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taylorman2274 · 8 months ago

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We Care About You (Part III)

Those who have been with you since the beginning discuss the differences they've noticed with and without your presence.

Content Warning(s): Jean, Kaeya, & Albedo Story Quest Spoilers; Mondstadt Archon Quest Spoilers

Notes: SAGAU; GN!Reader; [T/N] = Traveler Name

Word Count: 2.1k

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Taglist: @silverstarred; @victoria1676; @angelofdarkness2; @areaderspov; @andromeda-gay; @ash1; @mercy-not-merci; @toodledoodl3;

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The sun had fully risen over the horizon by the time all the stores in Mondstadt's main plaza had opened for the day. Blanche was finishing setting up her fruit trays on the counter by the time Marjorie and Timeaus arrived at their respective stores. Sara, on the other hand, had already opened up Good Hunter half an hour ago. This was in case there were any early birds or if any of the aforementioned shopkeepers wanted a quick bite to eat before work.

Today, the Traveler and Paimon were examples of early birds, as the two were enjoying breakfast from Good Hunter. However, as they were eating their respective meals, they were approached by Raymond, a Knight of Favonius.

"Morning, Traveler. Morning, Paimon," he greeted. "Sorry to interrupt your meal, but I'm here to inform you that your presence has been requested by the Acting Grand Master. She requests that you head on over to headquarters immediately."

Paimon groaned. "Does Jean really have to summon us this early? Paimon hasn't even finished her Fisherman's Toast yet."

"I apologize once again, but it would be rude to keep the Acting Grand Master waiting," Raymond replied.

The Traveler shook their head. "No worries. I'm just about finished anyway." They got up from their seat. "Would you like for me to get you a to-go box, Paimon?

"Get a to-go box? Has Paimon not already proved to you what she's capable of? Watch this!" Paimon proclaimed before chowing down the rest of her Fisherman's Toast as quickly as Paimonly possible.

...Said way involved burying herself nose-deep in her plate and practically inhaling all the food left on her plate. The Traveler and Raymond even had to hold their hands up to their faces to protect themselves from any flying food.

Maybe they shouldn't have bought her a triple stack...

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Despite being invited by Jean herself, The Traveler decided to knock on her office door. It was only proper manners.

"Enter."

They opened the door and allowed Paimon to enter first before letting themselves in. As soon as Jean recognized them, she gracefully got up from her chair and walked around to the front of her desk.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Honorary Knight. I know you must be tired.”

The Traveler shook their head. "It was no trouble. Paimon and I were already up to begin with."

"Is that so? It's a shame my cuties didn't think to greet me in the library first thing in the morning. Your company can certainly revitalize this mage's energy." Came a voice to their left. Both newcomers swiveled their heads to look at the other visitor partially hidden in the corner.

"Lisa? Were you called here by Jean as well?" questioned Paimon.

"I was," Lisa confirmed, perplexion etched on her face, "Though I haven't been told why yet."

"I called you both here for the same reason. However, not everyone has arrived yet. We're still waiting on two more people. Once they’ve arrived, I’ll explain everything," Jean explained.

To pass the time, the Traveler, Paimon, and Lisa began to catch up with each other on what had happened since they last met while Jean leaned against her desk and peeked at the ticking clock on the wall from time to time.

She wasn't worried about the other two members being late. They each were fellow Knights of Favonius members after all. They know the standards that need to be set in order to maintain their position.

A few minutes later, everyone in the office could hear rapid footsteps from outside the room. Not even a second later the door was thrown open by Amber who quickly entered the room and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

pant ... pant ... "Sorry I'm late, Jean. I got caught up with something."

Jean shook her head. "Not to worry, Amber. We haven't started talking about anything yet." Jean snuck a peak behind Amber towards the open door. "Did you happen to see Kaeya on the way here?"

Amber straightened up and nodded her head. "I did, actually. He's..."

"Right here."

Kaeya smoothly walked into the office and quietly shut the door Amber left open behind him.

Jean gave a quick nod. "Good. That should be everybody." Everyone gathered around Jean in a semi-circle. "I bet you're all wondering why I've called you here this early."

"To put it simply, I'd rather get this discussion out of the way before we all start work for the day. This mainly concerns the Traveler, but I promise you all are important to this discussion as well."

Jean turned her attention to the Traveler. "First off, how are your adventures going?"

The Traveler looked at Jean in confusion. Jean called all of them here just to ask them about their adventures? "...Pretty well I guess. I've hit a few obstacles here and there but it was nothing I couldn't handle."

Jean nodded. "That's good to hear. And what about this latest obstacle you're facing?"

Now it was Paimon's turn to be confused. "Latest obstacle...?" she murmured, "Oh! Do you mean [Y/N]?"

Amber, Lisa, and Kaeya all widened their eyes in surprise as they looked at Paimon. Jean nodded once again.

"Yes. That's exactly the reason why I've called you all here. Although I may not know much about [Y/N], I understand that you all have had some experience with them. If you could tell me all that you know about them, I'll get a better understanding of what our next action should be."

The Traveler nodded in understanding before looking around at the others. "Should I go first, or do you all want to share your thoughts now?"

Amber was the first to reply. "Sure! I'll go first. In my opinion, the Traveler and [Y/N] are the same person, but also different people. When I first met the Traveler outside of the Whispering Woods, they introduced themselves as [Y/N]. However, once we dealt with the sources of Stormterror's power in the abandoned Four Winds' Temples, they seemed much livelier. That was when they explained that they were actually [T/N], and [Y/N] was this 'ghost or entity-like thing' that possessed them against their will.

Lisa nodded. "It's true. When we were traversing through the last temple, I felt as if my body was not under my control, but I was still conscious to witness what I was doing. It was scary at first, but after a while, I kind of got used to it."

Jean raised a skeptical brow. "And why is that?"

"Because [Y/N] and I were trying to achieve the same thing. They guided me through the temple, defeated all of the enemies, and destroyed Stormterror's crystal, all things that I originally intended to do myself."

Jean brought a hand to her chin. "Interesting..."

Kaeya raised his hand, signaling to speak next. "It's not just that, either. Later on when I had the Traveler lure some Treasure Hoarders to some ruins, one of them accidentally activated a Ruin Guard while attempting to flee. We managed to take it down, of course, while being guided by [Y/N], but I noticed that I had gotten stronger in between fighting the treasure hoarders outside the ruins and fighting the Ruin Guard. We defeated the Ruin Guard a lot quicker than I thought we would."

Jean furrowed her brows. "But Ruin Guards are a lot harder to defeat than mere Treasure Hoarders. Surely you must be exaggerating?"

Kaeya chuckled. "I can assure you, Jean. The strength I gained when guided by [Y/N] is no exaggeration. Surely you must've felt their presence yourself?"

"Outside of the day when I got burnout, no. But even then, I didn't exactly feel I was much stronger."

"Oh!" Amber blurted out. "Speaking of getting stronger, I've noticed that [Y/N] has improved some of my abilities as well! For example, the day before we pulled that whole sleeping stunt on [Y/N], we were helping them complete some commissions around Mondstadt. While we were completing them, I noticed that I could suddenly fire two arrows with one shot! Not only that, but I was able to manually detonate my Baron Bunny by shooting at it!"

Amber frowned. “The only downside is that I haven't had much success replicating these abilities when I'm not with [Y/N].”

"So you've noticed as well?" Lisa asked. "I thought I was the only one to notice." She turned her attention back to Jean. "You see, [Y/N] typically has me defeat hydro slimes whenever they appear, and with them I'm normally able to defeat them in one or two hits. However, I wanted to test a theory I've been thinking about recently. So I went to go find a hydro slime and see how many hits it took to defeat it. Just as I thought, it took nearly double the number of hits before it was beaten."

"I see. And is this something that we should look into?"

"No. I just thought it was something worth mentioning."

"Alright then. And when [Y/N] does guide you, is it only to complete commissions?" Jean inquired.

"Oh no!" Amber eyes sparkled. "We've been helping the Honorary Knight and [Y/N] all across Teyvat! It's amazing!"

Jean smiled. "Then you all must be enjoying your adventures, I presume?"

"But of course!" exclaimed Amber. "I've always wanted to see the world beyond Mondstadt and it's just as grand as I imagined."

"That's good to hear." Jean then looked down at the floor and sighed. "...Honestly, there are times when I wish I could throw my work to the side and travel alongside you, Honorary Knight."

"Paimon is certain that [Y/N] would love to have you join their Adventure Team! If it becomes possible, Paimon will put in a good word for you."

Jean chuckled. "Thanks, Paimon." She turned her attention to the Traveler. "And what about you? What do you know about [Y/N]?"

"It's a pretty long story. The first time I ever got a clue as to who [Y/N] was was when I was in the middle of helping Albedo with his research. During the middle of some experiments, I felt their presence leaving. However, almost immediately after they left I saw a bright light in the sky. It only lasted for a few seconds, but when the light went away, I saw that it had come from Celestia!"

Jean looked shocked for a moment but quickly composed herself. She had an image to maintain after all. "Really?! From Celestia?"

"Yes. Albedo saw it as well and it piqued his curiosity. To make a long story short, he found out that for a brief moment, the light that spawns from Celestia forms as if one is opening a door to an unlit room. He hypothesizes that whoever [Y/N] is, they are not from Celestia but somewhere beyond it. Maybe even another world entirely."

Kaeya smirked. "From another world, eh? So does that mean [Y/N] is an alien?"

The Traveler shook their head. "I don't think so. Most of the worlds I traveled to before Teyvat were inhabited by humans. I would assume that if [Y/N] is from another world, they would be human as well.

"How certain are you?" inquired Jean.

"I'm like 90% certain they're human," the Traveler confirmed. Amber hummed in thought.

"Do you think they might be a god?"

“A god whose eyes are focused on a world separate from theirs? Sounds unlikely to me,” countered Lisa.

"Regardless..." Jean interjected. "[Y/N] has been absent for a while now, correct?" The Traveler nodded. "Have you thought about continuing your journey without them should they not come back?"

"I've had the thought. But I'm willing to wait however long is necessary if it means I get to see them again."

Jean put a hand to her chin. "Are you sure? I would gladly be willing to have Amber, Lisa, or Kaeya travel with you for the foreseeable future."

Paimon nodded. "It's been almost a week since that incident, and yet Paimon has never seen the Traveler lose any determination at all!"

Jean nodded as well. "I see. In that case, I believe that is all I have to say for this discussion. It was nice meeting you once again, Honorary Knight."

"The same goes for you, Jean.”

Everyone exchanged goodbyes with each other and, minus Jean, prepared to leave the office. However, just before they left...

"Hey. Is it just me, or is it getting brighter outside?"

Kaeya looked towards Amber. "I'm sure it's just the clouds moving past the sun."

Amber shook her head, keeping her gaze towards the window. "No... I didn't see any clouds when I first came in..."

The room was silent. Some looked to the window while others kept their attention on Amber.

Suddenly, Paimon gasped.

"Paimon!" The Traveler shouted in surprise. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"...They're back..." she whispered.

The Traveler tilted their head. "Who's back?"

Paimon was too stunned to speak, but it didn't take long for the Traveler to figure out why. Their eyes grew wide in shock.

"[Y/N]!!" They suddenly exclaimed as they bolted past everyone. Everyone quickly followed the Traveler outside.

Once they all gathered outside. They quickly turned their gaze towards Celestia. Just as they thought, a light, though less noticeable during the day, was slowly getting brighter.

"Sorry, Jean! We've got to go! Don't wanna be late!" Paimon quickly said before everyone aside from Jean was teleported away.

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"It sure is taking a long time to check for updates," you thought.

After countless research, note-taking, and several anxiety breakdowns, you were finally ready to hop back onto Genshin and meet up with the people who you now realize are alive and sentient.

"I hope all this makes a good impression on them."

The door appeared.

With one click, you would be back to where this trouble all started…

Breathe in… Breathe out…

click

The door opened.

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Author Side Notes: I looked at my fanfiction and decided that it needed LORE™

Once again, I'll be editing this chapter over the next upcoming days. I sort of prefer it as opposed to keeping this in my drafts. I don't want you all waiting for the next part too long!

#genshin impact sagau #genshin sagau #self aware genshin #genshin self aware #sagau x reader #sagau #sagau genshin #platonic genshin x reader #platonic #gn reader #gender neutral reader #genshin impact

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sashaforthewin · 2 years ago

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"I made you guys bracelets!" Steve announced, in lieu of a greeting as he walked into Family Video.

"I take it the princess party went well?" Eddie asked.

"It was a girl's night slumber party, thank you. Max would kick your ass if she heard you call it a princess party."

"Girl's night?" Eddie questioned, eyebrows raised in challenge.

"Shut up, I am an exception and it was my house so I get to join in."

"Wait, I'm a girl! Why wasn't I invited to girl's night?" Robin demanded, suddenly realizing she had been snubbed.

"Take it up with Max and El, I'm only an honorary member and have no sway. But anyways, back on the subject at hand, I made you guys gifts!"

Steve produced some brightly colored plastic beads bracelets. They had mismatched and disorganized colored beads and in the center, some white beads with black letters on them. He handed one each to Robin and Eddie and then kept two for himself.

They both examined their bracelets, which both read 'RIEND'.

"Um, what does this mean?" Eddie asked, trying not to sound unappreciative.

Steve showed off his own bracelets, putting one next to Eddie’s. This one read 'BOYF' and the other read 'BESTF', which he held out for Robin to see.

Eddie stared.

"Boyfriend. Why would you split it there? Boyfriend is literally already two words stuck together!"

"I wasn't gonna walk around with a bracelet that says boy or best, that would look dumb."

"You're so right, Steve, that would've looked dumb," Robin laughed. "I love your stupid brain so much."

Steve beamed, glad they were as amused by it as he had been when he thought of it. Eddie was laughing his ass off and trying to stop, but every time he looked down at Steve's bracelet that said BOYF, he would lose it again. His eyes were watering and he was doubled over in pain from how hard he was laughing at BOYF.

Eventually he pulled himself together and took one final deep calming breath, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Our bracelets match, too!" Robin pointed out, holding her wrist next to Eddie’s, comparing their RIEND bracelets.

"We do have shared custody of the most beautiful doofus to roam the planet, it makes sense. And I could think of worse people to match."

"You're not so bad yourself."

"I was talking about myself," Eddie quipped.

"Wow, okay."

Eddie made grabby hands at Steve until he came close enough to be snatched into a hug.

"Thank you, Stevie, you're the best boyf a guy could ever have."

#drabble #ficlet #steddie #stranger things fic #steve/eddie #if you know about my crazy straws kindly shut up and let me reuse my own jokes

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coucouatoi · 18 hours ago

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take it as a compliment | h.s.

Pairing: Harry Styles X Reader

Warnings: smoking, swearing, light angst, making out

A/N: Got a request for Outgoing Harry/Shy reader and then this happened. I'm actually so in love with this so I hope y'all enjoy :)

Summary: Your band is out of a main singer after a petty feud. The hunt for someone new is pure torture, not a single audition has peaked your interests. None until he walked in.

"Next!!" your band's drummer, Maeve, exclaims with an exasperated tone. The person who was auditioning scurries off the small stage, too embarrassed to say goodbye. They were the 10th person to audition today. Ten people have gone on stage and tried to show off their singing skills but no one has been even remotely close to good. You're starting to suspect that all of these people are pranking you. There's no way that this many people are tone-deaf... Right?

You look back up when you see someone new walking on stage. Your eyes widen in surprise when you see who's next to audition. Harry Styles, the myth, the legend. He's a star member of the swimming team, captain of the rugby team, honorary member of the debate team and the most sought-after guy at your university. He is probably the last person you expected to show up for your band's audition... You don't even know if he can sing.

"This is going to be hilariously, so happy we are filming" Riu, your band's bassist, chuckles under his breath. You shrug with a small smirk, guess he wants to join today's humiliating compilation of failed auditions.

"Hello everyone, I'm Harry Styles auditioning for lead singer? I guess" he laughs at himself, now this is something you've never seen... a nervous Harry? Could this be an act??

"Don't sound too excited now" Maeve rolls her eyes, "What are you going to sing?" she clicks her pen ready to write the title down.

"October by Broken Bells" he speaks more confidently into the mic now. Your eyebrows raise, shocked. You would have expected something a little more mainstream maybe something currently in the top 10 chart or even an old classic. Riu presses the record button on his camera and rearranges the tripod to better capture Harry.

"Whenever you're ready," You say softly as you hope for the best, your behind is really starting to hurt after sitting for so long hopefully you can leave the auditorium soon.

The man onstage takes a deep breath before pressing play on the acoustic track on his phone.

Soft guitar strings start playing and only a few seconds in Harry starts harmonising with the instrument before the lyrics come in. And when they do... Your jaw hits the floor. The voice that comes out of his mouth would have been impossible to imagine. It's not a very vocally powerful song but requires a certain knowledge of music to get it right. He sounds beautiful and enchanting.

Riu, who's sitting next to you, shakes your arm making you turn your head to him. He mouths "What the fuck?" and you only nod as an answer completely bewildered.

He doesn't move around the stage or anything, just stands in the same spot and sings. Sings better than anyone you've heard today. Better than your past lead singer you're sure. His eyes are shut in what you have to assume is concentration but he could just be too nervous to look at you and your bandmates. His dark hair is pushed back out of his face letting you see his features, his furrowed brows and the sheen of sweat on the tip of his nose.

The song ends and he finally opens his eyes, gagging your reactions. You make sure that you've closed your mouth not wanting one of the first times he really looks at you for your mouth to be wide open...

"Do you write your own songs?" Maeve breaks the silence.

"I have some written yes" he answers quickly, a small jitter going through his body. Excited that he wasn't immediately shooed off stage.

"Is this a serious audition or are you just joking around?" Riu then asks having had enough of this long and boring day.

"Serious, I love singing" he nods quickly, "And I think I'm pretty good at it" Ah! There's the cocky attitude you've gotten used to from him.

Maeve grabs your arms from across the table tugging you towards her, Riu in the middle simply lowers his head closer to hear what's about to be said.

"What do you think?" She asks looking deeply into your eyes. You nod before answering already conveying your approval.

"He's really good guys, winning the UK universities competition good" You definitely see him adding a lot to your group. He's got the charms, the voice and the confidence to get you all the way to the finals.

"We're really accepting Harry Styles into our band?" Riu sounds annoyed but you know that he approves of this choice too...

Here goes nothing.

It's officially been two weeks since Harry has become your lead singer and he has not been on time for any of your practices. He's always got some elaborate excuse explaining his tardiness. More often than not he demands multiple breaks to go out for a smoke "Helps the vocals ya know?" he laughs before leaving the room. Maeve is one hair off of kicking him straight out but you've unfortunately entered his name down for the UK competition... and Harry knows this. Both of your other members have tried to reason with him, without success so they've told you that it's your turn to try, and try you will.

There's one hour left and Harry is out on another smoking break you choose this time to go out and attempt to talk to him. You haven't had many one-on-one conversations with him since him joining you. You're still intimidated by his status, his popularity, his reputation, his looks...

After leaving your guitar behind, you head out to find him leaning against the brick wall of your school, his head is tipped up and cigarette hanging off his bottom lip. You take a deep breath before walking up to him, mentally preparing yourself for this conversation.

"Is it your turn to tell me about the importance of punctuality, darling?" his lips form into a smirk as he hears your thick heels crunch the gravel as you move towards him.

"I guess so, the other two didn't work" you shrug leaning on the wall next to him. "Why did you audition if you don't care?" you ask him in a hushed tone, still surprised you have to have a conversation like this with him.

You don't see it but Harry's body tenses. Guilt flows through his veins and he looks at you but you're looking at the ground.

"I do care" is what he answers.

"I'm sorry but I don't believe you" You shake your head and finally meet his gaze, "Are you late for any other extracurricular activity you're part of?" your tone is unbothered but Harry feels it sting him, as if you insulted him... maybe you did. He thinks about it and... well he's not. He prides himself on being a stellar member of everything he's a part of.

"Why don't you treat us like equals? We are all part of the same team here" you add with a tilt of your head actually curious for an answer.

"I... Look, our other two members treat me like I'm lower because of how I act and who I'm friends with" he plucks the cigarette out of his mouth and stomps it under his shoe. He runs his hands through his hair and sighs, "I've gathered that you're the reserved quiet type but not one of you has tried to get to know me, why should I make an effort when none of you want me here?" with how rapidly the words are leaving his mouth you know he's been holding all of this in. You're stunned to silence.

"I don't feel welcomed so I'm not making an effort anymore" he walks away from you and from the building, "I tried to mend the gap by inviting all three of you over to my mates party last week and none of you showed... my message was left on read in the group chat" he looks at you and you don't see any malice or anger just... sadness? Disappointed? You're not sure.

His confession pains your fragile heart. He was trying, he had tried and your bandmates and yourself had only damaged the already non-existent relationship.

"I've never been to a party, I'm not great in crowds" you try explaining, "I barely even make it through our gigs, I'm always the first to go home" Harry nods in understanding, grabbing another cigarette from the packet he has in his pocket and lights it.

"Still could have said something... I know Maeve and Riu hate me so I guess there's not much I can do about that" he shrugs as he takes a drag. He's trying to brush off the emotions he just let himself have in front of you.

"I should have, I'm sorry" you mumble your apology still shocked that you've managed to get this far.

It's quiet for a few minutes. Harry focused on finishing his cigarette, seemingly needing to ease the tension he felt.

"I'll be better about my tardiness," he says after a while. You nod, smiling slightly when he looks over at you.

"Let me know when your next party is, I'll try and go" you offer, a peace offering between you and him. He laughs and shakes his head.

"Sure, darling" he stomps his second cigarette out and walks back over to you "Won't invite those two losers tho" he smirks at you before walking back into the building. You roll your eyes with a laugh and follow him back inside.

Harry S

10 Pleasing Road, Tomorrow 9 pm

See you there?

You

What should I wear? Should I bring anything? How many people are going?

Harry S

Whatever you're comfortable in, nope just yourself ;) And about 20 people nothing crazy

You

Okay, see ya

Oh god. You have no idea what to wear and you can't possibly ask Maeve or Riu for advice they'd need to know what you're dressing up for. You've been procrastinating your outfit choice all day. Your makeup is done dark and mysterious just how you like, your hair is up and out of your neck predicting that it'll be too warm wherever you're going but you're only wearing underwear... a matching set sure but not an appropriate outfit for a public outing.

You look at the time on your phone and your breath hitches, you're already past your maximum departure time... you're going to be late. This is not good. You contemplate texting Harry and telling him you can't make it but you want to have a better relationship with him you want to make an effort.

You find a long dark red floral dress that you haven't worn in forever and decide that tonight it will stop gathering dust. There is a slight chill in the outside air so you grab the crochet bolero Riu made you for your birthday. It's black with a ladybug charm in the center of it, she lands perfectly in your cleavage. You rush out of your room and out of your shared flat with Maeve before she starts asking questions. You slipped on your go-to heeled boots before running out of the building.

The address Harry sent you is, surprisingly, only a 15-minute walk away from where you live. Keeping a rapid pace is all you're focused on so you can make it with as little delay as you can. Being late gets your anxious gears running like crazy, your internal and external clock always chanting "Early is on time, on time is late and late is unacceptable!". You can thank your mother for that one.

You make it to the one-story townhouse at 9:28, you hear music from the outside and a few cars parked in the driveway and on the sides of the roads.

You breathe in and out deeply as you make your way to the door, calming your heartbeat and yourself. This is your first uni party, the first party that isn't family or Maeve/Riu related. Your first big girl party. It's nerve-wracking but also a little exciting.

As you're about to knock you realize the door is already ajar, you don't overthink it and head inside.

Turns out Harry had been pretty spot on with the number of people at this gathering. Doing a quick scan of the living room, after going through the small entrance, most people are sitting down, drinking and smoking different things. Only a few people look your way but they go back to their original conversations quickly, unbothered by another presence. You spot a table filled with different liquor bottles and mixers and make a beeline for it. Before you start mixing a drink for yourself someone calls out your name.

"You made it!" you turn your head and spot Harry making his way towards you. He's all smiles and bright eyes, he's got a beer in his hand and a cigarette in the other.

"I did, sorry I'm late" you grimace thinking about it again.

"Pff, no one's on time at a party" he waves it off before taking a drag, he blows it out away from your face and looks down at the empty cup in your hand.

"Why isn't there a drink in your hand, darling?" he asks you in mock shock. You shrug and gesture to the table, "I don't know what to make"

He nods and asks for your go-to spirit. Once you tell him he starts making a mix, only using the one liquor, finishing it off with a scoop of ice and a straw.

"Voila!" he winks as he hands you the now full cup. You take a sip and hum appreciatively.

"This is really good thank you" you smile in gratitude. Any worries that have been clawing at you since the moment you accepted to come are slowly disappearing. Harry seems genuinely pleased that you've shown up and that makes the overwhelming feeling large crowds give you dissipate. You should be able to stay like this for a while now.

"You look really nice, darling, I love your style" he lifts himself onto a stool, carefully not to spill his drink or drop his cigarette.

You can feel heat crawl up your neck and onto your face, not used to getting compliments. It's not that you haven't dated or hooked up with people but it's not something that just happens. Flirting requires a lot of energy from you, you're quick to feel embarrassed and shut yourself out just to process it all. Not that you think Harry is flirting or trying to get with you, he's just a socialite who's not shy to say what he's thinking.

"Just threw on whatever" you shrug avoiding his gaze.

"I'm sure that's an understatement but nonetheless you look gorgeous" he winks as he takes one last long drag before putting out the cigarette in the ashtray next to him and then throwing it into a trash can.

He's quite captivating to watch; his eyes are dark, an attractive smirk is always present, and wavy hair moves around with him and his tattoos. God his tattoos! You knew he had loads just by having seen his arms but now his button-down is pretty much unbuttoned at this point. You see many more that you never knew existed and it's only making him more handsome. The butterfly on his sternum, the two swallows beneath his collarbones, the fern leaves peeking out of his jeans; a very dangerous and tempting combination. You'll let your imagination run wild later...

"Mh, so um what does one usually do at a party?" Ah yes, a very natural change in conversation! You go Y/N, you mentally mock yourself with a subtle shake of your head. Harry doesn't seem to mind the switch or notice your mental scolding because he answers truthfully.

"Depends what you're up to doing honestly, I know someone has weed somewhere so you can join the stoners..." you shake your head, not your vibe. "You can dance in the basement that's where the music is playing and people are grinding" You shrug at that option not completely opposed to it. "Or you could go in the yard and join one of the many drinking games happening" That is a good option for later in the evening.

"Take me dancing?" your voice is a little high pitched, not completely confident in yourself but you want to make the most of this. It's not every day you'll be doing this kind of thing.

Harry doesn't answer verbally but he does grab your hand and guides you. His grip isn't tight you could easily free yourself if you wanted to but you want to make it to the dance floor... and holding Harry's hand is quite pleasant.

As he had previously said, the dancing is happening in the basement. This is where you realize Harry is probably the worst counter you've ever met because in this room alone there are at least 30 more people. The space is huge and open; no walls just another makeshift bar, large speakers, some funky lighting and some overused-looking sofas.

Feeling brave you pull Harry towards the other people dancing, and he follows with no hesitation. The beat of the pop song is good and gets your hips moving quickly, you'll never admit it but cheesy pop music is your guilty pleasure. Harry quickly matches your moves, smiling as you dance together he almost looks surprised that you're doing this with him. When you realize you haven't let go of his hand you quickly spin away in a somewhat casual attempt to free yourself, not that the handholding was bad. You just don't want to make him uncomfortable or maybe get anyone he's into at this party to think he's unavailable. The thought of him leaving you right now does make your skin crawl but you focus on dancing back towards him to finish your super duper casual and unnoticed freeing.

"You're a natural, who knows under all that eyeliner and glitter you liked bubblegum pop" Harry jokes as you get close to him again. You laugh and shake your head.

"It's all a distraction, Styles, I'm good at distractions" You wave your hands in front of his face with a spooky witch tone of voice.

"I don't doubt that..." he grabs your hand again and pulls you close to him, careful not to spill either of your drinks.

You feel the heat of his palm travel all the way up your arm and down the other. He's now deliberately taken your hand twice. Twice in the same hour. Hell in the same 5 minutes! God, he's so intoxicating. Your friends would not approve of the thoughts you're having. Riu would scream bloody murder and Maeve... Maeve would never look at you in the eyes again.

You chug the remainder of your drink and toss your empty cup onto a nearby table, you mentally apologize to the person who will pick that up later. Harry follows your lead and places his now free hand on your waist pulling you even closer to him.

"What do you think of the party so far?" he leans into your space even more, softly asking his question right next to your ear. You hum first as you angle yourself towards his own ear to answer.

"Not as crazy as I've seen them in movies or TV shows... but I think I watch too much American television" You laugh at yourself but you quickly still when you feel Harry's lips touch your ear.

"What? You're missing some cheesy games and making out with strangers" he teases you, tightening his hand grip on your waist.

"Something like that yeah, ha" Your breath is quick and uncertain. Overthinking how you're even supposed to breathe normally because you know Harry hears and feels your every breath.

"Mh, let me satisfy your wishes then" he pulls back and winks. "Hey!", he exclaims, "Anyone wanna play truth or dare?" at his question many people cheer affirmatively and he drags you towards one of the couches where everyone else follows suit.

The couch you're now sitting on has obviously been occupied by many other butts and now your own but you try to get that thought out of your head.

"You go first Haz, you initiated" you hear someone with a thick accent say.

"Fine, fine... who wants to ask me?"Harry playfully rolls his eyes as he leans back, his arms splayed across the top of the couch.

"Truth or dare?" someone new calls out.

"Truth let's keep it tame for now" he answers the crowd. You hear some people whisper to each other, debating what question they should ask now that they have free will.

"Did you actually fuck Olivia Flores while she was dating your mate Niall?" a high-pitched voice calls out. Harry rolls his eyes and breathes out deeply.

This rumour had spread all over the school through all clicks and social groups. Olivia was the most beloved student you could think of. She loves speaking with anyone and everyone, she volunteers every other day, and she's never in a bad mood or at least never lets anyone see if she is. The only time that you've ever seen her smile gone was when the rumours started. When everyone was whispering about her cheating on her boyfriend with his best friend. Niall is basically the embodiment of a golden retriever and people took the news of him being cheated on very badly. She denied it endlessly and tried to get people back on her side because her friends ended up turning on her. Harry and Niall both denied the rumours but there was no stopping everyone else from saying what they wanted. Especially after their break up and her decision to switch schools...

"I've said it a million times before, no. Never. I never have and never will because I know how much they still care for each other" he clicks his tongue at the end, annoyed at the question.

Some questions still cross your mind but you decide that his answer is enough. You choose to believe all three of them in this, that their denial is truthful and that Niall and Olivia breaking up after had nothing to do with the rumours.

"Y/N, in honour of your request, truth of dare?" Harry brings your thoughts back to the present, where everyone is now looking at you... analyzing. These people don't know you so you let them watch you even if it makes your skin crawl.

"Dare" might as well go past your boundaries even more. You're getting to know a whole new you tonight, it's exciting.

"Kiss me" he murmurs close to your ear, having leaned into your space. You chuckle pushing him away playfully.

"Come on! Be serious this is my first party game!" you poke his chest with your nail and squint your eyes. He can't just tease you like that! Pfff.

"Serious? You don't think I'm serious" he tilts his head to the side. His expression is unreadable and it makes you question whether he's being a goof right now or if he really wants to kiss you. Why would he want to kiss you out of anyone here?

You roll your eyes and push his face away from you. He looks shocked for a moment before letting a breath out, it almost sounds disappointed... can air sound a certain way? You're definitely overthinking this.

"A real dare please!" you squint your eyes at him in a playful manner. He shakes his head at you with a crooked smile, he's bewildered but you don't know that. You don't know how much he yearns for you right now. How much you attract him or how much it means to him that you're trying. Really trying to know him and make him your friend.

"Fine, I'll settle for the cheek" he winks and points to his right cheek which is inches away from your face.

You assess his expression, he's smirking again obviously happy that his teasing is affecting you. Ever so slightly furrowing his brows in worry that you'll reject that too. So. In honour of your first-ever big girl party, you do it. You kiss his cheek and you play dirty a little bit. Pressing your lips right to the corner of his lips. Right where they merge into the skin of his face.

"There! Now who's next?" you exclaim excitedly turning back to the group of people. A girl you don't know raises her hand and you dare her to do a shot of her least favourite alcohol. She walks off in search of it and your head is turned back towards Harry by a gentle hold on your chin.

"You're such a tease, gorgeous" his voice is soft but rugged almost sounding bothered by something... by someone?

"How so?" your lips form a small smile as you take a sip of your beer, you're conveniently sat next to a cooler full of them.

"You're irresistible" he replies with dark eyes, the hand on your chin moves to your cheek. The tips of his fingers tangling in your hair almost scratching at your scalp.

You don't completely understand how he's saying that about you when he looks the way he does. His hair is falling gorgeously onto his face as he looks at you, his eyes are dark and inviting, lips parted and numerous tattoos still on display.

"What are you going to do about it?" Wow! You're feeling brave tonight good on you! It might be the drinks you've been working at starting to make the anxiety you previously had melt away. Making the nerves calm and the fear of embarrassing yourself much less important.

"What do you want me to do about it?" his lips brush your own as he whispers his answer. You hadn't realized how close you'd gotten to each other; your chest is pressed to his, thighs seemingly glued together at the side, hands holding onto whatever part that isn't yet connected...

Before you can answer and quite possibly take him up on his first dare, your phone rings in your lap. You jump in surprise but Harry's strong yet gentle hold on you doesn't waver, he keeps you close to him. You glance down at the screen and see that Riu is calling you, the terrible selfie he took for his contact picture staring back at you. He has the habit of "stalking" you and Maeve on the Snapchat map, he says it's to make sure you're all in your usual spots. And... well... right now you're definitely not in one of your usual spots.

"Are you going to answer?" Harry asks with a slightly annoyed tone. You look at him again breaking eye contact with Riu's picture. You shake your head and take a deep breath, encouraging yourself. Harry's eyebrow raises in confusion but before anything else can be said you surge forward. You connect your lips to his desperately, forgetting everything else around you.

Harry's hand, the one that was on your cheek, reaches to the back of your head and pulls you closer. Deepening the kiss more than you thought possible. His other hand wraps around your waist and pushes you forward making your chest completely stuck to his. Your hands busy themselves as well, your right one tangles into his curls and your left grabs onto his forearm almost in an attempt to brace yourself. His tongue meets yours making you moan in pleasure. Who knew making out with someone could feel so good?

Harry doesn't stop, not for one second, as if he'd been wishing to do this for a while. He has but you obviously don't know that. He's been interested since his audition, he had seen your band before but never interacted. He always thought you were gorgeous but never had a chance to see if there could be any chemistry between you both. And now? Lord.

Someone around you hollers and it snaps you out of the bubble that surrounds both of you. You jerk away from Harry putting as much distance between you as you're able to on the otherwise cramped sofa.

"You two better go off to somewhere more private before we all need to bleach our eyeballs" The person sitting next to Harry laughs as he nudges him on the arm, shaking both of your bodies against each other. Harry shakes his head and playfully punches the person but you stare at him shocked. Shocked that you were just fully making out with him, shocked that he wanted to make out with you... Shocked that you're kind of wishing it kept going.

When Harry's head turns back towards you, you can't help but meet his gaze. Your own eyes are wide and just now getting back to focus, they had gone hazy with want but you won't admit that to yourself just yet.

"Let me walk you home? I know you have an exam first thing in the morning tomorrow" He asks sincerely, wanting to make sure you don't miss any essential studying you might want to do.

"Um, sure, a party on Wednesday is weird..." You shake your head in thought now just realising that you had completely forgotten about the test.

"Makes hump day less humpy I guess" he shrugs with a teasing smile before standing and helping you up off the sofa.

The walk back to your flat is entertaining. You get to know your new bandmate even more, truly getting to know him as a person. You share about yourself as well not wanting the conversation to seem one-sided. Turns out drinking a little alcohol makes you chatty.

Somehow, your left hand has interlocked with Harry's right one. How and when this happened you're not sure all you know is that you've had a painfully obvious blush on your face and neck ever since. You don't attempt to break the hold because... well... you really don't want to.

"Well, this is me" You turn to face Harry as you speak. You gesture to your complex vaguely still wanting to talk with him.

"Mh, quaint," he says without even looking at the building.

"Guess this is goodnight then" Your lips form into a small pout, disappointed that you have no real excuse to stay around Harry anymore.

"Guess so... I'll see you at practice tomorrow?" his hand tugs you towards him gently, leaving only inches between you. You bite your lip and nod as an answer all words having vanished from your mind. He smirks and bends down to press his lips on yours one more time. This kiss is much different than the one you previously shared, this one is only a short peck barely even qualifies as a kiss. You instinctively follow when he parts from you desperate for a real kiss.

"What's wrong pretty?" he's teasing you and you know it.

"Kiss me properly... leave me regretting coming back home to study instead of staying at yours" There's a sentence you never imagined yourself saying. You're feeling like a completely new you. Maybe it's the liquor in your system but Harry stops the nerves and the overthinking that's always going on in your head. He feels like a breath of fresh air and that is so fucking hot.

Harry doesn't hesitate to reconnect your lips again for a real kiss. He bites and drags your bottom lip towards him you moan at the feeling, quickly wrapping your arms around him to deepen the contact. Your tongue meets his between your mouths, it's not a battle, feels like they've been waiting to reconnect since they parted ways at the party.

"You're so hot Y/N" Harry practically moans out before slamming his lips back against yours.

Kissing someone has truly never felt this good.

The exam you only spent about 45 minutes studying for ended up being a total breeze as it was open book. Your nerves had immediately vanished when you'd stepped into the auditorium and read that on the board. But now your nerves are back up as your final period is about to end. Band practice is after this. You'll have to face Harry in front of both of your other friends... who have no idea that you've made out with the new member... twice.

Harry hasn't stopped messaging you all day thanking you for giving him a chance again and asking if he could take you out after practice. You haven't answered yet, every time you try to write one up your fingers word vomit and you end up deleting your drafts. You want to say yes to him but you feel like you might be braver telling him face to face.

When you hear your professor announce that he's dismissing you early you practically jump out of your seat. This could be the perfect opportunity to go see Harry early. He's been done with class for about an hour now and is already at the auditorium waiting so you rush over. You don't take the time to put away your pencil case or your notebook, keeping them in your hands as you make your way.

"Hope you haven't been ghosting me, sweetheart" Harry calls out immediately as you walk into the auditorium. He's lying down on the edge of the stage, a leg hanging off the side with his phone in hand above his head. He doesn't turn to look at you but you can't blame him so you're quick to walk to him ready to explain yourself.

"I wasn't I swear! I just kept overthinking my answers... thought I'd have an easier time answering in person" you tell him as you put down your things on one of the seats.

"Understandable, things can be more complicated to convey through a screen" his answer lifts a weight off of your shoulders. You were so worried he wouldn't understand.

"So, I'm glad you gave me a chance to get to know you" you start, "I know we weren't very welcoming and I'm sorry" You tentatively place your hand on Harry's chest, between both of his pecks.

"It's okay gorgeous, I know it's cause you were just so intimidated by my hot bod" he lightens the mood with his joke and you're so grateful.

"Mh, sure" you tease him with a shake of your head.

He gasps in mock offence batting your hand away from his chest. You laugh at his antics,

already thinking up your next answer. Harry doesn't let the hand that was on him go far grabbing it and tugging you closer to him.

"As for your other texts... I'd really like to go out with you later tonight" Your voice turns very weak at the end of your sentence, shyness taking over. Harry chuckles and tugs you to him again.

"You're so cute, darling" he smiles softly, "I'm glad I didn't scare you off" his free hand reaches out and wraps around your neck to cup your nape. He pulls your face down to his kissing your lips, once, twice, thrice...

"Riu and Maeve are going to be so confused when I tell them" you chuckle. Your friends might actually faint when you tell them you're going on a date with the Harry Styles.

"Let's just let them walk in while we kiss, easy way to announce it," he says with a wink. You smile and bend back down to lock lips... addicted to the way he feels.

"Or, you could write a song about how good kissing me is" you joke as you whip your hair backwards in an attempt to joke. Harry, however, takes your suggestion seriously.

"I've already got five written in my head, six if you kiss me again right now" And who are you to deny helping his creative juices?

You do end up shocking Maeve and Riu with your "very inappropriate spit swapping" Maeve's words, not yours.

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles fic #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry edward styles #harry styles imagine #harry x reader

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storiesforallfandoms · 1 year ago

Text

good girl ~ gerard way

word count: 2990

request?: yes!

“okayokayokay, hear me out, dads best friend! gerard x reader. you’re franks kid, going on tour with them, and yeah, that’s kinda all i have. current time, with a hint of thigh riding, smut with praise, kinda fluffy afterwards. you should look it up but gerard wore shorts on stage last night and holy shit, i’m dead. thank you so fuckin much!”

description: they said nothing was going to happen while she was on tour with them, that nothing could happen while she was on tour with them, but then he came out in those damn shorts

pairing: gerard way x female!iero!reader

warnings: swearing, smut (thigh riding, praise kink, unprotected sex), age gap (reader is in their 20s, gerard is 45), rpf (if you don’t like it, don’t read)

masterlist (one, two, three)

He knew what he was doing. There’s no way he didn’t. He knew I was joining them today, and he just so happened to come out in a pair of hot shorts showing off those thighs that I had gotten off on so many times before? After I told him we couldn’t do this while we were with my dad? Yeah, this was definitely on purpose.

“Are you listening to me, Squirt?” dad asked, nudging me out of my thoughts.

Shit, how long have I been staring? Has dad noticed?

“Yeah,” I lied.

“What did I say?”

“You called me Squirt.”

Dad chuckled and rolled his eyes. I smiled and tried not to look over at Gerard. He was talking to Mikey and their stage manager, turned side on from me. I glanced over for a split second, just in time to see he was already looking at me. He smirked and winked at me. My face grew hot and I quickly looked away.

We knew this was wrong. At least, I think we did. The first time it happened we said it was wrong. Gerard was dad’s friend, his bandmate. I was a little less than half his age. He had a kid, a kid I had babysat numerous times when I was a teenager. Everything about the situation was wrong. Dad would freak out if he knew, the public probably would, too. We swore the first time would be the only time.

But then he came over one night during the summer for dinner. I was wearing a sundress, he was in shorts and a tank top. Next thing I knew, he had me bent over the bathroom sink with my dress pushed up around my hips.

“One time” turned into “many times” and, eventually, we stopped saying that it was wrong out loud. But we did agree we wouldn’t be doing this while dad was around. No one could ever know, but especially not dad. Gerard didn’t want to put his friendship with dad or the band in jeopardy. when I agreed to go on tour with the band for a while, we had an agreement that there would be no funny business.

I guess that agreement wasn’t going to last long.

“Alright everyone, places in ten minutes,” the stage manager announced before leaving the room.

“Everyone, circle,” Mikey announced. The band moved together, putting their arms around each other and bowing their heads. Mikey looked over at me and nodded his head. “Come on, little Iero, you too.”

“This is a band ritual, though,” I said.

“You’re an honorary member for now,” dad said. “No arguing. Come on.”

He extended an arm to me. It felt like some cruel trick of fate that the one he had unconnected from, leaving a space for me to get between, was Gerard. I took a deep breath and moved in between them. Dad put his hand around my shoulder, but Gerard put his hand on my lower back. I prayed no one noticed my body stiffen as they started their usual pre-show speech.

When everyone pulled away to take their places, Gerard leaned into my ear to whisper, “Meet me at my room after the show.”

I felt a tingle run down my spine and between my legs.

I tried to focus only on the concert as I watched the band perform, but it was hard to keep my mind from wandering when Gerard was there, in those goddamn shorts, and now he was getting all hot and sweaty while performing. Near the end of the show, his long hair was was slick with sweat and sticking to his forehead. It felt like the show was dragging on for hours and it would never end. I wasn’t sure how I was going to stop myself from jumping his bones the second he walked off the stage.

The after show adrenaline backstage was just as hard to get through. The guys were all jittering withing adrenaline and excitement. I didn’t want to break up their fun, or to seem suspicious, but I was itching to get back to the hotel so I could go to Gerard’s room. I was standing with my thighs clenched together, feeling hot and sweaty as if I were the one who just performed. I was slightly embarrassed by how desperate I was feeling, but only slightly.

The drive back to the hotel was short. We all said goodnight to one another before heading to our respective hotel rooms. I listened to make sure I heard all three doors close, meaning dad, Mikey, and Ray wouldn’t see anything, before making a beeline for Gerard’s room. He was waiting for me at the door, immediately taking me into his arms and kissing me with a combination of passion and aggression. He fumbled with the room key while still kissing me, but finally managed to swipe it and open the door. He pulled me into the room and shoved me against the door once it shut again.

“I can’t believe you,” I muttered against his lips. “We said none of this while on tour.”

“I can’t help it,” he said. “I’m so addicted to you. I don’t think I can give you up.”

Gerard pressed his lips against mine again before I could say anything. His hands slipped under my shirt and pressed against my skin. I already felt hot, but his touch made me feel like I was on fire. I was gripping at his shirt, too, still damp from the sweat, when my fingers brushed over the waistband of his shorts.

“These fucking shorts,” I groaned between kisses.

Gerard smirked. “You like them, huh?”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t do this on purpose. You knew how these shorts were going to make me feel.”

He pulled away, that damn smirk still on his face. He took my hand and pulled me further into the room. He sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding my hand in his. He was looking up at me with lust filled eyes, the look alone causing a new puddle to form in my panties.

“Take your pants off,” he told me. I did as he said, unbuttoning my jeans and letting them fall to the floor. I stepped out of them and kicked them aside. “Good girl.”

I almost whimpered. God, he knew what praise did to me.

“Now,” he patted on thigh, “climb on up here, princess.”

I got onto his lap, placing my legs on either side of his thigh so I was straddling it. He placed his hands on my hips and lowered me so my clothes core was directly on his thigh. I let out a whimper at the friction. I had been longing for any sort of contact for so long that just the faint brush of my panties against my clit sent tingles through my body and caused a louder moan to slip past my lips.

“Shh,” Gerard said. “We don’t want anyone to hear you, do we?”

I shook my head, biting my lip to hold in any other involuntary noises.

“Good girl,” he said again. He kissed me gently before saying, “Now, get off on my thigh like a good girl.”

I started moving my hips, letting the friction grow. Any noises I made came out muffled against my lips. If I was in a different state of mind, I’d probably feel a little pathetic in the situation - mewling on Gerard’s lap in desperation to get myself off. We weren’t even having sex yet and I was already a mess. But I only had one thing on my mind, one endgame to work towards.

I put my arms around his neck to ground myself as I continued to grind. His hands were still resting on my waist, but he wasn’t controlling my movements. He was letting me go at my own pace. He was watching me so intently, like I was the most beautiful art he had ever seen.

“You’re doing so good, babe,” he breathed. “You look so beautiful when you’re coming undone like that.”

I tried to say something in return, but it just came out as incoherent babbles. Gerard chuckled and pulled me in for another kiss. His tongue poked at my bottom lip, asking for permission to enter. I parted my lips and let his tongue explore my mouth. He swallowed my moans, which had become harder to control. I was nearing my climax quicker than I had anticipated. I wasn’t ready for it yet. I wanted this to go on for longer.

But Gerard knew I was close. His hands were now gripping my hips and moving me a little bit faster. Against my lips, he mumbled, “I want you to cum on my lap, pretty girl. Please cum on my lap.”

He forcefully kissed my lips as a scream of pleasure ripped through my throat without warning. My body trembled as my orgasm washed over me. How he made me feel so good with just his thigh, I would never know. He made me feel better than any man my age ever could.

I started to come down from my high as I realized I was being moved. Gerard was lifting me from his lap and gently placing me on the bed. He stood at the end and quickly removed his clothes. I did the same, ridding myself of my panties, shirt, and bra. We were both completely naked, just looking at one another. He always somehow made me feel both confident and insecure under his gaze. He looked at me with such hunger in his eyes that I wanted to let him have me however he wanted, but also I wanted to cover myself up. I always felt so many conflicting things when we were together.

He climbed onto the bed, hovering over me. He lowered himself so his body was flush against mine, engulfing me with his heat. He kissed me again, feverishly. I could feel his dick, hard and throbbing, against my inner thigh, mere inches from where I wanted him most. My hips bucked involuntarily. His tip grazed my entrance, causing the two of us to moan together.

“Is this what you want?” he asked, running his dick between my folds. “You want this inside of you, good girl?”

“P-Please,” I begged. “Please, I need you inside of me. Need it so bad, need you so bad.”

“You sound so pretty when you beg.” He reached between us and lined himself up with my entrance. “Ask me one more time.”

“Please, Gerard. Please fuck me.”

With one thrust, he filled me completely. I gasped at the sensation, which was followed by another moan. He covered my mouth with his hand, suppressing the moan before it fully erupted out of me. He slowly pulled out of me until it was just the tip inside of me, then pushed all the way back in. I could feel every inch of him slowly pulling out and filling me up, dragging along my walls and pushing against my g-spot with every thrust inwards. The sore feeling I had from my recent orgasm quickly melted away into pleasure again.

Gerard buried his head in the crook of my neck, leaving kisses along my neck and shoulder between attempts to muffle his own groans and moans. My moans and whimpers came out muffled against his hand. He started to pick up the pace with his thrusts. With his body against mine, his pelvic bone was rubbing against my clit with every thrust. The combined stimulation of him rubbing against my clit and his dick abusing my g-spot had my lower stomach tightening again in no time. I had no way of telling him this time around that I was getting close, so I just had to let my orgasm wash over me. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as my body began to tremble again, screams of pleasure muffled, but just barely, against his hand.

He was whispering praises into my ear but I felt so far off that I could barley hear them. The only thing keeping me grounded and present was the feeling of my nails digging into his skin and his desperate thrusts, now becoming a little sloppier. It wasn’t long until I could feel him spilling inside of me. He bit down on my shoulder to try and keep himself quiet, undoubtably also leaving marks there. I barley cared at the time, but at least he left them in a spot that would be easy to cover.

We both laid there, tangled up in one another for some time. I was still feeling lightheaded, chasing that wonderful post-climax feeling and slowly coming down from it. If I didn’t have to move at all for the rest of time, I would’ve been content. I could’ve laid there with him for so long if that were possible.

When he got up and pulled himself out of me, I felt empty. There’s always a feeling of slight disappointment after sex that it couldn’t go on for longer, or that you had to separate from one another at all. Gerard took a moment to catch his breath before standing from the bed.

“I have to shower,” he said. “Do you wanna come with?”

I happily agreed. I followed him into the bathroom and waited as he started up the shower. Within seconds the mirror was steamed over from the hot water. I didn’t think I’d be able to handle a hot shower, but the minute the hot water touched my skin I felt like I was in paradise. Taking a shower where the water was anything cooler than scolding hot was definitely not an option for me. I let Gerard use the hotel provided shampoo and body wash first, seeing as he was the one who had performed an entire show before we had sex. I stood back as he washed himself, taking in the sight of his body covered in suds and water.

“We’re really bad at this,” I blurted without thinking.

He turned to look at me. “What do you mean?”

“We keep saying we’re going to stop, and then we never do.”

He sighed and tilted his head back to rinse the shampoo from his hair. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“What we’re doing isn’t right.”

“It feels right.”

I felt a smile tugging at my lips. Yeah, it definitely felt right. But morally it wasn’t right. Was it?

“Do you think, if the circumstances were different, that we’d be a normal couple?” Gerard asked as he stepped back, allowing me to let the water run over me.

“What do you mean?” I asked. I definitely noticed his use of the word “couple”, but decided not to mention it just yet. I hadn’t ever thought of us in that way, in a “relationship” type of way. Not that I didn’t want to. I know Gerard would be a perfect boyfriend, probably the best one I could ever ask for, but I didn’t think he saw what we were doing in that way. It had just been sex. There were some moments that it felt like more than that, but for the most part I knew that’s all it was and all it likely would ever be.

“Like...if you weren’t my best friend’s kid, do you think we would ever actually...be able to explore what we have? To actually go out together on dates and be able to hold hands in public and be together. Not to sneak around behind closed doors and hope no one notices the brief glances we have when we’re in public?”

I was shocked. I didn’t think Gerard had thought of what we were doing in that way. It had never been brought up before, so I just assumed we were on the same page in terms of this being a “no strings attached” type of deal.

“I think...I think we would,” I admitted. “Granted, it might be a little controversial with the age difference.”

“It would be, but we’re both adults regardless of the age difference. It’s not like you just turned 18 and I’m a gross middle aged man waiting to be able to date you.”

I scrunched my nose in disgust at his comparison. “Yeah, the world sees enough of that as it is. I think a relationship between someone in their mid 20s and someone in their 40s is the least people have to worry about.”

Gerard took my face in his hands suddenly and leaned down to kiss me. It was sweet and gentle, just a normal kiss because he felt like kissing me. I leaned into him, returning it because I just felt like kissing him, too.

This, I thought to myself, is what it would feel like to be able to just be a normal couple. Just to kiss each other because we feel like it.

We turned off the water as it started to run cold. We both dried off and got ready for bed. I knew I should’ve gone back to my own room, that it would be suspicious if anyone came looking for me the next morning and I wasn’t there, but I didn’t want to go back. I wanted to spend the night with Gerard, and he wanted me there, too.

We climbed into bed together. Gerard turned off the lamp next to the bed and the room was plunged into darkness. He took me into his arms, holding me to him as the fatigue finally started to wash over us. I rested my head on his chest, listening to his heart beating, as I closed my eyes.

This is what it would be like if we could be a normal couple, was the last thought I had before I finally drifted off to sleep.

*I’m sorry there wasn’t more to the smut. I got sick in the middle of writing this and found myself struggling to finish the smutty bits. I hope it was okay otherwise!*

#gerard way #gerard way imagine #gerard way x reader #gerard way smut #my chemical romance #imagine #one shot #request #rpf #fanfiction #fanfic #fandom

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thecowboymouse · 7 days ago

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My personal A/B/O hcs for the Batfam

I plan on writing a few onegaverse fics in the near future and so I thought it would be fun to write down what I personally think each member would be assigned along with a couple of headcanons for them :3

Alfred: Beta

Bruce: Alpha

Dick: Omega (used to be an Alpha)

Jason: Alpha

Tim: Beta

Cass: Beta

Stephanie: Omega

Damian: Pup currently but would grow up to be an Alpha

Duke: Alpha

Headcanons

• Dick used to be an alpha but with so many other alphas in his pack and team, he decided to get bitched so that he could become the pack omega (he also had deep down felt like he should've been an omega, and so when he found a legit excuse to switch, he took it)

• Dick will never reveal who he asked to bitch him <3

• I actually think that Cass would've been an omega, but Cain had her sterilized before puberty/before she presented, and so she's technically a beta

• Omegas aren't actually looked down on in this au as they are seen as very vital for packs to have in order to maintain peace, strength, and loyalty. Before Dick became an omega, things were very tense and fights/arguments were a daily occurrence

• Steph isn't in the main pack but is considered an honorary member. This is because she doesn't want to have to deal with Bruce being her pack Alpha and having control over her

#batfam #dc comics #dcu #dick grayson #nightwing #jason todd #bruce wayne #batman #red hood #red robin #tim drake #cassandra cain #stephine brown #alfred pennyworth #duke thomas #damian wayne

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thisisangiesworld · 3 months ago

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Sparkling red

In which you fight against the fate of the Valkyries.

Cassian x sister!reader

Warnings : blood, death, injuries, mention of vomiting

Word count : 8,4k

Author note : Posting this for the last day of @cassianappreciationweek as it's what inspired me to finish and post it as my first ACOTAR writing!

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

- Present time -

It was somewhat pretty.

From where you were, you couldn’t see the sky. But you could picture its color; according to the reflections in the snow, the sun was slowly rising, a wonderful show of fire for whoever had the chance to watch. Maybe there were clouds too. You closed your eyes, and wooly forms danced behind your eyelids. A shallow breath, two, and you opened your eyes again.

Moving your head was nearly impossible. It felt like a farrier was hitting your skull with a hammer. Almost as if the hits reverberated in your bones, shaking and irritating every single nerve of your body. And the cold had dug its claws in you, making you lose the feeling of your legs and your wings. No, you couldn’t move. But you really wanted to see the sky, and the branches above your head were blocking the view.

You had been staring at the snow for what felt like hours, and you still couldn’t understand what those things were. It was everywhere - dripping down the trunks of the trees, splattered over the snow, on your hand that was half buried in the wet coldness.

The light soon became too bright, the snow too blinding, and you found yourself looking for the mysterious things. The sight of them was easier to bear, and you soon became accustomed to their soothing color. Red, brighter than the dawn, almost as dark as the wine Mor loved to drink. It reminded you of Cassian’s siphons.

A color soft for the eyes, yes, but not really comforting, though.

It held a threat, a menace, and the more you looked at the things, the more you knew it wasn’t supposed to be somewhat pretty or soothing. If your brain was cloudy, the feeling in your gut eventually became so strong that you moved. In spite of the pain in your limbs, you brought your arms closer to you, pushed with the palms of your hands on the frozen ground and, with groans that seemed to rip your throat apart, you stood on your feet.

Your eyes took in all that they couldn’t see before; the sun, the clouds, the high branches with no leaves, standing around you like rusty weapons on a battlefield.

A battlefield.

That single word triggered something in you. A rush of adrenaline, a heartbeat so quick that became chaotic, muscles tensed, on the verge of breaking.

The soldier in you was back, and with it, the realization of what those things, this thing, was.

Blood.

___________

- Earlier -

War meant that your family was threatened, that much Cassian and you knew quite well. You were warriors, born and raised to be soldiers because a stubborn bastard and his stubborn sister weren’t worthy of anything else. Your family was probably the strongest in Prythian, each member being more dangerous than the last. Rhysand was the most powerful Fae that you had ever met, Azriel had the shadows for him and that unfaltering determination. Even Morrigan, who thankfully wasn’t fighting in this war, had that deep rooted instinct that made her someone you better not underestimate.

And of course there was Tanwyn. If you had to describe her in a few words, you would say that Tanwyn was a Cassian made woman. That was probably why the two of them had gotten along so well since the beginning, and why they had fallen in love with each other. She was the leader of the Valkyries, these brave females from all Prythian who had decided that they were as worthy of their sword as males could be. You had always admired them, and you had the honor to have shared training with the warriors and to be considered as an honorary member of their group.

It had helped you survive all the battles you had fought already in this damned war, and in this damned place that had become your home.

Your camp was in one of the only plains of the Winter Court. Through the years, it had become a small city, sometimes teeming with life, sometimes haunted by death.

It was one of those days, where the screams and the dim of the weapons still resonated between the barracks. A freezing wind was blowing, and even though the tents were barely a comfort, few were willing to get out of them. As a result, Cassian and you felt like you were in a ghost town, alone to share some hours for the first time in almost a year.

The first thing you had noticed was Cassian’s limp. He had tried to hide it from you of course, but you had seen right through it. Then your brother had called you out on the scar that was running on the side of your neck, and you were now sharing the few pieces of information you had about your family.

“I’ve heard that Azriel can’t leave the High Lord’s side,” grumbled Cassian. “Even Rhys has no word from him. From what I know he hasn’t even been on the battlefield in months.”

“That’s good news,” you answered. “Though I’m not sure his place is less dangerous than ours.”

“All I know is that he better have a good excuse for giving no word for years. I think I’ll beat his sorry ass for good measure, maybe to remind him of us once this is all over.”

You chuckled.

“I’m pretty sure he hasn’t forgotten about us - about me at least. We all know I’m his favorite.”

“You’re everyone’s favorite, you little brat.”

You stuck your elbow playfully on your brother’s side. A silence settled - at the moment, you cursed yourself for not using every little second you had with Cassian to make sure he knew everything, that you wanted him safe, that you missed him, that you loved him. But sometimes, it was so overwhelming that you couldn’t find anything to say.

It was a chance that you were passing by the camp-lord’s tent at that very moment, when he was in the heat of the conversation with what sounded like an envoy.

“The Gollian Mountains?” Lord Olwahld exclaimed. “But- that’s the eastern part of the court!”

“I know my Lord, but that’s what the lady said.”

You stopped as something had struck a chord. Unlike what Olwahld seemed to believe, the Gollian Mountains weren’t that far from the camp, and if something happened out there, odds were that you would be sent to fight.

“She said help is needed as soon as possible,” the man insisted. He almost had a pleading tone, and that made your blood freeze in your veins. “My Lord, your camp is the closest from the Mountains, and-”

“No.”

The Lord’s voice thundered, and even though he didn’t know what was happening, Cassian growled. The door-like fabric moved swiftly, and a boy that couldn’t be older than sixteen or seventeen appeared. His face was distorted with anger, and something that looked an awful lot like grief. He didn’t realize you and your brother were here until he almost knocked into you.

“What’s happening, boy?” asked Cassian. “What news do you have from the Mountains?”

“Death is what is going to happen.” the boy answered darkly. “These females stand no chance against whatever army they’ll face. The Valkyries, they call themselves. After all it doesn’t matter, I’m not even sure there’ll be a single grave to write their name on.”

With that, he turned tails and disappeared between the tents.

You didn’t remember having ever seen Cassian in such a state of shock. He was there, looking blankly in the void in front of him, his mouth still open as if he was ready to give an answer to the now gone young man. You could only imagine how his brain was working hard, trying to figure out how he could be of any help for Tanwyn - no, how Tanwyn could even be in such grave danger. You weren’t sure yourself of how great the danger was, actually.

Some courts were actively supporting Hybern’s side; they were ready to do absolutely anything to keep the human race as slaves, even going as far as annihilating the courts ruled by High Lords sympathetic to the human cause. Spring and Autumn were known to unconditionally support for Hybern, and Dawn and Day’s implication in the war was blur. Anyways, strong rumors had circulated in your camps, and Rhysand had confirmed it last time you had seen him a few months ago: Clythia, one of Hybern’s officers, was suspected to be trying to join the Middle, where she could try to rally ancestral creatures to her cause. It was a dangerous bet, thoughtless even, but it could surely tip the balance.

This was why the Winter court, though will-driven by neutrality since the beginning of the war, had recently agreed to let Illyrian camps be installed in their snowy territory.

“What am I going to do?”

It was Cassian, and the barely audible tremor of his voice interrupted your train of thoughts. It almost sounded as if he was mourning Tanwyn already, as if he was already holding her lifeless body in his arms and was facing the consequences of a terrible loss.

“We’re going to help them, Cassian. This is what we are going to do.”

With that, you grabbed your brother’s arm and pulled him forward, forcing him to follow your pace through half of the camp. Your first impulse would have been to barge in Lord Olwahld’s tent and demand soldiers to send to the Valkyries’ side. But the rational part of your mind knew that the Lord would never accept, not for the sake of a group of females and especially not if the little female bastard was the one formulating said demand. No, it would have only thrown away any chance of helping the Valkyries - you needed to think of something else.

Cassian was silent, almost obediently walking behind you and with no doubts lost in his thoughts. He didn’t even react to the few whispers and whistles on their passage, when he would usually throw a few punches to make sure nothing bad was if only thought about his sister. The only sign that he was still in that head of his was the storm in his hazel eyes.

By the time you got to your tent, you had already thought of some rudimentary plan. And you hoped that Cassian would come to his senses, because he would be the key to your success.

“We don’t know much, but the one thing we can be sure of is that Tanwyn will need backup,” you started. It seemed to get Cassian out of his stupor, because he changed his slumped posture for an alert attitude. Your heart felt a bit lighter - your brother would be with you in this. “I think either Spring or Autumn have soldiers ready to take a pass in the mountains to get an easier access to the Middle. It’s only rumors, but it could explain why invading the Winter court when they have stayed out of this. As far as we know, the Valkyries are the only rampart against them.”

“They are about fifty,” Cassian spoke up. “The Gollian Mountains are a hell of a place, and at this period of the year there won’t be a lot of the passages that will be practicable. That leaves four, maybe five key positions that need to be defended. Plus at least two groups placed before and after every passage to make sure they can’t get past the mountains.” Cassian had come to the same conclusion as you. “We need soldiers.”

“We do.”

“Y/N, Olwahld wouldn’t even give us a sword, what makes you think he’ll give us soldiers?”

That was the hardest part of the plan. You knew perfectly that if it was you or Cassian formulating the demand, Olwahld would have you rotting in one of those rudimentary cells for a week before even considering alerting the higher officers, those who were in charge of the discipline in the camps. No, you needed someone else. Someone more important than you.

The ideal would have been Rhysand’s father, of course. But that wasn’t possible; even though you were closer to him than anyone could think, the High Lord of the Night Court wouldn’t have put a soldier’s life on the line for what he would see as a lost cause. You needed someone who would act on his belief but who would be on your side.

“We need Rhysand for this,” you said. “One of us needs to alert Rhys, and the other has to go to the Mountains as quickly as possible, because as far as we know, the Valkyries might-”

“I know.” Cassian cut you off with a stern voice. “But what you’re saying is that I will have to warn Rhys while you sneak off the camp to join Tan and the others. Am I right?”

“You are,” you confirmed. “I know you don’t like it,” you added as your brother was on the verge of protesting, “but we both know my word counts for nothing. My presence is only accepted because I’m what they call an easily replaceable sword, because if I’m killed, it means a male isn’t.” Cassian growled, the same reaction he had whenever he was confronted with the treatment his little sister suffered. “Cass, I know you don’t like it, but you know as well as I do that the only way we have to contact Rhys quickly is by sending an official message. Olwahld will simply refuse if I’m the one asking for it, but maybe if it’s you…”

Your voice died in your throat as you realized how fragile that plan was.

“This looks an awful lot like a desperate attempt,” commented Cassian. “Y/N, do you really believe this is going to work?”

“What other option do we have?” you snapped. “The Valkyries are going to be facing an army on their own, Gods, they could be fighting right as we speak! Cassian, why does it look like you don’t care?”

That was a low blow, you knew it very well. But you had thought that your brother would knock out anyone willing to get between him and Tanwyn. Cassian had never been the voice of reason, definitely not when someone he loved was endangered. And Tanwyn… He loved her. You both loved her. You both cared deeply for her and the Valkyries, these amazing warriors you admired so much. You couldn’t comprehend why Cassian would let such a thing as doubt prevent him from doing what was right.

Your last words had hurt him. He had looked down, almost ashamed for a second. Only now did you notice the way he was triturating his hands. You were used to seeing Rhys do this, but not Cassian. Never Cassian.

“I’m sorry,” you muttered. “I shouldn’t have-”

“I care.” Cassian whispered. “I love her, I love her so much…”

He stayed silent for a few seconds, and you waited. Of course he loved Tanwyn, obviously he cared, and you felt your cheeks burn with shame. Your brother had a reason for being so hesitant. He always had a reason.

“But what you’re telling me is to let you leave for a fight you’ll likely lose. I just can’t do that, Y/N. I can’t.”

“But if I don’t go-”

“Only one more warrior, no matter how good they are, will not make any difference against an army.”

The voice of reason.

“We don’t know when Rhys will be able to come,” you objected. “I know they are damned skilled, but I can’t imagine that fifty of them against what could be a whole army could end well. Cassian, I won’t make any difference, but- they need to know help is coming. I might not be able to change the outcome of the fight, but hope could do just that, don’t you think?”

Cassian stayed silent. You could almost see the twirling of his thoughts. Deep down, you hoped he would think of something else, maybe a solution you hadn’t considered yet that would be better than your extremely flawed plan. But when his shoulders dropped, you knew he hadn’t found anything. Your mind wandered and you imagined Cassian agreeing with you, you both parting ways, each gone for a mission you probably wouldn’t be able to fulfill.

“You better be careful,” he simply said, “or you can be sure I’ll kick your sorry ass when you come back.”

As you discovered a few hours later, leaving an Illyrian war camp readying for another battle was surprisingly easy, especially for someone as insignificant as you. Following Cassian’s instructions, you had gone to the crowded infirmary and pretended to be looking for an injured friend of yours. When you had obviously found out that your friend wasn’t among the wounded, you had used the back door. The latter, which led to a kind of glade where the bodies of the fallen soldiers were left until they were burnt, was barely watched. All you had had to do was to wait until the guards’ attention decreased, and you had sneaked off in the woods.

Just like Cassian, you couldn’t winnow to the Mountains. Usually, your wings were more than enough and you prided yourself in being able to fly quite fast. But, no matter how fast you were, it was still a few hours long flight to get to the Gollian Mountains. All that you could hope was that the enemy would wait until the next day to attack. Given how capricious the weather could be in that part of Prythian, it wasn’t impossible.

If everything went as you hoped, Rhys would be aware of the situation by the time you joined the Valkyries. He would follow Cassian back to the camp immediately, order Olwahld to send soldiers and a few hours later, the help your friends needed would be there.

However, you weren’t an optimistic person, and it was hard to keep hoping everything would go as you so desperately wanted.

___

The sky was bathed in a soft orange when you finally identified the rugged ridges of the Gollian Mountains. You had been flying close to the ground for almost an hour; you hadn’t wanted to risk being seen by eventual enemies, and the air streams were stronger higher in the sky. The muscles of your whole body were burning - you hadn’t been able to fly for that long in ages. It felt good.

The roaring of the wind covered the sound of the snow crunching under your feet when you finally landed on the Mountains. You folded your wings tightly and drew your sword, even though you couldn’t see anything alarming. No sign of battle, no sign of the Valkyries. Only the storm was disturbing the peacefulness of the place.

“It’s been a while, little one.”

It took all of your remaining strength not to jump at the voice that was coming from behind, saving yourself from the humiliation of having been surprised that easily.

“One could have thought you too old to play hide and seek, Tan.”

Tanwyn chuckled, and took the dozen steps that were still separating her from you. The Valkyrie’s hand was resting nonchalantly on the pommel of her sword, and as far as you could see, she seemed to be unharmed.

“Did anything happen to Cassian?” she enquired, her voice laced with worry. You hurriedly shook your head. “Then is it possible that my plea for help has been heard?” she asked before you could add anything, to which you nodded. “Good, because my situation is desperate.”

“How could it be? Aren’t you with the Valkyries?”

“I am, but it’s a dozen sailboats that are coming at the very least, we’re not enough,” she sighed. Her eyes were lost somewhere behind you. Only now did you realize how exhausted Tanwyn looked. “All the remaining Valkyries are here, the twenty-six of us. But among them are our youngest recruits and- I can’t let them fight. Eveana is barely sixteen! I won't have those kids’ blood on my hands,” she added after another sight.

Your blood froze in your veins. Twenty-six. You didn’t dare to ask why half of the Valkyries were missing.

Tanwyn’s eyes were dark, clouded by what looked an awfully lot like fear. They didn’t lighten up when you explained your plan, not even when you mentioned that Cassian would most probably join you to fight with Rhys’ soldiers. She wasn’t even arboring her usual smirk, the one that gave her this permanently cocky expression Cassian loved so much. You had never seen her so unlike herself - so defeated.

“They know things aren’t looking good.” Tanwyn turned tails, and nodded in the direction of a snowed grove below. You followed her, swallowing the thousand questions that were burning your throat. “I’ve told the youngest I wanted them back to the Day court. I have an agreement with Kiheera’s parents, they’ll take them in if they protect the domain. They all refuse to leave.”

“How many are they?”

“Four. Eveana and Melody are promising, but they don’t even have the ribbon yet. Kiheera and Attala have had theirs for barely three months. But none of them really know what war is, and they don't understand that it would be a suicide to stay with us. If your soldiers don’t arrive soon…”

As Tanwyn was telling you more about the conflict between the youngest recruits and herself along with the desperate situation they were in, she guided you through the trees. Eventually, the camp appeared in front of you; it was barely a cluster of tents, probably not efficient against the icy wind but invisible from the sky and, as you would bet, from the valley below.

The very few Valkyries that you could see were wrapped up in thick furs; one of them, that you had never seen before, brought Tanwyn her cloak. The girl had the dark skin of the Day court, and you wondered if it was Kiheera. Tanwyn confirmed silently.

Then the both of you crossed the camp and reached a slightly off-centered tent.

“I haven’t thanked you yet for coming here,” said Tanwyn as she followed you inside. “I’m afraid of the outcome of this for all of us, but it truly means a lot that you came.”

“You know I would never let you down.”

“I know. This is why I’ve promised you that a white ribbon would always be waiting for you.”

You often wondered why you had declined her offer all those years ago. It was just after the Blood Rite, that you had completed with Cassian, Azriel and Rhysand despite the strict interdiction you had received. It had earned you a punishment that the Night Court’s High Lord had tried his best to lessen; even though being forced to leave Windhaven and your brothers for a year had felt like a trip in hell. It was pure chance that the Valkyries had found you in the last couple months of your exile, and the training you had received had been your anchor when you had gotten back to the Illyrian camp. Before you had left, Tanwyn had handed you the ribbon; and it was still in her hand when you had given her your back and had started your journey to join your brothers.

A silence followed her statement.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked yet,” murmured Tanwyn.

You knew very well what she was talking about, but you still raised the question, feeling like she needed it to give you the answer.

“Tanwyn, what happened?”

“Hybern happened. Did you know that Amarantha and Clythia have brought their army? We found out but… No one came to help,” she muttered. Her face was veiled, her teeth gritted. “I- I realized too late that it was a trap. I led twenty-five Valkyries to their death.”

She sucked in a harsh breath, and you did your best to keep a hold on yourself. You couldn’t bring yourself to ask who. You clenched your jaw, your fists, everything to help you overcome the wave of grief that was hitting you. You kept repeating to yourself that Tanwyn needed you, that now wasn’t the time or place to grieve.

“I don’t understand why they still follow me,” she continued with a quieter voice. “Why the youngest left the camp in Day to join us here, why they keep placing their faith in me when I’ve failed them so badly.”

“Because they know that what happened wasn’t your fault,” you answered. “Because they remember all the victories you have offered them, all the times you’d have given your life for theirs.”

“But they are dead!” she exclaimed, and her voice broke.

She looked down, her shoulders slumped and hands shaking. You slowly got closer; you didn’t want her to retreat, as if she were a wounded animal that you were trying to approach. Eventually, you grabbed her forearm and she allowed you to pull her against you. You hugged her, squeezing your arms around her waist and allowing her to grieve in the comfort of a friend’s embrace. She didn’t shed a tear - after all, it was Tanwyn, and Tanwyn never cried. She just let you provide some comfort, perfectly still until you asked the question that was bothering you.

“Why didn’t you tell us? Cassian or I, I mean.”

Tanwyn slipped out of your arms and gave you her back, probably in order to get a hold her herself before replying with a steady voice:

“Because it happened too quickly. And then… I didn’t want to worry any of you, not when you are continuously throwed in those bloody battles.”

You nodded, not wanting to scold her when she seemed to be in such a complex and torturous state of mind. Instead, you waited until she spoke up again.

“I didn’t even ask you - how is Cassian? We haven’t been able to communicate in a while and- well, I know he’s alive, and if something bad had happened to him you’d have told me earlier, but still…”

“He’s okay, as much as he can be with that war going on. He’s been hurt a few days ago- nothing too bad, don’t worry!” you said when Tanwyn’s eyes widened. “A nasty thrust on his leg, it earned him a temporary limp and a few days of leave. He’s arrived at my camp early this morning.”

“And he still wants to fight?”

Tanwyn’s reaction took you aback.

“Well, you know as well as I do that there’s no stopping him,” you mumbled.

She rolled her eyes, but there was a ghost of a soft smile on her face.

“That imbecile.”

A loud call for Tanwyn echoed suddenly somewhere in the camp. The piece of fabric that served as a door opened brutally and a familiar face appeared. You’d recognize those vibrant green eyes and the crown of fiery hair anywhere - Idril, Tanwyn’s second. She was the one who had found you near their camp and dragged you to the rest of the Valkyries. If she had been reluctant to your presence at the beginning, she had become one of your closest friends in the group, and your favorite hand-to-hand fight partner.

For a second, Idril seemed to hesitate between acknowledging your presence, which was visibly a good surprise as her eyes were almost sparkling, and the pressing news she undoubtedly had to give to Tanwyn. But she settled for a nod in your direction before urging Tanwyn and you to follow her outside.

The three of you joined the group formed by all the Valkyries gathered around a fire. The flames seemed brighter than ever in the snowy mountains now plunged into the darkness of the night. You noticed that everyone was armed, as if the fight was imminent. A wave of panic crashed into you, almost making you stumble and stealing your breath. If Hybern’s soldiers were here already… There was no way the twenty-seven of you would repel hundreds of men, even if you had home advantage. Your mind wandered to Cassian and his own mission. You had refrained yourself from thinking of what would happen if he couldn’t contact Rhys, pushing all of your worries behind thick barriers and focusing on your next step. But the outcome of this desperate attempt would be known sooner than you’d like, and you couldn’t keep hiding from reality.

Even when your trust in your future was slowly crumbling, you still managed to keep an ear in the conversation that was conducted next to you. From what you had gathered, one of the two sentinels that were keeping an eye on the northern part of the pass had come back a few minutes ago, announcing that five boats displaying sails in Hybern colors were following the coast toward the small beach. According to Idril, disembarking the soldiers and having them trudge in the snow and across the forest to reach the pass wouldn’t take more than three hours.

There was no sign of an Illyrian detachment coming to help.

You glanced at Tanwyn, who was giving orders.

The battle was for soon.

___

You could hear Eveana’s heavy breath somewhere on your left. When you glanced at her, you noticed that she was trembling, and even in the dim light of the full moon you could see her white knuckles gripping her spear tightly. No breathing exercise could help her overcome the terror that was creeping up her spine; just like you knew it couldn’t help you either. On your right, Ylva, the only Illyrian female of the Valkyries, was crouched down, her sword laid on the snow and her lips moving silently. You had never gotten along well with Ylva, and if she had never told you why she didn’t want to have to deal with you, you knew that odds were that she envied you for having kept your wings intact. She hadn’t been given the same chance. Now, in the dead of the night, you felt closer to her. The last member of your little group was Tanwyn herself. She had refused to let Eveana or you out of her sight, the first because she wanted to be able to send her away if things went south and you… Probably for the same reason.

You were on the front line, even though it was far from being like the one you were used to. Tanwyn and Idril had agreed with the plan Cassian had enunciated what felt like years ago : only four passages connecting the beach and the pass were usable, and each of them was defended by a group of four. The remaining Valkyries were after the pass, meant to be the last rampart between Prythian and Hybern.

You were terrified - that was the least you could say. It was unlike any other battle you had fought, unlike any training you ever had. You couldn’t stay as still as Tanwyn, your breath was caught in your throat, your hands didn’t even respond to you and you couldn’t keep a good grip on your sword. Suddenly, there were so many things that you regretted - not saying goodbye to Cassian, not giving him a message for Azriel, Mor, Rhys and his family. You had never properly thanked Cassian for all his sacrifices, for all those years he had fought alone against the world to make sure you had food and clothes. You never had the chance to mourn the fallen Valkyries, you had never told Tanwyn how important she was to you, how you knew that Cassian and her were made for each other.

If you wanted a chance to do it, you’d have to fight your way to the sunrise.

Positioned like this, four against the Mother knew how many soldiers, you could only pray that Cassian and Rhysand would come to your rescue.

They never came.

___________

- Present time -

The realization hit you and brought your knees back to the ground. You were surrounded by blood, crimson rivers that were shining under the sun and contrasting violently with the snow. A disgustingly sweet and metallic smell was brought to your nostrils in waves carried by the wind. It was overwhelming and, soon enough, you found yourself unable to even think past this abominable scent. It made you sick, made you desperate to expel all the air of this universe so that you would stop being surrounded by this atrocity. It turned your stomach and you whimpered as you emptied its meager content on the snow. Tears were burning your eyes and you got on your feet again, almost thankful for the putrid smell that was now covering the scent of the blood.

Looking around, all you could see was an abandoned shield near a tree. You didn’t recognize the place - even though you were unable to recall any memory of the battle, you still had in mind a vivid picture of your waiting in the dark before the beginning of the fight, and you were then surrounded by many more trees than this.

Slowly, you made your way to the shield to grab it. You were unable to lift your left wing and left it dragging on the snow. You looked around once more - and immediately regretted it.

You felt sick again. You couldn’t miss them. Bodies lying on the ground, some half buried under the snow, some awfully mutilated. Your eyes stopped on the fragile frame of the girl Tanwyn had wanted safe, away from this butchery. Eveana, from her sixteen years of life, had fought this battle and had died spear in hand.

You found Tanwyn only a few meters away from Eveana. Her skin was cold, covered with the blood of so many soldiers that her scent had disappeared. You fell to your knees and cradled her body against you.

Her head resting against your shoulder, her hand crushed in yours, you cried all the tears you had left and all the tears she had never shed.

You cried for your friend, for Cassian’s lover, for the warrior and for the woman who had believed in you.

You cried for that fucking ribbon that you had declined, for the day you had chosen to leave her to go back to your own family.

You cried for all the following visits to the Valkyries, for all these times that had brought you closer and closer to Tanwyn.

You cried in hope to expel all the pain she had accumulated in her life; because you couldn’t imagine a world without her, because the Valkyries would mourn her forever.

You cried until you had no tears and no voice left, until your heart was numb and its broken pieces buried in this cursed snow.

And when you stopped crying, you carefully untied the white ribbon that was still adorning Tanwyn’s forehead. Using your sword, you cut the piece of fabric in two, stuffed a part in your leathers and tied the other to the pommel of the blade she was still gripping. You laid her body delicately on the ground and crawled away, unable to bear the weight of the loss, until your arms gave up on you and you fell face first in the snow.

You closed your eyes.

___________

His blood was boiling.

Cassian wasn’t even feeling stupid for that mistake that put him in this miserable cell. No, his clouded mind was wholly focused on how he had been unable to help his sister and his lover, how both were risking their lives and counting on him. And he? He was rotting behind those bars because he couldn’t control his own fucking tongue.

Olwahld had listened to him. He had agreed to let him leave the camp to alert Rhys of that dangerous threat and, may the Mother be his witness, Cassian had believed that the Lord wasn’t such a bastard as he had first thought. He had felt like he could finally breathe - he would soon join you, join Tanwyn and the Valkyries, and you would all fight side to side.

Then it had slipped out of his mouth - the Valkyries. Olwahld, when he had realized what it was all about, had erupted in rage before sending Cassian in this damned cell.

It had been days.

Rumors went fast in the camps, especially when it concerned Prythian and the war. And he had heard the most terrifying ones: some said that Hybern armies had invaded the eastern part of the Winter Court, that the scout sailboats had wiped out all resistance to make the path clear for the thousand of following ones.

He didn’t know what the truth was, and it was driving him crazy.

He had tried everything. Negotiation - hours of pleas and propositions of punishment in compensation for any problem him contacting Rhys could cause had been lost in the night. When he had realized it was pointless, he had tried corruption - he had promised luxurious rewards from the High Lord himself for the help of anyone willing to let him out of his cell. He had been met with laughs, and the few curious Illyrians had been put on burning duty, a nice word to say that the mounds of dead bodies were getting too big and needed to be reduced to ashes. Corruption wasn’t the solution, so he decided to try something that was more like him - destruction. He had screamed, let his rage ignite his veins and unleashed all he had left on those damned bars.

All he had gained was bruised fists and a stake made of ash wood wedged in his shoulder, which might have been another reason for his boiling blood.

But on the morning of the eighth day in that cell, he woke up from his agitated sleep with a strong feeling in his guts. It was as if the Cauldron had spilled its burning content in his stomach; he knew that something would happen soon with such certainty that it physically hurt to wait for it.

He waited for hours, and nothing happened.

He waited for so long that he started to wonder if his feverish state wasn’t playing tricks on his mind - it had worsened considerably the previous days, up to the point that his vision was almost permanently blurry and his skin hot enough to heat all the cells adjacent to his.

And then, suddenly, it happened.

It started with an unusual noise outside - on the other side of the jail, that the little opening in the wall didn’t allow him to see. It sounded like half of the Illyrians of the camp were having a heated argument, though Cassian couldn’t hear any sound indicating anyone had come to blows. The growing turmoil abruptly stopped - at this moment, a few Illyrians ran past his cell toward what had caught Cassian’s attention.

Someone roared virulent insults, and Cassian’s heart leaped in his ribcage.

It was Rhysand.

___

Less than an hour later, the door of his cell swiftly opened, but it wasn’t his brother who was standing in the opening. Lord Olwahld looked down at him with a carefully neutral face, and the struggle to stay cordial to a bastard he despised had his voice laced with disgust.

“Lord Rhysand has brought to my attention that you shouldn’t be locked up in this cell,” he muttered through gritted teeth. “He asked me to offer my full apologies to you, and to lead you to his tent.”

Cassian jumped on his feet - and stumbled miserably when dizziness hit him. However, no matter how bad he felt, he wouldn’t give Olwahld the pleasure to have him asking for help - so he squared his jaw and followed the Lord.

The first thing he noticed was the total absence of people in front of Rhys’ tent. Then, when Olwahld opened the door of the tent for Cassian to enter, the smell hit him and almost brought him to his knees. It was blood.

Fearing for his brother’s life, his heart racing disorderly, Cassian rushed inside. He was met with a seemingly furious Rhysand, and above all a Rhysand who was walking on his two feet.

“Rhys-”

He wanted to ask what the hell was going on, but there were so many things happening all at once in that tent that his dizzy brain couldn’t process it all. First, Rhys. Then he realized that the bright yellow spot behind his brother was attached to the body of a female he knew all too well - he wanted to ask what could have brought Mor here, but then the horde of healers, among which he recognized Madja - who was supposed to be with the High Lord - interrupted his disordered thoughts. He barely noticed the envoy who had begged for help what felt like centuries ago - the young man was standing in a corner of the tent.

Cassian stuttered words even he didn’t understand, but his voice died in his throat when Rhys engulfed him in a strong embrace. It felt like they hadn’t seen each other in centuries.

“He didn’t tell me- this Olwahld bastard is going to pay,” growled Rhysand. “For you and for Y/N.”

Your name rang a bell in Cassian’s sick mind - and this time, even though it tore his throat apart, he managed to articulate a comprehensible question.

“What happened to her?”

Rhys’ breath seemed to get suddenly caught in his throat, and he looked away from Cassian. He looked away, that was something that Cassian had never seen and it terrified him.

Rhys took a step aside, and Cassian made a shattered noise.

You were barely recognizable. The healers gathered around your unconscious body were hiding most of your injuries, but Cassian could see your face - bruised, gaunt, devastatingly broken.

The sight brought him to his knees.

Rhys took a step, but Mor emerged from the group of healers and rushed to his side. Gently, silently, as if he were a wounded animal, she approached her hands from his arm and helped him up, not faltering once under his weight.

Cassian didn’t realize that the silent exchange between Rhys and his cousin was about him; he only reacted when Mor pulled him to the exit of the tent, which made him tear his eyes off your broken frame.

“No- no!”

He tried to fight, but, weakened as he was with the fever and his own wound, Mor had no trouble forcing him to follow her to another tent.

His mind was grappling with the last image it had of you. Hurt, unconscious, suffering, alone. He didn’t want to know what it meant for Tanwyn, for the Valkyries; he didn’t even want to think of the possibility of losing you.

Falling unconscious felt like a benediction from the Cauldron itself.

___

When he woke up again, the camp was plunged into the dark. A fire was bathing the inside of the tent in a comforting light, and it warmed the air enough for him to remain shirtless without being cold.

The fever was gone, and so was the dull pain in his shoulder he had almost gotten used to.

He closed his eyes again, and the image of your unconscious body appeared in his mind. The sight sent a jolt of electricity in his body, and he jumped on his feet. No faltering came to bother him, and he promptly left the tent, rushing to go back to where he had seen you… When was it? A few hours ago? A few days?

When he finally reached the tent and rushed in, he wasn’t expecting the peaceful atmosphere. You were still unconscious, still gaunt and pale and bruised, but there was no blood anymore. Your hair was clean, the bandages he could see were pristine white, your features seemed more relaxed than the last time he had seen you.

There were no healers anymore, only Mor and Rhys, both snuggled against each other on the floor at the foot of your bed. Mor was sleeping soundly, but Rhys’ eyes were staring at Cassian full of worry for him, as the latter realized when his brother spoke up.

“Are you feeling better?” Cassian nodded, his own gaze fixed on you. “Then take the chair, the sun will only be up in a few hours.”

Indeed, a single chair had been placed next to your bed, as if someone knew that Cassian wouldn’t leave your side ever again. Knowing fully well who had had that attention, the latter felt a knot forming in his throat. He couldn’t even speak, even though he wanted to know what the bloody hell was happening.

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow, brother,” murmured Rhysand. “It will be a long day. You should rest.”

Cassian nodded again and sat, wincing when his rigid muscles reminded him of the last few days. When he realized that he was still shirtless, he grabbed a blanket that was still folded on your bed and wrapped himself in it, getting ready for an unknown amount of time without sleeping.

He wouldn’t close an eye before you woke up.

___

No one had expected that you would come back to consciousness so quickly. Despite all his resolutions, Cassian had dozed off at some point and he jolted awake at the soft noise of crumpling fabric just next to him.

“Y/N!” he shouted when his eyes found yours open. “Oh, thank Gods you’re awake, Y/N- Gods!”

And with all the restraint he could manage, all the delicacy he knew you needed, he pulled you to his chest and broke down when your arms wrapped around him. He broke down like a kid and sobbed loudly, his face hidden in your neck to smell your scent. He was completely oblivious to Mor and Rhys’ presence. The rest of Prythian could have been burning, he didn’t care.

He had almost lost you, his little sister, the only being in this damn world who shared his blood. He had agreed to that reckless plan, had let you leave on your own, then he had failed you and you had come back injured, almost dead.

Cassian felt a hand on his shoulder, and then Rhys was hugging you both, and Mor joined him.

You all stayed like this for what felt like hours.

You didn’t say a word, and fell asleep again soon after Cassian let you go.

___________

You had been awake for some time, but you hadn’t opened your eyes yet.

You remembered little from the previous days - you truly had no idea of how you had come back to that camp. You didn’t know why or how Rhys and Mor, whose scents were mixed with Cassian’s and impregnating everything around you, had come over here.

All you could remember was the little piece of fabric you had hidden in the leathers you were still wearing, the magnificent fire you had lighted for the Valkyries, two silhouettes disappearing in the night. You had a faint memory of Cassian’s voice in your ear, of his sobs that had wrecked your already damaged heart.

And now, the tent and your family around you.

You would have so many things to tell them, and yet you had so little restraint on the grief that was striking you…

Calloused fingers brushed against your forehead, stopping all of sudden your train of thoughts. You opened your eyes. Cassian was sitting next to you, his hand still close to your face, his gaze fixed on you. His frown lessened and he even managed a weak smile.

“You scared me,” he croaked out.

In his bloodshot eyes, you could see all that he didn’t tell you. All that he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Instead, he helped you sit and only murmured soothing words when you winced in pain.

“Why-”, you tried to ask, but a coughing fit that burned your entire being interrupted you.

Cassian’s hand only left your back when your breathing stabilized.

“I believe it will be better to wait to have this conversation,” said a voice that you hadn’t heard in months.

Rhys had indeed stepped into the tent, and was holding the fabric for Mor to follow him. The latter rushed to your side and engulfed you in a hug. Rhys had stopped next to Cassian, but he was smiling warmly in your direction.

You knew what they were trying to do; whether it was Mor with her sweet words or Rhys with this smile that didn’t reach his eyes, they were desperately trying to break the lingering tension around you. Cassian obviously couldn’t bring himself to do the same, and it was more than understandable - he knew.

Of course he knew, and nothing would ever be the same again.

You felt a soft brush against your mental shields, and opened a tiny door for Rhys to whisper in your mind.

I found you among the bodies. I know how it ended, but not how it happened. Do you want to show me?

He didn’t elaborate - he didn’t need to. It was a kind proposition, one made for you to avoid all the suffering that would be brought by the necessity to tell them what happened in the mountains. You wanted to accept, even though you felt like it would make you a coward.

But you realized something that made you change your mind and refuse Rhys’ offer: those two silhouettes that you remembered, you knew you would never see them again. No one would.

And it made you the only person able to pass on the Valkyries’ legacy like they deserved.

So, one day, you would tell them.

You knew that you would eventually remember it all - your nightmares would be plagued with scenes of the horror you had endured in the Mountains. You would never forget the crimson rivers in the snow, the weapons stuck in the frozen ground, the dozen corpses surrounding you. The putrid smell of the funeral pyre would stay engraved in your mind, just like your muscles would always feel the weight of Tanwyn’s lifeless body in your arms. The sharp guilt would keep twisting your insided every time you would picture the silhouette of the two Valkyries that had left after the pyre was lit up. You didn’t even know their name.

One day, you promised yourself, you would tell them.

But, as cowardly as it probably made you look, you were unable to tell them now.

You didn’t dare to look at your family. In your mind, Rhys whispered that they understood - they all knew how painful the wounds left to the survivors could be.

Still, there was one thing you had to do.

A sharp pain shot through your arm as you slipped your hand under your blanket. You searched through your leather for a second, and met Cassian’s gaze as you handed him the ribbon.

#acotar #a court of thorns and roses #cassian #tanwyn #sister!reader #cassian x reader #cassian x y/n #cassian x you #imagine #acotar fanfiction #acotar x reader #cassianweek2024 #day 7: free day

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corrodedcoughin · 2 years ago

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It is finally the weekend after a full on month of exams. Steve knew paramedic training would be hard but the intensity of tests between gruelling placements is proving to be a lot to handle. Right now that doesn't matter, its a Friday night and his course mates decided that they should congratulate themselves for getting through the semester by going to a bar, drinking and try to be average college students instead of college students who regularly attend medical emergencies with no clue of how to help for 8 weeks blocks at a time. They've all seen their share of tragedies but they've witnessed the joys of the job too. The happy tears on the eyes of loved ones proves to Steve time and time again that he absolutely chose the right profession to study.

Robin isn't part of the course but she's come to every social event they have, just like Steve going to all of hers with her psychology friends. They are both honorary members of each other's course and are kind of expected to turn up at these things. So this is how they end up at a ridiculously busy bar with shots being shoved at them by Ali, an amazing paramedic in training but absolutely terrifying in her determination. She half arm hugs Steve and Robin, squeezing them tight.

'I love you guys. BUT you fucking cockblock each other and I'm sick of it', they start to protest in unison but are shushed by a finger to the lips.

'I just want to see you both Happy. That would make me happy. So Robin, you gotta go get that girl's number, okay?' Ali points to a girl by the stage, strawberry blonde and a toothy grin in conversation with a fluffy brown haired boy. Both of them in deep conversation, clearly excited about whatever they are talking about, pointing at the small stage and the girl bouncing on her heels. They chose this bar for their night out for the famed wild band that plays semi-regularly who draw a loyal crowd. And by the looks of things, this girl is a big fan.

'And Steve? I know a man who's perfect for your pretty boy ways. Lead singer of the band, trust me, you'll see him and not be able to stop yourself. Now drink up guys, I'm buying you your first round of bravery in a glass.' She's slurring her words a little bit but her heart is in the right place. So, with a heavy hit to their backs from Ali, they clink the tiny shot glasses together and down them.

'Guess we better get moving dingus' Robin says with a odd mix of determination and uncharacteristic confidence. She's off before Steve can reply, fluffing up her hair and rubbing any non-existent lipstick off her teeth.

Steve turns back to the bar, the whole room is dimly lit and rumbling with loud conversations and that's before the band even starts. He feels at a loss without Robin at his side but knows he'd just have to make eye contact and she'd be back. He braces himself against the bar top, wondering if he can pre-plan his attack on the front man of the band he is yet to see. The years of team sports in high school means that Steve is never one to back down from a challenge and he's been wanting to flex his old reputation of 'King Steve' for a while now so why not?

He's contemplating where the best place in the room is for ogling the band and ensuring the, apparently irresistable, lead singer sees him that Steve notices somebody has slid into the empty space next to him. Steve casts his eye over the stranger, taking in the full length of him and is pleasantly surprised. The man next to him is all long legs in black denim, big leather boots and shirt that has been so thoroughly cut at the sides he may as well just left it at home. Steve's eyes keep roaming though, over the light trail of hair left exposed from the way the man's shirt has risen that leads to his waistband. And there is jewellery, so many long chains that would be perfect to pull somebody in by, to get somebody close and under control. Steve briefly stops on the man's hands, long lithe fingers with heavy, dangerous rings that would probably feel incredible against Steve's skin now that the club has become hot and stuffy, nothing to do with the stranger in front of him of course. Steve finally raises his eyes to his face and nothing could have prepared him for the sinful smirk playing over his mouth aimed out towards the room or the deep, deep brown eyes that he really does get lost in for a second. To top it all off there's a wild mane of fluffy hair that would be perfect for Steve's hands to pull.

Steve knows he's supposed to be looking for the lead singer but who's to say he can't set his own challenge instead. The other man nods and Steve takes his chance;

'You here for the show?' Its not his finest work when trying to get in somebody's pants but its a start. The man swivels to fully face Steve and leans in like he has a secret to tell

'Sweetheart I am the show.' Its an awful line, truly and the guy clearly knows it from the way he's holding back a laugh by the end of the statement. Steve should be turned off, should walk away and tell Ali that as much as the singer may look like God's gift, his charm leaves a lot to be desired. The problem is, Steve has never wanted a person more in his life. So he tries to give a bitchy side eye but can't stop the smile tugging at his lips

'Is that right? Better tell me what name I've got to scream tonight if I'm going to have to compete with a few fans.' it is an equally pitiful line, but it makes the man raise and eyebrow in amusement and blush rise from his neck to cheeks. Steve might be wondering how far down it goes and if he could make it go further.

Steve stands his ground as the singer grabs his hand and raises it to his lips, kissing his knuckles, 'It’s Eddie, and don't worry, you'll be the only one I'm looking for on stage'

It is all so silly but it makes Steve's stomach swoop, sure he's been flirted with before but this feels like courtship from a poorly aged romcom and he can't get enough. He considers the possibility of Ali spiking that first shot. He can't help it, Steve is swaying into Eddie’s space, feels himself doing so and does nothing to stop it, waiting to see what reaction is causes in Eddie. He’s rewarded when Eddie’s gaze lingers on his lips, he still hasn’t let go of his hand, still running his thumb over Steve’s knuckles. Steve takes a step forward, his empty hand starting to rise with all intentions of cupping Eddie’s jaw and pulling him in. He see’s Eddies eyes start to slide almost shut, showing his own desire.

‘EDDIE, MAN C’MON! ITS SHOW TIME!’ Steve manages to bite back a groan of frustration but Eddie’s is loud and clear as they untangle.

‘Stick around after the set, yeah?’ it’s quiet, barely audible of the growing noise in the bar but Steve nods and Eddie is heading to the stage, a bounce in his step. Steve almost feels like an idiot for watching him go but then Eddie turns and starts to walk backwards, shouting at Steve;

‘Fair maiden! I never got your name!’ Steve laughs at the childishness of it all but shouts his response back. In return Eddie holds both his hands to his chest over his heart and lets his back hit against the stage door as if stunned by a name. The door is suddenly opened from behind, Eddie stumbling backwards and picked up by his bandmates, he manages to send a wink to Steve before the door closes again.

----

Steve is on his own, at the makeshift half-assessed barrier only possible at tiny bar gigs. In all honesty it would probably be safer to just take them away. He gets lost in this thought as the lights all but cut out and the band makes it to the stage. Suddenly he understands that the barrier might be more for the band than the fans. There’s a rush of people to the front of the barrier as expands and hands reach over, trying to touch Eddie. This is all before the lights even go up but seeing as the venue is tiny the lights from the bar are illuminating the stage. The fluffy haired boy from the start of the night is on drums and two other guys, pick up the instruments that were left on stage. Steve only has eyes for Eddie though, notably smiling down at his guitar.

The lights go up, Eddie leans in close to the mic, manic smile on his face and lets out a shout of ‘ALL ABOARD!’ followed by a laugh and a heavy guitar riff. From then on out it Eddie really is a show, Steve couldn’t put it better if he tried, The whole band clearly in love with what they do. There’s calls and response with the audience, jumping around the set and laughter from all of them as they clearly ride the high. Eddie engages them all in conversations during the breaks between songs, showcasing the relationship between them, making everyone wish they were part of the band too. Steve isn’t a fan of heavy music. If it had been anyone else he’d worry the gig would amount to him suffering through a set list begging for the end. But this? This is different. In Steve’s opinion these guys are destined for the big time.

Through set Eddie is never far, he prowls the stage but somehow is always paying attention to Steve, sending smiles his way. He gets really into a particular solo, fingers moving over the neck of the guitar, Steve is captivated for reasons that may include his mind wandering to what else Eddie might be able to do with his hands. Then Eddie /grinds/ against the body of the guitar and Steve feels his eyes widen his fists clench at his sides, stock still in the crowd of moving bodies. Eddie then has the audacity to make direct eye contact with Steve as he sinks to his knees and continues to play. Its safe to assume Steve doesn’t remember much else after that.

The gig wraps up to applause and foot stomping after a well received encore that Eddie threatens to stage dive in but stops himself after riling the crowd up. The band hop off stage, not needing to breakdown the stage, they have a three day stint at the bar and this is their second night according to the posters around the place. Steve turn’s to survey the area as Eddie talks with fans that descended on the band when they finished. He’s thinking about going to the bar, grabbing a drink when he sees Robin making out with the girl that was suggested to her. He averts his eyes, he loves his best friend but somethings he does not need to see. Just as he turns to make his way to the aforementioned bar Steve feels a hand on his shoulder, turning him around. Eddie is standing close and slides his hand from Steve’s shoulder to his neck, up to the back of his head.

‘Like what you saw Stevie?’ the nickname might be overly familiar in the setting but Steve really doesn’t care

‘You weren’t lying when you said you were the show’ Steve tilts his head ever so slightly to side, hinting at his wants. He can feel Eddie’s breath on his lips, almost touching and the thought is maddening. Just as Eddie pulls Steve’s face closer he murmurs ‘Could give you a private one if you ask nicely’.

Steve pushes forward, pressing his lips to Eddie’s chasing what he’s been after all night, lets his hands slide onto Eddie’s hips and under his tshirt, trailing up his back. Eddie’s hands are in Steve’s hair and one on his ass, pulling him close. Breathing hard they break apart to hear a very drunk Ali shouting

‘SEE STEVE??? ROBIN?? I KNOW YOUR TYPES!!! I KNOW ‘EM!!!’ She’s maybe been a bit too heavy handed with the shots. Without thinking Steve detaches from Eddie, walks up to Ali and ask the bartender for a glass of water. Ali slings an arm around Steve slurring her words slightly as she asks again, wanting to make sure that she was right, that she knows Steve’s type.

‘Yup, yeah you do Ali, you do. Don- Ali don’t throw the water!’ He can hear Eddie chuckling behind him, muttering something about 'Sir Steve saving the day'. Ali eyes him and whisper shouts to Steve

‘You should thank me, you’d never find him without me. Robin too. You should allllll thank me’ She’s out of it and will live to regret it in the morning. Which will be precisely when Steve will let her know that he’s actually been engaged to Eddie for coming up to a year now and Robin and her girl, Chrissy, are in talks of adopting a cat.

But that can wait, he has a boy at his back, begging to be taken home.

#stranger things #eddie munson #steddie #steve harrington #fun fact I want Ali to be argyle at the start but I couldn’t make it work #so welcome Ali #also I am considering a part two so posted to ao3 too incase I wanted to add to it later #this is all down to anon #I’m trying to get back into writing. it’s a slow process and progress is slow but we move!#the only way up is through!

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justrainandcoffee · 2 months ago

Text

“Come on, baby, light my fire” (Alfie Solomons x fem!oc) Part 1

Story masterlist - Alfie x Rose masterlist

Summary: The first time he saw her was on TV in middle of a riot caused after the assumption of the new Prime Minister. Then, as if the fate was determined to force them to meet Alfie and Rose crossed paths more than once.

Warning: None. But if you support police, this fic isn't for you. ||Alternate universe. Fireman!AU || I'm perfectly aware that it's not THAT easy to set a kitchen on fire, but welcome to fiction. ||

Words: 2.3k

Try now we can only lose and our love become a funeral pyre, come on baby, light my fire come on baby, light my fire.

The Doors.

People think that the policy of "not romantic relationship between employees" that some workplaces have, can be considered medieval, old fashioned and oppressive. Because what can be better than work with the person you chose to love? Stolen glances, smiles across the room. Secret kisses behind the door. Perfect, until the couple breaks up. Then the harmonic paradise becomes in hell.

Quite accurate, thought Alfie looking at Thomas Shelby passing by in front of him. Tommy was still wearing the gear, except the helmet, after the last call they received. He avoided his gaze and kept walking. They still talked, they had to because it was necessary to communicate to operate effectively, but they didn't talk about what happened between them.

Alfie let out a grunt when he removed his heavy boots and also his jacket. There, with only his pants, socks and a white t-shirt, he leaned against the bench and let his back rest.

His dog approached him and rested his big head on his knees. Alfie caressed him behind the ears.

"How are you, buddy?"

Cyril was a puppy that someone, for some reason, abandoned in front of the headquarters two years and since then, two years later, he was the official pet of this fire department located in Camden Town. Although Cyril was never trained to be a rescue dog, he was an honorary member of the team.

The animal looked at him with his deep brown eyes and Alfie chuckled "come on, I'm going to give you a treat." His back wasn't happy to move again, but he was hungry too, so he needed to eat as well.

Some of his men were also there, resting and chatting. He cared about them, despite his reputation of being a grumpy man. Captain Solomons inspired fear in some of them, especially the younger ones and he was aware of it. He needed to keep the discipline and if being grumpy was the best way to do it, then fine. But not so deep down, he was a good man and his men trusted him.

Cyril was finally eating from his bowl and Alfie already microwaved his own food, something that he didn't like, but there in the headquarters the options were limited.

The TV was on, although almost none of them were paying attention to the news. Riots. Nothing new. Since the new Prime Minister assumed, those against the Tories went out to protest as it was usual.

Alfie kept looking at the TV screen. A group of rioters was painting the walls around 10 Dowing Street, while others were throwing rocks and everything they had in their hands to the police. Something similar was happening near the Parliament where a bigger group was setting on fire a mannequin representing the PM. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

A brown haired girl with a megaphone was congratulating the multitude that went there and asked to those watching or hearing from their houses, to join them and protest against 'the bleached fucker and the pigs.'

"Another one who thinks that can end with a government by causing disturbance" Alfie moved his head towards the voice in front of him.

"Well, Tommy, she's doing more for something she believes than you complaining here, chewing a mint gum."

"Just wait until we have to go there to extinguish the fire started by them."

"Your friends, the fucking cops, will take care of them, as usual, Tom. So don't worry. It's called repression."

"It's called keeping the order. And they're not my friends."

"They're more friends to you than they're to me. Policemen, they cannot be trusted."

Alfie was right. Police arrested several of them for disturbance in public spaces. They were going to release soon and the only consequence of their actions for now, was a legal folder containing their arrest records.

Some of them got their freedom after few questions or right after the police got their fingerprints. Others, were still there. The girl who had the megaphone among them.

"If there's not female officers, then, don't you fucking dare to put your dirty, bloody hands on me, motherfucker. You're going to regret it when I put your fucking name in every social media: Gregory Williams, first officer, touched an unarmed woman. Do you want a legion of feminists in front your police department? Because I can do that."

The man pushed her against chair "just waited there, Coldwell! It's always a pleasure to host you here. Your cell is waiting for you."

"S.M.P"

"I don't know what that means, but I'm assuming that you are sending regards to my mother."

"Your mother is not the one to blame, she's not guilty of what you are. S.M.P, means suck my pussy. I'm already under arrest, the least I can do now is let out the hatred in my heart."

It was good that one of her younger brothers was a lawyer. Instead of spending a whole day there, they let her out before midnight, even when Williams was willing to leave her there for two weeks.

"I'll be back, fucker."

"Rose, shut up," his brother Samuel, the lawyer, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the police department. "One day, it will cost you more than a bail."

"I did nothing, Samuel. Prisons are overpopulated with criminals, killers, rapists and the worst of all, according to them: innocent people. So, I don't fit in any category therefore, I'm fine. But thanks again, Sam."

"Don't mention it. Are you going to your apartment?"

"Yes. I need to walk. I call you when I'm there."

"Ok. Take care, Rosie."

Rose put her hands in her pockets and began to walk. The streetlights, the shop signs and the cars illuminated her way. Was it worth? Yes, definitely. No one in humanity got anything by saying please and thank you. Humans were born to fight. In wars or in daily life, but everything was a battle with few moments of peace.

Rose always felt inside her, probably in another life, she did something similar too. Maybe worse. Fighting for people's rights was something that she was born with. But she didn't know why.

She stopped by a coffee shop to buy a latte. It was late, but who were going to stop her? Besides, she was hungry and last time she ate something was that morning when had her breakfast.

Alfie ended his shift gladly to return home without any major accidents that day. A sandwich was what he wanted. Around the corner was a coffee shop opened 24 hours and had the most delicious cheese sandwich that he knew. His stomach growled in anticipation of the feast.

The place was almost empty except for two men holding hands at a table and the girl in front of him waiting for her coffee. He looked at the couple and couldn't help but think about him and Tommy. It was long time ago to be considered ancient history and yet, it was yesterday at the same time.

He turned his gaze towards the list of coffees there and thought that maybe he could order one like the girl in front of him did.

The girl.

Alfie paid attention to the woman there and he recognised her from the news he saw earlier that day. So, she was fine, after all. The news also showed later how police apprehended the rioters and take them to the station.

Alfie cleared his throat making her to look at him for the first time.

"Good night," he said.

"Good night."

"I know you."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Really? Because I don't know you." Rose, looked at him. Really looked at him. A tall, bearded and, in her eyes, a good-looking man. Yet, she knew very well that creepy men where everywhere and some were handsome. So her mind was in alert. Just in case.

"I saw you today in the news. Megaphone in hand."

"Oh, I didn't know I was in the news."

"Problematic people tend to be famous."

"Excuse me, are you calling me problematic?"

The barista had the cup of coffee in his hands to give it to her, but he was also interested in the current conversation. Nights used to be way boring.

"Someone inciting violence in the streets isn't an angel."

"What are you? A cop?"

"Fucking ridiculous! I prefer to be dead before being a cop. I'm just saying, sweetheart."

She frowned "well, congratulations then, anonymous man. You get it very well who I am."

Rose finally grabbed the coffee that the barista prepared, thanked at the boy and went out.

"If i were your age, man, I'd ask her, her telephone number," the barista said preparing the sandwich that Alfie ordered.

"What do you mean my age? I'm just 30!"

"I'm just saying, sir."

Insolent kid. Alfie chose not to order the coffee and also left the place after paying for it.

The young woman wasn't near to be seen anymore.

Her head hurt the next morning. She slept very bad and the sound of workers on the other side of the street didn't help at all. Next to her in bed, her English bulldog called CPU, was snoring.

"Lucky lady," Rose thought looking at her.

She let her dog sleep, although CPU probably will be demanding food soon.

It was an ordinary breakfast what started everything. The same she prepared to her day after day. Although in fact, it wasn't the breakfast per se what caused the incident but a series of unfortunate events.

The kitchen cloth was in the counter and the burner was on. Maybe, a part of the cloth was touching the fire.

Kitchen is a dangerous place if you're not careful. And she Rose hadn't been careful. Not with the migraine accentuating her bad mood and tired as she was. Maybe, if CPU had been awake asking her to be fed then Rose could have noticed the first flames, but she wasn't. After drinking her tea and taking an aspirin she went back to bed. She didn't check the burner at all.

The cooking oil was also in the counter and the fire began to melt the plastic bottle, causing the oil started to spread over the floor and the flames followed the path.

CPU started to bark, but Rose was too tired to understand what was happening.

Until the smoke started to fill the whole apartment. Grey and thick like the things you saw in movie.

"Fucking God!" Rose jumped out of the bed, only to see her place covered by it. Coughing, she dragged her dog out of there. Her phone, remained inside.

It was a neighbour who called the fire department. The smell of smoke was reaching his own apartment. They arrived pretty quickly.

"New day, new problem," Alfie said driving the truck trough the street with the sirens on.

He saw the smoke as soon as he turned the corner. People outside were looking at the place where the fire started.

"Get the ladder!" One of the fireman yelled.

"Anyone inside the house?" Alfie asked to one of the neighbours.

"No. That girl and her dog live there, but she went out just in time. Both of them" and old lady replied.

While his men were climbing, he turned around to see the owner of the apartment.

You're kidding me.

"So, the problematic girl is causing problems as expected."

Rose, still hugging CPU, raised her eyes to see the man in front of her. The distinctive gear: turnout pants and jacket, helmet and boots gave him the appearance of someone bigger. Yet, despite the helmet, she recognised him. Of course she did.

"Are you a fireman?"

"Unless you guess I'm a freak wearing this thing that is heavy as fuck, then I'm a fireman, sweetheart. The Captain, in fact."

"Good."

"You need to tell me what happened. Do you need medical assistance?"

"No, I don't. I'm fine. She's fine too," Rose said refering to her dog. "But I guess my fucking apartment is not. I don't know what happened, but probably I left the burner on. I don't remember. I woke up feeling really bad so I made tea, took an aspirin and went back to bed. When my dog started to bark much later I saw the smoke. That's all."

"Ok, fine. Don't worry, accidents happen all the time. My men will take care of it and will determine what happened. Sadly until you can hire people to fix this mess you can't live here."

"Yes, I know. I'll be back to my mother's place."

"It's a good choice."

She nodded. It was the only place she knew, on the other hand. The firemen were still working behind his Captain while he was filling out a form that after few minutes he handled to her.

"Routine paperwork just to demonstrate that we worked here," he said as she started to fill her personal data there. She gave the papers back to him, who smiled.

"Well, Rose Elizabeth Coldwell, also known as problematic girl. I'm Captain Solomons, but you can call me Alfie."

And he winked at her.

#alfie solomons #alfie solomons x oc #alfie solomons x ofc #peaky blinders #alfie x rose #alfie solomons imagine #alfie solomons fanfic #tom hardy #rose coldwell #my oc

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