#another ao3 story that i'm finally posting here

[labrats-and-clonetroopers]

"I Won't Bury You Again" Ch. 1 - Leo Dooley & Chase Davenport, Lab Rats [Elite Force]/The Dark Tower (C.S. Lewis) Crossover

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Lab Rats/Mighty Med/Elite Force Masterlist 

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Synopsis:

Leo was the one who heard all of Davenport’s confessions in the elevator. He was the one who sought out Douglas, who had been the one to originally break into his and Marcus’ lab. He’s the one who’s been trapped in and escaped from a freaking parallel universe. 

He knows, better than any of them, that all the secrets surrounding their past will never fully come to light. 

But he needs to save his brother. And if that means chasing a ghost from Douglas’ past, then he will. No matter where it leads him.

Story Warnings: violence, minor character death, mentioned drug use, mild horror, moderate blood and gore

_______________

Leo knows. He knows that none of them, not Davenport, not Douglas, nor his mom, or Adam, Bree, Chase or Daniel, will ever know everything. Every part of the complex web of secrets and lies that connect their lives. 

He heard Davenport’s confessions while trapped in the elevator. Heard them, acknowledged them, and stored them away. Donald Davenport’s life before he clawed his way to success read like a nightmare. And while he is still an incredibly flawed man, Leo can respect that some things, some things should be left undisturbed in the past. 

But some things, they just nag, tug at his gut, as if some intuition is telling him that he needs to pull at this thread, that he needs to uncover it. 

Leo had always expected that Douglas had continued to keep secrets, that he would never reveal the full truth. Not intentionally, at least. 

And there’s always been something about Marcus’ story that never fully added up. A comment he made during their confrontation in Giselle’s lab, to Douglas. 

“You created me to betray someone I never could. But you, you I can betray.” 

He brought it up to Douglas one afternoon. Found him sitting alone in the dining hall, hunched over the table, frowning, looking at his phone. 

Leo pulled out a chair, sat down next to him. His uncle barely glanced up, “Oh, hey Leo.” 

“Watcha doing?” 

Douglas stilled. “Just looking through some old photos,” and he deflated, weary. 

It was an odd mood for him to be in. Leo frowned. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing,” Douglas dismissed. “Anything going on with you?”

Leo shook his head. “No, just chilling. Enjoying having all the students and Adam gone for the day. Video-chatted Janelle. We have a date planned for Wednesday.”

“Sounds fun.” 

“It will be.” 

Silence settled over them. Leo leaned back in his chair. “So, I was wondering something.”

Douglas looked back up. “Wondering what?”

“About something Marcus said,” and he watched his uncle immediately stiffen at that name, “He said you had created him to betray someone, someone he couldn’t betray. Thing is, that doesn’t make any sense; he didn’t hesitate to betray Adam, Bree, and Chase.”

Douglas had lowered his head, fixated his gaze on the table. “He wasn’t referring to them.”

“Then who?” Leo pressed. “Wait a minute, if he wasn’t referring to them, then you didn’t originally create him to capture your kids…” 

“That was why I built him, technically. The whole situation was just a bit more complicated at the time.” Douglas corrected, then sighed. “Look, Leo, I really don’t want to talk about this.” 

“Well, you never talked about Giselle either, until she just showed up, and we both now how that turned out,” Leo asserted. He leaned over the table, looking Douglas in the eye. “Who did you create Marcus to betray?”

Douglas met the intensity of his gaze. “You need to trust me, Leo. Leave it alone.” 

[archaeren]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

[kiss-inthekitchen]

pairing: spencer reid x reader

set sometime in early s2; you get stuck sharing a room with your favorite boy genius who absolutely cannot know that you have feelings for him. and also, there’s only one bed. fluff, f!reader (i think there's only two usages of gender markers)

word count: 4.7k

notes: this is a rework of a very old fic i used to have up on ao3. i'm thinking i'll do more of these, i've got a few spencer fics in the vault and it was fun to rework this and see how my style has changed :)

You shivered against the cold desert air. Twirling a keyring around your finger, you headed for the door marked 3. You were exhausted from the day and so, so ready to collapse into bed as soon as you got inside your room. 

You turned the key in the lock while Spencer waited behind you. It was late, and you and the team had pulled into a motel for the night, having been dragged out to a tiny rural town by the unsub after days of tracking him through surrounding areas. He’d been apprehended, finally, and handed over to local police around midnight. You all had decided it best to spend the night before driving back into town in the morning for take off. 

So here you were, at one of those single story motels that still used actual keys instead of key cards. Given the time of night, you knew vacancies would be scarce, so you’d already expected to have to double up on rooms. Gideon had stayed behind at Quantico, leaving Hotch and Morgan in one room and JJ and Prentiss in another, with you and Spencer sharing the last room. You’d hung back while JJ got everything figured out with the concierge (who was just a bored looking kid posted at the desk), and then she’d passed you your key with its little keyring attachment listing the room number and you all bade each other goodnight.

You’d been on the team nearly a year already, but you were still the rookie compared to everyone else. Even Spence had two years on you. But seeing as you two were the youngest, and the least inclined toward the more physical parts of your job– the chasing, tackling, firing your weapon parts– you were paired off with him more often than not. 

You weren’t complaining. You’d come to know Spencer pretty well, and you didn’t feel much apprehension at the thought of sharing a room with him for one night. 

That is, until you opened the door. 

“Oh,” you said involuntarily.  

"There's only one bed,” Spencer said. 

“Sure looks that way.” 

"At least it's a queen?" 

There was a brief pause before you both started speaking at the same time. 

"Maybe we can go back to the concierge–" Spencer began. 

"I mean, I guess I don't really–" 

"–although, JJ did say we got the last–" 

"–mind as long as you–" 

You cut yourself off this time. It’s not like there was another good option, unless one of you wanted to sleep in the car. "This is fine?" it came out as a question rather than a statement. 

"I think so? I wouldn't want to– to make you uncomfortable or anything."

"This is fine," you repeated, more sure of yourself this time. “And you don’t make me uncomfortable.”  

It was only kind of a lie. You trusted Spencer with your life, of course. But he also made you nervous. He was sweet, kind, always seeming genuinely interested in anything you had to say. And of course, anyone could see that he was attractive. You were developing feelings for him, and in a job where your coworkers and your crush himself were all adept at reading people, it really wasn’t a good position for you to be in. You just hoped Spencer was as oblivious with women as Derek made him out to be. 

"We should get out of the doorway," Spencer suggested, and you realized you'd been standing in the threshold this whole time.

"Right."

The two of you walked in, Spencer closing and locking the door behind you. It was a modest room in a tiny town; your standard ugly-patterned, faded bedspread draped over the queen bed in the center, a window looking out into the parking lot, and a dresser that didn’t even have a TV on top of it. You headed straight for the bed, sitting on the edge and removing your shoes while Spencer stood by with his hands in his pockets.

"You know, if it's a problem I can sleep on the cou– uh, the chair," Spencer offered, looking back mid-sentence and realizing that the only additional furniture this motel offered was one rigid looking armchair by the window. 

"No, you're not doing that."

"What?" he asked, taken aback by the quickness of your response.

"You're not sleeping in that chair. It looks horribly uncomfortable and I’m sure it’s never been cleaned, and I know how you’d feel about that.” 

Spencer grimaced, not having thought about that particular detail. “Yeah, but, I mean… I’d do it for you.” 

God, why did he have to say stuff like that? Like you were something special. And why now, when you were stuck in the same room with him until morning? It probably didn’t even mean the same thing to him as it meant to you. He was one of the most caring people you’d ever met. He’d probably say that to any one of you on the team. 

Or maybe sleeping in a chair meant nothing to him at all. Maybe he actually didn’t want to share the bed with you and that’s why he was trying so hard to avoid it. 

Ugh. You just wanted this day to be over. It was late, the case had been a week long, and now you were probably in for a fun night of overthinking and second guessing when you’d been expecting silence and easy, dreamless sleep. 

Okay, maybe that last part was never really an option, but still. 

“Look,” you sighed, “I know this isn't an ideal situation but there's a perfectly good bed here, so let’s just share it. If you’re okay with that. It's just one night and tomorrow we'll be back home and nobody has to know about it."

You had to fight from squeezing your eyes shut in regret. You wished that had come out differently. You chanced a look at Spencer, realizing that you’d been staring down at the faded carpet pattern while you spoke. 

The look on his face was one you hadn’t seen before, and you almost couldn't place it. He seemed sort of disappointed. Disappointed that he had to share a bed with you? Or that you'd made it sound like you didn't want to share a bed with him? Nope, you could not go down that road tonight. You shook your head once as if it would clear the thoughts from your tired mind. 

“I’m okay with that," he said, casually enough that you could almost convince yourself that you’d just imagined the look on his face before. "So, do you want the shower first, or...?" Spencer asked.

"No, I can wait, you go ahead," you said. You desperately needed the moment to yourself anyway.  

You started rifling through your bag for pajamas, toiletries, and your charger as an excuse to look busy while Spencer made his way into the bathroom with his things. As soon as the door closed behind him, you flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling as if it might hold all the answers. 

Spencer couldn't know about your feelings. For one thing, you were pretty sure there was a rule against dating your colleagues in the BAU. If not, there probably should be. You were such a close knit team, and if anything went wrong… you couldn’t imagine how difficult that would be. But then, the evil and uncooperative part of you also couldn’t help but think that things might go right. 

From the beginning of your time at the BAU, you’d been drawn to Spencer. It just kind of made sense. You’d gotten through school at an accelerated pace– though not as quickly as him, the man was on another fucking level when it came to academics– and you were one of the only people who found his fact dropping actually interesting, often asking him follow up questions. He’d looked adorably shocked the first few times you’d done that. 

He listened intently to your passionate rants about your favorite films and tv shows, even though he hadn’t seen any of them. When the two of you had discovered a shared interest in mythology and folklore, Hotch nearly had to separate you so you would actually get some work done. It was like you were a kid in school again, and you might’ve been embarrassed if you didn’t find it so funny, if you weren’t so giddy at the idea of a friendship that could make you feel like a kid again. 

Spencer understood you in a way that other people didn’t, laughing at your jokes even when they didn’t land for anybody else. When people interrupted or spoke over you, he always paid attention, and in situations where you were trying to add details to the profile he’d bring the conversation back around to you. 

Throughout your life you’d learned– through painstaking trial and error– to fit in pretty well in most any group you found yourself in, but you’d always considered yourself to be a little weird. A little too different. But when you were with Spencer, you felt like you didn’t have to try so hard. You could both be a little different, together. 

Spencer opened the bathroom door then, startling you. You’d been so lost in thought you hadn’t even noticed the water turn off. You looked over to see him wearing a loose white t-shirt and pajama pants, his hair still damp. And now you knew what Spencer looked like fresh out of a shower. And of course it was endearing as hell. 

“If that’s how you’re planning to sleep,” Spencer began, referencing how you were laid out in the dead center of the bed, your arms fully outstretched and hands hanging off the mattress, “then I think we might have a slight problem after all.”  

You walked out of the bathroom a short while later, dressed in your usual sleepwear of shorts and an oversized shirt. You’d put your hair up in a bun to protect it while you showered, and now it hung loose around your shoulders. You simultaneously wished your outfit was cuter and uglier; knowing your giant t-shirt wasn’t flattering your figure while also feeling like you had too much skin exposed. Not that it mattered. You were just going to get some sleep and then wake up in the morning and head home. Everything would be back to normal. 

Spencer’s in bed already. He’d turned off the big light while you were showering, the lamps on either side of the bed casting him in a softer, warmer glow. He looked up from his book to find you standing there, and the soft, familiar look in his big brown eyes had you rooted to the spot. 

“Hey,” he said softly, patting the space next to him in invitation. 

You conceded, finding your legs again and sliding into bed beside him. “Hey.” 

He fidgeted with the pages of his book, ultimately shutting it closed on his index finger to mark the page. “So, uh, are we okay?” 

“Yeah, of course,” you answered genuinely, feeling bad that your internal struggle had manifested in a way that worried him. 

“Okay, cool,” he said. He paused long enough to let you explain if you wanted to, another invitation. You knew he wouldn’t push it if you didn’t offer something up. You wanted to give him an explanation, but you couldn’t bring yourself to. 

“Sorry,” you managed. 

“For what?” 

“I don’t know… acting weird, I guess. It’s just been a long day.” 

“Oh, well, you don’t need to be sorry about that. You’re always weird.” 

Your mouth dropped open as you looked at him. “Look who’s fucking talking,” you scoffed. Some of the tension dropped from your shoulders, glad he hadn’t questioned you further. 

“Language, please,” he held up a hand to stop you. “I’m delicate.” 

“Wha–?” you let out a surprised little laugh. “You’re an idiot!” 

“Yeah okay, tell that to my I–.” 

“Oh, my IQ of 187,” you finished for him, rolling your eyes. Even that was full of endearment. “God, you are so annoying.” 

“Hm. Y’know, this might be a long night for you. I’d hate to keep you up with my annoyingness.” 

“I feel like you could’ve come up with a better word than annoyingness, Mr. 187,” you tilted your head where it rested against the headboard, looking up at him. 

“Oh, she’s being a smartass now!” he split into a surprised grin, and you could swear your heart skipped a beat. 

“You just said ass.” 

“Wow. How quickly you’ve corrupted me.” 

“Right, of course. It’s my fault.” 

“I knew you’d agree.” 

“Shut the fuck up,” you laughed. 

Things felt a little bit more normal after that, joking around with Spencer like you normally did made the rest of the night feel less daunting. 

Shortly after that, the two of you agreed that you should get some sleep, each reaching over to turn out the light on your respective sides of the bed. 

You let yourself sink into your pillow, the exhaustion you had been feeling giving way to a hyper awareness of Reid’s body next to you. You were kept awake, completely overcome by the foot of space between you and Spencer; the consequences of crossing that space, the way it might feel, the curiosity over whether he was laying awake too, thinking the same thoughts as you. Even with that foot of space separating you, you could feel his body heat. You longed to move closer to him, to touch him, to let his warmth seep into you and lull you to sleep. 

But you didn’t, and you wouldn’t, because this was just an unfortunate booking mishap. It didn’t mean anything. Tomorrow it would be over, and you could more easily go back to hiding your feelings from everyone else and yourself. 

Eventually, exhaustion won out. 

You woke what could’ve been a few minutes or a few hours later, the sky still dark. You couldn’t tell what exactly had woken you up, only the sense that you’d moved, almost like you’d fallen. But fallen from what? 

You blinked in the dark, the street lamps in the parking lot providing enough residual light to keep the room from being pitch black. 

Reid was sitting up. He must’ve bolted upright, you thought. Had that been what moved you? Were you lying on him?! 

“Hey, you okay?” 

“Sorry. Just a nightmare,” he said as if it was nothing. “Sorry to wake you.” 

“What was it about?” you ignored his apologies, sitting up as well. 

“I don't really even remember,” he breathed, almost like it was funny. “Just having a physiological reaction to whatever it was, I guess.” 

You had nightmares too, of course. You all did. You hated remembering them, but you also hated the times when you woke up in the dark, dazed and inexplicably scared. Without thinking, you reached for his hand. 

He turned to look at you then. “I really didn't mean to wake you,” he reiterated. 

“I figured,” you smiled slightly. You noticed his breathing was just a bit too fast. You rubbed your thumb over the back of his hand, leaning over to rest your weight against his side, your head on his shoulder. His nervous system would regulate itself quicker this way. 

“You were on my pillow, by the way.” 

“What?” you ask, your head jerking back from him. 

“I totally called it. You rolled right into the center of the bed in your sleep. Total bed hog.” 

“Hey!” you protested, pulling your hand back from his in embarrassment. So you had been lying on top of him. Or at least really close to him. His hand chased after yours, finding you again. 

“That wasn’t me complaining about it.” 

“Oh,” was all you could think to say back. 

It was quiet for a minute. You let your head fall back onto Spencer’s shoulder, but your heart raced in your chest. 

“Can I ask you something?” he questioned, his tone becoming more serious. 

“Oh– of course,” you answered, your brow creasing. 

“What did you mean when you said ‘it’s not ideal’ and ‘nobody has to know about it’?” 

“Wh– I– Spencer, come on.” 

He didn’t give you an out this time. Just waited for an answer. 

“I don’t even really know,” you sighed.  

“I believe you’re being partially truthful about that.” 

“Don’t profile me.” 

“I’m not. I just know you.” 

You sighed. “You know, sometimes I hate that stupid memory of yours.” 

“I don’t need an eidetic memory to remember that. It was a weird thing to say, and it happened like four hours ago.” 

“You’re guesstimating. And it wasn’t that weird.” 

“Maybe not, but the way you said it was. And you’re avoiding my question.” 

You continued to avoid it, biting down on your bottom lip. 

“And you stuttered when I brought it up.” 

“I told you to stop profiling me.” 

This time, he just hummed in response. 

“And so what if I stuttered?” 

“Stuttering is usually more my thing. A nervousness thing.” 

Maybe this was actually your nightmare. Maybe you’d wake up soon and none of this would’ve been real, and you wouldn’t have had to explain to Spencer that the reason you’d had an attitude was because the situation tonight had made it harder to hide your feelings from him. Big feelings that became a lot harder to ignore when he was this close to you, still holding your hand, the mix of scents from his detergent and deodorant clouding your judgment. Of all the embarrassing scenarios that you could’ve imagined playing out tonight, this was very high up on the list. 

“I said ‘it’s not ideal’ because it’s not, just by definition. We were supposed to get a double room and we didn’t. Not ideal. And I said no one has to find out because I can already see Morgan having a field day with it and I know the exact expression that’ll be on his face–” 

“The eyebrows,” he nodded, lips pursed. 

“And then everyone else will get in on it and I just figured…” you sighed. “I don’t know. I didn’t want to deal with that.” 

“That all makes total sense.” 

“Good,” you breathed. Too relieved. 

“Now tell me the rest of it.” 

“God, Spencer–” you huffed out, frustrated. He knew you too well. 

You wanted to run. Maybe you could go sleep in the car after all. And then ignore Spencer for the rest of the day, and then the year, and your life, and– 

“Don’t make me say it,” you breathed. This had to be a dream. 

“But there is something to be said?” he questioned, his tone hushed, almost reverent. 

It was just vague enough. You could pretend it was nothing. 

“Yes.” 

You felt like you’d just blown your life up with one word. 

Spencer took a deep breath, your body cresting and falling with the movement of it. 

“You make me feel better about being myself,” he confessed.  

You shut your eyes. You had a constricting feeling in your throat suddenly, and the awful realization that you might cry. 

He spoke again, because you couldn’t. “I haven’t always felt good about it, you know? And then you joined the team, and, well– you changed a lot of things for me. And you’re beautiful, obviously, and I was scared to mess up what we have, because it’s special, I think–” 

“It is.” 

“–and then you started freaking out when you saw the bed,” he was smiling now, you could hear it, “and I thought, maybe it wouldn’t be so crazy… maybe I could make you feel that way too.” 

“You do. Of course you do. I feel like I can be my full self with you. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt like that before.” 

Spencer laughed, a little delirious giggle, and squeezed your hand in his. You’d managed to avoid crying, thankfully, and you grinned along with him, looking down at your joined hands as you squeezed him back. 

Things seemed to still for a beat, the two of you sitting with this moment and letting it stretch out. You still couldn’t really believe this was happening. You might have to tell Spencer to pinch you. 

“So what does that mean for us now?” you asked. 

“Well, for right now at least, I think it just means that we can go back to sleep without overthinking things into oblivion.” 

“I was not–”

“Okay, this time I am profiling you, and you’re lying,” he cut you off, his smile still evident.  

“Oh, this was such a mistake.”

He continued like you hadn’t spoken, laughing a little as he went. “I could practically hear it. It’s like, you know when a computer is trying to use too much processing power and the fan starts whirring really loud? Like that but just like right next to me, like tangible—“  

“Okay! Thank you so much, I actually totally got it, you can stop now.” 

He laughed, and your cheeks warmed. 

“For the record, I meant we could both stop overthinking.” Then he shifted a little, facing you a bit more. With the hand that wasn’t holding yours, he brushed a strand of hair from your face, a fake pout on his lips. “Sorry I make you nervous.” 

You cackled at that, if it was possible to cackle in hushed tones. “Oh, I bet you are. Besides, I know you like me now, so you’ve lost that card.” 

“Are you certain of that?” 

“Certain that you like me or certain that you can’t make me nervous?” 

“The latter. I do like you, if that was unclear.” 

Your heart sped up, contradicting you as you answered, “Then I’m certain you can’t make me nervous.” 

He titled your face up to his then, using his index finger underneath your chin to make you look at him. “You’re an awful liar.” 

You just shrugged, watching triumphantly as Spencer’s gaze fell to your lips. “It’s been working out pretty well for me so far.” 

“I guess it has,” he murmured, closing the distance between you and finally kissing you. 

After so many months of imagining (and berating yourself for imagining) what Spencer’s lips might feel like on yours, you weren’t disappointed. 

For once you didn’t have to think at all, the chemistry between you and him drowning out everything else. His hand fell to your waist, and yours moved to the curve of his jaw, pulling him closer as his mouth moved against yours. Your teeth grazed his bottom lip and he gasped, and your skin felt like it was lit up from the inside. 

You pulled away to breathe, and to process, and to try and stop your head from swimming. You were rewarded with the awestruck look in Spencer’s eyes as he opened them again. 

“Okay, was it just me, or–” 

“That was crazy,” you breathed.

“Crazy,” he agreed. 

“Spence?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I don’t think we’re getting back to sleep tonight.” Your eyes widened at the implication of saying those words at that time. “Not, like, in the sex way, though,” you hurried to correct yourself. “I need like, 4-5 business days to process things first, and I– well, I just meant, like– you know?” 

Spencer was nodding at you even as his eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “Can I still kiss you during those 4-5 business days?” 

“Oh, yeah,” you said, sounding breathless. 

“Cool,” he agreed. “You seem really nervous, by the way.” 

“Well, you kissed me.” 

“I did.”  

“How were you not nervous?” you breathed. 

“Oh, I was. Your reaction is making me feel a whole lot better about it though.” 

You scoffed half-heartedly. “I do so much for you.” 

“You do,” he replied earnestly, letting go of your hand to wrap his arm around your shoulders as he pressed a kiss to your forehead. “We could lie back down, if you want. Like we were before I so rudely woke you up.” 

“Yeah, I’m super mad about that,” you joked. “Anyway, I was asleep for that, so you’ll have to show me what I was doing.” 

He seemed all too pleased to do so. “Okay, so you were basically like,” he leaned back against the pillows, pulling you down with him, moving his hand to the side of your head to guide you to the place where his shoulder met his chest, “Like that, and then your arm was over here,” he picked up your arm and guided it around his waist. 

“Oh god, that’s so embarrassing,” you said, realizing that he must’ve been awake when you’d done it. 

“Yeah, I know. Really terrible time for me.” 

“I can imagine. I can scoot back over to my side of the bed, just say the word.” 

“Don’t you dare,” he said, squeezing you closer. 

You trailed your fingers up and down his waist, feeling more content than you had in ages. 

“I can’t believe you’d suggest that I would have sex with you right after confessing my feelings. Like, take me to dinner first at least.” 

“Oh my god,” you half-exclaimed, half-laughed. You felt your cheeks heat up again, grateful it was still too dark in the room to be noticeable. “You’re right, I’m so sorry. How’s next Friday?” 

“Hmm, I don’t know. My work schedule is kind of unpredictable. I’ll have to get back to you.” 

“You’re such an ass.” 

A few short hours later, you were back on the jet with the rest of the team. You were lying on the couch while Spencer sat in a seat one row up and across from you, both to avoid suspicion and so you could try to catch up on sleep. He sat facing away from you, but with the angle you were at you could still see one side of his face if you tilted your head up. 

You were just beginning to fade when your phone buzzed next to you. 

Spencer: I have to tell you something, coworker to coworker. 

You looked up to see him blank faced, looking down at the book in his right hand, holding his phone in the left. 

You text back: okay? 

Spencer: My crush asked me out last night. 

You’re exceptionally glad no one was sitting close enough to see you. Spencer had caught you off guard, and you felt an infatuated grin spreading across your face. 

You: what did u say? 

Spencer: Wanted to get your opinion first. 

You: i think u should say yes, obviously. 

Spencer: Idk, I’m kinda nervous. I think she’s trying to jump me on the first date.

You just barely managed to refrain from laughing out loud. You looked up at Spencer again, and he’s looking at his phone as if it contained nothing more than a weather report. You’re astounded. 

You: one could argue that technically you’ve already slept together, so there’s less to be nervous abt

You saw his eyebrows raise just slightly. Success. 

Spencer: You’re trouble, you know that? See you Friday night

You: i promise i won’t try to jump you 

Spencer: Oh

Spencer: I fear I may have shot myself in the foot here

You: i wouldn’t worry about it too much

Spencer: That’s rich coming from you 

You rolled your eyes even though he couldn't see you. 

You: whatever. wear something sexy ;) 

You heard him blow air out of his nose, an almost laugh. 

“Something funny?” you heard Derek ask. 

Shit. 

“This book contains a historical inaccuracy that was proven incorrect eight years before its publishing date,” Spencer replied without missing a beat. 

Unbelievable.

You: you’re unhinged :*

Spencer: Go to sleep already, would you? 

You: coworker to coworker? my crush keeps interrupting my beauty sleep 

Spencer: He’s probably worried about the worldwide implications of you becoming any more beautiful 

You: i guess that’s why the universe gave you insomnia :( too pretty 

Spencer: Stop flirting with me

You: bc you’re too delicate?? 

Spencer: Yes 

You snapped your phone shut, feeling dazed. You watched the clouds go by in the window across from you, and you couldn’t help letting your gaze slide over to Spencer. He’d put his phone down as well, concentrating on his book. Or pretending to concentrate. He was turning the pages much too slowly for his actual pace. 

You: you have got to do a better job of fake reading than that

You heard a page turn. 

You looked up again to see the ghost of a smile threatening the corner of his mouth. 

This was going to be fun. And also, you were so screwed. 

[skyfallscotland]

Writing Advice: tips, tricks & helpful links, from your friendly neighbourhood fanfic author ✨ (part two—the resources)

see part one—the advice here

verbiage: • show, don't tell—a guide by @lyralit • this crazy big list of dialogue tags from @slayingfiction

diversity & inclusive writing: • a collection of helpful posts about BIPOC, gender, and body neutral inclusion in writing collated by @lavenderursa • this post on writing disabled characters by @cripplecharacters if you're not writing from experience

adding depth to your characters: • exploring character backstory and good traits gone bad by @saraswritingtipps • dark past ideas from @sas-soulwriter • @lyralit's list of things to think about when crafting a character

story structure and depth: • plot structures and this story planning template from @wordsnstuff • this collection of links from @oflights including fantasy name generators, child development guides, and height comparison visuals • finally, @writingquestionsanswered full stop, they have some fantastic guides and advice on things like this post on how to deal with writer's block and this one on how to start a story.

smut (i'm not gonna lie, there's a lot of smut resources): • the classic—quinnanderson's 'ultimate guide to writing smut fic' on AO3 • smut synonyms from @plaidstiel-wormstache • @maybeeatspaghetti's smutty dictionary • another smut thesaurus from @prurientpuddlejumper • this list of praise kink dialogue, also a good site for sex positions • sex positions for deep penetration (with diagrams) • this guide by @void-my-warranty • and not quite smut, but this post on how to write a kiss scene from @youneedsomeprompts

writing software: • a collection of alternatives to google docs, by @the960writers • here is @yekokataa's AO3 template for scrivener

prompts, for when you want to write but need a nudge: • @creativepromptsforwriting • @deity-prompts (who also has an excellent masterlist of writer's advice)

I may update this list occasionally who knows, but for now I hope some of you find it helpful 💗

[lesbians4armand]

Do you have any DM fic recs? I feel like there has been so much fic posted since the finale and I can't keep up.

OKAY dear nonnie I am so so sorry for making you wait so long for a response, I am notoriously terrible at replying to asks. I kept meaning to and then forgetting, but we are here now 🙂‍↕️

Here are some of my favourite Devil’s Minions fics!!

• I'm the Devil's Minion And He Grants My Every Wish

(Series by OracleOfTheSea, gorgeous writing and take on past and present DM in these three fics, I love this one)

• bodice ripper

(by nonfatalinfection, explicit, body horror, true freak DM sex, really enjoyed this one personally but might not be for everyone, so check tags!)

• i’m a man (and you deny it)

(INCREDIBLE work by mercuryhatter, who is on tumblr @armandposting, brilliant exploration on armand’s story and present feelings on Venice, set post-canon as he explains to Daniel who Amadeo really was, mature)

• At Least Death Means I’ll Never Be Afraid of Dying Again

(by MitchieSawyer, mature. I don’t tend to include AUs in recs but this one caught me so hard, it was truly amazing. Modern, Human AU that deals with the heartbreak and difficulties of terminal illness and death, keep tissues on hand for this one.)

• i’m a mess, but i’m the mess you wanted

(by real_enough, explicit. another human au, but one I found myself really enjoying, very sweet)

• red tint my world, keep me safe from my trouble and pain

(by rockwetman, explicit. armand watches rocky horror, once in 1975 and once in 2022. this fic speaks to my rhps loving heart, can’t recommend it enough)

• honey and pineapple

(by duri, explicit. AMAZING fic where daniel and rashid-mand get it on, one of my faves and my favourite genre)

• a haunting just for company

(by valkyrisms, explicit, post-s2 with armand just. living in daniel’s house. very fun, but unfinished as of now)

• two broken souls

(series by serafina20, explicit, post-s2 devils minion. a huge favourite)

• Lie Back And Let Me Unlock You

(by Thunder_Puss, explicit. human au but they’re possibly even more freaks than they are in canon, set in the early 2000s, armand is a cannibal, and daniel is his willing(?) victim. unfinished as of now but updates regularly)

• Dirty Thoughts

(by Yielded Desire, explicit. Daniel is super horny for Rashid and Louis and Armand project images of their coupling into his head to get him off. very fun indeed)

Finally, a little bit of shameless self-promo, by ao3 is ultraviolet_glow, where you can find many of own my DM ideas

[puppetmaster13u]

Well Shit I'm Actually Writing This-

So have Art & a WIP of one of the ideas <3 ------------------------------------------------------------

   “What the fuck.” 

   The fish-snake-whale-man seemed to go through several expressions within a few moments, finally ending on one that Danny could only describe as, this may as well happen but still what the Fuck. And then he was being picked up, which he should not be that small, but the not-ghost was also huge- 

   “That- this is a whole ass child,” the fish-man seemed to be going back to hysterical, the emotion practically dripping in the air. “Holy shit you’re a whole ass child- y-you’re what, five?” 

   Danny let out an angry noise at being called so tiny, even as he inwardly acknowledged the fact that he was incredibly small at the moment. Stupid zone and stupid ghost bullshit. He could be back home sleeping but noo, when would he ever get to actually sleep on a school night. 

   They made another hysterical-sounding noise, head falling back against the wall. “Oh fuck you’re an actual full on child- why is a child down here-” they took a deep breath, lure dimming as they closed their eyes. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck-" 

   That was a lot of cursing, and honestly Danny couldn’t help the judgment that crossed over his face as he tried to squirm free from their hold. Maybe he’d gotten used to the whole wish-cursed situation that was in Amity, but really he didn’t think that much cussing was required. 

   Then again, he didn’t exactly have a good idea about what this place even was- but he’d been in far more dangerous places! Probably. He thinks at least? Look, he’d already established there was something wacky going on with his head, so it wasn’t his fault if this turned out as dangerous as some of his worse incidents. 

   Well, it couldn’t be as dangerous as opening an interdimensional portal right on top of himself, so.

Who knows if I'll finish enough of this to actually post it as a full story on AO3 lol, but lemme know if u have ideas or wanna be tagged

Also for those who want Lore: Here's Sebastian's Wiki Page

[mr-yuugo]

Find Out For Yourself

-Lilia Vanrouge x Reader [Gender Neutral]-

Words: 1,597

Summary: After a few frights, the reader finds out that Lilia really isn't a girl.

Posted this on my AO3 account as well as Wattpad!

Rain poured down from the thundering sky. You, Grim, and the two heartslabyul freshmen ran to the ramshackle dorm. "Myah! Henchman hurry up!" Grim growled in your arms. You were currently carrying him, shielding him as best you could from the rain. Beside you, Ace scowled. "Shut it Grim! Or I'll make the prefect put you down!"

At Ace's words, Grim shut up only letting a few grumbles leave his mouth. Finally arriving at the dorm's porch, Deuce was quick to open the door. You all hurried inside. "Augh finally out of the rain." Ace cheered. You nodded your head putting Grim down on the floor. "You boys stay here I'll go get towels for you to dry off."

Heading to your bathroom you reached for the towels you would need and quickly headed back to the lounge. You saw them taking off their coats and placing them messily on the floor. Handing them the towels you took the liberty of drying grim off before doing so yourself.

After you were all dry you all sat in the lounge. A sigh left Ace's lips as he pouted. "Great now we're stuck here..." Grim simply rolled his eyes. "You saying you rather be outside in the rain? Be my guest!" Grim said sticking out his tongue.

"Calm down you two." You groaned in annoyance, Deuce nodding his head. "Do calm down, I'm sure Y/N wouldn't care to throw both of you out if you kept being annoying." Deuce grinned.

"You wouldn't do that right Y/N..?" Ace mumbled as he slowly turned to you. Chuckling you hummed. "Who knows? Keep it up and I just might have to." Ace shivered at your words, deep down knowing you could if you really wanted to.

...

Thunderstruck as all of you talked in the lounge. Grim in your lap as you both shared a blanket. You and Grim had your backs turned to the window, sitting on the carpet resting your hands on the table in front of you.

Deuce and Ace shared another blanket as they sat on the couch. You all took turns telling scary stories. "Okay okay, have you heard about the ghost that haunts diasomnia?" Ace whispered to which Grim let out an annoyed grumble. "Please ghost stories? I thought you could do better than that. Me and Y/N literally live with them!"

"Hear me out, have you guys even been to their dorm?" Ace asked, you all shook your head from left to right. "Well, they say that when you first get sorted into diasomnia you always have trouble sleeping the first night..."

"Why is that?" Deuce spoke his voice quiet as he clung to the warmth the blanket gave him. "Well, there is a mysterious figure that watches them from the windows. Watching their every step to ensure they're fit to join diasomnia. And well you know how diasomnia is, it's so creepy and dark."

Thunderstruck once more as Grim jumped slightly in your lap. Grinning you spoke, "So do you think this ghost might terrorize other dorms?" You asked. "Eeek! Don't even say such a thing!" Grim scolded you as he clung to you. Ace laughed creepily as he nodded slowly. "I'm sure Y/N! I remember you saying that you would sometimes wake up to see stuff in your mirror right?"

You nodded and Deuce sat up straight. "You don't think it has something to do with the diasomnia ghost do you..?" Ace raised a brow, a teasing smirk on his face. "Is Deucey scared?" Deuce furrowed his brows. "Am not!" He said angrily. "Anyway, they say the creature appears upside down, almost like a bat. Just like tonight, thunder strikes causing a very small light to shine on the creature."

When Ace said that, your mind drifted. "Upside down like a bat..." You hummed. "Ah, that reminds me of that vice house warden..." You mumbled. Grim's ears perked up. "What vice house warden?" He asked.

"I'm not sure you remember but I first encountered them when we came back to the dorm after the whole scarabia showdown. They appeared out of nowhere, floating upside down. I believe their name was Lilia." Deuce let out a hum "Oh that is the name for diasomnia's vice house warden right?" Your memory came back to you as you eagerly nodded your head. "Yeah, that's it! Actually, I wanted to ask if-" An exceptionally loud thunderbolt halted your words.

Deuce's eyes widened as he nudged Ace. "D-did you see that?" He asked with his eyes going wide. "See what Deuce?" You asked him. You saw him nervously gulp. "On the window! I saw something floating around and I'm already telling you it was no bird or animal!" Grim crossed his paws, an annoyed look on his face. "Did the story really mess you up that bad?"

"No! I swear I saw someone! Did you see it, Ace?" Deuce asked. "No, I didn't stop messing around Deuce," Ace grumbled. "I promise I am not-"

BANG

Grim shrieked at the sound. "What was that?!" He yelled out, his claws going into your skin. Wincing you scolded him. "Stop it Grim! And Deuce it was probably nothing how about we all just calm down?" You saw something from the corner of your eye. Leaning your body back slightly you notice the previously closed door to the lounge is now open.

"Wasn't the door closed?" You asked as you got up from your spot on the carpet. Carrying Grim in your hands you left the blanket on the floor. "Oh please Y/N not you too. I swear it's probably nothing like you said." Ace rolled his eyes.

Getting closer to the door Grim clung to you tightly. "Why are you investigating it!? Haven't you seen the movies?" You stood in front of the open doors, looking to your right you quickly glanced up the stairs. Noticing nothing you walked through the hallway that led to the front door of the lounge.

"Y/N wait up! Don't leave me behind!" Deuce hurried up and began walking next to you. Ace also coming to walk with the three of you. "Look! The front door is open." Grim shrieked. Giving Grim to Ace you slowly walked up to the door and opened it fully. "Weird...there is no one here." You quietly said.

Deuce let out a sigh of relief. Turning your body to walk back to the lounge you came face to face with someone. "Hey there!" You heard the voice in front of you speak. "Ahh!" You all screamed as you put a hand on your racing heart. Floating upside down was the dripping wet house warden. "You did it again!" You yelled as you calmed down.

You heard Lilia laugh as he floated down landing feet first onto the wooden floor. "Mind if I stay here to dry?" He asked you, an innocent smile on his face. "Sure you're more than welcome too." You smiled at him as you began to look him up and down. "They really do look like a girl...but that voice says different." You thought with a sigh. "Well, it's useless to think about it."

"I'll get you a dry towel." You told him before turning to the boys who looked kinda of nervous. "Mind taking Lilia to the lounge? I'll be right back."

...

Lilia was now dry and you were both enjoying some late-night snacks. The rain hadn't given up as you smiled at seeing the sleeping figures of Ace and Deuce sleeping comfortably on the couch. Grim had already retired to your shared room as it was just you and the fae talking quietly while eating your snacks.

"Didn't you teleport last time we met? I'm sure you could have made your way to the mirror chamber just fine." You raised your brow in suspicion. Lilia chuckled and slowly nodded his head. "I suppose I could but I just happened to see you all having so much fun, I wanted to join in too."

"Ah, so Deuce wasn't going crazy..." Giggling quietly you looked at Lilia from the corner of your eye. Your eyes wandered around his figure almost as if you were analyzing him. His eyes met yours, catching your attention.

"Hm? What is this? What is it that you hope to do by undressing me with your eyes?" He said, sending you a teasing smirk. You blushed in embarrassment, "I'm sorry it's just that you look so much like a girl. You're very pretty you know?"

Lilia's eyes widened for a second before closing, the teasing smirk finding its place on his lips once more. "I suppose I am huh? Well, it's all just part of my innocent look." He stopped talking for a second before he turned his body fully to you. "Would you like to find out for yourself?" He asked. You tilted your head in confusion. "What do you mean?

Lilia reached for your hand, an innocent smile on his face. You saw him slowly bring your hand up placing it on his chest. His palm was on the back of your hand as he moved it around in a circular motion. You gasped in shock but didn't dare move away.

You heard Lilia let out a pleased hum. "So?" He asked as he let you pull your hand back onto your lap. You stared at him, no words leaving your lips. You're face turning redder than a tomato.

He just sent you a cocky grin as he watched steam blow out from your ears.

[lynaferns]

The Forest On The Other Side

Chapter 1: I want to go home.

Ver. [ENGLISH / SPANISH]

EDIT: This fic is now on AO3

A girl gets lost in the forest and finds a misterious gate in the middle of nowhere. At the other side she meets a... very peculiar individual who seems to only want to befriend her and play. Everything seems fine. Until night falls and someone else joins to play...

Again, I appreciate feedback about the english adaptation. English is not my first lenguage and I still mess up sometimes.

This is in some way a more "joyful" story than BIOMáquina, still with its dark themes. I wrote this a year ago. By this I mean I forced myself to get it written down and ended up hating it and burning myself out. A couple of weeks ago I decided to reread it and I though it was pretty ok actually, so I edited it a bit to make it flow better. It used to be written more as a script for the comic I wanted to draw buuuut that didn't happen (cough stressed myself out cough forced myself cough don't force yourself to make content out of a hobby, a hobby is supposed to be for your own fun). I'm not completely satisfied with the final draft but I think is good enough for my first ever fic written.

I originally planned to make it a Y/N thing but that didn't last long. But I keeped the original idea of the first person POV. The Y/N stories I've read has always some narrator telling you what you do insert you in the story. I thought of making the MC the narrator, this way the reader can insert themselves like it's their story or they can read it as if someone else is telling them a story. This is also a bit limiting, since the narration is also the MCs thought process and sometimes I may skip details MC couldn't have seen.

AU, Magical forest, DCA centered, Sun fnaf, Moon fnaf, Elves Sun & Moon, OC, Selfinsert, Character & OC, platonic, friendship, slowburn (kind of), Moon is agresive at first, Moon is also a bit of a gremlin, Protective Sun (I think), OC is a potty mouth, Female Main Character, First person, Angst.

The first post where I showed this AU and my first sketches ideas.

Tumblr archive with all of the art, ideas and anwsered asks.

Youtube Playlist which I'm pretty proud of how it turned out :] It's in a specific order but you can put it on mix.

Note: even though I try to keep things light some things may be triggering for some readers.

CW: Anxiety, Suicide ideation, Implied death, Choking, Non sexual abuse.

Wordcount: 9,700 (It's not rounded, that's literally the number Word tells me it's at lol)

Welp.

Here we are again, in the old village house (yey...). Well, 'I am', my family won't arrive to settle in for another week. They brought me here beforehand a few days ago for organizational reasons. They took a quick look inside before they left to see the state of the house, if it needed any repairs and such, and they headed back to the city. While they finish preparing everything, I take care of the house and text them messages about anything that may be needed for when they return.

We haven't been here in years, the house needs some repairs, and I'm sorry for the spiders, but it could use a deep cleaning. We can't do a deep cleaning but I have been cleaning what I can these last few days, at least so that it looks decent... at first glance.

Well, it's not like anyone is coming to visit.

It's a quiet town, until the kids from the town next door come to make a racket with their bikes. They play in our field, scare away the cats and throw cans around. They are assholes.

Anyways, the people in the village are nice. The adults I mean, the kids I used to play with, I don't get along with them anymore. Some of them aren't kids anymore, we have grown up and are going down different paths. But those who are still kids... they're still interested in the only older kid in the town who listened to them and let them do whatever they wanted, to a certain extent.

I don't want them to come looking for me to go out and play. I've been avoiding them by saying that I'm busy cleaning the house and getting it ready for when my family arrives, but I feel like interacting with them less and less. That's why I'm going out to the woods behind the house to get lost for a while, as always. The kids don't go near the forest so they won't bother me there.

There is an area for tourism and hiking but not many people come, some police cars border the forest from time to time but they never go inside. The reports of missing people in this forest have been coming in for decades, only some lost children have returned but there is no trace of any of the adults who disappeared along with the rest of the children. The areas marked with signs are safe but you can't go out of bounds unless you want to disappear with those people.

And I, who right now am alone and with no one to notice my absence if I go missing, am going to head straight to the forest. Don't you think, I don't want to disappear, I just don't like people and I usually go into the forest but I don't go too far away. As long as I see my house in the distance, I know how to return.

I grab my bag with my sketchbook and pencil case, in case I feel like drawing (probably won't) and step out to the back porch. The outer sliding metal door that protects the inner one is rusty and difficult to open. It would be better to oil it but I don't know when it will be done, considering that the broken railing has had a wooden board tied to it for years. I already sent my mother a message talking about it.

I enter the forest and start walking around. It's hot, of course, it's early summer, but it's quite noticeable after being in the cool inside the brick and stone house. That's the good thing about coming here in summer, the houses are made to stay cold inside and it's great, sometimes I even need to wear a jacket. But outside I'm dying, the trees don't provide enough shade. In fact, some trees are missing. I used to have my routes memorized but time has passed and some paths have changed, some have disappeared and others have formed. I admit that it makes me a little sad... I began to walk absorbed in my thoughts not paying attention to where I was going.

I'm walking away, I should go back. I'm not going to draw anything here anyway, and it's hotter outside than inside so I'm gonna to turn around-

I hear screams and laughter in the distance, the sound of the voices produces me an immediate disgust. It's those kids from the next door village. They must have come to 'investigate' about the disappearances or maybe they don't care and they just came to be idiots-

They're getting closer.

I don't want them to see me. God. Don't let them see me. Anyone but them. They're getting closser. Don't let them see me. I can't go back home now. They're cutting me off. Of all the people who could have found me. It had to be them. No, please. Don't let them see me. I have to go further into the forest, I can't let them see me. They're getting closer. Don't let them see me. I want to leave. I want to leave. I'm getting too far. I want to leave. I don't see my house. I want to leave. I don't see the village. I want to leave. I don't see the kids.

...

...

...

Where am I?

Fuck.

Where am I?

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

I want to leave.

…

—

Now I'm wandering through the forest. I don't want to go back. I want to get out of here. Even though I'm walking in a straight line I feel like I'm going around in circles, and I'm not going to get out of here now. Great. I'm lost. Now what? People who get lost in this forest don't return, no one has returned except for some children.

...

I'm going to disappear.

...

For now I keep walking until something happens. Maybe there's an animal that kills people who get lost, or maybe it's a group of kidnappers, or maybe I should stop giving myself anxiety and focus on getting out of here. Maybe if I find a field or road, or even the tourist area, I'll be able to get out of here and return bordering the fores-

...

There is... colorful graffitis on the trees. Someone has painted eyes, hands, stars and more on the bark of the trees...

What's this?

I don't know where I've come to, I didn't know this was here, in the middle of nowhere in the forest. The trees have red leaves like in autumn even though summer has just started... The first thing I thought was 'climate change's fault' but there is something that stands out in the middle of this entire flat area and it is disturbing me.

In the center there is a kind of circular gate made of stones supported by roots.

Okay, maybe it doesn't sound aaaaas disturbing as, I don't know, a totem with a human figure being impaled or something, but it's giving me a bad vibe. What is this place? Who built a stone arch in the middle of everything and why?

A bird appears flying from behind me and goes through the gate, but nothing comes out on the other side... wait what? how? The bird has crossed the gate, and disappeared behind the stone arch? ...I had to imagine it, it's not possible that that happened. I approach the arch but not before picking up a rock from the ground and throwing it to the other side of the gate.

It's still there.

…

For some reason the thought of going through the gate makes me uncomfortable, so I go around it.

...

...And the rock? It's not there.

I go back and look from inside the portal.

The rock is there.

...

I look from outside. The rock is not there. I repeat this multiple times. Rock. No rock. Rock. No rock. Rock. No rock... What?

Alright, this is weird, this is VERY weird.

Even though it is clear that this isn't normal, I have to go back, pick up a fallen branch from the ground and pass it through the portal. This time I don't throw it, I've grabbed a branch long enough to see it peek out from the other side of the arch.

...

Welp.

I should be seeing not only the branch, but also my hand sticking out of the side, but I'M NOT SEEING IT. OKAY. OK. ALRIGHT. IT'S CONFIRMED. THIS IS WEIRD.

I'm asleep, right? Or unconscious. I must have passed out from exhaustion from endlessly wandering through the woods and I'm delirious or something. No, wait, it can't be, in my dreams I'm not this aware of what's around me. Where am I?

A breeze begins to pass through the gate. It's getting stronger but not enough to push me. The leaves rise from the ground and float towards the portal, none slipping outside, all entering through the stone arch. Suddenly the breeze that had become wind stops. The leaves fall to the ground.

...

I look back for a moment, as if there was something behind me that could help me make a decision. Grabbing with both hands my bag strap I look back at the portal again. Okay. Alright. This is possibly the death of me. I'm going to cross. I'm going to go to the other side. I'm just one step away from crossing. I wrinkle my face and narrow my eyes before taking the last step.

...

Nothing has happened. Everything seems the same. However, I know it's not the same... Or at least it doesn't feel the same!

Well, I've already crossed. I'm gonna... keep walking, I guess, even though this is scaring me and I don't know if I'll know how to go back. For now I'm moving forward. The red leaves have disappeared several meters ago. It's starting to look like a normal forest, except for the multicolored drawings and handprints that I keep seeing on the trees. In fact, it seems like the trees are taller with every step I take. So high that I can barely see the top. I almost tripped while looking up. Whether this is the same forest I come from, I no longer know.

This was a bad idea. I just hope to find something that'll help me know where I am, a sign or the road if possible.

*cling*

...?

I hit something with my foot. There is a ball attached to a small chain on the ground. Oh, no, wait. *cling diring ding* It's a rusty bell, I think. It doesn't have the typical cross-shaped hole or slot, rather it has several holes in a pattern. It looks like it can be opened.

There's nothing inside.

?

There's nothing? But I could have sworn it had rang. I close it again and shake it.

*...*

Nothing.

I'm going to put it in the bag, it's totally a good idea. I'll think about it later, for now I'm moving on.

—

I've been walking for a while now and throughout this time I had a constant chill on the back of my neck, as if someone had their eyes on me.

*din dirring* I hear a soft tinkling in the distance.

Okay, I'm not alone, awesome, what do I do now? Do I say hi and risk the potential danger finding me? Do I ignore the sound of bells and keep moving? It's very possible that whatever made that sound is watching me right now...

“Hello?” Still nervous, I try to say hello looking around “...” “Is someone there? H-hello?”

“-HEEEEELLO!”

“AAAAAH-!” I cover my mouth with my hands as I turn to look at what the hell has greeted me back. I take a few steps back while I look at the figure of earthy and sunny tones who responded, he seems as surprised as I am, I think (with the scream I made, normal), at least it looks like he's surprised. He wears a two toned wooden mask... it looks like a sun, with a crescent moon on its right... It gives the impression of two faces merged into one... Damn, he is tall, he's almost doubles my size. He appears to have two skin tones dividing him in half, his right side being the lighter and the left darker, especially the arm, which also has a light-colored tattoo of lines representing a sun symbol that covers from the shoulder to the pectoral and to the middle of the bicep. The right arm is covered by a long fingerless glove that reaches to the shoulder and is tied around the chest. He's wearing baggy pants with leaves coming out of the waist and legs, some... cloth boots? with a long toe bending sharply and curving in a geometric swirl with a bell at the tips, a bag hangs from the waistband of his pants and falls below his hips. His chest and neck are tied by ropes decorated with hanging stones, metals and crystals, he wears a pendant that ends in a carved symbol of a crescent moon with rays. Some of the 'sunrays' on his mask have ropes tied between them holding them in place and some metal dangling. Some red ribbons along with bells hang from his wrists.

“um... Helloooooo.” He greets again, this time he lowers his tone of voice. I manage to react, I turn around and walk away. “¡ah- eh- Wait!” Nope, I'm not going to wait and see what he does with me, I'm leaving. “He-! Hey!” Nope. I quicken my pace and try to get lost among the trees, changing direction every time he appears in my vision angle. “Human? Human-! FRIEND. Can I call you friend?!” Nope, nope, nopnop, nop, nop, nope. “Friend! Hey!” God, no, god, god, no, why are you following me? “Look, I know what you're trying to look for...! And believe me, you're not going to find it~!” How are you still following me? Where do you come from? “Hey! Listen! Why don't we do something else besides running in circles!?” Noooooooooo... “There are TONS of other activities we could do! Like... HOLY MOLY, look at this stick! Do you like sticks!?” Leave me aloneee... “You aren't looking at it! Okay, alright, you don't like sticks, erm... what might be of interest to you...” If I don't look at it it doesn't exist. “Could you help me a little here?” I want to leave... “Look, no matter how much you wander around, you won't find the portal-!”

“STOP—! STOP FOLLOWING ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!” The sudden scream startles him again, making him jump in place. He stands completely still looking at me. I'm leaving before he gets angry.

“B-but I- ...okay.” I thought I heard him say before I left him behind.

It seems that this time he's not following me, finally... Although I'm not calm, he could still be following me and simply not be in sight. Anyway, I think I'm coming back? I hope I am. I want to find that portal as soon as possible and go back to the house- what the fu-? “WHY?”

He's there. Right where I left him. Sitting on a rock. Waiting. “...! I haven't moved from the spot!”

“Yeah- but- WHY?”

“Because I knew you were going to come back here!”

“...What?”

“Is what I was trying to tell you! You can't leave! No matter how hard you try to find the portal, it won't appear before you!” The Sunman exclaimed.

“…” I'm just about to turn around. In fact, I'm already turning around.

“N-No, wait! Please don't go!” I stop in my track and look back at him. He gets off the rock he was sitting on but remains squatting, almost at my height, a little below. I move back, keeping my distance. He puts his hands up. “Look, I'm not doing anything! I won't chase you! Just- ...don't go.”

“…”

“L-look, listen, there's no way it's going to show up! Well, not to you at least. But even if you find it back, it won't work! It only works when it wants to work.”

“...” Let's imagine that I trust what he says “Ok... and when does it want to be working?”

“...” “No idea!”

“...”

“...”

I'm about to collapse on the spot. At least he doesn't seem hostile, for now. “...” “Okay... Good... Great...” “...” “FanTAS-tic.”

“...” “You don't seem like it.”

*ಠ_ಠ* I could only look to the side in frustration in response to that. I looked back at him with concern showing on my face and grabbing the strap of my bag with both hands. “And... what... do you plan to do with me?”

He took his hand to the chin of his mask and with the other he held his elbow in a comical thoughtful pose. “MmmmnnDUN know! What do you plan to do?” He asked so nonchalantly. He ended up sitting on the ground crossing his legs. “You have a good while until the portal opens again...!”

“...”

“...”

“...”

He started swaying. The silence has become uncomfortable for a while now, but I can't organize myself on what to say, and I don't know if I trust him. I don't even know if he's human, although something tells me he's not.

“You could wait here.” He suggested, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Or anywhere else, if you want. I would recommend somewhere high like the treetops (for no particular reason)! If you're going to wait... But wouldn't that be really boring?” There was something in his tone of voice... “Being there... at the top of a tree... waiting... alone... with no friends to hang out with (can I call you a friend?). Aaall on your own until the portal opens again.” He looks aside for a moment “...” And back at me again. “With no one to be with you.” He repeats the head motion “...” “alone...” Wow... I wonder what he's implying, ahem. “Wouldn't you want to have someone...? ...Someone...keeping you company?” Yeah, yeah...

“...” I guess... “I-I guess I wouldn't want to be alon-?”

He rises to his knees. “That's what I thought! Do you want me to accompany you? Only if you want! But can I?” He clasped his hands together as if asking a favor.

“um...”

“Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?Can I?” He approaches, dragging his knees on the ground.

I'm starting to miss personal space. “Okay! Okay, alright...”

“REALLY?” He started hopping and jumping around me. “OH, ohoho hO! Great! Oh, there are TONS of things we could do! Like... Like...!” He moves faster, doing bigger and bigger flips and jumps, it almost seems that he is very light, as if the breeze of air lifted him. “We could paint and decorate trees! Or we can also paint on rocks! Or paint leaves! Or paint us! Oh! We can tell stories! I'm very good at making shadows and puppets.” He moves from place to place with each sentence he says. “We can also play something!” It's moving so fast all I can see is the wind and the leaves it stirs up as it moves. “Anything! Whatever you want!” Finally he stopped in front of me half crouched. “What do ya say?! Hmm! Friend!?”

“Don't... call me like that.” Makes me feel awkward.

“Oh...why not-? Oh true, true! How silly, I don't know your name! What do you call yourself, potential friend?”

“...”

“...” “Aren't... you gonna tell me your name?”

I twist the bag strap “Depends...” I must say I'm a little skeptical about this. “Are there any consequences for telling you my name?”

“...Consequences...?”

“Like... I don't know... Mmm-by telling you my name I become your possession and cannot regain my freedom until... certain conditions are met...”

“...”

“...”

“Why- how-? Where did you get that from!?” It did sound a bit stupid when I said it out loud.

“I dunno- that's what they say in old children's stories about elves and fairies!” I just hope the embarrassment isn't showing on my face.

“Really?” I could feel his deadpan expression behind the mask.

I shrugged.

“...” “Okay... Oh, what if I tell you my name first? Will you tell me yours? It's only fair, I'm Sun!”

“...”

“Can I know your name now?” He asked expectantly.

“...How do I know you're not trying to trick me?”

“...” I must be driving him crazy with this “The only thing I can do with your name is treasure it in my memory.” He put his hands together as if he was carefully holding something and brought them to the forehead of the mask. I gave him a distrustful look. It doesn't seem like it made him desist “Please?”

I grip at my worn out bag strap “...” “ Fern...” I ended up murmuring.

“Hmm? Fern? OH, I like it!” “Sounds like FRIEND.” He emphasized the last word by making a gesture like jazz hands, leaning to the side and moving his head closer to me.

“Yeah... I think you are missing a couple of letters.”

He straightened his posture again. “Nope, I don't think so!”

“You're still not my friend.”

“Oooowwwwwnnnnnggghhh” He lowers his head dramatically until it practically touches the ground “nnnnnnngggghh, alright!” And cartwheels to stand up again “So... what will it be?”

“Hm?”

He straightened his posture and puts his arms on his hips “We have plenty of time, ya? What do you wanna to do?”

“I don't know, what do you want to do-?” Bad mistake.

“Come with me!”

“aaAAAAA-!” Before I knew it, he had grabbed my arm and I was being dragged through the woods. We visited several places and he offered me an activity to do in each of them.

—

Sun took me to a place where the trees were full of colorful paint “We practice painting on the trees here!” He said.

“Ah.” That explains the crossed out lines and the repeated imperfect shapes. By the look of it is also where he tests the quality of the paint.

“Do you want us to paint something!?”

“Not really...”

“Oh, would you prefer it to be on a rock?”

“Nah.”

“...And in star leaves-?”

“I don't want to paint, Sun.”

“Oh... Well, I can show you more places!”

“OkayyEEEEEE-” And I'm being dragged away again.

—

He brought me to another area of the forest, the ground here seemed more leveled. Not a single tree was straight, all of them were twisted and even seemed to be hollow. “How about playing something!? Like hide and seek-! No, wait, I can’t let you out of my sight.” He mumbled at the end “And chase?! We can climb a tree and see who reaches the top first! We have a place full of vines and it's perfect for swinging- and jumping from one tree to another-!”

“I don't... really want to move a lot…” With the way he runs without getting tired and me, who doesn't exercise... he would let me dead.

“Oh... well, theeen-”

—

We arrived at a place full of vegetation and humidity. Sun seemed quite excited... “This place is full of insects! We can look for cool bugs!”

“Mmmmmnoooo... I don't want to.” I had to tell him, trying to show as little disinterest as I could.

“You don't like them?” He sounded a little disappointed hearing my reaction.

“No, I do like them, some of them, but I don't like to touch them.” And I'm terrified of them flying into my face.

“Oh, well, it's okay!” He said brushing it off and we moved on to the next stop.

—

“I know that bird!” He stopped us on the way to point at a robin high up on a branch.

“ah.” I said as I removed leaves from my hair and clothes, and checked that I still had my glasses.

“He's a little rascal!”

“...” I think the bird is making us the equivalent of 'mooning'.

—

“Look fish-! Oh, they're gone…” The noise must have scared them away “We can go find more places to look at them if you want!”

“...” “...no, pass...”

“…”

—

“Look at this stick!” Sun had suddenly sprinted past me, picked up something from the ground, and came back just as fast, showing me the stick as if it were a sword.

“oh.” It's a cool stick, must admit it.

“Do you want to look for more sticks!?”

“No...”

“oh...” He looked at the ground in disappointment.

“Why would we go looking for sticks? There are all over the ground.” Specifically, in this area the ground was all sticks. We are literally just stepping on sticks right now. I don't see the ground.

“Variety!” Sun said pointing at the ground with both hands. A branch is heard falling in the distance.

—

“That's a deer!” He pointed at the deer passing nearby. The deer stopped to look at us.

“Yeah, I see.”

“We call 'em Adoquín!”

“...Why is it called Adoquí-?”

*THUMP!*

“…”

The deer smacked itself against a tree when trying to run away. It stands still for a minute, processing the hit, looks at a side and then the other, then runs off again but this time avoiding the tree.

Another *thump!* is heard in the distance.

“...” Alright.

—

“Do you wannaaaa look for pine cones? There will be some fallen around here. Oh! We can also look for mushrooms!”

I keep saying no to everything he suggests and it doesn't look like he's going to run out of ideas to pass the time. In fact, he's very insistent that we do something. I guess at some point I'll have to say yes to something. “...” “...okay...”

“Hmm?! Okay? Okay to what?” His exaggerated surprise offends me but I don't blame him.

“To... I don't know, pine cones?”

“...You don't look very convinced.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“OKAY! On the hunt for pine cones then!” I startle a little at the sudden shout. He makes a pose pointing in a direction, as if he were leading an expedition.

He takes me through the forest looking for pine cones. We aren't finding many, especially me who's not paying any interest. He tries encouraging me to put more effort into it but I keep looking at my boots.

We passed near a shingle river. I find a pebble at my feet and bend down to pick it up and take a better look. It's like a bluish gray, it has some reddish lines in the shape of waves, it feels good to the touch.

I hear the soft tinkling of a bell and feel a shadow fall beside me. “You like pebbles?” Sun is crouched next to me with his arms full of pine cones.

“…” I nod.

We go down to the river and spend some time collecting pebbles with curious shapes or small details of colors, lines, spots, etc. He comes over to show me one every time he finds weird shapes.

“…”

*rin* This time he's hunched over resting his hands on his knees. “You look… a little down.”

“…”

“Hey... we can do something else if you're tired of the pebbles.”

“...” I drop the pebbles I was looking at on the ground.

“...” He turns his gaze from me to the sky. It hasn't gotten late enough to be getting dark, but it's been a while between the walks we've taken (dragging me from here to there), looking for pine cones and then pebbles in the river. He looks back at me. “Oh, I know! Can I take you to one last place? A better place than the ones I've shown you!”

“…” I got up from the ground and waited for him to start leading to follow him.

We enter the increasingly thick forest. The trees are taller and bigger, in fact, I start to see platforms and bridges lying between the trees, I even see small shanties in them.

“Wait here!” He takes a run and jumps onto one of the trees with bridges. He takes three steps running up the tree, with a jump he pushes himself off and climbs with agility until he reaches the platform and climbs on it. “Just a moment!” It can't be seen from here but I can faintly hear some squeaks. I have no idea of what he's doin-

*rush*

“........eh?”

A rope.

A rope has fallen. At the level of my head.

“.......”

What?

…

He said he knew a better place.

No. It can't be this.

“Is it at a good height?! Can you reach it?!” He says...

It can't be.

A better place.

He can't be referring to this.

A better place.

A better place. A better place. A better place. A better place.

“Can you put your foot in?!”

“..........” For some reason what he said throws me off. “WAT-?”

“Can you put your foot in the loop and hold on to the rope so I can pull you up!?”

“..............”

“You can't climb trees, can you?! ...or you can?"

… “...” Oh “....It's...It's too high!”

“Okay!” Squeaks are heard and the rope descends to the ground.

I put my foot into the rope as he told me and hold on to it. “O-okay...!”

“Are you ready!?”

“Yes!”

“Okay!”

He begins to pull up the rope (which doesn't tighten around my foot as it supports my weight) and helps me up to the platform. (That's what it was for, obviously, what else would he want? I'm such an...) “Come on!” He says cheerfully, as always, and takes me over the bridges. “You seem tense... Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!”

“S-something like that... it's nothing.” He tilts his head at that but he says nothing. I have an unpleasant sensation in my throat.

We arrived at a high place with a view of waterfalls, I can't see above the trees. We sat on one of the bridges, resting our arms on the rope that serves as a railing and letting our legs hang off the bridge. I've thought about taking out the sketchbook to draw... but I don't really feel like it right now, so I just quietly observe the landscape. It is a better place, yeah.

…

I feel watched. I turn to look at him ...Of course he was looking at me. I don't even know whether to say something or keep quiet. ...I decide... not to say anything and look to the front.

“You... aren't very talkative, huh.”

“…”

“Not that it's a bad thing! Many people who have come here weren't very talkative at first either.” More people...

“...” “I have… nothing to talk about.” I don't want to talk.

“...” “Well, I do.”

“…”

“If it's okay with you, of course.” He laughed. Although something tells me that he is going to talk anyway.

“…”

“...” “What brings you to the forest?”

“...” Really? “I got lost.”

“Yeah, I already know!” He says between laughs “But what made you get lost?”

“...” “There was a group of kids I didn't want to get close to and I decided to go into the woods to lose them.” He makes a 'hum' sound and looks at me expectantly waiting for me to continue “And... I ended up getting myself lost...”

“...” “Only that?”

“...” “Well, yeah.” What do you mean 'oNlY tHaT'?

“...Mmm...” He places his hand on the chin of the mask.

“...” “What?”

“Nothing!” “...” “You know? You're the first human to visit the forest in a loooong time. For several cycles now…”

“Cycles?”

“Mhm” He nods.

“...What are cycles?”

Sun points to the sky “The turns that the Moon makes in the sky!” He emphasizes by rotating his arm in the air. It's pointing right at the Moon that's visible in the sky.

“Oh...” He uses the lunar cycles to know what day he's in, makes sense. “...” “So no one has been here in a while.”

“That's what I said! Well no, but yes!”

“A-and so the humans who came are still here? Have they been here all this time?”

“Yeah...! Well, no!” He paused. “They're gone!”

“What do you mean they're-?” He didn't let me finish the question.

“They are gone! They 'left'!” It sounded like he had given this answer many times already.

“What do you mean they left-?”

“They 'left'!”

“...” “...You mean...they disappear-?”

“Nope!” “...” “Something like that!” “…” “Mmmore or less…” He hesitated between one answer and another.

It seemed worthless to ask about the missing people. “...okay.” “Can I ask you-?”

“You can ask me anything!” A hint of nervousness escaped his tone.

“...okay. What is this forest?”

“My home! And the home of many other animals.”

“...” “Alright, and... how many are you...? How many of you live here? I mean. You have taken me everywhere and we haven't seen anyone of your…” I make a pointing gesture, spinning my hand around in the air. He can't be human, it doesn't look like he is. “...” “Honestly, I don't know what you are.”

“...” “There's only me... And someone else!” He looks away, as if trying to hide something.

“Oh... and who's that someone?”

“Oh! N-no, don't worry! He’s… just a friend… But it’s not important that you meet him or anything!” He brushes it off making a gesture with his hand. “Uh-um- How about we talk about you!? huh? What things do you like? Earlier, since you said no to everything, I thought you didn't like ANYTHING!” He continued talking without letting me respond. “I didn't know what to do if I ran out of ideas. I started to worry! But at least you're not one of those who spend all day shouting and threatening with a weapon in hand, ahaha...” He let out a nervous laugh.

“Um-”

“Well, you ran away screaming, yes.” He began to gesticulate widely as he complained “Like everyone-! No, not like everyone, some don't run, but those who, apart from running and screaming, attack you...! I mean...!” Something tells me he wasn't going to shut up and I was already half listening. “First they throw rocks at my head, then they insult me and run away. And I have to run after them because I can't just leave a human running around alone! No! I can't! Not in this forest! Anything could happen to them! But they never let me warn them!” He sounded tired. “And when I get them to stop running away from me, they throw things at me again and yell before demanding me to tell them where are they and how to get out of here, and when I explain it, they yell at me even more and accuse me of lying!” He turns to look at me with his hands pointing to his chest. “What reason would I have to lie?!” I don't know if he hasn't noticed or if he's ignoring the deapan I responded with. “UGH! I don't know what to do with those! But anyhow... I'm so glad we found something to do in the end!

“eh?” I snap out of my thoughts. It seems that now he is directing the conversation to me.

“The pebbles!” He sits turning his body towards me, leaving one single leg hanging from the bridge and the other resting on it. He takes out of his pocket some of the pebbles that he had been collecting with me. “I don't know why I assumed you wouldn't want to look for rocks. Maybe because you didn't want to paint them before... You left them back in the river in the end tho, I thought you would keep some.”

“Ah... I don't know. I didn't think I could take them with me.”

“You can keep some of mine!”

“No, it's okay.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“You suuuuure??” He insist.

“Yeees.”

He puts a pebble very close to my face “Suuuuuuuure?” Each 'u' sounding higher than the last.

“...” I push the pebble away from my face “Yeeeees.”

“mmmh... Okay! But I hope you don't regret it later when you don't have a cool rock like these and think 'Oh man, I could have a cool rock right now!'.” After a bad impression of me, he keeps the rocks in his pants. “So... Besides pebbles, what else do you like? Mm? I haven't been able to deduce much from today.”

“Don't know.”

“What do you mean you don't know!? Oh! Is it a secret?” He approaches and starts to whisper, putting his hands to the mask's mouth “I won't tell anyone, promise.”

“No. I don't know.” I looked to the side. “I can't think of anything... so suddenly.”

“ooow...” He slumps a little over the railing, looking sad.

“…” I hesitate whether to say something or not “...Drawing...”

“Mmm?!” He no longer seems sad.

“And listening to music, I guess.” “It's... all I do... most of the time.”

“Really!? Oh! I also like drawing! And music! But is that really all you do all day? Don't you do other kinds of things? Like reading! Or writting. Don't you go out for a walk or play with your friends?” I wrinkle my face at that last bit and he tilts his head in confusion.

“I don't go out.” “I have comics, but I rarely read.”

“Comics?”

“Um... They are stories but instead of narrating what happens there are drawings and only what the characters say is written.”

“...It's a book with drawings?”

“Yeah, but with a lot of drawings on each page, from start to finish.”

“WOAH.” He sounded perplexed. “That's drawing A LOT.”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Ahh, I'd love to see what they look like.” He rested his arm on the railing to hold his head in his hand “Too bad I can't…”

“I didn't bring them anyway.”

“Do you normally carry them around?”

“No, it's just that I didn't bring them to the village with me, I left them at home.”

“...” “Oh!” It seems that something has clicked on him. “You are not from the village.”

“No, I'm from a more urban area. My family used to come to the village every year in the summer, but we stopped coming. Now it seems that we are trying to get back into the habit.” I sighed.

“Why did you stop coming?”

“...That's personal.”

“Oh... okay.” He let a minute of awkward silence pass. “Hey, I can bring some books that I have at home! I think you might be interes-!” He looks away from me to the sunset behind us, the sun is almost gone. “-ted...” I look at the sunset too and then at him with confusion. “...” “...oh...oh-OH, Oh-no!” He stands up abruptly causing the bridge to shake slightly. What could have he seen? “We have to move!” He extends a hand to help me up. “We have to start moving!”

I get up in a hurry on my own, ignoring his hand. “O-okay, to where?”

“Come, run!” Once again he grabs me by the arm and leads me over the bridges between the trees until we reach a tree hut. It's small and dark, it looks like a small shelter. He opens the door and enters “You'll spend the night here, stay inside, do not go out, try to hide well and don't open the windows or doors, okay? Here, there are some blankets. I'll come back later.”

“Wait wait wait! What? What do you mean you'll come back later? What's happening? Why do I have to hide-!?”

“Sssh-ssh-sh” He grabs me and covers my hand with his, his left hand resting on the back of my right hand. He begins to speak in a calmer tone, with a voice that I had not heard him use until now. “It's okay, nothing happens. I have to go, I'll come back, but I can't stay now. You hide, try to rest, I'll be back, I promise.”

“...” I take my hand away from his. “Okay.” “I'll stay, but don't take too long.” Please, I don't want to be here alone.

“Yes. I'll be back.” He affirmed one last time. I watch him run away and disappear among the trees and undergrowth. I enter the small shelter to inspect it.

*TAP TAP TAP* *PLOK* *TAP TAP FOOSSSH! *

…? A noise comes from behind me. I turn around and there's a pebble on the floor.

…

Okay.

I take out my phones flashlight to see better inside the house. There are what appear to be some trunks, small cabinets, and a trapdoor in the floor, It seems that there are corners and blind spots for the windows where the little moonlight that enters through the cracks cannot reach. It's freezing cold and I haven't brought my jacket. I leave the bag on the floor against the wall, I cover myself with the blanket and curl up in a ball in the most hidden corner I can find. I'm tired, I want to sleep, but I can't close my eyes.

…

—

It's been a few hours now.

…

I can't sleep, I simply can't.

…

It doesn't look like he's coming back.

*creek*

…?

*rin*

*tap tap, creek*

Sun?

“S-...” I pause before saying a word, I have the feeling I shouldn't speak. I remain silent and wait.

*tap, tap, tap, creeeeeek, tap*

*rin dirrin*

If it were Sun he would have already let me know it is him. That or he's playing a prank on me which isn't funny, but I'd better stay silent. From the shadow I look at the windows. I notice movement through the cracks, something has just passed through the wall next to me.

*dirriring dirring*

I cover myself more with the blanket, back against the wall, I stay as still as I can, I leave a gap between the blankets and the floor to see. A red glow sneaks through the cracks in the window and scans the room.

…

The glow is gone.

*tap, tap, rin, tap, dirring, tap, tap*

It's on the roof.

…

*tap, tap, tap...*

It moves again.

*rin *

…

It sounded on the other side of the wall.

…

…

“nghehe...”

It laughed. Why did it laugh? Whatever is on the other side of the wall just let out a laugh that made the hairs on the back of my neck and all over my back rise.

…

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no no no.

I have to move. I have to get out of here. I can't stay here.

*creeek*

It came from the door. It's trying to get in.

*rin*

The trapdoor.

*rin dirring*

Where was the trapdoor?

*creek creeeek*

I crawl across the floor making the minimum noise, carefully feeling the floor, looking for the edge of the door.

*tap tap ring dirring*

…!

I found it. I open it carefully. It's too high. I'm at a very high altitude, I don't know if I'll be able to go down.

*rin, creeek...*

…

Fuck it. I slip through the gap quietly, closing it slowly, but that doesn't stop the door from creaking. I cling to the bark of the tree-

…

I left my bag. If it comes in and see it it'll know for sure that I have been there-

…

It doesn't matter now. I have to focus on getting down from the tree without killing myself. My fingers hurt and I can't put my foot down properly because of the soles of my boots. I feel like I'm going to slip at any moment. Somehow I make it to the ground. Still attached to the tree, I look up at the house. I don't see it-

…

A shadow appears from behind the tree. I press myself against the tree and hold my breath. It's looking for something. When he doesn't seem to look I move to a nearby tree, he moves to another tree, I move to the next, and the next, and the next. We continue like this until I start to get further and further away from him. When I think I've lost him I start running. I hide behind a tree to catch my breath.

…

I slowly peek out from behind the tree.

*rin*

…

It sounded above me.

…

I don't look up, I run.

“nnghehee...” He laughs.

He gives me a few seconds advantage before coming after me. The chase begins.

I run forward as much as I can, I hear his footsteps behind me but I don't look back, there's no time for that. I hear him laughing like a madman as he moves from left to right, from one tree to another, crawling on the ground, trying to confuse me, waiting for me to make the slightest mistake to catch me.

“Ah-” I trip. As soon as I fall to the ground I get up, ripping my stockings and scraping my knees, falling again, my nerves not letting me stand up.

“Nnhehehhehe...” Asshole. He has stopped running, he approaches by walking. I try to keep as much distance as my hands and legs allow me to move. I search desperately with my hand for something on the ground to throw. Finally my hand finds something.

I throw a rock at him “AGH!”

The rock passes by him, flying one or two meters away from him. He hasn't even moved, he didn't move a single muscle to avoid it, he just watches me still from where he is. I hear the nearby *pof* of the rock falling to the ground.

“...”

“...”

…

I get up and run. He grabs my leg and I fall to the ground again. He won't let me get up, every time I try he throws me to the ground. I struggle, I kick, but I don't break free from his grip. He never stops laughing, he is enjoying this. He drags me closer to him, no matter how much I twists, he doesn't let go. “ACKH-!...Hhhh-hh...-hh-h...” He grabs me by the neck, red pupils stared at me, I'm looking straight into his crescent moon mask (or waning, I don't know. Do you think I care right now?). He raises his free hand and his veins begin to glow a platinum color that extends to his fingertips. The hand approaches my face, I don't know what it's going to do to me, I'm scared, I don't want to look. I close my eyes, cover my face with my hands. I wait.

…

…

…?

Nothing's happening. It stopped. Why?

“Mun, nïe.” I hear Sun's voice. I open my hands a little to see what's going on. Indeed, it is Sun, several meters away from us... He looks exhausted. The one with the moon mask stares at him for a moment, until he decides to look at me again while bringing his glowing veiny hand closer. “¡Mun!” The Moonman looks at Sun again “Fehreh.” He seems to speak another language, I don't understand what he says.

“...” “Nïe” For the first time I hear him say something else besides laughing. Even though I can't understand him.

“Fïer pehgïer.” Sun responds.

“...” Moonman remains silent again.

“Bïelïe óubseh góuh...” Sun continues.

“Móu txehb móunsuvïe.” The Moon responds.

“Lïe bóu ¿Sóundïe mïesugïeb fehreh nïe txehtehrlïe?”

…

The air feels tense. Probably because of the hand grabbing my neck.

“¿Zkaóu fuóunbehb txehtóur tkaehnvïe nïe bóueh mehb zkaóu ïesreh rehuh óunsóurrehveh óun leh suóurreh?” Longest sentence I've heard him say so far.

“...” “Fïer óubseh góuh.” “...” “Vóuyehmóu óuntehrdehrmóu vóu óulleh” Sun takes a step forward “Nïe suóunóu fïer zkaóu ehtehkehr ehbu” Another step forward “Nïe sóunóumïeb fïer zkaóu txehtóurlóub... óubsïe” Another step “Óullïeb bïelïe óubsehn... fóurvuvïeb.”

“...” There's no response from the moon man.

“Behkehb tïemïe óub óubïe.”

“...”

…

The hand that grabbed my neck now grabs my shirt and yanks it. I grab his wrist as he pulls me to my feet and drags me to Sun, making me stumble. He throws me against him. Sun catches me before I fall over.

“Ska óubpkaóurhïe óub óun gehnïe.” The moon says something as he walks past. Sun puts a hand on his shoulder before letting him go, there's a pause between the two. The Moonman disappears into the trees. Wind and leaves are heard passing by.

…

He's gone. I feel dizzy. I fall down.

—

…

…

…

A faint light begins to seep through the cracks, illuminating enough to wake me up and make me open my eyes, I look around. I see my bag propped against the wall. I'm at the shelter where Sun left me.

…

My body aches, I have a hard time keeping my eyes open, it feels like I've been sleeping on the hard floor. No, wait, there are some blankets underneath me... It's still too hard to sleep well, either that or as I said, it shouldn't help me at all that everything hurts. After a while of staring at the ceiling I try to sit up. I emphasize trying. With every slight effort a pained moan escapes me.

“Oof...” Hurts.

*creek, tap tap tap tap*

Those wood creaks bring back bad memories from last night (which by the way, I'm alive, wow, I just realized), I can't help but cringe at every noise, I hear footsteps approaching, I try to move but the stinging pain prevents me from it.

*creek... *

The door opens.

Triangular shapes appear through the door followed by orange earth tones. “…Oh…!” “Early bird!” Thank god it's Sun and not the other one, or something worse “I didn't expect you up this early!” He says laughingly.

“ah?”

“How are you feeling?” He walks in. When he sets foot inside I lean back, towards the wall. “...” I don't really know why I did that. Sun stands at the door showing confusion with his usual head tilt. “...Arrr...re you okay, Fern?”

“...” I became tense suddenly. I really don't know still if I can trust him? He hasn't done anything to me yet but that doesn't mean that I can trust him. I don't know if he plans to do something with me like whatever that other one, the moon one, was going to do last night. “...ehh...hhh...h...” I can't get a word out, I'm afraid to ask.

“Mm?”

“...” I don't know what to say to him. My eyes go somewhere else.

…

He enters further into the house, ignoring that I keep my distance from him, leaves a bag he was carrying on the floor and begins to open the windows, letting in the little light of the dawn that is just beginning. He kneels on the floor in front of me with the bag. “Are you hungry?” He opens the bag and takes out an apple “Do you like apples?”

“...”

“No?”

“...”

“Um... I also brought berries... (It's what I had on hand coming here) There are... different types, you can choose” He brings the bag closer to me. I move further away. “uhhh...”

“...” I want to leave.

“You don't like them either...?”

“...” I don't want to eat. I want to leave.

“...”

“*snif... *”

“u-um...!”

“...*snif* *sob*...” I started crying out of nowhere.

“Ahhh...! D-do- don't cry! Ah-I-Um- Ca-can go find other things you might like-!”

I felt ashamed for crying and I put my hands to my face trying to wipe away the tears, but they wouldn't stop coming. “*hic, sniff, snif *” I looked away in an attempt to cover my face. I ended up looking at the floor, letting my hair act as a curtain.

“I can go in a moment!” Sun was already getting up.

“...w-want to leave...” I managed to get a murmur out.

“...W-what? Um...”

“...” *hic, hic *

“O-okay, um... If you aren't hungry... -we can do something else- uh- we can go look for rocks like yesterday in the river!”

“...” I don't want to do anything “...want to leave...”

“O-or we can do something else! Ah-bah-b-b-b- W-won't you like to go draw??! Somewhere, some landscape?! Wherever you want! We can draw together! If you prefer we can look for animals instead of landscapes!”

“...leave...want to...go... *hic, snif *”

“¡D-don't n- uh! ¡L-let's... um- let's not- uh!” He no longer knew how to order his words “H-hey, ¿Why don't we go to-?” He extends his hand towards my arm.

“I want to go home...”

He stops before touching me and removes his hand. “...” “...home?” There is a pause. He remains silent and unmoving. He finally speaks “Do you want…?” His tone became more serious.

“...”

“...to... go see the portal?” I look up slightly, I can't see through the tears and the fogged lenses of my glasses.

“...” I nod my head.

—

…

We didn't walk far until the red began to become visible. He brought me back to the portal. The same plain of red leaves and stone arch in the center of it all, as yesterday.

…

Sun has been quiet the entire time.

He advances towards the portal and stands facing it. He turns. “Come.” He extends his hand towards me. “You can pass through.”

“...”

I advance towards the portal. I stop before crossing. If it doesn't take me back home, what do I do? I don't want to stay.

A breeze begins to come out of the portal. The breeze turns to wind, the leaves rise, they pass through us. It's the same thing that happened yesterday when I went to cross. I turn to face Sun. Motionless, he looks back at me, the leaves pause in the air for a second as if time has stopped, the wind changes. From where the wind and leaves came now they come in, they push me towards the portal. I finally cross it.

…

Am I in the forest I know? I turn to look at Sun who stayed behind in the portal. “...Sun?” He's not there. I look around. He's not here. I've already crossed the portal, he must have left.

I notice a sudden draft pass by me. It's soft, like someone walking past you. I turn towards the forest, I have to start moving, I don't want to be here another minute.

...The air current that I noticed has lifted some leaves, they reach the trees, between them the wind does something strange, it forms a transparent silhouette. It looks like Sun, I can barely see him but I could swear it's him. The wind figure raises its hand and makes a gesture, it wants me to follow it. When I approach it turns around and walks into the forest, leaving a trail of leaves behind it. I follow the trail of the air current. Sometimes it stops to look at me, making sure I'm still following it. The red-leafed trees and the paintings disappear from view the farther we go. We crossed the forest until we arrived at the entrance of the town, near my house. There is no one on the street. If I walked into the house and pretended nothing had happened, officially no one would have noticed my absence.

I'm not one hundred percent sure if the wind figure that guided me is Sun or not, but I should at least thank him for bringing me back.

…

The air current has dissipated before I turn around. I look around, there's no one.

…

…

…

I enter the house, go up to my room and throw the bag on the floor. I go to the bathroom to wash. …I feel something strange in my hands but I couldn't say what. Doesn't matter. I change my clothes and get into bed, the tiredness of the previous night makes my body succumb immediately and I fall asleep instantly.

—

…

…

…

“ah...!” I wake up with my lungs begging for air. I need a moment to calm my breathing. I look at the clock without lifting my head from the pillow.

…

It is 12 midday. I rub my eyes and from my eyes I move to my face. I'm still tired. My body still aches. I stare at the ceiling.

…

My bag. I reach out to pick it up from the floor, making strange positions so as not to get out of bed.

I open it and search in the pockets. The bell. I put the bell to my ear. “...” I shake it.

*rin, diring diring*

“...”

I open it.

…

It's empty.

[szynkaaa]

Hi, I just read your story on AO3 and I loved it a lot but it also left me with a lot of questions about Oz and his relationship with Sun Wukong, especially the part where you mentioned that Oz after recovering the relics couldn't return to his world but at the end it gives the impression that she is no longer with him and at the beginning you also mentioned that this isn't a fanfic as such but like a diary or letters that she left him and that's eating my head in a good way that I need answers 😆😆😆😆 By the way, I know this is a bit long but I really love your content, your art, and your writing 😆☺️😊🥰

would you believe me if I said I came up with the idea to add those paragraphs at the end of each stories to make it sound like they are not together anymore literally as I was uploading my fic to AO3 LMFAO

ok ok, since I'm not an eloquent writer and will enver write a fully fledged fic, I will just spoil the ending of my non-existing story.

Basically after Black Myth Wukong story line, Oz did not manage to go home like she thought she would after helping DO. I've also mentioned that her ancestor were part of the Celestial Court but got fucked over by the court, so "book 2" of my AU would be SWK and Oz dealing with the Celestial Court, trying to figure out what what the fuck happened.

Everyone is like trying to use Oz as a scapegoat for the shit her ancestors did. She's just like, I wanna live my life and idc what my ancestors did that was like over 1000 years go for me. but 1000 year in celestial court is like 83 years ago in celestial heaven time, so like not thaaaat long ago for them. WW2 is for us like 80 years ago. it's a long time ago but also not really. people who lived through the war are still alive. So anyway, court wants her to serve them again like her ancestor did, or die I guess. reason is tied to some power that flows in Oz because of her ancestor, which I do plan to explain in another post at some point.

something something happens, where either Oz has no choice but to return to her homeworld, oooor someone from the Celestial Court forcibly sends her back. If you watched Barbie the nutcracker, the same shit the rat king pulled on Clara. Or maybe even SWK pushed her through a portal to send her to safety.

also in my AU, time flows differently between the Oz's world and SWK world. A day can pass in her world, and it could be few weeks or months or even years in SWK world.

ALSO important thing is SWK at some point gives Oz a ring made from the birthstone, like he found rock pieces and asked Yin Tiger to make him a ring ("I'm not that kind of smith, monkey"). Traditional Chinese Wedding does not include an engagement ring, but SWK was there when Oz was explaining to monkey kids how wedding traditione worked in her world, and he loves her so he made the ring, gave it to her when confessing to her.

She still has the ring when she went back to her world, and there it's like not much time has passed, maybe a week at most. She still made it to her Taylor Swift concert.

Time pass, maybe like three years or so. She never stopped thinking about SWK, and tried to find way to get back but couldn't. maybe the portal got severed idk. and then something something happens (which I will need to think about), where one day the ring on her finger felt warm and she was able to return to Mount Huaguo, landing where the birthstone stood on the mountain.

I think like 100 years passed in that world, where SWK never stopped visiting the birthstone place, where Oz also went back to her world.

Here is a comic I made of their sweet sweet reunion:

She's wearing a fancy red dress because she was attending some fancy event before she was able to return to SWK. But also traditionally the bride and groom wore red in a Chinese wedding, so her wearing the red dress when she is reunited with SWK after all those years is a symbol for that they are finally able to be together and live their happily ever after. it's also symbolism for Oz.

Before that, depsite SWK confession and basically proposal, she has a bit of commitment / abandoment issues from her parents divorce, so yknow they didn't get married before that. but it is very clear to anyone that they both loved each other.

so yeah. Sorry for the long post LOL i get super excited talking about my problem children. there is angst and implication that Oz will be gone but ultimately it ends on a happy note.

[lunarobyn22]

Here's the fic for those of you who want to read it on Tumblr instead of AO3! (I'm tired so this is my peace offering in place of today's Faebruary post 🙃) Check out @cloudninetonine 's "A Player's Aid" au, it'll give context for this!

Legend Gets What (He Thought) He Wanted

tags/warnings:

Threats of Violence, no y/n, Reader-Insert, Mention of making murder look like suicide, no one actually wants to die so don't worry, The others are there briefly, reader gender not specified, Kinda death threats but not exactly, Legend Needs a Hug, Reader Also Needs a Hug, They both get one tho don't worry, Resolved ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending

Summary: Legend is convinced that modern!reader is a traitor and a danger to the chain. He wants to get rid of the threat...Reader just really wanted to use the bathroom, but they somehow end up at sword point.

You all sat by the campfire after yet another long day of long walks punctuated by not long breaks and long fights. You were exhausted, from both the physical toll taken by the day as well as from dealing with Legend’s near constant attempts to make everyone hate you. Heck, you were almost starting to hate yourself because of him. You had to forcibly remind yourself that he’s likely only lashing out because your knowledge of everyone’s adventures probably made him feel vulnerable. You yawned and turned your focus to other things.

Your mind relaxed as you looked around. Your head was leaned to the right on Wild’s shoulder, and Hyrule sat curled up in front of you with his head in your lap. Wind had finally tired of regaling the chain with yet another tall tale, and thus had retired to intently watching Sky as he worked on a new carving. Twilight, Time, and Warriors were conversing in a relaxed manner, laughing at stories of Time’s shenanigans in the War of Eras as “Mask.” They told some embarrassing stories, and Time held a near perpetual blush in his ears and a fake annoyed expression thinly veiling his amusement. Four was quietly polishing his various weapons, making sure they were well-maintained for any future skirmishes. And finally, there was the chain’s resident salt shaker, the Veteran. Legend sat a few feet to your left, not-so-subtly eyeing you with jealousy and what you might label “loathing,” probably because Hyrule had chosen you as his pillow instead of his predecessor. He pretended to sort through his myriad of magical jewelry, but you knew better. You also knew better than to call him out at the moment.

Everyone (mostly) was at peace, full from a good supper provided by Wild, happy from the stories Wind had told, and now content to do as they pleased until it was time for the first watch to start. By your guess, each of the three watches lasted three hours, 9 PM - 12 AM, 12 AM - 3 AM, and 3AM - 6 AM, or just after sunrise, depending on the season. It was about 8:30, and your eyes had been drooping for an hour already. You let your mind wander as you stared into the fire, pondering where the tips of the flames disappeared to as they peaked and vanished, dipping back to the firewood just to jump up once more a second later.

All too soon Wild was nudging you and Rulie back to your own bedrolls as Sky set up for his watch period. You hazily recalled meaning to clean the mud and blood off your shoes as you took them off, but decided to just do it in the morning before you all set off again. It’s not like the stains were going anywhere while you slept. You were out almost as soon as you pulled up your blanket to your chin. You didn’t even hear Wild’s small chuckle as he tucked you in before he walked away to his own sleeping spot.

Your faint dreams of red eyes haunting the dark corners of endless mazes were interrupted by a twig snapping by your face. You inhaled sharply as your eyes flew open to assess the situation, but relaxed once you saw that it was just Sky going to wake Legend up for his shift on watch. He glanced down to you and offered a sleepy smile of apology, which you returned in kind, before nuzzling deeper into your pillow (which was unfortunately rather thin and small, but you figured that even if you had brought a full-size memory foam pillow from home, it wouldn’t stand a chance of fitting into your bag, no matter how enhanced it might be).

You faintly heard the Vet bemoan his fate as second watchman before his blanket rustled and he walked to the fire. You’re pretty sure he intentionally stepped on the same twig as Sky had when he passed by you, but you didn’t give him the satisfaction of a flinch. Through half-lidded eyes you could vaguely see the grouch circle the camp before sitting on a log before the fire and facing the woods that surrounded your camp. He was even more grumpy tonight, because not only was he designated for the worst shift ever, but he didn’t even have a choice as Time forced it upon him due to a particularly scathing remark he’d made towards you earlier in the day.

You tried not to focus on his insults and apparent hatred, you really did, but recently it was getting harder to ignore. His questioning of Hyrule’s sudden loyalty to you turned to questioning everyone’s desire to not kick you out or abandon you to the next monster camp they found. He seemed convinced you were either an evil witch who forced Hyrule and Wild to love you, a monster disguised to destroy them, or even a direct agent of Dark Link (who you’d not-so-affectionately dubbed “Dink”) and planned to betray them all any day now. You, in turn, had stopped vehemently insisting you were harmless, and eventually resigned yourself to simply not rise to the bait of his stinging statements of distrust. You knew he’d been through a lot of pain and loss through his many journeys, but that didn’t excuse his treatment of you. Only your mother’s advice kept you somewhat sane — “bullies only prosper when you give them a reaction. If you don’t react, they have less reason to target you.” And yet, Legend’s berating only continued.

You silently huffed a sigh and turned around to lay on your other side, facing away from the fire. You didn’t really love the idea of turning your back to the one person who very clearly wanted you to cease existing, but you knew he had enough sense not to literally stab you in the back when you were both surrounded by witnesses who would decidedly not appreciate such a thing. Plus, the fire was too bright for your sleepy eyes anyway. You started a breathing exercise, prayed you’d assumed correctly about not getting murdered by your upset comrade tonight, and closed your eyes again.

——

An hour or so later you quietly groaned and sat up. Not only could you not fall asleep, but your bladder was beginning to rebel against the idea of waiting until morning to relieve yourself. The chain had made camp just a ways off from a wide yet shallow creek, and you decided that since you were already awake, you might as well go ahead and rinse your shoes off, too. That way they’d be dry in the morning and you wouldn’t have to worry about walking around in shoes that made your socks cold and wet. You shuddered at the thought and slowly stood, stretching your arms above your head and popping your back, then bending down to pick up your shoes and a bar of soap you’d bought in the town you all just passed through.

Legend spared you a calculating glance from his seat, saying nothing. You simply waved with your free hand and then signed “toilet” before walking away to take care of business. You didn’t have to look over your shoulder to know that he was staring holes into the back of your head; you could practically feel him doing so anyway. You sighed, choosing to instead focus on the foliage you passed on your walk, faintly illuminated by the fire back at camp and the dim glow from a bracelet Wild had given you. He said he’d used a brightbloom seed to make it, and you had been sure to express your gratitude. It was much easier than having to carry a torch, which was not only difficult if your hands were full, but was also very bright to your still-asleep eyes. That, and you’d almost started a forest fire last time you’d been entrusted to carry a torch when you weren’t yet fully awake (once the crisis had been averted, Legend of course claimed that you had done it on purpose, but you were so tired that you just gave him a deadpan stare with a raised eyebrow and plopped back onto your bedroll to resume sleeping).

After answering nature’s call and washing your hands, you sat criss-cross by the creek, took off your dirtied shoes, and started splashing them in the frigid water. It was colder than you’d expected, but everything barring your hands was still warm enough, and it helped shock you to be more awake and aware. You used some more of your soap to aid your struggle against the grossness crusted onto your shoes, thankful that they were made from something like leather, so it wouldn’t be too difficult to clean once you actually got started. As you washed, you listened to the sounds of the world around you, now returned since you were no longer disrupting their peace.

A sound like cricket chirps mixed with owl coos set the backdrop for the soundscape, while the occasional breeze played with leaves and stuck them in your hair. If you listened closely enough and stopped your washing, you swore you could almost hear the life within the flowers and greenery by your feet, the very soul of the land of Hyrule, its perseverance, growth, progress and patience, all poured with a parent’s care into each and every living thing it supported, down to the smallest weed by the creek bed where you sat.

The water before you seemed to whisper, not in the way the Sheikah technology would, but more like it was a living feeling, as if it wanted to impart to you the knowledge it had picked up on its journey to this place. You had heard a story, once, that water could hold memories; that every molecule of water in the world has existed since creation, for it cannot be created or destroyed by those who need it to survive. Every single drop had a story to tell, an event it had witnessed, a place it had once called home. Perhaps some of the water burbling and giggling before you was the same way — some of it might have seen the rise and fall of entire civilizations, the existence of every single hero, princess, and villain up to that very moment — and it would continue to amass these secrets, both big and small, every detail it would pass by, and no one would ever fully decipher its stories, its warnings, its wisdom and playfulness. And even so, it would continue to exist and endure, trickling on through the ages and epochs.

You were somewhat prone to these random philosophical trains of thought, and had thus been unknowingly sitting, unmoving, almost unblinking, in the same place for the past twenty minutes. If anyone were with you, they might have thought you to be having a memory episode akin to the ones Wild sometimes had. Indeed, you were so lost in the wanderings and ramblings of your own mind that you had no idea you were being watched. You had no clue until a sound was made that caused you to spring to your feet with a gasp and reach for the dagger you’d sheathed at your hip.

Legend stood at the tree line a few feet away, posture tense and, dare you say, predatory, unsettling stare boring into your own wide, surprised eyes. “What are you waiting for? Or should I say, who are you waiting for?” You blinked away the black spots at the edges of your vision from standing up too quickly, and relaxed the hand that held your knife as your brain worked to understand the situation.

“What?” you tried to be quiet, still recovering from being shaken out of your reverie. “Why would I be waiting for someone? They’re all asleep last I checked. Ooh shoot, did I wake someone up? I’m so sor-”

“Cut the crap, [Name],” he stood up even straighter, the line of his shoulders taught with anger. “I know you’re waiting for someone to give all your collected information to. Don’t pretend you’re all so goody-goody. I’ve seen the way you ask too many questions, always looking for more details to collect, more ways you can betray us, betray them. I knew you were a snitch, and I don’t know how you bewitched them all to trust you, but they’re all too blind to see it. But I’m not. I see right through you, I have from the start.”

He had stalked closer during his speech, his voice dropping to a threatening whisper you had only ever heard in movies. His approach had caused you to back up until your still bare feet felt the water’s lapping edge. You had dropped your boots, you weren’t exactly sure where, but that was only a vague thought in the very back of your mind. Your eyebrows scrunched together as your mouth opened and closed, trying and failing to come up with a good enough response. You weren’t spying, you were trying to find answers! You came from a completely different world, of course you had questions! He of all people should understand that, and yet he still accuses you? This finally snapped your patience, and you decided to just spell it out him:

“Look, I know you hate me, but this is too far, Legend. I am not some evil being to be defeated like in your adventures, I am not planning to cause trouble for you all, and I sure as anything would never betray you guys, especially not after the trust that has been extended to me by some of you. This group took me in, saved my life, helped me learn to defend myself, protected me time and time again, and I’ve only ever tried to help you, or at the very least not get in your way. I get that I’m not some ‘chosen hero’ with crazy butt-kicking skills, I know that I’m only okay-ish at fighting, not nearly as good as any of you, and I understand that my extensive knowledge of your adventures puts you on edge, but I swear on everything that I’m not a traitor, and the main thing that I just really don’t know is why you despise me when I’ve never even given you a single reason to do so!”

Your voice had steadily increased in volume, not quite to the point of shouting, but certainly not whispering any more. He seemed a bit surprised by your willingness to defend yourself, but he hid it quickly with a scowl and what sounded almost like a growl. You noticed dully that the forest had fallen tensely quiet.

“Oh drop the act, turncoat ,” he spat, “you have never been one of us, and the only reason I didn’t drop you off a bridge yet is because Hyrule would have my hide and Wild would poison my food. But don’t mistake my inaction for acceptance or ignorance. You’re no better than any of the enemies we fight on a daily basis. You’re actually worse, because you’ve wormed your way into my group, my allies, my brothers. You think you’re something special just because you got some of them to trust you?? You’re a parasite, a threat, and tonight is all the proof I need. I knew I should’ve spoken up more from the moment you oh-so-conveniently happened to stumble into our lives. You’re going to regret ever messing with us, and Dark Link will soon know without a doubt that he cannot ever send his agents into my family without dire consequences.”

His expression twisted to a hateful snarl, showing some of his teeth in an almost animalistic display of animosity. Your face, on the other hand, was flickering through countless expressions too quickly for even you to comprehend. You knew some of what you felt, pain, sadness, anger, guilt (even though you had no reason for that one), confusion, denial, and eventually a sort of raging, spiraling emptiness that screamed inside your chest. Your breathing quickened to an almost hyperventilating speed, and your eyes grew blurry with tears you’d been suppressing for weeks. Your hurt, misty eyes locked with a pair of violet, violent, volatile ones, and you realized that he was waiting for your response. His next actions could depend solely upon your response; your very life could depend upon whatever words next left your mouth.

You had tried so hard to be friendly to the group of Links, to not aggravate Legend too awful much. You had tried to help out wherever you could, to not be a burden, to not slow them down. You tried to let the pain of rejection roll off of you like water, to not let it get under your skin. You had tried so, so hard to be one of them; but you weren’t. It was at this point you realized what he’d said without actually saying it — he was afraid . Afraid of losing the only family he had left. He’d already lost his uncle, Marin, the whole island of Koholint, and almost all the people of his Hyrule viewed him with disdain at best and outright hatred at worst. He’d had to leave Ravio and Fable back in his Hyrule, and he never knew when (if) he’d ever see them again. You realized on an even deeper level the true message behind his words — ‘you are a threat to those I love. You are dangerous. You bring pain and that is all you’ll ever do. You are not worthy of any trust, comfort, protection, or love from anyone, least of all my brothers. You would be better off never having met us, having never existed.

You would be

better off

dead.’

You had tried so hard, and yet… You had never actually brought anything to the group but problems. You thought through your interactions with them all, but all you could see is the many ways you’d caused them worry, stress, or even anger. You were another mouth to feed, another bed to pay for at inns, another liability in fights, another person to slow down for as they walked. You were a burden. No, worse: you were a danger. What if they were so busy looking out for you that they didn’t see an enemy until too late? What if you slowed them down to the point where they couldn’t get where they were going in time? What if you drained their food or rupee supplies too fast? What if you got hurt again and caused stress and tension to rise, causing fights and even divisions to break out. You were a problem. Not a traitor, no, and not intentionally endangering, but they couldn’t afford to have you around any longer. And you couldn’t just leave, you’d die within a day if Dink didn’t find and torture you, but Legend wouldn’t be satisfied until he knew for a fact that you were out of their way. Permanently. He didn’t just want you to disappear; he wanted you gone. And finally, with a sinking heart, you realized just how right he was.

 At this final revelation, a tear finally did slip past your lashes down to meet your quivering chin. You felt your thoughts scatter like startled deer, your heart thundering in its cage, pounding in your ears, scaring away the life in the forest around you. And you decided. You were a danger. You had no power here.

“I - I’m so sorry , I - I never meant to drive you apart, I -” you paused to hiccup and take a breath. You knew you were breaking, your composure deteriorating, but it was too late to stop. “Legen- Link. If you truly see me as a threat, if you truly believe that I will bring nothing but harm to you, to my-your friends, if…if you think that - that I should - I should never have met you, that I should never have…existed, I…I know I can’t force you to change what you so deeply believe, I -” You gasped a little shuddering inhale, and you made your final decision, the choice that you knew would be your last. You steeled yourself, and spoke. “If you honestly believe that you would all be better off - be safer - if I was gone, if you believe I’m a threat, that I would hurt you, that I - harbor ill intent, then…” you swallowed, still taking short, stuttering breaths. Then you turned around, held your hands palm-outward and arms open to the sides, and bowed your head; you left your entire back and neck, your spine, completely exposed to the man who wanted you dead. You leveled your voice, and accepted your fate. After all, he was an experienced hero, while you were just an inexperienced nobody. He would know what he’s talking about, what would be safest and best; you wouldn’t. He was not prone to emotional decisions; you were. If that was the case, then he was right. You were a threat to your friends.

“If you truly think that I should die for the good of the group, for their safety and happiness, then…then I… I trust you to do what’s right for your family. I would never willingly hurt any of them, I never wished any of you ill but…maybe I do just bring bad luck. Maybe I truly am a curse, a threat, a liability. If that’s the case, maybe - I know I can’t just leave, since Dink is after me and I know too much so - maybe I really am better off dead.”

There was a moment of silence, and then you heard him unsheathe his sword. The back of your neck prickled with danger, but you didn’t dare look over your shoulder. You counted the seconds as they passed, and you realized you had made it to thirty and nothing had happened yet. Why the hesitation? You assumed you’d be dying by now. Perhaps…perhaps Legend feared taking the blame for your death? Causing more division within the chain? Well, you shouldn’t let that stop him if your friends’ lives and safety were at stake. You would do anything to protect them, no matter what. Legend was right, and this had to happen. He had to do this. So why hadn’t he yet? You decided to offer some support, try to speed it along. You were never one for fearing the future but you really wanted this to be over, since you could feel the dread clawing up your throat, numbing your words and preventing any cohesive thought, forcing you to stand still and hear your blood thundering through your ears.

“You could, uh, you could make it look accidental, if you want?” You suggested. “Maybe - maybe I slipped, hit my head on a rock in the creek, maybe I drowned after I fainted or something, maybe I was playing with my knife and - and accidentally hit an artery.” At this point you started to hyperventilate again, desperate, but unsure as to why. “Maybe I was surprised by an enemy, a - a stalfos! - and I was too slow,” you continued, “or - or maybe I was kidnapped, maybe I was gutted by an enemy, maybe I - I just hit my head on something, maybe I had a - a - a hidden injury,” you were nearing hysterics now, “maybe, maybe I just — maybe I did it myself? Maybe I just couldn’t go on? Maybe, maybe I, I just - what if - I,” you lost your sense of words for a moment, “I can’t, I - what about if I just - just - You don’t have to take the blame, you know? You - you could cover it up! Maybe you just were doing your final rounds at the end of your watch and just found me - m-my body, maybe -”

“[Name] are you serious?” He cut through your rambling and you guessed he thought you sounded rather impertinent. You were trying to tell him how to do his job, and you’d kept on repeating what he likely had already worked through in his own mind.

Your mouth clicked closed so quickly your teeth almost clipped your tongue. Perhaps he wanted you to die quietly. You realize you were panicking and might’ve been too loud. Oh no, what if you woke someone up? Then Legend would get caught, and you would be the cause for even more trouble for everyone, and things would get even more tense, and if they were more distracted then they’d be in more danger, then…

…

…

…

You were still alive for some reason, although if you hadn’t been breathing so heavily you would have heard someone else’s suspiciously loud breathing behind you. As it was, you continued to hold still, arms sore from being held out, but you didn’t dare move. Even you knew better than to rob a predator of his prey, especially when he is so close to the killing blow. You were no fool, you knew he’d likely planned this for a while, and you knew better than to irritate him further. You just wanted to say one more thing, one final reassurance.

“I only want what’s best for them…best for you. I don’t hate you, contrary to what you probably think. I’m so sorry for any pain I’ve caused you, I truly am…I - I only ask that you make it quick, not for my sake, but if I was too loud a second ago and it woke anyone up and they found you kil-” your breath hitched, “killing me, it — it might make things worse for you all, and the last thing I wanna do is make things harder for all of you guys, I love you all and I—”

“Just SHUT UP!” Legend’s voice crashed through your pleading, and you stopped. And through the suddenly deafening silence, you realized something. Had his voice cracked? You listened more intently. He was breathing unevenly, almost gasping, almost…no, no your soon-to-be-killer couldn’t possibly…

He inhaled deeply and hoarsely whispered, “ Why? How, how could you just, just…” And in his struggle for words you heard something you would never have considered possible.

You had offered to die, just like he wanted, and

Legend —

Link —

was crying .

The man who wanted you dead, who planned to watch the light leave your eyes, was crying.

Perhaps he was just so happy you’d stopped resisting? Or perhaps he simply disliked the idea of causing someone pain? Yes, that was likely the reason; you were still a person, after all, and you knew that the Veteran, despite his callousness, did in fact have a heart (however guarded it might be).

“…It’s ok, Link,” you whispered reassuringly, “I’ll probably hardly even feel it, and if you’re right, and I’m sure you are, then…I deserve it anyway, and…I trust you to do what’s right, because…well, you’re a hero. You’re Link. I’m just… I’m nobody , nothing, so…It’s okay…” You stopped there, you knew he didn’t want you to talk, but darn it you always had a weak spot for people who cried, and you just had to try to reassure them, even if this particular person was planning to send you to meet your Maker a bit earlier than you’d thought you would.

But…there was still no sudden pain, no sword through your chest or severing your head, no sudden hit to the skull, nor were there hands forcing your face into the water until the bubbles stopped, nor any cutting, no slitting your throat, just…quiet sobbing?

Your mind froze for a second, and you held your breath to see whether the crying was actually from you. And it wasn’t. So, you waited. What else could make Legend wait? He was a hero, right? Maybe he just needed to psych himself up? It couldn’t be easy, you figured, literally stabbing someone in the back —

OH! Maybe that was actually the problem? Maybe he wanted to be at least a little more honorable and kill you face-to-face? After all, back-stabbing has a rather negative connotation attached to it. Facing forward and watching your killer do the job wasn’t really what you’d prefer, but it’s not like you had much choice in the matter. After all, he was the one with the sword.

In order to solve this newfound problem you slowly turned around and faced your whole body towards him, eyes closed, arms still out in a sign of surrender, tense muscles still ready for whatever method he would choose to end you. Maybe it would be kind? Likely not, seeing as you were a threat to his family. 

Tentatively you opened your mouth and quietly reassured him, “If you want to do it head-on and not with my back to you, that’s…cool too? I-”

“Oh goddesses,” he practically choked on the words, “you…you actually are serious…?” His voice was rough with…emotion? Confusion? But why? You were giving him what he wanted, right? You were keeping your frien- his family safe…right?

Right?

And then you cautiously cracked open your eyes a little bit, and then opened them all the way, and you lifted your gaze and actually looked at him, rather than just listening.

And you saw that he was an absolute wreck.

Rarely seen tears now freely flowed from his violet eyes, and he had to sniff to keep his nose from running too much. His chin quivered slightly and his adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to find words without openly sobbing. He dropped his sword as his posture went slack, a hand raising to cover his mouth, his watering eyes wide with disbelief and something remarkably akin to grief. Your confusion turned to concern for the man before you. Why was he crying? Was he hurt somewhere? Surely that was the case, for no one could change their mind as abruptly as he seemed to, right? 

He finally whispered hoarsely, “You…do you really…you’re actually willing to just…let me kill you?” He seemed shocked at your actions, but you didn’t know why. Unless…oh gosh, had you misread the situation?? You weren’t sure how you could have, but what if you did? What if you were the one to make him cry? How awful of a person could you be?

“I — I’m sorry, I — yeah, I meant it, really. I mean, I still do, but — I-I’m sorry if I misunderstood, I really am, I just wanted what was right, and I — I just figured you’d know better than me, that you’re right, but I didn’t mean to upset you, I swear, I’m sorry for making you cry, I never wanted that, I just wanted to keep them — keep you all — safe, but if I—”

“Just…stop… please .”

And you froze. Because Legend…he’d said please . He had never said please in the entire time you’d known him, and certainly not while addressing you of all people. So, you stopped. Your arms were in pain, however, and you risked slowly lowering them so they could lose their pins and needles. He didn’t react. He just brought his fist to his eyes in an attempt to get rid of the tears. He was no longer actively crying, so you counted that as a win. You continued to look at him, confused, but not trying to talk any more. You figured he would decide what to do in a minute. Maybe, you thought, he was crying with relief that he could finally stop fighting you.

And then he finally spoke again, in a very small, very subdued, almost unbelieving voice. “You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?” He seemed to hardly believe it.

No, you denied the small spark of hope trying to take root in the void of your chest. There’s no way. It’s too late. He’s going to kill me. He can’t have been wrong. I’m supposed to die, right?

He raised his eyes to meet yours once more, and it was all you could do to nod in agreement. After all, you had never tried to deceive any of them. You’d only ever endeavored to tell the truth, and you weren’t going to stop now of all times.

“You’re not…a witch?” He seemed to almost be thinking aloud, not actually talking to you anymore, but you nodded along anyway, just in case. “You’re not actually a traitor, are you?” He murmured, “You’re…goddesses, you’re not even evil, are you? An enemy would never turn their back to me, Dark Link would never surrender, but…that means you…you’re just a person…just…” Then, in an even smaller voice and with an emotion you couldn’t quite place, “You’re…just you? Was I about to — to kill — an innocent?”

And at that moment you recognized his emotion: horror.

Link was mortified, absolutely horrified that he, a hero of courage, one of Hylia’s chosen, a bearer of the triforce, savior of realms and countries, Link, was about to kill you, a person who had never actually harmed him or his brothers, someone he’d been so set on not trusting that he’d tried to twist you into something that you’d never been. You had tried so hard to protect them where you could, to ease their burdens, to not cause problems, to bond with them, to ignore his acidic hatred, and you’d been through so much pain and loss, and been targeted by Dark himself, and he still had tried to make everyone reject you. You were traumatized, hunted, injured, afraid, and he still hadn’t held back. Your questions had never been any sort of interrogation, but simply confusion. The trust you gained from the others was simply friendship, not any sort of witchcraft or manipulation.

And, with mounting terror, he finally, deeply, truly realized that he had somehow even convinced you — sweet, innocent, confused, traumatized, eager-to-help, optimistic [Name] — that you actually were the problem, that you should — 

Oh goddesses, he’d convinced you that you were better off dead, that you should want to die — that you should just let him kill you. And for some heartbreaking reason, you had not only agreed, but then you’d exposed your most vulnerable points, without any sort of armor or protection, dropped your weapon, lowered your guard, closed your eyes, and told him to do what he believed was right…

You thought he was going to kill the person he should have been protecting this entire time. And you endorsed it only because of ignorant trust in someone who was supposed to be a hero.

And when he panicked, you’d tried to help him kill you .

He looked at you and saw your pain, your sadness, your survival, your resignation, your scars, your desperation to help others, he saw YOU, and not a trace of what he’d so firmly believed you to be. He was planning your death, and you’d tried to comfort him.

And Legend broke.

He did something neither of you expected; Legend, the one who had tried so hard to hate you, vaulted over the small distance between you, wrapped his arms around you, and held on so tightly he thought he might never let go. You had stiffened at first, halfway expecting a knife in your back, but when that didn’t happen you relaxed, almost dizzy with relief and swirling emotions, and you hugged him back just as fiercely. His face was on your shoulder, head bowed so that the fabric of your shirt muffled his increasingly panicked sobs and hiccups. And through those noises you could hear him apologizing relentlessly,

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, goddesses I’m so sorry, [Name] I — I’m so — so sorry, I’m sorry, I was so blind , I’m sorry, I was wrong, I was so, so, so — wrong, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” and so he continued.

You finally breathed for what felt like the first time since he’d snuck up behind you. Your heart was pounding and, now that you held Legend in your arms, you could feel his heart thundering just as quickly as your own. You gently lowered the two of you to the ground, trying to comfort him even as you worked through your own dissolving panic. You held him as if he were a child, gently rocking back and forth as you tried to imbue him with a sense of safe-secure-trust-okay.

“Shhh sh sh shh,” you whispered, ��it’s okay, it’s okay, you’re okay, I’m okay, shh shh shhh, it’s okay, I…

I forgive you, Link.”

At this statement he began to sob even more heavily, and your own tears soaked his tunic as surely as his did your own.

“NO! No, you shouldn’t! You — you — I almost killed you!!” He pulled back and looked at you without letting go. “I would have killed you, [Name]! You — you can’t just forgive me! I — I’m so sorry, I can’t ever explain, I — I was so sure you weren’t trustworthy, I didn’t even give you a chance, I — gosh I basically just tried to freaking kill you, and you just…you can’t just — just —” he fell into hysteric hiccups once again, allowing you to interrupt.

“Well then, it’s a good thing you don’t decide what I can and can’t do, isn’t it?” You released your hug to hold his face in both hands, using a thumb to brush his tear-stained cheeks. “I’ll admit…I was, for a moment, scared, but,” you cut off his heartbroken and shattered gasp, “I get it. I don’t excuse what you’ve done, but I do somewhat understand and I forgive you, Legend. I choose to forgive you, Link.”

…

His world stopped in that moment. He stared into your eyes, so open, brimming with tears that he had caused. You shouldn’t forgive him. He was going to murder you, literally stab you in the back, in cold blood, right outside the safety of camp where his own brothers, who trusted both him and you, slept peacefully, placing full faith in him to keep the monsters at bay. And yet here he was, more of a monster than any of their Ganons or Ganondorfs could have ever hoped to be. He was despicable.

And then you even went so far as to offer him a watery smile that tugged gently on the Sheikah scars adorning your face, the scars of what you’d endured and survived. Oh goddesses, you were trying to comfort him — him — instead of yourself. You opened your arms and offered him another hug, and he was suddenly so thankful you were alive, that you were there with him, and that he hadn’t killed you. And he finally, fully, completely collapsed, releasing the pain he’d hidden away for so long from so much betrayal, distrust, and loss, burying his face into your shoulder once more. His stuttering breaths and hiccups prevented him from speaking, from begging you to hate him back, from telling you to strike him down then and there as surely as he planned to do to you, from screaming until his voice gave out simply because of his pure loathing toward himself, toward this monster he had let himself become.

You gently nudged him back toward camp, all the while holding him and tracing pointless patterns along his back, caressing his hair and whispering forgiveness in his ears. You fell asleep trying to keep watch for him by the fire, both of you tangled up in the other’s embrace, resting in the safety of someone you loved.

You both slept soundly and without nightmares for the first time in weeks.

….

And as the two of you sat there after crying your souls out to each other, having realized how much you actually cared for one another, the sounds of the forest slowly filtered back, joining with your sobs in a beautiful melody of mourning and life, shame and forgiveness. Your rivers of tears mingled together and joined the small creek, the whispers of your pain, relief, salvation, and reconciliation joining the water’s ever-increasing library of whispered memories and silent emotions. And it would never tell a soul, for no one could know what it knew; and you would never, ever know just how happy it was to gain your streams of tears and joy instead of the rivers of your life-blood. 

And if the third watchman woke to find the two most bitter of enemies curled up together asleep by the fire, tear tracks on their red-splotched faces, hair unkempt and, in your case, feet bare, and if he simply draped a blanket over you both and almost cried himself, well…who needs to know?

[avonne-writes]

Carry You Home

A post-war kitty Gale (cat shifter Gale) drabble written for the "LCAPT fic off" game initiated by @middlingmay. And it’s a gift for @butdaddyilovehim99 💕 Featuring the most Gale-looking cat pic ever. Thanks @swifty-fox for brainstorming with me! (On AO3)

The sticky seed of some unfamiliar weed sticks to the fur on Gale’s legs, but he ignores the uncomfortable tugging sensation and just keeps running. Away, far away, anywhere but here. He’s done with this whole charade. To hell with it all. John can go find some other fool who can stand his goddamn womanizing.

Gale doesn’t care that it's only a facade. Sometimes, he wants to be the one being wooed and not watch John flirt with someone else. He thought... He thought they would go on a date, just the two of them, to the pretty creek in the woods close to town. All the exciting, cheerful sounds of the forest, the clear air, enough space and privacy for Gale to shift back and forth when he wanted. But John had to ruin it by chatting up three women who were on a walk.

They could have let the ladies pass and waited to be alone again, but John just had to do it, didn’t he? Maybe he didn’t want to be alone with Gale at all. He could have been looking for an excuse to cut their date short all along. Instead of laughing and walking with Gale, he charmed those girls until they were drawn to him like moths to the light, and Gale, sour in his disappointment, was left to trail behind until they finally parted ways.

Then, the fight. That terrible fight. It wasn’t too decent of Gale to snap the way he did, but it hurt so much to watch John flash his best smile at the girls, to touch their arms under one excuse or another, the way he should have touched Gale instead. Gale's tired of it. He can’t stand it anymore, to see the affection that's meant to be his given to another while he’s right there.

John didn’t understand - or didn’t want to - so, Gale shifted and ran away. It didn’t take more than five seconds and he was out of John's sight. Being small makes it easier to hide among the bushes. To disappear. He doesn’t matter anyway. He’s no one. Perhaps, he won't ever shift back again. Why bother? He’ll just live the rest of his years as a wildcat, nothing but the forest and the freedom of no expectations. He can live alone and -

"Gale!" John's cry interrupts Gale's thoughts. "Gale, please! Come on, doll, don't do this to me."

Gale stops to crouch low in the underbrush, his heart pounding wildly. His coat is too bright and clean to hide him among all the greens, browns and greys around, but he’s covered by a few thick shrubs and wide leaves where he is. He curls his fluffy tail close to his body and waits. He won't be spotted unless he moves.

"I'm sorry, okay?" John tells the forest plaintively. The canopies above them whoosh in sympathy. "I didn’t mean to hurt you, sweetheart, I didn’t mean it like that."

What you meant doesn't change anything, Gale makes a low, angry sound that John, thankfully, doesn't hear as he jogs down the path in front of Gale's hiding place.

"Shit." John mutters under his breath and runs a hand through his curls. At first, Gale thinks it's because of Gale not folding to his pleading, but a moment later, he sees the fake, wide smile that appears on John's face.

"Egan? That you?" An unfamiliar voice calls, and Gale is alarmed to see a stocky, middle-aged man with a camera approach John from the opposite direction they came from.

"Frank, buddy, the hell are you doin' out here?" John says and clasps the man's outstretched hand in greeting.

Frank launches into a long-winded story about bird watching and photography, and how his wife kicked him out of the house just to get some peace. From his vantage point under the shrubs, low on the cool forest soil, Gale can see John nodding along politely, but his eyes keep darting to the woods, searching for a flash of white that gives Gale away. After a while, Frank notices too.

"Everything okay?" He asks John, concerned.

"Yeah, just looking for my... my cat." John replies awkwardly, putting his hands on his hips the way he always does. Despite his pain and anger, Gale feels a tinge of fondness at the sight.

"You brought your cat out here?" Frank frowns. There’s something like pity in his expression, which makes Gale huff in irritation. Everything their generation does is chalked up to the fucking war, isn’t it?

"He likes going on walks with me." John says, fully turning away. "Gale!"

"Gale? Like your roommate?" Frank asks, his eyebrows trying to meet his receding hairline.

John falters for a moment, embarrassed that he slipped up in his panic to find Gale. "It’s a joke."

"Oh." Frank's face smooths out and he barks a laugh. "Let me help, the two of us will find him faster."

"Oh, I don't want to keep you."

"Nonsense." Frank claps John's shoulder. "My wife says my eyes are so keen I should've been a detective."

John chuckles good-naturedly. "If she says so, Frankie."

Frank walks towards the woods on the opposite side of the path from where Gale’s hiding. "What does your cat look like?"

John sighs. "Cream-white fur, white paws, bushy tail. Piercing blue eyes. As big as a small dog."

Sounds about right, Gale notes with satisfaction. He glares daggers at John. He hopes he can feel it.

Frank whistles. "Must be one mighty creature."

Gale preens. The sad look on John's face is especially vindicating.

"The most beautiful thing I've ever seen." John says quietly as he starts walking along the treeline again. "He's my best friend, you know. My partner. I just wish I knew what's going on in his head. It’s so hard to read him sometimes, and I don't realize I've done something wrong until it’s too late. I just want to make him happy, keep him safe."

An ache swells deep in Gale's chest and rolls through his whole body until the bitterness of his anger fades away to the illusion of salty tears. He can’t cry in this shape but he wants to. He wants it to rain down over his cheeks in big, fat drops, over the scars, for John to wipe and kiss them away, to whisper promises he can’t keep and tell Gale he loves him more than anything. He wants that, still - it hurts, but he wants it. As his impulsiveness vanishes, he realizes that life in the forest wouldn’t suffice. He would always long for Bucky.

"Sounds like a marriage." Frank snorts, shaking a few bushes that sends nearby critters running across the fallen leaves. Gale hears them scurry away from where he is.

"You bet." John laughs ruefully. "Feels like one too."

The cry escapes Gale’s throat before he could clamp down on the feeling that sparks it. It's a quiet, sad little meow but it stands out from the forest's low buzz regardless.

John's head whips up in his direction. "Gale?"

No use hiding anymore. Gale pushes himself up and walks out of the underbrush like some kicked pet, putting his paws on the path hesitantly because he’s not sure yet if he's ready to forgive everything or not. His tail rises in greeting, but when John darts towards him with a beaming, relieved smile on his face, Gale hisses at him.

"I'm sorry!" John raises his hands placatingly, then, in a quieter voice, "I'm sorry, doll."

"Oh my! What a beauty!" Frank exclaims when he spots Gale, his expression one of wonder.

Feeling shy and wary, Gale rushes over to John and weaves himself around his ankles, putting his front paws on John's right boot as he stares the stranger down. He doesn’t know where the hell the guy knows John from, doesn’t care - he just wants him to leave them alone, to give him a chance to shift back and let John give him a proper apology. He’s so focused on keeping his eyes on the man that he forgets he's angry long enough for John to stroke his head. But when the touch reminds him, he growls.

"Don’t be like that." John nudges him, then reaches lower to remove the spikelets stuck in Gale's fur. Irritated beyond belief, Gale bites his fingers, satisfied when John winces, but the hand doesn’t move far - it slides over Gale's back and combs at his fur.

"Hi Gale." Frank crouches down a few feet away, cooing like an idiot. Gale gives him a disdainful look. Honestly, this is the worst thing about being a cat. Interacting with people who want to touch him. "You weren't kidding when you said he was pretty. Never seen such a gorgeous cat in my life. What a unique colour. His fur is immaculate. And look at those eyes! Damn."

"I know." John says, all affectionate. If he thinks that's enough to make up with Gale, he’s sorely mistaken. "Sky blue."

Gale leans against John's leg. A part of him enjoys the praise. People always tend to heap it on him in this shape but never say anything when he's in his human form. His mom, for example, when he still lived in Wyoming. The only exceptions to that are Marge and John, the only people who saw the value in giving him compliments no matter how he stood in front of them. Gale learnt to take appreciation where he got it, even if it was received as a cat. Frank, of course, is unaware that Gale, the cat, and Gale, John's roommate are one and the same, but his words of awe feel good. Gale extends his legs in front of him and stretches, showing off his looks.

"If I were you, I would put a collar on him." Frank says.

"Nah, he's pretty good about comin' home to papa." John replies, a teasing note in his voice. For that, Gale reaches up to drag his clawed paws over the leg of John's trousers until John yelps and pushes him off. Frank laughs.

"Boy, my wife will be so jealous." He shakes his head, smiling. "Can I pet him?"

Gale’s answering noise of warning comes instantly.

"Ah, he doesn’t like strangers, sorry, Frankie." John says for him. Good. At least that much of Gale's feelings he does understand.

Frank waves him off and stands up. "I understand. I would love to photograph him, though. Proof for the missus." He winks.

John chuckles. Gale tilts his head back to glance at him and finds him looking back. Something he sees in Gale's eyes encourages him to reach down and scoop Gale up into his arms. It’s easier to let him than to protest.

"Why not?"

---

About a dozen photos later, John finally tries to say goodbye to Frank, but they're unlucky - the man decides to go the same way John's headed. He must be lonely, Gale figures, but it doesn't make it any less annoying that for lack of a graceful way to get out of the situation, John starts walking with the man while holding Gale in his arms.

It's comfortable, at least. Holding Gale just right in both forms has always been one of John's special talents. This time, Gale's paws dangle over his arm and his head rests in the crook of John's elbow. Since John can’t exactly put him down when he has just caught Gale after he ran away, it’s no use fighting it.

Resigned, Gale relaxes. He’s just a cat now. Loved and cherished openly where everyone can see. Something precious John can hold tight right where his heart beats, and no one bats an eye.

It’s bittersweet, but Gale will take it. The fight seeped out of him somewhere between John calling him his partner and the first apologetic caress over his silky fur. Gale tunes the conversation out and just drifts on the sense of peace and safety he feels in John's arms as the gentle sounds of the forest ripple around them along the path. After a few minutes, he falls asleep.

He doesn’t know how much time passed when he wakes up, but he’s still lying in John's arms, still warm against John's chest, but Frank is, at last, gone. They're almost at the edge of the forest, close to where their truck parks.

"Jesus Christ, finally." John blows out a noisy breath and swipes his thumbs back and forth over Gale’s fur. "Coast's clear if you wanna shift back."

Gale lets his eyes slip closed again and doesn’t move a single other muscle. He can feel John trying to lean over him to see his face better.

"Did you fall asleep?" John rocks him. As a reply, Gale moves his head in a way that looks like he’s saying no. It makes John snort. "Are you still mad at me?"

When no answer comes, John presses his face close to Gale. "Let’s talk about it."

Another shake of the head.

"What, you want me to hold you the rest of the way?"

Gale nods.

John laughs, sweet and rumbling against Gale's body. "All right, doll. I got you. I'll carry you home."

Although he knows he shouldn't, Gale purrs.

[polkadotpenguin16]

The Five Stages of Grief: Anger

A/N: sorry it took me so long to get this up! It's been a crazy couple weeks and I hadn't had any time (or will, frankly) to do any editing. But it's here now! Also, guess who finally got an AO3 account? The story's posted over there now as well.

Pairing: Sonny Carisi x female reader

Tags: still angsty; language

Word count: 3.4K (I'm sorry, I got carried away!)

Previous parts: Prologue | Denial

After Amanda got her kids in bed, she decided to catch up on The Bachelor. He was about to give away his final rose when she was interrupted by her door buzzer. Begrudgingly, she got up to see who could be stopping by at this hour.

“Who is it?” She asked through the intercom, annoyance evident in her voice.

“Um, it’s Carisi. Can, uh…can I come up?”

That’s definitely not who she was expecting. Intrigued, she buzzed him in. She answered the door to a crestfallen Sonny. His hair was in disarray when it was usually cemented in place with gel. It looked like his eyes were red from rubbing them.

Her face of confusion morphed into one of sympathy. “I take it dinner didn’t go well?”

Sonny stood in the doorway with his mouth agape. He was completely lost for words. This was not where he planned on being tonight. But he didn’t want to be by himself, so he came to Rollins looking for the support of a friend.

“Why don’t you come in?” Ushering him inside, she observed his disheveled clothes as he dragged his feet through her living room. He was really out of it. She went into her kitchen looking for something to cheer him up. “It was pizza night at the Rollins household, if you want some.” She called to him while rummaging through her refrigerator. “I can get you a beer or—”

Peeking around the corner, she saw Sonny sitting on her couch. Resting his elbows on his knees, cradling his head in his hands. It looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. You must’ve said something pretty awful at dinner to have broken him like this.

Changing course, she grabbed some glasses and a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet and joined him on the couch. “So, let me take a wild guess.” She poured a glass for him and herself. “She didn’t accept your apology?”

He picked up his glass and took a gulp. “Didn’t even come by for me to give it.”

“Ouch…” After hearing how you walked out on him, Amanda didn’t think dinner and an apology would fix much. But she at least expected you to tell him to his face. “That’s cold.”

“You’re telling me,” he replied flatly. He took another swig, welcoming the burning in his throat. Anything would feel better than the disappointment coursing through his veins.

“Can’t even believe it,” he huffed while staring at his glass. “I ruined the best thing that ever happened to me by missing a dinner reservation.”

“You know, if that’s all it took to ruin it…maybe it wasn’t all that good to begin with.” Amanda thought Sonny might’ve been looking at you through rose-colored glasses.

“I thought it was.” His face was full of sorrow and remorse as he finished his drink. “I know we haven’t spent as much time together lately. But when we were together, I thought we were doing fine.”

“What’d she say when she left?” She asked, trying to gauge your actions as she poured him another drink.

“She was tired of being an afterthought.”

She puffed out a breath and shook her head. “Well, I guess she didn’t know what she was signing up for when she decided to date a cop.” Amanda knew the toll working at SVU took on having a personal life. It was a balancing act that required a lot of sacrifices from romantic partners that most weren’t willing to make. You weren’t from their world. You probably wouldn’t understand.

“I’ve been trying my best.” His voice was dripping with frustration and exhaustion. “Trying to be a good detective, a good brother, a good boyfriend…”

“I know you have.”

“Then why can’t she see that?”

“What’s she expecting you to do? Quit your job?”

“I don’t know! She won’t even talk to me!” Exasperated, he slammed his glass on the table. This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go. You were supposed to be home together. Apologizing to each other. Hugging one another and promising to do better.

“Look, Carisi, maybe you need to let this go—”

“I don’t wanna lose her, Rollins!” That was his worst fear. With all the horrors he’d witnessed, he was petrified something would happen to you. Something that would take you away from him. He just never thought that something would end up being himself.

“Okay, okay.” She set her glass down and grabbed his arm, trying to grab his attention. “Now, I don’t claim to be the expert on relationships here. But if this was it, the ‘true love’ you thought it was, would she have walked away so easily?”

Sonny’s hand began to tremble. He didn’t want to think about that possibility. He loved you and was doing the best he could. He was trying to make everyone happy. Why wasn’t that enough for you?

“I just wish she’d talk to me,” he muttered quietly.

“I’m sure she will,” she reassured him, patting him on the shoulder. “She can’t ignore you forever. But make sure you’re prepared for what she’s got to say.”

He picked his glass up and gazed down into the brown liquid. Swirling it around, he searched for answers as to what went wrong and what to do next. Unable to find any, he took another drink.

Fin and Sonny had to go out to Brooklyn to talk to a witness. After they finished the interview, they walked back to their car as Fin tried to make him feel better.

“Look, man, all I’m saying is it could be worse. At least you got the apartment.” It wasn’t working. “When my ex-wife got mad, she’d kick my sorry ass out. Spent a lot of time couch surfing those days.”

Sonny could barely hear what Fin was saying. He was preoccupied with his raging headache, courtesy of his hangover from yesterday. He was pissed. And the more he thought about it, the more pissed he got. He texted you late last night and this morning hoping you’d respond.

Doll, please answer me.

I can’t fix this if you don’t talk to me.

Are you just gonna ignore me forever?

But he was met with radio silence. He was at the end of his rope. A relationship was a two-way street, and he couldn’t repair it alone. He was beginning to think you had no interest in trying. He was brought back to reality when he recognized a familiar bank a few blocks ahead. Your bank.

You could avoid his calls and texts, but there was one thing you couldn’t ignore.

“What’d you say we grab some lunch before heading back? I’m starving.” Fin asked as they passed by a deli.

“You go ahead. I, uh…got an errand I need to run. Meet you back here in twenty.” He picked up his pace and sprinted down the street.

You were busying yourself with work. Color-coding your spreadsheets. Reorganizing your filing cabinet. Again. There was a lot of thinking to do, and you were just not up to it.

The texts from Sonny didn’t go unnoticed. It felt like your phone was burning a hole in your pocket. You knew you needed to talk. You were only avoiding the inevitable. Conflict really wasn’t your thing. You were more content to suffer in silence than voice your concerns. Being so passive helped you get through life. But it also got you walked over on multiple occasions.

You weren’t sure if you could move forward together. You wanted you to kiss and make up. Pretend like the other night never happened. But you knew things would inevitably fall back into the same pattern. Back to going to bed alone. Weekends by yourself. Sonny coming home an exhausted shell of himself. You couldn’t watch him waste away. Nor could you watch him put all his spare energy into caring for another woman. All your emotions were floating around inside you like a whirlpool. They were all tangled together, and you couldn’t separate them enough to know how to explain them to Sonny.

You were going to talk to him. Just…not yet.

The front door opening made you look up from your computer, and you were shocked by what you saw. It was Sonny, swiftly walking towards your desk. And he looked upset. A deer in headlights would’ve looked less stunned than you.

“What…what are you doing here?” You sheepishly asked as he stared you down.

 “We need to talk.” His voice was clipped, answer direct.

“I’m at work, Sonny.”

“Well, you’ve ignored all my other attempts to get your attention.”

“I’m not ignoring you,” you lied poorly. “I’ve just been…busy.”

Not liking your answer, he huffed and crossed his arms. “Why didn’t you come home yesterday?”

“I told you. I needed some time.”

“Well, exactly how much time do you need?”

You didn’t have an answer to that. Your leg started bouncing, and your heart was pounding in your chest. God, why did he have to just show up here? You were already nervous about talking with him before he came. You wanted to get your nerves under control before you met so you could share your feelings with him calmly and eloquently. You weren’t expecting to get ambushed.

“You know, this isn’t even fair. I’ve apologized and tried to make things right, but you won’t even give me the time of day.” Sonny was beyond irritated, his voice becoming steadily louder. “You disappeared in the middle of the night, unable to be reached. Did you know I’ve been worried sick about you?!”

“Everything okay out here?” Your boss called out from behind you. A few colleagues were peeking out to see what the commotion was.

“It’s fine.” You put on a weak smile. “Nothing to worry about.” Your boss eyed Sonny up and down. Suddenly realizing how this looked, he uncrossed his arms and took a deep breath to relax his face. He then felt bad about showing up angry and unannounced. Although he took a small comfort in knowing that your boss cared enough to check on you in a situation like this. Your boss gave you a questioning look, and you gave him a reassuring nod in return. Satisfied enough that nothing dangerous was occurring, he reluctantly returned to his office.

“I’ll come by later tonight, okay?” You had to get him out of here before he got security called. “Now, will you please leave before we make a bigger scene?”

“That’s all I asked for.” He turned on his heel and walked out.

You were surprised to see Sonny made it back to the apartment before you. He was sitting on the couch, looking pensive. Nervously, you walked over to sit on the opposite side. It felt strange being so far away when you had been so close just a couple of days ago. You both sat there for several minutes without speaking.

The silence was killing Sonny. He wanted to rip the band-aid off. To yell, fight, scream, something! He needed to move past the conflict part of this story and get to the happy ending. He wanted to hug you. Smell your hair. Whisper how much he loved you and that everything was going to be alright. But you wouldn’t even look him in the eye.

Fiddling with your sweaty fingers, you tried to figure out how to explain what you felt. But that was easier said than done. There was some deep-seated fear that saying it out loud would make things worse than they already were. You wanted to swallow your feelings and bury them deep inside. To keep them from hurting anyone.

“So, that’s it?” Sonny asked, unable to stay quiet any longer. “We’re just gonna sit here and not say anything?”

You were frozen in your seat. Searching for the right words and the courage to say them.

“Okay, don’t say anything and just listen.” He turned himself to face you. “I know things have been hard for us lately…”

You had a difficult time hearing Sonny over the ringing in your ears. You started to feel lightheaded and your breath quickened. It felt like you were floating outside of your body, looking down at the two of you. You just wanted to disappear.

Sonny could see that you were not hearing his words. He was losing you, even as he sat beside you, to some dark place in your mind. He needed to get you back, to focus on him. “Doll, please you at me,” he pleaded softly, breaking you out of your trance.

You slowly looked up. When you connected with his sad blue eyes, the corners of yours began to feel moist. But you tried to keep any tears at bay. You were not going to cry. You’ve cried enough already.

“How did we get here, sweetheart? How do we get back?” He reached across the length of the couch and offered you his hand, hoping you’d let him pull you out of the darkness. He wanted to be a beacon through the storm he saw in your eyes. A storm of raw, painful feelings that he had no doubt caused.

But you couldn’t take it. Not now.

“Sonny, I don’t know…it’s not that simple—”

“What do you mean ‘it’s not that simple’?” He was trying to remain calm but was starting to lose his composure.

You needed this to stop. Maybe ending things would be better for both of you. No more fighting. No more tears. “I think it might be best if we—”

“Don’t finish that sentence, please.” Shooting up from the couch, Sonny knelt in front of you and grasped your hands. You didn’t pull away, but you couldn’t look at him. “Tell me how to fix this,” he desperately pleaded. He refused to give up on you. “Just tell me what I have to do so we can go back to how we were!”

You took a deep breath, trying to find your voice. “I can’t go back.”

Sonny’s eyes filled with disappointment. “What, why?”

Your instinct was to shrink back into yourself. But you mustered courage you didn’t even know you had. “I’m tired, Sonny. I can’t wait around for you to choose me.”

“Choose you?” He was stunned by your words. “What are you talking about? I’ve chosen you every day since we’ve met!”

This was what you wanted to avoid. You didn’t want to make him angry. You didn’t want a fight. But you were in too deep now.

“I know you think that.” You tried to keep your voice from trembling. “But I’ve felt so lonely in this relationship. It feels like everybody gets the best of you, and there’s nothing left for me.”

He didn’t understand. How could you think that? How could you not see how much he loved you? “Why haven’t you told me this before?”

“When did I have the chance?” You replied with a sigh. “When you got off work in the middle of the night? After you came back from taking care of Amanda?”

This realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He released your hands and took a step back in disbelief. “So that’s what this is really about?” He couldn’t believe that you would think that way. That you thought of him that way.

Your arms were shaky from adrenaline. Arguing like this went against every fiber of your being. “Sonny, she sees more of you than I do.”

“She’s my partner. We work together,” he replied, emphasizing his choice of words.

“It’s not just work,” you countered. “You with her at work, you’re always at her place. Sometimes it feels like you’d rather spend time there than at home…with me. And I’m left here all by myself.”

“That’s not fair!” He snapped defensively. “You have friends and family around you, and she’s got nobody.”

You couldn’t help but huff at his response. “You’re right, I do. Thought I had a boyfriend, too.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“You said it yourself.” You steadied yourself and stood up from your seat. “She has nobody but you. What does that sound like, Sonny?”

“It’s not like that and you know it.”

“I do?” Your cheeks began to flush, and your hands clenched into fists as you raised your voice to match his. You desperately wanted him to hear you. To see your side. “Do boyfriends stand their girlfriends up after canceling date night for two months? Or do they take them home and cook them dinner because they had a bad day?”

You left Sonny speechless. He’d never seen you so angry before. Why you were being so unreasonable? “What more do you want me to say, doll?” He asked through gritted teeth. “I’m sorry about missing dinner. I made a mistake. I thought you’d be more understanding since I was helping a friend.”

“This is more than just missing that date,” you retorted. Months of bitterness were coming to the surface. “This is about you burning yourself to keep everyone around you warm. Are you even happy, Sonny?”

“Excuse me?” He asked, dumbfounded by your question.

“You’re gone from dawn ‘till dusk, working a job that’s draining the life from you. What little spare time you have, you spend it taking care of everybody else. When was the last time you did something for yourself?”

Sonny brows knitted together as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “So you’re saying I should ignore when people need my help?”

You groaned and stamped your foot. He was completely missing your point. “I think you need to start thinking about what matters to you!”

Tensions were high and you were both tired. Physically exhausted, and tired of fighting. Neither of you were thinking straight and were spewing words you didn’t mean.

“This is all because you’re jealous?” He accidentally blurted out in a fit anger. “You’re seriously jealous of a lonely, single mother? You’re—” Sonny bit his tongue to stop himself from going any further. He was losing control of his temper and speaking without thinking things through.

Your jaw dropped in shock from his words. Something snapped inside you, and you could hardly recognize the man in front of you. This wasn’t the Sonny you had fallen in love with. “Not anymore. She can have you.”

You marched towards the door, past a red-faced Sonny. You could’ve sworn you’d seen steam pouring out of his ears. “If you walk out that door, there’s no coming back!” He bellowed at you.

But you ignored his warning. Looking over your shoulder, you yelled, “I’m done third-wheeling this relationship. You can fuck her all you want now!”

You slammed the door and ran down the stairwell. Once outside, you leaned against the building, then collapsed to the ground and sobbed. Your pulse was pounding in your head. It felt like your lungs had collapsed in on themselves, making every breath you took a struggle. You were shaking uncontrollably, experiencing a full-blown panic attack. What did you just do? How could you say those things?

Reaching his boiling point, Sonny punched a hole in the wall. The impact shook the apartment, and one of the picture frames on the mantle crashed to the floor. Needing to cool down before he caused any more damage, he sat down and took some deep breaths, not even noticing the pain radiating from his knuckles. He was disgusted by your accusation. But also equally appalled by what he said. He didn’t mean it. Could never mean it. He didn’t want you to leave.

Once he had his emotions under control, he took a second to observe the aftermath of his rage. A hole in the wall, broken glass on the floor, and a bruised hand. Completely drained, he thought it was best to try and get some sleep. He dragged himself to his bedroom to take off his sweat-drenched clothes and crawl under the covers, hoping sleep would overtake him. But as he stood at the foot of the bed, he couldn’t bring himself to sleep in there. This was your room.

The bed you shared.

It was only a tiny one-bedroom apartment, but he felt so lost in there without you. It wasn’t home if you weren’t here. He grabbed a pillow and blanket and stumbled into the living room, resigned to sleep on the couch. He got as comfortable as he could on the small sofa and closed his eyes. As he tried to fall asleep, the red-hot anger that had fueled him began to diminish. All he was left with was a feeling of emptiness.

Alone. He felt alone.

[autumnshighlady]

I've Always Liked to Play With Fire (part 31) - final chapter

NESTA ARCHERON X ERIS VANSERRA X FEMALE!READER

summary: the opportunity to help the females in the Night Court is now here, and the last chapter of the reader's plan concludes

warnings: none

word count: 7.1k

DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE

a/n: this is the final chapter of IALTPWF (there will be an epilogue for SURE, maybe a bonus chapter or two in the future) and i'm so emotional. i've poured my heart and soul into this story for two years and it's finally over. thank you to everyone who has shown this story support, I hope that in this chapter and the epilogue to come, you are satisfied with the ending. long mushy post to come later

part 1 // part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10 / part 11 / part 12 / part 13 / part 14 / part 15 / part 16 / part 17 / part 18 / part 19 / part 20 / part 21 / part 22 / part 23 / part 24 / part 25 / part 26 / part 27 / part 28 / part 29 / part 30

read on ao3

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Nesta ran her fingers through your hair, plaiting it up in a coronet identical to her own. Her hands were steady, despite the raging sea of nerves that wracked both of you. It was a day’s ride to the Night Court on dragonback, and you could practically feel Zôrzimril itching to take flight. Without moving your head, you glanced at the window, seeing your dragon's golden scales shining in the moonlight. Athariel was behind her, the two mighty beasts laying down and resting before their long journey. 

Both of you donned your new riding leathers, with featherlight but sturdy pieces of armour attached. The shoulder pieces were scaled like dragon skin – yours, gold, and Nesta’s silver. The designs of the leather blended with the metal armour were beautifully crafted, fitting perfectly to your forms. You didn’t know if you wanted Eris to tell you how much he spent commissioning the pieces, but you were grateful for the protection nonetheless. 

As Nesta carefully pinned your hair in place, your stomach churned. The plan to help the females of the Night Court escape would finally conclude by tomorrow morning. Despite the detailed planning and the fact you had all the other High Lords helping the cause, nerves still wracked you. As much as you could guide the females down the right path, there would undoubtedly be many who were too afraid to leave.

It is their choice, you had to remind yourself constantly. Being from a different court, there is only so much you could do.

“Where are you right now?” Nesta murmured, resting her hands on her shoulders and looking at you in the mirror that sat on your dresser in front of you.

You blinked, pushing away your negative thoughts. “What do you mean?”

She scoffed. “You have that distant look in your eyes. And I can hear that brain of yours ticking away like an old watch. What exactly are you fretting about?”

“What am I not fretting about is the easier question,” you grumbled. “There are so many things that could go wrong with this plan.”

The scraping of chair legs filled the room as Nesta pulled up a second chair, placing it next to yours and taking a seat. “Like that? Let us rationalise it, ok?”

You took a deep breath. “This is the truly final piece to my plan. The last piece on the board to fall. One way or another, we’ve gotten what we wanted so far. What if this is where it all goes wrong?”

“I think you forget the countless times things already have gone wrong,” Nesta gently reminded you. “Rhys capturing you, your engagement to Malgorm, much of what you planned has gone awry in some way. Yet it has all worked out – this will, too. Remember, you’re not doing it alone this time. We have Tarquin, Thesan, Helion, Tamlin, and Kallias all helping with the full support of their courts. We will be fine.”

“But the females might not be.” You pointed out, trying to keep your brain from worrying about how the groups could be followed and hunted down on their journey to escape.

“The ones from the Hewn City have Gwyn and Azriel to protect them, and the Illyrian females know the mountain passes better than any of the males. They can handle themselves,” Nesta insisted. 

Gwyn had gone back into the Night Court a few hours after the meeting in Solaris to begin her whisper network. You had watched with a mix of pride and worry as she grabbed the shadowsinger’s hand, winnowing back into the very place she would be in the most danger. Somehow, deep down, you knew she would be okay. This was not the shy, frightened Gwyn you had first met in the Library. No, she had grown a new strength that rivalled the toughest steel in the armoury. With Azriel at her side, they would protect the females from the Court of Nightmares.

“Is Emerie still going with you to the Illyrian meetup point?” Nesta asked you, adjusting the armbands on her leathers.

You nodded.

“Good. Illyria will be the hardest path to navigate. Helion, Lucien and I will easily be able to get the Hewn City females to the cove and across the border. But you’ll have to extend your magic quite far into the Steppes, have you rested enough for that?”

“I think so,” you stood up, walking over to your table of breakfast and forcing a few orange slices into your mouth to calm your stomach. It tasted bitter on your tongue, and it took everything in you to swallow it.

Your mate snorted, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. “A fat lie. You were tossing and turning so much I was tempted to smother you to sleep,”

Smirking, you turned back to Nesta. “Well, there are ways in which you could smother me that I wouldn’t mind…”

Nesta’s cheeks went red, but she swatted you with her hand towel. “Insatiable thing. Did we not satisfy you enough yesterday before Eris left?” 

Now it was your turn to blush and look away. Eris had taken his and Tamlin’s armies on ships up to the Western coast of the Night Court. His goal was to feign an offensive launch to draw out the armies, undoubtedly drawing out Rhysand as well. False negotiations would take place, centring around questioning if Rhysand had dealt with Koschei yet – and if not, all six courts were prepared to attack and eliminate him entirely to break the bargain. But before he had left in his shining High Lord armour, your husband spent hours showing both you and Nesta how much he would miss his wives.

You shook your shoulders, brushing off the heated memories before you pounced on Nesta. The mating bonds in your chest urged you to engage in the frenzy that was common for new mates, but you resisted for now, choosing to change the subject. “So Helion will shelter everyone at the Day Court until me and my ships arrive with the Illyrian females since we don’t have the magic to winnow everyone,” you said, revisiting your plan you had gone over a million times.

Despite your constant repetition, Nesta remained patient. “Yes, my love,” she said. “Tarquin, Cresseida, Kallias, and Vivianne will be with you. I will have Helion and Thesan with me, and we will be waiting for you and the Illyrians to arrive before dividing everyone up.”

At the High Lord’s meeting a few days ago, every ruler had agreed to provide a home to a certain number of refugees. Autumn and Summer were taking the most, followed by Day, Spring, Dawn, and then Winter. “I can accommodate however many you need,” Kallias had said when discussing the logistics. “However, I do not think many will want to come. It is a harsher environment than many are used to, except maybe the Illyrians.”

With every court helping, there was room for thousands of females spread across Prythian. Nesta had played a large role in coordinating with builders and stonemasons from the other courts, sharing her plans and models from Solaris as reference for the construction of more shelters. It was an effort shared by fae all across the lands, a thought which warmed your heart.

“Everything is as in place as it can be, I guess,” you said, glancing outside at the rise of the moon from behind the mountains, a signal that it was time to go. “We are prepared. I just want all of this to be over. Aside from dealing with Koschei, this is the last obstacle to climb before I can finally relax, I think.”

Nesta placed a kiss on your cheek. “Me too. Now let’s go get Emerie, so we can get those females out of there and be done with all this.”

**********************

A surprisingly alert Emerie was already waiting for you in the clearing where Athariel and Zôrzimril waited. The beasts lifted their heads and called out happily, making Emerie flinch.

You laughed, causing the winged female to snap playfully, “Don’t even. Not all of us are used to dragons. Give me a hundred years before you expect me to not jump at those noises.” She donned black leathers with black armour, and that familiar white ribbon across her forehead. Her wings were a blueish black in the moonlight, 

“Well you’re about to spend a full day on the back of one so best get used to it quickly.” You grabbed your supply sac from Saeros, nodding your thanks before hauling it over your back. Despite having food, water, and extra clothes, it was not heavy thanks to a special spell from Helion. 

Emerie slung her identical sac over her arm. “We ready?”

“This is the most awake I’ve ever seen you at this hour,” Nesta joked from a few feet away where she was greeting Athariel, stroking the silver beast’s nose.

“I’m on a mission, okay?” Emerie shrugged. “Finally being able to help with something really awakens you.”

Colourful leaves crunched underneath your boots as you lead Emerie over to where Zôrzimril was waiting. “You say that like you haven't been up from sunrise to sunset working on Solaris for over two months,” you pointed out.

Emerie’s response was cut off as Zôrzimril lowered her head upon your approach, emitting a low rumbling noise as she eyes up the winged female. Emerie’s eyes were wide, and she stopped in her tracks. 

“It’s ok,” you reassured her as you ran your hand down the dragon’s jaw. “She’s just checking you out and saying hi. She won’t hurt you, I promise.”

“If you say so.”

“Come test it yourself. Say hello back.”

After a few protests, you managed to drag Emerie forward until she was face to face with your dragon. Zôrzimril’s nostrils flared, her eyes squinting as she seized up the creature in front of her. Gently, you grabbed Emerie’s hand, placing it on the dragon’s snout. She let out a gasp as her hand made contact with the hard but smooth scales of the beast, jaw slack with wonder. 

“Holy shit,” she muttered. “She feels so…”

“Powerful?” You finished your friend’s sentence for her, and she nodded.

“I never thought I’d know what it was to fly,” her voice was faraway, as if her mind and body were disconnected in a drift between memories and dreams. “I guess I will now.”

Nesta had come up to the two of you, pulling you both in for a big hug. You held your mate and your friend, sighing into their comforting touch. “I’ll see you both soon, okay?” Nesta said.

“Stay safe,” Emerie said as she nodded, giving Nesta a squeeze on the shoulder before pulling back and heading towards Zôrzimril cautiously, securing the straps of her backpack across her chest.

Nesta turned to you, a well of emotions swimming in her blue grey eyes. “What we’re doing here is bigger than both of us,” she said. “It will be the final nail in the Night Court’s coffin. I find myself wondering if we have doomed them to a tragic fate in our pursuit for revenge.”

You frowned. “Are you having regrets?”

“No,” Nesta shook her head. “I’m not. But it makes me sad. For as much as I hated the Night Court, it was a beautiful place. Not all of them were bad.”

You took Nesta’s gloved hands in your own. “Velaris will be safe. And we are aiding as many of the females from Illyria and the Hewn City as we can. Rhys may be an arrogant prick, but he is not a complete fool. He will protect his remaining citizens from Koschei – he put himself in this position, not us. He was the one ready to sacrifice them, let him deal with the consequences of those actions. Besides, many may choose to flee regardless of if they come with us or not.”

Your mate sighed, nodding. “You’re right. I just… I keep thinking about Feyre and Elain and the baby. I don’t want anything to do with them, at least not for a long time, but I don’t want anything bad to happen to them.”

“What if we wrote a letter to them?” You offered. “Let them know that should they need it, there will be a place for them at one of the sanctuaries. It doesn’t have to be in Autumn – I am sure Tarquin or Helion would gladly take them in.”

A sad smile came over Nesta’s face. “I’d like that, thank you.”

You knew Nesta’s relationship with her sisters would never be the same after everything that had happened in the last two years. It was a loss she would grieve and carry with her for a while. As much as you didn’t care for the other two Archeron siblings, they, too, had been dragged into the faerie world against their will. Truly, you hoped that one day they’d find happiness and a good home in Prythian, just not with Nesta in the Autumn Court.

Giving Nesta’s hand one last squeeze, you turned towards Zôrzimril and walked over to where Emerie was stroking the beast’s neck. When the dragon saw you approaching, she eagerly dropped her shoulder, extending her wing towards the ground for you to grab onto. So you gently stepped up onto the dragon’s scaling spikes, holding her wing for support and climbing up onto her back. In just a few movements, you settled yourself into the gaps between the horns at the base of Zôrzimril’s neck.

You peered down at Emerie, who went white. “Come on!” You called out in encouragement.

“That’s how you get up?” The Illyrian female baulked, causing you to scoff.

“Did you think we had a ladder or a staircase to get up?”

“Yes, actually!”

“Well time to put those Valkyrie muscles to use and get your ass up here.”

Emerie sighed, muttering to herself but grabbed onto Zôrzimril’s wing shakily. Awkwardly, she managed to scale up the dragon’s shoulder, panting and plopping herself down behind you. “That’s not as easy as you made it look.” She huffed.

You shrugged. “Take’s practice, now clip in.”

Emerie did so, taking the rope that was attached to her belt and clipping it onto the holster that was fitted around Zôrzimril’s nearest horn. You did the same, watching as Athariel spread her mighty silver wings beside you. The beast ran forward and shot into the air with the agility of a cat, and you heard Nesta whoop with delight. She seemed like a speck of dust on the large creature, but you managed to catch a glimpse of her turning her head around to look at you one more time.

Zôrzimril screeched in defiance of being left behind, and you patted her scales. “Volare,” you said to her using the command Eris had taught you. Happy to oblige, the dragon lifted her head, causing Emerie to grasp onto the scales in front of her and curse as she spread her wings and catapulted into the air.

The female behind you let out a yelp, and you lifted your chin to the stars above and sighed deeply, relishing the feeling of climbing higher and higher into the sky. Zôrzimril’s powerful body soared through the clouds, her wings cutting through them like razor sharp blades. 

It was only another minute before your ascent finished and you finally broke free of the clouds, and Zôrzimril angled herself straight once more. She let out a happy screech, dipping her claw down to slice through the clouds below as she flew North. Your breath caught in your throat as you took in the view. The moon was bright, illuminating everything in a blue-silver tone. The stars shone brightly even with the light of the moon, twinking as if they were greeting you.

Behind you, Emerie’s breathing had steadied. “Holy shit…” She said with awe.

You turned to face your friend. “A bit different than being carried through the skies by an Illyrian male”

“You have no idea…” Her brown eyes were wide with wonder as they drank in the view of the midnight sky. She stretched her wings as far as they could go, sighing. “I never thought I’d feel the wind on my wings like this.”

Despite the cold night air, your heart warmed at seeing your friend so happy. Carefully, she let go of her ironclad grip on Zôrzimril’s horns, letting her arms stretch out to the side. Straightening her shoulders, she tipped her head back and let out a whoop to the stars. Her voice rang out amongst the clear sky, and her smile did not fade all the way to the Night Court.

**********************

Your legs were numb from flying for so long, even a few hours later as you gathered around a small campfire with Emerie, Tarquin, Viviane, and Kallias. A small unit of guards were stationed nearby, ready to jump into action should things go south. Luckily, Kallias had put up a glamour around the beach, shielding both everyone on land and on the ships just offshore from lingering eyes. The Lord and Lady of Winter each donned their white fur coats that, combined with their pale skin and hair, made them glow under moon high. Tarquin wore a simple blue tunic with a deep V, his white hair braided back out of his chiselled face. While unmistakably powerful beings, they were dressed like they were going to a simple meeting rather than a rescue mission – perhaps as to not frighten the females. No doubt there was armour glamoured somewhere, ready to replace their casual attire at the snap of fingers. 

“They should be here soon,” Emerie muttered, pacing nervously and glancing at the rocky hills in the distance that led to the Illyrian Mountains where the females would be coming from. The steppes began half a mile away from the rocky beach where you stood, the beige and brown shrubbery rustling in the wind eerily. 

At least the mountains had shelter, places to hide from anyone who may try and follow the large groups. But the steppes were out in the open, which made you nervous.

“Give it time,” Tarquin said gently. “This is not a swift moving group of warriors. They are likely burdened with their provisions, as well as children and the sick or elderly.”

“Why can’t we just meet them at the end of the mountain pass and escort them to the beach?” Emerie asked nervously, cracking her knuckles.

“Because we are already in the Night Court’s territory,” Viviane tried to reassure the female, her white hair glowing in the moonlight. “To go farther than this would be considered an invasion.”

“Eris is launching an invasion, why can’t we?” Emerie spoke as if she had not heard half of the Lady of the Winter court’s sentence.

“A false one,” Viviane did not lose her patience as she spoke. “One that is taking place on ship, therefore not encroaching on Rhysand’s borders. Stepping on the beach is easy to overlook, but heading into the Steppes would be an act of war. We have to be cautious.”

Emerie nodded, eyes clouded as she stopped pacing and sat down on a nearby log. You knew your friend’s greatest fear – that only a small group would have made it out of Illyria, leaving hundreds left behind for dead. You prayed that her fears would not come true.

The steady pounding in your head that had started an hour ago began to increase, and you groaned, swaying slightly. The light in your palms that guided the doe you had manifested with your magic and sent deep into the Illyrian Mountains dimmed slightly, but you quickly willed it to strengthen once again. Deep down, you felt thin and stretched from having to extend your magic so far for several hours.

“Are you okay?” Kallias asked, his white brows narrowing with concern. 

You nodded. “Magic is tiring… I haven’t kept it going for this long… ever…” Your voice grew strained and weak, all of your energy focused on keeping that white trail of light going. You hated that you couldn’t even tell if there was anyone following it. All you could do was hope that everyone had made it to the designated escape starting point on time.

“She will not last much longer,” Tarquin muttered to his fellow High Lord. “It may yet be another few hours until the group arrives. I expect we will see them around sunrise at this rate.”

You barely heard Kallias’s response, closing your eyes and taking another deep breath. You could feel Nesta trying to reach you through the mating bond, but didn’t have the energy to respond. You could tell she was already in the Day Court, having succeeded in aiding the escape from the Court of Nightmares. And you wanted to reassure her that you were fine, that all was going well. But you couldn’t. You were swimming in a sea of your own powerful magic, but your body was not equipped to handle the strain.

“Hey, stay with us.” Your eyes snapped open at Viviane’s voice. She had come to stand at your side along with Emerie, an arm around your waist steadily supporting your unstable figure. Her blue eyes were laced with concern and she took in your exhausted form and turned to her husband. “She won’t be able to hold out until sunrise.”

“I can do it…” You muttered, mustering as much determination into your voice as you could. 

“No, you cannot,” Kallias said sternly. “You are not used to wielding magic for this long of a period. It requires extreme focus, especially for something as complicated as this. And you’ve been at it for several hours already, it is taking its toll and sooner or later you will pass out from exhaustion.”

Guilt wracked you, and you fought off tears. You felt like a failure as you whispered, “I’m sorry…” 

“Do not be,” Viviane assured you gently. “This is not a simple matter of setting up a ward or a glamour and leaving it be. You’re guiding a strange new type of magic none of us have seen before through miles of terrain that is unknown to you. Give yourself a break.”

“I can’t… stop…” You protested, vision going in and out. 

“So don’t,” came Tarquin’s voice. “I’ll give you a boost.”

Beside you, Emerie frowned. “A boost?”

You heard stones shift as Tarquin stepped around the fire, coming to stand in front of you. “Yes,” he said. “I can channel some of my magic into her to keep her body strong enough.”

“That’s a thing?” Your Illyrian friend asked.

“It is rarely done, as it is difficult to do, but yes.” Came Tarquin’s reply. 

“Do it…” You spoke up weakly, every syllable dragging out like a heavy stone. All you wanted to do was collapse into a soft bed and sleep for a year. Kallias was right, you couldn’t do this on your own.

“I must warn you, it will feel strange,” Tarquin’s voice sounded, and you felt Viviane and Emerie step away as the High Lord of the Summer Court took your hand that was not glowing with a trail of magic. “My magic is very different from yours, and your first instinct may be to expel it. Refrain from resisting.”

You nodded, opening your eyes and looking up at Tarquin. He nodded, and his hand moved up to your wrist, clamping down. You rotated your arm slightly to do the same, taking a deep breath. The male began to emit a soft glow, the whites of his eyes seeming to brighten and give him an otherworldly quality.

Seconds later, you felt it.

Tarquin’s magic pushed into your body, and you gasped sharply. It was like a tidal wave was being slammed into you, a raging sea coursing through your veins. It felt the complete opposite of Nesta and Eris’s comforting fire, or your own light-filled power. 

Your entire body felt like a riptide, and you could practically taste the salty air of summer on your tongue as your bones vibrated with new magic. You willed yourself to relax, to accept the foreign power being pumped into you. As you did so, your limbs felt stronger. Exhaustion was chased away, and you were finally able to open your eyes. A thin, golden band of magic circled in figure eights between your attached hands, dancing and twisting around each other.

“Thank you,” you whispered to Tarquin.

He nodded. “We must remain linked for the magic to prevail. An hour should give your body enough time to recover and reset.”

With renewed energy, you felt the white light in your free palm glow brighter, urging the Illyrian females out of the mountains.

**********************

The sun was beginning to creep up five hours later, and Tarquin’s boost of magic had vanished a while ago. Viviane was now holding you up once again, your head droopy as you fought to keep that light strong. You felt it was close, which made it easier to hang on.

“They’re approaching,” You said through gasped breaths.

Emerie shot up from where she was sitting, the jerky she was chewing on falling to the ground. “You can feel them?” She asked eagerly.

“No,” you responded as Kallias, Tarquin, and the soldiers perked up. “But my magic feels close, and we have to assume that means they are close as well.”

Tarquin turned to one of his guards. “Winnow to the ships and tell Cresseida we are almost ready to receive the refugees.” He ordered, and the guard disappeared within seconds. 

The hope in Emerie’s eyes as she gazed into the Steppes rekindled some strength within you. You gently pushed yourself off of Viviane, taking a shaky step towards where Emerie was looking.

“What’s that?” Viviane asked, pointing to one of the rocky hills in the distance near the mountains. Both the High Lords joined her where she stood a few feet away from you and Emerie.

A faint, glowing white doe stood upon the hill. Stardust seemed to swirl around its feet as it leapt over the rocks bounding through the plains towards the beach. Everyone held their breath, silence filling the air.

“Come on…” Emerie muttered nervously.

Moments later, a set of wings appeared where the doe was – a female carrying a lit torch. She was so far away, even with your fae eyesight it was hard to tell for sure who it was. But then another one appeared beside her, slightly taller, carrying a large sac.

“Lift the glamour!” Viviane barked at Kallias, who snapped his fingers. The air shimmered for a second before clearing. The doe continued to bound toward you, getting fainter and fainter as you felt the last bit of energy you had controlling your magic slipping.

More and more sets of wings appeared over the rocky hill, the torches going from one to a hundred in minutes. Like an army ready for battle, hundreds and hundreds of winged females stepped down onto the plains. Emerie let out a choked sob from beside you.

“By the Mother…” Tarquin gasped softly. “They made it!”

“There’s so many of them…” Viviane said with awe as more and more torches and winged bodies funnelled out of the mountain pass. Sure enough, through your blurry and exhausted vision, you managed to make out the sight of a swarm of bodies stepping onto the flat stretch, shuffling towards the now glamour-free beach.

As they grew closer and guards scurried about with preparations, you breathed a sigh of relief. And then the world grew dark as you collapsed into Tarquin’s arms with exhaustion. 

**********************

An otherworldly headache pounded against your skull as you blinked open your eyes, the golden sunlight shining into your face too bright to handle. Your entire body felt heavy, like a stone at the bottom of the ocean.  When you groaned, a familiar hand brushed some hair out of your face.

“Why hello there,” came the familiar silky voice of Eris. 

With as much effort as you could, you pried your eyes open and blinked a few times to adjust to the brightness. Eris was seated beside you, leaning against the frame of the bed you were laying in with a book in one hand. He donned a white shirt with a deep v-neck and loose sleeves, paired with light green trousers. His long red hair was braided back, a few strands framing his sharp face. He smiled gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted,” you mumbled, relaxing into his touch as he continued to stroke your face. “Where am I?”

“One of Helion’s quarters,” Eris said, bringing a cup of water to your lips and coaxing the liquid into your mouth. “You passed out right as the Illyrians arrived, and Tarquin brought you straight here.”

The Illyrians.

You sat up abruptly, ignoring the protest of your tired body. “They made it? The ships got them here safely?”

Eris smiled, nodding. “Yes, my dear. All eight thousand of them.”

Your eyes widened in shock. “Eight thousand? How many came from the Hewn City?”

“Five thousand, as to be expected. Many families had already made it to Velaris safely, so there were not as many females as in Illyria left behind.”

The room spun around you with shock. The white marble bookcases across from your bed seemed to sway, and you shook your head. “Wow,” was all you could murmur.

Eris gently pulled you against his chest, kissing your head. “Wow, indeed. I am so proud of you, my dear. You’ve saved the lives of thirteen thousand females today. They know what you did for them, and Nesta has had to practically barricade your door to keep them from barging in here to thank you.”

“Where is Nesta?” You asked.

“She will be here in a few minutes,” Eris replied. “You began to stir half an hour ago, so I sent word to her. She was with the other High Lords helping crunch numbers for which courts are taking which females.”

You sighed with content, the warmth of Eris’s body relaxing you. You turned on your side, wrapping an arm around him and snuggling closer to your mate. “I can’t believe we pulled that off,” you murmured.

Eris cocked his head, setting his book aside on the table. “Why? It was a good plan, and we thought through every possible scenario to ensure its success.”

“How did negotiations with Rhys go?”

Your husband let out a sharp laugh. “Seeing Rhysie is always such a treat,” he chuckled. “He fell for the bait quite easily. We waited for half a day in our ships before the Illyrians descended from the skies and the Darkbringers appeared on the shoreline, all ready for a battle that would not happen. I demanded an audience, and Rhys complied. I talked his ear off for a few hours, and let him whine about the supposed unfairness of all this. It got painfully dull after a while, but I found out something very interesting…”

You perked up, peering up at the male who had a smug look on his face. “What?”

“Rhysand broke his bargain with Koschei. After the baby was born, he travelled to the depths of the lake in which the Death God dwells and declared his intentions to not hold up his end. There was a price to be paid, of course, one I find very symbolic.

“Rhys has relinquished almost all of his power to Koschei. His magic was ripped out of him and fed to the beasts beneath the lake floors like a bone to a dog. He was left with the bare minimum to keep Velaris safe enough, but that’s it. Furthermore, he is required to visit Koschei once a month for a week – a mirror of that very same bargain he made with dear Feyre over a year ago. By doing so, he guaranteed Koschei will not go after Nesta, not with a new plaything at his disposal.”

Your jaw went slack. “Rhys… lost his powers?” You repeated in shock.

Eris didn’t even bother trying to refrain his smile from widening. “Yes. I think it’s justice, personally. I cannot say I feel bad for him in the slightest. It also seems Feyre told him that in the process of breaking the bargain, he had to find a way to keep Nesta alive as well. For all his faults, he will do whatever Feyre asks of him at this point. That is a blessing for us.”

You exhaled shakily. Rhys was one of the most powerful High Lords, now diminished to a regular High Fae male in a small city. There would be no gaining control of Illyria and the Hewn City now with this loss of power, you realised. “I can’t believe this…” You said, still rattled with shock.

Eris rubbed your shoulder. “Anywho, once he told me that story we made some reassurances to each other. Me and Tamlin’s ships departed slowly, giving the armies more time to linger and make sure we had left before returning home to find almost half of their population gone. The distraction worked perfectly, I am sure they are in a tizzy about it as we speak.”

Before you could answer, the door to your guest chambers swung open to reveal Nesta. Her hair was in a singular braid, hanging across her shoulder. She wore a shining gold dress that was carefully draped over one shoulder, the fabric hanging loosely across her chest. Your eyes popped open, and Eris laughed beside you.

“I have never seen you wear something like this before,” he chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, Nesta closed the door behind her and came over to sit on your other side. “Oh, please,” she snapped. “Helion picked it out personally. I couldn’t not wear it, it’s his court after all.”

“I’m not complaining,” you insisted as Nesta gave you a kiss on the forehead.

“He is a relentless flirt,” Eris said, amused. “But one with good taste.”

You sighed as Nesta rubbed your back, despite her death glare she sent at Eris. The three of you sat in silence for a few minutes, happy to be back in each other’s company. With your mates by your side, the weariness you had felt began to diminish. 

“I want to see the females,” you said. “I want to make sure they’re okay.”

“Emerie is taking good care of them and the dragons are guarding the borders,” Nesta said gently. “You need to rest.”

You shook your head, sitting up and peeling the soft duvet off. You crawled over Eris’s legs, unsteadily placing your feet on the white marble ground. 

“Take it easy,” Eris chided, holding your elbow. “Your body is exhausted. You can see them tomorrow.”

“No,” you said sharply, standing up like a newborn deer and heading over to the closet in the corner. “After everything we’ve done to see this through, I need to see them with my own eyes.”

Nesta and Eris exchanged a glance, but didn’t protest. You ignored them and grabbed the white dress Helion had hung up in there for you, peeling off your nightgown. You pulled the soft fabric on, tying the gold belt around your waist. “Where are they staying right now?” You asked.

“Many are in the main hall,” Eris replied, standing up. “Others are in temporary camps set up across the fields. I believe those residing in the main hall are currently at dinner.”

“Great,” you said, holding out your hand. “Take me there, please.”

“As you wish,” Nesta said, taking your other arm while Eris grasped your extended hand. 

After ten minutes of meandering through Helion’s royal hallways, you came to the dinner room, passing through the white columns at the entrance. 

Your jaw nearly dropped. Hundreds of females sat at tables or on comfortable floor mats, hearty soups in hand as they chatted quietly amongst themselves. A group of musicians played in the corner, the gentle tune echoing in the grand chamber. Dozens of eyes turned towards you as Eris and Nesta led you through the crowd towards the table at the front, where Emerie, Tamlin, Lucien, Helion, Thesan, Tarquin, Cresseida, Kallias, and Viviane were seated. Gwyn and Azriel sat at the end, partially hidden in the shadows. When your friend saw you, she smiled brightly and waved. You breathed a sigh of relief, seeing her safe after everything she had done.

Lucien stood up, coming around the front of the table to greet you. His eye gleamed with pride as he opened his arms. “Come here, you,” he said cheerfully.

Peeling away from your mates, you lept into Lucien’s arms, hugging him tightly. Your friend chuckled, squeezing you reassuringly. “Glad you made it out okay,” he said.

“You too,” you replied, pulling away and smiling at him. “We did it. We really did it.”

“I told you, you’d make a good High Lady,” came a familiar gruff voice. Tamlin had risen as well, approaching behind Lucien and offering you a small smile. “We are all very proud.”

“Thank you, Tam.” You said gratefully. His large hand patted you on the back before returning to his place at the table. 

Nesta gently grabbed your hand. “Come, you must eat.” She guided you towards one of the three empty chairs at the centre of the long table. It was covered in various fruits, roasted vegetables with sauces, and about ten different kinds of meat. Your mouth watered as you realised how hungry you were.

On the way, you stopped beside Gwyn and Azriel, leaning down to hug your friend. “Thank goodness you’re okay,” you murmured into Gwyn’s shoulder.

“Ye of little faith,” she said sarcastically “I was fine. All I did was chat up some priestesses, they were the ones who mostly spread the word. I was safe and sound.”

You pulled away. “Come join us at our end of the table!”

The priestess shook her head. “I’m okay here, it’s too crowded over there.”

“You mean you want to just sit here and ogle Azriel,” Nesta singsonged with a gleam in her eyes.

Gwyn’s face went red, and to your surprise, Azriel flushed slightly as well. “Shut the fuck up,” she snapped at Nesta playfully, shifting in her seat.

“It’s okay, Gwyn,” Eris piped up, winking at the shadowsinger, who seemed like he wanted to bury himself alive. “He is quite pretty to look at. But should you change your mind and like to join us, let us know.”

You laughed, Gwyn’s muttering and cussing you out as you, Nesta, and Eris took your seats at the table. As you dove into the plate of food in front of you, you tuned into the lively sounds of the room while Nesta and Eris began chatting with Helion. 

Many of the females kept glancing at you, some offering smiles or nods before returning to their company. Some were huddled in the corner, eyes wary as they consistently scanned their surroundings. You wondered how many females had similar stories to Emerie, or to Morrigan. How many had suffered for years and accepted it because they believed that is how things would always be? How many had been spared future suffering because of their escape?

As you downed your goblet of wine, you reminisced on that day in the House of Wind last year when you had first started your plan to flee the Night Court and seek revenge on its leaders. Never did you think that it would go this far, that you would accomplish this much. All you had wanted was to be free and be able to make your own choices. And now it led to seeking that same outcome for thousands of others.

Rhys could never hurt you again. Those painful images of that cruel, dark mist lashing your bare skin over and over again would fade into distant memory eventually, with no fear of it ever happening again. He couldn’t lock you or Nesta up, or threaten you. No, you both had more power than him now by a long measure. You were finally free from his grasp.

A year ago you had been angry at Feyre, too. Part of you still was, and delighted in the karmic justice of destroying part of her court in retribution. But you hoped for her sake, that she would accept the help offered in the letter Nesta had planned to send. For a moment, you wondered if Feyre would still be who she was now if she hadn’t met Rhys.

“What are you thinking about?” Eris asked you, leaving Nesta to argue with Helion herself.

His amber eyes were soft and kind, the cruel mask that he had plastered on for so many centuries cracked and slipped away. The world could see Eris for who he truly was not, not just as Beron’s firstborn son. 

You smiled. “How I can’t wait for everything here to be sorted so we can go home.”

“Me too, my dear, me too.” He squeezed your hand and surveyed the room again. “You have accomplished what many in the likes of my father deemed impossible. Now even the most stubborn fae realise that things can change fast if they will it so. That is a very good thing.”

“Yes, it is.”

The road ahead would not be without challenge. Settling thirteen thousand females into six courts would be a process, and there would surely be setbacks along the way. But after a year of being tortured, beaten, sneaking around and scheming, you were ready for some normal problems.

“Eris?” You said.

He turned to face you once again. “Yes?”

“I love you. And thank you, for everything you’ve done. None of this would have been possible if you hadn’t agreed to help me last year.”

The High Lord of the Autumn Court laughed, kissing your cheek gently. “It is I who should be thanking you. Both of you. You freed me from the prison of my old life. And not just me, but thousands of others. I intend on spending eternity thanking you for it.”

So you laced one hand in Eris’s, and the other in Nesta’s as they both looked at you with so much love in their eyes you were sure you would explode. As much as you liked the Day Court, you yearned to be back in Autumn where you belonged, under the bright trees and wandering the forest paths. As if echoing your thoughts, Zôrzimril’s call echoed on the wind like an ancient song.

And so the yellow rays of sunshine morphed into orange and red, and the sun began to set. You felt a faint brush of a hand on your shoulder, and a familiar, ethereal voice sounded in your ear barely above a whisper.

Well done, my child.

As the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains, the echoing voice faded with it. 

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[eternalmoonlight18]

Please Please Please (Don't Prove 'Em Right) Chapter 7

Trafaglar Law x afab Female!Reader

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Chapter warnings: none!

Summary:

You are the Heart Pirates' beloved cook and sniper. However, you were also an insufferable troublemaker who always seemed to get on Law's nerves. He swears he's going to get rid of you one day, but as much as he hates it, why does he find you fascinating? Was it because you reminded him of someone he was greatly fond of?

As your relationship with Law grows, he only hopes you don't fucking embarrass him. After all, he has an image to uphold as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

This story starts off as short stories between (Y/N), Law and the Heart Pirates, then picks up into the One Piece canon timeline, starting from Punk Hazard. This is a slow-burn Law x Female Reader story!

Updates every Monday!

Cross-posted in Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/57651295/chapters/146705491

Chapter 7: Birds of a Feather

Chapter summary: You and Law finally meet the Strawhats, and Law proposes an alliance with them. A big secret is revealed, and you do the unthinkable to Law!

A/N: I'm alive! That Ao3 curse is real LOL but im okay now. I feel bad for being gone for two weeks so I'm going to whip up another chapter by Friday. Thank you for your patience friends!

ps. i gave lots of hints about your brothers in the previous chapters, so i hope everything makes sense LOL

I also created a taglist. Let me know if you want to be a part of it!

wc: 4.2k

The kitchen was your safe space. It always has, and it always will be. Your earliest memories of cooking were at DanDan's shack, where you lived with your three brothers and DanDan's band of thieves. While your three rowdy brothers made a ruckus in the nearby forest, you found your passion in the kitchen. The aroma that would fill that tiny shack filled the air as you cooked was one of your core memories growing up, and you couldn't help but dream about that time.

You recalled that one night when everyone was eating your cooking after a long day of criminal activities. You made spaghetti with roasted wild boar, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

"This is amazing (Y/n)-chan!" your blond brother exclaimed. His cheeks were adorably filled with food as he continued to wolf down your food. 

"Yeah! I always love it when you cook!" your younger brother squealed as he took a whole mouthful of the boar's leg. 

Your elder brother, who remained quiet, refused to compliment cooking, but his actions said otherwise. He, too, like your other two brothers, was wolfing down his fifth bowl of spaghetti. You giggled at the sight, causing the boy to turn red in embarrassment. 

The thieves and Dandan were also shoving the food down their throats. 

"You're the best out of all these brats here! At least you know how to fill our stomachs!" the tall and burly woman praised. The compliment made you beam with a smile, much to the boys' dissatisfaction.

"HEY! Quit playing favourites, you hag!" your eldest brother shouted.

"Yeah! We're the ones who caught the boar! If we didn't catch it, then big sister wouldn't have cooked it!" the youngest exclaimed.

"It's so obvious that (Y/n) is your favourite." the blond boy huffed. 

You stuck out your tongue at your brothers. "Stupid! If I didn't cook it, all of you could've starved because none of you can cook for shit!" you retorted.

The four of you started to get into a physical quarrel until someone stomped into the cabin and hit your head. 

"QUIET YOU BRATS!" a deep voice boomed, and all of you froze. You knew that voice too well.

It was Grandpa Garp.

The four of you whined and groaned in pain as a large bump started to appear on your heads. When the boys realized that Grandpa Garp was the one who hit them, they proceeded to run to a corner in an attempt to get away from his monstrous strength. But you stood your ground and glared up at him.

"Old man! What was that for? I didn't even do anything!" you exclaimed.

The three brothers' faces fell. Dandan and the thieves started clamouring because they were afraid that Garp was going to cause a scene. 

The broad man started to smile like a madman. At this sight, your younger brother started to shiver with fear.

But unexpectedly, Garp simply picked you up and started to smother you with hugs and kisses, much to everyone's shock.

"My sweet (Y/n)! Oh, how I missed you!" he said as he peppered your cheeks with kisses.

"Let go of me, you old geezer! I can smell your stinky gross breath!" you grunted as you attempted to push away from his strong hold on you. However, your efforts were fruitless, and Garp continued to shower you with affection.

"Eugh, that's so disgusting!" The older raven-haired boy revolted.

"That old geezer never gets mad at older sister..." the youngest muttered in jealousy. 

"I bet you wish that were you right now, right Ace?" the blond teased the older boy.

"Say one more thing, Sabo, and I'll burn your stupid top hat right now!" Ace sneered back.

The whole cabin erupted in laughter at the chaos that ensued. As Ace and Sabo started to hit each other, the younger boy tried to join in, only to be pummeled at the same time by the two older boys. The poor, younger, raven-haired boy stumbled back and rubbed his cheeks in pain. 

"You guys are mean!" he whined as tears prickled in the corners of his eyes.

"No one asked you to jump in, Luffy!" Ace scoffed.

"Guys, help me!" you squeaked, breaking the boys' attention away from each other.

The three looked up at you, trying to break free from your grandfather's strong hug. They shrugged and continued to quarrel with each other.

You closed your eyes in defeat. Your sleep slowly caught up to you from a long day. But it was cut short by a loud bang.

BANG BANG BANG

Jolting awake, you found yourself sitting up from the bed. As you slowly scanned your eyes around the room, you realized that you had a vivid dream of your childhood. You sighed and smiled to yourself. As much as you found your brothers annoying, you couldn't help but miss them, especially Luffy, your younger brother. Some people said the two of you looked alike, while some said that the two of you looked nothing alike. But at the end of the day, Luffy and Garp were your first family, and as much as you wanted to get away from them, you always found yourself seeing them again.

BANG BANG BANG

You groaned. "What the hell is that noise?" you muttered to yourself. Getting up from the bed and throwing in a pair of comfy grey sweats, you walked out of the room and followed the sound of the loud bang. As you walked in the corridors of the laboratory, it seemed that the whole place went down in chaos when you overslept. Caesar's men were running around all over the place, and the siren was blaring. The speaker was replaying the same alert over and over again: intruders had breached the laboratory. 

You curiously walked up to a group of Caesar's men. "Hey, what's going on?" you asked. 

They looked at you in silence before they said, "Hey, aren't you with Trafalgar?" 

"Well, if I was, I wouldn't be here looking for him, would I?" you scoffed.

The men looked at each other, then faced you. "You're coming with us," they affirmed. They proceeded to grab your arm, but quick reflexes were your strength, so you used your free hand to grab the pistol that was strapped to your hip and shot the man who grabbed you on the head. The other two men tried to grab you as well, but you ducked and spun your leg to topple them over. 

Another group of men saw your assault and proceeded to go after you. 

"What the hell is going on?! Why is everyone chasing me!" you yelled. Running through the corridors, you ran for a good five minutes, avoiding every one of Caesar's henchmen. 

As you turned a corner, a door appeared down the hall. With the henchmen hot on your tail, you ran until the door was at your reach. Swinging the door open, the cold winter air hit your lungs. Unfazed by the sudden change in temperature, you ran out and slammed it shut behind you and barricaded it with a rod you found leaning against the wall. Once you realized that they couldn't burst through, you slumped against the door in exhaustion. 

You didn't realize that Law and a bunch of other pirates were staring at you.

You felt stares piercing into you. Facing up, your face lit up as you saw your captain looking at you with a stoic expression. Then, to his right, you saw a man dressed in a long striped coat with a strawhat on his head. You felt your eyes bulge out with surprise once you realized who you were looking at. 

"LUFFY?!" you exclaimed in shock.

The straw-hatted man turned his head, and his face broke out in a huge grin once his eyes landed on you. 

"BIG SIS!! HEY!!" he yelled back as he ran to you. Your younger brother engulfed you in a bear hug, and you reciprocated.

Meanwhile, everyone around you froze on the spot. Not because it was unbearably cold but because they were confronted with the biggest revelation, especially for Law. 

"Big sister?!" everyone around you exclaimed in surprise. 

You turn your head and see Law with the most bewildered expression you've ever seen in him express. While his eyes were deadpan and void, his mouth as agape as he bore his stormy eyes on you and Luffy.

"Oi Luffy!" the cyborg man, who oddly had a woman's voice, called out. "What do you mean, big sister? You're telling me that she's your big sister?!" 

"Yeah!" the tanooki animal called out, who oddly had a deep voice. "She's part of Trafalgar's crew and your sister?!"

Shaking off his shocked expression, Law marched up, wedged between you and Luffy, and faced the latter. 

"Hey, Strawhat-ya, you can't just accuse my subordinate as your sister!" you sneered.

Luffy simply gave Law a confused look. "Why would I lie about big sis (Y/n)?" he pouted.

The doctor's face twisted into a darker scowl. In an attempt to calm him down, you place a gentle hand on his left shoulder, which seems to temporarily work. The Strawhats, except for Luffy, raised their eyebrows in interest. 

"But wait, I've seen her bounty poster before, and it never mentions her last name!" The blond man with an oddly high-pitched voice called out. 

"Well, the reason for that is-" you started. But you promptly stopped as you realized what was going on with these people and why their voices didn't seem to match their appearances. Whipping your head to face your captain, your suspicions were confirmed when Law refused to meet your eyes as he turned his head to his side comically. A large tick appeared on your forehead as you grabbed the jacket collar of your dear captain. 

There was that one time when you, Penguin, Shachi, and Ikkaku all switched into each other's bodies. You ended up in Penguin's, and he ended up in your body, and you had to practically beg Law to switch you back before that perverted crewmate did god knows what to your body. 

And it seemed that your damned captain did it again, this time with your brother's crewmates. 

"You shambled their hearts, didn't you?!" you sneered at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he stoically said.

"Don't play dumb with me, captain, switch them back now!"

The Strawhats watched in amusement and giggled amongst each other.

"What's so funny, guys?" Luffy curiously asked as he picked his nose. A booger stuck to his index finger, and the Strawhat absentmindedly flicked it to the tanooki. 

"HEY! DON'T FLICK YOUR BOOGERS AT ME ASSHOLE!" he boomed angrily. 

"Shihihi! Sorry Chopper!" 

"It's Franky! I'm stuck in Chopper's body!"

"Oh, you airhead, can't you see? I think the warlord has a thing for your sister!" the cyborg giggled.

"Huh? A thing? What thing?" Luffy asked.

"Of course, you don't know, you're an idiot. Trafalgar fancies your sister. It's so obvious; the warlord never displays this much emotion." the blond man sighed. 

"Nami and Chopper are right, Luffy. It's interesting, to say the least." the dark-haired woman lightly giggled. 

"I still don't get it, Robin." the Strawhat pouted as he glanced at you and Law, who was now fully listening in on what the Strawhats had to say about your relationship. While Law's face remained annoyed at the fact that they were gossiping about him, a light tinge of red appeared on the tip of his ears, but they were unable to decipher if it was from the cold or embarrassment. You, on the other hand, were looking away and staring at the snowy ground as if it was the most interesting thing ever.

"If you guys are done gossiping about me and (Y/n)-ya, perhaps we can continue with our conversation." the doctor coolly said. 

"Hold it! Before we can agree to anything you say, you need to switch us back, Trafalgar!" Franky/Nami shrieked.

"Yeah!" everyone else agreed.

You elbowed your captain, earning a quick glare from him. But alas, he sighed and caved in and switched the hearts of the Strawhat members.

Luffy's crew quickly celebrated the return of their hearts to the bodies before Luffy continued.

"So, what did you want from us, Traffy?" he inquired.

You quietly hummed to yourself. "Traffy, I like that nickname."

"Your younger brother is a bad influence on you," Law muttered quietly. Then, he quickly continued. "I propose an alliance with my crew and your crew, Strawhat-ya. I have a plan to take down one of the Four Emperors."

A collective gasp and murmurs immediately sprung up amongst everyone.

"Hey, Luffy," Sanji/Nami spoke. "Traffy may be the captain of your sister, but we can't trust him."

"We're pirates, after all. You need to be careful of who you're going to make alliances with, Luffy." Robin warned him.

Confused, you tilted your head to the side. "I trust you guys, why can't you trust us?"

Robin looked at you with kind but hesitant eyes then looked back at the Strawhat. "Luffy, do you trust him?"

 Your younger brother flashed a bright smile with a gleam in his eyes. His crew deadpanned.

"He and his sister are too trusting!" they all thought simultaneously.

"Hold on," the long-nosed man who you learned was Ussop started. "Traffy, you may think that an alliance is a collaboration between two crews right?"

"Well yes, that's what it is." Law deadpanned.

Ussop started to pat his captain's back as he continued. "Well, that's not what he thinks. Our dear captain thinks that an alliance means being friends. Isn't that right Luffy?"

"Yep!" your brother exclaimed with an eye-splitting grin. 

You started to jump up and down with excitement. Facing Law again, you grabbed the sides of his arms and started to shake him aggressively. "Captain! How exciting is this?! We have new friends!"

"The hell we are (Y/n)-ya! Remember, this is a mission! And quit doing that; I have a reputation to hold here!" Law exclaimed.

"What reputation?"

"Did you forget I'm a warlord?"

"Oh, that! But you don't scare me!"

The tattooed doctor scoffed and looked back at Luffy and the Strawhats, who were staring at him. 

"Oi Traffy! You and big sis look like really close friends!" Luffy called out.

Law's ears turned bright red.

"Enough of this nonsense! Now, are you going to help me or not, Strawhat-ya?" Law pressed on. "Now let me explain what's going on; we're going to take down Kaido. But we need to take down his subordinates before we do so. Now, Doflamingo supplies Kaido with artificial Devil Fruits called SMILE and weapons. And Doflamingo gets the SMILE fruits here, with the production of SAD gas, which Caesar Clown is overseeing. Our goal right now is to take down Caesar's operation and take him hostage against Doflamingo. The rest will work out."

However, once Law finished his lecture, you and none of the Strawhats were listening.

"Okay! So it's time to take down this lab!" Luffy affirmed.

"You got it Lu! It's so good to see you again and to do something with you finally!" you giggled.

"Were any of you idiots listening?!" Law growled as he glared at you and Luffy.

You and your brother looked at each other, then looked at Law. But at the same time, both of your eyes averted to the side, refusing to look at the warlord with your mouths pouted to the side.

"Yeah, we heard everything..." you both muttered at the same time.

Law's face twitched in annoyance. "I should've known. They both have the same lying face." he thought.

"Both of you guys have terrible poker faces!" the Strawhats exclaimed.

"Oh, you guys are siblings alright." Chopper giggled.

You broke out of your lighthearted actions and frowned. "You also have to help with the kids that are trapped here. I'm assuming you guys encountered them?" you darkly said.

"Yeah! They were begging to let them out!" Franky exclaimed.

"Anyways, now that we're in an alliance, you have to help us save the kids as well. Caesar is using them as his guinea pigs!"

"That I can agree with!" the blond said with a high-pitched voice. For some reason, Nami was in Sanji's body even though Law switched back the hearts of the Strawhats.

"Now, wait a minute, we're only taking down this operation (Y/n)-ya." Law countered.

"You can't be that heartless to leave those kids behind captain!" you complained.

"Do not push my buttons again (Y/n)-ya!" Law growled.

However, instead of yelling back, you pulled an unusual move that was new to Law. You remember Bepo pulling off a cute look every time he was in pain or whenever he needed something from Law. And for some ungodly reason, the captain's usual stoic facade was no match for Bepo's adorable glossy eyes. 

And so, you decided to pull off the same move to convince your captain to save the kids as well.

As you predicted, it worked a little too well.

"Please? Can we rescue the kids?" you begged him sweetly with glossy eyes.

As soon as you hit Law with those cute eyes, the poor man became immobile. He bore his steely eyes onto yours, and a bright blush bloomed across his pale cheeks. His pupils started to quiver, unable to hold his feelings of cuteness and aggression.

You inched closer and brought your face closer and pressed on, trying to break his resolve and to agree with you to rescue the poor kids. However, what you didn't predict is that he was going to transport you away from the group.

And that's what he did.

"Shambles." the doctor muttered, and within a split second, you and Law were teleported away from the group and into the middle of nowhere.

"Wha-" you stuttered, your ass hitting the pillowy snow on the ground. "Hey, what was that for you asshole?!"

You looked up to the looming man in front of you. His eyes were darkened and he was trembling.

You scoffed, unfazed by his spontaneous behaviour. "And why the hell are we away from Luffy and his crew?! I thought we were going to be in an alliance with them?!" 

The tattooed captain suddenly grabbed your sweater and hoisted you up to face him. His tattooed hands roughly cradled your cheeks as he finally revealed his face to you once more. He was still blushing, but his eyes held emotions of embarrassment and anger.

"You need to watch how you act around other people (Y/n)-ya! I don't care if it's your brother and his crew, I have a reputation to uphold here!" he growled.

Your head tilted in confusion. "Why are you so concerned with your reputation? You're already scary enough to anyone; you're a warlord for fucks sake captain!"

"I need to be taken seriously here!" he continued to lecture you.

"Let go of my cheeks!" you demanded as you squirmed to be free from his grasp. You successfully got Law to unhand your cheeks, but it didn't seem to faze him as he continued to ramble. 

"Just for once, I need everything to go according to plan! Do you know how long I've been planning this for? This isn't just about taking down an Emperor (Y/n)-ya, this is about avenging-"

Sick of hearing his rambling, you frantically grabbed the collar of his black coat, brought his face down to your level and gave a rough peck on his cold pale cheeks.

For once in his 26 years of life, Trafalgar Law has shut down.

The kiss only lasted two seconds, but for him, it lasted for five. He swore that his heart stopped, then started to run on five shots of espresso. 

You didn't think much of it, sure you harboured attraction towards your dear captain, but you saw how stressed he was regarding this whole mission, and quite frankly, you were tired of hearing him yap nonstop, so your mind conjured the most ridiculous thing you could think of and kissed him on the cheek.

Though your lips were chapped from the cold, you briefly felt his cool, soft cheek and a bit of his stubble as you pecked him.

Once he shut up, you pulled away, put your hands on your hips and started lecturing him. Law remained very still as he was processing what just happened.

"Captain, I understand that everything is happening now, and you're nervous about it going wrong. But for Neptune's sake, can you please shut up?! Calm down! It's going to be alright!" you pleaded.

The tattooed captain finally broke out of his frozen state and looked at you. "You- you!" he stuttered.

You flashed a mischievous grin. "What, a handsome man like you never got a kiss on the cheek?" you teased him.

That comment seemed to trigger him even more. "H-handsome?!" he squeaked. He was being completely out of character, and you were living for it.

You burst out into hearty laughter. "I'm just kidding, captain! Now, since you've calmed down, can we please also rescue the kids along with this whole plan to destroy the lab?" you asked.

Bewildered, Law covered his face with the brim of his fur hat and shook himself to calm down. Once his emotions settled, he looked up and faced you, with the usual stoic facade gracing his features once more. 

"Why do you want to rescue those kids so bad?" he inquired.

You hummed before you gave him your answer. "They reminded me of Luffy and me before we found our family." you finally answered.

The doctor's face softened at this confession. He knew that the past was a sensitive topic, and he didn't want to press on further out of respect. "I see. Very well, I'll help with rescuing the kids. You could've told me that in the first place before you pulled that ridiculous stunt. Speaking of which, where did you learn that from?"

"Isn't it obvious? From Bepo!" you giggled as you tried to eat the falling snow around you.

Law shook his head and softly smiled. "You're always full of surprises (Y/n)-ya. But can you please tone it down especially now that we're going further into the mission? Just please don't embarrass me is all I ask of you."

"No promises, cap! Did you like my surprise of giving you a peck on the cheek?" you cheerfully asked. You were met with a deadpanned face from your captain, but a light red was tinging his ears once again.

"Don't say stupid things like that! Now, let's head back," he demanded. Taking one more look at you, the man grunted. "Aren't you cold? You're only wearing long sleeves and joggers (Y/n)-ya," he asked.

You looked down at your outfit and jumped, suddenly realizing that you were severely underdressed for the weather. You screamed and latched onto your captain as you were looking for immediate warmth.

"CAPTAIN!! LET ME IN YOUR COAT!" you chittered.

Law scoffed and reluctantly opened his coat and zipped it up with the two of you inside. "We're heading to your room first and picking up your coat before we head back to the Strawhats," he muttered.

"So toasty~" you sighed as the tattooed doctor muttered something along the lines of "she's going to the be the death of me one day" as he Shambled the two of you back inside. 

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

BONUS SCENE

"Hey Luffy, so how did you and (Y/n) grow up together?" Chopper asked.

"Well, she was kind of boring. While Ace, Sabo and I were out in the forest, she always stayed behind cooking! She makes the most yummy foods!" Luffy exclaimed. "Oh wait! There was this one time when we pranked Grandpa by drawing on his face while he was sleeping. He was super mad, but for some reason he only punished me and not big sis." he pouted.

Luffy's crew burst out into laughter at the story. 

"I see, you and (Y/n) are truly birds of a feather!" Robin said with a smile.

"What? We're not birds, we're people!" Luffy declared, clearly confused by the metaphor.

"You dumbass, what Robin meant was you and your sister are alike!" Sanji/Nami explained.

The Strawhat hummed in agreement. "I guess so! I'm glad that I got to see her again, but she never told me that she was with Traffy!" 

"Yeow! They make a pretty cute pair, don't you think?" Franky piqued up.

"Yeah! They look like best friends to me!" Luffy agreed.

The crew looked at each other and sighed. "Our captain is a total airhead, you guys." Ussop sighed.

"What?" Luffy pouted.

Robin gave a soft smile to her captain. "You'll see it for yourself soon Luffy."

A bright smile appeared on his face. "I can't wait to be friends with them!" he giggled.

The rest of the crew started to chat amongst themselves as they waited for Law and (Y/n) to come back so that the alliance would be finally brought to action.

----------

TAGLIST:

@hopelesslover06 @shakysif @eyes-ofhell @letmereadchristonabike @bi-narystars @valval08 @urbisexualfriend @emmaiscool22 @deathsmajestysworld @sp1ng @kitsunechan707 @orange-milky

[arcane-vagabond]

Don't Hang'em Til Noon: Chapter Two

Don't Hang'em Til Noon: Chapter Two

Pairing: Jake "Hangman Seresin x Reader

Summary: Jake "Hangman" Seresin is a notorious leader within the Dagger Gang of the old western territories of the United States. You, a recently orphaned socialite from the eastern seaboard, find yourself swept off to live with your older brother who has set down roots in said western territory. Determined to to make the best of your situation, what will you do when said outlaw sets his sights on you?

Warnings: Language, Jake flirting, nothing else really.

Word Count: 3.2k

A/N: So, I lied. Here's another update for you all. Feel like the quality might have dropped off a little halfway since I wrote the last half on my phone at work lol I'm not sure yet if I'll have anything to post tomorrow as I work weird hours, but here's hoping! As always, reblogs, comments, and likes are greatly appreciated. My inbox is always open to chat. 18+ ONLY!! Find me on AO3 under arcane_vagabond! Enjoy!

Series Masterlist || DGU Masterlist

“Well, this is it,” Benjamin proclaimed proudly. You looked at the house before you. It was a large, two story home with freshly painted white walls and matching white picket fence surrounding the yard. A chimney was built on both sides of the house, and a giant porch hugged the front as well as the second floor. A barn sat further down the path that led to your new home, and a simple wooden fence stretched even further.

“It’s beautiful, Benji,” you started, “but how much land did you purchase?”

Benjamin rubbed his neck sheepishly. “About one thousand acres.”

Your breath caught in your throat. “One thousand acres? Benji!”

“Hear me out, Scout,” he pleaded. “The cattle we raise will bring in even more money. We can establish a legacy here!”

“We already had a legacy,” you muttered, and Benjamin fixed you with soft, pleading eyes. You sighed. “You don’t even know the first thing about raising cattle.”

He perked up. “Oh, Maverick said he’d teach me all I need to know. Even made suggestions on who to hire as ranch hands when the time comes. He’s the one that convinced me to seek out my fortunes.”

“Was he now?” You murmured, already plotting what you were going to say to the town’s founder when you met him.

“I know what you’re thinking,” said Benjamin, and you glanced up at him. “But this will be good for us, Scout. We’ll be a part of history and expanding our country. Making it better.”

You hummed, and he continued with a sigh. “The truth is, Scout, my firm isn’t making as much money as I had hoped out here. Ranching will help bolster our income until I can become more established in these parts.”

You sighed, knowing there wasn’t much you could say in argument. Instead, you turned back to look at the house, shadows growing darker as the sun finally disappeared below the horizon. “Let’s go then. I’m eager to see the new house.”

Benjamin practically skipped up to the house, holding the door open for you as you stepped inside. It was much grander than you were expecting. Wooden floors gave way to a grand staircase that turned into the next floor. You made your way through one of the archways and found yourself in the parlor. Your family’s furniture already decorated the room, and you brushed your fingers gently over the top of the grand piano in the corner. Continuing, you found yourself standing in a large kitchen, one of the fireplaces taking up a large portion of the far wall.

“If you’re hungry, I think Natasha left some stew for us,” Benjamin, striding over to where a pot hung above the small fire. You raised an eyebrow, barely containing your smirk.

“Does Natasha cook for you often?”

You saw a bashful expression creep its way onto your brother’s face as he straightened up to look at you with a small pout. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

You chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. “I’m only teasing, Benji. But, no. I’m not hungry at the moment. I’d much rather get some rest after my long day of travel.”

Benjamin nodded and led you up the stairs. He stopped in front of the second door on the right, opening it and gesturing for you to step inside. Doing so, you saw your familiar pieces of furniture that you had shipped off weeks ago. Your hand mirror sat on your vanity, and your wardrobe door was opened to reveal your more practical, every day use dresses. You walked further into the room and up to the window. Peering out, you could faintly make out the barn and rolling desert in the sprawling darkness. If you looked harder, you could faintly see the outline of the distant mountains. Turning back to face your brother, you offered a smile.

“It’s lovely, Benji. Thank you.”

Benjamin returned your smile and gestured down the hall. “My room is two down if you need me for anything.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine for the evening. Go on,” you waved him off. “You need your sleep just as much as I do.

“Before I forget, Maverick has invited us to dinner with him and his wife, Penny, the night after next,” he said. You nodded, letting him know that you had heard.With one last smile, Benjamin closed the door behind him.

“Benji, have you gone shopping for supplies at all, or do you send poor Natasha out to do your tasks?” you clucked impatiently, finding nothing but a stale loaf of bread in the pantry. You had managed to collect the eggs from the chicken coop earlier that morning, and that was all that made up you and your brother’s meager breakfast.

“I haven’t the time, Scout,” he mumbled, already gathering his things for the day. “Besides, you know I’m not much of a cook.”

“How you’ve survived this long, I’ll never understand,” you said with a roll of your eyes. Benjamin looked at you with a twinkle in his.

“Eye rolling is not becoming of a proper young lady,” he snickered. Scowling you made to whip him with the towel you held in your hand, but he dodged it at the last second.

“Go, before you’re late,” you hollered as he rushed out the door. Sighing, you made a mental note to teach him at least some of the basics in the upcoming days. Turning, you marched back into the pantry and looked at the empty shelves disdainfully with hand on your hips.

“Honestly,” you muttered, exasperated at how incompetent your brother seemed at doing the most basic of things. You made a list of supplies you would need in the upcoming days, and walked out to take another look at the house. As much as your brother could fumble on the small things, he did have an eye for home decor. There were very few pieces of furniture you wanted to move around across the whole house, and you made another mental note to let Benjamin know that evening when he returned.

Walking out the front door with a basket in hand for your supplies, your eyes were drawn to a small patch of the front yard that had been fenced off. How you hadn’t noticed it the night before was beyond you, and you chose to chalk it up to fatigue from your journey. You walked over and saw several gardening tools scattered along the ground, and you realized this must have been the garden Benjamin had mentioned yesterday to you in his excitement.You added seeds to your list of supplies for the day.

You turned away from the garden and made sure to latch the gate to your front yard securely before strolling down the path into town.

Today was much like yesterday had been. People walking up and down the streets, shouting at one another in greeting, and children still running about. You wondered why they weren’t in school at this time of day. You resolved yourself to asking Maverick about it the next evening at dinner. Turning down on to the main street, you stepped onto the porch of the general store. Across the street at the saloon, you saw a group of men gathered by the entrance. One of them turned and saw you, and you suppressed an eye roll when he let out a long whistle.

“Hey there, darlin’!” he called out to you. He was handsome, you’d give him that. His dark skin glowed in the sunlight and you could make out his white smile from across the road. Strong muscles were hidden by his simple, white cotton shirt and beige wool pants. A hat covered his short, dark hair. Choosing to ignore the stranger, and by extension his four companions who had turned to look your way, you walked into the general store. the owner greeted you as you stepped into the spacious room that housed a multitude of goods from different places.

“Howdy, miss!” He chirped, leaning against the counter with a smile. He was older, dark skin weathered. “Haven’t seen you ‘round these parts before. The name’s Hondo.”

You returned his smile warmly. “A pleasure, Hondo. My name is y/n. My brother is Benjamin, perhaps you know him? He runs the firm just down the road.”

“Ah, yes!” He chuckled. “The lawyer from Baltimore. Well, miss, you’re in luck! I’ve just gotten back from Independence with new goods and I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until my partner, Joel, arrives back in town. Should be any day now, in fact.”

“I see, and what is that you have today?” You inquired, taking in the multitudes of crates still scattered around the counter.

“Let’s see,” Hondo thought. “I got some salt and some fine new tools from St.Louis. I also managed to trade for some fresh produce down by Independence.”

“That sounds lovely,” you smiled as Hondo began showing you his wears.

You spent about a half hour picking out the best produce Hondo had to offer, making plans to return when his partner made it back into town.

“Hondo, I don’t suppose you have anything in the way of cooking wine?” You asked, placing your new wears into your basket. Hondo grimaced with a shake of his head.

“'Fraid not, miss.” He sighed, looking out past his door towards the tavern. “But Miss Penny should have somethin’ for you to use.”

“Maverick’s wife?” You asked, unable to keep the surprise out of your voice. Hondo nodded, a look if worry on his face.

“Penny runs the saloon here in town. Normally, I wouldn’t even suggest you go ‘round that place without someone accompanyin’ you, but everyone here knows not to mess with Miss Penny. You should be safe while she’s there.”

You handed Hondo the money you owed him, and gave him a grateful smile. “I’m sure I’ll be perfectly fine.”

“Just be careful who you talk to when you’re over there, ya hear?” He called after you as you moved to leave. “A lot of real unsavory types like to prey on pretty, little things like you!”

“I will!” You called over your shoulder. You looked across the street to see the group of men from earlier had migrated down the porch over to, you assumed, their horses. Making sure they were safely distracted, you hurried your way across the road. Trotting up the steps, you made it to the door just as the group turned around to see you. Before they could say anything, however, you marched confidently into the saloon.

You weren’t sure what you had been expecting, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as you had thought, considering Hondo’s warning. The interior looked a tad run down, but you supposed it had been in business for a while. It was clear that it was a beauty back in its debut. A piano was shoved against the far wall and several tables were scattered across the room with a few patrons nursing different liquids. A woman came out of a back room and spotted you. She was one of the most beautiful women you had ever seen. Dark hair framed a slender face, and bright eyes looked at you with a maternal warmth you hadn’t seen in quite a while.

“Hey there, sweetheart!” She called to you. “What is it that I can getcha?”

“Hi,” you smiled, walking closer to the counter where she leaned. You could feel the stares from the other patrons on your back, and you couldn’t help but stiffen.

“Don’t you worry, darlin’,” she started, casting a stern look across the room. “No one here’ll mess with you while I’m here. Name’s Penny.”

You held out your hand when you were close enough to the bar to reach her. “I’m y/n. It’s a pleasure.”

“You must be Benjamin’s sister. You two look so much alike, I don’t know how I didn’t see it sooner,” she laughed, the lines on her face crinkling. You couldn’t help but wonder if you would look as beautiful as she did when you were her age. She took your hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

“We get that quite a bit, actually,” you chuckled, dropping your hand back down to your side.

Penny’s smile grew wider. “So, how can I help you today?”

“I’m looking for some cooking wine. Hondo mentioned you might be able to help me find some.”

“Cooking wine, huh?” She chewed her lip thoughtfully. After a moment, she nodded, turning to head back into the back room. “Yeah, I think I just got some new bottles in, actually.”

You waited while she disappeared through the door. You heard the group of men outside on the porch, and it sounded like they had moved back towards the entrance. You let out a heavy sigh, realizing that you wouldn’t be able to avoid them forever. You took a closer look at the saloon. A set of stairs led up to a second floor that must double as an inn of sorts. Your brother had told you that's where he stayed while your home was being built.

“The townsfolk here are all kind as saints here, Scout,” he had written to you in one of his many letters. He hadn’t been wrong, well, save for one person. You frowned at the memory of the tall blond and his debonair smile. The outlaw probably wooed many girls with those good looks and charming words. You would not be fooled.

At that moment, Penny appeared back around the corner with two bottles of wine and another warm smile. You took the bottles from her gratefully, and slipped them into your basket.

“How much do I owe you?” You asked, but Penny shook her head.

“No charge,” she said. “Call it a ‘welcome to town’ gift.”

“Thank you,” you responded. You heard the group outside laugh, and you couldn't stop the slight frown from etching itself onto your face. Penny noticed, and offered a sympathetic smile.

“Those boys may be loud and rowdy,” she began, “but they’re harmless. I promise. Just walk out of here with your head held high, and if they start to give you trouble, you call for me. I’ll knock their heads together.”

You nodded your head. You made your way back to the swinging doors, but stopped just shy. You willed your nerves to settle, and straightening your shoulders, you marched as confidently as you could out of the saloon.

The men were all gathered around the steps, and their conversation stopped when you stepped out. You could see them all more clearly now, and to your dismay, they were all unfairly handsome.

“Hey there again, darlin’,” grinned the man from before. He leaned in closer to you with a glint in his eye. “Name’s Javy. What’s yours?”

“Coyote, you asshole,” snapped the man to his left. “Tell her our names, too!”

Javy—Coyote—rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath that you didn’t catch.

“These here are my compadres—Bradley, Bob, Mickey, and Reuben,” he said, gesturing to each man as he said their name. He turned back to you with a smirk. “Now what about yours?”

At that moment, the saloon doors swung open, and a familiar blond strolled out with a hard set look on his face. His eyes darted from the group of men before you down to yours, and his grumpy expression melted into a lascivious smirk.

“Did you get it?” Asked the man off to your right—Bradley. Jake spared him a glance before returning his eyes to you.

“‘Course I did, Rooster,” he replied, walking closer to you. You gripped your basket harder and fixed him with a glare. “Fancy seeing you here, Scout.”

Rooster? You realized now that the Dagger Gang is who stood before you, and you suddenly found yourself feeling weary.

“Mr. Seresin,” you replied curtly, turning his smirk into a full blown grin.

“C’mon now, Scout. I thought we decided you’d call me Jake?”

“I don’t recall that being how the conversation went,” you sniffed. Javy cleared his throat from where he stood from behind you. You both looked over to find him and the rest of the squad grinning. Well, Bradley was smirking. The others were grinning.

“Is this the little spitfire you were goin’ on and and on about last night, Hangman?” Bradley—Rooster—asked, humor evident in his voice. You glanced over at Jake who had a dusting of pink spreading across his cheeks. Ignoring his friends, he looked back at you, some of his bravado returning.

“Ignore my friends,” he said, smile returning. “They don't know when to shut up.”

You hummed, “I could say the same thing about you.”

You heard a couple of snickers from behind you, and Jake cast a glare over your shoulder. Looking back at you, he continued, “Now, sugar. That wasn’t very nice. I’ve been plenty nice to you.”

You let out a noise of derision. “You and I must have very different definitions of the word ‘nice,’ Mr. Seresin.”

“If you let me,” he smirked, leaning closer so that his breath fanned over your face. Your eyes widened and your heart stopped for a brief moment at his proximity. “I could show you all the ways I can be nice.”

You didn’t respond for a moment, lost in the emeralds of his eyes. Blinking, you murmured, “Not a chance.”

You turned to the group behind you, offering them a tight lipped smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you all.”

“I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more of you in the near future, sweetheart,” grinned Javy.

“Yes, well,” you smiled politely, “let’s hope not.”

You pushed past them and began making your way down the road. A hand gripped your elbow, spinning you back around so that you crashed into a solid chest of muscle. Looking up, stunned, you were once again in close proximity of Jake Seresin.

“Let me give you a ride home,” he offered, gesturing back at Whiskey. You shook your head, placing a hand on his chest to try and put some kind of barrier between the two of you. Jake took your hand in his, squeezing it tight.

“That's not necessary,” you breathed. “I live just down the road.”

“Then let me walk you,” he pushed.

“Down the street?” You snorted. Jake grinned, stroking the back of your hand with his thumb.

“A lot could happen between now and when you get home.”

“Goodbye, Jake,” you said with a pointed look, pulling away from him. You tried not to frown at how cold you felt without his presence next to you. You turned to walk away.

“I’ll wear you down one day, sugar! You’ll be in love with me before you know it,” He called after you. You stopped in your tracks, whirling around to fix him with your iciest glare.

“I am not something to be conquered,” you hissed. Jake stared at you for a long minute, a different kind of smile crept onto his face. If you didn’t know any better, you’d have said this one was almost…affectionate.

“I don’t expect you to be,” he said finally, giving you a two finger salute. “I’ll be seeing you soon, Scout.”

[genshinluvr]

Another Small Problem

Pairings: Various Genshin Men x Isekai'd!Reader

Summary: After the first incident of your boyfriends turning into children (except for Zhongli and the newly added men to the harem), the men find themselves having to deal with another small problem that relates to the previous issue. You turning into a child.

Note: This is part 2 of "A Small Problem." Sorry it took me a while to make another part for "A Small Problem," I had a lot of things to do, and I didn't really get to plan the story out until way after the first part had been posted. My finals week is officially finished, and I have no idea how I did! I'm actually pretty scared because idk how I did, and I really hope that I did well 😭 anyway! I am officially on my winter break! >:D until I have to deal with the worst schedule for my winter quarter 🥹 Anyway, I don't post anywhere else but on Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and on AO3 (Aaliah_exo).

Warnings: None that I know of 🤔 Pierro is kind of mean to Itto and Itto got sad after it 🥺

Word Count: 11.4k

Read part one of Another Small Problem here: [A Small Problem]

You’re at the Harbingers’ estate, in Dottore’s lab, assisting him with one of his experiments with Albedo and Tighnari at your side. The three men are scattered around the blue-green-lit laboratory, scribbling down notes onto a sheet of paper and the other instructing what to add to the mixture. You stand to the side and let your eyes wander around the fascinating lab. You’ve been inside a few laboratories before but have yet to see a laboratory like Dottore’s lab at the Harbingers’ estate. The contrast between Albedo and Dottore’s lab is fascinating, and here you four are, inside Dottore’s lab, assisting Dottore with an experiment.

“Here, drink this,” Dottore says, handing you a glass vial that contains a turquoise-colored liquid inside of it. You reluctantly grab the glass vial from Dottore’s hands and lift it up to your face, your eyebrows knitted together with skepticism. 

You clear your throat. “What’s this supposed to be?” You ask, holding the glass tube beneath your nose to get a whiff of it. The liquid is unscented, but you’re worried about what it’ll taste like. Dottore looks over at Albedo, who takes his goggles off and lets them hang around his neck.

“I recall you wanted us to make an elixir that will help you focus on your studies. Therefore Dottore, Tighnari, and I have come up with this potion for you to drink that should make it easier for you to concentrate,” Albedo says.

You nod your head slowly and bring the glass tube up to your eyes to examine the liquid inside of it. You swirl the turquoise liquid in the vial and clear your throat quietly. “This better be flavorless because I just ate some delicious Liyuen dish, and I do not want it to come back up my throat,” you mutter. 

“It shouldn’t taste like anything, really. There’s a faint taste of mint and maybe a little bit of henna berry,” Tighnari says, peeking his head from between Albedo and Dottore’s shoulders. 

You continue to stare at the glass vial in your grasp, debating if you should take the elixir or use it whenever you’re studying. “Do I need to drink it now? Can’t I drink it whenever I’m studying?” You ask.

“We don’t know how long it’ll take for the elixir to kick in, so you might as well take it now,” Dottore says, crossing his arms behind his back as he, Tighnari, and Albedo waits for you to drink the experiment.

You nod your head before downing the liquid. You make a face and shiver when the elixir slithers down your throat. You hand the test tube back to Dottore and stare at the three men in front of you. “Now what?” You ask, rubbing your stomach when you feel your stomach heats up and tingle. 

“Now we wait!” Tighnari says.

Albedo looks over at you. “Again, we do not know how long it’ll take for the potion to kick in, so we might have to wait a while for the effects to show,” Albedo says. 

You look over at the clock on Dottore’s desk and notice that it’s almost ten in the evening. You stretch your arms in the air and clear your throat when you feel a burp coming up. “It’s getting late. I think we should stop the experiment for today. Hopefully, we’ll get our results by tomorrow morning,” you said.

You, Albedo, and Tighnari leave the Harbingers’ mansion, bidding the four Harbingers goodbyes before walking back to your estate. When the three of you walk into the estate, the rest of the men are already asleep in their bedrooms. The light in the living room was your, Albedo, and Tighnari’s source of light. You each bid each other goodnights before departing ways and walking to your bedrooms. You quickly change into your pajamas and brush your teeth, your eyelids beginning to feel heavy with each passing minute. You rinse your mouth, brush your hair and walk out of your bathroom, turning the lights off behind you. You collapse onto your bed and roll yourself into a burrito with your blanket and close your eyes, slowly drifting to sleep.

Morning soon rolls by, and every person in the abode starts to wake up from their slumber one by one slowly. Diluc is in the kitchen brewing his coffee, leaning up against the counter while reading the Teyvat newspaper, his hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Zhongli enters the kitchen, dressed for the day; he fills the kettle with water and places it on the stove.

“Man, I slept like a baby last night!” Childe says, entering the kitchen with a bright smile on his face.

Diluc rolls his eyes. “Must be nice not to have to sleep in a bedroom that is close to someone that does snores in their sleep,” Diluc mutters, looking over at Itto, who stops in his tracks and gives the men a sheepish smile.

“Listen, if there’s a way for me to control it, I would! But guess what? I can’t control my snoring, okay?” Itto retorts, giving Diluc a dramatic pout with his arms over his chest.

Thoma walks into the kitchen and scratches his head, still tired from his sleep. Thoma yawns and walks to the refrigerator to pull a few ingredients out and places them on the counter beside the stove, waiting for Zhongli to make his cup of tea. 

“Has anyone seen [Y/N] today? I know they got back from the Harbingers’ estate late last night with Albedo and Tighnari, but both Albedo and Tighnari are awake,” Thoma says, opening the cupboard to pull out a pan, whisk, and spatula. 

The kettle begins to whistle; Zhongli grabs the handle of the tea kettle and pours the hot water into the teacup, waiting for the tea to steep. “It is the weekend. I’m assuming that [Y/N] has decided to take a day off from their studies to get extra sleep,” Zhongli murmurs, turning the stove off and placing the tea kettle off to the side. 

“If that’s the case, then that’s good to hear. [Y/N] needs to get more sleep considering they’ve been staying up late to study for school,” Diluc murmurs, pouring his coffee into his mug and blowing on the coffee, taking a small sip from it. Before any of the men could say anything else, a loud crash coming from upstairs startled the men, making them jump.

“What was that crash?” Childe asks. 

They trade looks before rushing out of the kitchen and heading towards where the loud crash came from. There stands Tighnari and Albedo, looking down at something, appalled. The glass tubes that once held a turquoise-colored liquid are now broken and shattered on the ground in front of Tighnari and Albedo. 

“What happened?” Cyno asks, walking out of his bedroom, his hair messy from his sleep.

Al Haitham and Kaveh look at the ground of shattered glass. “You’re going to need to clean that up before any of us steps on broken glass,” Al Haitham says, pinching the bridge of his nose and letting out a slow sigh through his nose. Tighnari and Albedo didn’t say a word. Instead, they continue to stare at the small bookcase on the second floor.

Kaveh cocks an eyebrow at Albedo and Tighnari. “What are you guys staring at?” Kaveh asks.

A tiny sneeze fills the silence. “Bless you,” Venti says, looking for the source where the sneeze came from.

“Thank you,” answered back a small voice.

Dainsleif grabs onto the back of Childe’s shirt and pulls him to whisper into his ears. “Is that a voice of a child?” Dainsleif asks, looking at Childe from the corner of his eyes. Childe slowly nods his head without answering Dainsleif’s question, his eyebrows narrowing as he stares at the small bookcase with scrutiny. 

Xiao slowly steps out from behind the men and approaches the bookcase; his jade spear materializes in his hands, and his grip tightens around the base of his polearm. “Reveal yourself this instant,” Xiao orders, glaring at the bookcase.

“Xiao, I don’t think we should be pointing weapons at anyone. Especially a child,” Baizhu warns, holding his arm out in front of Xiao. Xiao looks conflicted for a moment before hesitantly letting his polearm disappear in thin air. Baizhu walks towards the bookcase and kneels, peeking behind the bookcase. 

“Who’s behind the bookcase? The suspense is killing me!” Aether says loudly.

Heizou smacks Aether upside of his head and glares at Aether, shushing the blond man by pressing his index finger on his lips. “Keep your voice down, Aether! [Y/N]’s still sleeping, remember?” Heizou whispers loudly. 

“Should we go check up on [Y/N]?” Gorou asks, his eyes wide with concern. 

Kazuha shakes his head. “I don’t think we need to check up on them….” Kazuha trails off, not taking his eyes off where Baizhu is kneeling. Gorou gives Kazuha a questioning look, only for Kazuha to nod his head toward Baizhu’s direction. Gorou looks over at Baizhu; Baizhu stands up and turns around, holding a small child in his arms. The small child is wearing a t-shirt that is way too big for them; the child is staring back at the men with wide eyes that are filled with tears. 

“Who’s baby is that? Last time I checked, none of us got [Y/N] pregnant,” Scaramouche says, scratching the back of his neck while staring at the child nervously. 

Baizhu bounces the small child in his arms, a small smile on his face. “Everyone, this is [Y/N],” Baizhu says.

Thoma clears his throat and turns to the men. “It looks like we may or may not have another small problem on our hands,” Thoma says, laughing nervously.

“That’s [Y/N]!?” Aether exclaims, his eyes widening with shock, pointing his index finger at your tiny form. You cling to Baizhu before burying your face into Baizhu’s neck, tears wetting his neck. Baizhu chuckles and pats your back as you whimper into his neck.

Heizou laughs nervously, turning to look at Tighnari and Albedo. “Care to explain how [Y/N] turned into a child?” Heizou asks, propping both of his hands on his hips while waiting for either man to give him an answer. 

“Great! First, we turned into children, and now it’s [Y/N]’s turn to turn into a child,” Kaeya says, running his hands through his hair while examining your small trembling body. 

Ayato tilts his head to the side; a smile appears on his face. “So this is what [Y/N] looked like when they were a child,” Ayato mused; he crossed his arms over his chest as he watched you cling to Baizhu for dear life. You’re just too cute!

Childe walks up to you and Baizhu, squatting slightly in front of you. He gently pokes you to grab your attention. You peek from Baizhu’s shoulders and lock gazes with Childe. Childe gives you a smile and gently brushes your tears away.

“There’s no need to cry, [Y/N]. I know you’re scared and confused, and that’s okay! But the most important thing right now is to make sure you’re aware that you’re not who you originally were,” Childe coos. You blink away your tears and nod your head slowly, clinging to Baizhu tightly.

“I think the most important thing is to make sure that [Y/N]’s okay,” Xiao says, glaring at the ginger-haired Harbinger.

Venti giggles lightly and pats Xiao’s head. “I don’t think you should be making a scary face right now, Xiao. You’ll scare little [Y/N],” Venti coos, trotting over to you and rubbing the top of your head gently, trying his best not to scare you. 

“From what I can tell, [Y/N] is very well aware that they’re not in their original form. Being aged backward scared them, and they didn’t know what to do. Isn’t that right, [Y/N]?” Baizhu looks down at you, continuing to rub your back.

You nod your head shyly, loosening your grip around Baizhu’s shirt and flinching when Changsheng hisses softly and gets close to your face. You and Changshang stare at each other for a moment before you turn to look around helplessly, trying to find an escape route to get away from Changsheng. Even though you know that Changsheng isn’t going to harm you, your mind, which is now reduced to a child’s mind, sees the complete opposite. 

Gorou frowns, and his ears flatten on his head. “Aw, it seems like [Y/N]’s afraid of Changsheng,” Gorou says softly. 

Baizhu slowly places you down on the ground, and you stand there awkwardly. You make eye contact with Scaramouche before slowly making your way over to Scaramouche. Once you’re halfway across the room, you sprint towards Scaramouche, hoping to escape from Changsheng. Scaramouche kneels and opens his arms out wide; you run into his arms and cling to him, face burying into his chest. Scaramouche wraps his arms around your torso and stands up, fixing your bedhead. 

Itto stares at Scaramouche with his mouth agape. “Wow, I didn’t know that this little fella is fond of children,” Itto says. 

“Looks can be deceiving,” Kazuha whispers to Itto, who nods his head in agreement. 

“Why don’t we all go downstairs and get ready for breakfast now that everyone is awake? Albedo and Tighnari can pay the Harbingers’ a visit after breakfast to discuss the situation with [Y/N],” Zhongli says.

Everyone begins to slowly trickle to the dining room one by one while Scaramouche stays back with you still in his arms. Scaramouche looks down at you; you’re looking up at him with those wide eyes of yours, making him blush. 

“Have you brushed your teeth yet?” Scaramouche asks.

You shake your head in response. Scaramouche sighs softly and walks to your bedroom with you clinging to him tightly. You’re not much of a talker, are you? Scaramouche helps you brush your teeth and makes sure to brush the knots out of your hair. As for clothing, Scaramouche isn’t so sure about that considering all of your clothes are way too big for your current size, so you’ll have to parade around the estate in an oversized shirt for now.

Scaramouche hears your stomach growl; your face pinches up with discomfort, your tiny arms hugging your stomach. Scaramouche carries you out of your bedroom and down the stairs to the dining room, where everyone is waiting for the both of you.

“Ah, so this was the issue you two were talking about,” Pantalone says, eyeing your tiny body with mirth. Scaramouche glares at Pantalone and sits at the furthest part of the table, and sits down with you on his lap, looking around to see if there’s any temporary seat for you. What Scaramouche can recall is that last time, you mentioned to Zhongli about getting a high chair for those who turned into children, but you never got one because you assumed that the situation wouldn’t happen again; unfortunately, you were wrong. 

“I’m sure [Y/N] can still sit in their seat with a little assistance,” Dainsleif says.

Kaeya tilts his head to the side and looks at Dainsleif quizzically. “Oh? And what would that assistance be, Dainsleif?” Kaeya asks, taking a bite out of his pancakes. 

“We can make a temporary high chair for them by stacking their textbooks on the chair and letting them sit on it,” Cyno says, getting up from his seat and walking over to where your backpack is lying and pulling out five textbooks that are the same width of cinderblocks. Cyno places the textbooks down on the empty seat where you usually sit and adjusts it close to the table.

Scaramouche gets up from his chair and walks over to the empty chair that is occupied with your Akademiya textbooks. Cyno moves the chair back and lets Scaramouche place you down on the makeshift high chair, making sure that there’s no way for you to fall out of the seat. Cyno pushes your chair close to the table and pats the top of your head awkwardly. Usually, he would kiss the top of your head, but since your mindset has been reduced to a child’s mind, Cyno and the rest of the men are going to tip-toe around you.

“You three need to find the solution to the issue as soon as possible,” Pierro states, looking over at Dottore, Tighnari, and Albedo with a stern look on his face. 

Ayato huffs. “I’m sure they’ll find the solution in no time. After all, the last time this had happened, the effects only lasted twenty-four hours,” Ayato says, poking his breakfast with a fork.

“It better be within twenty-four hours because [Y/N] has a final presentation to do at the Akademiya,” Kaveh says, scooping up the scrambled eggs into his spoon and taking a bite out of it.

“Do you know the date of when [Y/N] will need to present?” Capitano asks.

Al Haitham nods his head. “I remember [Y/N] telling Kaveh and me that their presentation is on the seventh,” Al Haitham says, looking over at you. 

You reach for the fork and lift it to your face, staring at it with amazement, your mouth agape and eyes wide. Thoma walks over to your table and begins to slice the huge pancake into bite sizes, making it easier for you to eat without having to use a knife with those tiny hands of yours.

“And what day is it today, exactly?” Pantalone asks, looking around the estate for a calendar.

Pierro replies, “Today is the currently the fifth. Their presentation is in two days, and they need to change back to their original size before their presentation.” 

“Do you three think you can do that? Make the concoction and reverse the effects of the elixir that [Y/N] had ingested that landed them in this situation?” Capitano asks, looking over at Dottore, Albedo, and Tighnari.

Albedo nods his head. “If we get started on the experiment as soon as possible after breakfast to make the concoction to reverse the effects of the elixir that [Y/N] has taken, then we should have it ready by either tonight or early tomorrow morning,” Albedo says, stroking his chin.

“That is if we have the ingredients and plenty of time to make the concoction. The main issue is that we do not know how long it’ll take for the concoction’s effects to start kicking in to reverse what has been done to [Y/N],” Tighnari says.

Dottore crosses his arms over his chest. “Another issue that we’ll need to figure out is how long [Y/N] has been a child,” Dottore mutters.

“Let’s figure everything out once we’re done with breakfast,” Thoma says slowly, bringing his fork up to his lips and taking a bite of the slice of pancake.

While everyone is eating their breakfast, you’re struggling to eat your breakfast because of how clumsy you are. Due to you being a child around the age of three years old, your motor skills are lacking and clumsy, causing you to knock over a glass cup of water, spilling it all over the table. Silence falls over the table; everyone looks over at you with wide eyes, unsure of how you’d react. You end up mistaking their silence and reaction as a bad thing, so tears begin to flood your eyes, your bottom lips start to tremble, and you begin to let out small sniffles.

“No, no, no! Don’t cry! It’s okay!” Childe reassures you, quickly getting up from his seat and cleaning the spilled water off the table with a cloth napkin.

You begin to hiccup as you cover your face and wipe your tears messily. “‘M sorry,” you hiccup.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. There’s nothing to cry about,” Ayato coos, leaning towards you and wiping your tears away with his thumbs.

“I made an oopsie,” You whine, kicking your little legs with a deep frown on your face.

Itto gives you a sympathetic look. “It was an accident, onikabuto booboo bear. You didn’t do it on purpose,” Itto says softly, gently rubbing your back.

Aether clutches Heizou’s arms and bends over, clutching his chest with his other hand. “[Y/N] called it an oopsie. I’m going to cry; my heart can’t take this much cuteness,” Aether grunts.

“Just when I thought [Y/N] couldn’t get any cuter, they continue to prove me wrong,” Heizou says, pressing his hands to his chest with a pout on his face, trying to refrain himself from throwing himself at you and squeezing you in his arms.

Cyno strokes his chin while analyzing your pouting face. “This makes me wonder if their vocabulary changes as well,” Cyno murmurs to himself.

Kaveh looks over at Cyno. “Did you not hear [Y/N] call the accidental spill and ‘oopsie’?” Kaveh asks, propping his hands on his hips.

You cross your arms over your chest and let your fork clink on the ceramic plate loudly. You have an evident pout on your face, your cheeks stained with tears, your eyes bloodshot red from the crying you’ve done. 

“How about I feed you, hmm? You won’t have to worry about making an oopsie,” Scaramouche says softly, kneeling beside your chair.

Al Haitham’s eyes widen. “Oh? How sweet of you, Scaramouche,” Al Haitham crosses his arms over his chest with a small amused smile on his face. Scaramouche shoots a quick glare over in Al Haitham’s direction before turning back to look at you for a response.

You nod your head and throw yourself at Scaramouche. Scaramouche laughs softly and pats your head, placing you back down on your makeshift high chair. While Scaramouche was feeding you, Diluc couldn’t help but notice how your hair would get in the way whenever you were eating. Diluc finishes his breakfast before excusing himself to go to the kitchen to wash his plate.

“At least [Y/N] isn’t a picky eater. Children that are picky eaters are nightmares,” Kaeya says, watching you chew on your pancakes, your cheeks puffed up while Scaramouche and Zhongli gently tell you not to stuff too much food in your mouth or else you’d choke. You nod your head while slowly chewing on your pancakes, making sure not to rush or else you’d choke on the pancakes. Just when Scaramouche is going to feed you another slice of pancake, you shake your head and stare at the small piece of pancake on the fork.

“Oh? Are you full?” Baizhu asks.

You nod your head in response and place your hand over your tummy. “‘M full. No more pancakes,” you said softly.

“That’s okay! We’re happy that you ate breakfast today,” Gorou says, smiling at you happily. You look over at Gorou, and your eyes immediately light up at the sight of his ears. You point your dainty fingers in Gorou’s direction, slowly looking over at Zhongli and Scaramouche.

“It looks like [Y/N] is curious about Gorou’s ears,” Venti whispers, nudging Gorou lightly as he walks behind the general. 

“Careful now; children like to pull on things they can get their hands on,” Pierro says, cracking a smile as he watches you get off your seat with the help of Zhongli and Scaramouche.

You pout at Pierro and cross your arms over your chest. “I won’t pull, I promise,” you said. 

You waddle over to where Gorou is kneeling and stand on your tippy toes, reaching up for Gorou’s ears as he bows his head forward. Your tiny hands brush against Gorou’s ears before you let out a soft gasp. Gorou looks up at you through his lashes, a small smile on his face as he watches your eyes grow wide with awe.

“So soft,” You said, rubbing your fingers against the furs on Gorou’s ears. 

After petting Gorou’s ears for some time, you finally release Gorou’s ears and look at the men blankly. Gorou gets off the ground and ruffles your hair affectionately, a shy smile on his face. Once Diluc returns to the dining room from the kitchen, Diluc stops in front of you and kneels in front of you, gazing at you with the softest smile.

Diluc brushes your hair away from your face. “Do you want me to put your hair up to make sure your hair won’t make you feel itchy?” You look at Diluc and then grab at your hair, feeling it tickle against your flesh. 

You nod your head shyly at the redhead. “Yes, please,” you said politely. 

Diluc smiles and stands back up, holding his hand out for you to take. You grab Diluc’s hand and let him guide you out of the dining area of the estate. Once you and Diluc are out of earshot, the men begin talking amongst each other. 

“[Y/N] is a cute kid,” Pantalone says softly, finishing up his breakfast with a smile on his face.

“They’re….” Capitano trails off, unsure of how to finish his sentence, “they’re an anxious child, I notice,” Capitano murmurs, his eyes trailing over to where you and Diluc had exited. 

“Do we know much about their childhood? Perhaps they’re not an anxious child when they were in their world,” Dainsleif says slowly. 

Zhongli sighs and shrugs his shoulders. “Other than them having separation anxiety when they were a child, [Y/N] has never mentioned anything about their childhood,” Zhongli replies.

Xiao crosses his arms. “They probably didn’t mention it for a reason. They’ll tell us more about their childhood when they’re comfortable with it. Let’s not push them to talk about their past,” Xiao states.

The men nod their heads in agreement. The silence was soon occupied with the sounds of tiny footsteps running through the hallways on the second floor, small panting and giggles echo the estate.

“[Y/N], be careful. Don’t run down the stairs, or else you’ll fall,” everyone in the living room hears Diluc say.

“Sorry,” you reply meekly.

Diluc holds his hand out for you to take. You grab his hand and let Diluc guide you down the stairs of the estate. Once you reach the last step of the stairs, you release Diluc’s hand and hop down to the ground. You look at the men with a big smile, bouncing on the balls of your feet.

You reach up to your hair and lightly touch it. “‘Luc tied my hair,” you said softly with a bashful smile on your face.

Childe walks up to you and squats in front of you, smiling at you. “Aren’t you a cutie?” Childe coos, caressing your face in his hands and lightly pinching your cheeks affectionately. You feel your face heat up before you cover your entire face with your tiny hands and run back to Diluc, hiding behind his legs and peeking out from behind Diluc, looking at Childe shyly.

Pantalone chuckles. “It looks like the little one has a crush,” Pantalone coos, giving you a teasing smile. 

You feel your face heat up, and you grumble under your breath, clutching onto Diluc’s pants before burying your face into the back of his thighs. Diluc reaches behind and places his hand on the back of your head, lightly stroking your hair. Childe stands back up and chuckles, running his hands through his ginger hair. He looks like a prince. 

Kaeya crosses his arms over his chest. “Usually, I would say that the ponytail on top of [Y/N]’s head makes them look like a radish, but they look cute with it,” Kaeya says cooly, smirking at his brother. 

Kazuha laughs. “Usually? Are you implying that you would call them a radish whenever their hair is pulled up in a ponytail?” Kazuha asks. Kaeya smiles and nods his head.

Ayato nods his head. “He calls [Y/N] a radish all the time, especially when he’s teasing them,” Ayato says. You step out from behind Diluc and stick your tongue out at Kaeya, who chuckles at your childish response. 

“Now that we’re all done eating let's do something to keep [Y/N] occupied while Tighnari, Dottore, and Albedo make a concoction that’ll turn them back to themselves,” Gorou says.

Al Haitham raises his eyebrows at Gorou. “And do you know how to keep a child occupied?” Al Haitham asks, looking over at you, who is slowly trailing over to the giant fish tank in the estate, staring up at the fishes in awe. 

“We’ll figure something out,” Heizou says, walking over to where you’re standing and gazing at the fishes with you. 

Heizou squats beside you and points at the moonfin swimming around the fish tank. You gasp softly, staring at the beautiful fish with wonder. A thought pops up in Aether’s head. He turns to Itto and taps him on the shoulder to grab his attention.

“You’re good with kids, aren’t you?” Aether asks.

Scaramouche makes a face and points at Itto. “That oaf? Great with kids?” Scaramouche asks, letting out a scoff of disbelief and humor. 

“Didn’t he make a kid cry after beating them in beetle fighting and taking their candies as a reward?” Thoma asks, the corners of his lips curving up. Itto gasps loudly and begins to sputter out excuses, his cheeks and the tips of his ears turning almost as red as his horns. Itto scoffs to himself as he props his hands on his hips, his nose sticks in the air as he lets out a loud huff of breath.

“Hey, hey, hey! I did not make them cry! They were being sore losers and cried because I beat them fair and square in the beetle fight!” Itto says defensively. 

You walk up to Itto and stare up at him, reaching both of your hands up and making grabby motions. Itto’s heart melts at the sight of your big eyes staring up at him, wanting him to pick you up and carry you in his arms. Itto squats down and grabs you by your waist, lifting you and placing you on his shoulders so you can sit on them. You hold onto Itto’s long hair and begin tugging at it, making Itto wince and whine softly.

Pierro chuckles. “See? What did I say?” Pierro asks, raising an eyebrow at Itto with a faint smirk on his face.

Itto reaches up and slips both of his index fingers into your hair to get you to release his hair. You end up replacing his hair with his fingers, squeezing them as tightly as your tiny hands can. Itto looks at the other men and smiles in relief when the tugging at his hair ceases. 

“Let’s get started on making the concoction. The earlier we work on it, the faster we’ll be finished with the elixir, and [Y/N] should be back to normal by tomorrow,” Albedo says, turning to look at Dottore and Tighnari.

Dottore sighs wistfully and looks over at you; you’re occupied with tugging on Itto’s fingers, not paying attention to what’s going on around you. “It’s a shame that I won’t be able to spend time with [Y/N] while they’re in this form,” Dottore says, his head hanging low.

Tighnari rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest. “Oh, don’t be dramatic, Dottore. It would take some time for the concoction to affect [Y/N]. I’m sure you’ll have a few hours with them before they’re back to normal,” Tighnari says.

As the three men are about to leave the main estate, Venti pats you on the shoulders to grab your attention. “Don’t you want to say bye to the three men before they leave?” Venti asks. 

You look over at the door and wave at Albedo, Tighnari, and Dottore. “Bye,” you said softly, getting back to playing with Itto’s fingers, poking at his black nails. The three men bid you goodbye before exiting the mansion and heading over to the Harbingers’ estate.

“So, how are we going to keep [Y/N] occupied again?” Baizhu asks.

Cyno smirks and crosses his arms over his chest. “I have a few ideas in mind,” Cyno says.

Everyone sits in the living room, scattered on the ground, sofa, couch, and loveseat. You sit across from Cyno, sitting on Itto’s lap. In front of you and Cyno are cards; three in front of you and three in front of Cyno.

“Why in the world are we teaching a three-year-old how to play TCG?” Kaveh asks, pinching the bridge of his nose before letting out an irritated sigh.

Zhongli looks at the cards in confusion. “Don’t you think this will confuse [Y/N]? They’re a child; I don’t think they’ll understand how to play this game even if you try to teach them,” said Zhongli, lifting the character cards up to his face and inspecting them closely.

“Perhaps Itto is playing for [Y/N]. Children get bored of things easily, so it seems like Itto will be the one to play against Cyno in this game,” Dainsleif speaks up. 

Xiao sighs and rests his head on the couch cushion, closing his eyes. “I have a bad feeling that this isn’t going to end well,” Xiao mutters.

Xiao ends up being correct because Cyno beat you and Itto in the TCG game. Itto demands a rematch so many times but continues to lose. Itto stands up suddenly, causing you to tumble off of his lap and onto the floor. Itto points his index finger at the general mahamatra, his eyebrows furrowing, and his mouth pulls into a scowl.

“Instead of us having a rematch in this rigged card game, I challenge you in a beetle fight! My onikabuto versus your scarabs!” Itto proclaims. 

Kaeya walks up to Itto and places his hand on the oni’s shoulders. “Wait a minute, Itto. Don’t people call you Arataki “The Ultimate TCG Champion” Itto?” Kaeya asks, raising his eyebrows.

“What are you up to, Kaeya?” Diluc asks, narrowing his eyes at his adoptive brother, approaching the duo with his arms over his torso. 

“Saving him from humiliation, I hope,” Dainsleif mutters under his breath. Zhongli presses his lips into thin lines to prevent himself from smiling at Dainsleif’s comment. 

You whine softly and get up from the ground, tossing the TCG cards on the table. “I’m bored! This game is confusing,” You said softly, crossing your arms over your chest. Everyone around you was too busy bickering with each other to notice your small tantrum. “I’m going to sleep,” you grumble to yourself, walking to the nearest room away from the living room.

The closest room you stumble across is the library; it’s quiet, and the temperature is cool enough for you to fall asleep without any problems. You walk to the furthest part of the library and sit on the couch, pulling the blanket from the corner of the couch and tossing it over yourself. As much as you want to continue to be with the tall men, you’re tired, and TCG bores you to death. You sprawl out on the couch and close your eyes, curling up into a ball, feeling your eyelids growing heavier and heavier as you let your body relax on the sofa. Maybe a little nap will wake you up from the nightmare you’re currently experiencing.

Back in the living room, everyone was still bickering with each other, slightly shoving the person they were arguing with. The first person to notice your disappearance was Kaveh after scanning the room to find your tiny head amongst the big heads in the room. Kaveh suddenly stands up from where he’s sitting, grabbing the others' attention. Everyone falls silent and looks at Kaveh quizzically while the blond man looks around the room almost frantically.

“Where’s [Y/N]?” Kaveh asks. 

Childe’s eyes widen, and he suddenly gets up from his seat. “Oh shit, did we lose [Y/N]?” Childe asks, running his hands through his ginger hair, his blue eyes wide with fear and worry.

“How did we lose them already? It’s been a few minutes!” Heizou says as he searches the living room for any sight of your radish-looking hairstyle, according to Kaeya, not his words. 

Capitano sighs and covers his face (mask?) with his hand, shaking his head. There’s no way these men will be decent fathers and babysitters if they can barely watch over one child. Capitano gets up from the sofa without saying a single word and begins to look for you himself while the other men are distracted with trying to figure out how you managed to wander off without their knowledge. 

There was no way you’d wander into the kitchen and dining room because if you were to do so, everyone would’ve been able to see you. So, the kitchen and dining room are out of the question. The next room Capitano decides to investigate is the library, the room where you’re usually at the most other than your bedroom. Capitano peeks his head into the library and slowly walks into the quiet room, surveying his surroundings. So far, Capitano doesn’t see any signs of you being in the library. The more he steps into the room and walks around, the more he hears quiet breathing coming from somewhere inside the library of the estate. Capitano ends up coming across your little study corner, notebooks and books stacked upon each other, a trash bin next to the desk filled with paper balls and scrap paper. Capitano stops in his tracks when he comes across the small sofa that is tucked at the farthest part of the library.

You crack your eyes open when you hear the sound of quiet footsteps walking around the library. You sit up on the couch and rub your eyes with your fist. You look up and make eye contact with the masked man.

“Now, why did you wander off in here, little one?” Capitano asks, squatting down in front of you, gazing at you curiously from behind his mask.

You rub your eyes and yawn. “I’m tired, and everyone was arguing, so I went here to take a nap,” you said, patting the couch with your hand.

Capitano sighs and watches you take your hair out from the ponytail, letting your tresses fall and frame your face. You rub your head and plop back down on the couch, sprawled over the sofa with the blanket draping over you. Capitano lifts his hand up and lightly scratches your head, making you snuggle up against the palm of his hand.

“We should head back to the living room. Everyone is worried sick about you,” Capitano states, looking at the entrance of the library.

You grumble and sit up on the couch. “Okay,” you mumble, hopping off the couch. 

Capitano stands up and holds his hand out for you to take. You grab his hand and let him guide you out of the library. As the two of you got closer to the library, the voices grew louder and louder with each step you took. You stand close to Capitano when the two of you arrive at the living room where everyone else was at (aside from Dottore, Tighnari, and Albedo). 

Aether sighs in relief when he sees you enter the room with Capitano at your side. Aether hops off the couch and rushes over to your side, pulling you in his arms and hugging you tightly, his cheek resting on top of your head. 

“Oh, thank the archons that you’re okay,” Aether says, pressing a kiss on your head.

Thoma walks up to you and Aether, squatting to your eye level, and gazes at you worriedly. “Where did you go?” Thoma asks, brushing your hair away from your face.

“I went to the library to take a nap,” you said softly, resting your chin on Aether’s shoulders. “I was tired and wanted to find a place to nap,” you add.

Ayato sighs and shakes his head, rubbing his throbbing temples with his thumb and index finger. “Sweetheart, if you wanted to take a nap, you could have at least told one of us instead of wandering off on your own. You made us worried,” Ayato says sternly, causing you to flinch and shrink in Aether’s arms. 

Ayato’s eyes widen slightly before softening; he mutters a soft apology before running his hands through his light blue hair. Scaramouche walks over to you and takes you from Aether’s arms, holding you in his arms.

“Lord Ayato doesn’t mean to sound harsh, [Y/N]. Like everyone else in the room, Lord Ayato is just as worried for your safety as we all are, and you wandering off on your own scared us,” Scaramouche says, rubbing your soft cheeks lightly with the pad of his thumb. 

You frown and bury your face into Scaramouche’s chest. “‘M sorry,” you said softly, holding onto Scaramouche’s shirt tightly.

“Hey, cheer up, [Y/N]! We’re not mad at you! If you want to take a nap, we could all take naps in the entertainment room,” Venti says, popping up from behind Scaramouche, startling the both of you. 

You hum softly and begin playing with the item hanging from Scaramouche’s neck in a daze. “I don’t know if I want to take a nap anymore,” you said softly, resting your head on his shoulder.

Cyno crosses his arms over his chest. “Then what do you want to do, [Y/N]?” Cyno asks, looking at you closely. 

You feel your cheeks heat up under his gaze, and you bury your face into Scaramouche’s neck for a brief second, slowly peeking from his shoulders and looking at the men around you shyly. Now that you have come out of your easily distracted thoughts, you notice that you’re surrounded by handsome men who tower over you. Tall, attractive men with nice hair and perfect smile are protective over you and would lose their minds if you were to disappear for a few minutes. 

You shake yourself out of your thoughts and clear your throat. “I need to potty,” you stated, squirming out from Scaramouche’s arms. 

Scaramouche squats down to put you down on the ground. You look around the room and walk to the nearest person and tug on their pants. “Can you take me to the nearest bathroom?” You ask, looking up at Kaveh, who stares down at you.

Kaveh opens his mouth to say something but stops himself when Al Haitham and Xiao give Kaveh a look. Kaveh nods his head and reaches for your hand, guiding you to the nearest bathroom on the first floor of the estate.

“Remember not to leave them alone in the bathroom. They could fall into the toilet if they are not careful enough,” Baizhu calls from afar. 

The men all collectively chuckle when they hear a faint grumble from Kaveh from afar as he walks to the closest bathroom with you in tow. You push the bathroom door open, and Kaveh turns on the bathroom lights. You quickly walk over to the toilet while Kaveh closes the bathroom door behind you two.

“Turn around and no peeking,” you said, shimmying out of your underwear (which you noticed had shrunk with you as well) and climbing onto the toilet. 

Kaveh shakes his head and continues to let his back face your direction while he stares at the bathroom door in front of him. After a few minutes of peeing, you wipe yourself, hop off the toilet, pull up your underwear, and flush the toilet. You tap Kaveh’s calf. Kaveh turns around and looks down at you.

“Can you lift me up to the sink so I can wash my hands?” You ask politely, staring up at the blond man with your large doe-like eyes.

Kaveh nods his head and lifts you up to the sink, helping you wash your hands while imagining what you and his child might look like if you two were to have one together. Definitely a mini abyss mage with blond tufts of hair like their father. Kaveh reaches over to the hand towel and gives it to you, slowly putting you down on the ground. 

You wipe your hands on the fluffy hand towel and hand it back to Kaveh. Kaveh hangs the hand towel on the towel rack before unlocking the bathroom door and opening it for you. Both you and Kaveh walk out the door, and you sprint over to Scaramouche’s side, tackling his legs and snuggling up against him. 

Al Haitham lets out an amused huff of breath, trying to mask his jealousy. “It looks like [Y/N] has favorites,” Al Haitham says, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches Scaramouche lift you in his arms. You snuggle up against the indigo-haired man and rest your head on Scaramouche’s shoulders, playing with the little accessory hanging from his shirt. 

“Oh? Is someone perhaps jealous that [Y/N] might have favorites?” Pantalone asks, looking over at the gray-haired man with a teasing smile on his face. Al Haitham rolls his eyes and looks away from Pantalone.

You look up at everyone before shyly saying, “I don’t have favorites. I like all of you,” you said softly, continuing to play with the accessory on Scaramouche’s neck. You squirm around in Scaramouche’s hands; Scaramouche puts you on the ground and watches you walk over to Al Haitham.

You look up at Al Haitham, and he looks down at you; you hold your arms up and make grabby motions. Al Haitham bends down to pick you up and carry you in his arms. You snuggle up against Al Haitham and lay your head on his broad shoulders, playing with the fabric of his tight-fitted shirt.

“So, will today be a leisure day?” Gorou asks, walking over to the couch before sitting on the armrest, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kazuha looks over at you, you seem distracted by the fabric of Al Haitham’s shirt, but Kazuha can tell that you’re close to drifting off to sleep. “That is up to [Y/N] and whether they want to do something or not,” answered Kazuha.

“I don’t know what I want to do,” you mumble, wrapping your arms around Al Haitham’s neck. An idea suddenly pops up in your mind, making you jolt up in Al Haitham’s arms.

“Oh? It looks like an idea has popped up in your head,” Zhongli says.

“Can we go outside of the abode?” You ask, squirming around in Al Haitham’s arms like a worm. Al Haitham sighs and puts you down on the ground.

Xiao looks at you suspiciously. “That depends on what you want to do outside of the abode,” Xiao says slowly, raising his eyebrows at you.

You smile at Xiao innocently, swaying left to right with your hands crossed behind your back. Xiao knows you way too well to know what you’re up to, whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Before everyone knows it, they’re close to Dawn Winery, near the body of water where cryo slimes like to roam around. 

“Tighnari, Albedo, Dottore, aren’t you three supposed to be working on a concoction to turn [Y/N] back to their normal selves?” Pierro asks, gazing at the three men that are analyzing the mistflower together. 

Dottore nods his head. “Of course, we are, Pierro! One of the key ingredients to reverse [Y/N]’s situation is a mistflower,” Dottore says, stroking his chin as he gazes at a particular mistflower that is slightly larger than the ones that surround it. 

“This mistflower is strangely bigger than the others,” Tighnari murmurs, looking over at Thoma and gesturing for him to come over. Thoma walks over to where Tighnari, Albedo, and Dottore are standing. 

Thoma has both of his hands propped up on his hips. “What can I do for the three of you?” Thoma asks, smiling at the three men politely. 

The sounds of your squeals and cheers echos the area as you’re sitting on Itto’s shoulders, holding onto his hair tightly while the oni runs around, chasing a cryo slime with his claymore out. 

“Oi! Be careful, you oaf! If you fall, then [Y/N] is going to fall and get injured!” Scaramouche screams from a distance. If people were to look closely, they’d be able to see a giant tick mark on Scaramouche’s forehead as he glares at the loud oni from a distance. 

“Pfft! Relax, Scaramouche! I won’t drop [Y/N] and let them get injured! You can trust me!” Itto screams back at Scaramouche, stopping in his tracks and wiping the bead of sweat from his forehead.

You nod your head and cling to Itto’s head, resting your chin on Itto’s head. “I’ll be okay! Don’t worry!” You said hollered back, patting Itto’s head with a smile on your face. Scaramouche sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to remain calm.

Childe pats Scaramouche’s shoulders with a small smile on his face. “It’ll be okay, Scaramouche. Even though I’m just as worried as you are, you can trust Itto on this one,” Childe says. 

Itto got back to what he was doing, chasing cryo slimes around with you on his shoulders. Usually, it would be the slimes that attack people unprovoked, but this time, it’s Itto that’s the one that is attacking cryo slimes unprovoked. Itto is mainly doing this because you insisted on chasing cryo slimes around, and Itto didn’t want you to get hurt, so he volunteered to be the chaser while you’re the spectator on his shoulders.

Albedo looks away from Thoma and looks back down at the mistflower in front of him, Thoma, Dottore, and Tighnari. “Can you attack this mistflower?” Albedo asks, pointing at the larger mistflower. “We need the mistflower’s corolla for the concoction,” Albedo says, standing up and backing away from the mistflower. Thoma nods his head and does what Albedo has instructed him to do. 

“Great! Now that we got the mistflower, we can finish up the concoction and have [Y/N] drink the elixir to reverse the—” Tighnari gets cut off by the sounds of screaming.

“Watch out!” Aether screams.

The large cryo slime lunges at you and Itto, knocking Itto off his feet and you off of Itto’s shoulders. You fly in the air and plunge into the lukewarm water. Itto groans and rubs his head with Kazuha, Gorou, Venti, and Aether checking up on him to see if he is okay. The other men ran to the edge of the water, panicking over who was going to fish you out of the water while you were flailing around in the water.

You know how to swim, but the longer you flail around in the water, trying to stay afloat, the more exhausted you become. When you plunge into the waters, you accidentally suck in a mouthful of water and breathe in a noseful of water. Your eyes are stinging, your nose hurts, and so does your throat. You cough up water, tears blurring your vision from the water, and you feel sick from the amount of water you’ve accidentally swallowed. 

While flailing around in the water, you failed to notice Capitano jumping into the water and swimming in your direction. Capitano pulls you into his arms before swimming back to shore with you in his arms. You cling onto Capitano tightly and bury your face into his neck, feeling shame and embarrassment slowly creep their way up your chest.

“You’re okay, [Y/N]. You’re safe,” Capitano murmurs into your ears, rubbing your back as he walks over to where the men are standing. 

You whimper softly and continue to keep your face burrowed into his neck, shaking from the cool breeze that is blowing on your damp body. The men immediately hound you and Capitano, shooting questions in your direction, asking you if you’re okay. You nod your head, refusing to look at the men, fearing that they’ll be disappointed in you (and Itto) for being reckless while messing with cryo slimes. 

“Itto, you should’ve been careful!” Pierro says sternly, glaring at the oni, who winces at the volume of Pierro’s voice.

Kaeya glares at Pierro. “He was being careful! No need to raise your voice at him!” 

Pantalone sighs and shakes his head. “Even though Itto was being careful, both Itto and [Y/N] were messing with a large cryo slime, thus getting both of them hurt,” Pantalone says.

You peek from Capitano’s neck and immediately look over at Itto, who looks very upset and guilty. You kick and squirm around; Capitano places you on the ground and watches you run over to Itto, latching yourself onto his leg and comforting the tall oni. 

You pat Itto’s leg to grab his attention. Itto looks down at you; the way he stares down at you reminds you of a kicked puppy. Your lips quivered, and you immediately buried your face into his thighs, gripping his pants tightly. “Stop being mean to Itto,” you whine loudly into Itto’s legs, letting out a series of sniffles.

“[Y/N],” Diluc says softly.

You shake your head, tears continuing to roll down your cheeks, dampening Itto’s pant leg. You peek at the men with a small glare on your face, cheeks wet with ears and eyes bloodshot red. “You guys are mean to Itto! I don’t like mean people,” you said, swatting away Diluc’s hands when he tried to reach for you. 

Childe makes a face and points at Pantalone and Pierro. “Technically, it was the old man over there and Baizhu’s Fatui twin that was being mean to Itto, not us!” Childe says, continuing to point an accusing finger at Pantalone and Pierro. 

“Oh,” you mumble, wiping your tears away. You turn to look at Pierro and Pantalone, glaring at Pantalone and Pierro, mainly Pierro, because of the expression he has on his face. “Apologize to Itto!” You demand, crossing your arms over your chest while standing in front of Itto like a lion cub trying to protect its parent from a predator. 

Dottore smirks and nods his head. “Yes, Pierro! Apologize to the oni!” Dottore crosses his arms over his chest, entertained by what has unfolded in front of him. 

You glare up at Pierro; tiny hands clenched into fists, your small face pinched up with anger, your nose scrunching up. How you see yourself, you see yourself as intimidating, but to the others, you look like an angry kitten ready to throw a hissy fit. It’s adorable, and they just want to pinch your cheeks, but they know if they were to try to, you would most likely bite their fingers off. 

Pierro sighs in defeat. “Itto, I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Pierro says, crossing his arms over his chest.

You turn to look up at Itto and tug lightly on his pants. “Do you accept his apology?” You ask. 

Itto hums for a second and sighs, reluctantly nodding his head. You give Itto another hug and bury your face into his leg. As much as Itto didn’t want to accept Pierro’s half-ass apology, Itto knew that he had to accept Pierro’s apology or else you’ll cause an even bigger scene. 

Dainsleif shakes his head and crosses his arms in front of him. “Let’s head back to the abode. You need to take a bath and change into something clean and dry,” Dainsleif says.

You blink up at Dainsleif. “But I don’t have other clothes that will fit me,” you said softly.

“Aw man, you’re right about that,” Heizou sighs, his head drooping. 

Ayato approaches you and squats in front of you, brushing your damp hair away from your face with a soft smile on his face. “It’s okay, [Y/N]. We’ll figure something out,” Ayato says.

Once you all arrived back to the abode, Dottore, Tighnari, and Albedo went straight to Dottore’s lab with the mistflower. You were unfortunately dragged to your bathroom that is connected to your bedroom for bath time. Xiao and Gorou turned the faucet on in the bathtub and plugged the drain.

“You’ll be getting a bubble bath!” Gorou says, turning to look at you with a big smile on his face. 

Xiao sighs and takes his gloves off, feeling the faucet water to make sure the water isn’t too hot or too cold. “Just don’t splash and make a mess,” Xiao says, not taking his eyes off the bathtub.

“I promise,” You said softly. 

While waiting for the bathtub to be filled halfway, you, Xiao, and Gorou hear a knock at the bathroom door. Gorou gets up from the ground and walks to the bathroom door, opening it to reveal Zhongli with clothes in his hands.

“Childe and Pantalone went out to buy you temporary clothes to wear,” Zhongli says, stepping into the bathroom.

Gorou looks over at you, who stares at the clothing in Zhongli’s hands cluelessly. “What if I wake up the next day and the clothes don’t fit anymore?” You ask.

Zhongli smiles and pats your head. “They’re temporary clothes for a reason, sweetheart. We don’t want you to trip and fall while wearing a much larger shirt,” Zhongli replies.

“Oh, I see…. Okie dokie then,” You said, grabbing the clothes from Zhongli’s hands and putting them on the lid of the toilet.

Xiao shuts the water off and hands the bottle of soap over to Gorou, who pours the liquid into the water and begins mixing it. You stare at the water as bubbles start to form. Once Gorou is finished mixing the water and the soap, Gorou turns to you and takes his hands out of the water, wiping his hand and arms on the towel.

“Your bubble bath is now ready! Take your clothes off and get into the bathtub,” Gorou pats your head before nudging both Xiao and Zhongli to follow him out of the bathroom to give you some privacy. 

You take your clothes off and get into the bathtub, letting the bubbles cover you from the neck down. “I’m done,” you said, reaching for the shampoo bottle and squeezing the shampoo into your hands, scrubbing your hair.

Kazuha peeks his head into the bathroom and gives you a small smile. “They want to give you some privacy. Do you think you can handle bathing alone without any assistance?” Kazuha asks. 

You nod your head. “Yes, I am an independent small person,” you said, continuing to scrub the shampoo into your hair. “Oh, wait, how do I rinse my hair? Do I…” you trail off and dunk your head into the bubbly waters before popping out from the waters. 

You wipe the water and soap away from your eyes and look at the door, only to see an appalled Venti. “Let’s not drown ourselves to rinse our hair now!” Venti laughs nervously. 

“If you need assistance with rinsing your hair, you could simply just say so,” Baizhu sighs from outside of the bathroom.

You reach for the conditioner and squirt it into the palm of your hands. “I know, but it feels awkward having people in the bathroom while I take a bath,” you mumble, massaging the conditioner into your scalp and hair. 

“It’s okay. It doesn’t really affect us at all. Plus, this can train us to be parents,” Kaveh comments from behind the door.

You scrunch your face up. “I feel sorry for whoever is going to be your child,” you said. You hear Kaveh gasps in disbelief at your comment. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say it out loud,” you said sheepishly.

Kaveh turns to look at Al Haitham. “When [Y/N] returns to their normal size, I’m going to fight them,” Kaveh deadpans.

Al Haitham rolls his eyes and leans against the door frame of the bathroom. “If you fight them, then be prepared for me to kick your ass,” Al Haitham states, narrowing his eyes at the blond man in front of him. 

“Why not just have a battle with them in TCG when they return to their normal self?” Cyno asks, rolling his eyes.

You dunk your head back into the water and scrub the conditioner out of your hair. What your three-year-old mind didn’t comprehend was that it was making your hair even soapier with the bubble bath liquid in the bathtub. When you finished “rinsing” your hair and unplugged the drain of the bathtub, you got out of the bathtub and wrapped the towel around your body, waddling to your temporary clothes to change into them.

You open the door and walk out of the bathroom after putting on your clothes. Childe stops you and stares down at you, his hand stroking his chin with one eyebrow raised. “Your hair is still soapy,” Childe comments, reaching for your brush to brush out the knots in your hair.

“You dunk your head into the bathtub, didn’t you?” Diluc asks.

You nod your head.

“We can’t blame them for it. I think a bubble bath is more suitable after we wash their hair,” Aether says, propping his hands on his hips.

“Well, at least they’re cleaned now!” Itto says, patting your damp head with a smile on his face. 

Gorou hums and touches your wet hair. “We still need to wash the remaining soap and shampoo out of their hair and dry them,” Gorou says, wiping the soap residue off his hands with the towel in your hand.

“Back to the bathroom, we go!” Heizou announces. He picks you up by your waist and carries you back inside your bathroom to rinse your hair in the sink. 

After rinsing, drying, and brushing your hair, you sit at the dining table for dinner (lunch was skipped because you all spent lunchtime at the lake near Dawn Winery, which ended up in a disaster), waiting for food to be made. Dottore, Tighnari, and Albedo walk into the dining room with a cup that contains the concoction in Albedo’s hands.

“We have completed the concoction that should reverse the elixir that [Y/N] drank yesterday,” Albedo says, walking over to you and handing the cup over to you.

“Drink slowly now. We don’t want you to choke on the concoction,” Tighnari says. 

You grab the cup and take huge gulps of the concoction. You nearly gagged when the liquid touched your tongue, but you held back the gag and continued to drink the rest of the potion. It tastes like slime condensate (don’t ask) mixed with lizard tail (again, don’t ask) and mint. Once you have finished the concoction, you hand the cup back to Albedo and clutch your stomach with your face pinching up.

“Oh, dear. Is the concoction making you feel nauseous?” Dottore asks.

You nod your head and rest your chin on the table. “I feel like I’m going to puke,” you whine, kicking your legs back and forth.

“Please don’t throw up,” Venti pleads, kneeling beside you.

You sit back in your seat and sigh, resting your head on the back of the chair and closing your eyes, waiting for nausea to pass by. Dinner was the same as breakfast— instead of you feeding yourself, it was one of the men that spoon-fed you. The first time it was Scaramouche; this time, it’s Kazuha that is feeding you dinner because of your poor motor skills and clumsiness. 

“You ate the entire thing! I’m so proud of you!” Kazuha coos, pinching your cheeks gently with a sweet smile on his face.

You feel your face heat up and burrow your face into Kazuha’s arms, shying away from that gentle smile of his. You can’t tell if you’re blushing or if it was the concoction that was making your face heat up, like how it made your stomach hot after ingesting the liquid. Kazuha chuckles softly and ruffles your hair affectionately before kissing the top of your head, thus causing your face to feel even hotter than it already is.

Dinner soon comes to an end, and you find yourself lying in your bed, surrounded by your body pillow and stuffed animals that the men have gathered for you when they see something you like. You lay down and snuggle up against your body pillow, looking over at the door and around your room.

The men bid you goodnight about fifteen minutes ago, and you’re not able to sleep. You couldn’t tell if it was because of the number of thoughts running through your mind or if it was because the shadow at the corner of your bedroom looked like a boogeyman, ready to snatch you up. You whine softly and kick your blankets off your body before running out of your bedroom, running to the closest bedroom you can reach. Actually, you didn’t run to the nearest bedroom you could reach; you ran to the ex-archon’s bedroom because of the stories he told you about his prime time as an archon earlier today. Surely a man as strong as Zhongli can protect you from the monsters lurking in the darkness of your bedroom. 

You burst into Zhongli’s bedroom, grabbing the man’s attention. He was sitting in the corner of his room, reading a book.

“Oh? Do you need something?” Zhongli asks, closing his book and getting up from the seat, walking over to you.

You nod your head shyly. “Can I pretty please sleep in here? My room is too dark, and I don’t like being alone in the dark,” you said softly, slowly walking further into Zhongli’s bedroom. Zhongli smiles and nods his head, motioning for you to enter. You scramble towards Zhongli’s bed and climb on the bed by standing on the wooden bed frame and burrow yourself into Zhongli’s pillows and blankets while Zhongli closes his bedroom door. 

“Are you going to go to sleep too?” You ask as Zhongli approaches you and tucks you into his bed, pressing a kiss on your forehead.

“I will go to bed in a few minutes. You can go ahead and sleep now,” Zhongli says.

You stare up at Zhongli. “But I can’t sleep without snuggling up to something,” you said softly.

Zhongli chuckles and presses another kiss on your head. “Alright, give me a minute,” Zhongli says. 

Zhongli walks over to the book that he had placed down and puts it back on the shelf. Zhongli walks over to his bed, gets under the covers, and turns the lights off. Once the lights are off, you realize that Zhongli’s bedroom is even darker than your room. You squeak and latch yourself onto Zhongli’s arms, burying your face into Zhongli’s chest.

“It’ll be alright, [Y/N]. You’re safe with me,” Zhongli whispers, wrapping his arms around you and letting you lay your head on his chest, stroking your hair gently. “I won’t let anyone or anything harm you. I promise,” Zhongli murmurs, kissing the crown of your head. 

You close your eyes and slowly drift off to sleep, continuing to grip Zhongli’s night shirt as you fall asleep. The very next day, the men didn’t see you in your room. It nearly sent them into panic mode until they crashed into Zhongli’s room, only to see you back to your normal self, sleeping beside Zhongli. Topless. 

“You pervert!” Scaramouche screams, grabbing the nearest object on the ground, and chucks it at Zhongli’s head. 

Before the book can meet Zhongli’s head, he puts up a shield, and the book bounces off and lands on the ground. You hold the blanket up to your chest and rub your eyes, groggy from your sleep. 

“Relax, I went in here last night because I was scared of sleeping alone in the dark,” you said, looking around Zhongli’s room. “Can someone hand me a shirt or a coat for me? I am not leaving this bed without something covering me,” You said.

Childe quickly rushes over to you and tosses his jacket over your face. You grumble and slip the jacket on, and zip up the jacket. You slowly get out of Zhongli’s bed and sigh in relief when you notice that your underwear has at least grown with you as well, unlike the torn shirt on Zhongli’s bed. You grab the shirt and quickly peck Zhongli’s cheeks before rushing out of your room to change into something that actually fits you.

Kaveh looks over at Zhongli and shoots him a glare. “You lucky fucker,” Kaveh grumbles.

Zhongli quirks up an eyebrow at Kaveh before the others slowly trickle out of his room. Zhongli runs his hands through his hair and sighs. “What an interesting way to wake up,” Zhongli mutters, getting out of his bed to get ready for the day.

Note: Since Scaramouche's banner is out, I will be changing his outfit in the story and he will still be electro, but he'll be special and have two visions in the newer fics ✨ I hope all of you Scaramouche wanters have Scaramouche himself :> I got him on my first ten pulls along with Faruzan ^^ He's level 90, but I'm still working on getting him decent artifacts because farming for artifacts is not fun at all 💀 I also prefarmed some terrorshroom and dendro cube drops for Al Haitham, only to find out that he uses a completely different material that'll be released in 3.4 🥹 pain. Anyway! For those who are new here or are returning readers, I ONLY post on my Tumblr (Genshinluvr) and my AO3 (Aaliah_exo)! Nowhere else except Tumblr and AO3!

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