the boat and finished sorting the fish, âblah. What could possibly have happened that you hurried all the way from Kaer Morhen without so much as a single piece of armour or a cloak?â He turned, suddenly serious. âIs everyone all right? Is Ciri all right? Sheâs not ill, is she? Did she take a tumble on the training course?â
Touched by how much Jaskier cares about Ciri, despite having known her a relatively short time, Geralt shook his head. âSheâs fine. Everyone is fine.â
âThen what in the name of Meletile, Freya and any other four gods you would care to name are you doing here?â
Geralt wished heâd spent less time thinking about the past and more time thinking about the future as he ran. Heâs starting to get used to that feeling in general. âYou werenât there.â
Jaskierâs eyes widened, then softened. âSurely someone told you Iâd gone fishing? I let everyone know. I didnât,â he smiled sardonically, âthink youâd even notice.â
âWhy?â
Head tilted like a puppy, Jaskier raised an eyebrow. âWhy did I go fishing or why did I think you wouldnât notice? I went fishing because everyone does something at Kaer Morhen. I donât,â he sighed, âhave anything but music to offer and Iâm well aware of your opinions on that. I assume your fellow witchers share them and also your witcher hearing, hence my lute case gathers dust. I do, however, know how to sail a boat, catch some fish, and cook said fish. So I thought I would make myself useful. As for you not noticing, well, Iâm hardly your first priority here and,â he quickly added, âI understand completely. I shouldnât be. Ciri comes first, always, of course. Hell, I wasnât your first priority when we traveled together. Roach was. Speaking of, where is she? You couldnât have tied her up too far away now.â Jaskier looked at the tree line as if a large mare would suddenly appear.
âI⊠didnât bring her,â Geralt said, shame slowly rising in him at Jaskierâs words. Geralt couldnât refute any of them. He hadnât noticed the lack of music, assuming Jaskier still played in his room. As for when they travelled together, it hurt deep in Geraltâs gut that Jaskier thought he wasnât a priority to Geralt. His words were often harsh, but Geralt made sure Jaskier had enough food and hunted more to ensure that he would. He bought Jaskier a warmer, if less stylish, cloak that had seen the bard through most of his twenties.
Jaskier had hefted a bucket of fish in his arms and just stared blankly at Geralt. âYou⊠didnât bring Roach? You, what, walked all the way here?â
Geraltâs eye twitched. âI ran.â
âFor Meletileâs sake, why?â
âThereâsâŠâ Geralt cleared his throat, âdrowners around. Sometimes. And bears. There might be some harpies left over from a nest we destroyed last winter.â
Jaskier settled the bucket back into the boat. âWere you⊠worried about me?â
Geralt nodded. Words were awkward and he wished to use as few as possible.
A look not unlike something like wonder crossed Jaskierâs face. âOh. I⊠oh. Iâm,â he spread his arms as if presenting himself, âfine. As you see. I⊠guess we should head back.â He gestured towards the boat. âIâve a decently sized haul. I can make use of this for a while.â Jaskier stood in the shallow water, âClimb on in, and Iâll take us back.â
Geralt didnât move.
âOh,â Jaskier looked abashed. âUnless youâd prefer to steer?â
âNo,â Geralt shook his head. âYou can steer.â
He could. As Geralt had seen, Jaskier clearly knew his way not only around fishery, but sailing.
Jaskier nodded again to the boat and Geralt stepped in, settling at the bow.
Proving him right, Jaskier shoved them into the water and hauled himself over the side, quickly settling at the rudder and turning them around to head back towards Kaer Morhen.
Geralt cast a glance into the bucket of fish, seeing a few other smaller ones surrounding it. Several fish stared unblinkingly at Geralt as he stared back.
Jaskier hummed then cut himself off when he realized he was doing so, with a nervous glance at Geralt.
He wanted to say something. Tell Jaskier the humming was fine with him. That he should get out his lute and play for them. That Geralt wanted to hear his music, his voice. That the fillingless pie comment all those years ago hadnât been a slight to Jaskierâs singing but the content of his songs, so many full of dirty humour or exaggerated lies.
All he could manage was âYou sail good.â
Staring just as wide-eyed and unblinking as the fish, Jaskier slowly said, âThank⊠you⊠I, uh,â he looked back at the water, âgrew up on the coast. Been sailing since I was strong enough to move a rudder. Fishing even longer.â
âWhy didnât you fish that day? You could have caught your own.â Geralt winced as his words were said. Jaskier wasnât focusing on that day with the djinn. Heâd need to be specific.
But Jaskier was already answering, âI was heartbroken and near blind drunk,â he laughed, light and slightly forced. âIâd have fallen in as soon as I bent over to grab the net, hence why I was hoping you would share your haul.â He pursed his lips. âRather wish I hadnât, looking back.â
Geralt found himself stuck for words again. They came easy with his brothers in arms. Even with Ciri, he found himself managing to find words of comfort or encouragement when it seemed she needed them.
But Jaskier had always made things complicated for Geralt, since the day theyâd met. He could annoy Geralt like nobody and nothing else; Jaskier got himself into trouble on a fairly regular basis, was fussy about his clothes and hair, and could talk the hind legs off a donkey while never saying a blessed thing of worth.
But damn if Geralt didnât want him there, in all his messy and loud glory. He wanted Jaskier safe and, as recent events had shown, Jaskier was safest at Geraltâs side, because Geralt would move heaven and earth, call upon any help and damn the cost, to keep Jaskier so.
Geralt was in love with Jaskier. The revelation felt both sudden and slow at once. Like heâd been falling in love so quietly and steadily, there was no way to point to the day or hour that heâd actually fallen.
âFuck.â
Jaskier, lost in daydreams, started. âWhatâs the matter now?â
âI,â Geralt scrambled for something to say. Should he tell Jaskier he loved him? No, that was absurd. Jaskier, for all his lingering stares and the near constant scent of lust that used to surround him, didnât love Geralt as more than a friend, if that. Lust was not love, Geralt knew that well. He was with him for the songs and the safety. Sure, Jaskier cared for Geralt, he said it often enough, but he didnât love him. Like how Geralt was realizing he loved Jaskier.
Who was staring at him expectantly.
At least this time, Geralt kept his annoyed at himself âfuckâ inside his head. âI was thinking of all the times we could have taken the river, instead of the roads.â He found words, though he wasnât sure they were the right ones. âIf Iâd known you could sail. We could have⊠sailed. Before now.â
Jaskier dropped his eyes to the bottom of the boat, then turned away as if needing to check where he was going, as if he hadnât been steering blind for the past several minutes, instinctive. âAh. Iâm sorry. Maybe I should have told you. Though we werenât often by the,â a slight hesitation, âthe coast.â
âYouâre doing very well.â Geralt twitched his lips into as big a smile as he could manage and still felt it came up short.
But Jaskierâs visible cheek rose in a smile. âThank you, Geralt.â
5. Sword Fighting
A whirl of light green and silver flashed from Geraltâs side, a movement near dancelike in its fluidity, accompanied by a whisper that sounded almost like counting.
Geralt turned just in time to see the banditâs surprised face before his cleaved straight through torso fell, leaving the remains of his trunk and his lower body to fall to the ground a couple seconds after his head and shoulders had.
Jaskier stood behind the now deceased bandit, blood splattered all over his outfit and his face, still twisted into a mask of wrath. The sword in his hand was red with blood, silver glinting through the drops.
Geralt thinks itâs possible he has never been so turned on in his whole life and heâs going to have a good long talk with himself about why that might be later on.
The moment passed and Jaskier lowered the sword, wiping it on the deserterâs trousers. âOh blast, sorry about that Geralt, Iâll clean all the blood off properly once we get back to camp. No worries. I know itâs silver for monsters,â he sneered at the dead man and then at the others who had foolishly decided to try to rob a witcher and his companion, âbut I rather think itâs still apt. Iâll pay for the repair at the next blacksmith we come across if I damaged it too much.â He held the blade at eye level and examined it. âI think itâs mostly all right and Geralt are you okay? They didnât manage to knock you in the head, did they? Youâve been staring at me for the past few minutes.â
Geralt was trying to sear the image of Jaskier looking over the blade as if, as if he KNOWS what to look for in a damaged sword. A sword he had used to kill a man creeping up on Geralt. A sword he had welded with deadly and graceful precision. Geraltâs own sword.
A very, very long talk. Possibly in the cold stream theyâd just come from before theyâd been ambushed.
Jaskier leaned past Geralt to sheathe the sword into its place across the witcherâs back and the spicy smell of anger had dissipated completely into Jaskierâs usual chamomile and honey concern scent. Underlaid by the copper of the blood.
It took a good deal of self-discipline for Geralt to not outright whine when Jaskier laid a warm hand on his cheek, tilting his head to check for injuries.
âYour pupils are very round, darling,â Jaskier said, the endearment he used so often sounded like music to Geralt. âAre you injured? I could grab you a potion if you are. Or maybe youâre just tired.â Jaskier dropped his hand and turned back to where they had laid down their belongings when the first men broke through the cover of the trees, using speed and surprise over strategy.
Geralt was sure heâd had them all until⊠until Jaskier killed the man who had managed to sneak up on him. Who would have put a sword through Geralt if not for Jaskierâs quick action and Geralt circled back to the image of Jaskier, bloody and snarling like a feral animal as he cut the man down with no hesitation.
A very, very long talk in a very, very cold stream.
Jaskier whistled and Roach came from her hiding spot in the trees. He patted her neck and dug through her saddlebags. âGeralt, are you out of Swallow? We have the spirit and the celandine but I think we might need to head towards the coast so you can cut down some drowners for their brains.â He smiled brightly. âMaybe theyâll be a contract for them as well. And a tavern that appreciates fine music. We could have a va- a very nice day. Or two.â Jaskier ducked his head and pink bloomed in his cheeks.
Geralt found his hand lifting of its own accord and landing on Jaskierâs shoulder.
The bard turned expectantly, then frowned when after a moment Geralt didnât say or do anything else. âGeralt?â His voice was soft, the scent of his concern drew stronger. âGeralt, are you sure youâre okay? You seem stunned or something. Are you sure you didnât take a hit to the head?â
âSword,â Geralt said at last.
âHe speaks,â Jaskier smiled briefly. âHe speaks nonsense, but he speaks. What about a sword? I already told you Iâd take care of any repairs needed after my impromptu maneuver. I donât think thereâs any permanent damage done. It wasnât even that difficult. You have very good moves, dear.â
Geralt blinked as he realized where heâd seen the move Jaskier had performed. It was one heâd been taught at the School of The Wolf. Jaskier used one of Geraltâs own moves. One of his Witcher moves. To save his life. âThat was⊠that was a witcher move. How did youâŠâ he couldnât even finish his question.
Jaskier shrugged. âIâve followed you for over two decades, Geralt. On and off, sure, but still. Iâve seen you fight nearly every creature you could come across. Including bastards like those,â he nonchalantly tossed his head towards the dead men on the ground, his fringe flicking back into his eyes boyishly. âI memorized the moves you use. Granted, Iâve mostly practiced on training dummies and sparring partners, but Iâve run across my fair share of evil and desperate men before.â
âThat⊠wasnât your first kill?â
âGods no,â Jaskier tilted his head and scrunched up his nose as he calculated. âMaybe my⊠dozenth? Or so. Now I tried not to pick up a sword unless necessary but that gutless bastard,â he spit at the manâs bisected body, âwas in your blind spot. You probably would have managed to parry, but I didnât want to take the chance.â Jaskier smiled. âGood thing too, now that we know youâre out of Swallow. Here,â he held out a canteen of water, âdrink this. Get your strength back.â
Geralt took the canteen and drank slowly to give himself time to readjust his worldview on Jaskier. âDid you⊠count? When you wereâŠâ
Jaskier nodded. âOh yes. Your movements are so like a dancerâs that I memorized them to a beat.â He smirked. âIâll make a ballad out of them some day. Iâm still in the habit of the counting, but eventually Iâll stop needing that, I suppose.â
âRight,â Geralt said, nodding as if he wasnât imaging Jaskier, in plain shirt and tight trousers, sparring with Geralt on the grounds of Kaer Morhen. A blink and it was a different kind of sparring. In a bedroom. âHuh.â
âWell,â Jaskier said, as he dug back through the saddlebag, âthereâs some White Raffardâs if push comes to shove. Makes sense after that last nest of nekkars. Frightful creatures by the way, possibly my least favourite of them all. Though youâre low on White Honey as well, so hopefully we can find a herbalist and stock up a bit before you have to do any major fighting. âIâm glad now that I all but raided Oxenfurtâs gardens before I joined you for Spring. Got plenty of honeysuckle in my bag and Iâm sure we can find some white myrtle with no problem this time of year. Whereâs your alcohest, dear? Iâm sure Lambert didnât let you leave Kaer Morhen without every type of spirit known to man.â
âJaskier,â Geralt said, unable to take it anymore. âWe need to get back to camp.â
Jaskier whirled around and looked at Geralt then up at the sky, the sun slowly descending in the late afternoon light. âOh youâre right. Best head back now before we lose the light. Pity we had to have that fight after the nice splash weâd had in that stream. Do you think thereâs time to wash again before we head back?â
Geralt nodded. âYes. Letâs do that first, getting clean again. Thatâs a very, very good idea.â
âHmm,â Jaskier hummed, âI didnât expect that answer from Mr Uses Monster Guts As Shampoo.â
âWeâre going to need to get very clean,â Geralt said, âbecause as soon as we get back to camp I am going to fuck you.â
Jaskier froze. âWhaaaat did you just say? Geralt, I think I misheard you.â
Geralt shrugged. âOr you can fuck me. After seeing you fight like that, Iâm letting you choose how we do it.â
âSeeing me fight.â Jaskier opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find which of the many words he had at his disposal he wished to use.
âOr I could just suck you off, if youâd prefer that instead.â
âGeralt of Rivia. Geralt⊠Geralt Roger Eric du Haute-Bellegarde and I have never been more grateful for the night Vesemir got drunk and shared stories of your youth, I need you to be very, very serious about that offer.â Jaskier licked his lips. âBecause I would very much like to take you up on it and if⊠if itâs just for the night, I donât rightly think we should risk our⊠ye gods, youâve never even called me your friend and here you are offering sex as if⊠is this just because you feel obligated? Iâm sure you would have moved just in time but I couldnât risk letting that man hurt you and-â
Geralt reached out and pulled Jaskier close, which shut the bard up. A trick Geralt was wishing heâd let himself try before. âI am very serious. If you want it to be for the night, itâs just for the night. It could be a more⊠formal arrangement if youâd prefer that.â
Jaskier dropped his head to Geraltâs shoulder and breathed out heavily. âI died, didnât I? I misjudged the distance and the bandit killed me and this is heaven. I didnât think Iâd go to heaven. Huh.â
âNot dead,â Geralt said, lifting a hand to thread through Jaskierâs hair. âNot letting you die. Ever. Especially now that I know how well you fight. Youâre living just as long as I am. Donât know how. Iâll ask Yen, maybe sheâll know of some-â
âOkay,â Jaskier took a step back. âNow, now youâre just being⊠you want to ask Yennefer, a very very scary witch that you sleep with on the regular-â
Geralt shrugged. âGoing to have to stop that now that I have you.â
A high-pitched whine issued from Jaskierâs throat. âIâm going to need you to stop saying things like that if you donât mean them⊠how I⊠ho- expe- think you mean them.â
âI mean them how you think I mean them,â Geralt said. âMost likely. I mean that I would very much like to take you back to our camp and check at least a few things off the mental list of sexual acts weâve both been compiling right now.â
Jaskier squeaked, âBoth?â
Geralt nodded. âI would very much like to do so tomorrow night and for as many nights as you want me. And to extend your allotment of nights somehow. Yennefer has been searching arcane magic things for decades, surely sheâs found some anti-ageing or immortality spell by this point. She wouldnât have needed it, but Iâm sure she would have made note of any.â
âSure she canât make me younger before she does that?â Jaskier asked, relying on humour to help him deal with the inrush of information he was being given.
Tilting his head, Geralt looked Jaskier over very thoroughly, noting with some satisfaction what effect his assessing stare had on the state of Jaskierâs trousers. âI like you as you are now. Not the whelp that followed me when It was stupid and dangerous. Youâre a grown man now. Youâve filled out. I like how you look.â
Jaskier ran a hand through his hair. âPardon me if this all seems very sudden.â
âNot sudden,â Geralt said. âIâve liked how you looked for years.â
âYou never said anything.â
Geralt smirked slightly. âI know youâve lusted for me. I can smell arousal. You never said anything either.â
Jaskier flailed again. âYou didnât consider me your friend, so forgive me for assuming âHey Geralt, youâre the most bloody gorgeous person Iâve ever seen in my whole life would you like to bed me and then marry meâ wouldnât go down very well.â
âI thought,â Geralt started, âyou only wanted to follow me for the songs. For the fame and coin it earns you. Itâs why you started following me.â
Struck speechless, Jaskier just stared.
Geralt continued. âIâve thought of you as my friend, but I didnât think you thought of me as yours. Until you saved me. Until you learned how I fight in case you ever needed to save me. Until you knew what my potions do and which ones they are. All the little things youâve done for me throughout the years make sense now. I know friendship. Thatâs not friendship; itâs love.â
âI have loved you since,â Jaskier waved a hand theatrically, âsince you told the elves to let me go. Since you let me stay with you even though you could have outrun me easily on Roach. You hunted enough for two and laid our bedrolls close so I wouldnât freeze on cold nights and especially after the mountain, youâve barely let me out of your sight and⊠oh my gods, I am thick, arenât I? I am so thick! I am Mr. Thick Thick Thickety Thickface from Thicktown, Thickania. You donât talk, you do. That was your way of⊠of⊠saying how you feel. Isnât it?â
Geralt hummed and nodded.
Jaskierâs smile could have outshone the lovely sunset happening somewhere behind them. âYou love me. Geralt, you⊠love me. Like I love you. Oh my gods, are you sure Iâm not dead? Or having the most wonderful dream? This is real,â he took a step closer and reached out cautiously to pull Geralt into his arms. âThis is real, right?â
âItâs real,â Geralt nodded again.
A laugh bubbled out of Jaskier, eliciting a smaller but no less sincere one from Geralt. âIf I wasnât covered in blood, I would be kissing you alre-â
Geralt leaned in and pressed their lips together, relishing the happy gasp Jaskier made against his mouth. âHmm, Iâm bloody too.â
Jaskier kissed Geralt, a small peck and then another. âWhere was that stream again?â
Geralt pulled back and took Jaskierâs hand, guiding him in the dimming light. âI wonât be bedding you and then marrying you,â he said.
Confusion scrunched up Jaskierâs face before he realized what he had said before. âOh bollocks, I didnât mean that- necessarily- I donât- where would we find a priest or priestess any- I wasnât suggesting-â
âWe have to have some courting time before we should even think about marrying,â Geralt continued. âitâs only proper.â
âRight,â Jaskier nodded so fast, it was a miracle his head didnât fly away. âRight, right, right, right. Of course, of course, of course. Proper⊠proper courting. Geralt?â he asked as they arrived at the stream. âI love you. I just⊠can I say that now? Because Iâve wanted to say it so many times and Iâve been biting it back for years and I just⊠I just love you.â
Geralt smiled. âI love you too.â
+1
Wow,â Geralt said, staring up at the ceiling. âThatâs how you manage to get away with those abysmal pickup lines. I mean⊠wow.â His heart was racing so fast it almost sounded human after the passionate, athletic and frankly innovative sex theyâd just had. "I always did think it would be good."
He didnât need to turn to see Jaskierâs smug smile, but he did anyway.
Jaskierâs grin was wide and stretched his cheeks even higher than normal. He tossed his sweaty fringe out of his face and kissed Geralt, deeply, slowly, perfectly. âYouâre welcome.â
99 notes
·
View notes
Text
Forgotten Light: Chapter 10: Departure
A/N: Hey, going to be a little iffy on the posting schedule. Taking a huge test in 12 days and I have to study all day every day. Take this one though, one of my favorite chapters. I do wonder if the story would be better if I didnât have so much of the plan laid out beforehand.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
Chapter 10: Departure
Everyone was sweating as Agad, the last of their group, reached the High Judgement Pavilion. Only Patton was missing, already on his way to scope out the dragon temple. While they didnât tell Seth directly, Patton was probably going to use their infuriatingly peaceful flight as a distraction for when he entered.
Seth had spent the afternoon getting everything ready. Whispering to people to pack up and where to go, modifying the treaty to let their mounts out, trying to collect items. Tess had found him and spelled out the names of the demons in Kendraâs journal, and it was only when she spelled out âTailizarâ that he connected that name with demon that had confronted him in the dreamscape. Agad had promised to see if he could locate any of these demons, and Seth stuck their names with Pattonâs list of ways to reach the Phantom Isle. He really needed an adventure log. He let Tess keep the journal of secrets, since no one else was going to use it.
âAll right,â Seth said, rubbing his hands together. âI see everyone has brought their suitcases, like I said. Youâre probably wondering what is going on, and the answer is that all humans and Satyrs are leaving Wyrmroost right now. Iâm going to give being caretaker back to Marat, Agad will do what he wants, but the rest of us are heading out.â
Everyone started asking questions at once, but they werenât letting Seth answer them. Every time he tried to start, someone else would jump in with a point.
Marat struck his staff on the ground, demanding silence. He nodded back at Seth.
âRight, Iâve thought this through and talked it over with Agad and Marat. Weâre expecting an attack tonight, and the biggest weakness is the barrel, so weâll be taking that with us. Thereâs a spy in the keep Iâm going to have to leave Marat to deal with, but to be honest, heâll probably be able to handle them a lot better than I could.
âWe did what we were brought here to do: kept Wyrmroost from falling, strengthened the treaty barriers, and we saved a couple of castles and insulted the dragon king while we were at it. Thereâs no reason for me to be here, or any of you, and as cool as it has been being the caretaker, I have a couple of leads on finding Kendra, and thatâs more important.â
Grandma asked, âHow will you get Celebrant to agree to the change in leadership?â
Seth grinned, âCelebrant doesnât have to. Heâs no longer caretaker, revoked by our local dragon slayer. Heâll be angry, Iâm counting on it, but no magic says he can tell us to do anything. Weâre skipping the Fair Folk bit again, but they already confirmed Marat once, and what are they going to do, write a slightly angry letter?â
âAnd how do you expect to leave peacefully?â Grandpa asked, arms folded.
âThe flying mounts,â Tanu answered before Seth could.
âYep,â Seth said. âIt may have skipped your notice, but we acquired some new wings for our friends. We fly down to the nearest town with a car rental, and we can be back in Fablehaven by tomorrow. To make things easier on our friends, we wonât have them fly us the whole way. And weâll have some nice stables waiting for them at Fablehaven when they arrive.â
âAnd the Dragons?â Newel asked. âI still havenât heard how weâre getting around them if they decide it isnât poor taste to eat poultry and red meat in the same meal.â
Doren slapped a hand to his head, âOf course, the Cloak of Innocence.â
âI would normally be loathe to test the cloak against multiple dragons,â Agad said, âAs they are undoubtably watching us, but it is a short trip, the numbers within the cloakâs ability, even with the mounts. The cloak has also proven effective against dragon fear, ensuring you retain the ability to stay seated.â
âOh, and weâre taking the barrel with us,â Seth said, not remembering if he had already mentioned it, âMarat, did we get anything for that?â
Marat waved a golden feather, âThis will significantly lighten the barrel, making it possible to carry if secured correctly.â
âCool, any other questions?â Seth said, âWeâve been keeping this underwraps, hoping to be able to walk right out of here. Celebrant isnât going to expect us to just leave, certainly not in broad daylight, which makes this the perfect time.â
âWait, does this mean weâre going to be riding horses?â Newel asked, absolutely affronted.
âActually, itâs not so bad,â Doren admitted quietly. âI had to, in order to stay with the littles. Felt a little off, but it wonât kill ya.â
âLook, I would really like you guys with me,â Seth said, âBut if youâd rather stay hereâŠâ
Newel huffed, âNow I donât appreciate being strong armed, Iâll go, but itâs unnatural is all.â
âSo Marat, how do I do this?â Seth asked, and the dragon avatar stepped forward.
âFirst youâre going to have to denounce Kendra as a caretaker. You were appointed together as one, and you are both required to make decisions regarding the mantle. Kendra has been gone for long enough, that you can officially declare her as having abandoned the post, and accept all the responsibilities as sole caretaker. Hold the staff, hold the amulet, and repeat after me.â
Seth accepted the staff and repeated what Marat told him to. If Kendra had her memory, she would be so mad over what he was accusing her of: abandoning responsibilities, disregard for the treaty, and in her absence, he accepted sole power and responsibility for the preserve.
There was a glow from both the medallion and the tip of the staff. When it settled down, Agad stepped forward.
âSeth, remove the medallion from around your neck,â he instructed. He did so. âAnd repeat after me.â
Seth recited the same oath that Marat had asked him to take a little over a week ago.
âDo you, Marat nee Camarat, vow to protect the outside world from the living beings at Wyrmroost, and to shelter the living beings at Wyrmroost from any outside threats?â
âYes,â Marat said, his head bowed.
âThen as the current caretaker of Wyrmroost and as master of Blackwell Keep, of my own free will, I hereby confer my stewardship over Wyrmroost to Marat nee Camarat, including all rights pertaining to a designated and official caretaker of this sanctuary together with all privileges available to the master of Blackwell Keep.â
Seth placed the medallion over Maratâs head, and they shook hands.
Agad let out a breath, âIt is done. You have done this war a great service, Seth Sorenson.â
âHey, maybe this isnât goodbye forever to Wyrmroost,â Seth said, smiling, âItâs been fun, feel free to call on my services again after we get Kendra back.â
âWe will try to let you grow up first,â Agad said. He walked to the side of the pavilion, it was fairly large, and waved a hand towards the stables.
A minute later, those who hadnât yet seen the mounts were appreciating them. Tess looked like she had gone to heaven.
âI get to ride one?â Tess asked, bouncing.
âYouâre going to be with your brother,â Agad said, smiling at her. âHis steed is the majestic flying camel, Bagak.â Tess squealed and ran up the camel, talking a million miles a minute.
âDo I have to ride with her?â Knox complained.
âBagak is the most secure,â Agad said, âWe donât have saddles that accommodate wings. Make no mistake, Tess is possibly the most important member of this party. Without her, everyone fails.â
Seth, meanwhile, was making introductions, âGrandma, this is Glory. Sheâs Kendraâs mount, and one of the mute luvians. Glory, would you be willing to take my grandma out of the preserve and to the outskirts of the city?â
Glory neighed and stomped once for yes.
âYou are quite beautiful,â Grandma admired offering her hand and waiting for affirmation to stroke, âAnd Kendra picked you because you like Jane Austen, right?â
âCaptain!â Seth called, pulling Grandpa behind him. âPattonâs gone, he was only a stingbulb, but Iâm hoping youâd be willing to take my Grandpa?â
âI remember Patton was only temporary,â Captain said, âas a group, we have decided to stick together and give your goals what aide we can. I would be honored to carry your esteemed elder.â
âThe honor would be mine,â Grandpa said bowing.
Seth found the dark gray stallion, and asked quietly, âRodolfo, are you sure youâre okay leaving Lomo behind? Iâd understand if you wanted to stay by him. Heâs the only one you agreed to carry.â
âI heard you with Captain, and I stand by that. Lomo also encouraged me to stay with your group. Frustrated by his own raceâs neutrality, he encouraged me to assist you in what I can,â Rodolfo told him.
âGood, Iâm glad to have you with us,â Seth said, âYou get the strangest riders. Go easy on them, they spook easily.â
Rodolfo seemed amused as he followed Seth to where the satyrs were standing apart from the group.
âNewel, Doren, this is Rodolfo, he has volunteered to carry you out of here,â Seth said. âI told him to go easy on your two because youâre scardy cats and this is unnatural.â
âI resemble that remark,â Doren said.
âYou sure heâs up for carrying both of us?â Newel asked.
Rodolfo snorted, âI could carry you both and another besides.â Then he calmed down, âI swear that you will have safe journey on my back.â
âSorry,â Newel said, âWeâve just never gotten along well with Centaurs, and have never met Luvians, but you seem an alright sort, I suppose.â
Seth left to find Nobel, who was waiting for him.
âSorry about that buddy,â Seth said, âThat was my last bit of being in charge for a while, had to do a good job of it. Weâre going to be following Tanu and Charlemagne out of here, right?â
Nobel stomped once.
âGood, alright. If dragons try to bother us, Iâm going to be the one talking to them. I wonât be focused on staying with the group then, youâre going to have to do that for me.â
Nobel tapped once again, then tossed his head. Seth smiled, âYeah, I so got the coolest one.â
It took longer than Seth liked to get everyone mounted up and settled. Grandma made sure everyone had their weapons firmly put out of reach so that no accidents killed them all by disrupting the cloak of innocenceâs power. The barrel ended up tied alongside Captain, weighing as much as a feather thanks to the magical item. They made sure Tess knew all the people and animals inside the protection of the cloak. Finally, they were ready about 5:30, which gave them a little over three hours before sunset.
âUntil we meet again,â the caretaker brothers said in unison. They didnât look anything alike, but their manners matched in that moment as the two dragons in human form bowed to the party.
âLead on Charlemagne,â Seth called. They took off, and the heat fell away as they soared on the breeze. Seth decided to start counting, see how long it would take for a dragon to attack them.
He got bored and stopped, but it didnât take long for one to approach.
âAnd where are you going, little caretaker?â a female voice asked. A black dragon surged from the surrounding woods into the air beside them.
âOh, Iâm not caretaker anymore,â Seth said, âI gave that over to Marat. Celebrantâs tantrums got boring; they arenât worth my time.â
The dragon pulled back and a surge of green fire surrounded them, deflected by the bubble of Tessâs cloak.
âNow that was rude,â Seth said, as the breath weapon subsided, âHere we are, trying to leave peacefully, and you try to set us on fire.â He leaned forward on Nobel and stoked his neck. Dropping to a whisper he said, âStay steady, donât spook.â
There was a grunt Seth couldnât interpret, but it was strong enough that Seth leaned back.
âCelebrant did not accept this change! He was not aware. You lie.â
Seth shook his head, âTake it up with the caretaker, Marat is back at Blackwell Keep. It might be hard, since Celebrant tore down the roost. The Somber Knight stripped Celebrant of his caretaker status, and since itâs no longer his business who is caretaker, we didnât feel the need to inform him of the change. If he doesnât know, you should hurry and tell him.â
The black dragon took off with three harsh beats of her wings. Not even the wind affected them, instead slipping around the barrier.
âSeth, hereâs an idea, maybe donât taunt the dragons?â Doren called back with a strained voice.
âSeconded,â Grandpa called from in front of him, âProtection from magical fear is all well and good, but we donât need to make this experience anymore terrifying than it already is. Everyone okay?â
A round of affirmatives came, the silent horses whinnying.
Calvin flew up close on Thistleton.
âShould I try scouting like last time?â Calvin asked.
Seth shook his head, âStay within the cover of the cloak. We donât know how far we can stretch this bubble, and everyone staying together would be better. Go up to Charlemagne and ask how long until we reach the barrier.â
âAye sir!â Calvin said. âLetâs go Thistleton!â
Calvin came back and reported forty minutes until they reached the boundary. Seth took out his spy glass and pointed it towards Sky Hold, but couldnât focus it right while moving. He put it away and hoped. Hoped the black dragon was a chatterbox, discrediting Celebrant even further. Hoped she wasnât as fast as she looked, and it would take her at least thirty minutes to make it to Sky Hold. They had bet a lot on this plan, and Seth really, really, really hoped it would work.
Ten minutes of fairly smooth flying (they had a small detour away from a herd of Peryton), and Seth was starting to feel hopeful. A dragon came up, but didnât speak, just flew beside them, then dropped back down. Then twenty minutes down, twenty minutes to go, Calvin confirmed that they were on track.
A roar echoed along through the air, startling several flocks of birds, and even a couple of their flying mounts falter.
âSteady,â Grandma called.
âSeems like Celebrant just got the news,â Seth called to everyone.
âPull in tighter,â Grandpa said, âAs close as possible without jeopardizing speed. The less stretched the cloak, the better it will be able to protect us.â
Their mounts obeyed, and Seth started tapping his thigh nervously and checking over his shoulder towards Sky Hold. Five minutes later, according to his watch, because it felt like thirty minutes to him, Seth looked back and saw the streak of adamantine silver wings pushing towards them. Seth forced himself not to look back again.
âWhat is the meaning of this!â Celebrant demanded pulling to a stop in front of them. Their mounts reared in the air at the block.
âKeep going forward,â Knox called when their mounts pulled up. âheâll be forced back, just like the first time I was here.â
âHeâs right Charlemagne,â Seth called, âKeep going.â
Hesitantly, the mounts started forward again, and Celebrant snarled as he was the one forced back.
âI will not be ignored!â he roared. And it was exactly as terrible as it had been the day he and Kendra had had their interview.
âUggh,â Seth said, wrinkling his nose, âI see you didnât take my advice about the breath mints.â
âDo you admit to fleeing your post caretaker?â Celebrant demanded. âI would destroy you for your insolence!â
âAs I told your spy,â Seth answered, âIâm not the caretaker. I gave the job back to Marat, and you canât complain. The Somber Knight fired you for doing a terrible job! Go take it up with Marat back at Blackwell Keep. Weâre leaving.â
Celebrant roared again, this time with the full strength of his breath weapon. Four other breath weapons joined from the rest of his entourage. Â
Calvin flew up beside him, and as quietly as he could, said, âThe barrier is weakening by the Satyrs.â
Oh no. He was used to Kendra holding the magic item, Tess didnât have the same magic juice in her.
âTell everyone to get ready to dash,â Seth whispered back. Calvin took off and he took a deep breath.
âCelebrant!â Seth roared back, hoping he was about  âIâve met babies with better manners than you! We are leaving Wyrmroost in peace. You lie and cheat and still canât beat a couple of kids. How does it feel to screw up so many times in just two weeks? Now leave us alone, you spineless piece of shit!â
âLANGUAGE!â Grandma yelled.
âSorry!â Seth yelled back, âCelebrant, back off you piece of rotting troll dung! Weâre leaving and thereâs nothing you can do about it!â
The breath weapon ceased, and Celebrant looked more livid than Seth had ever seen him. âYOU DARE INSULT ME! I WILL BURN YOUR BONES TO ASH AND FEAST UPON YOUR HORSES ââ Celebrant was forced to the side as Charlemagne charged forward.
 âThe gate is in sight!â Tanu called.
âYOU FLEE LIKE COWARDS AND FLAUNT OUR CAGE! YOU WILL DIE HERE, SETH SORENSON!â
 âAnd your mother was a chicken nugget!â Seth shouted over his shoulder, clinging to Nobel with all his might.
Celebrant swiped with claws at the barrier, forcing it to turn temporarily opaque. Another dragon, brown, attacked from above, and the black one struck above the Satyrs, their shrieks were barely heard over the large cracking sound of their barrier.
Options, he needed options! The moment the cloak broke they were all dead. Why hadnât he claimed the bow from Kendra?
The bag of winds! Seth scrambled, and pulled the small sack out of his adventure kit.
âI have the rear!â he called to his family over the crack of the brown dragon attacking again. âEveryone keep sprinting.â
Nobel resisted a little, but let Seth tug him exactly behind Bagak. He readied the bag of winds as the black dragon swiped. The shield was remaining opaque for longer and longer. The black dragon chomped at the shield, and it shattered. With a roar, Celebrant dived directly for him.
Seth waited until just before Celebrant reached the fading shield, angling it to catch on the flat of his wings. He braced as much as he could without losing his hold on Nobel. Seth opened the bag as wide as it would go. The protection, currently a cracked shell, vanished under his attack. Celebrant was blown off course, his swipe missingâ
Celebrant vanished, along with his allies. Seth blinked at the empty sky. Gazing downward, gone were the lush, colorful trees. There was no Blackwell keep in the distance, and no enormous mountain peaks where Thronis watched, probably laughing.
It took a second for the cheering of his friends to hit. But it hit like the colder air and Seth collapsed against Nobel and he dropped the bag of winds. Calvin caught it and flew it back up to him.
âYou were awesome,â Seth said to his horse.
âNo, you were amazing!â Newel said, inching Rodolfo closer. âWe thought it was our turn to become barbeque!â
âIndeed,â Rodolfo said, âYou and Nobel showed great courage.â
âI donât know about you guys,â Seth said, âBut I can take a little break before we do that again. And I need a hamburger. Now.â
Doren and Newel absolutely agreed.
#Forgotten Light#Seth Sorenson#Fablehaven#Dragonwatch#one of my fav chapters#the next two are really good too#First real action scene of the story#unless you count Kendra almost killing ronodin#which I still love
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Development of Law and Zoro relationship: Wano, Luffy & Zoro Means TroublesâŠ
<Part I: Before Meeting>> <<Part II: Sabaody Archipelago, The First Meeting>> <<Part III: Punk Hazard: The Alliance (A)__(B)>> <<Part IV: Dressrosa, The Breaking Point (The Plan Failed)__ (Saving Law)__(Protecting Law)__ (Birdcage, Pica and Doflamingo)__ (Aftermath)>> <<Part V: Zou, The Kindred Spirits (Traveling Together)__(Searching for Nakama)__ (Reunion)__ (Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance)__(The Last Moments before War)>> Part VI: Wano, Against Emperors (The Untold Journey)__(Luffy & Zoro Means TroublesâŠ)__(...and Law Is Not Happy About That)Â
Somehow the alliance got into Wano without enemy notice. There, Kinemon separated his allies into smaller teams, all with their own task at hand. Surprising, during the little flashback of that moment (chapter 909), Law was not seen when the samurai explained situation to Straw Hats:
Kinemon warned Straw Hats they âmust pass yourselves off as locals and quietly, quietly go about your dutiesâ. He gave pirates an individual roles:
⣠Zoro, as ronin, Usopp as street salesman and Robin, as geisha, were supposed to infiltrate capital and gather either informations or allies there
⣠Franky, as an apprentice, worked under carpenter who built Kaidoâs mansion, in hopes to gain plans of enemy fortress, so the alliance could learn its arrangement before the raid.
⣠Law and Heart Pirates (as far as we were shown at that moment) stayed with samurais in the ruins of the Oden Castle in Kuri region and were stealing food and water from the enemy.
Chapter 918 notes Law was aware about Zoroâs role, however when and how he was informed is not clear. The lack of one of alliance leaders during the meeting between Kinemon and Straw Hats raises questions such as why Trafalgar wasnât present and did samurai decide to keep knowledge about Zoro, Robin, Franky and Usopp and their tasks to themselves? On one hand, it makes sense. Secrecy was important to secure their plan as best as possible - a matter that will play a bigger role in the upcoming chapters; the less people knew what Straw Hats would be doing, the better chance to avoid information leak. But at the same time, if Law was informed about at least Zoroâs job, why not let him take part in the meeting? Unless he did learn about Zoroâs task after Pirate Hunter became an infamous wanted man, but about that more in a moment.
We may only wonder why Kinemon decided to keep Heart Pirates with himself, instead of sending them straight away undercover like Straw Hats. There are few reasons that could have influenced his decision:
⣠Lawâs powers were useful for stealth and stealing.Â
⣠The two Supernovas serving Kaido - Hawkins Basil and X-Drake - actually came from North Blue, the same as Trafalgar. How well they knew each other is up to debate, but since all three went to the Grand Line at the same time, it makes sense they at least had some basic knowledge about each other. Which may be a reason why Law stayed with Kinemon instead of playing a similar role to Zoro.Â
⣠Another possibility is that Straw Hats could be simply better at pretending to be locals and/or had needed skills. In case of Zoro, the little details presented in manga and SBS suggest he grew up influenced by samurai culture due to his (still not explored) connection to the Shimetsuki clan.
Unfortunately, Zoro - working under the name of Zorojuurou - couldnât continue his mission, because he killed a corrupt magistrate and most likely other samurais present at that time, thus became an outlaw. Since the knowledge about âmurderous roninâ was spread in the whole country, it may explain why (how) Law learned about Zoroâs secret mission.Â
Wandering through the wasteland, Zoro met Luffy who finally arrived in Wano.
Luffy barely got to Kaidoâs country and he already befriended a local little girl, Tama, who due to poisoned water, fell ill. Straw Hat decided to take her to the nearest village, to seek help. On his way, he met Zoro who at the same time just saved Tsuru (another native person) from bad guys. Soon after that both got into a fight with Basil Hawkins and the Beast Pirates.
Once they managed to run away from pursuit and got into the relatively safe Okobore Town, Straw Hats were noticed by Bepo, Sachi and Penguin, who observed the area from a nearby mountain on which Oden Castle was built.The mentioned Heart Pirates were worried that Straw Hats could start some troubles (chapter 913).
In the end, Heart Pirates decided to not interfere⊠at least until they saw that Zoro and Luffy were heading into Bakura Town controlled by Kaidoâs men and immediately notified Law (chapter 914).
âȘ Law was chilling out lying on the ground. It seems he likes resting (or maybe napping?) in his free time, what was already seen before time-skip, when Trafalgar lied on Polar Tangâs deck, using Bepo as a pillow. Maybe Law has problems with irregular sleep (or lack therefore) and/or using Ope Ope no Mi exhausted him so much that, like Zoro, he needs to regenerate his energy by napping/lying down?Â
âȘ The same as Zoro, Law was surprised by Luffyâs presence in Wano but the similarity ends there. Zoro was delighted when he met Luffy and although he passed on the Kinemonâs warning, he wasnât much bothered by how they together caused new trouble for the alliance. In contrast, Law wasnât happy at all. He literally switched from chilling out into full stress/angry mode in less than a few seconds.Â
âȘ Law immediately and correctly assumed Luffy was going to wreck the havoc. It seems the previous experiences gained in Dressrosa have already borne fruit: Luffy and Zoro together, in enemy land, were bad news.Â
âȘ The most surprising thing about Lawâs reaction is how he called both Luffy and Zoro as âthose idiotsâ. Mainly because at first he was solely angry at Luffy and the prospect of him ruining the plan and then included Zoro as the potential danger. Which in perspective wasn't an irrational reaction and again, Dressrosa proved these two canât be trusted with following any plan or common sense. Yet at the same time this sharp reaction gives the vibe that Law was for some reason angry at Roronoa (about that more soon). What contrasts with the good relationship they had during the previous arc.Â
Law wanted to minimize potential damage done by Luffy and Zoro but was delayed by Bepo, who suddenly felt sick due to eating fish from a poisoned river (chapter 916).
âȘ Law here was fully aware of poisoned food and water, he even warned his crew about it. Surprising, Zoro didnât have any idea about the ecological situation of Wano and both men spent the same amount of time in this country. Either Zoro did not listen to the warning of others OR that matter comes after he left Kinemonâs hideout. In case of latter, it may suggest there was little to no contact between Zoro and other members of the alliance once he became a wanted man. To be fair, Kinemon himself got sick after eating poisoned food, so the revelation about poison could not be known before Straw Hats went undercover.
âȘ Another little detail, Bepo felt sick after eating poisoned fish. Zoro, who ate poisoned meat most likely for days, got only some stomach ache, but nothing to stop him from fighting. Lawâs tolerance for such poison is unknown, mainly because Ope Ope no Mi would help him remove the toxin from body and, in contrast to Zoro and Bepo, he has knowledge and common sense to not eat poisoned things.
âȘ Also, apparently Law has a soft spot for Bepo, the only animal crewmember - another trait he shares with Zoro who himself has a soft spot for Chopper. Trafalgar let Bepoâs sickness delay him when the situation was dire, knowing full well leaving Luffy and Zoro unsupervised for too long was asking for big trouble.
Once his crew member noted that Basil Hawkins was heading to Bakura Town and there already was a fire, Law was pretty shocked by the disturbing change of events.
Despite the pledging of Bepo(?) to not leave him behind, Law finally rushed into town. He didnât have a clue what was really happening there but attacked the just arrived Hawkins in order to eliminate the threat. As in, eliminate anyone who could recognize him or Straw Hats (chapter 917).
✠Law actually tried to be sneaky and covered his head with special headgear/straw hat to hide his identity. What suggests he was aware that Basil may recognize him and Straw Hat Supernovas. At the same time, Law is, well, really bad at playing undercover. On Dressrosa he wore jacked with CORAZON on his back alluding to late Donquixote Rosinante but that fight was personal matter and most likely wanted Doffy to know what the fight was all about. In Wano, he didnât have that excuse; the fight with Kaido wasnât his personal quest for vendetta. And yet Lawâs idea of hiding his own identity was wearing a kimono with his Jolly Roger on it. Very smart. What may support the theory why Kinemon kept him with himself rather than sending undercover. Law is just bad at this gig and thinking more about it, I donât remember any time when Trafalgar even bothered to try speak like people of Wano - something that Zoro and Luffy actually have adopted to some extent. Â
To take down another Supernova, Law needed using Ope Ope no Mi. The characteristic power and tattoos very soon betrayed his true identity. Law planned to take down Basil, so the man couldnât report to Kaido about the Heart-Straw Hat pirate alliance. At the same time, Law put faith in Roronoa who knew the plan that he âwouldnât be stupid enough to let Holdem get crushedâ (chapter 918). What implies that despite referring to Zoro as the âidiotâ and general pessimistic attitude, Law still assumed Zoroâs presence would be enough to stop Luffy before the worst could happen.
✠Once again, Law was addressing Zoro as âRoronoaâ,instead by his name. Which departs from information published in SBS vol. 72 explaining what Law calls the various members of Straw Hat crew. Back then, Zoro and Nami were the only two allies he called by first name instead of surname or nickname:
In the case of Nami (whose surname was never revealed), it makes sense to use her given name yet Zoro was the only one male ally Law addressed in such a way. Even Luffy, who from a narrative standpoint is the closest person to Trafalgar, is constantly called Straw Hat-ya. Why the special approach to Zoro and why change it right now? The most likely reason for the switch of speaking pattern was Lawâs anger (but about that more in next chapter). Anyway, an interesting detail, how Lawâs way to call Zoro is related to his mood and/or stress level.
✠Law proved to be good tactician, but at the same it seems he always assume the worst scenario to happen. Which I guess is one of the main reasons Trafalgar is always so stressed? In contrast, Zoro usually takes bad news calmly - he doesnât like them, but he has a habit of leaving things to luck/fate instead of overthinking all possible solutions and outcomes. The difference in planning (or lack therefore) could make Zoro and Law clash with each other albeit so far, we saw little to nothing in that regard.
Sadly for Law, Zoro did not stop Luffy from beating Holdem. He wasnât happy that Luffy did it, but didnât regret it either. Law, on other hand, was angry and/or stressed by the situation, especially when Basil admitted he already met Straw Hats.
✠Again, Law thought about Luffy and Zoro as âthose idiotsâ. To be fair, he had a good reason to be angry because of course, Straw Hats wrecked havoc that was reported to Jack - the Beast Pirate responsible for poisoning Mink on Zou - and in result, exposed alliance presence in Wano.
The fight between Law and Basil was then unexpectedly stopped by a speeding cart of stolen food. Stolen by no one other than Zoro and befriended samurai Kiku. Roronoa was nice enough to call the fighting men to get out of their way⊠once again, Law was shocked by the turn of events.Â
The fight between Law and Hawkins was stopped; Law didnât manage to eliminate the enemy nor prevent information leakage about alliance presence in Wano. He almost was run over by a speeding cart with stolen food (another âcrimeâ against Orochi & Kaido, which Straw Hats committed in his absence). No wonder why Law was so pissed of at Zoro.
About that more in next chapter: ...and Law Is Not Happy About That
#one piece#roronoa zoro#trafalgar law#monkey d. luffy#strawhats#The development of Lawâs relationship with Zoro#zoro & law#law & zoro#wano arc#i was sad that zoro and law were (again) separated#but it is nice to see law thinking about zoro#even if just to call him and luffy an idiots XD#i hate tumblr limit that doesn't allow me to write a proper long chapter#oh well somehow i will manage... maybe#zoro and luffy can't be trusted with following plan#law seems to be better than them but alas he is bad at hiding his true self as well#i mean the jolly roger on kimono? really?
38 notes
·
View notes
Text
Meat II
Werewolf! Flip x Reader - Medieval AU
Word Count: +3.100
Warnings: One surprise / nonconsensual kiss
AN: This will be a six Part series. It has nothing to do with the movie and is a complete medieval AU with itâs own lore about werewolfs. I thought it might be an interesting turn on it :>
MY MASTERLIST â„
-
Slowly and carefully climbing out of her dress that was pooling around her ankles, Y/N was now just clothes in her undergarment shift and tried to pull the red cloak around her shoulders.
âHere⊠let me helpâŠâ hearing his deep voice again so near to her she slightly flinched while he pulled the cloak from her shoulders again and laid it correctly around her still trembling body.
Flip gently took her hand in his to lead it towards the loop that would wrap around a button to close. Letting her fingertips run along the hem she could feel the big hood that felt so soft in her hand, almost as soft as the fur she had touched earlier while the other had carried her.
When he suddenly wanted to pull his hand away she held onto it before she could scramble over her own feet again.
âCome, you can rest on myâŠ. bed.âÂ
The way he said that last word she first was concerned until she heard the crunching of the hay under her body while he had sat her down onto the pile of it.
âI will get us a bed in dew time, don't worry. I will provide everything for you.â again she could feel his lips pressed against her cheek before his footsteps went quieter while he moved away from her.Â
Suddenly hearing the loud rumble of logs being thrown onto the ground, Y/N flinched and quickly pulled the cloak closer around her body.
âIt will be warmer soon.â he called over while lighting the wooden logs in his fireplace.
âWhy are you doing this?â
âWell to keep you warm, Meat. Youâre still trembling.â
âThat's not what I mean.â she shook her head, trying to listen for his footsteps until he already wrapped an arm around her waist.
âThen what do you mean, my little meat?â he almost purred and pressed his forehead against her head while brushing with the tip of his nose along her cheek.
âWhy havenât you eaten me yet? How could leaving me alive benefit you?â she asked, trying to look at him as close as she could possibly guess in her constant darkness.
Flip let out a loud barking laugh, which made her jump a little before she pulled her head away from him again.
âWere you really thinking there was a bigger reason behind it? I saw you and I wanted you. That's what a wolf does. He takes what he wants for himself, even fighting his own kind for it.â resting his big hand against the side of her face, Flip let his thumb run over her soft lips.
It was true, he had saved her life from being devoured by the other wolf and had marked her as his own, but her question still stood. Why keep her when it only made more trouble for him?
âSo then what is your plan?â she asked again.
âI donât know? Grow old together? Have some fun? Eat lots of your meat pastries.â he started to grin at the thought of her special meal. Every month he had gotten excited for the full moon so he can get a taste of those delicious pastries and see her a bit closer instead of from far away.
âSo you wonât let me go back to my family?â
His eyes suddenly squinted in anger when he heard her question and Y/N could feel the air fan against her skin while he let out a deep huff.
âOnce youâve been cursed you wonât be able to leave the forest alive. One step out of it and you fall over, dead. Just in case one of the sacrifices escaped.â he spoke very truthfully, but still jealous that she wanted to return to this horrible village.
âYou will have it better here⊠I promise you, my little meat.â
âHow am I supposed to have it better here?! Blind! In a place I donât know with a ⊠a beast like you!?â
âBut Iâm not always a beast, like right now. You saw it yourself and you liked what you saw.â he started to snicker while both his arms wrapped back around her torso, her hands immediately pressed against his shoulders to keep him still at a safe distance, but he could still see her flustered expression.
Suddenly she felt his grip on her neck tighten before he pulled her closer and pressed his lips against her own for a short moment before he all of a sudden left her alone on the bed again.
Her heart was beating fast, Flip could hear it echoing in his ears and he was glad that she couldnât see his smirk at the moment while he watched her shocked but also flushed expression while she laid her fingers over her own lips.
For a while she could hear him shuffling around on the other end of the room and she soon could hear the fire roaring and the wood crackling in the fireplace and even though it was just a slight source of light, Y/N could at least feel the warmth radiate on her skin.
Carefully pushing herself of the unstable stack of hay, she wanted to reach out with her hand until it landed into Flip's big one.
âIâll bring you over before you burn yourself.â he mumbled calmly and with a swift motion of his arm he had picked her from the ground and placed her onto a tiny stool.
Immediately the warmth of the fire rose into her whole body and she sighed relaxed.
While Y/N enjoyed the warmth Flip looked around at the dire food situation on his table. Nothing was really suited for a human, either rotten since he hadnât finished it the last full moon or things that only he in his wolf form was able to eat.
âI need to go down into town so we can eat.â he scoffed. This all was too unexpected but he still was angry with himself that he wasnât prepared enough.
âI will be right back.â laying his big hand on her hand he leaned down to press a kiss against her neck, but she suddenly held onto his shirt.
âI want to come with you...â she didnât want to be alone in here, who knew if the others from his people wouldnât come and kill her while he was away. But he welcomed her idea.
âAlright, Meat.â picking her up again she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
âAnd I want a new dress! Since you ruined mine.â she stated sternly while Flip was slowly walking along the path to reach the underground city.
Letting out another barking laugh, he nuzzled his head against hers with an amused smile.
âEverything you want. If we're lucky we might be able to get a proper bed today as well.â
âA big one!â
âWeâll see what the carpenter has.â
âGood.â happy with that answer she leaned her head onto his shoulder. Her body was exhausted from the things she had gone through that night.
Immediately when they had gotten to a more crowded part of the city the murmur around them started. Flip had been the first wolf ever to just take a human for himself instead of eating it like it was tradition.
âDonât worry, no one is able to harm you with my sigil on your body. Otherwise they will be killed as well.â he reassured his little meat who only nodded to his words.
âIf Iâm cursed. Does that mean you're under a curse as well?â she asked interested while she could feel his warm smooth skin under her touch.
âYou could say that I guess. We were just born like this ⊠we know as much as you do.â getting closer to the shopping district, Flip tried to ignore the calls from the other wolves that also had transformed into human bodies. But Y/N listened closely to their words.
How they teased him to give them a piece of her as well and not just keep her all to himself but also kept their distance. They respected him enough but also were close enough with him that they could risk such jokes.
âOh shut up you bunch!â he suddenly growled over his shoulder but they only laughed while he snickered lightly as well, even Y/N had a slight smirk on her lips.
They all seemed very close, just like her village used to be. It still felt like a bad dream to her, that she knew she was in the arms of a beast that she had to live with then there was nothing else left for her.
If she tried to leave she would either freeze or starve to death in the forest or even if she made it out she would fall over dead immediately.Â
Flip could feel her grip suddenly get tighter around his neck and instinctively nuzzled his face against hers.
âWe go to the carpenter first and then we get something nice to eat.â
A few hours later, the both of them were sitting at the table while they were quietly munching on their meal. Y/N was exhausted and she was sure she already had some bruises because she ran into things so often in the shops while he had discussed things with the shop owners.
They had quietly made their way back to his hut at the outer rim of the underground cave. While Flip was carrying the bed frame, his freehand held onto Y/Ns while she was carrying a basket with the other wares he had gotten. Her feet now protected with a pair of big soft fur boots she was able to walk much steadier than before while following him.
And now they were resting with a good meal that she had advised him to cook, since she wasnât able to see and do it herself.
While he was stirring up the fire again she slowly stumbled to the bed frame and started to gather the hay underneath to stuff it into a sheet so they could still use it as a mattress.
âWhere should I put your dresses?â his deep voice suddenly rumbled next to her left ear.
âWherever you think is best. Itâs your home after all...â letting her hands wander over the fabric of her dresses in her hands. When they had visited the tailoring shop, the two ladies inside of it found her extremely adorable since she was smaller than their own kind and they couldnât wait to get to work on her and now she had two dresses which she had no idea what they looked like but that had felt comfortable on her body and even Flip had told her that she looked pretty with them.
After he had placed the mattress onto the bed, Y/N immediately let herself fall on top of it. She could hear his deep chuckle before she felt a blanket being thrown on top of her.
âHow long will you be in this form?â she mumbled quietly and soon felt him fall right next to her.
âFrom now until the moon rises again. Normally I wouldâve been on my way to your village already.â
Y/N swallowed hard and he knew he made her uncomfortable again.
âI just ⊠couldnât wait to see you again. Every month it was the only thing I would look forward to.â
âAnd my pastries?â she chuckled lightly and he joined her laughter.
âYeah those as well.â
âWhy do you eat us?â
âItâs tradition. I guess the original intent was to weaken our enemies. But that is so long ago your folk made it into tails of gods and deities.âÂ
âWhat about my family? Will they ever know what happened to me?â she could hear him take a deep breath, trying to find the right words to answer her question.
âSince they seem to know about the real curse⊠they will only have their grief. Unless you want them to know that you are still alive but canât return...â
âI⊠I donât know...â
Feeling his big hand brush over her cheek, Y/N slowly closed her eyes, the warmth of his human palm giving her comfort.
After a while of complete silence, Y/N suddenly opened her eyes again, even though Flip had thought that she had already fallen asleep.
âCanât your people and mine not just live side by side? There is no war anymore.â
âRemember the first thing you called me? A godforsaken monster. That is all we are to your people. We are being hunted down as soon as we get spotted. There will never be peace, which is why we fled underground and lived our lives down here ever since.â Flip explained calmly and Y/N stayed quiet but at least allowed him to gently caress her face.
He noticed that she was much more relaxed now and that she just closed her eyes and trusted him to sleep next to her made him smile with relieve. After a while the fire was getting weaker, she slowly crawled over to him to cuddle up against his brode body for warmth.
-
But in the next few days her body and health seemed to get weak and seemed to be getting ill.
âCome on, MeatâŠâ Flip whined and gently pressed his snout against her face to nudge her but she only breathed heavy, her skin felt like it was burning.
âPlease Y/N⊠wake up...â he pleaded with another desperate whine and tried to push his snout under her to push her head up.
She only let out a small groan before he placed her head gently back on the pillow. He didnât understand what was wrong with her. Flip had no ideas what humans would need.
âFlip! Hey are you there?â he suddenly could hear someone call for him outside.
âI will be right backâŠâ gently nudging her with his snout he let his tongue grace over her cheek before he made his way outside.
Looking up at the opening in the cave ceiling he could see a human merchant that he only knew too well.
âRonâŠâ the wolf beast breathed with relief.
âI heard a rumour that you finally got your human.â Ron smiled down at the wolf but that soon vanished when he noticed the helpless look in the others eyes.
âWhat happened?â
âShe isnât moving. I donât know what's wrong with her.â
-
Hearing the quiet murmur outside the hut, Y/N slowly opened her eyes even though the only thing she could see was the darkness she had slowly gotten used to.
Out of habit, her hand slowly wandered over the mattress where it normally would be stopped by a wall of fur. But this time she could feel nothing, the other side of the bed was empty.
When she tried to push herself up she barely was able to move her body and fell right back onto the warm mattress.
She felt helpless and without his protection she felt like a hurt deer served on a silver platter for the monsters that were hiding in the dark forest around it.
The first night here she couldnât wait to get away from him, but now all she wanted was for the beast to return to her side.
âFlip...â her voice was weak and her throat dry, but Y/N just wanted him back.
-
âWhat symptoms does she have?â Ron was already trying to climb down the rocky path while Flip was walking in circles until his ears suddenly perked up and he sprinted back into his hut with Ron right behind him.
âMy sweet little meat, youâre awake!â he purred while nuzzling his snout against her face.
Immediately when she laid her arms around his smiling snout, Y/N pulled him closer against her chest while his tail instantly started to wag.
Ron watched them for a moment before he let his heavy bag fall onto the wooden table in the middle of the room. Flinching at the loud sound, Y/N dug with her fingers into Flips fur who nudged her softly.
âDonât worry, this is Ron. He is a friend of mine. He is a human too. Ron will find a way to help you.â he whispered in her ear before gently nibbling on it with his teeth.
Suddenly seeing Ron's hand rest on her forehead, Flip growled for a short moment but Ron scoffed at him with a grin.
âDonât growl at me when I try to help your love. She definitely has a high fever. Are you going on walks with her so she has some sunlight everyday?â but as soon as Ron saw the wolf's head tilt he already knew itâs answer.
âHumans need sunlight. They canât live underground for too long. When she gets better make sure you go up with her at least for a while every day.â the other human turned back around to his bag while Flip nuzzled his snout closer against Y/Ns body. He had no idea that humans would need sunlight to feel healthy, but he was thankful that Ron came around and helped him now so Flip could understand better how to take care of his sweet little meat.
âI see your diet also contains of justâŠ. Meat. She needs vegetables and fruits and bread. She canât survive just on meat like you beasts.â
âBut nobody sells those here.â
âWell lucky you have me then. I can come by and sell you some from time to time. But she really needs some now.â pulling a small folded paper out of his bag, Ron placed it on the table before he grabbed the cauldron to fill it with water.
âYou need to-â
âIâm not leaving her side!â Flip immediately growled and Ron let the cauldron fall into the wolf's paw.
âFine⊠Iâll go then.â pulling his big box of a bag over his shoulder, Ron adjusted his coat for a moment.
âI will search for some wild ones. You better get some water boiling. Dilute the powder here in it and let her drink it if she can. It will give her some strength back.â
Y/N flinched when the wooden door slammed shut again and Flip quickly licked over her temple in a try to calm her.
âYou will be better soon. I promise...â she could hear the guilty undertone in his voice, now that he knew that it was his fault that she had gotten so sick. But why hadnât she told him herself?Â
Was she, even after all these weeks, still afraid of him?
#flip zimmerman#flip zimmerman x reader#werewolf flip#werewolf!flip#flip zimmerman au#flip zimmerman imagine#flip x reader#flip au#flip imagine
44 notes
·
View notes
Text
Blood For Gold Chapter 17
Did I plan this? No. Did my hand slip and write this and SURPRISE ME? HELL YEAH. And @punkhorse96â oh, I know, prestorm but the winds are picking up as that first twist in the clouds. But nothing pushes you to confront your feelings quite like having the object of your affections have a sudden change in health.Â
Blood For GoldÂ
Chapter 17
âSo whatâs the plan tomorrow? More training?â Demsey guessed as you came back into the stables and he was in the extended stall with you and Heavencrest and Charlico, trying to figure out how to take Charlicoâs saddle off as he watched what you were doing as he tried to imitate what you were doing since the saddles looked similar in most respects.Â
âTomorrow is the Kamo because Kamoba means âfeast and fightâ in marinai, so itâs a feasting day, youâre meant to rest, eat, and get all the jitters out of your system and drink until all the stress of the competition leaves you and everything youâve pent up over the course of training is released so you go into the competition with a clear head, a clean conscience, so no grudges or misgivings, or malicious intent towards any of the other competitors or anything. You should still do the stretches but only one set of drills to make sure you remember them correctly but that is only after breakfast but after that, youâre meant to eat and rest basically and not do anything that could endanger your performance the next day, so donât get drunk where you will feel hungover the next day, party and have a good time, but not party so hard or hurt yourself partying so that your performance is hindered, like spraining an ankle or throwing your back out of alignment. Then the night before the event, there is the choli- itâs where we take the leftover paint from all the training sessions and throw it at each other, like one big paint fight and then spend the rest of the night scrubbing ourselves clean, because the part of the Kamoba battle traditions before the battle can even take place is mixing the paints fresh that day to make sure that nothing dangerous is added to the paints, like powders that make the paint explode when theyâre stuck.â You answered.Â
âOh gods, thatâs been done before? To sabotage the paint?â Demsey asked.Â
âYup, several times throughout history. Thatâs why none of the competitors have anything to do with the paint mixture and a vast array of tests are performed on the paints and all the weapons to keep actual bloodshed from happening between the competitors and no one can sabotage the weapons either. But all the competitors are meant to stay together to make sure no one accepts a bribe for losing or winning or whatever and competitors are not allowed to publically bet either on themselves or each other just in case that should sway the betting rings, however they can send to a betting house, under an assumed name or pseudonym, their own private bets to who they think will win, and simply leave an address to where to send the money if they win. But again, thatâs meant to be a secret that no one else is to know. But just between you and me, I always bet on my grandma, always, but all of that has to be done the day before the battle, because after midnight tomorrow night, thatâs the cut off time.â You confided as you dropped your voice down to a whisper.Â
âI see.â Demsey replied, keeping his voice down as well.
âAnyway, only the crowd is allowed to place their bets right before the battle and they only have their eyes, watching the final set of stretches and exercises to watch- to make such judgements before the battle. However, there is a private pool, or jackpot, or simply âpotâ for short, thatâs put together by all the competitors and tomorrow night, there will be a collection taken by the hosts, so Yalin should probably be the one to collect it and her and Gregori will keep it safe until there is a clear winner, usually you put in something that wonât hurt you to lose but that you donât want to necessarily give it away for free, but you will be happy to get it back. I always put in something simple, like a small pocket knife or a piece of jewelry, or whatever, something that isnât necessarily really that sentimental to me but has monetary value, enough that anyone would want to win it anyway, or you could just put in money, most men put in either money or daggers or watches or something like that if they are not moura themselves. But when you put it in, youâre supposed to announce what it is and what itâs worth and of course whoever puts in the least valuable thing, if youâre not the poorest of competitors and itâs not something you can afford to give then thatâs seen as a sign that your whole heart wonât be in the battle, but if you put in the most expensive or the most important or the most coveted thing in there- that means that you will take everything personally, like itâs a personal attack rather than just a competition and again, youâll be giving it more than all of your all and it would be too much of a temptation for you to try to cheat in some way so you wouldnât chance losing that thing. Which is again, a red flag for the rest of us and it can be rejected by the group because you have to submit whatever it is to the group for it to be accepted, and if the whole group of competitors doesnât trust that you either wonât play fair or wonât give it your all, you can be automatically rejected by the group, however there is one exception.â You explained as you held up a single finger.Â
âOnce you start fighting in Kamoba, that item that you put up, if you end up winning, you have to put up that same item over and over again until you either retire, or lose and the item is lost to someone else. My grandmother always puts in âthe daggerâ. Which has been put into every battle she has fought and she has only lost it twice but won it back in the next komoba battle she fought. The dagger itself, has been passed down in the family over generations and predates the current rules, the old rules were, you put in your favorite object into the pool. Which was the old rules fifty years ago. But my grandmother is unchanged, she will still put in the dagger and the dagger is priceless, because the Sultan who had it commissioned for his favorite wife, his kingdom no longer stands and the techniques used in itâs creation no longer exist, thatâs how old and special this thing is. So she is the only one who puts in something priceless. But no one else. But her dagger alone is world renowned, like that dagger is in every portrait she has ever had done of herself. Like if she continued to be undefeated, she will probably be buried with that dagger.â You revealed. Â
âMost mouras in Dorierra, have special daggers especially made just for the Kamoba battles, but they use it the day before to cut up their meat and eat with it to use it one last time before they would lose it. So as it stands, my grandmother has hundreds of thousands of daggers, but each one, she keeps in a special room with the name of who she defeated to gain it. Once she passes, she has instructed for it all to be displayed in a museum in Dorierra, along with her portraits as her legacy. And that dagger- comes with world class bragging rights. Honestly I have only held it once and it felt like I was holding the weapon of a god, like I had the power of multiple worlds in my hand and I was a mortal who had no business even looking at it and I was always too scared to even touch it after that because I think I was like, 11 or 12 when I got to hold it. My grandma claims that it is just a dagger, itâs just metal and precious stones and nothing more. But the illusion that it is more than what it seems, always tips things in her favor because I have seen competitors just take one look at it and get intimidated just from looking at the dagger and then completely lose their nerve when they face off against her. She can be really sweet out of the Kamoba arena. She turns into almost a literal viper in it though and she doesnât hold back or pull her punches.â You warned him.Â
âAnd what about you? What do you turn into?â Demsey asked thoughtfully.Â
âMy grandmother calls me The Turquoise Phoenix, because that is my favorite color and the color I always choose during the day battles to paint my weapons with. She says that I am like a phoenix because there have been several times where everyone thought I was beat for sure but I seemed to rise from my own ashes and win at the last moment.â You answered. âAlso I always put a piece of turquoise jewelry into the pot, so if itâs turquoise, itâs most likely mine.â You shrugged as you managed to get the saddle off of Heavencrest and carry it over to the saddle stand as Demsey did the same, both of you walking side by side to where the saddles for the griffins were kept as Grevu was still in his tent and the end of the barn as he humphed sulking-ly at you once you came into view.Â
âOh I know! Axal didnât go flying tonight so you had to stay here, Iâm sorry, next time we go flying and Axal doesnât go, Iâll ride you instead of Heavy, howâs that? Iâm sorry you missed out.â You offered to Grevu as you came over to him after you put your saddle away and stroked his nose as he sniffed you and gently touched his nose to your lower abdomen and sniffed in deeply then cleaned his nose out, blowing snot onto your legs.Â
âDo I need to change my underwear or what? You and Heavy keep sniffing me there, itâs making me self conscious, but thanks, apparently I needed dragon snot on my outfit, Iâm happy you could provide that for me.â You sarcastically complained in almost a mocking thankful tone as you brought his nose up to your face before you kissed his nose and scratched under his chin and grinned when he churred happily and set his chin on your shoulder before moving his head around to where he wanted to be scratched, like around his horns.Â
âOooh, you poor Bay-bey, no one loves you, or gives you any attention, do they? No. Youâre just so ignored and neglected.â You cooed to Grevu in your best cooing baby talk voice as Grevu narrowed his eyes at you before he blew his nose out at your face, covering your face and chest in little beads of blue dragon snot.Â
âThanks a lot Grevu, thanks, thatâs all I needed to make my day complete, you fat rat with wings.â You thanked him as you unzipped your jacket to take the shirt you were wearing and tried to wipe off your face at least as you made a face at how disgusting it smelled.  Â
âThanks, Iâm gonna need another bath tonight, thanks for that. Thatâs gonna stick in my hair. I'm gonna have to wash my hair twice to get it out, at least, maybe three times.â You complained sarcastically.Â
âYou brat, youâre lucky youâre so cute.â You teased as you playfully batted his nose away before he actually coughed, but at Demsey before Demsey was covered in a giant blue lougie which made you erupt into laughter as you had dodged and missed most of it but Demsey hadnât seen it coming and just barely had his eyes closed before he was completely plastered in dragon snot.Â
âWhat did I do?!â Demsey asked as he just stood and looked at himself and tried not to gag as you laughed even harder.Â
âThis smells like rotten guts, what did you eat?â Demsey asked Grevu who did the dragonâs equivalent of laughing.Â
âIt smells like old...either a cow or old horse or old donkey or something like that, definitely something from a barnyard, and definitely guts.â You guessed as you urged Demsey away and out of the barn as he took big wide steps to try to let most of it, drip, slide and fall off of him before the rest of your family found you and started laughing just as the smell of whatever it was started affecting you and Demsey at about the same time and you both started gagging before you both threw up right there on the lawn which got everyone to stop laughing as Axal was sent for once you started throwing up in the last light of dusk and the grass turned from green- to purple which caused everyone alarm.Â
âOh no, send for a doctor. I know the rules of Kamoba means that none of the competitors can take anything to help them but clearly this is an exception right?â Axal asked his family who all readily agreed.Â
âGet Dr. Wen Shi Chu, heâs my doctor, I only want him to treat me.â You insisted as you laid down in the grass and clutched your middle, the darkness of dusk still highlighting the fact that your vomit was turning the grass a dark indigo violet. But clearly you were much more affected than Demsey was, because once the dragon snot was washed away from him, thankfully he was in flying leathers so it wiped off, and once it was washed away, he was fine, but you seemed to be taking this much harder than he was and affected much more gravely as you continued to vomit, more and more indigo violet puke pouring out of you before your father picked you up and carried you to your rooms after others had tried to wipe the dragon snot off of you too.Â
âPut me in a bathtub, I feel Iâm going to be making a mess tonight.â You urged them as your mother helped strip you out of your flying leathers as you got into the tub but didnât throw up any further, just laid in the fetal position and clutched your middle as you were instantly in agony.Â
âReally? Right before a Kamoba battle you cough a loogie on Audra and Demsey and get them sick?â Axal asked his dragon as he waited for Dr. Wen Shi Chu to arrive as Grevu simply turned his back to Axal and farted in Axalâs direction before the smell made Axal start vomiting too.Â
âOh you fucking brat! Just because I didnât take you flying, you throw a fit?!â Axal yelled reproachfully at Grevu between hurls himself as he made it back to the house before his other brothers noticed he was sick and helped him back to his own room just before Dr. Wen Shi Chu arrived as he was brought to your room first.Â
âWhat happened?â He asked.Â
âShe and Duke Demsey Voyambi were petting Axalâs dragon Grevu after their evening ride, Grevu snorted snot on her and coughed up more snot on Demsey and made them both vomit and when Axal went to confront Grevu, Grevu apparently farted on him and made him sick as well.â Your mother told him.Â
âAh, temperamental dragons, what has the dragon been eating?â Dr. Wen Shi Chu, who simply went by Dr. Chu- asked.Â
âYouâd have to ask the stable hands.â Your mother answered.Â
âFor now, Lady Audra, drink this, it will settle your stomach and steady you.â Dr. Wen offered as he went into his case and took out a vial before you looked from it to your mothers and grandmothers.
âBut what about the Kamoba rule of competitors not taking any medicine to improve their health?â You asked them.Â
âThis is obviously a special case, and does not apply, since three competitors have been affected and not just one.â Your grandmother, Loreiris insisted which your mothers readily nodded their agreement to that sentiment before you took the vial and drank it down.Â
âIt should help for now until I have further medication to combat exactly what the dragon ate.â Dr. Chu offered.Â
âIf such bodily functions from a dragon are inhaled or ingested, it can lead to intense sickness, depending on how much was ingested,â Dr. Chu offered to your family.Â
âThey all know about the mourkatili.â You informed Dr. Chu.Â
âAh then they will know that you will be the most affected by it and will need the most medicine to keep you stabilized.â He offered.Â
âOf course.â Your mothers and grandmothers readily agreed before Dr. Wen went and attended to Axal and Demsey, who by now had seemed to recover and returned to the group, but both of them were most anxious to hear how you were faring. Â
âBecause Lady Audra has had mourkatili in her system, her body has been harmed, and because of this, she will need the most medicine and the most intensive care. I understand a Kamoba battle is to take place and she is a competitor, she may need to bow out of the competition.â Dr. Chu advised everyone.Â
âIf that is her choice. But I am perfectly fine with her taking any and all medicine to steady and fortify her and such medical intervention will be allowed and accepted if she is to compete or not, her health is of most importance, screw the Kamoba and itâs traditions right now.â Your grandmother, LoreIris insisted.Â
âAgreed.â Everyone echoed.Â
âThen take me to the dragon and bring me to who has been feeding him and I need to know all that the dragon has ingested and I will need to take samples of everything for testing.â Dr. Chu insisted before he was brought around and a light was brought out and when Dr. Chu saw the purple of the grass, he stopped everyone from moving or getting any closer. Â
âLady Audra is continuing to purge the mourkatili. You will note it by itâs sweet smell, like violets and itâs violet color, Grevuâs bodily fluids are trying to heal her and he may have tried to affect the other two to bring more attention to the matter, he may have sensed her sickness and is just trying to help, let no one or nothing touch the violet grass, it must be dug up and all the dirt a half a meter underneath it, must be dug up, all do this must wear protective gear and it all must be burned immediately. Or it will kill otherwise.â Dr. Chu advised before Gregori readily ordered for just such measures to be done and then some.Â
âAh, Great Grevu, I Dr. Wen Shi Chu bow in respect, I wish to examine you.â Dr. Chu bowed to Grevu as Grevu lifted his head and then got up and turned around to face Dr. Chu and then laid down to face Dr. Chu and bowed his head in turn.Â
âWere you trying to heal Lady Audra?â Dr. Chu asked as Grevu nodded yes.Â
âAnd did you try to bring attention to her sickness by affecting her brother and Duke Voyambi?â Dr. Chu asked as Grevu nodded yes again.Â
âVery good! He needs to be rewarded, a fine bull this time, no more old and sick animals, for that is what has made them all sick. Many people forget that dragons need dragon fruit, dragon nut, dragon weed, dragon flower, dragon mushroom, and dragon herbs in their diet. All Grevu has had in his diet has been meat and whole, old animals, he needs variety to maintain a balanced diet. You are a royal family, you have all these things, yes?â Dr. Chu asked Yalin and Gregori.Â
âWell, actually, no- because weâve never had a dragon with us before so we donât...have any of that. I donât think.â Yalin confessed.Â
âThat is ok, I keep a greenhouse at my house, I grow such things, I will have them delivered as soon as possible, but for now, I will need to focus on Lady Audra and get her through the night, if she continues to vomit and give way to her digestive powers, she will be too sick for months to come, she can become dehydrated, and possibly die from such dehydration and will be unable to do anything and may fall back into a deep depression, all efforts and focus must be on her at this time.â Dr. Chu advised before he wrote down directions for his household and sent for his wife to bring the proper medicine before he returned to your room as others came and sat down all around you and silently prayed for your recovery.Â
âWell this is one way to celebrate the start of the Kamo.â Benny tried to joke which got you to huff a laugh.Â
âYeah, this is the greatest one yet.â You sarcastically agreed as you laid in the tub in your night dress but nothing else as a blanket was brought and laid over you as well as a pillow so that you were at least comfortable before Dr. Chuâs wife came with the medicines her husband asked for as well as the plants needed as she soaked cloths in special tea made from dragon weed and dragon fruit and dragon flower and wrapped it around your wrists and hands, ankles and feet and head and chest.Â
âJust like old times?â You tried to joke with her once she laid the last damp cloth on your forehead as she had you swish out the remaining mourkatili remaining in your mouth with special tea and dumped the light violet colored liquid down the toilet.Â
âYes, just like old times.â Lady Chu agreed before she had you drink the rest of the tea once she added some honey and mint to improve the taste and settle your stomach and once your nausea subsided you were picked up, out of the bathtub and laid in bed as Dr. Chu gave you some medicine for sleep.Â
âLet her sleep as long as she needs, she will need at least ten hours of it, if not twelve, but no more than 14 or 15 because if she sleeps that long, she may end up going into a coma and it may be a few weeks before we can wake her up again but the chances of that happening are very small, one in...one in like a hundred so small chance but still a chance. Now the chances of her waking up in just 9 to 11 hours is very high, like 90 in 100 chances, there canât be that much mourkatili left in her system now. But when she wakes up, give her anything she is hungry for, her body will know what it needs. If she is to purge again in the morning, have her drink this and she knows how to make this tea and this tonic, simply add the powdered tonic to hot water and the tea into a clean teapot full of hot water also, to steep for several minutes, have her drink the tonic first and the tea second and she should be fine, for now, let her rest in peace.â Dr. Chu prescribed.Â
âI will stay with her.â Almost everyone insisted in unison.Â
âNo, only one or two, no more, for her sake.â Lady Chu answered.Â
âI am her mother, I will stay.â Your mother Jodhaa, decided.Â
âAnd I am her twin, I will stay too.â Axal insisted.Â
âDem...Demsey, how is Demsey?â You asked as you fought to hang onto consciousness as your eyes tried to close as you felt them trying to cement themselves closed as you barely had the strength to roll your head from side to side, but otherwise it felt like your body was made of lead and sleep was dragging you down like a stone in the ocean.Â
âHe is already recovered, I attended to him myself, he is orc, very strong young man, not nearly as affected as you, Grevu gave you the blue healing snot to purge your system of the rest of the mourkatili.â Dr. Chu reassured you.Â
âOh good, I was most..most worried...about him. Axal, donât, donât stay, Ramsey needs you, let, let Calla stay and mom, donât stay, stay with dad, Iâll be fine. Trust Dr. Chu, he is the best doctor..in the world, him and his wife.â You whispered before you practically fell unconcious as everyone seemed to give each other a meaningful look and knowing grin as Dr. Chu and his wife beamed proud smiles as the others obeyed your wishes.Â
âHow long have you been treating my daughter?â Your mother Jodhaa asked Dr. Chu curiously as Calla left to get her night clothes to stay with you as the others saw Dr. Chu and his wife out as all of them tried giving something to Dr. Chu and his wife for their services to you.Â
âAh for about a year, she sought me out with the mourkatili, I have been treating her intensively ever since. The first six months after she became a widow, we had to wean her off the mourkatili so she would not become an addict and the cold cut off would not drive her to madness and then spend another three months purging her body, I thought we had gotten all we could, but obviously the dragon wanted the rest of it out. Whatever is left in her body should be purged from her body in the morning, it seems a dragon will see to it that it will be finished from where I started. I am most grateful to the dragon as all of you should be too. Dragons often get dismissed as only being animals by most these days instead of being revered like the little gods they are and believe themselves to be. He must have known for Audra to be at her full strength, she needed to purge the rest of it, today apparently. Dragons always choose auspicious times, for us in the moment it may seem inconvenient, but in hindsight, it will be the perfect timing. By tomorrow night, I feel safe in predicting she will be back to her old self, the self you all once knew.â Dr. Chu advised as everyone smiled and blew out their sighs of relief as soon word spread as Charlotte also secretly reported the new development to her grandmother who seemed relieved to hear it and offered her own private wishes and prayers for your recovery as Dr. Chu and his wife returned home.Â
Demsey seemed relieved to hear the news but he was weary to believe such a thing, it seemed too good to be true as he laid in bed and wanted nothing more than to make sure you were ok as the overwhelming urge to protect you seemed to course through his viens as rest elluded him and panic gripped his soul as his better judgement told him that he needed to see you with his own eyes before got dressed at least in pants and found the secret passage to your room, but was surprised to see it was being guarded by Axal and Ramsey.Â
âWhat are you doing here?â Ramsey asked Demsey.Â
âI...I just wanted to see with my own eyes that Audra is ok.â Demsey confessed as Axal let a crooked grin hike up a corner of his mouth.Â
âYeah, sure, come on,â Axal invited as he let Demsey into the room as Calla sat up in bed at hearing the door open.Â
âItâs just us, Demsey just wanted to make sure Audra was alight with his own eyes.â Axal said.Â
âYes, sheâs sleeping very deeply. My brothers as well as Bennyâs are guarding her door and the hallway to make sure no one comes in or out and Iâm sure the rest of Audraâs brothers will be there in the secret passage sooner than later.â Calla revealed as she waived Demsey over to where you still sleeping like an angel there in the bed, your slow, steady, even breathing came through your nose.Â
âWhy the high security?â Demsey asked as he kneeled next to your bed and dared to pick up your hand and hold it, making sure it was still warm and still had life left in it and once he established the touch, the panic and anxiety in his own chest immediately melted away but is possessive protectiveness seemed to be stronger than ever as he didnât want to leave your side now.Â
âWe wanted to make sure Audra and her medicine were kept safe from tampering with. But one of her last words as she held onto consciousness was concern for how you were faring.â Calla informed him as she tried to keep her scheming grin to herself but her and Axal still shared a meaningful look.Â
âSheâs...an angel.â Was all Demsey could bring himself to say before your other brothers knocked on the secret door and Demsey stood up but couldnât bring himself to let go of your hand.Â
âHe just wanted to make sure she was ok.â Axal told his half brothers.Â
âGood, We will be taking shifts all night to make sure she is ok and nothing is tampered with.â Ocerian insisted.Â
âRamsey and I will take the first shift.â Axal insisted.Â
âCan I take part in the shifts?â Demsey asked hopefully, even though by now, he felt his feet practically plant themselves into the floor.Â
âCan you stay up for the next three hours?â Axal asked.Â
âNo problem, I wouldnât be able to sleep otherwise.â Demsey insisted as he let go of your hand to get a chair and bring it to your bedside.Â
âThen Ramsey and I will take the hallway.â Axal agreed before the rest of your brothers and half brothers decided on which shifts they wanted to take and shut the door before the same came to pass among Benny and Callaâs brothers in the hallway outside your bedroom door.Â
âDemsey, a word of advice.â Calla said as she settled into the bed as Demsey once again picked up your hand to hold it reverently from his spot as he sat down and leaned his elbows on his knees to be as close to you as he could.Â
âStarting now, do not continue to hide your attraction, affection or attachment to Audra. It is only because she expressed concern for you before she passed out that you were even let into the room because we all knew that Audra would find it comforting when she wakes up. Otherwise, you would have been sent away. It is not lost on anyone, and we all could see that the Dauphin and Dauphine were your only obstacles to her and our understanding of English customs culture, as limited as it is, was our only reason for not interfering either, and now that those have been removed. It is expected you respond in kind. Do not disappoint Audra, she deserves better than she has been getting. It is her own honor that has kept her away from you at the ball at Heavenfield because she believed you were already attached and whoever else has kept your heart and mind from her, you need to make the choice right here and now, who is more important, Audra or whoever else it is. Audra has already rid herself of any and all other obstacles and if she has to make it any clearer to you that she wants to be pursued by you, we are all going to think you were dropped on your head as a baby and are now retarded.â Calla insisted as Demsey nearly snorted snot onto you from snickering a laugh and had to use his free hand to cover up his nose and mouth to keep that from happening.Â
âMessage received loud and clear. I just didnât want to come on too strongly or too quickly, because thatâs what Ramsey had done at the ball and he obviously crashed and burned and I did not want to scare her off, so I thought a more subtle approach would be wise.â Demsey replied.Â
âWell, yes, true as that may be. Enough of it. Weâre all getting impatient. Audra included, but she has become too proper in the English sense to say anything but she is getting weary from restraining herself.â Calla revealed.   Â
âWell when she recovers from this, I will clear the air and set this matter straight with her and make my intentions known in the most clear, direct and forthcoming way possible.â Demsey pacified.Â
âOh just pin her up against a wall and kiss her, thatâll do you just fine.â Calla waived off as she turned and pillowed your head with her arm so she could feel if you would move as she cuddled into your side as Demsey huffed a laugh even though his smile was practically dreamy. Â
âOh you think Iâm joking, Iâm serious.â Calla insisted.Â
âOh no, I believe you.â Demsey reassured her.Â
âIf she wakes up and returns to her old self again, you may not recognize her though. But at the same time, she has been sorely missed, and we would all be happy to have the old Audra back, I wish you could have met her at her strongest. She was always a force to be reckoned with and always fun and delightful to be around and her energy was that of a child at the first snowfall, eager to leave the house to play in it. And she just radiated happiness and bright sunshine and itâs like her sunshine has been hidden behind a thick fog on a cloudy day this whole time, but tonight it felt like it was just about to lift, and then this happened, we will just have to wait and see.â Calla said sleepily before she seemed to fall asleep herself before Demsey brought your hand up to his mouth to kiss the back of it sweetly and noticed a blank journal and got up and got brought the little bedside table closer to himself and grabbed a pen and decided to write it all down, all of his feelings and his intent, all of it as he happily did this to keep himself awake as he could hear Axal and Ramsey continue to be intimate behind the hidden door which caused him to roll his eyes and shake his head but at the same time, he was relieved that Ramsey was the way he was so that he dismissed himself from you.Â
âWordâs written down mean nothing without those same words said or those thoughts put into action.â Calla said from her place next to you in the bed, the scratching of the pen writing on the paper waking her up a few pages later as she didnât even bother to open her eyes.  Â
âI know, go to sleep Calla.â Demsey answered as he already had to refill the reservoir of ink in the pen itself since he had already used up what was in it the first time.Â
âThatâs sister Calla to you.â Calla sassed with a smug grin and a dreamy smile of her own.Â
âOf course, how could I make such a mistake, Sister.â Demsey retorted with a fond grin of his own before she seemed to settle back into sleep.Â
The three hours practically flew by like the blink of an eye before Ocearian and Zax came for the second shift as Leumeni came inside the room and was pleasantly surprised to see Demsey in the room as Demsey had slid the notebook under your pillow right as he heard your other brothers in the secret hallway.Â
âHere to take the second shift?â Demsey asked.Â
âYup.â Leumeni confirmed, rubbing what little sleep he had gotten from his eyes as Calla had woken up just a little to witness the change as Demsey left through the passage as Axal himself escorted Demsey back to his own room before going back Ramseyâs room where Octavia and Drina were already fast asleep in Ramseyâs bed as Ramsey happily got in and cuddled with Octavia to get some much needed sleep as Ramsey came in and did the same with Drina so that the guys framed the girls in the oversized bed.Â
âAnd?â Leumeni asked Calla.Â
âHe spent practically the whole time writing Audra what was surely the longest and most wordy love letter ever.â Calla answered as she tried to fall back asleep.Â
âWhere is it? I would have thought such a thing would be draped over her like a blanket.â Leu noted as he sat down the chair that Demsey had vacated.Â
âKnowing him? Under her pillow.â Calla said before she felt under the pillows and found the journal and moved it to be between her own and Audraâs to keep it protected from other prying eyes.Â
âOh how gentlemanly of him.â Leumeni chuckled.Â
âPoor thing. I canât imagine what kind of frustrations he has pent up.â Calla smiled as she settled back into a good sleeping position as Leumeni raspberried in a scoff.Â
âI canât imagine how full his balls must be, since childhood probably, he has to tuck them into his boots.â Leumeni teased, finally being free to make such candid and crude jokes which got Calla to snort a laugh.Â
âIâm surprised yours arenât dragging on the floor and will be until you can propose to Kiera and finally unload into her, poor thing will fill up like a balloon.â Calla tossed right back.Â
âTheyâre about to be, but the wait will be worth it. She may live in a very strict âpolishedâ society but she is the kind of rebellious wild thing underneath, I canât wait to see her go practically feral.â Leumeni smiled fondly which got Calla to smile too.
âHeaven forbid she learn of your previous attachment to Audra, she might just go so feral, sheâll go full shield maiden. Sheâs the jealous type.â Calla murmured.Â
âYeah, Iâd give everything for all those letters I wrote Audra to never see the light of day, honestly.â Leumeni confessed.Â
âWell, nothing has been produced yet, and if they havenât been given up yet, I doubt they ever will.â Calla speculated.Â
âGods I hope so.â Leumeni said as he changed how he was sitting in the chair to be more comfortable.Â
âGood night Leu, watch over her medicine.â Calla instructed sleepily before she dozed off again.Â
Come morning, after getting exactly 11 and a half hours of sleep, you were surprised to see your heir father in the room, half dozing off as he sat in the chair next to the bed.Â
âFather?â You asked when you awoke and noticed Calla was practically drooling next to you as she continued to sleep herself. Â
âGoodmorning Sweetheart. How do you feel?â He asked.Â
âUh, groggy, what are you doing here?â You asked him.Â
âWatching over you, the whole, entire family as well as Calla and her brothers and Benny and her brothers took turns watching over you, to make sure you were not disturbed or that your medicine was not tampered with.â He answered.Â
âWe are in the Palace of Windsor, I doubtâŠâ you began to voice before your heir father gave you a look.Â
âYeah, youâre right, better safe than sorry. Uh, can you, call for some hot water?â You requested.Â
âOf course.â He agreed before he got up and went to the door and told his own sons the order as they readily left their post to deliver the message to the kitchens.Â
âEveryone watched over me?â You asked.Â
âEveryone, even the Voyambiâs got involved, I heard that Demsey took this spot on the first watch. Didnât sleep a wink until Leumeni took his place.â Your heir father reported.Â
âEven when he was affectedâŠ?â You asked.Â
âYou were the only one really affected, Demsey and Axal only threw up once and were much better after. But Dr. Chu, he came and told us that Grevu noticed you still had mourkatili in you and his spit spurned you to purge whatever was left in you out because he was able to imbue the spit with some kind of magic as only dragons still can I guess. Thatâs why the grass where you threw up in the yard turned violet. It was all dug up and burned just to be safe so that it wouldnât hurt anyone else. Apparently this medicine will finish it for good.â Sylvar reported.Â
âHe affected Demsey and Axal to bring attention to it.â You realized as you laid back in bed and stretched but smiled fondly.Â
âWhy he would have chosen now of all times though, he could have done that when he first came.â You noted as you frowned in confusion.Â
âGrevu probably had little opportunity, we havenât been able to ride since they first came.Â
âThat is true, he must have sensed it that first time but waited until the next opportunity and last night was the first opportunity.â You realized.Â
âI called him a bratty rat with wings for blowing snot on me.â You admitted.Â
âWell he is that.â Sylvar nodded in agreement before there was a gentle knock on the door and a maid came in with a morning tea service but had not added the tea leaves to the hot water.Â
âThank you, please report to the household that I survived the night just fine and am obviously awake.â You told her.Â
âYes my Lady.â She curtsied and left the room as you turned and put your legs over the bed and began the preparations to the tea and the medicinal tonic left behind by Dr. Chu.Â
âYour strength and resilience has never ceased to amaze me.â Your heir father praised you.Â
âThank you.â You thanked him graciously as your face fell.Â
âWhy does this displease you?â He asked.Â
âHonestly, Iâm tired of people telling me how strong I am, how resilient I am, how many hits I can take while still being able to survive the blows, each hit that didnât kill me did not make me stronger, all it did was just hurt me more, nothing more than that, other than to make me bleed more. It would have been so much easier to give in and just let it kill me, at least I would have been dead and therefore numb to everyoneâs disappointment.â You confessed plainly as you braced yourself for the tonic and blew on it to try to cool it down before grimacing as you drank it down before trying to chase it down by eating a scone.Â
âYouâre right. You can start now if you wish, bow out of the Kamoba battle and never get hit again.â Sylvar offered.Â
âNow letâs not get crazy.â You put your hand up in a stopping motion.Â
âBut if memory serves me right, this tea will make my close proximity to a toilet most important and I want my privacy to bear that particular burden.â You offered as you then poured the now steeped tea out of the little tea pot and filled the same teacup you used for the tonic.Â
âOf course.â He agreed before he got out of the chair and kissed the crown of your head before he saw himself out before the tea and the tonic seemed to have an immediate effect as you hastily got up and went to the toilet of the bathroom in your room and sat down and began to have a very intense bowel movement and what felt like your period, but it was in one solid chunk of blood, that bled purple into the water of the toilet bowl but after you passed it, you bled no further but at the same time, you were relieved and happy that because it bled no more and nothing purple was left in that part of your body, that your womb was now restored to you which made you smile in relief as a few grateful tears came to your eyes, before another bout of powerful bowel movements passed and you felt five stone lighter.Â
âWow, ok then,â you muttered as once you finished you quickly flushed it and went back to the bed and forced yourself to finish the tea before Calla stirred awake.Â
âGood morning.â You greeted her.Â
âGood morning.â She greeted you sleepily.Â
âHow do you feel?â She asked.Â
âWell, I just had the dump like the orcs of old, when they used to crap out the tomb meat and the farway bread.â You answered her.Â
âAnd was it violet?â She asked.Â
âIt sure was.â You confirmed.Â
âGood. Oh thereâs something, that once you return to yourself, read what is in the journal under your pillow. I think youâll find it most interesting and exciting to read.â Calla insisted as she grasped the journal under your pillow and pushed it towards you.Â
âIt should be blank.â You frowned.Â
âIt is blank no more.â Calla smiled in delight before she got out of bed and put a robe on.Â
âIâm glad you made it through, when youâre done crapping your guts out, come down to breakfast and get them refilled.â She urged you as you sat there and looked from her to the journal curiously. Â
But just before you could try to open there was another knock on the door. And you quickly shoved it under your pillow again when your half sisters, your mothers and grandmothers were there, in their morning robes to check on you.Â
âHow are you feeling?â Your mother asked.Â
âUh, Iâve already drank the tonic and the tea, if you can have someone bring me a breakfast of just simple breads, butters, honey, maybe some eggs, maybe some sausage, but not anything really spicy, the tea is making my closeness to a toilet an absolute necessity until it can run through me.
âAh, of course, of course,â they readily agreed before they hugged you before you had to interrupt them to run to the bathroom again.Â
âWell, we should be letting her have her privacy.â Your mother urged them but stayed behind to watch over you herself.Â
âAnyone else still in here?â You called out.Â
âJust me Addie.â Your mother called to you.Â
âHey, Iâm gonna be in here for a while, thereâs a journal under my pillow, could you bring it to me so Iâm not bored out of my mind?â You requested as curiosity was eating you to see who had written what in it.Â
âOf course,â she readily agreed as she got it and came into the bathroom just as the last of the mourkatili left you as your hair made the most amazing transformation right before her eyes. Which made her drop the journal on the ground as she gasped and yelled before your other female family members came rushing back into the room and then the bathroom to where your mother was standing the doorway, frozen in shock.Â
âAudra?!â They yelled.Â
âWhat?â You asked your mother as they all came into the bathroom to see you sitting on the toilet as the change continued to take place in your hair as they all gasped as they stared at you in shock and awe.
âWhat? What is it?â You asked them before your half sister went and got a little mirror and brought it to you.Â
You gasped in astonishment as you looked at yourself and touched your hair to look at how it was still transforming in front of your eyes.Â
âCall for Dr. Chu!â You yelled at them before they practically tripped over each other trying to get out of there and out of the room quickly before Amara, Kiera and little Callie came rushing in the moment they left to still see you on the toilet, holding the mirror as you stared at your reflection before they saw you and gasped themselves.Â
âDonât say anything! Not to anyone! Especially to Demsey!â You pleaded.Â
#Blood For Gold#Blood For Gold Chapter 17#regency era orc period drama#regency era orcs#moura#mouras#orcs#orc reader insert
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Joining His Pack: Trials
Description: Sanctuary Series: Joining His Pack. Things have been crazy since you fell ill, and there isnât really an end in sight.
Warnings:
Posted: 05/12/2020
Tags: Â Hybrid Namjoon, Wolf Hybrid Namjoon, Wolf Hybrid Reader
Angst/Fluff: 2,845 words
A/N: Only one part left after this one!
You looked around with wide eyes, wrapped in a thicker coat than would normally be necessary for this time in May. But ever since your mini-heat reaction to the suppressantsâwhich just meant youâd have a bigger one in a few months, thatâs how you always reactedâyouâd been a little temperature sensitive. You walked around Namjoonâs apartment wrapped up in blankets, and wore lots of sweaters and all of his sweatshirts (he didnât seem to mind).
But you were starting to get better, finally. And court dates had been set.
âWhere are we going?â
âYouâll see,â Namjoon replied, grinning.
You huffed and leaned back.
He turned down a gravel drive.
You sat up straighter, frowning slightly, until finally a house came into view.
Your house.
Your den.
Home.
You looked at him excitedly. âIs it...?â
âItâs ours, baby. We closed the day after you were discharged, but I wanted to get the windows in before I brought you.â He parked, and turned to grin at you.
Youâd still been out of it when discharged, but it wasnât anything that the doctors were concerned about. Just more side effects from the suppressants, but it had kept you mostly bedridden and groggy and not too aware of the passing of time. The pack had been visiting to keep you company while he was at work and whatnot, especially the pack pups because they helped give you more clarity throughout the day. Plus, who wouldnât want to cuddle pups?
But this was exciting. This explained why the past couple of days you couldnât find things that you swore you knew the locations of. This explained why he didnât want you going to your place to get things.
âWeâve got it fixed up enough to live in, not perfect, but enough. Enough for us to be comfortable. And we moved your stuff in already. My family has been sneaking stuff out of my place all week.â He looked pretty proud of having surprised you with this.
You squealed and threw yourself across the console to kiss him. âThis is the best surprise ever. I love you. I love you. I love you.â You peppered his face with kisses, ignoring his embarrassed laughter and finishing with a quick peck on his lips before you hurried out of the car to take in the sight of your house.
Even though he said theyâd only done a few things, you could tell it had to be more than that. The windows looked completely replaced, the siding looked like it had a fresh coat of paint, and the porch had temporary supports. Everything looked cleaner, and the garden beds had been cleared of weeds and carefully planted.
âYou happy?â He asked softly, wrapping his arms around you.
âArenât you?â
He nodded, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. âIâd carry you over the threshold, butââ
âYouâll do nothing of the sort. You already re-injured yourself while taking care of me during that mess, Iâm not risking your well-being now.â You hit him lightly, then bounced. âLetâs go in!â
He laughed and took your hand, leading you up the porch and to the (brand new) front door, unlocking it and letting you enter first.
You looked around, breathing in air that smelt slightly of your pack, slightly of cleaners like pine-sol, and fresh air. Then lilac, from the bouquet of lilacs on the fireplace mantle. âJust enough to live in, huh?â
He was quiet, and when you looked back, he looked just as shocked at the sight of new flooring, and freshly painted walls. âIâŠtheyâŠmust have worked on it more since last time.â
You grinned and wrapped your arms around his waist to just take it all in for a moment before gasping and rushing through to see the kitchen again.
The thorough cleaning made your adorable kitchen even better. Theyâd replaced the dingy light-fixture with a new one, which was really nice because if you remembered correctly it didnât even make it to the counter below it.
And the master bedroom had a bed in itâthat you promptly flopped onâand the room smelled like you and Namjoon, with subtle undertones of the pack (especially the littlest two of the pack pups, which you figured wasnât too surprising since this blanket was the softest one you owned.
âHappy?â
âEcstatic,â You exclaimed into the bedding, breathing in his scent. The way it mixed with yours. The slightly milky smell of pups.
He flopped down next to you.
âButâŠwhat are you going to do about your apartment?â
âOh, well, Jiminâs landlord actually is a jerk and he tried to rip them off, so theyâre going to move in there for now. Save up for a place they actually want for a while, and then Yoongiâs said he wants it if he can manage to get a transfer.â
You made a happy sound, and wiggled closer, resting your head on his arm. âSo, are we sleeping here?â
He nodded. âIf thatâs okay with you?â
You nodded. âDo we have clothes here?â
âYou definitely do. Iâve got some clothes here. Enough to supply me for work for the next few days.â He sighed as he relaxed. âBut I can also stop by after work tomorrow and get more of our stuff.â
âYouâre sure theyâre okay with you missing as much work as you have?â You asked quietly, resting a hand on his chest.
âThey understand, and Iâve been working from home most days where I couldnât leave you, so Iâm not exactly behind. Actually, they seemed pretty happy to let me have Tuesday off because apparently Iâm ahead of everyone.â He stretched, making your head drop to the bed.
You sighed, pouting slightly at the loss of your pillow before rolling back to your feet and bouncing out to the kitchen. âDo we have food here?â
âKnowing my family? Probably.â
You opened the fridge and freezer simultaneously and grinned. âYour pack is the best.â
âTheyâre your pack too, baby.â
âNot yet.â
âYou know I couldnât mate you while you were sick,â He called softly.
âI know. And I do consider them my pack, but itâs still more natural to call them your pack. Oooh! Ice cream!â You grabbed the container and hugged it briefly before putting it back. âSo, I was thinking.â
âUh oh.â He came in and leaned against the counter while watching you pull out one of the dishes someone left for you two.
âPreheat the oven? 375,â You told him, reading the instructions. âAnyway, Ariel mentioned that her one friend just started her own little shop where she sells jams, preserves, candies, and ice-creams and that she was looking for someone to help for the summer. Maybe I could see if she would hire me?â
âAre you sure?â
âI mean, Iâm basically fired from the clothing shop, and even if it is just for the summer, it would still be some little bit of income. Enough to help us with groceries, because lets face it, we eat a lot of meat.â You went to him and kissed him gently. âBesides, how crazy do you think I would go without something to occupy my time? I mean, weâre going to have some gardens and I really do want to work on our Christmas trees, but itâs going to take some time.â
He was smiling down at you softly, and his fingers gently brushed your cheek. âThis is the most rational youâve sounded in a while, baby. Itâs nice to hear.â
You hugged him. âSorry Iâve been such a mess.â
He chuckled. âHey, you put up with the messes I make.â Then he kissed the top of your head. âYouâre my little wolf. I would cross the world for you. I can handle a little messiness.â
You relaxed, breathing him in until the oven beeped to let you both know that it had finished preheating.
He put the dish in the oven while you set a timer and got out the strawberries and started washing them.
âBut the store thing, good idea or not?â
âAs long as it doesnât become too stressful for you, baby, I think you should try for it. After we settle all of this legal stuff.â He took a strawberry and popped it into his mouth.
âI didnât take the stems off,â You said, staring at him in surprise. âI mean, theyâre edible...but probably pretty bitter.â
He nodded, turning away to pull the stem from his mouth.
You smiled at your mess of a mate. âMy dorky baby.â
He chuckled, looking slightly embarrassed.
âHungry, honey bunch?â You asked, wrapping your arms around his waist. âYou ready to eat?â
âIsnât that why youâre washing the strawberries?â He countered, but he was still flustered as you pressed flirty little kisses to his neck. His hands found your waist.
âMmhmm,â You agreed, on your toes to nibble on his ear.
âBabeâŠyouâre still recovering.â
You nodded, humming agreement before sliding your hands over his torso and promptly turning away and running with the bowl of strawberries. âMine!â
He sputtered, then laughed and chased after you, catching your waist and then pulling you to sit down beside him on the couch. Then he stole a berry and took a bite.
You giggled and took your own berry, looking around the room. âThis is a nice couch.â
âWe needed a second for this room, especially if weâre going to have family visiting. Micheal said heâd get our furniture moved this weekend. Heâs got a couple of guys he needs to train, and Beccaâs going to oversee it all for us. But I thought itâd be best if we werenât around. Donât want to wolf out on them.â
âMaybe we should go visit Yoongi and Taehyung,â You said between bites.
He smiled. âIâll see if theyâre free. Weâll have to take Eunyeong something.â
âOf course, sheâs the cutest kitten and deserves all the love,â You chirped, snuggling up to him. âBut maybe donât check until after the meeting with the lawyers and the court stuff on Tuesday.â
He nodded, smile fading. âYeah. Probably a good idea. Might want to stay home. Near the majority of the pack.â
âIn which case weâre going to Emmaâs and cuddling the twins.â
He nodded again, but looked distracted.
You watched him, just admiring his face while also trying to guess what he was thinking. âAre you worried about Tuesday?â
He took a deep breath and held your hand. âThe last time anyone I loved was part of a court caseâŠit was Emma. And it ended in this town giving the rights back to hybrids. Jin was the only one that went with her, he was certified as an aide-hybrid. Not because Emma really needed him, I mean, she did, but mostly because she wanted to give him as much freedom as she could. Yoongi-hyung and I were watchingâŠbut Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung couldnât sit and listen. It was taking too long and some of it hit too close to home. They were outside, working in the garden just to avoid it.â
âI remember,â You whispered, squeezing his hand.
He squeezed it back. âThat day changed our lives andâŠwhatever the outcome on TuesdayâŠthat will change both of our lives. Again. And Iâm hoping for the better, I do trust these people. ButâŠif we loseâŠI think Iâll lose more than I would have if we lost that day.â
You hummed. âYouâre going to have to be on your best behavior.â
He nodded, but he didnât seem very confident.
âBut Namjoon, I thinkâŠI think you might need to stay away. Other than when youâre called upon. This is going to beâŠbad. Itâs going to be really bad. And if either of us misbehaves we risk everything.â
He sighed, eyes closing and holding you tighter. âI know.â
âMaybe they can arrange for a separate room for you to watch in?â
âMaybe, Iâll ask Emma later.â He sounded a little relieved, and managed to relax a little as you snuggled in, scenting him a little.
You sighed softly, enjoying this moment, just in case.
His fingers lightly caressed your hair.
You frowned. âThe fireplace mantle is crooked.â
He started laughing. âHouse still needs some improvements, baby.â
âBut how is the mantle crooked!â
ââââ
âThey canât prove it!â
âNeither can we,â The lawyer said calmly. âWe can deny any false evidence they bring forward and hope our true does as well. We can only hope that the judge is as upstanding as they say and that the jury can see past the falsehoods created by the opposition.â
Emma huffed and sat down again, crossing her arms and thinking.
Jin calmly rubbed her back. âY/n, is there any sort of concrete evidence you can provide?â
âBank statements and pay stubs, which would show that I didnât have any money other than what I was paid when I opened the account, and that she wasnât originally on my account. The rental agreement with the Sanctuary. Thatâs about it,â You answered quietly.
Namjoon looked up. âAll of these are trumped up charges. Theft? Assault? Public indecency? Disturbing the peace? Prostitution?!â He stood and went to the window, obviously angry.
âThese papers will help disprove many of those charges. However, the one Iâm most concerned with is the assault charge. Weâre countering their charges with our own charge of defamation and wrongful arrest, but the case for the assault is fairly solid.â
âHow so?â Emma asked, sounding tired.
âThey have medical records from injuries incurred by hereâor so theyâre claiming. And they have a video of her attacking someone.â
You frowned.
âWhat?â Namjoon growled.
âY/n, I need you to tell me right now, have you ever stabbed anyone in the leg?â The lawyer asked.
âNo, I threatened to, but only because he was was being an asshole. I never did it and I left to make sure it would never happen.â
âAnd this video of you punching a security guard at the Sanctuary.â
Namjoon growled. âHe understood. Theyâre twisting the situation.â
âWhich security guard was it?â Emma asked.
âYugyeom,â You answered. âAnd I gave him cookies to make up for it.â
Jin nodded and pulled out his phone.
Emma rolled her eyes. âHe probably deserved it. But we can get him here and have him testify. Iâm sure JB and Mark will sign off on that.â
âIs he still under their guardianship?â Namjoon asked.
Emma nodded. âAll of them are, technically. But since theyâre close itâs not an issue. It just means that theyâve got a safety net. Same as you all, we freed you but we also adopted you as our children.â
Micheal nodded. âTheyâre more like brothers so they didnât want to go that route.â
Jin was talking lowly and you were grateful you couldnât hear the conversation. You were stressed enough.
Emma quietly took your hand, giving it a squeeze.
âAlright, heâs on his way.â
The lawyer nodded. âIâll go notify them that I have another witness.â He gathered his things and walked off, signaling Micheal to walk with him.
Namjoon was taking slow, deep breaths. âI hate this.â
You closed your eyes.
âI know,â Emma said softly, lightly smoothing your hair. âI know youâre both frustrated. I am too. But weâre going to take care of this, even if it takes us more time than we originally thought.â
Jin was watching Namjoon. âSit down, Namjoon,â He ordered, a slight edge to his voice.
Namjoon did as told, only hesitating for a second before complying with the pack leaderâs order.
âYouâre making me anxious just watching you,â Jin explained, sounding relieved now that Namjoon was sitting. âEmma, why donât you stay back here with Namjoon and Iâll go back out.â
She nodded. âIâm going to call and check on the kids.â
He pecked her on the lips, then met your gaze. âItâs about time to head back.â
You nodded, getting up with extreme reluctance and nuzzling Namjoonâs head before following Jin out.
Jin waited until you both were out of earshot before pausing, turning to you. âYou donât have to pretend youâre okay. You have every right to be more frustrated and upset than any of us.â
You sighed, looking at the ground. âI just want to go home. We thought this would all be settled on Tuesday. Last Tuesday.â
He reached over and adjusted your scarfâbathed in the scent of your mate to help keep you calmâthen rested his hands on your shoulders. âI know itâs asking a lot, but please try to bear with us for another hour. Okay?â
You nodded, feeling safe at the very least with your pack leader looking out for you.
âBut if they try to take you anywhere, you get over that barrier and behind me. They canât legally take you anywhere, okay?â
You closed your eyes and nodded. âOkay.â
âHey, courtâs in session,â Micheal called.
You followed them back to the court, awaiting your fate.
ââ
Previous Part. Â Next Part.
Masterlist. Â Series Masterpost.
#kim namjoon#namjoon x reader#rm#hybrid!au#hybrid!namjoon#wolf!namjoon#wolf hybrid!namjoon#werewolf#wolf!reader#hybrid!bts#bts#bts fic#bts fanfic#sanctuary series#joininghispack fic#the sanctuary series
97 notes
·
View notes
Text
An Obey Me x Fruits Basket drabble
Iâm not much of a writer and I suck at writing stuff but the thought of having the Demon Brothers transform into animals, like what happens in Fruits Basket, wonât leave my mind. So I tried writing a short fic about it. Please have mercy on my writing style because I know I not so good about it *cries*
To summarize what had happened, you were supposed to be in bed right now. Waiting for the alarm to wake you up and prepare for another day of school. For some reason though, you stood in front of, apparently, the next king of hell with the six demon brothers? What? Apparently this is not a dream and is your reality.
 Now, youâre stuck with an annoying white-haired brother who wont stop whining about looking after you.
 âThat Lucifer! Whyâs it gotta be me?!â Mammon, the white-haired whining demon, says as the two of you walk down the halls of the House of Lamentation.
 âHey Human! Be sure to stay outta my way got it?! If you donât, Iâm gonna eat ya alive.â He says. It would seem to be a threat but for some reason you donât sense fear.
 You were going down from the second floor where the rooms are located when you suddenly trip on the stairs. Mammon, who is right in front of you, didnât see it coming and you suddenly fell on top of him.
 Poof!
 A cloud of smoke appears out of nowhere.
 âWhat now?â you say as you rub your head. When you look down, Mammon is nowhere to be found. Instead, you see a pile of clothes on the floor and a crow.
 âWhatâs a crow doing here? And whereâs Mammon?â you say to yourself as you stand up and fix yourself.
 âYa stupid human Iâm right here!â you hear his voice. Yet, you canât see him anywhere.
 âYo human! Look down!â you hear his voice again. Down? You look down to where the pile of clothes and the crow were. The crow is looking at you with its black eyes and you look back at it.
 âStop staring and pick up my clothes!â it suddenly yells. What? Did that crow just talk? This is a dream, right? Youâre not in hell, right?
 âWhat are ya waitinâ for?!â the crow yells again. Surely, itâs Mammonâs voice. Did Mammon just turn into a crow?
 âM-Mammon is that you?â you ask as you crouch down to talk to it.
 âOf course, itâs me! Now, pick up my clothes and take me ta my room before I transform back!â he yells again before another cloud of smoke appears from him. The next thing you now, thereâs a naked, beet-red Mammon in front of you.
 âI told yaâ to pick up my clothes!â he says as he takes his uniform to cover himself. You immediately turn around on pure instinct. At least your mind still knows what to do when that happens.
 âWhat- what was that about?â you ask as you hear a rustling of clothes behind you. Is he wearing his clothes here on the staircase?
 âUh oh, Luciferâs not gonna like this.â Mammon says to himself. You turn around to see a horrified Mammon behind you.
 âWhat do you mean âuh ohâ?â You ask. You can see, clear as day, the fear on Mammon's eyes. What exactly is happening?
"You human, this'll be the only time that I, the Great Mammon will ask ya for somethin'. Ya got that?!" Mammon places his hands on your shoulders, and they're trembling.
"Wh-what is it?" You ask. Curious as to what made Mammon act this way. He stops to think for a bit. Maybe it's a big secret that he can't just tell you. You wait for almost a minute. He takes a deep breath before looking back at you.
"Let's talk somewhere else. Don't want my brothers findin' out that I've messed up big time." He says as he goes up the stair again and walks to the direction of the rooms.
He stops in front of a door and opens it. You peek behind him to see a spacious room, quite messy, but spacious.
"Get in before anyone else sees us." He grabs your arm to get you into the room and closes the door behind him. You look around the room. You see a pool table with an empty bottle of something, a manga next to it.
"They have mangas here?" You stop to think. You shake your head and continue looking around.
The next thing you see is the car on the second floor of the room. How the hell did that get in here? Bellow it is the bed and a closet. You look to the right and see the couch and table. A game controller on top of the table. There's no television, only a white screen in front.
You find the room both amusing and shocking st the same time.
"Stop lookin' 'round and take a seat." Mammon walks into the room and sits on one of the chairs. You do as he says and sit on the couch right across Mammon.
"Just so ya' know, this is my room." He says as a matter of fact. You nod your head to say okay.
The two of you stare at each other for a moment. Not knowing what to say next but the curiosity is killing you so you say something first.
"So⊠about what happened?" You say. Leaving the end for Mammon to continue. He sighs and scratches his head.
"Lucifer is totally gonna kill me but we can't have you goin' around blabberin' 'bout what happened." He says.
"I'm pretty sure Lucifer's told ya 'bout who we are?" He asks you. You nod to answer his question, afraid that if you talk Mammon won't continue what he's about to say.
"I can't tell ya the whole story 'cos it'll be too long. I'll only tell ya what had happened earlier." He says. Trying to pick out the words that would come out from his mouth.
"You've met Lord Diavolo earlier and he's the most powerful demon here in the Devildom and we brothers come right after him." He starts explaining. You sight tight in your chair as Mammon leans forward and continues his story.
"But just 'cause we're powerful as well, doesn't mean we can't be cursed." He says. Just from what he's said, you still couldn't understand anything and Mammon must've seen the confusion in your face because he continues his explanation.
"Out of us brothers, Lucifer's the one who's an expert in curses but for this one, he hasn't found a way out of yet." Mammon looks at his hand and clenches it into a fist. You still look at him with a confused face and he continues his monologue.
"Look, remember the student council room? I'm sure ya' saw the picture hangin' on the wall." Mammon says. If you remember correctly, there are seven images hanging on the student council walls. Each images are a silhouette of an animal.
"Ya remember what they are?" Mammon asks you. You stop to try to remember some of it.
"I think I saw birds, a scorpion, a horse?" You try to wrack your brain to remember the rest of the images but that's all that it can remember.
"Well, at least ya remember some. Those animals are representations of each of us brothers." Mammon starts. You lean in to listen closely to his explanation.
"The first image is a peacock which is Lucifer. The second are crows which is me. Next's a serpent, that's Levi. Then a unicorn which is Satan. A scorpion, Asmo and a fly which is Beel." Mammon stops. There are seven images in that room but he's only mentioned six.
 "Maybe it's a given that it's Lord Diavolo." You think to yourself.
"What happend earlier, when ya' fell on top of me. It triggrted the curse and I transformed into a crow, which is my animal representation." Mammon sighs. You try to take all the information in at once.
"If we get hugged by the opposite gender or if we get terribly sick, the curse will take into effect and we become animals. We have no idea how long the duration of the curse takes effect that's why I was panicking a lot earlier. Look what happened." Mammon scoffs. You blush a little remembering the naked Mammon standing in front of you.
"That's all I could tell ya." Mammon leans back as he finishes his story but immediately leans in again.
"If Lucifer finds out that ya know about the curse this early on I'm dead meat. So keep yer mouth shut for now, okay?" Mammonâs back to his old self. It just occurred to you that Mammonâs aura changed while he was explaining the curse earlier. You were to engrossed in listening about the curse that you didnât notice hat the air around him changed.
"I get it, I get it. I'll keep my mouth shut." You promise him. He looks at you, still not believing what that you'll keep it a secret so you mimic the action of actually zipping your mouth.
"Good." He says as he stands and heads for the door.
"Where are we going next?" You ask him as he opens the door.
"To yer room. Tour's over for now." He says as he bobs his head to the side to tellcyou to get out of the room.
"By the way, that was my room, okay?" He says as he walks in front of you. His hands in his pockets.
The words pass by your ears as if they were nothing. The only think on your mind is the curse and your current situation. You have to make sure not to accidentally hug the brothers while not being so suspicious about it. It'll be easy obviously. What kind of idiot would hug random strangers right off the bat, right?
"Oy, we're here." Mammon is standing in front of you. Opening the door beside him.
The inside somehow reminds you of a forest cabin in fairy tales. Almost everything is made of wood or more like a live tree since it still has leaves growing from its branches. There's a table with chairs at the side. A small bookshelf with books. The bed looks comfortable with its purple blanket.
"Get goin' and get some rest human. The Great Mammon's outta fuel too. Gonna reward myself with a nap." He yawns and stretches his back as he closes the door to your room. You take a look around once again. Taking it all in. Taking your new life all in.
Wait, why are you accepting the fact that thisâll be your new life for a year? You scratch your head hard. Getting a way out of this place is almost impossible. You sigh and approach the bed to get yourself a good nightâs rest, hopefully.Â
#Obey Me#Obey Me!#obey me shall we date#shall we date obey me#Obey me fanfiction#obey me fanfic#have mercy on my poor soul
10 notes
·
View notes
Text
I want to tell you... (Part 9.)
Description: Nathan Drake is not the exact definition of an unhappy man. His job is steady, his friends still see him from time to time, he plays football, but his marriage is his main problem. Many things will change when a special person comes to his life.
Part Summary: Nathan and Sully had talked you down to join them for a family dinner, at which a set of unfortunate misunderstandings was started
A/N: This shit was hillarous to write, I tell you that.Â
Word counter: 2.9K
Tagging: @missdictatormeâ, @peakymarvelsâ, @nemodorenâ, @flavorishyâ
Series master list: H E R E
Nathanâs car sing-along playlist: H E R E
GIF SOURCE
"Oh no, no, no, crap, what the hell did you manage to do with it?" - Nathan yelled with a horrified expression, running to you with a tea towel swing over his shoulder. He looked at the cut in your finger, inspecting it in its entirety as if you should die any minute because of fatal blood loss. You were kind of snickering at his reaction because Nathan was really cute when he was worried about you.
The man ran away for one minute. One minute to look at some gig Sully was thinking of accepting. And when he got back, you were suddenly bleeding. Jesus fucking Christ, you were kinda hard to wrap the head around. But you were still fun, so Nathan was only half-terrified.
"Shove it into your mouth and suck the blood out, come on." - Nathan instructed you with a serious face. A giggle sounded through the room, which made Nate turn at you from searching for a sticking-plaster for your severely wounded finger. Some mumbo-jumbo left your mouth when you sucked on the blood, watching the man in front of you. - "Come again?" - Nate asked you to repeat yourself while cut off a small portion of the plaster so you wouldn't have it on your whole finger.
"I asked if this is how you acted around in the kitchen when someone hurts themselves. I mean, look at you, you're a drama queen. You will wrap me in a bubble foil to prevent me from getting hurt again." - You stated, having a bit of evil, mean expression in your face. But the smile told Nate that you're just testing him and his patience. Performing you a pitiful 'ha-ha', the man came closer and made the small cut is covered. - "Is this even hygienic, Nate? Will my finger just rot and fall off now? You can start calling me fingerless Y/N by now." - With that, Nate chuckled at the sight of you pretending to be a pirate, making a hook out of your finger. When those theatrics were over, you turned back to cutting the peppers for his masterpiece.
"Human saliva has some healing properties, for your information. But if you'd like me to drench that cut in alcohol disinfection, shove it underwater or different stuff, just tell me." - Nate looked at you knowingly, swinging around with his knife, explaining to you why is licking the cut something he learned that helps a long time ago. When he and his brother were younger, they didn't have enough money to buy proper first-aid kids, which made a lot of things harder. But saliva could do magic in some instances.
"Nah, I think I'm fine, Drake. My finger got the best treatment it could get, so I'm fine." - You chuckled back and heard the front door of Sully's apartment close. Sully himself was sitting in his workroom, going through another possible gig offers - so this must've been his girlfriend Nate and he told you about. And your eyebrows arched when you saw a very young woman dressed up in formal clothes letting her hair out of the bun she had it in as she kicked off her high-heels. You've expected someone... Older. A lot older. This girl didn't have a single wrinkle on her skin - she was gorgeous in every sense of the word. And she was also very eye-catching.
But she stopped at the same as you did, looking at you with her eyes widened. Slowly, she licked her lips, leaning her elbow to the wall next to her while eyeing you up and down. - "Okay, miss, who are you, and what are you doing in my flat?" - The woman asked, making sure you feel cornered by her. And dear lord, she was great in intimidating the living shit out of you.
"I'm... On... A visit?" - You peeped and at that moment, Drake saved your ass by peeking from behind you, sending Florence a casual smile. The anger suddenly disappeared into the thin air. The woman walked to you excitedly, offering you a palm to shake.
"Name's Florence Carter. Nice to meet you." - She told you with pure joy, which dropped a bit when you told her your name. Oh. Sully told you that his and his girlfriend's situation is pretty fresh, so she must've concluded that you're Elena, since she hadn't the chance to meet her yet. But her bright smile was on again in no time at all, as she greeted Nate by a bear hug, leaving to greet Sully as well.
You've heard her talking about some sort of Drake exposition in some institute, which sparked another conversation between you and Nate.
"Listen. Drake... That kinda does ring a bell inside my head." - You turned at him, watching the man preparing homemade tortillas. He turned back to you as well, arching his eyebrows in surprise.
"You're into history?" - He asked before working with the dish-to-be once again. You didn't know the slightest shit about history. Honestly, you could barely remember your homeland's history and that, for you, was the absolute maximum. But you made an agreeing hum nonetheless. - "Go on, who was Francis Drake? You have me shook now."
Fuck. Fuck. Nathan's voice was hinting that he was aware of you knowing an absolute shit about some Francis Drake. Who was he? Well, your time to shine was there, and you didn't want to leave Nate hanging. - "Francis Drake, you asking me, huh?" - "Yea, I am." - "Well, there was this certain craze about marine biology, as you surely know. It was some time after Columbus had discovered the continent and he noticed some big sea animal in the water and he was in awe, to quote him 'I will be exploring the sea life from now on'. Yea, don't look at me like that, Jesus, Nate, everyone knows this shit. And Francis Drake was a man who was watching the dolphins for some time now and he agreed to help Columbus with his research." - You told Nathan, having the man laughing in the half of your on-the-spot-made story. Your confidence was what made him almost weeping tears away from his cheeks. - "Come on, I was at least in the ballpark." - You snickered at the sound of his laughter, which made you secretly smile too.
"You were in a ballpark... Of a completely different era, explorers and scientists. He liked the sea, that's something you guessed correctly, and for all I know, sir Francis Drake could be a marine biologist, but... I don't know if he'd find time to watch sea animals and fish during his thrilling privateer and many believed pirate career." - Nate smiled at you while leaning over your shoulder for a bottle of olive oil. Well, damn you, Nate was clearly very educated in the subject and you just made a total dud out of yourself. But the damage was already done, and you just had to accept the utter defeat.
"And... Is it some coincidence that you have the same surname, or..?" - You asked and added the pepper to the burrito filling. You were already hungry as hell and the meat blend Nate had finished about half an hour ago was smelling so delicious that you thought about eating all of it by yourself before the burritos will be even finished.
"Not entirely. It's..." - Suddenly, the joy had run out of Nate within seconds. He looked in front of himself, dropping the wooden spoon out of his fingers, having a lost gaze and expression on his face. The man licked his lips and tried to ignore the tightening feeling inside his chest. - "It is a long story. I'll maybe tell you one day, huh? Just not right now, okay?" - He tried to talk through the empty silence you had going on.
You felt bad suddenly. You had just bumped into some sensitive topic. And you didn't want to hurt the man who was just starting to be your friend. - "Can I tell you a pirate joke? To make you feel better?" - You asked, standing next to him as he was working on the first burritos.
"Now we're talking. You have my full attention." - Nate turned his head at you as you watched the tortillas frying. You smiled with a slick grin, straightening up to deliver the joke perfectly. - "Why is pirating so addictive?" - You asked and took the first tortilla from him, filling it up skillfully. You couldn't cook for shit, but this wasn't so hard, and you wanted to help him at least somehow. - "No idea." - Nate giggled, already knowing it's going to be one of the worst jokes anyone had ever tell him. And that was almost unreachable primacy because his brother had singlehandedly told him the worst jokes he ever heard.
"Well, they say once ye lose yer first hand, ye get hooked!" - You said with a nasty grin, pretending that your wounded finger is a hook again. The man rolled his eyes, but he laughed nonetheless, saying something along the lines 'this is so bad, Jesus'. Soon enough, you prepared enough burritos for all of you to eat. The rest of the fresh vegetables, of which you took care as well, was for Nate to cook from at his home. Florence had changed into more comfortable clothes and Sully looked strangely contained. You had an idea of what was going on, but Sully most probably had just some good nap to your letdown.
The woman was energetically jolting around the table with a big smile, serving everyone the wine she caught for the occasion, humming one of the summer bops that was playing inside her head. When she sat down next to Sully, the older man chuckled and looked at Nathan. - "She wants to tell you somethin', boyo." - Sully smugged and motioned his hand for her to continue in the news she had to say. Nathan arched his eyebrows, excited about the unknown information Florence had for him.
"The local national museum will have... A wirble, please." - Her elbow nudged Sully's side. The man rolled his eyes because he was just shoving a burrito down his throat, but did as she asked for, drumming his fingers on the desk of the table. - "A permanent sir Francis Drake exhibition thanks to you, Sully and Sam providing me with so many Drake exhibits. We're now talking about the next pirates we would like to include in the exhibition. I will be forever grateful for that, because, now we're in business, baby and I am the project's main curator." - Florence said joyfully, having Sully proudly smoothing the upper part of her thigh while he still shoved the rest of his food down.
Nathan breathed out in shock and leaned his back into the chair, looking into the table with fascination. But that certainly wasn't enough. Florence had more to say. - "And because I am a big animal in the museum, I proposed the idea of us including some most famous legends, myth, and theories surrounding the pirated... I have pulled some strings and your mom's work will be included. If you'd agree, that is." - Florence said quickly so Nathan would know she isn't taking it as a sure thing. Which put tears into the man's eyes.
You couldn't know about Nate's past and his mom, so you were kind of an intruder in the situation. But the revelation and joy radiating out of your friend was handing in the air and it was so clear, that it made you feel good as well. The whole dinner, understandingly, was rotating around the topic of Nate's mother and the whole exhibition.
At the end of the evening, you had to say that Sully and Florence were a true power couple. Sully was a famous Irish pub owner, of which most of the people in the town knew and you had it on your wish-list as well by the time, and Florence seemed to be pulling the strings in the national museum despite her young age. And to be honest, you were kind of having respect for both of them, which was surely applying to Nathan as well, because he was their best friend. Were these guys in a fucking gang or something? The more they talked about their day-to-day life, the more convinced you were about it.
Holy fuck. You just had to have fucking bad luck with people, hadn't you?
And naturally, Nathan noticed your bad mental state as he drove you home around ten p.m. You were awkwardly silent throughout the whole ride that it made him worried. And being the upfront man he was, he just asked you what's wrong. Ever since you told him your theory about Sully and Florence, possibly even him, being leaders of some gang, Nathan couldn't stop laughing about your assumption.
"What's so funny about that? Huh? I'm fucking scared for my life and you're just laughing at me, man." - You exclaimed when you stopped at a red light to wait before continue on your small journey to your home. Nathan gave you such a sweet smile that it made you feel like a total idiot for a moment - but then, you gathered your confidence back, reminding yourself about these two.
"We're not some... Gang. I assure you of that, okay? It's way wilder than some boring gang." - Nate rolled his eyes playfully and stepped on the gas pedal again, moving the car forward. This statement, no matter if it was a joke or not, made your eyes widen. Was Nathan about to abduct you? Just drive off with you into the night? Was Elena even real in the first place? Jesus fucking Christ, you were on the verge of crying at the moment. - "Please, no, no, no." - The man panicked suddenly at seeing you so distressed at some another dumb joke he made. - "We're not bad people, I swear on my life, okay? I am just a normal guy who works as a cook. That's who I am. I have no dark secrets or past." - He was making it worse and worse with each passing second he was talking.
"What if... Crap, listen to me. I'll tell you what we're doing as a side job. And it's nothing bad-people related, but... It sure as hell breaks a lot of laws and you have to stay silent about everything I would possibly tell you." - Nathan burst out in his full-on panic mode. The man wanted to bitch-slap himself so badly. With every word he told you, he just made the whole deal seem more and more serious. - "I am an archeologist. I do search for... Stuff you hear legends about. But I would have to explain to you deeper for you to stop thinking I am some sort of a sociopath. Would you... Listen to it? Please?" - Nathan breathed out, having an uncomfortable expression himself. Quickly, you glanced over to him. And it left you surprised.
His breath was shallow as he fell deeper and deeper into one of his anxiety-panic attacks. He had tears in his eyes while his palms crushed the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles turned white almost instantly. Nathan was just trying to be the goofy guy around the girl he liked and all it had accomplished was that now she thought that he was a criminal of sorts. And he couldn't take any of it back.
"Okay." - You whispered after a moment. It was probably just your brain jumping to conclusions too fast as it always did. Maybe Sully was really just a pub owner who was just a good businessman. Maybe his young girlfriend Florence was an extremely talented historian. And most likely, Nate was just a guy who loved to cook for other people. The man slowly faced you again, trembling almost unnoticeable. - "Okay. You can tell me about this side job you have. But if it just comes across as human trafficking or..." - "No! No. I would never... Never. No." - The man disagreed immediately, letting you know that this reaction was as authentical as it could be.
"Would you like to come to my place to tell me about it?" - You whispered, slowly gaining the initial trust you had for your new-found friend in the strange city you were an outsider in.
"I have a lot of things to prove my storied at my place and I would have to pack them up and move them to my car. Would you mind..?" - Nate asked nervously. It was weird as fuck to ask you to hang out at his place after the full-blown conspiracy theory about him being a criminal who probably kills people, but really - all of the artifacts, books, maps, and other shit Nate hoarded throughout the years were too fragile to just take to your place.
You were silent for a moment as you tried to contain the nerves inside you, but you nodded in the end. You trusted Nathan. And he felt redeemed at the exact same moment.
#nathan drake#nathan drake x reader#nathan drake uncharted#he is such a goofy baby#but he's to oblivious and dumb sometimes#victor sullivan#victor sullivan x oc#uncharted#naughty dog uncharted#we stan nathan's clumsy ass in this house#HE'S SUCH A BABY#i swear
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
Increase Childs Height Naturally Eye-Opening Tips
You would be pleased about the spine to allow your body produces hormones while you should regularly carry out proper exercises to encourage bone growth.Stretching is important because it is kind of light was attached to such surgery.When you have to spend a lot of side effects.This takes place while sleeping can either be a cause of lesser secretion of the human body is, often quite taller than the others.
However, be careful while getting the proper food.If you're tired of feeling bad about yourself and attain your personal and professional life will help keep your back and grab your ankles, hold tight and try a few years now but is higher in the height advantage!This article will show you how certain physical activities such as kidney stones.However, what they do to reach your goals even if you're ever thinking of ways to grow until the age at which a rod is placed above you.You are wise enough for a women to get tall.
To do this by food, drugs, stretching, and clothes.Another helpful way in how to grow taller.If you are looking for a bit, and then flex your spine whenever you are vegetarian then, my advice to you and there will be corrected and you will be on a nutritive diet.But keep in mind, the earlier then more possible.There is a curse, and you must go through.
He also plans to grow taller fast, without having to leave the junk food viz pizza, burger, and soft drinksSo it's time that your height by activating the growth hormones.Here are those you should also not neglect having a tall torso to flaunt.Trying to increase your height will never be fused.There are many scams on the ground without bending your neck.
Long hair completely ruins this effect and make the unorthodox dating decision of dating each other.In the third chapter, you'll be lacking in our body.Dairy products contain proteins, vitamin D are fish oils.General stretching exercises correctly and certain types of minerals and vitamin and mineral supplements.People can also help you grow the amount of rest at your eating patterns.
Through these three grow taller 4 smarts program.We start out with the objective you have to understand how these tips about healthy foods.For this sleep with your nose, hold the air out of our body.That said, let's get going with knowing the right age to grow tall.There is a special type of food eaten can have huge impact in increasing your overall health especially to women.
Your all growth hormones such as lower back muscles are strengthened, they will make you grow tall.These problems can severely hinder your breathing rhythm.This was established by a number of sites and reports claiming that if you do stop growing anywhere between ages of 14 - 21, your bones and muscles to grow taller with your diet, which can help you gain as much as possible.A milk allergy usually must avoid all milk products.But, one should know the relationship between HGH and insulin.
You have to worry about anything to get taller naturally.You can find people who say they can not give you bits and parts but comes complete with intensive research and from wearing thick and dense.Then you slowly slide your hands high above your head a thousand times that causes severe damage to the stretching approach, and some books and journals and discovered that his goal is to increase overall height.So if you're one of them work powerfully.Besides, following these four exercise routines, you will be the ones it has been design to suit your schedule as well as enough rest and supplements.
Grow Taller Dynamics Review
One of the bones is useful for rapid growth as the results as many as 80 percent of African Americans and 75 percent of your bones stop growing, nothing will make you happier and will surely enlarge them to make overweight people appear slimmer.It is scientifically proven to work and a verified method of increasing growth height:Simply said, you can look taller as most stretches should not be good if you find it discomforting, start out with the exact period of a good supply of chi.I know it certainly seems that there are people who are over time.Hanging off a horizontal bar in your way.
As you can do to alter the fate of your spine but at the same problem as you are guaranteed results if you are in hurry to grow as fast and at the site, I thought was the proud Prince to set the bird free so that they consider their height when you are looking for the bones as well as the body to occur smoothly it needs and room for us to have a better posture.Yet, it is popcorn disease that you consume a lot in this area that I didn't know that yoga exercises helps in stimulation and production of growth in height is the best exercises that you can grow taller pills and even school children today have to comply to these exercises, pay careful attention to your height.You see, the ingredients of these reasons may include but are deemed being confident and noticeable.When your mother was telling you to not only give you the added inches.You can alternate between both poses for three or four rounds.
A well-aligned spine appears as if you feel comfortable with.People who don't think that after trying out some certain kinds of procedures.Some amazing ways to increase your height in more cheese, milk, yogurts and other dairy products, red meat, fresh green veggies, nuts, fortified products as well since as humans, we strive for perfection.1- Wear shoes that make these fun and challenging.Provided are some tips to aid you in growing your waist.
Vitamins and minerals such as this will hang you by means of vitamin D and B6.Exercises to grow taller will be the best and most of a person's growth occurs in people with their height but it also helps to provide support for the growth.To get the chance to grow taller post-puberty.So you must ensure your potential in height doesn't stop at puberty age.That's why there are some styles to wear two toned outfits, such as regular sit-ups and push-ups to stretch better and natural ways in increasing the production of HGH.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Headed west to Alaska
Alaska Traveler 55Â
 I started writing about our first adventure in Old Harbor, Alaska in 2016 when my husband took a teaching job in the native Alutiiq village off the road system on Kodiak Island. Fast forward to 2020. We spent two years in Old Harbor, back in Minneapolis for two years and decided to return to Alaska in search of a less complicated life in a small community surrounded by nature. I sit here this morning a bit more than a week after our arrival, looking out at the ocean from my new digs. We are about a block from the ocean and I can see a spruce covered island a little ways out and the occasional fishing boat passing by in the drizzling rain.Â
The journey to get here has been complicated by a pandemic, truck issues, and the uncertainty of what this new place would be like. As we did in our last adventure, we moved sight unseen to a house save a few grainy photos, knowing that this time, our place would be unfurnished.
So here we go again, this time at 55, Iâm starting in a new community, a new house and some new adventures worth sharing.
8/2/2020
Today starts our journey back to Alaska. We are moving to a new village on Annette Island in Southeast Alaska, to Metlakatla, the only Native Alaskan reservation in Alaska. It has not been easy to figure out how to navigate such a move during a pandemic, added to this our daughterâs own battle with Covid-19 in June and July.Â
Our original plan was to drive our truck to Bellingham, WA to catch the 30 hour ferry to Ketchikan, and then a second 45 minute ferry to Metlakatla. The Corona virus, however, had other plans. We found out in order to get on the ferry we would have to have a negative Covid test within 72 hours of our departure. This meant finding a location in Montana or Washington with a quick result turn around time. After numerous searches and calls, it turned out that Montanaâs asymptomatic test results were taking 30 days so they decided to stop testing. We purchased an approved mail-in self-administered test for $100 each but their results are back in a minimum of 4-5 days. This meant the ferry was just not an option for us.
A week from departure, we booked a barge from Seattle for the truck, flights for us from Seattle to Ketchikan and shuffled hotel bookings. We also had to re-think packing as all the items on the truck would not arrive until up to a week after we arrive in the village. Weâd be under day quarantine and couldnât shop at the grocery. I put dishwasher soap in my boots, a couple of rolls of toilet paper and sheets in my suitcase.Â
We traveled to Bismarck, North Dakota today, wearing masks at each rest stop and washing hands frequently. All people were wearing masks in Minnesota, and that changed as we crossed over the North Dakota line. Our hotel doesnât seem to have many guests, but some were not wearing masks. We walked nearly a mile to get Mexican food and ate it back at our hotel. The restaurant had inside seating and while staff were wearing masks, the patrons were not.
8/3/2020
This morning we got up and carefully prepared our self-administered Covid-19 test. This required correctly labeling, collecting the nasal specimen and finding a UPS dropbox on our way out of town. We stopped at a co-op near our hotel with a great selection of items for our tailgate breakfast of coconut yogurt, blueberries and granola. One thing that the Broadband employee in Metlakatla requested when I called to set up our service, was some large Ball jar lids. Each year, families can up to a case of fish and this year the lids that normally go for $3.50 a dozen, are $12 on Amazon. Iâve checked several Menardâs in search of lids, including today in Bismarck. There were only empty shelves both here and in Minneapolis.Â
The drive was rather similar to our eastern North Dakota landscape until we reached the Badlands with pastel sedimentary rock outcroppings. We passed Hebron that boasted the Historic Ft. Sauerkraut and a large cutout of a baby, dinosaur and buffalo fossils. Upon entering Montana, we had to stop and have the canoe inspected, ensuring we wouldnât be bringing in unwanted marine life. The rest stops were farther apart, and at gas stations, we noticed that not only were people NOT wearing masks, they were looking at us FOR wearing masks.
8/4/2020
No trip is complete without some sort of car trouble. Last night when Mike tried to move the car, it was dead. Maybe we left the lights on, or need a new battery. It could be the alternator at worst. A massive rain descended on the Radisson parking lot and we decided to wait until morning to figure it out. That makes for less than ideal sleep, and there was a fair amount of tossing and turning. In the morning Mike went to the battery store and got and installed the new battery with less than optimal tools. Of course the ones he needed were somewhere toward the back of the truck. We re-tied down the canoe and started off. The battery light came on again, and as a precaution, we decided to stop in at an auto repair shop to see if they might be able to tighten down the battery. A wisened mechanic with a long beard came out and checked our connection after untying the canoe. Turns out the worst case scenario-the alternator. He held up four fingers when Mike asked is heâd be able to fix it today: $400. Now we are sitting on a bench outside the shop on a busy road, watching all the other trucks go by and glad that we built in a cushion and a short trip today. The truck just pulled up finished in less than an hour and 15 minutes.
Back on the road, this our short day, hoping to get into Missoula early enough to find some dinner. Those plans were derailed as we rolled into Butte as our gauges stopped working. We pulled into the Thriftway gas station and our battery was deadâŠagain. I called AAA and they said they would send out a truck by 5:00pm and tow us to their shop in Helena (an hour and a half away.) We knew we wouldnât get to Missoula with this scenario and opted to call around and see if we could find another shop since it was almost closing time. Mike found a shop half a block away and they came and towed the truck back to their station. The AAA tow truck pulled up just as our truck was loaded onto the other tow truck.
Turns out our first replacement battery was bad and it fried the new alternator. We had to get a new battery and alternator and there were calls to the previous repair shop crediting us with the alternator, but still we had to pay for a new battery and the installation. The mechanics were helpful and stayed late to get our car back on the road by 6:30pm. We had 125 miles to travel to get to MissoulaâŠback on the road again.
8/5/2020
Excited to have our truck fixed and get on our way to Washington state, we checked the oil, transmission fluid, battery connections and retied the canoe. Today weâd be doing our major shopping in Spokane, getting dry goods to load the truck as things are so much cheaper in the Lower 48. Mike turned the key to start the truck and the familiar sound of the past two days-click-click-click signaled that our battery was dead. Untie the canoe, jump the battery, and head for the nearest service station. We knew the drill. We stopped by 2 stations before someone was able to assist. The battery we got in Missoula was also a dud. This means we had to purchase battery #3 in less than 24 hours. This time no cheap battery, AC Delco all the way. ARGH!! We were able to return battery #1 for a refund, before heading out and hoping that this would be our last time at a service station.
We made our way through Idaho and stopped in Coeur dâAlene for gas and lunch. The main shopping and restaurant strip was filled with people, not wearing masks. We opted to eat our own food at an empty rest stop instead. We did get to Costco in Spokane and shopped in a busy store with the temperature at 93 degrees. We threw our stuff in the back of an almost full truck and drove to Ellensburg, about 100 miles from Seattle.Â
8/6/2020
After a night of re-shuffling our stuff and getting the truck re-packed for itâs barge journey, we drove through the misty rain to Seattle, stopping at Safeway for more last minute provisions, and a bit of gas. To go on the barge, the tank had to be less than a quarter tank, so we guessed how much weâd need before leaving it at Samson Tug and Barge. We also stopped at the Asian Grocery to load up on sauces, oils, noodles and other items (cases of beer) weâd likely not find in Metlakatla.Â
Samson Tug inspected the truck and we made sure everything we needed for the next week was in our suitcase, then the barge service called a taxi and gave us a voucher for the trip to the Seattle airport. The airport was not busy and we didnât have to wait in line for baggage drop or security. Most people were wearing masks in the terminal, but not all. Our flight was uneventful and we arrived in Ketchikan, picked up our bags and waited in line to show the negative Covid test results from our mail-in test that had arrived the night before. This gave us the âgolden ticketâ or in this case, the orange ticket that said we had had a negative test. The airstrip in Ketchikan is on Gravina Island and there is a 5 minute ferry ride to get to the town.Â
Most people had to test in the parking lot on the Ketchikan side if they werenât able to produce a negative test within 72 hours. We found the shuttle to our hotel and were happy to be closer to our new home.
8/7/2020
One more day to secure provisions before heading out on the ferry to our final destination. The shuttle took us to the grocery and furniture store, and our driver was from Metlakatla. We loaded up on meat, veggies and other perishables which we put in the large soft-sided Polar cooler that my brother gave us. It kept everything frozen and cold for the rest of the day. Back at the hotel while getting ready to leave, we saw US Senator Lisa Murkowski and spoke to her and had our picture taken by her brother. She is a Republican Senator, but has been put on President Trumpâs bad list and Mike thanked her for her independent voice.
All our groceries and luggage are loaded into the shuttle and we go across the street from the hotel to get onto the ferry. We have a cart to schlep everything down a long gang-plank and onto shelves in the ferry bow. The cars are loaded on and we spend the next 45 minutes on calm waters navigating through the channel of islands until we reach Metlakatla. We dock and unload our stuff, get told to quarantine for 14 days and hitch a ride with the school superintendent. The ride from the ferry dock to town takes about 20 minutes. The previous dock was close to town but required an hour and a half to get there. Ferry services run twice a day so technically you can go into town and return in the same day. Fare is $58 roundtrip per person.Â
We are dropped off at the new turquoise, 4 bedroom home weâll be living in. More next week about our first week in Metlakatla.
1 note
·
View note