#bodhi durran

[inknopewetrust]

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦

𝐀𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡��𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱, 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐡𝐢 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐂: 6.8k

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝟏𝟖+, 𝐌𝐃𝐈, 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭. 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐱, 𝐃𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐡𝐢. 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫).

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬: 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

A distant, rhythmic pounding—one after another—echoed down the hall. Thud. Thud. Thud.

It beat down into leather. Strung from the beams of the high wooden ceilings, the chain of the bag rattled with every hit and the wood underneath its tether groaned with every sway.

Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Again, the sound captured his ears from the hallway beyond the large wooden doors.

And the sound drove him to insanity. This… impeccable sense of oblivion he felt you presented in times like these. So dangerous, so priceless. You were giving yourself away to the threats that lurked for an answer at the tips of a blade for the sake of “blowing off a little steam”, as Rhiannon had so kindly informed him.

Yet the feeling of naïveté could not escape him.

Bodhi Durran left the dining hall’s table in a fury, not unlike his cousin in such a manner. Billowing frustration palpable with the clobbering footsteps that took him straight to the training room stories below. He’d passed a few lingering first-years who’s ogling he’d grown accustomed to in his haze. The curls on his head bounced with every step; strands broke free and intruded his sight as each level he descended of Basgiath grew deeper into the chill of the ground and the night that had since fallen.

That thudding led him to the wooden door he’d walked through a hundred times. When the door flung open with a crack as it splintered on the stone, the pounding on the bag ceased immediately.

“I told you not to go to the mats alone,” the voice you’d learned to love so much ticked with an “I told you so” tone.

The bag swung into your wrapped hands as your body halted in movement. Out of breath, you looked to the intruder with a stern glare that was mutual. Staring right back with dark eyes and a hand on the door with its handle now in shards.

“How could I forget?” You countered as Bodhi slammed the door shut. “You are always right, remember?”

Her voice came back chuffed. “And that realization took you three years to make, dear girl.”

“Did you not listen to a single word I said to you?” Bodhi’s voice carried across the large, empty room in anger. “I swear you choose to ignore me on purpose. Do you know how dangerous this is!? How utterly stupid!?”

You felt a ripple cascade down the bond. “I do not make exceptions for feasting—it would do you well to remind him of that.”

The bag settled to a slow careen. You removed your dirtied hands and swiped the back of one across your mouth to collect the sweat. You eyed Bodhi’s stance. Hands on his hips, chest rising no different from your own in exhaustion.

His softness disappeared when he tried to emanate the antagonism of his family. Or, you’d just forgotten the lengths he’d go to keep an umbrella of safety above those he deemed most necessary of it.

“I heard you,” you breathed in deeply. “But I do not need a watchdog.”

“That isn’t what I said.”

“It is what you implied.”

The wraps on your hands took your attention. You knew it would drive him further into the protector that bloomed inside of him. Maybe you liked him like this. So flustered by his own sense of direction he’d lost all sense of decency. It was power you held over making a man as powerful as he in both name and task to feel flustered at your refusal to play the long game.

Your life was not a toy to be jostled with. No one, not even an assassin wielding a blade, could take away the little freedoms you were granted.

“If we’re together—“ he started but you were quick to finish his sentence.

“—then it will be less likely they’ll try to attack… I know. If it isn’t you, it’s Imogen. If it’s not Imogen, it’s Violet saying that same thing. I know.”

With his hands still planted on his hips, Bodhi’s eyes narrowed. “If you did, you wouldn’t be here.”

“If I can’t fight off my attackers alone then how can I be trusted in battle?” You looked up from your hands as the cloth unwinds between your fingertips. “We’ve all risked everything to be here and yet, year after year, I’ve managed to stay alive in far worse conditions than what we experience within these walls.”

His ire fumed. The beat of your heart was failing to slow while his fists clenched at his sides. Tendrils of his relic growing taut in the yellowing mage lights that burned as hot as he did.

“Good,” that same voice nearly purred in approval of your defense. “His arrogance is hereditary… unfortunately.”

“So is his confidence,” you retorted.

Bodhi was a quiet, ostentatious young man. He, like Xaden, did not need to be exuberant in their actions to draw eyes. They needn’t be comedic or charming beyond their abilities to seek a companion or get what they wanted even if their circumstance had led them to be strange acquaintances of vagabonds. He was enticing and exciting and self-assured most of the time. Bodhi’s soul had lifted itself from its groundings the second Rhiannon had affirmed your location and abandoned the man he’d become.

It only took something menial to throw him off the axis he’d perfected in balance. He was the balance of all things except himself.

And he couldn’t control the one thing he wanted so badly to: you.

“They’re trying to kill us.”

“I’m aware.”

“And you don’t care?”

“Ah,” you smiled slightly. “I didn’t say I didn’t care.”

Bodhi sighed deeply. His breathing exhaled into a strong huff of frustration and his dark eyes closed.

You drank the sight of him in. Still in flight leathers from a long day of maneuvers, Bodhi’s body never looked truly tired but in the evening, you could see the toll. His wide shoulders carried the weight of Xaden’s absence and the task of safe keeping within his wing. He knew you could handle yourself. He chose to ignore that sentiment for the sake of his own sanity—especially after witnessing the horrors of Solas’ power on conscription day.

And you knew that too.

Your hands became free of the cloth that was now covered in the dark painted finish of the sparring bag. They dropped into the opening of your own bag before your crouched down to sift through it. A sticky sweat began to dry on the backs of your knees, neck, and onto your forehead each passing second.

You needed a shower. Badly. Not even your own dragon would let you mount her in that state.

“Yes,” she imagined it in her own mind. “You are likely disgusting and I cannot fathom what attracts him to you in this way.”

“Human’s perform plenty of things while sweaty—well if you do those ‘things’ correctly, you just end up sweaty.” You imposed. That smile not faltering at the sound carrying through the connection.

“I must be in need of rest if you speaking in such disgust.”

“Then I will speak to you tomorrow. I wouldn’t want you to hear what happens.”

The bond between you went cold and you couldn’t help but feel a little joy in the way you spoke to her. Carefree and courageous; it made you want to be free of the bindings the college had closed in on you and the others. Bodhi felt those restrictions heavily.

“If I say I’m sorry, will you forgive me?” You asked him in a loose olive branch.

Bodhi cracked his eyes back open and spotted you squatting down. His arms hung looser as the reality of no one else being near the facility sunk in. You weren’t in any more danger than he was at any given moment.

“Knowing you,” he cleared his throat, “that apology would be empty of an actual concession.”

You shrugged. “If there is nothing to concede.”

“And you’d find a way of accusing me of being overbearing.”

“You are quite quick with your mind, Mr. Durran,” you joked, eyes turning calculated at him as the descended the small set of steps down to the maps and stalked over to you. You remained in a squat beside your bag.

“But that doesn’t mean I was wrong.” His voice was still as stern as it had been since he arrived minutes ago. With a slight tinge of worn, it’s husky nature sent a thrill down your spine in waves.

“I’ve been told the men of Tyrrendor have a hard time accepting their wrongness.”

In an instant, his tongue wet his lips. He drew his bottom lip between his teeth only to pull back and release it once a thought has passed him but remained imprinted on his intentions.

“We’re not all the same,” he eyed your crouched form. “But I think you know that.”

“No,” you agreed with a nod of your head and stood again. This time, closer to him as his approach landed at the edge of the mat the bag you’d been training on was situated.

“You’re not the same. But I can assure you that if your cousin had heard of Sorrengail training in her lonesome, he’d be out for blood. He stuck Liam on that poor girl without allowing her to find her footing first. I’m not her, Bodhi.”

“No,” he too agreed. “You’re not.”

“Good.” You reached for the strap of your bag on the floor but it was quick to be tugged away by a booted foot. “Is there a problem?” You quirked a brow in his direction.

The mat still separated the two of you from any true connection. A barrier of invisibility, it detached the hypotheticals from reality.

“That depends.” His foot dragged the strap inches closer to his person and away from the mat.

“On what?” You asked, arms now crossed.

“If you can follow orders.” He used that tone he’d grown fond of since assuming leadership in year two. Bodhi had always been headstrong but anyone in a leadership position would use their leverage against a cadet—even one three years strong and already knew all of his secrets.

“And who’s asking? You or my section leader?”

He pretended to ponder but even under the low light of the facility, Bodhi’s gleam shined through. It’s what cut him through the darkness that consumed Xaden; it’s what made him more approachable but deadly in pursuit.

“Your section leader doesn’t trust you listening to only him,” Bodhi’s voice fell low. You trailed your gaze along the strap of the bag and up his boots and to his thighs. You lingered in the space so wanton you’d felt the warmth before registering that you’d plummet into ice cold water if someone caught doing something unseemly in the training room. “But perhaps your boyfriend has better luck… he did this morning.”

He rose an eyebrow as if to remind you. You could still feel the burn in your legs. If anyone would look hard enough, they could see the slight bruising on the back of your neck from where he pressed you down into the mattress before the sun had broke the horizon.

“And what are my orders? I’m not too fond of being ordered around by a man, let alone my own boyfriend—who should know that a fresh dinner has already been threatened if he oversteps.”

Bodhi smiled slightly as a small chuckle escaped him. “Then I guess we’ll both meet Malek at the same time. I’m sure my mother would love to meet you.”

You stood back up. “Am I allowed to shower on my own or does that have to do with the orders you’re so keen on providing?”

“A shower would do.” Bodhi picked up your bag on the floor and nodded at you.

“Then I’ll see you in ten. We should be—“ you began walking off in the direction of the women’s showers when Bodhi’s hand shot out and grabbed at your bicep. “—able to get dinner then…”

“You’re not showering alone. You’re not doing anything tonight alone.” He let you go but walked in the opposite direction toward the men’s washroom with your bag.

“What’s stopping them from going in the men’s?” You asked, trailing behind.

“At least I’ll be there.”

“And the women’s is just… not good enough.”

“No.” He opened the door handle and motioned for you to enter. The mage lights that filled the training room began to drain themselves of energy as you both left the space. “They’d be expecting you there.”

“I’m sure a few people saw you storm away from dinner.”

Bodhi shrugged. He laid a hand on your back and pushed you toward the end of the showers and to one with a door already propped open. There was no one inside of the chamber because it was far too late for most who had spent all day training or learning instead. It was quiet and disarming; puddles of water grown cold littered the dry space of benches that split the room. Bodhi’s hand guided you into one and he shut the door with a harsh tug.

In the small room that separated a person’s goods from the shower itself, you stood face to face with Bodhi as he dropped your bag on the small stool. His black flight leathers were tight against his skin and unfastened at the top where his chest peaked out and the lingering lines of his marked skin remained.

“Oh,” you swallowed the lump in your throat, “you’re staying?”

“Why? Nervous?” You wanted to slap him so hard.

“I just didn’t think orders would mean this.”

“Go on,” he prompted as he opened up your bag and pulled out the towel you had stuffed in there earlier that morning. “We’re gonna be here all night if you’re just going to stand there and stare at me.”

“But you get to stare at me? Naked?”

“Nothing I haven’t seen before, baby.”

You stood for a moment thinking about his strange order. There was nothing about it that was significantly bad, nor a punishment for going off on your own and not listening to him. But then you thought, fuck it. If he was going to try to be the puppeteer of everything then he could suffer the consequences of being the protector he so badly wanted to be.

Bodhi folded the towel and set it beneath the bag as you unlaced your boots and started to strip away the clothes that had stuck to your body. He walked around you to turn on the water that came alive with a start only to settle in a spot beside you rather than across as he had been. You huffed in a laugh, shaking your head at his bombastic nature when he took the shirt from your hands and laid it within the bag.

“What are you doing?” You asked him while your fingers went to the button on your pants.

“Helping,” he replied casually.

“Oh no,” you repeated the “no” multiple times and he tossed his head back, curls going with it. “That’s not part of the deal.”

“I don’t think we really made a ‘deal.’”

“Changing terms, loose orders… I don’t think you have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, section leader.” You shimmied out of your pants and down to your underwear by the time he moved himself back to his original spot without complaint.

“You can stand there and watch. I think you’d be a little too distracted otherwise, right?”

Gods, he hated and loved you all the same.

“Sure,” he nodded to convince only himself. “It’d probably be a bad idea.”

You hummed in agreement while freeing your skin of everything and letting him drink you in from the space between you. He tried to keep his eyes on yours but failed miserably at an attempt to subtlety drag his gaze over every piece of you.

“Fuck me,” he muttered dejectedly. Passively, out of his own set of spite for your denial of his touch, he ran a hand over his mouth and pointed at the running water.

“Be a good girl and don’t waste the hot water.”

Your knees nearly buckled. But you obeyed and welcomed the scalding water that spewed from the small shower head against the wall. There was no difference between the washrooms that split off from the training room. The water pressure was the same and the grout between the stones in the walls and the floor were just as cracked on this side of the college. But there was still nothing but the noise of the single shower and if one were to listen closely, the sounds of two souls breathing heavier to ignore a concession that nothing about this disagreement laid within the fact you had ignored his wishes.

It was that while the world around you and the others who were either marked or survivors of Resson was closing in, Bodhi would go to the ends of the earth to keep you and the others alive. He would sacrifice everything if it meant he could feel you as he closed his eyes at night and see you the second they’d open again in the morning.

He stood there, watching, waiting. His fingers itched at his sides to roam along the curves of your skin and along the plush ruins of your body now damp from the rushing water above. You glistened in the low light; shining mounds of flesh he wanted to caress, to grope unabashedly pebbled as the water dripped from them and to the floor.

You ran both hands over your head and back down your neck over the valley of your breasts and to your stomach. He was hard. You could see the way he stood uncomfortably in his leathers as the heat filled the small chamber but also weaved its way into his bones.

out your hand, his jaw set hard with a sigh and he pulled open your bag wider. You kept your own supplies neatly tucked in the case provided to you as given by the college on the first day.

“Which one?” His voice was hoarse.

“The blue one.”

Bodhi dug into the small case and with a vice grip, clutched the blue bar in his hands. The scent of the soap was light, airy and one he’d memorized for peace of mind. He stood back upright and held it out to you.

“Thanks,” you said barely above a whisper as you took the soap from him and wet his hand with the water.

“Yeah,” he replied only to stand back to where he had been. A part of you felt cruel at his suffering but he wasn’t alone in his attraction.

The steam did nothing to mask your own arousal at the situation. You’d placed the pieces, moving them at your own will to suffer the consequences of his cavalier attempts. Soap suds couldn’t wash away the feeling that grew from your heart to your thighs. You tried to wash them away—tried to let the bubbles linger on your skin to prove to yourself, and to Bodhi, that you were more than capable of being alone amidst the chaos.

His eyes weren’t cowards as you paved a frothy path. Bodhi’s hand went to the front of his trousers and he shifted as he tugged at the bulge in them. Gods he was fucking leaking in them the longer he watched. And as much as he wanted to be mad at you for every little transgression, the way you enamored him melted every inch of the annoyance away.

“How was flight field?” Your voice asked above the spray of the water. “Imogen told me you were helping the second-years today?”

Bodhi scoffed. His teeth biting down onto his lip as he shook his head, looking away from you in a bout of disbelief.

“Really?”

“How was it?” You bent over to wash your legs. His eyes followed.

“It was… fine,” Bodhi counters. “Some of them are bound to get killed for their stupidity.”

“Oh like me?” Finishing with the soap, you reached out your hand to him and he bitterly accepted it back.

“I didn’t mean you were stupid,” he clarified. “I thought you being alone was.”

“I don’t think your logic is very sound.”

“No?”

You shook your head and turned around so your ass was facing him. You dipped your head back and let the stream wash over you and clear the soap completely away. All he wanted to do was fall on his knees and grab handfuls of you to please you both.

“Why?” He stepped a foot closer and the tops of his boots were wet now.

“There’s nothing stopping them from hunting in pairs or more. Me being alone doesn’t prevent anything from happening if Malek chooses it to see the light. If they were so keen on killing Sorrengail last year in her own room, nothing’s stopping them from killing us in broad daylight.”

“We would have the upper hand working together on this,” Bodhi said your name exasperatedly. His hand steadied him on the precipice of the shower and dry room. You peaked over your shoulder at him closing the gap.

“I’m out of your view for a mere hour and you’ve fallen to pieces, Bodhi Durran.”

“Well I can’t let anyone else get their hands on you.”

“And if they did?” You loved the way your heart pumped harder at the sight of his hand ready to tear the stone wall to bits.

“They wouldn’t.”

“Can you get the shampoo?” You asked him and he was quicker to back away this time. His frame still pent up, leathers still restricting, but faster than before.

“Do I need to—“ you began to clarify which was which but he brushed you off.

“I know which one it is.”

You closed your eyes under the water and let the heat fill your face. Bodhi’s shuffling was getting quiet the longer the seconds passed by. You heard a thud, then another only to be followed by the light squeak of worn hide hitting the floor. Before you could even turn around to face him, Bodhi was inside the shower, the shampoo roughly placed on the small corner ledge and his hands planted firmly on and around your waist.

His lips found purchase on your shoulder as you breathed in.

“I can’t fucking watch you do this shit and not touch you. I don’t care if you’re mad at me, I just want you to stay alive.”

Your head fell against his back. “I’m not mad.”

“Then what the fuck was all that?” His mouth laid claim to your shoulder and neck, teasing the skin already sensitive there.

“Maybe teaching you a lesson,” you stuttered a gasp as his hands roamed low. One cupping your pussy and dragging upwards along your clit. “It’s not me who feels like they can’t protect themselves.”

“You might not need protecting then,” his fingers steadied themselves on your clit. Your hands flung to the wall in front of you, grasping at smoothed over rock to sooth you. Bodhi took his middle finger and started with small circles on the sensitive bud. “But when you’re like this, and thinking of everything but saving yourself, at least I’m here too.”

“A bit more preoccupied than watching guard.”

“I can multi-task.”

You laughed, one hand leaving the wall to fall atop his own marred hand. You pushed back against his body and he groaned. His cock was lusty on the small of your back. Even on your toes, he’d tower over you in what was a family trait. His mother’s side had been generous with their dark hair and eyes that seemed to always know where you were and what you wanted. His finger was meticulous and slow, building a lapping wave within you as he felt you wiggle and writhe against his body.

His hair became a sopping mop as his teeth nipped the skin of your neck. He bit down, putting pressure only to lessen the ache with his tongue and a loose kiss in its place. The one finger was not enough for you once Bodhi crossed the threshold. You pushed at his hand, begging him without words for more which he’d long learned was enough of a tell that what he was doing was working.

Bodhi hummed as his finger, joined with another, slipped through your folds and filled you less than his cock would but just as tightly. Your shoulders jolted, shaking against him and he smirked against your back. Your hand went slack against his.

His voice purred in your ear. “That’s a good girl, yeah, that’s right… feels good, hm?”

It was intoxicating—the rush of bliss that ignited a fire within you. Bodhi had stormed into your space and set the room ablaze with a simple glance. He’d light the match for as long as he’d walk the earth. He curled his fingers further, pushing into you until he couldn’t go any farther. Bodhi halted once he reached that point and his other hand ran along your side gently.

“Gods,” you whined.

“Mm hm,” Bodhi affirmed your feelings. He brushed his nose on the shell of your ear. Pulling his two fingers back, he pushed them back in slowly before repeating it again and again to drive you mad.

You were trying so hard to be quiet. Each thrust of his fingers begged for sounds to escape your lips but all you could do was wire your eyes closed to see the kaleidoscope of colors he’d brought forth. Dancing swirls of delight as the bumps on your skin contrasted the hot water.

He continued to sink his middle and ring finger inside of you until he settled on a pace that made your head spin. His fingers moved exquisitely but fast. Unrelenting and breathless, your voice broke through the silent barrier of your mouth and into the space.

“Fuck,” your words came out in as a whimpering mess. Every groan that followed was broken apart by your body’s overstimulation. It’s shaking reaching beyond the physicality of Bodhi’s frantic fingering.

He kept going and going and going. The noises you made encouraged him to continue on through the burn of his wrist. The veins of his hands becoming more strained every time he pressed into the plush spot with a curl of his fingers. It was the one that made you dizzy, the one that he’d never tried with anyone else but you.

“Bodhi.”

His hand left your side and slapped onto the wall in front of you as his control was starting to waver along with you. His cock was painfully hard at the constant pressure your body laid upon him. He wanted to fuck you shamelessly where he stood.

“I hear you, I hear you,” he muttered. The water of the shower splashing into his eyes and face led his forehead to rest upon your shoulder.

“I can’t,” you squeaked out as his fingers went flat once more and moved up and down rapidly inside of you. “Gods I can’t—“

“Yes you can,” Bodhi reassured. One free hand clasped on top of his that rested on the wall in front of you and the other dug crescent moon shapes in his forearm. “You’ve done it before, baby. I know you can do it again for me.”

Your muscles in your legs spasmed as they shook. Bodhi let out a rewarding chuckle.

“Yeah… baby come on,” he urged faster. “I feel it. Come on, I feel it.”

“I—“ you let out a choked gasp as the dam within you broke free of yourself. Bodhi removed his fingers in an instant, finding your clit to rub circles around it as your body blacked out.

You forgot why he was mad at you and you him. The colors burst from your soul when your hand clutched onto his so tightly they’d surely leave a mark and the lewd reality of your finish was covered up by the sound of water splashing at your feet.

Both of his hands found themselves running up and down your back as you fell into the stones in front of where the shower head was no longer beaming down onto you. Your head relished the chill of the stone while your hands steadied you.

“Shhh,” Bodhi calmed. “You’re alright. I’ve got you.”

“If I knew you were going to do that, I would have made you wait until we got upstairs. My legs feel like jello.” Your breathing and voice was ragged. He smirked against your skin to lay a trail of kisses along your spine.

“Less clean up here.” There, his logic was sound.

He massaged the curve of your hips and back up to your arms. In his attempt to recover you, his mage light disappeared to reveal only one left. The sight of the glowing golden orb was tiring, romanticizing the little bubble of peace you’d managed in the men’s washroom. Bodhi’s hands helped you turn to face him and he pushed the shower head to face the opposite direction from your faces.

His wet black curls lay flat against his head and pushed back away from his face. He was a beautiful man, a soft and stern one who’s nature was far kinder than he let on to others.

A strong hand cupped the back of your head.

“I was an ass. I’m sorry,” he spoke honestly and the apology was clear on his face.

“I should have listened to you.”

“You’re more than capable. I was still a prick about it.”

You closed your eyes, forehead meeting his chin as your hands rested on his chest. Bodhi let you silently recover for what felt like minutes before his thumb pressed into the back of your neck.

“Baby,” he mumbled. His dick was still as hard as before and as much as you wanted to lay under the covers and do nothing more for the rest of your life, you’d be dammed to let a man as fine as Bodhi leave a shower wanting you.

“I’m fine,” you nodded as you raise your head. He studied your eyes before determining there was no lie to be shared. Bodhi Durran would never make you do anything you didn’t want. He knew you could deny him, truly push him away and he’d return to that dry spot and turn around for good. Yet you’d never lied to him in the years he’d know you, so he wet his lips, eyes targeting your own before forcing your neck closer to connect his lips with yours.

Immediately, you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him as close as possible. To feel every inch of him would never be enough. You opened wider, his tongue melting over yours as he titled you back and devoured the senses.

Gods did you love him as much as he did you.

Your hands found home on his waist before daring to lower themselves to his cock that laid sprung and leaning to the right. Bodhi broke his lips from yours in a hiss the moment your thumb stroked his tip. You smiled, nose knocking into his as you pecked his lips gently in return.

“It’s my turn now,” you clarified for him but he shook his head.

“No,” he swallowed hard. “I won’t last if you suck me off.”

“Then what do you want?”

“I just want to be fucking inside of you already.” He kissed you roughly as your hand circled his shaft and squeezed lightly. Both of his hands cradled your face now. “Fuck me.”

This smile was contagious. A beaming glow emitted from his face each time and it never ceased to amaze you that a man like him could be so joyous compared to the hand he was dealt.

“I think that’s what I’m supposed to say,” you scrunched your nose at him. However, you pumped him more the longer he took to change it up.

“Yeah,” he kissed you long. “But I don’t want to hurt you. I was rough before—I didn’t mean…”

“You were fine. Perfectly and utterly fine, Bodhi.”

“I just—“

The sound of the washroom’s door opening and closing ended the conversation abruptly. Your hand paused, not letting him go in hopes the intruder would simply enter an empty shower and it on but they didn’t. Footsteps moved in slow, showy maneuvers as the rusty hinges on stall doors creaked one after the other.

Your eyes turned frantic in a second and Bodhi kissed you quietly in ignorance.

The door opened as another assailant entered the space. Whoever had been the first dragged a blade across the stone floor. Its path igniting a loud, screech that made your ears bleed.

“This is so inconvenient,” Bodhi whispered.

“Fucking traitors!” A man shouted from the other side of the door. He was still a length or two away for safe keeping. “Come on out… secrets die with those who keep them.”

“I’m not going to fight them naked!” Your voice was barely audible.

“So you want to be impressed that I can take down both of them?” Bodhi felt his ego rise. You still hadn’t removed your hand from his cock and even if the door to the stall you shared was locked, there was no stopping the two killers beyond it.

“Keep the shower on.” He backed away from you and with it fell your hand. “Don’t say a word—I’ll be back in a minute.”

You weren’t sure if it was erotic or utterly absurd that he walked out of the room drenched in water with his dick still hard and weaponless. The shower ran as you pulled the towel from under your bag and wrapped it around yourself for decency in case of the worst scenario: he died nude on the washroom floor to leave you murdered in the shower.

But you also knew Bodhi was entirely capable.

And in a moment to appease the strife you caused, you let him take the lead. The small stool became your pedestal while the sounds of bodies colliding violently filled the air instead of steam. A clatter of a dagger falling to the floor gave you a semblance of hope he’d managed to disarm one of them.

You pulled the towel tighter to your body and lifted your hand to the door in an effort to keep it shut.

“Malek not today,” you murmured. “Not fucking today.”

Bodhi’s grunts quickly turned into a unabashed laughter. You couldn’t make out everything he said but every now and then, he’d jest to irritate.

Another dagger fell to the floor in shards.

“That’s it?” He rallied. “I know you can do better than that fucking shit. You wanna kill me, huh? Then wield your goddamn power and do something about it.”

A mistake. It was all a mistake because the second they raised their hands to wield whatever signet they had, the channel was closed. There was no chance for them in hand to hand, there were no options for them to run from him as he bested them nude and half aroused.

You felt useless. Sitting there, embarrassed by your own nudity to not do anything about the situation. Maybe Bodhi had been right. The idea that you being alone was stupid and you were risking your life by ignoring what was in your best interest. But Bodhi was also… Bodhi. He enjoyed showing off when it mattered the most and even behind the door, you could hear him kicking their ass.

And how were you to help when your legs felt like putty and the heat of the moment made you lightheaded?

There was the distinct sound of bone on bone cracking followed by a “fuck you” and a body hitting the ground. The tip of a blade chipped the stone floor as it was picked up and flew across the room to the other assailant who dropped cold in response.

Silence, besides the running water, was all that was left.

“Bodhi?” You called out tensely.

On the other side of the door, he was checking the pulse of the two second year cadets from first wing. His shoulder was burning, hand on fire from his broken bones finally having mended themselves from Resson, but the bruise on his jaw would manifest in mere hours.

There were no pulses—the threat had been eliminated—and he sighed heavily in relief.

You creaked the shower room’s door open just wide enough to peak your head out. One man’s neck was forced into an unnatural angle and the other had a dagger lodged in his heart, a perfect shot.

“They’re dead,” he said as if it weren’t obvious.

“Are you hurt?” You asked as his big brown eyes met your own. He shrugged, stepping over the body and walking back to you as if nothing had happened.

“Nothing serious.”

“But your arm—“

“—hurts but I’ll be fine.”

He met you at the door and smiled in the way he knew you couldn’t resist him. You never could, but he just memorized every tell you had when it came to loving him.

“Your jaw,” you breathed out. A hand reaching to the angry skin just at the junction of his jaw and cheek. “We should go get a pack. I’d rather not be here when someone walks in and finds those two.”

You peered over his body to look at them again and as expected, neither moved.

Bodhi shook his head. He pushed open the door inch by inch until finally he was back inside the safety of the room and shut the door again.

“What’s with the towel?” He asked.

“What?” You furrowed your brows in a suspended moment of disbelief.

“Why are you wearing that? We’re not done—I’m not done.”

“Bodhi, you’re hurt.”

“Yeah, here,” he pointed to his heart, “because now I have to jerk off by myself.”

“Oh my,” you rolled your eyes as far as they could go.

“I saved you from those fuckers and this is how you repay me?” His eyes gleamed so brightly in amusement. “I don’t know how I can go on anymore.”

He dramatically walked into the torrent alone. His hair went sopping wet again before he slicked it back and turned around.

“Have you always been this dramatic or is it just for me? You observe too much. This is too… Ridoc.”

“And now you’re thinking about other guys? After I saved you and made you—“

You were quick to step into the stream and over his mouth with your hand as if the dead would wake at the admission he made you come. The towel became soaked with water before it was far too heavy to remain on and found itself in a plop on the floor.

“Are you going to stop?” You asked him.

His eyes looked up in thought and his lips underneath your hand quirked up in a grin. Then, he nodded, gently removing your hand from his mouth.

“We can go,” he settled on honesty instead of humor. “I was joking.”

“I know.”

“It might also be rude to fuck in front of the dead.”

“How would they know?” You pondered. “They’re dead.”

Bodhi grasped your hand in his own tightly. Wordlessly, you could sense his gratefulness through his stare. How you were both alive and the threat of today was gone until the clock struck to reset the mission of the next batch of dismayed students seeking revenge. You too were grateful his imperious behavior sent him down a spiral to you. He, and the others, would have been furious had you taken on those two alone.

But he did it all in the sake of protecting you. And not even a war college could make you forget the significance of his want to do so.

“They might be ghosts… I can’t be sure though.”

You shook your head. “I don’t want to think about ghosts or dead people when we’re fucking.”

He rose a brow. “Oh, so you do want to have sex with me?”

“No,” you drew in closer until your chest met his and his arms wrangled themselves around you. One on the back of your neck, the other settled on the curve of your ass with a grope. “I said ‘fuck’ not sex, not make love, fuck.”

His smiled bloomed again and melted every piece of you away.

“My girl’s got such a dirty mouth, don’t you?”

You looked down bashfully while your hands tread the lines of his abdomen.

“I guess you’ll find that out, won’t you?”

He let you sink to your knees and show you just how much you appreciated him—both the overbearing man and the one who’d break a sweat just to see you again.

Thanks for taking the time and reading! As per usual, the best way to support your authors/creators is comments and reblogs! I thank you so much for your support.

Note: this fic has not been fully proofed! I apologize for errors in the meantime!

[partoffantasy]

Self Control - Bodhi Durran

⸻ image credits to OC & scribe.jesinia⸻

summary: reader relentlessly tests Bodhi’s self-control, teasing him with subtle touches and close encounters, determined to make him break.

pairing: bodhi durran x fem!reader warnings: teasing word count: 1.0k

⸻⸻⸻✦ ♡ ✦⸻⸻⸻

The first time Y/N tested Bodhi’s patience, she barely got a reaction.

It was during a late-night lesson, the war table illuminated by dim lantern light. Everyone was exhausted, but Bodhi, as usual, leaned back in his chair with that insufferable smirk, looking like he had all the time in the world. Y/N, seated next to him, let her fingers drift just slightly over his forearm as she reached for a map. Just a subtle touch. His skin was warm beneath her fingertips, but he didn’t even blink. He just turned the page of his notes, completely unbothered, as if he hadn’t noticed at all. Frustratingly unshaken.

The second time, he gave her a warning look.

It was during sparring. He was always fluid, always controlled, the kind of fighter who made everything look effortless. Y/N, who wanted a reaction, stepped too close when they reset, brushing against him as she adjusted her stance. Then, just as he went for his strike, she ducked last second—knowing full well it would force him to grab her, his hand gripping her waist to stop her from toppling over.

This time, he hesitated. Just for a second. His fingers flexed against her side before he released her, stepping back. His head tilted, his gaze sharpening on her like he was finally paying attention. “Careful,” he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. There was a warning in that single word, but it only made her grin.

The third time, she saw something flicker behind his usually easygoing expression—something dark and dangerous.

It happened at dinner, in the chaos of the dining hall. Y/N took the seat beside him, sliding in close enough that their thighs pressed together. She leaned in, her breath fanning over his ear as she whispered, “Pass me the bread please?” His hand clenched around his fork before he exhaled slowly, jaw tightening. He didn’t speak and didn’t immediately react. But when he turned his head to look at her, his easy grin was nowhere to be found. His fingers tapped against the table once—slow, deliberate.

Then, just as quickly, the moment was gone. He passed the bread like nothing had happened, returning to his usual unbothered self. Y/N had pushed him. And she had a feeling she wasn’t done yet. It started as a game. Y/N wasn’t sure when exactly she decided Bodhi Durran needed to be pushed, but once she started, she couldn’t stop. He was always so calm, so controlled, the kind of man who could watch the world burn and still have the audacity to smirk about it.

She wanted to know what it would take to make him break. So she touched him more than necessary during sparring sessions. Leaned in a little too close when they strategized. Let her fingers trail along the edge of his uniform when she adjusted his collar under the guise of helping. And he let her. That was the worst part.

Bodhi took every little tease in stride. He’d arch a brow, give a lazy smirk, and let her think she was winning. He’d murmur things like Careful, Y/N, in that low, smooth voice of his, always making it sound like he was humoring her. But she saw it. The way his jaw clenched ever so slightly. The way his hands curled into fists at his sides. The way his throat bobbed when she licked her lips in front of him. She was getting to him. And tonight, she intended to push him over the edge.

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

“You’re distracted, Bodhi.” Y/N ducked under his swing, trying to aim a punch at his ribs. He sidestepped easily, catching her wrist mid-air and twisting, sending her stumbling into his chest. His grip was firm, warm, his breath ghosting over her ear as he leaned in. “You sure about that?” he murmured, voice dripping with amusement. Y/N tilted her chin up, their faces inches apart. “Positive.”

She flexed her fingers against his grip, testing the strength holding her in place. He didn’t let go. If anything, he held her tighter. His thumb brushed over her pulse point, and her breath hitched before she could stop it. “You should be careful with that,” he said, voice still easygoing but carrying an undertone she wasn’t used to. A warning, maybe, or a promise. “You might not like what happens when I stop holding back.”

Oh, but she would. She pushed up onto her toes, her lips nearly grazing his jaw. “Maybe I’m counting on it.” For a heartbeat, he was still. Then, everything shifted. One second, she was in control, and the next, she was against the wall, wrists pinned above her head, Bodhi pressed against her so thoroughly she could feel every inch of him. His body was all heat, strength, and tension.

His eyes, usually warm and amused, were dark. His voice was barely a whisper when he spoke. “You think you know what you’re doing, don’t you?” Y/N swallowed hard, her own pulse hammering. “I—” He leaned in, so close his lips almost brushed hers, but not quite. “You like pushing me. Testing me. Thinking you’re the one in control.” His grip on her wrists tightened just slightly, enough to send a shiver down her spine. “But you forget, I let you.”

Her breath caught. Because he was right. Bodhi exhaled slowly, gaze trailing over her face, taking in every unspoken thought, every silent plea she refused to voice. Then, just when she thought he might finally break, he let go. He stepped back, putting just enough space between them to make her ache for more. His smirk returned, slow and knowing, but there was something lethal behind it now. 

“You wanted to play, Y/N,” he murmured, dragging his fingers down her arm in a way that sent a shiver through her. “But games have consequences.” Then, he leaned in one last time, lips brushing the shell of her ear as he whispered, “And you’re going to learn that the hard way.” And just like that, he was gone, leaving her standing there, breathless and burning, with nothing but the ghost of his touch and the promise of what was coming next.

[fancytheoristluminary]

*that daily mail audio playing*

BREAKING NEWS FROM BASGIATH WAR COLLEGE:

First-year cadet Sloane Mairi was found unconscious with her eyes wide open. According to witnesses, the cause was Dain Aetos, who had said, "Eyes here," to her.

[mendessi]

things i say when you sleep | chapter four

multi chapter bodhi durran x fem!oc

word count: 5.4k

chapter summary: welcome to threshing

chapter warnings: canon typical violence, light gore (injuries), female rage, mentions of vomiting, mentions of death

AO3 masterlist

two | three | four | five | six | ...

Gratefully, Bodhi decided we could wait until after Threshing to start training, he made it clear I didn't need extra distractions. Liam apologized for ambushing me with Bodhi but he didn't need to and I assured him of that. 

"So long as we get to hang out still," I told him. "I've unfortunately grown quite fond of your company."

"Unfortunately?" A smile played on his lips. "Fortunately for you, I've grown fond of yours." 

Liam was a good friend. It's a strange feeling, to finally have friends. I didn't come in to make any, but I'd become close with some of my squadmates and Liam. I even found myself talking to Violet of all people. She wasn't half bad. 

It's Presentation day and Sawyer and I have made a bet on who can make it up the Gauntlet the fastest. The entire first-year class is currently heading to the cliffside now with a handful of second and third-years who have Gauntlet duty. I don't even feel slightly nervous as we make our way over. 

If Dain Aetos wasn't my Squad Leader, I'd shove him off the cliff just for the way he's been pestering Violet all morning. I've concluded that there's some unanswered romantic tension between them, but Dain is a brown noser who has to follow the Codex to a T or he'll combust. I'd overheard a conversation between the two and Dain is insistent on sending her back to the scribes where she'd intended to be. Not that I'd ever admit to her, but she's annoyingly intelligent and has been getting better in training and deserved to be here just as much as the next person.

"Do you ever grow tired of that?" I ask her before I can stop myself as we join the rest of the squads at the bottom of the Gauntlet. 

"What?" She asks. 

"Dain doing everything he can to keep you from succeeding here." It sounds more harsh than I meant. "Sorry."

"He cares about me," She defends. "We grew up together, he can't help it." 

Ah, that's what it is. I had a feeling. Childhood friends. That sounds familiar. 

I see Liam a couple of squads over and I give him a thumbs-up with a smile. There's not a doubt in my mind that he'll have the fastest Gauntlet time today. He gives me a wave and a thumbs-up and then turns back to face his Squad Leader who seems to be giving an announcement. 

Just about an hour later, it was almost my squad's turn. Painfully watching cadets fall from the Gauntlet had me sick to my stomach so I eventually had to turn away. 

"Cadet Alistair," I turn my head as Bodhi approaches.

"What are you doing here?" I look at him confusedly. 

"I had time between classes and wanted to check on you before you go up," He says.

I see Violet and Rhi turn their heads out of the corner of my eye and shrug my shoulders, "Why?"

"Just making sure you're ready," He nods his head and then turns to look up the cliffside with a deep breath. 

"Sawyer and I are betting on who can make it up the fastest," I say to him. 

"Absolutely not."

"Excuse me?" I cross my arms as I look up at him.

"Take your time," He says sharply, "The last thing I need is you falling off this thing." 

"Bodhi, I don't need you to coddle me. I didn't know that accepting your help would include you hovering," I turn to walk away with a shake of my head but he grabs my arm. 

"Take. Your. Time." He says slowly as I yank my arm away from him. 

Glaring at him, I fall back in line with my squad. 

"What was that about?" Violet asks and she glances back at Bodhi as he walks away from the cliffside. 

"Did you figure out how you're getting up the chimney?" I ask, keeping my eyes straight ahead. 

"Got it." Violet takes my question as her answer. None of your business.

Sawyer beats me by three seconds and I'm not even mad about it. I'm just thrilled that I made it, that he made it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Xaden subtly sigh with what I can only describe as relief when he writes my time down.

My entire squad makes it. I even got to my knees to scream for Violet as she made it up the last stretch of the Gauntlet. She did it, not the traditional way but she still made it.  Annoyingly smart, that girl. We place eleventh which isn't terrible and I even congratulate Liam on his Gauntlet patch. Of course, he was the quickest. 

The nerves begin to build when it's almost my squad's turn to parade ourselves for the dragons. As we're waiting, it all becomes so real. I'd forgotten why I had been here at Basgiath. All of the sparring, the Gauntlet sessions, they were leading to this. Dragons. It was so easy to forget, so easy to lose the concept that in two days, I was due to try and bond with one.

Zihnal, be with me. 

Luca and Tynan do nothing but fuel my anxiety as we walk spaced apart in a single file. I'd never liked them since the day we were placed in Second Squad together. They might be the two most insufferable people I'd ever met. It was beyond me how two people could be so arrogant when they hadn't even bonded yet.

As we walk, I do my best to not look at any dragons as we pass, but I do my best to carry on a conversation with Ridoc. Apparently, this helps the dragons get a feel for our character. 

"What did the XO want?" He asks over his shoulder. I keep my eyes on the stone in front of me, trying to ignore the grating voice of Luca. "Thought you guys weren't cool after you sparred." 

"I'd love to know what he wanted too," I say honestly. 

As we make our way further down the path, my ears start to ring. I can't help but look up to see if anyone else has noticed, but Ridoc is now engaged in conversation with Luca who won't shut up. Conversation may not be the right word, probably more like getting on to her for being such a bully. 

I turn my head and my eyes unintentionally meet with the golden eyes of a red dragon. Please don't kill me. From what I remember, reds have the worst temper and you should never look them in the eye. I'm too scared to look away for fear of what will happen once my eyes are off it. The dragon blinks and I swear nods at me and my ears stop ringing. My head snaps at the sound of the commotion in front of me and my jaw drops when I realize there's a pile of ash where I had last seen Luca. 

Two days later I'm awkwardly patting Ridoc's back as he throws up everything he ate this morning. I don't know if it's from nerves or if what he ate was bad, but this should certainly be Violet patting his back not me. I don't think I ever learned how to comfort people, especially when sick. 

When he stands up, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and then pats my shoulder. I grimace and then make my way to Rhiannon and Violet.

"Dain lost his vote when he tried to talk you into leaving," Rhi says and I nod, adjusting the sheath wrapped around my thigh. 

"I'm with Rhi," I agree. 

"You don't even know what we're talking about, you just don't like Dain," Violet counters, and a smile spreads across my face.

"Correct."

Rhi snickers, putting a hand over her mouth earning a glare from Violet, "What? I don't have anything against Dain. I just- okay, I'll stop talking." 

As I look around at all of the first years, I take a deep breath in through my nose. Everything changes for each of us by the end of today. We'll either bond or not. My eyes land on Bodhi and I have to double-take because I almost missed him.

He nods his head and I sigh and walk to him.

"What do you want?" I ask. 

"We'll start training tomorrow," He says. "Xaden will be observing in the valley." 

Surely, Bodhi knows that just because Xaden is allowed to observe doesn't mean it will benefit me in the slightest.

"You had to tell me this right now?" I scoff, crossing my arms. "That's if I even make it." 

"You will." He assures me. 

"Anything can happen. You don't know that," I retort. 

"I know things you don't," Bodhi replies, and my eye twitches. "You'll make it." 

"Whatever, Bodhi." I turn to walk away. I'm almost back to my squad when he calls my name. I look over my shoulder, not slowing my steps. "Good luck!"

Hours have passed since I split up from my squad and I'm half convinced that my dragon is not in this valley. I watch as dragons and their newly bonded cadets fly overhead underneath the pink and blue canvas of the sky. A break was all I wanted, so I stand and readjust the medium-sized dagger that hangs off my hip. It's too long to fit into the sheaths on my ribs and thigh, but not long enough to be carried on my back. I earned it in a challenge against a first-year from Second Wing in the third week of challenges and it's one of my favorites. It's not important where she got it from, but I almost wish I knew. The hilt of it is beautifully crafted and I know at some point it hummed with power due to the Tyrrish rune in the handle. It reminds me of home. 

The sound of rustling in the trees stops me in my tracks and I look at the reflection of the water to see if I can tell where it came from. I wait for a moment but it remains quiet until my ears start ringing like they had at Presentation. It's subtle, but it's undeniable. Turning to my left, I take a few steps and it gets quieter so I test a theory and walk the other way. It gets louder. 

Maybe this is it. I keep my hand on the dagger at my hip as I make my way through the trees. The ringing steadily grows louder and louder as I pass through another clearing and my breath hitches. A large Red Swordtail sits against the treeline and the ringing is at an all-time high, so loud that it feels like my eardrums will burst. It feels like a thread is tied to my sternum, pulling me slowly towards the dragon and I follow the demand. My shoe snaps a tree branch and the dragon's head turns to me quickly, barring its teeth. Its golden eyes survey me and its teeth disappear. Is this it?

Both of our heads turn at the sound of rustling coming from the other side of the clearing. A group of three-first years step out of the clearing and their eyes land on me. The dragon bares its teeth at them.

"This one's mine, back off," The one in front says. He has blond hair and is the tallest of them all, but the other blond behind him has more muscle, just shorter.  I'm taken aback and I almost turn to walk away, but the thread is still tugging lightly. The stocky blond behind him whispers something in his ear and something that looks like realization flashes across his eyes. 

"'The Rageful One', they call her," The brunette with slanted eyes behind him says, loud enough for me to hear. I've heard rumors of a nickname but no one has ever said it to my face. Rageful one? They couldn't come up with something better?

I place one hand on my hip and hold my other hand out looking at my nails mindlessly, "Could've sworn I heard Kaori say not to travel in groups." 

"It seems like you're the one with the disadvantage. Three against one doesn't seem like the odds are in your favor," The one in the front says.

"You should ask your friends if that's a theory you're willing to test," I look up from my nails and innocently smile. His pals clearly know of me, yet I don't know a single one of them. 

By good luck, there'd been a handful of times that I allowed Ridoc and Liam both to simultaneously spar with me. I managed to get both of them on their backs the last time we practiced, but it only happened once. I don't know these first-years, nor do I know their capability in a fight. What I do know is that Liam and I are top of our year, so they can't be that good. Let me not get ahead of myself.

He keeps his eyes on me, listening intently as his friends whisper things in his ear. I slowly wrap my fingers around the daggers on my hip and one on my ribs. I examine them the best I can from this distance. None of them have a rebellion relic, so it's not like we'll be connecting over that. They all have height and strength on me but I'm agile and quick. With a nod of his head, I know his friends have convinced him. 

"Just kill her Fionn," The brunette says and my heart skips a beat. Are they really going to outnumber me so their friend can have this dragon, my dragon? 

That must've been the final push that Fionn needed because he starts advancing on me. I opt for the shorter daggers on my ribs and unsheath them as they all three start advancing on me. Fionn pulls a longsword from his back and I take a deep breath my focus zoning in. If only Bodhi and I had gotten to work on control before today. 

Control it.

Fionn is the first to approach me with a heavy swing of his sword. I pull back, gasping as I feel the wind from the swing against my chest. While he pulls back, I lunge forward slicing into his arm.

"Allan, go left!" The stocky blond shouts as Fionn screams out. He swings his sword again, but I'm close enough to slip under his arm. I slam my elbow into his nose and he stumbles backwards. I turn to my left where I know Allan will be and throw a dagger that lands in his thigh. I march towards him as he hits the ground, grab him by his hair, and connect his face to my knee with a scream. He falls to the ground, limp and I'm grateful to have at least one of them knocked out. 

I turn around to see Fionn and the other blond glance at each other, silently making decisions on how to finish this. This isn't the sparring mat, if I don't win, I'll die.

I'm not here because I have to be, I'm here because I want to be.

I want to bond with this red dragon watching this entire encounter. I want to make it back to the flight field and see that my squad lives. I want to go through Squad Battles and War Games and I want to live. All the way to graduation.

Pulling the medium sword from my hip, my vision reddens at the edges. I tighten my grip on the sword as my hands start to shake. 

Relax. Control it. Your anger issues will get you killed.

I wait for them to make the first move. The other blond runs at me and I slip under his hold, turning around and swinging my sword leaving a deep gash across his back, his shirt now held together by a thread. I cry out as Fionn grabs a handful of my hair from behind and slams my back into the ground. My eyes water from the force of which my head hits the ground. He drags me by my hair, as I kick my feet begging for my boots to catch a grip, to where Allan lies on the ground. He yanks my dagger from Allan's thigh and slams it into mine and a scream rips through my throat. 

"That's for Allan," He says through gritted teeth as he crawls on top of me. His hands wrap around my throat and I dig my nails into the skin on his hands. It's no use, he's completely blocked my airway. I will not go out like this again. Fionn won't just suffocate me to the point of passing out like Bodhi, he will kill me. I reach my hands to his face, scratching and clawing at my face but he just slams my head into the ground once and punches me so hard that my nose starts to gush blood. 

Control the situation.

Red filters my sight and my hands shake with rage, maybe fear, I don't know what, but I dig thumbs into his eyes and press with every last ounce of strength I can muster. He releases my throat to rip my hands from his face and just as he's about to reach for my throat again I sink my teeth into his hand and bite. I bite until I feel a chunk of his skin come off in my mouth and I spit it out as he stumbles off of me. 

Air fills my lungs and I gasp as he screams out, "Bitch! She fucking bit me!"

His friend is staring at me, fear strewn across his face. A smile spreads slowly across my lips and I know I'm a sight to see. Blood spills from my nose and I can taste his blood in my mouth on my teeth. 

I don't bother unsheathing a dagger as I move forward on the blond. I want this hand-to-hand. He hesitates on if he should pull his sword and that's all the time I need. I throw a complex combination of punches, landing every single one. He lands a couple but I'm so fueled by rage and adrenaline that I don't even stumble. I hear Fionn's footsteps behind me and I turn quickly, my fist connecting with his jaw. He grabs my wrist and the other blond comes up behind me. I pull a dagger sheathed on Fionn's thigh and slam it anywhere I can. His friend falls to the ground and I return my focus completely to Fionn. 

It's just him and I now. 

"You're fucking crazy," He says my wrist still in his grip. I bring my knee up to his groin and he screams out in pain but doesn't falter. He picks me up like I'm a ragdoll and slams me into the ground. 

"You haven't seen crazy," I say through clenched teeth. 

We scramble around on the ground, each of us trying to grasp for dominance, and I yelp when he pulls a dagger from my ribs and stabs it right through the palm of my hand. It doesn't even hurt, the adrenaline masks the pain.

"It didn't have to be like this," he says as I cry out, "You should've walked away."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I separate the anger, the rage, all of it, from what is happening at this very moment. This is a matter of survival. Anger won't get me out of this. I need to think.

When I open my eyes, the red is gone from my vision and I lift my hand, nearly gagging at the sight of the blade of the dagger sticking out of both sides of my hand. I'm nearly done removing it when he starts crawling towards me. Both of our adrenaline is wearing off and we're exhausted and injured. It's me or him. As he moves to get on top of me, reaching for my neck again, I think quickly, I have no choice.

"You just don't give up," He says breathlessly. 

"You should've listened to your friends," I hiss.

I press the back of my hand to his stomach and use the other to slam the dagger back through the gaping hole and into his abdomen. His eyes widen and he looks between us pulling my hand away. He rolls off of me and I sit up, moving away from him, holding my hand to my chest. When I watch the life leave his eyes I stand. As I pull the dagger out of my hand I clench my teeth together to stop from screaming.

My dagger falls from my shaky hands and I look around. Allan is stirring, and when I see the other stocky blond my stomach sinks. My dagger had landed in his throat. Blood puddles around him and I'm hit with a wave of nausea. Allan survived but I killed two men today. 

When I turn around the red dragon is directly in front of me. Gods, I hope it was worth it. 

"Am I yours?" I ask, my voice hoarse. 

"I've been waiting for you."

Waiting for me? Was that in my head? 

"I choose you," The Red Swordtail blinks at me and lowers its head. 

Holy fuck. I did it. He waited for me. Now I feel bad to have kept him waiting. The adrenaline is starting to surge again but the world is slowly starting to tilt. I need to get back to the flight field. 

"My name is-"

"I know who you are, Ania Alistair." He says and my eyes widen slightly. "I've waited many years to meet you." 

Huh?

"My last rider was Colonel Alistair, your-"

Grandma.  

But I always thought dragons weren't allowed to bond with direct descendants of their riders. 

"Do not worry about such a matter, you must get back to the flight field." His voice rattles my head and I almost wince. 

Somehow, someway, even being down a hand and with a limp only growing worse by the minute, I successfully mount.

"Gleigealith." I say to the rollkeeper. 

"Seek care now, Ania," Gleigeal says and I don't hesitate. I limp my way over to the small medical station. "It is vital that you do not share you are a descendant of my previous rider."

The adrenaline is far past worn off and I'm feeling every hit I took, my thigh is throbbing with pain and I can't even begin to describe how my hand feels. 

Two men out there are dead because of me. I have to swallow the bile rising in my throat for I don't know what time today. The pain medication they give me starts to take effect quickly and I want nothing more than to get over to the Healers quadrant. 

"Ani!" I barely have the strength to turn my head, but I know it's Bodhi. He's the only person I've let call me that since my brother died. He cups my cheeks, but I can't even look at him. He's looking me over, assessing my injuries. "Who did this, what happened?"

The blood is dried to my skin, theirs and mine both. All over my face and my clothes.

A whimper escapes my lips when he lifts my hand, examining it. "I'm sorry," he says softly. "We'll get you to the healers." 

"Bodhi-" I whisper, finally looking up to meet his eyes. 

"Ania," Xaden approaches us and glances me over once, "She okay?" 

"She's shaken up," Bodhi says on my behalf. I look up at Xaden and a part of me wonders why he's here. 

Xaden puts his hand on my head and I wince, remembering how Fionn had slammed it into the ground. "Sorry, little Alistair. You okay?"

"I killed," I have to swallow again, bile threatening to work its way up my esophagus, "Two men." 

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Xaden says. "Something else needed my attention." 

I shake my head, gently pushing his hand away, "It doesn't matter." 

It's not like he could've done anything anyway. Nobody is allowed to manipulate Threshing, but a part of me believes that if he had been there, he would've. 

"You did it, Ania," Xaden nods and takes a step back. "Beckett would be proud." 

He and Bodhi share a glance and then Xaden leaves us. 

"Who'd you bond?" He asks as he grabs gauze from the side table and begins to wrap my injured hand. I'm silently hoping that I'll get it mended tonight. 

"Red Swordtail," I say quietly. My throat feels ridiculously dry and my voice is still scratchy. "Is my squad okay?"

"From what I know they're all back," He says and I hiss through my teeth when he grips a part of my hand a little too roughly. "Sorrengail bonded two dragons."

"Two?" I mean to exclaim it, but it barely comes out above a whisper. 

Wow. Of course, Violet bonded two dragons. If it were going to be anyone, it would be her. 

"We'll push training til you feel up for it, okay?" His tone is gentle and I respond with a nod.

The pain medications were doing their job, but now I just struggled to feel any sort of emotion. The idea of training isn't even an unpleasant thought anymore. I almost got killed out there and maybe if I'd taken up Bodhi on training when I first arrived, I wouldn't be so injured right now. 

"You just have to do one more thing and then we'll go to the Healers. Promise." He says helping me stand once he ties off the gauze on my hand. He allows me to lean on him as we walk away from the medical tent and back to the field. 

"You've been too hard on him," Gleigeal says as I stand in front of him. 

"How do you know that?" I ask through my thoughts. I don't quite know how this works, but I'll figure it out.

"I know many things. Now move forward," He says and I oblige. 

General Sorrengail wraps up her speech and then I feel the familiar pain on my back. I'd only felt this once before, the day that my father was executed. The day I got the relic on my arm. I don't even make a sound while others around me cry out. 

Cheers erupt all around and then the field is crowded with riders of all years. I find Bodhi almost immediately and let him drag me to the Healers. 

"You should be celebrating with everyone else," I say to him finally. 

"I'm right where I need to be," He says with a small smile. 

An hour later, I'm released and luckily the celebrations are still going on. Bodhi stayed with me in the Healers quadrant and I was thankful he gave me a hand to squeeze while they stitched me up. The pain meds would stick around for the rest of the night and that I was grateful for. Bodhi leaves me in the bathing chamber so I can wash all the blood and grime off myself before joining the celebrations with the rest of the riders. He promises to see me later.

I'm a rider now.

The realization hits me like a train. I have a fucking dragon. Everything I worked for since July has led to this. 

"Ania!" Rhiannon runs towards me once I'm finally dressed and clean. I left with a split cheekbone and busted lip, but aside from my hand and thigh, I'll just be hideously bruised for a couple of days. 

"Did you bond?" I ask her. I freeze when she wraps her arms around me in a hug. 

"The green I wanted," She nods and I feel another set of arms wrap around me. 

"Not gonna lie, I thought you were dead," I hear Ridoc say behind me. 

When was the last time someone hugged me? I struggle to find the memory, and it takes me a moment but I finally relax and wrap my arms around Rhi. Tears brim my eyes when she and Ridoc pull away.

"You look like shit," Ridoc says as he looks over my face. "Hand?"

"Dagger went straight through," I laugh lightly. "I'll tell you guys tomorrow. I just want to celebrate." 

"Ania," Violet says. She approaches me slowly and we look at each other for a moment. 

"Two dragons, huh?" I smile. 

"Who would've thought?" She laughs and looks me up and down, concern in her eyes. She wraps her arms around me after a second of hesitation and I do the same to her. "I'm glad you're okay."

The person I was when I entered this quadrant is so different from the person I am now—smiling and laughing with my squadmates. I'm a rider. I bonded my grandmother's dragon. 

"Don't repeat that too often," Gleigeal says in my head and I laugh. 

The celebrations continue, but exhaustion has overthrown my body. Ridoc offers to walk me to my dorm. I have a dorm. Having my own space might be my favorite perk of being a rider. He's rambling on and on about his Threshing and I can't help but smile while I listen to him. He has such a good storytelling cadence and doesn't miss a beat between sentences. His Brown Swordtail is named Aotrom and he can tell that they're already going to be a killer team. 

We're almost back to the dorms when I throw myself against a tree, heaving up everything I've fought to hold down since the woods. 

"Whoa, whoa, Ania-" Ridoc is slightly confused as he holds my hair back. 

The parallel makes me laugh when I remember that just this morning I was patting his back while he vomited. 

"It's been a long day," I say to him. 

He throws his arm around my shoulder with a chuckle and a nod, "Yeah, it has." 

Ridoc comes with me into my new room and I smile as I look around, noting that my bag is already set on the floor next to my bed. 

"Isn't it so nice?" Ridoc laughs, falling backward onto my bed. 

I fall backward next to him with a sigh and look up at the ceiling, "I'm just happy to never sleep on those bumpy dormitory beds ever again." 

"I'm sorry you had a bad Threshing," He says. 

"Eh, I don't think Threshing is supposed to be a good thing," I laugh and look over at him. Emotions are heightened tonight, and everyone is overwhelmed with their new bonds. I can't count on two hands how many cadets I've seen leaving the celebrations and going into their new rooms. 

I sit up on my elbow and look down at him, "What?"

"You're a good friend, Ridoc," I say quietly. 

Ridoc is the first friend I made at Basgiath. He's funny and quirky and a ridiculously bad flirt sometimes, but he's here instead of out there with everyone else. He's never judged the relic on my arm, or my decisions to separate myself from everyone else. He's never questioned my intentions behind anything. He just trusts me regardless of my reasons.

I lean down and kiss him before I think if it's a good idea or not. His hand cups my cheek and he kisses me back, pulling me closer to him. We test the waters and the kiss only lasts for a few moments.

We pull away simultaneously and I shake my head with a laugh. "Nope. Not for us." 

"Some things just aren't meant to happen," He cracks up, laughter shaking his chest. "At least we tried." 

"At least we tried," I repeat, crawling under the blanket. After a few moments of silence and staring at the ceiling I sigh, "I killed two men today."

"Hence the vomit?" He asks. 

I nod my head, keeping my eyes on the ceiling, "I didn't have a choice."

"Then I support you," Ridoc says, "Even if you did have a choice, I would support you."

"Would it be absurd of me to ask if you could sleep in here tonight?" I ask him quietly. "If you want to go keep celebrating, I'll be okay." 

He doesn't say another word, he kicks off his boots and crawls under the blanket with me, keeping a respectful distance. 

"Good night," Not even a couple minutes later, his lips are parted and he's snoring softly.

"I don't think the cousins will like this," Gleigeal says distantly. 

"Go to bed."

previous | next

tag list: @lynnieluvsu

[auraisereigh]

"Sweets"

chapter thirtheen part II

Brennan Sorrengail x Riorson reader Blurb: part II to Star's birthday. Her and Brennan share a moment. wc: 6k ☆ SPOILERS FOR THE EMPYREAN SERIES. not much, mentions of a scar. Uses pronouns: she/her. i use Star as a nickname as y/n sounds weird, and i'm awful with names.

Masterlist ☆ Dragon guide ☆ Star's story ☆ Empyrean guide ☆ Support me

My heart starts beating faster, his auburn hair is falling over his temple, it's still slightly damp. He must have showered not that long ago.

"How did you find me?" I ask confused. My voice is not bitter anymore towards him, it's much softer now, pure curiosity laced in it.

He smiles and walks closer, a small box in his hands. He shrugs. " I followed the scent of flowers, sweets and a hint of anger." He responds sarcastic. His head dips down when one of his hair strands goes to his eye. I chuckle at it. "Looks like you have a problem there." I motion to the strand of hair.

He gives me a sarcastic look and I feel my heart warm a little. "What are you working on? He asks motioning to the blades I put aside. "Swords." I State.

He looks at me impressed. "You know how to make those?" His tone holds a hint appreciation and admiration. I give him a small nod as I breathe out some hot air. This room is so hot and I've been cooked up in here so long that it feels like I'm overheating though I would've never noticed that if I hadn't stopped working.

"Let's step out for a moment, you look like you're gonna burst in flames." He laughs a little and I can't help but laugh with him. I can't explain it but ever since our moment barely a week ago I feel myself opening up to him, even if it's just appreciating him, not necessarily opening my whole life up to him.

I put my stuff down and take off the coat. There are bits and pieces of hair falling from my braid in my face.

His hand rests on my lower back as he guides me out of the damp, hot room. I wipe the sweat from my forehead with my hand and then I'm welcomed by the cooling air. I let out a small gasp at the sudden cold air.

"Let's go up to the roof." I State as I grab a hold of his arm and bring him with me all the way up the five floors and to the rooftop.

I remember all the nights xaden used to wait up here, sitting on the ledge, for dad. I close the rooftop door behind Brennan.

I sit on the ledge and Brennan sits close behind me. It's quiet as we both look out over the city. This is the best place to get a good view of how beautiful this place is, even if pieces are still burnt down.

I suddenly feel a finger against my flaming hot skin and I shiver. I quickly shove myself from the ledge, the feeling causing a nauseous feeling in my stomach. "Sorry." He quickly apologizes and he holds his hands up in surrender.

"No, no. It's nothing." I assure him. "No one has touched it." I explain. His eyes soften and he lowers his hands. "How did you get the scar?" He asks softly. He reaches out and takes my wrist in his hand, pulling me closer.

"An accident. The scar runs over my whole spine. Happend around a year ago and no one has actually touched it since it completely healed." I explain. It's not the whole story, it's not really an accident either but opening up completely now would only make things worse.

He seems to get the hint as he drops my wrist and takes the small box from the ground where he placed it. He hands it to me. Confusion takes me over. "What's this?" He rubs the back of his neck. "I heard from Felix that it's your birthday today and I wanted to get something for you. I hope you like it." I can see a hint of a blush on his cheeks. A small rosy color and it makes him look adorable. I can't help but smile, my heart fluttering at the sight.

I grab the box from him and sit down. He sits down before me, the blush still there. I open it to reveal a smaller box and a book. I take the book out first. It's a small poetry book, the cover has an illustration of a jellyfish. A small smile appears on my face and I open the book, going through the pages and reading some of the poems. My smile widens. "Thank you." I say genuine. Emotion threatens to overwhelm me as tears prick in my eyes.

He smiles at me and motions to the other box. I take it out and open it to reveal a small chocolate cupcake, decorated with chocolate cream. "I was gonna put a candle on it but then I realized that I didn't know how old you are." He says sheepish, the Rosy cheeks still present.

"Nineteen. I turned nineteen today." I tell him Softly. "How old are you?" "I'm twenty four. My birthday already passed this year." I nod.

I take the cupcake out of the box. I stand up and reach for one of the wooden floor planks. This fortress was protected in many ways, including hidden weapons. I rip open the floorboard and take a dagger out. Once in my possession, I walk back to where Brennan is.

I position the dagger over the middle of the cupcake and cut through it. Once cut in half, I slowly pry them apart and give a half to Brennan. He smiles at me, his eyes Sparkling.

I take my half of the cupcake and sit back on the ledge. I pat next to me and he doesn't hesitate to move next to me, his half of the cupcake in his hand.

"To a very happy birthday for you." He says lifting his cupcake in the air. I chuckle and lift my cupcake too. "To hopefully a better year." I add to it and he nods his head in agreement.

He watches as I take a bit from the cupcake and he chuckles when he sees that a bit of the cream reached the tip of my nose. He quickly gets it off with his finger, so fast that I blink when his finger you he's the tip of my nose.

He laughs as he licks the cream from his finger before starting on his own half of the cupcake.

"So what does the future duchess wish for her birthday?" He jokes as he finishes the cupcake. I take the last bite of mine before leaning back on my hands. "How about a dragon?" I joke back. "Giant, and red. With large lethal teeth. Every girls dream." I continue and he laughs along. "I can show you an orange one, but I have to warn you, he is a bit unpredictable." He offers with a small chuckle and just as he does so an orange dragon flies by, a safe distance from us.

The last time I saw him we spent two weeks in a cave together, working every night together to make a fire to keep us warm, well, Brennan. The dragon probably didn't give a damn about me.

"Yeah, unpredictable." I respond absentmindedly, remembering the first time the dragon lit the fire. I thought he would burn me too. He turns his to look at me with a soft smile on his face. "Are you okay?" His words are spoken so soft, so careful.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just remembering. Naolin's dragon, Tairn was the first dragon I ever saw up close. He was lethally beautiful. The scales looked like they were glowing in the sunlight. Despite that he could kill me with the snap of his teeth, somehow it makes these creatures even more astonishing." My voice whispers as I watch as the orange dragon fly in the distance, free, to go wherever he would want to go.

"Naolin used to tell me you loved dragons. And that you didn't show fear when you saw his for the first time." It's true. I wasn't scared when I saw Tairn. All I saw was an astonishing creature. He speaks up before I can confirm it's true. "One day, when you trust me, I'll show you Marbh. Maybe you'll like him too." He offers hesitantly. Like he wants me to but is not sure if I want it.

Thing is, I do trust him. Even if just a little.

"I do trust you." I speak up. I look at him and his face looks like a mixture of sadness and surprise. "Not completely, it's too soon for that but a part of me trusts you. Believes you." I add looking him in the eye to show him I'm being sincere.

His smile widens a little at my words and I can see his eyes tearing up. I shuffle closer to him so we're touching and rest my chin on his shoulder as I look up to him. "And you know, usually my birthdays were quite big, but I really enjoyed this one. I wasn't planning on doing anything but this," I motion to the two of us. "Was nice." I finish as we both look out over Aretia. The town is slowly rebuilding but you can tell the difference.

My eyes look up to see the orange dragon flying in the cloudless sky.

I lean deeper against him and his arm wraps around me as we watch over Aretia.

And finally, it feels right to be with him.

☆

Taglist: @honethatty12 @smashee0789 @awkardnerd @randomperson1234sblog@bangtanxberm@hyperactive-bookworm-0@littowl@thebreadisthetruevillian

[yams-77]

Good Luck, Babe!

Chapter: 1/3 | Words: 2,572 | Rating: M | Category: M/M

Summary: You know I hate to say it, but I told you so. Eighteen months after moving to Los Angeles and living openly as a gay man with his new boyfriend, Bodhi Durran returns to Aretia for his mother's funeral. It's obvious Bodhi's changed but Liam Mairi's stayed the same.

Excerpt:

The first time Liam Mairi kissed Bodhi Durran, he had been fifteen, drunk off peppermint schnapps, and totally straight. He still wasn’t sure why he’d decided to kiss a boy that night.

Note: While I consider this to be a hopeful fic about the journey towards self-acceptance, it includes some difficult themes including religion, homophobia, loss of a loved one, dissolution of a relationship, and infidelity.

Note 2: I wasn't going to publish this until the whole thing was finished...but then I realized that today is our Midwestern Princess's Birthday. What better way to celebrate than with chapter 1?

Relationships: Bodhi Durran/Liam Mairi No HEA, Bodhi Durran/Ridoc Gamlyn HEA

Characters: Liam Mairi, Bodhi Durran, Bodhi Durran's Mother, Xaden Riorson, Violet Sorrengail, Bodhi Durran's Father, Fen Riorson, Garrick Tavis, Imogen Cardulo, Ciaran (Empyrean), Ridoc Gamlyn

Additional Tags: this is gonna hurt, Bodhi Durran/Liam Mairi NOTP, Grief/Mourning, Loss of Parent(s), Internalized Homophobia, Homophobia, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Queer Liam Mairi, Queer Bodhi Durran, I hurt my beta emotionally, Self-acceptance journey, Coming Out, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63224698/chapters/161938912

Taglist

@canadian-confusion @siobhanbooks @bestbookfriends

@b3anieperson @hoeelliexx @suebswrites @alltoowellread

@biggestqiblifan @ubiquitouslyme @poisonivy206 @iftheshoef1tz

@hunt-athie-athalar @korrinamoe @preally19

@freckledfern @ramzesfics @acourtofladydeath

@chunkypossum @secret-third-thing

@greeneyedwildthing @vanthh @essjaywrites

@feetreadyheartbeatsteady @skyfallscotland @chasing-a-dreamer

@taumoebaa @toberealnow @silverlude @alittlegirlwaitinginagarden

@sliebman10 @sarcasticmothwrites @hockeyspiral23 @ficwingrecs

@tegantales @marxxyy @witch-and-her-witcher @caeli0306

@jules-writes-stories

Let me know if you want on or off the list

[aprill-99]

Xaden: “Okay everyone, safety briefing for this weekend.”

Xaden *to Ridoc and Bodhi*: “Do not add to the population.”

Xaden *to Imogen*: “Do not subtract from the population.”

Xaden *to Rhiannon, Sawyer, and Garrick in order*: “Do not end up in the newspaper, the hospital, or in jail.”

Xaden *to Violet*: “If you do end up in jail, establish dominance quickly.”

[bookdragon-shenanigans]

The Empyrean as shitposts (OS edition)

[BEWARE! SPOILERS AHEAD]

Aaric Graycastle

Violet Sorrengail

Bodhi Durran

Mira Sorrengail

Xaden Riorson

Sloane Mairi

Ridoc Gamlyn

Dain Aetos

Garrick Tavis

[mattyalwayssmokesweed]

The fact that Violet got fucked (literally), betrayed by her boyfriend, heartbroken over losing her friend, betrayed by her dragons, hurt AND poisoned all in the same day is wild. You guys complain she’s “annoying” but I think she’s not half as annoying as she could have been. Matter of fact she should’ve set Riorson House on fire as soon as she woke up and saw HER BROTHER was fucking alive. She took it too well all things considered

[mysterylilycheeta]

Rhiannon: Don't you just hate men sometimes? They can be so useless! Imogen: Right? They're terrible! Jesinia: *signs* 100% Violet: Definitely. Xaden, Garrick, Bodhi, Ridoc, Sawyer, and Dain: Liam: Violet: Not you Liam, you're perfect! The other girls: Honestly, he is! The boys: Wh-

[xadensbiceps]

Imagining drunk Violet sneaking up behind Xaden and wrapping her arms around his waist, mumbling about how she’s going to ride him like a dragon later

Only for it to be Bodhi that she grabbed. He’s slowly trying to scooch away while Xaden glares and tells himself once again that it’d be a shame to kill his cousin

[stupidlybookish]

First half of Iron Flame summarised:

Violet: Xaden isn’t in love with me.

Rhiannon: Yes he is.

Imogen: Yes he is.

Bodhi: Yes he is.

Ridoc: Yes he is.

Tairn: Yes he is.

Xaden: YES I AM.

[intairnwetrust]

Bodhi: So Dain and Sloane are now a thing...

Xaden: I can't believe it. Aetos? Fucking Aetos. I thought Sloane had better taste in men.

Garrick: I mean Violet had a crush on Dain too.

Xaden: ...

Garrick: ...

Garrick: Please don't hit me.

[fancytheoristluminary]

*Marked ones give their opinions on Dain Aetos

Garrick: soft

Bodhi: overrated

SLOANE& Imogen: a pretty boy

Xaden: a bitch

[mendessi]

things i say when you sleep | chapter five

multi chapter bodhi durran x fem!oc fic

summary: Ania crosses the Parapet into the Riders Quadrant, and finally meets with the marked children of those who got her parents and brother killed. Bodhi Durran is quick to remind her that she's marked too.

word count: 3.8k

tags: slow burn, friends to enemies to lovers, canon typical violence, mentions of death, she falls first he falls harder, majority canon compliant, some canon deviance, eventual smut, angst with a happy ending, additional tags to be added

AO3 masterlist

three | four | five | six | seven

"I found you!"

I crawled out of the chest and considered stomping my foot, "That's not fair." 

"You hide here every time, how is it not fair?" Bodhi said, laughing as he shoved my shoulder lightly. "Find a new hiding spot."

Following him through the darkness of Riorson House, I don't pay much attention. I have his tunic tightly tucked between my fingers as we look for Beckett, Garrick, and Xaden. It always bothered me that they only wanted to play hide and seek at night when all the mage lights were off. 

"It makes it more fun," Xaden had said. 

Darkness had always scared me. Even as I approached my teenage years. Maybe it had to do with the horror stories of dark-wielding humans my father had told Beckett and me from a young age or the way that we'd caught all of our parents meeting on several occasions in the dead of night. Using code words and speaking of dangers beyond the border that threatened the very integrity of the Continent. 

When Beckett, Garrick, and Xaden turned sixteen, they were clued in on what was happening beyond the borders. Even though Bodhi was a year younger than them, he was clued in too. Our father had made Beckett swear he wouldn't tell our mother or me. I was the only one left out. 

"We'll tell you next year after your birthday," Bodhi assured me that night while we sat on top of Riorson House. "I just can't tell you, Ani. Maybe your dad will let up and tell you soon."

"You're supposed to be one of my best friends, you know," I looked at him with a pout on my lips. 

My mother and father began fighting more than they ever had in their entire marriage two months later. Mom found out that Dad had been taking Beckett to the meetings at Riorson House and was furious. I pretended I didn't know because I truly didn't. I had no idea what these meetings were about. Until Beckett told me that Aretia was planning to secede. I couldn't grasp why any of it was happening. 

Always in the dark, never in the light. 

They wanted to split us up. My mother wanted us to run to Navarre. Beckett and my father wanted to stay here. It was a never-ending cycle of arguments but neither ever upheld their promise. 

"Why can't you just listen? There's a reason they don't want us running around spewing that nonsense!" My mother wailed. 

"Cara, people have the right to know." My father bellowed. "What if it were our kids out there?"

"They would never be out there because I'm taking them to Navarre. The Alistair name will not be dragged through the mud of this rebellion." My mother snapped. Alistair was my mother's last name, but my father took it so that we could preserve the memory of my grandmother who was a great rider.

"You're not declaring loyalty, you're committing treason!" My father screamed. "Beckett will never go. And as soon as Ania knows the truth, she won't either." 

"You will not tell her! You should've never told Beckett," My mother commanded and I stood up racing for the front door as her cries drowned out, "She's too young!"

I ran as fast as I could to Xaden's where I knew they all would be, tears rolling in nonstop streams down my face. Bodhi is the one who opens the door when it's usually Beckett retrieving me. 

"Where's Beckett?" I asked. 

"They all went out, what happened? Why are you crying?" He surveyed me with worry as he pulled me into the house. 

"My parents again," I used my sleeves to wipe my tears. Bodhi had gained several inches on me since the last summer and I had to look up at him. 

He took my hand and led me through the massive home as I constantly wiped at my tears until we reached the roof. "Tell me what happened." 

"My mom wants to take me and Beckett to Navarre," I confessed quietly once my chest stopped shaking with sobs. 

Bodhi had seen me cry many times throughout my life, so this was something I'd never feel embarrassed by. He would never make me feel bad for expressing emotion.

"She wouldn't," He said quietly. I could tell he was shocked by the words that left my mouth.

"She's upset that my father told Beckett what you all know," I said, followed by a deep shaky breath. "I don't want to leave Aretia. This is my home."

The idea of leaving Aretia would never sit right with me. No matter what was going on between my parents, this was all I knew. My brother and father would be here. Xaden, Garrick, and Bodhi were here. What was in Navarre that we didn't have here? A wave of anger rattled my bones as I remembered that I didn't even know what was going on, just that everyone else seemed to know except me.

"Then we'll just have to stash you away somewhere in Riorson House until she stops looking," Bodhi said, nudging my arm with his elbow. I can't help but smile. 

"But I don't want her to leave either," I whispered. 

He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I leaned into his side, appreciative for his comfort.

"Something is happening that is changing everything, Ani. There is so much that we don't understand and our parents are trying to bring it to light to ensure that we remain safe," Bodhi said, his thumb brushing soothing circles into my arm, "If your mom would rather run away than do what's right, that shouldn't be on your shoulders."

I sighed knowing that he was right. There was so much that I didn't know, so much that I didn't understand. 

Always in the dark, never in the know.

"What is this, lovebirds?" We pulled away from each other as Garrick, Xaden and Beckett stepped onto the roof. My cheeks flushed and I rolled my eyes, wiping the last of my tears. 

"Shut up, Garrick," Bodhi glared as he stood up to face them.

"Hey, he's just saying. You two are betrothed for a reason," Xaden laughed as he sat down next to me. With a sigh, he slung an arm around me and looked out over Aretia. "Kidding."

"We're not betrothed," the annoyance in my eyes must've been prominent because the older boys began laughing and my cheeks heated up even more. Bodhi and I were the only ones who did not find this conversation amusing. 

"I wish it could stay like this forever," Beckett said sitting on the other side of me. 

"We can't ever let anything happen to each other," Xaden said after a moment of silence. "You guys are the closest thing I have to brothers."

This kind of talk bubbled anxiety in my stomach and made me realize just how serious things were. 

"Ani's not a brother," Bodhi said.

"Then she's the closest thing I have to a sister," Xaden replied, putting his hand on my head and ruffling my hair. 

My body aches when I roll over the next morning. The pain medications did their job through the night but had officially worn off. 

Ridoc is still soundly sleeping and I can't help but smile at the memory of last night. Why did I think it was a good idea to kiss him? At least we both agreed that anything other than platonic is just not in the cards for us. 

At least we tried. 

He's still snoring when I tap his cheek. He sits up tiredly and groans, "It's wake-up time already?" 

"Yes. Get up, you stink," I shove his arm with the hand that isn't wrapped in gauze. There's fresh blood on the wrap and I sigh knowing it's gonna be another two weeks before it's even close to fully healed. "You need to shower before breakfast." 

I can't believe I let him sleep in my brand-new bed without a shower after Threshing of all things. 

He stands up and looks around my room, likely looking for his shoes. "I stink, huh?"

"Yes, disgustingly." Okay, maybe it's not that bad but I can't help but tease. 

He yanks his shirt over his head, holds it to his nose, and then throws it at me. I pretend to gag as I pull it off my head. "Ridoc!" 

There's a knock at the door and I stand up to open the armoire to examine the clothes inside. I pull out my clothes for the day and set them on the bed. 

"Can you get that? It's probably Rhiannon looking for us." I stand behind the door and undress my bottom half so I can look at the stab wound. This one seems to be doing okay. The skin around the stitching is black and blue, but at least it stopped bleeding. 

"Oh shit," Ridoc says after pulling the door open. I step behind him and I suddenly wish I'd kept my pants on.

"Cadet Gamlyn, I don't believe this is your room," Bodhi says. 

"Bodhi," I exclaim. He looks... pissed. 

"You're right, it's not my room. I guess I got lost," He laughs nervously, backing away from the doorway. He picks up his shirt off my bed and his boots off the ground. 

"I suggest you do your best to find your own quarters," Bodhi's voice is low yet sharp. He steps to the side and Ridoc basically scrambles down the hallway. To the shower, I hope.

"I told you the cousins would not like it," Gleigeal laughs in my head. 

"Not now," I reply to my dragon. Is this how it will be now? Endless taunting from him?

"Only when taunting is deserved. Like now," I'm not sure my face is straight, probably more in a glare. Not directed at Bodhi, but Gleigeal. 

Bodhi steps into my room, leaving the door cracked, "That's what you chose to do with your night? You're still recovering from injuries."

"Excuse me?" My defense is up immediately. "It's none of your business what I choose to do with my night." 

He steps towards me so close that our chests almost touch. He stares down at me and I look at him, my eyes narrowing slightly. His hand reaches for my neck and his fingers gently tilt my chin to the side to look at the bruising. 

"Not from him," I say softly. 

"Oh, I know," His voice drops to a whisper. "I'm making it my business. Tell me." 

"Tell you what," My words turn harsh within a heartbeat.

"Was he worth it?" He pulls his hand away from my face and then lifts my wrapped one to examine it. 

"That's none of your business," I jerk my hand away and flinch at the pain. No pain meds, I forgot. 

"You won't have time for bad habits once our training starts," Bodhi says taking a step backward. 

The space is needed because his words instill so much anger in me that I might punch him. 

"Bad habits?!" I yell. "Who do you think you are coming into my room, telling me what I can and can't do?" 

"I'm just looking out for you, Ridoc is-"

"Don't finish that sentence," I snap. "If I want to sleep with Ridoc fucking Gamlyn then I will. You can't tell me not to, you're not even my XO." 

Now I want to sleep with Ridoc and make it known, just to piss him off. 

I see the door open behind Bodhi and Rhiannon, Sawyer, and Violet are standing in the doorway. I also realized at that moment how loud I had been talking. 

Now my entire squad will think I fucked Ridoc last night, perfect. 

"Look what you did, Bodhi," I grab my pants and sit on my bed to pull them on. "Just get out." 

He looks me over once and then turns on his heel to leave. 

"XO," Sawyer greets him as he, Violet, and Rhi split apart to let him through. "You and Ridoc?" 

"No," I stand up, shimmying my pants up my thighs. I hiss through my teeth at the struggle of doing it with one hand and trying to get it over the wound in my thigh. Violet and Rhi walk over to me to help me get them up and I sigh in relief with a small thanks while Sawyer fully shuts the door.

"We saw Ridoc practically running from your room without a shirt on, what are we supposed to think?" Rhi asks as she pulls my tunic over my head. "Gods, Ania, what happened out there?" 

Sawyer is turned around, facing the door, when Violet grabs my clean fitted tunic and pulls it over my head.

"Guys, come on, this is a little much, I can dress myself," I shove my arms through the sleeves and catch sight of bruised ribs as I slide it down, tucking it into my pants. "Nothing happened between me and Ridoc. Swear."

"Nothing at all?" Violet asks, finally taking a step back.

"Okay, we kissed but that's it. It lasted barely ten seconds and we decided that we're just not into each other that way," I feel the need to defend myself as they gasp while I sit on the bed to lace my boots up. Rhiannon and Violet share a look and I cross my arms, "I swear. Ask him yourself. It was spur of the moment."

"And the XO was in here, why?" Sawyer finally turns back around. 

Just be honest with them. It's not hard, right? Why is it so hard? They're your squad, your friends.

"We are going to have to work on your trust issues for this to work," Gleigeal says.

"Not the first time I've been told I have issues," I reply to him. 

"Yes, you have many." Um, ouch? "But they are why I chose you. We will work on it." 

"Bodhi and the wingleader think it's in my best interest that they look out for me." There. The truth. Not the whole truth, but a form of it. 

"Ah, a Marked one thing," Rhi says and I nod.

"Something like that." 

"Well, Dain kissed me last night," Violet says and my jaw drops. 

"I knew it," I gasp as I jump up.

"I hated it," She says and I sit back down, masking the excitement with concern. I probably should've read the room before that.

"Right, right. Of course," I nod, and Rhiannon and Sawyer laugh.

"You are a natural. Just like the one before you," Gleigeal says after I dismount him. "Now go rest." 

My first official day as a rider was thrilling. There is nothing to compare it to. The thrill, the exhilaration. My heart breaks for those who will never experience this. 

Instead of going to rest, I head to the gym. I know I should give my body time before doing so, but my heart and mind run at the same pace and I don't want to be alone in my room. 

When I enter, I'm half surprised to see Violet at the weights with Imogen. I guess Xaden was officially paranoid now that she bonded his dragon's mate. Garrick is with one of the first years I remember from the woods back in July and he raises his hand in a small wave to me. I haven't even spoken a word to him since we've been here that I can think of. 

I nod my head in return and then look around for something to do. Can't spar without a partner, can't lift weights with this hole in my hand. I could train my legs I guess. 

When I'm about to walk to the weights, I hear my name.

"Hey," Bodhi approaches me and I sigh. 

"I don't want to fight with you. I'm having a decent day for once." The bliss I'm swimming in after flying threatens to fade at the sight of him. 

"Let's spar then. I know you're pissed at me. Take it out on me." He says.

"You were the one that said I'm still recovering from my injuries," I say as I gesture to my throat. My voice is still raspy. Ridoc had commented on how hot it sounded. 

"Learning lesson," A smirk plays on his lips, "Out there, they don't care if you're injured. I'll go easy on you." 

I contemplate the idea and decide that it wouldn't be so bad to get a couple of hits on him. The anger still sits high in my chest at how he came into my room this morning. 

He'll probably win anyway, but if I can just land one punch I'd be happy.

I slowly tuck my injured hand behind my back and step onto the mat, holding eye contact with him. 

"As you wish."

He takes his stance and moves on me so quickly that if I had blinked I would've missed it. I deflect each of his hits and kicks with my uninjured hand, keeping the other behind my back. I'm on the edge of the mat when I land my first punch. I smirk watching him wipe the blood from his lip. That felt good.

When I move forward to swing my fist at his abdomen he grabs my wrist and flips me onto my back. I land with a groan, overdramatizing it just a little.

"Are you okay?" He's just about to kneel and I laugh as I grab his foot, yanking it out from under him. He lands on his back with a grunt, "Damn it."

I crawl on top of him, pinning his arms under my legs quickly, raising my fist like I'm gonna hit him. He struggles, but I squeeze my thighs harder. "Got you." I pull my other hand from behind my back and hold both of them up, my palms outward. "One-handed, too."'

"I went easy on you," He defends. 

"Maybe," I sit back a little, taking a deep breath. "But I still won."

"Quite the position you have me in," He says and I look down, my cheeks flushing. I'm about to crawl off of him when he lifts his hips and flips me over so my back hits the mat. "Doesn't matter how strong your thighs are. This leaves you vulnerable." He leans down and says into my ear. "Is this how Cadet Gamlyn had you last night?" 

"Bodhi," I attempt to scold but it comes out as a weak whisper. The weight of him on top of me is overbearing but not in the way I thought it'd be. I clear my throat, the rasp of my voice more present than ever as I lower my voice, "What a wildly inappropriate thing to say." 

"Just curious if you found potentially ruining a friendship worth it," He says, pressing his knee between my legs. He has to be trying to get a reaction out of me, to push me to the point of lashing out so he can teach me a lesson.

My head swims with a million different thoughts. What gives him the right to ask me about my sex life? Not that it even exists, but still. But the sheer mass of him on top of me is preventing me from forming complete thoughts. I need to get the upper hand. 

"Ridoc is a good friend, I hardly see why you're so bothered," I say to him as he pins one arm above my head, "Why does it matter to you so much? I can sleep with who I please."

There's no point in telling him that Ridoc and I didn't actually sleep together, he just happened to find us at the wrong time. I was grateful that Ridoc cared enough to not leave me alone last night after such a brutal day. Let me reiterate the point that it's not his business.

"I'm not bothered," He lifts my injured hand and looks down at it, keeping the other pinned over my head against the mat, "You need to change this."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jealous of who I brought to bed last night," The corner of my lifts as I look up at him. He pretends to not hear me as he keeps examining the bandage on my hand. "Are you jealous? Is it because we were 'betrothed'?" 

His jaw clenches and I can see him hesitate in his next movements. I'm only teasing him, not a serious word leaving my mouth but at least I get a rise out of him. I use the same trick on him, lifting my hips and flipping us over so I'm on top. I actually do punch him this time. 

"Stay the fuck out of my business," I say sharply before I stand up off of him. 

"Noted," He groans and holds his jaw as he sits up. 

I slowly start to unwrap the bandage on my hand so I can see how it looks after a full day. It still looks disgusting but at least I'll see the healers again tomorrow and they can give me some sort of medication to speed up the healing process. 

"Let me walk you back to your room," He says taking the gauze from my hand. Luckily I have a fresh wrap in my room. 

I don't deny him the opportunity and silently we journey back to my room. 

"I-" He goes to speak but stops himself when we're outside of my door.

"You what?" I cross my arms as I look at him. 

He runs a hand over his face and takes a deep breath, "I have reasons for the way I handle things when it comes to you, Ani. I can't tell you yet, but I will eventually." 

"No, don't do that," I sigh in frustration. He makes fighting my anger issues so damned hard. "You guys shut me out my entire life and even now, I'm still left in the dark. I'm not doing it anymore, Bodhi. Stop with the games." 

"You don't necessarily make it easy to care about you," He says defensively and my lips part in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

In the months leading up to the apostasy, I was shut out from every meeting for being too young. The boys got to join while I was left in the dark trying to piece things together from overheard conversations. It wasn't fair. They did it under the guise of protecting me but that was not an excuse I was willing to accept anymore. 

"Don't take it back now, Bodhi," I try to hide the hurt in my voice but it's damn near impossible, "Stand by your word." 

With a shake of my head, I open my door and step into my room. He puts his hand on the frame to keep me from shutting it, "Ani, please. Let me explain."

"I really just need you to leave before I say something I regret," I tell him.

His lips part as if he'll say something else but he stops himself, "Good night, Cadet Alistair."

After I shut the door, I change the gauze on my hand and myself into my sleepgown. 

Sleep is waiting for me and I force myself into slumber so I don't have time to cry.

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[angstywaifu]

Fourth Wing Boys Head Cannons - Accidental/Unplanned Pregnancy

These are based around the battle at the end of Iron Flame. So if you have not read Iron Flame, the below will contain spoilers for some of our boys.

Masterlist | Support Me

Garrick

He would be as still as a statue. You aren’t even sure he’s even breathing as he looks down at you wide eyed. You were both on the tonic, but clearly there must have been a faulty batch. The healers were adamant. You were pregnant.

After a few moments he’d snap out of it, brow furrowing as he thinks everything over in his head. “Are you sure? Did you get-“ you cut him off with a nod, which is all he needs to shut his mouth and nod.

You could tell what he was thinking. This was no time to be having a child. Not in the midst of a rebellion. Not a rebellion you both had prominent parts in. Not when Xaden needed him.

After a few tense moments of Garrick being stoney faced and reserved, a small smile would start to pull at the corners of his mouth. Which honestly surprised you. Before you Garrick wasn’t really the relationship kind of guy. You even falling into that category a few times till another rider had showed interest after you were both sent to Samara.

“Really picked the perfect time to fall pregnant didn’t you?” He teases before to swat his arm, his usual booming laugh breaking through the tension that was now nowhere to be seen.

Despite the teasing joke you could tell he was nervous, worried and unsure. Especially as he pulls you against him, resting his head atop yours as it rests against his chest. His heart beating erratically underneath, a start contrast to calm demeanour he was trying to output.

Bodhi

He drops whatever he was holding, staring at you with shock as he goes utterly still. Wide eyed, mouth open as he just looks at you.

He goes to talk multiple times but keeps shutting his mouth, clearly unsure what to say. Eventually starting to pace back and forth till you grasp his hand.

His eyes snap to yours, some of the panic dissipating ever so slightly as he relaxes at your touch, the small circles you rub onto the back of his hand with your thumb grounding him.

His free hand comes up to run through his black wavy hair. “You’re sure? Like 100% sure?” He asks nervously.

You nod up at him, his eyes going wide again, but you note the corners of his mouth pulling up. You know the nervousness and panic comes from the rebellion. It’s not ideal timing. But now there’s not much you can do.

Panic flares again in Bodhi’s eyes, his hand tightening around yours. “Xaden’s going to kill me”

Xaden

it’s not often you see Xaden caught out or surprised. In fact you can’t remember ever seeing him like that. And yet here he is, staring at you, still as a statue. Not a single emotion or reaction detectable on his face. Almost like he was expecting the news.

“Fuck.” He finally says before walking over to you, his eyes glued on your stomach which currently shows no signs of the baby inside.

You can see him thinking over everything in his head. Every possibility and scenario playing out.

“You have to promise to not be reckless anymore. I can’t risk loosing you two. Ok?” His words coming out almost like a command, but there’s that slight hint of worry that softens his words. You know he just wants to protect you, and that you’ll definitely be tacking a back seat going forward.

Brennan

He pinches the bridge of his nose, pacing back and forth as he mutters to himself. It reminds you so much of Violet and how she recites facts to calm herself and focus.

Back and forth, back and forth, you’re sure he’s going to wear a track in the floor at this rate. You reach out and grab his hand to stop him.

His amber eyes instantly soften as he looks at you. “I was doing the thing, wasn’t I?” He asks as he purses his lips, knowing he slipped into planning mode. You nod at him and smile. “Yeah, you kinda did.”

He smiles down at you, and instantly you feel like everything is going to be ok. Is it good timing? Gods no. Especially with the Venin advancing on Navarre. And especially now they know Brennan is alive.

“We’ll make it work. We always do.” He tells you softly, reaching up and caressing your cheek.

Dain

This man is in denial. How could this happen? You were both on the tonic. And that tonic has never failed. Every logical situation runs through his head. There’s no way this could have happened. Unless….

“Did you stop taking the tonic?” He asks, tones almost accusing as he walks up to you, a hand raised towards your face. He lowers it wicking when he sees the anger on your face, answering his question immediately.

He would be spiraling. In a matter of weeks he’s gone from being the golden child, helping to get rid of the marked ones. And now here he was in Aretia, fighting against everything he’s always known, and now you’re pregnant.

He reaches out and takes your hands, grasping them in his as he lets out a shaky breath. “Really took disappointing my dad to a whole new level didn’t I?”

Sawyer

He would be shocked, looking at you like he doesn’t believe you. Like the words didn’t just leave your lips. But they did. You were pregnant with his child.

Despite the seriousness of the situation you were all in he would embrace you immediately.

“You’re not mad?” You ask him as he pulls away. “Gods no. Is it terrible timing? Probably, but we’ll make it work.”

Which feels like it won’t as you sit next to his bed, his leg now missing as you grip onto his hand like a lifeline. Everyone else had gone, leaving just you with him. None of them aware of what was looming over you.

He lightly squeezes your hand, your eyes snapping to his as he lazily smiles at you. You engulf him in a hug, completely forgetting about his injury. You start sobbing all the thoughts tumbling around your head. Sawyer just embraces you tighter, whispering you’ll make it work. It has to. Especially with the ring he wears on a chain around his neck. Waiting for the perfect moment.

Ridoc

He literally thinks you’re joking, trying to pull some prank on him like he does to literally everyone else. But once he sees the way you’re looking at him he goes silent. Ridoc who is never silent. And yet here you are taking the words right out of his mouth.

“Holy shit you’re not joking are you?” He finally asks you. When you shake your head at him he gets so excited.

It might not be the best time with everything going on, but he’s too excited to care right now.

He runs out the door to find Sawyer screaming “I’m going to be a dad!”

So much for keeping that quiet. The whole of Aretia knows with how louds he’s yelling and screaming.