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whumpmatsus · 3 years

Note

Ahh maybe....4A for Choro? 👉👈💚

Ultimate Whump Writing Meme! / ACCEPTING!

4. Chronic/long-term conditions

A: Asthma

maybe she says, as if I wouldn't be ALL OVER this concept with my grubby lil hands XD

as someone with asthma myself (though not nearly as bad as Choro's, I only have a rescue inhaler and am not on any maintenance medication for it) I drew on my own experiences and maybe intensified them a little to make my boy suffer!

leans a bit toward allergies being a big trigger for Choro, but other stuff as well! (I'm just an allergy whore, allergies and asthma often show up as a duet, and allergies can be a significant asthmatic trigger)

... and as someone who also suffers from anxiety, definitely the bits about working oneself up into making an asthma attack worse because of anxiety are as real as it gets, babes, I can testify 😎

anyways this is kinda Allmatsu but definitely has a Wakaba spin because I haven't written Wakaba in a while!

I hope it makes ur asthmatic Choro dreams come true 💚

As it stands, Choromatsu’s asthma at the moment could be so much worse than it is, and he’s grateful for that.

After all, especially during his last year of high school and the year immediately following, it was bad. A high pollen count could have him taking hits from his rescue inhaler off and on for the entire day thanks to his allergies, even while hiding indoors. A particularly vigorous exercise during physical education could throw him into an asthma attack so bad it led to an anxiety attack because he couldn’t breathe. It’s taken a few years of using a maintenance inhaler, and some work trying to avoid excessive amounts of his triggers, but finally it’s less intense than it used to be.

Getting it under control has made life so much easier. He can go outside without worrying too much about the pollen. He can tolerate Ichimatsu’s cats in the house. Cold air doesn’t freeze his lungs. The linger of cigarette smoke when he hugs his father doesn’t leave him coughing for the rest of the day. He can run short distances and not be paranoid about having trouble breathing afterwards. He doesn’t have to panic that a simple cold will literally take his breath away.

The most problematic thing is that there is such a concept as the perfect storm, and it seems that Choromatsu is overdue to be suffering.

He knew the pollen count was high when he woke up to most of his brothers sneezing, as well as doing some himself. No big deal, Mom made sure they all got some allergy medicine at breakfast, and most of the time it does the trick. It’s probably the wind blowing pollen around, making them all a little miserable.

Thankfully, though, everyone is feeling much better by lunch, although it starts to rain without much warning. The house feels icy; although the rain is more a gentle storm than an outright downpour, the temperature has dropped a bit. All the brothers start to shiver, so once they’ve eaten, all of them except Ichimatsu gravitate toward the spare room. A chilly, rainy day means they all snuggle up with each other, watch movies, and probably doze off.

Ichimatsu, on the other hand, slips out briefly to check on his cats in the alley. He pulls his hood up and says he’ll be back in like twenty minutes; his deadpan delivery of, “Start the movie and I’ll be back before anything important happens” makes them chuckle, because, well, that’s Ichimatsu.

Despite the fact that he hasn’t been feeling too badly up until now, the cold air is starting to creep into Choromatsu’s chest. Being hit with this and hayfever is like a double whammy for his asthma, so his hope is that if he warms up a little, he might be able to avoid feeling worse.

He can’t help the anxiety that starts to kick in as he settles in under a couple blankets with Jyushimatsu. How long has it been since the last time he had an asthma attack? Months,he’s pretty sure. Maybe a year or more since he had one that was bad enough to scare him.

Shit… where’s my rescue inhaler…?

Obviously he took his daily dose from the maintenance inhaler this morning, as he does every morning, to lessen the likelihood of an attack. However, he still has the prescription for his rescue inhaler, though, just in case he does have an attack.

And although he puts the rescue inhaler in his pocket when he leaves the house, when he’s just hanging around inside, he doesn’t keep it on his person. It’s probably in the drawer of the bedside table in their bedroom, he thinks. He wasn’t out in town or anything yesterday, so he didn’t take it out. He didn’t even think about touching it yesterday… so… it should be there.

He tries his best to shove those thoughts down. It doesn’t matter where his rescue inhaler is, because he’s not going to need it, because he’s not going to have an asthma attack. All he needs is to calm down and not get himself worked up about it. Getting anxious makes everything a million times worse. He just… needs to cuddle up and let his little brother’s body heat seep into him. Once he’s warm, the tightness in his chest will go away and everything will be fine.

So he leans toward Jyushimatsu, who laughs before pressing himself in against Choromatsu. “Choromatsu-nii-san! Osomatsu-nii-san found that old rom-com you used to really like in high school! We wanna watch that first!”

“O-oh…” … Oh. He remembers that movie being incredibly cheesy, no matter how sweet it seemed when he was a hopeless teenager daydreaming of true love. Still, if everyone else wants to watch it, who is he to say no? “Yeah, that… that sounds good. Here, let’s just try to get comfortable…”

A string of coughs escapes as he puts an arm around Jyushimatsu. It’s not that bad, it doesn’t feel like he can’t breathe… he’ll feel better when he gets warmer. It makes him wince a bit all the same.

“Aaah?” Jyushimatsu is only too happy to nuzzle into the contact, but he tilts his head up. “Hey?? Are you okay, Choromatsu-nii-san? Are you getting sick?”

He quickly shakes his head and swallows. “No, no… I-I’m fine. Sorry. The cold air is just, you know, m-making my chest feel a little tight.”

His little brother immediately rubs his head against Choromatsu’s chest, as if that’s going to be any help at all. “Do you need your backup inhaler thing? I can go get it!”

“No… I-I think I’ll be okay. Don’t worry, Jyushimatsu.” He has to admit, though, having someone so close feels nice. “Just… help me warm up, haha.”

And of course, the eager-to-please fifth eldest takes the job very seriously. He cozies up to Choromatsu almost like an affectionate puppy, and one of his arms slips around to pat his older brother’s back.

It makes Choromatsu feel slightly better; at the very least, a little more relaxed. Sometimes if he can keep his anxiety down and he doesn’t whip himself into a frenzy, a potential asthma attack flickers out of existence before it even happens.

So he tries to breathe normally, focusing on that and the movie to distract him from the anxiety. Almost as soon as it starts, he finds that he can practically recite every line verbatim. Wow, how many times did I watch this in high school?? Like every afternoon? As silly as it is, he actually enjoys it just as much as he did when he was younger ― it’s almost like a comfort film.

Just as the plot is starting to get underway, the door to the room opens. In comes Ichimatsu… carrying ESP Kitty. “Hey, guys. ESP Kitty’s gonna camp out here for the night. I think he wants to be inside with us.”

“Woooow, you can tell??” Jyushimatsu marvels at that, clearly impressed by what he might think of as Ichimatsu ‘speaking cat’, rather than Ichimatsu just wanting one of his favorite cats inside while it’s raining. “Come sit by us, then! I wanna pet him!”

Ichimatsu shrugs before coming over and sitting next to Jyushimatsu. As soon as he does, ESP Kitty mewls and hops into Jyushimatsu’s blanket-covered lap. He starts to pet the cat enthusiastically, rubbing between his ears and giggling when it earns him a happy purr.

The fourth eldest turns to the screen, then scoffs as he reaches for a handful of popcorn. “Told you I’d be back before anything important happened. Is this that dumb scene with the roses and shit?”

“I-it’s not dumb,” Choromatsu huffs, if only to cover up his mounting panic. The pollen he could deal with. Even the cold air would probably be okay. But pollen, cold air, and a cat sitting less than 20 centimeters away from him? He was already starting to feel a bit out of breath before ESP Kitty joined them; he can’t imagine this is going to go any way other than bad.

“Tch, whatever. No accounting for taste, I guess.” Ichimatsu pauses. “… Uh. Cold air getting to you?”

Choromatsu frowns, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Is his breathing starting to get audibly crappy? “Um… that and… and allergies.”

“Mh.” It doesn’t seem to hit Ichimatsu why his brother chose to say allergies instead of hayfever. “They were bugging me earlier too. Do you need someone to go get your inhaler?”

“No… i-it’s not that bad right now.” Why is he even saying that? Why can’t he just ask Ichimatsu to move ESP Kitty out of the room because he’s worried that a triple threat is going to trigger an asthma attack? Why is he like this?

Why don’t any of the others realize just how bad this day has been for his stupid lungs? Is it just because none of them have asthma so they don’t think about it like he does? Even Jyushimatsu, who was the first one to notice that Choromatsu might be having a flare-up, seems not to recognize that having a cat so close in addition to the other things is going to be a problem.

Now that the anxiety has come back for an encore, and there’s one more added trigger in the mix, he doesn’t really last too long. He does his best to lean back a bit from Jyushimatsu in an attempt to put distance between himself and ESP Kitty… and it doesn’t work, predictably. Allergies and asthma don’t work like that, and anxiety especially doesn’t work like that.

His chest starts to feel tight again. Another handful of coughs is muffled into the crook of his elbow. When he tries to breathe, it’s beginning to feel like he’s trying to breathe through a straw. It’s like something heavy is sitting on his chest, refusing to let his lungs get a good breath in.

None of his insistence that it’s not going to happen, none of his efforts to divert his attention, work anymore. Gradually it becomes harder and harder to draw any air in. Even though he’s getting better at having power over his anxiety, that mental strength just doesn’t apply when it comes to allergies and asthma.

All things being equal, he’s pretty helpless in the face of an impending asthma attack. It’s not something he can ‘talk himself down’ from like he sometimes can with an anxiety attack.

What gets his brothers’ attention is likely the sound of Choromatsu coughing even more, coupled with the sound of him wheezing as he tries desperately to get a decent breath in. The wheezing is a sound that, as soon as they hear it, throws them all into high-alert mode, because it’s the hallmark of him having trouble breathing.

Being so close, Jyushimatsu notices it first, giving a couple of pats to Choromatsu’s back. His initial line of thought is probably that it might be just a brief coughing fit from the cold air or getting a tickle in his throat or something; a few firm thumps to the back usually helps clear something like that. Not this time. “Choromatsu-nii-san!! You’re having trouble breathing?”

It’s hard to talk, but he manages to get out a quiet, squeaky answer of, “Y-yeah, I… think I’m… h-having an asthma attack…” More coughing follows, and he’s willing his lungs to get something in, anything, anything better than this. It feels like as soon as he takes a breath he’s taking another, and another, and another, like his own body is trying to smother him.

That’s when everyone else turns almost comically in sync to look at him. Those are the words that always make the rest of his brothers sit up and take notice, “I’m having an asthma attack,” especially when he struggles to even say them.

Once it’s clicked for the others, Ichimatsu is quick to get to his feet, grabbing ESP Kitty from Jyushimatsu’s lap. “Shit, Choromatsu… I forgot you’re allergic. Let me move ESP Kitty downstairs.”

“Where’s your emergency inhaler?” Osomatsu is up in an instant as well, heading for the door along with Ichimatsu. “Do you have it? Or is it in the drawer in the bedroom?”

Still wheezing, and starting to panic a little, all Choromatsu can do is nod. “In… in the drawer…”

More coughs bubble up as his airway tightens more. His eyes are starting to water, and through a film of tears he can see Karamatsu following the others. “Drinking ice water helps you sometimes too, right? I’ll go get a glass.”

“Y… yeah… okay…”

Every word is like a gamble, because speaking uses up precious air that he’s not getting enough of right now. It feels like his lungs are barely pulling anything in, like something is compressing his chest. It’s almost like drowning on dry land.

“Aaaah, Choromatsu-nii-san…” He thinks Totty is up as well now, going for the door. “I think I read somewhere that caffeine can help asthma symptoms! Karamatsu-nii-san is bringing ice water, but, I’ll go make some coffee for you too.”

Everyone is trying so hard to help him, and frustratingly enough is that Choromatsu can’t really help himself. If he had his inhaler right here in his pocket or something, he could have used it as soon as he started having real trouble breathing. Instead, he hasn’t had a severe attack in so long, he got a little complacent. He forgot that it could bethis bad.

Jyushimatsu has taken his hoodie off, leaving him in just a plain white T-shirt, seeming to understand that if he wants to be near Choromatsu right now, he needs to ditch the clothing with cat hair all over it. “Aaah, Choromatsu-nii-san…?? It’s okay… Osomatsu-nii-san is gonna be back with your inhaler in a couple seconds! It’s gonna be okay!”

By this point Choromatsu can feel his face starting to turn red from the effort it’s taking to get half a breath in. He can’t stop coughing. His chest hurts. Every almost-breath ends with noisy wheezing.

He’s glad Jyushimatsu is here and trying to keep him from getting any more panicky, at least… if he works himself into an anxiety attack over not being able to breathe, it’s going to turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. He doesn’t stay calm and the only thing he can look forward to is a trip to the hospital.

Just as he’s closing his eyes and leaning in against Jyushimatsu, there’s a clamor of frantic footsteps coming back into the room. For whatever reason, even through the oxygen-deprived haze and anxiety, he can tell they belong to his oldest brother. “I got it! Choromatsu! Shit… how does this thing work, again? I just put it in his mouth and push down on the top??”

“No… there’s a cap on it, nii-san, you have to take that off. And you have to shake it up first. Mmmmm, here, lemme do it! I got it, I got it.” There’s a telltale pop, the rattling of the inhaler being shaken, then Choromatsu feels himself being jostled around a bit. “Here, Choro-nii-san. We got your medicine, so open up!”

Before he can even really focus on doing so, the mouthpiece of the inhaler is pressed between his lips. “Okay, I’m gonna press down on the top, and when I do that, try to breathe in!”

Choromatsu can recall doing this countless times throughout his last year of high school, and the year after, and frequently in the years following. It’s practically second nature to inhale as deeply as he can as soon as he feels the aerosolized medication mist into his mouth.

With some level of practiced perfection, he holds his breath as long as he can, letting the medicine travel its way down to his lungs. One puff is usually sufficient to open things up enough so he no longer feels like he’s in danger of suffocating. He feels his face getting a bit less red and hot, and he’s able to gasp in a nearly complete breath.

Osomatsu’s hand is rubbing his back gently. “How’s that, Choro? Can you breathe okay?”

He nods, taking in another breath. Thank God, the tightness is starting to go away a little bit. “B… better. Oh, my God.” Several more coughs force their way out, and he weakly reaches up to take his inhaler from Jyushimatsu. “H-here… I think I can… do it myself now. Pretty sure I… I need another hit.”

“Okay!” The inhaler is carefully shoved into his hand, and even though he’s said he can do it himself, Jyushimatsu tries to help raise his hand up to his mouth. It makes Choromatsu chuckle a little, which turns into another couple of coughs.

With that, the process repeats, breathing in the medicine with the second puff. As soon as it hits his lungs, he starts feeling much better.

Around that time is when Karamatsu returns, sitting down in front of them and handing over a glass that’s probably more ice than water. “Ah,thank goodness you got your medication, brother. Here… drink this, it should help even more.”

“Thanks, Kara.” His hands are always a bit shaky after using the rescue inhaler, some side effect, so he’s cautious as he brings it to his lips to drink. “I-I didn’t mean to scare you guys…”

Osomatsu shifts his hand up to run through Choromatsu’s hair, while Jyushimatsu takes over rubbing his back. “What the hell even happened? You haven’t had an attack like that in a long time. Was it ‘cause the pollen count is high today? Then you should’ve felt better after we took our allergy meds…”

“But then it got really cold when it started raining,” Jyushimatsu points out. “The cold air was bothering him.”

Karamatsu hums. “And then Ichimatsu brought ESP Kitty inside, sitting very close to Choromatsu.”

Jyushimatsu nuzzles against Choromatsu’s shoulder. “Three strikes and nii-san’s out!”

“Oof, that’s right,” Osomatsu pouts. “No wonder you had an attack with all that going on. Sorry we didn’t notice sooner.”

Choromatsu shakes his head and goes to take another hit from the inhaler. He’s really only supposed to do it twice, but he uses it so rarely, the doctor has told him a third puff if he thinks he needs it is okay as long as he doesn’t make a habit of it. “Y-you don’t have to be sorry. I was… starting to feel a little short of breath after lunch, but… I didn’t say anything. I-I didn’t think it was that bad.”

He takes another few sips of the water, sighing in relief when he feels like he can breathe almost totally fine again. “I… should have gone to get my inhaler… when my chest started to feel tight. Then Ichimatsu came in with ESP Kitty and… that k-kind of… pushed everything over the edge. But I… I think I’m okay now.”

“Do you need us to do anything else?” Jyushimatsu moves around so he can lie down in his big brother’s lap. “We’ll take really good care of you!”

He laughs softly, and feels his anxiety quiet down to a low murmur in the background when it doesn’t make him cough. “No… that’s okay. I-I feel a lot better. Totty’s making some coffee, and that should help keep me from having another attack. Plus I’ll keep my inhaler close, just in case.”

With that, he tucks the inhaler into his pocket and sets a hand against Jyushimatsu’s head, leaning his own on Osomatsu’s shoulder. “Thanks. Once Ichimatsu and Totty are back… h-how about we just finish the movie? It’s, um… almost to the really good part, so we should… rewind it a little.”

Jyushimatsu offers one of his typical boisterous laughs. “Ahahah! Choromatsu-nii-san is back to normal!”

“Y-yeah…” Choromatsu scrapes up a smile of his own and takes another sip of water. “Thanks to you guys.”

#Osomatsu san #whump #Wakabamatsu #Choromatsu #Jyushimatsu #Osomatsu #Ichimatsu #Karamatsu #Totty #asthma #asthma attack #anxiety #caretaking #inhaler use #EYYYYYYY I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH TEA #our poor boy ahahaha

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actress4him · 3 years

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ahhh I'm so excited for the whump bingo series! can you do pidge in either 'caught in a snare' or in 'clawing at own throat'? ^^

This one...fought with me. I knew right away what kind of trap I wanted to use once I saw it online, but I had a hard time figuring out what scenario exactly to use that made sense and wouldn’t be too long or too short. But here it is, I finished it, and I hope it’s to your liking, Anon!

@badthingshappenbingo

Prompt: Caught in a Snare

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Warnings: near drowning, death mention

“I hate the outdoors.”

“Yeah,” Lance replies drily. “You mentioned that. A few times.”

Growling, Pidge kicks at a piece of rotting wood in her path. “It’s getting more and more true by the minute.”

The trek continues in silence for a minute, though she hardly notices the lack of conversation for all the rustling and tweeting and whatever other disgusting natural noises are going on around them and all of the furious thoughts pouring through her head. That is, until Lance decides to speak up again and say,

“You know you’re supposed to be like, the Guardian of Nature, right?”

“Shut up, Lance, I literally never asked for that title!” she hisses, narrowing her eyes at him briefly before returning her gaze to the path. Her luck, she’d end up tripping over something. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I love Green, but I’m much more into the curiosity and technology part, not the nature part.”

Silence again. “For what it’s worth,” he offers after a minute, “I’m not enjoying the situation, either.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’d be concerned if you were.” After all, when the two of them had agreed to come here to look for some rare fruit Allura and Coran wanted to trade with another potential Coalition planet, having all of their electronic devices - including Green - fail them so that they had to hike through the freakin’ jungle was not exactly part of the plan.

Her head and ribs still hurt from the rough landing. Nothing broken, thankfully, but she’s pretty sure she’s got some nice looking bruises. So, sue her if she’s a little grumpy. She feels she has the right.

And what jungle is cold, anyway? Not cold enough that she needs to keep her helmet sealed, but much colder than a jungle should be.

Space is so weird.

“Hey, I think I hear water over there.” Lance points somewhere to their right, through the endless trees. “If it’s a river or a creek we should try following it.”

Sighing, Pidge nods. It’s a good idea, and she’s not sure she would have thought of it. Wilderness survival isn’t really her forte. “Yeah, okay. Maybe luck will be on our side for once today and we can get a drink, too. I’ve still got that tester thing Coran gave me to see if it’s safe.”

“A drink sounds amazing right about now.”

There is a river, a rather large one at that, and it doesn’t take them long to find it. The vibrant turquoise color is a little off-putting, as is the steep embankment, but Pidge is determined to test it anyway and try to get them that drink they’re both craving.

“Over here, I see a path down.” She heads out in front of Lance, picking her way through the underbrush to a spot where it’s slightly less overgrown. Likely either animals or locals have been using the spot to get their own drinks from the river.

“Don’t fall!” Lance calls good-naturedly from a few yards behind.

Pidge is just about to throw a snarky response over her shoulder when something latches onto her ankle and her feet are suddenly yanked out from underneath her. Her already sore body slams backwards onto the ground. Vaguely she can hear Lance cackling at her, but she doesn’t have time to focus on it.

There’s some kind of twine wrapped around her ankle, and there’s a boulder tumbling down the embankment next to her toward the water, and somehow the two are connected and she’s being dragged swiftly down the hill with them.

It all happens in a matter of seconds. She throws her hands out, grasping at plants and roots and anything else she can find, but all she ends up with is a fistful of purple leaves and a ripped glove.

Right before she reaches the water Lance’s laughter turns into yelling. Then the boulder hits the surface with a loud splash, and she follows right behind it. It’s like being plunged into an ice bath. Automatically her mouth opens to gasp from the cold, but she stops herself just short of actually inhaling.

The river is deeper than it looked from above. The rock is still sinking, and it’s still pulling her with it. Down, down, where the water becomes less turquoise and more murky grey. Pidge fights against it, tries to swim upward, back to the surface, but the rock is far heavier than she is. Even when she kicks on her jet pack, it just sputters and barely halts the downward progress. There’s no way she’s going to be able to tug the rock back up with her.

Looking down, she can just barely see the twine where it wraps around her ankle and disappears into the darkness. If she can’t swim back up with that attached, then obviously she’s going to have to get rid of it.

Her lungs are already starting to ache.

Releasing a few bubbles, she bends over and pulls at the twine, but it’s so tight it would be cutting into her ankle if not for her armor. She can’t get even a fingernail underneath it.

A muted splash echoes through the water, and she lets a little bit more air out when she looks up to see Lance diving swiftly toward her. His eyes are wide behind his sealed faceplate. Pidge gives a pointed tug on the twine, and he nods, swimming with practiced ease down to her feet. Grabbing it with both hands, he attempts to break it, then moves up to her foot and finds out the same thing she did, it’s too tight to slip off.

There’s not much air left in her lungs, and most of what’s there slips past her lips without her permission. Her chest is beginning to burn.

Lance is making weird motions at her with his hands, but she’s having a hard time focusing on them past the black dots dancing in front of her eyes. Those are...probably not a good sign.

Finally he swims back up next to her, patting her hip as he leans in close to her ear. “Bayard!” she barely makes out.

Oh. Yeah. She’s gonna blame the lack of oxygen for not thinking of that herself.

She can barely see anymore, but she summons her bayard to her hand and attempts to lean down toward her foot. At this point she’s gonna be lucky if she doesn’t slice her leg off accidentally. But then Lance’s hands are wrapping around hers, and he’s guiding her downwards. Just before the black spots completely take over and her body goes limp, she feels the tension on her ankle release.

The next thing she’s aware of is lying on her side in a patch of dirt, coughing violently and spitting out gross river water while something slaps her on the back. She only realizes that the something is probably Lance’s hand when he leans over into her face.

“Oh, thank goodness! I thought I was gonna have to do rescue breaths and put my lips on your lips and I just -”

“Lance, please.” She coughs again, and wonders briefly if maybe she swallowed some seaweed or a fish or something because it feels like there’s one stuck in her chest somewhere. “I’m trying...not to throw up right now. I don’t...don’t need that visual.”

“Yeah. Same.” He falls back onto his butt, staring at her with traces of fear still on his face. “I would have done it, though, to, you know...save you. That, uh...really scared me. I barely got it cut before you passed out and the bayard went back to neutral and then you were like, dead...well, not actually dead, obviously, but you looked dead and then you weren’t breathing and I -”

“Lance.” Another cough, and a shiver racks her body. “Thank you.”

He screeches to a halt, then relaxes into a smile. “You’re welcome. Sorry I, uh...kinda laughed at you. I thought you had fallen down right after I said ‘don’t fall down’, and...yeah.”

The shivers are getting worse now. “Technically I...did. Just...not my fault.”

Lance’s smile morphs into a frown. “We’ve gotta get you dried off and warmed up somehow.”

Finally gathering her energy, Pidge pushes herself up to sit, wrapping her arms around her body as if it’ll somehow help dispel the ice that has taken over. “N-not sure how that’s...gonna happen...in the middle of the...quizn-nacking jungle.”

Glancing back over his shoulder as if a solution will magically appear - and well, they are in space, stranger things have happened - Lance sighs and moves to stand up. “Maybe we should keep moving. That might help you warm up, and eventually we have to run into some civilization, right? Coran said there were sentient aliens on this planet.”

“Yeah, and s-somebody had to have set up th-that trap.” Moving is the last thing she wants to do right now. Her headache from before has multiplied exponentially in strength, and her ribs did not appreciate all the coughing she just did. She wants to curl back up on the ground and not move again for a century or two. But she allows Lance to throw her arm over his shoulder and pull her up to her feet, even if she groans dramatically in the process.

“Well, I think we should just keep following this river - not quite so closely this time - and see wh-”

This time he cuts off without an interruption from Pidge, and she looks up to see what he’s staring at. It’s aliens. A whole pack of them, bipedal and four-armed in multiple shades of green fur that almost blends in with the trees, and they’re armed with spears and axes.

They’re probably the ones that set the snare, and now they’ve come to see what they caught. Which, unfortunately, is them.

“Uh, hi guys,” Lance squeaks. “We’re, um. We’re the Paladins of Voltron. Any chance you’ve heard of us?”

This sets off an immediate wave of whispers through the group. The alien in front straightens from their defensive position and steps forward. “Voltron? The rumors are true, then? Voltron lives?”

Pidge can feel the tension leave Lance’s body. “Yes! Yes, Voltron has returned! We came here in one of the Voltron Lions to look for supplies, but something on your planet has interfered with our devices. We need help to contact our team and to find what we’re looking for.” He glances over at Pidge, whose teeth are clenched tightly to keep them from clacking together. “And she needs to get warm before she gets sick.”

The lead alien turns to have a whispered consultation with the others before nodding at Lance. “Very well. Follow us, and we will assist you.”

Another removes their heavy-looking cape and approaches carefully, draping it around Pidge’s shoulders. Immediately she melts into the warmth. “There will be a fire waiting for us in the village.”

“S-sounds great,” she manages.

Lance smiles, pulling her in a bit tighter. “Thank you.”

——————————

Instructions for requesting a square here!

#badthingshappenbingo #caught in a snare #prompt fill #voltron: legendary defender #voltron whump #pidge whump #voltron pidge #voltron lance #drowning tw #death mention tw #pidge gunderson #katie holt #vld pidge #vld #voltron fanfiction #voltron fic #vld fanfic

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miss-kittys-magical-library · 3 years

Text

You Are My Sunshine

From the MoonBrella Academy

Warnings: some angst and fluff A/N: Honey and Leon are left with the aftermath of Klaus's decision to tear apart another timeline by rescuing his infant self from the same childhood he endured at the hand's of The Monocle. Selina, though, couldn't be any more delighted.

Part 1 Sweet Child O Mine

Honey stood full of bewilderment in the middle of the living room. The flash of blue light temporarily blinded her making the 27 year old lose her bearings. She stumbled, caught herself and clutched the bundle to her chest out of instinct. It began to cry.

The young mother remembered herself then. In her daze, she had proffered a pinky finger to the infant. He accepted and sucked on it hungrily for only a few moments.

Honey knew in her very soul that the man from the portal, the man from outside the abortion clinic in 1968 and the man in the FBI posters from 1963 were one and the same. That he and this baby she cradled and Leon were identical but not. His name was Klaus. Nicklaus. Sunny. Their Sunny. He came from her. From Leon. WAS Leon. She saw that in his eyes. His cheeks. That all too brief gummy smile when Klaus had reluctantly handed the baby over.

Annoyed with only a finger to suck on, the baby started to wail. Not cry. A bone rattling scream that Honey never once heard from Selina. She stared at the little boy who had freed an arm to tug on his ear. He moved into a full-bodied tremble while his lip quivered.

“Shhh,” Honey cooed. She swayed back and forth to soothe the screaming child. “You know when Leon gets upset, his lip does that too?” She used her index finger to wiggle Sunny’s as a distraction.

He inhaled with a violent shudder. Wild green eyes locked with Honey’s before he cried at the top of his lungs once more. His eyes never leave hers except occasionally to gaze downwards over her chest. She knew Sunny was starving as the tears spilled down her own face. There weren't any bottles or formula or anything for him available. Selina never used one anyway. She went from the tit to the sippy cup.

Now he curled his little fingers around the muslin of Honey’s shirt. She cocked an eyebrow as he tugged trying to free her breast from its covering.

“Cheeky little pervert! You must be Leon?” she giggled and separated Sunny’s fingers from her shirt. The little boy screamed again this time louder. He yanked at her and wailed like a banshee. Honey covered her ear with one hand, “Jesus! You'll wake the dead!!”

Almost on cue, Sunny's tiny fist balled tight around Honey’s shirt began to glow. It shined a brilliant blue that matched the portal Klaus had stepped through. Because she wasn't offering her breast to him, the little one shoved his free hand into his mouth. It shone with the same light.

“What in Saint Jude?” Honey used her fingertip to spread his little fist open. She traced her nail along his now opened palm, fascinated. “This is beautiful..”

“Hey Gracie.”

There was a voice behind Honey. One she knew but hadn't heard. That thick Brooklyn accent. The scent of whiskey and cigarettes. The tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she turned to look. To see her Uncle Lenny that she missed every day. That she longed to talk to about her life. But Sunny went back to his screaming, and Honey knew Lenny was gone.

“I CAN'T FEED YOU! I WASN'T PREGNANT WITH YOU SO I'M NOT EQUIPPED. PLEASE STOP CRYING! I'M SORRY HE TOOK YOU AWAY FROM A VERSION OF ME WHO COULD PROVIDE FOR YOU!”

Honey began to weep now. She felt helpless. Disconnected from the infant she rocked gently without thought. As if a tiny part of her brain that beat her down and told her she failed Selina. There was a reason the little girl preferred Leon to her. That Honey just wasn't good enough.

Now here she was unable to do the simplest thing, calm a crying infant. Her big fat tears poured onto Sunny’s face, and his crying ceased immediately. He blinked those indescribable eyes a few times before inhaling as deep as his little lungs could manage. She braced herself for another brain piercing howl. Instead he exhaled a coo wrapped up in a smile while staring directly in his new mother’s own eyes.

And there it started, a tether from Honey’s heart to the little boy’s. He tangled his fingers around her hair that brushed over his cheeks as she started to laugh. It trickled down to Sunny and through him. He responded with giggles that lit a fire in Honey’s chest. Quite literally.

Her breast and nipple felt like they were ablaze. She winced and gasped at the pain before taking one in her hand and held it tightly. The searing took her breath away before it spilled out on to her grip in the form of liquid. Honey's breast started leaking.

Without thought or hesitation she freed herself, finally, from her top. Sunny’s eyes became a bright green the moment he saw her offered breast and latched on. He sucked hungrily, little eyes rolling back in his head as he tightened his grip on Honey's hair. The baby opened and closed his fist as he ate. Honey hummed.

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray,” she sang and swayed as if she were dancing with the baby. “You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away.” Honey bent to kiss Sunny’s forehead. He heaved one more great sigh and fell asleep.

The clock on their mantle struck 3pm, and Honey panicked. Selina’s dance class.

-------

Honey slipped past the other parents to the empty seat Leon had saved between himself and Tom and Ella. Her giant suede purse slung around her body more like a satchel. She sat down rather gingerly, greeted the Kidmans and let her long hair fall loose from under her beret. She smiled at her husband, all flushed cheeks and bright brown eyes.

From Leon’s angle as he kissed her hello it looked like a babydoll sticking out of her bag. Instead, to his shock, Honey carefully pulled a human baby from inside bundled up to its large eyes. Familiar ones that held Leon's gaze as she unzipped the little winter jacket that had been Selina’s.

Honey removed the tiny tossle cap. Underneath it was a baby boy (as beautiful as Selina) who released a satisfying coo. Then the little one turned to reach for Leon; to Honey’s dismay, he recoiled. She sniffed her displeasure while Sunny dove face first into her chest. Not for a breast, but simply a snuggle.

“The least you could do is hold him,” Honey’s tone was icy as she faced forward.

She caught her daughter’s eye from across the room and they waved at each other with enthusiasm. Selina pointed with sheer delight at the bundle in her mommy’s lap. Honey nodded and made the baby wave at his sister who bounced around in her tutu before the teacher took her hand and gently guided Selina back in line. Honey mouthed she was sorry.

"I'm just trying to figure out why my missus has got a baby that she wasn't pregnant with a few hours ago? Care to explain, love?”

Leon’s eyes were filled with worry as he looked at Honey. The tone of his voice was more tender than accusatory as he took one of her hands and squeezed it. Honey melted as she often did when it came to Leon's touch.

"A magical door opened up in our living room and that fake American cousin of yours, you know the one from the abortion,” she whispered this, “clinic?” Honey took a breath before continuing, “And I'm pretty sure he is our son from the future. He was in those FBI posters too. Back when we turned ourselves in. Anyways, he said his name was Klaus? Nicklaus. Nicklaus, Leon. He said well, this is ALSO our kid,” she presented the baby to Leon again, “from the future."

“I think you need to stop taking that blooming fertility concoction my mum and aunts made for you in Greece last summer. It's doing your head in because you sound like a bleeding nutter.”

"Leon, he’s our Sunny. Just like you predicted. You believed me then. I promise. Just hold him. Believe me again, please?” Honey pleaded with her husband.

“I quit drugs cold, and you've gone barmy. Then nicked some poor punter’s baby.” Anyone could tell Leon didn't even swallow one word spoken just now.

"First off, that concoction is cinnamon, honey, nettles and primrose oil. Nothing with drug properties. You're the one on maca, tribulus fruit and asparagus. Suck your own cock and see how it tastes." Honey stuck her chin out in defiance.

Tom choked on the cigar he was smoking. Meanwhile a knowing smile crossed Ella’s face. Her eyebrow raised in amusement at the direction this was headed. The Kostas couple were incredibly sexy when they argued. Honestly, they felt the same about each other.

"That's because you're not supposed to give me head, I'm supposed to put it in you. Remember that's how babies are made? Bloody hell.” Leon sighed and gave into his wife. He rolled his eyes and pursed his lips. Then he held out his arms, “Fine, just give him to me for cuddle”

Honey handed Sunny over to Leon who held him aloft. The baby had his fingers in his mouth. They glowed the softest hint of blue to the elder’s fascination. Then he let his little lips drop open to reveal mostly nothing but one lone tooth poking from the bottom gum. That tiny hand shot out to clench a fistful of Leon's goatee with an excited squeal.

Honey bit her bottom lip until she was certain it was going to bleed. A giant lump in her throat made it hard to swallow as she choked back tears willing Leon to get it. To see Nicklaus. Or Klaus. Or Sunny was theirs. She tightened her grip around forearm that she didn't realize had been in her grasp.

She wasn't a woman who prayed, not usually. To a Saint here and there, but quietly now she did. She wanted to convey to her husband that her body just couldn't get pregnant again naturally for whatever reason. Honey had started to bleed heavily before she left the apartment. Another miscarriage as the baby from the future sat wrapped up in Selina’s pink snowsuit. He was a gift just like Sugar no matter where he came from.

Leon studied this little boy. His nose, oddly curved like Leon's even though that was done much later in life. Those big, color changing eyes that moved in all shades of blues and greens in a matter of moments were also Leon's. It was like he held himself in his hands.

“Lovely little muppet.” Leon’s head swam. Sunny kicked his legs a bunch of times and contorted himself so he could suck on Leon's wrist. He let out a ragged breath just as the baby had done with Honey. “γεια, η μικρή μου ηλιοφάνεια,” Leon whispered. Hello my little sunshine.

There wasn't any part of Honey in Nicklaus, not the way there was in Selina. Her mummy’s attitude and defiance and brown eyes that took in the world and sought how to knock it down and start again. Leon shut down the part of his brain screaming REPLICA!

“That sadistic Monopoly man from the FBI or CIA did this, didn't he. Reginald Hargreeves.” Leon wasn't asking Honey, he was telling. He suddenly held Sunny close to his chest. His chin rested on the little boy’s head protectively. Leon kissed his curls as he had done a million times with Sugar and his wife.

She nodded because even her bones sang with revelation. They couldn't speak further because just then Selina burst into view along with the other little girls. She sprung into the air and onto Tom's lap, not her papa’s. He grunted then smiled in his Kidman way which was unnerving to the untrained eye. The little girl patted his cheek then kissed it. Ever one to tame the savage beast.

“Mommy baked me a baby!” she cried.

“She sure did, dollface.” He wouldn’t question a thing for the rest of his life.

Now she forsook Kidman to crawl across her mummy to gawk at the baby nestled into Leon's chest. “Hello, poppet. Papa calls me that.”

Sugar wedged her finger in Sunny's grip. They considered one another with fascination. Then Sunny screamed and giggled happily before putting her finger in his mouth.

Now Selina squealed with excitement and yanked it back. They played a game of offering and sucking for a few moments before the little girl declared that Sunny belonged to her. She stuck up her chin with a look of pride and contentment with herself. With the situation.

“He's my baby. Ok?” Neither Honey nor Leon would ever argue with that.

----

Winter of 1973

Honey sat cross-legged on the floor beside the Christmas tree. Her impossibly long hair hung over her shoulder and wrapped around Sunny who sat in her lap. He absently sucked on a thumb while his free hand flexed and twisted around his mother’s thick mane. Little hands flickered their occasional blue while Honey hummed a carol under her breath.

Leon was stationed in a large comfy chair, his one foot slung over the side. His foot wobbled anxiously. A handful of old journals and papers spread out over his lap. Books that had showed up one day without a messenger. Papers Tom had smuggled out of the CIA from insiders. All leading back to the nefarious billionaire with a monocle that studied the husband and wife and claimed if they paid him in return, they would get off scot free. Even keep the cash.

Selina danced around the tree. The lights reflected off of the dress Honey had fashioned, at Leon's insistance, from the gift she made just six years ago. It matched the tiny vest Sunny now wore as he bounced and wiggled rhythmically so desperate to dance with Sugar.

“Mummy?” Selina spun in a circle and tossed garland at the tree haphazardly.

“Yes?”

“Sunny’s coming.”

“What? Coming where? He can toddle about like a drunken sailor.”

“Mummy! Not my baby brother. Big Sunny. He's coming for a visit. He looks so much like Papa, but sad.”

Honey and Leon exchanged frantic glances. The traveler, from the future. But how did Selina know? Her papa asked as much.

“Silly! Sometimes he sees us through the windows. He likes to watch you be Mummy and Papa to Sunny. That you are good to him. I saw him and he talked to me. He very much likes Mummy in a.. Daddy way? But also in a me and Sunny way. I told him be here for Christmas. Is he my Theíos? His name is Mouse. Mummy is that..”

“Topolino. His name is Klaus. Nicklaus like Sunny and Pappou. You are too little to understand, Sugar.”

Honey scooped her up too and cradled both of her children in her lap, kissing their foreheads. She looked at Leon who knitv his eyebrows in thought. Mouth agape with just the slight bit of perturbed on his lips. But a shock of wind and blue and magnetism outside the windows on the fire escape startled the Kostas parents into attention.

“HE'S HERE! TOPO IS HERE!” Selina bolted to the window which Klaus tentatively tapped on. Without permission from her parents, she let him in. She held his hand tight and dragged him to the center of the living room.

Klaus stood uncomfortably in front of Leon and Honey. His hair was as long as Honey’s and his beard to boot. He wore giant rose tinted sunglasses and a starfish necklace dangled against his bare chest. His clothes were blue and white, pants striped with it, and very.. ritualistic. Religious almost. Honey told herself he looked like Jesus had fucked George Harrison in Elton John’s closet.

“Happy Christmas?!” He held up a bottle of wine. “I came bearing a gift!”

“Ain't you a little early in The Savior’s journey to be looking like that?” Leon quipped.

“What? Oh this? I had to.. disperse an alternative lifestyle community.”

“A cult?” Honey questioned.

“A commune,” Klaus and Leon said simultaneously.

Honey shivered. “Either way,” she crossed her arms, “we've been expecting you. For two years.”

Tag: @neuroticpuppy @magic-multicolored-miracle @bisexualnathanyoung @forenschik @nightmonsters @vonkimmeren @maerenee930 @elliethesuperfruitlover @070188 @firstpersonnarrator @rob-private @messengeronthemoon @emelieislasheehan @super-unpredictable98 @frogs--are--bitches @duck-noises @the-freckled-luba @a-ghoulish-tale

#robert sheehan #robert sheehan character fic #moonbrella academy #klaus hargreeves #leon x honey

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emma-nation · 3 years

Text

The Devil In I - Bela x OC (Resident Evil Village AU) - Chapter 5

“Step inside, see the Devil in I”

Summary: Aleena Novak is a 19 years old orphan who desired more than living in a village in the middle of nowhere. A talented artist with a big future ahead, she gets the scholarship of her dreams in United States. But everything changes when her twin brother, Auryk, steals an important artifact from Castle Dimitrescu.

In this adventure, Aleena will find way more than she expected.

“You’ll realize I’m not your Devil anymore”

Pairing: Bela Dimitrescu x f!OC

Genre: Between T and M (Trigger warning for violence, blood, abuse and eventual smut)

Tag List: @nydeiri

Notes: I hadn't seen the video with all the sisters' lines, even those cut from the game. From the Maid's Diary we found, I assumed they could never leave the castle, even in Summer, as it was set in July like this fanfiction. I'll fix the mistake in this chapter. My apologies!

Thank you for all the reviews, follows and likes! It means a lot to me.

Trigger Warning: Language, abuse, blood and violence.

Castle Dimitrescu, Lady Dimitrescu's Bedroom - 3 Days Earlier

When Bela woke up in the morning after the attack, she had been taken to her mother's bed. After her transformation, she felt fragile like a child again. Not knowing who or what she was anymore, she was scared and lost. Her mother's bed felt like the safest place in the entire world. And it was. She loved being there. Alcina would never let anything or anybody hurt her. Nobody knew this side of her, when she acted like a loving and protective mother.

"Mother," she muttered, noticing Lady Dimitrescu was watching her and stroking her hair. "I'm sorry. I failed."

"Shhhh," Alcina kissed her daughter's forehead, "you need to rest now, daughter."

She started singing a jazz song Bela liked. Singing was one of her hidden talents. Her mother's voice was like a lullaby to her ears. She was almost falling asleep again, when flashbacks from the night before returned to her mind. She remembered being in Aleena's bed before falling asleep. She was holding Bela's hand, assuring her she'd be alright.

"Aleena," she sat down in an impulse. Bela feared what her mother and sisters could have done to the girl while she was sleeping. She started feeling agitated. "Where is she? I failed to protect her."

"She's fine. There's no need to protect her anymore, I asked Cassandra to keep an eye on her while I'm here with you."

Cassandra? But her mother knew Cassandra's intentions. She'd use Aleena to satiate each one of her desires and then, she'd kill her. If only she hadn't failed. If only she hadn't been so weak.

"But, mother... she's going to kill her. Please, she saved my life! She doesn't deserve to..."

"Nobody is going kill her, Bela. Once I have my goblet back, I'll let her go." Lady Dimitrescu pushed her back to the bed, tucking her under the blankets again. Then, she grabbed a book from the bedside table. "Why don't I read something for you? One of the stories you like?"

Bela forced a smile, listening as her mother began to read. She loved being there. It felt like the safest place in the world... in the past. Not anymore. Now she just felt betrayed.

When she noticed she was still wearing Aleena's jacket and inhaled her perfume, she thought there was somewhere else she'd rather be at the moment. Somewhere where she was truly feeling safe and happy. She wished to be in Aleena's bed again.

----------

Castle Dimitrescu, Lady Dimitrescu's Bedroom - Present Days

Three days passed and Lady Dimitrescu still wouldn't let Bela leave her room, even if she already felt completely recovered. She wouldn't leave her side for more than a few minutes and not even her sisters were allowed to see her.

She had everything she always wanted. Her mother's exclusive attention, to be sure she cared about her as much as she cared about her sisters. Yet, it wasn't enough. Not anymore. There was something new inside her. A part of her that wasn't connected to the life she had lived so far, a life that only included Alcina, Cassandra and Daniela.

"Good morning, sunshine," Bela covered her eyes as the sunlight invaded the room, immediately pulling her out of her sleep.

She was having those dreams again. Dreams she assumed to be memories from her past life. The one before the transformation. She decided to record them all in a diary. She hadn't much to do while she was stuck in that bedroom, it felt like a good manner to spend her time.

"Oh my god, now besides spending the day in bed reading Lord Byron, you're also writing a diary?"

"Cassandra," she angered, immediately getting up and grabbing the diary from her sister's hand before she could read anything she wrote. She also kicked the small pile of books on the floor to under the bed. "What are you doing here?"

"Quick and sharp. It's about time you leave the nest, don't you think?"

"This is what I want the most, but mom isn't convinced I'm recovered yet."

"Liar," Cassandra shook her head and smiled sarcastically. "You're loving it and I know."

"Are you jealous she remembered she has another daughter?" Her eyes and ears analyzed the space around her. Alcina was nowhere to be seen or heard. If their mother wasn't around, it could be a good opportunity to sneak out of the bedroom. "Where's mom, by the way?"

"Doing some boring shit in her office. She asked me to keep an eye on you."

"Okay, I'm doing great. Now leave, I'm gonna take a bath."

"Oh, no," her younger sister sat down at the bed with a book. "It's my turn to read something to read for you."

Cassandra began to read some words Bela recognized very well. She added a dramatic tone to her voice.

"When life offers you a dream so far beyond any of your expectations, it's not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end. The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me."

That was an excerpt from the book Daniela once found among a servant's belongings. The one about a vampire who fell in love with a human.

"Why are you reading this to me?" Bela rolled her eyes. That story was beyond absurd, suggesting vampires glowed in the sunlight. Yet, she wished she had the opportunity of attending school like those vampires were able to. Being weak to the cold was definitely worse than glowing in the sunlight.

"You know why," Cassandra did that judgmental look again. "It didn't work well for mom, it won't work well for you."

"I don't know what you're talking about," enough was enough. Bela went to the bathroom to prepare her bath. She would leave that room and no one would stop her. "And we don't talk about it, remember? You know how upset mom gets everytime she's reminded of her."

"We're not talking about her, we're talking about Aleena."

She froze at the mention of that name. It was surprising how in only a few days, a simple name acquired so much meaning.

"What Aleena has to do with this?"

"She saved your life," her sister followed her into the bathroom. "She could've ran away, saved her own ass, but instead, she came back to rescue you. She fed you her own blood, even knowing you could lose control and kill her. There is something going on and you can't deny it."

"So what?" Bela closed her eyes inside the bathtub, attempting to relax. All those things were true, but in the end, she had failed to protect Aleena. So much the task had been given to her sister. "It wouldn't be the first time a woman becomes infatuated by me. Which is not her case anyways. She's only trying to show how brave and efficient she is."

"You can fool mom and even Daniela, but not me. I know you, sister. Something about you has changed from the moment Aleena entered this castle."

Cassandra was definitely doing that to annoy her. That was one of her favorite hobbies. Bela decided to ignore all that provocation.

"You're wrong. And besides, she'll be gone soon. It doesn't matter."

But it did matter. And that was exactly why Bela was so desperate to leave that bedroom. What if Aleena was already gone when she left the room? What if she couldn't see her at least one last time? What if she ended up being another one of Cassandra's maidens?

----------

Castle Dimitrescu, Office - Present Days

A few days had passed since the Lycans' attack to the castle. The heating system had been restored, as well as the windows. The members of the staff proved to be innocent, they were so scared and ambushed as any of us.

Cassandra and Daniela were finally warming up to me. But I hadn't seen Bela yet. Alcina was keeping her locked at her own chambers, not allowing me anywhere near it. Even her own sisters were only allowed to see her that morning.

I was caught by surprise when, after breakfast, Mrs. Volkov came to my room bringing the information Lady Dimitrescu wanted to see me. I hadn't seen her since her return. Her entire time and attention were dedicated to Bela and god-knows-what she did inside that office. Maybe that was the day she decided to end my life. Even if I knew she was immortal, I decided to go prepared. If she couldn't die, maybe my daggers could at least give me some time to run. I was glad to have my amulet with me.

"Sit," she ordered as soon as I entered her office. "We must have a talk."

I obeyed. She closed the door and served us both a cup of tea. I decided to accept it, even if I just had breakfast.

"How's Bela?" I asked.

"Oh Bela... my sweet daughter..." the woman sighed and shook her head as she took a sip of her tea. "She's the most tempestuous of my three daughters, even a small thing can affect her mood."

I had a feeling she was talking more to herself, than to me.

"She's recovering. Her wounds have healed but I still think she looks a bit weak. As you could see, the cold can cause a severe impact on their bodies. Had it been in Winter and my daughter could have..."

She interrupted her sentence. She couldn't pronounce that last word and neither could I. Even if I only knew Bela for a few days, I couldn't stand the idea of losing her. Seeing her looking so sick in my bed still haunted my memories.

"Anyways, this isn't why I called you here," Lady Dimitrescu changed the subject.

"Yes, m'am?" I asked, drinking my own tea. "Have I done anything that goes against our deal?"

She raised her eyebrows at my unexpected question. I could imagine she was used to people being less confident in her presence.

"You did everything against our deal. You've been bumbling around this castle like if you were at some kind of fairytale, you've been messing around with my daughters and you... you saved them."

"I did."

"You could've ran away or even killed them. That was your perfect chance but you chose to save them," I had never seen such a look in the eyes of Lady Dimitrescu before. Only in that moment she seemed like a loving mother, grateful that I made the stupid decision of giving up my freedom for her daughters' lives. "Why?"

"I don't know," I sighed. I really didn't have an answer for that. "Maybe I was just following what my mother taught me, to help anyone in need despite of who they are or what they did. Bela saved me in my first night here, I felt I owed her that."

"She saved you because I ordered her to protect you. I know how Cassandra and Daniela can be. You owed her nothing."

"I also owed you," I added. I had to work on earning her trust, if I wanted my freedom and my life back. "You could have killed me and my brother, but instead you're giving us a chance."

Alcina did everything to hide it, but I could tell my words had caused impact. She appreciated honor and loyalty, and that's what I was showing her.

"What do you want?" She finally asked. "I must give you something in trade for your courage."

I thought for a while. I could ask for my freedom. I could ask for money. I could ask for her to forgive Auryk. But instead, I asked something simple.

"I want to call my brother. I want to know he's well and inform him I'm doing fine. I also want to know about his search of your goblet."

"Okay," she indicated me the phone on her desk. "I'll give you some privacy."

I couldn't believe what just happened, but I dialed Auryk's number as fast as I could. Nothing brought me more relief than hearing his voice on the other side of the line.

"Auryk! That's me," I spoke.

"Leena? Oh my god, I was starting to think you were dead."

"No, actually I've been doing pretty well here. You wouldn't believe it."

"What? How is that even possible?"

"Nevermind," I smiled. "I'll tell you later, in person. So, how's the search for the goblet, speaking of which?"

"I've been following some leads but it seems impossible to trace the buyer. I've also received some information that seems confusing and misleading."

"Why?"

"Aleena, do you believe Miranda would be able to betray her own cult?"

We didn't spoke much after that, but the question remained inside my head. The leads Auryk obtained all lead him to people related to Miranda, her most loyal followers from the village. I also thought about the Super Lycans and how somebody planned to kill the Dimitrescu girls. Only someone with so much power would be able to plan such a thing.

"I need your help," Alcina spoke once she returned to her office. I lied to her, saying my brother was close to find her goblet. "Somebody has betrayed me and I need to know who."

"Okay..." I don't know how I could even help her with that.

"I bet that was him!" She smashed the teacup in her hand furiously, before starting to walk around the office like a maniac. "The pig, the bastard, the motherfucker..."

"Heisenberg?"

"Yes!" She looked at me proudly. As if it was any secret those two hated each other. "But I need proof to show Mother Miranda the rat he is. Otherwise, she would never believe me."

"You need to approach him cautiously," I suggested, "so he won't have any suspicions. Bring him into your territory, where you are in charge and not Miranda. It'll be enough to intimidate him a little. Enough for you to catch any hints of a strange behavior."

Lady Dimitrescu didn't say anything for almost a minute. At first, I thought she had found me extremely stupid for suggesting she should invite her nemesis to the castle, but then, she opened a sly grin.

"Smart girl! You just gave me an amazing idea... I'm throwing a dinner tonight, for Mother Miranda and the other Lords."

"Yes, give him some alcohol too. You know, men and alcohol... it's not a good match."

She laughed. Not sarcastically this time, but sincerely. Then she got up and caressed my chin. Her cold hands made me shiver from head to toes.

"If I knew you were such a good girl, I'd have kidnapped you earlier. Now go, I want you to be there too. I'll ask someone to get you an appropriate dress."

----------

Castle Dimitrescu, Ballroom - Present Days

After lunch, Cassandra asked me to show her some of my knife moves. She had been strangely glued to me in the last few days, like a dog guarding its bone. I knew I had promised her we could do a training session any day, but I never imagined she'd take it seriously. I started to wonder if that was a good idea at all.

She picked the ballroom for our training session. Where we'd have plenty of space to move and chase each other. Scary.

"I'm giving you an advantage," she said. "I lowered the room's temperature a bit. I can't transform into flies."

"Good," I grabbed my twin daggers, "not all of us can buzz around."

She rolled her eyes at the pun.

"Oh and I also fed before coming. So in case you get hurt, I won't have problems with my instincts."

"I'm glad to know."

I started by teaching her some basic moves, which bored her a little. Then, we proceeded to a close body combat. I had to admit she was good, even if she didn't have a specific style or technique. But when she fought purely by instinct and impulse, that was a disadvantage. I was able to deflect some of her moves easily.

"Damn," Cassandra panted, a little tired. "You're not so bad. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

"By myself, mostly," I swallowed an entire bottle of water. Training with a vampire had consumed all of my energies. "My father didn't believe women should hold weapons."

"Moron."

"And a bastard. That's what he was."

"How did he die?"

"I never found out for real. He was out for one of his travels and apparently he got in a bar fight or something. I can't say he didn't get what he deserved."

I sat down on the floor to get some rest before taking a shower, Cassandra joined me.

"Your mother is throwing a dinner tonight," I spoke. "She wants me to be there. I have to admit I'm kinda nervous."

"Don't worry, it's only an excuse so she and Heisenberg can yell insults at each other. It'll be like any other meeting."

We were in silence for a moment. Cassandra fell pensive but I noticed a smirk on the corner of her mouth.

"I saw her this morning," she commented. "Bela."

"And how is she doing?"

"Quiet, broody, boring... same as usual. I'd say she's completely recovered. Mother is exaggerating, being so overprotective. But it isn't like Bela doesn't like receiving attention and being spoiled."

"She seemed very weak that day."

"Not anymore," she was about to leave the ballroom when she remembered something else. "She asked about you, in case you wanna know."

"Oh," I tried to pretend I wasn't so worried and interested. But I could feel my cheeks burning. "She did?!"

"You're blushing, sweetheart," Cassandra was too smart to leave this unnoticed. "You like her, don't you?"

"It's not like that! I... I care about her, we... have this thing... we kinda saved each other, you know?"

"No, I'd call that 'having a crush'. And I must give one advice, it won't end well for you. You and Bela belong to two different worlds."

"I know that," I assured her. "Trust me, I don't have a crush on your sister. And I won't have. I have another priorities at the moment."

"Good for you."

She laughed sarcastically and leaving me alone in the ballroom with my own thoughts. I didn't have a crush on Bela. I couldn't. She was right, we belonged to different worlds. I was only fascinated by the sensation of danger, the adrenaline she brought to my life. A sensation I never felt before. She was a predator and I was her prey. A real feeling would never exist between us.

----------

Castle Dimitrescu, Dining Room - Present Days

Right after I took a bath, Mrs. Volkov knocked on my door bringing a stunning red dress, jewelry and shoes. That was what I was supposed to wear for the night. Never in my entire life, I could be able to afford something so fancy. If it wasn't for the fact Lady Dimitrescu was pondering if I should live or not, I could easily enjoy that life.

"You look amazing," was what Daniela spoke when I met her in the hall. "Come here, let's take a picture."

Taking advantage of the fact her mother had been busy with Bela, she was enjoying her free time to discover the joys of the modern world with me. She revealed me she also had a cell phone. One she stole from one of the maids and assumed to be broken. I explained there was no phone signal where she lived but that she could explore other functions of the device. Since then, she has been recording multiple videos of her daily life and taking pictures with me, Cassandra and even the staff.

Lady Dimitrescu was going to kill me. I raised a monster.

I also found out we shared the same passion for art. She was a very good artist.

"Red is Bela's favorite color, by the way," she told as she tapped her phone screen. Good thing the camera wasn't able to capture me blushing.

I finally saw Bela for the first time in days. She was coming down the stairs just as we took the picture. Dressed in white, she seemed like an angel.

"Aleena," she greeted me with a simple nod.

"Hey," I couldn't help opening a huge smile, "I was starting to get really worried about you."

"I'm fine."

She followed her way to the dining room. I could tell something had changed. I didn't know what though. Was she mad at me or at herself because of the Lycan incident? Was it something her mother said again? The thoughts were consuming me as we placed ourselves around the table.

It was a foolish idea to assume a civilized meeting could happen in that dinner. Lady Dimitrescu and Karl Heisenberg had already started to exchange insults. Daniela said inappropriate things about five times. Cassandra had just threatened a servant with her knife. In my turn, I observed Donna Beneviento and I could quite imagine why she wouldn't speak to those people.

"Mother Miranda," Alcina had finally reached the point where she revealed the true objective of that meeting. "About four days ago, I was called to an emergency at Donna's house. A prized possession of hers has also been stolen. When I returned home, my castle had been vandalized. Someone attempted to murder my daughters by exposing them to the cold air, besides sending Lycans to kill them. And they weren't normal Lycans, they..."

"Were Super Lycans," Daniela interrupted. "Their claws were exactly like my mother's."

There was an awkward silence before Lady Dimitrescu proceeded.

"As I was saying. The Lycans were modified to be stronger."

"Oh please," Heisenberg argued. "Who would bother wasting so much time with you?"

"Those Lycans could only have been created in that gruesome factory of yours."

"Gruesome? Let's talk about gruesome. How many virgins did you sacrifice for this bottle of wine?!"

Oh god. I suddenly didn't feel like drinking anything else for the night. But then, the conversation shifted to another point.

"You're inventing this attack to cover up the fact you let that little thief go and he has stolen from another Lord," Heisenberg accused. "It was more important to you to bring his sister to serve as entertainment for your daughters. Which she must be doing very well, considering she's still alive and sitting among us tonight."

"Hey," I opened my mouth for the first time that night. Suddenly everyone was looking at me. "My brother didn't do it. I called him this morning, he's not even around. He has been searching for Lady Dimitrescu's goblet. And dare you to disrespect me again and I will..."

Nevermind. What could I even do against him? He was immune to my bullets and my daggers.

Cassandra started laughing, while her mother looked at me in a mix of shock and disappointment. Heisenberg continued with his accusations.

"Prove it then. Prove your brother has no involvement in this whole situation. He could have planned the attack as well, to rescue you."

"My brother is human, he has no power to create modified Lycans!"

Mother Miranda cleared her throat, indicating all of us should shut the fuck up. I stared at her figure, remembering my brother's words. She could be the one behind all of that and everyone was blinded by her power.

"I've come to a decision," she spoke. "Heisenberg is right. So far, the only person who could be declared guilty is the Novak boy. Alcina, if I remember correctly, you made the decision of letting him go."

"What about the attack, Mother Miranda?" Lady Dimitrescu was furious, but not surprised at her decision. Miranda seemed to always favor the other Lords over her. "The girl has a point. Such a stupid manthing couldn't have created Lycans and given them more power."

"Do you have proof the attack even happened? I'm sorry, Alcina, but the castle is intact."

"I repaired the damage! It was a risk to my daughters! I have their word as proof, as well as the word of my servants."

Heisenberg started to laugh non-stop, before insulting her again:

"So now you remember you have servants? You always kill each one of them to satiate your thirst for blood."

Lady Dimitrescu couldn't find words to refute that argument. Whether because it was true or because she was being smashed by Miranda and Heisenberg.

"Your son of a bitch!" She punched the table, making everything shake.

"We're all doomed!" Beneviento's creepy doll, started to run across the room, repeating those same words. "Each one of us!"

In that moment, I could finally hear Bela's voice in all of the mess.

"At least one reasonable person in this room," she stood up and started to leave. "Angie is right. We're all doomed."

"Bela," Alcina called, "come back here. We're not finished yet."

But she had enough. And so did I. I didn't think before following her to the main hall.

"Bela," I called her. "Where are you going?"

She stopped, taking a deep breath.

"Somewhere," she said. "Are you coming?"

----------

Castle Dimitrescu, Bela's room - Present Days

I swallowed hard when I noticed we were standing in front of Bela's room. She opened the door and invited me inside. I felt my heart thundering inside my chest. It was the first time a woman invited me to her bedroom.

Bela's bedroom was a reflection of herself. Completely organized, perfectly decorated. Daniela was right about her favorite color, some things had shades of red. Such as the curtains and the sheets covering her bed. The walls were decorated with some paintings and a portrait of herself. She also had a small collection of vinyl discs and a telescope near the window.

It had a small study attached, where I could see she had her personal collection of books. That was where she entered and came back seconds later, bringing a bottle of wine and two glasses. Then, she sat down on a sofa, inviting me to join her.

"There's no blood in this one," she spoke. I stared at her, wondering how she even knew. "I can't hear you thoughts. I saw how you put your glass aside when Heisenberg made that comment."

Good. That was probably something good to know. Bela couldn't see the mess inside my head. She was merely an observant woman who could read people very easily. I smiled in response. I was too nervous to show any other reaction.

"I just can't stand all that arguing, all that yelling," Bela drank her entire glass in one sip. Then, she stood up and went to the window. I followed her.

"It's a beautiful night," I commented, pointing to her telescope. "Do you like to watch the stars?"

"Yes and it's the only way I can do it."

"So you can never leave the castle, at all?"

"Sometimes, during Spring and Summer," she sighed melancholic. "Days when the temperature is higher than usual. This year hasn't been kind to us so far. Or the last one."

Never being able to go outside should be a torture. Now I could understand why sometimes she seemed so moody and upset.

"Summer has just begun," I told. "Maybe you can get some luck in the next few weeks."

"I hope so."

She went back to the other side of the room, serving herself another glass of wine. I hadn't finished mine yet.

"What do you think?" She returned to my side and asked. "About the attack. Do you think your brother is fooling you?"

"No, no way. Auryk never lied to me before, I know he's telling the truth."

I knew Heisenberg accusations would cause me trouble. Especially with Miranda siding with him.

"Lying is different from having secrets," Bela said. "Don't you have anything you hide, even from your brother? Something no one knows, but yourself?"

I did. I never told Auryk about the night I spent with Gustav, where I wasn't able to lose my virginity to him. I also didn't feel like telling him about my days in the castle this morning. I knew he'd judge me, in both cases.

"I do, but..."

She let out a small laugh.

"Oh Aleena," she traced the border of her glass with her perfectly manicured finger, "you act so strong and tough but deep down you're so naive."

"What do you mean?" I wanted to know.

"You should've ran away during the attack."

"I wouldn't let you die."

"Why?" Bela was staring deeply inside my eyes. In a manner I was feeling completely exposed, uncomfortable. "Do you know how many people I've killed? Or how many women I seduced only to drink their blood? It's not like I deserved to be saved."

"It doesn't matter," I didn't have a right answer for her question. "It felt right. You saved me in my first night here."

"Only because my mother ordered me and I try so hard to be a good daughter for her. But I failed, right? Now Cassandra has been taking care of you."

"Is she? I mean, I noticed she has been kinda glued to me lately but... sorry, I don't believe she'd save me if she had to."

"No, she wouldn't. She'd take advantage of the opportunity to get you killed and feed from your blood. My sister is more reckless than I am."

"You're different."

"I'm not. I'm just more careful with my actions," she placed a hand on my chest, feeling my heart beating fast. She shook her head in denial. "How do you know I'm not playing with you? How do you know you won't have the same fate as those five teenagers from your village, three years ago?"

"I... I..." deep down, I always knew Bela had an involvement in that situation. But now hearing a confession was totally different. Yet, I didn't feel afraid.

"How can you trust me? We've only met for a few days and here you are, standing in my bedroom where I could kill you and no one would even hear you scream."

"You wouldn't do that," it was my turn to face her, to look deeply into her eyes. I placed my hand over hers. "I know."

"I'm a monster, Aleena. All the stories you've ever heard about me? They're all true."

I don't care. I don't care. I'd still save you if I had to. I wanted to scream those words, but they wouldn't come out.

"You need to stay away from me," she removed her hand from my touch.

"Why?" I asked. "Tell me. Be honest. Who are you trying to convince with all of this? Me or yourself?"

"Just go, Aleena," she turned her back on me. "Just go."

----------

Castle Dimitrescu, Library - Present Days

I couldn't get any sleep. I'd just keep rolling in bed, without being able to find a position. What did Bela mean with that conversation? Was she assuming I was in love with her or something? I wasn't stupid like the other women she was used to seduce. I knew better than that. She had absolutely no right to throw all her frustration and anger at me. I wasn't her mother. I wasn't Heisenberg or Miranda.

I grabbed my sketch book and walked to the library. That castle was even creepier when it was dark and silent. It was almost like you could hear the laments of the people who had been tortured and killed within those walls. I remembered the five teenagers from the village. My mind tried to picture how they were lured into the castle and who killed each one of them. I could see myself in the place of one of those girls and the only thing I could imagine was if they were in Bela's bed when they were killed. I imagined the things she did to them. I tried to feel scared but instead my heart would start racing all over again. I tried to ignore those thoughts, but I locked the door anyways.

I had to relax somehow. I sat down at the desk and attempted to find any inspiration. I started working on a piece that represented Mother Miranda, the Four Lords and all the mystery surrounding those people.

I heard the door opening, I quickly pulled a dagger from my ankle. I could sense a presence approaching me. I was ready to attack, when the low light of the lamp revealed who it was.

"Oh, I didn't know you were here," Bela spoke.

"I was about to leave," I grabbed my sketch book from the desk. When I turned around, she was standing very close to me. We were face to face now, even closer than we were earlier in her bedroom. Her eyes were different though. Before, she looked angry and upset. Now she just seemed sad. "Good night."

"You can stay, if you want. I shouldn't be here anyways."

"No, it's your castle and your library. I'm leaving. Also, I'm retuning your key."

I extended her my palm, handing her the key I was holding.

"Don't be ridiculous," she closed my hand again. "You're my mother's guest."

"Prisoner," I cleared my throat and corrected. Bela let out a small, ironic laugh in response.

"Well, you had the chance of running away. You wasted it, darling."

And we were back to 'darling'. The same 'darling' from the beginning, when she was still deciding if I should be her prey or not. From when she didn't even know my name.

"It wasn't a waste. Not when I was saving your life."

"You shouldn't have saved! I made a mistake, I should be the one to fix it or face the consequences."

"Oh my god, is it all because you were in danger? Because you lost control of the situation? You don't need to be perfect all the time, Bela. It's okay to fail."

"Not everyone is like you, Aleena. For you, it's just natural. You are perfect at everything you do. You can always fix everything that is wrong. You can always use the situation in your favor. You're always pleasing everyone, even my mom!"

My hands started to shake in anger. She knew nothing. I was far from perfect and my abusive father knew very well how to expose my flaws, my failure. For Adrian, being perfect was the only acceptable option. Otherwise, he'd beat us. He'd punish us. Yet, I didn't torture myself for that. Especially after his death. I was about to shout it at her face, when I dropped my sketch book.

I kneeled down, collecting all the spread papers on the floor and shoving them back into my sketch book. When I stood up, Bela was holding one of them.

"Why were you drawing me?" She asked, analyzing my work carefully. I froze.

"I... I..." I had no excuses this time, except for the truth. "I wanted something to remember when I'm gone."

"You shouldn't, Aleena. You should forget it as soon as you leave through the front door. Nothing in this place is worth being remembered."

"You are!" I finally said it. "What if I don't want it, huh?! What if I don't want to forget you?!"

She was in silence for a moment. Then, she closed her eyes as if she was trying to process what she heard and what she would do next.

"Then, I better give you something better than a portrait."

She grabbed my face, pulling me closer to her. There wasn't any more distance between us, I was pressed between her body and the desk. I couldn't move, not even if I wanted to.

Bela's kiss was like every other of her actions. Calculated, planned. She wanted to make sure she'd be in control of it. She wanted nothing but perfection.

She started it very slowly and shy, as if she was trying to figure out the territory first. Her lips softly brushed mine at first, like if she was asking for my permission to go forward. I retributed, pressing my lips harder against hers. I wrapped my arm around her neck, bringing her even closer. I wanted to show how much I desired her, I desired that kiss.

She gently parted my lips with her tongue, finding her way into my mouth. Her tongue gently stroke mine, raising shivers all over my body. I stroked hers back and I could feel her pulse accelerating too.

I don't know for how long we kissed. Minutes, probably. I didn't want to stop. Never.

"Now," I smiled against her mouth when we parted, "that was perfect."

"Shhhh," she whispered, opening a huge grin, "shut up, love. We're only getting started."

Our second kiss was different from the first. It was more desperate. More intense. More passionate. We were both confessing how much we had been longing for that. Then we kissed for a third time. And a fourth. Then I lost count.

All I know is that I spent the night in the library, making out with Bela Dimitrescu.

#resident evil village #residesnt evil 8 #bela dimitrescu #lady dimitrescu #alcina dimitrescu #bela x f!oc #bela x oc #resident evil fanfiction #the devil in i

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sojourne · 5 years

Text

I'm out of My Head, of My Heart and My Mind

Pairing: Geralt of Rivia x Jaskier x Reader

Plot: Late one night, Geralt comes back to you and Jaskier after a hunt with a wound on his shoulder and a heated, feral look in his eyes. He tells you and Jaskier to head for the hills, but of course, neither of you listen.

And for once, Geralt's glad that you two ignored his instructions.

Warnings: Mildly Dubious Consent, Aphrodisiacs, Fuck-or-Die, Threesome (F/M/M), Rough Sex, Biting, Scenting, Scent Kink, Size Kink, Size Difference, Vaginal Sex, Anal Sex, Dirty Talk, Praise Kink, Voyeurism, Breeding (discussed, not actually happening), Blow Jobs

Notes: Hey look, I've found another Fandom to rub my grubby little hands on! Anyways I fell in love with these idiots as soon as I saw them and I've been binge reading almost every Witcher fic I can find. During my reading I realized there's a lack of reader insert fics and Jaskier/Reader fics so I decided to remedy that!

Also I know everyone and their sister has written a fuck-or-die fic already but... I'm a slut for that trope so I decided to add my own to the pile.

Title is taken from The Wolf by SIAMÉS!

Taglist: Not gonna put my taglist since this isn’t an AHS fanfic and I dunno if anyone wants to see this lmaooooo

You had to admit, when you had first started traveling with Geralt and Jaskier, you couldn’t understand the Witcher’s frustration with the bard. He seemed kind and full of life, and was always eager to lend a hand and would comfort both you and Geralt with equal enthusiasm.

But now, sitting around the dwindling campfire, the sun having long since vanished behind the hills, you really wished Jaskier would give it a rest.

“Do you think he’ll come back soon?” His lilting voice snapped you out of your thoughts and you let out a long, drawn out sigh, sliding down the log you were sitting on and draping yourself over it, hanging limply.

“I didn’t know ten minutes ago, I didn’t know five minutes ago, and I still don’t know now,” you grumbled, staring up at the clear night sky, watching the stars twinkle and shine above you, the moon illuminating the surrounding landscape with a soft, otherworldly glow. You heard Jaskier let out a huff, shifting around on the other side of the campfire.

“Which way did you say he went again?” Jaskier asked, peering over at you. You sighed, sitting up and staring over at him with narrow eyes, knowing exactly what he was up to.

“He told us to stay here for a reason, Jaskier. He left a while ago and if you try to follow him now you’re just going to get lost, and when he comes back I’m going to have to send him right back out into the woods to come rescue you,” you said, Jaskier gasping dramatically and grasping his chest in mock-hurt.

“Y/N, I can’t believe you would say such a thing about your dear friend Jaskier,” he began dramatically, making you smile slightly and roll your eyes. Jaskier was obnoxious, yes, but he was still your friend and you just couldn’t stay mad at him for long.

“In fact, I think that— hm?” He suddenly stopped, leaning to look past you and squint into the darkness. You cocked your head at him, raising a brow. You were about to ask what was wrong when you say his eyes widen, his face growing pale as he began scrambling to stand up, causing you to turn and look behind you, wondering what had startled the bard.

Geralt.

You could hardly see him in the darkness but you spotted the white of his hair moving through the shadows, his pace slow and lethargic. You immediately got up, running after Jaskier.

“Geralt!” The bard cried in alarm, the two of you finally noticing the bleeding wound on the Witcher’s shoulder. It looked like a bite mark. Geralt let out a deep, rumbling growl as the two of you approached before slumping down onto the ground, now on his knees.

“Don’t,” he barked, you and Jaskier immediately freezing, exchanging a concerned glance before looking back to Geralt.

“Geralt, what—“ you tried to speak but he cut you off, grunting. You looked over to Jaskier who was nearly vibrating with energy, his instincts telling him to go to Geralt, to help him and comfort him, but he stayed put, not wanting to upset the Witcher further.

“You two, get Roach and go back to the town, now,” he snapped, looking between you and Jaskier with a strange expression on his face that you had never seen before. It almost looked like fear.

“But Geralt, the monster—“

“It’s dead,” Geralt said, cutting Jaskier off before the bard could finish. Jaskier looked confused, his browns furrowed as he shifted from one foot to another, staring at Geralt.

“Wait, what? If it’s dead why do we need to run? Geralt, you look like you got bitten, is that a bite mark? Was it a werewolf? Are you going to turn into a werewolf now?” Jaskier immediately began rambling, Geralt staring at him in frustration.

“Fucks sake bard, can you not listen? I said take Y/N and Roach and go,” he snarled, both you and Jaskier jumping at his desperate tone.

“Geralt, what bit you? What can we do? You must have something in your bag that can help, some kind of potion,” you began desperately, reaching out slowly towards Geralt, who only growled at your hands and leaned away, like a wild animal that had never seen a human before. He was still for a moment, taking long, deep breaths and trying to steady himself, his eyes starting to look glassy and out of focus.

“There’s nothing you can do. You need to get as far away from me as possible, you two need to get somewhere safe,” he said, the shakiness in his voice making your blood run cold. You had never heard Geralt sound so desperate and unsteady before, and you didn’t understand why he wanted you two to leave him here while he was injured.

“Gods, Geralt, what bit you? Tell us— tell us so we can help,” Jaskier pleaded, taking a few steps closer to the white-haired man. Geralt growled deep in his throat, closing his eyes tightly and groaning.

“A fucking succubus bit me, bard. So unless you want me to fuck you to death you need to leave,” Geralt bit out, his voice deep and rumbling.

Oh.

You looked over at Jaskier, who now stared at Geralt with wide eyes, his cheeks flushing pink and for once, he was at a loss for words.

You looked back to Geralt who was now sweating profusely, pale skin flushed and eyes unfocused, trying to keep his gaze off of you and Jaskier and on the ground. You sighed, running your hands through your hair, looking over to Jaskier once more before slowly approaching Geralt, a concerned look on your face.

“Geralt,” you spoke softly as to not alarm him, the man grunting in response. “What happens if we leave you here? Will you be okay?” you asked softly, Geralt sighing and squeezing his eyes shut, his fists clenching in the dirt below him.

“No.”

“Geralt,” Jaskier said, completely dumbfounded. “We’re not going to leave you here to die in the woods. We’re not leaving you here alone,” he said, Geralt letting out a loud groan of annoyance, very close to losing his patience.

“Dammit Jaskier, listen to me for once in your life. I’ve been poisoned, the only way to get it out is for me to fuck it out of my system, and I’m not doing that to you. I’m not hurting you,” Geralt said, now panting slightly. Jaskier turned to look at you, a terrified expression on his face, terrified at the prospect of losing Geralt. You pressed your lips together in a firm line, grunting as you fell down to your knees in front of Geralt, staring at him.

“Geralt, you’re our friend— you’re our friend and we’re not leaving you out here to die alone. Just… Let me help you, Jaskier can go back to the village and I’ll stay here,” you said firmly, Geralt’s eyes snapping open, and although he was still staring at the ground you could see that his eyes were nearly black, his pupils completely dilated.

“You’re a fucking idiot, Y/N,” Geralt said, letting out a soft, delirious laugh. You seldom heard Geralt laugh, or really make any noise besides hmm or ugh or fuck. This was probably the most you had heard him say in weeks, which would have been amazing if the conversation didn’t revolve around his fear of fucking you or Jaskier to death.

“Oh, now you’re telling me to go run back to the village? Y/N, I barely listen to Geralt and he’s large enough to pick me up and snap me like a branch, and you think I’ll listen to you?” Jaskier said, trying to lighten the mood, but the high-pitched and scared tone of his voice wasn’t very convincing.

“Y/N, Jaskier, if you stay I’m just going to hurt you, you need to go. Please,” Geralt croaked out the last word, still staring down at the ground, his brows furrowed. You nearly fell over, blinking in surprise at the Witcher’s words.

That was the first time you had ever heard him say please.

You looked up at Jaskier, staring at him for a moment before you looked back to Geralt, taking a deep breath.

“And what if I want you to hurt me, Geralt?” You asked and before you even knew what was happening Jaskier was diving out of the way with a yelp as Geralt launched himself towards you, pinning you to the ground and pressing his lips against yours in a rough kiss.

You let out a squeak at the sudden pressure and warmth against you, the feel and sound and scent of Geralt borderline intoxicating as his hands squeezed your shoulders, his tongue quickly pressing into your mouth and eliciting a soft, surprised whine from your throat.

“Oh, well, right then, I suppose we’re starting already,” Jaskier warbled from a few feet away, his voice strained. You gasped for air as Geralt broke away from the kiss, immediately moving down to nip and lick at your neck, inhaling your scent and letting out a rumbling growl against your throat. You gasped, gripping his shoulders tightly, careful to avoid touching his wound as you felt him biting you before soothing over the mark with his tongue.

Jaskier watched on in awe, his face flushed red as he watched Geralt biting your throat and rutting against you, his golden eyes glassy and clouded with lust.

“Smells so fucking good,” Geralt growled down at you, nuzzling under your neck and licking a stripe up your jaw. You whimpered, gasping softly as you felt the outline of his heavy cock through his trousers, already hard and thick. You saw movement out of the corner of your eye and looked up to see Jaskier stepping closer, pupils blown wide as he watched the two of you.

“So, uh, you want me to stay and help?” He asked, unable to take his eyes off of you. Geralt was completely ignoring him, alternating between stripping off his layers of armor and marking your neck. You nodded at Jaskier, gasping as Geralt once again bit you. He didn’t break the skin, to your surprise, but you knew that there would be a bruise there come morning.

“Yeah, uh, I figure it’ll be easier this way— he can have me first and when I’m tired he can, fuck— he can have you,” you spoke, trying to ignore the older mans mouth on your flushed skin, his teeth and tongue already driving you mad. Jaskier nodded, wringing his hands together awkwardly before glancing to Geralt who now had his armor and shirt removed, allowing Jaskier’s eyes to rake over his pale skin, marred with scars both new and old, telling the story of his exploits and battles.

You let out a startled yelp when you were suddenly flipped over onto your stomach, Geralt’s hands moving to your hips to yank your ass up, growling as he began tugging down your pants and smallclothes. You quickly shrugged off your shirt, laying it down on the ground under you so that you at least had something soft to rest on. Jaskier watched, hypnotized as you were undressed, Geralt grasping your hips with a bruising grip as he leaned over you, his muscles rippling and flexing under his skin.

Jaskier had seen Geralt naked more times than he could count, familiar with the other mans body after years of traveling with him, bathing with him and cleaning his wounds after his hunts, but he had to admit, he had never seen Geralt… Like this. Feral, eager, his heavy cock hanging between his legs, precum already spilling from the flushed tip. It had Jaskier swallowing hard and shifting around awkwardly, trying to ignore the sudden tightness in his own trousers.

You let out a high-pitched moan when Geralt finally yanked your pants off, baring your wet cunt to him. You heard him growl behind you, one hand gripping your hip and one hand moving to splay over your back between your shoulders, pushing you down onto the ground roughly. You grunted, spreading your legs and allowing Geralt better access to your entrance.

“Okay— okay, Geralt, let’s just start out slow at first and then— FUCK!” you keened as you suddenly felt the head of his cock pressing into you, the thick shaft following soon after, splitting you open and driving deep inside you. Jaskier yelped in alarm, quickly moving down to kneel in front of you, hands on the ground to steady himself. You cried out as Geralt continued thrusting against you, letting out grunts and growls as he fucked himself deeper inside of your tight, wet heat, his entire body feeling like it was on fire.

“Shit, Y/N— are you okay?” Jaskier asked and you shakily lifted yourself up on your elbows, whimpering at the burn and stretch of Geralt’s heavy cock, pressing further inside you than you thought was possible. You bit your lip, nodding your head quickly as your eyes fluttered shut, trying to adjust to the feeling of being split open and spread so thoroughly and roughly. Geralt, at least, seemed to still be mildly aware of what was going on and was trying to hold himself back, stilling momentarily to let you get used to the feeling.

“Yeah,” you squeaked out at Jaskier, shuddering as you felt Geralt twitch inside of you. “He’s just, fuck— he’s big, I feel like he’s gonna tear me in half,” you whined, panting. Jaskier was now breathing heavily, staring at you, at your eyes and your lips and the beads of sweat glistening on your skin. Suddenly one of Geralt’s large hands was back on your shoulder, shoving you back down to the ground and you groaned as his cock shifted around inside of you, sliding deeper.

He leaned over you, panting and shuddering as you clenched and contracted around him. His eyes were closed in concentration, one hand gripping your hip tight enough to bruise and the other against your shoulder, pressing you down and making sure you stayed put. His weight on top of you effectively prevented you from squirming away, making sure you took every last inch of his thick length.

Jaskier was breathless, his cock now painfully hard as he watched Geralt take you, rutting you into the ground like a feral animal. He swallowed thickly, shakily reaching forward to touch the side of your face in a comforting gesture. As soon as he touched your fevered skin he heard Geralt let out a deep growl, the bard looking up to see a pair of glowing, cat-like eyes glaring at him.

“Mine,” the Witcher grunted, snapping his hips forward and finally burying the rest of his sizable cock inside of your cunt, his eyes rolling back in his head. You were panting now, wheezing and trying to catch your breath as you felt his heavy sac pressing against your entrance. You shuddered under him, sighing in relief as you knew he had no more for you, no more to press and fuck and grind into you.

“Fuck, Geralt, learn to share,” you grit out, finally beginning to relax and adjust to the feeling of the witcher’s cock inside of you. Jaskier looked up at Geralt again who was once again staring at him, his heated gaze sending shivers down the bard’s spine. Jaskier hesitantly pulled his eyes away from Geralt and back down to you, scooting closer.

“Is this okay? Are you okay? I can— I can take over whenever you want,” he said, licking his lips. You let out a breathy laugh, shaking your head and shifting around, spreading your legs wider to allow Geralt more room.

“No, it’s okay, I’m fine, really,” you mumbled, furrowing your eyebrows together as you felt Geralt slowly pulling out, before slamming back inside you with a grunt. Your entire body lurched forward from the force of his thrust, nearly landing on Jaskier’s lap as Geralt immediately began fucking you with force, gasping as you tightened around him.

“Fuck, that’s it, that’s a good girl,” Geralt growled, his eyes fluttering closed and lead lolling back as he continued pounding you, completely unfazed by the fact that Jaskier was staring. You moaned desperately with every forceful thrust, the once silent forest now overwhelmed with the cacophony of pleasured moans and skin against skin. The only intimacy you’d ever had before Geralt had been fumbling, awkward and disorganized, a stark contrast to the rough, thorough fuck Geralt was giving you now.

You had also never had someone watch before.

You glanced up at Jaskier, feeling a fresh wave of wetness hit your cunt as you noticed the obvious tent in his trousers, the bard still watching you and Geralt, his usually pale cheeks flushed pink.

“Are you enjoying the show?” you moaned out, Jaskier jolting slightly in surprise as he looked down at you, blinking. His lips parted slightly, tongue darting out to wet his dry lips before he nodded.

“Yes— yes, very much so,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically low and rumbling, making you shiver. Geralt, displeased with the sudden conversation between you and the bard immediately worked to bring your attention back to himself, reaching down to lift one of your legs, turning your body slightly in order to fuck you from a different angle. You immediately cried out, your eyes fluttering shut as you felt him roll his hips against yours, his body quivering.

“Gonna cum soon, my little whore. Will that satisfy you, then? Being fucked full, being bred?” Geralt rumbled, snapping his hips against yours. Even Jaskier let out a moan as the filth spilled from Geralt’s flushed lips, not sure whether to be glad he was able to watch Geralt have his way with you, or jealous that it wasn’t him, pressed beneath the Witcher, being split open on his heavy cock.

“Yes, fuck— yes, please, please,” you moaned loudly, pressing your hips back against Geralt’s as you felt your own orgasm drawing closer, nearly screaming when you felt Geralt reach down to cup your cunt, the heel of his palm pressing against your clit, the sudden friction sending you over the edge, your entire body tensing.

Jaskier watched in awe as your mouth fell open, your eyes squeezing shut as Geralt gave one, two, three more thrusts and then he was stilling against you, balls deep inside your cunt as he let out a deep, feral growl that sounded more animal than man.

You whimpered loudly as you felt Geralt fill you, your body unable to contain the (frankly ridiculous) amount of cum as it began leaking out around his cock, coating your thighs and ass and he didn’t seem to stop, continuing to gasp and twitch against you, rutting his hips against yours in an effort to fill you as deeply as possible, the Succubus’ poison and his own feral instincts telling him to fuck you, fill you, breed you, use his fangs and scent and cum to mark you as his territory.

Jaskier, despite being untouched, couldn’t help but moan weakly as he watched his friend fill you, eyes raking over Geralt’s sweat-slicked body, muscles rippling and straining, the light of the moon almost giving Geralt’s pale hair and skin a ghostly glow. His eyes then moved down to you, watching the way your chest rose and fell, your breasts heaving, cunt flushed and well-fucked, dripping with cum.

Geralt seemed to momentarily withdraw from the lust-induced haze of the Succubus’ poison, gritting his teeth as he felt your slick walls contract around his oversensitive cock. He panted, taking a moment to gather himself before he loosened his grip on you, trying not to think about how hard his fingers were digging into your skin and how, come morning, you’ll be covered in bruises.

“Are you okay?” he rumbled, your eyes flicking up to his. You gave him a weak smile, biting your lower lip and nodding your head, trying to ignore that his cock was still hard and pulsing inside of you despite the fact he had just cum.

“Yeah,” you breathed, your throat raw from constant moaning. Geralt’s lips pressed together in a firm line, observing you and Jaskier and trying to ignore the scent of sex and lust in the air, his senses being overwhelmed with the combined smell of you and the bard. To his relief he smelled no fear, only want, need, pleasure, the scents swirling around him like an aromatic perfume, his cock hardening even further.

“Are you sure? I didn’t even prepare you properly, I could have…” Geralt trailed off, averting his gaze from you and trying to ignore the guilt welling up inside his chest. You sighed softly, shifting towards him and causing him to grunt as his oversensitive cock shifted inside of you.

“Geralt, I said I’m okay. Yeah, you didn’t prepare me or anything and it stung a bit but… I liked it. Everyone else has always been so gentle with me that it barely even felt like anything, treating me like I was some fragile thing that was going to break,” you murmured, looking up at Geralt who hummed softly, seeming to consider your words as he began rubbing small circles against your hips.

“It’s still not too late to leave and go back to the village,” Geralt said softly, trying to push down the feeling of nervousness that was welling up inside him, the fear that you and Jaskier would be frightened, disgusted, horrified with his actions. To his surprise you only laughed, shifting your hips towards him again and causing him to groan.

“Geralt, sometimes you listen about as well as Jaskier does. I told you, we’re not leaving you here,” you said, the Witcher giving you a soft smile. Jaskier let out a huff of indignation, crossing his arms over his chest in an effort to look more serious, although it only caused him to look more ridiculous thanks to his flushed cheeks and the very obvious bulge in his trousers.

“I’ll have you know I listen perfectly well,” he said, Geralt rolling his eyes.

“Fine. If you can listen so well, go get the oil from your pack and get yourself ready for me,” Geralt said, giving Jaskier a smirk. The bard immediately scrambled up, quickly moving back over to the campfire to rifle through his belongings. Geralt huffed softly in amusement at the bards eagerness, before bringing his attention back down to you. You swallowed thickly, feeling the heat return to your cheeks as his golden eyes stared down at you.

“So, shall I spend myself in this tight little cunt once more or do you want me to move to Jaskier?” He rumbled, slowly rocking his hips against you and drawing a gasp from your throat. You laid back down on the ground, spreading your legs and baring your throat to him in submission. Geralt let out a deep growl from with in his chest, eyes darkening as he felt lust clouding his mind once again.

“Such a sweet little thing for me, so obedient,” he praised you, eyes half lidded as he slowly worked his hips against yours, his cock easily sliding in and out thanks to your wetness combined with his seed from your previous coupling. You whimpered softly as he leaned down, pressing his nose under your jaw and inhaling deeply, scenting you. You were broken out of your thoughts as a blanket was spread out next to you, Jaskier plopping down on it with a huff.

“I swear, like horny teenagers you two are, I leave for only a moment and when I return you’re already rutting her again like a beast,” Jaskier scolded, although you could tell he didn’t really mean it. Your gaze flickered up to the brunette as he began tugging his clothes off, shivering as the cool night air hit his skin. Geralt smirked at Jaskier, looking the bard right in the eye as he continued working his cock inside of you.

“I don’t think you mind,” Geralt drawled, Jaskier swallowing thickly at the other mans heated gaze. “In fact, I think you quite like it, watching me fuck her and rut her,” Geralt said, noticing how Jaskier’s eyes widened and his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

“Maybe I do,” Jaskier said brusquely, his voice strained as he continued pulling off his clothes, his chest now completely bare. He was pale and smooth, save for a few scars dotted sparsely across his body, gained during his travels with Geralt. You continued writhing under the Witcher, your cunt sore and oversensitive from the rough fucking he gave you only moments ago.

“Oh, I know you do. I can smell it on you, smell the desire and lust rolling off your skin. Tell me, Jaskier, when I finally pull you down onto my cock and split you open, will you sing for me, my little lark? Or will you moan and cry out like a whore?” Geralt growled the last word, knowing it would get a reaction out of Jaskier and that it did, the bard immediately sputtering and opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water, trying to ignore the way his cock twitched at the Witcher’s vulgar and degrading words.

Jaskier let out a whine of relief as he finally removed the rest of his clothes, now able to palm his flushed and heavy cock. You moaned at the sight, at the knowledge that he was so hard and eager just from watching Geralt take you. Jaskier shakily uncorked the bottle of oil, pouring a generous amount onto his fingers before reaching around to begin preparing himself. Geralt watched in rapt fascination at the bard’s subtle reactions, the way his plush lips parted in a soft gasp, the way his hips twitched forward before grinding back against his slick fingers, the way his eyelids would flutter every time he pressed his fingers deeper inside of himself.

You whimpered as you felt heat building inside you once again, your entire body feeling like it was melting as Geralt continued fucking you, his hips snapping against yours, not as frantic as before but still rough, his calloused hands pressing you to the ground to ensure you couldn’t move away from his powerful thrusts. Jaskier in the meantime was conflicted, trying to figure out whether or not to watch you or Geralt, still fucking himself open with his fingers, his fat cock bobbing at the motion of his hips.

“Are you enjoying this, Jaskier, watching me fuck her open in front of you? Or are you jealous? Would you rather be in her place?” Geralt said, giving a particularly hard thrust that drew out a sharp whine from your throat. The bard’s eyes flickered down to look at you, watching the way your hands flexed as you fisted your hands into your shirt, your eyebrows knitted together and mouth hanging open, your body shuddering and twitching as your orgasm fast-approached.

“Gods, Geralt— the fucking mouth on you. If I knew you’d— shit, be this talkative I’d have found a succubus to bite you months ago,” Jaskier growled out, keening as he pressed a third finger into himself, the stretch dancing the line between pain and pleasure as he opened himself up. Geralt only let out a soft huff of laughter, before turning his attention back to you, his nostrils flaring at the delicious scent you were giving off.

“Are you going to cum, girl? Cum around my cock and milk it, let me fuck you full again?” Geralt growled, speeding up his thrusts and relishing the sounds you were making, the way your hips were pressing back against him, the way you cried out every time the fat head of his cock pressed against that spot deep inside of you.

“Please, Geralt, please, please,” you cried out, not even sure what you were begging for, your brain completely overwhelmed with pleasure. Geralt let out a low, rumbling moan, his hips stuttering as he felt his own impending orgasm. Jaskier watched with bated breath as Geralt once again reached under you to palm your cunt, this time choosing to pinch and roll your swollen clit between his fingers. You moaned loudly, panting and twitching against Geralt as you felt yourself cumming, the girth of his cock almost painful inside of you as you clenched around him.

“Fuck— that’s it, good girl, show Jaskier what a good little bitch you are for me,” the Witcher snarled, pressing his hips firmly against yours as he spilled inside you once again, making sure his throbbing cock was as deep in your cunt as possible. Jaskier moaned, pressing his fingers inside himself as far as he could, almost oblivious to the way his wrist ached as he ground back against his hand.

Geralt was panting, slowly coming down from the high of the Succubus’ poison once again. You whined as he slowly moved back, shivering as you felt the amount of cum that spilled out of you when he finally pulled out. You were sore and oversensitive, but you immediately found yourself missing the delicious stretch of his cock, feeling empty now that he was no longer inside of you.

Geralt sighed, lowering himself to his side and flopping down onto the ground, the coolness of the grass soothing his heated skin. Jaskier whimpered as he removed his fingers from himself, wiping off the excess oil on his discarded clothes as he stood on shaky legs, grabbing the blanket and moving it over to you and Geralt, letting you crawl on top of it before he sat down next to you.

Geralt watched you two silently, his golden eyes almost seeming to glow in the darkness. Jaskier swallowed thickly, a soft moan bubbling up in his throat as he realized that Geralt was still hard, his flushed length now resting against his stomach.

“So that— I mean, is that normal? Some sort of weird Witcher magic or did you just, I don’t know, sit there and let the Succubus chew on you for a while?” Jaskier said, still staring at the sizable cock. He had always thought that he was above average, or at least proportioned decently enough to keep men and women alike coming back again and again but oh, sweet Gods, Geralt was an absolute beast. Jaskier made a mental note to ask you later how you were able to take that thing inside yourself without being torn in half.

Geralt chuckled, feeling oddly pleased that his length was so captivating to the bard.

“I do have quite a bit of stamina from my mutations but no, this doesn’t usually happen,” he said, eyeing Jaskier who let out a soft noise of acknowledgement.

“What a pity,” Jaskier murmured, still staring at Geralt’s length, “Oh, the songs I could write about you and your divine dick,” Jaskier said dreamily, the Witcher giving him a disapproving look, like a parent that had just watched their child jump into a puddle of mud after specifically telling them not to. You groaned softly as you moved to rest your head against Geralt’s thigh, your eyes flicking up to look at Jaskier.

“I think if you write a song about his dick he’ll rip yours clean off,” you said, Geralt letting out a snort in response. Jaskier frowned, pursing his lips and sparing you a glance as he adjusted his position, leaning closer to Geralt who eyed him curiously.

“I think—” Jaskier said, reaching up to let the tips of his fingers dance across Geralt’s length, which twitched at the stimulation, “I think that Geralt, the kind-hearted and caring man that he is, would find it in himself to forgive me for writing a few odes to this magnificent specimen, if in return, I show him why I’m a bard,” Jaskier said simply, both you and Geralt quirking a brow at him.

“Because you’re a bawdy whore that can’t keep his dick to himself?” Geralt asked playfully, ignoring the scowl Jaskier made at his comment.

“No, Geralt, that is not why I’m a bard. I’m a bard because I’m good with my mouth and my hands,” he said simply, immediately lifting Geralt’s cock to his lips and taking the head into his mouth. Geralt grunted, hips twitching up at the sudden stimulation. You watched as Jaskier suckled the Witcher’s cock, a giddy, bubbly feeling building in your stomach as you realized that his cock probably still tasted of you, tasted of your slick and wetness and desire.

You watched Geralt’s face curiously as you reached up, using your thumb and forefinger to stroke the base of his cock, still flushed and heavy. The white-haired man gasped softly at the additional contact, watching you and Jaskier through half-lidded eyes. Jaskier pulled back, panting softly and reaching up to fist the Witcher’s cock, pulling his foreskin back to reveal the plump, flushed tip.

Geralt gasped when the brunette began laving little kitten licks on the head of his cock, squeezing his length as you moved your hands down to cup and fondle Geralt’s heavy sac, your breath catching in your throat as you watched Jaskier, all gentle touches and flushed cheeks, eyes closed in content as he continued lapping at the slit of Geralt’s cock which was already dripping precum.

“You two will be the death of me,” Geralt groaned, letting his head thump against the ground. You and Jaskier both smiled fondly, the bard taking the head of his cock back into his mouth, pressing the flat of his tongue against it and slowly working his way down. He had sucked cocks before, of course, but none were as thick as Geralt’s, so he took it slow, not wanting to ruin the night or have to explain to the village’s doctor why he had a dick-shaped hole in his esophagus.

You shifted to rest your upper half over Geralt’s leg, Jaskier opening his eyes to watch you curiously. You only gave him a wink before leaning forward, running your tongue over a large vein on the side of Geralt’s cock. The Witcher grunted loudly, fisting his hands into the grass below him at the feeling of two warm, slick tongues worshipping his heated flesh. He had felt many things in his life; pain, rage, sadness, fear, but none compared to the absolute overwhelming pleasure you and the bard were granting him.

“If you two don’t stop— fuck, I’m going to cum,” Geralt growled, Jaskier pulling back with a wet pop and licking his lips, gazing at Geralt with half-lidded eyes and flushed cheeks.

“That’s the idea,” he murmured sweetly before swallowing Geralt down once again, trying to relax his throat as best he could. You continued alternating between stroking and licking Geralt’s cock, heat rising in your cheeks as you realized how close your mouth was to Jaskier’s. The bard, ever the showoff, made it nearly halfway down the thick cock before needing to pull up again, panting.

Geralt groaned, forcing his eyes open and tilting his head up to watch the two of you suck him, his length twitching at the erotic sight before him. You and Jaskier pulled back momentarily, staring at each other for a moment as Jaskier glanced at Geralt before leaning over, whispering something in your ear. Geralt watched as your expression changed from curiosity to surprise to embarrassment, your wide doe-eyes darting over to Geralt before Jaskier pulled back, licking his lips.

“What are you two— oh fuck,” Geralt cried out, eyes rolling back in his head as Jaskier’s mouth met yours with the flushed and dripping head of his cock pressed in the middle. It took all of his restraint not to fuck up into the hot, slick mouths around him, overwhelming him with pleasure. You whimpered softly as you felt Jaskier’s tongue brush against yours, Geralt’s cock twitching as you both wrapped your hand around his length, fingers intertwining as you both worked his cock.

“Fuck!” Geralt let out a loud snarl, his hips jerking upwards as he came, both you and Jaskier gasping in surprise as you felt the warmth of his cum coating your lips and tongues, leaking down his cock to cover your hands. You both licked him clean, continuing to slowly jerk him, feeling him shiver and grunt under you from overstimulation. Geralt wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or upset when you and the bard pulled away, panting and licking the remnants of his seed off your hands.

Geralt sighed in content, taking a moment to relax before slowly sitting up to look at you and Jaskier. You were both staring at him, pupils blown wide and lips parted. Jaskier shifted uncomfortably, Geralt’s gaze moving to the bards still hard cock, hanging fat and heavy between his legs.

“As much as I would enjoy pinning you down and fucking you I think that’ll you’ll have to settle on riding me, little lark,” Geralt rumbled, Jaskier letting out a soft whine as he noticed that Geralt’s cock was still hard. You grabbed the discarded bottle of oil from the blanket, handing it to Jaskier who uncorked it, licking his lips and pouring a decent amount onto his hand before reaching down and gripping the Witcher’s cock once again.

“So uh, Geralt— I know with Y/N you sort of just, you know, went for it, but I would like to remind you that, ah, I’m a bit more fragile than that,” Jaskier began rambling, staring wide-eyed at Geralt’s thick length. Geralt grunted, rolling his hips up into the bard’s tight grip.

“This isn’t my first time with a man, Jaskier, but if you don’t want this you can go back to the village and I can finish myself off,” he groaned, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes closed in concentration, trying to focus on the feeling of Jaskier’s hand, somehow both rough and soft at the same time, fisting his cock. Jaskier scoffed, tightening his grip slightly and drawing a choked gasp from the man under him.

“Oh please, this isn’t my first time with a man either, Geralt, and you know me, I’m never one to back down from a challenge,” he murmured, shifting around to face Geralt’s feet and straddle the larger mans waist, biting his lip as he felt the plump head of the Witcher’s cock brush against his entrance. Geralt reached up, gripping the bards hips and squeezing gently, the uncharacteristically soft gesture making Jaskier smile softly.

You watched with bated breath as Jaskier reached back, gripping Geralt’s cock and guiding it to his ass, letting out a sharp gasp as the head pressed inside.

“Easy, Jaskier, take your time,” Geralt rumbled from under him, eyes fluttering shut at the sudden tight, wet heat of the brunette’s body. Jaskier only let out a choked whine in response as he began sliding down, eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched at the burn and stretch. You shifted forward, sitting up on your knees and reaching up to cup the side of Jaskier’s face, his eyes fluttering open to meet yours, already glassy and unfocused.

“That’s it, that’s a good boy, just relax yourself,” the Witcher growled as his cock slipped further inside, Jaskier keening and grinding down against Geralt. Jaskier nearly cried in relief when he finally felt Geralt’s hips connect with his, knowing the white-haired man was now balls deep inside him. They both sat for a moment, panting and shuddering, Jaskier trying desperately to adjust to the feeling of being fucked open like this, being speared on a cock so thick and made to take every last inch.

The bard sighed in content, reaching down to lay his hands over Geralt’s, which were still resting on his hips. He licked his lips, rocking back against the Witcher.

“Okay, fuck— I’m okay, you can go now, come on, don’t make me beg,” he whined, a shiver running up his spine as he heard Geralt let out a deep, animalistic growl under him. He nearly screamed when Geralt suddenly lifted him up before letting him drop back down, the Witcher’s cock sliding back in easily thanks to the oil. Geralt repeated the process again and again, Jaskier quickly losing track of how many times the older man had fucked into him, his mind completely lost to the overwhelming pleasure.

You watched with wide eyes, enraptured by the sounds coming out of Jaskier’s mouth. You had always thought that there would be no sound more beautiful and ethereal than the sound of Jaskier’s voice when he danced and spun around a tavern, singing his songs and strumming his lute, but now you were sure that his moans, breathless and desperate, were the most gorgeous noises you would ever hear from him.

He let out a litany of sounds, whines and pleas and wails, tears of pleasure welling up in his eyes as he was split on Geralt’s fat cock, his own cock now drooling precum all over his stomach and thighs.

“Gods, Geralt— fuck, please, you’re so good, so absolutely amazing, I feel like you’re in my stomach, oh—“ Jaskier let out a choked, broken moan as Geralt sped up, grunting and snarling under the bard, his hands now gripping the smaller mans hips tightly enough to bruise as he fucked up into him, his hips rolling upwards to meet the bards thrusts back against him.

“Fuck, I was right, you really do moan like a whore,” Geralt snarled, Jaskier keening and throwing his hips back against the older man, pleasure shooting like electricity through his body as Geralt brushed against that spot deep inside him that made him scream.

“Geralt, please, it’s so much— please, keep talking, your voice— it’s so good, please,” Jaskier cried out desperately, his body beginning to twitch and shake with the force of his impending orgasm. He reached for his cock, only for Geralt to snarl, easily trapping both of the bards smaller hands in his own larger one, pinning them behind Jaskier’s back as he fucked up into the bard with renewed vigor.

“Don’t you dare, bard. You’re going to cum on your own, fuck yourself down on my cock and cum untouched like the whore you are,” Geralt growled, Jaskier crying out loudly at a particularly rough thrust. Geralt continued his frantic pace, his arms and thighs burning from the strain but he kept going, chasing his own pleasure and rutting as deep into the bard’s tight ass as he could.

“Come on then, my lark, cum for me. I can fucking smell it on you, smell how eager you are to cum on my cock, how eager you are to feel me fill you up and breed you like the bitch you are,” and with that Jaskier came with a wail of Geralt’s name, his body tensing and his cock twitching, thick ropes of cum spilling all over his stomach and thighs, painting his flushed skin white.

Geralt came seconds later with an animalistic noise, burying his cock as deep inside the brunette as he could, sitting up and holding Jaskier against his chest before sinking his teeth into Jaskier’s neck and drawing another whine from the bard. Geralt slowly opened his mouth, removing his teeth from Jaskier’s tender shoulder as his eyes fluttered open, revealing the sight of… Oh.

“Jaskier, for fuck sake,” he said in exasperation, Jaskier only letting out a dreamy sigh in response.

“Oh, yes, I know— it was so good, I feel like I’m in Heaven,” Jaskier murmured, Geralt huffing out a sigh.

“No, idiot, look at what you did,” Geralt said, Jaskier blinking a few times to focus his eyes, which immediately landed on your face, staring at him with wide, owlish eyes, his expression mirroring yours as he realized that not only did he paint his chest and thighs with his cum, but your face as well.

“Oh shit— did I do that?“ Jaskier let out a choked sound, reaching forward and beginning to wipe your face clean. Geralt rolled his eyes, lifting Jaskier up slowly so that he could pull his now softening cock out.

“Well, considering my cock was buried in your ass when I spent myself I’m going to assume that yes, you did that,” the Witcher grumbled, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine at the pathetic, whimpering sound Jaskier made as he finally pulled out. Jaskier pulled up a discarded shirt, using it to wipe your face. You closed your eyes quickly, reaching to grab the shirt from his hands so you could clean the mess yourself.

“I ah, I’m terribly sorry about that, kind of got caught up in the moment, didn’t quite consider where I would be… Aiming,” Jaskier mumbled sheepishly. You pulled the shirt away from your face, glancing at it and frowning.

“Jaskier… Is this my shirt? Did you seriously just wipe your cum all over my shirt?” You asked incredulously, Jaskier looking down at the offending garment as he opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the words to respond.

“I think you fucked the last of his braincells out, Geralt,” you remarked, the bard huffing and scowling at you. Geralt smiled softly, groaning and pushing Jaskier so he was no longer sitting on his sore thighs. You all sat in silence for a moment before Jaskier spoke, looking over to Geralt.

“So, are you feeling any better? Dick not too chaffed? I mean, if it is I can definitely help, I’ve still got some of that lovely oil I bought back when we were—“ Geralt silenced Jaskier with a soft kick to his shin, the bard yelping. You giggled softly, taking the opportunity while Jaskier was distracted to grab his discarded shirt, slipping it on along with your underwear while he was bickering with Geralt.

“Are you two going to fight all night or can we go lay down by the campfire where it’s warm?” You asked, the two men looking up at you. Geralt frowned and scrunched his nose up when he realized you were wearing Jaskier’s shirt, the bard on the other hand completely oblivious to your new wardrobe as he stood up with a grunt, beginning to yank his smallclothes and trousers back on.

You immediately noticed Geralt’s sour expression, crossing your arms over your chest and raising a brow at the Witcher.

“You’re wearing his shirt,” he grumbled as if he already knew what you were going to ask, Jaskier blinking in surprise and glancing to you, a wide smile on his face.

“Why that she is! It looks quite lovely on you, I must say,” the bard hummed, Geralt rolling his eyes and standing up with a groan, his muscles aching and sore. Jaskier reached out automatically to steady Geralt, giving him a soft smile.

“Geralt,” you said, a teasing lilt to your voice as you eyed the Witcher. “Are you jealous? Is the big, bad White Wolf jealous that I’m wearing someone else’s shirt?” You asked, Geralt sighing loudly as he began walking back over to the campfire, not even slightly embarrassed to be the only one not wearing anything. You and Jaskier followed him, the bard sharing a mischievous look with you as you grabbed your bedrolls, laying them next to Geralt’s as he sat down.

Geralt gave no protest as you and Jaskier settled in on either side of him, piling your blankets together and snuggling closer. Geralt grunted as Jaskier slung one of his legs over his own, effectively trapping him. Geralt finally laid down with a huff, eyebrows furrowing as you immediately laid one of your hands on his chest, nuzzling into his side. You looked up at him, his golden eyes peering at you curiously.

“What’s wrong?” you murmured, staring up at him, Jaskier moving his head to look up at Geralt.

“I—“ he paused, looking away and considering his next words. “I don’t know why you two want to lay next to me after… That. I was rough with both of you. You’re fragile,” he murmured, refusing to meet your eyes. You and Jaskier exchanged a look before snuggling closer to Geralt, running your fingers over one of his scars absentmindedly.

“We already told you, we wanted it. We loved it and you weren’t too rough, we trust you. But, I mean— you didn’t— you didn’t really have a choice so if you don’t want us to sleep next to you I understand,“ you sighed, feeling guilt at the thought that Geralt was so concerned with you and Jaskier that he might have ignored his own wants. You shifted in order to move away but Geralt quickly wrapped a large, muscled arm around you, pulling you back against his chest.

“No. I wanted it. I just— didn’t think you would want it too,” Geralt rumbled, still staring up at the sky, trying to avoid your gaze. You relaxed against him again, finally closing your eyes.

“Oh Geralt, you really are oblivious,” Jaskier murmured with a sigh of content, the Witcher grumbling and wrapping an arm around the bard, squeezing him lightly and making the brunette smile.

For the first time in what felt like years, you all slept peacefully.

#The Witcher #Geralt x Reader #Jaskier x Reader #Geralt x Jaskier x Reader #Geralt/Reader #Geralt/Jaskier #Geralt/Jaskier/Reader

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cocastyle · 5 years

Text

Panic

Pairing - Eddie Kaspbrak x reader

Word Count - 3,773

A/N - this request will be a lot like my In-Between series (go check it out if you haven’t already!) in the way that the reader moved to Derry and met the Losers and the Party is now in Derry trying time stop the Upside Down and Pennywise. there will be a few similar things to that story, but this will have it’s own storyline with a totally different character so I hope you all enjoy! I love Eddie so much and would love to write more for him in the future so if anyone ever has a request, go ahead and send it in!

Request - Eddie x reader where while the Losers Club and the party is fighting about who the reader likes more as friends after they save Mike, a demogorgon's claw grabs the reader's ankle, cutting it and drags her back into the portal to the upside down and Eddie tries to grab her hand, but she is yanked back into the upside down and the portal shuts fast, leaving the two groups shocked and guilty about arguing that they didn't notice the claw coming through the portal. same thing with them rescuing the reader and they think that she died when they get out with her. then the reader wakes up and everyone gives her a big hug. and Eddie does the CPR and kiss like what Bill did @artlovingbre

Panic. That was all Y/N could feel as she ran through the decaying world, Eddie Kapsbrak's hand in hers as he huffed and puffed by her side. Sheer and utter panic.

"Come on!" Mike Wheeler yelled back at the group of kids, the Party and the Losers Club both picking up speed at those words. Growls behind them only made them run faster and Y/N's breath hitched in her throat at the sight of ten or more demogorgons running after them.

"Shit," she muttered as she yanked Eddie forward. "Come on, Eddie! We need to go!"

"I'm running as fast as I can!" Eddie cried out as the two ran at the rear of the group.

The familiar Neibolt house that held the portal to get back to their own world finally came into view and Y/N couldn't help but sigh in relief as her and the others all dashed towards the door. It didn't take long for them to get down to the basement and Eddie lunged through the portal, pulling Y/N along with him until the two landed on the floor of their world, the Upside Down now far behind them.

It was in that moment when Eleven was trying to close the portal and the relief of finally being safe had hit her that Y/N's leg suddenly flared up in pain. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit," Y/N muttered as she looked down at her leg that had a huge gash down the back of it, something she must've not noticed when the adrenaline was still coursing through her body.

"Fuck," Eddie whispered as his eyes caught sight of Y/N's leg. "Uh, guys! We kind of need help over here!"

Everyone's eyes flickered over to the girl and Y/N quickly waved them off, "I'm fine. Check on Mike. He's the one that's been trapped in the Upside Down for forty eight hours."

"No, I'm fine," Mike insisted. "You are clearly not fine."

"And whose fault is that?" Wheeler muttered under his breath causing Y/N to roll her eyes and put her face into her hands, already knowing what was about to happen.

"Woah. Woah. Woah. What's that supposed to mean?" Mike asked, his eyebrows raised as he looked over at the boy who looked identical to his best friend.

"I mean if we didn't have to come save your ass because you got a little too curious about things you don't understand then she wouldn't be hurt now would she?" Wheeler asked.

"This isn't Mike's fault," Beverly insisted as she went over to her friend and put a hand on his shoulder.

"If anything it's yours because you guys didn't bother making sure the gate was actually closed," Richie shrugged.

"Don't put the blame on us, asshole!" Lucas exclaimed as he walked closer to Richie.

"Guys," Eddie sighed as he pulled himself up onto his feet. "We've got bigger things to worry about." He then gestured towards Y/N, his face pale as he looked at her in concern, but no one bothered looking their way.

"Guys, let's not start this back up, okay?" Steve told them as he gently pushed Lucas and Richie away from each other.

"Don't fucking touch me!" Richie exclaimed as he shoved Steve away. "Besides, we already know who would win."

"Us," Dustin muttered as if it were obvious.

Richie laughed out loud at that. "Yeah, okay, Curly Fry. We would be the ones that win. Even Y/N would agree," Richie told them.

"Yeah, right. Y/N would agree with us. She likes us more anyways," Wheeler argued.

"Cause that's why she left you guys, right? Because she likes you all so much," Richie mocked.

"Guys," Eleven muttered, barely being able to pay attention to the gate because of all of the arguing.

"Better watch your mouth, Trashmouth, before you say something you regret," Wheeler practically growled.

Richie let out a laugh before muttering, "Fuck you."

Wheeler smiled at that and it wasn't a genuine smile but one of his pissed off ones. Before any of them knew what was happening, Wheeler went to lunge at Richie and this sent the whole group into a frenzy.

Eleven's eyes widened and she turned her attention away from the gate to yell at her boyfriend while the others all hurried to pull the two boys away from each other while they shouted insults at the other group.

Y/N shook her head, tears filling her eyes at the sight of all of her friends frighting. She tried to move to stop them, but she fell down to the ground with a hiss, her whole leg throbbing from the intense pain.

"Guys!" Eddie yelled as he moved towards the groups and away from Y/N, not noticing the small shadow that had seemed to grow by the portal or the small claw that had begun to peak out.

Y/N bit her lip to hold back a scream of pain as she pushed herself up onto her feet. She knew she would have to be the one to break it up, but the moment she went to take a step forward, she went falling to the ground with a loud thud that had everyone turning to look at her, their eyes widening at the sight of a clawed hand gripping onto their friend's ankle.

Before any of them knew what was happening, Y/N was suddenly being dragged across the floor. A scream escaped her lips as she clawed at the floor yelling, "Help!"

The others quickly burst into action and Eddie was the first to reach the girl. "Eddie!" Y/N cried out as she desperately tried to reach for him. Eddie could feel a bubble of panic rising in his chest but he pushed it aside as he shot his arm forward, his hand grabbing onto hers only for it to slip from his hold as she was suddenly pulled back with so much force that her whole body went flying back into the portal which had finally finished closing as soon as she was through.

Eddie slipped and landed face first on the ground, but he didn't bother trying to get up. His whole body was shaking as he weakly lifted his head, his eyes locked on the portal in front of him that Y/N had just been pulled back through.

Eddie didn't know what to think as he sat there, the silence in the room being enough to make his ears ring while everyone stood there in shock. It wasn't until a whimper filled the air that they all blinked away their shock, tears filling their eyes and looks of guilt crossing their faces as they looked to the boy on the floor who had been the one to let out the whimper.

"She's. . ." Eddie couldn't even finish his sentence before a sob escaped his lips, his whole body shaking violently from the force as the realization that the girl he had a crush on had just been taken by a demogorgon into the one place he knew she feared the most hit him.

Eddie managed to pull himself up onto his knees before he looked down at his hands, the same hands which had had a hold on the girl but had let her slip away. His cries grew a little louder at that and he found himself putting his face into his hands while he cried out, his whole body aching from a pain that started in his chest right where his heart was.

It took a minute, but the boy eventually felt a hand on his shoulder and Eddie weakly turned to see Richie kneeling beside him with tears of his own streaming down his face.

"She's gone, Rich," Eddie croaked out. "She's gone."

In a very unRichie like action, Richie reached out and let his arms wrap around the boy, Eddie sobbing slightly as he turned and hugged onto his best friend like he was his only lifeline at the moment.

The group all watched silently as Richie hugged the boy a little tighter before they hung their heads as they realized Y/N truly was gone.

"She's not gone, Eddie," Richie whispered as he comforted the boy causing everyone to look to him, including Eddie. "We're going to get her back, okay? We're going to save her."

Eddie stared silently at Richie before nodding his head. "She's not gone," he whispered in agreement before he turned to the group, giving them all pointed looks that told them that they were going to help him fix this.

"We're going to get her back."

- - -

To everyone's surprise, Eddie was the first one to enter the portal once they had all the things they needed to go save Y/N. He didn't even flinch as the decay and goo touched him, only took in a deep breath before continuing into the Upside Down while the others just watched him in silence.

Then again, they really shouldn't have been surprised. This was Y/N they were talking about and the feelings the boy had for her were obvious.

Eleven was by Eddie's side in no time and she gave the boy a small nod before pointing in the direction she felt they needed to go. "This way," she whispered before Eddie nodded, the two then leading the group further into the Upside Down until they came upon what had to be the Upside Down version of Y/N's house.

"She's in there," Eleven whispered, her face pale. "I can feel it."

Eddie nodded and took a hit off of his inhaler before looking to the house and beginning to walk in, the others all following behind. He was doing this for Y/N, Eddie kept reminding himself. Everything he did was for Y/N.

Swallowing his fear and panic, the boy pushed the front door of the house open before slowly walking inside. Steve clicked on his flashlight and went to stand by the boy as they slowly began to look around.

"Let's split up and look around. Holler if you find anything and be careful," Steve told the kids. They all nodded before splitting up, Eddie and Richie going with Steve while the others broke up into groups of three as well.

The trio decided to take the upstairs and Eddie followed behind Steve who began to make his way into what Eddie knew to be the guest room. Eddie watched Steve go for a moment before turning his head and looking towards Y/N's room, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach suddenly washing over him.

Eddie didn't tell the two that he was leaving and just walked over to Y/N's room. It felt like he was being tugged by an invisible string, his body preforming actions before his brain could even think of them. But as soon as Eddie pushed the door open, he knew why he had been walking towards the door.

"Y/N?" Eddie cried out, his face going pale as he stared at the dead looking girl who was held up against the wall by decay. She seemed to have something covering her mouth and Eddie felt like he was going to puke.

Pushing past his nausea, the boy yelled, "I found her!" It didn't take long for him to hear the scrambling of footsteps before everyone was filing into the room behind him.

"What the fuck?" Richie cried as he looked at his friend with wide eyes.

"Holy shit," Dustin breathed out.

Everyone was looking at Y/N in disbelief and disgust while Will just looked as white as a sheet of paper. Will was the one to snap them out of their thoughts as he whispered, "We need to help her."

He knew what was happening and if they didn't get that thing out of her quick, there would be no Y/N to save.

Everyone glanced at him and Will just looked at them with wide eyes. "Fucking move!" Will yelled instantly making the group jump at his sudden outburst before they rushed over to the girl.

It took all hands on deck for them to pull away the decay that was holding her back. Finally they were left with whatever it was that was attached to her mouth and Eddie grimaced before slowly going to grab it. A hand gently pushed his away before Steve was whistling, "It's okay, kid. I got it."

Eddie gave Steve a thankful look before watching as the older boy grabbed ahold of the thing in Y/N's mouth. He began to pull and Eddie resisted the urge to gag as he watched Steve pull whatever worm thing it was out of Y/N's mouth.

"F-F-Fuck," Bill muttered in disgust while him and Mike held the girl up in place so that Steve could finish getting the thing out of her.

It took a moment longer and Eddie felt as if he were going to pass out when he saw just how long that worm thing was. Finally, Steve gave one more yank before the thing finally came out. Steve tossed it aside almost instantly and Eleven was quick to use her powers to toss the thing out the window of the room.

They then turned to Y/N who was limp in Bill and Mike's arms. "Is she-?" Max whispered, but Steve quickly shook his head as he felt for a pulse.

"She's still breathing, but we need to get her out of here," Steve told them.

The group all nodded in agreement before Eddie went over to help Mike and Bill carry the girl. "Let's go," Eddie told the group before they all began to move out.

They had barely made it out the front door before a sound similar to howling filled the air. "Shit," Stan muttered as he glanced at Ben and Beverly who stood beside him.

"We need to move! Like now!" Wheeler exclaimed before everyone broke out into a run, Eleven making sure to stay behind the group seeing as she could use her powers to keep the demogorgons back.

Eddie was met with the same feeling of panic he had felt the last time they ran through the Upside Down, only this time Y/N was unconscious by his side instead of running alongside him.

It took a while but they eventually reached the house and all began to pile inside while Eleven let out a scream and used her powers to throw all of the demogorgons back. Wheeler was quick to grab her arm and the two brought up the rear of the group as they ran to the basement and through the portal that was in the Neibolt House.

As soon as the last person had gotten through, Eleven turned to the portal and begin to use her powers to close it. "You got this, El!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Come on!" Ben yelled.

Yells of encouragement from both groups were thrown towards El who let out a scream before finally forcing the portal closed. Everyone let out sighs of relief, but it was short lived by Eddie who let out a scream.

The group was quick to turn to the boy with wide eyes, their eyes landing on where he sat on the floor with Y/N in his arms. "She's not. . .She's not breathing!" Eddie squeaked out, sheer panic washing over his body as he looked down at the girl and began to shake her.

"Y/N?" Eddie cried out as he shook her. "Come on. Wake up!"

Tears were filling his eyes and a few had even started to fall as he began to breath heavily, his airways starting to close up as panic course through his body.

"Fuck! I don't know. . .I don't know what to do. Fuck!" Eddie yelled out as he laid the girl on the ground before putting his hands to her chest and beginning to preform CPR. The group all watched with tears in their eyes as Eddie tried to revive the girl, his mouth connecting with hers as he breathed air into her lungs before he pulled away and continued the rest of the procedure.

He was hyperventilating at this point, his asthma getting so bad that the lack of air was making the world spin around him. But Eddie didn't care. He didn't even bother reaching for his inhaler because Y/N was more important at the moment.

"Eddie," Richie sighed as he began to move towards the boy, knowing that the others wouldn't be able to stop him and that Eddie wouldn't give up even if there was nothing else he could do.

"I can't lose her, Richie. I can't lose her!" Eddie cried out as he continued the CPR, his wheezing only getting worse as his face grew red.

"Eddie, you need your fucking inhaler, man," Richie said as he went to grab the boy and pull him away, but Eddie slapped him away with tears streaming down her face.

"She needs help! Y/N. . .needs help!" Eddie puffed out, his movements getting slower due to the lack of oxygen he was getting.

Richie, finally having enough, grabbed ahold of the boy and began to pull him away, ignoring the shouts of protests that were coming from Eddie as the boy thrashed around in his hold.

"Let. . .me. . .go, Richie! Fucking. . .let me. . .go!" Eddie huffed before Richie was suddenly pinning him to the ground. Beverly appeared by his side in an instant and quickly got the boy's inhaler before holding it up to Eddie's mouth.

The young boy reluctantly took the medicine, letting out a small sigh of relief as the fire that seemed to be burning in his lungs lessened. It took a moment of him just taking some deep breaths before Eddie was able to open his eyes again, his asthma now under control.

It was only then that Richie let the boy sit back up and Eddie slowly moved into a sitting position before letting his eyes flicker over to Y/N who was now lying lifelessly in Eleven and Will's arms.

Eddie's eyes locked with theirs and Will was quick to look back down as he just hugged his friend close to his body. Eleven just gave Eddie a sad look and the boy couldn't help but let out a small sob at that, his body leaning back against Richie and Beverly who were quick to hug the boy in comfort.

Eddie let his eyes fall shut as he let out heartbroken cries. His cries were the only thing that could've heard beside the sniffling coming from the others.

That was until a gasp filled the air followed by the sound of someone having a coughing fit.

Eddie froze before slowly allowing his eyes to flicker up, a feeling of euphoria washing through his body at the sight of Y/N coughing while Eleven and Will smiled from her side.

Y/N didn’t even have time to think before she was being attacked by hugs, Will being the first to hold her tight in between sobs before Eleven joined in. She was passed around between her friends, each of them getting a chance to hug the girl that they thought they had lost before Y/N was suddenly standing face to face with Eddie.

Y/N blinked in surprise, watching silently as Eddie just stared at her with a quivering lip. His quivering lip quickly turned into a shaky smile as tears of relief began to fall from his face. He was pulling her in for a hug within a second, his hand going to the back of her head as he held her close.

Y/N felt herself instantly relax in the boy’s hold, her hands curling into fists around Eddie’s shirt as she shook in his hold. The memories of what had happened flashed through her head, but with Eddie holding her, they were quickly pushed away.

“I thought I lost you,” Eddie whispered as he dug his face into the girl’s neck. Y/N blushed slightly having never seen so much affection from the boy but loving it so much that her heart was roaring with butterflies.

“I’m sorry. I’m here. I should’ve been paying attention to that stupid portal,” Y/N sighed while Eddie pulled away slightly to look at her. The girl looked down before muttering, “Then maybe I would’ve noticed the demogorgon and-“

Y/N began to ramble and all Eddie could do was just smile and shake his head at the girl in disbelief. His smile disappeared for a second as he hit his lip nervously, his eyes flickering over the girl’s face as he argued back and forth with himself.

Finally, Eddie just sighed and muttered, “Fuck it.” Y/N glanced up at him at that, but didn’t have time to question him before he had put both hands on either side of the girl’s face and pulled her forward, instantly connecting their lips into a searing kiss that made Y/N’s face then beet red.

She couldn’t believe what was happening. Eddie Kaspbrak was kissing her. The boy she had been crushing on since she moved to Derry was kissing her! And how unlike him that was. But Y/N couldn’t deny that she liked this uncharacteristic like boldness coming from the boy.

The two teens would’ve continued kissing if it hadn’t been that they were suddenly reminded of the audience they had as soon as whoops and hollers filled the air and Richie yelled out, “Get some, Eddie!”

That made the two instantly pull away, blushes dusting their faces as they shyly look at their friends before looking back at each other. Y/N swore she had never been looked at someone the way that Eddie looked at her in that moment and it only got better when the boy whispered softly to her, “I love you, Y/N.”

Y/N couldn’t help but smile at that and she quickly leaned into kiss the boy once again, pulling away to reveal a dazed and red faced Eddie. “I love you too, Eddie,” she whispered, the utter shock and look of happiness on Eddie’s face making her heart swell.

Eddie was just about to lean into kiss her again when someone in the room cleared their throat, the noise causing the two to freeze when they were only inches apart.

“Okay, so now that you two are in a relationship, I think we need to establish some ground rules and-"

“Steve!"

* * *

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katedrakeohd · 5 years

Text

A Stolen Moment - Part 3

A The Royal Masquerade Fanfiction

Part One / Part Two

...................

Cast of Characters: (MC) Julia Aster, Kayden Vescovi, Teapot the guard, various marketplace folk.

Rated: PG

.................

Part Three : The Mariner and the Maiden

I nudge my horse to follow Kaydan as he pulls away from the line of carriages. After turning a bend in the road the sound of the carriage wheels and trotting horses fades and as I look over at Kaydan he seems to have relaxed a little.

"A change of scenery is nice." I venture, still feeling uncertain about where Kaydan is leading me.

When he looks over at me his usual stoic, unreadable expression has fallen away, and he gives me a happy smile that lights up his whole face.

"This kind of change is welcome. It feels like a lifetime since I've explored town as a free man without responsibilities."

I laugh, "You're still responsible for me, and to get us back before we're missed."

He nods, "Be that as it may, for now I don't want us to be Crown Shield or Lady Aster. Let's escape from that life and choose to be other people, if only for a short time."

As the bustling marketplace on the edge of town comes into view I feel a sense of wonder at the crowd of people and the brightly colored awnings.

"Who shall we be then?" I ask, as I look at the various people in the market for inspiration.

Kaydan looks at me for a long moment and then leads us toward a hotel next to the market. He dismounts his horse and ties it to a hitching post and then secures my horse before offering his help to get me down.

The slippery fabric of my dress causes me to slide sideways out of the saddle too quickly and with a yelp of surprise I find myself falling down on top of him. Somehow he manages to catch me in his arms, although he has to shuffle his feet a bit to not end up on the ground himself.

As he holds me tightly against his chest I can feel him start to laugh. "If I remember correctly this is the second time you've fallen into my arms."

Trying to catch my breath from the shock of falling I suddenly realize how close my lips are to his. I touch his cheek and smile, dropping my voice to a whisper, "Thankyou Kaydan, now perhaps you should put me down. People are staring."

I can feel his body stiffen momentarily, as he blushes and gently puts me down on my feet.

Fixing my skirt and then brushing my hair back over my shoulder, I try to push aside how intimate it had felt to be held in his arms so tightly. "So what were we talking about?"

Kaydan is busy putting his riding gloves in his saddle bag, and I notice he's having trouble meeting my eyes. He's so cute when he gets all flustered. Clearing his throat he straightens up and takes a quick glance around the market.

"We were going to choose new identities so we could escape court for a moment."

"Oh that's right, such a clever idea. You choose for me and then I'll choose for you." I say.

He looks at me for a few seconds, and I can only guess at what he's thinking. Finally he starts walking toward the lineup of shopping stalls and I hurry to catch up.

"I'd choose an Artist or Painter for you. As a scribe you're no stranger to holding a quill and making intricate designs on paper. I can easily imagine you as a Great Master's apprentice walking around the market looking for inspiration."

I quirk an eyebrow, "That's oddly specific, you think I'd be a good painter?"

"You're highly intelligent and are used to working independently just as a painter would. I've seen your creativity in action as you easily adapt to any situation, just like a painter might improvise with colour to make something uniquely their own creation."

I can't help but smile at his unexpected compliments. "Why thankyou kindly, I accept. Just like a painter, as a scribe I was no stranger to having my fingers stained by my medium. So you've chosen well."

He nods, offering me his arm, I smile as I tuck my hand in the crook of his elbow. As we stroll toward the market vendors together he asks, "So what's my story then? Julia the artist. Paint me a picture."

"Well let me see. You're a mariner on leave and looking for some fun before you have to go back to sea. And while you're ashore you meet a beautiful young painter in search of her next masterpiece."

"A mariner you say?"

"Yes, a mariner and a poet. Your fellow shipmates are so jealous of your prowess with words, and demand that you tell them stories every night as they lay in their bunks."

Kaydan laughs, "I'm hardly a storyteller, definitely not a poet."

I smile and give his arm a squeeze, "Oh I don't know about that. I've seen you with your fellow guardsmen, and there's no doubt they're a colorful bunch. I bet you could tell me a story about each of them."

Kaydan chuckles, blushing a bit as he lowers his voice. "None fit for a Lady's ears I'm afraid."

"I don't know Kaydan, what would you tell them about today? Is your company not worthy of inspiring a few words?"

He looks at me as if his story is written all over my face, and as his eyes linger on me I see a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "I say that story hasn't been written yet. And if I were to put quill to paper I would surely keep this story for myself."

Between the kaleidoscope of sights and sounds of the market and the pleasure of having Kaydan at my side I feel positively giddy with excitement. But I can't resist the urge to take my 'Mariner' off of guard duty.

"Well this muse needs to stretch her legs a little. There's plenty of market to see so let's split up, and explore. Come find me later and we'll see where our story goes."

"Are you ok wandering the market alone? You know this goes against every bit of my training as a guard." He warns, looking concerned.

"Aha, well you're not a guard at the moment. You're a mariner out looking for treasures. Besides like you said I'm independent, capable and smart. And in this dress I stand out like a sail on the horizon anyway. I'm not going to run away, just keep an eye on me and I'll keep an eye out for you."

With a sigh Kaydan steps away from me, "Ok fine, we'll explore the market separately. But only for a little while."

"I promise if anything bad happens I'll scream and make a fuss, so that you can come running and be my knight in leather armor."

While Kaydan reluctantly blends into the crowd of people. I choose a parallel path of market vendors and check out the wares. Under an awning woven with a colorful design, I approach a lady wearing flowing robes. She's standing behind a display of delicate glass bottles. Some have wooden or glass stoppers and others are open to be smelled or sampled. From the mixed spicy, floral and musky aromas I can tell she's selling perfumes.

She smiles at me, "Good morrow to you M'lady, would you care to sample a new scent today?"

"Yes, that would be lovely."

"Something sweet and floral or something musky with a hint of spice?"

Being around Kaydan I'm reminded of the strong scent of musk and leather. Which works nicely on him. My own toiletries table always has rosewater and citrusy scents for me to wear thanks to my sister Annalise. Today I want something different.

"Do you have anything spicy and floral? I'm trying to draw someone's attention."

The lady smiles and picks up an empty bottle, she adds a few drops from various other bottles and then a clear liquid to dilute them. After placing the stopper she gives it a little shake and then hands me the dampened cap to sniff.

"Tell me what you think of this." She says with a grin.

Bringing the cap to my nose I'm assaulted by a heady dizzying scent of flowers and some kind of unknown spice. It makes me cough at first, but then as I catch a whiff on the breeze I inhale deeply and the scent mellows to something more pleasant.

"I like it. I'll take the whole bottle."

I hand her the cap and she secures it to the bottle and then I give her some coins from my purse. She wraps the bottle in a scrap of cloth and then hands it to me. As other people gather around me to look at her perfumes, I nod my thanks and move on.

Undoing the cap I dab some of the perfume on my neck and into my hair at the nape. I'm hoping Kaydan notices it, but I feel a knot in my stomach at the thought of Hector smelling it too. I have no interest in being matched with another strange suitor, but my duty to the Crown requires it. I tuck the bottle away in my pocket, and move along the row.

Looking across through the crowd I search for Kaydan. A catch sight of a pair of broad shoulders and a head of dark hair but he's turned away from me and I'm not sure if it's him.

I quickly pass by a group of vendors hocking various meats and roasted animals on sticks that make my stomach turn in unhappy ways. And then I come across a kindly middle aged woman sitting quietly and knitting behind her display of various handmade objects of leather and wood.

I still have a few coins left and I want to buy something for Kaydan. The objects vary from hand carved wooden chess sets, boxes of gambling dice, various leather belts and pieces of braided jewelry and a collection of small leather bound books.

I'm hoping any of these things might bring him some enjoyment, whether he played games with his fellow guards or needed replacement leather pieces for whatever. But as a lover of books myself it's those that catch my eye. I run my finger along the spine of a brown book with an embossed leather cover.

The lady smiles at me, and sets her needlework aside. "Good day to you Ma'am is there something that catches your interest?"

I smile as I pick up the book and hold it out to her, "Yes, what can you tell me about these books?"

"They're books rescued from the private library of a nobleman who had no heirs to pass them down to. The new Duke and Duchess of Valtoria had no use for them when they took over the manor and decided to renovate."

Looking down at the book in my hand, and at all the other books. I can't believe my good fortune at finding these lost treasures, but alas I only have enough coins for one. Opening the book I see it's a handwritten journal containing snippets of poetry. Apart from the first handful of pages the rest are blank.

When I had given Kaydan the book from my sister's collection, he had admitted to not owning any. With this journal he would have two, and hopefully he'll be inspired to write down his thoughts when he has time alone. I don't know how often he gets the chance to read, especially amidst the company of his fellow guards. But I want him to have something else to remember me by once my marriage to Hector takes me away from him. Thinking about Hector makes me feel uncomfortable, but I shake it off and offer to pay for the journal.

The lady smiles, holding up her hand and shaking her head. "You were kind enough to show interest in a piece of someone who was dear to me, please just take it and give it a loving home."

"Are you sure? I can offer a few coins for your trouble."

"I'm sure, pass it along to someone you love so that his words aren't forgotten."

I smile and shake the hand of the woman after she wraps the book up for me. "Thankyou so much."

With a nod she goes back to her chair and resumes her knitting.

Tucking the wrapped book under my arm I continue to the end of the market and find myself in the middle of the town square. A small crowd has gathered to listen to a trio of stringed musicians. Their lively tune has many people clapping hands or tapping their feet. A few brave souls have even paired up to dance.

I'm thoroughly engrossed in the entertainment and don't hear Kaydan approach me from behind. When he places his hand gently on my arm I gasp and stumble back into him. "Kaydan! You frightened me."

He leans down and whispers in my ear, "That's the fun part, because catching you off guard means you end up in my arms."

I grin and nudge him on the arm as he steps in next to be, "Is this the mariner talking? Be careful there Kaydan, lest your verbal innuendo earn you the same nefarious reputation as your brother Cyrus."

"Half-.."

"Sorry, half-brother."

Kaydan shakes his head looking slightly offended, "I would have to crawl on my belly in the muck in order to stoop low enough to reach his level of depravity."

"Relax I'm only playing with you. I know you're a much more honorable man than Cyrus could ever hope to be."

Continue on to the next

.....

@gardeningourmet @samihatuli @jovialyouthmusic @sirbeepsalot @dcbbw @mfackenthal @bobasheebaby @pedudley @be-still-my-aching-heart @krishu213 @ibldw-main @chaotichuman0090 @addictedtodrakefanfic

#kayden vescovi #kayden × MC #theroyalmasquerade #long post

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allsassnoclass · 3 years

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i’m like two days late, but I’m doing well! legally blonde is doing well! our cast size is now like 45, so… still a lot. and yes I’m caught up on lone star!! it emotionally wrecked me and I’m in love with judd and grace. please share your thoughts!!! - lily 💛

yay i'm glad legally blonde is doing well! in high school/my community theater everyone got cast in every show, so for musicals we always had casts of 60-80 people, so I can understand why large casts are overwhelming, but honestly 45 feels like a good number to me! still on the larger side, but definitely manageable.

911 lone star spoilers under the cut!

i'm so glad we're done with the ice storm lol stretching it out to 4 episodes felt like a lot. i'm also glad that they didn't introduce any other plots in this episode, just took the time to finish the ones they already had!!! it made it a lot easier to focus on the characters and what was happening.

re: talos, when carlos said he and tk broke up months ago and he didn't tell his parents i faceplamed, because i have written fics that start that way lol. i also felt like some of the way they did the "tk hearing carlos talk to him in his dream-scape hallucination" was weird, but it's fine. i'm so glad that they were able to reconcile and when tk was telling carlos to breathe and holding out his hand... yeah. that was good stuff. i wish that we hadn't jumped right to the end with them suddenly being completely okay and right where they were before the breakup, since they were broken up for a few months and there would probably be a few growing pains and need to rebuild a bit of trust, but since we jumped forward in time far enough for the 126 to be rebuilt i understand why they didn't show us since it would've happened in that time lol.

judd and grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they have a baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm so happy!!!!!! i also felt like judd handled grace being missing really well. he kept his head and figured out she took her go bag and stayed calm and got to her! i also like the name they chose :')

the birth scene with tk also waking up was well done, but not quite as good as the "to build a home" scene in the original with jee's birth and albert being saved. but it was still good

i find it really funny that no one checked on billy lol. he inhaled gasoline and passed out and then no one paid any attention to him.

THE 126 IS SAVED!!!!!!!!! shout out to the milk carton man and his generous donation and honestly? shout out to his daughter for existing. i kind of want her to become a dispatcher or something, but she's not old enough for that yet. glad that the actress got 4 episodes out of her contract though, that's neat.

overall i'm satisfied with the conclusion of this arc! I hope we return to other, more normal episodes full of calls and rescues (although I don't really expect that we will since lone star is very enthusiastic about putting people in the main cast in dramatic and life-threatening situations)

anyway, what did you think???

#ask #lily #captain-bisexual #judd and grace <3 my ultimate loves <3

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written-within-the-stars · 3 years

Text

Be My Valentine’s? - Part One – Together

❁ Harper ❁

Smiling as I see the message from #Nova. Collin had sent a photo of her winking at the camera, with a pink and green heart around her. The Message read. ‘𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒷𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒱𝒶𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑒?’.

A smiled grew on my lips as I sent my own reply to her via her dad of course.

“To My Dear Valentine, I will be yours, if you will be Mine?” I attached a photo on me pointing to myself, with red hearts and a message for #Nova saying 𝐵𝑒 𝑀𝓎 𝒱𝒶𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑒.

“And so, you know... I was thinking of you my beautiful baby girl... a little gift for you and..... Maybe a little something for your dad too...”

I sent an open box with treats, toys, a bottle of pawsecco for her, and a grey t-shirt for Collin saying ‘Husky Dad’ on the front with small black paws under it, as well as a small Huskey charm for him to add to the bracelet I gave him for Christmas. His two loves would sit on it now, a charm of a camera and one for #Nova.

❁ Collin ❁

She was just too sweet, I couldn't stop thinking today. I mine... I hardly ever did anyway... But today...

Not long after her I was on her doorstep. Pressing the bell with Nova at my side, and a basket full of homemade goodies such as, honey butter, baked muffins, freshly made frittata and a glass jar of marmalade in my hands.

❁ Harper ❁

Glancing up from the tablet, out of the window from my seat in the couch. My heart started racing. That truck of his couldn’t be mistaken for another.

“Oh mine...” combing my fingers through my hair, I pushed it back off my face. As I stood and made my way to the door.

“Hi!” Smiling as I saw #Nova and him and the box in his hands. Bending down to rub #Nova’s head and kiss her.

“Would you like to come in?” Surprised to see them.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled my heart outpaced hers and redness flushed up my neck and held out the small basket in my hands. “I was hoping you... I'm, might have a few free minutes to eat with me.” I cleared my throat.

“Us...” I nodded to Nova. “She wanted to say thank you... For the treats.”

❁ Harper ❁

Stepping to the side to let them both in. My eyes on the basket, and wow. “It all smells fabulous.”

Reaching out towards him. “May I help by taking anything?”

#Nova had other plans. She jumped up to my open arms, and I hugged her. Laughing. “Or I could just hug you baby girl”.

❁ Collin ❁

I laughed at Nova. “She's still not slowing down at all... And as you can see... She never says no to a hug.”

I smiled and stepping inside. “But when she gives a free hand, we did get you a gift too.” Showing her the mug with the words ‘𝐼 𝒮𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒜𝓃𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓁𝓈, 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉’𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓈𝓊𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓅𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇’, written on it. As well as a Chilly’s rain forest print drinking bottle.

❁ Harper ❁

“It’s a good thing... I love her hugs.” Leaning down to kiss her head. “And I’m glad to hear you received your gifts.”

Glancing up towards him, my glasses slipping down my nose.

“You didn’t need... to get me anything..” my heart racing a mile a minute.

#Nova moved to go find her toys and I told the gifts. Opening and smiling from ear to ear.

“I love them.. th.. thank you... both...”

My eyes on him, the basket in his hands. Unsure if I should hug him... or... “Thank you.”

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled. "I know... neither did you. But... its Valentine's Day... and Um..."

Damn it!!! I had thought about what I wanted to say and it was just fine gone now...

"I was really hoping that I could steal a little of your time before you got called to the rescue of some poor innocent creature."

I wanted to hug her... or kiss her... both. But... I had shown up unannounced. I thought that was sweet and spontaneous... and now I was second-guessing myself.

❁ Harper ❁

Standing up again, I pushed my glasses up my nose and then took them off. I knew I’d not be working now he/ they were here. Stepping up to him, I looked in the basket.

“Is that an Omelette or a frittata? And honey butter?” The warm sensation and the pull in my chest started to make itself known again.

“How could I say no? You, #Nova, beautiful gifts, and food? You are spoiling me.”

Unsure where the confidence to say all that without stumbling came from. Leaning up on my toes. I kissed his cheek. Whispering.

“Thank you for coming to keep me company”

❁ Collin ❁

“Oh... Um... Frittata?” that wasn't meant to be a question. The kiss to my cheek had me flustered; my hand rested high on her waist when she moved in close.

My arm moved gently around her, and I leaned down to hug her. Every cell in my body came alive have her this close. Her scent, the sounds of her heart and her breathing; were amplified a hundred times. The soothing coolness of her skin.

“Thank you, for inviting me in when I never even called.”

❁ Harper ❁

His arm kept me in place, and I moved to curl my own arm around him the best I could with the basket in his other hand.

I closed my eyes, the warmth I felt around him drawing me towards it. My heart started to play up.

“Did you honestly believe I wouldn’t?” My voice a low whisper, and again the warmth makes me press my cheek to his. Why did this feel safe? Like home?

❁ Collin ❁

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head and the rush of a new warmth washed over me and I felt her lean into my cheek, and I inhaled deeply.

"I thought it was a great idea when I was at home cooking, but when I was on your doorstep, I started to worry I was being rude." I laughed softly.

I noticed when she was this close, I didn't trip over my words.

"It’s hard to be spontaneous and a nervous wreck all at once." I chuckled and moved back a little to see her face.

❁ Harper ❁

Such an innocent way to kiss my head had my heart fluttering. I moved back a little with him, my eyes finding his right away.

“Did we not agree to be foolish together? Coming and standing on my doorstep.... not something to be nervous about is it?”

I blinked, seeing the way he was looking down at me. He really was tall. And strong, however it’s the kindness in those eyes I found myself lost in.

❁ Collin ❁

I was awestruck by her eyes and by having her so close. She was beautiful on the deepest possible level. "Only because I..." I paused, I couldn't say I liked her, it was such an understatement that it was basically a lie. "I feel this... amazing connection with you... and I don't want to scare you off before we get to know more about it, or... making assumptions like you wouldn't have plans on Valentine's day."

❁ Harper ❁

I bit my lower lip, not fully sure how to answer him here. Praying my heart would stop playing up this way so that I could think clearly.

“Oh... Uhm...”

Did he think I went around kissing boys on a beach and then set up Valentines with other boys? No. He wasn’t like that. Right?

“No.. I.. umm.. had no plans at all.” Oh god did that sound pathetic. Should I have lied?

Taking a step back heart flushing into my cheeks.

❁ Collin ❁

My heart started to pound. Dammit!! I dropped the ball, didn't I? I cleared my throat. "I... um... I really wanted to ask... but... I know how busy you get... and um..."

I shook my head and ran my hand down her arm and took her. "I, um... I'm sure you've noticed that I'm really, really BAD at this. But..." What could say?

𝐼'𝓂 𝒶𝓃 𝑒𝓍𝒸𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒷𝑜𝓎𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹? I mean I was pretty sure I was. but... that was a weird thing to say.

"I... will make it my personal mission to make sure all your Valentines are booked solid from now on."

Shit!! I should have said the boyfriend thing.

❁ Harper ❁

"Oh.." Okay, now I felt bad for a whole different reason. "Of course, work is... always busy." I didn't want to rub my cheeks in front of him, the heat was radiating.

Glancing down at my arm his hand sent a jolt through me. I stopped myself from walking away. Shifting on my feet, blinking up at him now.

"I'm sorry?" my lips half curling up.

"You promise to what?" tilting my head to the side a little. I could not have heard him correctly.

❁ Collin ❁

I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.

"I just.... Sorry. I mean..." I took a deep breath. I just mean that... maybe, someday... if I stop saying stupid things like that..." I paused, thinking hard. "I might be lucky enough to have another chance at... getting this... particular day right, with you... if um... you'd want to. I mean, obviously. But..."

I stopped and laughed at my own awkwardness... "I told you I was bad at this, right?"

❁ Harper ❁

My bottom lips curled in, and I held it in place with my teeth. Trying so hard now not to laugh, however the smile had started growing.

Leaning in my fingers curled around the basket and I took it from him as I whisper into his ear. “Let’s be Foolish together, remember?” The scent of him drew me in, I closed my eyes for a moment before pulling back. Turning to walk off into the kitchen.

“Would you like some biscuits with this honey butter you brought? I have a batch in the freezer I could bake up?”

Turning my head to glance back at him before disappearing into the kitchen.

My heart was racing again. Seeing him this way. We both managed to get ourselves into these muddles.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled at the words and the warmth of her breast n my ear as she spoke made butterflies rise up in my stomach. Anyone else would have faked a phone call to get away from me by now... But not her.

"Some of are clearly more foolish than others." I chuckled but, there was relief in the gentle sound.

She took the basket and stepped away. "That sounds amazing." I smiled... She really wasn't trying to rid om me? I mean... not even politely but eating with me and sending me on my way.

She was making suggestions to extend our time together? I wasn't going to turn it down.

❁ Harper ❁

I couldn’t stop the sensations in my tummy. I had heard of butterflies flying, but this? It was like an army fluttering to the point where I didn’t know how to stop it. Or even if I wanted to stop it?

Setting the basket down on the counter. “Great, you don’t have to rush off do you?” I should have asked him this before, right? I rubbed my forehead.

#Nova came to join me, touching her paw to my leg. “What is it baby’s girl? Aww I know.”

Walking over I turned the oven on. Then took out her water bowl, filling it with water and setting I down for her. She started to lap it up right away. “Good girl.” I patted her back.

“Would you like a drink? Help yourself from the fridge.” I called out. Getting to work on making the biscuits, taking out a frozen whole carrot for #Nova and giving it to her to eat and play with too.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled and followed her to the kitchen. "No, I don't." I watched her with #Nova again. She was amazing.

"The only thing I wanted to do today was see you." I admitted honestly... not stuttering or turning bright pink! Just an easy honest statement. I opened the press that I'd seen her take glasses from the last time... well the first time I was here. And open her to find another jug of homemade juice that made me smile and poured us a glass each.

❁ Harper ❁

My heart missed a beat, and another, and another. And the smile wasn’t going anywhere from my lips.

“I’m glad you both came.” My hands clean, I took out the baking tray, placing the biscuits on it. Moving around him to grab a bowl to make the egg wash in for them.

Laughing as I heard #Nova ‘talking’ to the frozen carrot flying cross the floor. “You tell it off Nova, good girl..”

Every now and then I glanced towards him. “How have you been?” I asked.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled... Chuckling and Nova’s little noises. “When she does that I remember that she's still just a baby.” A small sigh, I knew she was doing well she was still eating still acting like herself... Even if she got tired easier now.

“I should have taken her with me on the first place.” I shook the thought away.

“I’m good... This little thing keeps me on my toes.” I chuckled. “What about you? I'd work letting you get any sleep?”

❁ Harper ❁

"She is a baby, and it's nice to see her this way." my voice soft as I placed the tray in the oven. Calling out.

"Alexa set timer for 10 minutes." and she called back. '𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚎𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚠.'

Sitting the bowl in the sink, my head turned back. "You didn't know. No one knows what will happen. You have her now. She is happy, loved and cared for. It was what matters."

Not one break in my voice. my gaze had moved to #Nova happy in her own world on the cool floor. Smiling at the fact that she was indeed keeping her dad busy.

"Work..." My smile grew. "It's been great, a few nights here and there. However, the people and the animals here make it all worth it."

Walking across the kitchen, I opened the cupboards to take out the things I need to set the small table by the window of the kitchen.

"How are your family?"

These were easy things to talk about, normal things to take my mind off my beating heart. On top of which, I truly wanted to know how they were.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled at Nova and then up at Harper. I nodded as she spoke about work. "Just make sure you're careful when you have late-night calls, the roads around here can be really dangerous after heavy rain... especially around the farms. If you're tired you should call someone come and drive you."

I watched her move around the kitchen, my heart picking up its pace again. I felt like should help but I also felt like that was an intrusion.

"They're all great, Custard hasn't eaten any more jewellery and as predicted... my sister is madly in love...𝓐𝓰𝓪𝓲𝓷." I laughed. "How about your friends back h-" I stopped myself from saying 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚. I wanted this to be her home, it was selfish... but it was one of my deepest wants. "Thompson Falls? Do you get to talk to them much?"

❁ Harper ❁

Working away, I saw the two glasses of juice he has poured for us. Taking then I set them in the table before taking out two plates. “I have noticed. My poor car is not liking some of the off roading necessary.”

The sound of his laughter had me lost. Tilting my head to the side to watch him before I shook myself out of it. ‘Jeez stop staring.’ I told myself.

“Kevin did say he was planning to keep a closer eye on Mr Custard, however it’s always good to head progress is being made.”

Biting my lips, I was sure I was missing something. The food! “Ana is in love?” My face lite up, I knew what he told me of her. His baby sister loved easily. However, it was sweet.

“Do you approve of this one?” I asked walking to the basket to look inside it. My eyes were back on him when he stopped himself. He was about to say ‘𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚’ I was sure.

“I don’t speak to them as much and I want to, however we all still have dinner once ever feel weeks if I don’t get pulled away on a call.”

❁ Collin ❁

I laughed, picturing the tiny car... more of a city vehicle really. "Yeah... not exactly the best for country roads. But if you ever need to borrow the truck just ask... if you think you handle it. Brady can always take me to work." I wasn't sure had comfortable she'd be driving something so much bigger than her car.

"She is... He's a poetry major so I think I should worry more about her breaking his heart than the other way around." I chuckled.

"Hopefully, the council will get you your proposal soon and you'll be able to bring in some help. Then you can make some plans that won't get interrupted.

❁ Harper ❁

“However, she is so pretty.” Moving back on my heel to glance toward the window, not that I could really see her from here. And I knew she wasn’t made for the roads outside of town.

“I bought her when I thought I was going to live in Seattle. The plan was never to move here.” Taking the basket, he brought apart I held out some of the things. “Would you mind placing these on the table please?”

Blinking my eyes at him. “Aren’t men supposed to be really protective over their trucks? Dad only let me drive his Ram when we went fishing and he may have drunk one or two beers.” Smiling at the memory of those days by the lake.

“A poetry major? Poor boy.” They were all soft hearts and arty. “I am sure Ana will be kind?” I asked as Alexa started to chime the reminder and I rushed to take out the tray of biscuits.

“Oh, Billy was sure that they would agree, I guess all I can do for now is wait to see how long it all takes to go through. I have a practice in Port Angeles willing to sister with us here as soon as we have a green light.”

Picking up the biscuits I start to pop them into a basket. “Ouch!” shaking my hands and blowing on my fingers from the heat of them. “Ouch…!”

❁ Collin ❁

I chuckled and nodded my head. “She does have a certain charm.” I admitted about her tiny vehicle. I think that mostly came from the fact that it was a pure expression of Harper’s personality. I would put money on it the inside of it was even more immaculate than mine. When she explained why she’d bought the car it made even more sense.

“It’s definitely a perfect city car.” I said, small… easy to park light on fuel in heavy traffic. Another chuckle when she talked about men and trucks. Taking the things from her to set on the table, the smell of the biscuits filled the room. “Boys are protective of their trucks… Men know the truck is probably in safer hands with a woman.” I smiled. I would have to thank #Embry for instilling that kind attitude in us when it came to girls from a young age. “It’s different with Dad’s… Even when Ana went to college Dad still insisted on driving her… even if that meant I had to follow him there in my truck to take him home.” I laughed at the memory.

I turned back to her when she said ‘Ouch.’ and took her hands. “Easy.” I tried to give a light chuckle but that familiar protective rose up in me. I guided her to the tap and held her fingertips under the cold water. “There’s no rush… no need to injure yourself.” I tried to keep my hot skin away from where she’d singed her fingertips.

❁ Harper ❁

‘𝘉𝘰𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘴… 𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯’ “How true and yet not many people.. Men.. can bring themselves to admit it.” I replied before burning my fingers.

“I’m sorry.” It was a foolish mistake to make. He was by my side before I had a chance to suck on my fingers and his hands were holding mine. Then he slowly guided me to the sink. I could tell that the burns weren’t deep. “It’s just a small superficial burn.” Wincing a little when the cold water flowed over my skin.

#Nova was stood by our side and she was pawing my thigh asking what was happening. “I’m okay baby girl. You play.” But those big brown eyes did not leave me and she sat herself down next to her dad.

My eyes moved to his face, and I was lost in him again. Everything else blurred out of sight. The sound of the song was in my ears, the warmth I always felt when he was close was back once again. And my heart skipped a few times. He was taking care of me? This was new. I was always the one who jumped up to help and protect, however here we were. To see him this close… I blinked my eyes to push the thoughts away. He had said something to me? Damn it. what had he asked? Racking my thoughts for the words.

“I wasn’t thinking.” What was wrong with me? Shifting a little the relief set in. My voice was low now. “I could always blame the smell of fresh biscuits, and wanting to try them with the honey butter?” He was so close, caring, and sweet. I could smell him even with the fresh baking in the kitchen.

❁ Collin ❁

Nova came around to my side when harper reassured her, I smiled. She talked to her like I did… like she was waiting for a response. I let the water run over her finger for a few moments. “There’s nothing to be sorry for.” H said in a tone as low as her. “It’s okay baby-girl.” I soothed her when she pawed my leg this time. I picked up a towel and gently patted Harper’s fingers dry but my eyes never left her face. Her heartbeat harder like it was trying to drown out her words.

Rested her palm on mine and only dropped my eye to the pink tips of her fingers for a second. “So clumsy Doctor Jenkins, these hands are needed to heal others.” I teased, the flurry inside me settling when I knew she was okay. I lifted her hand and kissed her palm. “You should treat them with kindness.”

My eyes found hers again and a ball the fluttering and pressure built up in my stomach and the urge to kiss her. I leaned in and let my lips touch softly against hers, every cell in my body was away at the contact.

❁ Harper ❁

Seeing #Nova’s reaction, hearing the small whimper coming from her. I knew she was worried. They picked up so quickly when a person they cared for was hurting.

My eyes flickered down to her as Collin also tried to reassure her. And it made me smile. I loved how the two of them interacted with each other. They really were a small family.

“I’m not always so clumsy Mr Littlesea...”

I wanted to continue with 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦... However, I didn’t dare. Biting my lower lip, my heart skipped a few times as I saw him lift my palm and kiss it. Butterflies fluttered freely in my stomach, and I couldn’t stop the blush on my cheeks.

My eyes met his when he glanced at me, and then I was lost. I closed my eyes when his lips touched mine. My body relaxed, my shoulders fell, the butterflies danced like the first time he kissed me, and I was left light headed.

❁ Collin ❁

My heart thundered, I felt the cool soothing touch of her lips against mine, quelling the fire in my vein the soft, glowing warmth. I moved my arms around her waist and drew her nearer, leaning down and resting my hands high on her back. My lips moving with her hers, I could hear her heart drumming alongside mine, my wolf was silent. My stomach was a riot of fluttering and twisting.

I felt her sway a little in my arm and I pulled back just barely, allowing us both to breathe. Nova giving a high pitched yip… as she did when she wasn’t the centre of attention and made me smile, but my eyes never left Harper.

❁ Harper ❁

My feet altered to move a little closer, as he placed his arms around me.

I wasn’t thinking clearly, however the thoughts I did managed to hold on to were of how sweet he tasted, how warm his lips were on mine, and how this kiss, every kiss with him was extraordinary. My lungs pulled on the air when he pulled back. I hadn’t even notice that I had stopped breathing all together. My lips tingled when he pulled back away, but it didn’t do anything to stop the rampage in my stomach and heart.

When I heard #Nova I opened my eyes to find him watching me, making the sensation in my cheeks increase and the temperature exceptionally hot.

I wasn’t sure what he saw when he looked at me through his eyes.

“She needs a kiss too.” I whispered.

❁ Collin ❁

Spirits! My head spun my lungs expanded and filled with the unique scent that was hers alone. Her cheeks-stained crimson and I smiled.

Beautiful.

She was so, incredibly beautiful.

“So does her dad every now and then.” I pressed my lips against her one more time.

Nova was up on her legs paws against my leg, I chuckled and scratched her between the ears.

“We should eat before everything goes cold. You take a seat. I'll finish up... Before you wound yourself again.” I teased and started placing the biscuits in the basket like she had before she burned herself.

❁ Harper ❁

“Are you aspiring to have her feel as though you are trying to steal her new best friend here?” My cheeks flushed as the words sat between us.

The burn was just a mild throb on my fingertips. And somehow him kissing me had dulled the little pain I did feel. I was smiling and then parted my lips to protest. I wasn’t an amazing cook; however, I had never had any complaints either.

Then noticing he meant the fact that I seemed to be hurting myself around him. I moved from the sink after patting my hands dry, I bent down on my knees and gave #Nova a hug and kiss on her forehead. “I always have kisses for you baby-girl.” I told her standing up, I went to sit down at the table.

“I’m not making a good impression here as a host. The fact that my guest is now working in my kitchen.” I was in a semi-trance while watching him work. He really did know his way around a kitchen.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled and took the over to the table and smiled as set the basket on the table and gave #Nova another pat and a kiss on the nose.

"You did all the hard work." I chuckled and washed my hands before I return to the table and sat down. "But just as a counterpoint... I do enjoy cooking. So really you're being an excellent host by allowing me to help out a little."

I smiled my eyes on her face, focusing on the tiny details that made up her expression and the lingering blush.

❁ Harper ❁

Waiting for him to take his seat before I took the two oranges from his basket, which sat on the table and handed them to him and a knife. “Would you mind slicing these for us?” I asked.

“I never really had someone else who liked being in the kitchen other than Seth. He used to help me with bakes on the weekends we were all together.

Taking out the frittata, I set it between us and then unwrapped the honey butter. “Did you make all of this today?” Pointing to the table. The scent of it was mouth watering and I couldn’t wait to dig in. But then I lifted the glass jar and gave him a questioning look. “What is in here?”

❁ Collin ❁

“Yeah, #Sue always wanted to make sure her kids knew how to take care of themselves. Especially after what happened to Mr. Cle… #Harry.” I was still young and only ever really called him Mr. Clearwater. If I’d had a chance to get to know after I joined the pack, I was sure he’d have insisted I called him Harry… just like #Sue had.

“Of course.” I took the oranges and the knife and started to slice the first one. “Yeah, I did say I enjoyed cooking… It didn’t take much time... I like my breakfasts pretty simple.” I turned to the basket again and smile. “Oh… that’s homemade marmalade but I can’t take credit for that… my friend Emily makes that. But’s really good… I told her she should sell her preserves at the farmer’s market. But she gives the stuff away.” I chuckled.

❁ Harper ❁

My heart felt a flutter at the mention of Mr Clearwater. “I never met him, however from the stories Sue and Seth shared with Kenz and us...” I smiled at another memory. “…Dad said he was a man he would have gone fishing with. Which is high praise.”

Opening the jar, I took in the aroma and it smelt delicious. Taking a spoon, I added some to my plate. “Are all the people in La Push talented when it comes to cooking? Well, everyone but Leah. She’s not the cooking type I am sure of it.” It was a vibe #Leah always gave when she was around.

I placed a biscuit on his plate with some of the frittata, the muffins remained in the basket as I was sure he would help himself. I took a sip of the Watermelon and Mint juice and waited for him to start. This was something as a host I knew I should do.

❁ Collin ❁

"He was a hell of fisherman for sure." I smiled, thinking back to the too few memories of being on my father's boat with Mr Clearwater. It wasn't my preferred activity, but I went... mostly for the time with my Father. Ana complained about the cold and stayed home.

"Leah cooking?" my brow furrowed at the thought. "I'm sure she knows the basics, but she's always rushing around I doubt she'd spend hours in her kitchen cooking."

"Thank you." I smiled and sliced the frittata with my fork and took a bite... soundly realising how hungry I was after spending the morning cooking and not eating. I had to try her biscuits too. Taking a bite and nodding at her. "Wow... this is so good."

❁ Harper ❁

“The time Sue told Kenz that Mr Clearwater would have loved her…” My heart swelled at the memory of that night we were all filled into the living room of my dad’s house. He’d invited #Sue, #Leah and #Seth for dinner and the rest of us too. But with #Seth, #Leah and #Dam in the same room, it had felt a little tight.

“It was when we all knew… Kenz is in good hands.” My eyes stung a little, with a lump in my throat. Remembering the way my friend, my sister had tears rolling down her cheek. Happy tears which then flowed down #Sue, #Jenna and my cheeks too. with Leah rolling her eyes at us asking for something strong to drink before she shook some sense into us all.

My cheeks flushed as he took a bite of the biscuit, I wasn’t sure why, but I was a bundle of nerves. ‘It’s a biscuit! Not open-heart surgery on a chihuahua. Deal with it woman.’ I told myself but my heart was still jumping around like some teenager waiting for a crush to notice her. What was wrong with me?

I let out a breath I didn’t even realise I had been holding in when he finally spoke. Smiling I reached over breaking my biscuit open, taking some of the honey butter and spread it before taking a bite. “Oh wow... this is really good.” Covering my mouth when I spoke.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled. "She definitely is... I mean just look at how they met... travelling so far on vacation and meeting like that." I knew I couldn't mention the imprinting... yet. "And to end up in the relationship they are now... If that's not fate, I don't know what is."

They would never be anyone more perfect for her friend then #Seth. I knew by extension the same should apply to me and Harper... but I couldn't express that right now.

I heard her heart race and I tried to contain my smile. I spread some of the honey butter of the biscuit too and nodded. "We really do make a good team in the kitchen, don't we?" I beamed, my attention solely on here now. "So... you like to cook too than?"

❁ Harper ❁

“Now there is a story no one will ever believe, especially the part that he followed her home. However, I was there. I witnessed it all.” Even if to start with I was the one who had been worried about #Seth. I mean who did that? But over time he had become family too.

Smiling I nodded swallowing my mouthful before I spoke again. “I do love to cook, unfortunately I don’t have as much time as I once used to, hens…” I pointed to the biscuits and then the freezer. “..I try to make big batches when I find a moment space and then it goes into the freezer for a time like now.”

Cutting into the frittata I took a fork full and moaned with happiness. “Gods… This is so soft and fluffy!” He wasn’t joking. “A kitchen goddess and god if you ask me.” I teased taking another bite. “Oh and the hazelnut butter you made... Char and Teddy loved it too. Char had it on toast and Teddy added it to his smoothy. And me…” my smile grew. “..Pancakes.”

❁ Collin ❁

"Some people are worth following to the ends of the earth." My eyes never left her, as if to say... She was worth following to the ends of the earth.

"Do I need to start dropping by with bigger baskets?" I chuckled. "With some freezer-friendly meals to make sure you have at least a few decent meals a week?" I wanted to tell her to just come over and I could cook for her anytime... but I was sure she used her free time to eat, sleep and shower... and offering those last two was a long way off.

Even after I told her everything... we were still getting to know each other and I was sure she'd time to understand it all. and decide what she wanted.

I smiled. "I'm glad they enjoyed it... will I have to make you another batch before we get a chance for our lesson?"

❁ Harper ❁

Adding some more of the marmalade to the biscuit, I found myself nodding in agreement. “Kenz is an amazing woman, she is worth going to the ends of the world for.”

Popping the food into my mouth, I felt his eyes on me. And when I glanced back there they were. It felt like those deep brown eyes of his were trying to tell me something. And that pull in my chest was back. With the song whispering for me to listen. To really listen. However I was listening.. to everything... was I not?

My blush burnt my cheeks, placing my hand in my cheek in the sorry attempt to hide myself from him.

“No.. you don’t have to do that.” How kind and sweet of an offer. “I made spend some night eating PB&J or toast. However, most night I can always make a quick stirfry, or some sort of pasta. I...” stopping because I could hear #Jenna in my head and I pushed her out. “I manage.”

Taking a sip of the juice, when I felt a nudge on my thigh. I knew #Nova had come to sit by us. So I reached out a hand and rubbed her head.

“You are spoiling me, and I’m not going to say no to more of the Hazelnut butter. It’s the best I’ve had in a long while.. really I should just ask for the recipe and not take up so much of your time.”

But I really wanted to learn with him.

❁ Collin ❁

"Oh, I know." I chuckled. "#Seth talked constantly about her after he met her. And then the same when he first moved." I smiled and took another bite of the food on my plate.

"He started calling a lot more lately. I think Kenzi is making him check up on me." I smirked. I thought it was kind of cute, she was so protective of her friend. "You have a hell of a family looking out for you."

She was blushing again and that pink tinge in her cheeks was beautiful. I nodded along as she told me about her eating habits, not seeming to notice that I was probably too concerned about her diet than I should be.

"I have no problem giving you the recipe, but honestly... I would much rather teach it to you and then... Maybe the Spirits will be kind enough to make sure you don't get called away and we can have that movie date you promised me afterwards."

I smiled I was actually doing pretty well... I hadn't staggered over my word in a while. She made it so easy to be comfortable around her.

❁ Harper ❁

I stopped chewing and felt myself wanting to hide. “Seth is checking up on you?” My mind swelling with the thoughts of how I’d have done the same, but still.

“I... uhm.... I am so sorry...” There was an uneasy flutter in my stomach at how this may look to him. “I will - speak with them. I don’t know why they...” I shook my head. “... actually, I know why they are this way, and it’s as you just said. I’m lucky to have family like the ones I do.”

I wasn’t going to feel embarrassed, not when I knew it came from a loving place. My eyes flickered from the plate, to #Nova and then back to him. “You know. I’d like that much more. And...” I smiled even wider again at hearing him say ‘Spirit’ just as #Seth and #Leah did.

“Fingers crossed; we will have the movie night too. I will have to think long and hard, which Hallmark to share with you first.”

Placing the full fork into my mouth.

❁ Collin ❁

I laughed a little and swallowed the food in my mouth,. "No... it's good. To be honest... I wasn't really being good at keeping in touch with him lately, but know I have a great reason to." My eyes settled on hers and even my wolf snapped to attention. "And we have something in common now too... I mean talk about a small world... He meets a Thompson Falls Girl in La Push and I meet a Thompson Falls girl in La Push."

I smiled at her, my eyes moved to Nova as hers had. At least she was enjoying herself too, hearing Harper so she'd rather spend time with me then have me just giving her the recipe.

"Oh, I already have mine locked in. I know exactly where your B-movie education is going to start!" I grinned and fixed my gaze on hers again.

❁ Harper ❁

There was something to be said in his point. Gods how had it not occurred to me before? One of my best friends, my sister.. she had found the love of her life right here. It was a two night stopover and she’d met him when we were out on the hunt for a very drunk #Jenna. And now.. my eyes glanced up at him, my chin down trying not to over think.

My inner monologue working over time: ‘Just getting to know him.. don’t overthink and race too far ahead like Kenz and Jenna. You are the level headed one.’

“We.. I... all this time, it hadn’t occurred to me.” Biting my lip as I could hear my dad saying.. “Thompson Falls has the best girls, with the kindest hearts and the prettiest souls.” Laughing softly as I said it out loud.

My eyes widened. “You know which movie already? I feel so underprepared now. And I’m a planner!”

I would have to step up and movie game.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled watching the thought sink and laughed softly at her words. I couldn't help but think what would have happened if I met her when #Seth met Kenzi. Would have followed her to Thompson Falls like #Seth had followed her friend? I had no doubts about that. Would I still be there? Would she have stayed?

Would she know everything?

Would we be together?

Would she love me? Would she be happy?

'𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. 𝘉𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵-𝘪𝘧.' My wolf whispers softly in the back of my mind.

"That's one thing I can certainly agree with." I smiled. There was no denying Kenzi was beautiful... even without seeing her though #Seth's eyes. But Harper... I may have been biased... She was exquisite. "Do you have any single friends? I have a few wild friends that need taming and they clearly put something ing in the water back there." I half teased. But honestly... it was too much of a trend to dismiss.

❁ Harper ❁

I almost choked on the juice as I sipped on it. Putting the glass down I wiped my lips with the napkin as I cough. Embarrassed rushed into my cheeks. I couldn’t even drink now.

Patting my chest, I sat up as #Nova pawed to check in me. My hand reaching out to rub her head to say ‘I am fine baby girl.’

Clearing my throat, I took another drink, this time making sure I did not choke.

“You want me to become a Thompson match maker?” Gods what could that mean? “Really friends is a small group Jennifer, Kenzie and myself.” One was married, one engaged and one single. “I know many of the girls..” trying now to think of #Anna because well. no. “I’m sure you will meet them if you go to visit Seth at some point.”

However, as I thought of it, only #Sue and #Leah were the ones who had visited while I was living there.

❁ Collin ❁

I sat up when she choked and watched her pat her chest. "Are you okay?" I asked grinning, I could hear her breathing still and I knew she was okay.

“Not for me… I’ve… um…” And here it came rushing, the awkward, rambling fool. “I’d rather… eh, see how things go, with the Thompson Falls girl sat across from me.” I smiled at her the word sounding steadier towards the end. I wanted her to know that she was the only person on my mind now.

“But my friend #Embry might finally settle down if he could land a Thompson Falls girl…. And #Brady too if you can find another one.”

I smiled at her, she had to know I was falling for her…. I mean the rest of La Push did…

❁ Harper ❁

“Fine, fine..” My eyes were on the ground now, I wondered which demon I would need to call and make a deal with for the ground to open up and swallow me whole, and at what cost?

“Oh…” When I finally willed my heart to stop thumping in my ears, my cheeks were still a flush. I dared to glance back up. My eyes fluttered from his, to just past him, this was awkward. “I.. you… me..” Okay, what was one to say to such a declaration? He wanted to see how things worked out for me and him? This wasn’t knew to me, right? And I still felt so out of place with how to react to his knowledge. Even if my heart seemed to tell me it was happy to learn this. “I’d like to… uhm… see.. how things.. go too.” I missed my glasses, I would have used them to hide behind about now.

“I have to be honest…” Setting the glass down beside my plate. “You are, maybe better off asking Kenz, she’s a lot better at this dating and match making thing. I’m certain right away she would have your friends delt with for you.” She was always the one who picked up on vibes, on guys looking at us with intent in their eyes. “She has some special skills with it if you ask me.”

❁ Collin ❁

She was flustered and blushing again, and it was beautiful the pink tint in her tan skin... I was staring and I didn't care if she knew it. The rhythm of her heart changed.

"Good." I smiled, trying to sound confident but my voice low... low, but steady. "It's good to know we're on the same page." I picked up the juice and took a drink listening to her say Kenzi was a better matchmaker.

"You know? I don't know her very well.... but when I think about it... it does seem like something she'd be suited to. She's definitely a dreamer... the world needs more of those."

I leaned over the table slightly... "Can I ask you..." I didn't finish that question. We were past that right. "Did you really think I could possibly be thinking about anyone else since we kissed on the beach?" I pressed my lips together. She was all I thought about since so long before the beach.

❁ Harper ❁

#Nova settled herself between the two of us, just like she had on the beach that night. It was like she could tell I needed to feel her fur on my feet. To know she was here, and I had nothing to worry about. However, I truly didn’t have anything but myself to worry over.

Collin had this way to calm me and twist me into a bag of nerves in a different way. It wasn’t a bad feeling, just a new one.

“Kenz?” I was smiling again at his comment about my friend. “She really is. Dreamer is the best way to describe her. She is always looking for the good, the glass is always half full, and never empty.”

My body reacted to him like a magnet. He moved forward into the table and I found myself doing the same. However, my cheeks filled with fire ants at his next question. “Uhm…” The truth was the only way forward. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I cleared my throat. “I don’t usually do this… Answering a question with another question… However, it seems to be the only way forward….” I was rambling again. What was Wrong with ME! “Uhmm.. What I mean is… As possible as it was for you to believe I could have made other plans with someone else today?”

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled at her... listening to everything before I said anything else. I reached across the table and took her hand like I had when we had hot chocolate.

"Since we're leaving all the cards on the table." I smile my confidence thrummed now after she slightly rambled words. "I want you to make assumptions and maybe even make a few myself... If I can ever work to the courage to make some."

I squeezed her fingers and smiled. "We're kinda hopeless at this, aren't we? Maybe it's a good thing we have #Seth and #Kenzi checking in on us." I laughed.

I had no doubt she was getting calls for updates too.

❁ Harper ❁

I fought the urge to pull my eyes from his face, especially because his laughter made him light up. However, the fact that he had taken my hand, sending a surge of electricity in the same way as the day he took my hand in his at our coffee / hot chocolate catch up, made it hard not to glance down.

Our hands fit as one, his big hand took mine, and his warmth caressed me. I curled my fingers into his and squeezed back hoping he could see that I liked it when he did it. That magnetic pull in my chest had me moving in a little more. The soft voice sang in my heart leaving one work with me 𝐻𝑜𝓂𝑒 .

Biting my lips, I dared to glance back up into his eyes. “Let’s be fools who are happy to make the correct assumptions?” Because saying ‘Let’s be better at communicating’, was such a nerd thing to say. And #Kenz and #Jenna, #Teddy and #Jess would take my head if it ever got back to them.

Laughing softly at the fact that he too thought of #Seth and #Kenz in the moment I nod my head. “I would be lost without them all. However…. I wouldn’t say we are… Bad…. Just that we need… uhm… to do things our own way? Doing things that we feel comfortable with? Maybe?”

❁ Collin ❁

I lifted our clasped hands and leaned slightly across the table to kiss the back of her hand. I settled my gaze on hers. “That sounds perfect to me.” I said softly and smiled. I felt her hand warm in mine and savoured the sensation the spread across my chest from the contact.

“It will always be on our terms, I promise. You said #Seth was one of the kindest people you ever met… and that is definitely true. But as for me… well, I’m the most patient. So…” I finally released her hand, but it didn’t feel like I was letting go of anything. I picked my glass up and held it out. “To being fools… together?” I laughed at the fact that it sounded like a question.

But even my wolf didn’t reprimand me for it today.

❁ Harper ❁

A new rush of blushing heart spread to my cheeks when he kissed the back of my hand. It was such a chivalrous action to take. I shook my head free from the image from my dreams. Seeing Collin kiss my hand as he did now, took me back to the man who walked in the sky with the clouds with the light shining from around me.

“Oh… Uhmm…” My words were at a lost, I took my hand back as the butterflies took over ten-fold this time. He was right about #Seth, and I believed him when he said he was patient.

Gathering myself I picked up my own glass and held it up too. “To being fools… together!” This time I was sure of myself, it was a true statement now. We were going to be foolish together.

❁ Collin ❁

There was that blush again. My heart pounded. I touched my glass to hers with a clink.

I took a drink and I set the glass back. I kept eating and smiling up at her. “See we already have a lot in common.” I smiled.

“It seems like work is slowing down for you a little.” I said trying to steer the conversation towards something a little more normal. “I suppose springtime will see it starting to pick up again right?”

I looked up from the plate to her and smiled, still marvelling a little at the fact she was an amazing cook.

❁ Harper ❁

Clinking my glass to his, I took a sip of my juice. When I set it down, I reached over for one of the muffins and broke a piece off to pop into my mouth.

Covering my mouth, I nod, swallowing before I spoke. “It is a little, I believe it’s a good sign. We finally have some sort of normalcy falling into place.”

Work talk came so much easier. “I knew there would be a gab we would need to fill, bringing all the animals back into their annual checks, ensuring we have everyone seen to etc.” Cutting up my food to fill my fork.

“Spring! It’s one I look forward, and at the same time I am a little afraid of too. So much to do, and to stay on top of.” I shrugged a little. Filling my mouth. Now I couldn’t stop talking.

❁ Collin ❁

I chuckled. "Oh no... Neither of us is normal Harper... I don't think we ever will be." I smiled I would never want us to be.

"I know the farms and things around here get busy this time of year. But that one thing I can't wait for. Getting back to the regular check-ups with Nova. I think I'm doing good at not worrying around her... but it's still there in the back of my head."

Nova bolted across the floor after her treat and I laughed. "And then she does something like that I think she must be doing good because she's so happy." I smiled... she was playing with the carrot instead of eating it now.

❁ Harper ❁

My cheeks heated up again, but not as much as they had before. “Okay, I will agree with not being normal, only because if we were to start this debate. I am worried I will indeed prove you right. And who wants to do such a thing?”

My gaze moved to #Nova when he spoke of her check-ups. And I can’t help but feel a little guilty that I hadn’t gotten to connecting them about her before. “I’m sorry that I didn’t connect you or #Nova’s mum before you came to us. We were working our way through the charts and records. There is no excuse for it. I dropped the ball.” And it’s not a ball I planned on dropping again.

“Jess and I are going through all our records once again, and I know it doesn’t help baby-girl. However, we won’t let it happen to another puppy.” She bolted across the kitchen making me smile. “This makes me happy to see. Her puppy side still coming to play.”

❁ Collin ❁

I pressed my lips together and I tried to remember if I had told her about what #Jo had done. “Oh… Um that’s not… it’s not on you or the clinic or anything.” I took a long drink of the juice. Making a mental note to ask her exactly how she made this because my watermelon juice never tasted like this.

“I don’t know if I told you but when I bought Nova I made a promise to pay for all the basics her first shots, and neutering licenses and the first year of insurance and all of that. Thankfully that was still in my name. But I broke with my ex before she was old enough and um… Well, I actually sent her the money to pay for her neutering. But… I’m pretty sure she probably called and cancelled it… and just went shopping.” I shrugged, I wasn’t even mad about it anymore. Ex talk on Valentine’s day wasn’t really a great move.

“But All I care about is getting Nova through this and the puppies… and I know the Spirits will give us a blessing out of that bed of thorns… because they sent us you too look after her.”

❁ Harper ❁

Nodding my head as I listen to him. His Ex, he had told me that she had #Nova at the time and he has been responsible for her bills.

But we as a practice should have followed up. Even if at the time Dr Hill was only the visiting vet. “We are here now, and the baby girl is doing well. What is the saying about it needing a village and all? So, you know have your village when it comes to Nova’s care.”

Breaking off some more of the muffin as I continue to speak. “And your friends and family are excellent too.”

Popping the muffin into my mouth, my gaze back in her playing. And jumping around with her carrot. “Would you like some more juice? Or I could make you some coffee?” Seeing his glass close to empty when I pulled my attention from #Nova.

❁ Collin ❁

I watched her reaction, there was no judgement or irritation in her tone, all she cared about was looking after Nova going forward. “It does take a village…” I chuckled. “And yeah I’m really lucky… I had planned on getting a local kid to check in a few times a day and take her on a walk for me… But after finding out about the puppies, I didn’t want her left home alone. So she bounces from house to house when I work. But #Rachel works from home so she’s great and helping out when everyone else is busy, but I try to give her a break when I can. Mom takes her sometimes and I have friends that help out.”

I looked up at her again and smiled. “Coffee actually sounds great.” I had skipped mine today when I was cooking for us. I reached out for one of the muffins and broke a piece off. “Oh wow... Emily has some competition with you around.”

❁ Harper ❁

Finishing off my juice as I listened I recalled my first impressed of Collin. And I shook my head. How wrong had I been about this man? He was so caring and so worried about his baby.

“If you are ever in a bind, you are welcome to drop Nova off with us at the practice. ust another back up if you ever need help.”

Standing up I stepped around #Nova rolling on the ground. “You’re so cute.” Smiling I went to work on refilling the coffee maker.

“Emily?” I glanced back down the kitchen to where he sat at the table. “Why does that name sound familiar to me?”

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled at her offer; it was probably I would normally have said ‘Thank you and I wouldn’t to impose on you like that.’ But it was Harper she was my imprint… I didn’t need to wonder if the thought the borne from some intrinsic compulsion to take care of my needs like all the imprints felt. She would do this for anyone; I didn’t doubt that for one second.

So instead I just said. “Thank you, I really appreciate that.”

“Emily?” I asked. “Oh maybe from #Leah and #Seth. She’s their cousin. She moved here from the Neah Bay reservation when she got engaged to my friend #Sam. Her cooking is legendary around her especially her baking skills.” I said with a soft smile. “Have you met her?”

❁ Harper ❁

“You are welcome, it’s an open offer. I’m sure Jess would love to have the baby girl to play with at work.”

#Jessica was really great with the animals. And we kept some pets if they needed a little extra care and the owners had to work.

But this would be different as #Nova wouldn’t be unwell so could play, or sleep which is what she was about to do now. I saw her slowly walk into the living room and curl up on the rug.

“Maybe you are right. Or maybe Sue mentioned her?” Shaking my head as the coffee started to brew.

“I’ve been really bad at meeting people. Unless they have visited the practice, or I have been on a house call. I’ve not met many people at all.”

❁ Collin ❁

I laughed softly. "I really think that working with animals is a calling for her too... she's a pure soul. Thank you... for the offer. I will definitely keep it in mind."

The smell of coffee filled the kitchen. "She probably did. Em and Sue are the great minds behind most of the charity events or community projects that happen around here. They work together on them all the time."

"You've been so busy and working so hard... I don't know how you do it." I shook my head, smiling wide. "I'm going to have to start driving you to your late-night calls, so I don't have to worry about you falling asleep at the wheel."

❁ Harper ❁

Pouring the coffee into two cups, I smiled. “Sue really does do it all doesn’t she?” #Seth’s mom really had been someone who walked into the room and we were all drawn to her like magnets, the first night we had met her. And nothing had changed. “I look forward to meeting Emily now.” Turning to return to the table I placed a cup before him taking my seat.

My eyes flickered up to him, a little shocked at what he said. “I love my job, it’s more than just work for me... Please tell me you really will not do that?” A little of the old Harper popped her head up. Because his words were like déjà vu of a conversation with my dad after the trouble with #Jimmy. My back stiffens even thinking of him and I tried to shake it off. “I mean it’s sweet of you to think of me like that. But you have a day job, and I don’t need the babysitter.” Smiling I sat back blowing on the hot coffee. “It’s not too bad here, people are kind and I’ve not had much trouble in La Push at all.”

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled and gave a nod. “Yeah, she's amazing. She's really is a force to be removed with. And the only woman on the Tribal Council. My Uncle says she's not one to be tricked with.”

I picked up the cup and laughed softly. “I know you need a baby sitter... but you do this all night, every night. I can spare a few hours once in a while if you ever feel hesitant to get behind the wheel because you've had such little sleep. Just keep it in mind, for a busy night, or in dangerous weather, four-wheel drive is safer on the farm roads. I can't help but worry a little."

She had no idea how much I couldn't help it. I lifted the cup and took a sip. I hoped I hadn't overstepped with the offer. I really needed to think before I spoke.

❁ Harper ❁

I bite my lips, setting the cup down and breaking of a little of the muffin left on my plate.

I’d done it again I’d jumped to a conclusion that he was trying to stop me from doing my work, when what he was doing... was worrying?

My cheeks flushed as the realisation. And I could hear #Dam in my mind. ‘Not all guys are the same Harps. Some of us are really nice. Even if we don’t always act it.’

And then he had pointed to #Seth holding #Jenna’s hand helping her, as #Kenzi sat smiling up at her boyfriend. “I’m sorry, I’m not used to having others worry about me. And you hardly know me...” bushing a strand of hair behind my ear. I sat up.

“Thank you, for the offers. I promise to keep them in mind.” This was the correct reaction.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled at her. “That’s because you’re the one that looks after everyone else. I know we haven’t known each other long but…” I shrugged with a playful grin. “We’ve already established the Foolish thing. So, I’m reserving my right to worry.”

I sipped from my coffee and drummed my fingers against the table softly before deciding the reach across the table and take her hand again. “And like I said before you are important to this whole community, so until there’s some way for you get a few nights off… You should have a little support. Not because you need it but you deserve it.”

❁ Harper ❁

My brown eyes followed his fingers as they tapped in the table. And then as he reached over. My heart singing again when his hand engulfed mine under it.

“The foolish thing.” I laughed softly, turning my hand in his and squeezing. “It seems to be working out really well for me. I need to find a way to pay you back for all your generosity. Talking with your uncle to help, the hazelnut butter, the breakfast today....”

Setting the cup down I trailed my necklace and the small wood carved flower. “This beautiful flower... the scales are tipped for sure.”

Curling my bottom lip between my teeth. “If this keeps up, you may ask for refund from this club of ours.”

❁ Collin ❁

I shook my head. "No... no scales. No scorekeeping." I smiled at her. "After everything you've done for Nova..." So much of it was well above and beyond the call of duty. "Because if you did... by the time these puppies come I will never be able to catch up." I laughed, because, Spirits! It was true.

This was the easy part the further along Nova got the more help I was going to need.... and when he puppies came? I didn't want to think of how often I'd be calling for help or with all kinds of questions.

"Plus, I don't think this breakfast counts... my motives were purely selfish." I chuckle, the back of my neck heating again and travelling quickly up to my ears. "I was just looking for a way to hijack your Valentine's Day... and lucky for me... it seems to have worked."

❁ Harper ❁

His hand still held mine, and as much as I wanted to forget about it and act ‘normal’. I found my eyes drift down to the table.

It was such a new sensation to have someone in your life who felt like they always belonged. The magnetic pull still had a hold of my chest. However, when he touched me or held my hand. It’s dissipated a little and eased. Leaving me feeling calm in the moment.

“Oh. Well. Uhm.. I’m not sure how I feel about this now.” Trying to keep a straight face as I spoke.

“I mean I was 100% behind this when I thought I could win. But now...” I burst out laughing unable to hold it in any longer.

“Collin, I prefer the no score cards. I was just trying to tease you.”

Squeezing his hand with mine. “And I believe I already told you. I’m glad you and Nova came today.”

Nodding my chin to the table. “If you are done, I can clean up and maybe go sit in the living room with the baby girl?”

❁ Collin ❁

Her hand was still in mine and sending electric shivers up my arm and into my chest. Being with her was amazing, but touching her… the simple innocent touch of holding her hand was the most comforting and fulfilling feeling I experienced.

I laughed and nodded. “No scorecards.” I lifted our hands and laced my fingers through hers. “Just this and maybe the teasing too, I like that cheeky smile.”

“I’ll help clear up… I’m making up for not asking you out in advance so I can at least help clean up.” I smiled at Nova who had now decided to eat the carrot instead of just playing with it.

❁ Harper ❁

Tilting my head to the side a little, I was smiling from ear to ear. “The teasing and the cheekiness I believe we can both make a part of the being foolish thing?”

Curling my lip into my teeth, I shook my head still holding his hand.

“If we aren’t doing scores, we also are not doing the making up thing. Things happened, however....” my voice lowered as I spoke. “... we just set out cards on the table. So... shall we... Uhm... say fresh start?”

I wasn’t holding anything back now. If we were getting to know one another, and he could stand up and say he liked me. I could do this right? Squeezing his hand, I stood up.

“However, I will never say no to help.”

❁ Collin ❁

I laughed again… I laughed so much when I was with her. It was so easy and effortless. “Deal… at least on the days that I can string two words together around you.”

The tiny lip bite made my heart thump.

I released her hand and stood up too, keeping my eyes on her. I picked up the mugs and glasses and brought them over to the sink. “I’m always glad to help… I always enjoyed the cleaning up… It’s a reminder of the small things in life that are in our control when the world is so far out of it.”

Okay… that was lame. “Same… that… sounded…. dorky.” And there it was...I was stammering like a fool again.

❁ Harper ❁

I loved the sound of his laughter, and the way he looked so at ease in those moments. I picked up the plates and the flat wear taking them to the skin, then I started to fill the water and soap.

Listening to him. “You are doing just fine with the two- and three-word sentences.” Not that I could say much. “You sometime make it hard for me to find my words too, you know.”

Cleaning off the plates, I placed them to the side and started to clean the cups and glasses first. “You do not sound dorky; I actually understand exactly what you mean. This. Here. In the kitchen. I have full power over. It is up to me how things work out or don’t while I’m in here.”

I shrugged a little. “Now I sound like a nerd...”

❁ Collin ❁

"I do?" I beamed a wide smile. I knew it was silly but hearing her say it made me feel an odd sense of pride. "Well, I'm not doing it on purpose."

"It's probably a little OCD passed on from my mom being so overprotective." I chuckled. "My dad and sister are kinda messy and disorganised. So guess as a family we balance each other out."

I grabbed a dishtowel and waited for her to pass off the cleaned dishes. I nudged her playfully with my elbow. "Wanna know a secret? I always had a thing for nerds."

❁ Harper ❁

“Really. I’m sure you are being kind by not pointing it out. I’m not always this lost for word.” Oh and this revolution I could give him without a hiccup? What was wrong with me?

“Cleanliness is close to godliness.” I died a little as I handed meant to say it out loud at all. “Oh lord! Someone needs to stop me from talking around you!”

I covered my face with my arm and shook my head. Feeling him nudge me my cheeks were on fire again. Lowering my arm to look at him. “I told you I’m a proud member of the Nerd Association.”

Handing him a glass once it was clean. “So, you are more like your mom and Ana is more like Kevin?” I asked to take the attention off my burning face.

❁ Collin ❁

"Not at all... I'm just glad I'm not the only one." I laughed. I took the glass from her and started to dry it. "No, keep talking. I want to know al the in's and out's that make Harper Lee Jenkins tick."

"Yeah, she's a proper little Daddy's girl.... until it comes to fishing. She can't even stand on the boat without getting seasick." I chuckled and out the glass into the cupboard.

"That was always mine and dad's thing. And Ana loved shopping with Mom.... for anything... I mean even grocery shopping and that girl was right out the door and into the car."

❁ Harper ❁

Smiling I listened intently. Taking in each word he had to share. They say if you wanted to know about a man, you should listen to him talk about his family and friends.

And from the way Collin spoke about them, as well as the way they did about him. It was all so sweets. “I’d have to kind of agree with the fishing thing. I mean I went fishing with dad, but he never does it as a sport. It’s not a sport if you’re hurting a living being with a heart and soul..” I was rambling again.

“We always eat what we catch. And only catch what we can eat, - if that makes sense?”

I had to laugh handing him more dishes as I spoke. “And it sounds like she is well balanced with both your mom and dad.”

It was clear they are a close family.

❁ Collin ❁

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it makes perfect sense. anything we caught we either ate or threw back whatever was too small. It was mostly about spending time on the water together for my dad."

"We make a great team." Smiled and took the dishes from her. "But La Push is one of those places where you have family everywhere you looks... blood or not. I don't have any biological brother but sometimes I feel like I have several." I chuckled, setting a cup into the cupboard.

"In a good way though."

I wondered if she missed that about being in Thompson... Her family might be gone, but her chosen family were still there.

❁ Harper ❁

I like this, hearing about him and how he spent his time. It felt like a view into a picture of his life.

“Yes, exactly. My mom and dad the trips up to the lack were about family time. Dad teaching me to fish, while mom lazed in the warm weather when we had it. Drawing and painting.”

I smiled at the memory, and then I felt a tug to my heart. My eyes stinging a little when he spoke about extended family who are not blood.

Mine was hundreds of miles away from me. And I did miss them when I gave myself time to think.

Clearing my throat, I handed him the last plate, before I pulled the plug and started to clean out the sink and the surrounding area.

❁ Collin ❁

“Your mom was an artist?” I asked with a smile. “That’s awesome. Do you have any of her drawings? I’d love to see them if it’s something you’re okay with sharing?” I wasn’t sure if she had many things of her mothers, and might want to keep it to herself. That would be understandable.

I saw that faraway look in her eyes. I give her a minute and dried the plate, by the time I put the plate in the press she was scrubbing the sink. I didn’t stop her because I knew it was little things like this that made her feel better. I put my hand on the centre of her back and leaned in to press a kiss to her hair.

“You don’t have to do that around me, Harper.” I said softly. “You don’t need to bury the things that make you sad or homesick… When I said I wanted to know all about you I mean 𝕒𝕝𝕝 about you. Whenever you’re ready for that, I’m here.” I pressed another kiss to her hair.

❁ Harper ❁

Rinsing out the sponge I set it to the side. He moved behind me and didn’t push to talk, giving me a moment without the need for me to ask for it. How did he know? When to be here and when to step back and give me time?

He asked about mom, wanted to see what she made? But then he wasn’t so different was he? He worked with his hands too.

“She.... yes she was, it was something mom loved to do when she wasn’t rushing around.” Thinking for a moment. “I have a few unopened boxes. I believe Jenna and Kenzi would have packed some of them for me maybe we can go take a look in then once we are done here?”

My friends knew me better than I knew my self. “I’d be happy to show you.” It was a joy to see others look at her work on the walls at home. Like a part of her was still sharing her love.

I closed my eyes feeling his hand on my back and found myself leaning into his kiss. My heart swelling at the kind words.

“I...” Trying to find the words, trying to understand why he of all people I wanted to be here? Why didn’t I want to keep him at a safe distance?

“I’ve never been one to be so open. And yet here I am, willing to share with you.” It was the tenderness in those two kisses, that now warmed me and made me smile.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled at her and leaned against the counter and moved my hand to her arm. "I'm glad... And I think coming from a woman like you that counts as high praise."

It really was... she was so intelligent, so clever, and strong and independent. So, if she trusted me... high praise was an understatement.

"You know the more I learn about these girls the more I like them." The fact that they would've thought to do that for her. I smiled again and lifted my hand to her cheek.

"How about we take a look and see if we find some of those pictures... I have a very keen artistic eye you know?" I leaned in again and kissed her forehead.

❁ Harper ❁

My eyes dropped to his hand on my arm, it sent that spark of something sweet alight within me again. My cheeks turning crimson I was sure at his words. Nothing I had said was a lie, he had been someone who was so easy to speak with. And then there was that pull I felt towards him. That magnetically charged hum which drew me to him.

“I am very lucky to have them in my life, and then the boys too who are like the cherries on the sundae.” Without even thinking I leant into his touch. My eyes searching his, however for what I wasn’t sure. He really did have an interest in seeing things from my past?

Nodding my head slow. “If you are sure you… Let’s do it.” I folded the towel in my hands and set it down to the side. “However, I have to warn you. The boxes are in the closet in the hall, and I’m not look in them yet.” I sent out a prayer to anyone listening hoping that #Jenna hadn’t added any more of those ‘𝑔𝒾𝒻𝓉𝓈’, to any other boxes.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled, it was strange to think that #Seth had been part of her family for so long now and I only just met her… But at the same time, it sort of made perfect sense… It was probably safe to assume that #Kenzi was descended from the same tribe as Harper if they grew up that close together.

My heart was eased at the fact she was trusting me and not questioning why it was so sudden and intense. I felt like it was a step closer to being able to tell her the whole truth.

“Oh really? So we might find some of your deepest darkest secrets then?” I laughed. “Even better! Let’s do it?” I rubbed my hands together with a cheeky grin.

“Lead the way and let’s dig out those skeletons… I mean… pictures.” I smirked. Okay… I was definitely getting better at this.

❁ Harper ❁

“Deepest, darkest secrets? Skeletons?” My eyes widening at the sound of what he said. I knew he was joking. His smile was very telling.

“Uhm... I’m not so sure this is a good idea anymore.” I smiled as I started to walk out the kitchen backwards still facing him. “I mean are skeletons and those dark secrets a eighth or ninth date thing?”

Turned around to fact the correct way now. I laughed. How fast things had changed between us? And how fast had I started to trust this man? It was amazing and a little scary and a lot of being 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.

I looked over to #Nova curled up in the rug and I wanted to go hug her. “The baby girl is need of a nap.” I whispered leading him to the hall way to the bathroom, my bedroom and the closet at the top end of it.

❁ Collin ❁

That smile and the way she laughed… Spirits… I could listen to it forever. Nova was already half asleep on the rug and I couldn’t but wonder if she was going to completely cover in with dog hair… like she did with pretty much everything.

“If you can still put up with me by the ninth date I will be a very happy man.” I teased… but also… a hint of insecurity.

I followed her to her room, this entire smelled like her… but in here…. Wow! I couldn’t stop myself from looking around as we came into the room. Here her scent was softer and seemed to wrap around my senses like a blanket. I was instantly more nervous just from being in this room with her.

❁ Harper ❁

I bite my lips, tucking some hair behind my ears. I hadn’t even realise what I had said m, until it was out and he had commented on it.

Ninth date? Really? Had I really said it? Yes.. yes I did? I didn’t dare to glance back at him, that prayer out again for the ground to open up, however it wasn’t happening today.

“Uhm... well.. you know... just getting past the movie thing should take us up to there right?” I was rambling again. Until my eyes drifted to my bed.

Oh Lord! I had brought him into my room without even thinking about it! Who did that?

I rubbed my forehead, recalling where I had hidden the boxes. “Okay. Boxes!” I saw one poking out for under my bed. So, leaning down I dragged it out.

❁ Collin ❁

I heard the change in her heart when she seemed to realise the same thing that I had. I just smiled as she pulled the box from under the bed. Of course, I hadn’t taken the invitation into her room as anything more than helping her look through the boxes. But still… most of the time a woman would think twice about it with someone she was still getting to know, the fact that she hadn’t… meant something.

“I am hoping if I play my cards right… we’ll get to the point that we lose count.” I smiled; it was an easy confession because it was the truth.

I crouched next to her and smiled. “You really need to unpack.” I teased her. But I knew why she’d not gotten around to it.

❁ Harper ❁

I glance my my said where he was by my side. “Uhmm...” I bit my lips and then just said it.. if he were #Dam or #Seth or even #Char or #Teddy I would just say it right?

“That was either really smooth which would make you a player Mr Littlesea, or it was the kindest statement with the hopes of something good to come?”

I laughed softly as I pulled on the tap to the box. And I believed I knew the true answer. I could feel it in my heart. However I wasn’t sure how? I was only getting to know him.

“I know..” shifting a little. My hands on top of the box. I had been busy with work, trying to get the practice up and running. But also, unpacking would have a deeper meaning. It would mean I wanted to stay here.

Opening the top of the box my eyes widened at all that I could see. Lifting the first pack. “Bedroom throw?” The things all in different shades of Emerald green.

“Cushions?”

The next pack I took out. “Bathroom and kitchen curtains?”

The box was full of things for every room, things to make a house into a home. “I didn’t buy any of this.” I said more to myself.

❁ Collin ❁

I laughed at the idea of me being a player. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered that you think I could be a player when I can hardly speak when I'm around you." I leaned closer until my arm brushed hers as she searched through the box.

"Only good things to come Harper." I smiled at her another truth, because even anything tough to come with her was still better than anything that could without her.

I smiled and gave a soft chuckle. "Okay well, those ladies obviously know you well enough to know that you'd never make time to shop for these things yourself. We need another home improvement date so I can make sure their visions of your dream home are realised."

❁ Harper ❁

“I have this small inkling.” I held my thumb and index finger about an inch apart in front of him. And smiled at his promise of good things to come.

An electrical spark jarred me out of my mind, until I realised that it had been him. His arm brushing mine had made me react too?

“I told you... They really do have some special powers when it comes to our small family. And you are correct, they know I wouldn’t go out to shop.” I had told them when I was setting up my place in Thompson that Home was my dad’s place. Of course, they disagreed with me and I was thankful for it.

“Now you are working with them from afar without even knowing them?” I was teasing him, nudging my shoulder into his. “If I didn’t know…. I would say you don’t trust me to put curtains up?” I could hear myself and internally I had to agree with the fact. I wouldn’t trust me too.

Setting all the things back into the box. “I’ll take a better look and maybe make a start some evening.” I said as I closed the lid on the boxes and pushed it back under the bed. Scratching my temple I slowly stood up and opened the small hidden closet at the back of the room hoping nothing falls out of it on me.

❁ Collin ❁

I chuckled. "They clearly want the best for you so yes... I have a feeling I'll take their sides on most occasions." I smiled and my gaze fixed on hers.

"Plus, the fastest way to a girl’s heart is through her sisters and best friends."

I laughed again. "I have no doubts that you can... I just have plenty of doubts that you will make the time to do it." I grinned because I knew I had nailed that one and managed not to insult her accidentally.

I watched her open the closet and heard something shift inside as she slowly opened the door. I moved to her side a little too fast and reached up to stop the box on the top shelf before it could fall.

❁ Harper ❁

My head turned to look back to where he stood; I knew that anyone else would pull him up for saying such a thing. 1 He was openly saying he’d take the side of others over me, and 2. He was saying that I wouldn’t make time for my house. However. The first make me want to kiss him… He was willing to stand by my best friends, my sisters in order to make sure I was kept honest. And the second... I really couldn’t fault him; it had proven to be true. Six months since I’d moved here, and boxes were hidden and not unpacked.

My heart jumped out of my chest, I jumped back out of the way. However, it was from the way he saved me from being flattened by a box I didn’t even see coming. “Lord!” I exclaimed my heart racing in my chest. “I.. I…” pointing up to the box, but then.

“Weren’t you over there?” I pointed back to the bed. How had he made it to the closet and by my side?

❁ Collin ❁

I heard her heart race and lifted the box down. It wasn’t heavy… but still enough that it would have hurt but not injured her. “It’s okay…. It’s not actually that heavy.” I glanced back to the bed. “When you live with Nova you have to be quick on your feet?” I laughed, hoping she wouldn’t ask too many questions, because I wasn’t going to lie to her. But, I wasn’t sure she was ready… close… so, so close, but not yet.

I touched her arm, and I felt the jolt again right into my heart. “You got a bit a scare there… Are you okay?”

I set the box on the ground in front of the closet and looked up at her. “Should we check this one?”

❁ Harper ❁

He had to be fast because of #Nova, of course... she was a husky, they are runners. So if she were to get herself into any trouble, then it would made sense.

“I...” my heart was still racing, and I could feel the flush on my skin. “I’m okay.. th... thank you..” He took the box down for me. And then it was there again. When he touched my arm there was a jolt of electricity surging through me.

“Hey baby girl..” I smiled #Nova must have heard the commotion and her name, she patted in and sat by the bed.

“Yes, let’s look at that one.” I smiled, looking from the bed to the closet. Of course, he was right. It wasn’t that far the move.

I sat down on the ground by #Nova and rubbed her side, kissing her head before pulling the box before myself.

❁ Collin ❁

I smiled at Nova when she came into the room to check on us. I scratched her chin as Harper kissed the top of her head. She was really just perfect… My eye stayed on the two of them for a moment before I realised she had said something. waited until she flipped the box open. I could clearly see framed pictures even if the bubble obscured what the pictures actually were. “You haven’t even hung your photos yet? You really must have been busy.” I chuckled. She had obviously thought these memories were worth displaying to frame them in the first place.

She really needed that extra support at the clinic. I knew my uncle would get it done, he’d never let us down yet. He always went to bat for the pack… and that included Harper now too.

TBC...

#HarperLeeJenkins #Harper #Harps #CollinLittlesea #Collin #TheNerd #TheGoofball #Nova #TwilightRp #AU #TwiRP #LaPush #Storyline #Storytime

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