#because I do mention season of the wish spoilers
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
wortsandall ¡ 1 day ago
Text
genuinely wish i hadnt watched season 2, its changed how i see things. i miss season 1 so bad and those versions of the characters. i was not having a good time sidenote: (spoilers)
i really want to know what ekko said to jinx i mean she was so stuck on trying to kill herself that even ekko's presence didnt make her stop and we're supposed to just guess what he said to make her come back with her hair cut short ? this is what i mean when i say that they dropped the ball on character for the sake of plot. i want to know why characters are doing things, why they're working together besides "oh we were fighting but now theres ambessa and viktor to stop so we'll come back to our interpersonal conflicts" only to Never actually Do That. they kept setting up interesting conversations only to cut away from them.
i really resonated with jinx in season 1, and this season i was watching and waiting for something but she was just so subdued the whole time she felt like a different character to me. which is fine because i know grief can do that to a person. but my favorite moments of hers were her fights with vi and with isha. and they really killed isha and then never mentioned her again like ???? why do that
im very character > plot. it could be the most nonsensical thing but as long as the characters are good im having fun. and so much of the plot of this season was about the war and the anomaly that i did not give a single fuck about, i was waiting for character moments that would make me hurt inside and they didnt really happen. not in the soul crushing way season 1 did. i still sob over silco and jinx is season 1 act 3. and i wanted that kind of emotional devastation
for example i dont understand cait and vi at all. im trying so hard to see why theyd be into each other, break up like that and get back together and i genuinely Do Not understand. maybe its my aromanticism rearing its ugly head again but i have no idea what the fuck they were doing the Entire time.
if i dont understand the characters, it kills the whole thing for me. and i did not understand the character motivation in this season.
ekko mel and jayce hard carried this season for me im so proud of them. (especially jayce i love him)
24 notes ¡ View notes
omilkandhoneyteao ¡ 2 days ago
Text
I need to add on to the Viktor thing cause that’s literally my man and the direction they went with him is something I can’t grasp
ARCANE SEASON 2 SPOILERS
I’m sorry but the machine herald wasn’t even machine, it was magic!!! He’s not the Magic Herald, he’s the machine herald and yet they didn’t include any of that??
Correct me if I’m wrong because I don’t play League but isn’t the Machine Herald’s whole thing still being a man but wanting to IMPROVE humanity by taking away their weaker parts by exchanging them for machinery? And yet, in arcane, he doesn’t give a fuck and is just turning in to the people he “helped” in to mindless husks? Also when he got blown to bits by Jayce, I really thought he was gonna replace himself with mechanical parts but NO THEY JUST MADE HIM EVEN MORE MAGIC???
Like it’s so weird that they also kinda tried to make it seem like it was Viktor’s fault for becoming what he became when like
That man just wanted to get better??? Like the scenes with Jayce were sweet but the whole “you were trying to perfect yourself” NO SIR HE WANTED TO STOP AN ILLNESS THAT WAS CAUSING A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH??? Like idk if people realize this but Viktor was GRIEVING like he found out he was dying which is a gigantic pill to swallow and clearly he wasn’t in his right state of mine and then when he finally accepted his fate, his already short life span was cut SHORTER by the explosion and even then, I feel like it was the scene with the hexcore that took away HIS choice of 1) wanting to just die and 2) destroying the hexcore!
I also fully believe that while Viktor was doing bad things, I think the Arcane was a corrupt form of magic (we’ve seen that there IS good magic like Mel’s) and it was corrupting Viktor in a way that made him think what he was doing was the ONLY way and that he HAD to do because again, he wasn’t in a clear state of mind so I fully believe that he was aware of what he was doing but he truly believed this was the ONLY way (like I’ve mentioned earlier it’s so similar to Wanda with the Darkhold and how it was corrupting her when she was at her most vulnerable by showing her what she wanted and that by doing all those bad things, it’s the only way she could get her wish)
Another thing I hated was them revealing that the Mage wasn’t Ryze (IT SHOULD’VE BEEN HE WOULD’VE MESHED SO WELL WITH THE STORY) but Viktor and that he just kept going back in time so Jayce could stop him which is so ???
Like I’m sorry but that’s literally so dumb because it just makes the world of Arcane seem even smaller! Like the way season 2 has been trying to make connections that didn’t need to be there makes it seem like Piltover and Zaun as a whole have a population of 30!
Like it would’ve been so much sweeter (lowkey power of friendship type ship but I’ll leave it at that) if Jayce and Viktor CHOSE to be partners and brothers and friends and whatever it is you see them as and that it wasn’t forced because of “fate” but because of THEIR choice! Like it lowkey just takes away the characters autonomy cause it’s like “well yeah you actually didn’t pick this person it was predestined!!!”
It’s just so disheartening because Viktor is such a good character and to just take away all the good things they could’ve done with him is just upsetting.
Tumblr media
29 notes ¡ View notes
ppupkit ¡ 2 days ago
Note
how are you doing after the last 3 episodes of arcane
full spoilers for act 3 , long rant ahead ( sorry ദ്ദി (ᵒ̴̶̷᷄﹏ᵒ̴̶̷᷅) ). apologies if this is incoherent i ended up pulling an all nighter to watch act 3 and have had a busy few couple of days so i am a very gleeby little maddie atm..
i'm mostly upset and angry about it because it was just handled so poorly... like it was genuinely so ( ._. )"" i've talked about it elsewhere but i don't even really know what to say. i'm so upset about the way they sidelined the important character arcs and actual plot for timebomb sillies and a goofy over the top mel arc that was extremely rushed and didn't even bring the closure it was meant to about her dad and all of that. also 90% of the act being jayvik and it completely ignoring isha , sevika , and for the most part jinx , caitlyn , and vi... it's so disheartening i'm honestly not taking it well i feel just sort of upset and overall down. arcane has meant so much to me and it feels like all of the characters who i love so much just didn't even matter like i went on this journey with them all for nothing. there's so much more i could and would like to say but this is already getting long and i just feel an overwhelming amount of negative emotions at the moment. i'm going to continue making content for arcane ( mostly focusing around maddie , maddiecait , and maddiecaitvi because autism goes crazy ) but i might need a day or two to gather my thoughts and process everything. this act was super disappointing in every way. like i love mel and for the whole rest of the season was curious about her arc but it went from 0 to 100 so fast and was so campy it just didn't even feel like arcane. i think it's so insane that sevika didn't even speak once and that isha wasn't even mentioned like i just can't get past that. also they rushed caitvi's relationship so badly like we needed to see caitlyn's arc fully wrapped up with her coming to terms with all that she'd done , taking responsibility and apologizing to vi. we didn't get any of that though which is baffling to me..... also the implication of vi being a cop , sevika being on the council , vi just brushing over jinx's death ? it's so out of character. also with maddie , i have mixed feelings. i was hoping she'd do something big and i think i can definitely get behind the idea of her being a spy but it just doesn't line up with what was shown onscreen ? it felt like a major copout idk. i have many maddiecait and maddiecaitvi thoughts that i'll post on my main having to do with it but i'm just REALLY wishing we got to see more of maddie behind the scenes and that she got to be more fleshed out onscreen and not just through implications. like i like timebomb they're cute and all but episode 7 just felt so pointless and wasted like we could've used that time to actually be able to flesh out maddie or focus more on caitlyn / caitvi or on jinx and isha. i just don't see the point at all of that episode and i can't get past them just pretending isha never existed in favor of having a cute little timebomb au episode. : \
24 notes ¡ View notes
thatgenderfluidmonstrosity ¡ 2 days ago
Text
Guys I can’t take this
Omg
Loved Act 3
Spoilers ahead for Season 2 as a whole
Cried
Cried so hard
Vi x Caitlyn forever
Caitlyn looks sick with her eye patch (positive)
I hope Vi is able to cope with Jinx’s absence. I also hope Vi and Ekko start to try and hang out more. After all, of the original Undercity crew, they are all they have left.
Jayce x Viktor forever
I’d like to think that they are in their own universe together. Just them, forever connected.
I love that Viktor didn’t end up being forever evil. He fixed what he caused and he did it with his partner. I will forever love Viktor
Miss Sky. I loved her.
Miss Jinx
(Idk if it’s widespread but there is the idea that Jinx is still alive, because there is a spark of pink after the explosion with Warwick, maybe signaling that Jinx escaped, then there is the scene where Caitlyn is looking at the tunnels that lead out of where Vi, Jinx, and Warwick were stuck, then there is the big blimp airship that is shown flying away at the very end of the last episode, which we are meant to assume is Jinx because of how she mentioned in season 1, episode 1 that she wanted to ride in one someday, and finally there is the “the end” screen which is in her art style)
Long live Vander
I loved him so much, and I knew there was little chance of us getting him back, but still. I had some hope. Just a little.
Love Ekko
I hope my boy is doing okay. He deserves so much. Just like everyone else.
Where is Heimerdinger, btw??
Love Mel
She’s so freaking amazing. I love her glowing eyes and her powers and stuff. She’s just so gorgeous and awesome.
Long live Isha
I hate that the only thing that we can really infer about her death is just the fact that Jinx is really hurt by it. I hate that there was no show of a memorial, even just a small one. No mention of her by name. It makes me really sad. I know she wasn’t forgotten, but I still would’ve liked to see something.
Screw you Ambessa
I knew you had some good intentions for the “betterment of your family” but girl… come on. Bloodshed cannot save or fix anything. Maybe temporarily, but it will never be stable enough.
Sad that Maddie was evil
I wish that we would’ve gotten a few more hints. I knew from certain theory videos that she would end up being bad, but it just didn’t seem like a possibility for a while. But it was still a great betrayal scene.
20 notes ¡ View notes
haldenlith ¡ 1 year ago
Text
Okay, no, I'm not done ranting about my misgivings about Mara and Crow's writing as of late. I've been sitting here stewing, and I might as well shout into the void about it.
It's true, I've never liked Mara as a person, because she was condescending, arrogant, and manipulative, especially after Forsaken and scouring through everything lore wise, and seeing how she treated Uldren as just another tool in her toolkit, and was... basically abusive.
But I did think she was interesting as a character. My biggest problems with her weren't ever with her, per se, but with how the universe reacted to her. Or didn't react to her, rather. It seemed like everyone was always, all the time, blind to her actions. It was frustrating. Zavala was the only character, it seemed, that ever seemed leery of her. It was refreshing to have our Ghost yell at her when he did, even if we got shouted down by her afterwards. It was nice to see (well, read) Jolyon stand up to her. It was hella refreshing to have Ikora clap back at her, especially after Mara had spent so much time blaming The Guardian for Uldren's death, with the response of, "No Mara, you did that shit." It was nice to see the universe react to her. She finally felt, to me, like she was a part of the big web of characters and stories, and not just some detached side character. She felt... real, I guess? I still didn't like. Still didn't trust her. But still, she felt a part of everything now.
And sure, I hollered and flailed and was like "STAY AWAY FROM CROW", and was unsurprised when she was like "oh he's a blank slate, I can use that." And I even thought it was interesting when attempts at reconciliation started to happen, because we had the dilemma of "Is she genuinely trying to be a sister to Crow? Or is she just trying to yank him back into the fold, back into her toolbox?". Buuuut... then Season of the Seraph happened.
You see, her reaching out to Eramis felt... strange to me. As far as I could tell, she didn't really know Eramis, had no ties to her, anything. Eramis was just another Eliksni that fought against her and subsequently ended up in the Prison of Elders. Mara had no reason to reach out to her to be all "aren't you tired?" and trying to convince Eramis to "see reason." It all felt really out of character, to me. It'd be one thing if it was Eido or Mithrax, or even Crow (given his bleeding heart nature towards Eliksni), but Mara? Queen "I'm playing 4D Chess with Everyone Around Me"? That little point didn't sit right with me.
And ever since then, it's felt like they've been taking sandpaper to her character and filing off all the sharp points and edges. The most egregious was how apparently sad and broken up she was over Amanda Holliday's death and just like... ?????? WHY WOULD SHE CARE? (Then again, the writing during Defiance was hot garbage...) This is the same woman that led hundreds of her own people to their death without them knowing for the sake of a scheme to steal power from Oryx. She isn't going to care about some random human mechanic. The most I could see her doing is diplomatically, but coldly acknowledging it was a tragedy, but also reminding us that we've got shit to do.
And now she's all soft and sweet with Crow? After literal centuries of being cold to him? It makes no sense. It feels like they're trying extra hard to make her "likeable".
"But they're trying to reconcile the twins and their family arc." Okay, I get that. I hear you, but wouldn't it not only make more sense, but also be more interesting, if we had Mara having an issue of still trying to manipulate Crow and seeing him as a chess piece to move about the cosmic board, but also grappling with the hurt and confusion of "Why is my brother upset with me? He's supposed to love me. He's my brother. I am his sister. I'm only doing what's best for him." Like at this point, I feel like there should be a sort of cognitive dissonance or something that we, the player, can see, but perhaps Mara cannot.
It feels like they smoothed away her flaw of being unable to really relate and understand normal people for the sake of quickly fixing the Crow/Mara relationship. If it hadn't been for previous Mara-interactions with characters, I'd normally sit and wonder if Mara was being manipulative when she comes to Crow and is like "Oh I'm so sad and pained that you must endure Riven after what she did to you." It'd have been a situation of "oh is she being genuine, or is she being manipulative and saying what Crow wants to hear, just like Riven has pointed out?" But shit, now I honestly feel like they meant for her to be genuine.
AND SPEAKING OF CROW... We just spent a whole ass character arc of him reconciling with his past, with his flaws, with how he was used by Mara, and with how he was finally well aware that he was used and how destructive and abusive their sibling relationship was, and now he's just... suddenly cool with everything?
I recall him being very leery and distrusting of her. It's a point that was hammered on multiple times throughout his arc, along with the theme of him reconciling with his dark past (which was largely caused just as much by her as it was Riven). As I said in the other post, it would've made way more sense for Crow to be very cautious in response to Mara's mother-henning. "I understand why you're overprotective, BUT that's still not okay, and I still don't feel like I can trust you." And so on. Sure, there are signs of potential reconciliation there, but also signs of the self awareness he's attained, of realizing that sometimes, no matter how strong your bond is with family, maybe you simply can't trust them.
It just feels like whiplash to go from anger and distrust and perhaps even a little fear and realizing "hey my sister really, really, really fucked me up" to "yeah we've got this unbreakable bond and we're so cool now" in the span of two years-ish? Instead of real reconciliation between the siblings, it feels like history repeating itself and ignoring the whole point of his arc.
All that aside, it also feels like his character is getting very beaten into a box of tricks. As I said before, the amount of time they were spending on him, building him up, made him feel like he was going to play a very important role in the story. But now? He feels like the side character that's trotted out for misery and pain points and then shoved back into a box. We've yet to see him really come into his own, outside of the work he did during his introduction in Season of the Hunt. He feels SO VERY underutilized when you think about his skillset and abilities.
He has literal centuries of knowledge stashed in that dense skull of his. He's got some degree of mechanical genius, given that he built the crow-drones and the Wrathborn lures. He was the first person to successfully figure out how to get in AND OUT of The Black Garden, and live to tell the tale, with only the help of his pal Jolyon. No Light, no fancy Awoken space magic. He was Mara's fucking spy master, and it was at least insinuated that he was pretty good at it.
Aaaaaaaand... Crow's been just an errand boy and scout... this whole time. *sigh* It feels like they're afraid to let him do anything (they being the writers).
I just... their writing bugs me lately. It almost feels like they swapped writing teams and someone has to pick up where someone else left off, but without clear notes or anything, so they're just riffing it. Sort of. Sort of, because Mara just feels more and more sanitized, to me, and Crow is feeling minimized to being a man-pain party trick.
5 notes ¡ View notes
laurrelise ¡ 3 months ago
Text
me when i meet someone for the first time and i want to say:
“have you ever watched the umbrella academy? it’s a great show, you really should. it’s about a dysfunctional family of childhood superheroes who underwent serious trauma from their emotionally absent father and grow up to be insanely dynamic and interesting individuals who have to save the world but just keep failing over and over. my favorite character is five, a 58 year-old man in the body of his 13 year-old self who can teleport and time travel but got it wrong the first time and had to survive for over 40 years as the last living human in an apocalyptic wasteland before being recruited by an organization that exists outside of time that keeps the space-time continuum in harmony with itself to become the most lethal assassin known to man for not only his learned talents but also his superhuman abilities. he cares about his family more than anything and sacrificed just about everything he’s ever had to save them time and time again to go under-appreciated by everyone around him. he has a witty charm to him, but just about zero social skills due to several decades which he spent alone but is so extremely smart that at times it’s even difficult to conceptualize just what spending time inside his brain would entail. i find his character so complex and interesting that i’m sure if motivated, i could write several essays on each of his arcs, virtues, and traits. the show is also very loved, especially by myself, due to its beautifully selected soundtrack with some of my favorite songs and such beautiful vocals from artists all throughout time including some of the cast members from the show itself. i especially love ‘stormy weather’ covered and recorded by emmy raver-lampman, featured in season one episode eight, as her character, allison hargreeves, drives through a rainstorm to help save her sister while she thinks about how her entire life has been a lie due to the curse that her abilities inevitably cast upon her. the song gives me chills every time i hear it, from its beautiful vintage-string sound to emmy’s phenomenal vocals, it’s truly an underrated classic that i believe should be talked about so much more. i also love ‘stay with me’, covered and recorded by mary j. blige, also featured in season one episode eight, as her character cha-cha, a ruthless time-traveling hitwoman, seeks unfair revenge on her work partner who chose humanity to go live out his last days with the love of his life. both of these songs push the limits of the musical talent and power these women hold. i could truly go on about the show for hours, but i absolutely can’t recommend it enough. the first two seasons are some of my favorite pieces of film i’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying, as even though the show isn’t artistically-shot or critically acclaimed, it’s so well-written, produced, and acted that it creates a spark of excitement deep within me that my words simply can’t describe.”
… but i have to say “hi, i’m lauren. nice to meet you.”
24 notes ¡ View notes
always-a-joyful-note ¡ 11 months ago
Text
You know, I find it incredibly funny that most villains get a backstory to show how tragic and sad and sympathetic they are. But the writers looked at Qiao Jin and went, "Oh, we can use his backstory to make him WORSE." In exchange, the Li twins got the brunt of the tragedy and man are they really going through it
18 notes ¡ View notes
reiderwriter ¡ 6 months ago
Note
Hello there baby, are your parents bakers? Cause you're a cutie pie lol sorry couldn't resist the urge to flirt with my favorite writer💕How have you been? How was your day? I wish you a wonderful day and a lovely night💕
It's my first time here sending an ask but lately I've been thinking about shy!Spencer x flirty!reader, I just think is such a cute couple.
So if you're taking requests, I was thinking about early seasons Spencer completely falling for the reader and the way she's so flirty but sweet and kind, the way he'd be blushing hard at anything she says and how he'd like the way she's always touching him cause he felt cherised and desired.
It could be fluff or smut or both cause I can picture them going slow with the relationship but Spencer being eager to please her and show how much he loves everything about her.
You said about choosing a emoji, so can I be the 🐇anon?
A/N: Thanks for the request! Shy Spencer is the best because he's so dumb and silly and doesn't realize when people are attracted to him. I've said it before, but he's basically every nerdy main character in 00s romcoms that are "unattractive" because they wear glasses. I hope you enjoy the fic~♡
Warnings: mentions of case details, slight spoilers for upto s5
Tumblr media
With a degree in law and a deep-rooted hatred of businessmen, you'd certainly found your calling in one of the FBI White Collar divisions. Putting away the sleazy bastards was easily one of the biggest perks of the job, but every coin had a second side, and yours was you actually had to interact with the cretins before you could take them down. 
You'd dealt with bribes, dinner invites, and sexual propositions more than a time or two, and had to remind yourself that kicking anyone of them clean in the balls was most likely a firing offense, if not legally off the table. 
The man in the case you were currently working - possibly Bill Hodges, possibly Daniel Brady, possibly so many more men - had been a typical white collar freak until he'd moved on to murder. And when you'd been so close to nailing his ass for fraud, too. 
You'd had no choice but to call in whatever unit it was that actually got to put bullets in the bastards, sure that you were going to be strong-armed out of months of work for the glory of taking down a spree killer. 
Instead, you got Spencer Reid, delivered freshly to your desk like a lamb to slaughter. 
“Sorry, you're the agent from the BAU?” You asked, raking your eyes across his body, smiling at his obvious discomfort with the attention. 
“Yes, Doctor Reid. I'm here for more information on the Hodges files.” 
You dusted your skirt off as you stood, moving around the desk to grab the file. You held it out to him but pulled it back when he reached for it.
“I'm sorry, you're really in the BAU?” An embarrassed look fell across his face, and you instantly felt shitty. 
“Do you want to see my credentials?” 
“No, I'm sorry, it's just - I wasn't expecting someone so…pretty?” 
The embarrassed look deepened to a flush, and you brightened at the sight. You weren't lying. He really was pretty, and you hoped your comment hadn't come off as patronizing. 
“You're adorable. Here's the file, I’ll be at your team briefing in half an hour. Spencer, right?” 
He nodded, finally waking up and taking the files as you pushed it against his chest, using the movement to step slightly closer. 
“I'll see you later then,” you trailed your look down, getting a good look at all of him before meeting his eyes again. “Save me a seat?” 
“I should… I'll, uh, go now. Thanks for the-” he stammered, pointing to the file, backing out of your space slowly, like an animal trying not to show its back to a predator. 
Unlike the long line of scumbags filling the halls and case files of your floor, Spencer was without bravado or ego. His lack of both meant that you were interested. You were very interested. 
Half an hour later, you practically sprinted to the 6th floor, bouncing up the stairs to the office where you'd take your meeting like a giddy school girl. 
“Hello, sorry, I'm not late, am I?” You asked, quietly opening the door and letting yourself in. 
“Agent Y/N, no, perfect timing, Penelope was just about to brief us on your case,” Hotch said, rising and giving your hand a firm shake. He looked around to find a seat to usher you into, but you quickly dropped yourself into the seat right beside Spencer Reid, grin deepening as he flushed and offered you an awkward yet endearing smile. 
Unconsciously, you shifted closer, shooting him your own smile before the meeting officially began, and you were forced to keep a straight, serious face. 
The entire case progressed in much the same way, with you doing everything you could to fluster Spencer Reid and him doing everything in his power to convince himself you were being friendly. 
“Spencer, do you have a phone number?” You asked after slipping out of the meeting, trailing him back to his desk. 
“Yeah, we have to keep connected for cases, so I have a phone.” 
“Great. Your number - what is it?” 
He rattled off the digital as you scribbled them down on a notepad. 
“And Hotch's number is-” 
“Oh, I won't need that. Thanks, Spencer.” You said waving as you left to slink back to your desk. You could hear him calling out behind you, confused. 
“Y/N… Y/N, we split up on cases often, if there's an incident and you need to contact us it's better to have all of the team members numbers,” he panted, jogging to catch up with your focused pace. 
“If I need to contact you, I'll take myself to Agent Garcia’s office and use her direct line,” you said, finally stopping yourself at the elevator and pressing the button. 
He caught up, and stopped abruptly next to you. 
“Oh… oh, yeah that's… that's efficient.” 
You stepped onto the elevator when it arrived, leaving Spencer hesitating whether or not to climb in himself, desperately wondering why you'd ask for his number then. 
“Goodbye, Doctor Reid,” you said, pressing the door close button and blowing him a kiss just before the doors blocked you from sight. 
To tell the truth, you'd had a lot of fun flirting with Spencer on the phone from Penelope’s office during the case. The woman was an inspiration, even if her flirting had a completely different purpose and meaning than your own. Her friendship with Derek Morgan was admirable, but you didn't want to be friends with Spencer Reid. 
“Hello, handsome, what can I do for you today?” You asked, picking up the phone and basking in the stammers that answered you down the line. 
“D-Do you need me to get Morgan for you?” He said, his voice treading lightly. 
“Unless Derek Morgan has, overnight, managed to turn into a 6’1 Doctor with a penchant for cardigans and leather satchels and an IQ of 187, then I am absolutely not looking for him. I have case details.” 
He brushed past your comment, but he kept the slight stammer through the conversation, right until you signed off. 
“Until next time, sexy.”
“Um, yeah… thanks…beautiful?” he signed off, and you guffawed in laughter even as Penelope stared wide-eyed in your direction, not believing her ears. 
“Please forgive our little test tube genius. We forgot to add flirting skills to his childhood curriculum, and now, alas, the poor thing doesn't know a damn thing.” 
He'd called back a few hours later, and you'd purred more compliments down the line, but this time with the team surrounding him as they closed in on your unsub. 
“Hello, this is beautiful speaking. How may I help you?” You giggled down the line, picking up the call after only a single ring. 
“Y/N,” he breathed, catching his breath awkwardly as he struggled to remember why it was you were needed. 
“So… um, like… Hotch has a question about the files you sent earlier. He needs Penelope to… do something as well.” 
You could almost see the awkward nod through the phone. 
“Great. Pass me over to Hotch, then, hot stuff.” 
You heard the tell-tale sound of Derek Morgan’s cackle in the background, and you couldn't help but let another giggle slip out. You were a gonner, and, hopefully, so was he. 
The case wrapped quickly after that, spree killing being a quick game of cat and mouse out of necessity. You weren't happy with three bodies, but it sure as hell was preferable to more. 
You greeted the BAU team at the jet hanger as they returned, reclaiming your fraud files for paperwork and using that simple chore as a reason to get close to Spencer again. 
“Good work out there, Doctor Reid.” 
“What, he's not hot stuff anymore now he's in front of you?” Emily Prentiss laughed, throwing her go bag onto her shoulder and trailing behind where you'd started strolling alongside Spencer. 
“Oh, he's still hot stuff. He's just hot stuff with three PhDs that just stopped a spree killer,” you said, sighing dreamily. “How do you do it?” 
“We were all there too, you know,” the other woman chuckled as you made it inside the building and to the elevator. 
“Yeah, well,” you said, taking a second to reach out and straighten out Spencer's skewed tie, smoothing his jacket and generally just touching him in whatever way you could, respectfully. 
You didn't even bother to finish your sentence, just leaning closer to his ears and whispering directly into them. 
“You're very cute when you're flustered, Doctor Reid.” 
You stepped away for a second while the rest of his team teased him, stepping to the back of the elevator to ascend to your floor while the others departed on theirs. 
They filed out one by one and you sent them off with a smile and a wave, signing in defeat as you realized there was no longer a reason for you to interact with the good doctor ever again. 
If you weren't so stupidly aware of him, you'd almost have missed the fact that Spencer didn't leave the elevator when his teammates did. He instead turned to you and, with the brightest red you'd seen on his face to date, stammered out half a sentence. 
“I.. Y/N, I was just… curious, if you, by any chance…” 
Your eyes widened in joy as you anticipated his question, silently begging him just to spit it out. 
“I was wondering, i-if you had… a boyfriend?” By the end of his sentence, even he seemed unsure of whether that was a question he should really be asking. 
You'd been throwing heart eyes at him for says, and he was asking if you were in a committed relationship. 
“No,” you said slightly breathily, as if your body were trying to expel all the anticipation it had stupidly built up. “No, I don't have a boyfriend, Spencer.”
“Great okay,” he smiled, a boyish grin if you'd ever seen one, before backtracking quickly.
“Well not great for you, great for me. Not that you can't be happy alone, I don't know how you feel about…romantic entanglements and I-I-I’m not saying that your life isn't,” he searched for the words with his hands, as of he could grasp them as a life line while he was sinking fast. “-Great without a boyfriend or anything like that, I'm just - really - pleased that position is currently… vacant?” 
“Spencer?” You said, feeling like a cat who got the cream as a smile twitched at your lips, pulling the corners up as you listened to him ramble. 
“Yes?”
“Do you want to be my boyfriend  or are you asking for a friend?” 
You'd meant the words as a joke  but he stood contemplating for a second. You pushed a hand against your mouth to suppress the childish squeal from popping out. 
“It would be a bit presumptuous to shoot straight for boyfriend, right? How about date ....partner?” 
You couldn't stop yourself from closing in on him then, practically cornering him in the elevator as the floors passed you by.
“Presumptuous would be thinking I could have a boyfriend when I've been begging you to stick your tongue down my throat with my eyes for the last half hour. I thought they taught you body language at the BAU?” 
“They teach us how to catch criminals, not how to see when someone is giving us…fuck me eyes, Y/N.” The curse left you a little dizzy - this was it, this was what you'd been trying to do all week, to get under his skin and get him to let his guard down so you could capture him. 
“Doctor Reid, I'm a little scandalized! I didn't know you swore. What a dirty mouth you have.” You reached up with both hands, letting your thumb on his lips before pretending to wipe something away at the corner of his mouth. You were in the perfect position to notice his throat bob as he swallowed.
The elevator pinged at your floor, and you left him behind you with one last swipe of your fingers at his chin. You weren't expecting him to follow, but he did.
“Y/N…please, Y/N…. Can we just…?” You relished the awkwardness in his voice as he trailed you again, a satisfied smile settling onto your face. 
You just kept walking. Or you did until you felt a large hand wrap around your wrist and pull you sideways into the nearest storage cupboard. 
You gasped as he pinned you to the wall, close not, but his eyes still hesitant on what to do next. 
“Spen-” He cut you off with his lips on yours, silencing you before you could get the final word. His lips were clumsy at first, but you felt hot under his touch  arching yourself up into him. His tongue pushed into your mouth as he found his stride, your hands tangling in his hair as you held on for dear life.
This was it. This was what you'd been waiting for. 
Reluctantly, he pulled away, both of you gasping for breath to fill your suddenly empty lungs. 
“Was that….what… you wanted?” He panted, resting his head on yours. 
There were no words. It was what you wanted but now you wanted more, needed more. You settled for a quick nod as your tongue flamed, unable to say anything helpful. 
“Good. Great…” he removed his hands from you and scratched at the back of his neck, putting a more respectful distance between the two of you as he cleared his throat. 
“I'll just-” he pointed to the door and started making his way out. You sighed again, watching him walk away down the hall, his hair a mess, his tie askew, and a whole lot of your lipstick staining his lips. 
Surely, he'd notice by the time anyone else did. If not, you'd just effectively staked your claim on Doctor Spencer Reid, and you couldn't be happier about it.  
834 notes ¡ View notes
adieutristana ¡ 5 days ago
Text
general relationship headcanons | arcane women x fem! reader
Tumblr media
summary: general headcanons for dating arcane characters.
characters included: jinx, vi, mel, sevika, maddie.
tags/warnings: fluff, mentions of poor mental health, smoking, drinking, mentions of war and death, minor season 2 spoilers. slightly suggestive? lots of fluff.
jinx;
✧.* you are without a doubt jinx's first partner. she has never really seen herself in a relationship, never thought that was in the cards for her. until you came along, of course.
✧.* it takes jinx a while to process the fact that you're in a relationship. that you want to be with her, and you enjoy her companionship. she's so used to being perceived as bad luck to everyone, and those close to her dying. so when it finally does set in that you truly do like her, she'll do everything in her power to show her love to you. part of her will always think you're too good for her, though.
✧.* jinx is a very devoted lover. she lives and breathes for you, she worships the ground you walk on. she's constantly checking in on you, touching you somehow, or talking your ear off simply because she enjoys your company.
✧.* however, jinx is also a very jealous lover and can get possessive. she doesn't necessarily mean to be that way, but it's her head telling her that you'll find someone better. that you're too good for her, and some other pretty girl will come sweep you off your feet. it'll take jinx a while to get used to your friends and not think that they're trying to plot how to steal you from her.
✧.* with this, jinx is fiercely protective over you. if you're out together and get hit on, or you rant to her about somebody who's been bothering you, she'll have it 'taken care of' within a matter of hours. she won't tell you what that means, but you won't see or hear from the person again.
✧.* jinx wants to involve you in her world! that's one of her biggest ways of showing her love to you. she'll pull up an extra chair so you can watch her or help her with her newest contraptions. she'll invite you to tag walls across zaun with her. she'll tell you about all of her battle plans, giggling all the way. as if she's not discussing something that could cost her her life.
✧.* overall, jinx is rather unconventional in a relationship (and in general) and shows affection through her own unique little ways.
✧.* "i wish i could crawl inside you and be with you forever.. that'd be nice. huh? why are ya looking at me like that?"
✧.* jinx is very touch-starved. although she is very resistant to physical touch at first, she quickly comes to love it. it's reassuring for her, being able to touch her partner. feel them. they're real, and they're not going anywhere.
✧.* jinx's favorite forms of physical affection are kissing, holding hands, and cuddling. there'll be times where you're in the middle of talking to her (usually about something important) and she'll stop you mid-sentence with a cheeky kiss.
✧.* "what? your lips are right there." she giggles.
✧.* when it comes to cuddling, jinx enjoys spooning, and laying her head on your chest. being able to hear your heartbeat is relaxing to her. although jinx is a small woman, she almost always insists on being the big spoon. she doesn't care if you're a head shorter than her or a full foot taller, she just wants to be able to hold you close.
✧.* jinx is incredibly playful. she'll play pranks on you, like coming up behind you to tickle your sides, or sneak glitter bombs into your bags when you're leaving her base. she loves to see your reactions, and she loves to keep you on your toes.
✧.* she loves to make little gifts for you. if you mention needing a new speaker, she's got you covered. the next day, she presents you with a small speaker, decorated in jinx's typical colorful grafitti. she'll make music boxes that play off-key versions of your favorite songs, and she'll doodle on basically everything you have. it's a way to show that she cares, and seeing your reactions make all of the work worth it.
✧.* jinx loves pda. she gets to both show off her wonderful girlfriend, and remind everyone that you belong to her. two birds with one stone.
✧.* you're one of the only people that jinx lets braid her hair. they say that hair holds memories, and for jinx, that is absolutely true. her hair is incredibly important to her, so you knew she trusted you when she let you braid it for the first time. she lets out a gentle sigh as she feels your nimble fingers working softly through her hair, and you can see her body fully relax. she's still and at peace for a few moments.
✧.* jinx is not good with words. at all. communication is one of her weakest traits, so you'll have to be patient with her. if she's upset, she'll usually just hold it in. she'll take off randomly, or end up holding it in until it bubbles over (and then she apologizes profusely). this gets better with time, but for a while, jinx doesn't know how to express her emotions or concerns in a healthy way.
✧.* jinx needs constant reassurance. as mentioned, she has a difficult time regulating her emotions. she's constantly overthinking, having nightmares, and hallucinating. those all decrease significantly while she's with you, but they never fully go away.
✧.* "you're not gonna take off in the middle of the night and find someone else, are you?" jinx asks, her pink eyes full of worry.
✧.* "no, love. i'm here to stay. i promise." you reassure her, pressing your forehead to hers gently.
✧.* jinx loves pet names. being called them, and calling you them. her favorites are 'toots,' 'trinket,' 'baby,' 'doll,' and 'beautiful.'
✧.* calling her anything with 'my' in front of it causes her to positively melt. 'my dearest,' 'my love,' 'my girl,' the whole nine yards. yes, remind her that she's yours.
vi;
✧.* vi is a generally rather inexperienced lover. while she's had the odd fling and situationship, you're likely one of her first actual girlfriends.
✧.* with this comes her being unsure about how to navigate a romantic relationship at first, but she quickly gets the hang of it. vi is a natural.
✧.* despite her tough exterior, vi is a lover girl at heart, and she's ecstatic that she finally gets someone to share that love with. someone as incredible and perfect as you.
✧.* tease, tease, tease. she'll constantly have you on edge, your eyes wide and cheeks heating up. whether that be by peppering light kisses on your neck while you're trying to work, or whispering into your ear something along the lines of, "you're so beautiful, darling. tell, just how do you do it?"
✧.* she's also very playful and competitive. vi is likely to challenge you to a playful sparring match, and she gets very into board games. girlfriend or not, she'll show no mercy.
✧.* vi reserves most of her affection for private moments. the farthest she'll go in front of other people is likely just holding your hand. she believes that the way she holds you, the way she whispers sweet nothings against your lips is nobody else's business.
✧.* that's not to say she won't brag about her beautiful, amazing, talented, smart, perfect girlfriend to anyone who will listen, though.
✧.* vi has a lot of walls up, and guards her emotions. although she'll likely open up to you eventually about her worries and past, it'll be very gradual, in small amounts. she isn't used to being vulnerable, especially not feeling safe to be vulnerable.
✧.* despite this, she does communicate well and values honesty and trust. she believes in cutting problems at the source. if something is bothering you, tell her. if you need something from her, tell her.
✧.* vi is very strong, and won't hesitate to lift you up while giggling. she'll lift you to sit you right back down on a countertop, snaking her arms around your waist to begin pressing soft kisses to your lips.
✧.* vi doesn't hesitate to let you know how important you are to her, to reassure you that she loves you more than anything.
✧.* "y'know, i spent all day thinking about you. waiting for when i could see your pretty face again. you have no idea how much you mean to me..."
✧.* it may come as a surprise, but vi is very much a morning person. she generally prefers to wake up by 6am, getting an early start to her day and brewing coffee as she watches the sunrise. it's a little bit of quiet time before all the chaos that comes with the day. it's not rare for you to wake up without vi, but if you walk into the kitchen and sit down beside her, she'll wordlessly lay her head on your shoulder.
✧.* vi constantly returns home bruised and sore. she'll be eternally grateful if you bandage her, and if you gently kiss her wounds after patching them up, she may just melt on the spot.
✧.* although, or because she's constantly injured, vi has a very high pain tolerance. she'll often undermine just how much discomfort she's in because she's just so used to it. muscle tension, cuts, scrapes. part of this is also vi not wanting to worry you.
✧.* vi loves acts of service. if you mention that you're overwhelmed by the amount of cleaning you have to do, you don't even have time to say anything before she's doing it for you. she'll try to cook for you, although she's far from great at it. the point is that she cares.
✧.* however, she doesn't really like receiving acts of service. part of her feels bad, and she feels like she owes you in return.
✧.* vi does tend to come home drunk from time to time, and the frequency increases when she's having a particularly tough time mentally. although it's not healthy, it's a temporary relief. she'll never get wasted, but you may have to help her sober up fairly often.
✧.* vi also adores pet names. her favorites are 'baby,' 'gorgeous,' and of course, 'cupcake.'
✧.* sorry, but i think you'd need to remind her to wash up. vi is pretty much always covered in some kind of sweat or grime, and genuinely just forgets to take a shower after a long day sometimes. she's tired.
✧.* it's no surprise that vi can get rough. her hands tangle in your hair, she squeezes your hips while kissing you, her lips slamming into yours as if her life depends on this moment right now.
✧.* "god, baby. you don't know how much i needed this."
mel;
✧.* mel is pretty experienced, but none of her past relationships have really lasted. mel is a woman who knows what she deserves and knows what she wants, and none of her previous suitors have fit the bill quite right. you find it hard to rationalize how you have.
✧.* if you're with mel, be prepared to fully commit to her. mel sees casual dating as a waste of time and energy, and wants nothing but complete devotion. she dates to marry.
✧.* as gentle as she is, she'll remind you of that often. don't waste her time, don't waste her energy, don't take her companionship for granted.
✧.* mel is a busy woman. as much as she wishes things could be different, she has a job to do and a city to stay loyal to. there may be days-long, or even weeks-long periods of you not being able to see each other.
✧.* however, she'll still find ways to show her love and devotion to you when you're not physically together. it's not uncommon for you to get deliveries of extravagant, expensive bouquets to your workplace and/or home. complete with a note that reads something along the lines of, "i miss you most ardently, dearest. don't forget me, i'll be with you soon."
✧.* mel spoils you to absolutely no end. she's the richest woman in all of piltover, why wouldn't she? if your eyes even linger on something at a shop for a few seconds, or you mention needing something in passing, it's immediately yours. no ifs, ands, or buts.
✧.* mel has zero problems communicating how she feels with you, and expects the same from you. unfortunately, if you're unable to express yourself through words like she is, she becomes a bit upset. reassure her that you're trying, and she'll have patience.
✧.* naturally, she also has no problems having uncomfortable conversations with you. that's a major part of her job, after all: having uncomfortable conversations. usually it's something about an unfavorable decision the council had to make, or something weighing heavy on her mind about your relationship. mel wants to talk it over and be done with it.
✧.* mel loves nighttime. it's probably the only time she gets to herself, so she'll cuddle up to you in bed, pressing soft kisses to your temples and whispering her adoration. "you're so, so beautiful. so perfect. so lovely. everything that i need."
✧.* mel smells heavenly. she has an extensive skincare and hair care routine that she stays on top of. think warm vanilla and honey.
✧.* mel is also, in general, very calm and soft-spoken. it takes a lot to get her worked up enough to raise her voice or lose her composure outside of council meetings.
✧.* mel loves kissing. kissing, kissing, kissing. kissing your knuckles when she hasn't seen you in a few days. her lips capturing yours almost desperately while one hand cradles the back of your head, the other placed on your waist. kissing your neck lazily in the mornings while you're both still half-asleep.
✧.* naturally, with her position comes a great amount of power. you have mel's protection from anything or anyone that could put you in harm's way.
✧.* easily one of the most supportive partners you can ever have. she'll let you ramble on and on about your interests, support your newest ventures, and financially support you when possible. ultimately, mel just wants to see you happy. she honestly thinks there isn't a thing you can't do.
✧.* she tries not to let it show, but mel does get jealous. very, very jealous. you're hers, what are you doing going around piltover with unsavory characters? she'll clench her fists by her side, trying not to let her envy show on her face.
✧.* "darling. i thought i told you not to be in these parts of the city." she says, her expression completely stern.
✧.* mel values knowledge. she's constantly trying to learn new things, partly to feel enriched, and partly for her job. it's not uncommon for her to curl up in your lap with a recently-published book about current happenings, or ancient history that could assist her decision-making.
✧.* mel writes you letters very often. expect at least 6-page long letters, on paper lined in gold leaf with the neatest penmanship you've seen in your lifetime. she pours out her heart to you in each letter, telling you her deepest joys and fears both. she signs each letter with a kiss, her lipstick lingering on the bottom of the page.
✧.* mel absolutely refuses to engange in any kind of pda. not only does she find it unbecoming of a woman in her position, but she becomes flustered quickly. it's adorable, honestly.
✧.* however, whenever the two of you are alone, she's entirely yours. body and soul.
sevika;
✧.* sevika is very experienced, to the surprise of absolutely nobody. she's a regular at local brothels, and knows her way around relationships. she preferred to only ever have casual relationships, or so she thought.
✧.* once she's yours, she's yours. sevika completely stops going to brothels and entertaining other women. she is fiercely loyal to you, her devotion never wavering.
✧.* sevika is incredibly touchy. she always has to be touching you somehow. whether that be a hand firmly gripping your waist, her chin resting on your shoulder, or her thigh touching yours. it brings her a sense of security.
✧.* sevika is very strong and heavy-handed. there's no chance of her not accidentally leaving bruises on you by just grasping your arm, or pulling you in for a hug after a particularly dangerous mission. she apologizes profusely, swearing she didn't mean to hurt you, no matter how much you tell her it's okay.
✧.* she does learn to be more gentle over time, she's just not used to handling someone in an affectionate way. battle has toughened her.
✧.* she won't dare admit it, but you bring out the softie in her. she'll grumble as you lay your head in her lap, reaching up to interlace your fingers with hers. don't mention the way her heartbeat audibly quickens, she'll deny it until she can't anymore.
✧.* "i am not flustered. cut that out." "oh, but you're so cute like this!"
✧.* sevika loves pet names and nicknames as well, but also won't dare admit that. she particularly loves it when you call her 'sev.'
✧.* in return, she'll call you 'my pretty girl,' 'darlin', 'hun,' and 'babe.' the classics, nothing too fancy.
✧.* sevika doesn't have a lot of energy these days, as she gets older and battle takes more and more out of her. so those tranquil moments where she simply gets to lay with you, kissing the corner of your lips and whispering praises to you are some of her favorite. give this poor woman a break, please.
✧.* it takes sevika forever to open up to you. it already took her ages to admit that she had romantic feelings for you, so don't expect her to easily voice her feelings or worries.
✧.* even when you can tell something is wrong, she'll almost always brush it off. "don't worry 'bout it, babe. i'll be fine."
✧.* until she's not, and all she wants is for you to hold her. she'll simply slot herself in your arms and rest her head on your shoulder, embracing you in comfortable silence. yes, that's enough for now.
✧.* while she's not really one for pda, sevika will absolutely show you off to anyone and everyone, regardless of whether they want to pay attention. she totes you around like you're a prize- her pretty girl, who everyone can look at, but only she can have.
✧.* sevika doesn't really get jealous. she trusts you, and she trusts that you know exactly who you belong to. she doesn't mind you hanging out with your friends or even exes for prolonged periods of time, you know where home is.
✧.* she is very possessive, though. she trusts that you'll stay in line, but god help you if you ever let a hug with a friend linger for too long.
✧.* once sevika does open up to you, it's like an entirely different woman. she's telling you how grateful she is for you, how she never imagined she'd know a love like this.
✧.* "i never thought i'd... deserve something like this, you know? but you get me. you see me."
✧.* you're probably the one who cut her hair. she just decided she was tired of it, and came up to you with a pair of haircutting scissors, not saying anything. you were a bit hesitant, unsure if this was an impulsive decision or what she really wanted. but you were happy to help.
✧.* sevika loves to just... admire you. you're so beautiful, she can't help it. but tell her she's beautiful, too. she hasn't heard it nearly enough in her life.
✧.* she often comes home smelling of smoke, but as time (s2) goes on, that stops. she decided her health was more important, even if she couldn't undo the damage of years of smoking. you helped her come to this decision, although unconsciously.
maddie;
✧.* maddie has only really had flings and friends-with-benefits situations in the past. you're her first actual girlfriend, but she's determined to be the best girlfriend you could possibly ask for.
✧.* maddie looks like a total sweetheart. and she is, to an extent, but looks can be deceiving.
✧.* maddie is nothing if not a tease. she'll blow cold air on the back of your neck just to hear you yelp, she'll stop short just before kissing you to tell you something completely stupid and unrelated. she loves seeing your reactions, she thinks they're adorable.
✧.* "and then commander said that i needed to adjust my posture, it was unfit for an officer. i mean, can you believe- oh, you wanted a kiss? sorry, i didn't realize!"
✧.* maddie is very protective, and very confrontational. especially when it comes to you. if someone is making you uncomfortable, she'll get right in their face and tell them off then and there, her usual peppy voice dropping an octave.
✧.* maddie is pretty good at expressing her feelings and communicating, but doesn't really make it a point to do so. it comes up when it comes up. she mentions how she's feeling in passing.
✧.* overall, she's pretty unpredictable. she likes to keep you guessing when it comes to your relationship.
✧.* of course, maddie's loyalty is unmatched. she knows a thing or two about devotion as a junior officer, but when it comes to her dearest girl, she'll genuinely lay her life down before she ever thinks of leaving you.
✧.* maddie is a busy woman, but will make time for you, no matter what. even if that means showing up at your door disheveled and tired right before midnight, not seeming to care about how tired you look.
✧.* quality time is incredibly important to maddie. time is money for her, as is for piltover, and she intends to give you the most time she can. she'll often drag you along on walks along the city, talking your ear off about whatever adventures she was up to in the hours previous.
✧.* i'm not sure why, but i think that maddie would really enjoy reading. she'd curl up next to you, your arm draped around her as she softly reads aloud from the novel in her hand. it's peaceful, the way her voice is so quiet and she yawns every few sentences.
✧.* maddie cuts her own hair, undoubtedly. with dull scissors. she employs your help, though, in making sure that it's all even and looks presentable.
✧.* "come on, i don't need anything else. these scissors work fine, y'see?"
✧.* probably one of the most chaotic sleepers. she hogs the blankets, elbows you in her sleep, and snores, loud. she'll apologize while giggling in the morning, but something tells you she's not actually that sorry. it just adds to her charm.
✧.* she does love to hold you, though. she'll tuck your head into the crook of her neck, one hand through your hair and the other on the small of your back. no words uttered, no words needed.
✧.* loves pda. she won't miss a chance to show off her beloved, and cover her pretty face in kisses in front of all of piltover if she gets the chance. you're hers, aren't you? that's something to be proud of!
✧.* maddie knows piltover like the back of her hand. she often takes you to her favorite spots, 'hidden gems,' as she calls them. she'll tell you all about the history of the specific place, all while holding your hand and clinging tightly to you.
281 notes ¡ View notes
nicksolemnlyswears ¡ 4 months ago
Note
hi! i just saw the ask you answered about leaving aemond out and i giggled.
if i may offer an idea, what about if reader finds out where aemond goes to find comfort (the brothel) and is upset because she thought differently of him but maybe he confesses what he actually does there (tittie suckin and therapy) and she offers aemond her own comfort. maybe reader looks more like their mother and it's exactly what aemond wants/needs. he's such a broken boy with horrible mommy issues.
this is not me at all telling you that you NEED to write a fic about this. i just had this idea jumbled around in my head and i don't know how to write it myself. 😂
thank you for your fics. they are truly wonderful. 💜
Tumblr media
pairing: aemond targaryen x hightower!reader
word count: ~8.3k
warnings: 18+, cursing, spoilers of s2 of hotd, talks about brothels and prostitutes, fingering, p in v, lactation (milk play? i don't even know what i did), nipple play, slight mommy kink (or a lot depending how you see it), talks of infidelity, slight somno, riding
a/n: it's funny that this ask was sent cause i had something similar in mind. so this came super easily to me. i added some fire to the reader cause after ep 4 of hotd i was so angry at aemond (and still am). i can't believe he did that to aegon (he's my boy of the season) not to mention what he did to queen meleys and queen rhaenys. i'm not sure if i'd be able to forgive him. @heybank i hope this is somewhat like what you had in mind!
it came out a little longer than expect but nonetheless i hope you all enjoy! also aemond is stubborn in this fic but an equally stubborn reader and i love her for it. the reader and aegon are lowkey besties because i only want the best for him lol so don't mind that. i am ecstatic for the next episode and see the fall out of ep 4.
do you know the struggle i had to find aemond's whore's name. omg most difficult part of this oneshot.
after this fic i think i need to go to church and confess. i'm sure the priest will douse me in holy water and make me pray a hundred holy marys or something.
enjoy!!
Tumblr media
It slipped out in the midst of their endless teasing and banter. The one secret Aemond never wished for you to find out. You're strong enough to know about the others; you recognize who he truly is at his core: an ambitious, envious man, but this one secret? This one he prayed you never knew about.
Aegon and you had been indulging in the sweet wine imported from High Garden. A delicacy that made your head fuzzy and your body loose. After finding you strolling all alone through the gardens, he insisted on drinking with you. If someone were to appease him by complaining about matters of the council, it would be you.
Those meetings drag on for hours on end on multiple occasions during the day as ravens fly in to share news of the brewing war. It robs you of your husband's attention and robs Aegon of his will to live as they tell him what to do and say, completely ignoring any input he might have—as idiotic as it may be.
You meet your distant cousin midway, complaining about how boring the meetings are and how uptight everyone is, including your husband. You offer the new King honest advice disguised as flippant comments, hoping he'll accept it even if he thinks of it as his own.
"It's not like I'm the only one who indulges in the pleasure of the street of silk. Every nobleman loves to get their cock wet by those whores," Aegon mumbles as a response to being reprimanded for his escapade late last night with his guards.
The charitable King paid for the villager's drinks and entertainment for the night. It was a prosperous night for the brothel. The 'ladies' will do just about anything to get coin. Who says the King doesn't aid his subordinates in need?
You stifle a laugh with the back of your hand and shake your head at him, "Yes, but you're the King now. It's not about laying with a commoner. It's about security. There are people who would do just about anything to gain Rhaenyra's favor, including hurting you, Aegon…"
Reasoning with Aegon is a challenge. His mind spins in ways you will never comprehend, but you try to keep your cousin safe while appeasing the council.
If Aegon values something, it's his life. If he knows there is danger out there, he will hold back, even if it's for a night or two. Her duty as his friend is to keep reminding him of all the danger lurking in the dark corners of the silk street.
"I suppose you're right, dear cousin. Guess we'll have to bring them here," he laughs as he thinks of the pandemonium it will cause. "I'll have Thalia and Margery or perhaps Dorothy. Hell, why limit myself? I'm the King! The guards can have their pick of the lot, Aemond will have his old reliable, and Lord Lannister can have the beautiful Sarah."
Aegon tips his goblet, drinking the last drops of wine to quench his dry mouth, failing to notice his slip-up.
Aemond's name sends a burning chill down your spine, and your mouth turns to cotton as it dries up. As you repeat Aegon's words, your heart promises to break out of your ribcage. Surely, you misunderstood his words.
"Aemond's old reliable?" You laugh to keep Aegon at ease. Grabbing the pitcher of wine to fill both of your cups, urging him to drink more and get his tongue looser. He won't remember your interrogation by morning.
"Ah yes, the first woman he fucked. Thanks to me, might I add. He still loves to visit her. I'd say her tits got him all enamored."
Just like the women in court, Aegon prattles on and on about everything he knows about Aemond and his whore. Including how he found him laying with her just last night—naked as the day he was born, blue sapphire glinting freely under the candlelight.
Blinding hot fury courses through your veins, lighting you up in flames from the inside out. Aegon will assume your reddening face and chest are from the wine and his vulgar words. There is no use in correcting him as you urge him to continue talking.
By night's end, you are equally as drunk as Aegon. The Guards escort you both to your respective chambers, watching amusedly how you argue with Aegon about whose dragon is strongest, Sunfyre or Dreamfyre. In reality, you were plotting which sibling would aid you in yelling dracarys in Aemond's direction.
You wish the alcohol would make you forget, but the sad truth is you will remember every single detail. The pounding headache you'll have in the morning will be a painful reminder of the secrets spilled over red wine.
For a fortnight, you sit and think about the valuable information Aegon shared with you. Anger burns ardently inside of you as it has nowhere to go. As a lady of the court, you're not allowed to train with the men, and as a Hightower, you have no dragon to channel that anger through.
If your fury were to be caused by any other reason, you'd find release in Aemond's arms. His aching cock stroking your drenched walls fervently. His sweaty skin sticking to yours. His fingers digging into your curves to find purchase. The low tone of his voice in your ear whispering words you'd never dare repeat and shamefully make you peak around him.
The thought makes you sick. How many times has he fucked her in such a way? Is it different? Does he let go and fuck her harder as he's not afraid she'll break?
Thinking is your worst enemy. As you imagine every possible scenario, your insecurities rise from their hiding spots. Does he love her? He laid bare with her; he must feel something if he allowed her to see him in such a vulnerable position.
The memory of the first time he took off his eyepatch in your presence pains you. So many conversations and stones of trust had to be set to get to that point, yet he did it with her. A common whore that dares ask for coin to please him with her presence.
You are different from the other ladies of the court who accept their husbands sleeping around with unknown women. You are jealous and territorial, something Aemond knew when you married. Under the eyes of the seven, he swore that his loyalties lay solely with you.
Alas, all men do is lie. Not even the noblest of men can be trusted. All you asked for was a good husband that would not embarrass you. How foolish of you to believe Aemond would be it.
Your fury grows and manifests as you observe Aemond and his whereabouts. It's hard to keep your anger at bay, but he's too busy plotting with Criston Cole to notice your withdrawing nature and emotional distance.
Visiting his quarters nearly every night tells you all you need to know. In that fortnight, you find him missing a multitude of times. There's no doubt he's in the brothel. Where else might he be deep into the night as the world sleeps?
When you ask about his location, the guards hesitate and stumble over their words. They try to save their necks by lying because the Prince continues to slip from their grasp time and time again. They are not as skillful at lying as your husband.
Having had enough, you wait for Aemond's return in his quarters. A goblet of wine is balanced between your fingers. The red liquid swirls along the rounded goblet, mimicking how your anger swirls around you.
You observe the map laid out on the wooden table. His plans are incredibly different from Aegon's. You pity the King as his most trusted advisor and Hand do as they please behind his back.
You've barely drank the wine. The goblet is merely a distraction from your fidgeting hands. You do not need the courage it provides; your anger fuels your intentions.
Old stone rumbles and sets behind you. Turning on your seat, you find Aemond emerging from one of Maegor's tunnels. This is how he sneaks out so damn easily.
"Wife," Aemond greets, keeping his composure, but his tense posture reveals shock. Your husband tends to wear a relaxed stance in your presence. You're the last person he expected to be waiting for him.
"Husband," you reply. The word is bitter on your tongue.
"What brings you in so late? You should be resting," Aemond speaks, taking off his cloak and approaching your seated figure.
Your eyes lazily move up to meet his. "Rest," you chuckle humorlessly. "I haven't been able to find rest in weeks."
"Does something ail you? Should I call a maester?" He asks, giving you a once over. Other than the dark circles around your eyes, there seems to be nothing out of place.
You're still you. Beautiful copper hair that easily identifies you as a Hightower flows down your back, and big brown eyes that resemble his mother's look back at him, although contempt has replaced the unconditional adoration that typically resides there.
His worry sickens you. His existence is an annoyance like a pebble in your shoe. You've harbored this anger for too long, and simple distaste can quickly transform into hate.
"Where were you?" You ask, raising an eyebrow. He's not going to get out of this. He must face the consequences of his actions. You will not live in bitterness while he runs around doing as he pleases.
"Conducting some business for the King." Aemond tilts his head, observing your posture and the set of your eyebrows. There's an electricity around you that shoots warning signs at him.
"Where. Were. You?"
"I'm afraid it is none of your business," Aemond says with a sharp exhale. He steps away to avoid your glaring gaze, unbuckling his sheath and setting it on one of the many desks that litter his room.
"I didn't realize we were keeping secrets from each other." The goblet's thud on the table is as loud as your unspoken fury. Wine splashes on the map like blood will spill in battle.
"There are always secrets. I have them. You have them," Aemond answers, leaning back on the desk.
Your hands smooth down the fabric of your dress as you stand. Finding his calculating gaze, you say, "So that's what you call your whore over at the silk street? A secret? I thought her name was Sylvi?"
Aemond freezes, and his muscles tense. You can't possibly know. He's entirely still as if the action would stop time and give him a chance to come up with an explanation, a lie. "I do not know what you speak of," the hesitancy of his voice unveils the cruel truth.
"Spare me the lies, and do not treat me like a naive maiden, Aemond. You know how much I loathe being made a fool," you snap loudly.
Aemond takes three long strides to reach you. Reacting, you take a step back but have nowhere to go. He doesn't touch you, but Aemond towers over you as he glares back. "Who told you? Was it Aegon?" He hisses.
"Please," you scoff. "The maids talk, the guards talk, husband. It was only a matter of time. Did you think I'd never find out? Are you truly that dense, Aemond?"
Your glare is sharp enough to cut him. He fell in love with that look when directed at others, but now that it's looking straight at him, he finds it's the one thing he might hate most.
All people around him have looked at him like that at some point. Aegon. Daemon. Jacaerys. Alicent. All except for his sweet sister and you, his beloved wife.
That look alone makes him regret stepping into the brothel many moons ago.
You should've never found out about Sylvi. It was meant to be a fleeting moment, but the war takes a toll on everyone, including Aemond.
Alicent's disapproving attitude towards him after Lucerys' incident led him to the whore more times than he can count as he sought the comfort Alicent never gave him and he craved.
"What is it that whore gives you that I do not?" You maintain eye contact as your chest presses against his. Your stubbornness will not let you back away from this argument. You deserve an answer.
You thought you were a good wife. Because of you, Aemond has two sons. You provided male heirs, a nobleman's dream. You warmed his bed whenever he asked and even when he didn't. You confided in him. You chose him.
"Talk, damn it. Your scheming plans won't get you out of this one," you yell, slamming your fists on his chest. Picking a fight is the only thing you have left. You want to scream at him until your voice turns raw.
"There is nothing to say. She's a quick fuck; that's all she is," Aemond seamlessly lies, grabbing your thundering fists. His thumb rubs over the back of your hands, hoping the calming gesture will tame your anger.
"A quick fuck? I could've been queen if I tolerated Aegon's quick fucks. The option was right there, and I chose you because I stupidly believed you'd make a better husband," you scream as your cheeks turn an unbelievable shade of red.
"Wife, please," Aemond pleads as you remind him.
The choice to wed you was not his to make. It was entirely yours. Each night, he prayed you'd choose to marry him. A woman of incredible smarts and hypnotizing beauty deserved to be with a man who acknowledged those attributes, not a blundering man like Aegon, who would only use her for her body.
"Do not touch me," you spit, tearing your wrists from his grasp and pushing him back with all the muster you could gather. "How dare you try to touch me after you've laid with her? After you fucked her? You repulse me."
Tears threaten to spill from your eyes as you spew your words. Aemond stands there, taking it all of your fury—he deserves it. What you hate the most is that he does nothing to defend himself, as if all of your words are the maddening truth.
"It was not my intention to hurt you," Aemond swallows as tears fall down your cheeks.
"These tears do not stem from hurt. They are from humiliation. You embarrassed me, Aemond. Do you know how many hours I've spent praising you in front of the other ladies of the court, speaking about how perfect of a husband you've been these past two years?"
Your pride might be bigger than his, and he's done the worst thing he could ever do— wound it. Such a prideful woman will only forgive him if there's a good enough reason and with lots of begging.
At his silence, you push past him and reach for the door. "I've made my duty as your wife and given you two sons. Do not expect more from me. Go to your little whore and see if she'll perform the wifely duties you asked from me." With one more glance towards your husband, you slam the door.
Tumblr media
It is no mystery why Aemond is in a mood from that night forward. Guards stand straighter with him around, Aegon's so-called friends keep quiet, and Criston Cole bears the brunt of it all as Aemond calls him to spar. Each passing day becomes more brutal.
You have stayed true to your word and kept your distance from Aemond. You've never felt as far away from him as when you sit by him during meals. You no longer place your hand on his thigh when Aegon throws jabs at him or smile his way when he says something worth admiring.
If you must address him regarding the children, you do so but with a straight face and without awaiting his answer. The Red Keep has turned grey as you no longer pull him through the halls between duties to find a dark corner to kiss or touch him. Fleeting moments he truly cherished.
He's losing you, and he doesn't know what to do to fix it. He's sure that you will never look at him the same if he comes clean with the truth. It will burn whatever thread is left of your marriage.
"Aemond, what's the matter?" Alicent asks. They're in her quarters discussing one of the many plans to prepare for war, and yet he's not paying attention.
"Nothing," he says softly, eyeing the map in front of him. We should send our men to the east."
Alicent tilts her head and sits across from him, studying him closely. "Is this about your wife?"
The glint the young Hightower carries is missing. Her constant search for Aemond throughout the day has ceased abruptly, startling Alicent and Helaena. She rarely mentions him, only speaking about him when asked, and even then, her words have bite.
Alicen believed her son could do no wrong regarding his wife. Aemond adored you. He pinned after you from the moment it was announced that you were searching for a husband.
Alicent was hesitant at first. Marrying inside the family was a queer Targaryen custom, not a Hightower one, yet Otto insisted. Another Hightower in the Red Keep meant more power. He pushed you to marry Aegon while Aemond asked Alicent to consider him instead. She left it in your hands. It was only fair that you made the choice of who you shared your life with.
Aemond is silent momentarily, "She's upset with me." His words are short as he avoids talking about the subject.
"What did you do?" Alicent sighs disappointedly, leaning back on her chair. Why must her sons ruin all good things in their lives?
Alicent's reaction causes him to close back up just as quickly. Yes, it is his fault, but his mother's lack of faith is disheartening. Once upon a time, Aemond would've confided in his mother, but recent events have severed that trust. "My marital problems are none of your concern."
"Then how am I to help you fix this?" She asks in a knowing tone. Alicent feels the weight of her house on her shoulders. She's responsible for keeping everything together.
"I don't recall asking for your help, mother." Aemond ignores her judging eyes, moving the metal pieces around the map. He was here to make war plans, not talk about his feelings.
"Very well," Alicent clears her throat, moving farther away from her son. The gods are punishing as each one of her children drift away from her.
Tumblr media
Unlike Aemond's mother, you take your duty as a mother quite seriously. Your children are all you have, and you cherish them equally. You refused a wet nurse when you birthed your first, and when the second followed a year after, you proceeded to do the same.
Feeding them from your breast brings a wave of emotion that is impossible to describe. The bond that forms between mother and child is strengthened by this natural action. Why do the other ladies in court not do the same? All they do is gossip and indulge in the luxuries of the keep. They have no responsibilities other than to please their husbands and care for their children.
The loud cries of your youngest filter through the door and echo throughout the halls of the keep. The babe has been incessantly crying for the past hour for no reason. Feeding and changing his nappy did nothing to ease his discomfort, leaving you overwhelmed. Nonetheless, you continue to soothe your child because if you didn't, what kind of mother would you be?
You ignore Aemond as he steps into your chambers, bouncing the eleven-month-old in your arms. He must've followed the cries. "There, there, Baelor," you coo, placing your hand on the back of his head, brushing through the thin strands of pale silver hair.
The babe continues to sniffle and release weak cries. The poor thing is exhausted yet refuses to sleep. He hangs onto his mother's dress and hair, opening and closing his chubby fist.
Aemond approaches you, extending his hands to take him from you, "May I?"
You cannot refuse him. Baelor is his son, and while he seeks the pleasure of common whores you know he adores his sons.
Baelor is fuzzy and complains when he's taken away from your warm embrace, but he immediately settles in his father's hold when he recognizes him. The smell of Aemond's leather clothes offered him the comfort he was searching for.
Baelor missed his father.
"Clearly, you're his favorite," you murmur, settling down in the chaise that faces the fireplace. You're worse for wear. It's hard to find rest when questions remain unanswered, and you've lost the person you love most.
"Only till it's time to feed," Aemond says to lighten the mood between you.
You scoff, removing your jewelry and tossing it on the cushion beside you. "Great, I'm a glorified cow, only used to feed."
Aemond falters, his hold on his son tightening as he curls closer into Aemond's neck. Baelor's soft breaths tickle his neck. "That's not what I meant, wife."
You continue to stare into the fire as tears line your eyes. "I know," you whisper. It's been a difficult day.
Had you not been betrayed by Aemond, you would've sought his attention and spilled all the thoughts running through your mind so he could tell you you were being unreasonable.
He would reassure you that you're intelligent, beautiful, a wonderful mother, cunning, captivating, and a dream come to life.
You're punishing yourself. You decided to distance yourself, and came to the horrid realization that it is much harder than you bargained. You underestimated what three years of always being together would do to you.
Aemond catches on to your apprehension and puts a sleeping Baelor on the cradle the nursemaid left by your bed. He returns to your side and kneels on the floor right by your feet.
"I'm sorry," he apologizes for the first time since that night. It's been a long, difficult four weeks without you by his side. He misses all the little things you did for him.
All the check-ups throughout the day to make sure he's broken fast or slept well. Brushing his hair at night before he takes you to bed and shows you his gratitude. Your eyes meeting his across the room, suggesting he takes you elsewhere for a stolen private moment away from everyone else.
He misses you telling him about everything Baelor and Rhaegar got up to in the day and about every new milestone they hit, suggesting they are as healthy as they can be. He misses the late nights spent tangled together, talking about what the future holds for you both, the idea of having a baby girl for Rhaegar and Baelor to protect.
"What do you apologize for now?"
"For betraying your trust. I made an oath and broke it, and for that, I apologize. It is my biggest regret in life," Aemond says, reaching for your hand. "Please, forgive me."
"Then why do you continue to lie?" You whisper as a tear rolls down your cheeks.
"That's the only truth there is," Aemond whispers breathlessly. You give him a pitiful chuckle and tug your hand away from his despite wanting to hold onto it forever.
Your nose burns as more tears spill from your eyes. Insecurity wrapping you in its arms. "Please, do not lie. Why do you want me to believe you went to the brothel for a fleeting pleasure when I have always been here? Am I not good enough for you?"
Your anger has simmered down to a smoky sadness that envelops you. Aemond is lying to you when you're the person he's supposed to trust the most. If there is a chance of rebuilding this marriage, he must tell you the truth, even if it ruins you.
"Gods, you are everything I wanted and more, my sweet wife," Aemond speaks, cupping your face to wipe away your salty tears.
He's at a loss. He's hurt you, but the pain can be remedied if he speaks the truth. How can he allow you to believe you're not enough when you're the perfect woman. His endeavors in the street of silk stem from his own damaged soul, never yours.
"I am afraid," Aemond confesses, brushing one last tear with the pad of his thumb before he retreats his hands. You stare back at him, puzzled. "It is not what you believe. I have not laid with another woman since I married you."
"Then what is it, Aemond? Because my mind has conjured up the worst of scenarios."
"You will not think of me the same," he says, ashamed, hanging his head to avoid your hurt gaze.
"Is that such a bad thing?" You ask aloud, and without awaiting his response, you continue to speak, "Until you work up the courage to tell me the truth, things will remain the same. No matter how much it hurts."
Standing, you leave Aemond kneeling on the floor to prepare for sleep. You glance over your shoulder and watch Aemond stare deep into the fire. When you step out of the privacy screen, he's gone.
Tumblr media
It takes another week of agony for Aemond to come to a decision. He cannot bear having you so close yet so far away. He misses you and greatly underestimates how much happier you make him.
He hasn't been to the brothel since the night you confronted him. He barely spares it a thought nowadays. You are the only person wreaking havoc in his head.
He fucked up his marriage, and now he has to pay his dues, even if it means coming clean about his intentions with Sylvi. It was barely sexual, he hasn't fucked her since he married you, but he couldn't let go of the comfort she provided, and Alicent withdrew.
He's smart enough to know it's a farce. The women in the brothel will do just about anything if it means they are paid. But Aemond deluded himself into believing Sylvi cared about what he had to say and told her things he hadn't spoken to anyone else. She played the part well, giving advice freely and reassuring him with soft touches and softer words.
When the guard opens the door to Aemond's chambers, allowing you to enter, he instantly stands, approaching you to ask for your hand and kiss the back of it.
You raise an eyebrow at him but allow him nonetheless. The press of his lips to your skin sends a spark up your arm and down your spine.
"Wife," he greets, guiding you to sit.
"Aemond," you reply, not quite giving in to his sweet actions. Aemond summoned you with the promise of the truth. That is why you're here.
"How does the day find you?"
"Aemond, please," you plead. You came for the truth, and niceties won't do anything to soften the brunt of his words. Prolonging this won't help anyone.
"Very well," Aemond sighs, gesturing you to sit. His hands remain on his lap where he opens and closes them anxiously. "I met her when I was three and ten. Aegon forced me to the brothel because he thought it was time I…became a man."
You dare not speak as Aemond justifies his actions. You need to know the truth before your nerves consume you.
This is the tricky part of his story. After a brief pause, he clears his throat and continues, "She was far older than I was and offered something I lacked in the Keep. Comfort, solace, familiarity, whatever you want to call it. I continued to visit her throughout my youth, although it wasn't always to find release rather than someone to listen and give me what my mother never could."
Aemond avoids looking at you, afraid of what he might find written on your face. Perhaps disgust, shame, or disapproval.
He owed you the truth, so he spoke about all the details of this affair. How he liked the intimacy of lying naked with Sylvi, suckling at her breast. How she would hold him in her arms and touch him. The advice she would offer. The things they spoke about. How he rejects her when she makes any advances, thinking that's what he wants. He admits that he is completely vulnerable and free for those hours because she will have his side no matter what he says.
"Do you have feelings for her?" Your voice is barely above a whisper. It's terrifying to think he might harbor feelings for her. Such intimate acts easily allow feelings to infiltrate one's being. "Aemond, look at me."
Hesitantly, Aemond meets your eyes. Your face is blank, devoid of emotion that may indicate what you now think of him.
"No, and I never will," Aemond says, swallowing the lump in his throat. He chooses his words carefully, "She was an escape, someone to listen to the tragedy that was my life. She knew what I wanted and gave it unsolicited. I know it is not real, wife, but I was foolish enough to seek more."
The emotion that surfaces in your face is not directed at him; instead, it reflects the insecurities you have about yourself. "Did you not think I could give you what she did and actually mean it?"
Insecurities of his own rise up and make themselves shown, "I thought you would see me as a weaker man."
You're both so young with so much to learn, yet if there is one thing you're certain about, it's the love you share. That love would never make you see Aemond as weak; it would transform that quality he refers to as weak into something totally different and positive.
"You are not weak but a fool," you shake your head, reaching for him. It is your turn to cup his face to force him to focus only on you. "I know of those feelings you hide firmly, Aemond. I spent most of my childhood here in King's Landing. I watched while Aegon and the Strong boys teased you. I was here when you returned from Driftmark without an eye. I heard your cries of pain. You come off as this stoic man to everyone else, the fierce Aemond, but I know the real you."
"I am ashamed." Aemond is truthful. No more lies weight his beating heart.
"Do you swear to never look for her again? That you will come to me instead?"
"I swear it by the old gods and the new. I swear it by the seven. I swear it by my life," Aemond promises. "Will you return to me, wife?" He asks hopefully, placing his hands over yours, afraid your touch will leave him.
"Yes, husband," you nod, pressing your forehead against his.
Your lips find his as the last word you speak is uttered. It's been far too long, and his dragon blood is calling for you. Aemond is quick to react, moving his lips desperately against yours and pulling you to his lap.
Tumblr media
He comes to you late at night once there are no more council calls or responsibilities to tend to. It's around that time when he has nothing to busy himself with, and the ache in his chest makes itself known.
It's a constant reminder that he is far from invincible. Pain and hurt live within him, ready to resurface at the most unexpected times.
"Husband." You greet him with a bright smile when he steps into your chambers.
"Wife," he speaks quietly, standing uncomfortably by your door. While he's agreed to come to you in his times of need, Aemond is unsure how to approach the situation.
"What is the matter?" A pout adorns your lips as you walk over to him. It's genuine concern.
Aemond stiffens when you approach him, tilting your head to assess him. You wrap your arms around his waist, searching for his gaze.
"Aemond?" You call to him softly.
"Please," he whispers with shaking hands that he places on your hips. The expensive material of your night shift is soft against his palms.
The tone of his voice and the reserved behavior tell you what he's asking for. You nod wordlessly and grab his hand, guiding him to your bed.
This is unlike those moments when passion takes over and desperate need forces you to tug and tear his clothes away. With patience and delicate fingers, you calmly help him undress.
Unbuckling the clasps of his leather doublet, you slide it down his arms and throw it to the side. The tunic that covers his chest comes off next, exposing the strong panels of his abdomen and the ropes of muscle of his arms. All a result of his extensive training.
Featherlight touches to his skin make his breath hitch as they slide down to his breeches, where you agilely untie the laces. You don't meet his eyes as you do so, giving him some resemblance of modesty, but Aemond watches intently how you treat him with such care.
You gently push him to sit on the bed, where you kneel to take off his boots and socks. Aemond allows his breeches to fall to the ground, leaving him completely naked, except for the eyepatch he wears like armor.
It protects him from the disgusted expressions people shoot him with because of the deformity he acquired as a child.
It never stops hurting.
You've never been repulsed by his missing eye. On the contrary, you're fascinated by the scar and the sapphire embedded in the empty socket.
Reaching around his head, you unclasp the leather and place the eyepatch with the rest of his clothing. You offer him a delicate smile while placing your hand on his cheek, and he leans into it.
Your touch on his raised scar eases the pain.
Withdrawing from him, you tug in the lacing of your night shift and shrug it off your shoulders to uncover your body. You had promised to offer him the same care she did in that wretched place.
The bed is covered by pillows and blankets to protect you from the cold of the incoming winter, and you mentally thank the maids for preparing the fire before they left you to rest. You lie over the furs, extending your hand towards Aemond to welcome him in.
Aemond's timidness is present, but he pushes it to the side as he climbs onto the bed and settles across your lap. Your skin is soft and warm against his, and your soft curves, molded to accommodate his children, bring him comfort.
As you brush through his hair with your fingers, you gently untie the band holding half of his hair up. You massage the silver tresses, his scalp prickling from the release of tension. He hums quietly, enjoying the feeling of your fingers on his hair.
"What troubles you, my Prince?" You finally ask.
Aemond's head rests on your shoulder, his breath hitting your collarbones. One of your hands rests upon his back, drawing figures across the expanse of it, feeling every bump and curve of his spine and muscles. The other grasps his hand, pulling it to your lips to press a reassuring kiss to the palm of it.
"That title. Prince." He murmurs sadly, taking a deep breath.
That familiar scent of oils invades his senses. It's a smell he remembers from his childhood when Alicent still cared for him. In turn, his body relaxes, and he closes his eyes momentarily.
"It is a stepping stone in the hierarchy," you reply, recognizing what he implies. Aegon does not have what it takes to rule a kingdom, while Aemond years to sit on the throne.
Aemond reaches up to grasp at a strand of copper hair. The same shade as his mothers. He twists it around his finger while shifting to make himself more comfortable. "I thought all of my achievements would be more fruitful," he ponders.
It seems that ruling a kingdom falls on the eldest male heir, even if they are not fit to rule. Aegon sits on the throne, yet the rest of the council rules on his behalf. This puts the Targaryen name to shame; the fool barely speaks High Valyrian.
"Patience is key. Aegon shows no signs of changing. He will be his own downfall," you respond thoughtfully. You hate thinking about Aegon in such a way, but it's the truth. He wants to prove himself so badly but goes about it all the wrong way.
Copper hair leads to naked skin the same shade as his mother's, and for once, he can imagine himself in his mother's embrace. It brings tears to his eyes as he curls further into you, and his nose brushes against your skin.
With the pillows propping you up and Aemond curled on your lap, you press a kiss to the crown of his head. Your touch runs all over his skin, from his face to his feet.
Aemond continues to speak his mind, and you offer the perfect responses to his dilemmas, calming him when his emotions get the best of him and tears spill from his eyes.
He should've come to you sooner. You're a high-born lady who knows much more about life in court. There were always warning signs with Sylvi. She tried to manipulate him into thinking about the common folk and their ailments more than once. She would never understand that while House Targaryen is at war, there is no space to think about the well-being of its subordinates.
When silence ensues, Aemond allows himself to look up at you. You're serene as you hold him close to your body without an ounce of impatience. The resemblance to his mother is there, but he got something much better.
He got a woman who loves him unconditionally, flaws and all.
Lacing his fingers with yours, Aemond closes his eyes and melts further into your touch. You hug him close and whisper your affections. This is how it was always meant to be.
That night, Aemond sleeps in your chambers. It would be wrong for him to leave after you've treated him with such tenderness. You are no simple whore from the street of silk. You are his wife, and as such, you are meant to be treated with utmost respect. Something he had failed to do but no more.
Breathy whines, wake him before the sun rises. Recognizing your voice, he wakes, looking at his surroundings for any danger. When you whine once more, he glances over at you.
You squirm in your sleep, seemingly uncomfortable. Something bothers you, but your exhaustion prevents you from waking. One of your hands reaches for your chest, and another whine spills from your lips.
Aemond's eye is drawn to the action. He reaches for the sheet covering your body and pulls on it to find the cause of your discomfort. His breath hitches, and his cock aches.
Your breasts are swollen and tender from being filled to their capacity, causing beads of milk to leak from the stiff peaks of your nipples.
Aemond briefly remembers you mentioning how Baelor has been fuzzy lately, and Rhaegar is getting older and doesn't seek you as often for food, yet you continue to produce copious amounts of milk. He has been blessed with a perfect wife and an excellent mother who produces enough sustenance for his children.
Aemond's pointer finger traces a path down your neck to your left breast. They are calling to him as his finger follows the curve of your breast up to your puffy areola and tip of your nipple. A slight press to the taught skin prompts more fluid to leak down your sides, and you hiss in discomfort.
Bringing his finger up to his lips, he licks the whitish liquid. Perhaps it's a mistake, as he's left wanting more. Aemond uncovers the top half of your naked body and leans over your chest. With one look towards your beautiful face, he wraps his lips around the plush flesh of your breast.A surge of liquid fills his mouth.
You have the sweetest milk he has ever had the pleasure of tasting. Aemond moans at the saccharine taste. It is so much better than the farce he had in the brothel. This milk comes from his wife, who nurtures his healthy sons.
A loud, sultry moan spills from your lips as some of the pressure is alleviated. You're now between sleep and awareness. Your hand cradling the back of Aemond's head.
Aemond's cock is painfully hard as it presses against your thigh. He's been driven into a frenzy, your milk serving as an aphrodisiac. His hand brushes against your inner thigh to answer a rising question.
Careful fingers find your wet slit, proving his theory right. He's not the only depraved person in the room. Your body is responsive to him even in altered states of consciousness.
Your cunt is absolutely drenched, making it so easy for Aemond to push a finger in. It's enough to fully wake you from your slumber. "Ah, Aemond." You throw your head back in pleasure.
It takes you a second to take in the entirety of Aemond's actions. The pleasure coursing through you, overwhelming your senses. A loud moan tears through your throat at the realization that Aemond is not simply teasing your breasts. Aemond feasts on your aching tits.
"Have your fill, my prince," you beg as that ache in your chest is pleasingly soothed.
Aemond is eager and rough. The light stubble of his jaw sends a current of electricity down to your cunt where you clench around his fingers.
"My Aemond, good boy." He responds to the praise why sliding another finger into your tight cunny. The slick sound of your arousal accompanies the suckling of his lips.
You squeeze your other breast to alleviate the tightening discomfort and drops fall on your hand. Drawn to it, Aemond switches, and you squeal as his teeth scrape the sensitive skin of your nipple.
Aemond ruts into your thigh as he quickens the pace of his fingers intruding on your cunny to part through your walls. The vibration of his quiet moans stimulates your swollen peaks.
If this is not heaven, he doesn't wish for it.
Your fingers tangle in his silver hair when you arch your back to offer yourself to him. His eye meets your hooded gaze and sets himself to give you whatever you please. His thumb circles your pearl expertly, and he curls his digits to hit your spot more firmly.
You cry in pleasure with your hips, riding his fingers until you come with a shudder and his name on your lips. Your walls clamp down on his fingers hard enough it is hard for him to retrieve them.
Aemond rises from your chest and pinches your cheeks with his fingers that remain coated with your slick, prompting your mouth to open. A stream of your milk falls from his mouth to yours as he gives you a sweet taste.
You believe another orgasm rips through your body as his lips press against yours to share a sweet tasting kiss. His tongue invades your mouth, allowing you the pleasure of tasting yourself on his tongue.
"Please," you beg for him, spreading your legs wantonly.
One to indulge his wife in all pleasures, Aemond pulls you on top of him, "Take what you desire."
His cock is fully erect and begging for attention. The tip is swollen and flushed a deep pink as it leaks pre that beads down his shaft.
Aemond acknowledges you've reached your limit when his beautiful wife, who adores worshipping his cock on her knees, grabs his length and sinks onto him without a preamble.
"Go on, my love, you can take it," Aemond hisses as you try to lower yourself to take all of him. His hands grip your hips tightly, urging you on. He swears your walls continue to contract from your previous peak.
"Aemond, husband," you moan lewdly. Your hips tentatively begin bouncing on him, and your tits follow to Aemond's delight.
He's mesmerized by them and how they continue to leak. Aemond mouths one more aggressively, teasing your nipple with his tongue, nipping at the surrounding flesh to leave his mark. His hand massages the other, allowing droplets to fall down your abdomen and onto your cunt.
"My perfect wife, such a good mother," Aemond mutters, praising you, "Pretty tits always full and her cunny always wet."
You hold onto Aemond's strong shoulders, your nails leaving marks across his back. Your hips grind on him deliciously as your clit rubs against his pelvis.
"Aemond, please," you beg, quickening your pace. You're on the verge of yet another delicious peak. "I want another." You'll have as many as he wants as long as he treats you with this much attention.
Aemond kisses up your neck and growls in your ear, "I shall give you as many as you'd like."
Swiftly, he turns you so your back is to the bed. He hikes your thighs up around his waist and snaps his hips fiercely. You first the bedsheets around you as Aemond holds bruisingly against your hips and thighs.
He's close to his own peak as well. Aemond manages to hold back because of all the attention he's giving your tits, but his cock cannot take anymore, especially with how deliciously your walls wrap around him.
Aemond admires his perfect wife. Your hair fans out on the pillows, and your facial expression morphs into one of pure ecstasy as you come once more. Your breasts are less swollen, but your stiff peaks remain puffy and flushed from his attention. Your cunt chokes his cock, knowing exactly what it takes to please him.
His rhythmic thrusting begins to falter, so with a couple more jerks of his hips and a groan, he paints your insides white. "There we go, all for you."
"Thank you," you lilt, biting your lip at the sensation of being filled.
You giggle when he leans down to kiss all over your face, a laugh of his own reaching your ears.
Tumblr media
The door creaking open wakes you up, bringing the sheets to your chest, you sit up. Aemond lets the bedsheet fall to his lap, ready to scold whoever dares interrupt his time with his wife.
A small blonde head peaks in, and a big grin unleashes on its lips when he sees his parents. Young Rhaegar toddles into the room, and his head is barely seen as he stands on the edge of the bed. His tiny hands try to grasp the edge, but he's still too small to get himself up.
Aemond reaches over to bring him up, pressing a kiss on his head, but Rhaegar happily crawls over Aemond and falls into your waiting arms.
Aemond's exposed sapphire earns no reaction. In fact, the eyepatch tends to catch his son's attention more. Aemond ensured that when his sons came into this world, he would greet them as he truly is.
You pepper kisses all over Rhaegar's face, and he giggles, squirming on your lap. While Baelor favored his father, Rhaegar was entirely yours. "What are you doing here, little dragon?" You ask him sweetly.
The nursemaid stepping through the open door answers your question, "Prince Aemond, Lady Hightower. My apologies, he scurried away before I could-"
"It is alright. You may leave us," Aemond says, waving his hand to dismiss her. The young girl bows her head, hiding her blushing cheeks, and scurries away without saying another word, aware of the compromising position of the Prince and his wife.
"My sweetest, why are you up so early?" You coo, threading your fingers through his messy hair that sticks up in all directions.
Rhaegar hides his face on your chest, mumbling, "Missed you."
You gasp dramatically, facing the young boy with a surprised expression. "You missed me? I missed you!" Your son laughs and presses a wet kiss to your cheek.
"What about me, little dragon?" Aemond asks, tickling his belly.
Rhaegar cutely shakes his head with a mischievous smile, squealing loudly when Aemond reaches for him and takes him into his own arms to tickle him.
"Mama!" Rhaegar's childlike laugh pierces the air as he asks for your help.
"You're going to get me in trouble," Aemond grumbles, playfully glaring at his son as he continues to tickle him.
"Mama!" Rhaegar repeats, pushing Aemond's hands away and waiting for you to scold Aemond or something.
You watch the interaction with a wide smile. It's nice to see Aemond this calm. "Give me back, my little dragon, or there are no more kisses for you," you threaten Aemond with a furrow of your eyebrows and a pout. Aemond abruptly stops and loosens his hold on the toddler.
Rhaegar laughs and throws himself in your arms, hugging your neck. His giggles never cease. Aemond winks at you and pulls you to lie on his chest.
"How about we go see Vhagar later?" Aemond asks Rhaegar who calmed down to a drowsy state. It's still very early for him to have been up. He must've had a bad dream.
"Sunfyre?" Rhaegar gasps, looking up at his father. Aemond rolls his eyes and nods. He guesses he can invite Aegon so his son can see the golden dragon.
"That's your favorite, isn't it?" You ask him amusedly, although you agree. Sunfyre is a beautiful dragon and much friendlier than Vhagar.
Rhaegar nods enthusiastically as he babbles about the pretty dragon. You lay with your back to Aemond's chest as he envelops you both with his arms.
At that moment, Aemond realizes he feels fulfilled with his little family by his side.
Tumblr media
it was not part of the plan to let this oneshot be this long. there is something about the complexity of aemond's character that doesn't let me write something brief.
nonetheless this was a super fun oneshot to write. it took me the whole week because i was so busy but i had been thinking about it nonstop. i think i overdid it with the lactation part but oh well!
if you enjoyed this oneshot please don’t forget to like or comment (i accept aemond's sapphire, rhaenyra's crown, criston cole slander, emojis, words of encouragement, a lot of praise, virtual hugs and gushing about sunfyre and aegon) and if you want more of it feel free to let me know!
-nikki 🖤
620 notes ¡ View notes
webslinger-holland ¡ 7 months ago
Text
All Grown Up | Hunter from The Bad Batch
Summary: Many years after Tantiss and after having settled down in Pabu, Hunter struggles to watch his eldest to go off and join the rebellion. He returns home to the comfort of family awaiting him.
Warning: SPOILERS FROM SEASON 3 FINALE BELOW THE CUT, Omega refers to the reader as her mum (though not biological), mentions of old age, other children are briefly mentioned, slightly suggestive, and just good old fashioned tears
Pairing: Hunter x Fem!Reader
Type: Oneshot
Word Count: 1.8k
Tumblr media
The gleam of the  silvery moon pierced through the dark blue skyline. The cool summer breeze swept through the entirety of the island, caressing wooden chimes hanging outside homes. The crickets were out singing songs to each other. The warm yellow light twinkled in the homes of many who where still awake during the late hours of the night.
With one last look of the island, Omega began making her way across the sandy beaches. She listened to the sound of the waves crashing gently against the shoreline; her shoes leaving prints behind in the sand. A few light breezes swept the loose strands of hair out of her face. She made her way into the lower caves of the island.
Coming up over the rocks, Omega's gaze landed on the spot in which her ship was docked. She neared one of the many generators in the cave, kneeling down and flicking the switch on. The warm light that radiated from the generator brightened her face and signaled the other generators to illuminate the rest of the cave.
A low bark sounded near one of the other generators. She lifted her head and smiled to herself, knowing that it was Batcher calling out to her. She briefly spotted another figure looming and sitting beside the old lurca hound, causing her heart to clench slightly in her chest.
Slowly, Omega made her way over to the both of them. The gangplank of her ship opened to reveal Gonky waiting for her. She rounded the side of the rocks, coming up behind the two.
"Thought you could just sneak off?" Hunter questioned as he stared off towards the entrance of the cave. The corners of his lips tugged into a gentle smile. "Time hasn't dulled all my senses," Hunter reminded her.
She lowered herself to sit down right beside him, watching him carefully with a hint of nervousness behind her eyes. She didn't say anything at first, but she had a feeling he was about to give her one of his famous talks. Sure enough, Omega was right about that.
"Your mother would have woken up worried sick about you, wondering where you’d gone off to this time," Hunter stated. His eyes focused on his hands that where clasped together.
"This shouldn't be a surprise. I talked with mum about this a lot," Omega defended herself.
Her words pained him slightly. In the more recent years, Omega had found herself seeking the advice of her mother more often than him. It had a lot to do with her age; having questions about womanhood that her mother was more than willing to explain. If Omega had gone to Hunter, the conversation would have just turned more awkward than anything. And sometimes, she was afraid to ask him in fear that he'd shoot her down pointblank.
It wasn't a surprise because he had heard some of their conversations late at night when the others had gone to bed. He recalled one conversation that happened just last week. She'd said something along the lines of: "Mum? What were the Clone Wars like?" Her mother proceeded to tell her what it was like to be a field medic during the height of the war. That, despite all the bad things, Y/n had found her purpose in life and wanted to help the war cause by tending to soldiers on the field.
Hunter just really wished she hadn't said that because they wouldn't be here now if she had.
"The Rebellion needs pilots now more than ever," Omega told him. She always had that drive to help others; she was so much like her mother in that way. "I made my choice, Hunter. I want to do more."
"And we want to keep you safe," Hunter countered. He finally turned to look at her. The worry was so evident behind those beaming eyes.
His strong sense of overprotectiveness was starting to show. It almost reminded her of what he used to be like when she was much younger: how he never wanted her to go on missions and how he'd force her to stay behind on the ship. She appreciated his concern, but it wasn't needed now.
"You have, but I'm not a kid anymore." Omega weakly smiled at him. She placed her hand on her chest. "You don't have to worry about me."
He wasn't satisfied with this, slowly turning away once again. He lowered his gaze to stare down at the ground. She continued to watch his movements carefully, wondering what he was thinking about in that moment.
"You're our kid, Omega. You always will be," Hunter said plainly. She smiled at this.
"You’ve got your own kids to worry about now," Omega chuckled slightly. She thought about her three siblings, figuring that they'd be fast sleep in their beds right about now and dreaming about things far beyond this galaxy.
"And you all make me feel like an old man," Hunter huffed with a playful smile.
"Well, you kinda are." Omega teased him by bumping into his shoulder.
When he turned his head towards the light, Omega was able to see just how much time had changed his appearance. His beard had grown out and his hair was sprinkled with grey. She saw the crows feet that bunched around his eyes when he smiled.
He was frail too. He wasn't able to play with his kids as much since last summer when he injured his back. He just moved a little slower now and wasn't able to do any heavy work around the house. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since they settled on Pabu all those years ago.
Pabu was home. Omega had grown up here. His other kids were born on the island. His family and his life was here. He wanted nothing more than to keep it that way. But Omega was moving onto newer things.
"Hunter," Omega sighed. She scooted a little closer to him and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You've all fought enough. This...is my fight. I'm ready."
Slowly, Omega rose to stand to her feet. He watched her move away from him with so much worry and concern in his eyes. He now realized that she wasn't his little girl anymore. She was all grown up and ready to have adventures of her own.
"Yeah. I know you are," Hunter sighed to himself. His lips curved into a soft smile. He shook his head slightly. "But I'm not."
Now, Hunter stood to his feet in a slow manner. His strength wasn't like it used to be. She didn't hesitate to step forward and embrace him in a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin against her shoulder. When they pulled away, Omega placed her hands on his shoulders. She sent him a warm encouraging smile.
"Say goodbye to the others for me," Omega requested. She didn't need to give names because he knew she was talking about her brothers, her siblings, and her mother. He gave a single nod of the head before gesturing towards her ship.
"Off you go," Hunter had finally let her go.
Tumblr media
By the time Hunter had gotten home, he was little surprised to see one of the lights on from his view on the street. He climbed the steps of the porch, opening the door as quietly as possible so he didn't wake the kids. His gaze landed on the familiar figure sitting in one of the living room chairs. He closed the door behind him.
"Hey," Hunter called out softly. He took a few strides towards her, kneeling down beside the armchair. He gently grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "How come you're still awake?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Y/n scolded him slightly. There was a twinge of annoyance in the tone of her voice. "I wake up to an empty bed and a daughter missing."
"Ah, yes. About that..." Hunter's voice trailed off. He quickly avoided her gaze and wondered how he was going to break the news to his wife. But his silence gave it away.
"She's gone, isn't she?" Y/n said rather sorrowfully.
He nodded silently in response. He fought against the tears that gathered in the corners of his eyes, but the light from the lamp illuminated them perfectly. She went to cup his cheek and sent him a weak smile.
"It was bound to happen some day," Y/n tried to reason with him. She shook her head at the notion. "She couldn't stay your little girl forever."
"No," Hunter agreed. "She couldn't. She's all grown up now."
Ever so slowly, Hunter rose to his feet alongside her. He took her spot in the chair before gently guiding her down to sit in his lap. He went to drape her legs over his lap and have them hang over the side of the chair. She wrapped an arm around his neck and leaned down to rest her head against his shoulder. He cradled her gently in his grasp.
The two parent's gazes fell on the wall where each of their children's height had been marked over the years to show their growth. There were countless tallies and dates, including both of his brothers' and the lurca hound's. They studied each mark as a reminder of how much each of their kids had grown over the years.
But Hunter's sights were stuck on a rather faded mark on the wall. He remembered the day like it was only yesterday. He loved seeing how excited Omega was to have her height marked on the wall; how Omega tried to stand as tall as she could while he used a pencil to mark it. Then, seeing over the years, her tallies had grown until she was basically his height.
"They're all growing up so fast," Y/n said with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Maybe it's our sign to have another one," Hunter joked. She sent him a warning glare so he pressed a little further. "Come on. The littlest ones about five years old now. We're due for another."
"I told you I am done having babies. We've had three; that's a good number," Y/n swiftly shut down the idea of having another little one. She could think of a million reasons why that wouldn't pan out great. "We're getting too old for this. And with your bad back..."
"I know. I know. You don't have to remind me," Hunter chuckled softly, just loving how flustered she had gotten while talking about having a kid again. He pressed a gentle kiss to her check to calm her nerves.
The two of them swayed slightly in the rocking chair, basking in each other's presence. Their eyes set on the wall. The house's memories over the years came flooding back to them. The children's laughter was an ever present sound that brought the purest form of joy.
Their eldest daughter was all grown up now and out of the house. They remembered every single memory they made with her over the course of the past couple years. She had drastically changed their lives, but all for the better. And they wouldn't change a single thing.
LITERALLY AM OBSESSED WITH THAT FINAL SCENE OF OMEGA AND HUNTER. HAD TO WRITE MY OWN VERSION AND I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.
427 notes ¡ View notes
riviuus ¡ 11 months ago
Text
my friend who has never read percy jackson but really likes the show (she will borrow my books after the first season ends hhaha) told me about her theories (at mcdonalds for all the nico stans out here) and i smiled and nodded my way through them
here are the best ones
- there is no traitor (i wish bro i wish)
- percabeth will happen (no shit sherlock , i didnt say that bc i dont spoiler shit but damn bro)
- hermes will sing (she is a theater kid especially musicals especially hamilton...)
- clarisse x luke ????? (oh damn like oooooohhhh damn he basically kills her gf so damnn)
- luke is hot ( not a theory but she did mention it quite alot)
- luke isnt the traitor because it would be too sad (and yes she doesnt know rick like we do, it is toooo sad)
- percy will get into MANY MANY MANY near death scenarios (yeah but plot armour soooo, but yeah he is the main character so duh)
616 notes ¡ View notes
yanderes-galore ¡ 5 months ago
Note
Could you do prompts by starbabytae 14, 19, and 21 for Aemond Targaryen?
Aemond has gone FERAL in Season 2... so I'm ready. S2 E4 has definitely given me ideas. End is a bit awkward as I was unsure how exactly to fit it with the prompts.
‼️POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR HOTD SEASON 2 - ALTERNATE TAKE ON THE EVENTS OF S2 E4‼️
Prompts Here
Yandere! Aemond Targaryen Prompts 14, 19, 21
“I just want you all to myself. Is that such a crime?”
“That’s where you belong. Worshipping me on your hands and knees.”
“Maybe if I branded you, other people would finally get that you’re mine.”
Pairing: Romantic
Possible Trigger Warnings: Female Darling, Obsession, Swearing, Stalking, Mature themes, Typical ASOIAF themes, Potential Targcest (You replace Helaena), Manipulation, Sadism, Threats, Possessive behavior/Jealousy, Murder, Blood mention, Forced/Dubious relationship.
Tumblr media
Aemond had gotten used to the fact he'd be overlooked. He wasn't king due to being born after his brother Aegon. He tried to settle with simply being a warrior for his king on top of Vhagar.
But he still hated it all the same.
Aegon, the whiny brat of a king and brother, always got what he wanted because he was older. As king he had all the say. Meanwhile Aemond was left envious and irritated at how incompetent his brother was as king.
Aemond studied like the good prince he is, he's even better in battle. He's a better tactician and doesn't sleep around like his whore of a brother. He doesn't understand. Why must Aegon be king simply because he's older.
What makes it worse? Aegon also got his first and only love.
You were betrothed and married to Aegon. Aemond had loved you since you both were kids, yet the younger prince was forced to watch as you married his brother. Not only that... but he had to witness the babes you bore for him.
The thought still makes Aemond seethe. He's tired of allowing Aegon, an entitled brat, get what he's always wanted. Aemond always thought he'd make the better king... he's always followed his duties...
He wishes you and him were betrothed instead of Aegon.
While you may not belong to him, Aemond still yearns for you. For years he's loved you. Even when you were married to Aegon he still fantasizes about how it would feel to have you as his.
Aemond always watched you from afar, swearing himself as your protector. On top of Vhagar he felt he was the one making decisions for this war. He's the one making plans while Aegon flirts with other women.
Aemond can tell you aren't happy with Aegon... Aemond could treat you so much better.
Aemond wasn't expecting the opportunity to act on his desires ever. At first he was just going to take Criston Cole to take down Rook's Rest along with Rhaenys and Meleys. Vhagar has been so eager for a fight.
Then he saw Aegon swoop in on Sunfyre... making him pause.
He should be ashamed... but the plan was too perfect.
It was too easy to swoop in on Vhagar when Sunfyre and Meleys were busy. Aemond just had to say one word and the whole situation would look like a freak accident. The thought of finally taking what he deserved makes him grin.
"Dracarys!"
The command is short, simple, but executed with a plume of fire from Vhagar as both smaller dragons are struck down.
Aemond took sadistic delight in taking out both riders. The fire from Vhagar was enough to make Aegon and Sunfyre crash down. However, it took some stealth tactics to bite the neck of Meleys to make the red queen fall with her rider.
By the end of the fighting, Aemond found himself standing in front of his burned brother on the ground. His brother barely moved, yet his breathing was faint. Aemond barely hesitated when he picked up his brother's dagger and hovered it over his burned brother's chest.
"I will be the one to make her happy, brother." Aemond whispers, not caring if Aegon even heard or not. "I will be king, I will win this war, and I'll do it much better than you did."
It's then Aemond does the finishing blow, tucking the dagger away before leaving. The sight of the blood trickling from his brother's chest indifferent to him. Criston Cole enters the foliage to see Aemond and the corpse of the king. The knight goes to say something, yet Aemond's remaining eye glares at him.
"It was a freak accident, that's all it was." Aemond hums, walking past the knight. "Say otherwise and I'll have you gutted by my sword."
The loss of Aegon was a much bigger loss to The Greens. In comparison, The Blacks only really lost one dragon and dragonrider. The Greens...? They lost their king.
Which leads to them placing Aemond in power in an attempt to regain control.
The death of your husband makes you... conflicted. You didn't really love him... yet you feared the vulnerability that came from having the king slain. You believed it was genuinely an accident caused by Aegon's rash decision to prove himself.
Completely unaware of the culprit hovering around you, coddling you and cheering you up like he didn't kill his brother.
With the death of Aegon, Aemond began courting you. You're a widow queen... and he's the new king. Naturally... you two end up being betrothed to keep up support for The Greens. The marriage is then scheduled to happen within the week.
Such an announcement brings rumors from both sides and supporters. The whole thing seems too convenient. Soon there were rumors of Aemond being a kinslayer, killing his brother just to take his wife.
Aemond could care less for such problematic rabble.
All he really cared about was making you his, let them gossip.
Aemond couldn't help the playful chuckle that poured out of his lips when he saw you pacing about your chambers. You looked so vulnerable without Aegon around anymore. Now you are his queen... one who should listen to him and love only him unconditionally.
Aegon never deserved you, at least Aemond promises to only pay attention to you.
"Here you are, love." Aemond greets, cupping your cheek. "Gods how I love you... I've always loved you...
Aemond leans closer to brush his lips over yours, you leaning into his touch obediently.
"I'm so happy to call you mine... It makes everything I've done worth it...." Aemond hums, kissing your lips. He craves your taste, your touch, always has since you young.
Now you're finally his to claim....
"I always hated the fact Aegon got to have you..." Aemond whispers, pressing your face closer to his own in between kisses. "I always wanted it to be me... always should have been me... but now you're mine...."
Your feelings for Aemond are... complicated. You loved him more than Aegon yet couldn't help but distrust him. It felt too... planned.
Yet you were scared to push.
"Aemond... it is scandalous to act this way with a recently widowed queen...." You whisper, yet Aemond only ignores the comment.
"Let the commonfolk think what they wish..." Aemond growls, pulling you flush against him. “I just want you all to myself. Is that such a crime?”
Aemond then chuckles, the idea of the common people and the royals knowing you're his a pleasing thought. To him, this is the ultimate revenge. Even now he despises his brother for taking advantage of the privilege he was given.
At least Aemond plans to use it right.
“Maybe if I branded you, other people would finally get that you’re mine.” Aemond teases, tracing his hands over the exposed skin of your nightgown. "Just as you should be...."
The way you shiver in his touch excites him. Be it from pleasure or fear, he doesn't care. Now that you're his... Why would he ever let go?
"Do you believe the rumors, Aemond?" You ask him in such a sweet voice, his one eye looking at you affectionately. He wonders if you can see the darkness in his violet gaze. "The ones where they call you a kinslayer?"
"Do you believe them?" Aemond asks, affectionately kissing your skin. "Do you really care what the common folk think?"
Aemond waits for you to answer, yet is met with silence. He chuckles at your conflicted gaze, kissing your lips softly. It really didn't change anything if you believed them or not... only two people knew the truth...
and Criston Cole was dangerously close to being hanged, anyways.
"Don't worry so much, love." Aemond whispers, pulling back a bit to view you fully. "You'll hurt yourself... just focus on me..." He kisses you one more time before sitting on the bed, hands on your shoulders. "Could you sit on your knees for me...?"
Obediently you listen to him, making Aemond shiver in anticipation. This was what he always wanted. You listening to him... coddling him... tending to only him.
“That’s where you belong. Worshipping me on your hands and knees.” Aemond praises, petting your head as he lays your head in his lap. "No need to worry about anything, my queen... I'll take care of it all for you."
You merely listen to your new king as he strokes your hair. This is all he's ever dreamed of. Aemond can't hide the dark smirk on his face as he gives you the affection he's always wanted to give.
You shouldn't look too much into rumors, you shouldn't worry about a thing, who cares about the fate of Aegon?
You have Aemond now... he'll fix everything... for you, the kingdom, and the seven realms.
209 notes ¡ View notes
justawritterwithideas ¡ 2 years ago
Text
Boy Wonder and the Rockstar | s.r
Tumblr media
✩ next part ✩
summary: Spencer and Y/N meet in college after a book search, creating a friendship where opposites attract. But Spencer has to move across the country to pursue his happiness and completely loses contact with Y/N. What if fate decides it's time to meet after 15 years and with a crazy stalker in between? Spencer won't lose to fate again and will do anything in his power to protect Y/N.
warnings: mentions of death, alcohol, drugs, strong vocabulary, as well as talk of heartbreak, disappointment and arguments. It also contains content regarding CM season 13, so it clearly contains spoilers. this is a spencer reid x famous!reader story.
this will be a small series of chapters so here are the general precautions of the series, each chapter will have its own precautions. !!!
words: 3,909 words.
a/n: hey! here alme with a little series i've been planning for a couple of weeks now. as you may know, i've been talking about the spencer reid x famous!reader relationship but as hayley williams, so i decided to set myself the challenge and write a little series called "boy wonder and the rockstar", so i hope you like it. i haven't planned how many chapters it will have yet but i don't want to make it too long, and also patience with each chapter. so, I don't want to make it longer and I'll leave you the first chapter. thank you. ♡
Tumblr media
𝟎.𝟏: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲.
Spencer always lived under the stigma of being a child genius. His I.Q. was 187, he could read 20,000 words per minute and had an eidetic memory.
Everyone around him told him what to do, from his mother, to his "friends," to his teachers, to his neighbors.
"Hey Spencer, with that brain of yours you could make it in the government" "Spencer you could be part of NASA" "Spencer you could be a mathematical genius like Einstein!" "Spencer you're going to get into the CIA!"
"And where are you going to go to college? Because you know Harvard is already a lock for you" "I bet you'll go to YALE, that's where all the smart ones go" "Princeton is an excellent choice for you!" "MIT could open a lot of doors for you"
Spencer this, Spencer that.
But no one really thought about what Spencer wanted. Maybe he wanted to be a magician and make children happy with his tricks. Maybe he wanted to be a trapeze artist, or a fireman, or an astronaut, or just an ice cream man.
All these expectations of Spencer reached a point where he didn't even know what he wanted in life. He lived under the shadow of the expectations and visions people had placed on him, and he didn't want to let them down. He was just a kid, a kid scared of adult life who had to impose himself because others imposed it on him.
That's how his brain made him skip grades, have to enter high school at age 12, and have to suffer a lot of abuse from the grown-ups for just being a boy genius.
Spencer sometimes wished he could make his brain disappear and have a normal one. Then he could have normal friends, go to a normal school, have a relationship, experience the problems people his age have, and be able to feel the phases of adolescence like any other kid.
But things were not like that.
He had to live the life he had been dealt, with his genius brain and the damn adult problems at 13.
CalTech was a new life he had to accept, but it wasn't as bad as the one he had before. His mind was kept busy for a long period.
He was forced to grow up around books full of equations, chemical elements and mathematical problems, managing at 16 to get his first college degree, which was Mathematics, and the following year to get a PhD in it. But he did not dislike this.
But as they say it is never enough, he kept on studying until he was 21. Thanks to this, he became a doctor of two more degrees, Chemistry and Engineering, in addition to Psychology, Sociology and Criminology.
His social life at the university was not so hectic, in fact, he only stood out for the fact that he was a boy genius, and that was it. To other people, he was a person like any other.
Until one autumn day, in the middle of his 19 years and studying psychology, his paths were interrupted by crossing that of others, and that, probably, is the person who changed his life the last years of college.
Tumblr media
It was an ordinary day in the university library. Spencer had been rereading an encyclopedia of human anatomy for two hours. Why you may wonder, well, it was his way of killing time during his free time.
Acquiring knowledge was the best way to keep his brain fed and occupied, according to the boy.
He had eaten his sandwich a couple of minutes ago and let his brain feed on information at that moment, trying to persuade his intrusive thoughts at that minute. Through the pages you could see the muscular system, focusing on the leg and foot areas.
To be honest, it looked quite interesting.
That day, leaves were beginning to fall from the trees, filling the ground with their autumn colors; there was a gentle cool breeze, a strong smell of wet dirt and people were crowded in the warmer areas of the campus. It was no surprise to anyone that the library was one of the most crowded areas, the vast majority of people were gathered around the tables as large college texts lay open on them.
Spencer was sure he had seen more than one student curse at the fact that they couldn't find what they were looking for, and then walk out of the room in exhaustion. It wasn't the first time someone had cursed his name because they found themselves reading the text they were looking for and, besides, they weren't able to approach and ask for it.
He could believe it was cowardly on their part, maybe they were too shy to be able to do it or it was an excuse to put off studying what they were looking for. Even though he considered that the The study methods they had were not very good and, if they started studying earlier, they could increase their grad-
"Excuse me."
A voice interrupted the conversation Spencer was having with himself, pushing away his intrusive thoughts that were beginning to take over his mind. The young man's head turned and he saw a girl, perhaps his age, staring at the encyclopedia in front of him.
"I asked Miss Wellington about the RouviĂŠre and Delmas encyclopedia of human anatomy, and well..." The girl looked over Spencer's shoulder. "She told me that maybe the boy sitting at the back table had it. There are no other tables in the back and you're the only guy sitting here, so I think my deduction is correct and you have it."
"Y-yes, this is the encyclopedia you're looking for." Spencer admitted, looking at the young woman.
More than looking at her, he was admiring her. She was wearing a red skirt and hoodie with some embroidered words on it, her legs were also wearing dark leggings and some rather damaged black converses, over it she was carrying another coat and a backpack; her arms were loaded with medical and anatomy books, plus her hair was disheveled.
"Great! Must be my lucky day that a cute guy has it." Her books fell onto the table and she sat down next to Spencer.
The boy could smell the scent of tobacco and mint mixed with the scent of cherry perfume.
"May I see?" Spencer turned to look at her and, even though he was reading that book first, his head nodded. "Fine! I just want to see..." The sound of the leaves was rapid, as if a fan was moving them. "This... Nervous system."
Suddenly, and as if by magic, a notebook appeared in front of them both and quickly the girl was beginning to write on the blank sheets, even though to Spencer it looked more like a scribble than a resume as such.
"Shit, what is this?" the girl paused to read more closely. "In the central axon, the electrical signal is converted into a chemical signal, and then releases the chemical signal with chemical messengers called neur-neurotransmitters." The sound of the pencil falling on the table made the boy startle.
"Nervous system?"
"That's right, I have a lecture in three days and I'm still trying to associate concepts in the nervous system. Like my nervous system isn't nervous anymore."
Spencer chuckled to himself, the girl had a funny sense of humor.
"In fact, when the brain interprets that we are in danger, it produces a rush of adrenaline that activates the heart and muscles to place them on alert, but if prolonged, it can lead to health problems such as cardiovascular disease like heart attack and is associated with hypertension and arrhythmias and is the enhancer of other cardiovascular risk factors." Spencer turned to look at the girl, who looked quite interested in what he was saying, jotting everything down in her notebook. "But it's not that your nervous system is 'nervous', it's that it interprets that it's in danger and so it sends that kind of stimulus to your body that makes you anxious."
"I see you know about the nervous system, much more than I do." The girl scanned him from head to toe. "Are you a medical student?"
"No, CalTech doesn't have a medical degree, but I am a doctor." The boy admitted.
"How old are you?"
"Nineteen."
"Shit, and you already have a doctorate?"
"Actually I have three."
Silence stretched between the two, caused by the woman's shock.
"Are you some kind of alien or is your brain too big that it stores more information than I can retain?"
"Well, I have an IQ of 187 so I can read 20,000 words per minute, plus I have eidetic memory. But I prefer the concept of being more advanced than others."
The girl stared at him.
But to his surprise, the young woman only let out a giggle.
"You're funny, I like it." No one had ever told Spencer that he was funny. In fact, he thought that adjective didn't directly relate to him. "I'm Y/N, Y/N L/N."
"Spencer...Spencer Reid." Y/N denied.
"No, you're not Spencer."
"Excuse me?"
"You're Dr. Spencer Reid." Spencer smiled, she was right. "Well, it's nice to meet you, dr. Reid."
"Nice to meet you, Miss L/N." They both smiled.
"Well, now that I know your name, dr. Reid, we can start our friendship."
Spencer never thought making friends was so easy, even though he knew it was because the girl had gone to the trouble of calling herself his "friend," without even knowing him.
But that didn't bother him, in fact, he found it nice that someone had decided to be his friend.
Tumblr media
Overnight, Spencer's evenings began to become more colorful, smelling of tobacco and mint, and filled with questions from Y/N, his new friend.
Although, at first, Spencer didn't seem comfortable around the girl, he quickly got used to it. He had learned several things about Y/N over the days, such as that she was a medical student at Pasadena City College, a college a couple of blocks from CalTech; she was the youngest in the family and had an older brother who had been diagnosed with leukemia a couple of years ago.
He had also learned that she was very into fashion, lived in an apartment complex nearby, smoked a couple of years ago, and only liked menthol tobacco cigarettes. Her favorite color was orange, but she didn't think it looked good on her, and she didn't see herself going to medical school, but she wanted to be a singer.
The first time Spencer heard Y/N sing was during a kermes in Pasadena City, she had been invited to sing on behalf of the medical school. Spencer never liked the idea of being around so many people, let alone at a kermes which was as unsanitary as possible, but his new "best friend" had begged him to go.
He couldn't say no.
He remembered perfectly how her hands shook with nerves, how she bit her lip as she cleared her throat and watched her bandmates, aka Y/N's other friends, rehearse with their instruments.
He knew she had practiced for this moment a bunch of times, had more than once arrived at Spencer's dorm wet from head to toe from running in the rain after a rehearsal, and hummed the songs under her breath every time they studied together in the library.
She was more than ready, but her own fears sometimes made her afraid of her talent.
Reid's eyes were on her, smiling confidently to convey that feeling as a guitar began to play the first chords, and announced the start of her performance.
Spencer didn't know what song it was, he wasn't even sure if the song was to his taste, but when he heard Y/N's voice he knew it had become his favorite song.
“Her name is Noelle
I have a dream about her, she rings my bell
I got gym class in half an hour
And, oh, how she rocks
In Keds and tube socks
But she doesn't know who I am
And she doesn't give a damn about me”
Their gaze was on each other, as if they were the only ones in that large space. The few times the eye contact was broken was when Y/N closed her eyes.
The song ended successfully and an avalanche of applause greeted Y/N, who thanked the audience for their attention. Soon another band filled the stage and for a few seconds, Spencer lost sight of Y/N. He wanted to tell her how great she had turned out, how all her effort and practice had made everything come out perfectly and that she looked like a total rockstar on stage.
"Spence! How was it, did you like it?" Y/N hugged the boy's arm, who turned to look at her with a sweet smile on his face.
"It was amazing, Y/N. Everyone loved it." Affirmed the boy.
"I was so nervous, I was so afraid it wouldn't go well, but I saw you there, and I felt like I could do it. You're my lucky charm, Spencie."
Spencer felt something jump in his chest.
"Let's get something to eat, I'm dying for some corn-dogs." Said the opposite.
"Y-yeah, let's get something to eat, my treat."
Tumblr media
The day Spencer was accepted into the FBI academy was probably the most bittersweet day of his entire life.
At 22 years old, and in the middle of finishing his college semester for what felt like the fifth time, a letter arrived in his dorm room.
A letter of acceptance.
He could feel that all his hard work had been rewarded by whoever was up there. He quickly put on his sneakers and ran a marathon to the medical building at Pasadena City College.
His best friend's short red hair he could quickly visualize as he saw her smoking by the entrance, she seemed to be listening to something on her MP4 and bobbing her head to the beat of-who-knows-what song.
"Y/N! Y/N!" Spencer's voice sounded agitated, trying to get her best friend's attention.
The, now, redhead removed her earpiece and turned to see the tall boy running towards her.
"Spence?" From her mouth came the tobacco smoke, causing her to let the cigarette burn between her fingers.
"I made it, I got into the academy!"
The two big hazel eyes made contact with those of the girl, who dropped the cigarette to the sidewalk and hugged her friend tightly.
"I can't believe it, Spence! You did it! You did it! My goodness, I couldn't be prouder!" The younger girl began to do some jumping jacks as she didn't let go of her grip on his embrace.
"Thank you, Y/N. I couldn't have done it without you, you were the one who stuck with me through this whole process."
"You don't have to thank me, dorkie. I knew you'd make it, they couldn't leave out a genius like you." Soon they both disengaged from the embrace and the girl looked at the boy's face. "W-where is the academy? Tell me."
"I don't know, I-I didn't fully read the letter." He admitted embarrassed.
"Then read it! Go on." The girl took him by the arm and forced him to sit down on the faculty stairs.
Slowly, Spencer began to read the letter while Y/N listened intently to every word.
"The course begins on September 23rd of the current year in..." A pause.
Y/N looked at Spencer, who had stopped reading the letter.
"Where, Spence, what does it say?"
"The course begins September 23rd of the current year in Quantico, Virginia."
Y/N felt like a bucket of cold water had just been dropped on her.
Quantico? That was on the other side of the country!
"Q-quantico? Spence, that's on the other side of the-"
"Country, I know Y/N. I-I... I can't do it, I can't."
"What the fuck are you talking about!" The girl stood up startled, looking accusingly at her best friend. "No, I refuse. You have to do it, it's your dream, Spence! What you've always wanted for the last three years that I've known you, I refuse to let you back down now, I won't allow it!"
Spencer looked up from the letter, watching Y/N who was looking at him with her face burning with anger.
"You know I can't do that, what's going to happen to my mom? You know what's going on with her and her schizophrenia, I can't leave her alone."
"She would want you to go, Spence. Her happiness is where yours is, you know she'll be able to do it, there are plenty of options to help her." A long silence settled between the two of them.
Spencer didn't want to leave California, he didn't want to leave his mother or Y/N, he couldn't.
"Spencer Reid, I know what you're thinking right now, but I won't let you let this opportunity pass you by. You have dreamed of this exact moment for years, for as long as I have known you you have always wanted to go to the academy and you have done everything in your power to do so. Now they are offering it to you on a silver platter, you have to do it, there is nothing more you can do here in California. You've already studied all the existing careers in the world, you've already done what anyone in 50 years would have done and at your short 22 years you're already a doctor of three careers." The girl settled back down beside him, letting her icy hand wrap around Spencer's warm one. "You can't just limit yourself to staying here just because you have an engagement, the world has to know who Dr. Spencer Reid is like I know him, you have to go."
Spencer drew an elongated smile, feeling his body fill with that feeling of sadness that pervaded him from head to toe.
The redhead's words were true, it was his dream. But he didn't want to leave the only thing that made him happy on the other side of the country, he would love to carry it in his pocket to Virginia and have his dose of serotonin after each day.
He didn't want to stop smelling her tobacco and minty breath, the cherry smell coming off her clothes and the blueberry smell coming off her hair. He wanted to keep seeing the reddish locks of hair on his clothes and the cheesy paper notes in his pockets every time they met. He wanted to keep listening to the music on Y/N's MP4 every time he went to her apartment and drink coffee with lots of sugar that she made for him, keep hearing her voice in the shower and get biology questions at three in the morning every time she had a test.
He wanted to go to thrift stores to try on printed T-shirts and watch Y/N's camera fill up with pictures of the two of them, keep going to her shows with her band and eat frozen pizza after every gig.
He wanted to keep being with her.
But if she was letting him go, then he had to let her go too.
"I think I can go on living without hearing your bad jokes." Spencer's words lifted Y/N's spirits, who gave him a playful smile.
"Hey! My jokes are the best, last time you laughed for two hours."
"Because it was stupid."
They both laughed, letting the tension of the moment go with the last echo of their laughter.
"So you'll go across the country to make me proud?"
"Yes, I'll go make you proud."
Y/N's arms wrapped around Spencer's body, resting her head in the space of his shoulder and chin.
"I'm glad you didn't make a dumb decision."
Staying here with you isn't a dumb decision, Spencer thought.
They both pulled apart.
"Well, screw the skeleton. Let's go to the library and write your answer."
The girl's small hand imprisoned the boy's large hand, guiding him to the library to write what would be Spencer's fate.
Tumblr media
The flight from California to Washington was five hours.
Five hours where Spencer and Y/N would be separated, and they would have to accept that fate had something different in store for the two of them.
Despite California being a sunny paradise, that day he wanted to keep the two friends company as they said goodbye at the airport.
"You already know my number, you know you can call me whenever you want." Commented the girl, who was in charge of carrying the book she had given him to read during the trip.
"I'm not such a fan of technology, you know that."
"There are pay phones over there too, Spence. It only costs a couple of cents to call me, plus they must have landlines there, and you have my email." The girl stopped in front of the door that separated goodbyes with new beginnings. "And if not, you can send me a letter. You know my address."
"A letter doesn't sound bad at all, in fact, for centuries, it was one of the most widely used means of communication by human civilizations since man began to write and whose importance transcended nations. The oldest courier service ever found was in Egypt in 2400 B.C. and in 1840, Sir Rowland Hill created the first postage stamp, which was called Penny Black, which was a profile drawing of Queen Victoria of England that had the rate 'One Penny' written on it."
"Oh Spence, I'm going to miss your fun facts about absurdly boring things." Commented the girl before she could hug him.
Spencer felt his heart clench.
"I'll miss you listening to me." They both turned in an embrace so tight it could take all the oxygen out of their bodies.
Neither wanted to be the first to say goodbye, neither was ready to leave the other. Their hearts were bound together like puzzle pieces, and just as when you lose one, the puzzle will no longer be complete.
"Now, you must go, your flight is about to leave." Y/N commented, separating from the young man as she wiped away the small tear that escaped from her eyes. "Miss me a lot, huh? And show off how pretty your best friend is."
"Always. Remember that wherever you are, whatever you do or whoever you're with, you'll always be in my heart."
A pout settled in Y/N's mouth, who felt like she was letting a part of her go with Spencer.
"Don't forget about me, because I will never forget about you." Demanded the girl, who was pushing the boy to go for his flight.
"It's impossible for me to forget you, I have an eidetic memory." He said laughing, waving goodbye as he received the book the girl handed him.
The two met in a final embrace, where Spencer could smell the girl's cherry and menthol tobacco scent for the last time.
"Write me!" Y/N vociferated, waving goodbye to the boy who nodded and disappeared behind the airport doors.
Y/N and Spencer didn't know that at that moment fate would place them on trial, causing their paths to diverge for many years until, magically, they would come together again.
“When two souls are meant to meet, fate brings worlds closer, erases distances, joins paths and defies the impossible.” Anonymous.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
@alexa-33 | @ahhhhyesk | @imthefuckingleader | @narmothewraith | @kneelforloki | @niyahwhoreworld | @lexie0037 | @deadunicorn159 | @corpsebridenightamare | @preciousbabypeter | @sakuramadae | @zzz000eee | @runefirestarter | @sebastiansstanswhore | @whateverrrrrrrrs | @xsarcasticwriterx | @chris-seb-marvel | @bellaramseygfsblog | @lillysbigwilly | @dezibou | @astrophileous | @ily2lia | @sophiario | @valenftcrush | @oxace-of-heartsxo | @spencerrxids | @w31rdg1rl | @ineedsomezzz | @yeehawbitchs
Tumblr media
If you like it, don't forget to like and repost it.
a lot of love, alme. ❀
2K notes ¡ View notes
mydear-corinthian ¡ 8 months ago
Text
Defense || John Shelby
Synopsis: Defending John during the ambush of Changretta's men in your home.  Pairing: John Shelby x reader (+ Michael - platonic) Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD ! (season 3 & 4), gun violence, mentions of blood, swearing, injury Notes: There will be some grammatical errors. Click here to find the main masterlist. Click here to find the PEAKY BLINDERS masterlist.
Tumblr media
"Mom, mom, it's Christmas day!", Katie shrugging my shoulders to wake me up. A smile painted on my face just at the sight of my kids. The past few months with John have been challenging. He was held captive for six months and was on the brink death just hours before he was hanged. The good news is that Tommy was able to arrange for his release, though under quite tense circumstances. But Tommy still has my anger because he enabled my spouse to rot in prison. That's why the kids, John, and I are here right now. We've moved out of Small Health and into the country in our new house.
"Alright, Katie. I'm awake .. I'm awake. Happy Christmas," I greeted. I looked around the room and saw that John was nowhere to be found—just the kids and I. When I asked Katie where John was, she replied that he was just making breakfast downstairs. "Thank you, love. Let's go join your Dad now, eh?" I kissed her forehead and joined her to come downstairs.
I met John in the kitchen downstairs, breakfast was already placed on the table. He was in the kitchen, I assume he was still making some hot tea. "Happy Christmas, John," He walked toward me and planted a kiss on my cheek as he said, "Good morning and Happy Christmas, love. I made breakfast. Decided not to make you busy on Christmas day." I laughed at his answer. He gave me a cup of warm tea. He grabbed his metallic pouch full of cigarettes and took one. Lighting it before inhaling the toxic air.
"Bit too early for a puff, darling?", I asked, taking a sip of the tea that John made. "Just want to. Besides, it's Christmas day, y'know," he replied, releasing the air from his cigarette. I shrugged off. It was fine with me since I am a smoker as well plus he's right. It's Christmas.
A car caught my eye as it approached our house. I don't know why, but it felt like a familiar car. The Changretta's are still out there, tracking us one by one. Well- I blame my husband for it.
"John? There's a car coming by our house. We're not expecting visitors.." I looked at the window, moving the curtain a bit with my fingers. John smothered the fire and removed his cigarette right away. He reached for his weapon, which was kept under our kitchen counter table's cabinet. He immediately grabbed my arms. I startled at his touch, I asked nervously, "John, what is it?"
"Get the kids and hide. I'll check who it is," he ordered. My hands found his cheeks as I cupped them. My eyes were slowly filling up with water. "How about you John? I already lost you once and I'm not doing it again."
When his head was already in the noose, I thought I had lost him. awaiting the death angel's arrival to welcome him. I want my children to have a father in their lives. I wish to avoid loneliness. Also, I don't want him to be alone.
"You won't and I'll be back. Just go and hide for me. You understand, (y/n)?" he kissed my lips before going outside. I grabbed the kids immediately, telling them to go to the attic first. My son asked, "What happened, mom?"I got on my knee, now the same height level as my son. I brushed his hair with my finger. "It's nothing to worry about, love. Just go and keep your siblings safe in the attic? I'll be there in a while, okay?" My eldest son nodded in agreement, taking his other siblings up to the attic, and keeping them safe.
I followed John outside. Holding my sheriff gun tightly on my dominant arm.I saw him talking to someone. He put his rifle down, making a conversation with the person. I can't help but be curious and follow him. I sighed in relief, turns out it was only Michael. But that doesn't mean that there's going to be bad news.
"Michael, what are you doing here on Christmas day?" I can't help but ask, I was just beside my husband.
"We need to go now." Michael said.
"To whom?" my husband asked.
"To Tommy. He told me to tell you," he responded.
Fuck. Tommy again. What does he fucking want this time. I can't help but simmer in frustration, my mind fucking with annoyance and exhaustion. After what happened last time, I'm not going to risk my loved ones safety again.
"'Tommy told me' What are you, his fucking parrot?" I argued, my brows knitting together in frustration and in anger. "It's the fucking 'Black Hand'! The mafia! The New York fucking mafia!" Michael debated.
John and I's eyes widened.
The New York fucking mafia? Fucking mafia? Well, fuck us.
John noticed a wagon full of hays stopped exactly in front of our house. 3 men appeared wearing suits and a black hat. Guns out, pointing at the three of us.
"John, no!" Michael shouted but John didn't listen.
John cocked his rifle, shooting the three men. Michael and I did the same. One of their men got hit by our bullets and immediately fell. I was so preoccupied with aiming that I failed to notice that Michael and John had already been wounded and were lying on the ground with blood dripping off of them. I gave them a look. My eyes grew wide with terror and shock. I cried out while squeezing them together. With bullets squeezing his leg, John moaned in pain.
My heart stopped instantly. It seemed as though I was the one going to die. Time and gravity seemed to have stopped. My world came to an end. In front of me, time appeared to be motionless and lacking any sensation of reason or meaning.
Bringing back to my senses, I immediately tore my dress and tied it around my husband's leg, applying pressure to his wound. I did the same thing to Michael too, but John's wounds were much worse than his.
2 men stopped shooting and were heading towards my direction. I grabbed my gun, pointing it at them. "Stay where you are or for God knows what, I'll fucking shoot the both of you." I irritably said.
The two of the men can't help but laugh at what I said. Did I make a fucking joke?
"Very funny. You're a Shelby but you are also a woman. A woman can't shoot! I bet that gun isn't even loaded. How funn-" The man suddenly stopped speaking. His body fell to the ground, blood pooling out of his head. His eyes still opened.
I shot him, directly on the head with no mercy, guilt, and remorse after.
"Well, I'm afraid you lost your bet."
The remaining man was about to shoot me but my actions were more faster than his. I shot him multiple times, emptying the bullet chamber of my gun. "For your information, I shoot better than anyone in the Shelby family. I am a former assassin," you said to the dead bodies in front of you.
Before I left, I said,
"And you don't fuck, with the Peaky Fucking Blinders."
I went back to John and Michael, reassuring both of them that they were dead and that I'd call Tommy and an ambulance right away. John looked at me, and he slowly smiled, "Well that was offensive." I chuckled at his response but hey, it was true. I do shoot better than them. "Stay with me, John. And you too Michael. God doesn't want you guys above there yet."
I ran like there was a race, I reached out for the telephone, calling the hospital to get an ambulance. After that, I called Tommy, rage feeling in every part of my body.
"Black hand, the Mafia, the Changretta's. They were here Tommy. They were fucking here. John and Michael have been shot!"
I hung up the phone and gave it an aggressive touch. I groaned and clutched my hair in a fist. I almost lost my husband again. I quickly made my way to the attic and told my kids they could leave since it was now safe. I told them about their father and uncle while simultaneously assuring them that everything would be alright.
Later on, the ambulances came. They took Michael and John and I went too. The kids stayed with the kids. "Thank you, for backing us up, (y/n). I don't know what to do without you." John thanked me, and his hand grabbed my palm, stroking it with his thumb. I kissed his forehead, muttering an 'I love you'.
"I'm always here, John.
Always."
The End
218 notes ¡ View notes
venomwrites ¡ 7 days ago
Note
I’d love to see a Caitvi fic that explores Vi’s trauma. Maybe her time in stillwater or the events of s2
Warnings: Season 2, Act 2 spoilers. Takes place pre-act 3. Mentions Stillwater trauma, panic attacks and injuries.
“I thought you might be here.”
The rasp of Caitlyn’s voice makes her insides twist, even though Vi clings desperately to the idea that it’s the least of what Caitlyn deserves. The Kiramman banners are hanging all around them like some sick joke. Vi knows she’s ripped these ones in particular down several times. She wants to do it again. 
She can’t stand seeing the Kiramman Crest dangling near Vander’s face. 
“Someone kept tearing down the banners here and setting them on fire,” Caitlyn continues. 
“Couldn’t take the hint then, can’t take it now,” Vi says, clinging to the dull ache of her anger to turn around. Caitlyn’s wrapped herself in a blanket to hide her face, “you forget your dictator cloak?”
Caitlyn immediately looks offended which is borderline funny, considering she looks more like a drowned rat than a dictator or even an Enforcer. She looks like a dumb Topsider. Like everything Vi wanted her to be these past months. Something in Vi curls in shame at the thought but she beats it back. This is how it is. 
“We need to get inside,” she says. 
“I’m good, thanks,” Vi retorts, turning back to the statute. 
She’d heard rumors of it when she was in Stillwater. People protected it, it was where you went after a long night so your friends could scrape you off the sidewalk. It was safe. If you found Vander, you were safe. The thought makes her throat burn as she tries to shove out the sound of that roar. 
She doesn’t even hear Caitlyn coming until her hand lands on her shoulder. 
When she twists to strike back Caitlyn’s other hand is there, easily blocking her. Anger ignites at the insulting ease of it. She doesn’t even fully think before she cracks her head into Caitlyn’s arrogant cheek. Whoever’s trained Caitlyn is good because she doesn’t reel back, she turns and twists and Vi has to sink to keep her feet on the ground. Her chest aches as it tears but she doesn’t give a shit. She’s had worse.
“Hey!” There’s a loud clap of a voice that makes them both freeze, “no fighting at Vander’s Statute!”
Caitlyn’s touch burns worse than her chest. Vi rips herself free and staggers back. The big hulking guy looks at her and his face contorts in confusion before it settles on a glare Vi would love to knock off. He folds his arms and waits to see what she’s going to do.
“Yeah we’re done,” Vi snarls.
“The rules—“
“I know the fucking rules! Fuck off!” 
“Melting bitch.”
Vi starts after him. Forget Caitlyn, forget the statute, it’s going to feel great to beat him until her knuckles split. And then beat the bag at home. Until she’s too exhausted to think straight and the ghosts can’t find her. It’ll be so fucking great. 
“Vi,” Caitlyn’s face swims in front of her like it always does when she’s about to make a good decision. 
“Move, fucking buzzkill,” she says, waiting for it to turn into someone else. 
Except Caitlyn doesn’t, she just clucks her tongue in a way that only actual Caitlyn manages to do. Vi realizes the guy is gone. It’s just her, Caitlyn and the stupid statute. There’s no fighting here but she can’t quite stop herself from jumping up, grabbing one of those stupid banners and yanking it down so it falls on top of Caitlyn’s stupid head. 
“That’s a great use of your time,” Caitlyn scolds, yanking the banner down, “you’re bleeding again.”
“Like I give a shit,” Vi snaps. 
“Well, I do,” Caitlyn says like it’s somehow easy to say that. Like that undoes the past months and all the shit that came before that.
“Well sucks to be you,” Vi snarls, “I’ve been down here for months. Wasn’t a problem for you then. So go back to the safe house or wherever you’re going and fuck off.”
Caitlyn doesn’t retort and Vi wishes she would. Vi knows how to fight. She’s good at fighting—at all of it. Including getting her ass kicked. She doesn’t want to be standing out here in the rain with Caitlyn and hear her sorry attempt at amends. She keeps staring at Vander’s statute and thinks abut his letter to Silco. About how things could have been so much different. 
Caitlyn is still there when she turns around. 
“Where’s the stupid safe house?”
She hates asking but her head is starting to swim. Caitlyn gives her a look and then turns. Thankfully not saying anything as she leads them down several alleyways. If it had been months ago Vi would have been mildly impressed. Now it just pisses her off. Caitlyn gets them indoors and discards her cloak as Vi tries to get her head to catch up with her feet. 
“You’re burning up,” Caitlyn mutters. 
“I’m fine,” Vi says, wishing her voice didn’t sound so breathless, “it’s just a cold—“ Caitlyn slaps her hand on the back of her forehead and fuck that feels good, “m’fine.”
Maybe if she’s agreeable Caitlyn will keep her perfect hand there. Just for a moment. But life’s not fair so it goes away leaving Vi reeling. A different hand presses against her chest and the ocean threatens to swallow her again. They’re going to hold her down, hold her against the chair—
“Vi,” Caitlyn’s face swims into view as the hand shifts to grip her shoulder, “we’re going to go to bed.”
“Don’t tempt me,” she says. 
Caitlyn rolls her eyes and Vi stays conscious just long enough to see the concern in them.
Next thing she knows, she wakes to the soft sound of sobbing. 
Vi pries an eye open to see Caitlyn sitting in the chair, face buried in her hands and shoulders shaking. She’s weeping in a way that feels like someone’s reached into Vi’s insides and knotted them. She tries to tell her to stop but her sandpaper mouth won’t let her form words. Just a thready sound that makes everything hurt worse.
“Vi?”
Well it’s fucking effective at least. 
Caitlyn ineffectively wipes her face and then one hand is under her neck and another is tipping water down her throat. She gently lays he head back and it makes that funny thing happen to Vi’s insides again. Caitlyn peers at her anxiously, which would be adorable if it wasn’t so fucking weird. Vi’s used to curling up in a dark hole when she’s sick, not having someone tipping water down her throat. 
The next time she opens her eyes she’s much clearer in the head. Caitlyn is by the table laying out things and jumps up when she sees Vi is awake. 
“That for me?”
“Yes, for your chest.”
Vi can’t stand the idea of laying down and makes her way over to where Caitlyn is standing.
Catilyn opens the bottle of antiseptic and it smells like safety. 
Caitlyn glances up at her and then immediately goes back to her chest. It stings like that shit always does but that’s a small price to pay. She barely hears Caitlyn mutter a swear with her still raspy throat, but it’s enough to make her glance down to see her eyes are full of tears. Again. 
“It’s not that bad,” Vi says, wishing she would stop, “this is nothing.”
Caitlyn drops the antiseptic like she’s been struck and gets up. 
“This is weird, even for you,” Vi says slowly, “Cupcake?” She tries. 
“I had to wave that bottle under your nose to get you to calm down,” Caitlyn says, “and I realized—“ she looks like she might be sick, “the infirmary was the only place that was safe for you.”
Vi’s mouth goes dry at the accusation and the truth. Caitlyn’s a crack shot and makes stupid choices and Vi’s been reminding herself how much she fucking sucks for the past few months. But Caitlyn figured out so much without even setting foot down here. She’s smart. In the same way Powder is, though Vi knows she’d get slapped by both of them for even thinking it. Smart in a way that Vi has never fully been able to comprehend. Though she’s got no problem comprehending how much she hates the look on Caitlyn’s face. 
“It’s in the past,” she says.
“Don’t—“
“Don’t what?” she demands, “talk about this with you? What do we have to say? You’re the one in charge here, you’ve got everything from Stillwater,” Caitlyn turns away. It’s a cold, awful feeling that Caitlyn probably now knows more about her time in Stillwater than even Vi does, “there’s nothing to talk about,” and because Caitlyn opens her mouth Vi throws in, “nothing to talk about with you.”
It’s not like it’s the first time she’s patched herself up. Sure as hell won’t be the last. But it’s easier to focus on this than Caitlyn’s beautiful, stupid face. It’s just the first wrap that’s the hardest. And the weird trouble she’s having focusing isn’t making it any easier. When hands touch the bandages she has to remember the smell of antiseptic to remind herself she’s safe. 
“Hold still,” Caitlyn says, “this will be faster if I do it.”
Vi wishes she wasn’t right. But she stands still as Caitlyn winds the bandages around her chest. She tries not to touch her but it’s bandages and skin. Every time her nails brush her, Vi feels pinpricks. Like getting tattooed all over again. She can’t even imagine what the state of her tattoo is. She starts when Caitlyn brings the bandages over her shoulder. 
“What are you—“
“They won’t stay otherwise,” she says and Vi wishes she didn’t have a point. 
Even though she’s angry, it doesn’t feel bad to have Caitlyn behind her wrapping her up. It feels so not-bad that she almost starts talking when she feels her pull away. It’s for the best, the farther Caitlyn is away the less it’ll hurt when this inevitably happens again. 
“Here,” Caitlyn appears in front of her with a handful of cloth.
“What’s this?”
“A shirt.”
“I’m good,” Vi says.
Even red eyed and snot nosed, Caitlyn manages to look prim and offended at her refusal. 
“You cannot walk around wearing bandages for a shirt.”
“No,” Vi says, clinging to the spark of anger Caitlyn is so fucking good at igniting in her chest “you can’t tell me what to do.”
“You’re being ridiculous. You cannot shoot down everything I say because I am the one saying it,” Caitlyn says hotly and Vi wishes she would shut off that brilliant brain of hers for five seconds and let her have the win, “just wear the stupid shirt!”
“Make me!”
“You sound like a child!” Caitlyn erupts and there’s something viciously triumphant about managing to piss her off finally. 
“Well you killed enough of them to know!” 
“And who helped me?!” 
The next thing Vi knows they’re both on the ground. She’s straddling Caitlyn with her stupid precious shirt balled in one fist and the other is buried into the wood next to Caitlyn’s eye. Of course there’s already drops of blood on Caitlyn’s cheek but Vi knows it’s her own. She can barely feel the burning of her chest wound anymore through the fire in her veins. 
“Do it!” Caitlyn barks.
Gods Vi wants to. Caitlyn wants her to. She deserves it, she fucking does. But that thing in Vi’s chest that sounds like Vander and his regrets is screaming. And she just—she fucking can’t. Angry horror paints Caitlyn’s face when she drops her shirt and suddenly Vi finds herself on her back, Caitlyn on top of her panting. She looks down at her limp hands and a strangled, frustrated noice that Vi’s never heard comes out. 
“Come on damn you! Do it!” 
Caitlyn’s desperation is more cutting than anything Vi could have imagined. In her mind, Caitlyn is always laughing and towering over her. Always just out of reach of any punch she might throw. And every fucking time she throws one and her fist hits air or someone else, she feels something sickeningly close to relief. No, relief is the word for it, it’s what she feels with her fist aching from the wood instead of Caitlyn’s soft skin. Caitlyn makes a wordless, wounded noise of disappointment and goes to shove off her. 
And Vi doesn’t let her. 
For a moment Caitlyn looks hopeful Vi’s going to hit her but then she realizes she’s just not going to let her go. Yeah Caitlyn’s got her fancy Noxian training but she has yet to learn the thing that saved Vi’s life more times than she’s proud to admit. Dead weight. Her ear rings when Caitlyn yells again and she has just enough in her to clap her hand over her mouth. 
“You’re going to get us both killed,” she mutters and that at least kind of shuts Caitlyn up. 
“Get off me,” Caitlyn spits. 
“Not until you calm down,” Vi snaps. Caitlyn bucks and tries to shift her off but it’s useless. Finally she stops struggling and just lays there panting, “there, was that so hard?”
“You’re unbelievable,” Caitlyn spits, pushing herself up. 
“I’m not the one who was just begging to get punched,” Vi counters. 
“How am I supposed to make this right if you won’t even punch me?” Caitlyn demands. 
“You’re asking me?” Vi demands incredulously. Caitlyn rolls her eyes and it might be the first funny thing Vi’s heard in a long time. She doesn’t fully mean to laugh but she can’t quite help herself at the idea of Caitlyn asking her for advice on making things right, “you might as well ask me for dinner party advice.” 
That gets at least a slight smile out of Caitlyn and for some reason, that makes her laugh harder. Vi knows it’s not that funny but it actually is. Tear-inducing funny, actually, if the wetness from her eyes is any indication. And the way she can’t quite catch her breath. 
“I mean, I couldn’t even make things right with Powder and that was like the one thing that kept me going,” she says, “Powder found me. After all that—can you believe it? Isn’t that just the funniest fucking—“ 
Actually it’s so funny she might be sick. 
She thought she was off the ocean. 
“Vi,” Caitlyn’s voice swims to her from somewhere far away. Her fingertips are more calloused now as they brush under her cheekbones. It’s a lifeline, though it’s probably going to cut her hands open. But she grabs it, feeling air back in her lungs as long as she follows the breathing she can feel, “that’s it, come on, another one.” The smell of the infirmary hits her nose, she’s safe. Right, she’s safe, “that’s it.”
When she’s aware again Caitlyn is crouched in front of her, one hand on her cheek and the other with the bottle of antiseptic shoved under her nose. Vi jerks back and Caitlyn lets her. Right, they’re in the safe house. And she’s managed to rip open her chest again. The red matches the hair she sees swimming in her gaze.
“What happened to my hair?” 
Caitlyn seems to sag with relief but bristles under her accusatory glare. 
“Did you—“
“No!” Caitlyn says, “you didn’t dye it properly. It washed out.”
“Shit,” is all she can think to say, “hey I ‘dyed it properly’, the stuff was just crap. Fucking bartering.”
“Why didn’t you wait until you had money to do it properly?”
The anger almost ignites but it’s a dull, angry spark instead of the inferno that’s comforted her. Of course Caitlyn would think she was changing her look because of some reason like that. Probably what everyone thought.
“Everyone was looking for a red headed Enforcer,” she says. Caitlyn stares at her, “did that not occur to you when you left me there?”
“No, God—“ Vi braces for more explanations and excuses. Maybe those will get the anger going and they can get back to rolling around on the floor, “I wasn’t thinking of anything,” Caitlyn looks queasy, “I was out of my mind.”
The anger’s not coming and the weariness is also back. It’s comfortable on the floor though, so she doesn’t try to move. Her fingers turn over the antiseptic bottle. It’s weird to think it’s the first time she’s ever held something that smells so comforting. It blows her mind to think how many bottles they probably went through. And even then wounds were underrated. 
“Not anymore.”
Shit, Vi realizes she must have said some of it aloud. She glances over at Caitlyn who is staring down at her hands. 
“What—“
“I ordered all prisoners to be treated promptly for everything,” she says and Vi can’t quite believe her ears, “I forbid anyone from using the bottom levels.”
The mention of them makes Vi’s breath catch. She focuses on the bottle, only the bottle and shoves those memories where they belong. She can usually keep herself out of the cell but she’s bad at keeping herself out of the hallway. And the jeering voices as she was dragged there over and over again. The idea of that corridor being silent is unfathomable. 
“You shut it down?” She says, not believing her ears, “why?”
“No-one belonged down there,” she says. Vi still finds it hard to wrap her head around what she’s saying, “Except Dr. Reveck.” 
The name makes Vi want to vomit. She doesn’t want to think about him or what he did to Vander. How Vander got from Vander to that—that thing. Because if she thinks about it, then she starts to feel like she’s going to cry. And she can’t fucking do that right now. 
“Good,” she says, scrubbing her face. She looks down at her chest, “can you—“
“Yes, yes of course.”
Caitlyn looks almost relieved at having something to do. Vi feels so spent, she knows she shouldn’t but she lets herself focus only on where Caitlyn’s hands brush her skin. Caitlyn’s too focused on what she’s doing anyway to notice. It feels—almost nice. Maybe she can just have this moment. Before she’s sure everything’s going to go to shit again. 
“Pass me the shirt,” she says finally. 
Caitlyn lets out a shaky breath and hands her the fabric. It was definitely cleaner however long ago that was, but it works. Of course it’s expensive, soft and feels nice against the skin. Vi wants to rally against it but it feels nice. And Caitlyn looks so fucking sad. So she just gives her a nod of thanks. 
“Let me see your throat.” 
Caitlyn’s head whips towards her. Vi rolls her eyes at the surprise on her face and motions when she opens her mouth. Caitlyn looks around as though struggling with the decision but ultimately relents. She walks over slowly and sits in font of her, reaching up and undoing the cravat band with a wince she thinks she hides. 
The bruises are spectacular, even by Vi’s standards. 
“Robo fingers did a number on you,” she says. Caitlyn shrugs as Vi gets up and over to the icebox. There’s little in there but there’s enough for her to toss some into a spare towel. She can see the objection on Caitlyn’s face.
“I’m—“
“It’ll make this all better,” she challenges.
Caitlyn goes red but takes the ice. Vi goes to the cabinets. 
“You’re going to use that a lot, aren’t you?” Caitlyn asks quietly. 
“Only when you’re being stupid,” Vi says. 
“I am—“
“I said being, not that you are,” she replies, “that’s what makes it so frustrating. Here.”
Caitlyn stares at the spoon of honey. Vi gives it a wiggle and Caitlyn huffs but takes it, putting the syrup into her mouth. Vi knows shit about taking care of people, but something feels not awful about Caitlyn sitting there with the spoon hanging out of her lips and the ice pack pressed to her neck. 
Despite everything she doesn’t want to see Caitlyn hurt. 
It’s an odd comfort but the truth of it seeps into her bones. Like a pulse. Like the thing Vander always used to say. Protect the family. Protect. For so long the only things Vi had to protect were herself and the hope that Powder was out there somewhere. Everything has gone upside down and then somehow back to that again and now to whatever this is. 
“The antiseptic thing was smart,” she says. She hears Caitlyn suck in a breath, “I don’t want to fight right now,” she looks around, “I’m—I’m going to Vander’s statue again.”
The air feels nice as she climbs up. It’s not raining anymore, just overcast. It’s almost nice. Vi hesitates for a moment and then realizes she’s waiting to hear if the door is going to open behind her. It’s so stupid. She shoves her hands into her pockets and glances around for landmarks before heading back out. Waiting was so stupid. 
Though not nearly as stupid as the relief she feels when she hears Caitlyn’s stumbling feet. 
“You still navigate this place like a Topsider.” 
“Shut up. It’s the blanket.” 
Vi can’t help the snort at the threadbare blanket Caitlyn’s using as a cloak. There’s a twitch of Caitlyn’s lips in response before she shakes her head and tightens the knot. It’d be safer for her to be back in the safe house. Or for Vi to be there with her. 
But they press on anyway and somehow, Vi thinks, the road ahead seems less daunting then it did a moment ago. 
The statute is harder to see in the daylight. But Vi forces herself to look. It’s hard to think that Vander is laying twisted somewhere far away. It makes this statute feel wrong somehow. And also right. Vi doesn’t understand if this is how she is supposed to remember him or should it be the beast below who recognized her. Who turned into that snarling, lava thing that roared and screamed and makes her head spin to think about it. 
The ripping sounds draws her attention. 
There would be something funny about this situation if it wasn’t so weird. Caitlyn doesn’t need to jump nearly as high to get the banner and rip it down. Vi watches as she yanks it down and balls it up. Now it looks like Vander is just tilting his head up, not looking at Caitlyn’s banner. 
“Thanks,” Vi says. Caitlyn nods, “they’re not as bad—“
“They’re horrible,” Caitlyn says, “I didn’t want them,” she elaborate, something mournful in her tone. 
“We’ll get them down,” Vi says. 
Caitlyn looks at her with surprise and Vi shrugs. Sure it might make more sense to keep lines drawn. But it’s one of the first things she’s said that she doesn’t want to immediately take back. Caitlyn opens her mouth and then closes it, nodding before Vi can prod an answer out of her. 
“Thank you.” 
“Don’t—“
Vi shuts up when she realizes it wasn’t her Caitlyn was talking to. She has no idea where Caitlyn got a candle from. Vi thinks for a moment that seeing fire near him is going to cripple her, but it doesn’t. It’s not the fire he died in. It’s like the fire he used to light their home. Or his pipe. No-one around here knows what happened except them. She watches as Caitlyn lights the candle and puts it near his feet, stepping back and lowering her head. 
Because Caitlyn met him. 
The realization brings her to the ground. All the shit that happened and the second Vi said she was there to protect her dad, Caitlyn was on board. When Caitlyn got those bruises she was protecting her dad. They met and somehow that means more to Vi than she can put into words. 
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“
“No,” she cuts her off and tries to wipe her face away, “it’s nice. It’s—“ she doesn’t know how to say what she wants, “at least you got to meet him.”
“I’m so glad I did,” Caitlyn says and the sincerity in her voice unlocks something deep and yawning in her chest. 
“He wasn’t a monster.”
“I know,” Caitlyn assures her.
“They’re going to find him and think--“ she gasps, “Cait—“
“It’s alright,” Caitlyn’s voice is steady as she touches her face, “we’ll find him first.”
“But—“
“We’ll go back,” she says, “I’ll send out search parties and we’ll find him.”
“It’s too late—“ Vi starts, shaking her head. 
Something hardens across Caitlyn’s face and before Vi can stop her she shoves back her hood, sticks her fingers in her lip and lets out the loudest whistle Vi’s ever heard. Immediately two Enforcers are running at them and practically trip over themselves at the sight. 
“General Kiramman!” They both immediately salute. 
“We need immediate transportation topside,” she says, blocking Vi from them as she tries to scrape together something resembling control.
“Yes, General.”
“And assemble two garrisons for immediate dispatch,” she glances around, “and see these banners are removed from this square.”
There’s more Enforcers coming. Caitlyn can’t hide her forever. Vi looks up at Vander and his hope and the candle Caitlyn’s left. She finds her feet and steps besides Caitlyn. The confused look the Enforces give shouldn’t bug her nearly as much as it does. 
“General? What about her?”
“I’m with her,” Vi says.
Caitlyn stares at her for a moment and things seem to go soft and quiet. Again, Vi finds the words easier to say than she expects. They feel right. Even though she’s got snot coming out of her nose and Caitlyn is standing there making a blanket look like a fashion statement. Caitlyn ducks her head and then her eyes narrow. 
“What are you all staring at? You have your orders! Let’s move!”
So Vi lifts one foot and, with Caitlyn by her side, she moves. 
68 notes ¡ View notes