#also the team let me have Nyx in my fic

[lumeha]

I received my contributor copy of Crowned Paragon (@zinexander), a zine dedicated to Xander ! I'm still not over having been invited as a guest for this zine, and I am so so proud of the fic I wrote for it, I am excited for the leftovers sale so I can share it with everyone

The zine is beyond gorgeous, everyone did an amazing job, and the mod team was absolutely on top of everything !! An amazing experience as a contributor !

[numptypylon]

“Rayla is… not my lovebug.”

“Oh ho, now?" Nyx leaned obnoxiously close, her eyebrows raising. "Have you told her that?”

“She told me," Callum said, angry all over again suddenly that... she actually hadn't told him that and yet they weren't- "So I’m tentatively assuming that she knows.”

“Oh ho? So she broke up with you and yet you’re still adventuring together, risking your lives for each other, making love eyes at each other at every opportunity… ah, to be young and in love and a garbage fire of collective awkwardness of such radiance as to light up the heavens-”

“Yeah!” Ezran agreed, walking up to them. Oh no. Hopefully Nyx would tone down the… everything… around an 11-year-old, but… considering he had been 14 himself when he’d first encountered Nyx, he didn’t have high hopes. “It’s gross and they’re so dumb, and here I am, a doomed onlooker!"

“You got the family braincell, I see,” Nyx said, winking at Ezran.

Ezran nodded sagely. “My blessing and my curse, ‘tis true.”

Really?! Did Ez really have to form an alliance with every new person they met to tag-team roast him?!

Nyx turned away from Ezran, her unwanted attention firmly back on him now. “I still need the full status update on my favorite dysfunctional lovebugs!” Nyx would keep prodding, and Callum didn’t want her to prod Rayla- “You know there’s another ex-lovebug who could tell me-“ Did he just curse that idea into Nyx’s head?! “But you’re currently the less puke-smelling option, so…"

Nyx really didn't subscribe to the idea of sensitive subjects you should keep your trap shut about.

“We… broke up. Like you said.” One way to say it. But he wasn’t giving Nyx any ammunition to use against Rayla. “Then made up. Kind of. We’re friends, just not… lovebugs.”

“Friends with benefits?”

“What friends do you have?” Ezran asked, all wide-eyed, vicious innocence. “Do you not consider friendship a benefit?”

“Hey!” Nyx looked insulted. “I thought we were allies against yon magus of maladroit you tragically must call brother?”

“My allegiances are many and inscrutable!” Ez stuck his tongue out at Nyx.

“’Allegiances’? ’Inscrutable’? Sheesh, kid, how old are you? And what awful, terrible company do you keep?!”

“11. And… politicians.”

“Oh no, you’re serious?! Oh kid, the depths of my condolences is one of them yawning chasms of endless screaming-“

“Oi?!” Villads yelled. “Matey? Riggin’ snagged!”

“I don’t hold court with betrayers, anyway,” Nyx said, incredibly hypocritically for someone who’d stranded them in a desert, and she pushed off the deck and was airborne, heading off towards the center mast.

“What is the benefit of being ‘friends with benefits’?” Ezran asked, looking around to Callum and then Soren, who had just arrived with Hat perched on his head. “The friendship is pretty obviously a benefit of being friends without having to say it, so I know it isn’t that, I just said that because Nyx was being mean.”

“Oh, I know!” Soren said, eagerly. “It’s s-“

“Sandwiches!” Callum cut him off. “Sandwiches, Soren! Remember?”

“Riiiiight!” Soren winked, exaggeratedly. “Sandwiches. Got it. Corvus makes the best bread sandwich, extra mayonnaise-“

“Please, Soren,” Callum choked. “Please, let’s… talk about something else. Anything else. Please.”

———

Excerpt from an upcoming chapter of my S4-6 between-canon-episodes fic, Downtime’s Up (successor to my S1-3 between-canon-scenes fics Downtime in Wartime and Upside Downtime)

It’s wednesday and I have many wips I want to work on and no time, but I DO also have a lot of stuff written and not posted, so… hope you enjoyed some overgrown pigeon time and depraved sandwich innuendos. Once I get past the next 4 chapters of Downtime’s Up, I have most of the rest of the story written, just… it’s been rough going to write anything lately

[rey-129-fan]

Persona Plot Bunny that's bugging me.

So, while reading through some P5 fics, I came across a few interesting fics with similar premises: pretty much one or more of the Phantom Thieves (either Akechi or Akiren and Morgana) get sent back to 2009 and attend Gekokan Elementary, eventually joining SEES. Now my favorite of them is the Hope Restored series by mewrose though blue bossa by sonicytails is interesting by having the full Royal Trio along with Morgana and Kasumi attending.

These, of course, got me thinking about my own version. Spoilers ahead for P5 and P5R.

Now, it would start during one of the final battles, either Vanilla P5's or Royal's. Pretty much when Yaldi was erasing the thieves or Maruki decided to force them to comply with his reality, and all the thieves' souls got separated from their bodies and got pulled into the Sea of Souls. Akiren and Morgana were able to avoid this fate because of their connection to the Velvet Room while Akechi was spared because he is a Wild Card, even if his potential was hindered by Yaldi (perhaps Sumire also got spared, but trying to figure out why) while the rest of the thieves only left behind their Wills of Rebellion in the forms of their masks.

While trying to figure out what to do, Igor takes the time to unseal Akechi's potential as a Wild Card, though he'd be different from others with the ability due to going so long without the assistance of the Velvet Room. Pretty much he can't use the more generic Personas that Akiren, Yu, and Minato can, but he has a unique Persona for each of his bonds (a la Marigolds). Meanwhile, Lavenza gives Akiren the masks of his friends to hold on to, though she does warn him that when they (re)awaken, the masks will return to them.

Anyways, the thieves are sent back as kids, meet up with and join SEES, who notice how odd these kids are (never mind their talking cat). Also, whenever they are particularly angry/tapping into their Wills of Rebellion (particular incidents being 10/4 and 11/3), they'll don their Thieves outfits and potentially even age up. Eventually they reveal that they're from the future (at latest when Ryoji tells SEES about Nyx).

Now here's the things that bother me. One: The Yoshizawas. Should Sumire be there or not. If she is, I will eventually also drag Kasumi in because from what little we know about her, she would not want to be left out of whatever is going on with her little sister, which means she'll need a persona of her own. And then trying to convince their parents to let them live in the dorms. It would admittedly be easier to just leave her.

Two: Akechi. Since he can't have the generics, that means I gotta come up with one for each bond he can now develop, beyond Robin Hood and Loki. Never mind what bonds should be with whom. I'm not as familiar with P3 as I am with P5, plus I don't want him to have similar story lines to what Minato is doing with their shared friends. I'm open to suggestions for his bonds, as well as personas that could represent those bonds.

Third: Akiren. Most if not all of his bonds should be maxed out by the time the story starts. However, since he's going back in time, it's kinda like a NG+, which means most of his bonds will be reset (obvious exceptions being Justice and Magician, maybe Faith). Should I give him new bonds as well, and with who? There's also the question of what about the Arcana that represent his team mates. Should they be given to other people, or should I use variations from other Tarot Decks (which I'm admittedly not familiar with).

I just don't know what to do.

[tadpolesonalgae]

you didn’t mislead, I’m just delusional teehee

I’m excited too! I think my beef with CBMTHY!Az might make people think I’m not Team Azriel in this fic, but I am indeed rooting for him and reader. I just think he’s got a long list of things to do (like crawling) in order to finally deserve the affections he gets from her.

Honestly I think they’re quite similar in the way they pine for the people they want, be that Mor or Elain or Azriel himself. It’s interesting to me, because I see Az as someone who desperately wants someone to want him, and now that someone does but it’s not the one he fantasized with, he doesn’t know what to do with them? Does that makes sense?

Anyways, I’m ready for the drama. Let’s bring this girlie back to the Night Court ✨✨

kissus - 🥐

Well, that list might have to hold a couple more offences before they start being absolved 🫢

I mean also I think if it’s not something he’s equally wanting then he becomes aware of his own dislike for himself? I think Azriel doesn’t particularly like himself in canon, or sees problems with who he is—like how he cringes when he first holds Nyx because of how his hands stand out against that symbol of purity and innocence? So when his own lust isn’t clouding his judgement, he’s fully aware of how undeserving of affection he is (or that he thinks he is), if that makes sense?

‘Anyways, I'm ready for the drama. Let's bring this girlie back to the Night Court✨✨’

There isn’t an emoji that will properly encapsulate the range of emotions I experienced upon reading that, but I hope you’ll enjoy chapter 15 once it’s ready 🧡💛

[riddikulus-writings]

Distracted

Chapter 6

Bars n' stuff. Drinkin'.

Let the record show that I can actually catfish people. Full-face makeup with my contacts and coworkers I see every day don't recognize me. I love it. Also, "let me take you dancing" was the original working title for this fic until I got sick of the song lmao

You can’t be fucking serious! That’s my team!

My team. My team. He’d thought with a huff, the sting of January cold on his nose. His teams, plural, really. Hardly ever the same face twice in a row but his team nonetheless and Waller was threatening to have him removed if he keeps treating them as equals instead of criminals.

As people, instead of disposable weapons.

His breath fanned in front of him in a thin cloud, the orange streetlights ghosting through it. Light snow crunched under his boots; it’ll be gone by the night’s end, he was sure. Rick hunched his shoulders, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. He grit his teeth and eyed up a blinking neon ahead; Hot Spot. A wordless grunt of indifference and he pulled open the screen door.

The amount of people inside was between minimal and halfway to unbearable. People freckled through the small dance floor, sitting in the booths around the edges of the room. A few at the bar. No one he immediately recognized upon entering. The dim neon lighting did nothing to help distinguish faces.

As he inched nearer to the bar across the room, a lone figure stuck out to him, somehow recognizable but yet indistinguishable in his mind. Chin length hair curtaining her face, falling around her thick rimmed glasses. Colourful eye makeup and wicked sharp eyeliner. Short shorts and a cropped hoodie. A boot tapping to the same beat her fingers drummed on the side of her wet glass.

Rick slid onto the barstool next to hers, “Barely recognized you.”

“That was my intention.” the flat reply came with no look in his direction, “Don’t usually take you for the bar type. Tough day at the office?”

Rick waved to the bartender for two more of whatever Nyx had, “You could say that.”

“How’d it go?” she finally looked from staring into her glass, brushing her hair back behind her ear, “Not whatever Waller ripped into you for, the other thing.” he gave her a sidelong glance, eyebrows raised and she snorted, ducking her head to slurp from her straw, “Don’t play coy, I hear shit even when I’m not there. Everyone knows when she rips into you. Now how’d the other thing go?” she tried again.

‘Other thing’ meaning the mission he’d almost compromised because of actual human decency towards the literal people he was charged with watching, “Lost a couple.”

“Not you, though.”

“Never,” Rick cracked a smile. Shook his head, grabbing his glass of whatever that had been placed in front of him. Something pale and sweet.

Eris Cadell lifted her own, new glass, half turning towards him, “A toast, then? To whomever we’ve lost.”

Rick half shrugged, “I’ll toast to that,” and tapped her glass with his before silence between them lapsed. She downed her glass in almost one gulp, foregoing the small black straw. Rick watched her lick her maroon painted lips, “You look great, by the way.”

She swallowed whatever she had in her mouth, shaking a finger at him, “No, no, you’re only saying that because I’m not in what most consider a fuckin’ pants suit.”

He wasn’t lying, though. She looked… comfortable, as he’d come to realize. Comfortable, but still tense. He hadn’t seen her in a few weeks – “vacation” and all, “You do. Look great,” he added hastily.

“It’s the shorts,” she moved her eyebrows at him, “It’s always the shorts.”

The too-short shorts that were made for attention grabbing, showing off her long legs and several tattoos, “I didn’t know you had glasses,” he noted, suddenly, changing the subject off her shorts, or lack-there-of.

“Probably fucks my eyesight more to go without them,” she shrugged, pushing them further up her nose with the tip of a middle finger, “Everything is blurry as shit, but manageable if stuff’s, like, four inches from my face. Fucking hate my contacts so early in the morning, so most of the day I’m almost blind. I bring ‘em to work, though. I dunno…” she trailed off with a shrug.

He’ll have to make a note of that, so next time he sees her squinting aggressively, he won’t be as confused, “Why not wear ‘em at work?”

“I’d probably have to get goggles to wear in the field,” she wrinkled her nose, “I’d look fuckin’ stupid. No glasses at work, no one can make me get goggles ‘cuz they don’t know I can’t see shit.”

“I think you’d probably look cool,” he told her, a shit-eating grin spreading over his lips as he watched the countertop. She kicked at him but he feigned innocence, “I mean it, Nyx.”

A shake of her head, “Fuck that, Flag. Get your own goggles. Now drink up, you’re about four of those fuckers behind me.”

And drink he did. Glass after glass, he loosened up and forgot everything previously gone through the day, the week, even. He liked Nyx’s company, he figured out, more than originally thought. She was more talkative now than usual, especially when drinking. They’d talked and talked and laughed and he’d figured out she used to live on a farm, but that's where that topic stopped, after mentioning that’s where she’d been the last two weeks.

She likes her manual vehicles and spends more time doing hobby things like reading, painting or writing than she does doing her actual work. Been wearing the same [grody] ball cap since her freshman year of high school, a habit picked up from a brother of hers -- he took sudden note of the cap in question, set on the bartop. Beneath the lapel-pin-laden brim, he saw the peek of her phone and wallet.

He'd thought the worn Brewers cap belonged to someone else.

Nyx would also rather be out in the country, again, hunting and dealing with bullheaded farm animals than be living in the stuffy city dealing with the two-faced snake that is Amanda Waller.

He could get behind that, too. Get outta the city and just disappear from Waller’s radar.

Rick’s hand flattened hers to the bar top, suddenly, silencing her drumming fingers, “Let’s dance.”

“I don’t dance,” was the confused but giddy reply. Asked more like a question.

“C’mon,” he tried again, quoting the pop song playing on the speakers, “Let me take you dancing.”

A loud laugh slipped through her smudged lipstick, “Thank you, but no thank you, Flag.”

“Rick.”

She jerked, frowning, “Flag.”

“Rick.” he corrected, again, leaning in so she could hear him, “My name is Rick.”

“Rick… Flag,” she giggled, “Rick. I don’t dance.”

He nodded over his shoulder towards the dance floor, “I don’t either. Let me take you dancin’.”

Nyx turned her face totally towards him, now, leaning closer. She even cocked her head, their noses almost brushing, “Is that a euphemism, Colonel?”

“This is the place?” Nyx wrinkled her nose, her sharp voice pulling Rick back to the present, “I’ve seen better bars set up in barns.”

“Barn bar?” Cleo’s eyebrows peeked over her pink star shaped glasses as she pulled the door open for the others.

“They’re the best,” Nyx told her quietly, bumping Cleo’s hips with hers.

DuBois grabbed the edge of it and nodded everyone inside. Single file through the throng of people they walked, weaving and observing as they sought out a table. A circular one in the center of the room, sadly, however no one was paying them any attention anyway. Peacemaker scanned the room, “So when’s this Thinker guy supposed to be here?”

“Whenever he gets horny and bored?” Nyx mumbled.

“Supposed to be the next few hours,” Rick clarified, shooting her a look.

“Looks like we gotta find something to do to pass the time,” Peacemaker’s eyes found a waitress, “Um, miss? How about some, uh… What do you guys drink around here? Fernet?” he turned his attention back to the very confused waitress, “How about a round of Fernets for the table? Comprende?”

After she’d nodded and scurried off, DuBois spoke up, “Hey, Pissmaker, we’re on a mission.”

“Easy, Inspector Gadget, a little drink never hurt anybody.”

DuBois grit his teeth, “Except for the thousands killed in drunk driving accidents every year.”

Nyx sat back up in her seat, about to try to diffuse the tension, “If it’s going to be a few hours, drink a little and spend an hour an’ some sobering back up. Problem solved. Dickeater gets his drink and DuBois keeps his tits untwisted.”

Everyone who was not PeaceMaker or DuBois snorted in half concealed laughter.

“Come on DuBois, it could be our last drink,” Peacemaker pointed out.

A tall red glass was set in front of each team member, DuBois included. Glass in hand, he unfurled a finger to point across the table, “One.”

“You’re gonna be that guy?” Rick asked.

“I’m gonna be that guy.”

Drink after drink after drink after drink after drink.

One turned into two, smudged into four. Tensions gone, arms slung over each others’ shoulders as they laughed and laughed about some ill-mannered joke that made no sense. Rick eventually noticed with blurred interest that Nyx kept disappearing from the table, and after the third time she’d returned he gave her a look. She half shrugged and knocked her glass with his, “Checking on Nanaue. He’s lonely, y’know.”

Rick’s hands moved apologetically, “I know.” was all he said before getting elbowed in good fun by Cleo as she stood from the table.

The others followed suit, toddling off towards the dance floor. Just the two of them at the table now, and a sly grin spread over Rick’s shadowed face. The bright colours of the bar lights dancing over his teeth. Nyx began to shake her head, giggling quietly into her red glass, “Don’t--”

“Let me take you dancing.”

She threw the rest of her glass back like a shot, far past the point of tasting whatever Peacemaker had been ordering, “You just don’t give up, do you.”

Rick leaned impossibly close, sliding his arm over the back of her chair. The sleeve of his bright yellow tee rode further up his arm. Whatever his response was, it fell on deaf ears as Nyx stared at his bicep. Her vision skewed by the alcohol and the jumping neons of the club. Rick’s tattoos-- Rick has tattoos? She suddenly couldn’t recall ever seeing them before, and she tried to tack up a mental note to ask to see them closer when she was sober.

“I want to lick your tattoos.” it slipped from her lips in a quiet whisper before she could think further on the plan.

His eyes went wide, “What did you just say?”

Nyx quickly nudged him away, her words slurring together in a jumbled string, “I said you look like an emu.”

He shook his head and adjusted his cowboy hat, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to slide her from her seat. He’d had enough of this dance they’d been doing; back and forth, tiptoeing around each other. Unsure of her feelings towards him, he was downright positive about his for her, “We’re dancin’. Let’s go.”

“I don’t even know how to dance,” she grumbled once they were situated on the dance floor, smushed between the bodies of the other patrons.

“I don’t either,” he gently lifted her arms up and spun her slowly so her back was to him, “Honestly, I only started that to see you smile.” when she shot him a confused look over her shoulder, something squeezed his heart. The lights dancing over her soft features made her look far more docile than she actually was. He offered a half shrug and skimmed his fingers down her arms, down her ribs and hovered them over her hips, “It’s true. It was just that God-awful song on the radio that I got it from. But, I see you, sometimes, you get a look. You disappear somewhere far away, and I got sick’a watchin’ you. Head down, watchin’ your feet. You were cute, but I thought you’d be a bit cuter if you’d smile.”

Nyx leaned back into him, draping her arms over his head, moving him to sway with her, “And you thought let me take you dancing was the proper thing to say?”

Rick dipped his head lower, his lips ghosting over hers, “I told y’it was that song, but it was stupid enough to get you to smile, wasn’t it?”

“You don’t even like dancing.”

His hands finally found her hips, grinding her back on him. He looked up, again, finding Peacemaker eyeing them up. He grit his teeth and turned his attention back to Nyx, “I like… some kinda dancing. That full shoulder throw you did on me, I knew I had to scope you out, see what other moves you had. You just wouldn't let me."

Even when he let up with his grip holding her against him, Nyx didn’t move, sliding herself down against him before moving back. Just the once, before she ended right back where she began; arms up and behind his head, her face turned to the side to look up at him with blown pupils, “Yeah? You just trying to get me outta those stuffy office buildings? Outta my damn condo to get me to go dancing with you? Even though neither of us likes going out? Thought you said it wasn’t a euphemism, Colonel.”

Colonel. They were nose to nose, again, Rick’s hands spanning over the dip of her hips. Resting there. Testing the calm, level waters that have obviously gotten rocky in the last couple hours, “I might’ve been lyin’ a bit.”

A/N: I fucked up the first attempt at posting lmao

[sarah-bae-maas]

Gwyn wants to explore, and Azriel needs a friend - a Gwynriel fic - Part 1

In honour of this blog turning five years old, I thought I would treat you all to a two part/chapter Gwynriel fic that has been wandering around in my brain throughout countless days of lockdown and tortuous university classes. 

I’m already well underway with part 2 of this fic, but I do have some assignments coming up, so expect it within the fortnight! 

So please do enjoy this nearly 15k words worth of Gwynriel goodness <3

Masterlist Ao3

_____________

She was staring at him.

Again.

Azriel had always paid special attention to Gwyn – not that he would tell her that, of course. It was a secret held deep in his shadows that she was his favourite Valkyrie, the one he thought the most brave and resilient. It would not be an unpopular opinion if he did share it, the other women looked at her with great admiration, and Nesta often sung her praises when the female wasn’t there to refute her words. But Azriel knew the presumptions people might make if they knew he thought it, and the last thing he wanted was for a misunderstanding to make Gwyn uncomfortable.

Gwyn was holding a bag for Emerie to kick, her stance strong enough that she didn’t flinch at all with each pummel. Her focus should have been on Emerie’s form, but rather her teal eyes were glued to him. Every time Azriel looked over at her, she quickly shifted her gaze to her friend, but his shadows constantly reminded him that Gwyn was once again paying her attention to him.

Cassian called the end of the session. Azriel was grateful, he was finding it harder and harder to train the women effectively when he knew Gwyn was right there.

He practically fled the scene, his cheeks brushed with red, barely nodding to the women who said their thanks to him as he passed. It’s not that he didn’t like her attention, but it made his stomach feel heavy, his hands shake, and he didn’t like how out of control he felt whenever she looked at him like that.

He settled in the dining room. Standing, he braced his hands on the table, a bead of sweat dripping off his forehead and tarnishing the wood. Nesta wouldn’t like if he got his sweat all over the table, even though her and Cassian had coated it in far more scandalous bodily fluids. He should do something productive, like work or eat or pester Rhys and Feyre to have Nyx for the afternoon, but instead he chose to close his eyes and picture the person who’d been haunting him.

He and Gwyn were friends. She was over nearly every night to eat with Nesta, their dinners a sort of lively Azriel hadn’t experienced since he’d lived in Illyria with Rhys and Cas. It was joyful to live in a space filled with such light, but also overwhelming. Azriel found that as much as he loved the time with the rag-tag team they’d made for themselves, his social timer still clicked in his mind as a constant reminder that sometimes dealing with people, even the ones you loved, could be utterly exhausting.

Not with Gwyn though, his shadows lamented, setting him straight. No, Azriel never felt tired with her.

“Az?”

As though his thoughts alone had summoned her, Gwyn’s voice startled him out of his reverie. He turned, his lips parting slightly at the sight of her.

She was still in her training gear – a shirt and pants lovingly stitched by Emerie with embroidered flowers decorating the seams – her neat braid falling around her face, framing her pearlescent skin in fire.

“Gwyneth. Do you need something?”

Her eyes were wide, her hands clasped in front of her as she wrung her fingers. It made Azriel tilt his head in confusion, not understanding why she was so nervous. They spoke every day, she mouthed off at him often, and her shift in confidence had him surprised.

“I have a proposition for you, but you must promise to not tell a soul.”

Azriel raised a brow, leaning back into the table. He spread his hands before him. “I’m listening.”

Gwyn swallowed, her cheeks turning the same shade of red as her hair.

“Imsturbalt,” she squeaked.

“What?”

“I masturbate a lot!” She smacked her hands over her mouth, as if betrayed at the words they spilled.

Azriel’s jaw went slack, his eyes near bugging from his skull. “Okay… that’s good? Self-exploration!” He half-heartedly waved a celebratory fist in the air, not sure what to say to her statement.

She groaned louder than a stabbing victim. “I was thinking that, I didn’t intend to say it aloud.” She rubbed her hands over her face, peeking at him through her fingers. “Please don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“Your secrets are safer with me than they are anyone else.” Azriel smiled, trying to diffuse the obvious tension in her body. “So, your proposition?”

She tensed her jaw, moving her arms behind and looking at the ground as she spoke. “I guess my previous statement that will never be mentioned again to anyone if you like having the functional use of your organsperhaps wasn’t entirely irrelevant to what I’m going to ask you. But I beg, please let me finish before you say anything, and also don’t feel pressured to say yes.”

“Okay.”

“Silence.”

“Yes ma’am.”

She grinned at him, her eyes finally meeting his again. “As you know, better than anyone really, I have a difficult past.”

Azriel wished he could burn the images of finding her on that table from his mind. He’d had to actively teach himself not to envision her crying and screaming for her sister when she’d first became a permanent fixture in House of Wind. He’s seen many horrific things in his time, was no stranger to the worst humanity had to offer, but it was different when it was someone so vulnerable, so selfless, so important to him. It might have made him a bad person that he didn’t equate people’s trauma accordingly, but how could he possibly care for a stranger as much as he cared for Gwyn?

“What happened to me made me fear my body. Fear the sexuality I see women like Nesta and Mor own. They’re so powerful, and the things that have happened to them… They’re not broken. They’re not less. They’re not afraid.” She paused, sighing deeply. “I would never look upon anyone in the library as lesser than because of the things that have happened to them. It wasn’t until I met Nesta and Emerie that I realised I didn’t give myself the same grace. I want to own the parts of me that were stolen. I want to feel like my body belongs to me. I didn’t even know where to begin, but then the House gave me this book, some fluffy romance novel, and the girl in it was just like me. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I just felt so seen. Like the Mother herself had handed this smut piece into my lap to make me feel better.”

Gwyn moved to one of the lounge chairs that Cassian had haphazardly shoved into a corner one night when Nesta didn’t feel like moving from the dining room. Gwyn was effortlessly graceful as she sat and curled her legs up, her head resting on her fist.

“That’s where the masturbating comes in.” Her eyes avoided his again, focusing on patterns her fingers drew in the velvet material of the chair. “The girl in the book did it. She’d never had an orgasm either. So, I did too.” She laughed quietly. “It made me feel good. Not just the physical pleasure part, but the part where it was just me, empowering myself at a pace I was comfortable with.”

Azriel wished he could say something, but one, he knew to be silent and let her have this moment, and two, he didn’t know how to tell someone he was proud of them for touching themselves without it sounding weird. He was proud though, extremely so, at how strong she felt from acting on her wants. Her resilience had always astounded him.

“In the book, the girl meets this man.” Her voice lowered, barely more than a whisper. “He treats her so kindly, in a way that I’ve seen Cassian treat Nesta a million times, in a way I yearn to be treated. I’ve given myself a clean slate. This body, my body, has only been touched by me. I am whole. I was never broken, just healing. And I’m at a stage where I want more. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

Azriel wished her could say yes, please the eager note in her voice that hoped he was on the same page as her, but even his shadows were silent to her desires.

She glanced at him just long enough to see him shake his head. She tipped her head back. “When Nesta first started sleeping with Cassian, I was so curious. What were they doing? What was he doing to make her look so satisfied? But when I tried to picture it, my stomach would churn. And then time passed. I grew stronger. I became a Valkyrie. And like many others before me and many more in the centuries to come, I walked in on Cassian and Nesta fucking.”

Azriel inhaled sharply. To hear the vulgarity fucking from a mouth so pure sent a bolt through him, and he chided himself for his inappropriate thoughts during such a serious conversation.

“They don’t know I saw, not that I think they would have minded. I would bet good money that if I asked for a demonstration on pleasurable acts Cassian and Nesta would be more than happy to comply. Where I might have once felt sick from seeing them, instead I felt-”

She cut herself off, looking for the right words.

“I felt burning desire. I’ve never been so envious of someone in my life. I didn’t want to have sex with Cassian, but by the Cauldron I wanted to feel the way that Nesta did. I wouldn’t tell you this if I didn’t know you were such a good secret keeper. Or such a good friend.”

Azriel couldn’t bite his tongue any longer. “Gwyn, what do you want from me?”

“I want you to have sex with me.”

***

Azriel stared at his ceiling, his shadows dancing and rolling around him.

I want you to have sex with me.

He tested the words on his own lips. They tasted sweet. They also brought an uncomfortable amount of pressure to his cock. He refused to touch it though and kept both his hands firmly behind his head.

He’d told Gwyn he needed to think about it, and she understood. She said she didn’t expect an answer from him straight away.

Azriel had a lot to consider.

He was practically titillated that when Gwyn had decided she wanted to explore herself with a male, it was him who she thought of. She expressed that it was because she knew he’d care for her, that he’d respect her and because of how much she trusted him. There were not words to express how hearing such things felt to him. It made him want to do this for her, because his soul be damned he knew he would do right by her. Make her feel good, feel special, feel appreciated.

It would be amiss though not to acknowledge that if he did do this, let her warm his bed while he tasted her, it could ruin not just the friendship they had established but also the dynamic of the house. She had assured him that if his answer was no, they would continue their lives as if the conversation never happened.

Which brought a darker thought to his mind.

If not Azriel, then who? She would surely approach someone else. Someone not deserving of her, who might not treat her how she deserved to be treated. That was not to say Azriel thought that in all his bastardly ways he was what Gwyn should have – no, she deserved more than he could ever give – but at least he knew that she would be safe with him.

The thought of another male’s hands on her made him see red.

That was answer enough.

***

Nesta and Cassian were gone for the weekend, caring for Nyx while Feyre and Rhys had a romantic getaway for the weekend. Azriel secretly thought Nesta was using this as a trial to see if her and Cassian were ready for a baby.

It was the perfect opportunity to have Gwyn join him.

The day after she’d approached him, he’d slipped her a note after training to say that he was all in, and to meet him the next night. He tried not to watch her face as she read the note but couldn’t help it. She went bright pink, but she seemed exhilarated.

And now she was standing in his room.

They nervously looked at each other. Azriel wanted to give her the chance to speak first other than their obligatory greetings, but she was tongue-tied.

“I was thinking we should take this in steps,” Azriel said, sitting on the edge of his bed, watching her refrain from pacing back and forth.

“That seems logical. What sort of steps?”

“I was thinking tonight we take sex off the table.”

“What?” Her face fell, hurt evident in her expression.

“Just for tonight. Gwyn, have you had your first kiss?”

She shook her head no.

“Then maybe we do that. And anything beyond only what you want. I need you to know that you’re in control here. Whatever we do or don’t do is completely your decision.”

She nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. “That sounds reasonable. Like you’re my little puppet.” Her hands mimed using a marionette, and Azriel found it easy to reciprocate her smile.

She moved to his side, planting herself on the bed next to him. He couldn’t help but notice the how good she smelled, how carefully her hair had been arranged and how she’d worn her nicest dress. She had wanted to look good for him, and the thought made his heart squeeze.

He reached out and held the hands she clasped in her lap. It made her look at him, her teal eyes flashing in the room only lit by his fireplace.

“You’re a very good friend, Azriel.”

“Do you want me to kiss you, Gwyn?”

She nodded, turning her body to face him.

He brushed her cheek with his thumb, then her lips, before he settled on cradling her face. She leant her head into his hand, so trusting as she looked at him. His hand was so big that the fingers that lay on her neck could feel her hammering pulse.

She leant in the same time he did.

At first it was just a peck. Their lips brushing against each other’s so gently it made Azriel ache. He pressed his lips to her again, and again, getting her used to the feeling of his lips on hers. She enthusiastically reciprocated, her slender fingers running up his chest before meeting behind his head, tangling themselves in his hair. He smiled against her mouth, pleased at such a reaction when the real kissing had yet to even start.

His grazed his tongue along her lip, and she eagerly opened her mouth, letting his tongue slip inside her. The noise she made at the contact buzzed straight through him, and he was pleasantly surprised when Gwyn, in all her eagerness, took control of him.

She kissed him as though she had done it her whole life, like her mouth belonged on his, and the feel of her delicate tongue made him deepen their kiss, angling her head so they could better feel one another. She was practically leaning back, and if this had been a meaningless one night stand she’d have been on her back by now with Azriel’s mouth between her thighs.

She broke away from him, his mouth instinctively following hers as it wanted more, making her gleam in pride.

“I want to change positions,” she said, her hands still wired into his hair.

“Anything you want,” he replied breathlessly.

Azriel didn’t know what to expect, but it was not her getting up and crawling into his lap. She straddled his thighs, and there was no way she wouldn’t be able to feel his erection pressing against her. He did with his hands what any male would do in this situation, and her giggle was enough to know that she’d wanted him to do that.

“Your hands are on my ass,” she laughed.

“Is that okay?”

“Very much so.” She took a deep breath. “Take your shirt off. Please.”

He obliged.

“And you should – you should take off my dress too.”

“Are you sure?”

“I have a slip on underneath.”

His hands shook slightly as they ran up her sides and to her back, undoing each button on her dress. To give her a more authentic experience, he decided to lean in as he did, kissing a new spot on her neck with each button that came undone.

She raised her arms so that he could slip the dress over her head, and he averted his eyes when her slip rode up with it. He didn’t look back until she had adjusted herself. When he did, he nearly fainted.

She was divine in her beauty. He always saw lovely she was, anyone with eyes would. Her body was lean and tight. Her uniform may have hidden it, but she had the power of any warrior in her body. Azriel wondered if she purposefully hid her strength so that it was a secret part of her arsenal. Smart female.

He ran his hands up her spread legs before planting them back on her ass. Unable to resist, he squeezed his hands, making her groan.

“Your hands feel so good,” she gasped. “Do everyone’s hands feel like that, or is it just you?”

He snickered. “Anyone who is worth their weight knows how to make a female feel good.” He bumped her shoulder with his nose. “What would you like me to do now? Do you want to keep kissing?”

“Fuck yes I want to keep kissing.” She leaned forward, her breasts pressing against his chest as she playfully nipped at his bottom lip. “But maybe we could do other things. Even better things.”

“What do you have in mind?”

Gwyn reached behind her and grabbed one of the hands resting on her behind. For the first time since they’d started, she looked nervous. Her legs were shaking, and Azriel was unsure if it was anxiety or anticipation for whatever she had planned.

She guided his hand under his slip until he was cupping her sex.

“You aren’t.” He swallowed hard. “You aren’t wearing underwear.”

She shook her head playfully. “I didn’t think I would need to.”

She pressed his hand into her, and he moaned at the wetness he found. She was so slick for him already, and all they had done was kiss. He did an exploratory brush through her folds, and as at the tip of his finger grazed over her clit, she arched into him, holding on tight to his shoulders.

He started teasing her, obsessed with the little noises she was making at the back of her throat as he did, but he soon realised something.

Usually, when Azriel was with a female, they got progressively more… turned on. Their bodies would react to his touch, and his fingers would be coated in their juices before he even attempted to enter them with either his fingers or his cock.

Gwyn was not.

It seemed the more he touched her, the more it was like her body didn’t want this. For all intents and purposes, she was… drying up?

His hand went still, and he could feel her body instinctively relaxing as his hand left her pussy.

“Don’t stop,” she whispered, clinging to him.

“You don’t enjoy this.” He made her look him in the eye, and his throat tightened at how she looked. There were tears lining her eyes and a deep furrow on her forehead.

“I do, I promise I do. I’m just nervous. If we – if we just overcome this one thing-”

“No, Gwyn.”

“Please Azriel,” she said desperately, trying to guide his hand back between her thighs.

As gently as he could, he lifted her from his lap and placed her beside him on the bed. Her breath shuddered, and he couldn’t bear the shattered look on her face.

She didn’t say a word, just stood up and tried to locate her dress. Azriel didn’t even know where he had thrown it, but he stood and stopped her from looking anyway.

“Gwyn…” He grasped her hands in his, towering over her as they faced each other. “I want to do this for you, please believe me when I say that. But maybe we just need to take a few more steps first. Do something else before that.”

“What else is there?” She was dejected, her shoulders slumped. “I don’t know what I’m doing Az. And I swear on the Cauldron I want this. Fuck, this is so embarrassing. I’m just so nervous, and I get in my head about everything I do-”

“Hey hey hey, stop that.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and the ropable tension in her body started to ease out. She slumped against him, his arms wrapping around her in an embrace. “This is fine. Great, even.”

“You are such a liar.” She sighed, but at least she returned his embrace, tucking herself into him so they were as close as possible.

He tried to think of ways to salvage the night for her, to give her at least a little bit of what she wanted.

An idea sprang to mind.

“Gwyn?”

“Mmm?”

“Get on the bed. Lie down.”

She looked up at him hopefully. She didn’t need to be told twice. She practically flung herself at the bed, laying down on her back and resting her arms above her head. She grinned at him, and he didn’t miss the way she clenched her thighs together than spread them apart like a silent invitation.

Azriel couldn’t help but brighten at her enthusiasm. He undid the buttons on his pants and kicked them down so he was naked before her.

“I thought we weren’t having sex!” She jolted to her side, holding herself up on her arms and staring at his penis, her eyes practically bulging out of her head at the sight of it.

There were many things Azriel did not like about himself. But he had a damn fine cock.

He laughed at the look on her face and shook his head. “We’re not having sex. I’m not even going to touch you.”

She deflated. “Really? Not even a little bit?”

He followed her to the bed, climbing over her without touching her and planting himself next to her so they were lying side to side. He turned his head to her, and she looked at him curiously.

“We’re not just going to lie here naked, are we? It’s a bit cold for that.”

It was a little chilly. Her nipples were hard under her slip, which had ridden up to her stomach.

“No, but we can get under the blanket if you want.”

Her gaze raked up and down his body. “I’m happy above the blanket.”

They laid in a comfortable silence for a moment, happily taking in each other’s bodies. She was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen, and he was glad to see that their kissing antics had left her dishevelled. He liked that look on her.

“Are you actually not going to touch me?”

“I’m not. I think you should touch yourself.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll touch myself, too. It’ll be a way for us to be more comfortable with each other. For you to be in control of your pleasure.”

“Will you watch me?” she murmured.

“If that’s okay. You can watch me, too.”

She considered his words, and Azriel wondered if this was in fact not the good idea he’d thought he’d had. She pursed her lips, and he knew her answer when she grabbed the hem of her slip and pulled it off, leaving her naked before him.

They stared into each other’s eyes as her hand brushed over her exposed breasts, and Azriel had to hold himself back from taking them in his mouth, from pinching her perked nipples with his teeth. Maybe later, that could come; he thought she would quite like it.

Her right hand kneaded her breast and tweaked her nipple while her left dipped down between her legs. Two fingers ran over her core, and he studied the way she massaged herself so that he could do it to her in the future. At the sight, he tentatively grasped his cock, wanting to make sure that she was truly okay with him touching himself at the vision of her with her fingers dipping inside her, moistening herself before focusing on her clit.

Her eyes flickered to his stroking hand, and her response nearly made him finish then and there like a teenager exploring themselves for the first time. She’d seen him, and lifted her leg so that it was draped over one of his, giving her a better angle on her clit and twining them together.

“I’m used to being quiet,” she shuddered. “So that no one hears me.”

“Be as loud as you want. Scream for me.”

Her hand quickened, and his sack tightened as he matched her speed with his own hand, gripping himself tightly. He moaned so loudly that he was once again thankful that Cassian and Nesta weren’t in the house. Even the magic of the walls mightn’t contain the pleasure pulsing through him as he watched her.

Her legs started to shake, and the little noises she’d made before were no more. Her voice was loud as she no longer held herself back from feeling even ounce of her impending orgasm.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked, her hips starting to gyrate against her hand.

“You. All I can think of is you,” Azriel moaned. He pumped himself quicker, his grip becoming harder.

“What about you,” he whispered in her ear. “Are you thinking about what you saw Cassian do to Nesta?”

Her toes curled at his words. “I’m thinking of what I saw them doing, but it’s you and me.”

“What are we doing, Gwyneth?”

Her eyes fluttered shut. Her tongue licked her lips before she bit down on them. “We’re in the library. You have me bent over one of the desks, and you’re taking me from behind. One of your arms is around me, and you’re flicking my clit as I scream your name. You’re so deep in me, Azriel, I can feel every inch of you as I clench around you. Cauldron, you feel so good. The best thing I’ve ever felt, Az.”

His breath hitched, and he felt himself on the brink of coming. What finally did him in was her teeth biting down on his shoulder as she screamed his name, her orgasm making her whole body shake as it overcame over.

When they had both come down from their highs, they laid trying to catch their breath, both their bodies covered in sweat.

“That was amazing,” she sighed, turning to face him.

He grabbed a corner of the unused blanket beneath them to wipe himself off, then turned to face her, an arm going around her waist and his lips pressing a kiss to her forehead and cheek.

He wanted to look at her body, finally relaxed and languid, but his shadows had another idea. They bathed over her like silk, dancing over her curves and crevices, making her laugh.

“I quite like them,” she said, her eyes starting to drift closed.

“Are you tired?”

“Mhmm.” She snuggled into him further, stealing his warmth. His cock responded to her touch, but it was too soon yet to do anything meaningful.

“Move up for a sec.”

“Is that you trying to hint that I should go?” Her voice was joking, but the look on her face said that she’d go if he wanted her too.

“Absolutely not, you’re staying here with me. I’m just grabbing the blanket.”

She moved away just long enough for him to pull the blankets over them and pull her to his chest again.

She made a content noise and closed her eyes to sleep, and Az thought to himself that he didn’t care if this one day ended their friendship, because it might very well be the best time of his life anyway.

***

The next two weeks were filled with them sneaking away and feverishly touching themselves in all sorts of ways. Once, Gwyn sat in his lap naked while they stroked themselves, kissing each other the entire time. Another time, she pleasured herself by grinding against his thigh and he palmed himself – they hadn’t even bothered to take their clothes off. A late-night training session had led to her using a particularly shaped massage tool on herself in very a scandalous way while he watched, near feral at the sight of her pumping into herself. He did not return that item to the training ring, instead he kept it in his bedside drawer for future use.

It wasn’t until sixteen days and countless orgasms into their agreement that Azriel was finally able to touch her.

It had been a busy night. Rhys, Feyre, Nyx, Mor and Emerie were over for dinner, and it had been the most fun Az had had in a group since last solstice. At the table, he’d had Feyre on one side and Gwyn on the other, and her little secret touches to his thigh made him feel warm all over.

It wasn’t necessarily an arousing touch, just an affectionate one. When the group had started to disperse to drink, Nesta the sober adult taking care of Nyx, Az noticed Gwyn sneak away. He promptly followed her, making sure everyone was distracted as he did so no one noticed what they were doing.

Within a few minutes he was between her thighs tasting her. She had mentioned the night before that she wanted his tongue on her, and by the Cauldron was he happy to oblige. She was sitting on the edge of desk in the library that she’d described to him all those weeks ago, and whilst on his knees before her, he jerked himself off as she crumbled beneath his mouth.

Thankfully, by the time they returned, people were far too tipsy to question where they’d been.

Except for Nesta, who looked suspiciously between the two of them. Whatever she was thinking, it was at Gwyn’s behest if she knew anything. It was her decision, always, what happened between them, and if she wanted people to know about their sneakiness, that was for her to decide.

Seven days later is when she first touched him. Until that point it had all been about her, which is what Azriel wanted. They were on his bed, his fingers deep inside her as they kissed, when her hand brushed against his cock. He moved his hips aside, and she broke their kiss off with a noise of indignation.

“Stop swatting my hands away!” She flicked his nose with her finger.

“Huh?” He was still dazed on the sound of his hand gliding through her dripping wet core.

“Do you not want me to touch you?” Her voice was curt.

“I just want this to be about you. I don’t want you to think that I’m only with you for my own sexual gratification. The only thing that matters to me is your happiness, my soul purpose is you. You’re my priority.” He kissed her neck. “My desires are your desires.” Another kiss. “I can’t focus if you’re anything less than panting and satisfied.”

She pursed her lips, a familiar expression at this point. It turned into a joyful smile, and she smacked a kiss to his lips. “That was actually very sweet. After I get you off, I’m going to sit on your face.”

What was even better than the heavy petting and intense make out sessions was the talking. Sometimes for hours they would just tangle themselves together and divulge their life stories. Azriel knew all about her sister and mother – Gwyn confessing that she felt guilt when her twin wasn’t on the forefront of her mind, but sometimes she pushed her away because the memory of her was overwhelmingly devastating. Az wiped her tears away, desperate to see her smile again. But he also knew of all the good times she’d had growing up, and it made him feel alight inside to know how loved she was. Az told her mostly of Rhys and Cassian and the family they had made for themselves, about how it was so hard to be away from his mother, but he wouldn’t have survived another day in his father’s presence. Gwyn cried for him sometimes, and Azriel had never known such empathy from another.

When they were alone in the House, Nesta and Cassian off on one of their sexcations, Gwyn would spend her evenings and nights with him just as a friend, doing housework and menial tasks that she didn’t have to while humming various tunes. Az would tell her to stop working, but she would just grin and say she liked feeling like part of a home too much to not pretend that she lived there too. So he would just hum with her, his shadows dancing and swaying the way they always inevitably did around her. Then they would fall into bed together (or any surface really) until they were spent and exhausted.

Azriel had never known happiness like this.

***

Azriel was buzzing with excitement. He’d left Gwyn wrapped up in his bed, the sun not yet risen, and made sure to leave her some breakfast on his nightstand and the fire burning to keep her warm without his body next to hers. Usually he would wake her up early with his head between her thighs so she could go back to the library, but she had already told the acolytes she roomed with that she would be staying with Nesta, so no need to sneak around when no one was expecting her.

Before they’d gone to sleep the night before, Gwyn said something to him that left him smiling even now as he made his way to Rhys.

I want to have sex, Az. I’m sure. I know I’m safe with you.

Az didn’t know why Rhys needed him, but if it involved leaving Velaris, he would barter for a few more days so that he might be with Gwyn before he left. An odd feeling entered his chest at the thought. He couldn’t name the feeling; he just knew he didn’t want to leave Gwyn alone.

He landed on the doorstep of Feyre and Rhys’ home. Before he had the chance to let himself in, Feyre opened the door, a grave look on her face.

“Quick. Before they start yelling.” Feyre pinched her nose, the other hand holding Nyx on her hip.

Azriel pushed past her, and it wasn’t hard to find the source of Feyre’s frustration.

“Once again you fucking asshole, you need to back off. How dare you-”

“Nes, calm down-”

“Tell me to calm down again Cassian and I’m out of here. As I was saying, how fucking dare you accuse her of such things, Rhysand, High Lord of Shitting me up the Wall.”

“Nesta, for fuck’s sake you’re getting defensive for no reason!”

“No reason?!” she spat, Cassian holding her back before she lunged at Rhys.

“Too late,” Feyre muttered at him as she walked into the office, sitting at the desk to remain neutral in Nesta and Rhysand’s pissing match. Azriel would love to know what had riled them up so much that they were nearly screaming at each other, but any guidance from his brothers was not there.

“You have to admit that it’s suspicious, Nesta!”

Rhys threw his arm at Azriel as he approached, looking triumphant. “Azriel will agree with me.”

“He will not.”

“May I ask what I might need to agree to, or will it remain a mystery as to why you’re yelling so early in the morning?” Az crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for them to stop acting like children.

“Rhys accused Gwyn of being a spy,” Nesta growled.

“You’re twisting my words! I said I’d had reports of her acting strange, of her behaviour being completely different, and I suggested that it was worth looking into. We have to consider the safety of Velaris, and Gwyn would be the perfect plant.”

Azriel was sure Rhys was going to say more, but he was interrupted by Azriel’s uncontrollable fit of laughter. His laughs shook his whole body, and he felt tears in his eyes from how hard his fit was hitting him. He had to bend over to try and catch his breath, clutching at his chest as though his lungs might leap out of it.

“What’s so funny,” Rhys deadpanned.

Azriel shook his head and walked to Nesta, putting an arm around her shoulder.

“Are you serious, Rhys? Gwyn? Gwyenth Berdara?”

“Yes, I’m serious. Both Clotho and Merrill have approached me. Clotho, because she was worried, and Merrill, because she thought that Gwyn was being insubordinate. Clotho has had multiple girls come to her in fear for Gwyn, saying she’s been disappearing at night and coming back early in the morning. They she’s tired, unfocused, and that she’s exceeding every expectation they had for her in training and acting like a different person in the library. This has all been reported over the last month.” Rhys picked Nyx out of Feyre’s arms to calm himself before continuing. “Gwyn knows incredibly sensitive information about us. She helped us with the Trove, she treats the House of Wind like she bloody lives there. She’s awfully comfortable for a person who previous to knowing us refused to leave the library.”

Any humour Azriel felt had been leeched from his body. Nesta’s verbal beating of Rhys had been justified and then some.

“With all due respect, you can go fuck yourself,” he bit at his brother.

Feyre made a noise in the back of her throat and took Nyx back from Rhys before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

Too much swearing for such little ears! she said into their minds as she was leaving.

“What the fuck, Az?” Rhys looked startled.

“I knew he’d side with me,” Nesta said smugly.

“She’s ‘awfully comfortable?’ Yeah, she is, because she found a fucking family. Nesta is like a sister to her, and she’s over at the House a lot not because she’s entitled, but because we want her there. You might not make that much of an effort with Nesta’s friends because of your own personal shit, but Cassian and I consider her a close friend. Accusing her of anything unbecoming, to me, is as bad as if you’d dragged me in here to tell me Cassian was working against us. You sound ludicrous. Also, need I remind you, it’s not your fucking House anymore. Who we have over is none of your damned business.”

Rhys scoffed. “It’s not your House either.”

“Sorry, High Lord Rhysand, I’ll manage my expectations.” Az clenched his jaw at Rhys’ words. He was right. Azriel didn’t technically have any property, neither had Cassian until Rhys had given Nesta the House as a mating gift. Azriel didn’t technically have a home beyond the sky, nothing worth giving to or sharing with another person. Even now, Gwyn was waiting for him in a bedroom that technically wasn’t is. He wouldn’t dare leave though, not when he knew it was one of only two places that Gwyn felt safe in.

“Why are you getting so defensive? You know what I’m saying is reasonable.”

“It would be if we didn’t know her. She is… there are not words to describe her.”

“Yes, there is,” Nesta piqued. “She is competitive. She is feisty. She’s a Valkyrie. She is the kindest soul in Velaris. She is so brave, and strong, and the most selflessly loving person I’ve met in my entire life. If you weren’t so thick headed, you would see that she’s like Feyre in a lot of ways.” Nesta paused. She left Azriel’s side to stand in front of Rhys, her shoulders back and her head high. “If you accuse her of something it would break her heart. I won’t let you hurt her.”

“I would never hurt her, Nesta.” Rhys rubbed a hand over his face. “If you’re so convinced that nothing is going on, can you explain her strange behaviour.”

Nesta turned away from Rhys, so that he couldn’t see her face. When Nesta looked over at Azriel, she didn’t need to say a single word for him to know that she knew the exact reason Gwyn was acting different.

It was because of him.

“I don’t need to explain it because I trust her. I’m also with her nearly every minute of every day. Do you not think I would not notice if she was conniving against us? Or are you truly that foolish?”

“I agree with Nesta,” Cassian said. “She’s either with us training the Valkyries, or she’s working with Nesta in the library. Who cares if she’s a little distracted, we all are sometimes.”

“And you’re sure of this?” Rhys directed his question at Azriel, almost as if he couldn’t trust Cassian and Nesta to be impartial because of how close they were to Gwyn. Huh. If only he knew.

“I have never been surer of anything.”

***

“Azriel, wait.”

Azriel was stalking through the front gardens. He would walk until his head was clear, then he would go home – go to the House of Wind – and spend the morning with Gwyn. Nesta had other plans.

“What is it?”

“Gwyn-”

“-will be safe. I won’t let Rhys near her.”

“I’m not worried about that. What is going on between you two?”

“Nothing.”

“I’m not blind. All the things Rhys described? Sure, might be espionage, but it might also just be someone falling in love.”

“We’re not together.” Love? What a preposterous thought. Gwyn had been very clear from the beginning in what she wanted from him. She needed someone to fulfil her physical needs, and Azriel was happy to do so. All the other stuff, the talking and friendship, was just icing.

“Then what are you doing? Setting yourselves up to get hurt?”

“This is a conversation you should have with her.”

“She trusts you so much, Az. Please, don’t do anything that would hurt her. She’s come so far since we met.”

“Nesta, I promise you I couldn’t dream of hurting her. The thought alone makes me feel visceral pain. What we do, what we are, is just her making decisions and doing what she wants. How did you even know there was something going on?”

Nesta smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I guessed she had a flirtation with someone. I knew it was you from the way she started saying your name.”

Azriel felt his eyes burn, but he did not know why. “The way she says my name?”

“I’ve heard the way she says it a million times. From Cassian and I. From Rhys and Feyre. I can’t describe it beyond that.”

Azriel shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted where he stood. “Have you told Cas?”

“I don’t need to, he knows.”

“So you guys have talked about it?”

“No. I haven’t told him that I know. But I know he knows. And he also knows I know.”

“So he knows you know even though you haven’t told him you know and you know he knows even though he hasn’t said he knows?”

“Exactly,” she laughed. Her smile was more genuine now. It was a look she’d only had since her mating ceremony. It sung contentment, something she, like him, struggled to have.

She came to him and linked their arms, resting her head on his shoulder. Her friendship was invaluable to him, as much as it was a surprise when it first started to form.

“I have one other thing to say, and then I’ll let you go home to Gwyn.”

“Yes, Nesta?”

“The House of Wind is as much as your home as it is mine. You can stay there forever if you want. It is your home, Azriel, and I wouldn’t dream of it being anything else.”

***

Gwyn was awake when Azriel returned home. She was humming a song to herself in bed, wrapped in his blankets like it was a cocoon. She had the breakfast he made for her in her lap, and when he entered the room, she pulled the blanket aside and opened her arms for him to fall into to.

Maybe he still looked stormy after his talk with Rhys, or maybe she just wanted to hold him. Either way, he fell happily into her embrace.

***

Gwyn had set a date. She did not intend to be so clinical about it, she just wanted to give herself a chance to mentally prepare for what was about to happen, and she needed a few days to do so.

The month she’d had with Azriel had been… Cauldron, she did not know how to exactly describe it. When she had approached him, she honestly did not think that he would say yes to such a ridiculous idea. But he had, and he’d given her nothing short of the best month of her life. Her cheeks ached from how much she was smiling, and even if she was tired when she worked, she wouldn’t give up her restless nights for anything.

It would also be remiss for her to not acknowledge that perhaps what she had with him was more than an arranged bargain, but any time the thoughts propped up she promptly put them to the side.

She had not gone to see Az last night, needing the time to do extra work so that she could be missed for a day. Or two. Maybe even three.

Gwyn didn’t know how long this marathon might last, but if it were anything like Nesta and Cassian’s, it could be a while.

She had also warned Clotho and the females she shared her room with that she would be staying at the House of Wind for a few days. When asked why, she just said she was doing something with Emerie without going into any detail.

So, tonight it was. She was ready.

She was so fucking ready.

The moment dinner was served in the library she made a run for it, having to physically restrain herself from skipping out of the library. She was so excited, her body literally vibrating with energy, that she didn’t even see Nesta before their bodies slammed together.

They went to a ground in a tangled fumble, and Nesta was too busy laughing to listen to Gwyn’s repeated apologies. The brisk evening air greeted them, the stars starting to peek through the violet dusk as they laid on the path that took them from the library to the training area to the House.

“Well, you made looking for you much easier,” Nesta said, brushing off her dress as she stood. She offered Gwyn a hand, which she gladly took. Nesta started walking towards the House, their hands not dropping as they swung them between them like children.

“Why were you looking for me?”

“Emerie is here with Mor and Feyre. I wanted you to join us for dinner.”

“I have dinner with you every night.”

“I know, but I wanted you to know that you’re not just welcome but also invited.”

Gwyn smiled at Nesta, love for her friend filling her heart.

They approached the House, Nesta’s face falling as they walked in and saw Rhys standing in the middle of the room, confused looks on the faces of Mor and Emerie as everyone just looked uncomfortable.

Nesta’s hands squeezed Gwyn’s, and for just a second it felt like Nesta was about to pull Gwyn right back to the library.

“I’m not sure what the problem is,” Mor said slowly. “We go out in Velaris all the time, why can’t we tonight?”

“You’re more than welcome to, I would just rather stay here,” Azriel replied.

Gwyn knew the look on his face. It was the same look he’d had a few days ago when he’d returned from Mother knows where after Rhys summoned him. Gwyn assumed Azriel had just had to do one of the many hard tasks expected of a spymaster, but perhaps there was something else if his face was a mirror of that again now.

“What’s going on?” asked Nesta.

They all turned to look at them like they were surprised to see them. Not even Azriel had noticed their entrance, although Gwyn self-admitted that Azriel tended to be surprised by her sudden appearances quite often. She didn’t know for sure, but she thought maybe his shadows didn’t bother warning him when she was near. It’s not like she was a danger to the guy.

“Rhys came and said we should try the new restaurant on the Rainbow! The one near Feyre’s studio? I’ve heard really nice things about it, and the family that opened it are really beautiful.” Mor beamed at them all, trying to disperse the odd tension. “And then maybe we could go dancing.”  

The idea sounded wonderful, and Gwyn wistfully wished she could join them. In reality, just the thought of going into the city set her heard racing. The only time she had ever left the library or the House, other than to go to Emerie’s house which landed them in the Bloodrite, was to officiate Nesta and Cassian’s mating ceremony. Although the memory was one of her most treasured ones, it was not something she thought she would be able to do again. Not yet.

“I’ve heard great things about that place,” Nesta replied, her stomach audibly grumbling at just hearing about the exquisite food it might receive.

“You are all more than welcome to go.” Azriel swept a hand out between them. “But I don’t want to.”

His gaze flickered to Gwyn, and suddenly the eyes of everyone were on her.

A blanket of understanding washed over the room. Most eyes were understanding, Mor’s held the pity that Gwyn hated, and Rhys looked indifferent, if not satisfied.

Azriel’s resistance became evident. It wasn’t just that it was the night, their night, but he didn’t want her to be left alone whilst everyone else galivanted through the city having the time of their lives when they knew she wouldn’t be able to join them.

“I don’t want to go either. It’s been a long week and I’m tired,” said Nesta.

Gwyn narrowed her eyes at her lying sister but couldn’t hold it in her heart to be angry. In face, she had to stop it from swelling with how loving their words felt. They didn’t want her to be alone. They wanted to stay with her.

“You know,” spoke Emerie softly, “I can’t imagine anywhere making food as well as the House.”

Mor’s eyes shot to Emerie, and Gwyn wondered if she was imagining the slight betrayed look in them.

“Guy’s, c’mon. Rhys and I made a reservation, they’re expecting us! It would be rude not to go,” Mor pleaded.

Azriel opened his mouth to snap back, but Gwyn interrupted. “She’s right. You should go enjoy yourselves.”

“But Gwyn-”

“It’s okay, Nesta. Please, I really think you should all go.” She made a point to look at Azriel. “It sounds like it would be a lot of fun.”

“It’s not fair to arrange activities that we can’t all participate in.” Azriel’s voice had softened as he looked at her, and if she didn’t have better self-control she would stride over and plant a kiss on his pouting lips.

“How could Mor have known that Gwyn would be here? It’s not her fault,” Rhys interjected.

“That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard-”

“Stop, just stop.” Gwyn clutched her hands in front of her and stepped away from Nesta. She needed them to see her as an adult, as someone who was strong and to be taken seriously. “It’s fine. Really, truly. I have a lot to do anyway.” She turned to Feyre and waved her fingers at Nyx. “If you would like, I can take care of him so you can enjoy some grown-up time.”

For a second Feyre looked hopeful, but then she schooled her face into neutrality. Rhys stepped between the two, and Feyre had to put an arm on his shoulder.

As if to stop him stepping any further.

Gywn blinked, feeling like she should blanch away but not sure as to why.

“That won’t be necessary,” Rhys said. She’d heard him use that voice before. It was his political voice. His I-have-an-agenda voice. Now it was her turn to look confused.

“No worries,” Gwyn whispered.

She looked away from the High Lord’s searing gaze and back to her friends. She hoped her face didn’t speak of her sadness.

“Please go. I would feel awful if any of you stayed on my part. If anything, by going and having a great time you’d be doing me a favour, because I wouldn’t feel guilty.”

“You could always just come with us,” Mor said, tucking her hair behind her ears in a way that was comically similar to how the ‘popular’ girls in her smutty books would behave.

Gwyn bit her lip, thinking about it. Of course, logically, she would be safe. They would all be there, Azriel would be there, but she genuinely felt like she might vomit at the thought. A bead of sweat dripped down her back, and she despised how her eyes stung with tears. She breathed the way her and Nesta had learnt from Valkyrie texts and pulled herself back to reality. Sometimes the logic of actions did not dictate how you would feel, or react, to a situation. Gwyn reminded herself once more to be kinder to herself.

“Thank you for the offer, Mor, but I am happy here.” Gwyn smiled brightly at them all, and they seemed to relax – all but Az and her sisters.

She shooed them out of the House, hoping that one day she would be able to join them.

***

It was odd. Gwyn had spent much time over the last few years alone, but it had never affected her. And although the House was quite good company – it had dinner and dessert ready for her with a box of tissues and chocolates even before Cassian had finally flown off with the resistant Nesta – it wasn’t the same as spending time with someone who could talk back to you.

She only just made it through her meal when she crawled into Azriel’s bed, hoping the scent of him would make her feel better.

It didn’t, but the sight of his room did. There were unlit candles lining the room, and flowers adorning every surface. The cheeky male had even installed a mirror on the ceiling above the bed, and she blushed profusely at the implications.

He had tried to make it romantic, and she adored him for it.

She had no idea when he would be back, and she scolded herself for wishing it would be sooner rather than later. She wanted him to be out and about with his family, even if it made her burn with envy that everyone would be able to enjoy him but her.

She rolled over, stuffing her face into his pillow and groaning. She should take off her day clothes and resign herself to pyjamas. Maybe she should sleep in a different bedroom so as to not torture herself with what this night could have been.

Her night with Az. The night with Az.

“That’s it. I am so over this,” she said aloud before springing up. She stomped out of the room and towards Nesta’s, flinging her closet open to inspect her clothes.

It was just a restaurant. It was safe. She would be fine. Besides, how could she overcome her fears if not to face them? She had gone to Emerie’s and survived. She had gone to Nesta’s mating ceremony and survived. She had won the bloody Bloodrite!

As she looked through the dresses, she quickly realised they wouldn’t fit. They would hang loose at her hips and chest, where Nesta was beautifully endowed and she was not.

“Not to worry, I’ll just take a coat then.” Taking the first one she saw, light but soft enough that warmth wouldn’t be an issue, Gwyn shoved her shoes on approached the door that led to the ten thousand steps that would take her to Velaris. She didn’t know where to go from there, but she knew in her heart of hearts that she would be able to find her friends with enough willpower. And since meeting Nesta and Emerie, since being empowered by the strongest females she knew and since empowering herself, she knew she had that willpower in abundance.

“Let’s fucking do this.”

***

She didn’t know at what point the House had left her, its omnipresence not connected to the stairs, but she was doing just fine even if she felt its absence. She counted in her head to keep track of where she was.

One thousand. Feeling good. Coat in arms.

Two thousand. Out of breath but in a good way.

Three thousand. Fucking shit.

Four thousand. Maybe she should turn around.

Five thousand.

Six thousand. How has Nesta done this multiple times?

Seven thousand. She had this! This was easier than Ramiel!

Eight thousand. If she died here no one would find her.

Nine thousand.

Ten. Fucking. Thousand.

Gwyn realised that there was no way she’d be able to eat with them. They would be having dessert if they hadn’t already moved on. She just needed to find them.

As Gwyn took the last step, her toes touched the streets of Velaris for the very first time.

It was so beautiful she thought she might cry. There was colour everywhere, the laughter of adults and children alike, and she could smell delicious food as the many restaurant’s wide-open doors let the scents pour into the streets. The faelights lining the streets reminded her of the stars she often gazed at with Azriel, the thought of him like a caress to her mind.

Azriel loved Velaris, would die for this city if he had to. How could she been afraid of something he loved so much?

She took one step. Then one more. She was sure to anyone that glanced her way she must have looked like a lunatic, her eyes wide in wonder as she moved at a snail’s pace, Nesta’s coat bundled in her arms because after all those steps she didn’t need it.

Her heart was hammering in her chest, equal parts fear and excitement, as she walked through the city. She got a few odd looks, but she could see it was out of curiosity for a newcomer in a city that had been locked down for centuries, and not for violence. She wasn’t leered at or bothered. In fact, the only time someone even talked to her was when a toddler sprinted from his mother’s side, his legs too quick for his body to keep up, and he fell into her.

The mother apologised profusely but Gwyn didn’t care at all. How could she be mad at the pudgy little baby?

It was easy to find her way to a district clearly dedicated to all things food. If possible, she slowed down even more. She peeked inside every restaurant looking for the four sets of wings that would set her friends apart from everyone else.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of searching but was probably closer to forty minutes, she saw them.

Azriel and Rhys were standing outside the restaurant Mor must’ve been talking about. Light and music drifted from its open windows, the streets still full of roaming people. Gwyn knew they wouldn’t be able to see her yet, and she wondered how she should approach them.

Azriel… did not look happy, and the tense set of Rhys’ shoulders and back let her know that his face likely looked the same, even if he was facing away from her.

Before she could think of a strategy, Azriel looked up, his eyes meeting hers.

Gwyn could not describe the feeling that filled her as they drunk in one another. Still standing twenty steps from him, his gaze made her feel like she was wrapped in his arms.

She raised one hand in a wave, and it was like Rhys didn’t exist at all.

Azriel shoved him to the side, Rhys making an indignant sound as he did. He ran to her, and she dropped Nesta’s coat so she could wrap her arms around him as they crashed together. People in the streets backed off at Azriel’s display, and in that moment she couldn’t have cared less about where she was, as long as she was with him.

His wings wrapped around her, creating a shield between them and the outside world.

“Gwyn.”

“Hey Az,” she whispered, her arms around his neck and his face tucked to her shoulder.

“What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” He straightened and brushed the hair from her face. It had stuck to her skin from how much she had sweat while taking the stairs, but she didn’t care how she looked. She knew he certainly never would.

He looked ready to fight an invisible threat, and it made her throb in unspeakable places.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just – I. Um.” She hadn’t rehearsed what she would say to him, but it’s not like she could blurt out Hey! Just wanted to near you at all times and rub my body against yours!

“Did something happen? What do you need me to do?”

She shook her head. “No, no, Az, really, I’m fine. I just regretted not coming out with you all.”

He must have been able to see the honesty on her face and smile, because he relaxed, his wings folding back.

The look on his face was adorable as the realisation dawned on him that she was here for him.

“Did I miss everything? Are you all done?”

He didn’t answer, but he did look behind him. Rhys was standing there with his mouth open, his face laced with something Gwyn couldn’t put a name to. Before she could greet him, Rhys stormed back into the restaurant.

Azriel turned back to her, and he didn’t hesitate when he lifted her chin and kissed her.

She gasped but reciprocated zealously. She pushed her body into his, and his arms went around her as he lifted her off her feet, cradling him to her as he kissed her like she was the wind that let him embrace the skies. He tasted like air, like gold, like this was his final breath and he was he was sharing it with just her.

***

Azriel sat with Gwyn while the rest of their friends danced. She hid it well, but he could tell that she was nervous being in this new environment.

She had been so good, so brave when she went into the restaurant and greeted Azriel’s family. Nesta and Emerie jumped up when they saw her, and Nesta held her tightly while Emerie rushed to get another chair. Nesta was trying to be subtle, but Azriel saw the happy tears she shed as she held Gwyn. Emerie then insisted that Gwyn sit and eat her strawberry and mango cheesecake with her, which earned an inexplicable scowl from Mor. Interesting.

Once Gwyn was satisfied and protesting the consumption of more food, they all walked together to one of the classier bars Nesta used to frequent so they could go dancing. Everyone was light as a feather, except Rhys, but life was hard as a fucking asshole, so Az wasn’t surprised he was feeling surly.

And now here they were. Azriel and Gwyn seated with the others dancing to their hearts content. Mor was spinning around with a giggling Nyx, Feyre and Rhys were swaying but it was obvious they were speaking to each other through their daemati bond, and Emerie and Nesta were terrorising Cassian in a three-way dance.

“How are you feeling?” Azriel asked, his shadows silent to her moods. If it had been anyone else, he would have known she was coming to the restaurant before she’d even left the House. But his shadows didn’t like to spy on her and revelled in him being surprised by her.

“I feel good.” Her gaze was focused on the dance floor, and Azriel glanced over to see what was so entrancing.

Nesta and Cassian were finally dancing alone, Emerie now with Nyx and Mor. The way Cassian and Nesta were grinding on each other was nothing short of pornographic as they moved into the shadows of the dance floor. Nesta’s back was to Cassian, his hands clasped on her hips as his lips were on her neck as she pushed her ass back against him.

Azriel snorted. They’d be fucking in an alley within the next fifteen minutes.

“Do you want to dance like that, Gwyneth?”

She turned to him, a lovely flush spreading from her face to her chest. “No,” she said unconvincingly. She slid her chair closer to his, the bar stool so high she had to hop onto it to sit. It was frightfully cute, and Azriel had to restrain from kissing her again.

He couldn’t help it in the street. The sight of her – rumpled, breathless, her face alight with joy – was too much for him.

She was beginning to be too much for him.

The longer he was with her, the more of her he was allowed to have, the more he feared he could never go back to just a simple friendship. This female would either be his salvation or his ruination, either of which he would happily accept if it meant he could savour every minute he had left with her.

Under the table, she linked their hands, and Azriel thought he might very well die from the touch.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to enjoy our plans.” He rubbed his thumb against her finger.

She smiled his way, her eyes crinkling at the sides. “It’s okay.” She looked down, biting her lip. “I went to your room. I saw what you had done.”

He swallowed hard. “Did you like it?”

She removed her hand from his and placed it on his thigh. “I loved it.”

He shifted in his seat, glad that the tablecloth was long enough so that anyone around, if they looked, would only see their ankles. “You’re playing with fire right now,” he chucked under his breath as she continued to stroke his thigh.

“I especially liked the mirror on the ceiling. May I ask, what purpose does it serve?” Her smile may have been all innocent, but the way her hand was moving was anything but.

She leant against him so they were touching shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip.

“It was for your pleasure.”

“Is that right?”

He brushed his lips to her ear, grateful that the dim lights of the bar kept them in the shadows and that the dancing bodies kept their scents hidden. And over the live music, no one would hear them. “Mhm. It was so that, no matter what position I put you in, you could watch me.”

She tipped her head back, humming in acknowledgement. Her hand, already in dangerous territory, swept down his increasingly hard length.

He grunted, laying both his hands on the table and fisting the cloth.

“Is this okay?” she asked, breathless.

He nodded, taking a swig of his drink to distract him.

She brushed her hand down again, bolder this time, and he squirmed in his chair.

“I would take it out, but I fear it would be seen over the table. So inside it stays,” she sighed. “It must be hard being so large.” She put her lips to his ear, mimicking what he had done to her. “I do love it though. The size, the taste, I think about it constantly.”

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he choked out. “But at least I’d die happy.”

Her hand slipped inside his pants, and he couldn’t help but thrust up into her hand. He tilted his head back in pleasure as she worked him, getting the angles just right as she pumped him. He was unbelievably aroused by the public act, barely able to believe that she’d do something so audacious. But Cauldron have mercy, he would do anything if it meant she was touching him. She could ask to ride him right now in the middle of this bar and he would blissfully indulge.

“I’m going to finish soon,” he warned her.

“I can’t wait for you to finish in me.”

Her words were his undoing, and he felt the edge of the table splinter under his grip as he contained his moan of pleasure.

He stared at her as she pulled her hand from him, offering him a serviette to clean himself like she hadn’t just given him a mind-blowing orgasm where anyone could have seen.

“Az?” she asked after a few, content minutes of silence.

“Yes, Gwyneth?”

“Do you think we could go dance?”

***

Gwyn couldn’t remember the last time she had been this relentlessly happy. Azriel flew her and Emerie back to the House of Wind, the latter looking forlorn as they finally left the bar in the small hours of the morning.

Rhys and Feyre had left much earlier, Nyx too small to stay up that late, and if Gwyn was being honest she was surprised they lasted as long as they did. Feyre seemed fine, but Rhys was in a shocking mood. Every time she asked Azriel about it, he just muttered about Rhys being a jerk without elaborating. She could tell that whatever it was, it was sensitive, so she didn’t push him.

Her and Nesta put a very intoxicated Emerie to bed, stripping her and putting her into some pyjamas before tucking her in nice and tight with some herbs on her nightstand that would help her head in the morning. Azriel and Cassian had already gone to their respective bedrooms, and Gwyn contemplated how she was going to sneak into Azriel’s room when Nesta stopped her.

“Can we talk for a second?”

“Of course.”

Nesta led her to the library, and they plopped themselves onto one of the plush couches. Gwyn faced her as she sat, tucking her feet under Nesta’s thighs to keep them warm.

Two hot chocolates appeared to them on a table, a dish of marshmallows to the side. They whispered their thanks to the House, claiming the warm drinks. Gwyn pressed hers up against her face, liking the warmth on her skin.

“What do you want to talk about?” Gwyn asked, taking a sip.

“Azriel. You. You and Azriel.” Nesta patted her shin, and Gwyn put her drink down. This wasn’t a hot chocolate kind of conversation.

“I don’t know what you’re talk-”

“Do you love him, Gwyn? Because if you did, or even if you don’t, you don’t have to sneak around Cassian and I and pretend nothing is happening. You can live here, forever if you want. All four of us in the House.”

“Nesta-”

“Imagine if we both had our families and babies here. It’s a big place, we wouldn’t get in each other’s way. And maybe Emerie could come too and she could fall in love too and we’d all be so happy. Okay, I’m rambling and that was weird. What I’m trying to say is – is that you can Azriel are so obviously together and I’m wracking my brain trying to figure out why you’re keeping it a secret from us, not that I care that you have secrets you’re an adult and you don’t have to tell me everything, and I’m so fucking happy for you, Gwyn, and I want you to know that you can be publicly happy, if you want.”  

“Nesta…”

“I just love this. You and him. I’ve never seen Azriel so happy and you just smile all the time. And, oh, it reminds me of Cassian. In the way that I can see ourselves reflected in you two, and I wonder if maybe if I hadn’t been so,” she gestured at her head, “you know, then I could have just been this happy from the start of us, with him, like you two. So I need you to know that if you want that, if you want him, I am so incredibly supportive and I will do anything you want if it means you get your happily ever after. Okay, I’m done.”

“Nesta.”

“And I also would just love to know how this all began. Like the secret little smiles and observations that I’ve had for as long as I’ve known you just changed one day. And I know you guys used to train alone sometimes and I know you were always here with him, and me and Cas but I can’t pinpoint when your friendship turned into this.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Sorry, I really am done now.”

“Are you sure?” Gwyn pinched her cheek lovingly, and Nesta swatted it away.

“Yes.”

Gwyn took a second to think about her words, and as nice and idyllic as they sounded, Gwyn wasn’t sure they were the truth.

“Nesta, we aren’t together.”

“What?”

“We have a…” Gwyn struggled to find the words. “Deal? Agreement?”

“A sexy agreement?”

Gwyn laughed. “No. Well, yes actually.” She launched into the story of how her and Azriel had started their bargain, detailing how Azriel had agreed to help her overcome her fear, and how much they practised towards her ultimate goal of sex. Gwyn also expressed how their closeness was something she treasured, as spending so much time together naturally led to a deepening in their friendship. Her face stained pink as she told her of some of the things they had done, but how, after over a month together, that hadn’t actually sealed the deal.

Nesta was silent the entire story, letting Gwyn speak her truth. She was contemplative over Gwyn’s words, not saying anything until she was done speaking.

“Before I say anything, I want to let you know how incredibly proud of you I am, and how much I support wanting to explore yourself and your sexuality. No matter what I say, I need you to know that.”

Well, that wasn’t a good start.

“I understand, Nesta.”

“Gwyn, do you love him?”

Gwyn took a deep breath. It was a topic she often pushed from her mind, unable or not wanting to broach the subject. “I don’t know.”

“It’s a yes or no, Gwyn.”

Gwyn shrugged her shoulders. “What if it’s a ‘I’m not sure because I so thoroughly blurred the lines between what was real and what I asked him to do to help me?’ What if it’s a ‘I don’t know if I could say it to him but if he said it to me, I would say it back in an instant?’”

“Do you know how he feels about you? Has he said anything?”

Gwyn shook her head. “I know we’re friends. I know he cares about me. I know he would do anything I asked of him. I know he must love me, in some way, but I don’t know if it’s love-love or platonic love.”

“And he’s never given any sort of indication of his intentions?”

Gwyn pondered how thoughtful he was, how detail oriented he was to her pleasure and how he was the best part of her day. And as she thought about it, about him, who was so caring and lovable and agreeable, and she realised that a lot of what he did for her – the comfort, the talking, the support – he would do for anyone.

“I’ve never asked.” Her breath shuddered, and Nesta put a hand to her cheek.

“Maybe you should.”

“What if he doesn’t feel the same way as I do? What if I’m just an obligation?”

“Oh, my love.” Nesta repositioned them so that Gwyn was lying down, her head in Nesta’s lap, as Nesta lovingly stroked her hair. It reminded Gwyn so much of what Catrin used to do that she couldn’t help the tears that started to shed.

“It’s better to know what you are to him. If it’s any consolation, I think he cares about you a great deal. Maybe even loves you. It’s hard to tell when he’s naturally so cold.”

He wasn’t cold, she wanted to say, he was the warmest person she knew. Instead, she cried, and she let Nesta comfort her like she always did.

***

A few days passed, and although Gwyn never left the House, her sexual relations with Az didn’t progress. Rather, they stopped altogether. He didn’t mind at all, he was just glad for her company. They talked and trained, and Azriel was surprised that somehow he could be even more impressed of her than before.

She also started doing what he called her ‘casual kisses.’

They would be doing something monotonous, like sorting weapons for training the next day, and she could kiss him as she walked by him. Or they would be sitting in bed reading, and she would lean over and brush her lips to his temple.

It became a game, who could casually kiss the other first if the opportunity arose, and it was the best game Az had ever played.

He felt himself looking forward to the nights even if the only touching they did was cuddling until they fell asleep in each other’s arms. Azriel wondered if this is what home felt like.

It was late, and Gwyn decided that she needed to return to the library before people started to question where she was. Az didn’t have the heart to tell her they already were.

“I had the most interesting conversation with Nesta the other day,” she said as they reached the door that would take her away.

“What about?”

Gwyn fiddled with her fingers, trepidation oozing from her.

“Are you okay?” he asked, worry starting to maw at him.

“I’m fine.” She turned to face him, and he took the opportunity to kiss her on her hairline. He loved the height different between them, it made him feel bigger than he was. “Nesta asked me about us. She has suspected for a while.”

He schooled his face into neutrality. As far as Gwyn knew, this was new information to him.

He hadn’t told her a word of what had happened between them and Rhys, and it would stay that way. All it would do was hurt her, and Azriel was serious when he said no harm would ever come her way from him. She did not need to know that Rhys was acting like a tool.

In more ways than one. Azriel didn’t need to read minds to know that Rhys was highly suspicious of them both. And more so, as much as it pained him to admit, how much Rhys disapproved. He wasn’t sure why, and he couldn’t bear to ask, but he had a good idea. Rhys, as much as he loved Az, must know that he would never be good enough for Gwyn. The idea had plagued him for days, and the only thing that drove away the dark thoughts were the casual kisses Gwyn would bestow upon him.

“How do you feel about that?” he asked her, snapping back to their conversation.

She shrugged. “At first I was worried, but now I’m actually kind of relieved.”

“Why were you worried?”

“You know, it’s weird. I had it in my head that if people knew I was on this mission to achieve some ultimate, empowering orgasm that they might judge me. But Nesta never would, and I felt like an idiot as soon as she looked at me and told me she knew we were,” she gestured between them, “touching.”

Az snickered. “Touching is one way to sum it up.”

“She asked me something I couldn’t answer.”

“What was that?”

“She asked me what we are.” She brushed her hands over his chest absentmindedly. “What I am to you.”

He clasped her hands and held them to his heart, trying to make her look at him when she was purposefully focusing on the floor.

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her the truth. That I don’t know what I am to you.”

“Gwyn…”

“I need to say something, and I beg you not to interrupt until I’m done.” She sniffled, and he hated the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

She took a deep breath and wiped her tears away, facing him with steel. “I genuinely approached you with nothing but friendship in mind. I had a plan, to sleep with you once and then go back to how we always were before – me, as your overly competitive but absolute best student, and you as, as this God of a man that I could not believe even walked the same existence as me, let alone be someone I considered a friend. You were my ribbon Az. The thing I wanted to be as good as. And then you said yes to me. I didn’t expect you to. I half-thought you would laugh because you thought I was joking. But you didn’t, and you said yes, and I have made the grave mistake of developing feelings I swore to myself I wouldn’t.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but she put a hand over his mouth before he could.

“I had every intention of having sex with you until Nesta asked me what I was to you. And then I realised that if all I was to you was a proposition to uphold, I couldn’t do it. I can’t be with you just once. I can’t be just friends if we take that last step. So, Az, I’m asking you, and please don’t feel obligated to say anything you don’t feel, but what am I to you?”

He couldn’t breathe. His chest felt like his ribs were being ripped apart and then shoved back together until his lungs were caged too tightly. He knew what he wanted to say, that of course she was more than that, she was everything, but then he thought of her spirit being crushed by his inadequacies, and how she could do so much better now that she was ready to. She was pure, she was light, and she deserved more than his darkness.

He had been quiet too long.

Watching her was like watching a porcelain doll shatter after being dropped. Her face crumbled, and she pulled her hands away from him as she tried to contain herself.

“You’re my best friend.” He finally said, his own tears stinging at his eyes. “I can’t lose you.” Which he would, if she stayed with him and realised how truly broken he was.

A sob fractured her chest, and Az hated the way her voice sounded when she spoke. “You’re my best friend, too.”

And then they were kissing. It tasted like salt from their tears and was more passionate and heart-wrenching than any of the kisses they’d had before. They were drowning, their only hope at salvation one another as they clung to each other with all the strength they had.

Azriel didn’t want to let her go. He knew once he did that it would be over. His month of bliss, of final contentment, would be over. Part of him wished Nesta had never opened her mouth, or that he’d been able to tell the truth, but all of him wished that he was someone else, or that he was more like his brothers, so that he was good enough for her.

When they finally stopped kissing, it was not so she could leave. They still clung to each other, breathing in each other’s scents, well into the night.

When she whispered goodbye, part of his soul left with her as she walked away.

He lied to her by staying silent. He should have told her the truth, that what he was feeling went deeper than affection, maybe even deeper than love. But this lie protected her, and he would take it to his grave.

[miazma]

If you’re still doing the relationship headcanons, what about my favorite crackship of Hyperion/Percy (which I’ve never actually seen fics of, something that never fails to make me laugh since Percy is shipped with almost everyone else)

I’m 100% still doing them! I’ve never actually considered Hyperion/Percy before, but I’ll try my best.

Their relationship has a rocky start, to say in the least. Hyperion wasn’t the fondest of being turned into a tree temporarily, but that satyr definitely wasn’t just a satyr.

Percy still rejected the opportunity to become a god, even if it wasn’t for Annabeth (romantically).

However, he finds himself going to visit Hyperion’s tree (all while Hyperion is still trapped within) and talking to it.

It starts out once a week, mourning all the demigods he knew that died in the war, both on CHB’s side and Kronos’s (he knew a lot of them from the Hermes cabin in his first week). It turns into him ranting about all his problems and worries.

Percy tells Hyperion all his issues with his dad and how he resolved most of them. He rants about how Kronos took advantage of all those hurting kids for his own gains. He talks about Ethan Nakamura. He talks about his baby brother Tyson and how proud and scared he is of the fact that he’s a Cyclops General (“he’s like, 10!” Percy insists). He talks about the weight off his back of being the child of the prophesy and his fears that the new one will deal with him.

Hyperion, strangely, finds himself relating more and more to Percy. Percy begins to outline his quests in detail (as he records them to send them to a publishing studio) and Hyperion finds himself cheering him on and cursing his brother for making Percy’s life even more difficult.

After a while, Percy is visiting every single day until one day the visits stop completely. He misses one day and Hyperion feels annoyed. He misses the second and he starts getting actively worried, beginning to work on getting himself out of the tree again.

Hyperion escapes rather quickly but finding Percy (no, no, he’s not worried, Percy just hadn’t finished his story yet) is a different matter. He’s keen to stay under the gods’ radar and thus avoids any gods he can as he looks. This translates to him not finding Percy until he’s on the boat on the way to Alaska.

He teleports onto the boat and immediately has a sword swinging at him. He begins to explain himself, his time in the tree before Percy cuts him off by asking who exactly he is?

As it turns out, having Percy explain his life to him is very useful in helping regain his memories. And after swearing on the Styx, Hyperion joins them in their mission.

Hyperion and Thanatos stare each other down as Frank’s stick melts the chains. Hyperion ensures it burns as hot as possible while burning as little of the stick as possible.

Hyperion finds himself remarkably useless during the fight, however he does have a nice chat with his mother that ultimately results in Hyperion officially being on the gods’ side in the Second Gigantomachy.

However, despite this he finds himself away from the Seven for the vast majority of it, as the gods, while reluctantly accepting of him, refuse to let him anywhere near the questing team.

However, after the war is a different issue. Hyperion also went through Tartarus, and he finds himself spending a lot of time talking to Percy about his experiences and comforting him. He was not evil for poisoning Akhlys.

They get together on the one year anniversary of the Gigantomachy. Percy’s books were published, with multiple parts changed to make them seem written by someone who barely knew the myths. The two of them drink and laugh and return to the sight of Hyperion’s tree.

They end up kissing under the stars of Nyx. They watch the sunrise and Hyperion babbles about how both he and Aether have heavenly light as a domain.

Their favourite date is watching the sunrise together. Percy tried to take them up on Blackjack to watch but Hyperion can’t seem to trust the Pegasus (a good choice, Blackjack doesn’t like him).

Despite this, getting Percy up to watch the sunrise is a whole other struggle. They miss it more often than not. They just end up cuddling.

Speaking of cuddling, Hyperion is a space heater. This is amazing in the winter but horrible in the summer and Percy has pushed him off the bed more than once. This is after his heat resistance.

Everyone loves Sally, but Hyperion actually gets along with Paul best. He finds Paul’s incessant questioning endearing, and it actually reminds him of some of his siblings.

Hyperion loves giving everyone jewlery. Sally is constantly getting jewlery for Mother’s Day. Percy got a bracelet that turned into a bow on his birthday. It took Hyperion a moment to figure out why he was laughing so hard.

Overall they’re a cute couple.

[typicalmidnightsoul]

Prythian Valley - Chapter 1

Secrets

 New person of interest: Helion Daye.

Here’s a question how far would you go to hide a secret, to protect it? How far would Helion go to hide a secret? What if the secret wasn’t a thing but a person and what if he wasn’t protecting something horrific but a…relationship? As Nesta and Audrey are coming out late from cheerleading practice hoping to just relax in Nesta’s hot tub will a chance situation rock her to her core and question her loyalties?  Cassian always knew Nesta carried burdens but he was angry at God for giving her burdens to carry which weren’t hers, burdens which made her cry in the dark in school when he was coming back from football practice.

One last question....How young can a criminal be? 

Prologue here

A/N : IM BACK GUYS. I WAS IN LONDON FOR EID BUT NOW I’M BACK GET READY FOR AN ONSLAUGHT OF FIC UPDATES. HAPPY BELATED EID I LOVE YOU ALL.

Helion Daye, 9 years older than Nesta and like an older brother to her from the age of 3. They were nerds for life and he was a much respected former student of Velaris High. When Nesta moved from LA to Prythian Valley with her mother it was Helion who got special permission from the principal and showed her around his old school. Helion was now a part time university lecturer, owner of Daye Publishing and part time party boy.

 But he had a secret, one that went back to his younger days when he was a sophomore. No one could know, because if they did then it would mean nothing to him, but to the other keeper of the secret…

She would be destroyed.

 Her name was Mrs Clarissa Vanserra; she was an English and Art teacher in Velaris High when Helion was in school. She had started teaching when she was so young, only 22, and when Helion stepped in her English class he almost dropped to his knees.

 She was so beautiful, but what struck him the most was… she was helping a boy with tissues, a boy who his friends had been bullying outside. She turned to him and he almost crossed the distance and kissed her. He found out she already had children; her eldest was a 3 year old, the same age as his little Nessie. And as one thing led to another they had an illegitimate relationship, an affair.

 She was ashamed of it, because she was married and as Helion later found out it was an abusive marriage. He tried to tell her to leave him but she wouldn’t hear of it, she had children with this man.

The affair never truly ended… he had to leave for Uni as his mother in LA had got him into one of the best ones in the country.

 But Clarissa was carrying Helion’s child. She knew it was his. And she told him she… she told him she aborted it because it would only stop him from achieving his dreams. After he left Clarissa thought that was the end of her and Helion’s story but she was wrong.

  Nesta came out of double geography stretching her limbs Luna next to her, Feyre and Amren were exchanging homework apparently.

Nesta was about to walk up to them when she saw…

“Helion!!” She ran to him and he picked her up spinning her around, he laughed as he set her down,

“Hey Nessie,” he chuckled,

“Hellcat what are you doing here?!” She asked,

“Well I wanted to see my old school, and try outs for the football team and its new captain is being picked, I’m also now an advisor for the school newspaper so you’ll be seeing a lot of me.”

Feyre and Luna gave him a hug and he said, “Where’s Mrs Vanserra’s new class, it’s not the old one. I needed to talk to her about the placement of the newspaper office.”

Nesta was confused but Eris came up behind her saying, “My mom’s old class is now a biology lab, her new one is in the second floor.”

To most people Helion was glad to see Eris but Nesta could see the tightness in his eyes when Eris came up to them. He nodded and headed upstairs.

Nesta gave Feyre a hug and told her to tell mom she’d be home late with Audrey.

Feyre nodded and headed off to her last class.

--------------------------

 Audrey and Nesta were packing up their stuff. They had spent more time after practice to choreograph a new routine for the upcoming matches. They headed upstairs to return the locker keys to the janitors office. He had let them stay earlier do long as they lock up and leave the keys in his office. As they were returning they went past the new newspaper office,

“Damn!” Audrey whispered, “Helion’s done a good job.”

Nesta nodded and they went to the back entrance that led to the parking lot. As they went past Mrs Vanserra’s office Nesta froze stopping Audrey.

Before Audrey could gasp, Nesta put a hand over her mouth.

Because there… there was Helion and Clarissa Vanserra standing a breath apart, Helion tracing the skin on her hands whispering something to her.

Nesta made up different circumstances, maybe he was blowing something out of her eye, or she could be hurt, or maybe she had a panic attack and Helion was comforting her.

But as Helion picked up her hand and intertwined their fingers pressing a kiss to the spot below her ears Nesta could no longer kid herself. They had an affair.

Audrey pulled her out and to their car.

As Nesta started it Audrey said, her voice hard, “tomorrow 6am at the office, are we going?”

“You bet your ass we are.”

--------------------

Helion was setting up the new office, when Nesta and Audrey stepped in. Audrey shutting the door and leaning on it to add another layer of soundproof and defence.

“Hey girls, it’s a bit too early but I guess if you missed me-“

“How long?”

He raised a brow, “Pardon?”

“How fucking long Helion have you been sleeping with Clarissa Vanserra?” Nesta ground out.

His face drained of any colour and he swallowed, “How-how-“

“We saw you after school yesterday.”

He let out a strangled breath and dragged a hand through his hair, then turned to Nesta taking her hands in his and sitting her down on a chair,

“Nes, listen it’s not-“ she snatched her hands away, he took them again a pleading look taking over his eyes,

“You want the truth, I’ll tell you all of it,” he took a deep breath, “ I was a sophomore, Feyre’s age and she was a new teacher, we fell in love Nesta, she had a notebook and she wrote stories in them and I fell hopelessly in love with her words with her, it’s like what you and Cassian have”-she growled-“forget I said that, anyway, she loved me back but she had children, and she was married, an abusive marriage albeit but she wouldn’t leave her children. And then I left for uni but every time I visited the valley I’d meet her and we’d…”

He shook his head, “Nesta please don’t tell anyone. No, please don’t”

“Why?!”She was crying now, “Why not?! You have an affair with a married woman with the mother of my best friend, why can’t I?”

“Because I was there!” He shouted,

Nesta looked at Audrey and back at him, “Where?”

“When Amarantha died, the day she died, the night she died, I was there, we heard someone laughing and talking and… i was there with Clarissa.”

Nesta exchanged a look with Audrey who was suddenly furious,

“No! Nesta had to protect Feyre and now you!”

Helion looked startled, “Why? What happened with-“

“Not now,” Nesta said, “We will keep your secret Helion. But you know we have to tell Luna, she won’t tell anyone either. But why can’t we at least tell Eris or-or”

Helion stood up gathering Nesta’s hands in his, tears slipping down his face,

“We had underage sex Nesta, and I got her pregnant. She had an abortion later but… the cracks are still in our relationship from it. Do you understand the gravity of this situation? I, a 15 year old got a 22 year old teacher pregnant. She could lose her job, I could go to jail, and she could too. Please.”

Nesta stumbled back as Audrey slid down the door hands in her hair.

“A child?” she whispered and Helion nodded.

Nesta nodded, “You have our word Helion, we’ll keep your secret.”

Audrey opened the door as Helion thanked them,

They left telling Luna to meet them at Pop’s.

-------------

Luna slurped her milkshake in shock.

“I cannot believe it. And we are not allowed to tell Eris?”

Nesta shook her head.

Audrey leaned back into the booth and groaned.

“What if Eris hates us?”

Audrey and Nesta hadn’t ordered anything. They’d just came in and started rambling. Pop Tate came over,

“What can I get you girls?”

“Turkey club burger, chilli fries and my large regular milkshake for me Pop,” Nesta answered.

“Chicken club, curly fries and my regular milkshake,” Audrey said as Pop smiled at them and hurried off.

“Stress eating?” Luna asked.

Nesta waved her off.

The TV blared quietly in the background as Nesta turned her head.

“A washed up truck was found late yesterday night-“

“Pop can you turn it up please?” Nesta asked as Pop did so.

“By the sheriff’s office. If this red truck belongs to anyone then it can be claimed from the sheriff’s office. Now moving onto todays main headlines…”

 Nesta’s face was etched with horror, as was Luna’s and Audrey’s. Nesta put on a fake smile and turned to Pop,

“Hey Pop, could you pack ours up and also pack in Feyre, Elain and Jonah’s regulars and Mom’s double chocolate milkshake please?”

Pop nodded and gestured to Demi who was preparing the orders.

Nesta let out the staggering breathe as Audrey dialled up one of their friends.

“Leo? We need you to take Jonah to Chicago tomorrow.”

Audrey looked at Nesta. Nesta nodded.

“They found the truck.”

-----------

Nesta rushed in as Elain seemed to be making coffee. Feyre and Jonah were at the table. Jonah was Nesta’s half-brother, the loving result of her mother’s affair. Jonah wasn’t that fond of Feyre or even Elain for that matter but he loved Nesta, a love that went really deep. He was in middle school and his best friend was Cassian’s sister, the youngest Narenz: Nyx Narenz.

She slammed down their takeaway and said, “Go eat in your rooms. Don’t come out and Mom will never know you had takeaway for breakfast.”

They all exchanged looks. Then they all ran to their rooms, grabbing the paper packages.

 Nesta strutted into her mother’s study.

But her mother was already staring at the TV screen. Hand over her mouth in horror. She walked up to her mother wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Don’t worry Mom, we’ll sort it out.”

Her mother started shaking her head, “No, no I have already got you involved way too much. I will not allow you to-“

Nesta shook her slightly, “Hey mom, I’m doing it either way. Plus I’ve got everything planned out.”

“I can’t put this on you. I need to protect my baby boy, need to protect you.”

“You’re handling things on the inside. Let me handle this. Besides he’s my brother too you know.”

Before she could answer, the doorbell rang. Nesta took the remote and turned off the TV telling her mother to stay here.

She walked down the hallway to the main door and flung it open.

Her eyes narrowed,

“What do you want?” she snarled.

--------

 Cassian swallowed and asked himself if there was a time of day where Nesta did not look fucking gorgeous.

Her hair was pulled into a long sleek ponytail, and she wore a tight long sleeved sheer meshed crop top with a red dragon print. It showed a black bra underneath and was paired with a black mini skirt and black gladiator heels.

He put on a cocky grin and said,

“Your sister said she needed a ride because Rhys’ car is in servicing.”

She snorted, leaving the door open, “Feyre! Your chauffeurs here!”

She turned back to him, “I’m picking up Nyx at 7:30 for the slumber party, all right with you?”

He nodded, “Who else will be there? Nyx hates all of us and hasn’t really told either of us three who���s coming?”

“Nyx doesn’t hate you, the three of you are just annoying, and I don’t disagree with her. And to answer your question, Roxy and Alec are coming.”

Cassian chuckled, “Ouch, no wonder you’re her favourite.”

She rolled her eyes and made her way back to the study. But Cassian knew Nesta and he could see her shoulders sagging from the burdens she carried. He could see a scared little girl behind those stormy eyes today and that terrified him. But before he could dwell on that matter Feyre bounded in and dragged him to his car.

-----------

Cassian bumped fists with his crew and went to take a long shower. As he came out he saw Nesta in her cheerleading outfit, rummaging around in her locker. He stalked over to her leaning against the adjacent locker.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Nesta Archeron. What’s the residential ice queen doing so late at school,” the next part wasn’t intended to be cruel but the jealousy Cassian harboured at the fact that Nesta wasn’t his leaked through him as he whispered, “Or shall we say who’s heart is she breaking?”

She slammed her locker shut and as she looked up at him he faltered. How did he not notice? Shit.

Her eyes were red, and her voice sounded slightly broken.

“Are you done Cassian?”

She swallowed and out a hand to her mouth running past him to the toilet.

 All Nesta could see was…memories of the blood on her hand. Of the bleach as she used it. As she burned her mother’s old rug because of the red stains on it. She remembered the gore and as much as she tried to push it away it just kept coming back.

She puked her lunch into the toilet and then felt strong warm hands hold her hair back. Long soothing strokes were made on her back and she managed to say,

“Cassian you can’t be in the girl’s toilet.”

“I think I can handle detention for being in here for you puking.”

A few minutes later she was washing her face in the sink. She steadied herself as she gripped the sides. Cassian put a hand on her lower back and guided her outside.

“You need some fresh air.”

She sat on back step that led to the parking lot.

Cassian kneeled in front of her, her eyes were still red.

“Nesta please tell me, what happened?”

No answer, just silent sobbing.

“Nes please. Or I’ll tell Feyre and Elain and let them handle it. You need to tell someone or you’ll break down again.”

Nesta shook her head profusely, “No, no, please it’s just… I can’t handle these secrets, Helion having an affair with Eris’ mom for so fucking long, he-he had a baby with her, he-he had sex with her when he was 15. And got her pregnant. Even though the baby was aborted I and he was at the river when Amarantha- and then there’s Jonah-“ she broke down sobbing.

Cassian waited a few seconds letting it set in. Helion the school’s former golden boy had an… affair? With a married woman?

He pulled Nesta into his arms.

They stayed like that for a long time before Cassian asked,

“What about Jonah?”

She opened her mouth to answer before her phone buzzed.

“I need to go. Mom’s worried.” She picked up her stuff, and as she walked away from him he said,

“I’ll give you a ride-“

“No, it-its fine.” And as she walked away he could’ve sworn he heard,

“Thank you Cassian.”

 Coming up Next:

 Nesta crossed her arms at her mother,

“Jonah is going to Chicago with Leo and that’s final. Leo will take care of him, she would never allow anything bad to happen to him.”

Her mother opened her mouth but the study door burst open,

“You can’t take Jonah away from me!” Nyx pleaded at Nesta.

But Jonah held up a hand and stepped toward his older sister.

There was fear, Nesta realized in her 14 year old brother’s  silver eyes as he looked up at her and asked,

“Is it because I killed Tomas Mandray?”

---------------- 

 Tags:: @skychild29 @aesthetics-11 @perseusannabeth​ @awesomelena555​

[ravenoftheskyes]

Personas, Wildcards, and Families. (Part 1)

(AN: Time to start writing again! This is supposed to go to with my Mako-Fam fic that’s up on my blog, but it’s not necessary to read it to read this one. Once again, inspired by the Mako-Fam au on @thieves-in-the-palace’s blog. Also still a bunch of ships. Not gonna tag them all this time. This is gonna be Multipart Bc I kinda hit the paragraph limit.)

Makoto walks into her home, exhausted after a day of running around in Kaneshiro’s palace. The thieves were close to the treasure. A bit more and they could send the calling card. Makoto walked into her room and immediately fell asleep on the bed.

The next morning was luckily a Sunday. Ren had said they weren’t going into the palace today, citing the fact that it was Ryuji’s birthday and he needed to hang out with his boyfriend. Sae was out and Makoto was alone. Until she heard a knock at the door. She walked over and opened the door to reveal...

Akihiko Sanada, Chie Satonaka, and Naoto Shirogane. According to most people, the two officers and the detective were the best trio you could have on a case. Smart, Courageous, and Strong. However, Makoto knew them as her family. She stepped aside to let them in.

“Hm, Teddie’s here too?” She asked them, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“Yeah...” Chie said, trailing off at the end.

“It’s beary quiet in here!” Teddie said to absolutely no one. Bless him and his talent for bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.

Small discussions grew and the house was filled with conversation and laughter. Teddie walked off to take a call from Yosuke.

“Yosuke and Sensei said that there was something important we had to talk about!” Teddie exclaimed.

Akihiko, Chie, and Naoto knew that it was probably some Shadow Operatives stuff, or something else important, but they hesitated to leave Makoto alone in the house. They knew how it felt to feel alone.

“Go. I’ll be fine.” Makoto said to them, not dulling their worries. But they had to go. So they did.

“We’ll be back soon.” Naoto promised the girl.

Makoto wanted to tell them everything. About how her persona made her feel. About everything they did.

Little did she know, there was a discussion going on.

Teddie walked over to a table.

“She’s awakened to her persona! My nose knows!” Teddie said to the rest of the Shadow Operatives.

“What did we tell you?” Minako said.

“How did you three know?” Mitsuru asked the Wildcards.

“Those labyrinth things we told you about. She was there, in the second one.” Minato said, for once not half-asleep.

Ken piped up from the back, asking about why only they remembered the labyrinths.

“Wildcard magic.” Yu said, and everyone accepted the answer.

“The real question is, how do we talk to her about it? Only other persona users understand personas. She isn’t going to tell us about it.” Akihiko says.

“...I don’t think they’ve gotten their permanent Navigator yet. It’s a bit too early to talk about them with her.” Yu says to the teams.

And so they agree to wait a few months. To let her team gain strength. To have her increase her bonds. Let her connection with Johanna get stronger. Let Queen rise to the occasion.

A couple of months pass. Futaba, Haru, and Goro join the team. Makoto and Johanna get better. They all agree that it’s time to reveal their Personas to her.

They come to Makoto’s house during a bad point. Sae’s doing her whole win/lose thing again. Sae hasn’t been acting right for a couple of years now.

“It’s either a win or lose, Makoto! You can’t lose!” Sae yells out to her sister.

“Sis! Calm down, please!” Makoto yells back, desperation evident in her voice.

Chie, Akihiko, and Naoto rush in.

“Sae! Calm down!” Chie yells out.

“She needs to learn! She’s not going to make her way in this world without knowing that losing is to be avoided!”

“But, Sae! Losing is inevitable! You aren’t going to win everything!” Naoto yells out.

The air becomes tense. It seems to be crackling with electricity. And did it just get colder in here?

“What do you know?! Everyone loves you! You’re winning 24/7!” Sae screams out.

The three of them get flashbacks to the fear during foggy days and full moons. To feeling hopeless and yet, continuing to fight.

“We’re not winning all the time.” Akihiko says to her, as he remembers October 4th, where his best friend, his brother, his rock since Miki’s death, fell into a coma that he wasn’t supposed to recover from.

“We lose a lot more than you think.” Chie whispers, as she remembers her shadow. How it said she only kept Yukiko around for her looks. How it said she didn’t really love her.

“It takes losses to get a win.” Naoto mutters, at a barely hearable level. She remembers Heaven, Nanako’s little place in the TV World. How it broke everyone, little by little when the girl died.

But then they remembered how Shinjiro woke up from the coma, how Chie’s shadow helped her save Yukiko, how Nanako came back to life.

How Nyx and Izanami were defeated. Even if for a few months, the Arisato Twins had to die. Even if for a few moments, the entire Investigation Team sacrificed themselves for their leader. Things worked out for them, because they were willing to take losses for the wins. Adachi, Takaya, Ikutski, Namatame... inconsequential at this point.

Until Sae screams out.

“What have you lost?! Don’t try to patronize me by telling me you’ve lost things too! Get out! And don’t come back!”

Okay, the air isn’t just crackling anymore. Makoto can feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. And seriously, when did it get so cold in here?

The three of them leave, not wanting to make things worse. Naoto pulls her phone out of her pocket, ever so slightly. Makoto gets it. Text them later.

And then Sae says that Makoto isn’t allowed to contact them anymore. She should just forget about them.

But Makoto’s a phantom thief now. She’s not going to go down so easily.

The next day, she asks Ren if she could borrow his phone. Ren gives it to her.

To: Naoto Shirogane

Ren: Aunt Nao, it’s Makoto. Sae said I couldn’t contact you anymore.

Naoto: ALRIGHT, I’LL TELL EVERYONE ELSE.

Ren: Class is about to start, so I have to go.

Naoto: WE’LL FIGURE THIS OUT. DON’T WORRY.

Makoto hands Ren his phone back, and bolts to class. She makes it with a few seconds to spare.

Now, Naoto’s at the police station. She switches text conversations.

To: Persona Losers

Naoto: WHO CHANGED THE GROUPCHAT NAME THIS TIME?

Yosuke: naoto stp txtin lik that.

Yu: Partner, your texting isn’t any better.

Yosuke: cmon ptnr

Minato: I’ve got a class going on, text fast.

Naoto: SAE SAID THAT MAKOTO COULD NOT TALK TO US ANYMORE.

Minako: Oh no.

Minato: Minako, you’re supposed to be watching my class?

Minako: Right, sorry!

Junpei: btw I changed the gc name

Yukari: I’m telling Mitsuru.

Junpei: wait no

Yukari: Too late, my beautiful wife is pissed.

Yukiko: Do you have to bring up the fact that you’re with your wife at every turn? I’m home in Inaba while my gf’s in Tokyo and I miss her.

Chie: I miss you too...

Akihiko: Back to the point at hand.

Minato: What, you don’t miss me?

Akihiko: Babe, this isn’t the time.

Minato: I know.

Minato: Oh, I’ve got to go.

Minato: Bye <3.

Naoto: I SHOULD GO AS WELL. GOODBYE.

Yosuke: bye u 2.

Akihiko: skshdjshshsisj

Chie: I can’t believe you killed Akihiko

Naoto pockets her phone, and walks over to Akihiko and Chie.

“So, can’t handle affection?” Chie teases a red-faced Akihiko.

“Shut UP. Can we get back to the point?” He replies.

“As much as I’d love to join in on the teasing, he’s right. We need to talk about Makoto.” Naoto joins in on the conversation.

“Yeah, how are we supposed to talk to her now?” Chie asks.

“We could... wait for her to tell us?” Naoto mutters.

“Naoto, are you kidding me? She doesn’t know we have personas. She thinks we’re not going to believe her.” Akihiko says to her.

“Okay but how do we do either? Sae’s cut off all communication.” Chie interjects.

“Rise or Fuuka?” Naoto asks.

“Rise’s on a tour and Fukka’s on special assignment back home.” Akihiko tells the detective.

“What about Mitsuru or Teddie?” Chie asks.

“They’re also busy.” Naoto says to her.

“...Teddie’s busy?” Chie says, shocked.

“Yosuke’s making him work double-shifts back home to pay for all the topsicles he’s been eating.” Naoto says, stifling a giggle.

“Wait... can’t we just talk to her on the way to school?” Akihiko whispers.

“...”

“Why didn’t we think of that?!” Chie exclaims.

The next day...

Makoto walks off the train, meeting with Ren to have a quick conversation.

“Hey, Makoto!” Chie yells out as they get close to her.

“Oh, hey! You want to talk right now?” Makoto asked them.

“We know you have school soon, but we have to tell you something. Could you come over to the place we’re staying after school?” Naoto asked them.

“Sure...” Makoto replied, feeling a bit nervous.

Makoto walked over to the small house where they were staying for the week while they worked on the case. She walked in, still feeling apprehensive. The Okumura incident had just happened, and they were cops. What if they realized that Makoto was a Phantom Thief?

“Makoto, we need to talk to you about something.” Naoto said, at a table in the middle of the living room.

Oh, no Makoto thought to herself. She’s been busted.

“Tomoe” Chie said to Makoto.

“What?”

“Tomoe, my Initial Persona’s name.” Chie told her.

“WHAT?!” Makoto screamed out.

“Sukuna-Hikona”

“Polydeuces”

“SERIOUSLY?! I’VE BEEN WANTING TO TELL YOU ABOUT JOHANNA FOR MONTHS NOW!” Makoto continued screaming.

After a while, Makoto chilled out.

“So, where do you go to fight Shadows?” Akihiko asked her.

“You guys don’t go to the Metaverse?” She asked them.

“No, Akihiko went to a place called Tartarus, and Chie and I went to the TV world.” Naoto replied.

“Wait... so the stories about the Tower at Midnight and the TV murderer... those were your persona exploits?”

“Yes” the three of them spoke in unison.

“So all those weird names... they were the names of everyone’s personas?”

“Yes!”

“Quick question, Lucia is who’s persona?”

“Fuuka’s.” Akihiko told her.

“So... should I take you to the metaverse?” She asked them.

“We’d appreciate it.” Naoto told her.

And so Naoto takes the three into Mementos.

“It’s very... red.” Chie supplies, unhelpfully.

“Whoa, what happened to your clothes?!” Naoto yelled out.

“Your clothes don’t change?” Makoto asked them. “Then how do you summon your personas?”

“How do you summon yours?” Akihiko asked.

“Oh, like this.” She said, as she removed her mask to reveal Johanna. “By the way, this is the Metaverse. Call me Queen. That’s my codename.”

“Well, Queen, we summon our personas in... other ways. It’ll be easier to show you.” Naoto tells her.

Naoto and Chie pull out a pair of glasses each, as Akihiko pulls out... a gun?

“Polydeuces!”

“Tomoe!”

“Sukuna-Hikona!”

They each summon their personas. Makoto stands there, shocked. And then one idea pops into her head.

“So, the ones from the TV world are the only ones that don’t have edgy summoning sequences?”

“Yes” Naoto tells her. “It’s kind of disturbing how the Phantom Thieves and SEES summon their personas.”

“It’s to signify acceptance of death, Naoto.”

“Still concerning, Akihiko.”

“I mean, the mask is supposed to signify your true self and how you break free from society’s way of saying what you are.” Makoto interjects.

“Still freaky!” Chie yells out.

“Wait... why did you summon your initial personas? Why not your ultimates?” Makoto asks.

“We’d rather show them off in a battle!” Chie yells out.

And then they see a shadow.

“It’s been too long since we’ve done this.” Naoto smirks, as she gets her gun ready.

“Yeah!” Akihiko and Chie scream out in unison.

Makoto goes for the attack.

Two High Pixies.

The battle goes by smoothly, and Makoto makes a mental note of their elements.

“What?! Why did that look like a persona our leaders could summon?!” Chie yells out.

“You mean your leaders don’t recruit personas by negotiating with them?”

“No, just fighting Hableries and Mayas.” Naoto cuts in.

“...What?” Makoto asks

“You... don’t know what a Hablerie or a Maya is?” Akihiko asks her, shocked.

“No, we fight shadows like Pixie or Bicorn...”

“Wait... what... so your Wildcard gains new personas by negotiating with these shadows and they just enter his heart?” Naoto says, with a perplexed look on her face.

“Yeah. How do your leaders get them?”

“Uh, our leaders just say a bunch of Tarot Cards appear in front of their faces and they choose as many as the weird voice allows them...” Chie says.

“That’s... weird”

“We know” the three of them say in unison.

And then chains start rattling.

“We should get off this floor...” Makoto mutters

“Definitely.” Akihiko says.

“What’s the problem? So, the reaper’s in a treasure chest.” Chie adds.

“Looks like the reaper follows Tartarus’s rules here.” Akihiko says.

And then the sense of dread meaning the reaper’s close by comes.

“Run!” Makoto yells, and they all take off towards the stairs.

After three dead ends and almost getting caught twice, they finally make it to the stairs.

“God, I miss the Monabus at times like these.”

“The what?” Naoto asks her.

“Uh... one of our team members is an anthropomorphic cat that insists he’s not a cat and he can turn into a van.”

“Oh. So a mascot.” Chie says “Kind of like Teddie or Koromaru.

“What about Teddie? And Koromaru has a persona?!” Makoto says.

“Teddie’s not actually a method actor. He’s a weird mascot bear suit shadow that grew a body. We don’t get it either.” Naoto supplies.

“And uh, yeah. Koromaru has a persona too. He can’t talk or anything. He’s just a dog.” Akihiko tells her.

“...Damn. Next thing you’re going to tell me Aigis is actually a robot.” Makoto said with a chuckle.

“She is.” Akihiko tells her.

“...What?”

“Aigis is actually a robot” Naoto says.

“Anything else I should know?!” Makoto yells out, which was probably a bad idea considering they were in the middle of Mementos.

“All those crazy stories we told you? Cover stories. Yu and Yosuke did not meet shopping for a TV. They met on the first day that Yu was in Inaba, at school and a couple days later, He, Yosuke, and I fell into the TV world and met Teddie.” Chie tells her.

“...I’m surprised you didn’t spill any of this when you took Goro, Ken, and I to Karaoke and got wasted.” Makoto said.

“Don’t remind me, the hangover was terrible.” Naoto stated, clutching her head.

“Didn’t Ken film everything...?” Akihiko asked her.

“Yeah. I have the video. So does Goro. ‘Blackmail Material’ as he called it. I’m just planning to use it whenever you try to act like mature adults.” Makoto says, stifling a giggle.

“What was the highlight?” Chie asked.

“It’s a tie between Teddie getting wasted and trying to score with everyone there and you and Yukiko forgetting you’ve been dating for the past 5 years and kinda just... getting together.” Makoto says.

“...How much did we drink?!” Chie yells out.

“Just know that Minato, Minako, and Yu are very sappy drunks.” Makoto says.

“Wow, wildcard squad actually shows some emotion?” Chie jokes.

“Wait. Minato, Minako, and Yu are the wildcards?” Makoto asks her.

“Yes, they are.” Naoto tells her.

“...So that’s why I was getting a similar vibe from them and Ren.”

“Ren... so that’s the name of your leader?” Naoto asks.

“Yeah, do the Wildcards always lead?” Makoto replies.

“Yeah. They’ve just got this natural charisma that makes everyone fall in love with them. They’re insanely flirty if you give them the chance to be.” Chie tells her.

“So it’s not just Ren. Wildcards are just gigantic dorks that can make you fall in love with them at the drop of a hat.”

“Yes!”

“Aren’t some of the personas they can summon kind of... concerning?” Makoto asks them.

“...We just ignore them.” Naoto tells her.

“We should probably get back soon, shouldn’t we?” Makoto asks them.

“You’re right, time passes here too.” Chie says.

“There’s no limit on how long you can spend in here, right?” Akihiko asked.

“Nope, just that all the time you spend in here translates into the real world. We came in at 8:24. Sis is going to be really upset if I don’t show up soon.” Makoto said.

“She’s right. As fun as it is fighting shadows in a new place, we can’t risk burning ourselves out.” Naoto mutters. “Not to mention Sae.”

“Yeah. I should get home. See you guys later!” Makoto tells them.

Makoto leaves Mementos, and turns to go home before realizing she has one more question.

“When did you three get your personas?” She asks them.

“Third year of middle school.” Akihiko tells her

“First year of high school.” Naoto speaks.

“Second year of high school.” Chie states.

“So, all before me, huh? I got mine in June of this year.”

“That just means you’re more ready for it.” Naoto tells her with a smile.

“Yeah. Wait, does Ken have a persona?”

“Yeah. He got it in elementary school.” Akihiko tells her.

“That young?!” Makoto screams out. After she comes to terms with the fact that literally everyone in her family besides her sister has a persona, she waves goodbye and walks home.

“Where have you been?” Sae asks her.

“Isn’t that Uncle Akihiko’s line?” Makoto quips.

“Don’t talk about him. Right now, all I’m focusing on is the Phantom Thieves. We’ve got intel that they’ll be infiltrating somewhere soon.”

Makoto makes sure she doesn’t visibly flinch. She knows the plan, but it still scares her. She still can’t believe Goro betrayed them. Betrayed her. His heart’s turned bitter. He’s done unforgivable things. And now he’s planning to kill Ren.

God, I should call Haru tonight... Makoto thought to herself. She needed her sweet, fluffy, girlfriend’s help to deal with everything tonight.

To: Haru Okumura

Makoto: Hello.

Haru: Hello.

Makoto: So you remember how I told you about those crazy adults that are pretty much my family?

Haru: Yes, I remember.

Makoto: They’re Persona users. All of them.

Haru: Wait, seriously?

Makoto: Yeah. I just took them into the metaverse and they summoned their personas easily.

Haru: How long have they had them?

Makoto: Since they were in high school.

Haru: Do any of them use axes?

Makoto: Yeah, Uncle Shinji.

Haru: I’ll have to “axe” him some questions.

Makoto: Haru... Please...

Haru: That was good, and you know it!

Makoto: Fine. I’ve got to go now, though. Got to get to sleep. Night, babe!

Haru: Night, Mako-chan!

Makoto stayed awake in her bed for a while. Her mind was flooded with information. They were going to infiltrate Sae’s palace on the 20th. Ren would be captured. She decided to go to the shrine tommorow. For this plan to work, the thieves would need all the help they could get.

Finally, the 20th arrived.

Joker, ever the showoff. Jumps out a stained glass window. Gets caught. Now the waiting.

...The waiting’s always the hardest part.

Makoto relaxes. Thinking that Ren had never let them down before. He won’t let them down this time.

...Right?

Makoto’s phone starts to ring.

[aij-writes]

Quarter Past Wrong, Pt 2

Rating: Teen, Swearing, Mild Fantasy Violence, Romance

Pairing: Ignyx (Ignis/Nyx)

Summary: Ignis is superhuman...if he is human.  Nyx is pretty sure he’s a vampire.  Case in point...

Warnings: So…going by Japanese standards, even a 17 year old isn’t at the age of majority, so by Insomnia standards, Ignis is still a little young for the 26 year old Nyx.  In Galahd, and his heart, it wouldn’t matter.  Age range is nine years because I accidentally bump up Ignis’s age to three years older than Noctis (instead of 2 ½ of canon) and Gladio a year older than Ignis.  Also, I have a headcanon I’m carrying over that Dragoon is a race and Ignis is a Dragoon.  If I ever write an explanation to this I’ll link it.

Other Tags: Canon compliant, Brotherhood Era, Best friends Gladio & Ignis, Slow burn?, pining, OCs with no development for plot purposes, gratuitous workout and training scenes

For @ffxvignyxzine using all the prompts on day 2 “Meet me after dark”, Rain, Is he a vampire or am I imagining it

Second part of a multi-part fic trying to tie it all together

“Is he a vampire or am I imagining it?” Nyx asked, leaning back against the bleachers.

“Huh?” Crowe asked before throwing her fist up and cheering.  “Come on!” she yelled.

“He’s talking about the bureaucrat again,” Luche complained, leaning back from the next bench down.  He groaned, slapping money into Pelna’s hand.  “Shove it,” he complained.

Crowe continued to watch her team trounce Luche’s in rollerball.  Finally, though, she glanced at where Nyx was staring.  “Dude...don’t be weird,” she complained.

“I’m just saying,” Nyx said, insistent and on the edge of unloading.  “The kid’s not human.”

“He’s a Dragoon.  You know they say the same about you Galahdians,” Tredd offered.

Nyx kicked him hard, sending him crashing into Axis.  He leaned forward, chin in his hand balancing his elbow on his knee and watching the much nicer box seats where the prince watched.  Galahdians didn’t officially have to sit in the low stands, but they just typically did.  along with all the others that coun’t afford better tickets on their salary.  There was no use bothering to mingle with the rest of Insomnia.  They preferred them out of sight, out of mind.  As a Dragoon, Ignis might have had the same issue, the son of refugees himself.  Of course, he’d been handpicked by the king to see to his son, but Ignis faced enough discrimination that Nyx couldn’t help but sympathized.

“I mean...what does that even mean?” Crowe asked.  “Are you calling him a daemon?”  She laughed, taking the box of popcorn from Nyx and munching on a handful.

“I mean, sure, it sounds crazy but like--”

“Fangs?  He’s got fangs for biting the heads off anyone that looks at the Prince the wrong way,” Luche pointed out.

Nyx rolled his eyes.  “Okay, okay, forget it.”

“Maybe you should,” Crowe said, straining up.  “You know...no one finds stalking romantic, Ulric.”

“I’m not...and I don’t...!”  Nyx finally let his cool demeanor crack.  “It’s not like that!”

“Sure, of course not,” Luche agreed.  “He’s a teenager.  Nyx isn’t looking to break Insomnia law.”

“Forget the age of majority, Luche,” Crowe pointed out.  “The kids practically royal court.”

“I’m not trying to date anyone let alone him, Astrals!” Nyx said tensely.  “I wouldn’t date a vampire anyway!”

Tredd snickered.  “Interested in guys, Hero?”

Nyx rolled his eyes.  “All I’m interested in is figuring out if Scientia is a vampire.  That’s it.”

“Here,” Crowe said, having been on her phone.  She mailed him a list.  “Checklist.  Go do your stalking and find out before you go completely stark raving mad, alright?”  She motioned her head.  “The Crown finds out they’ve got a creature of the night tucking the prince in, they’ll give you another medal, right?”

Nyx rolled his eyes.  Still, he couldn’t help but look over the list.

---

Pale Skin/Aversion to Sunlight

Nyx was walking down the hall, talking to Gladiolus Amicitia.  Over the years, he’d gotten to know the Shield’s son as a pretty cool guy.  He’d even been invited over for a few meals at the manor and sat in on one of Gladio’s tattoo sessions when he went to get the line down his own right index.  Gladio tended to be easygoing, but honest, and just as fun and without caring he wasn’t native.  His sister liked to ask him questions, even if she never asked anything important.  Which, to be honest, he sort of liked.  It was rough with the only thing anyone wanted to ask him was about fighting.  Even Gladio’s father balanced a line between respectful and boyish enthusiasm.

Right now, Gladio was talking about a movie adaptation of some novel, complaining about the casting and merging of characters.  Nyx followed along, having read the book but not having gotten around to seeing it.  The set pieces sounded cool, but it didn’t sound enough to save a movie on a book he’d actually enjoyed.  They were headed to lunch together, as Nyx had had to pull guard duty at the gates and missed his friends’s break and Gladio just liked to rotate his options.

As they went to turn into the cafeteria though, they nearly ran right into the prince.  Fourteen and every bit as sullen as the age demanded, Noctis huffed, stepping back and looking away.  His shadow cleared his throat and Noctis rolled his eyes.  “Yeah...sorry...”

Gladio raised his eyebrows, before asking Ignis, over Noctis’s head and silently, He alright?

Ignis gave Gladio a sympathetic look.  Father, he mouthed back.

Nyx guessed that meant something about the king.  Before he could get too worried about King Regis, though, Noctis huffed and kicked his shoe against the floor.

“Since Dad’s too busy, can I just go back to my room?”

Ignis frowned, fingers nervously worrying over his cuff.  Gently and proddingly, he said, “Noctis, wouldn’t you like to sample the changed menu?  There’s a new burger I think has merits and--”

Noctis let out a tortured noise.  He frowned as Gladio snorted and rolled his eyes.  “Oh yeah, sure, and then everyone can whisper and point and go Oh look, it’s the prince.  I put up with that enough at school, Ignis, thanks.”

Ignis sighed, pushing his glasses up.  “Your Highness...”

Gladio threw an arm around Noctis’s shoulders.  “Come on.  You two can join me and the Hero.  That way, if anyone’s staring, you can tell yourself it’s in awe of braids and muscles.”  He eyed Ignis.  “And those ridiculous bags under your mom’s eyes.”  He put a hand on Ignis’s shoulder, holding him there.  “Astrals, Iggy, you stay up all night cleaning up after His Bratiness again?”

Ignis squirmed.  “Honestly, Gladio!”  He frowned.  Like the kid didn’t have enough criticisms getting through his teenage years.  His acne was finally under control.  Though his skin was much smoother and soft now, he was all the more paler for it.  For a moment there, Ignis had quite a time.  He dressed like a little business man, had glasses, an overbite, acne, and carried a briefcase everywhere.  At seventeen, he was finally growing into his looks having started to do things with his hair and put together slightly more stylish versions of the blazer-dress pants-collared shirt that was his uniform.  Still, he had a wan look.  He looked like he carried the fate of the entire kingdom on his shoulders.

“I’ll grab us a table,” Nyx offered.  “You’re still buying, right?” he asked Gladio, punching him on the shoulder  “Get me an orange juice with a deluxe burger and onion rings.”

Noctis made a gagging noise.  “Orange juice at lunch?” he said to Nyx.  He looked around the cafeteria then settled his eyes outside.  “Can’t we go eat outside?”

Nyx looked at Ignis, almost holding his breath in expectation.  It was dumb but--

Ignis gave Noctis a patient, apologetic smile.  “It’s really more comfortable in here, right?”

“In the gardens, no one will know I’m there,” Noctis tried to and failed not to whine.

“And I won’t know anyone’s sneaking up on you,” Gladio said, crossing his arms.

“You’re supposed to be ready for sneak attacks,” Noctis pointed out.  “Warp boy’s got us, right?”

Nyx glanced at Ignis.  “It’s really nice out.  Even pencil pushers have to get sunlight sometimes, right?”

Ignis sighed.  “I’m afraid it’s a tad windy and I’d hope to finish going over your homework so I might have an evening to myself, Your Highness.  Do you mind if we stay inside?”

In the end, Noctis assented.

Mind Control

“Oh...hey,” Nyx said.  He was leaving the library, book tucked under his arm.

Ignis pursed his lips in that displeased way he had.  “Yes,” he said.  “I need to--”

“They’re closed,” Nyx said, jutting a thumb back.  “Just got kicked out myself.”  He grinned, leaning on the door.  “Not so quick now, huh?”

Ignis frowned at Nyx, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Hey, come on, no need to pout.  I’m sure you’ll be up early enough that you only have to wait a few hours, right?”  Nyx tried to nudge Ignis on the arm, but he didn’t even respond.

Nyx wasn’t even sure how, but in less than a moment, the door was unlocked and opened.  A single hand reached out with a book.  Ignis reached behind Nyx and took it.  He nodded his head at it.  He didn’t even look at Nyx as he rotated on his heel and marched back the way he came.

Arithmomania

“Anyone ever tell you that you have an attitude problem?” Nyx asked Ignis.  He was doing pull ups near where another Crownsguard was working Ignis through stretches.  Ignis looked like he was in extreme pain or simply concentrating, but he clearly ground his teeth too much.

Ignis put a finger out to flip him off.  That was with him being flipped and having his leg extended.

Nyx tried to laugh and regulate his breathing but he ended up releasing his grip.  He fell onto the mats below.  He grabbed his towel and wiped down his face.  “Wow, Scientia...you’re too much.”  He stooped down next to Ignis’s head, watching him.  “Careful Novitas doesn’t rip something.”  With his worst impression of Ignis’s Dragoon accent, he teased, “The Kingdom would fall without our favorite high-stressed gov’nor doing everything for everyone.”

“Let me...do you a favor,” Ignis said with a surprising amount of breath control.

Nyx grinned.  “Oh yeah?  You want to come over and set my pants on fire?”  Last week in training, Ignis had missed a mark and set Luche’s pants on fire.  Though Nyx had to admit it was awesome, he hadn’t let Ignis live it down.

Ignis’s face was already flushed but now he was glaring.  The way he clenched his teeth, though, it made his lips pouty and his narrowed eyes behind glasses gave him a sultry look.  Nyx tried not to notice that the guy was hotter than Ifirit’s sigh.

“No,” Ignis grunted.  “The favor is, I won’t punch you for gawking.”

Nyx grinned at him with a wide, toothy smile.  “Who’s staring?  I’m wondering if you’re almost done being stretched like taffy.  I wanted the mats for crunches and squats.”

Ignis groaned, tapping out.  “Enough, Nov!” he gasped.

“Getting limber, aren’t you?” the grinning blonde asked.  He eased Ignis’s leg down.  “One more?”  He ran his hand up and down Ignis’s back along the spine.  “Help you cool down?”

“Might put the fire out,” Ignis agreed, still giving Nyx a glare that only made him hotter.  “No, you can use the mats all around me, though.”

He tried not to think about it.  In Galahd and the rest of Lucis, it might not have been so odd to find a seventeen-year-old attractive.  In Insomnia, it was one more disconcerting thing the refugees left around them where the age of majority was twenty.  Never mind the fact Ignis clearly never thought of anything other than work and training to be better at work.  He knew he was the Prince’s future adviser, but there was enough evidence that Ignis did nearly everything for the teen and was still counted on for other things.  He overheard complaining about him speaking up at council meetings he was merely meant to take notes at and, they had the insistence of saying, the King actually discussing with the Head of Urban Development as serious advice!

Not it wasn’t so much Nyx shouldn’t find Scientia hot.  It was that he did and he knew it didn’t matter.  Fellow refugee or not, there was already murmurs of King Regis granting peerage to Ignis.  Then he wouldn’t just be an unofficial member of the royal court, he’d be a lord and there’d be an official House of Scientia.  Nyx knew that anyone that close to the royals was already too high-strung to be interested in grabbing coffee--though Ignis seemed to live of the stuff even at his age.  He’d never risk his standing for a nearly decade-older Rat who didn’t even particularly want anything.  Nyx just thought he was nice to look at.  And maybe a vampire.

As Novitas wrapped an arm around Ignis from behind, Nyx situated himself where he might watch in the mirrors if he chose to.  Between push ups, he did.  Novitas had Ignis drapped over his arm.  Ignis was bent almost double over it, hands sliding down his own legs as Novitas used his other hand to push Ignis down further.  No one should bend that easily.  No one should have Ignis in such a pliable position if he wasn’t going to do something about it.  With Novitas’s serious look, though, he clearly only had the boring workout in mind.

Ignis clearly needed to prove himself even if it was only to himself.  He was like a chocobo in a rainstorm; letting water roll of his back.  No amount of underestimation had ever caused him embarrassment.  But the impossible standards he set himself kept being held up despite how much more he stacked onto himself.

Nyx ended his last set as Ignis ended his actual cool down stretches.  He’d already thanked Novitas and they’d parted sometime before.  Libertus had ended his time on the weights, talking about his day’s best.  As he asked Nyx how much he’d done, they headed to the lockers room, Ignis trailing behind.

“I dunno...I just do ’em til I’m done.”

Ignis rattled off the numbers of pull ups, push ups, crunches, and squats Nyx had done.  He looked at their surprised faces.  “Counting habit.  When I’m working out, I’m trying not to think about anything.  Counting helps.”

---

Invitation Only

“Hey Nyx?” Gladiolus called, catching up to him.  “You good?”

Nyx rubbed his shoulder.  He had bandages over it.  A spell had gone wrong on the field last week and burst from his flesh.  He had electric burns down to the muscle.  He offered a grin.  “Sure, why not?”

“His Highness,” he said, always careful to be proper when not talking to Ignis or Noctis, “nearly gave himself frostbite a year or so ago.  No reason to act tough.”

Nyx shrugged with one shoulder.  “Who’s acting?”  He cuffed Gladio on the head.  “You ever stop growing?”

“If not up then out,” Gladio said, smirking as he flexed.  He was in a tanktop and the steadily filling in lines rippled like a bird’s plumage might actually in the wind.  He looked like he wanted to say something after that, but Nyx let him stew on his thoughts as he kept walking towards his neighborhood.  He actually wondered how long until Gladio refused to go further.

“So...you having a few people over for drinks and watch the Founder’s Day thing?”

“Yeah,” Nyx said.  “You wanna come?”

“Can Iggy come?”

Nyx raised his eyebrows.  “Uh, sure...why not....though, I can’t imagine he’d miss the real thing.”

Gladio shook his head.  “The Prince has finals and is going to stay in all night and prep.  Ignis is hoping he’ll see to himself and I want to give him a chance to be distracted from worrying he won’t.”

Nyx nodded.  “Well, my apartment isn’t going to compare to the Amicitia manor.  Or the Citidal apartments.”

“Ignis isn’t stuck up, you know.  You could give him a chance.”

“I’m not mean to him,” Nyx said with an incredulous look on his face.  “Boy, you really are protective of him, you know.  He probably doesn’t like all that big brother posturing, you know.”

“Sure, I know,” Gladio agreed.  “Except I’m always there to remind him to live a little.  It’d be nice if someone wanted to include him without wanting something from him.”

“I mean, he can come.  It’s no biggie.”  Nyx couldn’t quite say he didn’t want anything from Ignis.  To see the guy smile might be asking too much, though.

“Well, sure, if I tell him, he’ll never come.  Maybe you could invite him.  Let him know he’s welcome.”

Nyx frowned at that, but nodded.  “Sure...I’ll tell him about it.”

---

Aversion to Garlic

“What are you doing?” Ignis demanded.

Nyx looked up.  “You looked tired.  I made us coffee.”

“...what did you put in the coffee?” he asked in a careful tone.  There was some amusement there, though.

“Uh...well, it’s Ebony beans, water, chocolate flakes, honey, and...oh, yeah, I guess that’s...”  Nyx eyed Ignis carefully.  He’d been caught in the kitchens making himself a sandwich after bullshit guard duty released him way too early in the morning and caught Ignis baking.  He slid the mug over, perversely curious.  “You like to try new things?”

“Of course,” Ignis said, frowning.  “One should always look to expand their horizons.”

“Alright, well, you ever put anything in your coffee?  I know I’ve seen you only take it black from the can.”  Ignis raised his eyebrows at this, as if surprised Nyx was keeping tabs.  Or maybe it that there was any other way to have it.  Or the avoidance of answering directly.  Nyx grinned.  “So I made it how I had it back home.  You know...where I’m from.”

“In Galahd?” Ignis asked softly, picking up the mug and looking at it.  “I thought I saw spices go in.”

“Yeah...salt, pepper...garlic paste stirred in.”  Nyx smiled sheepishly.  “It’s better that way.”

“You can’t put garlic in coffee.”

“I think you’ll find I have.”  He picked up his mug, knocking it against Ignis’s.  “Drink up.”

Ignis stared into it.  “No.”

“Well, I’ll admit, a fresh clove it better.  But one sip isn’t going to kill you.”

Ignis sighed.  “I mean, I’m watching you drink it, but I swear you’re just playing a prank on me.  Maybe there’s no garlic in yours.”

Nyx snickered.  He took Ignis by the wrist, bringing his mug up and tipping a bit into mouth.  “Mmm...like Daddy used to drink.”  He released Ignis’s wrist, but used his fingers to tip the mug towards him.  “One sip,” he urged in a soft, teasing voice.  “Be brave, Crownsguard.”

Ignis looked at the mug, before meeting Nyx’s eyes.  He let him raise it to his lips, but put his other hand on Nyx’s.  He took a slow sip, still watching Nyx intently.

“Good?”

“Maybe not my taste but understandably good for others,” Ignis agreed softly.  He stepped back a bit, putting the distance and raising his voice to a normal tone, “I think I’ll take it plain from now on, but once can’t hurt.”  He smirked at bit at Nyx.  “I still think it’s some elaborate punishment game you’re just immune to.”

“No one’s immune to garlic, Ignis.  Enjoy it.”  Nyx turned from Ignis.  “It’s good for you.  How’s it any different from your quest to sneak veggies into the notoriously picky prince’s dessert?”

“Fair enough,” Ignis conceded easily.

“You must be poisoned.  You didn’t even argue.”  Nyx came back, putting the back of his hand to Ignis’s forehead.  “Is that a fever?  You’re burning up.”

Ignis rolled his eyes.  “Like I haven’t heard jokes on my name my whole life.  Imagine if you knew my middle name.”

“Middle?” Nyx asked.

Ignis looked embarrassed, at least for him.  He turned his head a bit even if he kept his eyes on Nyx unabashedly.  “Well, it’s a Dragoon thing.  We have a family, a personal, and a middle.  I wouldn’t be ashamed of it, but it’s dumb.”

Nyx grinned, leaning in.  “You’re full of secrets, aren’t you?”

“I don’t doubt it, Mr. Ulric.”  Ignis smirked a little.  “I don’t let many people too close.  Too close to me is too close to the prince.”

“You’re faithful,” Nyx pointed out.

“It’s love, Nyx.  I love my country and I love my job.”  Ignis looked up at the older man.  “I love Noctis, too.”  He bit his lip at the casual use of his name, but he was already that far in.  “I’ve taken care of him for so long, how could I not?”

“Yeah...” Nyx agreed.  “I know what you mean.”  He didn’t elaborate to Ignis, but his thoughts were to his sister.  “But you know that time isn’t all love is.”

“Of course not,” Ignis said with a huff.  “If the prince didn’t deserve my love, he wouldn’t have it, only my duty and follow through.”

“Still seems like it’s hard to earn those,” Nyx said.  “You think there’d ever be another person as lucky?”

Ignis smirked into his coffee.  “Sure.”  He let the casual assurance hang as he eyed Nyx with his teasing green guys.  “My best friend Gladiolus.”

Nyx nodded.  “Fair enough.”  He reached over, tapping Ignis’s chin up.  “Anyone would be a fool to try to stretch you any thinner.”  He gazed at him before moving on.

“That’s you, Ulric,” Ignis said, setting his mug down.  He flipped the timer on the oven off at four seconds and peered inside.  “Always issuing a challenge.”

“Name a time I ever do that,” Nyx demanded, only to frown.  “Alright, alright...”

Ignis huffed, pulling the pastries out.  He used the mitts to fan the steam rising off them.  “Everything you do around me is a challenge.  Even coffee.”

“Well...maybe you’re looking at it wrong.”

“I often don’t,” Ignis said carelessly.  “I tend to have an accurate idea of others’ motives and strategies.”

“Yeah, I guess so.”  Nyx sipped at his coffee.  “I must be that annoying know-it-all you think me as.”

Ignis raised his eyebrows.  “Or you find pushing me around is the best way to get me where you want me.”

Nyx startled, coughing around a bad swallow.  He set the mug down, watching Ignis’s back.  He took a careful step forward, sliding in next to him.  “You always seem to like things a bit direct so as to get it over and done with.”

“Hmmm...that would be a mostly accurate summery,” Ignis said, sprinkling powdered sugar over the pastries.

“Maybe I’m tired of you being over and done with people.  Me or otherwise.”

“You?” Ignis asked, having the slightest look of surprised as he realized Nyx was closer.  Right next to him with the heat off his body warmer than the pastries.  He shifted, turning to look up at him.  “And what more would you want from me?” he asked, no blush or nervous tremble.  Just honest, direct curiosity.

Nyx couldn’t help but look at those lips.  “For you to engage with people for the pure pleasure of their company.”

Ignis blinked at him, before breaking the moment by moving away without a word.  He pulled a linen-lined basket towards him and began to load the pastries in to bring up to Noct.  “I would have to find their company pleasurable, don’t you think?”

Nyx scowled.  “Right,” he said a bit abruptly.  He went to pick up his plate, ready to retreat.  “Unlike a Rat with too many opinions.”

Ignis let out an annoyed hum.  He lifted a pastry that had broken apart.  He took a knife to it, cutting it evenly in half.  He tipped it onto Nyx’s plate.  “I may be efficient, Mr. Ulric but I’m not boring.”  He gave Nyx his own challenging look.  “You want to order me around, make sure it keeps my interest.  Trade for the coffee.”

“I don’t want anything from you,” Nyx said irritably, turning to catch the hurt look cross Ignis’s face before it was as quickly schooled into a challenging look himself.  He winced at that, before taking a bite.  “Pretty good,” he mumbled around the crumbles and silky filling.  It had a warm, nutty flavor.

“Probably not good enough for His Highness but I try,” Ignis said, shrugging.  “Well...if you don’t want anything more, I guess I better leave for someone who always needs me to get him up and going in the morning.”

Nyx watched him leave, gap-mouthed.  Okay...never mind what he wanted.  What did Ignis want?

---

Bloodlust

“I’ll kill him.”

“Sure Iggy.”

“No, I will,” he snapped.  “Slowly, too.  I’ve been working on interrogation techniques with the Marshal.  I’ve found plenty of places to put a knife that’ll bleed good but not kill or maim.  Enough of those, though...”

“Well...that’ll come in handy,” Gladiolus marveled.  “How come he never has anything useful for me?  All I got was this amazing physique.”

“You did that yourself, you swole-head.”

Nyx kept walking, not wanting to know who’d get Ignis that worked up over anything.

---

Animal Familiar

Nyx burst into laughter.  Ignis shot him a look from across the hall they were passing in.  Nyx shrugged, gesturing behind him.

Noctis had stopped in his walk, standing in the light of the high window.  He had none of his usual teenage scowl.  He just blinked sleepily, smiling faintly.  He looked a bit puffed in the warmth of the sunlight.

“Your cat’s distracted,” he said with a grin, gone before Ignis could throw another withering look at him.

---

Water Barrier

Nyx had his hand over Ignis’s on his kukri’s handle.  “I want you to feel it pass from my hand to my blade,” he instructed.

They were nearly back to front, past the usual training time, but Ignis had finally asked for something.  He was having difficulty with lightning spells and issued his own challenge to Nyx he made it look so easy.  Ignis still had problems with aim and release and the erratic electricity was the worst.  Just today, upon issuing the command, Drautos had taken a tiny bolt to his knee.  He’d limped out of there after carrying practice on as normal, wincing and using Luche and Libtertus’s help to walk as he couldn’t feel his leg.

“Come on, Scientia,” Nyx urged.  “This is the only area I’ve seen where your power outstrips your finesse.  You don’t have to be the strongest on the field.  But there’s so many people around, you run the risk of getting your guys.  No amount of battle formations is going to prevent friendly fire.”

“This fire isn’t feeling so friendly,” Ignis muttered darkly.

“You need to let failures happen,” Nyx coaxed.  “Doing it right the first time means you fall into bad habits.  Like confusing trying with succeeding.”

“You are really arrogant, you know that?” Ignis shot out.

“We’re not sparring, let alone trading barbs.  I’m here instead of showering and getting a beer.  I think I’m being fucking gracious and you’re the arrogant one,” Nyx snapped.

Ignis startled.  With that, a bolt shot out, hitting one of the stone pillars.  He looked back at Nyx.  He pulled his hand from Nyx’s, using the other, uncharged one to push his glasses up.  “My apologies.”

“I don’t want ’em,” Nyx assured him.  “Just focus.”

Ignis looked around the training yard.  It was just him and Nyx.  “Of course,” he assured him.  “I let my frustrations get the best of me.”

“The best of you is better than that,” Nyx couldn’t help but say.

“You know me so well?” Ignis inquired.

“Uh...well, I know the standards you hold for yourself...they’re not easy.”  Nyx shifted a little so it was less like Ignis was in his arms.  He took his fist, placing it at the center of Ignis’s gravity above his navel.  The teen had started to shoot up in height.  Already tall, he was squeezing a few more inches out of what was left of puberty.  Nyx started to wonder if he’d end up towering like his best friend.  At seventeen, Ignis was nearly Nyx’s full height.

He swallowed, trying to ignore his thoughts of how neither would strain into a kiss.  At least physically.  The emotional, societal burden was insurmountable he decided.  Had to conclude and be done with.  This attraction was getting out of hand and it was so one-sided he’d started to consider his friends were right.  He was stalking the damn kid.

“F-feel right here,” Nyx said, only the slightest waver in his voice.  Ignis stiffened at it, but relaxed as Nyx went on, “I want you to be a storm.  Gather, pull, twist and turn in place.  Build it up.  Draw from every bit but keep it here.  Then...”  His hand went from fist to open palm, cupping the taut muscles of the Dragoon and dragging his hand up over his chest.  “Direct it,” he ordered quietly, “only a little.  You hold that storm in place,” he said, other fist going back to the spot.

He now had both arms around Ignis.  Nyx was pressed against him, their different body types fitting together well.  He kept his head turned slightly, chin barely resting against the back of Ignis’s shoulder.  His open palm continued to run, curving with Ignis’s defined curves.  “You are bringing forth one bolt,” he reminded him.  “You aren’t separating it, though.”  He gently ground his fist in a little.  “Connected to your storm, but seeking grounding.  You are connected.  Your aim is to find the easiest root from your storm to your target.”  His hand ran over Ignis’s pectoral, fingers trailing a little high to touch the exposed skin of Ignis’s collarbone for a moment, but moving on.

His hand continued its path.  From Ignis’s shoulder to arm, down, down, slow and direct.  Nyx shifted, pressing as close as he could, breath its own heat cloud against Ignis’s ear.  His hand turned, running over the inside of Ignis’s wrist before the final rest, wrists pressed together.  Ignis still had Nyx’s kukri closed in his his hand.

“Release,” Nyx guided, directly yet soft.

Ignis released a single blast that as quickly webbed out and enveloped the pillar, turning it into a beacon.  Both had to shut their eyes, but Ignis held strong as he overwhelmed it with his entire charge.  Behind eyelids, they could see it get brighter still before plunging them into darkness.

Ignis was breathing heavily, obviously worn out.  Both kept their eyes shut, but Ignis shifted in Nyx’s arms.  He handed him back his knife and turned, his own hand drawing over Nyx’s chest.  He was quicker with his movements and it came to rest in the crook of Nyx’s neck.

Nyx felt charged lips near his.  His hand gripped at fabric, holding Ignis close to him but not moving closer.

A crash of thunder startled them apart.

Ignis gasped and Nyx yelped.  But it was a real storm.  The exposed air of the training grounds let in the storm above and rain started to fall on them.

Ignis dove for cover, but it was harder to tell if it was from the rain or the man that stood in it, watching him go.

---

Fangs

“There are eyes everywhere, Scientia,” Nyx murmured, holding an impassive look.  He had guard duty for a delegation of scholars that wanted to discuss crystal magic.  They mostly wanted to implore the king again to ask him was it wise to let the Rats steal pieces.  That the Kingsglaive would be the guard was by design.

Ignis wasn’t looking at him.  But he was wondering close to Nyx.  He’d been asked to the meeting personally by the king and had stood up, impassioned in his argument that the Kingsglaive was not only necessary, but in favor of King Regis’s duty to his people.  The scholars had argued back that first and foremost, the King had to duty to the crystal itself.  The heart of their star resided in it and needed to be protected above any people.

Drautos and Leonis, rarely on the same page of anything, had taken their time to both argue.  The Marshal had pointed out His Majesty must protect his lineage to continue protecting the crystal.  Both Ignis and King Regis had shared a mutual look of distress at summing up Prince Noctis’s purpose as a progenitor for more servants to the crystal but neither had voiced it.

Drautos had merely spat out there wouldn’t be a crystal to protect if Nifleheim was allowed to snuff the lands out.  “There’s hardly a star, let alone its heart, if there’s no people to stand upon it and receive its blessing, right?”

The meeting wasn’t futile but it was frustrating.  No one walked away happy.

But Ignis wasn’t walking away.

Nyx had put a healthy space between him and Ignis.  As in always several floors away if possible, as he’d started to make himself unavailable.  Ignis hadn’t acted as if he’d noticed, but he now shot Nyx a questioning look over his glasses.  Nyx merely stood at attention, eyes gazing past him.

Pushing them up, Ignis gathered up his papers and put them in his briefcase.  He pulled on his tie, loosening it a bit.  He walked past Nyx without another word.

Only once the meeting room was empty did he finally relax his stance.  And look at the tiny paper pressed into his hand.

Meet me after dark.

Nyx wasn’t sure where or why or should or even could.  He didn’t know where Ignis went when he wasn’t working.  He certainly didn’t know what he wanted.  Not really.  The almost kiss, if that’s what it was going to be, had worn him out.  He hadn’t even thought about it.  It was too much to consider so he hadn’t.  He just avoided it and avoided Ignis.  Now he was summoning him.  Where?  Who knows.  When?  Dark was relative.  He was in the dark now.  Why?  To be threatened and yelled at?  To be grabbed and kissed?  To be lectured about propriety and laws and how a royal retainer and a soldier with nine years difference and from two completely different backgrounds were not meant to have so many run-ins?  Should he go and assure him it was a moment they’d both read wrong?  Could he really face those wide, searching eyes and listen to the berating from those pouty, full lips?

He went home.  He went home and changed and fed himself, and even got some of the chores he’d let slide.  He distracted himself.  Then he groomed himself, checking his braids and washing his face.  He dabbed on cologne and changed his shirt.  He frowned at his reflection.  He stopped dawdling and caught the train back to the Citidal.

He walked towards it with purposeful steps even if his mind was blank of any strategy.  He stopped short, though, seeing that Ignis always had a plan.

The rain had continued to fall for the last week.  Nyx had shrugged on a raincoat with a hood, but Ignis stood in his partial suit under an umbrella.  He was off to the side, at the foot of the steps.  He turned this way and that, looking like he was trying not to look so obviously looking.  But Nyx stared.

He was too much.  Too cute in his obviousness.  Too young in his unabashed forwardness.  Too out of his league in his poise and elegance even under duress.  He was too much of a bad idea.

Nyx approached, boots splashing in the rain.  Ignis still hadn’t noticed him even if he made no attempts at stealth.  But his mouth wasn’t working right, so he didn’t call out.  Nyx reached Ignis.  Ignis looked up at him, surprised and unable to force his expression to something neutral.  Nyx didn’t even pause, reaching Ignis, closing a hand around Ignis’s back, and pulling them close together under the umbrella.  It was a tight squeeze.  Ignis continued to look at Nyx, not hiding his thoughts so well.  He was wanting.  Nyx wanted it back.

They met into the kiss, neither making the first move.  Ignis’s freehand went to tangle into Nyx’s hair, stroking at braids and petting down to his nape.  They opened their mouths to each other.  They kissed until breaking apart.

Nyx was hugging Ignis, though, so they didn’t move more than their faces.  Ignis ran his hand over Nyx’s scruffy beard.  His expression was thoughtful, soft, still wanting but only more now instead of unchecked yearning.  Nyx watched Ignis with something akin to hope as his fingers traced patterns across Ignis’s shoulders.

Nyx closed his eyes for a long moment as he sucked in a stuttered breath.  Can’t, won’t, shouldn’t, never ran through his head.  Ignis’s next kiss only tasted like yes.

They made out in the rain, not sure where this was going and what they’d have to do to keep it.  But Nyx did have the presence of mind to run his tongue over Ignis’s teeth.  Just to check.

[alia-turin]

So after writing a fic for glaiveweek, an idea came to my mind to grow that fic a bit more. So here it is. I’m starting new series, a mafia AU which basically will cover the lives of most of the glaives from the time they are about 16. I will have slightly different approach to the fic, all chapters will be a bit like stand alone stories, which could be read separately or as a part of the bigger picture. Eventually the fic will grow into Nyche fic, but slowly (sorry) and then Lunyx (sorry). Most of the chapters will be from Luche’s POV, but I’m not excluding the possibility of writing chapter or half a chapter from someone else’s POV. Hope you guys enjoy. 

If you want to be tagged, let me know. If you want to be untagged, let me know, no hard feelings, I fully understand that not every fic is everyone’s cup of tea. 

Fic Title: The Derelict Chapter: Chapter I Rating: G (some swearing, later chapters might be NSFW, warnings will be posted) Pairing: Luche/Nyx Other characters: Pelna, Clarus, Titus, Libertus, Selena Summary: Sixteen-years-old Luche is throw into real life after losing his part time job at a neighbourhood business. He desperately needs the job,, however finding a new one isn’t as easy as it seems until one day an opportunity runs into him. Tagging: @birdsandivory @jojopitcher @lazarustrashpit @yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy (if that’s not your cup of tea dear, let me know I know you have some objections regarding the story :D ) @kairakara101 @akiza-hades-rose

If you feel like supporting this writer consider buying me a coffee: Ko-Fi

Luche walked out of the gym not really sure what to do with himself. He loved his job there and needed the money, but the place was closing down and he had just received his final paycheck. He had to find  new job and he had to find it now, but that was easier said than done. He was still in school and preferred to graduate if possible, not that he had any hope for college, that costed money he didn’t have even with scholarships. His mum was going to kill him if he didn’t graduate. But he also needed the money. She needed medication and food had to be put on the table.

“Hey, why the long face?” Nyx appeared as if out of nowhere and pushed him from behind, Luche almost falling down.

“Careful where you walk, asshole.” He grumbled, not being in the mood for any of that.

“Who pissed in your coffee this morning.” Nyx stared walking next to him.

“I just lost the job at the gym.” Luche said very quietly, but his friend heard him.

“What? Why? You were good at that thing. Best receptionist they ever had.” Nyx placed his hand on Luche’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, but honestly it didn’t work. He needed work not sympathy.

“They are closing the gym down. They dismissed also all the trainers, cleaners…” he sighed. “They will be selling the equipment on an auction tomorrow. Honestly with all the bigger chains around it is becoming very difficult to stay competitive. I’m stupid, I knew things were going down, but we had customers, I was hoping we could make it.

“Lu, you are one of the smartest guys I know, probably the smartest in our class if not the school. I’m sure you will find something else.” Nyx was his best friend and as such he was there when he needed him, but Luche needed work more than anything right now. “My mum is making dinner tonight, Lib is coming, his dad is nightshift, you should drop by, you can stay for the night if you want.”

“Sure.” The response came a bit automatic without him thinking over it too much. But what was there to think? His mother was in a hospital again, so as soon as he walked home he was going to be all alone in the dark apartment eating leftovers or some microwaved meal.

He never imagined his life going in that direction. When he was a kid he had a normal family, a pretty normal life. His greatest problem usually was forgetting to write his homework or not bringing a book to school. Once he forgot to pay his fine to the library and was charged fifty cents extra. It all went upside down when his father passed away and all the medical issues of his mother started. They have never been rich, but they weren’t poor either. Now things were different. His mother couldn’t work so her only income was social benefits, which was enough to pay for their rent and food, but not for the medical bills and medicine. He had to work and he had been working since he was fourteen. Now he was sixteen and had lost a job for first time, he was sure it wasn’t going to be his last.

 As usual Nyx’s mum had prepared the most amazing dinner he had eaten since the last time he was there. Coming to their apartment for meals has always been fun. Nyx and Libertus were his closest friends in school and being at the dinner table with them felt like eating with his two brothers. Not that he had any siblings, but these two were the closest to siblings he would ever have.

“Luche, is it true that your math teacher recommended you for scholarship for a college?” Nyx’s mum asked as she served the last plate on the table and sat with them.

“Ah…” he wasn’t sure how to respond to that. It was true just.

“Absolutely!” Selena, Nyx’s sister responded instead of him. “He was singing Lu’s prizes to the headmaster right before he walked into our class. He used words like exceptional and talented.”

“He was probably talking about someone else.” Libertus said and laughed. “Nothing exceptional about Lu here beside his cheekbones.” Nyx smacked his friend at the back which made him say a loud ‘ouch’ but didn’t stop him from eating.

“That’s a great opportunity!” Nyx’s man continued making Luche feel even more uncomfortable. “I mean with good math grades you can go to MIT, or wherever you want. All the math and computer sciences are in demand right now. You would probably have job offers before you even graduate.”

“You can adopt him, you know.” Nyx pretend that he was annoyed at his mother’s words, but Luche knew better. He turned toward his friend and nodded at him in gratitude. “You are just all over him because he is smarter than me.” Nyx continued dragging the attention to himself, rather than allowing Luche to feel even more uncomfortable.

“I didn’t say you are not smart my dear.” His mum smiled calmly. “But I do recall speaking with your science teacher about three outstanding homeworks that you haven’t submitted yet.”

“I will write them eventually.” Nyx mumbled and dug into his plate.

 Next day was Saturday, Luche spent most of his morning looking for work in the neighborhood, but with no luck. Their neighborhood wasn’t exactly wealthy. It was small tightknit community where everyone knew everyone, family businesses were mostly holding their ground against bigger chains but that was coming to an end as he new from first hand experience. Everyone was holding to their jobs as if there were the last straws and he didn’t blame them. Nobody who lived here was exactly rich, most people were passing by and even if the local owners knew him and his family, they didn’t have the resources to hire him. He understood.

His afternoon he decided to give up on his search, he could resume tomorrow. He went to street where Nyx and the others usually hang out and found them kicking a soccer ball around.

“Look who is here!” Libertus greeting him and shook his hand.

“The next Einstein.” Pelna laughed and Luche sighed loudly reminding himself that one day he will have to beat Libertus and his big mouth.

“You still mopping over that girl from the grocery store?” Luche bit back and Pelna suddenly looked as if someone slapped him.

“He has progress today.” Nyx wrapped his arm around Pelna and pretended to strangle him. “He looked at her today and she looked at him back. For three seconds.”

“She is totally into him.” Libertus laughed. “In fact, she is so into him that she couldn’t look at him for more than three seconds.”

They all laughed, Luche including, but Pelna wasn’t very happy that they were making fun of him.

“Hey, Lu!” Nyx shouted and kicked the ball toward him but before he could realize the ball was already passing him and hit a nearby car. Expensive car. The type of car that you don’t even walk next to in case some invisible dust from your coat falls on it and ruins it.

“Fuck.”  Nyx froze on his spot, his eyes following the ball that by some weird physical law managed to go under the car.

Luche was the closest so he walked towards the car looking around and making sure nobody saw them. He went close to the car and knelt, seeing the ball right around the middle. He was going to kill Nyx for that. He lied down and reached under the car, grabbing the ball when something or more like someone grabbed his jeans and pulled him up.

“What are you doing, kid?” A big man with expensive suit was folding him and dragged him away from the car forcing him on his feet.

“Just grabbing our ball, sir.” Luche tried to sound as serious as he can, but truth was he was intimidated. The man was taller than him, obviously stronger.

“What’s going on, Titus.” A second man walking from the nearby building and looked at the two of them. Luche wanted to turn around and look for his friends but the man that was holding him was blocking his view.

“Found that kid under the car, mister Amiticia.” The man answered with obvious respect in his voice. Was he a driver? He certainly didn’t look like a driver unless that other man wanted a bear for a driver.

“I was just grabbing our ball!” Luche protested showing the ball to the man.

“What’s your name, kid?” the man asked him.

“Luche Lazarus.” He said a bit unsure. Was he in trouble?

“Lazarus…” the man repeated. “I think I know your father. You study down the road in the high school I assume?” Luche didn’t respond just nodded. “Yeah, your father was on the soccer team. Tell him Clarus Amiticia is sending him his regards.”

“My father passed away three years ago.” Luche looked down as he answered.

“I’m sorry to hear that, kid. He was a good an honest man.” The man reached in his pocket and only then Luche noticed the gun that was tucked in his trousers. “Here.” He gave him a business a card and Luche took it. It had the man’s name, a phone number and an address that was few blocks down the street. “If you need anything, give me a call or stop by at the restaurant.”

Luche watched the two men leave in the car and then slowly turned toward his friends. They were all staring at him as if he had grown a second pair of legs.

“What?” he asked annoyed kicking the ball toward Libertus and putting the business card in his pocket.

“That was Clarus Amiticia.” Pelna whispered as if saying the name will summon the man back. Since Luche apparently didn’t react in any way he continued. “You know how some time ago that neighbourhood was honestly absolutely trash. Like even before our parents were born probably. There was a gang around that slowly put things under control. Their control. Fast forward a bit the son of the gang members is Regis Lucis Caelum, his right-hand man is Clarus Amiticia. They are not a gang anymore of course, haven’t been in some time. Still there are rumors about how they exactly make money.”

“Pfff, Pelna saw someone with fancy car and there must be something dodgy about them.” Nyx laughed. “Pelna, some people who are from here actually manage to succeed. I’m going to be one of them.”

Luche ignored them and looked back towards the car that was long gone by now.

[creative-frequency]

Bad for Me Ch. 26: Pulling the Weeds

Word count: 4810 Pairing: Nyx x OC (Eve Leonis) Warnings: some NSFW-ish Notes: Heyy, it’s been forever since the last update, I know. I really wanna thank @lucianhuntress for the constant support and whipping to get me to finish this fic. Also thank you @mystic-fawn for your encouraging words a while back. I really needed to hear that <3

Previous Chapter

Bad for Me Masterlist

“The world must look so different when you’re Nyx Ulric, the hero of the glaives!” Pelna jeered through the communication device.

“No, he just overlooks minor details,” Eve said matching his tone.

“Shut up, I’m trying my best here!” Nyx shouted.

“Nyx, you don’t have time for–!” Eve retorted, an anxious undertone clear in her voice.

“I KNOW,” Nyx yelled back. He looked frantically around him, trying to spot something at least a bit suspicious looking. ‘It should be connected to these wires here…’ he thought and quickened his pace.

They had arrived to Lestallum earlier, soon after the midday. While Pelna had gone to book hotel rooms for them, Nyx and Eve had at once began tracking down the supposed rebels residing in the city. They had talked to people, even paid for gossip and were endlessly pointed to the next and the next person after that.

Nyx had already begun to feel discouraged. He was not used to such missions requiring detective skills. He was much better at just kicking ass in the battle field. Detective work was Crownsguard’s duty.

However, Eve trusted her gut in such matters and had refused give up until they had caught up with the rebel group. She was eager to get the mission over with and to return home.

Pelna had been positioned outside the EXINERIS power plant, when they had finally gotten lucky. He had seen a person lurking by the staff entrance, waiting for someone to conveniently come out so they could slip in. In two shakes, Pelna had confronted the woman, who indeed was at the power plant in shady business.

Just a quick lightshow with flames dancing on a palm had made her sing the whole rebel plan. Except that she didn’t know much about it, just like all her rebel comrades. Apparently, their Imperial contact had delivered them some devices that had to be wired into the electric network inside the power plant. That way the rebels could have disabled the electric current going into the network and effectively shut down half of Eos.

The rebels’ motivation was to stop Lestallum from feeding its precious power source to anyone living outside the city. Apparently some Imperial scientist had theorized that the meteor shards that were used as the ultimate source of power in the plant could spontaneously combust or just grow cold. Of course, it was obvious Imperial propaganda, but the calculations and scientific documents presented to the people in the rebel group were convincing enough.

The glaives supposed that the Empire’s actual motivation behind feeding such a desperate attempt was to cause as much harm as possible for the former citizens of Lucis. They did not care that the people, who would suffer the most from the loss of electricity, resided in areas conquered by the imperials themselves. If such a plan would succeed, it would also put Insomnia and its king under great duress, possibly forcing him to surrender in the ongoing war.

So to put the plan in motion, the rebels had been planting the devices all around the city’s electricity network and all that was left was the power plant itself.

Pelna had caught the woman trying to enter with the intention of wiring the device, but there were already two devices planted earlier. If they would go off, which was likely to happen if the rebels would catch wind that they had been spotted, they could still do an insurmountable amount of damage – all the while the rebels thought they were only stopping the electricity from flowing outside the city.

Pelna had found the other device inside the plant and Nyx was circling the lower section in search of the other. Eve was running around the city, warping forward whenever the way was clear, and checking the junction boxes visible in the streets.

There was no time for careful unwiring so they just had to freeze the devices to buy some time. The Lestallum police force had been alarmed, but they would not simply be able to organize quickly enough to arrange a search.

So Eve ran, warped and froze the shining metallic cubes connected to the wires and then reported their locations for the police via a radiophone.

“I found it!” Nyx finally said into the communication device. The power plant was humming in his background, muddying his voice. Also the suits he and Pelna had had to wear to go inside the plant were making the signals a bit unreliable.

Eve sighed in relief.

“Alright, it’s frozen–“

The power in the whole city went off.

“Guys, we might have a little problem. The night will fall in mere moments and if the people don’t have lights on–“ Eve spluttered hastily, forcing the panic out of her system.

“Nyx you need to thaw and dismantle it!” Pelna said. He was making his way downstairs to Nyx as quickly as he could in the clumsy suit.

“Fulgurian’s ass–!” Nyx cursed. With a burst of fire, he warmed the cube.

“Let me!”

Nyx was already getting into a defensive stance as he turned to see who had spoken to him. One of the EXINERIS workers was running towards him, Pelna close on her heels.

Nyx quickly stepped aside, and admired as adept hands opened the metallic cube and pincers made their work through the hefty pack of wires.

“Pray this works,” the woman said and yanked the cube away, throwing it at Nyx, who caught it dumbfound.

The three seconds of darkness felt like an eternity. Eve was standing still in the middle of happily bustling people in the dark street. Everyone was wondering out loud what had happened. If they only had known what the real cause for the blackout was, chaos would have ensued.

Pelna glanced at Nyx, uncharacteristic worry etching his brows together. Nyx didn’t even dare to breathe.

The worker woman leaned back and crossed her arms. The electricity returned with a slow humming sound.

“Yes!” Pelna screamed and high-fived Nyx.

“Great work guys!” Eve cheered in their ears.

The traffic in the streets resumed quickly as if nothing had happened. Eve had to lean her back at the nearest wall. She realized that her hands were shaking. Her whole body was shaking from the relief.

“I’ll meet you at the police station,” Eve said into the communication device.

Thirty minutes later the three kingsglaives were staring strictly at the rebel woman who had been caught earlier. She had given all the information she had and the names of her accomplices to the police, so the forces had set out to find the rest of the rebels. There was not much to do for the glaives anymore and they could not have been happier about that.

“Thank you again for your help, on behalf of the whole city,” the chief of the police force said. She was a stern-looking woman in her forties. She gave an approving nod to each of the glaives. “I hope you don’t mind coming in tomorrow to give your statements. It’s getting late and I’m sure you wish to rest.”

“The pleasure was ours,” Nyx said. The look on his face was a mixture of triumphant and exhausted smile.

The police chief gave one final nod before darting after the prisoner that was being taken away.

Eve yawned hiding it behind her palm. Pelna gave her an amused look.

“Good work, team,” Nyx said. “You okay?” he asked from Eve. The magic use had taken its toll on her and along with the mental exhaustion, she was getting sleepy.

“Yeah, I just want to hug the hotel bed. Preferably as soon as possible,” Eve said and stifled another yawn.

“Ditto,” Pelna commented as they began walking out of the police station. Lestallum was as hot and bright as ever. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary and that peaceful view just made everything worthwhile.

“So… where will we sleep tonight?” Nyx asked curiously since it had been Pelna’s job to get the hotel rooms.

“I got us a room at the Leville, it’s this way.”

“Hold on. A room?” Eve asked slowly.

Nyx turned quickly to look at her and then Pelna, who was happily pacing forward.

“Pelna, did you think we’ll all sleep in the same room?” Nyx asked to clear it up. ‘I guess that means no sneaking into Eve’s room in the middle of the night…’

“Is that a problem?” Pelna turned to look at him and Eve, and continued to walk backwards.

“No, it’s fine,” Eve said harshly and gave Nyx a look that said she knew exactly what he was thinking, because the very same thing was on her mind too.

They arrived at the hotel and Pelna opened the room door. It was larger than Eve would’ve thought, but since she had never actually stayed in a hotel before, her mental image was based only on her imagination. Their bags were laid on the floor and Eve began gratefully searching for clean clothes.

“I really need a drink,” Pelna said and grabbed his backbag.

There were four beds and Nyx flopped on the nearest on his back. “Me too,” he rasped.

“You wanna go out?” Eve asked, pulling a clean shirt from the bag on her bed.

“Why not? We have deserved it,” Nyx said, eyes still on the ceiling.

Eve frowned. She didn’t think it was appropriate to drink on the job, even though their part had most likely been fulfilled already.

“Well, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna shower first. I’m all sweaty and gross,” Eve said. She gathered her clean clothes and other appropriate supplies, and slammed the bathroom door shut behind her. She double checked that it was locked, before starting to undress.

Nyx let out a weary sigh on the bed. ‘Oh, if only…’

“What’s wrong, man?” Pelna asked. He sat down on another bed, browsing through his stuff so he could shower after Eve.

“Mm, nothing. It’s just been a long day,” Nyx mumbled.

“Oh, yeah? Well, you’re right. Nice work back there, hero.” Pelna grinned and also lay down. He could have cried from joy as his tense back muscles relaxed finally.

“Thanks. You too, man.”

They chatted about something nonsensical while waiting for Eve. Nyx heard how the water was splashing in the bathroom and he would’ve given a lot to join Eve in there.

Almost an hour later, the three glaives stepped outside to the streets of Lestallum. It was getting quite late and there were only occasional pedestrians still out, heading on to their businesses. Most people were gathered in the street restaurants and bars dotting the city view.

“Just one drink then,” Eve said when Pelna placed a suspicious mug before her.

Nyx flashed a smirk at her, before raising his mug in the air. “For hearth,” he said.

“And home,” Pelna and Eve replied, both trying to keep their voices down, but not their beaming smiles contained.

They drank for a moment in silence, drowsily looking around them. Eve had livened up a bit from the cool shower, but she was still sleepy. She felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. Using her skills for good gave her a feeling that she had found her purpose.

“So, tomorrow we give our statements to the police and head back to Insomnia?” Eve asked and placed her mug on the table.

“We probably should stay another night,” Nyx said, “Just to keep an eye on the situation. I’d hate to read it from the paper in Insomnia that Lestallum blew up after we left.”

“You’ve got a point there,” Pelna said and pointed at Nyx. He sipped his drink and grimaced.

“Oh, right. Of course,” Eve said slowly, staring at the buildings on the other side of the street. “Well at least we don’t have to sleep in tents.”

Nyx laughed. “It’s not that terrible, right?” His question was loaded with a knowing tone and it made a slight blush creep on Eve’s cheeks. She wanted to step on Nyx’s toes, but he was sitting too far.

“I’d take a night in a nice hotel room before camping any time,” Eve said and squinted her eyes warningly at Nyx.

He replied with a smirk.

“Well who wouldn’t?” Pelna stated, seemingly oblivious to their exchange.

Their mugs emptied fast and their eyelids became more and more heavy. Pelna would have been up for another round of drinks, but Eve could hardly keep from dozing off on her seat.

“You guys can stay, I’m heading to the room,” Eve said and stood up.

Nyx’s gaze was fixated on her, trying to find a hidden message behind her words. “I’ll come too. Can’t leave a girl walking alone at this time of the night.”

“So why’d you leave Pelna here alone then?” Eve jeered.

“Oi!” Pelna shouted, making the other two glaives laugh. “Fine, then. Let’s head back. It’s been a hell of a trip already,” he complied and turned his mug upside down one last time to fish the last eluding drops of liquid on his tongue.

“That it has,” Nyx agreed. He was still eyeing Eve, who showed him a quick, reassuring smile. They were okay. Another mission had been a success and they would live to die another day.

It didn’t take long before the hotel room was filled with light snoring and deep breaths. Using magic always took its toll and a good night’s sleep in a comfortable bed was true luxury for a glaive on a mission. The trio slept like logs to be woken up by the bright rays of sun warming the room.

Nyx was the first one to open his eyes. He yawned and turned. He loved to see Eve wake up in the morning. She looked so innocent before collecting her air to display a barrier around her, meant to shield her from the world’s roughness. There was something so vulnerable in her demeanor, but it was gone is seconds, before she could finish rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Good morning,” Nyx greeted in a husky voice. He couldn’t hold back the sweet smile. Far too few times he had been able to witness the sight before him.

“Morning,” Eve replied quietly. They weren’t sure if Pelna was still asleep.

Nyx and Eve looked at each other, both smiling in earnest in the morning light.

“Uhh, what time is it…” Pelna whined from his bed from the other side of the room.

“Morning, Pelna,” Eve said, eyes still on Nyx’s smile.

The day started up slowly. Their first stop after breakfast was the police station. Since they had decided to stay for another day, they would have to find something to do while laying low and keeping their eyes and ears open.

The visit to the police station to give their statements was painfully sluggish. Apparently there was a lot of paper work to be done and they had to wait for the police chief to come in to listen too.

“It’s so much easier being a glaive…” Nyx remarked as his eyes wandered around the station. Officers were darting in different directions, handling papers, and bringing in and listening to the eyewitnesses.

Pelna snorted.

“Yeah… just kick ass, that’s it,” Eve retorted amused and folded her arms on her chest. For a moment her thought were on Cor.

All of the glaives were wearing casual clothing so no one would recognize them, but the three totally not inconspicuous looking outsiders were still gathering vast odd and curious glances. Pelna was taking the chance to trade some winks with the prettiest ladies in the station, earning some giggles and some disgusted frowns.

“Pelna, you don’t have to play it like Furia,” Nyx deadpanned, “We’re not here for fun.”

“As if, hero,” Pelna replied, not taking his eyes away from a red-haired officer who had just smiled at him.

“Well, go ask her for lunch,” Eve urged. Nyx shot her a questioning look, but she had a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know a city is best viewed with a local guide, right?”

Nyx sighed, but continued Eve’s attempt, “Yeah, she’s an officer so she probably knows a lot.”

“Totally,” Eve said nodding. She had to bite her lip to restrain her grin.

Pelna was not amused at all by their teasing. “Shut it, you two. I’ll go ask her out just to spite you!”

“Oh, really? Wow, aren’t you a rebel.” Eve couldn’t contain her chuckles anymore.

Pelna took off after the pretty officer, leaving Nyx and Eve to lean against the wall and burst into laughter.

After the matters at the police station had been settled, Pelna had been rejected, and Nyx and Eve had laughed until their abdomens hurt, the three glaives headed out to see the city without a guide.

Lestallum was as hot as the day before and most of the locals were wearing only a minimum amount of clothing. Eve was giving venomous side-eyes to Nyx when his gaze lingered for too long in one spot of exposed skin.

“Wanna go to the overlook?” Pelna suggested as they stood once again in the middle of the main promenade.

“Can we go grab a bite first? I’m hungry,” Eve replied.

“Me too. Pelna?” Nyx said and scouted around to spot a suitable place for lunch.

“Nah, I’m good. I think forgot something at the station.” Pelna had a sly grin on his face as he spoke.

Eve rolled her eyes. “Don’t you harass her, she’ll put you in chains.”

“I’m hoping that’ll happen.”

Eve and Nyx groaned.

“Uff–“

“Seriously, Pelna–“

“I’m kidding! You guys go on ahead, I’ll join you at the hotel later,” Pelna said waving them off with a grin on his face.

“Well if you’re sure…” Eve said and her stomach let out a vicious growl.

Nyx laughed at the sound and patted his hand on her shoulder. “Come on; let’s go get you something to eat.”

“Should we call Caitlin to ask if she is in town?” Eve said when the waiter had placed their orders on the table. She was starving, no doubt a direct consequence of the previous day’s taxing magic use. The lunch place was an outdoor café with shaky round tables and bright red umbrellas to shield them from the scorching midday sun.

It took a bit too long for Nyx to process who Eve was talking about.

“Oh by the Six. That redhead sharpshooter whose ass you were drooling after in Duscae.” Eve scoffed in annoyance.

“I wasn’t– never mind…”–Nyx lift up a finger–“But you have to admit: She has a fine ass.”

“I wonder if Pelna is single. We have a lot in common,” Eve said, cutting furiously into the meat on her plate.

“Like what?” Nyx asked amused by her reaction. ‘She’s jealous. Cute.’

“Oh, I don’t know. Like being exclusive about rear staring,” Eve quipped back.

Nyx smirked. “You’d lose all the good in me just for that?” His tone was clearly smug. ‘She’s definitely jealous.’

“Good? Like what?” Eve asked and took a sip of her drink to go with the food.

“Oh, I don’t know... Like the best sex you’ve ever had in your life?” Nyx lowered his tone.

Eve almost choked on her drink. She looked around vigorously to see if anyone had caught Nyx’s stupid comment. There was nobody close enough, luckily.

“Shush!” Eve hissed with rising panic bordering her voice, “This is a public place in case you didn’t notice.”

“I know,” Nyx said quietly. His hand was roaming on her thigh. Eve gripped the hand with a groan. “Since Pelna is taking his sweet time at the station…”

Nyx was staring dreamily into her eyes.

“Nyx! We are still working. Focus,” Eve hissed, but couldn’t help a blushing smile before his gaze. ‘No you focus yourself, Eve.’

Nyx pulled his hand away. “Alright, let me know when you change your mind.”

“…When?”

Two hours later, Eve pushed Nyx against the wall as soon they stepped inside their otherwise empty hotel room. They planted kisses on each other wherever they could reach, hands wandering around to feel the body they could never get enough of.

After lunch they had paced through the Lestallum marketplace. It had been buzzing with people and all sorts of delicious smells had waffled in the air. Eve had bought some spices for Cor and she made a mental note to ask some tips from Ignis for using them.

Before heading to the hotel, Nyx had stolen a few kisses from Eve in an empty alley. It had taken all the self-restraint Eve had to not just suggest finding a cheap motel with him – just to be safe. She had managed to hold on to the leftovers of her professionalism.

But, as soon as their hotel room door had opened, Nyx and Eve had realized that Pelna hadn’t returned yet and that he didn’t have a key of his own.

“I’ve never done it in a hotel room before,” Nyx remarked, peering at Eve with a seductive smile.

Eve had already thrown her shirt on the floor and was in the process of peeling her jeans off. “That’s cool. Now get your pants off before I blow up.”

And he did. As fast he could. Nyx pushed her to the nearest bed and was on top of her in record time; lips hungrily searching hers, hands sinking into her flesh.

Their moment of passion was swift and rough since they had no way of knowing when their roommate would return.

But when the evening arrived, Pelna was still nowhere to be seen. He had sent a message to the hotel that he had “succeeded in his mission” so Nyx and Eve let it be. It was pretty obvious that he was bothering the officer woman somewhere in town.

Also the other reason for not worrying about Pelna was the fact that after receiving the message from the reception desk, Nyx and Eve had the whole room to themselves. And they didn’t leave it again, or get fully dressed until sunrise.

However, during the night they slept in different beds – just in case.

It was three in the morning, when Eve woke up to Nyx throwing around in his bed. She shot up and hurried to see what was wrong with him. She barely registered that Pelna still wasn’t present.

Nyx was whining in his sleep and his brows were deeply creased.

“Nyx! Nyx! Are you okay?” Eve grabbed his shoulders to shake him awake.

Nyx aroused enough from his nightmare to realize someone was trying to grab him, so he swatted Eve’s hands away and pulled his fist back.

Eve gasped and dodged the punch.

“NYX!” she screamed and took a step away. Her heart was thumping in her throat, but her training took over and she was ready to restrain Nyx.

Luckily there was no need since he opened his eyes, panting heavily and trying to take in his surroundings.

“What happened? Are you alright?” Eve questioned, still keeping a distance to Nyx. He was covered in cold sweat and his eyes were widened.

Nyx took a moment to even his breathing and insane heartrate while he was furiously trying to think what to give as an explanation to Eve. He had nightmares – nightmares from the Imperial attack in Galahd where he had lost his sister, Selena. Eve didn’t know about that. She didn’t have to.

But Nyx knew Eve wouldn’t have agreed with him on that one, so he took another deep breath.

“It was just a nightmare. Everything’s fine.”

Eve squinted. ‘A nightmare? He expects me to believe that… Seriously…’

“And I’m the Queen of Lucis. What’s going on, Nyx?” Eve questioned sternly. She had sat down on Nyx’s bed, gaze fixated on him.

Nyx sighed. His brows creased into a line and he looked away – he couldn’t look her in the eye while lying.

“Nyx… Please tell me,” Eve pleaded. She placed her hand on Nyx’s arm, but he pulled away. Eve wasn’t fazed by that. Something was obviously going on and she was starting to have a good idea what.

“This has something to do with your freezing on the field in Secullam. Am I right?”

Nyx didn’t answer. He still looked away.

“Am I right?” Eve asked louder.

“It’s fine. Let’s go back to–“

“No. Don’t you dare, Nyx. Talk to me,” Eve commanded so sternly that Cor would’ve been proud of her tone.

Nyx gritted his teeth. He was torn. Part of him wanted to just tell Eve off and go back to sleep, but risking their relationship for this was not worth it. Yet, he wanted to tell her everything about what had happened in Galahd that day; how he still had nightmares about it and how for some reason fighting alongside with someone he wanted to protect so much was so difficult for him.

Nyx had thought about all of those things so often that it hurt his head to mull them over anymore. The only conclusion he had come up with, was that he didn’t want to lose Eve. He could not lose her. Not for as long as he had a saying in the matter.

“Nyx, please…” Eve stared into Nyx’s blue eyes. She didn’t shun begging if that was needed to get him into talking.

Nyx cleared his throat and took Eve’s hand. “Alright. I’ll tell you everything, but just… not tonight”–Eve was about to start protesting, before he continued–“It was a nightmare, okay. But I’m fine now.”

Eve’s gaze softened and her fingers intertwined with his. “I take it this was not the first one?”

“Or the last.”

Eve bit her lip. “How I hear about this only now?”

The answer was, of course, because of the fact that they had barely spent nights together. Or when they had, their pastime had not been sleep. Nyx had also noticed that sleeping next to someone, especially Eve, helped him to sleep better and without nightmares.

“I’m sorry,” Nyx said huskily. “Let’s talk later about it, okay?”

Eve stared at his face for a long time before she nodded curtly.

“Pelna! Where were you the whole night?” Nyx yelped the moment their colleague walked into the hotel room with a key borrowed from the reception. Eve had been loitering on the balcony so they had seen him strutting towards the Leville. The pair stood accusingly in the middle of the room, waiting to reprimand their friend.

“Out?” Pelna chuckled. “Didn’t you guys get my message? Besides, I figured I’d give you guys some privacy.” His tone was sly, almost impish and he began searching for a change of clothes.

“Sure we did, but what are you implying?” Eve said frowning and folded her arms on her chest.

Pelna shot an amused look at her. It seemed like he had had some kind of revelation during the night. Eve didn’t want to know the details.

“Oh come on. I appreciate your tact towards me, but really, there’s no need.” He spread his arms nonchalantly and winked at Nyx.

Nyx caught his meaning and a wave of relief flushed through him. He grabbed Eve’s waist to pull her closer and planted a wet kiss on her temple.

“Nyx–!” Eve squeaked in horror, before realizing what Pelna had meant by “tact”. Nevertheless she pushed Nyx away while her face was steadily getting redder. ‘You gotta be kidding me–’

“I don’t think you guys could’ve kept your hands away from each other if you’d known that I know,” Pelna laughed.

“That’s not true–!” Eve protested.

“–You’re right,” Nyx spoke at the same time. Eve threw a death glare at him while Pelna was laughing only harder. The guys were enjoying the situation far too much and it annoyed Eve greatly.

“I can’t believe she told you!” Eve said disappointed in her friend.

“Who? Crowe?” Pelna asked, “Nah, she only said ‘good luck with them’, and you guys filled in the rest.”

Their secret was gradually crumbling apart like a sand castle. Eve groaned aloud while Nyx hummed in amusement.

“Well then, since there’s no need to hide it anymore,” Nyx said and leaned down to press a kiss on Eve’s half-open mouth. Her surprised yelp was muffled by the kiss before she could wiggle away.

“What in Ifrit’s horns Nyx!” Eve growled after she managed to push him at an arm’s end.

Nyx just smirked in triumph before letting go of her waist.

“It’s going to be a long ride home,” Pelna whined, not so amused by the situation anymore, “I swear to Bahamut if I hear anything besides snoring from your tent, you’ll walk home!”

Next Chapter

[monopsys]

The Aus

So guys my previous post got some notes so here the aus from my next potential story.

And if anyone wants one of them to be my next fic, you can vote here or there is a link in my blog!!! Thank you! Also you can vote once every day!

Saika!au: The first au i had when i had watch Durarara. As crazy as it sounds, i wanted Izaya to have Saika. The main part, the strongest. Well, he used knives, had close-to-red eyes and also well he was the vilian. So in this fic, i thought maybe Izaya wasn’t the “Izaya” we saw. It was Saika all along that it was using him but after an accident, Izaya started gaining again his body back. So, Izaya is like what we see him in the anime but he is a little good than the version of Saika is showing to everyone.

Gang!au:  In this one Izaya was secretly in a gang that paid him to survive when he had come in Japan. His parents left him there with his sisters so he is in charge of everything. His parents don’t give him money and the other jobs don’t give as much he needs to help his sisters. So we see him in the gang and how slowly he becames the informant broker he never wanted to become. He starts to want to leave it but then there is the blackmail. So after that we see him trying to escape the gang and how slowly he starts to develop a relationship with Shizuo.

From younger age!au:  In this one, Shizuo and Izaya have meet when they were in the primary school and slowly the develop feelings with each other but none does the first step. So we see their relationship, how Izaya reacts to Shizuo bleaching his hair and if you think about it, the fic is like a normal highshool au.

Brown hair!au:  Shizuo has to turn his hair back like it was for unknown reasons and that hair it drives a certan someone crazy. Maybe in love? Maybe it just annoys him.

Mission!au:  The company that Shizuo works has a little problem dragging the one that owns them money and the only one that can help is not other than the informant broker. So the company assings Izaya with Shizuo’s team and that causes some trouple. But the thing is that Izaya is getting along with the team but also he can’t fight Shizuo. That makes Shizuo’s life harder. (I wanted a fic that showed a friendship between Izaya and Vorona.)

Priest!au:  Priest!Shizuo and his helper Izaya. Both of them protect a local church that it has many priests inside and one day Izaya brings Mikado, a younger priest, to meet Shizuo. Shizuo greets and enjoys his company while Izaya smiles quetly. Izaya after the meeting he spends some time with him. But the next moring there is the sound of bells that show that someone died. Izaya. After some time, Shizuo finds that vampires had kill his friend and after he becomes a hunter, he starts to fight them for revenge. But what happens when he meets one day a familiar face in one of the vampires?

Fake dating!au:  This is au is always my cup of tea.  In this shizaya needs to fake that they are a couple in order to accomplise something.

Dating!au: A cliche au. One of the duo understands that they have fallen for the other and they try to make a realtionship. Emphansis on try.

Yakuza!au:  A fic that kinda sounds like viewfinder. Shizuo is a top yakuza and Izaya a normal informant broker. But Izaya respects Shizuo even though he makes his life harder. Shizuo on the other hand, sees Izaya as a pawn but after an incident that changes.

Change!au: All is opposite. Shizuo is bad and Izaya is good. In some words, Shizuo is crazy, psychopath and destroys everything he touchs. But Izaya is the only one that sees potental in him and so…shits happen.

Spy!au:  Spies….there are spies. Probably partners but in what degree.

Detective!au: A fic that shows that everything Izaya did was for the police. He needed to find something important and when he did, he reveals that he is in the police. The personality though is the same and that pisses Shizuo even more.

Animal!au: All of the characters are in form of an animal. Animals or people with animals features is still in thought.

Criminal and Officer!au: Shizuo is an officer that everyone respects. But one day someone brings in the police a man that was accused for a murder that according by him, he didn’t do. Yes it is Izaya. So Shizuo is charged to take him somewhere but Izaya got his handcuffs and click, now they are cuffed together. Shizuo must get rip of him before he lose his mind.

Angel of Death!au: Izaya is angel of death, a person  that meets and sees and takes the person’s soul. He can’t stop their death but if he wanted he could postponed it. But someone is making his hard diffucult because he isn’t acting like he wanted. He is the only one that he can’t predict. So Izaya gets down on earth and tries to kill him but in the way his feelings change.

Leader!au: Before anyone says anything, it is different from gang!au. In this Izaya is a leader on a powerful that is semi!active in the streets of Ikebukuro. So someday the gang needs its leader back.

Switch!au: Everyone switches personalities. Izaya is Shizuo, Shizuo is Izaya, Celty is Shinra, Shinra is Celty etc.

New start!au: Where Shizuo and Izaya met exactly the same but their words changed bringing in the scene an unlikely relationship. So a different start!

Jealous!au: That au is set after Izaya was stabbed. So one day Shizuo after he left the prizon (legally) he found Izaya and fought again. But the stab made Izaya a little slower so Shizuo captures him. Shizuo notices the slash, he gets angry and tells that he will find who did it and leave a confused Izaya standing there. So, the fic is just Shizuo getting jealous at everyone getting Izaya’s attention and vie versa with Izaya.

Mythical Creature!au:  I am Greek so that au is never getting old to me. Like Celty that is a dullahan, Izaya would be Nyx. Nyx is godness of darkness, the persopication of night. Shadow powers and the loneliness is a part of her character. Similar to Izaya. So like Celty, Izaya is searching for something and brings chaos untill he finds it.

School!au: Just the durarara group in a school. The older are teachers and the younger students.

In time!au: The movie in time when everyone stops growing old when they reach 18 but the have a clock that counts backwards untill it reaches 0. If it does, you die. Everything is bought with time and working gains you time. So i don’t know. I love this au, it is like soulmate au but there is no soulmate.

Mentor!au: In this Shizuo is a top leader,yakuza, criminal something so in one of his missions they beat up Izaya as the traitor in their group. After some beating, they decide to kill him. But Shizuo stops them and takes Izaya under his wing but is he a person you can work with? No.

And the one that i think maybe i would write because it is a really different au!au: So lets say that the school that the Raira kids is another academy from Raijin. Raijin academy is elsewhere and it was closed after Izaya and Shizuo had graduated from it because they had caused so much damage in it that they closed. So after so many years Shizuo gets a letter that says that he and Izaya need to fix it or else their handywork would send them again in school. After some persussion they go and try to fix the place. But in the meantime that hate might change in something different. A really long slow-build fic that it will give the unrequired love from Shizuo’s side this time.

[riddikulus-writings]

Take A Nap

A/N: So yeah. I have a long, in depth fic for these two that's chock full of secrets and fluff and Actual Backstory but for some reason all I can write is smut. This is part two to Escapades and takes place just after the police van rolled down that hill. Also, can someone let me know if that link I tried doesn’t work? I’m still new to writing on this blue hellsite

Word Count: 1734

Pairing: Rick Flag x Female Reader [Codename Nyx, after the Greek Goddess]

Warnings: Still not really any plot, sorry guys. The plot for this is hidden elsewhere. Vaginal fingering. Semi-public sex. Dirty talk. Rick still won't shut up but he really should, though, people are trying to sleep. Choking. Uh, nothing makes sense, really? Movie innacuracies due to the fact this is now a bigger vehicle than the hippie van they were cruising around in, but the same concept still applies. 

Apparently, the van was on fire. One by one they stepped from the wreckage, walking out into the road, weapons in hand. Nyx wished she could’ve taken a picture, because she was positive they probably looked pretty cool.

Disoriented. Possibly concust. But cool.

And suddenly, rolling to a stop, was the small dusty van they'd rode to town in. Abner was in the open slider door, waving them in. DuBois puffed out his chest, "Alright. To Jotunheim."

"Not yet," Rick stopped him, "There's something else we need to do first."

"Stop standing like you have an American Flag waving behind you and get in the fucking mini bus, Flag."

Nyx's voice shook him out of his reverie; he was the last one outside. He jogged to catch the bus before it began moving faster, piling in the door and sliding it shut behind him. His eyes immediately found Nyx, seated in the very back. Rick beelined for her through the others and took up the space on her right. Peacemaker called to him from a seat up, "So, where are we going, now?"

"The Mayor's mansion in town," Rick told him, "We need to get Harley."

"Oh, I miss her," Nyx mused quietly.

Oh yeah. Rick cringed to himself, remembering the three missions he, Nyx and Harley had been on before he’d requested to Waller that Harley be benched more often than not. The first had gone by fine, minimal issues. The second was better. No deaths, no infighting amongst the Squad. Nyx had loosened up around other people by then and banter even happened. And the third--

Ain’t it normally the gal makin’ heart eyes at the guy and not the other way around, Ricky?

He’d shaken his head and given Harley a stern glare for assuming things. Harley had simply given him her smuggest million dollar grin and continued about her own business and not his.

“Suicide Squad to Mr. Flag,” a hand was waving in his eyes, slowly coming into focus. It was Nyx’s hand, but Cleo’s heavily accented voice, “What’s the plan?”

Rick cleared his throat, looking among his teammates, “Peacemaker high up, across the street. Sniper for any possible danger. Cleo,” he pointed at her, “Abner and, uh… Sebastian… are around back. Take out any guards back there. DuBois scales the wall to the top, Nyx and I keep watch.”

“Question,” Nyx raised her hand up, “Why can’t we just walk in the front door?”

"That would give us away," Peacemaker told her blatantly, "Instant capture. Dumb idea."

"You're a dumb idea," she retorted, "Actually, a bad idea was bringing you along."

Whoa. Everyone's eyebrows shot up, "Nyx, what the fuck? No infighting. Knock it off," Rick's voice was low but firm with authority.

"He's-- he's got bad vibes about him," Nyx's words slurred, "I-I just don't like him."

"No one does," DuBois told her, patting the very quiet Peacemaker on the shoulder, "Everyone try to get some rest before we get to town. It's going to be a while."

The rest of the team hunkered down in their seats, leaning against their respective windows or leaning forward with their heads against the seat ahead of them. Cleo snuggled into Nanaue's side, and Peacemaker went as far as laying completely flat on his back, his thick splayed legs hanging in the aisle.

Rick reached over and tugged Nyx across the bench seat they were seated on, sliding her into his side, "What’s up between you and Peacemaker?" His voice was quiet, muffled against the hair at her temple.

She ducked away from him a little, tucking her head under his chin, "I've been with him a bit longer than you have. I just… can't explain it but I don't like him. He makes me uneasy."

Rick's thumb started rubbing circles in her hip, "So many trust issues."

"I have my reasonings," she yawned up at him, "Secret reasonings."

"Oh, I'm sure you do," he whispered, grabbing her chin with his free hand so he could look her in the eye. The dim moonlight through the window made her eyes seem almost black, "Extra secret reasonings, huh?"

Nyx leaned closer, staring at his mouth instead of his eyes, "Top secret."

Rick hummed in agreement and closed the gap, sealing his mouth over hers. He wasted no time dipping his tongue into her mouth, drinking in her moans before they could get too loud. He gently pushed on her, laying her down across the length of the seat. Rick followed her down, nestling himself between her legs. Nyx planted a foot on the seat beside Rick’s thigh as he hitched the other into the crook of his elbow, “Gonna be quiet?” he asked quietly, lightly peppering kisses down her neck. Sucking on her now-exposed collarbone.

She whined, a breathless whisper as she nodded desperately, trying to grind her hips against something. Rick moved back up, his free hand moving around her neck, “Quiet.”

He slowly lowered her leg, her boot softly hitting the floor. Rick sent a sidelong glance through the rest of the dark bus, and so far no one had moved from their previous positions. Thank God for that. What a sight they’d wake up to; Nyx spread over the only bench seat here, Rick looming over her, a hand around her throat. They’d either think he was trying to kill her, or get very uncomfortable very fast and ask him to stop.

Which, he wasn’t about to do whether someone woke up or not.

He turned his attention back to the panting woman beneath him, raising an eyebrow at the grin spread over her face. The more pressure he applied to her throat, the wider her lips spread. His right hand worked at the buttons of her black pants, “Filthy little thing,” he muttered, “There’s other people on this bus.” Rick snaked his hand down the front of her pants, stroking down her dripping sex, “All for me?”

“That is you,” she panted out, grabbing the back of his head to pull him down for another searing kiss. When he scooped his cum back up with two fingers and pushed them inside, Nyx bit his bottom lip so hard he was sure she’d drawn blood. He leaned into it, pushing his tongue on her mouth again as he worked his fingers and scissored her open.

“Quiet,” he admonished, again, pressing his free hand against her throat once more. He pinned her to the seat, squeezing his hand as tight as he’d let himself, “Gonna wake everyone up,” he breathed out, his nose brushing against hers.

Again, Nyx’s grin grew, her pearly teeth glowing in the shards of moonlight passing through the windows, “Good.”

Rick almost growled but couldn’t without fear of waking someone up. Instead he buried his face in her shoulder, “Fuckin’ filthy little thing,” he repeated, curling his fingers against that certain spongy spot he’d found that made her grind hard into the palm of his hand, “Gonna be a good girl and keep me in there?” She whined out a high pitched yes but otherwise stayed breathless, quiet pants crawling up her throat and Rick wanted nothing more than to shove his cock in her open mouth. He pulled up from her neck, almost sneering with the strain of trying to stay quiet as he worked his thumb up to the peak of her cunt, “Want you to cum all over my hand, sweetheart. Gonna do that for me? See if you can stay quiet.”

“Bastard,” was the whimper he got.

“That’s not very nice,” he told her, pressing his thumb hard on her clit. Her arm suddenly flew up to cover her face, Nyx burying her face in the crook of her elbow as Rick buried a third finger deep in her cunt, his thumb rubbing fast circles. He moved his hand from her throat, sliding it instead to her hip to hold her down as she bucked into his hand, “C’mon, almost there. I got you,” he muttered.

Her hips stuttered, low whines coming muffled by her elbow. She was choking his fingers and he had to remove one so he could keep them moving, working her through her orgasm. Rick’s hand got soaked suddenly and she went limp, her only movement coming from her chest that moved with rapid breaths, “Bitch.”

Rick tugged her arm from her face as he slid his hand from her pants, “What’s the matter, Nyx?”

“I--” she panted out, “hate being-- quiet.”

He flashed her a bright grin and tugged her pants back into place, giving her stomach a gentle pat, “You didn’t have to,” a quick peck on the lips, “But it would’ve been a bit awkward for the others. Especially when I wouldn’t stop.” Another whimper, and he raised an eyebrow at her, but simply stuck his fingers in his mouth.

“I’m going to sleep,” she whispered, dropping her hand off the side of the seat. Her knuckles brushed the floor. The other arm folded behind her head.

“I sure fuckin’ hope so,” DuBois grumbled from somewhere up front. “You two are disgusting.”

"No one told you to listen," Rick shot back, his whisper loud enough for DuBois to hear over Nyx's stifled giggles. Rick was grinning, though; thankfully Bloodsport couldn't see it.

"Someone needs to nap," Nyx murmured, a small smirk plastered over her mouth, "He sounds cranky."

“You ain't laying down there,” Rick suddenly tugged her back up to snuggle into his side, his arm draped over her shoulders as he scooted them both to the end of the seat, “Leanin’ or layin’?”

“Lay,” she yawned.

He turned and pressed his back to the window, head lolling to the side to lean on the seat. After some shuffling, she was between his legs, back to his chest. HIs arms wrapped around her, one leg from each of them on the seat and the other leg on the floor. They looked like they had the same boots on. Nyx nuzzled her head into his shoulder, “Y’smell nice…”

“I smell like jungle and sweat,” he chuckled, his laugh vibrating through her, “And blood. Go to sleep.”

And they both dozed off like that, just as they had several times before on Nyx’s couch. Their breathing evened, Nyx drooling a little onto Rick’s bicep. Rick shifted in his sleep and snugged her closer to his chest.

[kenshi-vakarian7]

“Perfect”

Another F!Reyder fic to add to my “Whiskey Gold & Ocean Blue” collection.

This is in fact a prompt, but I won’t be revealing what prompt that is until the end as it will spoil the intention I have for this short fic.  

And hopefully, I didn’t deviate too much from Reyes’s character.  Sorry if it seems like I did. =\

Regardless, enjoy!

Reyes Vidal couldn’t help the nervous twitching in his fingers as he looked over the controls on the console in front of him.  Sitting in the pilot’s chair with one leg shaking from side to side, he saw that all was well for his shuttle, though he was starting to get low on fuel.  Luckily, the Nexus was within view through the front window.

Reyes was pretty certain that he made it to the station in record time from Kadara.  However, that didn’t matter to him.  The lack of sleep he got throughout his travel didn’t matter either.  What only mattered was that he needed to get to Kira Ryder as soon as possible.

It was supposed to be a routine visit.  Since she resigned from being a Pathfinder, Kira still assisted Nexus leadership with negotiating between them and and angaran leaders as an Arbitrator.  In other words, her job was to keep the peace between the Milky Way species and the angarans living on Kadara.  Occasionally, she made trips to either Aya or the Nexus when certain negotiations were better resolved in person rather than through video conferences.

Her brother Luke, who was the second-in-command to the current human Pathfinder, Cora Harper, took the opportunity along with her former crew to meet Kira at the Nexus and spend some time with her.  This was especially with knowing that this would be her last visit to the station for a while.  With the team currently exploring beyond the Heleus cluster, who knew when the twins would see each other again.

Then two days ago, Reyes received a call from Luke.  He had yet to shake the words her brother said from his mind, the twin’s voice laced with worry.  “Kira’s in the hospital.  You need to come here as soon as possible.”

More than once since receiving the call, Reyes kicked himself for not taking her offer to go with her.  There was too much work here for him to look over on Kadara despite the last of the Outcast being long since gone. Besides, he hadn’t been a fan of revisiting the Nexus since the uprising.  Kira understood – she always did – but that still didn’t make him feel any better.

The Nexus became larger and larger as time ticked away, but the station still felt so far away.  Sure, it was better than the more than forty-eight hours of flying he endured to get here, but now the Nexus was like someone dangling a toy in front of a cat who can’t quite snatch it no matter how close they got.

Needing a distraction, Reyes let himself think about how he and Kira met at Kralla’s Song more than six years ago.  He also thought about all the adventures the two of them had, the fun and mischievous smile on her face whenever she was about to jump into a fight, her laughter… the way she always looked at him as though he meant everything to her.  He thought of all the times they’ve spent together, the many nights they made love… the few times he nearly lost her…

Reyes quickly shook the last thought from his head.  No… that was the last thing he was going to think about.

Finally, after what felt like forever, a light ping was heard indicating to Reyes that he was within Nexus Control’s comm range.  Without hesitation, he pressed the comm button on the panel.  “Nexus Control, this is Shuttle N-503 Anubis requesting permission to dock… preferably as close as possible to Garson Memorial Hospital.”

It was a few seconds before someone responded.  “N-503 Anubis, please stand by.”

Reyes let out a breath in annoyance.  He was always a patient man, but considering the current circumstance, he just wanted to get this all over with.  The sooner he was there by her side, the better.  At least it was much easier for him to get onto the station these days, not like from the beginning after he became an exile.  That was one less thing to worry about.

The flight controller finally got back to him.  “N-503 Anubis, you are cleared for landing.  Proceed to docking bay S-323.”

“Roger,” Reyes replied.  “Proceeding to docking bay S-323.”

Just before he began landing procedures, Reyes quickly unlocked his omni-tool - which had been turned off to prevent being tracked despite jamming technology in his shuttle – to send a quick message to Kira’s brother, even while noting a few other messages waiting for him…

To: Luke Ryder

From: Reyes Vidal

Docking now.  Will be there soon.

The hospital, newly built and named after the Andromeda Initiative’s founder, Jien Garson, was relatively quiet upon Reyes’s arrival.  Then again, as Luke directed to him in his responding messaging, going through the back way was better than the main entrance.  It didn’t surprise Reyes at all that a few members of the media were camping out front.  Even after she resigned as Pathfinder, there was still an interest in Kira Ryder’s life.  With few exceptions, she despised the attention her former job gave her.

Near the door entrance, one member of Kira’s former crew, Vetra Nyx, waiting for him in the quiet lobby.  Most likely, Luke sent her to meet with him once the younger twin received his message.  Reyes immediately went over to her and the turian didn’t hesitate to wave an arm as she began to walk forward as soon as she saw him, indicating to Reyes to follow her.  He remained just a couple of feet behind Vetra, keeping up with her despite her taller height.

“Luke’s in there with her and with the exception of Drack, the others are in a private waiting area,” Vetra informed him before he said anything.  “She’s in a room not too far from here.  We’ve been keeping the media out since word spread about her hospitalization.  Luckily, no one’s got in yet.”

“Good,” Reyes said in agreement.  The last thing Kira needed right now was for the media to barge into the hospital when she was currently vulnerable (especially since it was the one feeling she hated experiencing the most).

As Reyes followed Vetra through the hospital hallways, he found that he couldn’t even begin to start asking her the other questions that were haunting his mind; was she okay?  Were the doctors taking care of her?  How long would she be here for?  Those were just a few out of what felt like a million questions.

It was easy to find Kira’s room even before they reached it.  That was because Drack was standing right next to the door, his back against the wall and his arms folded as though he was daring anyone to try to get past him. It reminded Reyes, not for the first time, how much he appreciated the Tempest crew’s loyalty to Kira even long after she walked away from being the Pathfinder.

The krogan spotted them both coming his way.  As soon as he made eye contact with Reyes, Drack gave him a single nod, which he returned.  Vetra stopped to stand with Drack as Reyes reached the door.  He only stopped for a moment to get rid of his nerves as he realized that he was finally within a few feet from where Kira was.  Only then did he realize that he hadn’t asked whether she was awake or not.  If it was the former, hopefully she forgave him for taking so long to get here…

Reyes took a deep breath, putting on his mask to hide what he was feeling, before stepping into the room…

As Vetra mentioned, Luke was there in the room with his sister, occupying one of the two chairs next to the bed.  He looked up to see who came in the room and got up to meet Reyes halfway.  “Hey, you made it,” Luke said quietly once he was within arm’s reach.

Reyes sighed a bit.  “I would’ve been here sooner, but…”

“I know,” Luke replied quietly as he patted his shoulder gently.  “I’m going to step outside for a bit.  If you need anything, let me know.”

Reyes simply nodded to him before Luke circled around him and headed out of the room, closing the door behind him.  Reyes walked over to the bed and sat in the same chair Luke had occupied moments ago.  Kira was laying on her side in her bed facing the chair.  She looked very tired, probably even more so than he was, but that didn’t stop the small smile from forming on her face as soon as she saw him.  “Hey there,” she greeted, her voice a little groggy.

“Hey yourself,” Reyes answered as he leaned forward in his chair and reached out to brush his fingers through her dark brown hair, tucking the strands behind her ear.  He then leaned down and pressed his lips to her temple. “You okay?”

“I’m sore as hell and hurting all over, but I’ll be fine,” Kira assured him.  “It all happened so fast that I didn’t really have time to process it.”

Reyes frowned.  “I should’ve taken your offer to go with you.  Then you wouldn’t have been alone-”

“Hey,” Kira started as she reached a hand up to cup his cheek.  “Don’t blame yourself for not being here.  And I wasn’t alone.  Luke and the rest of the Tempest crew were with me the whole time.”

Kira removed her hand from Reyes’s face and began to adjust the small, bundled blanket she held in her other arm… revealing the tiny face of a newborn baby.  In that moment, a flood of so many emotions crashed upon Reyes it was nearly overwhelming.  He never thought it was possible to feel both exhilarated and frightened while his heart was already swelling with immense love for the little human in Kira’s arms.  He didn’t know how to comprehend it, so he simply let it be as he attempted to take it all in.

This wasn’t something Reyes and Kira ever planned.  Even now, the future always felt uncertain given both the wild environment they lived in as well as their occupations.  Both had been scared out of their wits when they found out, her more than him, but they eventually decided to go with it despite the uncertainty.  A part of Reyes wondered during these months if they would regret their decision.  But now, seeing this little baby sleeping in Kira’s arms, all the doubts and uncertainty seemed to have melted away in an instant.

“It turns out she’s just as impatient as her uncle since she decided to show up a month earlier than expected,” Kira continued, her smile widening and her eyes glistening with tears upon noting Reyes’s reaction to seeing their daughter for the first time.  “Already, she’s anxious for an adventure.”

As she spoke, Reyes slowly reached a hand out and, lightly and gently so that he didn’t wake her up, stroked the tip of his finger over the infant’s cheek.  It was softer than he had imagined.  “And… she’s all right?  She’s healthy?” he murmured.

Kira slowly nodded. “Despite being born a little early, she’s fine.  And she’s beautiful… though she looked like a red, slimy bullfrog when I first saw her.  But to be fair, Luke and I looked the same way when we were born.”

Reyes chuckled at that, his eyes never leaving his daughter.  “That’s one way for her to take after her mother.”

“Har har,” Kira grumbled.

Reyes leaned his head close to her, a sly smirk on his face as his eyes shifted to Kira. “I meant the part about being beautiful.”

“Liar,” she uttered, but was smiling nevertheless.

“You wound me,” Reyes gasped, feigning hurt.

Kira shook his head, still smiling.  “Give birth to a seven pound baby and then we’ll talk about who’s more ‘wounded.'”

Reyes smiled at that. “Fair enough.”  He then sighed as a bit of melancholy suddenly gripped at him.  He frowned as he murmured once more, “I should’ve been here…”

“I told you not to blame yourself,” Kira assured him.  “Like I said, she was too impatient to wait and it happened very quickly.”  She smiled.  “Besides, your hand was spared from the ordeal.  I’m almost certain I was one more squeeze away from breaking all of Luke’s fingers.”

Reyes knew Kira was joking as a way to make him feel better, but it wasn’t really helping that much.  Kira figured that out from his lack of reaction.  Her free hand reached out to caress along his jawline.  “Hey,” she started.  “I’m sorry you weren’t here when she was born.  If it’ll make you feel better, I’m planning to give one certain half of Nexus leadership hell for making me travel for a useless meeting at a time like this despite my protests.”

Reyes couldn’t help but smirk.  “Let me know if you need me to send in the 'Calvary’ to set an example.  I promise they won’t get hurt… unless you count their pride.”

Kira chuckled, knowing the 'Calvary’ meant the few members of the Collective who were planted on this station as an extra set of eyes and ears for him.  “That might not be necessary, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

Reyes continued to caress the little infant’s cheek before Kira asked, “Do you want to hold her?”

Reyes suddenly froze in his ministrations, feeling some reluctance over that offer, but he knew that it was out of nerves more than anything.  For one thing, she looked so peaceful as she slept and the last thing he wanted to do was to disturb that.  And what if he dropped her?  Carefully planning raids and discreetly smuggling goods across the galaxy was one thing.  Holding a baby?  That was out of his element.

But this wasn’t just any baby… it was their child.  His child.  He was still trying to comprehend that this was not just a dream.  She was real and he was her father.  The reality of the latter had yet to settle in just yet.

Lost for words, Reyes simple nodded to Kira’s offer before she carefully handed the sleeping infant to him.  “Just remember to support the back of her head,” she reminded him.  “Her neck isn’t strong enough for her to hold up on her own yet.”

Once more, Reyes nodded as he managed to get a good hold of her before he felt confident enough to lean back into his chair.  The baby fussed a bit during the transfer, but soon relaxed once all the movement around her stopped. Reyes then pulled the blanket back a bit, revealing the short strands of black hair on top of her head.  Brushing a finger gently over her hair, he noticed how her skin was lighter than his, but also darker than her mother’s.  Although her eyes were closed, Reyes was pretty sure that they were blue like all infants were born with.  Whether they would stay that way, like Kira’s, or turn amber like his later on remained to be seen.  She was also small and light like a bag of feathers, which he didn’t expect.

Holding the little girl in his arms, Reyes wanted nothing more than to protect her from all the things that could harm her in this new galaxy.  Not for the first time in the last few months, he thought about walking away from being the Charlatan and letting Keema take over in full… but after everything he put into the Collective, it wasn’t that easy to do. Kira understood this, more than he had expected when they discussed the possibility.  Someday he may, but even now wasn’t the right time.

The only thing Reyes could hope for at this point was that this decision didn’t bite him in the rear later down the road…

“So,” Kira started again after some silence as she observed them, cutting through his thoughts.  “How do you still feel about naming her Charlotte Ellen Ryder?”

Giving the little girl her mother’s surname was something they decided on months ago.  Giving her the Ryder name would keep her safe, and he would do anything to make sure it remained that way.  For her sake.

Reyes leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his daughter’s forehead.  “It’s perfect,” he murmured.  “She’s perfect…”

I had this idea in my head for a while… which is funny because I normally don’t write much family stuff, but I decided to go for it after seeing Fanfic Prompt #12: Family G​uy by @makocartwheel .  

I hope you enjoyed reading this.

[itshaejinju]

Family Is Forever | Chp 4 | FF15 Mafia AU

A/N: Sorry for not posting on Sunday, just was way too ill with the headache!

OCs in this Fic: @neko-otaku13 Evita is mentioned in this chapter! @fieryfantasy Sa’Van is mentioned in this chapter! @waifuthewhite Arabella is in this chapter!

Warning: Some blood | Word Count: 2,977

Enjoyed this? Why not help fund my therapy? Ko-Fi

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 |

Tagging: @themissimmortal @stephicness @stunninglyignis @blindbae @rubyphilomela @cupnoodle-queen @lady-asuka @sweetchocobae @blondechocobobutt @ardyns-jabberwocky @cagedbycravings @inprotocreed @sheylann @mandakatt @misssarahdoll @mistressoli @neko-otaku13 @zacklover24 @waifuthewhite @fieryfantasy @insomniacapples @insomniasix @chocobabyporcelain @chocobropuffs @chocobroing @valkyrieofardyn @thirsty-angst-lord @nykamito @nyxswaifu @alicemoonwonderland @eternallydaydreaming2015 @roses-and-oceans @diadyn @promptoargentum-is-my-husband @promptoastandbutter

Chapter 4:

He wasn't really expecting the surprise attack from the Izunia's, Evita Hemlock and Lenore Graves to hit him with a gorilla attack. Nyx didn't do well against the two of them had he been with his partner it would have been better but Sa'Van was off doing other things. Really he didn't think he would need help just going to Fae Flowers to see Arabella to tell her that he had managed to solve her problems with the Family. It was suppose to be only a few minutes, that didn't pan out in his favor.

Evita and Lenore popped up out of nowhere their tag team attacks was was perfect to get him down it's not saying he didn't give them a run for their money it's just that his was a bit more dangerous. Evita coming up with smoke bombs and various poisonous grenades blinding Nyx's vision while Lenore dodged in snapping at him with her rapier with blinding speed. He was able to sneak in some return volleys as he Warpstriked to avoid further attacks from them to escape the area.

Nyx limped into the Fae Flower shop blood dripping on the floor of the white linoleum shop, the sharp smell of Styrofoam, roses, lilacs and cedar filled his nose masking the iron like smell of blood. Coughing a bit of thick phlegm coming out as his lungs were trying to vacate the grime it took in from the smoke bomb, his eyes normally clear blue looked red and patchy. His lip ring was nearly torn out in a spot as at one point the rapier had snagged it pulling on it roughly nearly tugging it out of his lip. He hadn't been wearing his suit jacket so the shirt and vest was ripped in spots exposing his back and chest with little nicks and wounds.

“Hello, welcome to Fae Flowers how can I help you to--- Mr. Ulric!” Arabella Fae shouted as she realized that the man before her is a bleeding mess.

“I'm quite fine I –.” Nyx said as he collapsed to his knees in front of the fresh batch of summer flowers.

“Oh no you are not!” Arabella called out her long blonde hair flowing behind her elegantly as she wore a soft cotton floral print dress that loosely clung to her petite frame.

Getting down on her knees before Nyx she placed a hand on his shoulder, soft blue eyes staring over at him concerned he had always been so kind to her since she moved to Insomnia. Arabella had enough money to open the flower shop she had been always dreaming of opening up and did well for quite a while until a huge lull in business hit. That is when she needed to also pay for protection from the Izunia's as she learned she was close to their border, getting attacked often to give them money or just vandalism of her shop. That is when Ignis Scientia and Nyx Ulric had shown up offering help from the Caelum family for a small fee, well the small fee didn't sound like much at the time as she was making quite a bit of money and it was needed of her to save her shop. But now that business has been slow for five months straight now 400 Gil a month was starting to be too much for her to afford on top of the other things she needed to pay for.

That is when Nyx came in he had been visiting a lot which Arabella thought was normal until a neighboring shop mentioned it to her that he was coming by way too much for a mafia member. They just show up once a month the associates show up weekly but soldiers not so often as Nyx being a soldier it is what made them curious. Her neighbor teasing her that Nyx had a thing for her, made poor Arabella blush like mad. Could he like her? He did offer to help with her month issues twice so far and here he was after she received some scary letters from the Consigliere of the Caelum Family about shutting her business down if she didn't pay the money.

“Let me help you, Mr. Ulric okay? I have a first aid kit in the back, let me flip the sign over first.” Arabella said popping up to her feet rushing over to the front door flipping over the sign and locking the first lock on it.

“It's just a flesh wound or two. . .I uh. . .saved your shop.”

“Shush, you are in a lot of pain!” Arabella ordered, not hearing what he had said as she  helped him to his feet.

Arabella brought Nyx to the backroom with her personal office, it was small and tidy sitting Nyx down on the chair opposite of her desk. The office just had a small desk, littered with receipts, scrap pieces of fabric she used to wrap up bouquets and a few flowers she was working with. The rest of the office was fairly bare in objects as the last time she had stuff of any personal value it got stolen and Nyx warned her to keep special things to a minimum in her shop. Pulling her long blonde hair into a bun out of her face, Arabella took the emergency first aid kit from the shelf placing it on the desk, unzipping it she was a bit nervous she had medical training but she still was always wary around wounds.

“Let me help you remove the shirt and such. . .will be able to heal them better than way.” Arabella commented, blushing at the thought of seeing him without a shirt, she couldn't deny a certain amount of attraction to Nyx.

As Arabella helped remove the shirt, she was quite in awe over all the scars he had on his hairy chest, some blood mixing in with the short shallow cuts he received from his opponent. She was curious as to what mafia member did this, she was also a bit too scared to ask. Nyx didn't wince when she placed a damp with rubbing alcohol cotton ball on his wounds. She expected him to growl and whine about it but he just let it happen, taking deep breaths.

“Don't have any potions on you? I normally do but I was in a hurry to see you so I didn't think quite ahead.”

“Oh those are too pricey. . .so just the old fashion things sorry, Mr. Ulric.”

“You know you can call me Nyx I've said it's okay like a dozen times so far.” Nyx chided her as he fiddled with the lip ring some.

“Don't mess with that Nyx, you'll rip it out.” She said batting at his hand gently away his hand.

“Did you hear what I said earlier?” Nyx asked a few minutes after silence as she gave him some cough medicine for the coughing fit he just had.

“Hmm?” She asked, as he turned to look up at her with concerned blue eyes.

“I got a reprieve for your shop, I got the money you need to be caught up for the rent you owe plus a little towards next month. So your shop is saved for now.” Nyx informed her, he was taking a great risk for all that he did for her, the use of pretty much all of his savings and getting in the line of fire from the Capo Familigia.

But he had a lot of feelings for her, he wasn't quite sure if they were love or not but he was sure that he wanted to explore them further with her. He just didn't know how to approach her or speak with about it because she was technically a client. In the of it Nyx was conflicted specially right now watching her carefully apply bandages to his wounds, a soft smile on her face.

“I really don't know how to thank you, Nyx. I really can't afford to take you out to dinner and I don't know what to do.” Arabella stopped what she was doing to tap a well manicured nail against her chin.

Nyx found that little move cute smiling broadly up at her, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

“How about you come to my house after work and you help me cook up the dinner I have – there is enough for two people for sure.”

“Wouldn't that bother your girlfriend any?” Arabella coyly asked, as she placed a band aid on his forehead.

“I'm quite single. . .” Nyx said a slight blush rising to his cheeks as he gives her a coy smile.

“Then I think it would be quite nice to join you for dinner. Thank you so much for helping  me out.”

“Only helping out the pretty lady. . .”

Ignis was on his third cup of coffee in the library pouring over a crudely drawn map and some books he had found on the genealogy of the Fleuret family. Pushing his glasses back up his nose he heard the soft padding of bare feet on the floor, the smell of fresh coffee arising to his nose. Looking up he spotted Morana walking over to him, she placed the pot down on the table. Quietly she took two cubes of sugar from the jar beside his mug taking them with her fingers instead of the tongs beside it, causing him to roll his eyes a little. He watched as she poured the coffee a drop spilling onto the map she had drawn.

“Would offer the pot itself for you to drink out of but I think that is too uncouth for you, Iggy.” Morana commented as she poured in a bit of cream for him.

Ignis had all the rights right now to be wary as to why Morana was pouring him coffee and making it exactly how he liked it. Anyone beyond Gladiolus should be worried when Morana did something nice for them because that generally meant she wanted something or had done something that she was going to ask forgiveness for. So when she sat beside Ignis running a hand through her long black hair light green eyes going over the map with the notes he had added, he took a tentative sip, waiting. She said nothing, it made him peeved just slightly though because surely this was not some act of kindness from her.

“This map is fairly detailed.” Ignis commented, a gloved finger brushing over the sides of the cup.

“Well I spent a lot of time there so I guess I remember more of that shit-hole than I thought.”

“It also worries me when you betray us for another and remember such information that it will be our downfall. I will make sure to kill you for leaving.”

“Or entice me in ways I won't leave?” Morana snapped back a smirk playing on her face as she appreciated that Ignis never hid behind a veil like others did about her newfound loyalty to the Caelum Family.

She never gave anyone reason to question her loyalty since she became a Caelum but then again she didn't give them reason not to. Morana did put all her effort in her missions despite it might not always be to the rule she did get the job done.

“I think Gladiolus entices you in many ways in staying in bed at least.” Ignis quipped back, tapping a finger on a corridor on the map.

“You could always up my pay, literally 1000 Gil a paycheck isn't much to go by on what I do.” Morana complained.

“That is plenty, Morana. Now this corridor leads to the dungeon, correct?”

“Yes it does, otherwise I wouldn't have marked that door with the word dungeon on it. Would have been a waste of time don't you think?” Morana replied dryly, grabbing a sugar cube popping it into her mouth.

“So everything leads to this being Stella Nox Fleuret from what you've said and what I've learned in books about her. I want to learn a bit more before I speak with the Capo Familigia about it.” Ignis stated, leaning back in his chair running his hands through his tawny hair.

Ignis knew Morana wasn't going to mess things up and give him wrong advice he did trust her that much. What made him trust her was not that Gladiolus trusted her blindly as many followed what Gladiolus said when it came to people's integrity. She had countless chances to betray them that would leave the family devastated and she didn't, always taking the best route for the family. He tested her faith in the family several times and each time she proved herself to be a woman of integrity.

“So you are saying that you want to go about and question some other associates of the Izunia family for what they can squeal for?” Morana asked, propping her bare feet on the table top, frayed hems of her slacks resting on the table top.

“Yes, do you know of any weak ones we can target?”

“I do. A few in fact. . .I do have someone that I could chat up they are a bit of a informant for Izunia and a close friend of mine.”

“You have friends?” Ignis interjected, eyes wide as he turned to face her.

“I know it's quite odd that I somehow managed to collect a few of those strange things called friends. Not sure why they stick around, surely not because of my lovely personality.” Morana commented chuckling as she grabbed another sugar cube.

“Yeah I am quite clueless as to why they stay with you either, I often wonder myself why I consider you a friend.” Ignis replied a smug look on his face.

“What you think of me as a friend? What madness is going on in this world?” Morana barked with laughter.

“A lot of madness for sure, soon Ebony will only be decaf and Gladiolus will hate cup of noodles.”

“And that's when I clock out of this world. There will be too much madness for me to handle. It's perfect the way it is right now.” Morana hummed closing her eyes a little.

“Babe you in here?” Gladiolus called out entering the library, amber eyes scanning the room landing on the two of them. “Heya Iggy what are the two of you scheming?”

“Mass genocide and to overthrown the national regime.” Morana replied sarcastically, getting to her feet, walking over to Gladiolus getting on tip toe placing a kiss on his jaw.

“Good, always need a good dose of genocide and plans to over throw the rich.”

“You do realize we are richer most of the royal families? We have more control over the economy than the royal family does.” Ignis explained, chiding the two of them.

“They why are they the ones getting a lot of credit and love?” Gladiolus asked, wrapping a arm around Morana's waist pulling her close to him as she rested her head lazily on his arm.

“Because they do things legally and where we do things less than legal.” Ignis answered, rolling up the map trying to ignore how cute they looked together in each others arms.

“Anyways, Morana do you think you can help me with that? Since tomorrow is Sunday we won't be able to do anything. We would have to wait until Monday to actually do anything.”

“I can talk to my friend tomorrow they will be able to help me.”

“I assume you are going to bring me up to snuff with this conversation?” Gladiolus asked, curious notes hitting his voice.

“Yes, Morana you can tell him – Gladio might come to some help with this actually.”

“Well good I was going to tell him no matter what, it's not like we are doing anything secretive. Just infiltrating Izunia forces for information.” Morana laughed shrugging her narrow shoulders.

“Well babe that can wait till later Noct ordered us to take Prompto out on our Saturday night rounds.”

“Why are we taking that little runt with us?” She asked, rolling her eyes, hands on her hips a slight disgruntled look. “He doesn't know anything. . .”

“Exactly why, apparently training didn't stick with him and the Capo Bastone wants us to train him on territories more.” Gladiolus explained, stressing the title for Noctis reminding Morana that it was a direct order from the boss that they needed to accept it.

“Fine the Capo Bastone, picked a toy.” Morana grumbled as she agreed. “Let's go then, bye Iggy.”

“Put some shoes on why don't you. . .” Ignis commented. “I don't want to hear from the medical center about you hurting your feet on broken glass again.”

“I hate shoes. . .and really keeping a eye out on my medical visits, Ignis?”

“As Consigliere I need to keep a eye on where the money goes and buying you a pair of shoes is cheaper than the medical bills we have been dealing for feet related injuries.” Ignis spoke as she shook her head, tugging Gladiolus towards the exit.

“Sure Ignis I'll sure put on shoes. Ease that troubled mind of yours.” Morana commented as she waved to him.

“As much injuries you take in with Gladiolus I would wrap you up in bubble tape if I had my way.” Ignis commented to himself as the door shut.