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rookamell · 4 months ago

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Other Plans for the Evening

Pairing: Lucanis x Rook

Summary: Scene after the Illario fight, but the way I would have written it. It's not that deep or different, but I think it's better. My Rook but mostly I wasn't specific.

Disclaimer: Whoo first Lucanis fic! I'm still trying to find the DA companions' voices so you might have to bear with me a little bit. This has been in my brain since the MOMENT he said "I have other plans for the evening". I tried to make him that weird mix of awkward and smooth so lmk if I did that or if I need to work on it. Might come back and edit.

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"You came back here just for coffee?"

Rook's voice startled him out of his thoughts.

When he looked up at her, his heart gave a lurch, the same lurch it had given every other time he'd laid eyes on her.

Her hair was damp and sligtly wavy from her bath, still, and she wore leather trousers and a shirt. It was difficult to see in the dim firelight, but he knew the blue of the shirt would be reflected in her eyes, twinkling above the bemused grin she was giving him.

"What, the stuff in that gigantic villa wasn't good enough for you?"

She folded her arms across her chest, eyebrows raised and dimples clearly visible as she grinned down at him. Mercifully, Spite was being quiet for once. He idly wondered if demons ever got tired, or overwhelmed after a long day. Something to ask Emmrich about, perhaps.

"It's better if I make it myself," he said, not quite managing to smile back at her, despite the lightness that smile brought to his chest.

"And besides, I wanted some quiet."

He hated that her smile melted slightly, her shoulders tightening ever so slightly. He doubted anyone else would have noticed, but he did.

"So," she said, "First Talon?"

"First Talon," he said, and if he was honest with himself, it did not fit right in his mouth.

"I still cannot believe Caterina did that."

Lucanis is the new First Talon. His decision stands.

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, but her fingers tensed where they rested on her arm.

"Does that mean you're leaving?"

Ah.

He almost grinned.

"No," he said simply. "We have a contract. Besides, Caterina might have named me First Talon, but there's no stopping her from giving all the orders."

This time her smile was wider, and she tilted her head to the side so her hair shifted, glinting golden in the firelight. He ached to run his fingers through it.

"You know," she said, her eyes twinkling with laughter again, "You could have said, 'Of course not. I would never leave with you still here.'

Her Antivan accent was good. Too good. It made his chest feel tight whenever she pretended to be him. He grinned back at her despite himself.

"I would never leave with you still here," he said. "You'll have me for as long as I can put off the Crows."

He saw her brow furrow slightly, but she hid it quickly.

Before he could let his nerves interfere, he stood up, setting his half empty cup down on the table as he did.

"I may have had another reason for leaving the party early," he said, letting his voice drop slightly. He saw her eyes narrow, but then she gave him a crooked grin.

"Besides coffee, you mean?"

He walked past her, to the open space between the dining table and the door, and held out his hand to her.

"Dance with me," he said softly.

It was the first time he'd seen her truly taken aback. To his delight, her mouth even dropped slightly open.

"Dance with you?" She asked, as if he'd just asked her to jump into the Fade.

"What?" He asked.

"There's no music. Also, I told you," she said, shoulders tensing again, "I'm a terrible dancer."

She had. Technically she'd told all of them.

You'd have to get me drunk first, I'm afraid, it's mortifying otherwise. I got told I have about four left feet.

"You did," he said, still holding out his hand. "But you also said you loved to dance."

She tilted her head to the side, almost pleading.

"It's only me," he said softly.

"That's what's worrying me," she said, almost too quiet for him to hear, and he remembered that this was as new to her as it was to him.

What would a first kiss taste like?

Like hope.

She held back for a moment longer, then hesitantly, she placed her fingers in his hand.

They were warm, and her callouses scraped against his own as she allowed him to pull her close to him. His heart thumped in his chest, as if it was trying to get to her.

"I don't know how to do this," she said, and he knew she wasn't only talking about the dancing.

"Like this," he said, curling his left hand around her right, and placing the other one on his shoulder.

"Your elbow has to stay up," he said seriously, lifting said elbow so it was almost in line with her shoulder before dropping his hand to her waist. "Caterina would smack me with a cane if I got it wrong."

"If you try and smack me with a cane..." she started, leaving the threat unfinished.

"I couldn't find one," he said. She tried to hide a grin, but her dimples gave her away, and suddenly those hours with Caterina and her cane seemed worth it to him.

"Now," he said, "step back with your right foot."

She did, looking at her feet, and he followed, relishing the warmth of her hand on his shoulder, the way his hand fit perfectly on her waist.

"Back and to the left with the other."

She did so, and he followed.

"Now bring your feet together, and do the same with the other foot."

They went slowly, and he enjoyed watching the crease between her eyebrows as she concentrated.

Gently, he let go of her waist so he could tilt her face up to his own.

"You should look your partner in the eyes," he said, aware that his voice had dropped lower, but not really caring, "Not where you are going to step."

"And if I step wrong?" She asked, her voice slightly breathy. It felt like soft fingers tracing their way down his spine.

"Trust me to guide you," he replied, his hand going back to her waist.

The corner of her mouth curled up ever so slightly.

"Alright," she said. "I trust you."

As they moved slowly through the room, the firelight caught her eyes and hair, gilding her in gold and taking his breath from him. In fact, breathing felt suddenly like a very big effort.

"What is it?" She asked quietly, almost as if she was scared he would run if she spoke too loudly. He wasn't too certain he wouldn't.

"You are so beautiful," he said, before he could think about it too much, though his voice was markedly less smooth than it had been.

Her eyes, her beautiful, sparkling eyes, widened slightly.

"Really?" She asked.

"Would I ever lie to you?"

She smiled. It was small and soft this time.

"No one's ever called me that before," she whispered.

"Good," he managed to whisper back. "I would have to kill them."

And she laughed. By the blood of the Maker, she laughed and every terrible moment up until just then seemed as though it had a purpose.

"There's that smile," he said, when her laughter died down.

"Yours too," she replied, still grinning happily at him.

"Thank you, Rook," he found himself saying.

"You don't need to thank me."

She leaned in slightly, mischief in her eyes.

"For you, it's on the house."

His stomach tightened slightly when she did the accent, but he tried his best to ignore it.

"Did Illario hurt you?" He asked. "I'll skin him if he did."

She touched the scratch on her neck from Illario's, thankfully unpoisoned, blade.

"A scratch," she said dissmissively. "He hurt my pride more than anything else."

They moved for a few seconds in silence while he waited for her to ask the obvious next question.

"Do you regret..."

"Giving him a chance?"

He'd been thinking about it since they had left Villa Dellamorte.

Didn't you tell me he was basically your brother and your closest childhood friend?

"No," he said. "You were right. He's family."

Family. The word tasted sour in his mouth.

"I didn't even suspect him," he said. "When the Venatori caught me on the boat in Tevinter, it never even crossed my mind."

Almost without meaning to, he brought her right hand to his heart, his fingers tightening over hers. She lay her head on his shoulder as he pulled her closer, a solid weight against him. A comfort, for the first time in his life.

"He's better than I thought," he said, absently resting his cheek against her head. Her hair smelled of lightning, and a faint, almost unnoticeable trace of honey. "Maybe there is hope for him yet."

She snorted a soft laugh through her nose, making him grin. It vanished quickly, though.

"But this wasn't a mercy. Being watched by all the Crows, with their knives out? He will never live down being the Traitor Crow, brought down in front of everyone. There is nowhere he can run."

"I was surprised you listened to me," she said. He felt her breath tickle his neck, involuntarily clutched her closer against him.

"So was I," he said. "But... I don't have a lot to lose. What there is... Caterina, this team... you, even my idiot cousin. I'm not giving that up."

She stopped moving, lifting her head up to look at him. She wore the softest smile he'd ever seen on her face.

"What's that look?"

"You have a big heart," she said softly, "For an assassin."

He tried to look away at the tone of her voice, at the emotion in it, but she gently turned his face toward her again.

"That's not a bad thing," she said.

"If it brought me here," he said, taking her hand again and kissing it on a whim, "To this moment with you, then it cannot be a bad thing. I just... I cannot believe he would do all of this, only to be First Talon."

She frowned up at him.

"He said you didn't want to be First Talon."

"I don't. But how am I supposed to trust him with it now? How is anyone? The funny thing is, he might have finally proven he has the abillity for it."

"Right before getting humilliated in front of everyone," she said, grinning slightly.

"Exactly."

He sighed, though it came out as more of a frustrated growl.

"Fucking Illario."

"Hey," she said, gently reaching up and smoothing out the crease between his brows. The gesture made his chest ache.

"We'll work it out," she said softly. "Together. But for now... "

He took her hand again, holding it to his chest so she could feel his heartbeat.

"Just be here with me," she said. "Just for a little while."

"I can do that," he said. "For a little while."

She smiled, and he could see the day was starting to get to her, the tiredness starting to reach her eyes.

"Rook..." he started, not sure what he was going to say, but needing to say something before his chest caved in on itsself. She cut him off before he could.

"Shhhh," she said gently, kissing him for a long moment before laying her head back on his shoulder. He forgot, sometimes, that he could kiss her. Usually, Spite was there to remind him, with enthusiasm. It scared him, how much he ached to feel her lips against his own.

"Don't ruin it."

So he held her close, and kissed her forehead, and later he let her fall asleep on his lap in the chair, savouring the way she held on to his hand even in sleep, and finally letting his fingers run through her hair, softer than silk against his skin.

#i suck at writing smut so this is decidedly not that #but the lack of a tender scene at this point really pissed me off BIOWARE THEY WERE LITERALLY AT A PARTY HOW COULD YOU NOT LET THEM DANCE #rookanis #rook x Lucanis #dragon age #lucanis dellamorte #my writing #lucanis fic #lucanis dellamorte fic #dragon age the veilguard #veilguard #datv #datv fic

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maevebabyy · 6 months ago

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CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE

sophia laforteza x fem reader

a/n - first fic whoo!!!! sophia’s a performing arts teacher and reader is a basketball coach. i wrote this half asleep pls 😭😭

wc - 3.7k

the air in dream academy was full of tension as the school year kicked off with principal son announcing the reallocation of the school year’s budget in favour of the basketball team.

ms. sophia laforteza, the young but fiercely dedicated performing arts teacher, was known for her passionate commitment to the arts, having already won quite a few high-school performing arts awards despite her short time teaching at dream academy. so it was understandable why she had gotten frustrated when she first heard about the budget cuts.

while you, the varsity girls basketball coach and one of the phys-ed teachers, were all about winning games and boosting school spirit. you had built up and maintained the team’s impressive win-loss record during your time as head coach – winning state championships two years in a row now, making dream academy a distinguished school when it came to women’s basketball.

the two of you had been at odds for as long as anyone could remember, each believing their program deserved more funding and recognition for their efforts. at least, that’s what you thought it looked like on the outside. daniela, your baby sister, was the only one who you told about your (obvious) crush on the drama teacher.

it was unusual to say the least, sophia usually gave off a very cool and calm demeanour around her students, wanting to set a good example. but right now, sophia was livid. waving her hands around like she usually does when she’s worked up or excited, this time, it was the former. her students could only watch amusedly as they stretched out their muscles.

“this is ridiculous! how can they prioritize a sport over the arts?” she fumed to her students in the theater.

one of her students, lara – a high-school senior and daniela’s best friend, starts giggling at how worked up her performing arts teacher had gotten.

“damn, coach really does get you worked up, doesn’t she?”

a few other students giggle at lara’s observation. this, alongside many others, were one of the many perks of being a young teacher. sophia’s students felt like they were learning from an older sister, rather than a teacher. it made sense though, sophia was only 22 and leading a bunch of high-schoolers into the world of performing arts.

sophia huffed lightly, bringing her hands to her forehead as she rubbed it, “well, yes, lara, how does coach y/n deserve more funding? we killed it last year with our plays!”

lara stops a giggle from escaping, snorting in the process, “it’s not even a whole lot. dani told me they only received a little more to afford those new team backpacks they’ve been whining about. wait, shh though! It’s supposed to be a secret!”

the drama teacher rolls her eyes again, of course you’d spend the extra money on flashy new team backpacks. if it had been her it would have gone towards something more useful like new mic packs, or better props.

“a little goes a long way, lara.” sophia remarks, shaking her head.

another student voices out their opinion, a teasing grin on her face. “coach y/n seriously has a lot of influence on you, teach”

it was the highschool junior, megan, she was both a cheerleader and a part of the school’s performing arts club. a wider teasing grin appears on the redhead’s face, “sooo, enemies to-”

before the junior is able to finish her sentence, sophia quickly cuts her off, clapping her hands together.

“alright! enough stretching, run your lines for rehearsals!” a bright and wide smile on the drama teacher’s face as she purposefully ignores the tease she was about to receive.

meanwhile, you reveled in the news with your team, sharing the good news with your players. your focus solely on the upcoming season.

you gather your team around at the end of practice, your players keeping eye contact with you as you rounded everybody up. making eye contact with your baby sister, you tell her with your weird sibling telepathy not to pull anything funny to ruin the surprise.

“okay girls, that was a great practice! especially you yoonchae. you’re improving quickly” you grin widely, praising the korean girl. “in fact, all of you girls have been working really hard for this upcoming season.”

you gesture for one of your players, manon, the team captain, and the only other person to know about the surprise aside from daniela to come up and stand beside you.

with a wide grin of her own, manon reveals the new team bags you had hidden behind you in a box. “ta-da! coach actually got us those new team bags we’ve been talking about!”

you grin widely as the girls excitedly rushed forward to grab their own bag which donned their school colours and sported their number and last name on the bag. watching them try on the bag for themselves and count out how many pockets the spacious bag had.

“i assume you all like it then?” you chuckle, crossing your arms as you watch your team nod, shouting out their thank you’s.

“let’s have a good season this year, girls.” you grin.

a week had passed since then, and principal son had called in the both of you into his office. you sat across from sophia who was on her phone as you both waited for the principal to finish talking on the phone. the secretary in the middle of the lobby typing away on his computer, completing desk work.

waiting in the lobby with sophia was suffocating– but in a good way. sure, she might’ve sent you some weird questioning looks, but damn she’s pretty. her jet-black straight hair framing her sharp features perfectly, her perfect posture even when sitting down, the way her soft smile immediately warmed up the room when she found something funny on her phone. before you could keep studying her face, your attention is brought away from the drama teacher as you hear principal son’s voice who had just opened his door. “come in.”

walking behind sophia, you take the seat beside her as principal son sat in his office chair behind his desk in front of you two.

“i’ve got a special opportunity for you two.” he grins, eyeing the both of you before continuing. “we want to host a community workshop day for the younger kids in our high school’s area who may potentially end up enrolling in dream academy.”

principal son pauses to gauge our reactions, chuckling to himself as he sees the confused looks. “since you two run our two biggest programs, i want you two to work together on this. it will primarily revolve around the arts and sports, though primarily basketball in terms of sports since we do the best in that one.”

sophia speaks up from the chair beside you, “when exactly does this community day happen?”

“you two will have about a month to prepare.”

both of you immediately shot up your eyebrows in surprise. “a month?” you ask, eyes widened.

“you heard me clearly coach.” son chuckles to himself, “i’ll check in every once in a while.”

just as quickly as you and sophia were in that room, you suddenly find yourself back out in the lobby. you face sophia slowly, “so… a month?”

sophia groans, “don’t start-”

“we kinda have to…”

sophia silently curses, you were right. the two of you desperately needed to start brainstorming soon if she wanted a community day she could be proud of. “fine, swing by the mpr as soon as the bell rings at the end of the day.”

“but-”

“you don’t have basketball practice today do you?” sophia cuts in, leaving no room for argument.

you shake your head no weakly.

“okay, i’ll see you then.”

before you’re able to respond, sophia quickly walks away from you and towards the mpr.

you hear a soft whistle behind you, coming from the secretary. “really got a thing for the feisty ones?”

you flush lightly, stuttering, “it’s not like that, sohey.” you take a moment to regain your composure, “besides, i think… self confident would be the more correct term here.”

eventually, the bell rings exactly at 3:30 and you find yourself already by the mpr doors, hesitating to go in for whatever reason.

“you got this y/n, c’mon, don’t be weird- it’s just a quick meeting, yep, with just the two of you-“

“what’re you doing n/n?”

you let out a quiet yelp as you are surprised by your baby sister who snuck behind you.

“nothing dani…”

daniela quirks an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. “mhm… sure… just waiting by ms sophia’s door right?”

“dani? i don’t like that smirk-“

“you’ll thank me for this later!” in an instant, daniela pushes you into the mpr, giggling.

you stumble into the mpr, almost tripping. as you regain your balance you’re met with sophia’s questioning stare. feeling nervous under it, you feel the need to explain yourself.

clearing your throat, you reply. “didn’t wanna be late is all.”

“mhm. what was that scream outside? it sounded serious.” sophia raises an eyebrow, a small smile threatening to lift up.

“ah….” you’re silent for a moment. “there must’ve been a fight, totally.”

“and, as a phys-ed teacher, shouldn’t you stop them?”

“nah, where’s the character development in that?”

sophia huffs lightly, disgusing her small giggle before returning to that cold demeanor she’s used to keeping around you. “alright, come here, i’ve drafted some ideas for the community day.”

that afterschool evening had gone on for longer than the two of you expected. sophia surprisingly tolerating your presence for more than two hours.

after tweaking and modifying the initial plan sophia came up with, you both finally agreed on something.

“this’ll work.” you grin warmly, unintentionally making eye contact with sophia, who was reciprocating your smile and gaze, but only for a moment before returning back to her stern self around you.

but wow— even if it was just for a moment you could’ve sworn your heart stopped beating momentarily there, the butterflies going berserk in your stomach.

“better not mess this up, y/n” sophia scoffs.

admittedly, sophia was still hesitant to work together with you, but seeing as she had no choice, she accepted.

as the days rolled on, the community workshop day loomed ever closer. the tension between you and sophia had shifted; while you still had your disagreements, there was a sense of camaraderie slowly forming. you were finding common ground in your shared goal of making the event a success, even if you couldn’t quite shake the competitive edge.

one evening, as you helped out during a rehearsal, you caught yourself watching sophia again. she was guiding her students through a scene, her passion shining through every gesture. it was hard not to admire her—her energy, her dedication, the way she inspired those kids to be their best. you couldn’t help but think about how different she was from the cool, collected teacher everyone else saw. here, she was vibrant and alive, and it struck a chord deep within you.

“seriously, n/n,” daniela nudged you, breaking your train of thought. “you’re staring again.”

your little sister had started accompanying you to these rehearsals, wanting to get a ride home from you instead of taking the bus home.

you turned to her, feigning nonchalance. “i’m just observing.”

“observing? right. you’re practically drooling,” she teased, her voice light but full of mischief.

you groaned, brushing off her comments. “i’m not. and could you be quiet about it?”

“oh, please. everyone can see it, dear sister, you’re not subtle. just ask her out already,” dani insisted, a grin plastered across her face.

“not happening,” you shot back, though the thought had crossed your mind more than once. “she’s too focused on her students, and i’m… well, i’m the basketball coach.”

dani rolled her eyes. “you’re both teachers. just because you’re rivals doesn’t mean you can’t also be… whatever else.”

as you tried to come up with a witty retort, the rehearsal wrapped up, and the students began to disperse. sophia caught your eye, giving you a nod of acknowledgment.

“see? she’s looking at you,” your baby sister whispered, elbowing you in the side.

“shut up,” you replied, trying to suppress a smile.

“y/n! can you help me with this?” sophia called, gesturing toward a stack of props.

you obliged, walking over with a bit of hesitance. as you helped her carry them into a storage room and sort through the items, the atmosphere shifted again. “thanks for helping out,” she said, her tone warmer than usual. “it’s been nice having you around.”

“yeah, well, i figured it’d be good to lend a hand,” you replied, trying to keep your voice casual. “we’re in this together after all.”

sophia looked thoughtful for a moment, her gaze piercing yet soft. “i know we have our differences, but i appreciate your effort. i just want to make sure our students get a memorable experience.”

“i get that. i want the same for my team,” you said, hoping your sincerity showed. “maybe we can find ways to highlight both programs.”

a brief silence hung between you, the tension from earlier fading into something more comfortable. “that’s the plan,” she said, a hint of a smile creeping onto her lips. “we’re a team, after all.”

just then, the door swung open, and daniela reentered, eyes gleaming with mischief. “hey, i just had a thought—why don’t we mix things up at the community day? like a mini talent show where the basketball girls have to perform something artsy? we could host it in between the different workshops.”

sophia’s eyes lit up at the idea, while you felt your stomach drop. “what? no way—”

daniela cut you off, grinning. “think about it! a fun way to bridge the gap between your two programs! i know my big sister here would be more than willing to do whatever you want miss sophia!”

sophia seemed intrigued, leaning forward. “it could be a great way to showcase teamwork. and we could have them work together on the performances!”

“absolutely not,” you interjected, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks. “i’m not getting on stage.”

“come on, n/n! it would be hilarious! and i’m sure the other girls wouldn't mind” daniela insisted, nudging you playfully.

sophia chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “i think it sounds like a great idea.”

“yeah, well, you’re not the one who has to perform,” you muttered, crossing your arms defensively.

sophia’s laughter echoed through the room, making your heart race. “don’t worry, we can make it fun. besides, it’ll be great for school spirit!”

“fine, but only if i can do a slam dunk in the middle of my performance,” you shot back, joking.

“deal,” sophia replied, smirking.

with the date approaching in less than a week, the two of you began meeting more frequently. it was strange how much time you two spent together, and despite your initial hesitations, sophia found herself looking forward to those moments. each planning session revealed more layers to you—your humor, your dedication, and that rare softness that broke through your brash exterior.

one afternoon, while going over logistics for the event, you couldn’t help but ask, “so what’s your favorite part of teaching?” it felt like a risk to the two, stepping out of the bounds of your usual playful bickering.

sophia paused, her expression thoughtful. “honestly? it’s seeing the kids transform. watching them come out of their shells during a performance or find confidence in themselves. it’s like a light bulb goes off.”

you nodded, impressed. “that’s really cool. i can see how much they look up to you.”

sophia’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she brushed off the compliment. “thanks. but enough about me—what about you? what drives you as a coach?”

you shrugged, feeling a wave of sincerity wash over you. “winning is great, but it’s more about seeing the girls grow, too. watching them realize their potential, support each other, and build a team—that’s what i love the most.”

sophia smiles softly to herself, though it goes unnoticed by you. maybe there as more in common between you two than she thought.

on the eve of the event, you and sophia decided to meet one last time to finalize the schedule and make sure everything was ready for tomorrow. you both settled into the mpr, the tension between you now more comfortable, laced with a sense of friendliness.

“i can’t believe it’s finally happening tomorrow,” you said, looking around the room filled with props and equipment. “feels weird.”

“yeah, i just hope it all goes smoothly,” she replied, biting her lip, her brows furrowing in concern.

“you’ve worked hard. the kids love you, and the performances will be amazing. trust yourself,” you encouraged, your tone sincere.

sophia glanced at you, her expression softening. “thanks, y/n. that means a lot coming from you.”

just then, a loud crash echoed from the back of the mpr as a student accidentally knocked over a stack of props, causing both of you to jump.

“great! just what we need before a big event,” you said, rushing over to help.

as you both started picking up the scattered items, your hands brushed against each other. the moment lingered, and you both froze for a heartbeat before quickly pulling away, a rush of heat spreading across your cheeks.

“uh… sorry,” you muttered, clearing your throat. “guess we’re a bit clumsy tonight.”

“yeah, clumsy,” she echoed, though a soft smile tugged at her lips. “just a lot on our minds.”

you chuckled, relieved at the lightness returning to the moment. “right. what’s our first activity again?”

sophia reached for the clipboard, flipping through the schedule. “we start with some icebreaker games before splitting into workshops. your girls will lead a few drills, and then we’ll have the mini talent show later.”

“can’t wait to see my team actually do this,” you chuckle.

“don’t sell them short. you might be surprised,” she replied, a teasing glint in her eye. “they might just steal the show.”

“or bring it crashing down,” you countered with a laugh.

the day of the community workshop finally arrived, buzzing with excitement and nerves. the gym was transformed into a vibrant hub, with colourful decorations and stations set up for various activities. you could hear the chatter and laughter of kids filling the space, making it hard to believe that just a month ago, you and sophia had been at odds over budget cuts.

as the event kicked off, you looked over at sophia, who was in her element, directing her students with a flair that made you admire her even more. the icebreaker games were a hit, with kids mingling and having fun, but the real challenge loomed ahead—the mini talent show.

the talent show began, and the kids showcased their various talents—singing, dancing, and acting, each performance more impressive than the last. sophia cheered enthusiastically for each act, her passion evident.

when it was finally your team’s turn, you could feel the weight of expectation. you had arranged for a fun skit that would highlight teamwork, incorporating elements of basketball with a comedic twist. you could see the nervousness in your players' eyes as they shuffled onto the makeshift stage, but you also saw the determination flicker behind them.

“okay, girls! remember what we practiced” you chuckle lightheartedly, hoping to boost their spirits.

the skit started off a bit shaky, but as your players found their rhythm, the laughter from the audience built. you caught a glimpse of sophia’s delighted expression, her laughter ringing out above the crowd. it made your heart race—she was enjoying this, and you wanted to keep that smile on her face.

eventually, the night came to a close as parents and their children began filing out of the gym after a successful event. you and sophia found yourselves amidst the remnants of the community workshop. the atmosphere buzzed with the afterglow of laughter and excitement, but now it was just the two of you, surrounded by colourful props and decorations.

“alright, everyone, you can head home! great job today!” you called out, shooing away the last few lingering students. “seriously, don’t worry about the cleanup. we’ve got it covered.”

sophia smiled, watching the students file out, their faces still glowing from the event. once the doors swung shut, a comfortable silence settled over the gym. you glanced over at her, taking in the way she brushed a stray hair behind her ear, a hint of relief in her expression.

“looks like we’re officially on cleanup duty,” you said, picking up a few scattered props.

“yeah, but it was worth it,” she replied, her eyes sparkling with the remnants of excitement. “everyone really had a great time.”

you hear sophia giggle softly, pausing her clean up duties. “you know, i really thought we wouldn’t be able to pull this off. i practically hated your guts a month ago.”

you chuckled lightheartedly in response, “i was a bit nervous at first, too. you were so closed off before this workshop thing.” you pause, picking up a few more props. “I’m glad we moved past it though.”

she rolled her eyes, but there was a soft smile on her lips. “well, i guess you’ve seen a different side of me. and maybe i’ve seen a different side of you too.”

as you both continued cleaning up, the atmosphere shifted. it felt lighter, charged with a new kind of understanding. “so, what do you think we should do next?” you asked, trying to sound casual while your heart raced.

sophia looked thoughtful. “maybe we could plan another event? we could make it a tradition.”

“sounds great,” you agreed, your mind racing with possibilities. then, gathering your courage, you added, “or… we could hang out outside of school. grab a bite to eat together sometime?”

her eyes widened slightly, and you could see the gears turning in her head. “are you asking me out, coach?”

“maybe i am,” you said, stepping a little closer, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

a slow smile spread across her face, illuminating her features. “i’d like that. i’ll take you up on that offer, y/n.”

a/n - i got lazy at the end sorry LOL

#katseye x reader #sophia laforteza #sophia laforteza x reader #katseye #maevebabyy #forgive me this was originally supposed to be around 4.5k words LOL

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etherealily · 22 days ago

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🇷🇮🇻🇪🇷 // 🇦🇱🇪🇽🇪🇮 🇻🇷🇴🇳🇸🇰🇾

Alexei Vronsky + fem!reader ➵➵➵➵ ( [consider reading my other vronsky fics] )

Warnings : None. Perhaps lack of accuracy. I'm not exactly a history buff.

You do NOT have permission to repost and/or translate any of my fics.

Desc. : "...then what did you do?" (did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room?)

♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙♥̩̥̩♥̩̩̥͙♥̩͙

Adolescence, to some, is a wonderful time, and to others, is a nightmare. Usually, it is the former for the elderly and the latter for the actual adolescents themselves. However, when one is in the moment, when one is the adolescent in question? It is a freeing sort of nightmare.

And that is what you were experiencing, sitting there with your best mates, the ones you'd grown up with, known nearly since birth, on the dusk of your eighteenth birthday.

"And to the newly society-introduced angel!"

You waved your friends off, burying your face in your hand as they all raised their glasses. "Alright, alright."

"Oi, c'mon, none of that shyness, you're a woman, a Lady now!"

"I hate each and every one of you."

"We love you more!"

"Oh, oh, you simply must give a speech!"

You could've killed your best friend had you not been so utterly blissed. And of course, the entirety of your roguish little friend group of the highest of high society seconded Tatyana's outburst, cheering and shoving you up in front of the fireplace, the spot where the muted sounds from the actual social season party upstairs were best heard, and you were facing the rest of them as though you were on a pulpit.

"I am…"

They all laughed, their hands under their chins in mock expectation.

"…Not makin' a speech. Good night to all of you."

"Aw, c'mon, you're not even going to toast your first ever drink?", asked Aleksander - son of your tutor - who handed you a bottle of champagne before bowing, taking his seat again, Tatyana's legs draped over his on the divan as she took a drag of her pipe, raising a brow at you.

"Who says it's my first?", you mused, chuckling along with the rest of them as you chugged the champagne. Whoos and whoops and 'you little fucking rebel' sounded through the room, and Lev - Tatyana's brother - grinned before settling onto the seat in front of the piano. "This one's for you, Miss-Seasoned-Alcoholic."

His hands began their magic on the piano.

"And so, the last of us descends into the madness of formal society."

Alexei. His voice smooth as the transition of Lev's new symphony (something he'd been working on, something all of you in this room were sworn to secrecy over. It's the principle). "You must learn from our mistakes, you know? You have been, your whole life, but now, it is a whole different matter to knowing what a certain object is called in French."

You tipped your glass in his direction, and he nodded subtly, clearing his throat and gesturing with a flick of his wrist at Lev to continue. That was it. That was his toast. Never one for words, that Vronsky. He'd been quiet so far, and he was most likely going to be quiet henceforth. For the rest of the night. Just standing there, arms crossed, shadows half-marring his face from the alcove he was leaning towards but never actually in.

"Alexei's off to the military. Lev's off to study music under Tchaikovsky, sweet Lord, and Tatyana's getting married and you are off getting engaged off to imbeciles we haven't even had the pleasure of conversing with.", grumbled Aleksander, glaring at you. "Am I the only one here who likes home?"

"There's a whole world out there, Aleks. You're just incessantly stubborn on staying here.", shrugged Tatyana, blowing smoke into his face, before leaning her head back so her hair dangled off the armchair of the divan.

"Like either of you will ever get to explore even a splinter of it.", scoffed Aleksander, shifting to wave off her smoke. "Well, maybe you, your future husband's a politician, you might get to travel a bit. Our poor darling newly-introduced-angel's most likely already prepared to grow roots in his abnormally large manor."

You didn't like the three sympathetic looks being thrown your way. You were supposed to be having fun, goddamnit, not being pitied by the people you loved most in the world, it was essentially your party!

Thankfully, there was one stoic voice of reason that didn't look at you as though you were a kicked puppy. "Lev, do you always have to play such depressing things? And Aleks, with his depressing words. And Tatya, with her depressing face-- hey!", he laughed as much as was possible of Alexei Vronsky, deftly dodging the pillow she flung at him.

Thank god Alexei wasn't one for ruining a party with realism.

"Come on, play something jovial. Something Sir Tchaikovsky would dance to, not hang himself to."

"Dance?", scoffed Lev, flexing his knuckles momentarily before shrugging. "I suppose I should have some sort of expertise in multitudes of genres. Branch out, I suppose."

"Precisely."

His fingers danced on the keyboard just as fast as the champagne shot through your blood, and Tatyana sauntered up, setting your champagne bottle down. "Dance with me, Miss-Eighteen-Year-Old. Probably the last time we can all be free together."

You smiled, rolling your eyes and taking her hand as the music grew faster and cheerier. "All of you are saps. I thought the plan was get extremely inebriated, not emotionally incapacitated."

"It'd have worked had you been an alcohol-virgin, y'know?", declared Aleks, grunting as he moved to occupy the space Tatyana had been in moments ago, his head on the armrest. "When'd you even have a sip?"

"I was sixteen, and I snuck some of my father's sherry." you said, grimacing when you slimly missed Tatyana's foot.

"Wow, you are a rebel.", stated Aleks, making room for you to flop onto the divan opposite him, laying your head back and huffing as you looked at the ceiling, hand on your stomach as Tatyana continued dancing in her drunk haze, movements attempting to synchronize with the flames in the fireplace.

"I know."

Alexei's arms spread on either end of the back of the divan, and his head tilted in what you could only describe as allure. It was like he was fixated on one thing - what, you're not sure yet - and was entirely tuned into it.

Your eyes trailed magnetically from the ceiling to the eyes above you, a striking, almost painful, shattering blue tinged with flickering oranges like wildfire sunsets, reflecting the flames of the fireplace.

"You know, this is your last time seeing us for more than a full half-hour."

Raising a brow, you shook your head, curiously. "Why?"

"Well, the next time we will all see each other is Tatya's wedding, and the bride will not have time to come down for a drink with her mates, will she?"

"Now whose face is depressing?", retorted Tatyana, from in front of the fireplace. She was promptly ignored - not that she was sober enough to have noticed.

"This means, my sweet, that you owe each of us a dance." His voice is ships on a benevolent ocean. His smile is the horizon when the sun dapples the waters just so.

"I second that!", called Lev from the piano.

A strand of your hair got flicked, bouncing to and fro before your focus shifted to the hand being offered to you. "Dance with me."

Sighing magnanimously, you rose, allowing him to tug you into a seamless waltz, with one palm on your waist and the other holding your hand as though you might well break.

"Lev, faster.", he called offhandedly over his shoulder, his eyes fixed on your face, his brows furrowed in concern, while yours furrowed in concentration. You could not survive narrowly missing stepping on Alexei's leg, as well.

The music's pace quickened, and the loudness climbed up steadily, Lev palpably taking artistic liberty over artistic liberty, experimenting.

The sound of the piano keys being subjected to Lev's creative strokes of brilliance effectively muffling his voice, he drew his forehead closer, to fall just short of resting against yours. "Do you like him?"

"Like who?"

"Your possible groom-to-be."

"You know, actually, I thought he'd be stuffy, or unkind or plain, but he's quite pleasant."

"Standards are high among noble women these days, I see.", he snorted sarcastically, tugging you even closer, so that his temple was pressed against yours, your mouths next to each others ear. Secrets could pass between you smooth as a bullet, but for some reason, neither of you seemed to have anything to say.

"They say this is how the English dance. What do you think?"

"Doesn't hold a candle to the mazurka. But it's easier."

"Yes. Good. Glad you said that, because I am a disappointment to the mazurka's name." That was a lie, but he'd always been prone to lying to make sure you never felt inferior.

You grinned, and he effortlessly sped up to a Viennese waltz. "Keep up."

His eyes never left yours, that's the thing that kept you from fumbling around. They stayed trained on yours even as he twirled you around, and even as he dipped you.

Quickly, he took you on a small waltz towards where he'd left his champagne glass, and tipped it toward you, the rim touching your nose and causing him to smile.

"Did you not want to go to Paris? Italy? Ride an actual steam engine? Did you not have dreams?", he murmured, his eyes half-closed as the knuckles on the back of the hand holding the glass ghosted over your arm, running up and down them. The arm on your waist didn't dare flinch.

"I still do. You speak as though I'm a lost cause."

"He will not take up a role in the military or in politics, you know this. He is filthy rich, you know? Days will pass in his manor, perhaps the occasional ball such as this. You will live comfortably. Since when have you liked that?", he inquired, downing the entire glass in one go.

You let out a breathy laugh and he twirled you once more in impatience, pulling you back much tighter in line with his chest. "Since when?", he repeated.

"He is a kind man, and he is not a bore, either. Pickings are slim of the sort here, you know that."

"This is what he has portrayed to you."

"We are equal in station. If he mistreats me, I could still ruin him."

"Why do you even consider the possibility of being mistreated? You should not even have to think about that."

It's not protectiveness, not anymore, it's bitterness and it irked you. Who was he to be making such great points when you were inebriated, and could not retort?

"Alexei. We've all known one day, we'd have to get engaged to people we don't particularly know. Tatyana and me before you three, of course, but we've known."

"Yes, but--"

"And I don't know if this is nostalgic melancholy or something because you're leaving for the military, but you're dampening our spirits."

"I'm worried he isn't what he says he is. You're too free of a soul for a fortune-inheriting-man who knows nothing of work or life or joy."

His thumbs rubbed gentle arcs on your cheeks, his eyes closed as his voice quietened down under the music that you had to strain to hear him.

"This choice has been made by my family with due diligence, Alexei."

"Diligence. Not intelligence."

"Alexei."

"I apologise. I worry, you know I do."

You nodded, and he nodded back, handing you his empty glass to place on the table behind you. And when you turned back, his forehead grazed yours again. A tiny smirk painted his horizon-lips, and you felt his head tilt. "Did you really have your first drink at sixteen?"

"Not my fault you went and became eighteen and kept regaling the rest of us with how blissful you felt when drinking. It was cruel to taunt us so."

"I apologise for turning eighteen without your permission. I did not mean to ruffle any feathers with my insubordination."

"I am training you for the military, you see? You have learnt manners. Your superiors will thank me."

He grinned, dimples pronounced in the firelight. "I'm sure you will receive letters in the hundreds, profusely thanking you.", he mused, eyes flitting up to the ceiling in mock resignation before landing back on yours. "You will respond to my letters, yes?"

"Yes."

"You will send me some, of your own volition, as well?"

"Yes."

"That's a relief. I know none of these imbeciles will spare so much as a thought of me when I'm out there fighting for the good of Russia. It is always said that the youngest have the most kindness in them. You certainly do.", he muttered, gesturing his head at the other three.

Your hair is gently brought forward, onto your shoulder. "It's like a river. It flows.", he mumbled under his breath.

"My hair?"

He seemed mildly surprised you'd even heard him.

"Time.", he replied, a hint of reluctant fascination in his gaze as he continued setting your hair on your shoulder, attempting to place it just right. "You tune out the sounds and the currents when you've been by the river for too long, and before you know it, you don't recognize the things floating by you, anymore, and the things you first saw drifting are long gone. Time is the river."

"How often do you sit by rivers?"

"Every day. How about you?"

"Not much."

"Then you'd better pray he has one next to his estate. Because it's all you will be spending your life doing."

"That is a cruel thing to say."

Here's the thing about friendship and warnings. Your best friend will give you warning signs if they are going to move away and leave you to fend for yourself, perhaps months in advance. Your best friend will warn you about someone you trust that they have a bad feeling about. Best friends like Vronsky, however, cannot afford to warn you about when they are going to kiss you. It is just not done.

He was trepidation personified, hesitation embodied, eagerness demonstrated. One tiny kiss placed down onto your lips, and he was drawn in with no hope. One more and he was yours. And from the third, he didn't stop to think any longer. Think about how improper this was. How misleading. Not wrong. No, this was no more right than the sky being blue.

So why did you pull away, albeit gently? He'd never know.

He observed your eyes, carefully, as they darted over his, and did not even come anywhere close to his lips. Almost as though you were practicing the art of self-control with utmost dedication.

Hence, naturally, the palm on your waist nearly yanked you closer, your chests together as he kissed you again, his thumb on your cheek once more. He did not stop even when he realised this could ruin so much. He did not stop even when he realised this would make it harder for him to send or receive letters from you, and most importantly, he did not stop even after the music stopped and your friends had all turned from their inebriated, irritated or inspired states to stare at you. And fucking laugh.

Well, laugh momentarily. This was before they silently whooed and whooped to the same extent they had done when you'd first chugged the malicious champagne that had brought the two of you to this predicament, shaking their heads as they smugly raised their glasses in toast.

His hand ran up your back, to the nape of your neck, gently gripping it as he pulled away, his forehead on yours, as his thumb continued, albeit higher than the apple of your cheek, now pushing hair away from your eyes -- god, your eyes -- as he breathed, subconsciously attempting to synchronize with your breathless state.

"Come on."

"Alexei."

"Please. You cannot discount this."

"We are drunk. Discounting it is all we can do."

He almost got on his knees, and he would have, had the circumstances been different, and he were capable of the hand-eye coordination required to kneel. "Please."

You bit your lip, the same one he should've bitten two seconds ago, and then looked down. He let go.

"Alright. As you wish."

Licking your lips, you sighed, unsure of what to do. You wanted to reach out, hug him -- that's what you've always done to comfort him, well, anyone in this room. However, it could go horribly wrong. He could take it as patronization. He could shove you away. He could kiss you again.

"They will be searching for all of us upstairs."

You said it, and the others shifted awkwardly, mumbling agreements as they stood to fix their hair and groom the drunkenness out of their clothes. His eyes narrowed. "They will be searching for you. It is your party."

"No, I think all of us will be missed."

"I won't. Evidently."

Fuck. "Alexei--"

"Happy birthday."

You knew a dismissal when you heard one. "Are all of you coming?"

The rest of them rubbed their elbows, the back of their neck, busied themselves with their shoes. Right.

"Thank you all for coming today. I'll see you for thirty minutes at Tatya's wedding next, I suppose.", you muttered, with a pointed scoff and glare at Vronsky before you slammed the door behind you, the rest of the hallway seeming like a whole other world, an entire universe, even. An extremely dull one, but at least it was different than what you had just made it out of.

You gave an excuse of having gone downstairs to the cellar to look for more wine for the guests.

It's funny, you'd be surprised if you ever drank again.

Alexei had been wrong.

Tatya's wedding was not the next event you'd all interact in again.

No, it was Aleksander's cousin's first ever ball she was throwing as a married woman, and you had been cordially invited, didn't you know?

You actually hadn't, not until a day earlier, after you'd returned from your sudden new routine of daily sessions of sitting by streams and skipping pebbles over them. Not exactly a river, no, but it wasn't like you'd developed this novel interest due to Alexei's words. God, no. Sometimes, these things occur randomly, on their own, alright? Seasons change, people change.

You'd returned, and the invitation had been waiting at your desk. Your family had held onto it, as they had been doing with a lot of invitations to events since you'd been formally introduced. Proper ones, you see, were the kind you were to now attend. This had passed the test, evidently, as along with this on your desk, a new dress lay on your bed.

"I don't know… do I truly have that bridal glow to me? My fiancé says I do, but I can't be sure if it's just flattery."

"He's about to marry you in two months, Tatya, there's no reason for him to continue flattering you as though this is simply a courtship.", you assured, and she laughed, her head thrown back and her hand on your arm.

"Men will find a way. We could be married for decades, and I'm sure Ivan will understate our marriage and ask whether I find him agreeable or handsome."

"That will be due to memory loss and senility, not some masculine inclination to downplay the extent to which you love each other."

"Can't say the same about your situation, though, can we? He's still flattering you, I take it? As though your families are not in the closing stages of the deal to be engaged?"

"Yes, he is."

She offered you wine and you declined.

"Sobriety looks beautiful on you, but I like you drunk, you know. Like on the night of your birthday, I--"

"Tatya. I know what you're doing."

"Listen, it's not worth it, and you know it. It has been, what? A month, perhaps two? We're all about to be tugged into… god knows how many different directions. Even talking about your birthday has you defensive."

"Did you ask Aleksander to ask his cousin to-- god, Tatya, you--"

"You will thank me."

"If I see him, I am leaving."

"Well, if that's about me, that's disappointing to hear. If it's about Aleks, it's amusing."

Your eyes shot up, and Alexei stood there with his hands in his pockets, crisp white suit, even crisper grin, although his eyes did not reflect the charm his smile so effortlessly did.

You glared as Tatya rose, nodding at the two of you before disappearing into the crowd of socialites, much like you wanted to disappear into a huge gaping hole Alexei could not follow you into.

"I love your dress. Angelic."

Angelic. Did he have to do this? Was it some primal urge for him to meddle with your sanity?

"I like the hair. You've grown it out.", you remarked, offhandedly. Small talk wouldn't stop him, but it might throw him off.

"Oh, yes, yes, I have. Glad you like it. My mother grieved over it, and Tatya would obviously never give me her honest opinion, of course."

You nodded. Perhaps you'd been far too quick to refuse the wine.

"I would like to, uh, formally apologise. For the night of your birthday."

"Alexei--"

"Let me finish."

Fine. You could at least give him that. "Alright, but lower your voice."

He huffed softly, intensely battling an eye-roll before he looked back up to you. "I was rude, in the way I spoke to you before you left."

Spoke?

"Pardon?"

"The dismissal. It was… uncouth. Unkind. And I apologise for it."

The dismissal is what he thought you were annoyed about?

"The dismissal."

"I will apologise for nothing else."

"You are stubborn."

"And you are perfect. Do not engage in a battle of wits with me, my dear, you know I will win, you've known that since we were children."

The quiet that followed between the two of you weakly fought to stand its ground amidst the chattering and buzzing and music the rest of the party was engrossed in. "Have you given my offer any thought?"

Perhaps you were remembering it wrong. What offer?

"To not discount it.", he clarified, his tongue smoothly running over his teeth as one knee rested over another.

"You know I cannot do that. I am nearly - well, for all intents and purposes, I already am - engaged."

"Engagements fall through all the time."

"This one has no reason to. There is no power imbalance, no station inequity, no deep-seated mutual familial hatred, no--"

"No love.", he offered, his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his intertwined fists.

"Love takes time."

"Yes. Eighteen years, to be exact."

"You have not known me eighteen years." He scoffed in response to that.

"I don't know how to explain it. It is…", he muttered, looking around as though answers would materialize from thin, tension-filled air, before his eyes landed on the two wine glasses before you. One full (the one you'd refused) and one empty (Tatya's).

He reached for them, holding them in his hands as though they were sacred. "One of us is each of these glasses, and when we're together, or at least since that night…", he mused, gently pouring from the full one into the empty one, his eyes on yours, until it filled halfway. "It's perfect. Equal. Right. Balanced. We balance each other out."

You bit the inside of your cheek, shaking your head, your mind frantically groping around its own depths for a response.

"Now, I don't know which one I am. If I am the giver, or the beneficiary, but what I do know is that at the end, it doesn't matter. Because it is us. You and me."

His gaze was so expectant, you could have cried.

"Station-wise, you know that it wouldn't work, even as an alliance deal, my family… power imbalances lead to marital issues."

"You are not going to sit there and reduce this to a logistical issue. You are not. I will not allow you to boil us down to such trivial nonsense as that."

"Alright, then how about the fact that my family would not let me marry an army officer, who is away from me for three quarters of the year, and who I could, at any time, get word is dead?"

"I am, also, a Count, and I could withdraw from the army and still offer you comfort. And besides, I would not even be on the front lines, and you know it. This argument is ridiculous.", he spat, jaw clenched.

"It is reality, Alexei, and it is quite embarrassing that I am two years your junior and I understand the world better than you."

"What is the real reason? It is not because you are worried you will be widowed in two days, or that you are worried we will get conflict in our married life because of our difference in our stations."

"Yes, it is."

"So, if not for those, you'd marry me?", he scoffed. "You would truly marry me then, if not for those reasons?"

"Yes!"

His jaw ticked, and he sucked on his teeth for a moment before leaning back, arm on the armrest as he absentmindedly picked at his lips. "You would?"

You hissed under your breath, leaning forward. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, Alexei, my refusal to acknowledge what happened on my birthday--"

"Your rejection, you mean."

"--Yes, my rejection - is not because of ill-will or because I hate you! I cannot hate you, it is physiologically, fundamentally impossible for me!"

"So is loving me, evidently. All you can feel, I suppose, is mild affection caused solely by nostalgia."

God, he was getting on your nerves. Running an exasperated hand through your hair, you leaned back, not before taking the half-filled glass - that apparently represented you - and bringing it to your lips.

He took his, eyes dancing around the room as he sipped. "Your indifference will be what kills me, not anything anyone fires at me from across enemy lines."

"What is it you want from me? I cannot acknowledge what happened as anything other than impropriety caused by inebriation. I cannot."

"Lies. You have your own reservations against marrying me, and I want to know them."

"No matter what I say, you will take it as a personal attack."

"Because you are personal to me!", he snapped, the glass pummeling to the floor, the grating and mortifyingly endless sound of shatters echoing through the room. Even the pianist stopped momentarily, before rolling his eyes and continuing once more.

The attendees, however, ogled.

Servants rushed to help clean it up, not allowing Alexei to get up and storm off and cause the tantrum he always did when he didn't get his way. "Sorry, my Lord, but shards in shoes are dangerous."

He ran his hand over his mouth to hold in his temper, before nodding offhandedly. "Finish quickly.", he mumbled, now gently biting at his knuckles, knee bouncing.

"Alexei."

Turning to you, he shook his head. "You are about to attempt at a placating platitude. Don't."

"When have I ever cared about placating you?"

He snorted, a hint of resentful acknowledgement in it. "Yes, I suppose you are painfully honest."

"Never mind. If you will only offer me retort after retort, then there is no need."

He huffed, rubbing the ridge of his brow. "Tell me."

"I will still write you."

"Oh, brilliant, that makes up for everything!", he exclaimed, sardonically. "You are a child. You don't listen, you argue, and you think gestures like that will magically solve this?"

"It's better than me not writing, isn't it? What would you rather have? Me not writing to you at all, or still writing?"

"Actually, you know what? Perhaps I don't want you writing to me. Ever think of that? Perhaps my devotion to you has waned with your stinging, stupidly-justified rejection. Perhaps I don't want anything to do with you anymore.", he gritted out through his pearly white stupid teeth.

"I don't do one thing you want, and I'm immediately an afterthought?", you scoffed, willing yourself not to yell and scream and plead as he stood up, smoothing down his suit.

"Wrong. You don't do the only thing I want - the only thing I've ever wanted from you, and yes, you do become an afterthought.", he replied, finger pointing at you as though you were under trial.

The sound of his heels sharply clicking away as he stormed out and got the dramatic tantrum he'd always loved throwing callously across a crowded room fading, you rubbed your forehead.

"Would you like a refill, my Lady?"

"No." You'd had quite enough of liquor for a while.

Tap.

Fuck!

You weren't particularly sure that you'd ever done anything to warrant avian malicious intent, but it was always a possibility. Perhaps a nocturnal pigeon or crow?

Stomping to the window, you threw it open. No wings. Nothing. Just a breeze on the night sky with a promise to meddle with your sanity.

You glared at the sky before shaking your head and moving to close the window, before a psst caught your attention.

Your eyes rolled right after they found Alexei standing down there, five pebbles in his left palm, one in between his fingers on the right, ready to strike. "Down. Now."

"No."

"You know I'm not above launching these all night. Your stream has a bank with these innumerable."

"No."

"You know I'm not above throwing these at your face."

"You wouldn't dare." But he would, and you knew it. Ask seven-year-old you, being terrorized by a nine-year-old-Alexei by a worm on a stick that he thrust upon your face.

"Down, now."

You glared at him, and he flinched, making as though he were about to propel one into your face, and you shut the window instinctively, running downstairs, before you slowed, creeping around sleeping maidservants' rooms, gently prying open the back doorway.

He was still laughing at your fright as he watched you gingerly shut the door behind you to maintain as much silence as possible. "Did you actually think I would do it?"

"After your little wine-stunt, I don't know what to think. Why are you even here?"

"You forgot what tonight is?"

"What is it?"

"My last night before I leave for the military. I told you -- all of you -- the morning of your birthday, when I got the information!"

"The night of my birthday overshadowed the morning, I'm afraid.", you scoffed. "Shouldn't you be getting patted on the back by your superiors? Brandy and cigars?", you mocked, crossing your arms as he leaned back against a tree.

"I should. Instead, I'm here."

"How unfortunate."

"Will you just…", he trailed off, before groaning, running his hands over his face as though he were the one being inconvenienced right now. "Just accept that it meant something."

"The kiss?"

"Yes, the kiss."

"Of course it meant something, imbecile, that was never up for debate. A kiss is no small thing."

"Good. There is something of substance in there, then.", he muttered, flicking at your forehead.

You rolled your eyes, sticking your tongue out at him, a gesture he mirrored. "You really are still a child."

"You are not grown up either, Alexei, you just act as though you are. You don't know what you're doing half the time, either."

"Listen, 'adult' is not an actual state of being that one can achieve, alright? Everyone makes it up as they go along.", he mumbled, rolling one of the pebbles in his palm over on its side.

"You still don't want me to write?", you asked, quietly.

"Of course I bloody want you to write, what's wrong with you? I don't want you engaged to someone who you don't know, but I suppose my opinion on it is irrelevant."

"We would not be good husband and wife, anyway."

He chuckled loudly at that, bitterly, before shaking his head and stalking his way towards the stream, wordlessly expecting you to follow. "Oh, you have to elaborate on that one. Oh, and without using the words 'bicker', 'fight', 'stubborn' or 'imbecile'."

"You're an idiot.", you retorted.

He snorted, shaking his head as he continued the short trek. "I love you.", he replied, laughing under his breath.

The crunches of leaves underfoot stilled, and you froze, like the stream would in a couple months' time. "What?", he questioned, grunting softly as he lowered himself on the bank, head swiveling over to you.

You shook your head, shrugging. "Nothing."

"You already know this. Why is it surprising to hear it?", he muttered, offering a hand to help you down next to him.

"It isn't."

"No? Then what's that face?", he asked, tapping gently on your nose. "You look stunned. Scandalized, one might say."

The stream carried your words away.

"Will I be invited to the engagement party?"

"Do you want to be? Because you only get one. Either engagement party or wedding."

"If I come to the engagement party, I could make sure there is no wedding. I am mildly evil like that, as you well know."

"What would you do?"

"Kill him or humiliate him. I don't know, haven't decided. Or, I'd convince you to run away with me. But then again, if you're not willing now, I'm sure you won't be willing then, with all the pressure.", he sighed, wrapping his arm around your shoulder, an absentminded kiss placed on your temple.

"I thought pressure makes people do stupid, impulsive things."

"Precisely. You will actually go ahead with the 'stupid, impulsive' engagement."

"How would you humiliate him? Because even I don't know enough about him t--"

"Do you not love me? Is that it? Is that why you reject me so harshly and hastily? You do not love me as I love you? I am still your childhood friend? A brother, of sorts?"

"Alexei, I already explained--"

He scoffed, gripping your jaw before he pulled you so your lips met his once again - a most surprising reunion. He turned completely to you, now, his hands moving your hair back before they abruptly decided they'd rather hold it, instead. "Explain this then. Hm? You kiss back, like you cannot stop yourself, like this is what you were made for. And it is, you know?", he murmured against your lips momentarily before he continued once more.

He still had the ability to read you like the fairytales that the five of you had grown up reenacting. It irked you to no end.

"Alexei-"

"I swear, you say my name once more, I will… I will… marry you right now.", he grumbled, rambled, rather, pulling you closer. "The stream and the stars heard me say it, and they hear everything. If you say my name like that one more time, I will honest to God marry you, somehow."

You were silent for a while. Then. "Alexei."

His horizon-smile blossomed against your lips.

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phoenixcatch7 · 5 months ago

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Deep in my ff7 rereads so here are my favourite fandom fics, hands down.

End as you mean to begin <- 130k+ of time travelling cloud parenting the remnants, seeking asylum in a war torn wutai to keep all four of them out of shinras hands while sephiroth is absolutely Going Through It in midgar. Great Genesis characterisation and cloud mothering his way to an international incident. Bonus gender hijinks, hilarious misunderstandings and zack. Unfinished.

The fear of falling stars <- 500k+ and soon to be completed. Cloud and insane!Sephiroth time travel back to their shinra days and I cannot emphasise enough how much cloud is Not Doing Well. Gorgeous wordplay and top tier banter. Utterly unhinged blood enemies to ??? to ?????? to lovers sefikura. It's E rated and probably the tensest I've ever been reading fic lol, it is not lighthearted! But it's incredibly well written and the characters are phenomenal (zack my beloved) so if you've got strong nerves (and like a quarantine pairing) I'd definitely recommend it.

Voice of the gods <- 170k+ of almost idyllic gods and avatars au. Slow, soft and full of world building, it's a lovely relaxing read of cloud getting anointed the envoy of sephiroth, god of war, and slowly growing into his role and joining the ranks of envoy. Lots of side characters take larger roles here, and sephiroth himself is a darling without losing his sharpest edges. Unfinished.

I CAN FIX HIM (series) <- possibly my favourite sephiroth characterisations ever. 130k and growing of pure shaking this man like a doll in a perfect mix of almost delirious crack and gutting angst (often both at once!). Very good writing, every single funny moment hits like a truck and keeps building until you're choking with laughter. Bonus points to ROADTRIP! for being utterly, utterly insane. I cannot emphasise enough just how GOOD every single character and their dynamics are written.

Just anything ff7 written by AimeeLouWrites, if you've been in this fandom for any length of time you'll have heard of her. Great concepts, great executions and aus for DAYS.

Five hearts to make him whole <- 130k+ of time/dimension travelling cloud getting sent to a world of soulmates - and his alternate self bagged all four soldier firsts. Alternate cloud also died violently a few years ago and boy did those soulmates (not) take it well. Our cloud, of course, was not read in on any of this. Shout out to the emotional support chocobo! Unfinished?

Shall I find rest <- another soulmate agszc (?) dimension cross but this one is 100k+ of post AC cloud and Tifa waking up and deciding to make it everyone else's problem. They're so done with all the drama. Bamf nibel duo to the end and Tifa is the mvp. Unfinished.

Advanced release <- 250k+ and it's sephiroth receiving the original game in a strange packet that appeared in his room. It spirals into a messy and painful exposure of conspiracy, lies and inevitable tragedy. Video game logic is a running gag and zack remains the only actually stable person in the whole sorry mess but he's also Having a Terrible Experience. Really well written!!! Unfinished.

On broken wings <- 160k+ of pure post AC sephiroth redemption from his pov. Him struggling to find his place in a new world and experience real human connection evolves into MOOGLE EMBASSY need I say more?? Unfinished.

With Great Power Comes Meddling Fucking Gods <- 470k+! Poly WEAPON cloud gets yoinked back to the past (feat agzs), dies for a few days and misses his family SO bad but he is determined to change the future for the better. Probably the most healthy and mature cloud ever lol. Unfortunately for him, insane!sephiroth is pulling a inner hollow and gaia herself isn't talking. If you like symbolism, whoo boy!! The dream sequences are a DOOZY (and drowning in eroticism). Wonderfully written, the divide between sane!sephiroth and his counterpart is really cool to see. E rated at times but it's absolutely DELIGHTFUL and WEAPON cloud is such a treat. And I cannot emphasise enough the symbolism. Zackkura (kinda) and slow burn! Unfinished.

A brand need not be seen <- 180k+ in a world of soulmates where the four firsts have clouds name on their wrists. Trooper cloud is tentatively, desperately hopeful. Then a smoking hot op af adult cloud appears, with no names on his wrists at all. It's a really cute flirty fic despite covering shinra politics, identity crises, huge self worth issues, lots of trauma, and finding your own place in the world. Unfinished.

Memory's struggle <- 250k+ of cascading time travel. Basically everyone goes back, which goes great XD. Everyone... Except cloud. I read this a while ago but I do remember poor cloud just getting loved and spoiled by literally everyone and freaking out about it lmao. He was so confused! Unfinished.

Additional edit:

A solitude of space <- a wonderfully soothing 90k complete of sephiroth getting resurrected and moving to stardew valley to become the farmer. It's sooooo peaceful and following him as he grows into his own person and experiences real normality and community is lovely, if a touch angsty. Eventual sefikura with cloud moving to the farm when he's not doing deliveries. It's just. Really nice. I think I cried at the end. Finished!

One-Winged Angel's Self-Saving System <- 55k+ sephiroth enters the Chinese fantasy Scum Villain world in place of the scum villain himself! (He's the third person to take on that role, but who's counting?) Reborn into a plant body he's set loose on an unsuspecting world with a completely different magic system (sentient swords! Immortality!), with only the guide of a mysterious hallucinated ai. Freedom to make his own choices! Aroallo seph rep! He messes up the plot so bad, recruiting accidental love interests with kill counts and resurrecting long lost immortals. It can get a bit heavy but it's really fun and sephiroth has no intention of ever going back. Unfinished.

The SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun <- 73k+ of the opposite of the last fic: the scum villain (the 2nd) gets isekai'd into sephiroth! Shen qingqiu, aka the modern world native shen yuan, fails to resurrect into his prepared plant body and wakes up in a new fictional world, once again as the villain. With his limited memory of the games and his immense knowledge of cultivation (scum villains magic system) he tries to get a grasp on his new life while evading hojo, the president, his new subordinates and the war front while cultivating to immortality - something shinra is VERY interested in. When I tell you these two fics have a GRIP on me. I've written so many fic ideas around them. It's actually insane. The first thing he does is completely redecorate his rooms and buy a whole new wardrobe, which is totally not suspicious XD. Unfinished.

The fifth act <- 160k, it's a good ol' time travel fic - with a twist. The truest exploration of ripples in a pond, or how kindness, when true, can be returned in most unexpected ways. Or maybe how a single act of good can change the world.... Or maybe it's about how you must never turn your back on an enemy. Cloud has people to save and people to kill, and only time will tell which is which. Complete.

Of Things That May Be Only 'Verse <- another series! At 250k, it's about sephiroth resurrecting, only to, uh, slip and crack his head lol. This sends him spiralling through a vision of a cosy life he'd never dreamed, and when he wakes up? He wants it so bad. But that means behaving. Slow burn sefikura redemption, side Cid/Vincent (vincid?) which ngl did convince me of the ship, domestic fluffiness and found family galore! And the whole series is complete!!

Little seph <- a 160k series about the AC sephiroth revival going wrong. Stuck in the body of a kid, post AC sephiroth is a feral kitten carefully domesticated with the power of pancakes, wing preening, and deeply uncomfortable sleepovers. He's a brat, a pest, a murder machine, but he just wants to be part of a family even if he pretends he doesn't. Eventual sefikura, and overall just a very good read. Fully complete!

We are no heroes <- 70k series, about a secretly time travelled sephiroth desperately trying to save his friends and finally, maybe, rest. When I tell you this had me SOBBING. I was BAWLING. Extremely good, zack is best boy. This man is just so tired. Beautiful descriptions. And, again, complete! Yay!

#ff7 #ffvii #I love all these fics and there's more where that came from lmao #Why does fic reccing take so long this took me two HOURS ToT #I'm so tired orz #People who only tag for complete miss out on SO much good stuff it's unreal #fic recs #fic rec #Ff7 fic recs #sephiroth #cloud strife #sefikura #Zackura #Yes they're all 100k+ I love short stuff but long fic is a different experience

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kryptznnn · 2 months ago

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♛/♡ -Tragedy II

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

➸ INTERESTS; - aged up!neteyam x omatikayan f!reader

➸ BACKGROUND; - Love at first sight doesn’t exist, everyone knows that. There’s attraction, reaction, and understanding someone to call something love. Neteyam wasn’t sure what it was that he felt for you, but whatever it was, he didn’t want it to end.

➸ WARNINGS; - wc.6.5k, mentions of heat cycles, rejection, one sided love, unrequited affection, kissing, fluff, smut, p in v, fingering, ejaculation consumption, teasing, dominant fem lead, clouded judgement, mating, biting, blood mentions, etc.

➸a.i; - whoo!! finished this up i hope you guys enjoy it, sorry it took me so long it’s been a really bad week! but im working on other fics and reqs in my inbox (i’ve had since nov-dec) trying to get all the old stuff out first to get to new ideas!! thank u so much for the love! also this lowkey isn't proofread

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

♛/♡ Tragedy I

Neteyam was a good man, a good brother, a good if not great son. Which is why it was so surprising hearing and witnessing him speaking back to his parents for the first time ever. His father complained how worried his mother and grandmother have been about finding a mate for him in order to pass the responsibility Jake had been harboring for over two decades to the next, and Neteyam had simply responded how he didn't care.

He was lying.

As soon as he had mentioned he found someone his father was quick to take his side, smiling at him softly before whispering with his wife to the side, who only shook her head. Her mother had already decided what needed to be done, with or without his approval, the average time of courting would naturally take months, and it was months they didn't have.

The people needed a strong ruler with an even stronger woman by his side. The position of tsahik wasn't a problem, Kiri could always fill it, as she's had the best and most practices from her grandmother, but Neteyam's situation was more complicated. Even as he watched his parents speak to one another he wasn't sure what kind of power his father had over his mother.

He would always give her some look, like a pleading look almost or just a caress to her face in order to swoon her, and it always worked. Maybe it was love, it had to be, his grandmother had spoken to him about how love comes in many shapes or forms but can never be denied. Somehow watching his parents interact before his father placed a kiss on his mother's forehead reminded him of you, and your interaction from earlier in the afternoon on the beach.

It was night now, the sky was bleak and cloudy, the stars hadn't shined as bright as they usually had, almost as if the night sky was mourning as he was. Mourning the loss of love, he was so close to having you to himself and now he felt as if he was going back to square one. It hurt him, but he didn't feel like crying, or getting upset to the point he'd lash out at others around him, he just sat on the cold wooded floors and propped his knees to his chest.

His back was now facing his parents as he watched the sky, asking himself what you were probably doing by this time. Maybe bathing or eating with your family, helping clean up the aftermath or reading to your younger sister. You could've been sewing or beading clothing together for you to wear on special occasions as he watched you do a few months ago.

Or maybe your family was all out and busy for the night and you were all alone at home, waiting for some company. He was sure he could provide you more than just company, making his time with you highly worthwhile, but yet again it would probably be better to talk things out about what happened earlier. Or maybe you two didn't need too talk anything out, when things happen between two people who can't help themselves it's meant to be.

The two of you were meant to be, that sounded satisfactory, it definitely pleased him, bringing a smile to his face. He was so used to growing up and sacrificing things for his sibling's happiness or just too tired to fight for it. He was grateful for that actually, listening to the way his father was raised and the life he lived on the stars from above pained him, no one should live a life like that, but his father always reminded him if he hadn't gone through any of that he wouldn't be blessed in the future to be reborn.

Maybe his father was right, thankfully to him he was grown into a responsible young man, athletic, intelligent, and handsome, there was nothing but greatness in him. He felt more than responsible about you though and just wasn't sure as to why. It was something like a craving or poison in his mind that was stuck there forever.

It would make his insides itch and his outsides hot; it's almost like when you sit out in the sun for too long with dry skin and start to feel discomfort. But the sun feels so nice when you've been in the cold for so long and have nothing else to turn too, that's how he felt about you. You haunted his mind in such an eerie way, and at first, he had even had his grandmother check him for illness 'just because', sure you had done something to him, but nothing came back.

He yearned and grieved for your affection as if you had passed away, like a ghost he could only breath in whenever he closed his eyes. He was sure if anyone was able to hear or read his mind, they'd call him crazy, but he didn't feel that way, he felt free. Soon enough, snapping him out of his trance was a woman walking beside him, one he hadn't seen before.

Or maybe he had seen her before, he just hadn't remembered. His head followed her movements as she made her way behind him, walking towards his parents and taking her side beside them. This immediately made Neteyam spring to his feet and follow behind, raising a brow.

His father introduced the two of them to one another, speaking of their affiliations and granting Neteyam the choice to at least keep their new guest busy and grow fond of her before making a solid decision of his future. He knew his father well, his voice was laced with responsibility and seriousness, but in all honesty, it was mainly code for 'be nice to her and go court whoever it is you wanted'.

He was listening, his ears flicked slightly listening to the woman introduce herself and pronounce her name. 'Fa'nyma', strange name, completely different from yours, but it seemed to suit her somewhat. She was shorter than you, he took notice of her hair was much longer on some part, and she wore lots of jewelry. Maybe it was to impress him, but he could only think of how those jewels would've looked against your skin, your smile.

He smiled to himself and nodded, quickly changing his face into a stir of a frown and turned his attention back to his parents in order for Fa'nyma to not get the wrong idea. He knew better than to be rude, especially to a woman, it's not the way he was raised to be at all, so he would be cordial with her, that he agreed on.

But that kind of promise became difficult to keep when it came to the fact that she practically followed him everywhere. He had planned to come and see you in your kelku, only for her to be right behind him. It would be very problematic to explain the fact that a woman is following him around the entire village as she's now his responsibility.

It had been three days since then, Neteyam had always thought to himself what was an easy way to say, "Leave me the fuck alone", not a nice way, he didn't want to be nice with her. He wanted to sound easy on the ears, but harsh enough for the conversation to get no farther than her understanding and leaving.

Then again, he's sure she wouldn't even understand what the word "fuck" means. It was a sky people term, and his parents had only used it whenever they hit their toe against something or messed up badly or were just upset beyond the point of explanation. His brother cursed often too, practically being more fluent in cursing than his mother's tongue. This is ridiculous, why is it that whenever he's so ready to get something for himself obstacles just throw themselves in his way.

"Fa'nyma" he spoke, placing his bow and arrow down in his hut before removing his headpiece, letting his braids rest on the side of his face before tying them back. She hummed in response, turning to him from the entrance of his kelku and smiling at him. "I'm going out somewhere now, so I'll need you to leave." He spoke solidly, turning his attention away from her when he noticed her cheeky look.

"Don't you want me to accompany you to wherever you're going?" She spoke, Neteyam sucked his teeth lightly before rolling his eyes. She must be one of the stupidest people he's ever met, even his youngest sister Tuk would know if he had said something like that, he would want to be alone. Did it genuinely look like he wanted her company? Or that he enjoyed her company so much he would've said yes?

"I don't enjoy your company, and I won't need it anymore." He said with an attitude, grabbing a small bag in the corner of his room and placing it over his shoulder with a clunk. He soon ushered her out of his room and hut before leaving himself, not even looking behind him to see her.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

"Y/n" he spoke with a smile, standing in the middle of the tree of voices. He had spent nearly all afternoon looking for you, now being nightfall as he saw you. Your back was facing him, but he knew it was you, he could tell by your scent, your hair, everything.

After spending nearly all of his time with Fa'nyma it was refreshing to see you, to breath you, and to touch you. He was quick to reach a hand out to your shoulder, watching as you spun around slightly for his hand to fall off your shoulder and back up slightly. You weren't smiling, which worried him, he wasn't sure what look you were giving him, but it wasn't one he was expecting.

"What are you doing here?" You asked, definitely taken aback wearing a confused but more hurt look on your face. After having such a passionate moment with a man, you weren’t surprised for it to end so quickly, what you didn’t expect was for him to leave you, especially for three days.

“I’m here to see you of course, I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long, but you have no idea how happy I am to see you aga-“

“It’s been three days Neteyam.” You cut him off harshly, now beginning to become upset, he spoke as if no time had passed. “You kissed me and left me for three days, but it’s easy for you to walk around with Fa’nyma.” You said, earning a flared look from him at your last words.

He was quick to place the bag he was holding down, now holding both of your hands with his own hands. He looked at you with a look of desperation, pledging with you almost to hear him out.

“I don’t like her; it wasn’t up to me I swear it. I told her off this morning, I want nothing to do with her, only with you.” He said, smiling somewhat softly as you again to see you smile as well. He knew something like this would happen, he was ready for it of course, but he knew no matter how things would’ve ended he wouldn’t let you go.

He would apologize anyway he had to, such as bringing you gifts or flowers and fruits, maybe kneeling and pleading with you. He knew you well enough to know you had a soft spot for him, for everyone mostly. Maybe it was childish to feel a pang of jealousy broil in his chest over that topic, but he couldn’t help it.

He liked you, he really liked you, liked you so much he wasn’t sure what to do with himself and he would practically fuck himself over again and again. Maybe it was love, maybe he loved you, he had always had the perfect example of it growing now and all he cares about is making it a reality with you.

And he did just that, apologizing to you over and over and sitting you down on the glowing floor beneath the two of you as he gave you everything from his bag. He practically showered you in gifts you hadn’t seen before, small jewels and crystals from the star above as you had a wide smile on your face.

He had told you he wanted to court you, earn you the right way, in order to bring you towards his family, the proper way. He even slid in a joke about how if things had escalated on the beach everything would be entirely different now, making you laugh.

You were so beautiful, everything about you was so beautiful, your laugh, the way you fluttered your lashes at him as you listened to him speak, or maybe how you kept your skin in contact with his no matter where the two of you were. You weren't afraid to show him off or hint there was something between the two of you and it drove him mad.

He was so quick to mention your name to his family so often that they had no other choice but to force Fa’nyma out of the picture. He thought of himself as a bad person for a short while, purposely flaunting your capabilities and beauty in front of the other woman to watch her face stir with jealousy as he had a sinister smirk plastered on his face.

He must’ve been crazy, in both good and bad ways, but it’s deemed excused because he’s crazy in love, crazy in love for you. So crazy that now after just a few weeks of courting he’s itching to bring things to another level.

He was patient, everyone knew it. He was trained to be at such a young age, like when catching fish with his father, those lessons taught him nothing more than the importance of time. Good things come to those who wait, he had you, but to fully tie the bond between you two he had to be patient.

Love is something that can’t be rushed, patience is a large factor between two people, almost like a test to see what’ll happen under pressure. Sadly, as of right now it felt as if Neteyam was losing, if not losing his mind in the process. Laying on his bedside within his empty kelku, listening to the cold winds outside blow around it and pick up on the small, piped chimes outside his hut entrance his youngest sister made for him.

He couldn’t sleep, his mind was racing, and he felt so empty, and the thought of you was just making up upset. It stirred something inside him he couldn’t entirely understand, all he could think of now was wanting you.

No,

He needed you.

Attached to your affection and presence like a newborn to its mother or father’s skin in order to thrive and feel their love. He wasn’t sure why tonight was so different from the rest, but he couldn’t stay here, something felt off, so he did the only thing he could do and set out into the forests.

-ˋˏ ༻❁✿❀༺ ˎˊ-

A simple way of remembering people is by their scent, which Neteyam was familiar with. What he hadn’t been familiar with was your scent being so strong to the point where he paused in his steps and shielded his face, squinting.

It was strange he was able to pick up your scent here of all places, it was in the complete opposite direction of your home. So of course, he did none other than follow it to find you, but what he saw was nothing of what he expected.

“Y/n” he called out, removing his arm from his face to take in your state, hunched over on the floor by a tree whimpering. You hadn’t answered his call, and when he came to you and placed a hand on your skin you hissed at him, slapping his hand away.

He was appalled to say the least, your skin was burning, and your behavior was erratic, since when were you so defensive? A click quickly came to mind, you must’ve been uncomfortable, or afraid, especially to react that way with him of all people.

He was quick to scan the surroundings of the two of you to emphasize the fact that you weren’t alone, someone had definitely been here before he came towards you, lurking. Neteyam was quick to suck his teeth, already piecing together the situation playing out before reaching out to you again.

You were in heat, he felt so stupid letting it slide over his head as he had originally had it calculated. Usually within the middle of every month you disappear for only a handful of days before returning, only this time it seems to have come a little earlier than expected.

You had a shawl sprawled out to your side as you stayed huddled into a ball, fidgeting around as Neteyam made his way behind you, hugging you and rubbing circles into your back. Maybe it was because you weren’t in your best mind, but right now you felt like biting him.

Not in a bad way, in a good way, to draw blood and pleasure yourself, not necessarily to harm him. There was something about how soothing his scent felt that the scent of the other navi man lurking in the woods prior seemed to gently fade away. You paid no mind to him as you turned into Neteyam’s embrace, snuggling into his chest with a slight purr and whine.

You felt so hot, and itchy, the cool night breeze hadn’t helped you quick enough, but Neteyam’s body had. His chest was firm and cool, like how the ponds or lakes underneath the waterfalls felt, making you smile softly.

It wasn’t enough to stop your pain and itch, but it was just enough to calm you to a certain extent, his words slurring in your brain as he spoke. You had only responded with slight hums, not sure you’d be capable of responding back in sentences.

He was quick to pick you up to your feet, caressing your face and asking you something. Whatever it was he was quick to take your groan as an answer, now holding you hand in hand as he made his way through the forests, occasionally turning back to take in your ill state.

You weren’t sure what path he was taking, it certainly wasn’t the path to your home, or the main village, but the trees you two passed by before coming to a halt smelled similar to Neteyam. He was gentle, letting you climb up into an unfamiliar place before following right after you, his hand locking right back with yours as his other held your shawl.

He spoke to you again, but your ears remained out of focus, now picking up on the small sound of pattering coming from behind you. You turned slowly, your head hurting as you watched the rain fall. You turned back slowly, placing each hand on the sides of your head, feeling as if someone had taken a bone and hit the sides of your head repeatedly.

You only groaned, slumping over slightly before feeling Neteyam’s hands grab onto your side, ushering you further into the room and sitting you down somewhere comfortably. You kept your eyes squeezed shut, feeling his firm hands leave your body you shot them open, taking in your surroundings as you lowered your hands.

You placed your hands down at the bedside you sat on, dragging your fingers across the woven blankets. This must’ve been his home, the entire place was drenched in his scent, it seemed vacant and cold, it must’ve been the way he liked it. You were quick to bring the edge of the blanket to your nose, inhaling its scent with a slight moan, feeling a rush of adrenaline rush through your body and down to your core.

You lowered the blanket as you heard him returning shortly, crossing your legs and angling them in a position to give you pleasure. Biting back a moan as you clenched around nothing you watched as he came over, giving you a small bowl filled with water for you to drink. You smiled softly at him, taking the bowl into your shaky hands before he covered your hands with his before helping you drink it.

His hands are so large, just like you had remembered about him initially the first time he helped you pick out the fruits from the trees. They practically covered yours if not entirely in length, nearly striking a wave of embarrassment in you. As you finished you were sure he had told some sort of joke, pointing to outside before chuckling back at you.

You only batted your eyes and smiled even wider, nodding at him. You were sure that it had done something to him because he looked away and swallowed hard before leaving the room again. As he made his time quick he came to your side, now sitting beside you and taking your hands into his, speaking again, as your heat grew stronger another wave coursed through your body.

And of course you wasted no time turning to his side, resting your head on his collarbone and inhaling his scent. If you had some sort of shame left before your heat had stripped it from you there would be a possibility you’d have pulled back or apologized, but right now you just didn’t care.

His scent was driving you insane, practically flooding your mind as you caressed yourself into his skin with soft mewls and moans that echoed in his ears. He was more than flustered to say the least, but he had come to a decision on how to help you in any way possible. He simply brushed your hair away from your face to get your attention, which worked before he spoke in sure of you to hear him.

“Use me how you seem fit.” He said sternly, flashing you a toothy smile afterwards. He watched as your pupils blew out nearly full wide, no longer seeing the color of your irises before you turned your head back into his collarbone. You were quick with your actions, licking and nipping at his skin before making your way up to his neck.

A soft kiss was applied to a sweet spot before you licked it, prepping your canines into his flesh before sinking them in slowly. If it hurt it harsh enough you were sure that when you had sense again you’d apologize for it, just not now, not while you enjoyed lapping up the small trickles of blood that dribbled down his warm skin.

Not while you suddenly leap a leg over him, now straddling him as you continued to kiss him. He had barely moved as much as he wanted to, only following your lead and placing his hands on your back as support. He was quick to pull your head in for a kiss to your lips once you finished with his neck of course, this time being more forceful and sinister than the kiss you two had shared previously.

There was a small part of Neteyam that knew this wasn’t the right thing to do, at least some of it. You weren’t in your right mind and the two of you hadn’t been mated, well at least not yet. If anything, that small feeling quickly went away when he too felt himself slipping into the dizzy and foggy feeling of your heat now affecting him.

He had heard stories of something like this before, heats being able to spread towards one another to a certain extent. Things like that could only happen if that individual wanted to share it, and that seemed to be happening at this moment.

You wanted him to feel how you felt, understand how good it felt to be in this situation, as much as you itched or your skin burned, nothing could have been better than easing the pain with someone that made you feel so good.

You liked Neteyam, you were sure of it. Your family liked him too, he was considerate, gentle, humorous, and well put. He made you feel loved, cherished, and satisfactory; he could never say no to you and spoiled you with anything you wanted. Spoiling the one you love comes to a certain extent and giving them whatever they want comes with a price, like as of now when you began to untie your top and loincloth, attempting to untie his as well.

He was quick to grab both of your arms, bringing you to a short halt. You were completely nude now, watching as he took in your full appearance before looking up into your eyes. He was quick to shake his head, a signal of rejection to you, making you frown heavily and whine, tears prickling the corner of your eyes.

He spoke, not sure entirely what he was speaking of, but you were sure he muttered along the lines of ‘being responsible’ when reading his lips, the tears now rolling down your cheeks as you shook your head. There was no way he would leave you in a time like this after escalating the situation so far for the night, you yanked your arms from his grasp before wrapping your arms around his shoulders, whining.

“Please, please, please teyam, hurts so bad, need you, need you here.” You mumbled, grinding against his painful bulge from his shifted loincloth, taking his hand into yours and placing it over your lower pelvis. You watched as he groaned softly, turning his head as his ears flickered around, as if contemplating his next move. You were quick to turn your head in the direction his was turned too, kissing him first this time, wasting no time in forcing your tongue into his mouth.

He only melted at the action, quickly obliging and letting his hands roam your body. He was quick to squeeze you and tease you, letting his fingertips graze over your nipples as you moaned into his mouth, and he moans back. He kept his right hand over your breast, swirling small circles around your nipple and tugging on it every now and again as his left hand followed its way down between your legs.

Your moans now grew louder, more bass coming from them as they rumbled in your chest and throat, breaking the kiss with Neteyam as a small string of saliva was split between you too. You rested your head on the side of his cheek as your moans continued, rumbling directly into his ear, making his breath heavier than before. He only took notice to quicken his actions, his thumb circling your clit gently as his fingers thrusted inside of you.

This much arousal was getting painful in his case, he was sure he had never been this whipped ever no matter what woman he was with. You were so beautiful, your voice, your body, your movements had him captivated, if anything he wished he could stop time just for this moment. He could hardly even feel his fingers, the way they were coated if not dripping in your arousal he slipped in and out so easily it was insane.

What was even more foolish was the fact for just a split second he became jealous of his own fingers, wanting to be inside you himself with his tongue instead, but the way you fidgeted on his lap and begged for more he knew that was something to wait for another time. So, he continued, now drawing his full attention to your face as he watched your body shudder when he curved his fingers, his fingertips grazing against your insides.

He took his hand away from your breasts, now grabbing the side of your face and watching your expression, your skin was still hot, but that hadn’t bothered him. He was more focused on trying to not cum by just the sight of you. Your hair was a mess, your face was flushed and hot, saliva dripping down your lips wasn’t helping, especially when you were panting heavily like an animal with your hooded eyes.

And there it was, that cheeky little smile you do whenever you know you’ve got his attention, batting your lashes at him. He hated that you knew how to get to him so easily, especially at a time like this, it’s as if even though he’s the one pleasuring you, you were doing the same in his favor, and he was definitely right when he watched you come undone on his lap, practically shouting his name as your grip on his shoulders tightened, your nails digging into him as your body jerked forward, shuddering harshly as your orgasm washed over you.

You had no time to catch your breath as Neteyam kissed you sloppily, pulling his fingers out of you as you whimpered into his mouth at the feeling of the emptiness, clenching around nothing. You hadn’t pleaded or begged like before, only finishing your previous work and untying the rest of his loincloth before picking it up, watching as he sucked on his fingers with a small smirk.

You looked away nervously at his actions, placing his loincloth up to your nose and inhaling its scent, kissing it and tossing it behind you as you made sure Neteyam watched you. He only shook his head with a smile, his face flushed as he watched you, grazing his fingertips over your breasts yet again.

“Not satisfied?” He asked, cocking his head slightly to the side as he watched you, your eyes locked onto his body, trailing down until seeing what was hidden underneath his loincloth, making you shudder. After your intense orgasm prior, the heavy cloud of your heat wasn’t as thick as before, now you had at least a little bit of your mind left, now asking yourself if the size was too much to bear.

“Mm-mh” you muttered, shaking your head from side to side as you made your way to grab onto his sex, jolting slightly as you watched it bounce up to hit his lower abdomen. He only chuckled at you as he watched your actions, you had hardly paid any mind to him, now taking it into your hand and fisting it slightly, listening to his soft groans as the entirety of it was coated in precum.

You only smiled to yourself, raising your hips up high as you rubbed the tip onto your core, bucking your hips and moaning harshly as it flicked over your sensitive clit. As quick as the small cloud left your body it was just as quick to hit you, returning to your womb like a storm, making you chew down on your bottom lip out of frustration as you grunted.

Eywa, you felt so empty, as if you’ve been starving for days. Starving for a man to feed off of, starving for your man, your mate, to feed you. This was overwhelming, none of your heats had taken this much of an effect on you, and this physical connection wasn’t enough to share with him, you want him to see, hear, breath, and know you, not just feel you.

“Tsaheylu” you mumbled, reaching behind the back of your head to your kuru, bringing it over your shoulder as you looked down at him slightly. His reaction seemed to be one of surprise or understanding, you weren’t sure which to pick off of, no matter there were no words shared between the two of you in that moment, he only copied your movements.

Before the small tendrils of your kurus could fuse together, you sunk down onto him slowly, both of you breathy and sticky, moans mixing between the two of you. You hadn’t moved and neither had he, taking in one another before making tsaheylu, the same second of the bond between the two of you making you whimper as you rested your head on his shoulder, crying quietly.

It was so intense, as if flashing lights and music had been playing amongst the midst of everything already happening between the two of you. After a few seconds you could hear it, hear and feel how Neteyam felt for you, at first when you felt the warming in your chest you had initially expected it to be your heat, bubbling even harder now. That wasn’t the case, it was his feeling towards you, how his heart raced when he saw you or saw your smile, and how he felt now as he had you nestled on him.

It felt so nice, sharing this feeling and pain with another, lifting the burden off of yourself and having a mate to call your own. Before you were even able to speak Neteyam was quick to hoist himself up in a comfortable position, making you moan out softly.

“I know, I know tiwan. Gonna make you feel better yeah? Right here baby? I know what you need.” He spoke, placing his hand back over your pelvis and abdomen. The word he spoke prior sounded foreign to you, you could tell in the context it was a pet name, just not sure exactly what kind it could’ve been. Before you were able to pick up on that thought you felt Neteyam’s hands grab your behind in a firm manner before thrusting himself in and out of you at a kept pace.

You moaned into his shoulders now as he quickened his pace, making you clench around him. He didn’t like this position at all, don’t get him wrong you felt amazing, this moment was amazing, but he wanted to see you, see your face. He knew how you felt due to your bonding yes, but it wasn’t enough, he needs more.

Which is what led him to waste no time in standing up as he held onto you and turning around, laying you down as he towered over you, neither him leaving from inside you or your tsaheylu breaking. Cooing you as you whimpered and fidgeted against him, pulling him down onto you so you could inhale his scent from his side, but he wasn’t having it.

He rested in his knees now, thrusting into you painfully slow, listening to your groans and complaints with a grin. He liked being cocky, it felt good, especially if it got under your skin and he got to watch you react, it was amusing.

The longer the night continued the less amusing things became however, especially for the both of you. As of now Neteyam had lost track of time, and amount of positions the two of you had been in, but now you were on the floor, the room smelling like nothing but sex and sweat as you both moaned.

Neteyam had tried every other way to satisfy your needs without knotting you, but that’s all you had begged for at this time. None of your other orgasms being enough to get rid of the emptiness within you, he just hadn’t thought you were ready for it.

His last worries was getting you pregnant, it could only happen if he was also in rut, which wasn’t anytime soon, but knotting someone is dangerous (and also something he’s never done before). You were an animal, and that was no exaggeration, from the sweat and cum that had pooled on the bedside and floor your skin and fingertips had gotten wrinkly, along with Neteyam’s, but apparently you hadn’t even cared.

“Please, need it, so emptyyy” you whined, poking at the fat knot at the base of Neteyam’s cock that had been poking at your entrance for some time. Your face was wet with tears and sweat as you threw your fit, moaning as he postponed himself deeper in you to where his knot grazed against your clit.

In a matter of seconds, you were practically fucking him back, arching your back slightly as you pushed back with just as much force he thrusted into you. You could feel it, his knot was practically teasing you in a way you couldn’t explain, it felt like some sort of craze or rush that was driving you mad, mad in a way you drew a smile to your face, chanting praises over and over again before hearing a pop and a painful stretch.

Neteyam halted his movements, a loud moan escaping his lips as his knot had finally entered you. He had towered over you, his chest pressing against your back as you clawed at the floor in desperation. It wasn’t necessarily painful, more uncomfortable as it was a feeling you weren’t used too, and the cloud of your heat had covered most of it.

But oh how full you felt, the pain, tears, and cries from before all seemed to just vanish as you felt the knot lowering, now being filled with Neteyam’s cum at a quick pace. Now you felt full, and in the best way possible, it was all you had truly wanted and finally your needs were satisfied.

You sighed out in satisfaction, feeling him kiss on your neck and back softly before caressing your body. You purred back into him as you felt him move gently and slowly, picking the two of you up off the floor to his bedside, removing the dirty blanket from there before and laying there with you, still back to chest.

“Thank you” you said to him, taking his hand and kissing it with a smile as you felt him smile from behind you. He only played with your hair as he heard you yawn, taking in your small and tired state.

“Mm-hmm, so proud of you baby, did so good.” He spoke, placing a kiss onto your head as he drew faint circles in your back as he watched you drift off to sleep. He smiled to himself before remembering he was still stuck for a while, hopefully he wouldn’t wake you if he pulled out.

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