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[kodaswrld]

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[chronicwitch96]

Courage & Blue

[navybrat817]

Hold You Tight: Part 1

Pairing: Club Owner!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Fic Summary: The owner of The 107th wants you to be his girl whether you like it or not.

Series Masterlist | Part 2

Chapter Summary: You encounter an unexpected visitor in your home.

Chapter Word Count: Over 2.8k

Chapter Warnings: DARK AU, breaking and entering, stalking, coercion, threats (not against reader), creepy and unhinged behavior, flashback, possessiveness, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?), more warnings to come.

A/N: Welcome to the Turn It Up AU! Thanks to @starlightcrystalline for helping bringing this unhinged Bucky to life and @targaryenvampireslayer and @tavners for the support. Bucky edit by the beautiful @nixakimbo. ❤️ Beta read by the lovely @whisperlullaby , but any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @firefly-graphics . Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

You yawned as you flipped on the light switch in your apartment and set the keys on the table. It was early, but you were ready to settle in for the night after a busy shift. Maybe you could make a cup of tea and curl up with a book to unwind after dinner. Or maybe even a nice, hot bath and a glass of wine.

If only Addison could hear your thoughts now. She’d tease you for not living it up and enjoying the single life. Nothing new.

Your mouth fell open as you walked into the living room, but no sound came out as you skidded to a stop. Your heart nearly burst out of your chest and plummeted to your stomach at the same time as your phone fell from your hand. It was like you couldn't breathe. Because a man was sitting on your sofa.

And you lived alone.

“What…” you exhaled, no louder than a whisper.

The man didn't speak as he stared at you. He didn't even blink. The staring contest gave you a moment to take in his appearance. Intimidating even though he was sitting, his dark suit looked tailored to perfection on his broad frame. Dark brown hair framed his face and matched the stubble on his face, with the exception of a few gray hairs. The dangerous glint in his hard blue eyes did little to put you at ease, but there was something soft there as well.

In any other circumstance, you would've said he was handsome.

You bent down to pick up your phone before he let out a tsk, a subtle warning for you not to try anything. “Who are you? Why are you in my home?” You asked as you straightened up, hoping your tone didn't betray how terrified you were.

Nothing looked out of place. If he was there to rob you, there wasn't much worth taking. While you weren't struggling, you were far from rich.

He smirked and leaned back further into the cushion, his eyes roving over your body. You hadn't noticed right away, but the hand draped on the back of the sofa appeared to be metal. Or was it a glove? He didn't have to stand for you to know he was larger than you. If things got physical, you wouldn't stand a chance.

“Okay…” If he wasn't going to give you any sort of answer or clue as to who he was or why he was there, you’d just leave. You could go to a neighbor’s place or Addison’s to call the cops. But he didn't seem to like it when you took a step back since he pinned you with a glare and crooked his finger, beckoning you to go to him.

Your legs wobbled with the first step, but you righted yourself as you continued to move forward. If he noticed your misstep, he didn't acknowledge it. You swallowed, worried that bile would rise to your throat from how sick you felt when you stopped in front of him. That feeling only grew when he leaned in to grip your waist and roughly pulled you toward him.

A scream escaped this time around, but his hand clamped over your mouth to smother the sound. The cold fear that trickled down your spine would stick with you for days to come as he pulled you onto his lap and shook his head with another tsk. There was no mistaking the evident lust in his gaze as his eyes bore into yours.

What was he going to do to you?

You put your hands on his shoulders to push yourself away, but the hand on your hip held you tighter. You squirmed in his lap before you brushed against the outline of his cock, your body stiffening when he let out a low groan. With wide eyes, you decided moving wasn't a wise decision.

“Keep moving your hips if you want, but don't scream again,” he warned, his deep voice rumbling from his chest as you breathed through your nose. “There’s time for that later.”

Blood rushed to your ears as your heart pounded faster. You wished you could've stopped the tears from filling your eyes, but you weren't that strong. Was he going to hurt you? Kill you? If so, why?

The brunette cooed as a tear slid down your cheek. “I’m not going to hurt you, okay? But I will gag you if I remove my hand and you scream again,” he promised, his tone lighter than a moment ago. “Blink once if you promise not to scream.”

You blinked, another tear falling from your eye.

A pleased look crossed his face when he removed his hand and you complied. “Good girl,” he whispered and you ignored the new kind of shiver that rolled down your spine. “I didn't mean to startle you, but I couldn't wait any longer to see you.”

You exhaled as he used his thumb to wipe the tears away, your body still stiff as you focused on trying to stay calm. Couldn't wait to see you? You had never seen this man before in your life. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“My name is Bucky Barnes. And don't worry. I already know your name.” He smirked as he rested his hand on your cheek. You managed not to flinch at his calloused touch. “Did you have fun at my club?”

Confusion flickered in your gaze. “What?”

“My club, The 107th. I own it. Did you have fun?” He asked again, looking at you expectantly.

The 107th was the most luxurious and expensive nightclub in the city. Chic and glamorous in design with a friendly staff who waited on people hand and foot, you felt like royalty as you hung out in the VIP section. The upscale venue wasn't one you frequented often. In fact, you had only been once.

For Addison’s bachelorette party.

“Y-Yeah,” you replied, still confused as to what he wanted. “It’s a nice club.”

He hummed, his thumb brushing across your trembling lip. “I’m glad to hear it, but you didn't seem to have as much ‘fun’ as your friends. Did you?”

You nursed your drink as you gazed out at the dancefloor from your seat. The place was packed, the strobe lights flashing over the crowd in various hues as they grinded to the beat. You adjusted the hem of your short black dress as you debated going out to dance. You decided against it since you weren't looking to hook up.

“Come on! Another shot!” Addison yelled, adjusting her tiara on her head. She was lucky the “bride to be” sash was still on straight. “Shot, shot, sh-sh-sh-shot!”

You giggled as she plopped down beside you. “I did a shot. I'm fine,” you hollered back.

Your best friend grumbled something you couldn't make out as she put her head on your shoulder. “But you aren't even driving.”

“I don't want to deal with a hangover tomorrow,” you argued, thanking the server as she brought another bottle.

“Ugh. If you won't drink, at least get laid,” Addison whined a little. “You're wearing a slutty black dress and everything.”

You looked around at the group. Addison was the only one in white since she was the bride. Everyone else wore black. They looked great, but you weren't dressed to get any sort of attention.

“Yeah! Get fucked!” Dana shouted.

“Is that encouragement or an insult?” You teased, glancing at the small blinking light in the corner of the VIP section. You didn't notice it before.

“Raise your hand if you think our girl should get laid!” Addison announced, raising her hand high and spilling some of her drink on the seat. “Whoops.”

The group raised their hands as you attempted to clean up the small mess. “I’m not hooking up with anyone tonight,” you said to their disappointment. “This night isn't about me and my love life.”

“Your love life? Babe, it doesn't exist!” Addison grabbed your left hand and held it up to stare at your bare ring finger. “I don't get it. You're the only one not engaged or married yet. And you're, like, the sweetest one in our group. And you're so pretty! It’s not fair that you don't have a man. You deserve one.”

“And sex!” Dana chimed in. “You deserve lots of sex!”

You gently pulled your hand away and pushed down the sadness that surfaced at the reminder that you were the only single one left of your friends. You didn't know why you hadn't met the right one yet. It wasn't like your standards were too high and you were a good, loyal partner. You wouldn't say you were supermodel gorgeous, but you were pretty. You knew how to have a good time.

Right?

Addison's lip wobbled when she saw the look on your face. “Hey, hey, hey. I’m sorry. I didn't mean anything by it,” she rambled, hugging you from the side. “I just want you to have what Brady and I have. I want someone to love you.”

Guilt crept in before you shook your head and flashed your best smile. You know she wasn't trying to make you feel bad and you didn't want to ruin her night. “And one day, I will. Someone will love me the way Brady loves you and I’ll love him, too,” you assured her, giving the other girls a shrug and wishing they'd stop with the pitying stares. “Shots?”

“Shots!”

Your eyes briefly went back to the blinking light before you put a small smile back on your face. Addison was having fun and that was what mattered. You could worry about yourself and your feelings tomorrow.

“I’m sorry, but did my friends and I do something wrong?” You asked, dodging his question. You booked and paid for the section well in advance. Your group danced around in the area, and behaved overall and kept to yourselves. The server got a nice tip at the end of the night.

So what was the matter?

“Not at all,” he said, tilting his head. “I’m just sorry I couldn't introduce myself to you that night.”

“I don't understand. You broke into my home just so you could introduce yourself to me?” You asked as he traced small circles on your hips, the motion making your head spin a little. “How do you even know where I live?”

He chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, before he got serious again. “I have my ways. And I can be a little intense and forward at times, but you’ll get used to it,” he said, your eyes wide again. What was wrong with this man?

“Okay, Bucky,” you said slowly, seeing something wicked flash in his eyes when you said his name. “Being intense and forward doesn't excuse breaking into my home. And since my friends and I didn't do anything wrong at your club and you formally introduced yourself, I think it's time for you to leave.”

A second passed before he shook his head. “No, doll. It’s time for you to get the love life and man you deserve.”

Fingers brushed your throat as you struggled to take your next breath. “What did you say?”

“I'm going to take you out to dinner tomorrow so you can get to know me and you’re going to wear the dress I bought for you,” he explained as if he didn't hear you, nodding toward the hall. “It’s waiting for you in your bedroom and, yes, it’s your size.”

How did this man have the nerve and how long had he been in your place? “You went into my room? You-”

“And I bought you that perfume you recently ran out of. I know how much you love it. I know everything about you,” he continued, running his nose along your neck as your blood ran cold. “Oh, we’re going to have so much fun together.”

You moved back, desperate to get away as your stomach twisted. He didn't let you get far, easily yanking you close again. How did he know anything about you? How did you catch his eye?

The blinking light in the corner of the VIP section …

“And if I say no?”

Bucky pulled back, his eyes calculating as he studied you. “I’m not going to force you into going out with me. It’s your choice to say yes or no, but I want you to think carefully about that choice.”

Dread pooled in your gut. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I obviously know where you live and I can get in and out undetected,” he pointed out. You wondered now if this was the first time he had been in your place. “I also know where your friend Addison and her fiancé, Brady, live.”

A wounded sound escaped at the thought of anything happening to your friends. “Please, leave them alone.”

“And the shop you work at, I know where it’s located. Those floral arrangements you make are stunning. Your boss even gave you a raise recently. You should be proud,” he smiled.

Your eyes watered again. The man was certifiably insane. Maybe this was a sick joke or a bad dream. Soon you'd wake up in your bed.

But the iron grip on your body reminded you that this was very real.

He waved a hand dismissively. “But we both know you’ll make the right choice because you're a good girl… a smart girl,” he said like he hadn't just threatened your friends or livelihood. “Just take the night to think it over. Have a glass of wine and draw yourself a nice bath while you do.”

He surprised you by moving you from his lap to the sofa. His hands and eyes lingered on you momentarily before he released you and stood up. Towering over you, he gave you a tender smile as he buttoned his jacket.

“I’m going to lock the door behind me when I leave and I’ll be back tomorrow at 7pm so you can give me your answer. And if you try and tell anyone I was here tonight, I’ll know about it,” he said, grasping your chin when you tried to look away. “It’s taking all of my control not to drag you to bed, but I can wait a little longer.”

Fear prickled the back of your neck as you tensed up. “You couldn't just ask me out like a normal person?”

You almost regretted asking when he narrowed his eyes, but he huffed out a laugh. “Where's the fun in that?” He winked as you shrank back in your seat. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. I won't hurt you. And you know what? I just thought of something. You still need a plus one for the wedding. I’m free. I’ll get a suit to match your bridesmaids’ dress. We’ll look perfect together. And Addison will be so happy that you aren't going alone.”

His tone was light and happy like it was a suggestion and not an order, but the ferocity in his gaze had you trembling. “Why are you doing this?” You asked above a whisper.

“Because I want you and I get what I want,” he said as a matter of fact, releasing your chin. “Like I said, it's time for you to get the love you deserve. And I know you'll give it to me in return.”

It was like your spirit floated out of your body as he bent down to kiss your forehead. You couldn't move or speak. Was this what shock felt like? Or was it complete and utter fear?

You stared ahead as he picked up your phone and unlocked it with your passcode. He knew that, too? “Can’t leave without giving you my phone number,” he smiled, putting his information in before he set the device down. You didn't respond. Once he was gone you could scream and cry. But you wouldn't give him the satisfaction of breaking down in front of him. “I’ll be back tomorrow night, 7pm. Get some rest. You'll need it.”

Even as he left you alone and locked the door behind him as promised, you didn't move from your spot as tears streamed down your cheeks. You didn't dare go to your bedroom to see the gifts he left for you, your hand shaking as you wiped at your face. The scent of his cologne lingered, as did his touch. It was like his shadow covered you, leaving you cold and afraid. Your home was no longer safe.

You weren't safe.

With his subtle threat looming over your head, you’d have no choice but to go out with him. Maybe he’d get bored of you quickly and move on. Or maybe not. You had no way of knowing. All you knew was that your average life was upheaved by the owner of The 107th.

And you were going to be his girl whether you liked it or not.

Bucky isn't wasting time. Where is he taking you on your first date? Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[burts-baked-bees]

Okay?

OPLA Sanji x Fem!Reader

{masterlist for OPLA Sanji ongoing story}

Tags: Slight angst to fluff, slight pining, Sanji and reader are close friends and have truama bonded, Sanji has no clue he's in love with reader the poor sap

CW: Launguage, mentions of abuse, slight WCI spoliers, mentions of drinking

“I swear I’m one shift away from throwing myself in the godforsaken ocean.” Sanji huffed angrily as he threw himself down in a nearby booth. The Baratie had cleared out for the night leaving the cooks to clean the line and the waiters to clean the dining room, but halfway through the dreaded cleanup Sanji had both metaphorically and physically thrown in the towel. The dish cloth he had been holding went flying across the room as he put his feet up on the booth he was in and groaned indignantly.

“That old shitbag won’t so much as let me breathe on the line! I’m a cook! Not a fucking waiter!” He yelled, turning his head back towards the kitchen, as if Zeff could hear his complaints.

“You think maybe it has something to do with the fact that you call him an ‘old shitbag’?” A voice came from the other side of his booth. A small smile curled his lips as he sat up some and peeked over the rounded edge of the red leather seat.

“Oh I’m sorry, did I interrupt your nap time madame?” Sanji laughed as he took in the sight of Y/n laying on her back with her eyes closed in the opposite booth. “So sorry for the inconvenience, but aren’t you meant to be cleaning tables?” He teased as Y/n cracked an eye open and glared at him.

“Aren’t you?” She asked with a sly grin, earning an eye roll and angry huff from the blonde.

“Seems the only thing I’m meant to do is slowly die from boredom in this trash heap of a restaurant.” Sanji sighed as he fell back into his seat, pulling out his lighter and messing with the lid. Y/n laughed softly before sitting up and resting her arms on the dividing seat. She placed her head atop her arms and looked at him with a mock pout.

“Awww is the best chef in the East Blue all bummed that his dad doesn't like his cooking? Again?”

Sanji snapped his lighter closed and raised a finger at Y/n, pointing aggressively at her with a snarl.

“I am the greatest chef in the East Blue. Even if that geezer can’t see it.” He stated, earning a chuckle from Y/n as she sat up and raised her hands in surrender.

“Easy now, no need to shout at a lady.” She cooed as Sanji chuckled and gave her an angry smile, hanging his head.

“How dare you throw my own principles back in my face.” He chuckled as he began fidgeting with the silver ring on his finger. Y/n sighed and rested her chin on her folded arms again, smiling softly at the mop of blonde hair in front of her. She reached over the divider and brushed some of his hair from his face, earning a soft hum from Sanji as he closed his eyes.

“I think we both know he’s only doing and saying these things because he wants the best for you. Though I’ll be the first to admit, his way of going about it is absolute shit.” She laughed as she watched his lips curl into a smile. He looked up at her, her fingers brushing against his cheek as he moved.

“Yeah, I know…” He sighed as he leaned his head back against the wall. She pulled her hand back and looked at him with sympathetic eyes. “But you're a stowaway as much as me.” Sanji joked, “And yet I’m the one being treated like a sniveling child every fucking time I step foot in that kitchen.” He huffed as he looked over at her through his bangs. She chuckled as she hung her arms over the back of his booth and cocked her head to the side.

“My dumbass thought I could be a pirate and got stuck here paying off a debt cuz’ my ship damaged the hull of this ‘trash heap of a restaurant’.” She fired back, using his own words. He opened his mouth to speak but soon closed it again as he shook his head.

“Yeah that was pretty dumb.” Sanji joked as he pulled his jacket off and tossed it to the seat beside him. Y/n gawked at him before laughing and reaching forward to hit him softly on the shoulder. He leaned away from her and shouted

“Oi! Don’t damage the goods!”

She looked at him with mocking wide eyes and barked a laugh,

“Both Patty and I would have to disagree with you on that one, lover boy.” She snarked as Sanji rolled his eyes. A calm silence filled the space as Y/n sat up on her knees and looked at Sanji. She could see something was going on inside his head, and she knew him well enough to infer that he wasn’t going to say a damn thing. She studied the way his brow furrowed and noted how his eyes seemed more gray then blue in moments like these.

There was a profound sadness in him that she had only caught glimpses of in her three years aboard this ship. A profound sadness that he had more or less shared with her one drunken night in the bar when they should have been sleeping. A profound sadness that she wished every single day she could lift from him. The two sat in silence as the ship rocked softly under them; Y/n felt compelled to speak, to do anything that might help ease his overactive mind.

“Still, knowing what I know, having Zeff treating you like this can’t be good for the ole’ psyche…”

Sanji tensed up slightly at her words and Y/n mentally kicked herself for making that insinuation. She wanted to help him, but after the words left her mouth she felt a heavy guilt fill her bones. She watched as he shut his eyes and took a deep breath before smiling ever so slightly.

“Trust me, love. I may complain like this from time to time-”

“Almost ninety-five percent of the time."

“Ooookay. Almost ninety-five percent of the time, but nothing is worse than… what I came from.” He gave her a somber smile and pulled out his lighter again, flipping the lid open and closed in an almost rhythmic pattern. She returned his sad smile and pushed her baby hairs from her forehead.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned that.” She spoke softly as she looked out at the empty dining room; the tables were cast in an eerie candle light and the china adorning the tables glimmered like stars. Sanji looked at her, as her attention was placed elsewhere, and smiled fondly. He felt a warmth rise in his chest as he took in the curve of her profile. The slope of her nose, the length of her eyelashes, the round of her cheeks. The candle light of the empty room cast dancing shadows on her face that made her look otherworldly; he felt his smile, and eyes soften as he looked at her.

“Y/n I wouldn’t have told you about my shitty past if I didn’t trust you to check in on me like this every now and again.” Sanji spoke softly as Y/n turned her gaze back to him. She was almost stunned to see the expression on his face. The look in his eyes was, most of the time, reserved for the elegant ladies that entered the restaurant day in and day out. And yet here he was looking at her like that. She brushed the fond gaze off and swayed her head back and forth while giving him an apologetic look.

“I know, but it’s still not my place to dredge up old memories of abuse when I don’t even know the full story.” She responded, playing with the ends of her uniform shirt.

Sanji smiled at her and leaned forward in his seat, one hand braced himself on the seat top while the other reached forward and pulled her towards him. Y/n closed her eyes as she felt his lips press against her forehead.

“I appreciate you checking on me. It shows that you care.” He said softly, his words muffled seeing that his lips were still connected with her forehead. She smiled softly as he placed a loud exaggerated kiss to the skin there before pulling away and holding her face in his hand. “Okay?” He asked with a huge smile. She laughed at his theatrics and moved to stand up, leaving Sanji sitting alone in his booth as he looked up at her standing form.

“Whatever you say-” She began as she reached out a hand to help him up. He took it with a laugh and allowed Y/n to pull him to his feet. “-My favorite Baratie waiter.” She finished as she dropped his hand and started walking away from him, stifling her laughter. Sanji stood there with his jaw dropped as she walked away from him, his shock soon turning into a smile as he watched her shoulders shake from holding in her laughter. He let a chuckle slip out as he pushed up his sleeves and made a beeline for her.

“How DARE!” He yelled as he grabbed her from behind and lifted her off the ground slightly laughing as she yelped and then dissolved into laughter when she broke free. She began running to a nearby table to put distance between herself and him as she pointed at him,

“Not fair!” She yelled, watching as Sanji pointed back at her.

“Don’t you dare get me started on ‘fair’!” He responded as he laughed.

____

Zeff stood in the doorway to the kitchen watching as Sanji ran around tables with that wannabe pirate waitress. He observed in silence as the pair laughed and threw dish towels at each other instead of cleaning tables.

The small boy he once knew, terrified of making connections with those around him due to some dark past he kept to himself, was smling and laughing as he chased around what could only be discribed as a friend.

A small smile curled his weathered lips as he shook his head and walked away, the sounds of youth fading into nothing.

“Not bad, little eggplant… Not bad…”

[cressidagrey]

Looked to the Sky - Chapter 13

Summary: 

Eira Archeron was neither a Valkyrie, nor a Seer, nor the High Lady of the Night Court. She was, however, Azriel‘s mate with her own mysterious, untrained powers.

Also known as: Azriel tries to court his mate the human way.

Warnings: 

THIS IS THE LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE SEQUEL! SO READ THAT FIRST IF YOU WANNA READ THIS ONE OTHERWISE THIS MAKES NO SENSE!

Elain Bashing, Low Self Esteem, I gave Kallias a random younger brother that is decisively not canon, and without @k-godling this would have never happened.

(super pretty dividers by @tsunami-of-tears)

Elain and Lucien's wedding would take place around midday when the sun was in its highest position, as it was tradition in the Day Court. After that, it would involve a whole afternoon, evening and night of eating and drinking and quite frankly, it sounded like torture as far as Azriel was concerned.

Belatedly he wondered if this was what Eira would want. Did Eira want a huge wedding with plenty of guests? A Court occasion of sorts?

If she wanted it, he would go along with it. Of course, he would. But it still made him wonder…made him wonder if this was actually what she wanted or if she wanted something smaller, more intimate…

At least the midday wedding meant that they could have a slow morning…Breakfast together, before they all needed to get dressed and be properly presentable. 

Maybe it shouldn’t surprise him that he and Eira were the first ones awake. 

He found his mate curled up in a silky blue dressing gown, trimmed with lace,  on the balcony, nursing a cup of tea, while the shadows were already fussing with her hair.

Azriel took a moment to simply take her in. The way her hair spilt out over her shoulders, the way the silky material of her dressing gown clung to her, showing off her form to perfection…The shadows loved the dressing gown. They swirled around it, clearly delighted by the silky blue fabric and the lace-trimmed edges. Azriel loved that dressing gown too. 

Eira looked up and smiled at him. "Good Morning."

"Good morning," he replied with a soft smile, coming to sit down next to her. The shadows immediately wound around his wrists and flitted to her shoulders, caressing her, and Azriel chuckled at the way more of them immediately buried themselves into her hair.

"They seem to be hard at work already," he quipped, as Eira rolled her eyes. 

"They have plans," she told him earnestly, making him laugh.

Azriel chuckled again, watching the shadows play with her hair, even as she brought the teacup back to her lips. "Plans, hm?" he asked, a teasing note in his voice as one of the shadows brushed the hair behind her ear, almost as a caress.

Azriel chuckled again, watching the shadows frizzing her hair, even as she brought the teacup back to her lips. "Plans, hm?" he asked, a teasing note in his voice as one of the shadows brushed the hair behind her ear, almost as a caress.

Hair curled and open. Maybe some hydrangeas, they match her dress, the shadows told him brightly.

From where will you get the flowers? he asked carefully.

We’ll take them from The Seer's private garden when we...change the centrepieces, The shadows answered.

Azriel had to suppress a laugh at that answer. Of course, they had stolen them.

"So, hydrangeas, hm?" he repeated, and Eira gave him a suspicious look as the shadows continued to play with her hair.

"I have no clue," Eira said drily. "They haven't told me yet. I…” she trailed off, looking at him. “..We made a bargain yesterday," she blurted out suddenly.

He could just stare at her. What?!

Azriel stared at her as she spoke, completely thrown off guard.

"You...bargained with the shadows?" he asked her, his voice sounding a bit strangled. That was possible? He hadn’t known that was possible. 

"What? No! I accidentally bargained with you!" Eira said quickly, holding out her hand for him. He took in the small, slim fingers, and then saw the thin band of black encircling her ring finger.

What?!

Azriel's eyes widened at that, and he stared at the band of black ink on her finger. How had he not noticed that earlier?

Right, where a wedding ring would sit. His eyes snapped to her, taking in the wide blue-grey eyes of Eira.

"We promised to tell each other when we had a bad day," he recounted his voice hoarse. He hadn't noticed the feeling of a mark, that burning, so...his eyes went to his wrapped hand, pulling back the wrapping. Right there on his own hand, a perfect match to hers. Encircling his own ring finger.  Thicker than Eira's, but at the same place.  Azriel stared at it, stunned.

How...they were bound. Bound by a bargain.

He looked up at her, completely thrown off guard. "I...I didn't notice," he said hoarsely, his voice low. "I didn't do it on purpose," he assured her, and Eira looked at him, her eyes soft.

"I didn't think you did," she promised him. "I just...I wanted you to know."

He looked at her for a long while, taking in her wide eyes and vulnerable expression. Gods, she looked scared. Like she honestly believed that he would be angry at her, or blame her. Azriel's face softened considerably at that, and he slowly reached out a hand to cup her face, pulling her closer.

“Cauldron, Eira. I'm not angry," he assured her quietly, and he could feel the way her shoulders sagged at that as if the words had been a relief to her. "I...I like the idea of having you with me like that," he told her honestly.

Everywhere he went, the mark would be there too.

Eira stared at him for a moment, and he could see the way her eyes went to the mark on his hand, the way hers looked mirrored against his.

"You...you do?" Eira asked him quietly, almost like she didn't quite believe him.

Azriel softened, his thumb caressing her cheek as he leaned even closer. "Of course I do," he told her quietly. "Having you with me always? That's not a bad thing, Sweetheart."

It seemed that the nickname managed to make Eira's cheeks flush a bit, a small, shy smile appearing on her face. The shadows swirled around her face excitedly at that, and Azriel could have sworn that he heard them coo at Eira faintly.

Azriel's smile turned into a smirk, and he leaned down, his breath ghosting against her ear and making Eira shiver in response. "They're swooning at you, you know," he told her in a low voice, and the shadows swatted him faintly in protest, making him laugh.

"They do that," he continued, and he moved his mouth down to the side of her neck. "They absolutely adore you, darling."

He placed a kiss against her skin, and he could feel the gooseflesh rising underneath his lips. Good.

Eira shuddered at the words and his mouth against her skin, her eyes fluttering shut and he was struck once again by how sensitive she was. 

It only made his smirk grow.

Azriel's mouth moved against her skin, placing kisses against her slender neck and making her shudder again.

He loved this.

Seeing how she reacted to the simplest touch. How his kisses would make her flush and shiver. Gods, he wanted her.

And then he pulled back as he heard a door open, Eira blinking owlishly at him.

Azriel suppressed another laugh at her dazed expression as she looked at him. He would have very much liked to continue his quest to make her blush, but for now...well, Cassian walked onto the balcony at that moment.

And then as much as Azriel would have liked to continue...he couldn't because the rest of their family appeared, and soon enough, breakfast was served and everybody was getting dressed.

Breakfast was a short affair, as everybody wanted to make sure that they had enough time to properly get ready for the wedding, and Azriel was soon standing in the wardrobe of their rooms, staring into his own reflection in the mirror.

He did not do that often. Most often, because half the time he saw his own father stare back at him, and that wasn't something he ever wanted to think about.

He looked like him. He hated that fact. Hated that his mother saw him any time she looked at Azriel. But there was nothing he could do to change that. 

Today the shadows seemingly weren't content with only fussing over Eira, because Azriel got the same treatment, with his hair tidily combed over his forehead.

That's not black, he hissed at them as they freed the jacket he would wear from the wardrobe. It wasn't. He didn't even own another colour but black, but clearly, tonight, the shadows had other ideas. Granted, at least it wasn't bright yellow. It was blue. Dark blue. A very dark blue.

Good, the shadows told him in response, the darkness swirling around his shoulders. You need colour.

Azriel suppressed a scoff. He did not need colour, he liked black, thank you very much!

It matches her gown, the shadows protested in response. Azriel closed his eyes. Of course. He should have known.

They were in a mood, Azriel could tell. A mood to be utterly fussy, if the way they were straightening his collar and the jacket was an indicator. And Azriel knew them well enough by now to realise that arguing wasn't going to get him anywhere, so he just let them do as they pleased.

In the end, he couldn't tell if he liked the result or not. At least he didn't look outright ridiculous.

Dark blue fabric encased broad shoulders closed with silver buttons. There was just a touch of silvery embroidery along the edge of the sleeves. Not too much. It wasn't...as showy as it could be.

Still, Rhys and Cassian took a second look at him as he left the bedroom to join them in waiting for their mates.

"Well don't you look nice, Shadowsinger," Cassian commented with a slight smirk. Azriel just rolled his eyes at him in response.

"I did not pick that," he informed his brother honestly, and Cassian snickered in response.

"Let me guess," Rhys drawled, clearly amused. "The shadows?"

Azriel grunted in response. The truth was obvious and both his brothers knew it, and judging by the smirks on their faces, they were more than willing to tease Azriel about it.

"I think it looks nice!" Feyre said brightly as she stepped out of the room, swathed in purple tulle, while Nesta had slipped into a crimson silk gown, held up by thin straps...but he didn't even really take notice of that.

How could he? How could he do that, when Eira was right behind them. How could he even notice them, when his mate was there, in a muted blue dress, shot through with silver?

By the cauldron.

He had never in his life seen anything more beautiful. Anything more beautiful than Eira. Eira in that dress that bared her shoulders, that cut straight across her chest and did little to hide the swell of her breasts...that had a pair of useless swathes of tulle across her upper arms and otherwise just left acres of unblemished, creamy white skin open to his gaze. It cut in at the waist, but fell to the floor in layers upon layers of blue and silver, shifting the colour with every step she made...if lightning had been made into a dress, this was it. If Eira had been made into a dress, this was it.

She was so goddamn beautiful.

As if she could sense his stare, Eira's eyes flickered up and met his, and he saw how her cheeks flushed.

Perfect. So beautiful, the shadows cooed excitedly, swirling around her. Our Mate. Ours.

As if he needed any more proof of that. The shadows had never before in all his life been so excited and happy as when they fussed over Eira.

He must have stared at her like a fish because she self-consciously clenched her hands in her skirts.

It broke him out of his staring. He swallowed.

"You look breathtaking," Azriel whispered breathlessly as she came up to him. He couldn't keep himself from reaching out to grasp her hand, bringing it up to his mouth to brush a kiss against her knuckles, and the bargain tattoo and her skin burned under his lips in response.

"Like a bolt of lightning," he told her quietly, and he saw her breath hitch in response.

"Thank you," Eira breathed out quietly, her cheeks still flushed from his words, but a shy, happy smile on her face that made Azriel's heart skip a beat.

The shadows swarmed around her, caressing her hair and her skin, even her dress, and it seemed that they were utterly unwilling to let her go. They loved her like this.

Azriel wasn't surprised. He loved her like this too.

He couldn't help but notice the details...Her long, caramel-coloured hair was pulled away from her face but fell to her waist in carefully done curls, a few sprigs of Hydrangeas pinned to the back of her head...

The silver threaded bag she held in her hand, the sapphire necklace around her throat, the matching bracelet...The shadows had their fun.

"You'll make the bride jealous," Cassian commented lightly, and Nesta elbowed him in the side for that.

But...Cassian wasn't wrong. A lot of the attention would go towards Eira, looking like...looking like that. Azriel just ignored the little part of him which preened at that idea. His.

He would have loved to just pull her closer, hold her, just let his hands wander over that fabric, just feel her against him, but...the others were there. Which was a good thing, because if she let his hands wander, he would probably start doing things that were not very appropriate to do in front of their family.

So instead he squeezed the hand he had still been holding, and then tucked it in the crook of her neck. "I'll be the luckiest male today," he told her honestly, watching, charmed beside himself how her cheeks flamed again.

"The groom may disagree with you there," Eira gave back quietly.

"He'll have to deal with it," Azriel said with a smirk, and he heard a snort from beside him, which was certainly Rhys.

Eira just glanced at him under lowered lashes, biting her lip to suppress a smile.

He was utterly in love with this female, wasn't he?

The shadows swarmed around her for a moment, and he watched them cover her shoulders with a pelt...the pelt he had given her. Mountain Lion, not a question about it. They tucked it over her gown, so that she wouldn't get cold…another bit of attention, another show of how she was his. 

He heard the sharp inhale from Cassian and felt the look from Rhys. 

Azriel swallowed and stared at the pelt, at the way it was laid over her shoulders. Gods, she was wearing his pelt. She looked so utterly his, with the pelt over her shoulders. 

The pelt of the animal he had killed. Illyrian Tradition dictated a pelt given by the groom to his wife on their wedding day. If Azriel wanted to scream from the rooftops that Eira was his...well, that would have been more subtle.

The implication was very, very clear, and Azriel knew that Cassian and Rhys knew what the gesture had meant.

The look on Cassian's face certainly indicated as much, and when Azriel glanced over, his brother's hazel eyes were wide as he stared at the pelt on Eira's shoulders. Rhys' lips were lifted in the hint of a smile.

Staking your claim? Rhys whispered in his mind and Azriel growled in response. Yes. Yes, he was.

****

A bolt of lightning.

The words left her stunned and breathless for a moment, and she wondered at the way his deep voice sent shivers down her spine. He was the one to call her beautiful when he looked...the way he looked.

Eira could feel the burn of his lips on her knuckles, as well as the way the shadows had wound themselves around her, making her shiver faintly.

They were loud today. Practically singing in joy.

Eira tried very, very hard not to blush, she really did, but with the way Azriel’s eyes had looked upon her...the way the shadows had swirled around her almost excitedly...she couldn't help it. She knew the others were looking at her, and she could feel the way their gazes travelled over her. Over her necklace, her bracelet, her dress...but all she could focus on was him.

Him. So beautiful. So Handsome, clad in his navy jacket, shot through with silver, a perfect foil to her gown...she just knew that it was the shadows doing. All she wanted to do for a moment was to kiss him. To spend a whole evening doing nothing but that.

She knew that was a bad idea though, especially with the eyes of the others on them, and she couldn't even look at his mouth without wanting to kiss him, so instead she bit the inside of her own lip, to distract herself from the longing, from the need to kiss him.

Her sister's wedding was beautiful. Though there was not one lily in sight as far as Eira could see. She wondered if her sister had changed her mind about her choice of florals or… Or if the shadows that darted through the temple had anything to do with it. Getting their own form of petty revenge.

She had to admit, it was amusing to think about. To imagine the shadows swerving through the flowers in the temple, making it so there were no lilies. She could imagine it too, because the shadows loved to be meddlesome. But at least they were only so towards people they cared for.

They loved her, she knew that. As far as they had feelings, they loved her. They adored her. And judging by how they were still swirling around her skirts, and how she felt Azriel's gaze on her through most of the ceremony, he was well aware of that fact.

For just one moment Eira allowed herself to wonder. Were they ever going to make it down the aisle? She didn't want a huge production like that. It was gorgeous, with all the High Lords in attendance, Helion having clearly spared no expense for the wedding of his son and heir...

No. She didn't want that. She was never a big fan of being the centre of attention, never mind being the focus of this many people. But...She did want him. Wanted to be Azriel's.

Something small...intimate. Something that was just theirs and their families...that would suit Eira perfectly well. Maybe with Azriel's mother in attendance...with her sister and their mates...something small. No need for dozens of guests.

She just wanted him.

Still, she passed a smile on her face as Elain got married, and she realised startled that she felt indifferent about it all. Good for Elain. She wished that her sister was happy. But Eira...Eira didn't...there was just nothing in the way she was feeling that felt like she actually cared anymore.

Elain had burned that out of her chest.

And she honestly didn't know how to feel about that. She knew how guilty she probably should feel, but her heart felt empty.

No love, no happiness, no joy, no sorrow either...just an empty hollow feeling. A nothingness.

Which was a stark contrast to how she felt when she glanced at Azriel, at the shadows swirling around her.

He filled her with so much, and she didn't know how to react to that feeling either.

Though the feeling when Azriel led her out on the dance floor and swirled her around...when he lifted her with his hands around her waist like she weighed nothing...that was a wonder.

She felt giddy, letting him spin her around the dance floor, the layers of her skirts flaring out around them as he did. She hadn't danced in so long, that she had almost forgotten the feeling of the world flying past...until now until he lifted her and span her around as she weighed next to nothing.

By the gods, he was strong.

She wasn't a dancer like Nesta was...somebody that could put a whole room on their knees. But she had always, alwaysenjoyed it. Granted there hadn't been a myriad of suitors willing to partner with her.

But there was now.

There was Azriel who spun her around like she weighed nothing and touched her like she was fragile like spun glass.

He held her like she was an exquisite, treasured thing, an utter and total contradiction to his strength, but so perfect at the same time. She just let herself move to the music with him, following his lead so much more easily than she had ever followed anyone's lead before until she was practically breathless.

There was Rhys, who somehow managed to twirl her around to make her skirt float through the air and make her feel like a princess.

And then...then there was Cassian.

Loud, raucous Cassian. Huge with arms the size of tree trunks. Nesta looked tiny next to him, and Nesta still had quite a few inches on Eira.

Still, she was handed off to him, while Nesta dragged Azriel onto the dance floor.

"I need to warn you, both my brothers are better dancers than me," he told her drily.

She couldn't help it, a small grin curled on her lips even as she let him pull her out onto the dance floor, and she gave a quiet laugh at his words.

"I doubt that," she commented light-heartedly, and Cassian chuckled.

"My sweet summer child," he just drawled in response. "Azriel's the best dancer of us all, and Rhys ain't half bad either."

It didn't take long for her to find out that it was all true. All of it.

Cassian was…not a terrible dancer, but he wasn't quite as smooth as Rhys or Azriel. No, it was apparent that he was used to dancing with someone like Nesta, who took the lead more often than not...but that didn't make him a bad dancer. Far from it in fact.

He just wasn't the best.

"I wanted to talk to you though," Cassian broached the subject after a moment. "I...I have spent weeks with coming up with the right thing to say, but...I think the worst thing I can do is not to say anything," he said with a grimace. "I am sorry."

Her eyebrows flickered up at that, surprised by his words. What...what did Cassian have to be sorry for?

"Why are you sorry?" Eira asked quietly after a brief moment.

"You mean other than the fact that we all spent 2 years treating you abhorrently?" Cassian asked her sarcastically.

"I-" She started, because...what was she supposed to say to that? It was the truth. "I-"

She swallowed again, and her gaze darted across the dance floor before it settled on him. "It's...It was a rough time," she finally admitted quietly.

"I know that you overheard...that conversation between Rhys and I...before we went to that ball in Hewn City," Cassian said quietly. "I shouldn't have...it was an unkind thing to say."

Eira swallowed.   

Oh. He was talking about that. She had been very hurt at the time, of course. No one would have wanted to hear something like that, least of all from people that they had considered to be friends at the time. That had been unkind.  

We don’t need Eira. Quite frankly, it’s better if she doesn’t go. Elain is the prettier one, anyway.

He had said that, and Eira flinched faintly at the memory, and in response, Cassian grimaced. His hands almost tightened their grip on her, in a move of comfort, and she could hear the guilt in his voice when he spoke, the very real remorse in his tone.

"I was out of line when I said that," he told her, his voice thick. "I just...I hate Hewn City. And if I could keep everybody out of there...I would. I didn't want you anywhere near there. This is not me...not me trying to make what I said...any better. Because there is nothing I can say that makes it better."

Cassian sighed as they continued to dance, and his eyes were downcast.

"I...I was cruel. For my own convenience, yes, but that does not change the fact that it was a cruel thing to say...and I am very, very sorry."

There was a small knot forming in her throat, and Eira had to swallow it back before she spoke.

She...she believed him, she knew that he meant what he said. It didn't erase what he had said, or the way she had felt at the time, but she did believe him. "I-" She started, her voice cracking faintly. "I accept your apology, Cassian."

She saw him exhale audibly in relief, and some of the tension bled out of his shoulders.

There was clearly guilt weighing on his shoulders, so she felt the need to continue. "It...it hurt, you know?" she said quietly. "Hearing...what you said. But then, eavesdroppers never hear anything good about themselves."

Her mouth curled into the hint of a bitter smile, and she heard Cassian chuckle lowly.

"No, they don't," he agreed, and his answering smile echoed bitterly before he sighed audibly.

"I...don't expect you to ever forget about it," he said quietly, “or forgive me, for that matter. But...I just wanted to apologize. To try to make it right."

The knot in her throat was still there, but Eira forced a small smile onto her face. "You are a good male," she replied quietly.

"I...that's up for debate," Cassian said, clearly trying to make it a joke, but it just sounded flat instead.

She could see the guilt that was clearly weighing down his shoulders though, and the regret in his eyes.

"You are," she assured him.

"You make him happy, you know?" Cassian said quietly.

She knew he was talking about Azriel, and it made her cheeks heat again. Gods, the way she blushed whenever his brother was mentioned...it was bordering on ridiculous.

She didn't know what to say to that, to how to respond, and she could see the hint of a smirk form on Cassian's lips. "I've never seen him the way he is when he's with you,” he drawled.

"I..." Eira's eyes darted away, feeling a little self-conscious. "Azriel is...he's very dear to me," she admitted, her voice going quiet when she met his eye again.

Cassian's answering smile was small but entirely genuine, and he gave a faint nod.

"I can tell," he said quietly. “Do you know that that pelt he gave you means?” Cassian asked her and Eira could just stare at him. What?

The Pelt wasn’t around her shoulders right now. She had shrugged it off before the first dance and had instead been draped over the back of her chair back at the table.  Now though…now she wished the soft fur would be back to wrapping around her. 

“Every Illyrian Male gifts his bride a coat for her wedding. Made out of pelts he hunted,” Cassian said quietly. “A show of…their ability to provide in a way. A claim.”

She swallowed. Azriel had given her…he had given her the equivalent of a bridal gift? He hadn’t even hesitated to offer up the pelts when she had refused to let him pay her. 

And now…now she found out their significance…what they meant for him, for his culture…It was…startling. 

She wasn’t quite sure what to think of it.

The music came to an end, and their dance as well.

She watched Nesta make her way across the room to them. "Azriel is dancing with Feyre....Rhys is deep in conversation with Kallias," she said. "Can I steal my mate, or do you still need him?"

"Steal away," Eira said with a laugh. "I'll get myself something to drink."

"Are you sure?" her sister asked gently but Eira nodded.

"I am not alone," she said easily. Not when she could still feel the shadows twirling through her skirts.

Cassian gave her a final smile before he let go of her, taking the hand that Nesta offered him and letting himself be dragged back onto the dancefloor.

Eira exhaled quietly when she was left alone, and as promised, she made her way to the small table where drinks were being served. The shadows followed her there, swirling around her skirts and occasionally touching her skin, caressing her.

She also got a good view of the orchestra, her eyes immediately drawn to the harpist.

She was good. Real good. Eira stood there for a few minutes sipping her drink as the harpist played, watching her as her fingers danced across the strings of the harp. It made her want to pick up her own more often, as her practising was finally resulting in songs that actually sounded like songs and no more screeching that only Nyx seemed to enjoy.

"Do you play?" A question came from her right and her head snapped towards a tall male. Utterly pale, his hair white, his eyes ice blue, but a warm smile on his face.

She gave a small nod in response. "Yes, I...I do," she agreed and forced a small smile onto her face. The stranger was wearing a coat of grey, trimmed with fur...Winter Court maybe? Eira wasn't quite sure.

"I couldn't help but notice that you were watching the harpist," the male continued. His eyes and voice were soft, a sharp contrast to his hard, cold exterior. "You play the harp, don't you?"

He had a nice voice, she realized, warm and smooth.

"I-" Eira started faintly, surprised that he'd noticed that, and that he guessed correctly. Her eyes flickered to the harpist for a moment, before they went back to the male. "Yes," she admitted quietly. "I do play."

A smile curled on his lips as that, his expression almost gentle when he spoke. "You must have wonderful skill then," he said, almost like he was complimenting her...and Eira just blinked stupidly at him. "The harp is a beautiful instrument, but...also one of the hardest to master."

There was no sarcasm or mockery or anything like that in his voice, and it took her a moment to realize that he was actually complimenting her and that it was genuine.

"I...I wouldn't say I have mastered it, but..." she said quietly after a few moments. "I...I'm doing alright, I suppose."

The male chuckled quietly, and his eyes glimmered as he looked at her. "You are humble in addition to being talented," he said quietly, with the ghost of a smirk on his face.

Again, she was taken aback for a moment. Compliments were not...something she was used to receiving from strangers. "I am Kleon," he introduced himself finally. 

"Eira," she replied quietly in reflex, and the ghost of a smile stayed on his lips as she spoke.

"Eira," he repeated back quietly, and almost almost as if he was tasting her name in his mouth. "What a beautiful name."

Her eyebrows flickered faintly at his words, another compliment, and surprise flashed through her.

"That's...kind of you to say," she replied awkwardly.

"Will you do me the honour of a dance?"

The request came out of nowhere, completely unexpected, and she found herself blinking in shock yet again. He...he wanted to dance with her?

She found herself gaping for a few moments before she finally forced a small, but awkward smile on her face. "I-"

"Please," he practically purred, and she found herself unable to say no. "It wouldn't be a proper celebration without me stealing a dance with the most beautiful female in the room."

Her cheeks flushed darkly in response, completely overwhelmed by the compliment, and it only got worse when he chuckled quietly. "There is nothing to be shy about," he said, clearly amused by her reaction. "I'm just speaking the truth."

Surprise and disbelief shot through her for a moment, before a small, slightly disbelieving laugh escaped her. "I think you overestimate me," Eira said a bit breathlessly.

"I don't think I do," he replied easily, and a hint of a smile curled on his lips again. "You're beautiful, that's a fact. As is my intention to steal a dance with you, if you would be agreeable to it."

The shadows stayed quiet, silent…as long as they didn’t want her in any danger, Eira supposed that refusing this…Kleon would probably be considered impolite. Her mother would have had her head for it after all. 

She was attending a ball, so she was required to dance with every man who paid her just the littlest bit of attention in the hope that maybe one of them had any marriageable brothers, sons or nephews…or maybe he himself made out to be a good match. 

(Which for her mother mostly had only meant money and power. In every imaginable way.)

“One dance,” Eira agreed quietly. 

Something flashed through his eyes, something satisfied. "One dance," Kleon repeated, and extended his hand to her, an invitation to take it.

One dance. 

He was a good dancer. She would give him that compliment, peppering her with questions about the music, her likes and dislikes.

Kleon was charming and had manners, and didn't do a thing to make her uncomfortable, and there was a smoothness to him that could have been utterly thralling ...if it were not for the fact that he wasn't Azriel.

But that was the thing. The conversation, the questions, the compliments...none of it could truly lure her in, because there was only one male in that room that could ever lure her in, and that was Azriel.

There was only one male that she was truly interested in. 

The song ended and she forced a smile onto her face as they came to a stop, her hand still in his. "Thank you for the dance," she said quietly, politely.

"Thank you for indulging me," he replied smoothly, and there was that hint of a smile on his lips again.

He released her hand, but his fingers lingered a few moments as if he was reluctant to release it. "I've enjoyed myself," he added quietly.

"I...I'm glad," she replied faintly, and she actually was glad. She had enjoyed herself. The conversation had been pleasant, and he had been a good dance partner.

There was just no spark. No fire in her veins. No pull to him.

Not like it felt with her mate.

A ghost of a smile curled on her lips at the thought. No, nothing like that. That was all reserved for Azriel. For...her mate. Her mate, and no one else.

"Making nice with the Winter Court?" Asked Rhys drily behind her.

She had to suppress the urge to startle at the sound of Rhysand's voice suddenly behind her, but she did jump a little. Eira turned around to look at him, and a small, sheepish laugh escaped her as she did. "He asked to dance with me," she explained quietly. "So I said yes."

"And that's the only reason you said yes?" Rhys inquired, in that infuriating neutral kind of tone he tended to use.

She just stared at him. 

 "I didn't want to be impolite," she confirmed. "It would have been rude to refuse," Eira said, her voice certain, and even just saying the words out loud...made her feel surprisingly defiant.

She could practically see that Rhys had been surprised by her confidence, but there was no sarcasm or mockery in his express

"How very polite of you," he said quietly, and she swore he almost sounded amused.

She felt more than heard Azriel behind her, reaching a hand back only to feel his own in hers seconds later. The pelt was draped over her shoulder, with a gentle touch, utterly polite, but she could feel his fingertips trail over her arms, a shiver escaping her.

Even the briefest touch from him sent a shiver down her spine, and a warm feeling rushing through her body. She could practically sense the shadows curling around her skirts again, trying to get closer.

"Having fun?" Azriel murmured into her ear, his voice low. There was a hint of something to it, the edge of possessiveness, and his hand gave hers a small, almost imperceptible squeeze.

"I like dancing with you more," she answered honestly.

Azriel's lips curled up in a small smile at her words, and his hand gave hers another small squeeze.

"Then let us dance," he said quietly, as his free hand went to her waist to gently guide her back towards the dance floor. The shadows trailing after them and swirling around their feet, clinging on to both of them.

Their hands were still intertwined when they came to a stop, and she placed her hand on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her hand.

She couldn't help the content sigh that escaped her when he pulled her closer, so she was pulled flush against him. It was more swaying in one spot than proper dancing...but they were at the edges, not bothering anybody.

There was a content look on Azriel's face as they swayed in one place like he was just happy being able to hold her close. 

Shadows were swirling around them, curling around her skirts and his legs, as if they were trying to get closer to them both. It almost made Eira laugh faintly.

"Your shadows are clingy," she teased, in a quiet voice.

"They are," Azriel agreed, and his voice was just as quiet. There was a hint of a smile on his lips, and his free hand tightened around her waist as he added, "They like being close to you."

"Oh, they like being close to me, hm?" Eira said faintly, still mostly teasing. A small, amused smile on her lips as shadows coiled more around her and tried to get between them as if to prove Azriel's point."Are you sure they're not just being clingy because you like being close to me?"

It was a brazen thing to do, and she didn’t dare to look at him as she said it, as she felt the sharp inhale…but then he tipped up her face with a single finger so that she was forced to look at her. 

His eyes were green and brown and gold, and he looked at her with an expression… an expression that she couldn’t quite place. Sweet and soft and warm and it made her feel…safe. 

“They are a part of me,” Azriel said simply, like that explained everything. 

And she supposed, in a way it did. 

[hyperfixatedbastard]

sweet, sweet silence

Vox x Autistic!GN!Reader

Dating the CEO of VoxTek Enterprises has its perks. You always get brand new devices before they even hit the shelves, and occasionally, Vox makes things specifically for you - like noise-cancelling headphones.

Word Count: 1.3k

WARNINGS: none!

A/N: this is for the autistic homies but it works for anyone with sensory issues! 'tis based off of my own experiences so apologies if it feels inaccurate to anyone, i'm projecting so hard rn. this is also my first time writing x reader/2nd person POV so I hope I did alright! also, i do requests if anyone would like to see more of this kind of thing :)

Dividers

"Doll, c'mere for a second, would ya?" Vox calls out to you, gesturing for you to come to his desk with a 'come hither' motion. 

You raise a brow in interest as you approach your boyfriend where he's sitting in his rather eccentric chair, tinkering with...something. You hop up onto the desk, careful to sit in a spot that you know has no important screens or buttons (you learned the hard way). You don't say anything, instead just tilting your head and waiting for Vox to show off whatever he's been working on this time.

He finally lets you see what's in his clawed hands: a pair of headphones. They're clearly a VoxTek product—the blue and red color scheme gives it away—though you're certain you've never seen these on sale before. It's not uncommon for Vox to show off new products to you before they're released, though, so you don't question it.

He smirks as he holds the headphones out to you. It's not that sly, devious smile he so often has on his screen, though; it's that grin you have when you're about to surprise someone and you just know they're going to love it. "These are for you, darling."

On one hand, you get a little excited (free shit, fuck yeah!). But on the other, you're a little worried—you're not good at receiving gifts. It always ends up awkward because you don't really know how to express gratitude in an expected, neurotypical way. But Vox is well aware of that, and he can tell when you're grateful, so you push those worries to the side and take the headphones from him.

You look at them curiously, inspecting the foldable hinges, the ear cushions, and the small assortment of buttons on the speakers. You can tell that the three buttons on the right speaker are for adjusting the volume—increase, mute, and decrease—but you have no damn clue what the button on the left speaker is for.

"Well? Put 'em on," Vox encourages you, still with that expectant grin as he anticipates your reaction.

You do as he says and place the headphones over your ears. They're certainly comfortable, but you don't see what the big deal is. You already have headphones—they’re not great, as it’s damn near impossible to drown out the unbearably overstimulating sounds of Hell, but you manage. Kinda.

Just as you’re about to ask what’s so special about these headphones, Vox presses that mystery button on the left speaker, and everything goes blissfully quiet.

Your eyes widen as you get the first moment of true silence for the first time since you arrived in Hell. The sudden difference is initially jarring, but the relief is downright euphoric. 

During the entirety of your afterlife in Hell, it's been ceaselessly loud and often unbearable. The screams, the explosions, the gunshots—it's incessant, and you never get a moment of peace. The V Tower is not nearly as bad as the rest of the Pride Ring, thanks to a lot of soundproofing, but there's always something. Moans and other lewd noises fill the halls of anywhere within five floors of Valentino's studios. You can hear the screeching and yelling beneath the thrum of music emitting from Velvette’s section of the tower. 666 Studios isn't much better, with the constant chattering of the crew and bickering between newscasters.

Vox's lair office is by far the quietest place in the entirety of Hell, at least in your experience. The soundproofing here is much more effective than anywhere else in V Tower, and Vox is the only person ever here. He does talk and maniacally laugh to himself fairly often, but you don’t usually don’t mind that (and he’ll typically quite down if he can tell you’re having a rough day). But it’s far from perfect—there’s still the intermittent click-clacking of a keyboard, the constant whirring of the computer fans, the low humming of all the tech, and the audio from whatever security camera Vox is spying on. You can tune it out most of the time, but it all overwhelms you so, so easily.

And you aren't very good at hiding it (at least not with Vox, who’s too observant for his own damn good when it comes to you).

Which is why your dear boyfriend has just spent the past several days making you the best noise-canceling headphones Hell has ever seen. He knows what the constant overstimulation does to you, and he sees it far more often than he'd like to. You get irritated and snippy, and sometimes it gets so bad you have a meltdown. It's gotten less common over time, but it still happens way too frequently for either of your likings. 

“So, who’s the best boyfriend ever?” he hints, clearly fishing for a compliment. His voice is surprisingly clear despite the headphones practically deafening you—his words are muffled, but just loud enough for you to understand what’s being said. He's grinning at you like he's the one that just got the excruciatingly heartfelt present. 

Usually, you’d have a witty comeback to Vox’s attempts at getting you to stroke his ego (always followed by an actual, genuine compliment to ease his insecurities hiding behind that ego), but you’re drawing a blank right now. 

The gift is so thoughtful that you don’t even know where to start on expressing your gratitude. Noise-canceling headphones seem so obvious now, but this is Hell! Both you and Vox had died before this technology became commonplace, and not many people in Hell care that much about the noise. Vox made these headphones specifically for you. He doesn’t need them (he can quite literally just turn off his audio input) and he probably won’t make much of a profit with them as a VoxTek product. He’s a busy man, being a CEO and an Overlord, yet he took the time to make this for you himself, not even passing the project off to one of the poor souls that works for him. 

“Babe?” Vox calls out gently, waving a hand in front of your face. Oh, shit—you’re overthinking your response so much that you forgot to actually fucking respond.

You blink a few times, meeting your boyfriend’s gaze. His brows are slightly furrowed, in what you think is a mix of concern and amusement. He’s a little worried he’s fucked up somehow, but he knows you well enough by now to recognize when you’re thinking too hard about something. He actually finds it quite adorable, at least when you’re not about to have a panic attack from it. 

As he looks at you expectantly, you decide to just go with your gut (at least, that’s what you think you’re doing—you’ve never entirely understood what the fuck that phrase means).

You don’t give yourself time to second-guess your actions before you’re practically jumping into Vox’s lap—though it’s more like falling since you were just sitting on the desk. He lets out a little ‘oof’ of surprise before he chuckles and moves his hands to your waist, holding you steady while being careful of his claws. He smirks as you wrap your arms around him and bury your face in his neck, jostling the headphones a little but not enough to fuck with the noise cancellation.

“So…you like them, then?” Vox prompts, just wanting the confirmation even though the answer is already clear. You can tell by his tone that he’s still grinning proudly.

You just gently nod, inadvertently rubbing your face against the fabric of his shirt (fortunately, Vox is a fancy bastard with high standards when it comes to clothing, and he’d long ago thrown out any garment made with fabric that triggered your sensory issues).

“Thank you,” you murmur against his neck. 

His hands tighten ever so slightly around your waist, and his response is so soft you can barely hear it through the headphones. “Anything for you, doll.”

[002yb]

Of all the weird things Jason has seen Dick do since they started living together, sitting at the end of their bed to stare at their shared closet might be one of the strangest.

There's really nothing to it: the closet is small, cramped, stuffed full of their things. The railing is broken and kept upright with a hodgepodge'd fix they threw together. And there's no doors to spare them the sight of it all because their apartment is so laughably ramshackle.

Despite that, it works for them just fine. They each have their own side and it's not hard to tell which belongs to who.

It's just a closet, but Dick stares at it with such rapt attention that Jason can't leave it alone.

So he takes a seat beside Dick. Looks at stacks of hoarded folded hoodies stacked high on a shelf, their shoes which are lined up neatly on the floor and the messy divide of their hanging clothes.

Everything looks fine and in its proper place though, so Jason narrows his eyes and scrutinizes harder. Because there has to be something there that's keeping Dick's attention. The weirdo has been sat there for half an hour, at least.

It's not like Dick to waste time.

And Dick notices that Jason gets really intense about it, using all those detective skills but coming up short. It makes Dick laugh because Jason looks so cute when he's perplexed. Jason is so obviously, completely lost and it only serves to provoke Jason's ire the longer they sit there.

So Dick clues him in and shares: 'Our things have gotten all mixed together, is all.'

Because the blacks that Jason wears pepper between Dick's blues, and the blues clothes Dick wears are tucked away safe between the dark of Jason's. There's a pop of red on Dick's side, and neutrals all throughout. It's a far cry from when they first moved in together - when black was black, blue was blue.

'It's nice.' Dick goes on to say, smile so soft and awed that it takes Jason's breath away.

It's such a small thing to be taken by, but Dick embraces it. Bewildered and adoring.

It's so fucking romantic.

Which is why Jason falls back onto the mattress and whines because fuck, it's so, so romantic. The most romantic thing Jason's ever been confronted by and there's been a lot since Dick started coming onto him.

This is different though. It's quiet. And unassuming. And so incredibly sweet. Jason can't help the blush that warms his cheeks, the way his heart stutters and skips.

And when Dick pulls at the string of Jason's hoodie, Jason realizes it's not his at all. Because it's blue; it's Dick's. Only Jason has been wearing it for days. And he remembers pulling it from Dick's side of the closet without a care. Comfortable and content.

It feels brazen now, but Dick's smile is boyish and charmed—smitten. And his gaze is soft, so tender and fond that it makes Jason almost feel timid.

Dick marvels Jason the same way he was enraptured by their closet with all its mixed clothes. Like Jason is something special. And Jason can't help but look at Dick just the same. ♡♡♡

[wondersmile]

disabled puppy reg!

requested by @onyxhaspaws @snowbutchangel @littlesonic

watch tv shows with dogs! (blues clues, clifford, bluey, courage the cowardly dog, martha speaks, puppy dog pals, too cute)

sit outside in your driveway/yard/porch! if you struggle with mobility for any reason, you can still enjoy the sun and get some vitamin d this way!

snack ideas: apples, bananas, blueberries, cashews, cauliflower, green beans, peanut butter, watermelon, plain yogurt (these are all real foods dogs can have as treats and if you’re unable to have meat or certain processed foods these are good alternatives!)

get fuzzy paw socks to keep your feet warm while you rest in bed

dog plushies (or other animals) can keep you company!

a bowl with a straw can feel more like a dog bowl while still making it easy for you to stay hydrated with water or electrolytes

if the light bothers you, hang a blanket or towel over the window, just like you would cover a dog’s crate for bedtime

divider id: a line of paw prints in a pattern of light pink, black, and tan end id.

[rottiens]

✮ tags. . vampire gojo x afab! human reader, helltown au. divider creds: cafekitsune.

✮ cw. . 1.5k

It's late in Helltown, your boots struggle against the pile of white snow under your heavy boots and every so often you sniffle through your nose looking to somehow escape the cold that builds up on your face, exposed to your least favorite weather. 

The trees rise above your head and lull you as if they carry words inside their leaves, autumn is giving way to winter and the whole transition, along with the news that has filled the papers these past weeks gives the picture a gloomy tone. Your hands are inside your coat while an icy air escapes through your pale lips.

You shouldn't be out on the street so late, much less alone, much less with the news of the disappearance of those young women.

It wasn't just disappearance. It was the murder of that young woman who studied at the same university where you teach and then her best friend who had been missing since Halloween night and of whom nothing was known after that day. The parents had announced rewards, and the local police were scraping clues even under the rocks; however no one had heard anything from her or anyone had managed to provide relevant information.

You grab the edge of the coat around your neck and pull it upwards in an attempt to battle the cold as your steps quicken, you are close to your house, however due to the lack of movement on the avenue it feels more like a much longer walk than it really is. All the doors and windows are closed, including the houses and premises, you only have the company of pale light bulbs illuminating the entrances and your way home. 

A shiver runs down your back as the wind howls around you, a foreboding feeling tells you that you are not alone, though you dismiss one terrifying idea after another as this can and must be due to your suggestion. You grab the pepper spray inside your pocket as if your life depended on it and quickly turn around to verify that it was all in your head, holding the white bottle at the level of your head, your finger trembling on the tip of it. 

The wind roars in your ears, the noise of the blood pumping overwhelms your senses. In the distance you hear fluttering and your eyes snap, checking the shadows for movement within them. You remain in this position for a few seconds, frozen in time, until your legs tingle with warm blood and you return to the front to hurry on your way. 

Turning your eyes forward you meet a pair of piercing blue eyes that lock with yours for a few seconds before the man quickly looks away, you stifle a scream by clenching your jaw and the adrenaline makes you spray the pepper near his shoes. 

You take two steps back, raising the pepper spray to a considerable height. The blue-eyed man wears a baggy black hooded sweatshirt and a leather jacket of the same color over it making uncovering the features of his face an impossible task. 

“That's not how you use pepper spray,” he says in a strangely friendly voice.

You look him up and down wondering where he came from, though the voice sounds familiar, you don't remember seeing him anywhere before. Although you can't tell for sure since most of his face is covered, all you can see are those intense blue eyes scanning you up and down. 

“Tell me who you are or I'm going to scream,” you warn him, raising the spray to the level of his face. 

He raises his gloved hands to his chest in surrender. 

“Hey, take it easy. It's me.” He brings his hands to his hood and pulls it back to reveal a shock of white hair swirling in the icy wind. 

“Oh my...” Your horror turns to panic as you realize you were about to ruin the eyes of the new Biology teacher's assistant, he had only just moved to town a few weeks ago. You slowly shake your head, moving the spray away from his field of vision, back into your pockets. “I'm so sorry,” you utter, your panic slowly transforming into an embarrassment that burns like a torch on your face. 

“It's okay,” he smiles sideways, pulling the hood back over his head. “You acted properly.” 

The now not-so-stranger looks you up and down again, with those blue eyes that break the harmony of the white snow.  You run away from them when you get the chance, hurrying your pace along with him who starts walking with you.

“It's terribly cold.” You laugh, downplaying the sudden fear that still rubs your veins against each other. “I'm freezing,” you try to make it sound like something to break the tense moment, but your voice comes out cracked as you hide your face in your coat at the same time as you lift your shoulders to get out of the chill. 

“It is dangerous for you to be out here.” He looks down at you, you can feel it out of the corner of your eye. 

“I know,” you stutter, avoiding those haunting eyes. “You mean because of the deaths and stuff?” As soon as you add the last you regret it, you really didn't want to talk about it. “I was running late reading my students' papers, then visiting my grandparents,” you add, giving him explanations he doesn't need to hear but you feel somehow compelled to say. “I hope the police catch them soon, whoever the culprit is,” you finally say with a frown, remembering the news.

“Hm.” Is all that comes from his lips. “Mind if I walk with you? I live close by anyway.”  

At the proposal your heart pumps fast. Despite the fear you feel, you think it's better to accept than to walk alone. You nod, swallowing hard. Saliva cuts your dry throat.

You say your name waiting for him to introduce himself. “I haven't seen you around here before? Are you new to the neighborhood?”

“Yeah, I just moved in a little while ago. I- I've been watching you,” he whispers, you stop walking abruptly looking at him with wide eyes and quivering lips, pepper spray hovering against your fingers hidden in your pockets. The man stares at you for a few more seconds, before throwing his body back, chuckling. “I meant to say that I've observed your classes and you're good, my name is Gojo Satoru.” 

You relax a little at the joke, forcing a smile but still tightening your spray, maybe you were too tense, maybe your friend's assistant... Satoru, how he had introduced himself, was nothing more than that. So still with your nerves making your senses more responsive you decide to keep walking beside him.

“Thank you,” you reply. “My house is the next one,” you point to a tall brick house around the corner.

“All right.” He walks in the same direction you pointed, still staying close to you. His steps are light, as if he's gliding along the sidewalk. “I imagine your husband must be worried.” You look at him briefly, clearly confused. “I mean the man who comes to pick you up from college sometimes...”

“Oh,” you chuckle. “No, no, that's just a friend. No husband... I live with my friend,” you say. “But now she's visiting her parents for the vacations.” This time your eyes go to him shortly, hair escaping through his hood in white snowflakes, falling softly over his eyes.

You flee to the road before he can notice, your cheeks burning. As you stand in front of the door, you pull your keys out of your backpack.

“Thanks for walking me out, Satoru.”

“No problem. I'm glad I could help you get home safe and sound.” He gives you a warm smile even though you can't appreciate the fear and hesitation of the moment. 

You want to invite him in and be nice, but you know your friend would slap you if you told her about the stranger you let in the house knowing there's a killer on the loose. So you smile weakly at him and lean your body forward momentarily in a bow.

“I'll see you at school,” you say instead. 

Satoru doesn't reply anything else. He remains still, standing a few feet from the front door, waving his fingers in a goodbye that you cut off as you close the wooden door. Inside, the heat envelops you and you let out a purr of reassurance. Warmth surrounds your neck and cheeks cool as a woolen scarf, and you sigh in relief, letting out the fear and tension that encounter had caused you.

Satoru was a interesting guy… You try hard not to think of situations that might make your job uncomfortable, but you can't help the questions that arise in your mind. You wish, deep down, to know a little more about this mysterious man.

[leclerc-drives-in-circles]

Nails

pairing: Rafe x fem!Reader

Summary: you have a nail appointment and ask Rafe if he wants to go with.

A/n: random fucking idea

Enjoy this really fucking stupid story I randomly thought of <333

Dividers by @saradika

You knew you wanted to get your nails done but you didn't know what color to get. This debate started when you were invited to your friends wedding a week before your summer vacation started. Two completely different occasions, and considering you had less than a week until the wedding you had to choose fast. It didn't help that the wedding dress-code was 'minimalistic and old-fashioned' so you couldn't choose a super bold color.

You were annoyed at everything when your boyfriend Rafe walked in.

"Hey baby what're you doing?" He said whole plopping down on the bed in your shared room.

"Looking at subtle but summer-y colors for my nai-" you stopped yourself mid-sentence and just look at him with mischief in your eyes.

"Hmmm" He hummed contemplating whether or not to say anything about your face. He decided on the latter. "What does that face mean, gorgeous?" He said after a bit of complete silence.

"Wanna go with me and pick out the color?" You say eagerly knowing damn well he won't turn down a chance to hang out with his best girl.

"Yes. What time is the appointment?" He asks simply.

"The appointment starts at 2:00 buy we can get there a bit early so you can see all of the colors we'll. And if you want you can choose the style and design." You say in not-so-chill tone.

"I will choose a nice sage green for the color and maybe coffin shape and them little flowers for design." He says feigning excitement.

You stare at him, mouth agape, trying to figure out where he learned all of this knowledge.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He asks curiously.

"How did you know that? Also what color will the flowers be?" You ask incredibly confused.

"Mmm the flowers will be baby blue with little yellow middle thingys and Baby, I've been waiting for you to ask me for so long that I have learned all there is to know about nails. Also I have designs in my mind for every occasion so I'm REALLY prepared." He says as if you're not staring at him in pure disbelief.

"You blow my mind everyday with the amount of knowledge you can fit into that head with the size of that ego." You snap jokingly. Would he really believe it if you were serious?

"Wow, Baby, you're so nice to me." He says sarcastically while pulling you in for a sweet kiss, probably the sweetest kiss you've experienced with him.

"Okay, we have to leave in about...Forty-five minutes so be ready by then and I'll close out my pinterest and get dressed." You said pulling away from him reluctantly.

"Okay, Princess." He says giving you a quick peck on the cheek before walking to your closet and getting the two of you matching outfits in a beautiful muted orange color.

"Ooh, cute outfit, my love." You say happily grabbing it and walking to the bathroom that is attached to your room.

When you walked out you swear you can feel all of the air being sucked out of the room because of the incredible gasp you hear your adorable boyfriend take. "Beautiful, absolutely beautiful, have I told yiu today that I love you?" He says dumbfounded almost.

"I don't think you have. Do you love me?" You say trying to fuck with him.

"You have no clue how much I love you, Darling." He says quietly, almost silently.

》》——>>

At the nail salon you picked out the colors for your nails and sat down. You picked, as stated before, a sage green, a baby blue and a yellow that could be seen from a mile away.

The whole time the lady wah painting you nails Rafe wasn't even paying attention, he was staring at you as if you were the most beautiful woman to ever walk this earth. And to him you were.

He was lovesick and at this point him being utterly obsessed with you made Topper and Kelse annoyed constantly.

After you were done you walked out to his truck and he opened the door for you and you climbed into the comfortable seat whole Rafe scurried to the drivers side and climbed into the truck the exact same way as you.

"Lemme see, Baby." He says making grabbing hands toward your hands.

"Okay, okay. Be patient, Rafey." You mumbled whole basically throwing your hands at him.

"Oh my Goodness, Baby, they look amazing!" He cheered in excitement.

"It was all you, Handsome." You said reassuringly.

And you both lives happily ever after-ish

Thank you for reading this hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing it.

If there are any typos I'm so sorry I was writing this half asleep and reread it and was like "Okay then!" And now I'm posting it

Taglist: NOBODY YET BUT LMK

Also, sorry if it seemed rushed

[kodaswrld]

Can you do characters from Blue's Clues dividers (Tickety Tock, Mailbox, Felt Friends, Blue, Magenta, Green Puppy, and/or Periwinkle)? /nf

hiii ~ of course i can!! i hope these are what u wanted!

divider creator - requests open - like & reblog if you use!!

જ⁀➴ credit me please & follow for more dividers!

[brisquad-unit-4402]

Hello can I request Luxiem reacting to you taking off their engagement ring (assuming them and reader are engaged)? The situation can differ per member. Also if you’re not comfortable doing all members then at least Vox, Shu and Ike will be okay. Thank you!

oooo i saw “the situation can differ” and i took the fattest sip out of my coffee. i love drama. if you’re looking for something specifically fluff or angst with your oshi i hope the rng works in your favor

tags: gender neutral reader, established relationship, engagement and marriage, fluff, angst, breakups, arranged marriage, misunderstandings, unrequited love alternate universe, reader gets sold to one direction, i popped off a little too hard on some of these so sorry if you can detect a bias 😔

⚠️ forced marriage, implied dubcon (non-explicit), yandere(?) in vox’s entry

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

🖋 Ike Eveland

Ike spent all the time in the world examining every last ring at the jeweler's with the eye of a detective, whittling down each choice until he found the perfect ring to propose to you with.

Now he looks back at the white gold and how it reflects his face as he holds it up close, glasses up on his forehead while his nearsighted eyes take it in. The diamond in the center divides his reflection up in facets that gleam even as his shadow covers the overhead light, while the two sapphires on either side make the blue in his eyes all the more prominent.

He thought he had it all planned out, and he wasn't so presumptuous that he knew everything would go like how his wildest dreams unfolded, but he thought he had done at least something right. The moment he got on one knee was the number-one proof there was magic in the world.

So why, then, isn't the engagement ring in its rightful place on your hand?

He turns it over, inspecting the band as if there would be a clue engraved on the metal. Nothing, and it makes the growing panic in his head all the louder. You've already left the home much earlier that day, and he hasn't gotten a single text from you since. That's not surprising—he's clingy but not so much that he needs updates from you 24/7—but it's gnawing at him. You were so happy when he proposed that you cried with him, and your eyes rarely left the band around your finger. You swore you'd never leave it behind with wet eyes and the biggest smile in the world.

The memory just makes Ike all the more confused. He found it in the bathroom, on the sink counter like just any old piece of jewelry, even though you always keep it on your nightstand in the same place every day. It's a ritual to slip it on every morning and take it off every night, and there's been more than a few times Ike placed it on your finger before anyone's left the bed, as if the magic of the proposal still lingers with every day he's your fiancé.

At least, he thought it did. Something about plans and not being presumptuous, and doing something right. Or God forbid, doing something wrong.

He clutches the ring closer in his hand as he kneels on the bathroom tile, the cool metal turning warm with how long he's been holding it, while he puts the last few days on replay. Did he ruin something without noticing? He dreads the thought, and when he can't think of any recent transgressions, he tries to recall every day since the proposal.

Anxiety dyes the memories over. He always treasured every moment, even the imperfect ones where he's made a fool of himself (because what else is he supposed to do when he's in love like nothing else), but now he's starting to realize that he could've done better. He should've done better.

He's so lost in his thoughts and the labyrinth of deceit they invite that he doesn't recognize the world around him, even as the home comes to life while he sits still. He ignores the latching of keys and doors opening and closing. The only thing that snaps him out if it is footfalls along the flooring, slowly growing in volume as they approach the bathroom, until they're interrupted by the door creaking open and—

"Holy—Ike! You scared me!" Your hands are raised, startled, but lower to your side. "I just got home, and I was wondering where you went and... Why are you on the floor?"

Count another moment of foolishness. Ike returns to the waking world, where he sits on his legs over the tile of the master bathroom of the house, hands cupped around the engagement ring and the one he cares for above all else behind him, and yet still he can barely muster the strength to raise his head, much less speak out loud.

"Reader," he says. "I, uh, I have a question."

The words end there, and too ashamed to look up, he brings his hands out instead. Diamond and sapphires shine through his palms.

He hears a sharp intake of air. A gasp. Of shock, certainly, but whatever fuels it is lost to him.

"No way, you found it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" You plop down on the floor right next to your fiancé, leaning along his shoulder in disbelief. "It wasn't in any of my pockets, and I was just about to turn the house upside-down. Where was it?"

"I'm not sure how to approach this," Ike mumbles, before fixing his glasses and raising his quiet voice a bit louder. "It was in the bathroom."

"Ohh, that explains it. I probably took it off to wash my hands, then."

Ike falters. "Wh-what?"

"I usually take it off before getting my hands wet," you explain, as if it's the most mundane thing in the world. It is. "I know gold is waterproof, but I don't want it to lose its shine or anything."

"Right. The shine."

Ike Eveland, certified idiot, at your service.

The ring sits pretty in one hand while the other runs through his hair. Another foolish moment, but with your head up on his shoulder, his anxieties calm.

Fingertips rest along his palm, and when he looks at its source, you return the gaze. Your eyes sparkle nearly as bright as the gemstones, but your lids are lowered, trying to discern something. "Ike, you look like you have something on your mind."

"I do, don't I." At that, he muffles a laugh, fingers still tangled in his ashy hair. "No, I'm just glad that the ring reunited with its owner."

"Thanks again." You nod, the elated smile on your face fading into a dopey one. "Can you...?"

The exchange is wordless, and in his palm, warm. Ike takes the ring and turns it upright, while the hand it rested on takes yours instead.

Every morning when the both of you are too sleepy to even speak, he manages to treat your hands like fine crystal glass, and still he does now, with your palm resting under his grasp and fingers dangling out. The metal's temperature doesn't shock you at all. It's an extension of you, even when it was under Ike's watch.

Ike affixes the band with care, lashes and disheveled hair covering his eyes as he focuses, but you can discern the small, struck curve in his lips as he twists the band into place, certain it won't budge for the rest of the day.

You start to raise your hand, but before you do he gently tugs it back down, still focused on the way the engagement ring gleams. Then up at your knuckles, and higher on your arm until you can see a hint of green through the lashes. That green blinks back under his eyelashes as he lifts your knuckles to his lips.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

🦁 Luca Kaneshiro

It's late. You haven't checked the time in hours, but it's dark, and the false daylight from the old floor lamp in your living room cuts through the night in the window.

You should be asleep by now. You haven't gotten a good rest in what feels like forever. You've always been too worried, and when worry eased it turned into hollowness, even when the other side of the bed sinks with added weight.

You sit along the couch in the corner you always occupy on late nights when Luca is out. Whenever he comes back, he always wraps his arms around you and kisses the top of your head. A metallic scent follows him.

The door opens. Warm arms envelop you. Squeeze. Lips against your hair.

You don't have it in you to smile.

He can tell. His grin falls as he peels back his gloves. They're tinted darker on the knuckles. "Reader. You've been so distant lately."

"I will be. It'll be better for me to stop seeing you. It's not safe." The dredges of all your past arguments curl into your throat.

It breaks your heart to see Luca so stunned. Months upon months cleaning and dressing his wounds, and you've never seen him so taken aback.

That's one of the reasons you can't go on like you used to.

"I've spent so much of my time telling you to watch yourself, and so much time just asking you to come home," you explain. "You know as well as I do you can take a break. But you don't.

"And I can't control you, but do you know how many times I've had to stay up just to know you'll be safe? To know I'll be safe?" Your fingers tense. "The gunfire outside, the spyware, I stopped ordering packages because ever since that threat last year I've been paranoid one of your enemies might actually leave a bomb at my doorstep. I don't know how you can do it, but I can't.

"And I've spent so much time alone."

Your eyes fall to the engagement ring on your hand. It's glamorous and gold, with tiny diamonds that line the band and frame the large diamond in the center like pawns to a king. Is that what you are to him?

You raise the back of your palm up, and the lamp makes the diamonds shimmer. "What does this even mean? You tell me you love me but you never give me your time anymore. You can't just do that, Luca. Not when I stay up night after night worrying what if you got shot, or stabbed, or kidnapped, and every night you don't come home or even send me a text I can't help myself from thinking that."

"I wouldn't." Luca's big purple eyes make contact with yours. The way his voice wavers and his face is set into a grimace, you know he's serious, and those purple eyes are honest. "I wouldn't get hurt and leave you by yourself like that."

"But you did! There are days in a row where I don't see a trace of you and consider calling in a missing persons case! Weeks, even, and so many times I have to patch you up after a fight!"

"I can take care of myself."

"And I want to take care of you! We're engaged, that means we're in it together, but I can't do this! I'm not some superhero mafioso like you. I'm just-"

Your throat tightens. You were doing such a good job at keeping yourself together, but the diamonds are your chain.

You rip the ring off yourself, and Luca watches in horror.

"I'm just normal."

The ring lands on the table, next to the water stains from the previous tenant. Your fiancé is motionless.

"I'll help you collect your things tomorrow when it's a decent hour," you snap, patience lost. "But you're not staying here. God knows you've found places to spend the night without me."

"We're not over," he says, utterly in disbelief.

"Yes, we are! You can't get it through your head that you're dangerous, and you can't even make up for it by being there when it matters. I'm not safe. How could I ever feel safe when the man that proposed to me is never around to actually protect me? You said you would when you got down on one knee, and ever since it's only been more danger! That's the opposite of what you promised me!"

You snatch the ring with one hand and his own in the other. He winces, and you can see a newly formed bruise where his own band glints up at you. Another late fight tonight, when he could've rested.

You push the engagement ring into his palm and force the fingers closed around it. He doesn't even protest. "Go home. Let me be alone like I know you're so good at doing."

"I'll be back for you. I'll make it right. I swear."

"You had your chance and you blew it. You're lucky I'm not changing the lock before you get your things." You leer, scorned and scarred. "We're done."

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

👟 Shu Yamino

Your hand shakes, and the engagement ring between your fingers glints in the lighting. The gold is stark against your skin even in the glow, with a pear-shaped stone in the center of the ring that catches the glow in little reflections off the surface of the fabric of your attire and your skin. They start purple, then gleam in subtle rainbows of fire.

It’s an elegant piece with slanted filigree wrapped all around like Shu's flames around your finger. The stone smiles, and when the light bounces off the facets, it giggles speckles of glitter against you.

Shu is so beautiful in white. His eyes are a brilliant royal purple just like the stone, especially as he blinks back tears, and even though his hair is braided back, a strand of hair strays by his right side. He spent the last twenty minutes blowing it out of his face nervously.

Your fingers graze over the gold. The fiery stone lets out a laugh as it slides off your finger.

Shu's hand meets yours. "Let me help you," he whispers, so quiet that no one could ever hear it but you. He shakes too, but he is together with you, and as you present him your hand, the engagement ring finds its place on your right ring finger.

He produces another, one that the both of you picked out together. It, too, is gold, but simply bent upward in a point like a chevron. Two stones, one diamond and one deep purple, are placed on the side. One to represent each of you, set together in metal.

"I've been dreaming about this for so long," he admits. His voice is wet. You know your eyes are too, and even though you gingerly wipe them, you focus on how much care he puts into placing the band around your left ring finger, both hands trembling at the excitement.

It takes you time to find your words. Even as you bring out his ring, you're still speechless, and the weight of the gold is both air and boulder. "I love you," you say, because that's all you can think. His band matches the angle shape of yours, but the metal is thicker to fit his hands, and flat enough to reflect your ring alongside his. As you place it on his finger, you brush against his knuckles.

"Reader. Do you take Shu as your lawfully wedded husband, to live in matrimony, to have and to hold, in both sickness and in health, dedicated to him for as long as you live?"

"I love you, I do, I do, I do."

"Shu. Do you take Reader as your lawfully wedded spouse, to live in matrimony, to have and to hold, in both sickness and in health, dedicated to them for as long as you live?"

"I do. God, I love you." You don't retract your hand, and he wraps around yours. The gold weaves between your fingers. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"You have pledged before these witnesses to be joined in marriage, and you have now sealed this pledge by exchanging these wedding rings. By the power vested in me, I pronounce you officially married!"

You barely hear the officiator before Shu leans in. You meet him where your wedding ring presses against his skin and the engagement ring spreads royal freckles across his face.

You're set alight, gold on gold, lip against lip. You take his first kiss of many as a newly married man.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

👹 Vox Akuma

The Lord Akuma may be self-assured, but he knows when his intuition is trying to signal something, and so he approaches you with what you can already tell is hesitation. "My love."

"Lord."

"It has come to my attention—"

"There's a first for everything," you mock.

You know your attitude more than justifies the trepidation. Good. You'll admit that talking back to a noble is a death sentence, and anyone that dared to disrespect Lord Akuma’s name would be strung up for their rudeness.

However, you are not simply ‘anyone.’ You are the royal heir to a kingdom of your own, and your death would bring upon a far worse fate to the Lord than any public execution.

Lord Akuma’s harsh red makeup squints together as he leers—then sighs and tries again, shoulders still square as if that would intimidate you. “It has come to my attention that you reject our engagement.”

Years of etiquette has taught you otherwise, but now, you understand the commonfolk’s urge to spit on the shoes of another. “Of course I reject it. I would never marry someone like you.”

“As you’ve made it abundantly clear. You have my apologies if your time in my castle has been lackluster. Please, if the accommodations have been subpar, or the staff neglectful, just say the word. It will be handled accordingly.”

“I don’t give a damn about your castle. I’m not marrying you!” You snap. “You’re a disgusting pig of a warlord. My kingdom will never accept this.”

“Is that truly what you think?”

You nod, hair in your face and teeth gnashed together. “They’ll come for me. They’ll stand up against the empire we’ve been at war with for the abduction of their royal heir.”

“I’m afraid that’s not how it works, my love.”

“And quit calling me that!”

“Look at me.”

In an instant Lord Akuma lifts your chin with a finger, forcing you to face him even as you try to turn away. “But that is who you are.” Vox’s eyes, a pallid yellow most days, turn darker than sunsets. “Despite your kingdom’s political climate, you are no ruler. A heir, yes, but no ruler. Making your own choice in marriage was never an option.”

He produces the ring, a gold band in a traditional style practiced in his empire alone. You’re no jeweler, but it’s clear it’s a heirloom passed down from blood to blood until it fell into Lord Akuma’s hands. You don’t need a artisan’s knowledge to know those rubies feel much heavier than they look, either.

“I was heartbroken to see you left this behind in your room,” Lord Akuma said, coolly and evenly, and certainly not heartbroken at all. Ice slides down your spine as you realize that hesitance wasn’t out of fear at all. No, you’ve underestimated him entirely. “Especially after the true rulers of your kingdom, your parents, accepted the terms and gave me their blessing.

“If you see me as simply a political figure, then I’m sure you can recognize you aren’t half of the politician you claim to be.” His grin grows wider. “Perhaps a bargaining chip is a better title.”

Your vision flares red, then white as you thrash. “You—“

“Hold still.”

Lord Akuma’s grip is startlingly strong. His nails dig into the sides of your cheeks as he shoves you against the wall.

As much as you try to slip away, the Lord Akuma is the general of his army as well as a noble, and has dealt with much more cunning minds than yours. He pins you down, hot weight pressing your arm away while he catches your left hand.

“It would be wise not to resist me,” he commands.

Still you writhe, even though Lord Akuma shifts his weight to disable you further. Your knuckles are turning white under his grip.

Your strength is on the verge of giving out, now that the adrenaline is wearing off, and Lord Akuma is no longer shocked. You grunt and force every last bit of energy into your fist, but his fingers weave around yours, pulling your fist apart until he wrests the ruby ring onto your finger.

“You bastard,” you hiss. You must be a wreck right now, in improper dress and sweltering under Lord Akuma, and with every last courtesy abandoned in your hatred. The exhaustion from the fight fuels both anger and humiliation, especially now that Lord Akuma is so close. “You’re sick, Lord Akuma.”

He looks down at you, and has the gall to look disappointed. “My love, your fiancé’s name is Vox.”

You growl. “I hate you, more than anything.”

Vox is barely an inch away, and grins as he closes the distance. His teeth point daggers. “Then kiss me like you hate me.”

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

✧. ┊ masterpost ✧. ┊ kofi

[navybrat817]

Does Stud know what Smartie is getting him or will he try to get a hint?

He doesn't know, nonnie.

Cookies and Hints

Pairing: Roommate!Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: Bucky tries to get hints about his gifts as you bake together.

Word Count: Over 1.1k

Warnings: Fluff, established relationship, teasing, implied smut, humor, slight feels (it’s me, okay), talk of celebrating Christmas, Bucky Barnes (he’s a warning, okay?).

A/N: More short and sweet for Stud and Smartie. ❤️ Not beta read and written on my phone, so any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @firefly-graphics . Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog for new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!

There was something sweet about baking with Bucky. The kitchen became a hub for communication and collaboration as you made something tasty together. It was a way to be fully engaged and present with each other while creating new and happy memories. You looked forward to those moments together.

Even when Stud tried to drive you crazy.

You pinched the bridge of your nose before you scooped the last of the cookie dough onto the tray. “For the twentieth time, I'm not telling you what your gifts are,” you said.

You had just finished wrapping his presents this morning since you didn't want to wait until Christmas Eve. How you managed to sneak them in without him getting a glimpse was a proud moment since he was much stealthier than you. You wanted to surprise him and he was making it more and more difficult.

Especially since he kept giving you puppy dog eyes.

“First, I did not ask you twenty times,” he said, leaning against the counter as he watched you open the oven and carefully placed the tray in. “Second, I’m not asking for you to tell me what the presents are. All I asked for was a hint.”

“See, but if I give you any hints, you’ll figure out what they are,” you told him, setting the timer on the stove. “You're a smart man.”

“I appreciate the compliment,” he smiled almost sheepishly, which made you smile in return. He deserved all the praise. If no one else would give it to him, you would. “But I really think one tiny little hint wouldn't hurt.”

He doesn't know when to quit, does he?

“You were totally that child that went looking for your presents, weren't you? Wait, did you go into my room?”

Bucky placed a hand on his chest, a wounded look in his blue eyes. “Do you really think I'd go into your room without your permission?” he asked, the corner of his lip twitching. “I could also get the cats to ‘play’ with the wrapping paper. I mean, you can't blame them if they’re curious.”

Fair.

You thrust a finger in his face as you spun toward him. “James Buchanan Stud Barnes, don't you dare trick the cats into doing your dirty work. And I am not giving you a single hint and that is final,” you stated.

Of course, your attempt at intimidation didn't deter Bucky. Not when he locked eyes with you and wrapped his lips around the tip of your finger. You sucked in a deep breath when he flicked his tongue against it, the same way he did against your clit when he went down on you.

Oh, fuck.

As if he knew your womb clenched and panties dampened when he released the digit from his sinful mouth, he smirked and winked. “You sure about that?”

Jutting your chin out, you nodded. “Yeah because I used your full name, so… There.”

There's that stellar education of mine put to good use.

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” you began, reaching over to grab the used mixing bowl with as much grace as possible when he tampered down a laugh. “I need to clean this and you need to stop distracting me.”

“You know we can clean together and you can still give a clue,” he pointed out, reaching for the bottom of his T-shirt as you walked to the sink. “And if I really want to distract you, I can take this off.”

“Keep your shirt on,” you ordered, thinking it over as you turned on the water. “For now.”

You faced the wall as you rinsed the bowl, determined to stay strong. You wouldn't break. Bucky didn't need any hints. Not a single one.

You straightened up when he came up behind you and placed a hand on each side of the sink. Why did he have to smell so good? You didn't turn around, but you felt your heart speed up as the heat rolled off his firm body.

“Come on, Smartie,” he breathed low against your neck, his nose brushing along your skin. “Just a little hint and I won't bother you for the rest of the day.”

Maybe I want you to bother me.

You closed your eyes and almost dropped the bowl when his lips followed the path. “You're not playing fair,” you whined.

He chuckled as he pushed against you, letting you feel the outline of his cock. “Neither are you,” he groaned when you moved your hips back against him.

“You started it.”

“And I'm more than happy to finish it,” he promised, gently nipping over your pulse. “As long as it's inside you.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Before you allowed him to do exactly that, you managed to spin around in the cage he made so you could face him. “You really want a hint?”

His face softened as he reached behind you to shut off the water. “Only if you really want to give me one.”

“Okay. Here it is,” you said, leaning in so your mouth touched his ear and smiling when he shivered. You wanted his heart to race the same way yours did. “Your gifts were all bought or crafted with love.”

It wasn't a clue at all, but it would tell Bucky all he needed to know. That no matter what you gave him, you selected and crafted them with care. Because he was your special guy and you wanted to spoil him a little.

The way he no doubt spoiled you.

You smiled widened as you leaned your head back. You thought baking cookies together was the happy memory you would make, but seeing the happiness in his eyes as he gazed at you warmed your heart. It was a look you cherished being on the receiving end of.

“That’s all I needed to hear,” he gently admitted, his gaze drifting to your lips before he closed the gap and kissed them. “Now that I have my hint, I need to taste you before those cookies finish baking.”

Yes. Spread my legs wide open and taste how sweet I am.

“Mmm. I may need to finish cleaning,” you teased, his large hands gripping your hips as he moved you away from the sink.

“Why clean now since we’re going to make it dirty?” He questioned, lifting you and placing on an empty spot on the counter. “And after I’ve had my fill, you’re gonna let me frost your cookie.”

“Bucky, no,” you giggled as he tugged at your pants, knowing full well you’d let him fill you up.

“Bucky, yes,” he smiled.

And as the scent of the sweet and sugary cookies filled the kitchen, that was exactly what he did.

We know he'll love his gifts. Love and thanks for reading! ❤️

Masterlist ⚓ Bucky Barnes Masterlist ⚓ Ko-Fi

[sturniolo04]

Push Ups M.S.

Girldad!husband!Matt x Wife!Girlmom!Reader

A/N: If you don't like the preadded name in my stories, you can either add your own name or not read it; it's up to you :)

A/N: me and @mintsturniolo wrote this story using the same concept but didn’t copy one another but we both already know our stories have similarities so we didn’t plagiarize.

Dividers: @issysh3ll

Daughter Lily comes into the workout room to get girl dad Matt for dinner because dinner is finally ready. Girl dad Matt asks daughter Lily to help him finish his workout. I.e. push-ups with her on his back. Reader, a.k.a. Mom walks in and admires the pair quietly before reeling them back in to come get dinner before it gets cold

Ever since you and Matt got married and Lily started 2nd grade you all fell into a consistent routine day in and day out. On this particularly Thursday, you and Lily decided to make dinner together a little early since you and the family were insistent on having home made lasagna for the night.

Matt had been in the workout room in your guys' house to routinely do his workout before dinner so he could take a shower after and be clean and fresh before eating with his family.

"hey lil wheres dad"

you ask you daughter leaning down to carefully grab the lasagna out of the oven.

"uh huh"

she shrugs as she finishes setting the forks next to the plates on the island counter table you guys were going to sit at tonight for dinner. you slightly chuckle playfully rolling your eyes at your daughter shrugging her shoulders.

"well can you find him for me and tell him dinner is ready"

you ask your 8 year old turning off the timer on the oven.

"okayy"

she giggles out dragging the 'y' walking out of the kitchen to do so.

"thank youu"

you exclaim to her as she exits the room dragging the 'u'

Lily genuinely had no clue where Matt was checking almost every room in the house until ultimately stumbling upon to workout room which is a room she never goes into because simply matt doesn't want her to get hurt. Lily quietly stands in the doorway seeing matt on his phone which appeared to be for a slight moment of him changing the music that was playing in his headphones over his ears at the moment not noticing his daughters presence just yet.

"hey lil"

matt exclaims at an abnormal volume with his headphones still on when he notices her presence as he was about to set his phone down on the bench in front of him. Lily responds with a slight smile as he removes his headphones placing them around his neck.

"whats up baby girl"

he questions walking over to his daughter in the doorway.

"mom said dinner is ready so time to eat"

she giggles out as he leans down and places a sweet kiss on top of her head.

"okay princess"

he replies to her moving away slightly to gaze into her hazel blue eyes which was the perfect mixture of you and him.

"are you almost done then"

his daughter sweetly ask looking up at him.

"almost in fact you should help me finish all I have to do is some pushups you want to help me out"

he simply states and questions your daughter as she excitedly nods her head following him in the room.

Matt places his hands on the tufted floor.

"so do you want me to count"

lily shyly questions.

"actually i got a better idea sit on my back to give me a challenge"

he chuckles out a lily hurriedly and excitedly climbs on top of his back giggling as he begins doing a few push ups begin extremely careful not to drop her.

"what is taking her so long"

you huff out as you begin to look for your daughter and your husband. As you followed the sound of giggling which you assumed was your daughters. You finally made it to the doorway of the workout room to find your daughter on Matt's back as he continues to do push ups. Hearing the series of not only giggles leaving your 8 year olds mouth and the continuous 'another one' request from your daughter to Matt melted your heart.

"hi you two"

you slowly and softly greet and matt stops laying flat on the ground as lily stretches laying on top of him.

" hi mom"

lily giggles.

"dinner's ready"

you state again lifting your eyebrow at the pair.

" guess its time to go eat huh"

matt states to lily as she nods her head in agreement as they both begin to stand up, lily getting off our her dads back.

Taglist

@mintsturniolo @emely9274 @wh0resstuff @dirtylittleheart333

@spicymuffins03 @aaliyahstrn @stayingstromboli @ksturnz

[cressidagrey]

Looked to the Sky - Chapter 10

Summary: 

Eira Archeron was neither a Valkyrie, nor a Seer, nor the High Lady of the Night Court. She was, however, Azriel‘s mate with her own mysterious, untrained powers.

Also known as: Azriel tries to court his mate the human way.

Warnings: 

THIS IS THE LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE SEQUEL! SO READ THAT FIRST IF YOU WANNA READ THIS ONE OTHERWISE THIS MAKES NO SENSE!

Elain Bashing, Low Self Esteem, Eira has a shiny new spine, Azriel threatens to murder and the shadows keep torturing Elaine's floral arrangements and without @k-godling this would have never happened.

(super pretty dividers by @tsunami-of-tears)

“And if something happens…”

“We do know how to contact you,” Mor drawled drily from her seat on the couch. “Velaris will still be standing when you return, High Lord,” she told Rhys sarcastically. Az bit back a smile while Amren huffed.

"And you're alright with taking care of Nyx?" Feyre checked carefully. It was already dangerous enough for the High Lord, the High Lady, the General and the Spymaster to be out of the Night Court at the same time. There was no need to add the Heir to the Night Court to it as well.

Mor rolled her eyes. "He'll be alive and happy when you return," she promised Feyre.

Rhys sighed as he watched Feyre fuss over Nyx, who was sitting on the ground beside her, playing with what looked like a stuffed toy of some sort. A bat, now that he was looking at it with more interest. 

He wondered where exactly he had gotten that from for a moment. 

"He’ll be in good hands, love," Rhys assured Feyre, walking over to place his hands on her shoulders.

"And don't give her too much milk!" Azriel heard his mate exclaim, fussing about the little kitten that followed behind Eira everywhere. Snow, or Snowflake, as Eira had christened her, would stay with Cerridwen and Nuala...and Eira was fussy about it. Had been for days. 

Azriel had more than once been jealous of a damn cat because it got all of Eira’s attention. And then he looked at Eira smiling at her, at playing with her with a ribbon, at how she coaxed her to eat little pieces of chicken from her hands, and scratched her underneath her chin, all of this with that expression on her face that told him that she was incandescently happy and he wasn’t jealous anymore. Eira loved her. How could he be jealous of that?

Eira appeared just a moment later, Snow still wrapped in her arms. She was clad in a green coat over a cream dress…if one could call it a coat? Azriel had absolutely no clue about fashion but it was a weird coat. It only had three-quarter-length sleeves and the neckline was open, with a shawl collar that bared her clavicle...and right there rested a necklace featuring fat emeralds that he knew the shadows had given her.

His shadows twined around her, whispering their approval for how pretty she looked, and he couldn’t disagree. 

Eira was… She was stunning. She always was, of course. But that simple - yet still lovely - dress, the necklace, and her hair that was pinned up carefully with combs in it...Perfect.

He took her in, the slender, elegant lines of her figure in the dress, the dark gold strands of her hair in the elaborate braided hairstyle that revealed her lovely neck, and those blue-grey eyes that met his as a blush stained her cheeks.

She was beautiful.

"Where did you get that necklace from?" Amren suddenly demanded, staring at the necklace resting around Eira's throat with hungry eyes that made not only Azriel's brows raise.

Eira froze, and her fingers moved up to the emeralds that sat against her skin.

"The...?" she stumbled over her words a little bit, her glance shifting nervously between him, Amren, and Mor and Feyre, who had both also turned to look. "I...the Shadows got it for me," she said quietly, her cheeks darkening further.

What is this about? he demanded from the shadows, which seemed to nearly preen with something.

The Tiny Ancient One wanted it. We bought it first, they answered drily. Petty. So Petty.

He had to bite his lip to avoid snickering.

Of course, the Shadows had stolen something Amren had wanted from right under her nose. Of course, they had.

She still hasn’t apologised to her, the shadows sniped. It’s her own fault.

True. Amren was back in the city because Rhys would prefer his second and third to be there, but that came with strict instructions. Azriel wasn’t quite sure what exactly had been said, but the shadows had promised him that The High Lord had been more than clear with Amren. 

A little mrrrrp from Snowflake in her arms brought attention down to the kitten, and Azriel reached out to fondly stroke the little ball of fluff. Eira giggled as Snowflake leaned into his touch, pressing her face against his fingers and continuing to purr.

"She likes you," Eira said with a little smile, watching the little cat with fondness.

"I think the feeling is mutual," Az murmured quietly, as he gently scratched Snowflake's head, and she just continued to press against his hands for more. Another mrrrp escaped the little cat, and Eira giggled a little.

"There we are!" Cassian exclaimed at that moment, Nesta trailed behind him. "I hope Helion still knows how to throw a party!"

"Or how to host one at least," Azriel grumbled under his breath, as he withdrew his hand from Snowflake's head. Rhys chuckled at the comment, as Feyre rolled her eyes.

Eira next to him stayed quiet, and he could see the nervousness in every line of her body. He offered her his arm and she slid her hand into the crook of his elbow, as she placed Snow on the ground.

"It will be alright," he promised her. It would be alright. It was only a wedding. Even if that meant facing Elain and he knew how nervous Eira was about that…He wasn’t nervous. He had promised himself an iron-clad grip on his temper. It would not flare. He would not actually kill Elain. Regardless of if he thought she deserved it for what she had done to them. “I’ll be there,” he added after a moment.  He wasn’t going to leave her to face her demons alone. Not when she had grown even paler at the thought of facing Elain. Her fingers were gripping his arm almost like a vice.

"Everybody ready?" Rhys asked. "We'll winnow into the Courtyard of Sunray Palace."

A chorus of confirmations met his question, as Azriel placed a little kiss against his mate’s head, while her fingers in the crook of his elbow remained as tight as iron.

“Ready as we’ll ever be, I guess...” Cassian muttered, and Azriel silently agreed.

The shadows wrapped around them, and Azriel took a moment to make sure Eira was wrapped in them as well before they vanished from the River House. And rematerialised in the Day Court.

His first thought was...it was bright.

Very bright.

The brilliant sun was shining overhead, and the courtyard they appeared in was large and lovely, if a bit...showy. Similar to the House of Wind, The Sunray Palace was carved into the stone of a Mountain, that was covered in lush grass. He looked up to see a group of Pegasi fly up to their home in the highest tower.

He turned his head to check on Eira, catching her pale face and the nervous gulp as she took the Palace in, and his worry spiked. She was shaking like a leaf, and her knuckles were white where she clutched his elbow.

And then he watched as her shoulders went back and her chin went up, her jaw clenched nearly imperceptively. "You look lovely by the way," he whispered in her ear, making her blush. "Green suits you. Though I am partial to blue."

The compliment drew a flush of colour to her cheeks, and her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly as a little smile appeared on her face.

“Of course, you would say that,” she shot back, the slight tremble in her voice still there. “You’re biased. And don’t try to distract me.”

He chuckled even as he led them forward, the two of them easily slotting into place between Nesta and Cassian, Nesta throwing her younger sister a look. Azriel could read the worry into it but he shook his head nearly imperceptively. Eira was doing well. Better than he thought she would at any rate.

Eira still looked nervous. Extremely nervous. Her hand still had a death grip on his arm, and she was walking stiffly beside him, and yet...she still had her chin lifted high, her eyes forward. He had to admire the courage she was putting on.

The doors to the Palace suddenly opened, and Helion stepped out, grinning brilliantly. “Well, well, well, you all are a sight for sore eyes,” he said, his voice drawling out the syllables in that typical Day Court fashion.

“Don’t you know it, High Lord,” Cassian replied in his usual easy, charming tone, and Helion chuckled as his gaze travelled over the group with a smirk. Suddenly the smirk faltered as his gaze landed on Eira and the shadows wrapped around her.

His eyes widened, and Azriel didn't know what this was about before Helion continued. "We prepared rooms for you all. Why don't you arrive properly and then we'll have lunch?"

The suggestion was casual, but Azriel still thought that Helion's gaze remained on the way the shadows swirled up her body. It did result in the shadows hissing

"Thank you," Rhys drawled, easily matching the Day Court High Lord's tone. "We'll do that, and we'll see you for lunch."

The High Lord nodded, and retreated back into the Palace, while the group headed in the same direction.

When he glanced at Eira again, her face was paler than before, her hands trembling even more.

"Breathe, love," he whispered to her quietly, his voice soft, hoping it would soothe her a little bit. She gave him a weak nod in response, and he could see her forcing herself to take a shaky breath in. Azriel didn't know entirely what was going through her head, but he had the feeling it was not a happy thought, by any means.

They were shown to their suite of rooms, arranged around a shared living room, and he led her to a marigold yellow sofa. She collapsed like somebody cut the strings holding her up.

He had half a mind to curse, but her paler face, the trembling hands, stopped him. Instead, he carefully lowered himself down onto the sofa beside her, pulling her onto his lap without a second thought, and wrapped her in the shadows around them.

“Breathe, sweetheart,” he repeated, as one of his hands stroked gently up and down her back, while the other cupped her cheek.

She leaned against his touch willingly, as another shudder wracked her frame.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she whimpered.

His heart wrenched in his chest at the tremble in her voice. "There's nothing wrong with you, love," he assured her quietly. "Nothing at all. You are nervous to face Elain. That's alright."

She sighed softly, but relaxed against him, bedding her head against his shoulder.

"Looking awfully comfy there," Cassian drawled and her cheeks flushed scarlet. She moved to get off his lap but Azriel held her in place gently until she stilled.

He wrapped his arm a little bit tighter around her, keeping her from getting off his lap, as he shot Cassian a quick glare, while the hand rubbing her back continued the slow and gentle motion.

He could almost hear the Shadows whispering their own displeasure at Cassian in the back of his mind. Azriel could hear a sharp smack and he just knew that it must have been Nesta.

He turned his head to send a glare in Cassian's direction, as the Shadows snickered in his mind.

"Sorry, I am sorry, Eira" Cassian hurried to add, as Feyre stifled a laugh behind her hand.

Eira said nothing, just curled tighter against him, resting her temple against his shoulder. 

"We got three bedrooms, not four," Rhys said with a sigh, apparently having surveyed the rooms in the meantime. "They clearly expected Azriel and Eira to share a room.”

Azriel wondered if that was on purpose. If that was Elain’s doing. Her attempt at making Eira uncomfortable. Eira, the one of the sisters that kept the most to human ideals of modesty, that blushed if he as much as kissed her cheek…that only kissed him when they were alone. And even then it were quick pecks against his lips. 

Not that he would ever protest against one of Eira’s kisses. He wanted to hoard each touch of her plush, soft lips against his like a dragon hoarded its treasure. 

But now he could feel Eira's body stiffen in his lap once more, and he glanced down at her. She was very pale again, her fingers trembling where they were wrapped around his jacket. He wanted to smack his head against the nearest wall, or at least something, but he refrained from doing that, and instead just pulled her further against his chest with a quiet huff.

"Their error," Nesta said drily. "Eira and I will share."

The Shadows were practically sulking in his head. 

He shut them up with a growl. 

Even when he wouldn’t have laid a single finger on Eira if they did share a bed, that clearly was a step too far for her. It would have made her uncomfortable. And he wasn’t going to push her. Not ever. 

He had never asked, but there didn’t seem to be any human suitors in her past. Kissing seemed foreign to her, making her nervous and excited, her heartbeat quickening and she stared at him with this expression of wonder on her face. 

"Alright, that works as well," Feyre agreed, and Azriel silently echoed that. 

He could feel how tense Eira still was in his lap, though. Still trembling nervously under his touch. He continued to rub her back slowly, still trying to soothe her. 

“Cassian can share with Azriel,” Nesta declared. 

“Oh come on,” Cassian muttered. 

The Shadows muttered their displeasure as well. 

Azriel rolled his eyes, his fingers still rubbing her back soothingly.

"You're a grown male, Cassian," he said, his voice dry. "I'm sure you'll live."

A huff from the General, and Azriel just rolled his eyes again, his glance down to his mate again.

She still looked quite pale. The hand on her back continued the gentle rubbing. 

"Interesting that it wasn't Elain and Lucien that greeted us," Feyre said drily. "Given that it's their wedding we are supposed to attend."

"Very interesting," Rhys agreed, as Azriel continued to eye Eira in his lap.

She was still tense against him, still pale, still trembling a little bit. Her nervousness and fear were rolling in waves towards him, through the bond.

"Elain will be at the lunch, no doubt," Feyre said, and Rhys just hummed in agreement.

The Shadows continued to whisper angrily in his mind, upset at the way their Mate was feeling.

"Or maybe Elain is terrified of what the shadows will do to her now," Nesta quipped darkly.

Azriel couldn't help but smirk a little bit at that.

He could practically hear the Shadows preen. Cassian let out a bark of laughter, and Feyre tried to hold hers back, while Rhys tried to keep a serious expression.

You'll behave, he told them sternly.

Maybe , they hissed back, though they were still clearly preening over the compliment.

He rolled his eyes and glanced down at Eira again.

I mean it. You will behave. You do not attack her, he reiterated in his head. 

A few displeased mutterings echoed in his head, but they did quiet down. He refrained from rolling his eyes this time, and his glance went back to the female in his lap. She was no longer pale, the tremors and shakes having died down, and while she was still nervous, she now appeared relaxed. At least a little bit.

"Let's get changed for Lunch," Nesta said easily.

"You literally just put on a dress before we arrived here," Cassian said with a snort.

"You don't need to understand females, Cassian," Rhys said easily. "Just deal with it."

Cassian grumbled, as Feyre stifled another laugh and Azriel held in a snicker.

Nesta held out her hand for Eira, who took it and let her sister pull her to her feet, giving him a small smile and his hand a squeeze before they, together with Feyre, disappeared into one bedroom.

He watched her go, a strange feeling of loss creeping up once she was out of his sight.

Azriel was tempted, so tempted to get up and go after her, pull her back onto the sofa, onto his lap, into his arms, but he managed to stop himself from doing so.

He leaned his head back against the back of the sofa, and a long sigh escaped him.

"You're absolutely besotted." His head snapped up to see Rhys staring at him, his violet eyes sparkling with smug amusement. The Shadows immediately hissed in agreement his mind at Rhys' observation.

"Shut up," Azriel just grumbled.

Rhys smirked at him in response, and Cassian just laughed. "Whatever you do tonight, if your shadows start sweetly caressing me like they do to Eira, I'll scream," Cassian muttered.

"That won't happen," Azriel immediately shot back, the words practically hissed through his teeth.

At the same time, the Shadows muttered their own disapproval of that possibility. Only our Mate, they whispered.

Cassian just rolled his eyes.

"Do you think she'll manage?" Cassian asked, growing serious. "She seems awfully...nervous."

A heavy sigh escaped him, as he sat up straighter in his seat, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know," he admitted. "She...is very nervous. But she's trying not to be. She's trying to stay brave."

"And you?" Rhys asked quietly. "How are you holding up?"

He took a deep breath, contemplating the question.

He was angry. Furious. Worried about his mate, his heart clenching every time he felt her distress through the bond.

But he had to stay strong. For her. He needed to keep it together.

"I..." he mumbled, his voice faltering. He had to pause for a moment to collect himself. "I'm hanging in there."

Silence followed his admission, and Cassian and Rhys were studying him. He knew his friends could see through his facade, knew that they knew how worried he was. His face must have given all away.

"You have every right to be angry," Rhys said quietly. "I don't know what I would do in your place."

"What I want to do is to take her home," he admitted, his voice quiet and gruff, his eyes fixed on his lap, where he was clenching his hands into fists. "I want to take her home. I don't want her here. I don't want her to face Elain. Hell, I don't even want her to meet Elain at all. I..." He took a shuddering breath. "But she needs this. She needs this closure. I think Eira knows that herself."

Another heavy sigh escaped him, as he lifted his head and met Rhys' eyes.

"I just hate...seeing her so scared. She doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve to feel frightened and scared because of...Elain," he said, bitterness seeping into his voice as he said her name.

"What did she see?" Cassian said suddenly. "Elain had a vision of you and Eira and worked to make sure it wouldn't come to pass. But what did she see?"

"Cass..." Rhys said carefully, but Azriel shook his head. It was alright.

"She saw...She saw Eira and a little girl in a garden. A little girl with her hair and freckles and my wings and eyes. She saw me coming home to them...picking up our daughter and kissing Eira...they saw my hand on her swollen belly...another child in her womb. She saw our children Cassian." There was a heavy pause after Azriel's words.

Cassian just stared at him, wide-eyed and silent, while Rhys' mouth was set into a thin-lipped grave line.

His voice had started shaking a little bit, towards the middle of his story, and he clenched his jaw against the emotions building in his chest.

"That you didn't outright kill her is a fucking miracle," Cassian seethed.

"I damn near came close," Azriel muttered darkly, while anger coursed through his veins.

His jaw was set, his hands were clenching and unclenching almost of their own accord, while the Shadows kept muttering angrily in the back of his mind. They were furious, furious that their Mate was distressed.

"Why did she do it?" Cassian demanded. "Because she is the prettier one? Because if she couldn't have Azriel, Eira shouldn't have him either? Because of jealousy ?!"

"Jealousy and spite," Azriel said darkly. "That's what it comes down to. Jealousy and spite ."

He wanted to break something. Preferably Elain. He wanted to wrap his hands around her neck and squeeze.

He took a shuddering breath to collect himself, as he felt himself slowly losing control of his temper.

But he needed to stay in control. He had to. He wasn't going to explode, not in front of Cassian and Rhys, and certainly not in front of Eira.

"I...hate...her," he bit out, his voice strangled, as his hands clenched and unclenched, even as he tried to keep control over his temper. "I hate her so much. Hell, I want to destroy the very thought of her. I...I want to make sure she can never hurt Eira again. And if it's the last thing I damn well do," he continued, and his voice was venomous. "She. Will. Never. Lay one finger on my mate ever again."

"And I'll make her suffer," he snarled, his voice almost a growl. "By the Mother, I won't just kill her. I'll make her suffer first. For what she did to Eira. For what she did to us. For the thought of that future that she denied me. I will make her pay."

A strangled breath escaped him, his lungs straining with the effort of keeping himself from going on a rampage right then and there.

He closed his eyes, and took a long shuddering breath, as fury continued to course through his veins, while the Shadows hissed and whispered in his mind, their mutterings murderous in nature.

He let out a shuddering breath, as he tried to will his raging temper to abate. He needed to calm down. He needed to, for Eira. She was nervous enough as it was. He couldn't go to her like this. He...He wouldn't do it. He refused to upset her further.

He kept his eyes closed, as he tried to force his emotions to a simmering rage.

Another shuddering breath escaped him, as it took all his strength to calm down. He forced the tension from his body, slowly loosening his clenched jaw. His hands were still clenched into tight fists, but he continued to just breathe deeply, willing his temper to die down.

It felt like an eternity before he finally felt in control of his own emotions again.

He opened his eyes again and met Rhys and Cassian's stares.

Neither of them said anything, silently watching him, and he leaned back against the sofa with a sigh.

"I'm alright," he said and was slightly surprised that his voice was steady, even if he still felt like he was full of rage. "I'm fine. I'm alright," he repeated, and it was more of a reminder to himself than anything else.

"You need to not react like that when you see her," Rhys said quietly, and Azriel couldn't tell if it was a warning or a mere observation.

"I know that," he said between clenched teeth. "I know that, Rhys. But I have every right to be furious. Hell, I have every right to rip her apart."

"You do," Rhys agreed quietly. "But it won't do anyone any favours if you get like this when you see her. You need to keep your temper in check. For Eira ."

***

Eira was staring at her reflection in the mirror, struggling to recognise the person looking back at her. 

Her eyes were wide and anxious, her breathing quick and nervous, and her hands were trembling. A part of her was wondering how she was even managing to stand at the moment, seeing how her legs felt like they were close to giving in underneath her.

But she was also...she was also dressed in a tissue-thin gown out of pleated silk in a lavender colour, cinched in around the waist by an embroidered ribbon she had made. Her hair was pulled back from her face, diamond encrusted haircombs that she had no clue from where these had come from fastened in her hair...( One day she would need to actually get the shadows to stop buying her things. ), a diamond bracelet tightened around her wrist…They had even clipped earrings to her lobes, diamonds as well, dangly and pretty and in the Human Lads would be considered to be too much for a simple luncheon. 

But here in Prythian, the shadows didn’t seem to think twice about it, to wrap her in more diamonds than most people had ever even seen in the same place. 

Once they judged her ready,  a tendril of shadows curled itself back around her wrist, while another picked up the small train of her dress.

"You know, I am kinda jealous. You have a handmaiden wherever you are," Feyre said drily.

Eira let out an embarrassed little laugh, the sound shaky and weak as her heart felt like it was going to pound its way out of her chest.

"They are...very helpful," she admitted, as she gave a small, nervous glance to Feyre.

Nesta finished pinning her own hair into her usual coronet, smoothing the blue-green fabric of her dress. "You do not need to accept her apology," her eldest sister said fiercely. "Remember that, Eira."

She swallowed, the familiar nervous butterflies back in her stomach, and she gave a shaky nod.

Feyre placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, as she gave her a gentle squeeze. It was a little steadying and helped quell some of her anxiousness, even as the nervous tremors continued to wrack through her body.

"I...know," she said quietly.

Right. There went nothing.

She took a few more, long, deep breaths, to calm her nerves.

She was going to be alright. She was going to be just...fine.

You're going to be fine, she repeated to herself as she squared her shoulders.

Azriel was waiting for her as she left the bedroom, in a quiet conversation with Rhys and Cassian. He looked up as soon as he came out, his expression softening.

His eyes widened momentarily as a breath caught in his throat at the sight of her in that dress, and a small smile started spreading across his lips.

"Eira," he said quietly, taking a tentative step towards her. "You...You look beautiful, sweetheart."

She gave a shaky smile, her eyes meeting his as those familiar little butterflies came to life in her belly.

"Thank you," she whispered, her heart fluttering at the affectionate endearment.

"Ready?" Rhys asked.

She exhaled, steadying her breathing, willing her trembling body to not shake.

Eira gave a shaky nod, even as the familiar anxiousness threatened to overwhelm her, and she swallowed past the lump forming in her throat.

"Ready," she whispered.

She just needed...She reached out for Azriel's hand before she could help herself, not caring how inappropriate this was. They weren't married, they weren't even engaged and still, she claimed his hand with hers, threading her fingers through his.

The feeling of scarred skin against her home, grounded her, giving her something to hang onto. 

The shadows that kept closer to him than usual, hiding behind the wings he had snapped close to his body, dusted over her arms for just a moment, like they wanted to assure Eira that they were there as well, before returning to their mater, leaving her with a few wrapped around her wrist and another tendril keeping her skirt in place. 

For a brief moment, Azriel looked down at where their fingers were woven together, before lifting his head again and giving her fingers a firm, reassuring squeeze. She felt his warmth through his skin, the steady beat of his pulse, and it was comforting...comforting to know that he was right next to her.

She took a few more, deep breaths, the anxiety continuing to flutter in her stomach, but...

But Azriel was here, she reasoned.

Azriel was right there...right next to her, holding her hand...and she could do this. She could get through this. All she had to do was stay close to him.

They were let to a dining room, with high ceilings, beautifully appointed in white and gold. 

“I swear I told them to put white jasmine and blush roses in here and not yellow carnations and orange lilies!” she heard her sister’s voice before she saw her. 

Seconds later, she got her first glance at her twin sister. Lucien and she made a lovely couple, always had. And Elain did look as utterly beautiful as she always had. Elain had always been extraordinarily lovely, but that hadn't changed in her transformation into a High Fae. Now she was utterly beautiful. 

Even when… with a blink Eira realised how harried-looking Elain was, fiddling with the flowers on the table.  Her heart clenched at the sight of her, mixed with the swirling, anxious emotions in her stomach, and she couldn't help the shuddering breath that escaped her as they walked into the room.

Azriel's hand clenched around hers.

Her eyes snapped to his. His face was a mask of ice. She had never seen him look ...like that before. Never seen...this tightly controlled murderous rage.

The shadow tightened around her wrist. She wasn't sure if it was in warning, but she didn't care anyway.

He was hers. Hers in every bit of this murderous rage. 

They came to a halt, and she felt the way Azriel clenched his jaw as his eyes met with Elain's across the room.

He was furious, she could practically feel the rage simmering under the surface, the only thing keeping him in check was his ironclad control...and the fact that he was holding onto her hand.

She would leave the diplomacy to Feyre and Rhys, the useless pretty words. She didn’t trust herself to say anything that was actually nice. Instead, she tugged Azriel along to find their seats at the table, pasting a smile on her face.

They sat at the table, and Azriel kept a firm hold of her hand, never loosening his grip on her. The shadows kept themselves firmly around her wrist and continued to cling unto her, even as they settled into place at the table.

And a part of her could feel how Azriel was tensed, how he was wound up so tight she was afraid he might snap.

Cassian sat down next to Azriel, with Nesta bracketing Eira's other side, fully ignoring whatever seating arrangement had been put down by the Day Court. 

Eira wasn’t stupid, she knew exactly why Cassian had been put there. In the event of Azriel losing his temper, Cassian may had a chance at subduing him. Though she somehow doubted that would actually work. 

With them right there, and Azriel holding onto her hand, she felt...steady. She felt secure...secure enough to withstand this dreaded luncheon.

Feyre and Rhys sat down next to Helion, Lucien and Elain, and she could feel the tension in the room.

She could sense Elain's gaze on her, sitting directly across from her. , but didn't dare to meet her eyes as the anxiousness roiled in her stomach, even as Azriel's fingers continued to grasp hers, and one of the shadows curled around her wrist, giving a small, reassuring little squeeze.

"It's so nice that you could make it," Elain said, a smile on her face, masking her nervousness. She was glancing at the shadows that were topping up Eira’s water glass, clearly making a pest out of themselves, to put bread on her plate and drag the butter dish closer to her. 

For just one moment Eira wondered if they did that on purpose. Were they trying to scare Elain?

"We wouldn't have wanted to miss this," Feyre said, her voice carefully neutral.

There was a stiffness in the air, palpable enough that it could be cut with a knife, the tension as so thick that one could drown in it, and Eira just sat there, her fingers tightly wrapped around Azriel's hand.

There was a moment of silence, where nobody commented.

And then...her heart hammered against her ribs, her stomach twisting in knots, as those doe-like brown eyes landed directly on her. "You look...good, Eira. Healthy. I hope everything healed well," Elain said sweetly.

Her breath caught in her throat as she fought down the nausea that welled up in her stomach, and she forced a tight smile onto her lips.

"Everything healed up just fine," she said, her voice shaking, only to be steadied by the firm squeeze Azriel gave her hand.

It was the truth. Nothing but a thin white line underneath her left breast. Nobody but her would probably ever see it. 

"And the... lightning ?" Lucien wondered. "I hope your cauldron-given gift didn't give you too much trouble," he quipped, clearly trying to lighten the mood. “Elain mentioned that you…defended yourself quite well.”

The nausea that welled up in her throat was nearly immediate. Defended herself. She had defended herself. She had also killed 4 males. 

"Lightning?" The High Lord of Day asked, sounding fascinated. He was looking at her like she was an exceptionally interesting specimen.  

Her stomach roiled, the nausea continuing to grow inside her, as her heart thundered in her chest.

“No,” Eira said, struggling to keep her voice even. “It...It wasn’t too much trouble,” she continued, even as the nausea continued to rise, and she felt like she might retch all over the table.

"She's learning to control it," Rhys said evenly. "She's doing as well as one could expect."

Her heart fluttered at Rhys’ words. He was trying his best to...deflect the attention away from her. Trying to help.

“So she really can generate lightning then?” Helion spoke up, sounding utterly fascinated.

"She can," Rhys confirmed, his voice even. His words were simple, but the tone of them was almost warning, and she could feel Azriel tense even more next to her. And that was enough to pique Helion’s interest.

“Extraordinary,” he said, and he sounded way too fascinated with her wretched blessing.

Her heart skipped a beat, the nausea continuing to grow in her stomach until she feared she might vomit at any moment. Her hand clenched around Azriel's, fingers practically digging into his skin, while the shadows around her wrist squeezed reassuringly. And all the while, she could feel Elain's eyes on her, her stare practically boring into her.

"Do the shadows help control it?" Elain asked hesitantly. Only now, Eira realised that more had come to swarm around her, banding around her midsection and chest, like trailing black ribbons. Their touch was gentle, and soft. 

"No," came Azriel's reply, and his voice was so filled with cold fury that she was amazed he could even get the words out.

He was tense, like a coiled spring, holding onto her hand like a lifeline, while the shadows continued to cling to her, continuing to twine around her wrist in a firm, reassuring grip.

"They like touching Eira because she's Azriel's mate," Cassian said, his voice icy. Her heart stuttered in her chest at Cassian's words.

His blunt, to-the-point declaration of her belonging to Azriel...the words had stunned her, and it seemed they had stunned Elain too if the way that she stiffened was any indicative.

"Ah, yes...we should talk about that," Helion said with a sigh. "Elain?"

The tension in the room immediately ratcheted up even more higher, and Eira could feel it, as a chill settled over the room. She was so tense, she was struggling just to breathe, and her hand was trembling where it was held in Azriel’s ironclad grip.

"I am sorry," Elain said quietly.

Her heart skipped a beat at her twin sister’s words, her stomach twisting in knots, as her eyes flicked towards her. Elain’s voice was soft but sincere, and her brown eyes were wide and vulnerable, and there were tears in her eyes... Tears in her eyes as she spoke.

"I am sorry, Eira," she said again, her voice trembling. “For...for everything.”

And suddenly...suddenly the fear, the nervousness went away, replaced with ice-cold anger. "You are sorry ," she repeated flatly. Sorry .

The anger in her voice was not missed, and she heard Nesta and Feyre inhale sharply. Elain's eyes widened at the tone in her voice...at the anger in Eira’s words, and she gave a small, shaky nod, her chin trembling slightly.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have tried to keep you and Azriel away from each other. I was...I shouldn't have done that."

Eira clenched her jaw, the anger still boiling in her blood as she continued to hold her sister’s gaze.

"No," she replied, her voice so flat it was as if it was made of ice. "You shouldn’t have done that," she repeated coldly. "But that's not all you did, Elain," she spat out. "You saw that vision. You know what you did." What she had done. Namely, keep Eira's babies from being born .

Her heart lurched in her chest, and she felt Azriel squeeze her hand tightly as if he knew what had been going through her thoughts.

Her throat was tight, and her breathing was laboured, as she continued to hold her sister’s gaze, her eyes cold and furious as she spoke.

"You did a lot more than keeping me away from Azriel',” she hissed.

And the worst part was, her sister didn’t even try to deny what she had done. Didn’t even try to fight back. All she could do was sit there, looking like a wounded puppy, which only fuelled the anger in Eira’s chest.

“You tried to take everything from me,” she hissed again.

"It all worked out!" Elain defended herself. "You and Azriel seem to be..."

She couldn’t be serious, could she? 

It all worked out?

It all worked out?!?

"It is not all ‘worked out’!" she snapped, her voice cracking as she fought back a frustrated scream bubbling in her chest. "You tried to take everything from me!" she repeated, tears burning at the corners of her eyes. The tears weren't for her. 

The tears were for her babies. 

The anger ratcheted in her chest and she could feel the lightning underneath her skin, begging to be released. Begging for her to let go of her grip on it and let it find its target. Let it find Elain. Let it hit her. 

She clenched her jaw, forcing that feeling down, as she met her sister’s eyes with a cold glare. "You tried to take my children from me," she hissed at Elain. " My children. "

The temperature in the room seemed to drop to below freezing, and she could feel Nesta and Feyre’s gazes on her. She didn’t care though. Her eyes were entirely focused on her twin, and the words had come out in a deadly hiss, the anger steaming out of her in waves.

"You tried to take our babies ," she repeated, her words cracking again as she spoke.

She felt Azriel’s grip on her hand tighten even more, the shadows clinging to her wrist once more, as if trying to both keep her grounded and hold her back.

And it was the only thing keeping her from lunging across the table and grabbing her sister by the throat.

Her skin was itchy, that strange, foreign energy writhing underneath the surface, and she fought to keep it reined in, to keep it from escaping, even as the room went silent, the tension so palpable you could taste it in the air.

It hurt, keeping it restrained, and her heart thudded against her ribs, her breath coming in quick, ragged gasps.

Her whole body was tense, and all she wanted was to let the lightning free. To let it roar.

"You are my twin sister, Elain," she said, biting out every word. "We spend 9 months sharing our mother's womb. I trusted you with my life. And you did this to me."

Her sister just sat there, her eyes wide and watery, as if somehow even that had been a shock to her.

"We spent years together," she continued, her words sharp and cold. "I never thought I would need to worry about you betraying me."

Her chest hurt like something was sitting on it, making it hard to breathe, as she continued to hold Elain’s gaze.

Elain’s eyes were wide, watery, and wounded, and she might have been almost sorry that she looked so hurt…if not for the fact that Elain was the one who had caused Eira to be in this position in the first place. Elain was the one who did this to her…hurt her so badly she didn’t know if it’d ever heal.

"I…I…" Elain started, her voice cracking. She looked like she was going to cry, and Eira felt herself waver slightly at the sight of her distraught expression. But then…her mind flashed back to the vision of her daughter , so small and beautiful…and that small, weak flutter of sympathy in her chest died.

"I trusted you," she hissed, her voice thick as she desperately tried to hold back the tears that were burning at the corners of her eyes. "I trusted you and look what you did to me. What you took from me."

Her sister let out a watery gasp, her lower lip quivering, and the tears slid silently down her face. And for a moment, Eira felt her resolve waver…only to remember the image of those two babies. The ones that should have been hers.

Anger flared again at that thought, her heart squeezing in her chest, as her breath hitched.

All the sympathy that she had felt was gone, and all that was left was the all-consuming rage coursing through her veins.

She had every right to be angry, she told herself. She had every right to feel this way.

She was so angry, so incandescent with rage, that her entire body was shaking, and she felt like she needed to just scream. To shout and rage and fight…fighting was all she wanted to do.

She gritted her teeth, her fingers wrapping tightly around Azriel’s hand, as she tried desperately to rein in the storm of emotions warring within her chest.

Azriel’s grip on her hand tightened as if he was sensing how close she was to breaking.

“Eira...” Elain said tremulously. Her sister’s voice was quiet, almost timid, and it was enough to snap something within her.

"Don’t. Don’t speak to me. You are the last person who gets to speak to me right now," she snarled, her voice cold as steel. "I loved you," Eira snapped. "I loved you and you did this to me. And now you want to tell me that everything is alright because it WORKED OUT?!"

Her sister looked like she was going to start sobbing, her lower lip quivering faintly, while her brown eyes were like large, round pools. But Eira was done feeling sorry for her. Done feeling sympathy towards her.

“You don’t get to talk to me about what’s alright or not,” she hissed, fighting the urge to reach forward and throttle her. "I just want to know one thing. Why?" she snapped." WHY? Why did you do it?” she shouted bitterly.

Elain looked like she had absolutely no idea how to answer that. She looked like a lost child, and it took all of Eira’s strength to keep her seat and not lunge across the table to grab her by the shoulders and shake her.

She knew her eyes were probably like ice when they met her sister’s, and her glare was hard as steel as she waited for her answer. "Why?" Eira repeated icily.

Her sister’s lower lip was trembling, just as much as her shoulders, as she raised her head to meet Eira’s furious glare.

"I…" Her voice was small and watery, and her eyes were now wide and pleading. "I…I was jealous," Elain whispered.

Eira’s jaw dropped at the words. At the admission, she had just heard. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting her sister to say, but a quiet confession of jealousy hadn’t been it.

Her sister’s chin trembled, her shoulders hunching slightly as she let out another sniffle. She sounded utterly small and looked almost pathetic in that moment as she slowly raised her head to meet her sister’s eyes.

“Of you and Azriel,” Elain admitted, her voice quiet, and trembling. "You...we just...we just got out of the cauldron and this was...one of the first things I saw. You didn't have visions. You weren't going insane. You...you adjusted so much quicker. Not a week later and you were making soup in the kitchen in the House of Wind and...you…were alright."

Alright. 

Eira thought back to these first few days after the cauldron. Thought back to the terror that had clawed under her skin. Thought back to too loud noises and every piece of clothing feeling like sandpaper against her skin. 

She thought back to how she hadn’t been able to sleep. How she had locked herself in the bathing chamber to hysterically break down because she had never wanted it. How she had pulled at her ears, too big, too pointy. How she had wanted to cut them off. How she had wanted to die. How she had thought that throwing herself off the balcony would be a solution . 

"I locked myself into the closet. I hid underneath the bed. I rocked back and forth and back and forth and hummed to myself to stop hearing heartbeats and breathing and birds," Eira spat out. "Yes, I was making soup. For you. Because somebody needed to," Eira said, her voice icy. “I wasn’t alright, Elain. I kept stuffing my ears with cotton wool for the better part of 2 years so I could sleep!”

Her sister looked like she was going to start crying yet again, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs, and it only fuelled the rage in Eira’s chest. 

“You were jealous of that ? Jealous that I was making soup? That I was taking care of you?” she repeated, her tone hard and cold. “Of the fact that I was trying to make a positive out of a shitty situation. That I was trying to move on with my life? That I tried not to give Feyre another thing to worry about? And you were jealous? Jealous of what ?!" 

Of the breakdowns she had daily? 

Her sister didn’t reply, her shoulders shaking as if she was trying to hold back a sob

“You were jealous of the fact that I was trying not to scream, not to break down crying,” she repeated, her voice now dangerously quiet. “Of the fact that I wasn’t moping around feeling sorry for myself, because somebody needed to make sure that you didn’t starve to death? That I was trying not to give Feyre or anyone any more of my baggage?”

"And that you got Azriel," Elain whispered. "You got...I saw you with him. With a kind man. I saw these children and I was...I wanted that. I wanted what that vision promised you. So I thought that if I..."

Her breath caught in her throat at her sister’s words, her heart twisting in her chest.

It was sick, what she had done. Horrible. And part of her had known that Elain had a crush on Azriel…but Eira had never thought she’d be spiteful enough to try and rip her children away from her just for that.

“So you wanted it," she stated coldly, her eyes like chips of ice. "You wanted what you saw me having. So you tried to take it for yourself.”

Her sister’s shoulders slumped, and she looked small and pathetic as she curled in on herself. That rage and anger were still burning hot inside her, but along with it, there was the slightest flicker of sympathy starting to burn within her again.

And Eira hated it. Hated that part of her that still felt sorry for her, even after what Elain had done. 

"And later? After you and Lucien figured things out?" Why did you continue it?" she snapped.

Her sister’s face screwed up, and she looked like she wanted to burst into tears yet again. Her chin quivered, her entire form trembling. And she looked so small and fragile, that that small flicker of sympathy flared again within her, and Eira found herself hating it.

"I was...I was angry," Elain muttered softly. "I was furious. I thought Azriel and I...there was something growing between us and then he...he called trying to kiss me a mistake."

Her sister’s voice was quiet and sad, and Eira could see her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Because it was," Azriel said, his voice quiet. "It was a mistake. You had a mate that was literally sleeping upstairs. I never should have laid a single finger on you."

Her sister flinched at Azriel's words and hunched even further in on herself, as if she wanted to crawl into a corner.  "Later it was revenge on me, wasn’t it?" Azriel said, ice dripping from his voice. 

Her sister looked as if she couldn't quite meet Azriel's gaze, her eyes lowered onto the table, her body trembling. She nodded. 

And part of the anger that was currently roiling within Eira burned hotter at that. How dare she look so pathetic now, like she was the damn victim and everything that had happened was Eira’s fault?

Eira’s free hand clenched into fists, and she could feel the sparks dancing across her skin, the strange energy writhing beneath the surface. Azriel, noticing this, gripped her hand tighter, his shadows snaking around her wrist again as they tried to rein in those sparks of lightning.

She didn’t want to hurt him. 

That was what made her reign it in. 

She was still boiling with rage, the anger thrumming through her veins like fire, and she desperately tried to calm herself, tried to get a hold of her temper.

She didn’t want to cause any damage, to break anything or hurt anyone, and the part of her that was still rational, still logical, forced her to rein in whatever was itching to get out. She breathed in and out, forcing herself to calm as those sparks danced across her fingers, and those shadows snaked up her arm. A part of her couldn’t help but notice how Elain’s eyes kept darting to the sparks and the shadows, her body tensing every time they appeared, and a small, vindictive part of her couldn’t help but be glad of it.

Her head was throbbing as that rage continued to thrum through her, but she took in another breath, forcing her mind to concentrate on the sensation of Azriel’s hand wrapped around her own. His skin was warm against hers. 

"I hope nobody ever does the same to you," Eira finally said, her voice quiet.

Her sister lifted her gaze, her eyes watery, and she looked as if she’d been slapped. She looked as if she was shocked at her words.

There was another pause, another silence, as the two sisters sat facing each other, and her words hung in the air.

Elain’s chin trembled again, as if she was fighting the urge to burst into tears once more. 

"I think we can all agree that Elain did not handle this...properly," Lucien said carefully.

Lucien’s words broke the silence, and Eira couldn’t help but feel a pang of irritation as he spoke. 

"No, she surely didn't," Rhys said, his voice dripping with disdain.

Her sister flinched at Rhys’s words, as if she had been struck, and her shoulders drooped even further than before. 

"I think that's an understatement," Nesta snapped.

Her sister’s eyes widened as if the sound of Nesta’s voice startled her. Elain’s head jerked to look over at her eldest sister, who was scowling at Elain with an almost furious look of disapproval.

Eira almost felt a little bad for her sister at that look in Nesta’s eyes, but that sympathy was quickly squashed as she remembered the pain that her sister had put her through.

Her chest ached, the memory of what she had lost still too fresh and raw, and a part of her knew that it would take a long time for the pain to subside.

And even then, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to forget what Elain did to her, and that knowledge sat like a lead weight in her stomach, making her feel like she was going to be sick.

Elain shrunk back at the look on Nesta’s face, her eyes even wider as she looked over at her eldest sister. And for a moment, just for a moment, it looked as if Nesta was going to reach across the table and smack her sister. The eldest sister’s hands were clenched into fists, and she looked like she was restraining herself, only just managing to rein in her own temper.

A pause. Another silence. Elain sat, looking small and fragile across the table, Lucien’s chair positioned right beside hers with a possessive arm wrapped over the back.

Azriel’s hand was still gripping hers. He was still sitting beside her, the Shadowsinger’s eyes glittering with fury whenever he looked over at her sister. And his fingers were still rubbing gentle circles on her wrist, the shadows still coiled against her skin, and Eira couldn’t tell if he was doing it to comfort her or himself.

"I am going to say this now," Azriel said quietly. " Once . If you ever do anything remotely similar to your sister again, it will not end well. Do you understand me?"

Elain’s chin quivered, and she looked as if she was struggling to keep herself from bursting into tears again.

She swallowed as Azriel’s words, before slowly lifting her head, forcing herself to meet his eyes with her own. “I…” She took in another shuddering breath. “I understand,” she whispered.

[salem-witch-slut]

This Is What I Know Of Life

Kara Danvers X Masc! FemReader

SYNOPSIS: After saving Kara from a horrible date in a bar, you can't keep the blonde out of your mind no matter how hard you try. You just had to know her.

WORD COUNT: 9.4K

WARNINGS: Canon typical violence, lesbian reader, reader described as muscular with many tattoos, mentions of blood and medical procedures (stitches, needles, etc.), shameless flirting

Author's Note: So this was on my old blog and I just had to bring it back. It's exactly like it was before, so if you missed it, here it is! I will be adding more of my old fics back to this account, but let's start with my favorite!

DIVIDERS MADE BY @cafekitsune

This is what I know of life: Love fiercely, even recklessly; Laugh loudly, even raucously; Risk everything, at least once; Live openly, without abandon; Build trust, be honest;

Kara had no clue what she was thinking when she considered this.

Internet dating? It reminded her painfully of when she first came out as Supergirl. That was the worst date she had ever been on… until tonight. The blonde Kryptonian had chosen a black skirt this time, and an off-shoulder pastel blue blouse to try and accentuate the definition in her collarbones and shoulders, which Alex had suggested she show off more often.

Almost as soon as she met the man at the bar, she was uncomfortable. But it seemed that no matter what she had been able to say, he wasn’t backing down, moving away, or taking no for an answer. The bar was incredibly crowded and if she ended up using her powers on him, she would be seen and that would be a very, very difficult thing to talk her way out of.

Kara couldn’t look at her phone, or text Alex 911 to get the hell out of there. Kara felt stuck, and she was not a fan of this feeling. This guy was the worst, and he was getting far more intoxicated than she was comfortable with.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Kara asked, watching her date down another shot and watching him sway slightly against the bar counter.

The man chortled, which made her extra-terrestrial skin crawl. “Don’t you worry ‘bout me, baby.”

She wanted to throw up… And then, things got ten times worse.

Kara may have had superhuman abilities, and could fly at the speed of sound… But nothing could have prepared her for the feeling of the man’s grimy hand against her rear. The blonde tensed so hard that she almost lit the countertop on fire with her laser eyes.

Kara was about to snap. Exposure be damned, she was going to break this man’s fingers until he could never even hold a glass again. Her blood was boiling and she turned to look up at him and destroy him, but paused at seeing a hand tapping her “date” on the shoulder.

Kara watched him turn around and before he could even ask “What do you want?” A fist went directly across his face. Kara gaped, her eyes widening in shock as she saw someone knock the drunk flat on his ass. He stumbled from the bar counter and onto the ground as the someone stood over his body, shoulders squaring aggressively and brows pulled down.

What does she do about this?!

“Keep your filthy fucking hands off of her,” You snarled, grabbing at his collar and kneeling down low enough to seethe in his face. For a second, Kara was worried about the guy laying on his back, but then her eyes ended up drifting to the hand curled into his shirt… you were wearing rings on almost every single finger, and you had a tattoo of a moth on top of your hand.

You may have had more tattoos but your arms were hidden behind the button down black shirt that was rolled up to the middle of your forearms… Forearms that were massive and veined, clearly dripping with power. That hit must have hurt like hell.

Kara found herself blushing. Whether it was from embarrassment, or flattery, she didn’t know.

The man on the ground groaned, looking up at you with a dizzy expression and immediately started smirking, blood on his teeth. “Ain’t scared of you, dyke.”

The entirety of the bar let out a gasp as you hit the man again. There was no doubt his nose was broken, and Kara made a face of terror as you stood up, seeing your knuckles bruising and covered in the man’s blood. Most were his, but the first punch had left a cut on your finger from the guy’s teeth.

“Are you—” Kara watched you stand up straight, having to look up to meet your gaze. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and her brows pulled down in distress. “Who are you? Are you out of your mind?”

You reached out for a napkin on the bar and wiped the blood off your knuckles and cleaned the rings on your fingers. You didn’t respond to her initial questions, but instead, asked one of your own. She blushed all over again. “Are you alright, sweetheart?”

Kara gaped, giving a remarkable impression of a fish out of water. “I-I’m fine! I could have handled him; I can take care of myself!” The super went on the defensive immediately. She wasn’t about to let you put her into the persona of a weak, innocent girl that needed protecting. She had lived her entire life with other people taking care of her and she didn’t need random women at the bar taking pity on her and fighting her battles for her.

All you did was smile, which made her stomach twist uncomfortably. You looked so nice when you smiled like that. “I didn’t say you couldn’t.”

Kara watched as the bouncers of the bar were dragging the man out of the building, not even looking at you or acting against your demonstration of violence. “Then why did you just—”

“I’m not a fan of assholes who take advantage of pretty girls in crowded spaces where they can’t say no,” You cleared up immediately. “He wasn’t backing down and you had been uncomfortable since you got your first drink… I wanted to knock his ass out for a while.”

Kara tried to focus on the entirety of your words… not that you just called her pretty. “Were you watching us?”

You smirked, not meeting her eyes before you reached down to your hip and tapped the pistol holstered on your side. Kara suddenly felt uncomfortable. Why did you have a gun? Why were you allowed to carry a weapon in a club? Who were you?

“It’s my job to watch everyone that comes in, sweetheart.”

A shout of your name across the bar had you looking up and you saw the bartender approaching you with a first-aid kit. “Why didn’t you just restrain him and call the cops?”

You smirked, grabbing an alcohol wipe and rubbing it across the cut on your knuckle. “Needed a harder lesson, Rick… Did Tommy call the police?”

“Yeah, pulling up in five minutes. They’ll want a statement from you and her, you know,” Rick pointed at Kara who immediately went pale in the face.

“I’ll handle it. Thanks buddy,” You sighed, sitting down on the bar stool and wiping off your own blood and the blood of the asshole’s that’s currently bleeding all over his cheap blazer. Kara was beginning to understand what your role here was and she sat down on the bar stool next to yours. The slice on your knuckle just kept bleeding and you tore open a gauze patch with your teeth.

“Here,” Kara immediately grabbed your hand, much to your surprise. Almost immediately, her cheeks were tinting pink as she placed the gauze over the cut and began to wrap it up. Your hands were so warm that it was making her shiver. “Are you alright?”

“You don’t need to worry about me, sweetheart,” You smiled, and Kara rolled her eyes.

“My name is Kara, not sweetheart,” She corrected as she released your hand, making you chuckle and lean against the bar’s counter with a smile that she couldn’t not respond to with her own smile. You called the bartender back over and looked at Kara one more time before saying what to get her.

“Get miss Kara here anything she wants to drink, and close out her tab,” You gently reached out and Kara almost flinched away before you slid your uninjured hand through the blonde hair framing her face and pushed it over her bare shoulder. She shivered at your touch. “Anything you want, its on the house. Just don’t get too drunk, alright?”

Before Kara could protest, you stood up from your seat and walked back into the crowd. Kara watched you walk away, biting her lip and then looking back at the bartender who was simply waiting for whatever she wanted. Kara couldn’t keep her thoughts away as her brain teased “Are you sure that the thing you want didn’t just walk away?”

It was 3 AM by the time Kara was leaving the building. Everyone else had gone and she was one of the last patrons to exit. What made her linger for so long when she had no reason to stick around? Well, she was waiting for you…

The police had already come and taken your statement, but they never talked to her. When you said that you’d take care of it, you must have taken care of everything because her “date” had been arrested and you actually waved when they drove off with him in the car.

She wanted to talk to you again, but you were busy and she didn’t want to distract you… Three other people had been escorted out of the building that night by you, but none of them had gotten hit like her date had. You were polite with everyone else, even with them being belligerent… It didn’t make sense to Kara. She needed to know what was happening in that head of yours.

You were taking the walkie off your hip and passing it to the other bouncer as you removed the pistol from your hip and ejected the magazine. Kara watched you check to see if it was still loaded before you clicked on the safety and handed the gun and holster over to your coworker.

When you turned away, you came to a stop at seeing Kara standing there at the door, looking at you with a nervous expression on her face.

“Hey,” You approached her, rubbing the back of your neck and smiling. “Didn’t know you were still here. Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Kara reassured you, a smile growing on her face and showing off her pretty white teeth. “I was just uhm… Do you want to take a walk with me? I live about 8 blocks away, and you can just…”

“Walk you home?” You smiled and held out your hand for her to go forward first. “Lead the way, miss Kara.”

The two of you fell into a comfortable silent walk, enjoying the warm night air of National City. Kara held her jacket in front of her while keeping her steps slow to have them sync with yours. She took a nervous glance over at you and saw that you were smiling, both hands tucked into the pockets of your trousers that just looked so incredible on you.

“Why did you hit him?” The question seemed to catch you off-guard. When you looked up, Kara clarified, adjusting her glasses. “I saw you throw others out… You didn’t hit those guys. Why’d you hit that guy?”

 You took a long moment to consider why exactly you hit him. Kara was getting worried, like you didn’t really know what made you snap and attack a patron in such an unprovoked way. The way your fingers rubbed at the skin on your cheek and how your stride seemed to slow to almost a stop. Kara frowned, waiting patiently for your answer.

“He didn’t deserve to be near you,” You stated coldly. “Saw him four nights in a row with four other girls… Each time, he wouldn’t keep his hands to himself. I guess seeing him do it to you really pissed me off.”

“But you don’t even know me,” Kara said.

You sighed. “I don’t. But pretty girls like you have always been one of my weaknesses. I guess I got a bit protective—I don’t know,” The confession felt like vinegar on your tongue and Kara came to a full stop in her walk as she stared up at your face. “I’m sorry, miss Kara. I was in the wrong. I took matters into my own hands instead of doing the right thing.”

The silence was no longer comfortable around you two. It was tense and Kara felt almost uncomfortable… Not because she was upset with you or scared of you. But because she seemed to almost like how you defended and fought for her at the bar. She had friends that would defend her, and her sister would always be by her side… But no one had displayed this level of protectiveness over her before.

You looked down at her and cautiously stepped forward. When Kara didn’t step back, you decided that she wasn’t going to pull away and you reached down, tracing your fingertips across her forehead and brushing her blonde hair away from her face. Kara blushed, watching as you tucked the blonde locks behind her ear around her glasses.

Kara reached up and held your hand against her face, leaning into your palm and basking in the cool of your soft touch. You stroked your thumb across her cheekbone and smiled, pulling your hand back and leaving the blonde to pout a little at the lack of contact.

“We should get you home, sweetheart. It’s getting late.”

Why did the idea of leaving you make her so sad?

The chaos that flooded the top floor of CatCo was very familiar to Kara. Only this time it had nothing to do with Supergirl, and everything to do with the bar last night. She saw on the dozens of TV screens her date being hauled out of the building covered in his own blood.

“Kara, wasn’t that…” The sound of Winn’s voice didn’t surprise her, but she still stepped to the side trying to avoid his questions. “That was the guy you—”

“The guy I went out with, yes, I’m aware,” Kara sighed, pushing her glasses on her nose and trying to relax her emotions. She chose to listen to the broadcast, but normally she’d tune it out to ignore the words that the news said.

“-Richard Hendrics was apprehended outside of a nightclub just off of 45th Street, guised under a fake name ‘Ivan Neward.’ Authorities have Hendrics in custody after the club’s security guard took down the perpetrator; we have her words from the scene last night.”

Kara felt her face heat up when the screen changed, and your interview pulled up.

“I’ve seen this guy five times this week. He shows up, brings another girl, and gets drunk. We do what we can to protect everybody that walks through those doors, but things are chaos during these nights. We need everybody to be vigilant, and if you see someone being uncomfortable and they look as if they are in danger, you have to speak up. Protect each other.”

Your voice carried throughout all of the office room and Kara felt her heart pound inside of her chest. You cared so much for others, and it was so sweet to see your concern for everybody—for her.

“Was there a woman here tonight that you protected? Where is she now?”

The camera attempted to pan over to the club and try to find Kara inside before you grabbed the camera and yanked it away. “She is not part of this interview. That is all I will say on this, no more questions!”

Chaos erupted as you began walking away. Kara bit her lip, watching you walk away. You looked so good going back inside of the building and away from the scene outside. Winn looked over and saw just how bad Kara was blushing at seeing you on the screens and bit down on her bottom lip… She used to look at James like that. What was she thinking?

“You got that weird little smitten face,” Winn said, nudging Kara with his hip. “Who is she?”

“Who?” Kara looked up. “Oh! Uhm, sh-she’s just a… some girl from the bar. She kind of p-protected me from that guy and uhm… It-it’s a long story.”

Kara just brushed it off, trying to ignore the feeling of shivers going over her spine as the interview freeze framed on you looking like you were about to knock the reporter’s lights out. Evidence of blood on your fist was a dead giveaway that you were the one that beat up Hendrics.

“Was she the one that—”

“Kicked his butt? Yeah.”

Kara immediately turned away from the screens and sat down at her desk for a grand total of five seconds before she heard Cat calling her name… or, not exactly her name.

“KYRA!” The Kryptonian huffed before she stood from her chair and aggressively walked into Cat’s office.

“Ms. Grant?”

“You see this woman?” Cat stood in front of the TV screens. Your image was plastered on every single one of them. Kara felt her stomach twist. “She is… inspiring. She is an everyday hero and inspired thousands of women to speak up and defend each other. The internet is exploding with confessions of dates that have gone wrong, and countless sex offenders have been arrested in all but twelve hours.”

Kara was speechless, but in Cat’s presence, that happens very often. The woman was a legend, and she was calling you inspiring. “I want that woman.”

“You—you want her?”

Cat turned around slowly, staring at Kara like she was an idiot. “I need an exclusive with that woman. She’s the height of the media; the face on every news station. As violent as she may be, she is someone that deserves to be heard.”

“Oh, you want to interview her—” Kara took a deeper breath, like she couldn’t believe that the idea of Cat Grant wanting you carnally even crossed her mind.

“Kyra, I could not have been clearer. My days of experimentation are over after drinking all night with Madonna,” Kara blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what she just kind of haphazardly admitted. Cat Grant had experimented with women—no, she experimented with Madonna! What the actual—

“Get me that woman. I want an interview today! Go, now!”

Kara nearly stumbled out of the room to escape from Cat’s hungry gaze. It made her uncomfortable for a whole new reason; one she didn’t truthfully like. There was one thing she had on her focus now, and she wasn’t sure that she was up to the task.

Winn ran up next to Kara’s desk as she went into her phone and scrolled through the contacts inside of it like her life depended on it. “What did she say? What are you doing?”

“Cat wants an interview,” Kara clicked on one of her contacts and stood up, slowly stepping in a circle and waiting.

“Interview with…”

“Hi! Hello, hi, I don’t know if you remember me. We met last night at the club? Kara Danvers?”

A soft chuckle sounded on the other end and Kara shivered at your voice. “How could I forget? What can I do for you, miss Kara?”

Two hours went by. Two full hours of Kara sitting at her desk like one wrong move would make the building explode. Every few seconds she would look at the door and wait for you to come out of the elevator, but she couldn’t hear or see you… You were unlike Cat when she was in her elevator. She always talked to herself. You were silent.

But there was one thing she did hear… a very, very fast heartbeat. It was definitely yours. She recognized it from the night before. Oh, you were nervous?

The elevator doors dinged, and you stepped off and rounded the corner. When she saw you, her heart almost exploded, and the sound of crunching could be heard across the room. Kara looked down and saw her computer mouse in pieces.

You were wearing a custom-made suit in Kara’s favorite color. The navy blue accentuated your skin tone flawlessly and you had your hair styled in a way that could make the straightest girls falter in their steps. Silver rings decorated your fingers, and a silver chain was wrapped around your neck in a light choker. You looked… holy Rao, you looked incredible.

“Hey, uhm…” You stopped at one of the desks nearby and looked down. “I’m looking for Kara Danvers?”

The blonde stood from her desk and walked a little too fast over to you, almost tripping to get to you along the way. “Hi! I’m so glad you could make it,” Kara looked you up and down, from your coat down to your dress shoes. “Wow, you look amazing!”

You blushed, a hand running through your hair. “Well, if you think I look good, you look amazing. Lavender is definitely your color, really brings out the blue in your eyes.”

Her entire face went red, and she had to look away for a second just to calm her heart down. For a second, she thought she was going to fly away and had to force her feet to stay on the ground. Why is it when you said things like that, it made her stomach twist?

“Kyra,” The Kryptonian heard Cat’s voice and turned around hard enough to whip you in the face with her ponytail. You made a face of disgust and peeled a piece of blonde hair from your glossed lips. “Do not crowd our star… Cat Grant, it is so nice to meet you.”

The smile that radiated from your face was enough to make Cat blush. “Oh, it’s an honor to meet you, Ms. Grant. I love the work you’ve done with Supergirl! Every time I read one of your stories, I’m starstruck with her all over again.”

Kara gaped for a split second. You liked Supergirl? Wait, your heart rate was rising again and she could hear all of the blood rushing to your face and down… You had a crush on Supergirl!?

“Understandably, all men and women adore her both as a hero and as an attractive woman,” Cat shrugged like it was obvious, stepping towards her office and beckoning for you to follow. You did, without hesitation, waving at Kara and stepping into the office where the interview of a lifetime would be taking place. Not for you, but for Kara specifically.

Almost immediately she sat down and began to listen to you with her super hearing.

“What happened last night? Well… there was a girl. She was being harassed at the bar by her date and I guess I had enough of seeing him take advantage of women to last me a lifetime. I reacted on instinct and protected the girl.”

“Cameras saw blood on your hands,” Cat said, looking down at the recorder on her desk. “Did you hit him?”

You hesitated for a second. Kara almost expected you to deny it.

“I did,” You said. “It was more instinct than thought, Ms. Grant. Fear of that girl being hurt set in, and I went on the offensive. I’ve seen the men who have my job do much worse, and they carry guns just like me.”

“But we are women,” Cat stated. “We are expected to keep calm in the face of terror and hold it together no matter how scary the world is. Speak up, but don’t be a bitch. Defend yourself, but don’t be aggressive. Protect each other, but don’t travel in groups.”

“I’ve never really been like other women,” You said without letting her fully finish. “I’m sure you can see that, Ms. Grant?”

Kara heard Cat hum, and she knew she was looking at you all over like she wanted to eat you alive. “Yes, your aesthetic is very butch, it’s not that hard to see how very non-heterosexual you are.”

A very odd silence carried within the walls of the office before you cleared your throat. “You have something you want to ask me, Ms. Grant.”

“Who was the girl you protected?”

Kara tensed up, and she felt for a second that you might actually tell her that she was there, and she wouldn’t be able to stop you even if she wanted to. But just like last night, you surprised her. “I don’t know her name, Ms. Grant. If you only wanted me to come in here to find out who I was fighting for, I’m going to have to disappoint you.”

Kara let out a breath of relief, dropping her shoulders and relaxing in her seat. She finally stopped listening to the conversation going on in the other room and about seven minutes later, you stepped outside of the interview and removed your phone from your pocket.

“How did it go?” Kara pounced on you. “Did you mention me? Did you say anything about what happened?”

Before Kara knew what was happening, you grabbed her by the arm gently and led her out onto the terrace to avoid prying eyes and unworthy ears. The Kryptonian looked so confused and somewhat shocked by your actions. “Was it that bad?”

“No, it was fine,” You defended. “I kept my promise and didn’t involve you in it.”

“Yeah, uhm… why are you doing that exactly?” Kara adjusted her glasses for almost the thirteenth time that day. You noticed she fussed with them when she was nervous or overwhelmed in some way. “I mean, I have no reason to hide or anything. I can take the heat from the interviews and things, and I mean, it was me that he tried to—”

“I know you can handle yourself, miss Kara. That isn’t what I’m afraid of,” You leaned back on the bar of the balcony and Kara watched the veins in your hands flex. “I’m afraid of the media treating you like some victim, which you wish to not be. The second I tell everybody that it was you he was after, you become the front of sympathy tabloids. I guess… I am trying to protect you, but in a different way.”

Kara took a few moments to truly process what you said and looked deep into your eyes. So deep that she almost x-rayed you. Her fingers flexed against the bar she was holding, and a soft, tense breath escaped her chest.

“Well, I can… take care of myself?” Kara stumbled on her words, and you simply chuckled. Before she could stop you, once again, you were reaching out.

“I see that,” You slowly ran your fingers under a stray lock of blonde hair and slowly tucked it behind her ear, your strong hands lingering against her skin and gently stroking your fingertips across her cheekbone and down to her jaw. Kara felt as if you stole her breath away. “And you… have the prettiest smile I have ever seen.”

“I…” Kara was beginning to shake, almost like she was vibrating in place. You smelled so nice, and you felt so cool against her warm Kryptonian skin. And in five seconds flat, Kara was gone out of your sight with a simple “I have to go!”

All you could do was frown at her running away, looking down at your hand and wishing her warmth was back against your calloused skin. You sighed and leaned back against the rail, rubbing at your face and attempting not to smear your eyeliner. “Sweet moments never last, I guess…”

You headed back inside and noticed that Kara was nowhere to be found. With a deep, disappointed sigh, you began walking towards the elevator with your hands tucked into your trouser pockets. Wherever the blonde went, she was doing a damn good job at avoiding you.

You texted her, making sure that you didn’t overstep in any way.

“I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable, sweetheart. It was never my intention. I hope you have a good rest of your day.”

Kara was staring at her phone screen for almost a full day. Every spare second that she had, she looked at the text you sent her, and her stomach began flipping all over again. She was so engrossed with how she would respond that even Alex was noticing. Her sister saw that she was simply staring at the screen, not typing or responding… she didn’t recognize your name.

“You plan on responding?” Alex teased, pausing the movie in front of them. Kara flinched, almost dropping her phone and looking over at her sister like she was just caught watching an R-Rated love scene. “Who is that?”

“N-No one! She’s nobody— n-not anybody,” Kara attempted to tuck away her cellphone, but Alex was faster, grabbing the device and reading what was on screen. “Wait, Alex, come on!”

“ ‘I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable, sweetheart.’? Who is calling you that?” Alex teased, looking at her sister and smirking as the blonde sighed and dropped her face into Alex’s leg.

“She’s just… the security guard from the bar the other night,” Kara admitted, her face burning the deepest shade of pink. For a second, Kara remembered how good you smelled and how chilled your skin was against her face, and it sent a very vicious shiver down her spine.

Alex noticed. “How’d you get the security guard’s phone number?”

“It’s a long story—”

“Well then start from the beginning?”

And so, Kara did. Kara told Alex everything that happened, not sparing a single detail and not leaving anything up in the air for guessing. She needed Alex to know every single detail and every single emotion that was passing through her in that moment.

“I don’t understand Alex,” Kara sighed, looking down at her hands. “It’s like I can’t think when I’m near her… Like my heart is about to leap from my chest and my hands feel like they’re vibrating! It was like that first time I was Supergirl… when I first saved the plane? That… adrenaline, that feeling of—”

“You like her.”

Kara had to stop her words, staring at her sister like she had just told her the biggest secret in the world. Her entire body started vibrating and Alex put her hands on Kara’s shoulders so the Kryptonian didn’t accidentally fly away. “I like her? What are you—”

“You acted just like this with every single crush you’ve had before, Kara,” Alex reassured. “And it’s okay… You are allowed to like this girl. She sounds great; I’d love to meet her someday.”

The blonde was silent for a good long while before she looked down at her phone and nearly threw it out of the window when she saw that you were calling her. The phone slammed on the coffee table and Kara jumped up, hiding from the device like it was a bomb about to explode.

“OhmyRao! Oh no, she’s calling— Alex, what do I do!?”

Alex rolled her eyes before she answered the phone, much to Kara’s horror. “Hello?”

You were so tense that the sound of another voice didn’t register. No, all you wanted was to talk to Kara and explain yourself so you couldn’t drive her away or scare her off.

“Kara! Hi,” You didn’t expect her to answer. “I uhm… Sorry for calling you so late and unexpected, I just… I don’t know, I need to explain myself? I’m sorry about today, and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable this afternoon. I don’t know what came over me.”

Alex smirked as she held her foot out, pressing it into Kara’s chest. Kara could stop her if she wanted to, but a part of her wanted to hear you out on this. Without interrupting you.

When Kara didn’t respond, you feared that she may have hung up on you. But against your better judgment, you started talking again. “I feel like I got the wrong impression from you. So, this may sound absolutely insane but… If you are willing, I would like to have dinner with you? Tomorrow night?”

The silence was almost deafening. Kara looked at Alex and the blonde seemed like she was about to throw up or pass out, maybe even both. Alex grinned from ear to ear and decided to respond for her, much to Kara’s complete and utter torture. “Tomorrow night sounds amazing.”

Kara could hear you sigh a breath of relief, almost like you had been holding it waiting for her answer. “Oh great! Great, uh… I will text you all of the details then? 7:30?”

“7:30, I will be there,” Alex chuckled and looked at Kara who looked like she was about to start screaming. “Goodnight… Sweetheart.”

When Alex hung up, Kara immediately dropped down behind the couch and curled into the fetal position like she wanted to do nothing but vanish into the floor and scream until her breath ran out. The DEO agent started cackling and tossed the phone over to Kara, laughing even harder when the device smacked her in the head.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”

You had spent the entire day pacing in your loft, looking at all of the clothes inside your closet and trying so hard to decide on something to wear like your life was on the line. All you wanted to do was impress this girl and show her the best time of her entire life. Kara was unlike anyone you’ve known… and you wanted to know even more.

Deciding to keep things semi-formal, you chose a black long-sleeved turtleneck with a delicate silver chain and gray trench coat. The black boots completed the look, and you tried very hard to not overthink things as you stepped out of your apartment, only to stop and gently pet your orange tabby cat on the head. “Stay put, Tigger. Love you.”

You triple-checked the address on your phone, standing outside of the restaurant that you and Kara picked out together. Asian was your idea and Kara leaped at the opportunity. You tried not to fumble with the box inside your jacket pocket, biting down on your lip and doing your best to calm your beating heart.

It had been years since your last date… work had always got in the way, and you tended to scare off a lot of “candidates”. Your hands were shaking, and you wanted to kick at the wall but then you’d look semi-psychotic.

Of course, your train of thought was completely derailed when you looked up in time to see the most beautiful thing you’ve seen in your entire life…

Kara Danvers, wearing a lavender dress with a white cardigan overtop, the skirt reaching just above her knees, matched with white heels. Her hair was held back with a ribbon braided into her blonde locks, complete with those turtle shell glasses that you thought were so cute on her that it made your heart flutter.

How did you get this lucky to be out with her?

“Hi!” You chirped, stomach tightening as you looked at the most gorgeous female that’s been in your vision. “Uh… wow, you look beautiful, Kara.”

“Thank you,” Kara blushed, looking down at her heels for a brief moment and biting her lip. “And you look… I don’t even have the words for it!”

Now it was your turn to blush, heart fluttering as you gently twist your fingers together. Kara noticed the bandages on your knuckle, but it seemed underplayed by all of the rings on your fingers. This was the first time in a long time that Kara had been on a date, and she actually had hopes for this one. All of the other ones? They were a huge letdown.

Kara was now keeping score in her head. What she didn’t expect was for you to open the door for her. Wow… one point for you!

“Ladies first,” You held out your hand for her and she could tell that you were more charming and polite than any man she has been out with in her entire life.

The hostess led you both to the table in the very quiet restaurant that had live music playing softly nearby. The dining area was dimly lit, and the only light was from a very soft glow of the light above the table. Kara was about to approach her seat when you jumped forward and pulled the chair out for her, smiling and gently pushing it in once she was sat down.

“Well, you certainly know how to make a girl feel special,” Kara chuckled, sitting down and removing the cloth napkin from the plate and laying it over her lap.

You stripped off your jacket and draped it over the back of your chair, sitting down across from her and folding your hands overtop the table in front of her. “I find it hard to believe that you are treated any less when you go on dates.”

Kara chuckled, shrugging her shoulders. “Yeah… the dates I’ve been on? Not exactly anything to write home about.”

You make a face of complete horror, doing a remarkable impression of a fish out of water. Kara simply took a sip of water to try and break the tension, but you weren’t breaking eye contact. Maybe you wanted her to explain?

“Okay, most of the guys I’ve been with? They are too focused on their phones… and they ditch me after twenty minutes at most,” Kara sighed, adjusting her glasses. “Maybe I’m just not that interesting?”

You sat back a little, rubbing a hand across your jaw and sighing deep in your chest.

“Kara Danvers,” You reached out for her hand, and she blushed at how cold it was. “You have not been treated like the lady you have deserved… it will be an honor to show you a time that you won’t ever forget.”

A single moment passed as Kara smiled and leaned forward, almost challenging you. “I’m keeping score.”

Challenge accepted.

The night was absolutely perfect. Kara had literally never felt more heard in her entire life. At one point during the evening, Kara heard your phone chirp, and you removed it from your pocket. Kara was about to deduct a point for that, but you immediately turned it off and put it face down on the table, apologizing for the interruption.

Surprise was all over her face as you simply cut off all communications with everybody just to listen to her silly story about something that happened at CatCo. And you were hanging on literally every single word she uttered and every syllable that tumbled from her lips.

You had ordered a beautiful bottle of wine to go with the food she ordered, which consisted of pork potstickers, crab fried rice, and a beautiful plate of scorpion roll sushi. You didn’t even bat an eye as you listened to every single word she said and when she would ask you questions, you were happy to answer with honesty.

“-After the army, I was just feeling a bit lost,” You admitted, pausing to take a sip of the wine and leaning back in your chair. Kara leaned forward, almost like she wasn’t close enough to hear you. But in reality, it was so quiet that it was easy to feel like you two were the only ones in the entire universe. “I bounced around from place to place, looking for a job where I felt like I was making a difference. And don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with working retail… but the night life called to me? The club reached out to me, and it was easy for me to be security.”

“Ex-military,” Kara smiled. “No wonder you’re so strong…”

“Well, I do work out every day,” You shrugged like it was no big deal, but in reality, you were flexing and trying to impress her. Kara giggled at seeing you put your hands behind your head and leaned back in her chair herself, allowing a moment for her dinner to settle.

The moment was comfortable as the music played inside of your own little world you two created together. “This is actually really nice…”

You smiled. “I promised a night to remember,” You glanced up at the musicians and then at Kara. “Would you like to dance with me?”

“Here?” Kara giggled, eyes wrinkling with humor as you stood up from your seat and held out your hand. “In the middle of the restaurant?”

All you did was keep your hand out for her and Kara thought about it for a few seconds before deciding screw it and placed her hand into yours. The cold of your rings bit into her warm skin as you lifted her from the seat and placed a gentle hand on her waist. When Kara’s hand met your shoulder, you two began swaying gently back and forth to the soft music inside of the restaurant… It really felt like it was just the two of you in the entire universe.

Kara felt so warm against you… So gentle and so sweet, almost like she was an angel in your presence. You couldn’t help it. Very slowly, you leaned your head down and rested your cheek against the top of her blonde hair, breathing her in like this was going to be the last time you ever got to feel her against you.

Kara bit down on her lip and pressed her face into your chest, feeling the soft swell of your breasts against her face and realizing that she didn’t hate the feeling… In fact, you felt comfortable and cool and all of the things that she loved in the world. But the best part? From here, she couldn’t just hear your heartbeat… she could feel it.

“Your heart is racing,” She whispered against you. Almost comically, your hands began trembling as you slid one through her soft blonde hair and twisted it in between your fingers.

Kara could feel it. You were terrified. “I… Don’t want to mess this up,” You pulled back slowly and looked down to gaze into those beautiful blue eyes. “How’s my score?”

The Kryptonian smiled, her eyes twinkling. “One final test for you?”

“Name it,” You begged.

Kara smiled, hypnotizing you with those pretty glossed lips of hers. “I would rather show you.”

The blonde slid one hand up to the back of your neck and then you felt those warm fingers through your hair. Oh, she was so beautiful, and she felt so perfect in your arms, and you wanted nothing more than to kiss her… but you weren’t going to move until she did. Kara needed to do this first.

She inched closer and closer, and you could feel her breath against your face. It was almost chilled… You waited patiently, hoping she would continue—

The entire restaurant trembled around you both and on instinct, you grabbed at Kara’s waist, preventing her from falling over. The pounding in your chest went haywire as you looked out of the window and saw the street was literally on fire! “What the hell—”

Patrons in the restaurant went crazy and began to run for the exits. But in doing so, you couldn’t have held onto her even if you tried. “Kara? Kara!” You called out her name, fear rising at the idea of losing her within the crowd of terror as patrons shoved you outside and into the streets that were blazing alive.

Standing on the street now, you could only look on in abstract horror as a blue-skinned, horned face alien was breathing literal fire and setting the streets ablaze. You took the smallest step backward and realized that was your mistake. The alien sent a very powerful blast in your direction, and you went from your feet to the air.

The blast lifted you from the ground and your entire body slammed into the windshield of a truck, glass shattering all around you and slicing your sweater and into your skin. You would no doubt need stitches now.

The impact didn’t knock you out, but it made you slightly dizzy as you crawled off the remains of the truck and stumbled against the concrete, bracing yourself against the hood and rubbing at your forehead. “Fuck…” You only had one thing on your mind… “Kara, where are you?”

Another blast was about to hit, and you had no time to brace for impact. The alien seemed to hate you for some reason because he kept targeting where you were standing. You slowly stepped back and your body pressed into the steel of the truck, waiting for the next hit. You crouched down and attempted to shield yourself… but it never arrived.

You looked up and let out a surprised gasp at seeing the red cape in front of you, and beautiful blonde hair that flowed down in waves down her back. It was unmistakable who it was. “S-Supergirl!”

The hero turned to look at you, smiling a little but the grin dropped as soon as she saw the blood seeping into your clothing. “You’re hurt—”

“I’m okay,” You said, trying not to look weak in front of the Kryptonian. Your heart pounded in your chest as you began to look around even more frantically, desperate to find your date in the sea of terrified residents of National City. “Where is she? God, please—”

“Kara Danvers sent me,” Supergirl placed a gentle hand on your shoulder. Your eyes widened in surprise at her statement. Kara sent her? “She’s in a safe place… I hear you are ex-military. Can you help me clear these streets?”

Supergirl was asking for your help? Suddenly the wounds in your skin seemed so minor as you stood up and paid attention to the superhero that began to rise from the ground and look as regal as inhumanly possible. She really was incredible… “You can count on me, Supergirl.”

“Ms. Danvers speaks highly of you,” Supergirl said and bolted away.

You immediately jumped into action and began to direct people away from the threat of the alien terrorizing the city. You helped them down into the subway stations to avoid the dangers of the fire and the battle between whatever that creature was and Supergirl herself. But the more you moved and the faster your heart raced, the more your wounds began catching up with you.

Blood was dripping from your sweater and onto the stone steps of the subway. Sweat dripped from your forehead and you nearly stumbled down the stairs and onto the concrete below you.

“Hey, hey,” The new voice resonated in front of you and all you could do was look up and see a woman with short brown hair and a soft look, almost like she knew you. She was dressed in all black and had a gun on her hip. “Eyes on me? Are you okay?”

When you didn’t respond, could only blink slowly, the woman was getting concerned with your state of health. You very faintly heard her say “Can you hear me?” but then you could only reach for the railing before falling to the concrete stairs.

The horrible sensation of needles pressing into your skin woke you up from the deep unconscious state you were in. It reminded you of the tattoo on your upper back and you just couldn’t stop yourself from hissing in pain and flinching at the stab.

“Ow,” You twitched, opening your eyes and immediately wanting to close them with how bright the lights were. But something was off… This did not smell like some hospital? Isn’t that usually where someone ends up when they hit the windshield of a truck?

“Try not to move,” A voice said from above you. It was the woman from the alley… for some reason, now her voice was recognizable but not when she was impersonating Kara on the phone. The pain of the needle resonated in your back again and you grabbed the table with both hands to force your body to sit completely still.

“Where am I? What is this?”

“Can’t tell you that,” She said. “Just know that it’s somewhere safe. What do you remember?”

“Uh… I remember an ugly-ass alien setting the streets on fire? And then I hit a truck and I was looking for—” The needle in her hands went directly into your shoulder as you jumped upward and almost fell off the table. A tube was in your arm, and you saw a slow stream of blood flooding into your veins. “Kara! Fuck, where’s Kara? Where is she?”

“Hey, hey!” The woman from the subway jumped up and held out her hands that were gloved but covered in your blood. You were frantic, looking around the room like a terrified bird in a cage too small for it to be considered humane. “Hey, you need to calm down. You lost a lot of blood and—”

“I’m not—” You ripped the tube from your arm and the blood splattered to the floor as you began to run at the glass, not fully realizing you were in just your black skin-tight boxers, sports bra, and dog tags hanging from a chain around your neck. Everything else had been torn and drenched in your blood. “No, I… I gotta get out of here, I need to find Kara! Kara Danvers! We… we went out together tonight! I have to go- I need to know that she’s okay!”

“Okay, okay! Calm down, please, relax…” The woman grabbed your forearms and you breathed hard enough to start hyperventilating. Very slowly, she led you back over to the bench and removed the needle from your shoulder. “Look… my name is Alex Danvers. Kara is my sister, okay? And I can promise you that she is fine.”

Your brain skipped like a needle on a record, blanking out for a few painful seconds and trying to make sense of it all. What are the odds that Kara’s sister is the one stitching you up right now in some secret medlab? “A-Alex, like the… special agent Alex that she talked about?”

The woman smirked a little. “Yeah… and you’re the ex-military nightclub guard that she can’t shut up about?”

You simply rolled your eyes and tried to stay upright. Blood loss was definitely getting to you again and you placed both hands on the gurney underneath you. “C-Can’t shut up about me? It’s only been a day.”

Alex was quiet after that as she continued your stitches, meticulously closing you up and removing a piece of glass from your skin in the process. You were so engrossed in the procedure that the soft swishing of the door was almost missed. “How is she?”

You looked up and your cheeks turned a deep pink. It was Supergirl… and she was standing there like the typical hero she was, hands crossed over her chest and looking at you with the most intense blue eyes you’ve ever seen… well, the second most intense blue eyes you’ve seen. Thoughts of Kara surfaced, and you felt nervous all over again.

“All things considered, she’s doing okay,” Alex said, placing a gauze patch over your final stitches and removing her gloves. You sighed and leaned back to sit up straight, rolling your shoulders and attempting to relax. “Just try to calm down and relax, you’ve been through a lot today.”

You nodded and attempted to not look embarrassed at being almost half naked in front of National City’s hero, heart thumping at high speed and your fingers twitching like absolute crazy. “Agent Danvers… I know that this will sound dumb, but can I talk with Supergirl? Alone?”

“That’s not a possib—”

“It’s okay, Alex,” Supergirl held out a hand, attempting to calm the agent. You blushed and began to chew on your thumbnail waiting for Alex to leave the room and stand on the other side of the door. When it slid closed behind her, but she stayed within sight of the glass room, you met Supergirl’s eyes who moved both fists to her hips in the classic hero pose. “What’s wrong?”

“You know, it's funny- I keep playing the… the way we met in my head?” You stood up from the bench and rubbed the back of your neck to try and relax your sore muscles. “And there’s just one thing that doesn’t really make sense.”

“You were in danger, I saved you,” Supergirl stated in a nonchalant way. But she looked slightly twitchy.

“Not that,” You approached Supergirl, noticing that you were slightly over her in height… Just like her. “You said Kara mentioned I was ex-military… I didn’t see her texting during dinner, and she didn’t have any time to tell you about that before the attack.”

“What are you—” You gave the Kryptonian a look and tilted your head.

“You look just like her… Even without the glasses, your eyes are the same. And you…” You reached out and the hero didn’t know better, and you were able to touch her skin before she stepped away. “Are just as warm as she is.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I know that it’s you, Kara,” You stated, much to the woman’s shock. “You vanish and then Supergirl shows up? Supergirl tells me something that only you found out ten minutes before? Your sister shows up at the most convenient time to save my ass from bleeding out on the stairs?” You stepped forward, and the super stepped back, spine hitting the wall behind her. “You can’t fool me…”

“You are… just delusional from the blood loss. I’m not Kara Danvers, I don’t—”

Your hand reached out and pressed against Supergirl’s cheek, stopping her words in their tracks as you breathed slowly and stepped infinitely closer. She was so warm and so beautiful, and you knew it was her, but she was so in denial. You knew it was to keep herself safe, but you just couldn’t help yourself.

“If you aren’t my sweet Kara,” You sighed, watching Supergirl’s bottom lip tremble. “Then that means I can’t kiss you…”

Supergirl breathed. “Th-That’s right…”

“But if you are,” You leaned closer, heart racing in your chest. “I still have one point to gain for the best date ever.”

A moment of silence passed between both of you, and Supergirl breathed hard against your face. You felt her cold air again, and now knew it was from her ice-breath. “Final test…”

In seconds, you dipped down and captured her lips in the most intense kiss of your entire life. Supergirl—Kara wrapped both arms around your neck and held you close, her strength now showing from her Kryptonian powers as you placed both hands on her waist and pulled her as close as humanly possible.

The moment was so intense and full of heat between you two that the noise you made when Kara jumped up, wrapping both legs around your hips made you stumble backward and hit the steel wall behind you. A hiss of pain left your lips as you felt your torn skin strain on the stitches. “Fuck, fuck, shit, wait…”

Kara jumped off of you, gasping and realizing that her strength was too much for you. She stepped backward and you turned around, glancing at your back and trying to see if you had accidentally burst any of the stitches. “Okay… okay, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

The hero looked at you and you could see tears brimming in her eyes as she reached forward and gently placed both hands against your cheeks. “I’m so sorry… I’m so, so sorry I left you! I wasn’t fast enough, and you got hurt and you—”

“Hey, hey, hey no, none of that!” You said, grabbing Kara’s hands and gently rubbing your thumbs across the veins in her hands. Kara whimpered, tears tracking her face. “No, you saved me Kara… You did everything you could and from where I’m standing, you saved everybody, not just me… I would’ve been dead had you not shown up.”

Kara giggled, sniffling through tears. “Heh… guess I owed you from the other night, huh?”

“Yeah… Guess you did,” You brushed her blonde hair away from her face and kissed the space between her eyes, right over the small crease in her brow line. “People are gonna get hurt, Kara… I’m not immortal. I know how dangerous this world is. But I’m strong. I went through war and still came back. I can take a few stitches. Don’t you worry about me.”

“I will always worry about you—”

“And I’ll respect that. But only if I can worry about you… I must protect what is mine.”

“Y-Yours?” Kara blushed from the tips of her ears down to her neck. “Wh-What are you?”

“Be mine, Kara Danvers… Supergirl, I’m asking you to be my girlfriend.”

Your answer was another desperate, fiery kiss. And for a moment, both of you felt like you were flying… But when the kiss broke, you saw that Kara had accidentally lifted you both off the ground.