#but usually it’s both & it’s from young girls who watched ‘the true cost’ ONCE

[femme-dor]

“SHEIN kills our planet & uses child/migrant labor” she types from her latest iPhone after finalizing her Amazon order & driving her gas powered vehicle to the mall for NIKES.

“Theyre evil and unethical!! THRIFT INSTEAD!!”

A Depop notification pings. Her $200 Kmart Jeans has arrived.

[syndxlla]

Part nine of the More to Love series

Summary: Plans for the ball are in full swing, the concealment of your relationship with the knight dwindles and you make a deal with one another that leads to both of you learning a new and valuable skill

Word Count: 8.9k, NO USE OF ‘Y/N’

Warnings: SMUT (oral sex F receiving, fingering, multiple orgasms), swearing, mentions of wounds

Author’s Note: and we’re back to your regularly scheduled royalty and princesscore writings. this chapter is very chill honestly, but i still really enjoyed writing it! there’s also the introduction of THE DRESS. y’all this dress is insane you really aren’t ready i am OBSESSED with this dress.

Part eight

“Are you listening, Princess?” You hadn’t even realized you had zoned out. Your cheek was bright red from resting against your palm, and your eyes had glazed over with boredom. You hoped you didn’t look too uninterested, but considering the literal Queen of Mandalore looked down at you with folded arms and one arched eyebrow, you were less than confident that you looked engrossed in the conversation.

The Queen, Lady Reeves and yourself have been inside a yellow-themed parlor all morning discussing plans for the ball. Your Knight stood patiently by the door, overseeing the entire meeting. You wore a long sleeve dress that was too hot for the summer sun, which was slowly drying out the mud and puddles from then two-day long rainstorm that no one predicted. You spent the entire day yesterday pretending to rest from the exhausting day previous, but you were really hiding your arm from everyone else. You tried to argue with Koska that a long sleeve in the middle of summer would look for more suspicious than a simple bandage on your bicep, but she disagreed to say the least. The Knight stopped limping this morning, although you were convinced he was just faking it for good measure. If others knew he was injured, it could raise suspicion that you were too. You also think he didn’t want you to worry about him. The stab wound really wasn’t that deep, but you knew it had to have hurt more than he was showing. You thought he should take a few days off to rest his leg and to really spend time with his son, but he refused to.

You look up from your emotionless stare out the window, which showed the sea in the distance. The ocean was so different here compared to what it’s like in Corellia. There are sandy beaches and the water’s warm, whereas back home, it’s often frozen over, and is lined with rocky fjords and coves. You wanted to go down to one of those beaches soon if you could. They looked relaxing and much more intruiging than a wordy meeting that you stopped listening in on Lord knows when.

“Sorry, I just… zoned out for a minute.” You clear your throat, looking up at the ginger above you. You bat your eyelashes, trying do play off innocent and truthful. She shrugged, and turned around to pull something out of Koska’s hands.

“I was saying that now that we have the food and decor arranged for the ball, we can talk about the important things.” She says as she whips around for the big reveal that you weren’t expecting: iher arms was the most extravagant, fluffy gown you had ever seen. It was a soft rose gold, the skirt was huge and round, tulle pillowing out from the bodice which had clearly been hand-beaded by nimble fingers to have five-pedaled flowers with curly vines growing out of them. There was a soft sweet-heart neckline, the lace and beading of the bodice came up past the structure to overlap where your skin would be, The sleeves were off the shoulder, which was common for Mandalorian summer gowns. The skirt had a soft hint of sparkles and real diamonds had been sewn into the centers of each flower along the gown.

You perked up as you saw the ornament, your attention being drawn from the crashing waves of the ocean to the prettiest dress you had ever seen. You think you sighed, but you weren’t really sure. Dresses have always been a part of your life, designers from all over the world would send you their best sets, and it’s rare for you to wear the same gown more than once. This isn’t the first time you had been presented with a dress that costed more than some of the houses in the kingdom, but there was something different about it. It had a special glow to it, unlike anything you had ever seen.

“Her Radiance Ahsoka brought it, it’s a wedding gift from the Woodland elves.” Koska speaks up when she sees your reaction. Both her and the Queen were amused at your childlike awe. “That’s why it has that shimmer, they used silk spinners and gold.”

“I… I can’t accept this.” You wanted to, but you were desperately trying to be humble and calm in this situation. The dresses never meant that much to you, it’s just a piece of clothing. You have always been far more into the politics that came with royalty, not the fashion, so this was a first.

“Well of course you can.” The queen chuckled, “It would be rude not to.” You wished you could tell her that wearing such an extravagance would feel in vain because you did not feel affection towards the person you’ll be wearing it for. However, you supposed she was right, it would be rude to turn down a gift from the literal elves. You stand up from where you sat, walking over the dress that took your breath away. You wondered what the Knight thought of it, and you turn around to look at him. You know that he wouldn’t show any type of reaction over this thing, especially if the Queen is watching, but you wanted to show him that you were thinking of him. You smiled, raising your eyebrows to really show how beautiful you thought the gown was, you’ll get to talk about it with him later. This is the second time Koska see’s something like this between the two of you, and she first looks at you, and the knight, raising a sharp eyebrow.

You place your hand over the fabric, running your palm over it. You did nothing to deserve this, but you were honored that it’s yours. “It’s like a faerie’s dress.” You sigh. “It’s wonderful, when can I thank her Radiance?”

“She’s out and about, she usually meditates in the gardens on sunny days, I can retrieve her, if you’d like.” Koska speaks up.

“Oh that’s alright, I’ll find her eventually.” You smile.

“Interesting that you brought up the fae…” The Queen brings up, “Allow me to ask, it is your engagement ball, is there anything specific you would like to have incorporated?” A few days ago, you would have had no answer, because a few days ago there was nothing about Mandalore worth it to you. However, things have changed. You’ve spent sleepless nights thinking about the boy in the beskar armor, and you would give anything to dance with him at that ball. You knew damn well that if you asked nicely, and maybe gave him head in return, he would do almost anything you asked. He would happily dance with you alone in the room after the events of the night, although you weren’t even sure if he knew how to dance. You did want to waltz with him, but not in that way.

So, last night you stayed up late, laying on your back with the balcony doors just cracked open to let in the smell fo fresh rain and a cool breeze into the hot room, thinking about him. You especially thought about the soft skin of his thighs and the way he shuddered when you raked your fingernails down his abdomen. But you also thought about how you could dance with him at the ball, where everyone could see. You knew that you would be dancing with far more people than Korkie, it would be many people’s last (and only) chance to dance with you before you’re married, and so you’re expected to give everyone the opportunity and attention they desired. It wasn’t your favorite thing you’d have to do, especially considering you would be dancing with a number of complete strangers and total creeps of Viziers, Grand Dukes and old viscounts who would probably whisper dirty things in your ear. And that is part of why you wanted this one thing for yourself so badly.

Dancing with a mysterious stranger wouldn’t be a problem. You wanted to share your affection towards him, and you especially wanted him to see you in your true element of balls and parties and gowns and tiaras. You knew it was risky, especially considering you can hardly control yourself around him, who knows what the crowd may be whispering as you dreamily look up at him. But after having to move and change your entire life, marry a man you resent in a kingdom that goes against everything you’ve ever believed in, you owe yourself this one thing. Just this one.

However, dancing with a literal knight would be far too suspicious and obnoxious for the biggest event in the western part of the world. And you knew that he would never remove his helmet, even if his life depended on it. It would be no easy feat to convince him to do something like that in such little time, but that’s when you got the best idea to have possibly ever cross your mind.

When you were just a little girl, your nursery caretaker would sit you on her lap when you had droopy, tired eyes, and read you a story. You can’t remember what it was called, it’s been so long since you heard it, but it was your favorite. It was the tale of the masquerade ball where the young peasant girl fell in love with the handsome magician. You were always drawn into it, because you once hoped you would fall in love with a mysterious and handsome man, too.The point of the story was that she never saw his face, as they both had on extravagant swan masks covering their eyes. If everyone had their face covered, it wouldn’t look suspicious if he did, too. You knew it would be a big thing to ask, and he may not even agree to it if the Queen approves of the short-noticed theme, but you wanted to live at least one night as the young peasant girl.

“Yes, actually.” You began to reply, “I would love for my engagement ball to be a masquerade.” You made sure to add in the ‘my’ to reinstate that it is for you. The Queen stopped to consider what you asked, and Koska looked suprised. It’s rare for anyone to ask the Queen for something like that out flat. But, she was the one who brought it up.

The Queen made you wait in suspense for her answer, and every fiber of your being wanted to turn around and wink at the knight to let him know that you asked for him, but even you, the naive princess, knew that you needed to be more careful with sharing your memories with him when others are around. “I suppose we could arrange that.” She thinks out loud, and you can’t stop the smile that stretches across your face. The Queen really only agreed because she knew it would cause more buzz and conversation around her last event as Queen. Even you could see that, but if it meant you would get a chance to share the memory with your guard, it was worth it.

“Your Majesty, forgive me, but the ball is this weekend, I fear we will not have enough time to prepare for such a change in plans…” Koska spoke up.

“Well, not if we don’t have everyone in the palace working double time,” Both yours and Koska’s faces dropped, that is not what you wanted at all. “Every servant will be required to make ten masks before the ball on Saturday. Knights are exempt, obviously.” She placed the rose gold dress back in Koska’s arms. You immediately felt guilty.

“Oh that won’t be necessary, Your Majesty, I don’t want everyone to-“

“Oh nonsense,” She interrupted, “I love the masquerade idea, it will be grand. It will be the envy of Coruscant.” Was everything a battle for her? An endless contest of who’s the best between Mandalore and Coruscant? If everyone had extra work to do on top of their usual load, you would feel absolutely terrible, but there would be no changing the Queen’s mind. “As the head of the servants, you will oversee the masks, Lady Reeves.” Your face was in shock, pale and sick. Koska shot you an annoyed glare. You tried to respond with an apologetic smile, but the Queen was speaking up again, pacing as she spoke. “Of course we need the royals to stand out from everyone else, we’ll already have our gowns but the masks will make a difference too…” She thought out loud. “Koska I would like an owl mask as per usual, there will be gems incorporated as well I trust?”

“Yes, your Majesty.” She was not amused with her new task.

“As for our little Princess,” She was referring to you, but you couldn’t even listen out of guilt. Everything you tried in Mandalore somehow backfired on you. “Her dress is lovely, but her mask must also be the most extravagant in the room, after mine, of course. It would also be best if hers and my nephew’s matched, Yes?” Koska nodded, struggling to hold the heavy dress with her small stature. “Lovely, aren’t you just full of surprises, Your Highness?” The Queen smiled at you, and you forced a polite smile. “Now, excuse me, I have a designer to meet with to get as many feathers and adornments for masks as possible.” The redhead hastily exits the room, her high guard following her, leaving just you and Koska with your knight.

“What the fuck was that about?” Koska asked afterwards.

“I didn’t mean for any of the extra work to happen, I swear.” You defensively respond.

“You just love giving me a hard time, don’t you?” She asks.

“No- that not at all what-“

“Let her be, Koska.” Your knight steps into the conversation.

“Ugh you knights are so frustrating sometimes.” She rolls her eyes. “I mean, what is going on with you two?” She asks and your heart drops to your ass. Was it that obvious there was something more there? Your knight tensed up, too. “Yeah, I can see exactly what’s going on here. Would either of you like to explain?” She asks.

The two of you stood awkwardly like children who got caught stealing sweets from the kitchen. You wondered how you were going to get out of this one. Your entire world could come crashing down right now if you didn’t play this out correctly, and a thousand outcomes of this situation simultaneously played out in your head. Would she rat you out? Would it lead to your knights expulsion? Or would she keep it to herself? She seemed to have a history with your knight, although you didn’t know what that might be. Maybe she would be on your side, but you highly doubted it.

You blame yourself for all of this. You should have put a stop to all of this long ago, but you couldn’t bring yourself to. He has you tied around your finger, and you like it. You wondered what was going on through his mind, was he as nervous as you? He had to be, if not more worried about what would happen. Someone knowing about your secret relationship would only lead to you getting a tap on your knuckles and then they would try to hide it from society to keep your reputation clean, but it would be the end of his career and safety for him. You were selfish for this, and you knew it.

“What?” Is all your stupid mouth says. As if you hadn’t just had the most sporadic and stressful thought process of your entire life. After all that, the only thing you were able to come up with was “what?”. You thought your body might be shaking, but you weren’t totally sure. You wanted to look at the knight by your side, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Koska must have thought the same thing as you because after you just responded with an arrogant rhetorical question, her eyebrows raised like a mother angry with her teenage son. She scoffs, and walks to the other side of the parlor to place the gown down on a sofa. When her back was turned to you, you were somehow able to muster up the courage to look at the beskar-clad figure to your left. He didn’t look any different than, well, ever. Tall and broad and stoically looking ahead as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. But you knew better. He had to have had a similar thought process to your own. He never turned to look back at you, and that’s when the guilt really set in. This could have been prevented. It should have been prevented. You fiddle with your sleeve.

Koska comes back too soon, her arms folded over her chest and the same unamused look on her stupidly perfect face. “So, one of you better start talking now, or else I’m going to get impatient and go catch up with the Queen to do your chore.” She nods to you. Why was she doing this? What did she gain out of knowing any of this? It could be to protect Korkie, although you found that seriously hard to believe. From what you can tell, Koska could care less about the Mandalorian Prince.

You sigh out of embarrassment mostly, but know that you are the one who needs to speak up. This was your mistake, and so it was your responsibility to fix it. “This is all my fault,” You have to clear your throat after beginning because of how uncomfortably your words sit in your throat. “I take full responsibility for everything. Don’t blame him for anything.” You nod. He turns his head to look at you after you say this, and you wanted nothing more than to look back at him, but Koska had your gaze trapped.

“And what exactly do you mean by ‘everything’ and ‘anything’?” The lady-in-waiting asks.

You sigh again, knowing this was going to be hard to say. “I...allowed myself to be…” You carefully considered your word choice, “i-infatuated with the wrong man.” You finally get out. That was the first time you had said it in front of him, and only the second time you had said it outloud ever, the first being to the Elven Queen last week. “I shouldn’t have let it get so out of hand, but I fell under the spell of this Knight, and I don’t even know his name. I’ve never seen his face. In many ways, he’s a complete stranger to me.” You debated saying the next thing, but it just kind of spilled out, ‘A stranger who’s plagued my thoughts and actions since the day I got here.” It was hard for you to say, but there was something so liberating about saying it.

He never took his eyes off of you the entire time you spoke, but this time you were able to look back at him. Your eyes first looking down at the floor guiltily, and then they slowly make their way up his armor and to the visor on his helmet. You just looked there for a little bit while Koska processed what you were saying. You smiled genuinely at the knight, desperately trying to show him that everything you just said was true. For a moment, you weren’t sure if she was going to say anything at all, and the room fell silent.

“Well…” She begins, you can’t hear any disappointment in her tone yet, “You’re terrible at hiding it.” She sighs. Of all the things she could have said, you did not expect that.

“What?” You say like an absolute idiot for the second time. You look back at the woman.

“Look, I’ve known him for a long time.” She shakily breathes, looking at him, “We’ve actually been through a lot together.” He was still looking at you, “And honestly, Neither of us were ever cut out for the Royal life we’ve been living for a while now.” You wondered what she meant by that. “And to be frank, I could care less about your personal life.” She said to you about you, “But since he’s a friend, and you really don’t mean very much to me, no offense,”

“None taken.”

“I suppose I’ll just keep it to myself-“

The relief that overcame your body was unmatched. You can’t stop the grin that goes from ear to ear or the sigh of relief that danced on your lips and out of your lungs. You look over at him, who still hasn’t looked away from your face, but he sighs of relief, too. You see it in the way his armor shifts.

“-Under one condition.”

“Okay…”

“You have to start hiding it better, no more over the shoulder glances. Okay? This is me looking out for him.” She gestures to him with a nod. Was she really going to do this for you?

“No more glances, got it.” You repeat.

“There’s no telling what might happen to him if the wrong person finds out.” She clears her throat, and that statement scares you. You try not to let it take up too much of your thought. “And you have to act like nothing is different. You’re still engaged to the Prince and you’re still the future Queen-consort. I don’t give a damn about what happens behind closed doors, but when others are around you have to behave yourselves. This is me looking out for my kingdom, understood?”

“Understood.” You nod back, although you weren’t the biggest fan of that condition, you knew that was the price you had to pay to get what you wanted… well at least what you think you wanted. “You’re not going to tell the Queen?”

“If you do those things, she won’t hear a word about it.” Koska shrugs.

“And what about Korkie?”

“Stars, I cannot stand that boy. I don’t even talk to him.” She rolls her eyes and you chuckle. You’re happy you aren’t the only one who feels that way about the prince. “But I’m not going to cover or lie for you two, I’m not going to help you hide it or anything. Alright?”

“Of course.” You reply.

“Great. I have over five-hundered masks to make by Saturday, so I’ll be leaving now.” She finished and on her way out, she pushes the knight on the shoulder playfully.

The door closes.

“Stars.” You clear your throat and turn to look at him, before you can say anything, though, he’s picking you up by the waist, throwing you over his shoulder like a sack of weightless flour, and carrying you over to the second sofa that isn’t taken up by a ridiculously large dress. You giggle when he does, blushing at his enthusiasm. You’re placed on your back and he kneels between your legs.

“You’re excited.” You chuckle and he hums in response. There isn’t very much room on the sofa but he makes his place. He then grabs the hem of your dress, pulling it up over first your thighs, then up past your hips, over the corset and up to your face. He covers your eyes with the skirt and it hides the cheesiest smile on your face. light still poured in from the fabric, but you weren’t able to see anything.

You then heard the sound of metal being placed on the floor next to you, and to your pleasant surprise, his lips and pressed tightly to yours through the fabric. The kiss obviously doesn’t make any contact, but you’ve learned that with the knight, it’s the thought that always counts. You’re smiling into the kiss like a dork, and you shudder when you feel his bare hands against your bare thighs. He pulls your legs open, and then pulls away from your separated kiss.

Your first moan comes when you feel his lips against your soft thighs. He licks up and down your right thigh first, his fingertips strong and faithful against the outer part of your legs. Your breathing hitches, and you hum with pleasure when he moves to your left thigh, taking the same amount of time to kiss, nibble and suck on your pillowy skin.

Then, before you can think any more about the heat and want in between your legs, he’s pulling down your petticoat painfully slow. You bite your lip, you knew where he was headed with this, and you were more than happy to welcome it. His index and middle finger run soft lines around your cunt, massaging the swollen and wet skin around your opening that only got wetter. Your clit begged for attention, but your arms were trapped under the position of the dress skirt, and you didn’t want to risk adjusting it in a way that would make him stop. You would have to patiently wait as he teased and prodded your lips, his free hand rubbing your thigh and occasionally making its way to firmly squeeze your ass cheek. Your breathing was needy and short as he took his time to get to know your core with the tips of his fingers, which were now wet and slick and making the friction smoother.

He then gently places a light kiss on your clit. It’s so soft that you’re only able to feel it because of how sensitive and hungry you are for that type of contact. You slightly finch when his lips touch the nerve, and you’re able to feel him smile against your skin. What you would give to see his face right now…. Then, before you can think any more, he’s licking a flat stripe up from the bottom of your cunt up to your clit where he flicks three times with the tip of his tongue. You gasp at the sensation, and try to suppress a moan. He then take his time to lick each separate lip of your sex, avoiding your actual opening but teasing in such an addictive way that you were willing to be patient for him.

The knight then finally wraps his lips around your clit and sucks, pulsing with his lips and flicking back and forth quickly with the tip of his tongue. You do moan this time, a broken cry falling off of your needy lips. It was a euphoric feeling unlike anything you’ve experienced before and you loved every moment of it. His arms wrap around your upper thighs, holding you in place around his head as he moves down to lap at your pussy lips. He moans at the taste of you, diving his tongue into your folds and prodding your sensitive clit with his nose.

You whine short and quietly as he does, biting your lip and bucking your hips every now and then as he took care of your sex. He must have gone down on you for close to ten minutes straight, never coming up for fresh air and never stopping the steady pace he had. You aren’t sure how you didn’t cum immediately at the feeling of his plump lips against your clit, but you also aren’t sure how you didn’t blackout from the sheer pleasure of the feeling. It was addictive, and it only got better after he pulled away to spit on your cunt. He spits onto your folds and then brings his fingers up again to start fingering you, sliding in his pointer finger with no resistance and slowly pumping it in and out. His mouth finds its way back to your slit, sucking on it as he fingers you. The sound was filthy, it filled the parlor with wet, obscene noises accompanied by breathy moans and gentle hums. Every time he hummed against your clit, your back arched from the added pleasure. The vibrating of it was pure euphoric, and you knew you were a sopping mess in between your thighs.

His chin was wet from spit and arousal and for one quick moment he pulled his wet mouth away from your core to kiss and rub the juices of your cunt on your thighs. He nibbles a few times on either thigh, marking each with a litter of purple and red hickeys. Before adding a second finger, he pulls his hand out to gently and playfully slap your cunt. He uses his wet hand to tap your core five or six times, each tap getting harder. You moan out at the feeling, and squeeze your legs together against the feeling in a horny attempt to get more pleasure from the moment.

“Huh, would you look at that?” He asks, his voice low and hungry and full of lust. It’s the first thing he’s said in a while, and the indulgence of the oral sex cause you to nearly forget how much you loved his rough voice. “Do you like it when I slap your cunt?” You whine in response. “With your words, Princess.”

“Yes, Sir.” You whine like a bitch. He chuckles and slaps it again, harder this time. You shudder at the feeling and feel your climax coming on. You want to delay it for as long as possible, but your thighs start to shake when he puts his mouth back in you and pushed both his index and middle finger into your opening, pumping and curling and twisting his wrist to make the most wonderful combination of finger-fucking you could of have imagined.

“I’m gonna cum.” You barely get out before your spine is burning and your stomach is flexing as you cum hard and long against his tongue and on his fingers. You cry out in broken, heavenly bliss, and look for something to grasp onto as you hit your high, but you can’t find anything, which leads to your sporadic back arches. You’re panting, and he doesn’t stop kissing against your core while you cum on his tongue. You bite your lip and swear you might make it bleed a little. His grip on your thighs tightens while he pulls you against his mouth, preventing you from pulling away from the addictive exhilaration that is his kiss.

He licks you through the entire orgasm, and then some after. You think you’re being over-stimulated but you never have been before, so you aren’t really sure. Just when you think he’s going to stop, he doesn’t and he just takes his sweet old time lapping against your core and slowly pumping his fingers in and out of you. You sharply breath in, your chest heaving against the dress and you desperately want to pull your dress down to see him and breath freshly again. The way he eats you out is so methodical, like he’s done it a thousand times (which wouldn’t necessarily surprise you), like it’s the only thing he’s ever eaten or the sweetest honey to ever grace his lips.

It begins to turn you on again, the pleasure shooting into your spine and down your littered thighs and melting against your clit. You can feel the gentle rub of his fingers against your thighs, stroking your skin as he takes you in. It’s heavenly and is the only thing you can think about. Your thoughts go numb and the only important thing in the entire world is the curly-haired boy at your expense.

You mutter and whisper swears, dirty words that aren’t meant to come out of a princess’ mouth but you can’t help it when you’re seeing white hot behind your eyes. He groans a few times too before his fingers speed back up to the pace they were at before you came the first time. Your dainty hands stroke lightly on your collar-bones as the pleasure fills your soul, licking your lips and trying to hold on for as long as possible before you cum again but you can already feel your second orgasm coming on. He uses a third finger to outline your lips, coating the tip in your slick and then slowly inserting the third and final finger into your cunt, helping you chase that final hit of release. The stretch is amazing, and you were surprised you were able to take it so well. This is when you realized that he’s been training you for something much bigger. The first time he fingered you wasn’t even any penetration, the second time was two fingers, just enough to stretch you that it hurt the right amount, and now this time, three fingers that felt amazing. You remembered the size of his cock, you knew it would be a challenge to take, but he was making sure you would be able to handle it and enjoy it as much as he will.

His focus goes from licking your clit to the fingers inside. He twists his wrist to make the curl and stretch your entrance. He collects the wetness and lets it make the glide and pump smoother. You’re so drenched and needy that the fluid is running out past his fingers and dripping onto the sofa cushion, staining it with your lust. He nips so slightly at your clit and just like that, your whole world comes crashing down. The orgasm is actually mind-numbing this time, and all you can do is moan and sob and claw at your own skin. Your scratch into your shoulders and collar-bone and it’s deliciously painful. Your thighs clamp against his head and he continues to finger you long and hard through the climax, cleaning your folds up as you cum against his tongue and fingers. You’re finally able to catch your breath, painting with droopy, lustful eyes but feeling completely fulfilled. He cleans up all the juices around your entrance, collecting the cum on his tongue and happily swallowing it down like it’s his last meal. You aren’t able to see it, but he then puts his fingers into his mouth, cleaning off the three that were knuckle-deep into your cunt. He groans at the taste, and wipes his mouth before planting one last, gentle kiss to the soft, angelic skin of the mound between your legs. You're so sensitive that the light kiss makes you flinch, and he chuckles at the involuntary reaction.

He puts his helmet back on and then pulls your dress skirt down to see your face. You’re surprised by the light initially, and you blink a few times to adjust to it. Your lungs fill with crisp air and you look at your favorite sight: the helm of the knight you think you’re falling in love with. You can’t stop the smile on your face. He chuckles and then readjusts your dress to cover you up better. He takes such good care of you. You see him freeze when he sees the scratch marks on your skin, and his bare hand softly runs over the red lines, outlining the marks. You blush at him, looking up at his expressionless face with a puppy-love look.

“Everytime I think it can’t get any better, you prove me wrong.” You sigh. Every orgasm has been better than the last.

“Just you wait.” You hear the smirk under the helmet and it causes butterflies to flutter in your tummy. You sigh, still catching your breath and you just take him in, looking up at how he’s propped up above you. He has hands on either side of your head and he’s just a brudding force of metal and sex and good kissing and caring about things that you didn’t even know you needed someone to care about. You probably look like a dork just smiling up at him but you don’t even care and now your hands are free to wrap around his neck and you just wish you could see his face and kiss it all over right now.

Your fingers lock behind his neck and the positioning of his armor and the way his head is bent makes it so you can just barely feel the skin of his neck. You move your index fingers up to look for the curls at the nape of his neck. You think you could sing out when you found the prize: some strands of dark, brown, thick hair hidden under the helmet. You twirl them around your fingers and that action alone is worth a million kisses. The feeling in your heart is second to none and you wished you could stay in this still moment forever.

“Did you mean what you said?” He speaks up in reference to what you told Koska about him.

“Every word of it.” You state, genuinely meaning it as you said it. He did respond but something told you he was smiling under all that armor. He sighs, and then lets his arms go weak so he’s falling onto you. You groan at the surprise and the sheer weight of both his broad body and the heavy armor on top. The air is pushed out of your lungs but at least he’s pressed into you, your hands still toying with his curly hair. You can hear him chuckle, and you wanted to freeze time.

“Someone’s gonna see us if we stay like this.” He mutters as you tilt your head to have it rest on top of his helmet.

“Then let them.”

He doesn’t reply to what you say, and you debate if it was even the right thing to say. When you’ve gotten everything you’ve ever wanted, it’s hard to grasp the concept that someone may not want the same thing. You’re selfish for not caring about his safety and status in these types of situations. He grunts as he pushes himself back up and stands again, leaving only you on the sofa.

“How’s the arm?”

“It’s fine.” You roll your eyes, you don’t want everyone to worry so much anymore.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” You reply more forcefully this time, sitting up on the couch.

“Just making sure.”

“Yeah, yeah…” You sigh, and consider your next words, “I was wondering if I could ask you something.” You sit with your palms flat against the cushion, making aware of the wet spot on the fabric and smirking fondly at it.

“Anything, your Highness.” He nods.

“Well… I wondered if maybe I could teach you how to dance?” You were nervous about what his response may be.

“Oh Stars-“ He chuckles.

“What!?”

“I had a feeling that masquerade might have something to do with me.” He puts his hands on his hips like he’s scolding you but there’s a guilty part of you that you like about it.

“Well it isn’t just about you.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“...no.” He already knew you so well. He chuckles at your response. “So… what’s your answer?”

“Dancing isn't my style…”

“I don’t believe that.” You tilt your head. “Come on, it’s super easy and it would mean a lot to me.” You try convincing. He sighs and considers what you’re offering. “I can give you something in return…” You bite your lip, teasing. He chuckles just once.

“Alright-”

“What!? Really??” You stand up from excitement, you weren’t really expecting him to agree.

“But, only if you let me teach you something in return.” You nod in agreement, your hands coming to fold in your lap. You were expecting him to refer to something sexual, but his words prove you wrong, “I wanna teach you how to fight.”

“What?” Why would you ever need that?” It’s rare for royals to learn such a skill, especially princesses. You understood that it would be valuable, but you weren’t completely sure if you were up to the task.

“Well more than anything, I want to teach you how to defend yourself. So something like Keldabe doesn’t happen again.”

“Okay…” You were tentative to agree.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” You shrug, “If it means I get to dance with you at the ball, I would be more than happy to learn.”

“Great. Let’s start then.” He takes a step back and holds his hand out for you to take.

“What?” You place your palm in his and he pulls you up off the couch, “right now?”

“Yes, c’mere.” You were nervous and honestly your legs were still weak from cumming twice, but you follow him as he begins to talk. “I’ll just teach you a few things and then you can teach me how to dance I guess.”

“Stop being a pill.” You tease.

“Only if you stop, too.” He teases right back at you which leads to a scoff from your lips. He ignores you. “When you're defending yourself, you always wanna protect your face, okay?”

“Protect my face, got it.” You repeat. He holds his arms up in front of his helmet, his hands fisted.

“Mimic my pose.” You roll your eyes but mirror him, holding your arms to guard your face. “See, is that so hard?”

“Shut up.”

“Yes ma’am.” He sarcastically replies. “You can’t do much if you can’t see, so that’s why you gotta protect your face. If you wore a helmet you wouldn’t need to do this.”

“But I would always be wearing a helmet…”

“It’s not so bad.” He shrugs.

“Something tells me that you don’t believe that.” You drop your arms from your face to say that, which was obviously a mistake, because instead of responding to your claim (which was probably right), he's jabbing his arm out towards your face. He’s not close enough to hit you but the quick and unexpected action is enough to startle you back. You lose your balance and fall down on the ground, wincing when you hit the ground and regretting agreeing to this. Your arms wrap into a frustrated position and you frown up at him. You look up at him surprised and a little pissed, and he just starts laughing. “What was that?”

“You let your guard down.” He says between laughs. He does hold his hand out for you to help you back up, and you take it to your own dismay. He hoists you up quickly, and you have to re-establish your balance.

“You are impossible.” You put your arms back over your face, ready to try again.

“You like it.”

“Are you gonna teach me or not?” He wasn't wrong but you figured you’d have to try and beat him at his own game.

“Are you gonna let me?”

“Just go.” You roll your eyes again.

“This will also protect your ribs. Can’t do much if the wind is knocked out of you, either.” He explains. “You also want to stand wide, it’ll help you keep your balance.” He kicks your feet out to be shoulder width which breaks every rule in the book of princess manners. “And prevent… falling on the floor.”

“This isn’t exactly easy to do in a corset, you know.” You argue.

“And dancing won’t be easy in armor but here we are.” He shrugs, and you suppose he’s right. Neither of you are cut out for the tasks at hand. “When fighting someone without armor, you’re gonna want to go for their face, their eyes are vulnerable and you can do real damage on their nose.”

“Okay….” You try to remember what he was saying, making a mental note for any future situations, although you’re still skeptical. “And what about someone with armor on?” You ask, trying not to show the smirk on your face.

“Well the guy in Keldabe did everything right, he found where the weak points of my armor was and attacked them-“

“So here?” You ask before reeling back your arm and swinging it as hard as you can into his shoulder where there was only chain mail. Your fist crashes into the metal, and you immediately regret it. “Shit!” You pull your hand back and look at your bright red knuckles, shaking your hand a few times as you try to brush the shock away.

“...Yeah, right there.” On the bright side, he seemed to be surprised by it enough that he made a little groan from the contact that turned you on way more than it should have. “But now you fucked up your hand.”

“You think?” You place the angry knuckles at your mouth, trying not to be too upset about the pain shooting through your hand.

“Punching chainmail is always gonna hurt, especially if you do it wrong… like that.”

“So how do I do it right!?” You’re determined now. No one has ever put you in your place, you’ve always gotten what you wanted, and you wanted to prove to him that you could do it.

“Why are you so eager to inflict pain on me?” He asks, you can hear the teasing in his tone but you can’t blame him for feeling that way. Perhaps you did come off a little anxious.

“I don’t know… I guess I just want to prove something to you.” You sigh, still pissed off by the pain in your hand. You’re so distracted by it that you hardly notice him walking towards you. His gentle and soft bare hands take your fist away from your mouth. You’re tentative at first, but let him take it in his hand, cupping it in between his and looking down at your red skin. You frown mostly out of frustration, but the pain is unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Princesses aren’t supposed to feel pain.

Before you can blink, he pulls his top hand away and takes it to lift up his helmet just above his lips. The angle makes it so you can’t see any of his face but you understand. He bends down and kisses your knuckles in the same fashion one would when greeting you, but this was so much more intimate. His lips were like satin against your skin and the butterflies in your stomach fly right back. The physical pain didn’t go away, but the anger around it did. Your heart softened and wished he would kiss your lips but he’s already pulling the beskar back over his jaw. You sigh from the gesture, he was so romantic and you don’t even think he’s trying to be. He’s just trying to be kind and patient with you and it’s doing something to your heart that you don’t know if you can handle anymore.

“So… how do you waltz?” He asks, his hand still holding onto yours. You smile and sheepishly look down at your feet. You were unsure of how to begin, but were happy he was willing to learn.

“Okay.” You smile, “Well, you first need to loosen up. Stop being so stiff.” He tilts his head like you’re speaking a foreign language. “Like this.” You press your hands down on his shoulder pauldrons, he tries to rest them but fails and you chuckle just a little. “Roll them back.” You explain and do it yourself, he attempts to follow, and actually is able to relax a little bit more this time. Knights are always so stiff, you think it will be good for him to relax every now and then. “Good, now this hand goes here…” You lift his right hand to rest on your waist and he immediately settles into it, already feeling more comfortable now that he is holding you. You place your left hand on his shoulder, pulling your bodies a little closer together. He wanted your torsos to be flush against one another, “No, we have to keep our distance so we have room to do the steps.” You explain.

“Well that’s no fun.” He sighs. You blush and giggle.

“If we get this done I promise you can hold me as long as you want.” You tilt your head trying to make a fair compromise.

“Fine.” He’ll take it.

“Great, now we hold these hands.” You take his left hand and hold it into yours. “That’s the basic position, I learned it as home position, got it?”

“Home position…?” He repeats.

“Mhm.” You nod, your faces are close and you would give anything to feel his breath against yours. “It’s important that we sort of… ‘glide’ like we bounce as we dance, it will make it prettier.” He was convinced you were always pretty no matter what you tried or did, but we guessed he would comply this time. Your voice goes quiet and soft, the mood immediately changing from teasing to harmonious. “And your feet… okay this is sort of complicated but your left foot will go forward as my right goes back-“ You keep looking down at the floor as you try to explain the steps but his gaze is on your face, hardly listening to what you're saying and only being engulfed in your face and the way you talked about doing something you loved. You were so beautiful and you didn’t even know it.

You must have been talking for a while without really listening to yourself because he was slowly pulling you into his torso and closing the space without you really noticing that you were inches closer than you were before. “-and then your left foot will slide to meet your right foot-“ the last word fades out as you slowly look back up to his face which was now up close to yours, your bodies pressed together and both of his hands on your hips, his thumb rubbing soft circles into your back. Your heart skips a beat and you forget how to breathe as you look up at him and it just felt… right.

Your hands lift from his pauldron to his helmet and you want to take it off so badly. You knew it was too fast still, and he would remove his helmet for you when he felt like he could. At least that’s what you hoped for. It should be his decision, no one else’s. But your hands are grazing the bottom of the beskar and everything feels so right. He’s so still and his breath is quiet and for just a moment you think he might let you and then-

The door knob is turning slowly and both of you are splitting away all too fast, trying to make enough space between the two of you so it didn’t look suspicious. You both scramble, trying to put yourselves back together. The still and perfect moment was entirely gone when Prince Korkie opened up the door into the parlor. You tried not to look too shocked when his stupid perfect hair and young face looked on you. The knight held his hands behind his back to hide the fact that they were bare and side-eyed the gloves on the sofa that laid by the wet stain on the cushion. He silently prayed that the Prince wouldn’t notice them.

“Ah, princess I was wondering where you were.” He looked between the two of you. He didn’t seem too suspicious, thank the stars.

“Korkie! What are you doing?” You awkwardly laugh. Your hands fold at waist level, and you fix your posture.

“Did… I walk in on something?” He asks and your whole body goes numb. You swallow and try not to pass out. The truth is yes, he did walk in on something very important to you, but here we are.

“Oh! No, we were just…” You search around the room looking for something to take the attention away from you and the knight, “Admiring the beautiful dress the Elves gave me!” You walk to the heavy, iridescent gown on the clean sofa, picking it up to show him. You smile desperately, hoping that would be enough.

“Ah yes! It is beautiful, isn’t it?” He nods, smiling. You sigh of relief when he falls for the bait. You set the dress back down.

“Can I do anything for you?” You ask,a king sure there was no attention on the knight being you.

“I… just wanted to spend a bit of time with you. My aunt informed me of the changes to the Ball. What a wonderful idea!”

“Why thank you.” You smile, taking a few steps towards him in a hopeless attempt to not seem so suspicious.

“Yes! I had just received the RSVPS from a number of the guests. Your parents, the twins of Naboo, the senator of Alderaan and Princess of Chandrila and I’m pleased to say that we’ve found no suspicion of any attack from Coruscant!” Stars, he talks a lot. You aren’t sure how he can have any more breath to talk. You were starting to decide that you liked the boys who were more reserved.

Well… one boy.

“Oh… Um, of course. That’s great news.” You nod and finish your walk towards him, suddenly hyper-aware of the fading scratches on your collar bone.

“Come with me, we should review the letters together.” You look back at the knight apologetically before walking into the hallway with the Prince. This isn’t exactly how you hoped your afternoon would go...

-

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-

Part ten

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Animage Magazine September 2021 Issue

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots of any type and amount. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

For more information regarding the use of my translations, click here.

Smash It!

Under the blazing midsummer sun, the Yashahimes are fully in the middle of enjoying watermelon breaking. In ‘The Second Chapter’ that will broadcast this fall, will the harsh destiny surrounding the girls also get smashed like a watermelon!?

It’s summer! Leisure! Watermelon breaking! The Yashahimes normally face off against atrocious demons, but their opponent today is a large watermelon. Before the juicy fresh taste, Moroha’s fired up swordsmanship looks even clearer than usual♪

Just as exciting as the fever surrounding the three princess is the arrival of new information regarding ‘Hanyō no Yashahime’ The Second Chapter! There are a lot of things of interest like what will happen to Setsuna who lost her life in the battle with Kirinmaru, the true intent behind Sesshōmaru’s actions, and the whereabouts of Kirinmaru and Zero. But right now, everyone is probably curious about the new character, Rion. It seems she is Kirinmaru’s daughter but why hasn’t she appeared on the center stage before? Also, going forward, how will she affect the story of Towa and the other Yashahimes?

Regarding the growing anticipation of ‘The Second Chapter’, according to the newly appointed director, Hishida Masukazu-san, he is currently working in earnest while placing importance on “How to produce the three Yashahimes so that they are awesome and cute”. We now can’t wait for the day when we get to see the three princesses once again running around powerfully in the Feudal world!

Character Bios

Takechiyo

A young tanuki (racoon dog) demon who works at the “Shikabaneya” which deals in demon bounties. He’s always tough towards Moroha, but he can’t but be surprised by the quickness of her stick!

Moroha

A quarter-demon girl born between Inuyasha and Kagome. Making a living as a bounty hunter and having plenty of experience in battle, breaking watermelons is a piece of cake?

Higurashi Towa

A half-demon girl with Sesshōmaru as her father. She treasures her younger twin sister, Setsuna, more than anything else. She seems like she would happily share the broken watermelon with Setsuna.

What Will Happen to Setsuna’s Life!?

Setsuna

A half-demon girl with Sesshōmaru as her father and Towa’s younger twin sister. She is normally cool, but it seems she can’t help but smile seeing Moroha and the others having fun.

In the final episode of the First Chapter, Setsuna lost her life in the battle with Kirinmaru. Sesshōmaru entrusts a broken Tenseiga to a despairing Towa, as if to tell her to revive Setsuna with the sword. Tenseiga is a sword that can revive a dead person just once but is it still possible with it being broken?

What About the Reunion with Parents!?

“Towa, Setsuna, Sesshōmaru, and Rin” and “Moroha, Inuyasha, and Kagome”, whether each family be able to safely meet or not is one of the biggest points of interest in ‘The Second Chapter’. Rin sleeping within the Tree of Ages with her fate still tied to Zero and the safety of Inuyasha and Kagome who have been imprisoned in the black pearl is of interest.

Kirinmaru’s Daughter Makes Her Appearance!

One of the key people in ‘The Second Chapter’ is Kirinmaru’s daughter, Rion. According to Director Hishida “While Rion was raised properly, the parent-child relationship between her and Kirinmaru has become quite complicated”. We want to hurry and find out the parent-child back story between Kirinmaru and Rion!

— There is a feeling of ‘Who would’ve thought Director Hishida’ but please tell us the details of how you were appointed as director.

The Three Girls Will Grow Up Little by Little

Director Hishida Masukazu

Hishida: Since the announcing of the ‘Hanyō no Yashahime’ project, it seems there was a large echo to “create ‘The Second Chapter’ as quickly as possible”. It’s just that the previous Teruo-san (Director Satō Teruo) already had his next assignment set so they reached out to me to be his successor. Producer Naka Hisakazu-kun joined Sunrise when I was directing my first work “Onmyō Taisenki” and he oversaw production; it seems he remembered my name in the corner of his mind. For me, I made my production debut with ‘Inuyasha’ so when I received talks of this work that has gathered everyone I’m indebted to, I thought “I absolutely cannot refuse this job and it’s my destiny to accept it!”

— It has been roughly 20 years but please tell us some of your memorable moments from back when you were working on ‘Inuyasha’.

Hishida: Not only was I in the production rotation, but I was also a production assistant, so I think I was involved in all the episodes in some way in the first year. I remember back then my senior (senpai) producers pushed a lot of things onto me *laughs*. The flash of Tessaiga’s “Wind Scar” turning up boulders and the effects of Miroku’s “Wind Tunnel” were things I came up with after receiving the unreasonable request of “You think of something” from my senior producers. At the time, it was a cell animation only anime, so I remember struggling quite a bit to produce something flashy with only a limited number of moves.

Also, I created the sequence flow of Sesshōmaru (destroying) countless demons into little pieces. At the time, I had only just started doing digital drawing but because I went overboard with it, the CG person got angry with me like “Because you made such a difficult thing (it became the standard), it’s gotten rough for me!” *laughs*. However, those materials were used as *bank shots for ‘Inuyasha, The Final Act’ and the current ‘The Second Chapter’. No one else will say it so I will, but I was quite involved in building the foundation for ‘Inuyasha’!

*Translator’s Note: Reusable shots (helps to save time and cost)

— That is quite the meritorious deed. Regarding work on ‘The Second Chapter’, what sort of plan do you have?

Hishida: In terms of art creation, continuing Teruo-san’s direction is the foundation. Also, an important aspect is how much will we be able to produce the three Yashahimes in way that makes them awesome and cute.

This time, I told everyone in the production/storyboard team “In ‘Hanyō no Yashahime”, the girls are the stars, so I want you to think about how to make them shine on screen”. With Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru, I think it’s fine to just have them stand in a savage wasteland, but we specially have girls, so I wanted to be a little conscious of the showy aspect. I separated from Sunrise after ‘Inuyasha’ and created anime that was geared towards primary school girls at other studios, so while utilizing that experience, I want to depict the courageous Yashahimes.

— What are some overall highlights for ‘The Second Chapter’?

Hishida: The process of the three girls slowly growing up will be depicted, so I think that’s a point worth noting. For those with children, I would certainly like for them to watch from a parental point-of-view. Also, in ‘The Second Chapter’ all of them will get new weapons. On the point of getting stronger both physically and psychologically, the flow will inherit from ‘Inuyasha’, and will have not just a shōnen manga component but also a fun factor that I think is possible with ‘Hanyō no Yashahime’. By all means, please watch over the development of the three (girls).

— Thank you very much. In the next issue, we will be asking about the highlights for each character as it pertains to ‘The Second Chapter’!

[emialawliet]

The mysteries of Wonder Egg Priority and some interesting things I found in it

Oh hi Acca. Wait is that a crack on your right lens?

One of the great things about WEP is that it is an original anime wherein we do not have any source material to check on its story thus we do not have a clue on what’s gonna happen next besides the things that happen in each episode. These are one of those animes which are fun to observe.

Plot Summary: Ai scores a “Wonder Egg” from a gachapon machine at a deserted arcade. But now when Ai falls asleep a girl emerges from her Wonder Egg, the worlds of dreams and reality begin to collide. And it’s all connected.

From the first episode, we have been given a huge amount of symbolism. Aside from the main subject of bullying and Ai’s guilt by pretending not to see it that cost her bestfriend’s life, there are a lot of other things that I noticed that seem to have a deeper meaning behind them or could be a hint to something. I’ll list these things one by one from the first 2 episodes..

This post is going to be quite a long one, so I’ll keep it minimal enough to just tickle your thoughts. And believe me, things got clearer to me as I am making this post.

The anime starts in a sort of a dream world.. or is it?

1) The firefly

In some cultures firefly may not have a positive reputation. But in Japan, where they are called "hotaru," they are beloved – a metaphor for passionate love in poetry since Man'you-shu (the 8th century anthology). -Namiko Abe @ thoughtco.com

Ai can be seen looking at a dead firefly. She seems caring for it and she even gave it a proper burial. Could this symbolize someone dear to her? Now let’s proceed..

2) person in the car

Is this a clue? I’ll remember that hair for some reason..

3) Ai’s conversation with the firefly and the Special Gacha Machine

firefly: What are you doing in a place like this?

Ai: Walking.

F: This late at night?

After burying the firefly, it suddenly came out the soil and spoke to Ai with a male voice. Their conversation seems to me like a suspicious man talking to an innocent girl in a place where a young one like her isn’t supposed to be..

F: The first time’s free. Next time bring your wallet.

This is one of the things commonly used to convince someone to try something they are usually not willing to for the first time. Like a free trial..

..and was then led somewhere underground where the “Special Gacha Machine” is located.

That’s a lotta eggs. What could this underground facility be? And here’s the Gacha Machine:

So that’s the thing in the poster.

Weird huh? But the next morning, Ai wakes up with the egg beside her..

4) The dream

..Or is it not entirely a dream? I mean the egg appearing beside her is one thing although it could be that the egg is just in her mind. But the thing that complicates things is the injuries she gets in real life, to the point where she and even Neiru needs to get hospitalized.

Ai asked why this (the whole dream she’s in) is happening to her and this is what Kurumi said:

“Nothing costs more than a free gift huh?” Indeed, life is priceless. But in this story, it is only free the first time. The second night, Ai paid a huge price. Could those injuries mean this?

“This is a dream to you, but to me it is reality.” -Kurumi Saijo

Ai will not die in this dream, as long as her eyes and heart are okay.

Did she really sneak at night twice? Since getting the Wonder Egg to saving Kurumi? In this scene we also see the teacher in full for the first time and I dunno about you guys but I think that hair is familiar..

The firefly even asked her this. We’ve seen Ai sneaking out at night but the things that follow are strange enough to happen in real life. Is it possible that what we're seeing is a mixture of Ai’s imagination and reality?

Something caused these injuries. Or is it Ai herself? Let us find out..

After saving Kurumi, a mysterious male voice said “Too bad, you only get saved. But you have to cheer up if you want your bestfriend back.”

She then asked this:

..but got no clear response. Of course we know the answer, Koito is not going back to life. but why does the voice demand her to do that? Not even the firefly could answer her clearly. But she continued to believe that this will get her bestfriend back. 

“If you can’t protect them, you won’t make it either.” -Firefly

“There’s no point going to save someone if she gets herself killed.” -Ura-Acca

Does they mean the guilt might kill her too? Does this imply suicide? Could this be a hint where Ai gets her injuries?

And Neiru asked her who she is fighting for.. Ai firmly said it was for Koito.

“You don’t like yourself now, so you go. You want to change the self you hate.” Well this could also be true for herself despite saying it’s for her sister whom she let die. How? We’ll soon know more about this I guess.. At the moment, we know that Neiru loves her current self. 

Ai hates herself for betraying her bestfriend. The first friend she ever had.

Koito probably asked her to film the bullying as evidence, but Ai was too scared of being left out. She wasn’t able to get a good shot, but Koito only smiled at her and knew she did her best.

5) The egg

From the title itself, the egg is a very prominent object in this anime. We still do not have a clear answer as to what it really represents, but according to the speaking firefly and Kurumi, it contains what a person wants the most, and in Ai’s case, it is a friend. She denies this to both of them but they both know it is the truth.

The eggs appear in different colors, with letters, numbers and symbols printed on them. Once cracked, it reveals a person. This is where we can relate the egg’s symbolism of life and creation. 

A mysterious male voice angrily told Ai to break the egg, and this is what he said afterwards:

Ai is “good” at it, huh. What could he probably mean I wonder..

It was later revealed that Kurumi is another sculpture, a “captured maiden” in a different world like Ai’s bestfriend Koito. This confirms that Kurumi is also dead, which leads me to think that the eggs are the souls of those who died from suicide or abuse. 

They couldn’t pass on unless the guilt of their friends stop holding them back. And this I think is also what’s happening to our MC Ai and Koito’s soul.

6) Kurumi Saijo

She wears a different uniform than Ai’s. A victim of bullying by 3 girls.

Like Ai, she also said she did not have any friends, just superficial ones.

And this could be hinting at the reason why she was bullied by those girls. She does have the looks. But these looks might be the reason why she had no real friends. And a boyfriend of this fake friend probably liked her and broke up with her fake friend which started the bullying. I smell jealousy.

In this dream, she found her resolve while saving Kurumi.

I gotta say though, the animation is impressive from start to finish. That button popping off has me goin “whoa they even thought of adding that bit.” And the explosion that followed.. oof.

After being saved by Ai, she asked Ai to not forget her and disappeared into dust. Was Kurumi able to finally pass on?

) Minami Suzuhara

Seriously, in this anime, adorable girls have no friends.

Damn her “trauma” is a ridiculous boob monster. 

She could have died due to over fatigue and stress from her coach’s verbal abuse.

Ai had another injury the following day.

) Ai’s enemies

The Seenoevils, a disorderly mob. In real life, they are the ones that pretend not to see the bullying, letting it happen and thus contribute to the damage being dealt to thee victim. And the form of the egg’s “traumas”, the Wonder Killer, which are the main cause who led the victims to their deaths. In the dream world, they do not attack Ai. But they can damage her, only for the effects to appear outside the dream.

Ai uses Kurumi’s pen as her first weapon, and Minami’s ribbon wand as the second.

Like Kurumi, after she was saved she also asked Ai to remember her before disappearing into dust.

) The teacher

Ai’s teacher seems really nice, going as far as to visit her and deliver the week’s print outs to their home. Ai must not be attending school for weeks..

We now know that Ai’s location is nearby their teacher’s home. Could he be the guy in the car then? We don’t have enough evidence of that as of yet.

In the second episode, Ai’s teacher visited again.

Now we see his face. He’s got a mole huh.

But why this question teach? 

So that’s his name. And why the special treatment?

Here we see him walk behind Koito and she follows..

) Acca & Ura-Akka

The most intriguing thing I found in the first ep..

After discovering the truth about Kurumi, Ai was led to the end of the underground tunnel and found these two strange dolls playing Go, a japanese traditional board game. One looks like a professional, and the other just casual. They introduced themselves as Acca and Ura-Acca.

Judging by that definition, these two dolls could be the same person. Let’s watch out for that.. Who could this person be? And what is his connection to Ai?

“Haste makes waste.” These two are worried about Neiru. They strongly advise on taking the process slow or else she might die. Is this person a therapist?

) Neiru Aonuma

Did I read that right.. VICE PRESIDENT?? I get the feeling her sister died caused by neglect from their parents because they were more focused on this Neiru who “loves herself”. She also seems to me like a foreigner. She speaks english quite well and we see the mom with a nice cute afro.

She was too greedy to get multiple eggs at once. She could have fought through an intense battle. Probably why she was put in the intensive care unit. 

She also does not know the fun of being in a friendship. But then she agrees on being friends with AI :) I am glad how Ai is starting to change too.

I am looking forward for these two’s friendship <3

And that’s about all the curious things I’ve gathered in the first 2 episodes.

I am definitely going to continue watching this series and witness the truth unfold. Until the next egg time!

[kaen-ace-of-diamonds]

Cinderquil

Word Count: 4900+ (oneshot)

[AO3]

Genre: Fluff/Friendship

Characters: Cinder Fall, Cinder’s Pokemon

Summary: Pokemon AU. Ever since they were young, Cinder's only Pokemon has been her starter, Ella the Houndoom. She is proud of her position as her Trainer's sole companion and sees no reason for anything to change, thank you very much. So when Cinder brings home a new addition to their team, Ella's world is turned abruptly upside down.

Warnings for implied/reference child abuse and animal abuse

Inspired by this art by @astoria00!

~0~

Ella, like her Trainer, had no concept of downplaying her own importance.

She considered herself the paragon of partner Pokemon. Ever since she was a little Houndour, tripping over her own paws and barely able to cough out a flame, she had always done her best to look after Cinder. The girl she had grown up with was whip-smart and strong, as hotblooded as any Fire-type, and Ella would follow her commands without hesitation. 

That being said, she didn’t always understand what was going on in Cinder’s head. For instance, coming to this unfriendly and unfamiliar region on the orders of that shadowy organization. Sure, the safe house they’d been provided was comfortable, a small and cozy cabin in the woods, but, Ella wondered, at what cost? She had been alone for hours. 

Ella watched the thick forest around her with all the alertness of a hunter, gnawing at the large Grumpig ear she had been given. It was not hard work, guarding the cabin while Cinder was out on her mission, and it was clear that Ella was better suited for the job than Talonflame. The Flying-type had been lent to Cinder by her new leader for easy transportation, and while the supercilious look in his eyes got Ella’s hackles up, she didn’t feel threatened by the new addition. Talonflame was, if not temporary, nothing more than a utility. 

Ella was Cinder’s only Pokemon. As for Ella herself, she disdained the company of both humans and other Pokemon alike. None of them had ever done anything for her: all she needed was her Trainer.

It was growing dark, and she could smell impending rain in the air — not unusual, in this awful cold and wet region — and was glad when she caught Cinder’s scent alongside it, growing steadily closer. She did not move from her spot on the front porch, but her ears perked up and her gaze homed in on the speck of red in the distance. Small as it was, it stood out against the dark greens and cloudy greys that surrounded them. 

Ella didn’t scramble up and run to her as she would have in the past — she had learned professionalism alongside Cinder as well — but her shoulders relaxed and her barbed tail flopped back and forth against the wood. Finally, her Trainer was home and things were the way they were supposed to—

Wait a blasted minute. 

What was that?

“Hello, Ella,” Cinder greeted her as she stepped out of the trees, as if everything were normal. “Did you miss me?”

Ella jumped to her feet with a furious bark, the Grumpig ear clattering down the stairs. Her tail stood straight out and her head reflexively jerked up and down, showing off her horns to the tiny, dirty, squirming thing that Cinder was carrying into their house. 

To the Cyndaquil’s credit, she got the picture immediately. She didn’t even try to flare up her back before emitting a loud squeak and attempting to leap out of Cinder’s arms, presumably to scurry back to whatever hole in the ground she had come from.

Unfortunately, instead of coming to her senses and letting it go, Cinder held Cyndaquil tighter, close and protective. After a few seconds, she curled up timidly against her chest. 

“Shh, relax, it’s okay. Ella’s not going to hurt you.” She narrowed her eyes warningly at Ella as she walked up the stairs and into the cabin. “Ella is going to be a nice girl and hear me out.”

No, Ella damn well would not. Not without standing her ground and making her case. She followed Cinder inside growling and bristling. 

Once the door was shut behind them, the one Pokeball at Cinder’s belt burst open, and Talonflame flapped across the living area to his perch next to the fireplace. His beady black eyes watched them with unusual interest, and Ella resented the sense that she was putting on a show for him.

What’s gotten into you?! she barked at her Trainer, who had begun trying to coax Cyndaquil out of her defensive ball. You said all you needed was me! Why would you do this without even asking me?

True, all Cinder could hear was “Houndoom Houndoom Houndoom Houndoom,” but after all this time, Ella knew she was getting the gist of it. 

“I realize that this is sudden,” Cinder began, her tone deliberately calm and even. “But I couldn’t exactly leave her there and run back to check with you. And we can’t just toss her out now that I’ve brought her here.”

Ella snorted. Very convenient for both of them. And how soon can I expect to be replaced? Was I that shameful of a starter?

With her free hand, Cinder reached over to grab a towel from the kitchenette and started rubbing the dirt from Cyndaquil’s damp fur. She let out a muffled squeak at the sudden touch, but didn’t uncurl.

“I expected to run into some people while I was out, that wasn’t the problem. There’s plenty of towns and cave systems around these mountains to look through. I didn’t plan on actually battling anyone, but apparently somebody on the trails had something to prove. One of those rich boys — you know the type, of course.”

Yes, they had met more than enough of those in their time. One of Cinder’s new teammates even seemed like one all grown up, complete with an equally smug Toxitricity by his side. Ella didn’t relax at all — in fact, her shoulders tensed up more — nor did she soften her accusing glare, but she did cease growling.

“So he won’t take no for an answer, won’t even break eye contact, and I decide that if he insists, I might as well teach him a lesson. He had three other Pokemon, and they were high-level but sloppy. I’d bet money that he didn’t catch them himself, that they were gifts or trades that he had no idea how to actually deal with. Talonflame made short work of them, but then — hm?”

Cyndaquil had been starting to lift her nose tentatively out of her defensive ball, and only now that she wasn’t too frightened to think did she notice the running slow cooker and containers of Pokemon food on the counter. The realization made her pick her head up and squeak loudly, and the smile that broke out on Cinder’s face was of the sort that Ella hadn’t seen in years.

“Are you hungry? I know, you’ve had a long day...” She dug around in the box of PokePuffs — not strictly belonging to Ella, but who else’s would they be? — and pulled out a Basic Spice to offer it. “Here, you can have this, can’t you?”

Cyndaquil sniffed the treat, and gnawed at it a little, but didn’t move to take or actually eat it. Cinder sighed. 

“Well, I had hoped so, but I guess not.” 

She gently pushed the treat into Cyndaquil’s stubby arms until they gripped it, and then knelt to set the tiny Pokemon on the floor. Ella tilted her head as she scowled down at her: what was the matter with her, stumbling around like that? Had she hit her head somehow?

Cinder shot Ella a warning glance that, in Ella’s mind, was completely uncalled for. “Be nice.”

Ella huffed, and stalked deliberately closer. Cyndaquil paused in trying to figure out what the PokePuff she held was, and looked worriedly between the human and Houndoom glaring at each other. Once Cinder was satisfied that Ella would not, in fact, rip the smaller Pokemon’s head off like some kind of feral beast, she turned around and started going through the cabinets and minifridge. 

“I did beat his whole team, as far as I’m concerned,” she went on with her story as she retrieved the big saucepan and a carton of milk. “All the ones who were fit for battle. But when I held out my hand for the money he owed me, he went purple in the face and insisted that we weren’t done. He pulled another Pokeball out of his pocket, and sent her out. And of course she had no idea what was going on, did you, dear?”

Cyndaquil blinked, puzzled, and nearly tripped over her own chubby legs. Ella’s anger was very quickly giving way to confusion of her own; she knew that the average starter Pokemon wasn’t wildly powerful, to match its equally inexperienced Trainer, but surely they started at at least level one?

“No, she didn’t. I don’t know what garbage breeder they got her from, but she was definitely not ready to be separated from her mother. Even Talonflame backed off.”

Something finally clicked in Ella’s head, and her eyes went wide. She lunged forward, claws clacking on the hardwood floor, to sniff vigorously at Cyndaquil, who nearly fell over backwards in surprise. Under the rainwater and dirt, the scent of juvenile pheromones was unmistakable.

From up on his perch, Talonflame chirruped, amused. It really took you this long to notice? Do you usually growl at baby humans, too?

Ella was too stunned to even bark back. True, she didn’t spend any time around other Pokemon, but she should still have known...

“Obviously this spoiled brat had no business keeping her in his care,” Cinder said, stirring vanilla and cinnamon into the simmering pan. “But fortunately, it was very simple to set up an exchange.”

Talonflame chirruped, amused. Your Trainer throws a mean Mach Punch, Ella.

Cinder smirked at the fresh memory. With her free hand, she reached into her hip pouch, pulled out the shards of a shattered Pokeball, and tossed them into the trash can. Ella heard muffled clinks, and caught a glimpse of a coin purse that definitely was not theirs. Or, well, it hadn’t been before.

“I think it’s about time we start expanding our team, anyway. We’re in service to a very powerful leader now. We should be meeting a higher standard.” She glanced at Ella while digging back in the cabinet for the Vespiquen honey, and amended, “An even higher standard. I know this was a shock to you, Ella, and I don’t expect you to babysit her. But I couldn’t imagine a better example for her than you.”

Well. Ella couldn’t argue with that. She considered Cyndaquil for a moment more, watched her twitch her nose curiously up at her, and then ducked her head down to take the smaller Pokemon’s scruff in her mouth. As expected, she was still young enough that she went limp in her teeth.

Cinder blinked, but didn’t move to stop her. “Ella? What are you doing?”

Ella didn’t respond; she was already carrying Cyndaquil over to the living area. She laid down on the rug, deposited Cyndaquil between her front legs, and set about licking her short, downy fur. She wasn’t sure how Typhlosion mothers usually groomed their young — she barely remembered how her own mother had done it — but this felt right. 

Cinder smiled and returned her attention to the pan on the stove. Cyndaquil, for her part, didn’t seem upset, but she was certainly confused.

Who... She was cut off by Ella’s wide tongue sweeping over the top of her head, but tried again. Who are you?

My name is Ella, she informed her, making sure to get the back of her neck. Cinder’s hasty rub with the towel hadn’t done anywhere near enough to rid her of the residue on her fur, and it certainly hadn’t done anything for the scrapes on the skin underneath. I am your teammate now. 

Oh. Cyndaquil squirmed around some more until she could look up at Cinder’s back. That lady’s nice. And warm.

Her name is Cinder. She is your Trainer, and you should do as she tells you.

My Trainer’s sleeping on the ground back there, Cyndaquil said with innocent bluntness. I don’t think he got up yet. 

Talonflame let out a deliberate, throaty laugh, and Ella shot a warning glare over her shoulder before returning to her ministrations. 

You can forget about him, she insisted to Cyndaquil. All you need now is us. 

Perhaps it was only because Cyndaquil was too young to fully grasp the reality of her new situation, but she didn’t question it any further. Instead, she settled down between Ella’s front legs and continued to watch Cinder make her dinner, submitting to a thorough grooming as she did so. 

Talonflame tilted his head back and forth as he stared down at them. You’ve changed your tune quickly, haven’t you, Ella?

Shut up, said Ella curtly, in between licks. You’re not staying.

We’ll see about that, Talonflame replied, too lazily to be threatening, as he tucked his head beneath his wing for a brief nap. Wake me when dinner’s ready, will you? 

Ella made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat. She couldn’t find the room to care about that right now. Not when the cabin was steadily filling with sweet and savory scents, when the room was growing warm in the way it only did when the evening chill was falling outside, when there was a sense of comfort settling into her bones that she hadn’t felt in quite a long time. 

Not since...ah.

Ella looked up at Cinder, who gave her a knowing smile back. Of course she remembered too.

~0~

It’s only the adrenaline surging through her veins that’s keeping her moving. She just wants to run, run, run, as far and as fast as she can, because if she stops for an instant they’ll catch her and drag her back, but she can’t feel her paws anymore and it’s very quickly not her decision. 

The driving rain is already making it hard to see what’s in front of her, but then her vision blurs out completely, and she’s dropped right into a puddle before she even realizes her legs have buckled from underneath her. She doesn’t have the strength even to struggle back to her feet. All she can do is shuffle on her stomach through the mud, inch by miserable inch, until the sore tips of her toes brush rock, leaving behind smears of blood that are quickly washed away.

Her eyes flick upward: less of a cave than a hole in the ground, but she’ll take it. It’s a painful squeeze through an opening that’s just barely bigger than her own body. When she finally manages it, she collapses, lying like a wet pile of fur on the rough stone. Even here’s not really dry — cold runoff drips steadily right into her ear — but she couldn’t move to a better spot even if she tried.

She closes her eyes, the sound of her own labored breathing filling her head. She doesn’t know if she’ll ever get up again, and right now, she doesn’t much care. All that matters is that she’s not moving, that no one can touch her here.

So it takes her a good minute to register the strange scent wafting into her nostrils, underneath the heavy smells of rain and earth: acrid enough to make her nose twitch and fur raise. With a colossal effort, she lifts her head an inch, and finally notices that she is not alone here.

Barely a few feet away, desperately trying to cram herself into the far corner of the cave, is a human not much bigger than her. A little girl, just as skinny and soaked as she is, her amber eyes huge with terror. She wonders what she’s so afraid of — wonders if there’s anything behind her, if she should be afraid too — before realizing.

Oh. This was your hiding place first.

The girl doesn’t seem to have been here long: she’s out of breath, eyes puffy and red, and none of the mud spattering her once-white shirt and pants has dried. She gapes at her for a long moment, before hesitantly scooting forward and reaching out towards her ears.

What ear she has left pricks straight up. She might have intruded on this human, sure, but that doesn’t mean she gets to touch her.

Her hackles raise, her lips pull back, and she snaps at the offending fingers the second she realizes where they’re going. She misses — the girl gasps and scrambles back again, holding her hand protectively to her chest — and her smooth, flat-topped teeth clack painfully together.

“I-I’m sorry!” the girl yelps. “It’s just...you’re hurt.”

She’s fine. So what if her ears and tail had been cut into this awful shape? So what if she’s been robbed of her fangs, and now her claws? She’s still a Pokemon and not some spoiled brat’s toy. Still strong, strong enough to defend herself against one pathetic human. 

She growls, but it’s weak even to her own ears. She is strong, it’s either tell herself that or lose hope completely, but she’s running on fumes. If she can’t fight back...if she can’t make them stop touching her...

The girl is doing something puzzling now, and it almost makes her let down her guard. She’s pawing at her shirt as if looking for something, but it doesn’t seem to have any pockets or other affectations. Then after a moment, to her shock, she grabs the one part of it that isn’t filthy, tears a long strip away, then tears that in half with a soft snap.

“Here...” She edges closer, slowing but not quite stopping at her growls. “I — I get it if you don’t want me touching your face. But your paws are bleeding, and...”

She narrows her eyes and keeps her teeth bared in warning: with the combustion pouch in her throat snipped or punctured or even pulled out entirely, whatever they had done to it, a cigarette lighter could produce a bigger flame than she can right now. But she doesn’t have to act like it.

The girl bites back a whimper, the smell of fear still coming off her in waves. “I’m not trying to hurt you, I promise. I just want to help. Please?”

Growls keep bubbling up from her throat, but they’re half-hearted. Against every instinct, she slides her front paws forward. The wounds on her half-amputated toes sting when the scratchy fabric wraps around them, but it’s a small relief to have the bleeding finally staunched.

The girl smiles. “There. Better?”

This close, she can see in the girl’s sunken cheeks and ashen skin how starved she is, spot the jagged outline of a fresh scar around her neck. The faint smell of human blood, not quite covered up by the muck, reaches her nose. Oh. So they really are in the same boat. 

She goes quiet, and tries to relax, and is rewarded with the fear-scent steadily receding.

“My name’s Cinder. Do you have a name?”

She heaves a deep sigh in response; she’s never been called anything but mongrel, dumb mutt, dirty animal, and she’s pretty sure those don’t count as names.

“No? I’ll think of one for you, then. Just give me a little bit, I’ve never named anyone befo—aah!”

Thunder shakes what felt like the whole world around them, and they both jump so badly they hit their heads on the painfully low walls. She lets out a whine despite herself, curling tightly in on herself to keep from shaking. Cinder doesn’t look much happier, but instead of recoiling...

“Here...” Cinder mimics her, getting down and snuggling up next to her back on the floor. “I know I’m not very warm, but I should be better than nothing.”

She makes a soft noise of assent. When Cinder slings an arm over her shoulders, hugging her body close and gently petting her flank, it doesn’t exactly make her feel fuzzy on the inside. But it stirs something deep in her chest that she doesn’t have a name for yet, and it’s a welcome distraction from the cold and wet.

“We can stay here until the storm stops. We could figure out where to go together,” Cinder suggests, in a hesitant murmur. “We could be friends.”

Friends. She’s never heard the word before, and isn’t sure what it means, but she wouldn’t mind finding out. She twists her head around and licks Cinder’s cheek, and the girl giggles like she’s never tried to before.

The rain drives down hard and punishing outside, washing away all traces of them. Freezing droplets fall on them from the roof. They’re hungry, dirty, and shivering, with no idea of what they’re supposed to do next. But tonight they’re huddled together, the world outside this cramped little cave does not exist, and for the first time in their lives, they aren’t alone.

 ~0~

“Dinnertime,” Cinder said, balancing four dishes as she came into the living area. Talonflame stirred and flapped down from his perch to join them as she served the meal: beef stew from the slow cooker for the three of them and warm spiced milk for Cyndaquil.

The baby Pokemon let out her loudest squeak yet and bounced out of Ella’s legs when the dish was set beside her, but stopped short of actually going for it, looking up at them hesitantly.

“Go on. It’s all for you, dear.”

Cinder, sitting cross-legged on the floor with them, smiled as she watched the tiny Pokemon scramble eagerly towards the milk.

“You like it? There’s plenty more where that came from. We’re going to raise you to be big and strong, and one day nobody will dare mistreat you. Right, Ella?”

Ella loyally thumped her tail on the hardwood floor: she knew better than anyone. She knew that she wasn’t the starter Pokemon that every child dreamed about, nor, she conceded, had Cinder begun as the cool and confident Trainer that any Pokemon would want. But still they had fought every day to survive together, to become strong enough that nobody could ever lay a hand on them again. 

She had evolved under Cinder’s command, and with evolution the body parts that had been carved away from her when she was young were restored to her. Most importantly, it had given her her fire back, and she knew in her heart that she would never have been able to reach that point on her own.

It was just like Cinder used to say, in the dead of one of their countless nights huddled up together: It’s all right if nobody else loves us. All we need is each other.

That had held steadfastly true for them, from childhood to adulthood. Ella saw no reason why the same could not apply to Cyndaquil, if she herself were magnanimous enough to allow it.

As she gulped down tender chunks of beef, she watched the tiny Pokemon lapping up the milk so earnestly she seemed in danger of falling headfirst into the dish. It had taken Ella a long time to train herself out of scarfing her food down like that, so fast she didn’t even taste it, to be sure that nobody would snatch it away from her now. 

Though Toxitricity and Drapion still acted as if they would sometimes, just to get a rise out of her. While she was still small, Cyndaquil would be free to take refuge behind her legs or in Cinder’s arms, but soon Ella would have to teach her how to stand up for herself, and to not roll over for them or anyone else. There were a lot of things the two of them — three, if Talonflame decided to make himself useful — would be responsible for teaching their newest member. She ought to start making a list.

Not that there was much room in her head for that right now. Cyndaquil polished off the milk before the rest of them were halfway finished with their meal, and after licking the dish clean, she looked up and glanced uncertainly around at the three of them. 

Now that there was nothing to distract her, it was starting to sink in that she was all by herself, in a strange place surrounded by strange people, with no idea what was going to happen to her next. Ella knew that feeling: the sudden drop in her stomach, the cold spreading like frost over her skin. She remembered. She expected that Cinder did, too. 

Her Trainer was watching Cyndaquil intently, and at the first tiny whimper that might have been the prelude to crying, she set her bowl aside and held out her arms. 

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Want to come here?”

With only slight reluctance, Cyndaquil allowed Cinder to scoop her into her lap. Smiling, she rubbed the tiny Pokemon’s belly with one hand and scratched the back of her neck, just above the incendiary spots, with the other. Cyndaquil let out a series of high-pitched cheeps and squirmed happily in her lap, clearly unused to such affection.

“There, you see?” Cinder cooed, as Cyndaquil twisted around so she could scratch under her chin. “Nothing to be afraid of. This is your home now, with me and your big sister Ella.”

Ella! Ella! Cyndaquil squeaked, delighted. She says we’re sisters!

Ella swallowed a chunk of potato and tilted her head at them. Sister. Another word she would soon be learning to embody.

~0~

The next morning, Ella found her need to pace militarily when impatient at war with her utter disgust of wetness and mud. They had planned a schedule for Cyndaquil’s first full day with them yesterday evening, and it would not do at all to start slacking so soon.

Last night, Cyndaquil had tried to sleep in the corner of the bedroom at first, clearly too used to being shunted out of the way. She had needed plenty of coaxing from Cinder and a commanding bark from Ella to feel safe climbing up onto the bed and letting herself be tucked in between them.

She had slept restlessly, kicking and yelping in her dreams, needing constant soothing to calm down. In the morning Ella had had to drag her exhausted body out from under her blanket, shaking the sleep out of her head. Even Cinder, who had always been a light sleeper anyway, had been rubbing her eyes as Cyndaquil followed her out of the bedroom, bouncing at her heels. Arceus only knew where the little Pokemon had gotten so much energy from.

Ella lifted a paw and shook excess mud from it, her lip curling. Cinder had said that they would only be a minute, it had now been several, and if they didn’t get out here in the next ten seconds she was going to march in there and drag her Trainer out with her teeth—

“Being patient, Ella?”

Ella turned and fixed Cinder with A Look as she watched her coming down the front steps of the cabin, determined not to return her easy smile just yet. She was supposed to have been introducing Cyndaquil to a new Pokeball, but as it happened...

“Yes, I know,” Cinder said, reaching up to steady Cyndaquil as she sprawled happily on her belly, atop her new Trainer’s head. “She does have a new Pokeball now, but I think she likes it better here with us. Right, dear?”

Cyndaquil chirped assent, grinning and swinging her stubby legs.

“You’ll need a proper name soon, too. But training comes first, so watch your sister carefully, now. Ella, if you would?”

Ella gave a firm nod and stepped back, facing the open space in front of the two of them, so Cyndaquil could get a good view of what she was about to demonstrate. The smaller Pokemon, while still idly playing with Cinder’s bangs, was staring transfixed at her. Ella doubted whether she could even muster up an Ember yet, let alone try Flamethrower. Well, then all the better a show for her.

She would never again take for granted how good it felt to flex the muscles in her throat and get her combustion pouch working. It was like taking a gulp of sweet smoke, sparklers lighting just under her skin, as the heat surged up from within her.

Maybe the need to show off to someone younger, which she had never had the chance to do before, gave her some extra fuel: the flames that burst from her mouth burned hotter and stronger than ever, brightening the overcast morning and sending steam hissing up from the puddles before her. 

Cinder gave her an approving smirk and some soft applause, but Cyndaquil couldn’t contain herself.

Wow! She took a flying leap off of Cinder’s head and scurried to Ella’s side, mimicking her battle pose. My turn, my turn!

She opened her mouth, throat straining and tail sticking straight out, only to cough up the measliest crumb of flame that Ella had ever seen. It extinguished itself almost as soon as it had been ignited.

Oh, Cyndaquil said plaintively, tail drooping. I...

Ella gave her a nudge with her snout that she hoped was uplifting. Will try again, that’s what you’ll do. As long as it takes. Don’t look so downcast.

“Whatever Ella’s saying to you, she’s right, dear,” Cinder chimed in. “We’re going to become the strongest, but not overnight.”

You do have an advantage. I had to figure this all out on my own. Ella re-assumed her attack position. She would go slower this time, explain the physical aspects of combustion that were innate to all Fire-types, so the little one could better lean in to what felt most natural. You have me to look after you. And when you’re finally ready to be in a real battle, you’ll be far more prepared than the others. Understand?

Cyndaquil nodded very seriously, then mirrored her once more, sparks flying already from her arched back. 

Good. Now, watch closely...

[txtdreamss]

the boy who has everything// [f.w.]

Summary: Fred and you have been secretly going steady since the end of your fifth year. Now that he and George are making their grand exit to follow their dreams, you are struggling to come up with the perfect parting gift.

Inspired by: https://open.spotify.com/track/37hblhCnC5YzhDQH58Rgpi?si=0EISnLcTRE2mctlIXNObTA

Warnings: Angst, Malfoy!Reader, difficult home life, neglect mentioned

A/N: Currently going through a bit of a writers block that definitely came from school, but I thought something to do with my fav boy would help clear my mind. Just want some input from ya’ll, would you be interested in me starting to take requests? Also, low-key miss having mutuals before I decided to completely start over lol. Also, why does ‘each other’ look wrong to me? Like I am a native English speaker but the words just like sus...

Word Count: 2.2k

    The numerous differences between your childhood and your boyfriend’s were anything but subtle.

    Growing up, you felt as if you were a puppet being dangled for the world to see. Your mother, Narcissa Malfoy, was a complex woman; She obviously loved you very much. She held you, but never longer than it took to keep your tears at bay. Lucius Malfoy, on the other hand, was your father in blood only. His disdain for your lack of enthusiasm regarding blood purity was obvious. He had never once in your 18 years on Earth said ‘I love you’, or even a simple ‘I’m proud of you’. Until the day came where you were willing to take the dark mark and fight on behalf of Lord Voldemort, you would be nothing in your parents’ eyes besides a test child before Draco’s birth.

    Now, from what Fred had told you, his childhood was seemingly filled with sunshine and rainbows. He spent his summers wading in the pond near the Burrow, listening to the chirp of crickets and giggles of his numerous siblings. The entire family was open about showing their love in words and actions. Molly and Arthur, despite not being particularly rich, would give the clothes off their backs if it meant their children would never have to experience fear in any capacity. Fred always had a playmate, and never did he have to go through life fearing being expelled from the family home for his opinions.

    In the simplest of terms, Fred and you were complete opposites. Your similarities were found in the small things; the way you both were headstrong and loyal, and most of all...

   You both despised Filch. Fred had saved your butt from being caught in the halls after dark at the beginning of 5th year. He had decided then and there that despite the fact that you were in a different house, you simply had to be more than another member of the besmirched sacred twenty-eight. He knew from the second you were taking his outstretched hand in the dimly lit corridors that no matter what, you both were destined to be in each others’ lives. As he led you down a secret passage to the sound of Mrs. Norris’ eardrum-rattling mewls, you knew that the idea that he was just another impoverished ginger from the Weasley family was anything but true. Despite all the odds, that night was what laid down the foundations for you and Fred to become more than just another member of the family feud.

    Going on almost 2 years later, and your relationship had shifted from what was a slightly odd friendship to an unexpected relationship. Fred and George were now planning their grand escape for sometime after the Easter holidays, but you had a totally different date on your mind; April 1st.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

    “Oi, Weasley! You are a whole 42 seconds late!” You giggled, and Fred simply chuckled before dropping his books next to yours.

    It was rare for Fred to be on time, but he always made an effort (and usually succeeded) for you. Due to your obvious difference in house loyalty, the easiest way you found to spend time together was to carve out 2 afternoons each week to just bask in each others’ presence. Every Monday and Friday (unless there was a quidditch match), you would meet Fred in a secluded corner of the courtyard. The two of you would goof around study, snack on some treats from Honeydukes, or simply lie back and enjoy the sunset while talking about whatever came up.

    “So, anything big happen today, love?” Fred pecked you on the cheek quickly before dropping his head on your shoulder.

    “Just the usual. Apparently, my mother has finally given up on sending me howlers to come home.”

    “Y/N, mum already said she would love for you to come and stay with us during the holidays. You could come get a feel for the family over the holidays next week, and you would finally get to see what the Weasley-Twin-Birthday-Bonanza is like!”

    “You mean watch your aunt call you George for a whole evening while asking why you aren’t a prefect? Oh, I am so in.” The ginger made a face of mock offense while dramatically huffing into the shoulder of your robes. “That reminds me, will you finally cave and tell me what you want for your birthday?”

    “Love, I don’t want anything at all. Having my gal be there for the big one-eight is more than I could ever ask for.”

    Money was no issue; Your mother had continued sending you a small allowance, most likely in the hopes that it would sway you to ‘do the right thing’. Fred had always made an effort to get you a new charm for your bracelet for your birthday, which most likely cost him a few weeks in sales, so of course you wanted to return the favor and find the perfect gift. Last year, you had crocheted him a plush lion wearing a Gryffindor-themed scarf and he had loved it. For some reason, though, you couldn’t help but feel like you needed to find him something bigger and better for his final birthday as a Hogwarts student.

    “If you say so, Fred. Just don’t complain when you open my gift and it’s a pair of socks embroidered with little kittens.” Fred simply smiled and grabbed your hand that was previously tapping on the edge of your potions textbook.

    “I’ll wear them with pride.”

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

    “Ginny, please tell me you have some amazing idea for a gift that I haven’t thought of....” Ginny grimaced as you sunk into the wooden chair, obviously aware that this meeting you had called in the library wasn’t just to give her some advice in terms of course selection.

    “Well... um... maybe you could bring him some muggle joke products? He really gets quite a kick out of them.” The apples of Ginny’s round cheeks became rosy, and she awkwardly rubbed at the back of her neck. “I mean, no offense, but couldn’t you just ask him?”

    “I tried that already. At this rate, he will be turning 19 before I figure out what to get him...” A puff of air escaped your chapped lips, and you once again found yourself nibbling on them in thought.

    “Well, here you are, big sis! Trying to figure out a gift for your git of a boyfriend?” Draco’s familiar greasy head popped out from behind the shelf before the young wizard marched up to you directly. “Do us all a favor, give him a little ‘life sans Y/N’... Merlin knows his parents probably don’t want a child of dark lord sympathizers at their shack anyways.”

    “Shut up, Draco...” Before Ginny could attempt to soothe your anger, you had up and left the room.

    “Psh, serves her right anyways...” A resounding smack was heard as Ginny wacked the platinum-headed goon on the back with the heaviest textbook lying nearby.

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

    It wasn’t like doubt surrounding your relationship had never been an issue before. You often found yourself wondering if your company was putting Fred in danger, especially considering the current climate surrounding the resurgence in death eater activity. Fred had always tried to quell your worries, but sweet words and gentle kisses could only do so much. You and Fred knew how you both felt towards each other, but it seemed like the world was against you some days.

    Maybe Draco is right, he could get out of here and find a nice girl with normal parents to settle down with. After all, who wants to be known as the significant other of a Malfoy?

    A single tear slipped out of the corner of your eye, but you quickly dabbed it away with the edge of your sleeve to avoid grabbing attention from any of your housemates. The only perk you found that happened to come with being sorted into Slytherin like the rest of your family was that it was far enough away that you knew Fred wouldn’t find out if you spent any time sulking about your common room. For once, the slam of the heavy dungeon doors brought you comfort instead of a nagging chill.

    Fred isn’t like me. He has everything he could ever want... All I do is create more stress for him.

    Ignoring the harsh gaze of your housemates, you slipped into your dorm and found yourself slinking to bed without so much as slipping off your robes. Pulling the emerald comforters over your head, you let yourself slip into a restless sleep.

•───���─⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

    It was finally the day before the Easter holidays, and Hogwarts was more alive than ever. Young couples were spending their last day on campus wandering the corridors, groups of friends sat laughing and promising to write letters on what they each planned to bring back, and even some people that swore they were enemies seemed to be acting more hospitable. It must’ve been nice to not be spending the morning trying to calm your beating heart and convincing yourself that what you are doing isn’t wrong.

    “Hey Lovey! Have you finished packing yet?”

    “Well... not exactly, Freddie.” Fred’s face dropped, and he took your hand in his.

    “Is this about my aunt? I promise you won’t even have to say more than a simple ‘hello’ to her.” The mere mention of Fred’s Auntie Muriel almost cracked your tough exterior.

    “I can’t come home with you, Freddie. There is no way your family wants to spend their holiday break with the daughter of Lucius Malfoy. Look, I mean... here’s your gift. Just please promise to wait till you get to the station to open it.”

    Fred opened his mouth to argue, but you had already turned away as to avoid him seeing hot tears trail down your cheeks. You would have to be insane to go and willingly spend your holiday alone in the Malfoy Manor. There would be no family meals, especially now that all your parent’s energy went towards providing shelter for the death eaters. As you stumbled away to make your way back to your dorm to finish packing, Fred’s warm hand grasped your shoulder.

    “Please. Y/N, all I want is to be able to spend every day of this holiday mucking about with you. I know why you want to go home, and I’m telling you as your boyfriend and best friend to not do it. Just please, grant me a birthday wish... come home with me.”

    Fred drew you into his chest, and you found yourself clutching onto his striped button-up as if it would save your life. His larger hands rubbed across your back, and he pressed a small kiss on the top of your head.

    “Are you really sure about this, Fred? I wouldn’t want to make your mum and dad uncomfortable, or even your older brothers for that matter.”

    “Y/N, my love, the light of my life, just come home. If you can manage to get George to like you more than he likes me, I promise you the rest of my family will love you.” His signature smirk spread on his freckled face, and he pressed a quick peck on the tip of your nose.

    “Now, let’s go get you packed, Y/N.”

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

    “Oi, Fred, what’s in the box?” George elbowed his brother while somewhat attempting to be quiet. The train ride was almost over, and you had resorted to using the seat opposite to the twins as a temporary napping spot.

    “I nearly forgot I had it on me to be quite honest. Do you think I should open it even though she is coming with us?”

    “She said to open it at the station, but we are obviously past that point, so please just open it!” George bounced in his seat, and Fred gave in to temptation. He unwrapped the ribbon holding the small box shut, opened the lid, and discovered a dainty chain with a circular pendant hanging on the end.

    “Is that a size reference for your-”

    “George! Shut up, you dimwit. I think it might be a mirror-glass type thing, but I genuinely have no idea...”

    “Freddie, bring it to your eye and look through it.” The twins both jumped as you rolled over, clearly no longer asleep.

    Fred brought the pendant to his right eye, squinted, and his immediate smile couldn’t be contained. When held at the right distance, he could see a small picture of you and him from your first date at Hogsmeade. He was much more lanky and awkward looking, and you were almost matched in height. The smile you both shared in the photo warmed his heart to no end, and Fred found himself having to gather his emotions from the memories he had of that day. 

    The ginger all but leapt to your side of the cart, and he wrapped his arm around your still-sleepy figure. He squeezed you tightly to his side before leaning in to whisper something in your ear without allowing George to hear.

    “It’s perfect, my love.”

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

~Post-fic A/N: I hope this was a good read for you guys! I am definitely on the verge of passing out, but proofreading is superior to sleep (jk). Anyways, if anything comes to mind, don’t hesitate to reach out or send in an ask! I love interacting with you guys, even if it is just a brief hello! :) ~

[tinyboxxtink]

Build Me Up Buttercup *Part 3*

Yay I’m so happy people love this! 

SUMMARY: Summary: You’re an SVU detective, the entire squad is all driving to Hartford Connecticut in your car to interview a victim's family. ROAD TRIP!!!!

If you need to catch up:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 4

Tag List: @wanniiieeee

“...So the last time you saw her was when you dropped her at school, Mrs. Fahey?” Olivia asked the distraught mother.

You and the squad had arrived at the victim’s house later than you had anticipated, sans lunch just like Rafael had predicted. You knew you should be paying attention to the interview, but your blood sugar was tanking by the minute. You tried distracting yourself by glancing at all the photos in the living room. Frames upon frames of the victim, a young 19 year old freshman to NYU, filled the room. Almost like they had made a shrine to her while she was still living. She was clearly their entire world, and now she was missing. Suddenly, all of your phones buzzed with notifications. It was a group text from Dodd’s.

“Oh no…” Amanda whispered.

“What? What happened? Did they find my Mary?” Mrs. Fahey frantically gripped Olivia’s hand.

“Ah….Mr. and Mrs. Fahey maybe we should go somewhere more private,” She replied.

“More private than my living room? You obviously all got the same news, so you might as well tell us here,” Mr. Fahey abruptly said.

“They...did find Mary,” Olivia simply stated. The Fahey's faces lit up for a moment, but then Olivia finished her sentence.

“....Her body was floating in the Hudson.”

That was it. You didn’t know if it was the exhaustion from getting up early and driving, or the fact that you hadn’t eaten more than a stick of gum since last night, but you felt sick to your stomach and your emotions were taking over. You stood up and tried discreetly walking out into the hall from the living room. You thought for half a second to ask where the Fahey’s bathroom was, but clearly now was not the time for that. You could find it yourself; you hoped.

Meanwhile, Barba had noticed you walking out, clearly in distress. His concerned look caught Amanda’s attention, who had also seen you leave. She shrugged at Barba, causing him to ask in a whisper:

“Should I go check on her?”

“Well you clearly want to, so yeah sure,” she whispered back.

“Rollins! She’s your partner!” he hissed.

“Something tells me she’d rather see you,” Amanda smirked.

What was that? Was it obvious he liked you? Was it obvious you liked him? There was no time to dwell on that drama, he was genuinely concerned about you.

He followed your exit out into the hallway, but you had vanished. He cautiously crept down the hallway until he saw a light under a door. As he approached it, he could hear soft sobs coming from the other side.

“....Y/N?”

Your head snapped up from staring at the floor, crying into your knees next to the bathtub. Shit, you had really tried to be discreet. Why did he follow you? This was totally unprofessional, you were sure of it. You stood up and tried wiping the smeared mascara and eyeliner from your teary eyes, but damn you and your love of the smoky eye! You looked like a drowned raccoon; This was a nightmare.

“I-I’m fine!” You called through the door, praying he’d walk away and he wouldn’t have to see your impression of the girl from THE RING.

“...You sure? I heard crying…”

Well, he sure wasn’t subtle, just a “state the facts” kinda guy. You kinda loved that about him, since you were the same way. And if you were being honest with yourself, the fact that he actually came to check on you made your stomach quiver. Okay, something lower quiver.

“Yeah I….stubbed my toe on the tub,” You called through the door, making a “What the fuck was that” face.

“....Yeah I doubt that. Come on just open the door, por favor,”

Oh God. When he used spanish, your knees went weak. Even if it was just a phrase you’d hear on a Rosetta Stone.

“Damn you,” You muttered, but complied with his request. The door peeked open just the tiniest bit so he could see your Picasso painting of a face.

“Oh my god, what happened to your face?!” He asked in a louder tone that caused you to freak out and pull him into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

“Did you skip sensitivity training in law school or what?” You half laughed with a sniffle; it actually felt good. It might have been just the thing to knock back you to reality.

“I’m sorry, I’m not so good with the...subtle,” He apologized with a sheepish smile.

“Yeah I got that; it’s fine. Neither am I,” You assured him with a soft punch on the shoulder.

“Ok but seriously what happened to your face, you look like La Llorna,” He chuckled, putting his hands on your face and attempting to wipe off the layers of black lining your eyelids.

“Again, so comforting,” You rolled your eyes as he picked up a washcloth next to the sink and wet it to help the situation.

“You’re deflecting, detective,”  he raised an eyebrow as he put the washcloth to your eye. His gentle touch and the warm feel of the washcloth suddenly did actually feel extremely comforting.

“I...I’m just tired,” you lied. Well, in a way it was true.

Rafael’s eyebrow remained raised; that’s exactly what he had said earlier, instead of telling you how he really felt. He was sure you were doing it now.

“Being tired makes you burst into tears?”

“You’ve never been so tired you wanted to cry? Not even in law school?” it was your turn to raise your eyebrow.

“Alright, maybe ONCE in law school....but I waited until I was in the privacy of my own dorm,” He chuckled, you rolled your eyes.

“So…?”

“I just…..” you took a long, hard pause letting out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding in. Were you seriously going to do this now? This of all times, of all people, Rafael Barba? Two hours ago you were convinced he hated you, and had probably spoken a total of two sentences in your career at SVU. But at the same time, for whatever reason, you felt completely safe with him. You took another deep breath in and finally spoke:

“It’s just...this girl; Mary. She was just a young girl, she had everything going for her! She was beautiful, smart, obviously worshipped by her parents by that shrine out there,”  you gestured towards where you both had just come from.

“And...and she makes ONE bad decision, one. One moment of wanting to be accepted by the ‘cool kids’ at school by going to a frat party, and it….” you felt a sob catch in your throat.

“...It cost her her life,” you whispered softly.

“Ay….carino, come here,” Rafael sighed and pulled you into his arms, stroking your hair. You both just stayed like that for what felt like forever, but instantaneously you both realized this had gotten insanely intimate for two co workers who barely knew each other. He dropped his arms and cleared his throat, you quickly began running your fingers through your hair as you turned to face the mirror, away from his gaze. God, please. Be more awkward.

“I didn’t want to start losing it out there in front of her parents, they literally just lost their most prized possession. This can’t be about me,” You sighed as you turned back to face him.

“It’s stupid...I’m stupid. I shouldn’t let shit like this get to me, it’s totally unprofessional I know,”

“...No it’s not, it’s fine, You’re human,” He assured you, putting a thumb under your chin making you look into his deep green eyes

“Barba? Y/N? Did you get locked in there?”

Sonny’s voice knocked you both from each other’s stare, your faces both turning red. Rafael threw the door open and let you exit in front of him.

“I got sick, Rafael held my hair,” you quickly blurted out, both men’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh. Well, um….Mr. Barba is quite the gentleman,” He looked at Barba trying to hide a disgusted face; thinking about vomit made him queasy. “You ok now?”

“Yeah! Fine, hungry actually,” You half smiled as they followed you to the front door where the others were waiting,

“I’m so, so sorry again Mr. and Mrs. Fahey,” Olivia held Mrs. Fahey’s hand. “You take as long as you need to before coming to the city to…”

“Identify our daughter’s body, detective. No use pussyfooting around it.” Mr. Fahey was blunt once again.

“Right,” Olivia nodded.

“I’ll take the morning off tomorrow, we’ll be by then,” he replied gruffly.

“Okay. Whenever. No Rush,” Olivia waved one last time as the door closed. You all walked silently to the car, you broke it with a deep sigh.

“....Does that ever get any easier?” You asked, looking at each face of the members of your squad.

“Honestly? If you're a good cop, no.” Fin replied.

“The day you stop caring is the day you should quit.” Sonny added.

“God I’m starving, can we please get food? And drinks?” Amanda whined.

“Well, I sure could use a drink! Or five,”  you laughed.

“That’s another thing to watch out for, rookie,” Fin paused, taking your shoulder.

“What’s that?”

“Don’t drown your problems in a bottle, That can go downhill real fast,” Fin warned.

“That’s why it’s super important to have a squad you can trust. That you can talk to,” Olivia came up and put her hand on your other shoulder.

“Well, so far so good,” you half smiled.

“Seriously guys, can we get some food? Barba’s starting to look like a rotisserie chicken right now,” Sonny licked his lips.

“Alright alright Carisi, get in the car ya five year old,” Fin punched him in the arm.

As you went to the driver’s side of the car, Rafael stopped next to you.

“Do you want me to drive?” He offered. You usually never let anyone touch your baby, but you literally felt as if you could pass out just standing there.

“Please,” You smiled, tossing him your keys.

You got in your passenger’s seat and closed your eyes, finally relaxing for the first time since you left the City.

What awaited you on the other side of your nap?

[lisinfleur]

Santa’s Roots

The request:

Author’s Notes | Some historians claim that Santa Claus’ figure was inspired by Odin. What if it was true? For a certain Modern Viking, it is! Inspired by Harbard’s interaction with young Ivar in the series. I hope you’ll like it! Universe | Vikings Pairing | Ivar x Reader Info | Modern AU, made for Patron’s Holiday Event Words | 1092 ⁑ Warnings: Religious re-readings, unconfirmed comparisons, and sources.

"Why do we have to make this stupid trip?"

Of course, he was annoyed. Even more, because he was planning a trip with Y/N to spend the Christian Christmas in a tropical country enjoying the heat; and now he was forced to drag his limp pained leg through the snow of the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi.

Yeah. Lapland.

In the fucking FREEZING FINLAND!

"It's Yule and Christmas and no matter how you look at it, Ivar, it's a family holiday and we'll spend it together."

He loved his beautiful mother, but sometimes that need she had for them to be all together all the time was suffocating. After growing older, he was starting to understand his father's constant trips and to wish Aslaug would do something like fulfilling Sigurd's emptiness and his lack of motherly attention.

But this time, not even Sigurd had escaped that torture. And for the first time, they were both grumpy and moody at the same time.

At least, Y/N had come with him. Sigurd's girl was waiting for him with her family at the beach they had planned to go to together and that trip had forced him to delay. Ubbe as well was grumpy: dating Björn's ex-wife, he saw his hopes to send Torvi's children with Björn that year going down the drain. After all, what kid would want to exchange Santa Claus' village for a trip to the boring Mediterranean with daddy's brand-new chick?

Hvitserk was the only one having fun along with Y/N and the children - the bastard was finding every source of food, candies, and delights through their ways, putting so many smiles on Y/N's face that Ivar was asking all the gods to get his brother fat at the end of that cursed trip. Or at least some good, long and intense diarrhea, so he would have something to laugh at in the middle of all that red, black, gold, and white mess.

"Sorry!" A gods damn dwarf?

Gnome?

Grinch... No. Elf! A gods damn elf stumbled on his crutch, almost taking Ivar's balance, forcing him to stop his already slow steps to straighten the damn titanium braces under the trousers with a loud grunt of anger.

Because of course, his day wasn't doomed enough. No. The pain of that cold shitty place wasn't enough. Nor the elves everywhere, nor the repetitive music, nor the children's noises, fake gift boxes, bells... Not even the irritant bells weren't enough! Someone had to fucking misplace his braces to get him left behind by his whole family...

Kinda his fault: Ivar had walked slower than them all the whole time, trying to get himself distant and leave clear he wasn't happy. Even Y/N had started walking with Hvitserk since his mood was so terrible that not even her was able to hold it this time. He couldn't blame them for avoiding his presence enough not to notice he had to stop...

But where were they after all?

They wouldn't just disappear like that in a matter of minutes.

Ivar had just lowered himself for a moment to straighten the braces... How come they had managed to disappear in the middle of that fucking colored place?

For a moment, Ivar's heart filled with a cold sensation that spread all over this spine. He searched his pockets. Of course, his cellphone hadn't a single bar of signal in that place. His blues ran around searching for his brothers, the noisy children, his mom, Y/N.

And then it was when he realized...

There was no one to be seen.

The noisy children had gone. The elves were gone... Everything was, all of a sudden, silent, except for those bells.

With his crutch, Ivar walked around some steps, trying not to get lost in whatever the fuck was happening around him. But with a few steps forward, as if everything wasn't strange enough, a thick fog started to move around his legs, covering the place, flying ghostly through the gift boxes and colored trees.

Ivar felt the urge to get the heck out of that place. With some effort, he started walking at a quicker pace not observing when the decorations around him started changing from the usual plastic balls and ribbons to colored flowers, painted pine cones, straw animals... His eyes betrayed him, but his ears weren't failing: the bells were becoming higher. And higher...

"I don't know what kind of stupid prank is this! But I don't like it! I didn't pay for this package! I want this to stop right now!" he yelled.

Just to almost lose his balance once again when a horse exhaled behind his back, forcing him to turn around in a quick movement that cost him a grunt of pain, bending Ivar's body over itself when his hand touched the knee of his right leg. The braces had made a loud sound indicating it was a forced movement and now his knee was horribly aching once again.

However, the pain was something usual for him. Unusual was to see Santa Claus not dressed in the traditional red clothes... Unusual was to watch the old man coming down from a horse... Wait. How many legs did that fucking horse have?

And how the fuck did he have a horse? Shouldn't it be reindeers?

And a sled?

"What in..." Ivar started, swallowing dry and lifting his face to see the man in front of him was smiling.

A visible and open smile in the middle of the big and voluminous white beard covering his jaw and cascading down to his belly.

"Hello, Ivar," the man said with a surprisingly cozy voice, causing Ivar's face to twist in a frown of pure surprise, full of wrinkles on his forehead that earned one of the usual laughs from the white-bearded man.

"What the heck?" Ivar said, straightening himself even with pain on his leg. "Who told you my name? And why the fuck are we alone in this place?"

The man continued calm and smiley despite Ivar's clear annoyance.

"I know many names, boy. And I know you, since you were, in fact, a boy," the man said, looking down to Ivar's legs. "They still ache a lot, I can see."

Ivar's frown gained two more wrinkles on his forehead.

"What? Where do you know me? Who are you, man?" he asked, fully annoyed by what he was sure was a ridiculous prank his mother had paid for him to fall on, in the hope he would, somehow, like that trip into the middle of the freezing nowhere.

But the man just laughed once again, touching Ivar with a gentle pat that soon became a heavy hand weighing on Ivar's shoulder, forcing his whole attention to detail he wasn't able to notice before but now was clear like crystal in front of his eyes.

That man... That strange Santa Claus...

He clearly didn't have one of his eyes.

Ivar's blues were somehow attracted into the emptiness of that missing eye. And he swore he could hear the bells stopping, and crows cawing. The fog became stronger, but Ivar couldn't stop looking at that empty hole on that man's face until something formed into the dark.

Something that made Ivar's blues large when the voice of that man sounded once again, rumbling into Ivar's chest like a clap of thunder.

"I know everyone that was and everyone that will be. I'm the one who was and remains. And after you're gone, I'll still be here, until the wolf comes to swallow me whole. But before you go, I can still grant you a gift, son. Let us say you were good this year," the old man joked.

His words filling Ivar's ears while his eyes were locked at the image into that man's empty eye-hole.

"Yggdrasil..." Ivar mumbled.

And his eyes blinked, seeing the whole man once again in front of him, smiling.

"Odin?" he asked.

Receiving nothing but a new pat on his shoulder and once again, the traditional giggle that came along the whole noisy environment around, all at once invading Ivar's ears like a wave of noise and mess once again.

"Ho ho ho... Merry Christmas!"

Standing in front of him was nothing but an actor, fully dressed like the old Santa. Nothing different from the usual along with the fake gift boxes and all the rest Ivar could see when he turned his head, confused, searching for that whole illusion he was thrown into one second ago.

Was that a delirium? Was that somehow real?

"What's wrong, Ivar?" Y/N's voice woke him up and called his attention causing Ivar to once again turn himself too quick to look at her.

Another clang from his braces. Ivar waited for the wave of pain...

But it never came.

"Are your legs ok? Are you in pain, love?" she asked, fully worried.

But Ivar looked shocked down to his legs, feeling nothing. Absolutely no pain. Like one of his best-bones' days...

The days he used to say were gifts from the gods into his life.

"I... I... I think I... I'm fine I just... For a moment..." Ivar gasped with the words.

His eyes were still searching around for that image so vivid of Odin he had seen. He was sure he had seen! It was real!

And he took his pain away for a day...

"You see? The cold is starting to freeze Ivar's brain! Can we go home or at least somewhere warm now?" Sigurd complained.

The kids coming closer to Ubbe with their hands full of candy canes from Hvitserk's bag.

Everyone was so close... They didn't have disappeared.

But Ivar was sure he was the only one who saw that man.

"Are you ok, Ivar?" Y/N asked again and Ivar finally focused his eyes on her.

"I am. I'm just... I think I just need some warm chocolate and we can stay a little longer... For the kids, I mean."

"What?" Sigurd complained immediately. "See? Frozen brains!" he said, pointing Ivar's head.

But Ivar just approached Y/N's, speaking low, almost like a secret.

"Do you believe this thing about... Santa and Odin... Being the same person and stuff?" he asked, causing Y/N to smile.

"Oh, this is why you're so bothered, isn't it? Babe, don't be like this, uh? Some historians say that our Santa is somehow inspired by Odin with his eight-legged horse, granting gifts to his followers and knowing who was acting bad or good along his way. If it makes you feel more comfortable then think about this place as Odin's village!" she joked.

Getting a small curve from Ivar's lips.

"Come, let's get you that hot chocolate, uh?" she said, enlacing his arm with her own and starting to walk at his pace towards the coffee shop Hvitserk was already entering for what? The third time?

Ivar's eyes looked back at that man dressed as Santa Claus, complimenting everyone. His steps showing him his legs weren't aching at all anymore. Whoever it was, Santa Claus, Odin... It had really granted him a gift for that day.

The Santa turned looking at him once again.

And Ivar could swear that one-eyed man winked at him before it was nothing but the actor once again.

"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas!" the man yelled.

Santa Claus' Village... Odin's place... It wasn't that bad to make that trip after all.

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[claudiarya]

Hey guys, I’ve written a post RoW fanfiction. I warn you that it has a death trope in it, so beware.

You can also read it on Ao3 as well. 

Count words: 5990

Hope Suite

They didn’t know the moment when it all went wrong. Had it been when Kaz had accepted the job? Had it been when Inej had left Pekka Rollins alive, or when they had kept going despite all the adversities, they had encountered? The events of the last days were starting to become a blurring reel, that had done nothing but confuse them. What had started as a fairly easy job for the queen of Ravka, it then had turned out to be a major standoff with their enemies, which was putting not just one country, but the whole world as they knew it in peril. Maybe it had all gone downhill when Jarl Brum had managed to escape his prison cell at Hellgate, aided by one of his most trusted Drüskelle, his mind already too corrupted by the former General’s manipulations.

By the time he had been set free again, and had sought revenge against his detested neighbors, specifically against the witch queen and her monstrous husband, Inej, Kaz and his crew had already been too involved with their task to worry about it. How could they have known that once out, Brum was going to use everything in his power to bend Ravka? The Fjerdan man was aware that he couldn’t compete with its ruler, so he had worked out a different strategy entirely: if he couldn’t hope to win in a direct confrontation, he was going to annihilate her and her subjects from within, even if it would cost the destruction of his own country and more…

They didn’t know how Brum had gotten the information, but he had travelled to the mountains and had somehow liberated a certain shadow summoner from his sacrifice of eternal of pain, well before Zoya could do as she had planned. The shadow summoner in question had disappeared without a trace, only the Saints knew where he could have gone to hide away.

Needless to say, the darkness and its vampiric actions had started to spread again, at twice the speed. It looked like a ravenous beast had been set lose. It had extended in other countries as well, a silent and unannounced menace ravishing everything in its wake, that terrified even sailors at sea. If that wasn’t enough, Brum had also found out about Dirtyhand’s ‘involvement’ with the queen, and had made an ally with an ex Barrel boss, who had lost all his fortunes and power to a teenage crippled kid. Two powerful and dangerous men driven by their thirst for revenge had revealed themselves to be even more unstoppable than any of them had originally believed.

***

Inej remembered when Kaz had asked her to take a short leave from her sea voyages, to run one last time with him and the other crows in this task in which her skills at gathering information were going to be fundamental. Jesper had, of course, already accepted his friend’s proposition, and if at first Wylan had been skeptical, he had ended up joining the crew for the job. Perhaps for his natural instinct to follow wherever the gangly sharpshooter went, or maybe for the fact that he had made friends with the King consort, their shared love for science and ‘infernal gadgets’, as Kaz would call them, a fertile ground for common understanding.

“I won’t force you to do anything,” he had rasped to her while sitting on the roof ledge at the Slat to watch the tepid Ketterdam sun slowly blinking into existence in front of them; their intertwined fingers a testimony of how far they had already conquered together. The only thing that hadn’t won yet was their insomnia.

“Your particular set of skills is needed for this job, but I understand if you don’t want to be dragged into this,” Kaz had continued, and she had known he had slightly turned his head in her direction, as she had kept her eyes on the dawn.

After a while and still no answer from her he had sighed.

“Inej, what I’m trying to say is that we need you. I need you. I don’t think I can do this without you, so please tell me now, so I can send back a definite answer to Her Royal Pain.”

The Suli girl had marveled at his words: she didn’t think she had ever heard Kaz admit out loud that he couldn’t do something without the help of someone else.

“I’ll do it,” she had exclaimed, now turning her gaze on his stone-carved features. “But on one condition: I want Queen Zoya to help me fight against the slave trade in Ravka, and I want her to promise me that human traffickers are going to find the justice they deserve in her country.”

Kaz had squeezed her hand, the look in his eyes an oath to himself as well as to her.

***

Inej clutched her hand on her injured arm. She could feel the blood on her palm, as she watched Kaz keeping at cane point the last of the men who had tried to kill them. Their lead for the relic of Santk Feliks’s heart had taken them here, in an obscure abandoned, or so they thought, monastery on the Ravkan coast, right on the border with Fjerda. They had found out that centuries before, the order of religious men inhabiting the place had been the resting place of the only remaining part of the Saint. An easy reconnaissance job, an easy trail to follow. But ever since the spreading of the blight, of the Kilyklava, nothing had been easy.  It was as if for every movement they made, their enemies were ten steps ahead of them. Inej had never seen anyone outsmart Kaz like that. Usually, he was the one who had everything under control, who could predict every outturn, every maneuver his opponents were going to make. But instead, everywhere they had attempted to gather information, they had encountered a setup of sorts: mainly the place they had intended to scout, burnt to the ground. Had they a spying traitor in their mix? Inej had never seen him more on edge than she had in the last month, but now they had passed the pretense of this being another job. It had stopped being that when the world hab been threatened by an unstoppable force and Pekka Rollins had entered the picture. It was personal. And she suspected that he was also trying to keep true to the promise he had made her.

Inej had thought they had planned this out so carefully, she was sure they would not encounter any unpleasant surprise this time. After the too many (not) coincidences, they had started scheming their way for the hunt of the heart with only the four of them and Nikolai and Zoya, who had had to, although begrudgingly, leave out the Triumvirate and their closest friends from this particular matter of international importance. How was it possible then, that their traces had been tracked even here?  Kaz and Inej had offered for the job, a quick break in into the abandoned archives of the monastery, while Nikolai, Jesper and Wylan would wait for them on the Volkvolny to pick them up and leave after they had completed their task. Perhaps a smaller party was going to attract less attentions, their rouse of a devoted young group of people had served them well in the little town around the old holy building, and they had played their parts too well that Inej had forgotten for an instant that they had a bigger goal in mind. She was never going to forget the easy talk, the laughs they had shared around the table of the little tavern they had resided in, her hand clasped together with Kaz as a sort of lifeline for the both of them; her head resting delicately on his chest as they were lying down on the little bed they shared.

The four men that have been sent to kill them had caught them by surprise. Again.

Kaz had just uttered “We’ve got what we need, let’s go,” when the first thug that had tried to sneak up on him. Inej had made a quick work of the assassins, if her knives embedded in two of the men’s throats were of any indication. Despite that, one of the others had managed to graze her arm with a bullet, when she had momentarily lost her focus because the remaining one had kicked Kaz’s bad leg, eliciting a sound of pain from him. If only Jesper and Wylan had been there with them.

As she hobbled to where he was standing, Inej realized that Kaz was shaking from the effort of not to keel over in pain, his hand gripping the crow’s head of his cane so tightly, she feared he was going to snap it in half.

“Kaz...” she started

“You’re bleeding,” he rasped, diverting his gaze from the man to her, for the briefest of moments.

“It’s nothing,” she said. But she could see that he wasn’t really convinced, and with a soft grunt, he fished from his pocket a handkerchief and handed it to her, before asking to the person on the ground.

“How did you know we would be here?” his eyes two unforgiving coals.

The hired assassin didn’t answer at first but gave away in a little chuckle instead. Suddenly Kaz, still balancing his weight mostly on his good leg, brought down his cane on one of the man’s own legs. His scream of pain echoed around them in the old room.

“It doesn’t feel good, does it?” he said. This was Dirtyhands himself, any trace of the young man he had been with her at the tavern, vaporized.

“Now, tell me how you knew we were here, or I’m going to break every bone you have, and we both know how pleasant that is.”

The man chuckled again, but then he started talking.

“At times one shouldn’t look for spiders,” he said with a sickening grin. “At times, it’s the little insects nobody sees or cares to check because they’re believed to be harmless that tip the scales.”

Inej could see Kaz’s mind trying to figure out the man’s words, his gaze distant.

In that moment she realized that she was never going to tire to see that look on his face. Nor any other looks for that matter. Wobbly, the boy in question turned to her, he took the kerchief she had been pressing on her wound from her hand, and before she could realize what he was doing he tore it a bit and tied it around her bloody arm.

“Let’s get out of here,” he stated, wincing visibly as he made to move towards the door.

The man started laughing again as if Kaz had said something so funny he couldn’t control himself. Inej was on him before she could think. A knee on the thug’s sternum and her blade pressed to his throat.

“What’s so funny?” she inquired, looking down at him with disdain. She was tired, and she wanted to bring Kaz back to the Volkvolny, to get his leg looked properly after.

“In the end, you really are nothing but two delusional kids,” the man said, and Inej could feel his voice reverberate from under her knee.

“Stop speaking in riddles, or I swear to all the Saints known I’ll cut your throat right this second.”

He raised one hand in a gesture of mocking surrender. “Let’s just say that nobody is leaving this place alive,” he conceded.

“What do you mean?” asked Kaz from somewhere behind her, his tone menacing yet on guard. The tip of Inej’s knife scraped the man’s throat when he didn’t immediately answer back, two droplets of blood slid down the blade.

“This place and the whole town are about to be razed down by bombs and cannons. General Brum’s ships are approaching. They wanted to make sure our precious king consort and his flying machine didn’t leave this place unscathed. There’s no escaping your tragic fate now.” He snarled. His voice couldn’t conceal the hate he had for Nikolai, so he must have been one of those Ravkans from the West, unhappy with who was ruling over them now.

“No,” Inej said softly, and shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re lying!”

The man’s eyes lit with a manic light. “The world shall end in flames and darkness before being ruled by Gri –” He never finished his sentence, as Kaz brought down his cane once again, this time on his head.

The silence that followed could have lasted a minute or an eternity, Inej couldn’t be sure.

“Kaz,” she started again while standing.

“You need to leave. Now. I can’t walk, I think my leg is broken, but you need to leave me here and run from this place.” Kaz said, turning to look at her, the desperation palpable in his voice

“I’m not leaving,” she approached him. “We need to warn Nikolai. Tell them all to leave.”  

“Inej – ”

“Either pick up the comm and call them, or give it to me, Kaz. We’re only losing time like this.”  Her tone was unmovable.

Without any more protests on his part, he took out the little ingenious device Wylan and Nikolai had come up with. It permitted them to communicate even from quite long distances.

“Crow 1 and 2 to Too Clever Fox, do you copy?”

For the briefest of instants only there was only the sound of static, but then.

“Too Clever Fox here, I copy you. Kaz? What’s going on?” came the king’s voice.

“Nikolai, listen to me: you have to leave. Now. Get the Volkvolny and depart. This monastery, this town is about to be razed down by bombs. They knew we would be here; Brum’s ships are approaching. You – ”

“We’re coming to get you,” Nikolai interrupted him.

“No, there’s no time for that. You have to leave here now, or it will all be for nothing.” He looked at Inej then, his eyes searching hers in the dim light of the room with evident resignation.

“No! Kaz, Inej, no, we’re coming and we’re all surviving this.” Another protest from a different voice, Jesper’s.

“No! You have to listen and be quiet. I know where the thing we’ve looked for is. It’s hidden somewhere under the little place you train your soldiers. I also know how they’ve been able to predict our every move. Bugs. Check the war room for devices of the sort we’re using right now.”

“I will,” was Nikolai’s response.

There was another brief pause of static, Kaz spoke again, before he could be interrupted

“Jesper, Wylan,” he said. “The Crow Club and everything else is yours and Nina’s. You’ll find all the documents in my office back at the Slat. Do with them whatever you think it’s right.”

“Kaz, please we still have time, we can come and get you.” It was Wylan’s voice now that came from the other side.

Inej got closer and circled the hand in which Kaz was gripping the device with her own. “Wylan, you have to leave. Right now, ring the alarm bell of the town and go.” She started and then said:

“Guys… find my parents, tell them – tell them what happened, and that it was all for something better. We love you.”

Another anguished call for their names echoed around the room they were standing.

Inej took a breath a finished what she meant to say. “Nikolai the Wraith… take good care of her, and don’t forget our promise.  When you see Nina and Zoya tell them – ”

She couldn’t finish the sentence the threat of tears pricking her eyes. Luckily the privateer answered back.

“I’ll tell them, and I promise everything we did by far will not be in vain. Thank you, my friends. We will never forget what you did for Ravka and for all of us.”

Kaz and Inej could also hear the subtle sounds of distress of their friends, their family. She realized in that moment how much all of them meant to her. Funny how life had a tendency to remind you how deeply you loved someone when you’re about to lose everything.

Kaz brought the device back on his lips and in a clear voice said: “No mourners…” and before they could hear an answer coming from the other side, he had already thrown on the ground the device and smashed it with the tip of his cane.

The movement made so that he lost his balance. He would have crashed on the ground if Inej hadn’t been there to prevent the fall. She brought his arm over and shoulder and steadied him.

Kaz looked at her intently, his face turned in her direction, his eyes scanning her features and she knew what he was about to tell her even before he spoke the words.

“Inej, you can still make it, you’re fast, you have to run and save yourself.”

“I knew you were going to say this, but if you think that I could ever leave you behind you’re sorely mistaken.”

He did not relent, and as stubbornly as ever he removed his arm from around her shoulder, he gripped his cane with all his might so as not to fall again and faced her.

“Inej, please. Run now. Live. You have so much you still have to give to this wretched world.” Kaz Brekker never said please, never. Yet here he was, a broken boy standing in front of the girl he had grown to love.

“I can’t do that,” Inej simply replied while shaking her head in denial.

“It was all my fault, and you can’t pay my foolishness with your life, I won’t allow it. It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it.”

She took the short distance separating them and put her hand atop his on his cane.

“None of this was your fault, you have to get that straight. We’ve done something good, we helped our friends, our countries. And you’ll always be worth it to me.”

At her words she felt his breath hitch, but still his eyes held behind them a strange resolution.

“I can’t be the reason why you die here today, why can’t you understand that?” Kaz’s voice cracked, perhaps with the effort of holding back his desperation. Inej brought her free hand up and gently cupped his face with her palm. Her thumb grazed his cheek in a loving gesture.

“I’m not afraid to die, Kaz. But I’m terrified at the idea of a life without you in it. So, no. I’m not leaving, not now, not ever.”

***

As they stumbled outside the musty room of the monastery, Kaz with an arm draped around Inej’s shoulder for support, the Autumnal sun had started its descent. The soft orange and purple hues of the rays reflected on the sea surface, and the waves created a gentle melody. Inej couldn’t help but think that this was the Saints’ way to lead them onto their next job, their next adventure…

They dragged their feet until they were near the shore and lowered themselves down. For a moment that felt like an eternity, they gazed to the horizon, the sheer but peaceful resignation palpable in the air.

When Kaz clasped her hand and looked at her, she remembered a conversation she had overhead between the boy and Zoya.

They had adjourned their meeting after having gone over their plan again, everyone had stepped out of the room except for Kaz and Zoya, who had prevented him from exiting with a question. Curious as to why he hadn’t joined her outside, she had stayed behind the closed door, waiting in the long corridor. She had known that Kaz, and probably the queen too, were aware that she was there, but she hadn’t cared much.

“Just out of curiosity, why are you doing this Mr. Kerch rat?” she had asked, her voice reverberating even outside.

“I thought it was pretty obvious, Your Highness. It’s for the reward.” He had replied in that wry tone of his that she knew drove Zoya crazy.

“Oh, but I don’t think it’s just that.” Even without having been inside, Inej could picture the other woman taking one of the positions she had learned the queen preferred. Arms crossed and a frowned expression to better look down on him. In the crows’ time at the palace, the two Suli women had formed an easy and quiet friendship. The captain of the Wraith had helped her queen to reacquaint herself with her Suli heritage and Inej had even told Zoya that once the situation was over, she was going to bring her to her family caravans, to spend some time amongst their people. They had become sisters at heart and by blood.

“Enlighten me with your glorious knowledge then.”

Kaz had always liked playing with fire, but he was always walking a fine line with the sovereign of Ravka. Perhaps he wanted to see how much she could take before she decided to strike him out of existence on the spot.

“When you saw that this was getting dangerous, that it wasn’t going to be an easy job, you could have easily dropped everything and return to Ketterdam with you crew. Why didn’t you? Why stay when you knew the risks?”

Inej had heard genuine interest in Zoya’s voice that didn’t bore any resentment.

“I don’t know what you want me to answer.”

“Try with the truth, I know it’s hard for you, but indulge me. I know you’re not doing this just for yourself and your own benefit, as shockingly as it may seem. You’re still here for Inej, for the promise we had sworn to keep.” The queen had said as if she had found out the deepest secret of the man standing before her.

“Let me get this straight,” he had rasped. “I’ll always do what’s best for me, but I’m also a man of my word and I made a promise.”

There had been a few seconds of absolute silence, in which probably Zoya had studied him with those piercing blue eyes of hers.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but under certain aspects we’re not that different you and I. Your prickly behavior can only last so long, Kaz, but eventually you’ll have to let go. I’ve learned that even the thickest thorns have their purposes.”  The queen had said with a wisdom that at times made Inej wondered how many lives the queen had already lived.

“Ah, but here’s where your wrong, Your Excellency. In this scenario you’re comparing me to thorn wood, while actually I’m just barren land on which nothing grows.”

His lapidary answer would have been enough to render speechless anyone, but not Zoya the Grisha queen of Ravka. In her spectacular talent at having always the last word she told him: “You’ll realize that you can’t keep up this cold demeanor forever. I just hope it won’t be too late when you do.”

***

Inej squeezed Kaz’s hand tighter and looked him straight in his brown eyes, a shade lighter in the orange sun. From a distance they heard the sound of bells. Their friends had managed to give the alarm, she only hoped they were already on their way back to the palace. The tolls were shortly followed by another sound: propellers guiding the Fjerdan ships to face the town and the monastery. With a small smile grazing her feature she told him said.

“You were wrong. You were wrong that time when you spoke with Zoya.” If at the beginning of her sentence he had seemed confused, now she could see he understood what conversation she meant.

“You’re not just barren land, Kaz. You managed to build something from nothing, you survived all those terrible things in your life and in the process, you managed to grow, to thrive, to do something good for Ravka and your friends. I’m sure your brother would be proud of you. I know I am.”  He didn’t reply.

The rumbling of the aircrafts was almost cacophonic, in contrast to the peace they had basked in not a few minutes ago. Despite that, it was as if the two of them had been placed in a protective bubble of their own, in which not even those machines of war could destroy.

Perhaps it was the lightening, but Inej swore those were unshed tears glinting in Kaz’s eyes. In all the years she had known him, she had never even seen him get emotional or choked up about something, but here, now, on this shore with her, Dirtyhands was doing just that.

“I’ve never wanted for it to end like this – his shoulders shook as he held back a sob – for us, to end like this. Inej, believe me when I tell you that if I could go back, I would do so many things differently. If I could go back, I would start to show you how much I admire you, how much I love you so much earlier than I did.”

Inej’s hand found his face again. The tip of her fingers skimmed his lips in such a tender gesture that they parted under her touch.

“There’s no need for that, Kaz, I already know. And it doesn’t matter how early or late you started. You show me you love me every day.” Her limb continued on her exploration: she touched his brow, his eyes, his cheekbones. “I propose a deal: I’ll find you in the next life Kaz Rietveld, and even there I’ll be waiting for you perched on your windowsill feeding the crows.”

Still looking at her straight in the eye, he let go of her hand, removed his gloves discarding them on the sand and rubbed her disheveled braid between two trembling fingers.

“The deal is the deal. I’ll find you there then.”

The rumble of the ship cannons had reached a deafening peak as their beams struck mercilessly on the monastery in an unescapable trap of fire.

Before the very end, the two held themselves up on trembling knees and embraced the other. A small smile of resigned happiness on both of their faces.

“Stay with me,” Kaz whispered, and unlike another and far time her answer was clear.

“Always.” Inej swore.

Saints protect us both, was the last thing she thought.

And then there was nothing but searing light.

***

In Os Alta the feast on Sankt Nikolai was fast approaching, but even if she was the queen Zoya didn’t feel much festive. The white, still landscape of her country at this time of the year was an accurate representation of what she had been feeling ever since they had managed to find the heart of Sankt Feliks, save Ravka from the plague and its enemies with another peace treaty and bring the Darkling – or Aleksander as he insisted to be called – back to the little palace where they could control him. She knew they were taking a risk, but it was safer to have him closer than not knowing where he was. It had been a hard decision, but she wasn’t going to murder him in cold blood, she was not going to turn into a monster, as he had in his lust for power. In his loneliness.  

When everything had come back to a pseudo- normality, when she had had time to think and just be, it was then that everything she had been holding back for the sake of her country hit her with tenfold the force.

Zoya had understood that keeping emotions bottled inside you, was going to eat you alive in the longer run. It was something she was learning every day, and that she was willing to change, if only a bit. She had started letting go in the small gestures of affection she shared with Genya, in the loving words she had with Nikolai, in the playful banters she occasionally allowed herself to have with the rest of her friends. Her family.

And so, as the Grisha queen strode towards her garden, the winter sun barely a strip on the horizon of a new morning, she couldn’t help the tears that fell down in two cold streaks down her face. Zoya brought an arm up to dry them, the sensation of the thick wool of her winter kefta both prickly and a reassurance.

She opened the door of the little corner of her world. Nobody entered this sanctuary except for Nikolai, since she hadn’t allowed anybody else to see her soul from that close. The structure her king had built for her always managed to leave her speechless. The glass and iron were combined in perfect harmony, and when Zoya worked in it by day, the sun would cast and create a series of little mesmerizing rainbows. However, what would always speak to her were the walls, painted by Alina. The roaring dragon flying, the little fox, the ship resembling the Volkvolny mastering the sea, the colors and symbols of the Grisha orders were her most trusted companions during the solitary hours of her gardening.

It was there where Nikolai found her, tending to her plants and flowers. She heard him enter her safe haven, and she supposed he had come out to her when he had awoken and hadn’t seen her resting beside him.  He approached her and kneeled beside where she was on the ground, a rather small pot between her hands. Nikolai knew that when she was working here like this, he would have had to let go of his privateer side, and just be the man she had fallen in love with and married. In short, he needed to be her anchor.

“Those are nice flowers,” he said, pointing to the little thing with red petals. A genuine interest coloring his voice.

“They’re wild geraniums.” Was Zoya’s noncommittal answer. Her eyes hadn’t looked up at him.

“And what is that other sprout beside the flowers?” Nikolai prompted her again, indicating the smaller, yet visible plant growing alongside the geraniums. It looked like it was enveloping the geraniums in an embrace, its green leaves a stark, yet so right, contrast with the red of the petals.

This time she raised her gaze, and her blue orbs found a pair of comforting hazel ones staring back at him.

“It’s ivy.” Again, she didn’t let herself go into any sort of explanation.

“I remember you with a vase like this when you left for the Suli caravans.”

So, he had noticed, of course he had. Zoya was always taken aback by the fact that when it came to her, Nikolai was even a closer observant than he already was.  

As soon as everything had settled after the whole ordeal, she had decided that she was going to be the one to bring the news to the Ghafas. Her and only her with no escort and no Nikolai in tow. She had told him that she had to do this particular thing alone, and he had just hugged her and encouraged her to go. It had been a spiritual journey of sorts; one she had promised her other Suli sister they would take together…

“Yes,” she said in a whisper. “They were Inej’s favorite flowers. I brought a pot to her parents when I visited the camps. It was the least I could.” With her hand she showed him other three little vases with the same brightly colored flowers and green little sprout of ivy on the side. “Those are for Nina, Jesper and Wylan. It’s their present for Sankt Nikolai.”  

“Zoya,” he started. She knew they’ve been over this before, and yet she couldn’t seem to let her sense of guilt leave her.

“They knew what they were doing, it was their choice.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t make it any easier, Nikolai. When I met her parents – she shook her head – they treated me like their own. Like I was family. I’ve never felt so accepted, so… seen in my life, except for when I’m with you. And yet I’m part of the reason why their daughter has been taken away from them. They both have been taken away from them.” A small moment of silence, and once again she couldn’t stop the little tear escaping the corner of her eye.

“I just don’t understand how there can be such kindness after so much loss.” Zoya wondered out loud.

“It’s the nature of human beings, and also our strength.” Nikolai said. “Even after losing everything, we find it in ourselves to get back on our feet and fight for something new, something worth all the suffering.” He dragged himself closer to Zoya with his arms and then raised a hand to cup her cheek, gently steering her face in his direction. His thumb brushing away the stray tear marking her face.

“As long as there is life, there is happiness, Zoya. There is hope for a brighter future. And that’s exactly what Kaz and Inej had brought us: hope to build something better from the ashes.” He paused and behind his eyes she could see the same emotions that had been haunting her, testimony of the fact that he too had been grieving his friends.

“Don’t let your sorrow squander the hope they enabled with their sacrifice, because you wouldn’t be honoring their memories in that ways.”

“Oh, Nikolai,” she exhaled before throwing her arms around him with such a force he momentarily lost his balance. “Thank you!”

“Any time, my queen. I’ll always be here.” He promised.

“And besides, you know how much I love when I’m being all smart and wise. I couldn’t let this occasion to show it to you slip by.” He finished with a much brighter tone. Zoya softly chuckled, something she hadn’t thought being capable of mere months ago and told him with fake exasperation.

“Of course, you couldn’t. It’s your modesty I fell for after all.”

They remained in each other’s arms for an indefinite amount of time. The only indication of the time passing was the sun which har finally risen, and now was beating on the glass panels of the garden. Zoya continued tending to her plants, all a part of her in some capacity, as Nikolai watched her in a comforting silence, seated on the ground and with his back against a small tree.

“Why the ivy?” he asked her all of a sudden. His eyes returning once again on the pots near him.

“It can grow even in poor soils and although it requires more time for it to bloom than other plants, when it does its resilience it’s unmatched.” Zoya saw Nikolai nodding in understanding.

“I also found the meaning behind it fitting,” She added.

“What’s the meaning?”

“It symbolizes the constancy of love.”

There was a brief silence in which she saw him taking in the information.

“It is as fitting as it is beautiful,” he said, while he rose to his feet and brought her closer once again, placing a soft kiss on her dark mane.

As they left to go back to the palace, hand in hand, Zoya thought to herself that in life there were people whose souls were connected and strung in ways that couldn’t be explained by logic. She looked at Nikolai walking alongside her and smiled softly to herself, sure she had found the missing piece of her complicated puzzle in the golden boy beside her.

Her gait hadn’t felt this light in months.

In a glass garden, in a country ruled by a powerful Grisha queen with the heart of a dragon, a plant of geraniums and ivy grew stronger by the day, forever entwined in their embrace of constant love for the other.

[yutahoes]

Otou-Chan

Yuta Nakamoto x Reader (Y/N) Smut

(Chapter Five)

Summary: 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐡𝐰𝐚 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐮𝐭𝐚’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬.

Warning: Fluff, Mentions of Sex, Public Teasing

Word Count: 2.6k

Masterlist

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️

5. Cinderella

This wasn't Yuta's first time in Paris, that was what (Y/N) thought when he hailed a cab and fluently asked the driver to bring them someplace. Now, she's starting to wonder about how many girls he had brought here in Paris. How many girls he had sex with. How many girls had kissed those red lips?

And she lightly felt a pang on her chest at the thought that this will indeed be a once in a lifetime event.

The cab stopped in front of fancy boutiques that made her surprised, what are they doing here? They should have gone to a restaurant somewhere and get this over with, maybe they'll have an early night out and have some desserts afterward. She followed him inside one shop, surprising her further.

Boutique shops in Paris clearly are no joke. It was now clear to her why this was called the fashion empire. The shop has a high ceiling and an elegant looking chandelier at the center which redefines the image of high-end boutiques in her mind. "What are we doing here?" she asked while holding his arm but Yuta just smiled then held her by the waist.

The ladies in waiting were looking at them that made Yuta greet them, "I would like to purchase a dress for her." he said in English that made her look at him. He's going to buy a dress? For her?

The women were clapping their hands in delight as he gave her a light nudge to follow them. This is weird, (Y/N) thought. What is this dress for? And why would he purchase such a thing like this for her?

The dress was a sleeveless black one which stops midthigh that made her in awe with it. Upon trying it on, she was surprised at how much the dress cost. She'll have to work for a year to buy just a simple dress. The dressing room door opened and Yuta was just gaping at her. She quickly noticed that he's wearing a dress shirt now and that she might be mirroring the same expression as him. She wanted him, so bad.

"We'll get that," he claimed then grabbed a heeled shoe, giving it to another lady. She asked for her shoe size and left with the same shoe that Yuta asked for.

"Do we really need to dress up for this?" she asked as she sat on the couch, the dress riding up on her thigh that made him stare while licking his lips. The lady went back with the pair of shoes and Yuta kneeled to remove her worn-out sandals and replace them with the black stilettos.

This gesture of him is so hot, she thought, why does everything about this guy screams 'fuck me'? Once done, he trailed his hand up until it reached the back of her knee, flexing her leg. She isn't imagining things but Yuta's arousal can be seen bulging in his black pants, he's fucking turned on by this and she's glad that she isn't the only one.

He pulled her up, pulling her closer by the waist and she badly wanted him to kiss her. "Do you want to skip dinner and just do this?" she implied that made him smile.

The total irony. Why does he look so adorable now? "I made that mistake once, I'm not going to do it again." He let go of her and she felt the urge to touch him again. God, why is she so desperate for him like this? "I'll just get a coat..." But she stopped him, stepping closer that they're almost touching once again. 

"Can I get one more thing?" she asked and he nodded, suddenly curious. "Color?" she asked with a hint of playfulness in her tone. Yuta may have caught it that he chuckled first before answering red and she disappeared somewhere in the store.

When she returned to the lobby, Yuta was already by the cashier and purchasing their outfits. She immediately saw him fishing out a black card and handing it out to the lady in front who thanked him. Just as she was about to give him the receipt, she quickly snatched it and grinned at the guy. He can't know about the lingerie she just bought even if it's obvious.

Yuta just smiled, handing his hand out for her to take. He got the black card and went out of the boutique holding hands. "Dinner?" he asked and she nodded, suddenly feeling hungry not just by food but because of Yuta.

--

He surprised her one more time when the cab arrived at one of the most famous restaurants in Paris. She had heard about it before since it boasts that their VIP Lounge has an overlooking view of the Eiffel Tower and the price is to the roof. "Good evening, Mr. Nakamoto." the man from the lobby greeted in English and they started conversing about the reservation he had.

"When did you get a reservation for this?" she asked, knowing full well that even though this is too high end it's not easy getting a reservation.

The man guided the two of them inside. "Earlier, when you were changing," he said that made her stunned. How did he get a reservation that fast?

She was about to speak once again when the interior made her speechless. Why is everything in Paris so fancy? The faint music made her more nervous than earlier, this is really romantic and Yuta made it happen. This isn't a normal lust anymore.

They stopped by a small table at the edge of the restaurant and true enough, she could see the breathtaking view of the Eiffel tower lights by the large window pane. Yuta, like a gentleman as he is, pulled the chair for her and even placed the napkin on her lap. "I'll come back with the menu, Mr. Nakamoto." Their server claimed and made his way through the calm dinner place.

The guy sat in front of her and she gaped at him, maybe there's a better view other than the Eiffel tower. "Do you usually do this?" she asked that earned a curious glance from him. "Take girls out in some fancy romantic shit."

He chuckled at her choice of words just as another server offered them wine. Yuta took a swig of the red wine and asked the sommelier to refill his glass. "I told you this is my form of apology and I want you to enjoy your vacation here in Paris since I'm intruding your time," he said that made her chuckle.

This is one weird way of apologizing. "If this is how you apologize then I wish you'll hurt me always," she mumbled then drank her wine.

Yuta smirked as the menu came, "Be careful of what you wish for." he whispered that made her look at him. Fuck, she's so sexually frustrated now.

She can't really focus on the menu at hand with how wet she's feeling, wanting friction between her legs. Well, two can play this game. She started giving him footsie from under the table that made Yuta glare at her. "What would you like to have?" he asked while smirking, opening his legs up to let her feet work on his thigh.

"I'll have what you have," she said then closed the menu to fully gauge his reaction. He was completely calm while giving his order to the waiter but when he asked for dessert, Yuta kindly declined that surprised her.

Once gone, he turned to her and gave her a frustrated sigh. "Can you please stop that? I might come in my pants if you continue doing that. Fuck." he said when her foot reached his hard cock, making her gasp. He is indeed hard.

The girl giggled before putting down her foot. "I told you we can just skip dinner." But he just shook her head, looking so amused at what she is claiming. "You're a tough one," she mumbled that made him laugh.

(Y/N)'s head was on her hand that was above the table, eyeing the beautiful Eiffel Tower which she can only see in pictures. She wished she had her tab or even a paper to draw the magnificent scene in front of her. She mumbled that it was really pretty and he answered that she is really pretty that made her look at him, why is he saying things that don't mean anything? Is he serious about that? Does he even want to have a relationship with her or the typical fuck boy ways? Maybe that was it.

"Are you a fuck boy?" she asked that made him surprised, looking at her as if she struck a nerve. "I mean there should be a catch. A guy as handsome as you, as rich as you, wouldn't just pick up random girls in Paris to date and have sex with unless..." He shook his head, drinking wine while keeping his eyes on her. That gaze, why is he making her this hot? Maybe, he really is a resident fuckboy.

"I'm not." he refuted then put down the glass of half-filled wine. "And I didn't pick you up..." he said while doing quotation marks with his fingers. "here in Paris, it was in the plane." he continued that made her nod. He sighed then put both his hands above the table, closing the distance between the two. "I saw you at the airport before the flight. You were shouting at that man who groped the girl in front of you." And she was reminded of what happened before her flight to Paris. At how she shouted at a certain sleazy old man for obviously touching the young girl's ass on the line. He was so embarrassed especially when the girl started crying and telling every onlooker that he did touch her. "It felt satisfying watching the old's man face when you groped him," he said with a laugh.

She laughed as well, visualizing how the man was so scared of her especially when she started touching him like how he did to that girl. "Well, he deserved that humiliation after everything he had done," she claimed then drank some of her wine.

"You're really headstrong and that made me attracted to you," he mumbled while staring fondly at her.

(Y/N) chuckled, when did being headstrong become her strong point? "Did you know that because of that I was often sent to the disciplinary office when I was young? Even my co-workers think that I'm a guy because of that." she shared that made Yuta laugh, that was perfectly plausible. She gazed at him with horror as the food came, he ordered steak? "Wait, how about the airplane seats?" she asked as he took her plate and started cutting the meat for her.

Yuta nonchalantly grinned. "I asked the stewardess to switch my seat to the one next to you. The ahjumma was really thrilled to be in the business class for that trip," he confessed that made her surprised, mouth forming an o as he handed her the plate of food.

"Are you stalking me?" she asked in surprise that made him chuckle. "So this is not a coincidence anymore?"

The guy smiled after getting a bite of his steak. "If I'm stalking you, I would have known your name already," he said while focused on his food. (Y/N) raised an eyebrow at him, recalling the events that happened between her and him, and realized that she hasn't said her name even once. "Don't worry, I like the mystery though," he claimed that made her laugh. "Let's just enjoy dinner first and maybe enjoy the other things later."

(Y/N) nodded, realizing that the best way to have some action going is to finish dinner early. The steak was delicious, and although she hated the mashed potatoes at the side, Yuta ordered her to eat it in a commanding tone that made her visibly shudder. Damn, he had this dominance washed on him that she wonders if he's like that in bed. Well, he did tell her that he doesn't let girls top him so he's probably that dominant. Is he sadistic though? A Christian Grey type of guy? If yes, then she's into some exciting night.

--

He paid for dinner using the card once again and even fished out his wallet to get some cash as a tip to the waiter. That was too much, (Y/N) thought, but he reasoned out that she did enjoy and that's what really matters.

The rain subsided and the chilly air of Paris welcomed them when they left the restaurant. She borrowed Yuta's coat but it's still cold and she cursed the dress for making her like this. Feeling really chilly, she made an excuse to have physical contact with the guy walking beside her and he just smiled when she hugged his arm. "Are you that cold?" he asked and she nodded, "No doubt. Your hands are freezing."

Yuta held both of her hands and breathed on it to keep it warm that made her stare. This looks like a normal thing to do if you are Parisian and in a relationship with each other but none of those two applied to them. "This feels like a dream," she mumbled honestly that made him look at her, tightly holding her hands. "To see the Eiffel Tower at night, feeling the Paris breeze, eating in some fancy restaurant, and wearing a really expensive dress." she enumerated then let go of his hands, feeling chillier now that physical contact is gone. "So thank you, Yuta shii, for making my Hot Parisian Romance dream come true."

He smiled, pulling her close that there is no distance left between their body. She can feel how hard he is and realized that it might be really painful for him. "Not quite. We're not in the hot part yet." And she smiled, asking what he had in mind.

He took this as an invitation to kiss her and if they're in Korea right now, they would have gotten the ill-look of people around. It was a good thing that they're in Paris, the city of love. Once again his mouth didn't disappoint as he kissed her, holding her cheeks as he devours her mouth and tongue. "Fuck, I could kiss you like this forever," he mumbled in between kisses, holding her cheeks while giving her butterfly kisses. "I'll just get some cash for the cab then let's head to the hotel for the hot part." She smiled at the thought, holding hands as they walked the streets of Paris.

He would stop occasionally to give her a quick smack on the lips and the tingling feeling started to form in her stomach. During the past relationships, she had never been this clingy but why does this guy make her feel like this? She looked like a schoolgirl who is so much in love. She might have looked so easy for him. And honestly, she didn't care. This was the first time that someone showed interest in her like this and she liked the attention, really. So just for this night, she wanted to be Cinderella and be a princess to this guy.

Yuta pulled out his black card again, inserting it on the ATM, and even if she didn't want to, she discovered his pin as 1026. Getting some cash, that surprised her, he handed her the card and asked to put it in her purse which she agreed. He wouldn't forget about it anyway.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ ❤️❤️

Chapter 4 / Chapter 6

[honeypirate]

Old Friends part three

parts 1 and two on my masterlist here

Bakugou Pro!Hero x Pro!hero female reader

I don’t know much about Bakugou’s new hero name, like reasoning behind the change, i don’t read the manga, but I am aware of the new name so I use it because this is set in the future, i don’t know if it is a spoiler anymore or not lol 

I probably should have reread the other parts just in case I forgot anything but oh well. Here’s this part that might have a lot of errors haha. 😘

Also sorry for using a Spotify link and then a YouTube link and not just both the same site but I don’t want to change it because I don’t know if many people will even click them XD

The links for the hero outfit go to Pinterest

You get to the office and Bakugou introduces you to their secretary at the front desk, “this is, Mina, she takes calls and files the paperwork for cases we take from the public, we check in with her when we get here and she gives us...” Mina takes out a small black box and places it on the desk while he talks “ear pieces that connects us all to each other and to her when we need her to give us information.” you all three take an ear piece and you smile at the small girl, she had an intimidating air about her and you liked that “it’s nice to meet you!” you say with a small bow and she bows back to you “you as well, Guardian” her use of your hero name didn't bother you, on the walk over Kiri had mentioned that Mina’s quirk allowed her control over who is and who isnt allowed to enter the building, once she knows your face she can allow you to always enter, so if any one wanted to come meet to request assistance they needed to book an appointment first to be confirmed, after she runs intense background checks. 

You head into the women’s locker room to change into your hero suit before the meeting, the familiar feeling of excitement and anxiety knotting its way into your stomach, the calm before the storm of a mission. You put in your headphones and hit play on your mission playlist, a playlist that you and Bakugou made together in high school specifically to get in the right head space before work. It’s since been added to but still has the original songs you both came up with, they always worked to get your head in the game. 

(this is the song that plays this link takes you to spotify)

Once you’re dressed in your usual hero attire,(( outfit  but gloves like this tho))

You stash your bag, phone, and street clothes in a locker that was provided, you place the ear piece in a pocket and exit the room quietly singing the song from your playlist that was now stuck in your head. “I drew stick figures of you and me, don't you agree? We would make-” “the best team, better than the 96 Bulls ever were” Bakugou cuts you off, saying the rest of the line you were singing, you turn to see him leaning against the wall outside the locker room, waiting for you, you smirk and tilt your head “you’re still listening to ‘Y/N and BK get pumped?” He chuckles at your question “I will keep listening to it for as long as it works” he reaches up and messes with your cowl, running his fingers across the edge, “same here” you feel nostalgic and your chest fills with butterflies as he looks you over “I like your new suit” he nods approvingly “I like your new name” you quip back and he laughs “thank you. I felt it fit better. Our meeting is in here” he says and points to the door across the hall. You nod once and follow him into the meeting room. 

 You're sat at a conference table with many heroes, most you recognize but there is one man that you don't, he seems familiar but you don’t pay too much attention. Bakugou was seated in front of you at the rectangular conference table and Kirishima was to his left explaining the situation. “Thank you all for showing up to aid us with this mission, I’ll get right into it, over the past few weeks students from UA have been going missing. Up until recently we had no idea who they were or why they were doing this. The last victim to be kidnapped was a young student named Juliette” you got the goosebumps, ‘it could be a coincidence’ you thought as you looked at Kirishima as he spoke  “the two previous victims were girls with the same name and all girls are 17. We still don't know why they are doing this but we now have a name.” a man comes up on a TV screen on the wall behind Kirishima and on the TV behind you, a man you knew well, your eyes are glued to the screen as pictures flash across the screen of him with his associates and him with the victims. You’re grateful for your cowl that hides your emotions that are on the surface. Your memories coming back to you in waves, meeting him on the bus one night when you were doing your internship in America, pretending to be interested in him and his goals. Making him fall in love with you just to lock him up. Stomach acid burned your throat as you watched the pictures change. 

Your thoughts are chased away as you feel someone nudge your leg with their foot, your eyes immediately flick to Bakugou who is staring right at you with his brows furrowed. He could always read you, you weren’t surprised that hasn't changed. You reach out with your foot and gently touch the inside of his ankle up to his knee, deciding to use him as a distraction for your brain. When you notice his cheeks subtly dust with pink you smirk and then turn your attention to Kirishima, now with more resolve. 

“The group of villains calls themselves The Red Ox. We know their usual hideouts but so far they've been all empty, we have sights on them 24/7 to see if they return. We need to gather whatever information we can and find them as soon as possible. We will be working directly with the police to get these girls back.” ”Red, can I speak?” your hand is a little raised,  he nods “go for it” you stand up and point to the TV “the guy in the middle, his name is Robin, the other two wearing masks are part of his quirk, when I knew him in California five years ago he went by the name Triple Threat. Last I knew we captured him and he was imprisoned in America. The kids,” your voice breaks and you clear your throat to cover your true feelings and feel a little comfort when Bakugou's shoe gently touches yours again, “the kids are a message. We caught him because I went undercover with the name Juliette Simmons and became his sidekick, ending up breaking his heart and apparently making him obsessed with me. He knows I went to school at UA, I don't know what he is going to do but I think he wants me.” 

 The hero you don't recognize speaks up “since Guardian here knows him and failed to stop him before then it's kind of her fault? Can’t she just use her powers to manipulate him and capture them anyway? I don’t see why we’re needed” the hero crosses his arms in his chair and sends a look of disgust your way. Your hands curl into fists against the table, you’re about to stand up for yourself but before you can Bakugou beats you to it, his fists clenched as little blasts go off against his palms. He looks more pissed than you've ever seen him, he looks downright feral,  “your attitude is not helping us find these girls any quicker, you're causing unnecessary tension and not to mention being a complete dick. You know her hero name? So that means you understand her power? Her quirk costs a price to use, Dumbass. If she does something substantial it takes the price from her. If you're not going to work with us as a team then you can leave. We don’t need you.” the unknown hero gets up and walks out in a huff and you sit down quietly, throwing a glance at Kiri who sighs “was that really--” “yes!” Bakugou cuts him off and then sits. “Continue, Guardian'' he then says calmly with a nod at you.  

“Robin was a student at the university in the same town where I had my internship. He was obsessed with human experiments to see if he could use his quirk to separate other people into threes like he does with himself. We should contact heroes in the US and ask for their files and see if they know how he got here instead of being in prison. Last I knew he was sentenced to life” Kirishima nods “Mina?” He says and the secretary who was sitting down at the end of the table opens her laptop “on it” she says and starts typing with inhumanly quick speed. You glance at Bakugou and he gives you a look that you can tell means he’ll talk to you later. 

After more research and phone calls to your old teachers you all split up into pairs to go look around places he might be, a few hospitals reported thefts of medical supplies and blood banks as well, there were also reports that civilians had seen him in a few shopping centers buying clothing. Kirishima gives everyone orders, he pairs you and Bakugou and gives you the task to go around the hospitals and see if you can find out anything more than the police had, you also wanted to check out a bar you think he would have liked if he was the same as when you knew him. “Send all your information to Mina, she will make files for everyone to have tomorrow at the next meeting. Let’s go”  the sound of chairs rolling back on the tile fills your ears, you glance at Bakugou and he gestures for you to wait, you nod and stay standing near the table waiting for the rest of the heroes to file out of the meeting room. Kirishima gives you a reassuring smile before being the last one to disappear.

“What’s up?” you keep your voice quieter since the room was now empty, “that’s the guy you were dating before?” His voice is calm, hiding how he really felt, which was embarrassed for bringing him up earlier, he didn’t know how you felt about it but he knew how hard going undercover was especially when feelings are involved. You give a simple nod and his brows furrow even deeper than they were. “I know how hard those missions can be. I’m.. uh.. We.. are always here to talk if you need someone” you can't help the warm fuzzy feeling that surrounds your heart. You place your arm on his bicep “Thank you, for being here for me after all these years and for standing up for me earlier. You’ve grown into an amazing hero and an even better man. Now what do you say we go and kick some ass?” 

You left him with tingles in his arm where you touched him and butterflies in his stomach thinking about what you've said to him. He's been trying desperately these last years to grow into someone you can be proud of, you and his parents are the most important people to him, all that matters is that you are the ones who are proud of him. You don’t know how much it meant to hear you tell him those things. your voice breaks the silence “We’re here” “where is here G? This isn’t the hospital.” you let out a dry humorless chuckle “no but this is just the kind of place he would be at. I wanted to check here first since it was on the way” he nods once and holds the door open for you. 

Pain. White hot, searing, pain. You grab your head and fall to your right knee, letting out a scream from the pain before taking a big inhale and holding your breath to feel where the pain was coming from. It started in your skull then flooding down your spine and into every one of your pain receptors. “Dyna-'' you manage to gasp out, turning your attention to the hero beside you who is doubled over in the same amount of extreme pain, panting, his fists are tight at his sides with little explosions happening in the palms of his hands. His face is scrunched trying to control himself from blasting his way out. He needed to protect everyone else in this bar, there were so many innocents. You try to use your quirk to stop the pain at the source in your body but the more you tried the more waves of pain you felt. Once you manipulated it to stop it would just start in a different part of your body and spread out.  

“Oh my poor Juliette.. Or should I say y/n? Oops pardon me,  Guardian!” He waves his hand dramatically in the air and rolls his eyes “didn't mean to blow your identity” his voice was far away sounding like you were underwater, your eyes searched the room to see if you could find where it was coming from. Robin was walking over to you from the bar, a beer in hand, flanked by three identical girls who look like the first victim.”Don’t. Touch. Her” Bakugou's voice was tense with pain as he tried to move in front of you, Robin just laughed and motioned to the girls, after that Bakugou must have passed out from the amount of pain he was in, he fell to his face and was motionless. “Bastard” your voice comes out in a forced whisper, it was so hard to talk, you're just glad Bakugou is still breathing. 

 “This was far sooner than I was expecting but i guess i underestimated you” he crouches in front of you and you scowl, from the pain and from the rage you felt from him hurting Bakugou “the pain you’re feeling is from my associate here, which i’m sure you’ve figured out already, although shes attacking your nervous system, i don’t doubt you’ll figure out how to get past the pain, making yourself indestructible inside and out, then you’ll be able to stop her with your quirk so i unfortunately have to be quick.” your mind is swimming, you felt queasy and clammy, you spit at him and he laughs before motioning to the triplet girls who hold up their hands, you thought you felt pain before that was nothing compared to now. A maniacal laugh fills your ears and you pry your head up to look at Robin again “my poor doll.” he strokes your face and you gag, you would have bit him if you could have moved more through the pain. You start at your feet and use your quirk to manipulate your cells to accept the pain, to grow and adapt with the pain, slowly regaining your control over yourself without moving a muscle so they wouldn’t suspect. out of the corner of your eye you see the other two of Robin’s bodies keeping the rest of the bars customers at bay. Come on, y/n think! What is the best course of action? 

“Again! Gaining movement quicker than i thought!” his laughter is crazier than you remember, your body tingles with bad feelings and tension underneath all the pain  “we still have many things to do before the final phase of my plan, so we will have to be going now, next time we meet it will be when I have planned it, I can guarantee you that. But first, what i need is this” he reaches out and cuts off a piece of your hair, you reach out and grab his wrist tight “why..do you need... that?” you spit out and he just laughs more and caresses your cheek “all in due time my doll. All in due time” he turns to the triplets who crank up your pain again, making you scream, dropping his wrist and falling to your elbows on the floor of the bar. You’re barely aware of his speaking again, and barely aware of his kick to your ribs before he walks out the bar laughing, the triplets and his other two bodies following him. 

You hear voices far away, your mind is cloudy, you feel like you’re sinking through mud. Memories of your childhood with Bakugou run through your head as you sink into the darkness 

“You fought Deku?” Your voice was soft, standing with him in the empty stairwell of the dorms. He doesn’t say anything, just nods once, his usual scowl on his face. “Katsuki” you whisper and see his hard exterior softens for a moment, his scowl turning into a look of grief, you softly take his hand that was in a fist by his side, and pull him to you, wrapping your arms around his neck and running your fingers of your left hand through his soft hair. He breaks then, his hot tears hitting your neck and shoulder as he curls into you, his arms tight around your middle and you feel his sobs rack through his body. You softly hum the song stuck in your head, Lookers by The Menzingers, while rubbing his back with one hand and the other still in his hair. You loved him then. You love him now. 

Bakugou is holding your hand sitting beside you in the ambulance headed to the hospital, you’ve been out for a long time and he's starting to get worried, he came to right when Robin kicked you and he was filled with rage, he wished he wasn't still being affected by the triplets, he would have killed him right then if he could. Seeing you hurt like this brought back feelings he didn’t think he had anymore, he didn’t want to lose you. He didn’t want to see you in pain.

He assumed that when the pain left his body that they were too far away for the girls quirk to work anymore. He pulled you into his arms and checked your pulse, it was too faint to fill him with anything but worry, he presses the button on his ear piece “Mina we need an ambulance, the bar on 25th, Guardian is down” not even one second passes before shes talking back “they’ll be there in two minutes” he looks up at the bystanders “the police will be here in a few minutes! is everyone else okay?” the bar owner comes around and up to him “everyone is fine, how is she?” Bakugou's lips form a tight line “She’s alive. That’s all I know” 

Your senses slowly return to your body, the bed you’re in isn’t very comfortable, you feel a hand clutching yours and something wet on your fingers. Your eyes flutter open and your stomach flutters at the sight. You’re in a hospital room and Bakugou is sitting next to your bed, holding your hand in his with his forehead resting on the top, the wetness on your fingers were his tears. Your stomach fills with butterflies as you remember your dreams of him, you knew your new found feelings would complicate things but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

“What happened?” your voice is soft, drained, his head snaps up and you see his bloodshot eyes and wet cheeks. You smile and place your hand on his cheeks, brushing away his tears. “I was so worried” his voice cracks and you bring your other hand over to cup his face “I hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble” you brush away the last of his tears and he brings your palm to his lips, kissing it softly. “Not too much, but more than I would have liked.” You nod and your voice is barely a whisper, your eyebrows drawn together “I wish I could have protected you from whatever she did” he shakes his head and takes your hands in both of his “it’s not your fault. We will get them next time. Now we know more about what we’re up against” you nod but your feelings of guilt still linger in your chest. 

Recovery Girl fixed you up and you did what you could to manipulate your cells back into shape. You and Bakugou give your statements to the police then you head back to the office to give your reports to Mina as well as report back to Kirishima. By the time you got back to the office it was after midnight, you didn’t expect this all to take so long. You stop outside the office and grab Bakugou's hand, the trip back was quiet, just listening to the sounds of the city not knowing what to say to each other yet. “Are you okay?” You squeeze his hand and he nods “I’m alright” you cup his cheek again “do you mind if I..” he chuckles “do whatever you want. I trust you” your cheeks flush and you nod, bringing your other hand up to his cheek. You close your eyes and focus on the feeling of your quirk, scanning through the cellular makeup of his body, you saw the pain receptors that were damaged in his body and fixed them, unblocking some of the receptors in his palms that would hinder his quirk, you see his cells like a constellation behind your eyes, brightening the dull spots and making sure each aura flowed smoothly. Little things like this didn’t take much, just a little of your energy with no other repercussions. When you open your eyes he’s looking right into yours, a smile on his lips “do you know when you do that, you get a little aura that looks sparkly, like stars. Like you’re my personal guardian angel” you chuckle “it only happens if I have personal feelings towards the person I’m helping. It’s also the reason behind my hero name” you smile, dropping your hands from his cheek and saying “let’s go” you walk into the office, Bakugou right behind you, already overthinking your somewhat of a confession. 

Kirishima hugged you the moment he saw you “I’m so glad you’re alright” he hugged Bakugou the same way and you smiled when Bakugou actually hugged him back. “I finished the paperwork for you guys from what the police had sent over to me. You guys should go home and order delivery and we will continue this conversation there. There is nothing we can do about any of this tonight so we should rest up.” You frown but agree. Heading into the locker room to change back into your street clothes before heading out. “Y/n” Bakugou breaks the silence between you “hmm?” You glance over at him and he looks worried “if you’re thinking that you’re going to be forced to use your quirk in a big way, please don’t. At least not yet. Give us a few days to form a strategy and plan. We can figure it out. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Not like before.” you let out a sigh and reach out your hand to him, silently asking him to take it, he doesn’t hesitate to lace your fingers together and squeeze your hand. you think through the last time you used your quirk in an extreme way, your last year of school there was another villain attack on the school, half of the buildings were destroyed, several people were injured and could die, you were in a panic and seeing Bakugou hurt pushed you over the edge, you couldn’t help but fix it. you used your quirk and reversed all the destruction and pain that was caused. bringing the villains back to be captured and making sure everyone was fine, everyone but you. your quirk needed to be paid so it took it from you, almost every bone in your body was broken and your muscles were torn, the pressure form your quirk wrecked your body. that was the first time you saw Bakugou cry out in the open around others, when he found you struggling to breathe because of the blood in your lungs, laying in the middle of training ground beta, he felt just as broken. if it wasn’t for Recovery Girl being on campus you probably would have died. your body simply isn’t as powerful as your quirk is. 

 You squeeze his hand three times “I don’t want that to happen either, I want to save those girls and figure this out without having to use my quirk like that. but it’s so frustrating to know that with a snap of my fingers I could fix this all, especially with the hair he took from me, what the hell could he need that for?! but something this big, the repercussions would be extreme, it would break every bone in my body and that’s the least it would do. but it makes me feel guilty like I’m putting my life above theirs and I don’t feel that way. I’m not better than anyone.their lives are worth the same as mine. What if he can use my hair and DNA to replicate me? or what if he uses it to control me? I don’t want anything to happen because of me, maybe what would be best would be stopping him right now no matter what happens to me” he takes a deep breath, thinking about what you’ve said “I hear you, I understand what you’re saying. the quickest option is not always the best option. there are too many unknown repercussions if you used your quirk that we have to factor in and figure out. we’ll bring it to the table tomorrow and discuss options.” his voice softens, like it was full of an emotion you couldn't name, “I never want to see you like that again. if we can figure this out without you having to use your quirk to that extent, then i think we should try that first” you reach the apartment then and Bakugou unlocks the door and lets you go in first. he closes the door and turns toward you with his arms out, you chuckle softly before walking into his embrace. you turn your head and lay your cheek against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat comforting to you “I know you’re right. we should eat and sleep on this and then we can decide more with everyone tomorrow. thank you for reminding me i’m not alone” he rubs his hand in circles across your back, you feel so vulnerable in his arms right now, all the walls you thought you had from not seeing him in years have broken down, you pull back and look up at him, noticing all his new scars on his chin and neck from the fights hes had, his stubble on his cheeks and jaw, hes grown into such a handsome man. his hand cups your cheek “i’ll always be here for you” he whispers and his thumb brushes across your lower lip, sending shivers down your spine and making your cheeks blush “Katsuki” your voice is barely above a whisper, his cheeks blush when you say his name, your eyes flutter close as he leans down, his lips ghost over yours and your body floods with butterflies and tingles. Your hands tangle in his hair and he pulls you tighter against his chest, your lips press harder against his, when he nips at your bottom lip you can’t help but giggle and he smiles at the sound, take the opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth, making you moan quietly and melt against him.

The sound of a key in the lock scares you both and you both step away from each other at the same time, one second before Kirishima walks in the door. You chuckle and turn away from the door, walking into the kitchen to get some water, so that Kirishima wouldn’t see your red face or swollen lips. Kiri is either oblivious or really good at acting like it, he throws his stuff down and says “the only take out place open is pizza! I ordered some on the way home so let’s shower and then we can eat and talk more. I have some ideas about the hair.” “Y/n go take the first shower” Bakugou orders and you chuckle as you meet his eye, you wink at him “okay boss” you chuckle again and he rolls his eyes “what do I get for trying to be nice? Mocked” he grabs his bag and heads to his room.

You grab your sweats and your underwear and head into the bathroom to shower, you take this ten minutes of alone time to clear your head as you stand under the hot water as it eases your muscles. You exit the shower and wrap yourself in a towel, deciding to brush your teeth just in case you get another opportunity to kiss again, and then get dressed.

“Fuck” you say and sigh, looking at yourself in the mirror, you had bruises across your ribs but that wasn’t the reason you swore. You forgot a shirt so you were standing in your sweats and a naked top. You look at your dirtyclothes and frown, you didn’t really want to put back on your dirty shirt, you raise a hand and put it against the towel that was now wrapped around your head, you guess you could just walk to your room down the hall in a towel, *knock knock* “are you okay?” Bakugou’svoice made you smile, you cover your chest with an arm and open the door a little to look out at him, lucky you he had his pajamas in his hands. You reach out the crack in the door and grab his hand, pulling him into the bathroom with you. “Whoa what are you doing?” He voice sounds a little worried and his cheeks flush when he realizes you’re not wearing a shirt, he looks up at the ceiling and you take his shirt from his hands “you’re my hero Bakugou” you say and laugh as you turn around so your back is towards him “holy fuck” he whispers when he sees your bruises, he can’t help himself as he reaches out, his fingers brushing softly against your skin makes you gasp, the shirt was over your head now and your towel on the sink “sorry” his voice was soft “I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop him from hurting you” your face blushes and you pull the shirt all the way down before you turn back to look at him.

You cup his cheek “hush” you smile softly before realizing he needs to shower “we can talk after you shower, I’ll leave” he grabs your wrist softly “you can stay. We can talk now. I mean if you’re not uncomfortable” he blushes at what could be implied. You know him better than that tho. “If you don’t mind.” You laugh and then sit up on the counter top next to the sink turning your head to look at your hands in your lap as he undressed.

Once he’s in the shower, the scent of his body soap fills the air, “remember that girl that liked you in high school?” He laughs “which one?” You scoff “lady killer over here.” You jest and then clear your throat “I mean the one during graduation” your voice was quieter when you asked, you thought that it was best to get this talk over with before you did any more kissing. The water shuts off and he grabs his towel, wrapping it around his waist before opening the shower curtain, you gasp at the sight of his bare chest and stomach, the way water was dripping down his shoulders, his hair stuck to his forehead and neck. You gulp and then sit up straighter and he closes the distance between you. “Come with me. I need something from my room if we’re going to finish this conversation.” He picks up his dirty clothing and his pajamas and you grab your clothes too, following him from the bathroom. You put your dirty clothes in your room before walking back to his, wringing your hands out the whole way. Nervous flittering in your belly. What could he possibly need in his room to be able to talk about that? You knock on the door softly and he opens it with a smile, now in sweats with the towel around his neck, his eyes looked anxious but excited. You raise your eyebrows as you enter, he clears his throat and closes the door, catching Kirishima giving him a thumbs up before it closes all the way. You let out a shocked laugh when he faces you again and you see what he’s holding “Is that my letter?”

[cafedanslanuit]

RFA + V + Saeran with a s/o that goes to protests

As I mentioned before, I’m from Perú. We’ve had several marches in the past few years because we’ve reached levels of corruption that are just nauseating. I’ve attended most of them and have been tear-gassed, chased by policemen riding horses and pushed around in return. One of the things that made me really sad was that two of my boyfriends were opposed to me going to the streets and claiming justice for my country.

So, did I write these headcanons just because I was salty all my ex-boyfriends hated when I attended protests about important matters in my country? Yes

Was that one of the reasons I broke up with them? Maybe

Should you stop going to protests or marches just because your s/o doesn’t like it? ABSOLUTELY NOT

Anyway, have these perfect boys/girl being supportive.

a/n: These headcanons are not set on a particular movement, but are rather about protests about unjust systems in general.

Yoosung

Is he scared? Yes

Is he still going no matter what? YOU BET HE IS

You may think he’s just going with you because he’s your boyfriend but he does care about the injustice you’re both protesting about 

Also, I’ll never stop saying this: Yoosung is brave. He may be scared sometimes but true courage is doing what you have to do despite of that fear

So he’ll hold your hand through it, even help you make some signs.

He’ll help other people if they get hurt during the protest

Just an angel

Zen

Zen wasn’t so keen on the idea at first, not gonna lie.

But after he took some time to educate himself and realized it was a bigger issue, you bet he’s on it

He’ll use his platform on social media to educate his fans, and even do one or two videos about the matter. In case donations are needed, he’ll also share links where they can donate and will donate some money of his own.

He’ll be a little scared about attending protests (mainly because he’s worried about his face getting hurt --it’s not about his narcissism anymore but he’s still an actor) but there’s nothing that will stop him from protecting his princess

Zen will be right by your side the whole time, using his height to check your surrounding in case you need to find a safe space

Jaehee

Sadly, it’s not like she had a choice to attend or not. Most of the protests occur during working hours and she couldn’t find the time.

But she will be really supportive of it! She doesn’t use social media that much but will try and share information to her contacts about it. 

She will also spread the word at work hehe

In case donations are needed, she would make a donation as well, making use of her savings since working at.

You think that was it? HA! drumrolls pleaaaase~

You are seriously misled if you don’t think Jaehee got in touch with other idols club presidents and joined forces to protest their own way by, for example, crashing the police app, reserving Trump rally tickets and not going, and more.

She’ll use any power she has to help out. Once you get home from the protests, please give her a call so she can make sure you’re okay, though.

Jumin

Depending on the motive of the protests, he will go through the list of businesses he’s previously partnered with and give them a call, giving them a timelapse to issue a statement supporting the cause. If it’s a corruption case, he will end the partnership, that’s all.

You may think Jumin wouldn’t be caught dead in a protest

But you’d be wrong

He may have brought his bodyguards to keep an eye on both you and him, but he’s there. There’s no way in hell he’d let you go on your own.

You managed to get him to wear a hoodie and more comfortable clothes instead of his classic three-piece suit. He wasn’t keen on the idea but understood they would be better in case of an emergency.

If donations are needed, he’ll make a massive donation in C&R’s name. And a slighter smaller one in your name.

If he’s not familiar with the issue in hand, he will ask to be educated. This man reads a lot and if you don’t have the time or energy to explain, he will find resources on his own and read. He will interview people. By the end of the day, he could give lectures about the subject (but he won’t---- that would be against the whole thing on being educated lol).

Saeyoung

You need a website going down? You got it, babe.

It doesn’t matter if it’s the police, a bad company or even a government page. If you wanted to make a statement, he would make sure the page went down.

If he’s still working as an agent, he will have to wear a face mask and a hoddie to avoid being recognized at a protest, but you bet he would be there. If he’s loaded with work and can’t possibly make it, he will keep an eye of you through CCTV. Although, all recordings of people protesting will magically disappear afterwards oooops.

His main focus would be the informatics part, though. So feed him as many ideas as you can, he will try his best to be your partner in crime and take down whatever entity is being unjust.

He may not be the tallest of the bulkier but he does have secret agent training so in case you are chased by the police he will be your best chance on escaping them successfully.

V / Jihyun

Jihyun is calm and loving but he’s also brave when it comes to protecting someone he loves.

So, he will be there with you during protests, holding your hand with you both chant against the injustice the protest is about.

He will help you raise funds if they are needed! He will sell several of his photos and have all money sent where it’s needed the most

Jihyun is a sensible guy, he will understand the reason why everyone is so angry and hungry for justice. So when you feel drained and just sad about everything that’s going through, he’ll sit you down on his lap and hug you, reassuring you the work you’re doing is important and that things are changing because of it, so you should feel proud.

Saeran

Saeran will also help with any hacking or coding you may need.

He’s a little more sensitive about injustice because he’s felt similarly since he was young. So, even if he’s still a little iffy about hacking again, he will use all his abilities for the greater good.

Will watch YouTube videos or read books to educate himself. There’s so much of the world he’s missed he may not understand some social issues at first, but after he’s read, he’s ready to put on his sneakers and take the streets.

You both end up setting a small station on the side of the road to help people who were injured in the protests. You also give out water to whoever needs to.

It’s been a while since you’ve seen him with a mask on, but his now red hair and kind eyes make you remember how far he’s come and how he’s willing to help anyone who needs it.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 .❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 .❀。• *₊°。

a/n: Right now in Perú, there are clinics charging you S/.165 ($ 47.69) for medicine that usually costs S/.1 ($ 0.28). I’m not saying we should go out and protest right now because our healthcare system has officially collapsed, but please, don’t forget this. Don’t forget the clinic names. Don’t forget we’re living the consequences of decades of corruption our parents lived through in silence because the other choice was being called terrorists and going to jail without a proper trial. We’ll get through this. But we must not forget.

[lovelyirony]

“i was going to ask that you go easy on me. i’m feeling kind of tender today.” For whomever you want!

 Being alone is something that Bruce thought was the best option for him. He doesn’t really like being social or “on” all the time, and he’s fine with drinking tea in his room and working on homework. For fun, he’ll usually watch one of his “shows” on the weekends. 

Being alone can oftentimes lead to being lonely, unfortunately. One of the drawbacks, and something that Bruce doesn’t like. 

He thought he was pretty well-adjusted to college. He didn’t really need to make friends immediately. His mother had written to him from Aunt Becca’s house on new stationary that friends come along when you’re least expecting it. 

And then he got to orientation and his leader said that “friends are something you need to pursue! Get out there and go make some! Join a club!” 

Bruce had not done that. 

He doesn’t want to say that he’s scared of people, but they...intimidate him. He was made fun of his whole elementary and most of his high school time, so it’s not like Bruce learned how to successfully navigate friendship. 

So here he is in his dorm on a Wednesday night at 10:34, post-shower, and he realizes that he is all alone and he probably needs to change that. 

But he’s not sure how. He’s not great at “event-crashing” and there’s no way that he’s just going to sit down and talk to somebody. He’s in it for the confusion, it seems. 

A week later, there’s a knock on his door. 

It’s one of the girls who lives on his floor, Nat or Natalie or something. 

“I smelled coffee,” she says. “And I want to know if I can have some.” 

“Um...sure? Do you want cream or sugar or anything?” 

“Is the cream flavored?” 

“Yeah, it’s the, uh, new fall flavor. I thought it could be good in coffee.” 

Her eyes light up, and she walks straight into his room, not even noticing the notes pinned all over his cork-board and the sad laundry pile in the corner. She pours coffee neat as can be into her own mug, sits down on the desk chair, and looks at him. 

“Are you going to have any?” 

“Uh...yes?” 

He pours some, and then gets the cream out. He passes it over to her, and she takes it gladly. 

“None of us really see you anywhere,” she says. “Why is that?” 

“I, um. I guess I don’t get out much,” Bruce mutters. “Can you...can you smell the coffee from my room?” 

“Not from where I am, but Clint lives across the hall,” Nat says. “Room 816. He wanted coffee, but was too shy to ask if he could. We’ll provide coffee costs so long as we get it.” 

“Um, sure,” Bruce says. “I always leave my room unlocked. I’m Bruce.” 

“Nat, I live in 842. What are you majoring in?” 

“Chemistry and biology,” Bruce answers easily. “A focus in genetics.” 

“Whoa. Cool. I’m studying business and security.” 

“What do you want to do with that, if you don’t mind me being the millionth person to ask that?” 

Natasha smiles, and Bruce can tell that she’s more than most people think. 

“My friend Tony and his boyfriend want to revamp his dad’s company, so they’re gonna need a bodyguard.” 

“Cool,” Bruce says. “I want to help people and create cures.” 

“Always honorable. You wanna come with us to the drive-in movie tonight?” 

Bruce blinks. He’s not expecting an invitation to be thrust his way so...directly. 

“Um, sure. You sure about that?” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“Well...we’ve never met before this.” 

“We’ve done enough,” Natasha says easily, grabbing her mug and heading for the door. “We’re meeting in the lobby at eight, but we’re getting dinner at seven if you wanna come to that. Tony would really like to meet you, he’s been complaining about the lack of ‘smart’ people.” 

“I’ll...I’ll see you, then.” 

- 

Right at six, Bruce is nervously tugging at the hem of his shirt, or wringing his hands. 

He sees a guy who he thinks is Clint. 

“Oh hey! You came!” he says with a grin. “Do you have any bandages?” 

“Do you need one?” 

“In the future? Yes. Currently? No,” he says, getting out his phone. “What do you think you’ll get for dinner?” 

“Um, probably their lasagna or something. I know that the pizza tonight is barbecue chicken.” 

Clint pulls a face. 

“The worst one, bleh. Ooh, Thor’s on his way!” 

- 

Thor is...Thor. There’s literally no other word to describe the vibe of him. 

He’s wearing a flannel, jeans, and he looks like he could be a nature guide at a national park. 

Bruce is stunned. He’s never seen him around before. 

“You met Thor yet?” Nat asks, lips curving into a smile. 

“No,” Bruce says faintly. “I don’t think I have.” 

And then in walks Tony and Jim (or Rhodey?), and his eyes light up. 

“Bruce, my darling dearest. I heard that you are a smart man, and I am all about smart men. Let’s talk science.” 

Bruce  actually gets engaged in conversation, and he loves it, even when Steve says “could we have this in English, please?” 

"Absolutely not,” Tony says. “Bruce and I are on the same wave length, so you will have to get used to us being annoying.” 

“Sorry Steve,” Bruce says softly. 

Steve grins. 

“I’m just joking around, Bruce. Don’t worry about it. Wait until I start talking about art techniques.” 

Dinner is good. Bruce gets to know more about everyone, and laughs out loud at most of Nat’s dry humor. 

“Finally, someone with good taste,” she says. “You’re coming to the movie, right?” 

“What’s playing?” 

“One of my favorites,” Thor rumbles. “Ben-Hur.” 

“We’re going to fall asleep,” Sam murmurs to Bruce. “Like, seriously. It’s boring.” 

“The set design isn’t,” Bruce says softly. He saw the movie once with his cousin Jen and their grandpa. “It’s a beautifully made one.” 

“Then you can sit next to Thor,” Tony decides. “Because otherwise he’ll spend the whole time trying to wake us up so that we don’t miss a part, or several.” 

“It’s a good movie,” Thor says, although he seems to know that he’s lost the debate. 

“We’ll have a good time regardless,” Clint says. “Especially since I’m planning on eating a whole tray of Oreos and passing out.” 

“At least save some for me,” Sam says. “I don’t want a repeat of last time.” 

“Your fault for making moon-eyes at Bucky,” Nat retorts. 

“Oh, I did not.” 

“You did,” Thor said simply. “But let’s get to the car before we lose our spot.” 

- 

There’s not exactly a spot to lose. The only other people are older couples and the occasional young teenage couple who has every intention of parking a bit further away and hoping to god everyone ignores them. 

(And everyone will.) 

Bruce comes to find that they weren’t joking about having him sit next to Thor; they point out that Thor is actually really excited to have someone to talk to. 

“It’s true,” Thor says, grabbing a blanket out of the car to settle down over his chair. 

Or at least, that’s what Bruce thought was going on. 

What goes on is that Thor shares it.

“Weather’s supposed to go low tonight,” Thor says. “Can’t have you getting cold and me knowing I could’ve done something about it.” 

Bruce will say, if anyone asks, that he was not blushing and they can’t prove it because it was dark outside. 

He moves his chair closer. 

After all, he doesn’t want to stretch the blanket farther than it can reach. And he wants to hear Thor better. 

The orchestral music starts up and floats in between cars, and Thor looks at the screen, completely enraptured. 

Nat gives Bruce a look, and he looks away. 

“I brought soda, you want some?” Tony whispers. 

Bruce jumps as he turns to face the genius, who is so unbelievably close. 

“There’s Dr. Pepper and Pepsi but with cherry.” 

“Cherry, please,” Thor rumbles. “Bruce, for you?” 

“Um, I’m...I’m good.” 

-

Movie night is...nice. 

Bruce doesn’t really focus on the plot that much, not when Thor is whispering every so often about a favorite piece of music or what he liked about an actor’s choice. 

He doesn’t mind it. Not at all. He notices the smallest things, and Thor passes him over a snack. It’s nice. 

It’s nicer when they drive back and Thor tells him that he’s glad he came. 

“I’ve seen you around, I just wasn’t sure how to get you to come with us,” Thor says. “You’re always in your room.” 

“I tend to be a bit of a homebody,” Bruce says nervously, readjusting his glasses. “I, uh...I’m just not always accustomed to people.” 

“That’s alright,” Thor says. “We’re having dinner again, we always have it at six. Feel free to come. Nat would like to see you again. You’ve been on her hit list.” 

“Her what?” 

“Friendship, don’t worry,” Clint says. “She has a certain list of people she wants to ‘hit’ as her friends. We’ve tried to get her to change the name about eight times.” 

“It means serious business,” Nat scoffs. “Also Bruce, you have to come get coffee with me this weekend.” 

- 

Friendship is a confusing business, Bruce decides. He loves it, but it’s confusing. Mainly because he can’t believe that people actually want to hang out with him. He’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. 

“You keep waiting for shoes to drop,but we never throw them up in the air,” Sam says. “Now come on and come with me to get Bucky from his stupid class and harass him into coming grocery shopping with us.” 

Bruce laughs. 

“Okay, but I need to make a list first. Otherwise I’m going to forget to get the tea for Tony.” 

- 

It becomes comfortable, and he...he enjoys it. He likes that they cook dinner (disastrously) for Halloween together, and they all dress up in as best a costume as they can manage. 

He gets inside jokes with everyone, and he and Nat make a habit of having coffee in his dorm room most mornings before heading down for breakfast, and they all eat lunch together outside when the weather is nice. 

He and Tony get along fantastically, and they both help each other bounce ideas off one another and come up with new ways to think about problems. 

-

And then...there’s Thor. 

Thor is his friend, one of his best ones. But there’s something that he’d like to be more there, and he’s never sure how to approach it. He’s not even sure if Thor wants to approach it. 

They walk together and they nap together, and Bruce sometimes wonders if Thor looks at him as much as Bruce looks at him. 

They go on errands together, and they’re usually always sitting together for movie nights. 

- 

Nat thinks Bruce is acting ridiculous. 

“Quit being a little bitch and go ask him out,” she says over coffee. Steam curls around the mug, and Bruce looks away for a minute, pulling a face. 

“Nat, he’s....he’s Thor. I can’t just ask someone like him out.” 

“Why not?” 

“Because I ramble about genetics and how much I appreciate certain scientists! How is that going to translate when we go on a date and I can’t figure out what to say?” 

Natasha looks at him like he’s the biggest idiot in the galaxy. 

“You’re the worst,” Natasha decides. “You guys already go on dates, basically. I mean, he doesn’t let anyone else come with you guys to go get ice cream on Saturday nights. You go grocery shopping with him and make those mug-brownies together.” 

“That’s....” 

“You don’t do that with anyone else, do you? I’m so sure that you don’t, otherwise I would have heard about it by now.” 

Bruce shrugs, sighing and pouring himself his cup of coffee. 

Natasha’s face softens, and she hops up onto the bed beside him. 

“Look. I know you have this whole self-loathing thing going on, and god knows most of us on this floor do as well. But just because of that, it doesn’t mean you get to deny yourself happiness. If that was the case, I’d never bring home latkes.” 

Bruce smiles softly. 

“Thanks, Nat.” 

“No problem. Also, we’re having family dinner inside to talk about an upcoming vacation, possibly.” 

“Vacation?” 

“We ditch class on Friday if we can help it, and we spend the weekend at a lake nearby. You wanna come?” 

“Sure!” 

- 

Thor is currently enduring a pep talk from Bucky and Sam, who are both quite bad at pep talks. 

“You can do this!” Sam says. “What’s the worst that could happen?” 

“I can think about twenty different ways,” Bucky says. “But I won’t mention them.” 

“Bucky, you are grievously bad at this,” Thor stresses. 

“What are you, my English professor? What’s with the vocab?” 

“Uses big words when he’s stressed,” Sam mutters. “Thor, you’ll be fine. It will go well.” 

“Or it will leave me flummoxed.” 

“Shut up.” Bucky groans. “You’re worse than Steve. You sound like a dying Victorian.” 

Thor just groans, face-planting onto a pillow. 

“Someone just put me out of my misery.” 

“Or don’t,” Bucky says. “What’s stopping you?” 

“The fact that if he doesn’t like me it’ll be awkward for the rest of eternity?” 

Sam snorts. 

“If I didn’t know Bucky, you’d be the stupidest person I know.” 

“Hey!” 

- 

The family discussion about the vacation goes well, and Tony keeps giving Bruce pointed looks, and Thor is enduring the most uncomfortable gaze from Natasha he’s ever suffered from. 

They both cannot take this for long. 

- 

It’s awkward, honestly. They’re both in the lobby of their floor, and Bruce can’t meet his eyes and Thor isn’t quite sure how to go about it. 

“Would you like to get coffee with me?” Thor asks. 

“Sure,” Bruce says. “You want Timely or Joe-Fix-It for coffee?” 

“...Timely, I heard they introduced a new flavor.” 

“Alright.” 

They both relax a little bit into the car ride, and by the time they’re at the coffee shop, both are laughing about a text that Loki sent about one “hypothetical” situation. 

It’s easy, and it’s...nice. Thor wants this, and so does Bruce. 

“I have something to ask you,” Thor says, looking into his coffee before gazing at Bruce. “And you can say no if you’d like.” 

“Go easy on me today,” Bruce says softly, and Thor doesn’t miss how his hands clench around his coffee cup. 

“I, um. I have feelings for you. The kind that make your heart speed up.” 

“Anxious thoughts?” 

Thor barks out a laugh at that, and scratches the back of his neck. 

“I am...this whole thing is ad libitum.” 

“What does that even mean.” 

“Without preparation.” They sit for a moment, Thor collecting his words. 

“Bruce?” 

“Yes?” 

“Do you...do you remember when Natasha was on her period romance drama kick, and we watched Sense and Sensibility?” 

“Um, yeah? Why?” 

“Do you. Do you remember at the end? The quote about the heart?” 

“No?” 

“Shit.” 

-

It was going to be romantic. Thor was assuming that Bruce remembered the quote about the heart and the always, because it was honestly a cheesy but good movie, and Thor was going to pretend like he knew the quote too so that it would make for a romantic confession. 

“Let me, ah...” he fumbles to get his phone out. “I was hoping you would have remembered the quote.” 

“And you don’t know it?” 

“No, unfortunately. I fell asleep.” 

“So did I!” Bruce laughs. “I think we both fell asleep that night. What are you doing now?” 

“I’m...looking up the quote. I’m quite sure it applies to our current situation.” 

“You sound so proper,” Bruce teases, and Thor slides the phone across the table, showing a truly shitty edit of the quote done in pink, loopy cursive. 

His face softens, and he turns up to Thor. 

“You...really mean that?” 

“More than anything. I’ll be yours, if you want.” 

“I want.” 

Thor laughs, grin wide and big as he gets up and engulfs Bruce in a hug. 

“I think I could not get happier.” 

Bruce turns red, adjusting his glasses. 

“I’m...I’m happy with you,” Bruce says, and by god he looks cute like this, all flustered. “But I think we should head back before we have to sign in at the front desk, right?” 

“Of course.” 

There’s a pleasant energy in the car after that, and before they exit, Bruce takes Thor’s hand. 

“Yes?” 

"Do you think they’ll be surprised?” 

“Considering that they’ve been dropping hints for weeks for both of us? I’m expecting Steve and Tony to gloat for weeks over winning over Natasha.” 

“You’re sure they won over Nat?” 

Bruce grins guiltily. “Nat invited me to her sleepover with Pepper and Sharon. I learned things.” 

Thor laughs, getting out of the car. 

“Then I look forward to their reactions.” 

- 

Not much actually changed, honestly. They were already so close, although Thor is prone to random forehead kisses and bragging about his boyfriend in every single class, to the point where one teacher had to limit his stories about Bruce to two a week, so he had to make them count. 

Bruce enjoys kissing Thor a lot, and always enjoys when Natasha makes a little “aw” noise or when he has a date planned. 

It’s nice. And he likes it a lot.  

[aliendes]

Natural Borns - Chapter 8

Banner by @thebannershop​

Series info/genre: Angst, fluff, smut (NSFW) *this chapter is SFW

Pairings: ot7 x fem reader (eventual)

Warnings: cursing, mxm hints, anxiety and panic, overall sad bois, finally some kissing, but that’s it.

Description: In the year 2613, over half of the world’s population are what scientists consider ‘designer babies’. YN is a small town girl who is a true natural born, someone born naturally without he help of a lab or gene splicing. Her DNA is greatly sought after, but what is she willing to do to protect it?

Word count: 5.2k~

A/N: I’m sorry for the shit chapter.

He didn’t even have a chance to tell you before you left the warehouse earlier, despite how badly he had wanted to, and now he has to deal with the possibility that he’s lost both of you. 

Crunching leaves, wet foot steps, and falling rain whizzing by your face was all you heard. You were hyper focused on looking ahead of you, not risking looking at your feet, or behind you, as you and Jungkook ran as fast as you could away from Jimin and Teahyung’s location. The warmth of Jungkook’s hand in your own helped ground you and that mixed with the heavy pounding of your own heart momentarily stopped the tears from falling. Though at that point, you couldn’t tell the difference between the rain and the tears, together becoming a wet mixture on your face. 

The sounds of the forest were starting to close in on you as the two of you sprinted through what seemed like an endless sea of trees and shrubbery. Dripping water as the rain picked up, the hum of insects that were just beginning to wake up, the rustling of leaves and twigs on the forest floor, were all way too loud mixed with the sound of yours and Jungkook’s heavy breathing. You could feel your chest start to tighten. You clench your teeth, lips slightly parted, as you squeeze Jungkook’s hand even tighter. If he feels your oncoming panic, he doesn’t mention it, instead pulling you harder to the right, veering off your initial path and towards a clearing in the trees. 

Once you made it past a large cluster of trees, you broke into an open meadow where the rain was even louder than before. It sounded like you were in a tin can, rain echoing off all sides of you. When the two of you made it to the center of the clearing, you both came to an abrupt stop, spinning around, hands still clasped together, as you searched the dark tree line for danger. The sound of the rain hitting the ground around you was deafening, like a white noise rattling inside your head as your eyes searched for someone, something that was following you. You had no idea if anything actually was following you, but this open field offered you a perfect opportunity to search your surroundings. When you couldn’t find anything lurking in the shadows, you started to calm as you looked up at the young man standing with his back against yours, searching for the same things you were. 

Jungkook’s chest was heaving up and down from exertion. You could feel the solid muscles of his back tensing with every inhale he took. You slowly turned against him, looking up towards his wet face, a mixture of sweat, rain, and tears, eyes brimmed red. The two of you shared a look of desperation, a meaningful look that said, we did it, but at what cost?

Breaking the stare, you looked around you one last time before collapsing onto the soggy ground, a crack sounding when your knees hit the dirt. Jungkook watches you crumple onto the ground and slowly follows, kneeling carefully in front of you, arms hung at his side, face hanging down as he lets the rain soak his body further.

“Did we lose them?” you murmur, barely audible over the heavy rainfall, looking up at him through wet strands of hair.

“Yeah,” he whispers. Neither of you say anything else yet, focusing on your breathing and wondering what exactly you had gotten yourselves into. 

All you could hope was that whoever was following you, whoever saw you in the forest, wouldn’t track the others -

“Jungkook!” you startle him, causing his puffy eyes to dart to yours, “Your phone!”

His eyes soften at your realization, something broken replacing the look of bewilderment. “It’s dead,” he mutters, a look of embarrassment crossing his features, “it was so low, it was about to die when we were close to Tae and Jimin. I’m an idiot and didn’t think to charge it before we left. Jin-hyung warned me, and I didn’t listen.”

Jungkook shoulders drop even further, and you’re reminded just how young the man in front of you can act sometimes. “Kook,” you whisper, reaching out to grab his hand, “you aren’t an idiot. We’ll figure this out, okay?” The sound of rain and cracking thunder was drowning out your voices, making it hard to hear. 

He nods, but doesn’t meet your gaze, instead focusing on your hand now grasping his, a look of wonder in his eyes. “We need to get out of the rain,” you said, tugging his hand lightly to let him know you want him to stand. Slowly, he obliges, standing with you as you rise. You wince as your knees start to buckle, but Jungkook’s strong hands are on your elbows, supporting you so you don’t fall. Worry creases his brow as he looks down at you, guilt racking his brain at putting you in a situation where you wouldn’t be found by the others. His own stupidity and inability to listen to Jin would be the reason you would be lost out here with no one to find you. He didn’t care at all about himself, something inside him burning to protect you, a feeling he’s never felt before. Usually it was Jin taking care of him, not the other way around. He’s never felt this overwhelming feeling to keep someone safe before. As he watched you right yourself and stand again, he couldn’t take his eyes off your face, studying you for any indication you were in pain, anything letting him know you needed him. 

When you felt like you could stand again, you looked up at Jungkook, “T-thanks…” you trailed off when you caught the intense way he was staring at you. Brow furrowed, eyes zeroed in on yours, you’ve never seen Jungkook look like this. “Are you okay?” you ask quietly, bringing your own hand up to place on top of his that was still on your other arm. 

Jungkook shook his head lightly, whatever spell he was under seemingly broken, the puppy dog look returning to his eyes. “Y-yeah, fine,” he murmurs, eyes blinking rapidly for a second as he pulls away from you. “Let’s g-go.”

You nod your head and look around you, trying to get your bearings and figure out where to go. The rain was starting to lighten a bit, but was still very much coming down. The both of you were soaked, dripping with water. Even though it was the beginning of summer, the early morning chill was freezing you both to the bone. You could see the slight blue tint that was threatening to take over Jungkook’s perfect lips. Wait. You shook your head. Those are not the thoughts to be having right now. Shivering, you point towards a slight opening in the trees, “That way is West. Should we keep heading that way?”

Jungkook thinks for a minute, lips pursed in a thin line as his body shakes from the cold. “I think the hyungs wanted to head North, towards the city, after reaching Jimin and Tae, maybe we should head that way…” he sounded unsure, but you wanted to trust him. After all, he knew more about the others and their plans than you did. 

Mustering up the best smile you could in your current situation, you take Jungkook’s hand in yours. “North it is, then.”

The two of you walked for what seemed like hours, the clouds in the sky blocking most of the sunlight and making it hard to tell what time of day it was. The rain had stopped a while ago, but the forest was still wet and a light fog was starting to roll in from the West, making it hard to see farther than ten feet in front of you. It felt like you were wading through a swamp with how wet and humid your boots were. You were sure Jungkook wasn’t faring much better. 

The summer humidity and heat were starting to bear their teeth as the day grew on, making the air around you hot and heavy. You weren’t sure what the plan was for you two, but you knew if you didn’t stop and rest soon, you both wouldn’t make it much farther. You were exhausted from all the running you’ve done all night without a break, starving from not having eaten anything in nearly twenty four hours, and mentally collapsing from the stresses you’ve both been put through. 

“YN,” Jungkook’s soft voice brought your thoughts to an abrupt halt as you stopped in your tracks to turn and look at the younger man. The sight shouldn’t have been surprising, but the paleness of the boy’s face, the sweat dripping down his temples, and the steady rise and fall of his chest were all indicators that you needed to take a break. 

Doubling back and walking towards Jungkook, you grab his hand and tug him over to a small overhanging of rock, a little nook of land within the cavern of trees. Nestled in between a couple of firs and bushes, was a small creek, surrounded by tree stumps and logs. It was almost too serene, too out of place, that at first you thought your exhaustion was getting to you, but when you knelt down near the water and splashed your hand in it for a moment, you realized you weren’t hallucinating. 

It was still extremely foggy, and while you couldn’t see very far, or breath very deep, sitting next to Jungkook on the forest floor, you felt at peace for a moment.

Without any further thoughts, you start taking off your boots and socks, laying them on a nearby fallen tree trunk to air out. The bandages Jin had wrapped around your feet yesterday were long destroyed, wet and soggy and no longer serving their purpose. Taking them off, you roll them up and set them next to your boots. Surveying your poor feet, you notice that your wounds were slightly swollen, and quite possibly infected now that you had walked for hours in waterlogged shoes. You wince as you touch the tender spots around the soles of your feet. 

You were so caught up in actually getting to sit down and relax, that you don’t notice Jungkook rustling around in his bag beside you. A few moments later, you feel his presence next to you, also lacking socks and shoes, with his jeans rolled up to his knees. It also looks like he’s put on a different shirt, though it’s still damp, his duffel not having been completely safe from the rain.

Taking in his appearance for a moment, you realize you’ve never seen him look so… mature. He looks his age for the first time since you’ve met him. When your scrutinizing gaze travels to his face, he’s wearing a warm smile and soft, deep brown eyes that you swear you can see galaxies in if you stare hard enough. The sharp jawline he sports and perfectly carved lips and cheekbones, a sharp contrast to his bunny like smile and personality. Your eyes travel up a little farther, and you’re met with a tiny man bun sitting on top of his head, his dark curls, even darker from being wet, tied up haphazardly in a black hair tie. If he notices the way you’re ogling him, he doesn’t mention it, nor does he shy away like you expected him to. He’s crouched down next to you, holding something in his hands as he shakes his head a couple times to get the stray hairs out of his face. 

“Can you stand?” he asks quietly, not wanting to disturb whatever thoughts you were lost in right now. Slowly, you nod, taking the hand he offers you and rising up with a slight wince. Jungkook wordlessly walks you over to the log that houses his duffel bag and sits you down and hands you something. 

Looking at the small package in your hand, you realize it's a bag of dried fruit. “Jungkook,” you start, but you’re cut off by him shaking his head as he grabs a few more things out of his bag. 

“I have more, just eat, please,” his shyness coming back as he urges you to eat something, “I have a shirt you can, uh, c-change into, too.” A small smile crosses your lip as you tear into the bag and start picking at the small pieces of fruit inside. 

“Can I?” Jungkook asks shyly, looking down at the forest floor in front of you. It takes you a  moment to realize that he’s actually looking at your feet, and self consciously you pull them closer to you, before you notice he’s holding a small first aid kit. It’s your turn to be shy, as you stop chewing to nod your head lightly, pursing your lips as Jungkook sinks to the floor and opens the first aid kit.

“You don’t have to,” you start, watching as Jungkook carefully and hesitantly starts to wrap your feet up again. You can tell he’s nervous by the slight shake of his hands, but he’s trying to hide it, so you don’t mention it. “I can do it.”

“P-please, YN,” he stutters, still wrapping your foot and not daring to look up at you, “please let me take care of you.” His voice was so soft and genuine that you didn’t push further. Instead, you continue to eat your fruit, watching as Jungkook wraps your feet up securely, tighter than Jin, but with more support and cushion so you could stand easier. When he’s done he packs away the kit and takes a damp, but clean, black t-shirt out of his bag and shakes it out a few times before handing it to you with a rosy blush on his face. “H-here,” he whispers, looking away as you take it from him, “I wont look.”

 You know he’s telling the absolute truth, but much like with Jin, you feel safe with Jungkook. Though you don’t want to push the shy boy, you want to let him know exactly how you feel. “It’s okay Kook,” you start, pulling off the drenched cardigan and ringing it out, “I feel safe with you.”

Jungkook’s head whips around so fast you’re worried he might have whiplash. “Y-you,” he sounds nervous again, “really?” The surprise in his voice shocked you. Did he really think you wouldn't feel safe with him?

You furrow your brows as you set the cardigan to your side, Jungkook walking over and picking it up to shake out as he stares you down. “Of course, Kook,” your voice is quiet, almost drowned out by the soft babbling of the water a few feet from you, “you’re caring, and kind, and you’ve never done anything that has made me uncomfortable, and I don’t think you would do so purposely.”

“No, of course not,” he says with a conviction you haven’t really heard from him before, “I- I really, r-really care about you, YN.” His voice pitters out to a whisper as he looks away from your face, deciding to fold up the cardigan and stuff it into his bag. 

When you don’t say anything for a moment, Jungkook panics, looking up to see a wide smile spreading across your face at his admission, your eyes crinkling in a way that makes his heart stutter. He doesn’t get these weird fluttery feelings in his heart and in his stomach with his hyungs - well, maybe Jimin - so why is he feeling it right now, with you, in a situation like this? 

Disregarding his duffel, he sits down next to you on the log and smiles softly back at you. He doesn’t know it, but your heart is doing the same fluttery thing as his is as you reach out hesitantly and place your hand atop his on the tree bark.

 Jungkook can’t take his eyes off yours as you scoot closer to him, but his hands have a mind of their own as one reaches around your shoulders, pulling you into him, while the other comes up to brush a stray piece of hair away from your face. This isn’t the closest the two of you have been by any means. He literally carried you through a forest on his back, you’ve held tightly onto each other’s hands more times than you can count in the last few days, and earlier this morning you were hugged to his chest so tightly you felt like you were melting into him, but something about this closeness right now, was different. 

There was a mutual understanding in the air as you brought the hand that wasn’t resting on the log up to his chest, gently grasping the fabric of his shirt and pulling him closer to you. The closeness resembling that of the one you shared with Seokjin only a day ago, but what felt like an entire lifetime ago now, making your smile falter. Jungkook notices, and lightly runs the tips of his fingers against your cheekbone, his eyes, deep as the ocean, staring back at you with what you can only describe as wonder. You hoped that your eyes were telling him the same thing his eyes were telling you right now, you’re safe with me. 

Jungkook’s gaze flits down to your lips for just a moment, but it’s enough for you to notice, making you nod your head once in permission. The soft smile he wore earlier was replaced with a slight pout as he descends on you, his plush lips pressing lightly into yours in a sweet kiss as both of your eyes slip closed. Your first kiss. You idly wonder if this is his first, too, deciding that it probably isn’t. With the way the boys act around each other, you’d be stupid to assume otherwise. 

The kiss only lasts a few moments, never deepening into anything more than a chaste press of lips. When Jungkook pulls away, your eyes stay shut, fingers coming up to push against your bottom lip in awe of the tingly feeling his lips left there. Jungkook smiles down at you in amusement, watching as your eyes slowly flutter open and find his. A giddy smile spreads across your face as he leans forward, placing another quick peck to your pouty lips. 

How poetic that your first kiss would take place on a foggy morning in a storybook esque forest, next to a babbling brook. It was like your childhood fantasy, formed by outlandish princess stories and movies, was coming true. You smile to yourself at the thought of seven year old you cheering twenty three year old you on right now, jumping up and down in her pastel pink princess dress, sporting that plastic crown you adored so much. The memory only lasts a minute, and soon you’re brought back to the present and reminded of what exactly you’re doing in this forest in the first place. It wasn’t some epic adventure with prince charming that led you here, and the thought makes your eyes close as you suck a breath in through your nose, hot, wet air entering your lungs and grounding you again.

Jungkook’s hand moves down your shoulder, rubbing against your arm as he takes your hand in his. “Are you okay?” he asks, pulling you even closer to him and placing a kiss to the top of your head. You wince at the feeling, assuming your hair is probably a disgusting mess right now. Jungkook doesn’t care though, and he won't mention it.

“Yeah,” you whisper into his shoulder where you rest your forehead, “I’m okay. Thank you.” Jungkook doesn’t say anything for a moment, just rubbing his hand up and down your spine in a calming motion. 

“You should change,” he says finally, pulling away from you and grabbing the t-shirt from earlier. Surprisingly, it’s dried a little bit and sounded way more appealing than the sticky, wet shirt you currently had on. Gripping the hem of your shirt, you pull it up and over your head, setting it on the ground and taking the shirt from Jungkook’s grasp.

Jungkook is considerably less anxious than he was about you changing only minutes ago. Instead, he watches your face to make sure you really are okay, before bending over to fold your shirt up and stuff it away in his bag. 

Both of you sit there for a few minutes longer, basking in the morning warmth, trying to dry yourselves off a bit more before venturing further. While the sun still isn’t fully visible beyond the fog and clouds, the air is considerably warmer. 

“Do you know where we are?” you ask, looking over at the dark haired boy whose eyes are closed, head hanging back and pointed up at the canopy of trees above, the epitome of ethereal. 

Without opening his eyes, he nods, “Kind of.” He stays quiet for a second before sitting up and looking at you with a fondness that has your stomach twisting in a delightful knot. “I’ve been trying to keep track of how far we’ve walked. We stayed mostly North, slightly East, and we’ve walked about six miles.” The details he provides shocks you. It’s not that you didn’t think he was capable of tracking, he just seemed lost in his own world while you walked, not offering up much information as you went along. He must notice the shock on your face, “Yoongi-hyung teaches me a lot,” he chuckles airily, the sound like bells in your ears, “if we head to the East a few miles, we may cross paths with the others. Hopefully.”

You nod along as he speaks, letting you know how long he thinks it will take to get to the others, if they’ve even started walking. He hopes that they haven’t backtracked, or tried to search for you back there. He talks himself out of it, knowing Yoongi and Namjoon would be thinking tactically, like he is right now. He just hoped the others would listen, especially Jin. 

“We should get moving soon,” he utters as he stands and walks over to start packing his bag up again. You make a noise of affirmation, standing up as well.

Before you could stand completely straight, you hear a whizzing sound next to your ear. You whip your head to the right to look at Jungkook who seems blissfully unaware of the strange noise you just heard. “Jung-” before you could fully call his name, you hear it again, only this time it’s followed by a sharp, burning pain in the front of your neck. Stunned, you reach your hand up to your throat, feeling a small piece of metal sticking out of it. Your head is swimming, a sudden feeling of lightheadedness taking over as you try to step towards Jungkook, but failing as you fall to the ground. 

“YN!” You think you hear Jungkook’s muffled voice, maybe feel his large hands on your body as you feel yourself floating. Or are you being carried? Your eyelids feel heavy, you're unable to keep them open, or really decipher what is going on around you at all. You feel a sour warmth spread through your veins, and when it reaches your fingers and toes, it feels like your entire body has been set alight. 

“YN! No, fuck!” Jungkook is frantic, holding your limp body close to his chest as he pulls the small metal dart from the front of your neck. He’s not sure exactly what was in it, but he can feel your body temperature raising and your heart rate pick up, and he’s panicking. He’s lightly shaking you, trying to keep you conscious, but he can tell you’re slipping fast. He tries to support your head as he lifts you up bridal style, spinning in place to figure out where the dart had come from, but it’s no use when he’s surrounded by thick, white fog. “Hold on,” he whispers, “I’ve got you.” 

Jungkook takes off running to the East, hoping beyond all hope he would cross his hyungs before whoever was following you caught up to him. He couldn’t let anything happen to you, you told him you felt safe with him. He wasn’t going to let anyone take you. 

Before he can get very far, he feels a searing pain in his left shoulder, then his right. He knows he’s going to go down soon, but he pushes through for as long as he can. When the third dart hits the back of his exposed neck, he drops to his knees, an overwhelming feeling of weight taking over his limbs. It feels like he’s trying to wade through quick sand as he slowly slips into unconsciousness. “No, no, no,” he whispers, his throat dry and scratchy, “no, YN. I-I’m sorry.” He sobs quietly, eyes slowly closing. Before he lets the darkness completely wash over him, he lays you gently in front of him, careful not to harm you, and lays beside you, one arm thrown over your body protectively.

“Check again,” Jin urges once more. 

“I just checked, Jin-hyung. It’s not going to change. Just relax, we will find them, okay?” Yoongi says as calmly as he can, though it’s hard to bite back his annoyance, he understands why Jin is so distraught. 

The six of them had set out a few hours ago, once they had completely dried off and changed in the safe house. Well, aside from Seokjin, who was still wearing his drenched clothes and shoes. He had refused to change, just wanting to get out and look for Jungkook and you. He insisted that the two of you wouldn’t have been able to have the same luxuries they all had access to, and insisted he would wait until he found you both. 

The others tried to get him to rest and eat, telling him he would be no good to Jungkook and you if he was sick and tired, but he refused, sulking at the kitchen table while the rest of them figured out what to do.

Eventually, Yoongi and Namjoon had decided that Jungkook would probably take the two of you North if you had gotten lost. Yoongi had taught Jungkook enough that he would know where North was, even in the thick morning fog that was overtaking the forest right now. But something in Yoongi’s gut told him you weren’t lost. Jungkook would’ve been able to find his way here, especially when you were so close in the first place. Something happened that made you veer off path purposely. He didn’t want to dwell on what that could be, instead instructing the group to head North, towards Seoul, which is likely where Jungkook would be heading. 

The rest agreed, and were now traveling North, in search of the two of you. It was difficult to see anything in the fog, and the heat of the late morning sun that was just starting to peak out from between the clouds was making it hard for them to move quickly. Seokjin wasn’t deterred, though, constantly checking with Yoongi to see if Jungkook’s phone had pinged again since before the safe house. The answer was always the same, but hearing the answer helped push him forward in search of his other half and the girl who already held such a large part of his heart. 

“Jin!” 

At the sudden shout of his name, Seokjin is halting his steps and turning towards the owner of the voice. Jimin is standing about a hundred yards in front of the others, crouched down near a small grouping of bushes. Without hesitation, Jin sprints towards the younger man. 

When he reaches the golden haired boy, he drops to his knees as soon as he realizes Jimin is crouched over what looks to be a sleeping Jungkook, laying face down in the dirt behind the bushes. Oh god, he hopes he’s sleeping. 

“Kookie? Kookie, it’s Jinnie,” Jin sobs, picking up the young man and turning him over gently. 

“These were in his back, Jin,” Jimin says, holding his hand out and presenting three small, metal darts. They looked like tranquilizer darts at first glance, but Jin is too preoccupied with making sure Jungkook is okay to care all that much.

Jin carefully picks Jungkook up bridal style, a feat in itself, considering how muscular the younger man is, making him one of the heaviest in their small group, and moves into a sitting position. Letting Jungkook’s body rest on his lap, Jin brushes his messy hair from his face, briefly noticing how he had tied his hair up into a cute bun atop his head, had this been any other time, he would’ve cooed at the sight. Jungkook’s lips are slightly parted and Jin can see from the slow rise and fall of his chest that he’s breathing. Letting out a sigh of relief, Jin drops his forehead to rest on Jungkook’s, letting go of the tears that had been threatening to fall. In his rush to get to Jungkook, he hadn’t yet realized that you weren’t anywhere to be found. 

The other men, aside from Jin and Jimin, were searching the area, letting the two closest to Jungkook have their moment. “What do you think happened?” Jimin whispered, moving closer to wrap his arm around Jin and brush his other hand against Jungkook’s forehead. He looked so peaceful, though Jimin knew whatever he had experienced was probably far from it. 

“I don’t know,” Jin sniffled, letting Jimin wipe a stray tear from his face, “w-wait. Where’s YN?”

Jin’s momentary peace at finding Jungkook was wiped away when he realized you were still missing. 

“We can’t find her,” Hoseok spoke, leaning down to place a hand on Jin’s shoulder, “we’ve looked everywhere in the area, but, she’s gone.”

“No,” Jin shook his head quickly, “no, we have to find her! We-”

Jin’s panic was quickly cut off as he felt Jungkook shift in his arms, letting out a long groan as his forehead pinched in pain. The younger man bared his teeth, sucking in a sharp breath as he tried to open his eyes. “J-Jin-hyung?” he blinked his eyes open carefully, a hand coming up to rub at the sore spot on the back of his neck.

Jin’s tears started to fall again, “I’m here, Kookie.” Jimin and Hoseok watched on as the rest of the boys started to gather around them. 

Once Jungkook was coherent enough to remember where he was, he tried to sit up abruptly, his muscles smarting at the sudden movement, making him let out a growl from the pain. Jin reached out, trying to keep him laying down but Jungkook resisted. “No, YN. Where is YN?!” Jungkook frantically searches around him, leaning backwards on his hands, as Jimin and Jin share a worried look, “She was right here with me. Jin-hyung,” Jungkook’s eyes were panicked and Jin’s heart cracked at the sight, not remembering a time when Jungkook had been so passionate about something, the weight of his words settling in his own chest, “They took her.”

[wiypt-writes]

Riding On

Ch 13- Healthy Competition

Summary: Mary decides she wants to compete in her first horse riding competition, so the family take an outing and Frank gets a first-hand experience of the world Fliss once called her life.

Warnings: Bad Language words.

Pairing: Frank Adler x Fliss Gallagher

A/N:  This is very Mary/horsey heavy so apologies in advance. 

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Fliss Gallagher and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Riding On Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Chapter 12

October 2018

"Lissy, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Course you can sweetie." Fliss looked at Mary as she approached the sofa, Laptop in her arms. "Everything OK?”

"Yeah." Mary nodded, “Just before, some of the other girls at the yard were talking about a jumping competition in a few weeks and I was wondering…” She sat down, perching her laptop on her knees "Do you think maybe I could take Monty?"

"Do you wanna take him?" Fliss asked and Mary nodded. "Then of course you can"

"Really?" Mary's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, it's been ages since I went to a competition. It'll be fun!"

"I wasn't sure I would be good enough." Mary shrugged.

"Mary, Monty could do a jumping course with his eyes closed." Fliss smiled. “And you're plenty good enough. Besides, it doesn't matter anyway. It’s about enjoying yourself. I take it you got the website there?" She nodded to the laptop.

Mary grinned and opened it up. Fliss took it from her and quickly scanned the information. "FireAnt Farm Equestrian Centre, Tarpon Springs..." Fliss mused, quickly grabbing her phone to locate the area on Google maps.

"Is it too far?" Mary questioned.

"Nope." Fliss shook her head. "Probably take us forty minutes in the wagon. I used to travel much further."

"There's a lot of different classes to enter." Mary shuffled towards Fliss so she could see the screen too "I wasn't sure which one I would go in."

"I'd put you in the beginners class." Fliss replied as she read the details. "It's forty cm max height and you've jumped those plenty. And then why don't you try a few flat classes whilst we are there? The schedule doesn't look like they would clash."

"Flat class?" Mary frowned.” You mean like dressage?"

"Kinda, it’s about showing your pony off. You basically do a go round as a group in each pace on both reins and then you do a quick individual show. It’s easy, I used to do a simple figure of eight."

"Oh. Okay." Mary shrugged. "I never saw that before."

"Well, let's have a look." Fliss smiled, opening up a browser to YouTube. She flicked her eyes over to Alex who was fast asleep and then spent the next fifteen minutes or so showing Mary various videos of different kids showing classes on the Web.

"So Monty is a Welsh Pony." Fliss nodded.” Which means he doesn't need to be plaited, or braided, whatever. We turn him out true to type which means we just need to tidy his mane and tail up a bit. And as he's over fifteen he can go in the Pre-Veteran class. So they look at how he moves and performs for his age group. Why don't you do that which is the forth one in the morning and then do the junior rider. Then there's a long enough break before the beginners jumping."

"So I get to do three classes?" Mary grinned and Fliss nodded.

“Hey, it says here they're running a winter league." Fliss mused "Is that what you wanna do? Compete in the league or just the one off?"

"A league like they do for baseball or football?"

"Exactly that." Fliss nodded. "So you join up and it says here you get points immediately for just going in the class. They place to sixth position and award points. So you’d get ten points for finishing first, eight for second, six for third and so on. Then the person with the most points takes the Championship overall at the end."

 She pointed at the screen “Say’s here the first one is on 3rd November and they run to March next year, so there’s five overall. What do you think?”

Mary grinned “Bring it on!”

Fliss smiled as Mary gave her a hi-five.

“Why don’t you bring Bronson?” Mary asked, “Or Cap?”

Fliss shook her head. “It wouldn’t be fair on everyone there.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I competed at a professional level” Fliss shrugged “It wouldn’t be very sporting of me if I entered a class full of hobbyists. I would have hated it when I was there myself. The only way I’d do it is if I went in and declared I was 'hors concours' or HC as it’s known.”

“Hors concours?” Mary repeated “What’s that?”

“It means that I’d be taking part without actually competing. So I might enter a competition to give a young horse experience or what-have-you but my marks would not be counted as such.”

“Bronson is only six.” Mary said “You said he had never done a jumping competition before.”

“He hasn’t.” Fliss pondered. “Maybe next season. This one we concentrate on you.”

Mary grinned and then Fliss turned her attention to what they needed to get her. They spent a bit of time looking at Tweed showing jackets, Mary deciding on the type of thing she liked before Fliss found a decent value second hand one on a local Equestrian Buy and Sell group on Facebook which Mary eagerly nodded at, the same seller also having a Navy Blue show-jumping jacket the same size.

“When you’re not growing so fast I’ll buy you brand new ones.” Fliss smiled, tapping in a message to the seller arranging to collect the items the following mornings. “So you have your DeNiro boots which we can polish, your short boots as well, you have a hat that will be ok, it should be velvet but for the time being it will do, so we need canary and white jodhs… a show shirt, a tie. I think we need to take a trip up to the Tack Shack tomorrow.”

“Oh, yes let’s!” Mary smiled “I have some of my pocket money saved, I can put that towards it.”

“Put what towards what?” Frank asked as he walked into the family room. He dropped a kiss to Fliss’ cheek and ruffled Mary’s hair, causing her to scowl up at him. “More horse riding crap?” he nodded to the screen of the laptop.

“It’s not crap, how dare you.” Fliss scoffed as Frank gave a chuckle. “We were talking about all the stuff Mary is going to need for her first competition in two weeks.”

At that Frank paused, looking at Mary. “You’re going to a competition?”

“Yah-hah.” She nodded and Frank smiled.

“That’s great Stack!”.

“I’m gonna do three classes. Two showing and one jumping.” She told him enthusiastically. “So we already sorted my jacket and Fliss is taking me to the Tack Shack tomorrow for the rest of it.”

“Why what else do you need?”

“Jodhpurs, a shirt and a tie.” Mary nodded reeling it off. “Oh and a new hat at some point but Fliss says the one that I have will do.”

“Why do you need another hat?”

“Well strictly speaking show hats should be velvet or suede.” Fliss shrugged “But for this level it won’t matter.”

“Sounds like another bashing my card is gonna take.” Frank grumbled good-naturedly and Fliss swatted at him. He chuckled again and stood up straight from where he had been leaning on the back of the couch, heading to the fridge to retrieve his standard post work beer.

“Can I wear the same tie for show-jumping and showing?” Mary asked.

“Hmmmm possibly. We can get two.” Fliss shrugged. “One that matches your tweed and then you can pick whatever you want colour wise for jumping. Have a look on the website, see if there’s anything you like.”

Mary grinned and took the lap top off Fliss who stood up, stretching slightly. She headed over to Frank, slipping her arms round his waist.

“She’s excited.” He stated, watching Mary as she tapped at the keyboard. His chest was warm at the utter delight on the young girl’s face as she was searching different coloured ties. “What sparked her wanting to do this?” “Someone at the yard. She overheard them talking and asked if she could go.” Fliss smiled. “She wants to do the Winter League” “They run a league?” “Yeah.” Fliss smiled “Five competitions in total. It’ll be good for her, a bit of healthy competition. I already managed to grab her two jackets. Both second hand but no point shelling out loads when she’s gonna grow out of them by the end of the season. Tweeds cost a fortune.”

“How much are the hats she was talking about?” Frank asked, taking a swig of his beer, his eyes flicking back to Mary then to Fliss.

“Erm, her size probably about eighty bucks, why?”

“Just get her one.” He smiled gently, dropping his voice “She never asks for stuff like this so…”

“You big softie.” Fliss smiled, standing on her toes to give him a kiss. “I love you.”

“Love you too. And thank you.” Frank gently, bumped his nose against hers.

“What for?” Fliss frowned.

“For this.” He nodded to Mary “Doing stuff that makes her excited and happy.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Fliss looked at him, and then for the first time she noticed the look on his face. He was watching Mary, his eyes not quite as full of their usual sparkle. “Frankie, what’s wrong?”

He took a deep breath and looked at Mary “Hey Stack, have you spoken to grandmother this week?”

“Not yet.” Mary said “I was gonna later, why?”

“Why don’t you give her a call before dinner?” He suggested “You can tell her about your competition.”

“Okay.” Mary shrugged standing up “But if you wanted to talk in private you could just ask.”

“Fine, we wanna talk in private” Frank looked at her and Mary snorted as she stood up and looked at him.

“You forget I know you, Frank.”

“Oh, trust me I don’t.” He shot after her as she laughed, climbing the stairs.

Fliss turned to Frank as he sat down on one of the stools by the breakfast bar. “Honey, what is it?”

“I spoke to Greg before.” He looked at her as she moved to stand between his legs. “He still hasn’t heard back from her father about the adoption.”

“Okay.” Fliss dropped her hands to his shoulders as his rest on her hips “That doesn’t mean he’s gonna cause an issue.”

“No, but Greg’s twitchy, I can tell. I mean if the asshole wasn’t bothered about Mary surely we would have heard by now. It’s been almost eight weeks.” Frank wrinkled his nose.

“Baby there’s nothing we can do about it.” Fliss soothed “Yeah, if he protests it’s gonna be a little more agro than we thought but…well, we’ll just have to face it when it happens, ok?”

“I know I just…well I was hoping this would be done for Christmas, that’s all.”

“It might be yet, it’s not even November. Is there anything Greg can do?”

“He’s gonna send a chaser letter but other than that not really.” Frank shrugged before he sighed “I know you’re right, there’s nothing we can do but that doesn’t stop me worrying about it.”

“I know, because you love her. We both do. I’m worried as well but like you said to me, whatever happens we face it together.” She leaned down to give him a quick peck “Now, change of subject…you gonna come with us to the competition in a few weeks? Be nice for us all to go. Can be our first proper family outing.”

“Will there be beer?” Frank pondered, his hand sliding down the outside of her thighs and back up again.

“We can take a cool box” she smiled.

Frank chuckled “Of course I’ll come. Wouldn’t miss her first competition for the world.”

******

October ticked into November, bringing with it a slight drop in temperature and still no movement on the Adoption. However, Frank and Fliss had pushed it to the back of their minds which in the grand scheme of things wasn’t that hard as Mary’s excitement over her impending first competition was infectious.

When Fliss took her to the Tack Shack and told her that Frank said she could get a competition hat, Mary had almost cried, giving Fliss a huge hug but reserving the biggest hug of all for her Uncle when she got home. She’d paraded around the family room in her show gear, showing off her outfit for both Fliss, Frank and then again for Verity and Bill, and on a video call to Evelyn.

She practiced with Fliss or Joanne every day after school. They taught her the ring etiquette, how to talk to the judge and also set up a full course for her to practice on, Fliss teaching her all about how the first round was about getting clear and the jump off also introduced the element of time. Fliss felt an overwhelming sense of pride as the girl improved day by day and found herself actually believing that she’d do pretty well when the day came.

The afternoon before the show was spent with one final practice and then Mary had to give Monty a bath. Whilst he was drying off she then loaded the wagon with her jackets, cleaned her tack and then carried that to the wagon too where Fliss placed it in the tack locker, locking it up.

Frank was under the bonnet of said wagon, checking the oil and the coolant to make sure it was ready for the trip in the morning when he heard footsteps on the gravel and he looked up to see Mary hopping up the steps into the back of the wagon.

“What’s she checking now?” He looked over at Fliss, straightening himself up and reaching for the rag that was tucked in the back pocket of his dirty jeans. Fliss didn’t reply, she was too busy scanning Frank from head to toe, and making no attempt to even disguise the fact she was perving on him. “Earth to Lissy…”

“Yeah, sorry…what?” She asked, looking at him, biting her lip.

He snorted as he wiped his hands on the rag, shaking his head “And you call me a pervert.”

Fliss shrugged “I told you, the whole dirty mechanic things does stuff to me.”

“And the dirty mechanic will do stuff to you if you give him half a chance.” He grinned and she smirked, arching an eyebrow.

“You’ll corrupt our son.” She grinned, placing her hands over his ears, where he was positioned in the baby sling at her chest. “Mind you, he’s probably already scarred for life after your antics last night.”

“Didn’t hear you complaining.” Frank smirked. “Quite the opposite in fact.”

Fliss bit her lip a the memory of a particularly good round of sex the night before, which had resulted in her on all fours in the middle of the mattress. Looking at Frank she shrugged and he snorted, closing the bonnet of the wagon.

“All set.” He nodded towards it. “Oil topped up, coolant and water levels good…”

“So you didn’t find anything to fix, like I told you that you wouldn’t.”

“Hey, I just wanted to make sure it’s safe for my girls, it hasn’t been anywhere in a while.” He shrugged

“Joanne used it yesterday to go to the wholesalers for feed and shavings.” Fliss looked at him.

“Yeah, well…whatever, I make no apologies for wanting to check anyway.” He smiled, taking the kiss she offered.

Mary jumped down from the back of the wagon and reached up to lock the back door before she trotted round and handed Fliss the keys.

“You happy you got everything?” Frank looked at her. “Seeing as that’s like the five-hundredth time you checked.”

“Don’t exaggerate.” Mary rolled her eyes as Alex made a noise and the three of them looked at him before Mary pointed. “See, even he thinks you’re an idiot.”

“Rude.” Frank grumbled.

After one last check on Monty who was sparkling white (although Fliss knew they’d end up giving him another quick clean up in the morning), they headed home and after a quick shower Frank lit the BBQ outside. The family enjoyed a good grill for dinner, before Fliss disappeared upstairs and came back with a wrapped packaged. Frank frowned, as she handed it to Mary.

“Everyone needs one of those for competitions.” She smiled, as Mary looked at her, taking it gently.

“What is it?”

“Open it and see!” Fliss rolled her eyes as she sat back down on the seat, glancing at Frank who had Alex against his chest, his head resting on his shoulder.

Mary tore the wrapping paper off and gasped as she held up the pink gilet top. It had a small horse’s head embroidered on the front right hand breast but it was what was on the back that had caught her eye. She looked at it, then to Fliss and with a stunned smile turned it round so Frank could see. It was a motif of a horse jumping her fence with ‘Mary Adler’ arched over the top in gold, cursive writing and ‘Monte Carlo VI’- Monty’s show-name- underneath in the same typeface. Small diamantes were scattered around the entire design which caught the lights that were dotted around the garden and Frank’s face broke into a huge smile as Mary looked at him, then to Fliss.

“Sally has one of these for Jackson.” She whispered. “I always wanted one, how did you know?”

Fliss smiled “Sally’s mum told me you asked where she got it from. I thought I’d get you one. It’s a bit bigger so will fit over your jackets and a hoody if you need it to. You can wear it in the collecting ring and then take it off before you go in to do your shows and jumping.” “Lissy I love it, thank you so much!” Mary stood up and rounded the table to give Fliss a huge hug. Fliss kissed her head and cupped her cheek.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

“Well, come on.” Frank nodded to it. “Let’s see it on!”

Mary grinned and shrugged the gilet on over her jumper and beamed, giving them a twirl. Fliss told her to stand still and took a photo of the front and the back if it, before setting her phone down on the table.

After a little more chat, given the fact they had a busy day they all headed up to bed. Frank tucked Mary in before Fliss popped in to say goodnight, Thor jumping up onto Mary’s bed clearly deciding he was staying there for the evening with Fred. Fliss closed the door and made her way to the master bedroom where Frank was led on top of the bed in his boxers, Alex sleeping in the basinet as his dad flicked through the channels on the TV.

“How much did that gilet set you back?” he asked and Fliss wrinkled her nose.

“Does it matter?” “Not really.” Frank chuckled. “You spoil her.”

“So do you.” Fliss shrugged and pulled off her T-shirt and jeans before opening the door to the en-suite.

“But if it makes you feel better, I got a present for you too, Sailor.” She grinned, shedding her underwear and beckoning for him to follow her.

Frank blinked, smirked and jumped up off the bed, the pair of them giggling as he dispensed of his boxers and backed his future wife into the shower, shutting the cubicle door behind him.

*****

Fliss and Mary set off early the next morning, whilst Frank took a little more time making sure he had everything Alex needed before he headed out to his truck and keyed the location into his GPS. When he arrived he parked up, got Alex settled in the stroller and wandered down the yard. As he rounded the corner, he gave a blink, the place was packed with horses and people, all sorts of different competitions going on. After a little walk around he located their wagon and as luck would have it, Fliss and Mary were making their way back. He smiled, Mary was dressed in her older jodhpurs, and a hoody with her personalised gilet proudly donning her top half where-as Fliss looked every bit the cowgirl in her jeans, plaid shirt, cowboy boots and her hat.

“Hey!” She greeted him, giving him a quick kiss before she looked at Alex, her hand stroking his cheek.

“You all set?” Frank asked and Mary grinned.

“Yeah, we booked in, registered…I got my membership number...” she held up the laminated piece of paper with the digits 287 printed on “…and we got about 40 minutes until my first class.”

“So we need to get him off the wagon, quick bush down and then you can get on to warm up.” Fliss said, nodding to the ramp. Frank moved the stroller out of the way and he and Fliss undid the latches, dropping it down as Mary hopped up and undid he partition. She brought Monty down and set about undoing his travel boots and his tail bandage, taking his tail out of the braid before she hopped up to get her brushes.

“She’s like a coiled spring.” Fliss grinned, looking at Frank who chuckled.

“Yeah, she doesn’t do anything by halves.” He smiled, looking around “It’s busy.”

“First one of a season always is.” Fliss mused “There’s over twenty in her first class and 11 so far in her second. No idea about the jumping, I didn’t ask. I told her not to bother about it, as long as she enjoys herself…”

Frank smiled as Fliss gently touched his arm and set about helping Mary. Fifteen minutes later Monty was tacked up and Frank, from what little he knew about horses, had to admit they looked pretty smart. Her tweed was a dark green with a check pattern of brown and pinks, her show shirt was cream and the tie she was wearing was a green and pink striped one, matching perfectly. Fliss had braided Mary’s hair so it hung down her back and had secured it with a matching ribbon and as she jammed her new hat on she grinned at Frank.

“Looking good Stack” he smiled.

“Ok, ready?” Fliss asked.

Mary nodded and hopped up onto the small step at the back of the wagon, vaulting onto Monty, the pony simply standing still and observing his surroundings as if he did this every day.

Frank pushed the stroller as Fliss walked besides him, Mary slightly ahead as she made her way into the collecting ring. Fliss followed her in and Frank stood at the side, watching as Fliss made sure the girth on the saddle was tight enough before she nodded, spoke to Mary who also gave a nod and walked away from Fliss. Fliss stayed in the ring with her, gently giving her instructions, helping Mary to warm Monty in. And then Mary’s class was called. Fliss took the gilet off her before Mary looked over at Frank. He gave her a huge grin and a thumbs up and she smiled back before he saw her take a deep breath and follow another rider into the ring.

Fliss joined him and they made their way down a little so they could watch. Monty was easily the smallest pony in the class and Frank frowned.

“He looks tiny.” “He is only 14’2 hands high.” Fliss shrugged “But this is a veteran class, for horses fifteen and over. So they’ll look at how he moves, not how he looks next to the other horses.”

“Oh.” Franks shrugged, turning his attention to Mary, then the two women stood in the middle “Are they the judges?”

“The one in the hat is the judge.” Fliss said “The other is a steward. She basically shouts the instructions out and helps the judge.”

Frank watched as the woman instructed the group to trot on. They did a few laps around the ring before they set off into canter. Mary’s face was set in concentration as thy ride repeated the action on the opposite rein before they all lined up.

“Now they do their individual shows.” Fliss said, her eyes focussing on the action in the ring. “This is what Mary was practicing yesterday when you showed up.”

There were two horses before it was Mary’s turn. She walked Monty out of the line-up and stood him, perfectly square in front of the judge. She chatted to the woman who walked around Monty to take a look at him, before Mary set off to do her show. Frank glanced at Fliss and smiled as his girl was beaming with pride as Mary completed her show, foot (or hoof) perfect before she halted, saluted to the judge and then gave Monty a huge pat. She glanced over at Fliss who gave her a thumbs up, smiling.

All in all it took about forty minutes to work through the class, and once the last person had done they all set off in a walk as the judge was muttering something, her eyes flicking along the ponies. Eventually she nodded and the steward walked out, pointing to a large bay. A few people started clapping as the Bay moved inwards to take first place, and then next was a smaller chestnut and then she pointed at Mary.

“Fuck, Frank she got third!” Fliss almost exploded as she started to cheer, Frank giving a grin as he also clapped, Mary’s face split into a huge grin as she took her place. 4th, 5th and 6th were awarded, rosettes were handed out and then the placings took a lap of honour before exiting the ring.

“Well done!” Fliss beamed at Mary as she grinned, looking at her yellow rosette “3rd out of 20! Mary that’s amazing for your first go!”

Mary nodded, taking a deep breath, the tears filling her eyes “I’m so happy!” she spluttered and Frank gave a chuckle, looping his arm around her, giving Monty a pat.

But that was nothing compared to her reaction when she won second place in the next class she was in, the Junior Rider. Fliss really did explode at that point, and Mary burst into tears, the judge looking a little shocked before she smiled at Mary, handing her the blue rosette.

After they’d calmed Mary down, they untacked Monty as there was a little wait until the jumping started and Frank headed off to grab them a burger from the fast food van at the far end of the yard. They sat on the ramp of the wagon, Frank teasing Mary as usual, before they heard a little cough and all looked up.

“I’m really sorry to bother you.” A woman spoke shyly “But are you Fliss Gallagher.”

“Yeah.” Fliss smiled “Erm, hi.”

“My daughter…she’s a huge fan. She followed you and Charlotte DuJardin in the 2012s and she’s…well, she’s hiding over there because she wouldn’t come speak to you.” The woman bashfully admitted and Fliss felt her cheeks growing red.

“Oh…thanks.” She said, “Which one is she?”

“The blonde over there…”“Be back in a sec.” She smiled at Frank, standing up.

Frank looked at Mary, his mouth falling open “What just happened?”

“Fliss is a horse riding celebrity Frank.” Mary shrugged. “She was a huge star until her accident.”

Frank turned and watched as Fliss spoke to the teen who was clearly in awe, and then smiled and nodded when her mom waved her phone. She posed for a quick photo before she turned and started to walk back towards them.

“I feel kinda sorry for her in a way.” Mary sighed.

“How do you mean?” Frank looked at his niece.

“Well, imagine finally doing the job you always dreamed of…only to have it cut short like she did.” Mary spoke, her mouth full of burger “Half the show-jumping teams around the world have people in them that are in their sixties you know. Fliss was only 28.”

Frank pondered for a moment as Fliss approached, he hadn’t really thought about it from that point of view before, nor had he even considered for one second that Fliss might still be recognised. Either way, he felt a little warmth in his chest as she flopped back down next to him, reaching for the rest of her burger.

“Can I get an autograph?” he asked.

“Piss off.” She snorted as he laughed, dropping a kiss to her cheek.

Despite having enjoyed Mary’s flat shows, Frank did NOT enjoy the jumping. It scared the shit out of him. Fliss walked the course with Mary, now dressed in her jumping outfit of white breeches, navy jacket and a bright pink and blue sparkly tie as they examined the route she would take. And then far too soon in his opinion it was her turn to go in and he wasn’t sure he could watch.

“And entering the ring now we have Mary Adler riding Monte Carlo VI…” the announcer spoke on the tanoy as Mary trotted Monty in. The buzzer sounded and she picked up canter and pointed the pony at the first jump. Monty cleared it with ease and did the same with the 2nd, 3rd…all the way to the 11th leaving one to go.

“She clears this she’s in the jump off.” Fliss muttered. Frank took a deep breath, watching as Mary approached the small oxer and Monty took off. His back feet brushed the pole and Fliss held her breath, but thankfully despite rolling, it didn’t fall.

“Wait, that means she has to do that again, right?” Frank asked as Fliss clapped and cheered as Mary headed towards the gate to exit the field.

“Yeah, but not as many.” Fliss said, as she headed over to Mary.

Not as many, but twice as damned fast as Frank found out. The ponies where whizzing over the 5 jumps in the jump off, which were part of the course but not in order, the numbers being 2, 7, 5,9 and 8 the turns being tighter as the idea was still to go clear, but in the event more than one clear was achieved it went down to time.

The riders were in no order, and Mary decided to go a little further down the line so she could watch the others take the turns, a tactic Fliss suggested. By the time she was due to go in there were 5 clears already.

“Ok, so you’re gonna have to go for speed too.” Fliss said, looking at her “But the main thing is try and stay clear. If you want my advice, cut the corner between numbers 5 and 6. Everyone is looping round 6 to get to 9 but if you hang a right as soon as you’re over 5 you’ll have a few seconds off. Its tight, and he won’t have as many strides, probably 3 max, but let him take you ok?”

Mary nodded, swallowed and headed in. She took the first jumps easily and then after the 3rd did exactly what Fliss said. Monty put in an extra half stride, however, which threw Mary’s balance a little as he took off and for a horrible moment Frank thought she was going to fall but she didn’t, she regained her balance and turned, taking the last 2 jumps easily.

Mary secured 4th place in her jumping, the smile on her face was infectious and Frank found himself beaming along with them as they walked back to the wagon.

***** “Where’s Stack?” Frank asked as Fliss emerged into the room dropping the bag of Mary’s show clothing onto the sofa. Thor, who had been with Joanna whilst they had been out all day, flopped down onto the rug in front of the TV.

“She’s giving Monty some treats after he did so well today, and chewing Jo’s ear off about the competition. Jo said she’d watch her back over when she’s done.” Fliss smiled, reaching for Alex as he started to gripe “You hungry, Bean?”

Frank smiled as she settled on the sofa, undoing her shirt so she could feed him and he sat on the arm, looking down at her.

“She did so well today.” He said, “I never in a million years dreamed she’d be doing anything like this.” “Well, I did warn you the first time you walked onto my yard that once you have that horse smell on your hands, you’re hooked.”

“Don’t I know it?” Frank grinned, kissing her cheek.

A little while later, Fliss finished up feeding Alex and peered down at him, the baby gazing at her, waving his eyes, his lips curling up into a smile and Fliss laughed.

“He’s smiling again.” She said.

“Sure it’s not wind?” Frank teased.

“Err, no I just burped him.” Fliss scofed indignantly “They start smiling at 6 weeks, he’s smiling. I can tell.”

Frank chuckled and peered down, smiling at his baby and earning himself one back in return. He gently took him from Fliss so she could do up her top before he set him down and followed her into the kitchen where, upon examining the contents of the fridge, they settled on take out for dinner.

“So I know Mary did but did you enjoy it?” Frank asked as Fliss pulled a beer for them both out of the fridge.

“Yeah, yeah I did. You know, seeing it there, all those people competing…there’s nothing like that around here.”  “Got me thinking, maybe I could run something like that at some point down the line.” “Sandybrook Show huh?” Frank smiled as he popped the caps off their beers, settling down at the kitchen counter.

Fliss grinned “Yeah, it would be kind of cool to expand into stuff like that.” She took a drink “I’ve actually been giving it a bit of thought in general.”

“What, competitions?” Frank asked.

“No, expanding.” Fliss swallowed a mouthful of drink “The land at the back has always been available to me to buy, the old Farmer said he would give it to me whenever I want, and it would add another ten acres to the portfolio. I could grow the yard area, more stables, more grazing, hold events like that one today…” she trailed off, frowning as she noticed the look on Frank’s face. “What’s wrong? Don’t you think it’s a good idea?”

“No, I mean yeah, I do. We always talked about expanding your business.” He hesitated “I guess I didn’t realise it would be so soon.”

“What do you mean?” Fliss looked at him. “I’ve been up and running now for almost three years.”

“I mean after Alex being born.” Frank said, his eyes flicking to where his baby son was asleep in the basinet. “He’s barely ten weeks old Liss, don’t you think you’d be taking on too much?”

“I’d manage” she waved her hand “I could recruit more staff.”

 She could see from the look on Frank’s face he wasn’t convinced. She took a deep breath and turned in her seat so her body was facing his “Sailor,I can tell you’re not happy about the idea.”

 “It’s not that I’m not happy.” Frank shook his head, and that was the truth. The fact she had such drive and want to build something better was amazing, he loved it in her, but he was struggling to find the words to voice what he was feeling about it. “Ok, I’m…just gonna come out and say this and I don’t want you to fly off the handle…four weeks ago you were petrified of leaving Alex with your mom. You still don’t like being away from him now, and…”

“Of course I don’t like it.” Fliss frowned “I’m breast feeding him, and-“

“Exactly.” Frank looked at her “So you take on this extra work, what are you going to do? You wanna put him in Creche, find a Childminder?”

Fliss shrugged a little “Mum said she would have him but I don’t want to put that on her, not every day. Maybe two days a week and then I don’t have to be at the yard all the time. Joanne runs things now and I can just…”

Frank chuckled “I know you. Name me one day in your pregnancy that you didn’t pop in. You were teaching like almost until the day you dropped. And before you start I’m not saying that was a bad thing, far from it. You said yourself it kept you active and your brain engaged. I’m just saying there’s no way you’ll take a back seat. It’s bad enough trying to get you to stick to your Sundays off.”

“I know.” Fliss nodded “But that’s something I’ll have to get stricter at.”

 “Ok.” Frank took a deep breath “Whatever you say.”

 Fliss frowned “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

 “Dismiss what I said.”

“I wasn’t.” Frank shook his head.

“Yes you were, you just completely shrugged it off.”

“No.” Frank said, his voice remaining calm “I said whatever you say. If you say that’s what you’re gonna do then…”

“Don’t you want me to do this or something?” Fliss asked and Frank took a deep sigh.

“Liss, we literally just went over this. I never said I didn’t want you to do it. Quite the opposite. I just…well I think it’s too soon ok?” he looked at her “Alex isn’t sleeping through yet, you’re tired during the day as you tell me when I get home. Hell, I’m tired and my job is nowhere near as physically demanding as yours not to mention the fact I’m not the one feeding him and…” he licked his lips

“You fix boats.” Fliss looked at him, a little sullenly “That’s physical.”

“Not as much as I used to.” Frank shook his head “I’m based in the office a lot now, as you well know because you complain I don’t come home full of grease as much as I used to. We won’t mention the fact that I’m growing a little…how do I put this, softer round the edges now because of that, hence the weights in the garage”. He smiled, attempting to make a joke out of it as he could recognise only too well the look in her eye. It wasn’t full blown anger yet but if he didn’t cut the discussion off soon it was going to be. “Look...” he reached out and took her hand “We’re incredibly lucky. We’re in a position where you don’t need to rush back to work. My job pays well, your business brings you in a very decent turnover each month, we have savings…I just think that we should take advantage of that and you should take a few more months off, maybe look at going back in March, say. Take a full 6 off to be with him, enjoy being a mom.”

 “Is that what you want me to do?” Fliss asked after a moments pause.

“This isn’t about what I want.” Frank sighed, his tone now starting to betray his frustration. “I can’t and won’t stop you doing anything, you know this. I just want you to consider your options, that’s all.” Fliss took a deep breath, gave a nod and pushed her stool back, draining the rest of her beer. “Where you going?” Frank frowned.

 “For a shower.” She said simply “I need to get out of these jeans and this shirt.”

 Frank gave a groan “Why do you do this?” “Do what?”

“Every time we have a slight difference in opinion on something you clam up.” He looked at her “Let’s talk this through, Liss. Don’t walk away.”

“I’ve nothing else to say.” Fliss said, her voice ending in a little chuckle. “You’ve made your opinion on the matter very clear.”

“Yeah, and now I’m waiting to hear yours.”

 Fliss took a deep breath “I don’t wanna take six months off.”

“Ok.” Frank nodded “Then you don’t have to. I still think it’s too soon for you to be looking at expanding though.”

“I know what you think Frank, you told me.” Fliss shrugged “You don’t need to keep repeating yourself.”

“I keep repeating myself because you seem to be completely and utterly dismissing what I’m saying.” Frank looked at her.

“For fucks sake Frank.” Fliss looked at him. “Stop talking to me like I’m one of the kids.”

“Well to be honest, you’re doing a pretty good job of acting like one.” Frank looked at Fliss, his eyebrow raised as he felt his temper beginning to flare “And a petulant one at that.”

Fliss gave a chuckle of ironic laughter “Oh that’s rich, you calling me a petulant child. You’re the one kicking off because I’m refusing to entertain some stupid idea about taking 6 months off work”

“You know, a lot of women would kill to be in the position to be able to do that.” Frank looked at her and she shrugged.

“So?” she frowned “With the greatest of respects, I don’t care. Yes, I’m lucky. I get that but I don’t want to Frank!”

“And I’m not saying you have to! Jesus Christ!” Frank groaned “When did I, at any point in this discussion, ever say you have to stay at home huh? You tell me exactly when those words left my mouth….” Fliss looked at him, and blinked as her mouth closed and she swallowed. “See, you can’t because I didn’t say it!”

“Well, you might as well have.” She glared at him “You’re trying to control my decision about what I feel is right for me…”

“You think…” Frank cocked his head to one side, as he felt a flash of angry heat rush up his neck to his cheeks at her words. His temper was really brewing now, the angry knot in his stomach growing tighter by the second. “You think I’m trying to control you?”

“Well aren’t you?”

“God damnit Lissy!” Frank’s voice was loud as he stood up from his chair, “You’re downright infuriating at times. No, that’s not what I’m doing. At all. What I’m doing is trying to have a sensible discussion with you.”

“Well I don’t want to discuss it anymore.” Fliss’s voice raised “So, like I said. I’m going for a shower. Or would you like to discuss that as well.”

“Oh for fucks sake…” Frank groaned his hands rubbing his face as he let out a frustrated noise, shaking his head. “You know what, I give in. Do what you want. Shower, buy more land, work, don’t work…just…whatever.”  

Fliss shot Frank a glare, and then a small noise from the basinet jerked them both out of the stare-down and Fliss headed over to pick him up. Turning she made for the door, baby in her arms.

“What are you doing?” Frank asked.

“Going for a shower, like I just said.”

“Well leave him with me.” Frank frowned, “What’s the point of taking him upstairs just to lay him in the crib whilst you shower?”

“Because I want to take him with me.” Fliss looked at Frank. “I can leave the door open. I like him being there. Is it a problem?”

Frank snorted, his hands on his hips as he looked at his feet “No problem.” He huffed out a little laugh as he raised his face to look at her “But you tell me you’re ready to go back to work when you can’t bear to be apart for the ten minutes it takes you to shower.”

Fliss’ face fell and Frank felt a pang of guilt at what he had said, but in his mind it was true. She hated leaving him, and he didn’t want her to be in a position where she felt she needed to, whether it was to prove something to herself or everyone else. He’d never tell her this but he loved the homely feel of coming home and his future wife and baby son both waiting for him, either on the sofa or the sun lounger. It was a wonderful, caring, passionate environment that he’d never had before and if he was brutally honest he’d quite happily see her at home until Alex was back in school. She didn’t need to work, but she wanted to, he got that. And he would never stop her. But the fact was she was still on edge about their son being left with people and he could almost picture the melt down she was going to have if she rushed back.

“Fuck you” Fliss seethed at him, drawing him out of his thoughts as Alex began to cry, clearly picking up the vibes in the room. Frank sighed, shaking his head as Fliss began to soothe him

“Lissy, just…”

But she didn’t stay to listen, instead she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, Alex’s little whimpers dying in his ears as she made her way up the stairs.

The argument made for a tense family dinner. They both tried their best to be normal, talking to Mary about her day, not wanting to but a dampener on it but as ever she was sharp. When Frank tucked her in, she asked him about it and he assured her there was nothing to worry about and that it was a silly disagreement which would be forgotten in the morning.

He hoped.

Fliss didn’t really speak to him much the rest of the evening, taking herself to bed early and she was flat out when he came up a little later. With a sigh he gently brushed the hair off her cheek before he kissed her temple and settled down himself.

He woke in the middle of the night, and still half asleep reached out to Fliss’ side of the bed but she wasn’t there. He sat up, blinking and then saw that Alex’s bedside crib was empty too. Frowning, he climbed out of bed and as he headed downstairs he could head soft baby cries from the family room.  

“Hey, everything okay?” Frank asked, opening the door and looking at Fliss as she was stood by the large window seat, gently rocking Alex as she tried to calm him.

“Yeah he’s grouchy.” She said, “I’ve fed him, he’s been changed…” “Want me to take him?” He offered and she shook her head.

"It’s fine Frank, I got him. I mean, that is what you wanted isn’t it? Me, being a good little wifey-to-be and mummy, right?"

Frank blinked before he gave a groan “Really, do we have to do this now?” he sighed, shaking his head. “I never said that, at all.”

“What it sounded like to me.” “How would you know?” He looked at her “You were so focussed on your position that you didn’t listen to a damned word I said. Because if you had you would have understood my point of view instead of accusing me of trying to control you.” He took a deep breath “When are you going to get it into your head that I am not your shit bag ex?”

“I didn’t say that.” Fliss looked at him, shaking her head

“But you thought it.” Frank eyed her “I could see it on your face.”

“There you go again, presuming you know what I’m thinking.”

“Am I wrong?”

“Yes, you are.” Fliss looked at him “What I was actually thinking was how shit it was you couldn’t just support me with what I wanted to do.” “Baby, I do support you, and I’ll back you with whatever you want to do, but I’m not gonna lie to you and say I’m happy about something when I’m not.” Frank shook his head.

“How can you back me when you don’t agree with what I want?”

“Because that’s what being together is about.” Frank looked at her “It doesn’t matter what I think…” “It matters to me.” Frank let out a groan “We’re going round in circles…” he shook his head as Alex’s screaming grew louder “Look, why don’t you let me take him? You go get some rest, we can talk about this later.” “I said I got him its fine.” Fliss shook her.

“Oh for fucks- just let me help will you?”

“Go back to bed Frank.” Fliss blazed it him in the dim light of the family room, her brown eyes angry “You have work in the morning, I don’t. Remember?”

He words themselves were innocuous, but the sheer sarcastic way she said them wasn’t. Frank felt the weary anger from their earlier argument which he had been fighting so hard to keep buried, slowly seeping back into his veins. He’d tried to explain his point of view, over and over again but she was being too fucking stubborn to even attempt to see it through his eyes. As he watched her cradling their sobbing son to her chest he didn't have the energy to keep going round and round in circles, not at 3 in the morning anyway. So instead he gave into the frustration he was feeling, and shot a stinging barb, one simple word spoken with exasperation as he shook his head and turned to leave the room. "Bitch"

**** Chapter 14

[i-stan-nct-and-satan]

Not Broken pt 13 (Jaehyun Mafia AU)

Not Broken Masterlist

Jaehyun X Reader

Y/N is a burlesque dancer living in Seoul. Jaehyun is one of the most powerful mafia men in Seoul. How will Y/N survive when Jaehyun suspects that she is involved with a rival gang?

Reasons to read this story: Ten’s a cross-dressing madam so….. yeah read it ya freaks.

Trigger warning: mentions of abuse

<><><><>Several hours before Y/N was called to Jaehyun’s office<><><><><>

“What’s so important to discuss that a member of the council decided to visit me personally?” Jaehyun asked in a disinterested tone as he poured two glasses of brandy for him and his guest, sealing the decanter once he had finished.

“A member of the council? I know that it’s best to keep an air of formality when in the presence of council members but given that it’s just the two of us, do call me Uncle, won’t you?” The older man requested, accepting the drink as it was handed to him.

Jaehyun moved to sit at his desk while Suho remained standing at the vintage drum table which the decanter rested on.  

“Why are you here?” He requested, setting his drink directly onto the cherrywood’s finish.

Suho’s eyes wandered around the room, feigning confusion towards his nephew’s inquiry.  

A soft sigh of frustration left the younger man’s lungs.

“Why are you here, Uncle?”  

A sly smile crept onto Suho’s face only for a contemplative expression to succeed it.  

The man began to swirl the amber liquid within its glass shell taking his time to notice how it coated the crystal walls for a fleeting instant before returning to a stagnant state.  

Jaehyun, whose patience usually would have been wearing thin at this point, allowed the man his thoughts as he began to observe his liquor as well.  

Suho was a member of Exo’s council, an alliance organization, of which Jaehyun’s father had also been a member. Exo could be characterized as a network of gangs or a grandfather gang, so to speak. It served as both an alliance and an enforcer, allowing associated organizations a considerable degree of protection against rival gangs. Several gangs in Seoul were affiliates of Exo, including NCT and all its current subgroups, Shinee, Super Junior, TVXQ, Red Velvet, BlackPink and many others. Although Exo was arguable the largest and most powerful gang alliance in Seoul, it wasn’t the only one. Got7 for instance, arguably NCT’s biggest rival gang was under the protection of JYP, an elusive organization that had begun growing exponentially over the past several years.

Although Exo’s membership technically extended to any and all members of its associated gangs, it’s only the Exo’s council members who hold any real power. Joining Exo forces leaders to relinquish many of their decision-making freedoms in exchange for protection, meaning that the council now had final say on important decisions involving their gangs.  

The council itself was made up of a select few individuals, each holding remarkable influence over the innerworkings of Seoul’s mob scene. Jaehyun was familiar with each of the council members for his father had been a member of the council since its creation, as had Suho.  

The two had been friends since they met in Juvie as teens, NCT was the fruit of that friendship. They started out preforming simple bank robberies, then quickly grew into a full-fledged gang eventually forming subdivisions meant to expand their territories. Sooman was NCT’s official leader and Suho was his right-hand man. They created Exo after forming an alliance with Super Junior and Shinee’s former leaders.

Not all council members were experienced crime lords. A handful of them were better described as investors, such as Sehun, who made billions investing in the drug trade. Becoming a member of the council was almost impossible, as members served lifetime appointments and a strict selective process was employed to take their places when they died. Those selected were never informed of their selection until after they were appointed to prevent any violence being committed against council members in the hopes of gaining a position.  

Jaehyun held great disdain for the process since every time a member died, he would be replaced by yet another old geezer who would continue to uphold the council’s outdated and traditional values.  

To Jaehyun, the council was nothing more than just another source of irritation. When his father died unexpectedly, the several members of the council opposed him, Jaehyun, from taking over his father’s position at such a young age despite SM and Suho having been even younger than he was when they formed NCT. Their official objections only ceased when Suho vowed to watch over the young man, although they continued to express their disapproval whenever the subject was brought up. Being the son of SM, one of the council’s original members gave Jaehyun a privilege that many of the other leaders did not have. He often got away with challenging the council with only a lecture for punishment whereas anyone else would risk forfeiting their gang’s Exo membership altogether.  

Jaehyun’s status didn’t spare him from any of the council’s scrutiny though, if anything, it was magnified.  

Out of all Exo’s affiliated gangs, NCT was the most powerful, meaning that if Jaehyun messed up in any way, the losses could be detrimental.  

Jaehyun had been called to face the council more than anyone else making him feel like their sole purpose was to piss him off. After the death of IU, the council began making what he viewed as unreasonable demands in order to protect NCT’s image.  

He had instructed Taeyong to send regular updates to the council regarding their captive and once Taeyong confirmed with them that not only had they proven Y/N irresponsible for IU’s death, but that she had actually killed the man who was, Jaehyun knew that it’d be a matter of time before he would be summoned once again. Jaehyun ignored the councils request to meet with them and thus Suho was sent as a representative in their absence.

“Are you sure that the girl is responsible for Lucas’s death?”  

Jaehyun returned his focus to the gentleman who had wandered over to one of the bookshelves. He used his free hand to graze the bindings of each of the collected works as if he were looking for something in particular.

“If you came only to confirm the information that was sent to you, then you’ve wasted a trip.”

Suho sighed, removing his hand from the bookshelf.

“I hope you’re aware of how this could make us look.”

Suho turned towards Jaehyun taking his time to meet him at his desk before sitting in the brown leather chair that mirrored his nephew’s.  

“Lucas having been killed by someone outside of NCT and all,” He finished, taking a sip from the crystal tumbler.

Jaehyun quirked an eyebrow.  

“What do you mean?”

Suho set his drink on a nearby coaster and proceeded to lift his leg, crossing his foot over his thigh, before leaning back in his chair.

“Think about it from a rival gang’s point of view. A year into his new position, a position given to him at what many considered too young of an age, the leader of NCT’s sister ends up being kidnapped and murdered by Wayv, a gang made up of former NCT members. Not only that, but three years later, NCT has still been unable find the man responsible,” He recounted, staring off into the room.

“That’s because he was dead this whole time. How the fuck were we supposed to know he was dead? You can’t find a guy who can’t be found,” Jaehyun reminded defensively.

“You of all people should know that image matters far more than truth. Remember how the council basically scrambled to protect NCT’s image? How we kept the truth about IU’s death under wraps so that to outsiders her death would have seemed like an accident? How none of us had even a second to mourn her loss as we were all too busy trying to do damage control?”  

Jaehyun didn’t respond.

“IU’s death was tragic. You know this, but you also realized the importance of minimizing its effect on NCT which is why as SM’s successor, you pushed through the pain to protect those of who were still alive, your members. We knew that presenting her death as an accident wouldn’t work long term, but the council hoped that it would buy you time while you searched for Wayv but now....”  

Suho’s eyes met Jaehyun’s as he stressed the seriousness of the situation.  

“Now that Wayv knows you have Lucas’s killer, they’re going to start forming connections, building alliances with other gangs, anything it takes to get to her. Word will get out that it was actually Wayv who were responsible for IU’s death and that the man who organized it wasn’t killed by NCT, but on accident by a mere burlesque dancer. NCT won’t just be seen as weak, it’ll become the laughingstock of Seoul.”  

“But, Uncle, Wayv must not want word getting out about Lucas’s death either. Why else would they have covered up his death and continued on as though he were still running everything?”

“That is true. It’s safe to say that before recent events, Wayv didn’t want the nature of their leader’s death reaching their rival gangs which is probably why they didn’t expose us when we buried the truth about IU’s death. They would have wanted to avoid suspicion at all costs. Even now, I’m sure that Wayv would prefer to keep this information to themselves especially after learning that Lucas was killed by someone with Y/N’s background.”

“So, what’s the problem?” Jaehyun asked, feeling uneasy about where his uncle was leading.

“The problem is that even if Wayv doesn’t want details regarding Lucas’s death reaching the public, their image won’t be hit as hard as NCT’s will, and it stands to reason that they’d be more than willing to cut off a few of their fingers if it meant NCT would lose its limbs.”

“What do you mean it would hit us harder? We’re not the ones whose leader was killed by a goddamn stripper!” Jaehyun boomed.  

“Yes, you’re right. He was killed and that’s exactly why they aren’t facing the same level of risk NCT is. Lucas was killed, making him Wayv’s former leader. He no longer represents them and thus whatever happened to him has very little effect on their image now. If anything, his death will actually strengthen Wayv’s image since after Lucas died, his successor somehow managed to keep his death a secret for almost three years. It takes a lot to hide something as big as the death of a prolific mob boss. If even one person were to squeal, the entire city would know within a matter of days and yet we’re only learning about it now, three years later. Wayv can only benefit from all this, You, on the other hand, will be seen as weak, incompetent, and a disgrace to your father’s legacy,” The older man explained.

“And that’s a shame because you’re not, Jaehyun. Your father would be proud to know how far you’ve come despite those whose doubt you,” He added.  

“That man never approved of anything I did when he was alive. I don’t know why he’d start in his death,” Jaehyun sneered.  

His face had fallen from its angered state, yet an air of bitterness seemed to linger in his features. Suho could only sigh at his nephew’s hardheadedness which had surely been passed down to him by his father.

“The council wants to replace you.”

“Oh yeah? And how do they plan on going through with those plans?” Jaehyun scoffed.

Suho gave his nephew a softhearted look.

“They don’t. You and I both know how capable the council is when forcing their agenda regardless of the leaders who oppose them, but I convinced them to hold off on their plans just until you’ve had a chance to resolve the issue on your own.”

Jaehyun leaned back in his chair as he pondered his uncle’s remarks. It was true that the council was more than capable of replacing him as leader even if his men continued being loyal to him. Exo wouldn’t just threaten to withdraw their protections over NCT, they would find a way to completely dismantle NCT, rebuilding it in their ideal image. Exo had more than enough funds to obtain whatever resources needed to preserve control of their affiliates. The only thing he could do, was roll over and hope they wouldn’t tighten his leash any further. He had to act.

“What should I do?” Jaehyun asked, finally letting his guard down.

“You need to get on top of this. Find a way to ease the council’s anxieties.”  

“And how exactly do you suppose I do that?”

Suho lifted his drink from its coaster, bringing it to his lips and finishing it in two large sips. He returned the glass to the desk, causing it to make a soft thumping sound as it contacted the wood.

“Have you thought about the council’s suggestion from before all this began, about taking a wife?”

“Oh, not this again,” Jaehyun groaned.

“Look, the council is worried. They don’t think you hold the same values your father did. To them, you’re a firecracker just waiting to go off. It makes them antsy. Marriage will show the council that you hold traditional values and are not the irresponsible rebel they think you are.”

“Marriage will do all that?” Jaehyun laughed, obviously not taking his uncles advice seriously.

“You were so insistent on being able to choose your own wife and rejected any thoughts of allowing the council to make any arrangements for you, which pissed off a lot of people. Taking one of the councilmen’s daughters or nieces as a wife would have shown commitment to your role as SM’s successor. Your refusal shows a lack of respect and makes them question how much power they should allow you when you continue to make them feel uneasy about the future. Your parent’s marriage was arranged. It really isn’t that big of a deal. Have you at least started considering any possible applicants?”

“I haven’t exactly had any time to mingle given how I’ve been busy trying to find the men responsible for my sister’s death and all.” Jaehyun reminded his uncle in a tone drenched with sarcasm.  

“Hmmm, well I guess that’s probably a good thing considering the circumstances,” Suho mused quietly.

“Excuse me?” Jaehyun leaned forward so that his forearms rested on the desk.  

Suho returned his focus to his nephew whose curious features urged him to go on.  

“The girl, take her as your wife.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Jaehyun gawked, unable to believe what his uncle was saying.

“Marry her. That’s the only way you can turn this around. If word gets out that NCT’s leader got married to the girl responsible for Lucas’ death, they’ll assume that his death wasn’t actually an accident but was all a part of your plan. Even if people don’t come to that conclusion, which I don’t see why they wouldn’t, marrying her will prevent all of the damage that she’d cause us if you let her go. How I see it, you have two options. You could let her go get captured by Wayv, which you do not want, and let everyone view NCT as weak for not being able to kill the man who murdered their leader’s sister, which you definitely don’t want, or you can marry the girl and kill three birds with one stone. She’ll be safe from Wayv, NCT’s image will be as strong as ever, and the council will view you as a trustworthy leader who shares their same values.”

Jaehyun scoffed in amazement, unsure of what he could possibly say to respond to such an outrageous proposal.  

Were these just the crazy ramblings of a man entering the stages of early onset dementia or was his uncle actually onto something?

“I mean, it’s not a bad deal. She is a very attractive young woman. I’m not sure you could do much better, even if you were to marry one of the councilman’s daughters,” Suho smirked.

Jaehyun glanced at his half empty glass, reaching towards it to take a sip.  

His uncle was right. Despite the bitter taste that the idea of marrying a burlesque dancer left in his mouth, she was more beautiful than any of the councilmen’s daughters. He couldn’t brush off the fact that marriage could very well be enough to stop them from interfering in his business as much as they did. Although the council members would probably prefer it if he didn’t marry a foreigner, perhaps marrying an American would grant him a bit of status. When he thought about the possibility of marriage before, he believed that he would be happy as long as the girl was beautiful and didn’t speak up too much or challenge him. That’d be the perfect arrangement, yet he didn’t see Y/N as the obedient type.

“Ok, wait a second. Suppose I were to commit to such a plan, how would I get her to accept my proposal? We didn’t exactly get off to a great start, so I doubt she’d agree,” Jaehyun asked, beginning to entertain the idea.  

“Present it as though she doesn’t have a choice,” He advised.  

Jaehyun shifted his weight off the desk and leaned back against his chair, taking a moment to process the suggestion.

“Even if I didn’t give her a choice, I’m sure she’d find ways to be as bothersome as she could. Dealing with her rebellious moods might be more trouble than it’s worth.”

“Well, finding a way to ensure her compliance shouldn’t be too hard, should it?” Suho hinted with a smile.

The younger man hummed, as he contemplated what his next actions might require.  

“No, it should not.”

<><><><><>

“Does everyone understand?”  

The members of NCT 127 stared at their boss, astonished by the sudden announcement. None of them knew what to say so many of them merely nodded, pretending as though they understood the situation.  

After Suho left, Jaehyun called Taeyong into his office to inform him of his intentions to marry Y/N. Taeyong was understandably shocked by his boss’s unsettling plans. To him, it didn’t make any sense to marry a girl who was rightfully terrified of him even if it was in the best interest for NCT. He tried to talk him out of it knowing full well that Jaehyun doesn’t just get talked out of things. After Jaehyun revealed that there were discussions of replacing him among the council and that Suho, himself, recommended the marriage, Taeyong conceded to his boss’s orders and called a meeting in the billiards room.  

“You are all dismissed then. Except for you two,” Jaehyun motioned towards two of his men before turning to Taeyong.

“Bring Y/N to my office when she is done eating. I need to have a discussion with these two first,” Jaehyun instructed his right-hand man.  

<><><><><>

“Have a seat.”

Winwin and Johnny sat in the chairs that were placed directly across from their boss.  

Jaehyun took his time studying his raven-haired colleague whilst almost completely overlooking the gentleman who sat beside him.  

“What do you think about what was discussed at the meeting, Winwin?” Jaehyun asked, taking care to analyze his reaction.

Winwin, who had been glaring at this boss up to this point, let out a dry laugh and shook his head to show his irritation.

“What are you trying to do here?” He demanded.

Jaehyun laughed in amusement.  

“What do you mean? I just asked for your thoughts.”

Winwin rolled his eyes.

“Listen, I couldn’t care less what you do with the girl. It’s just business, right? Or did you think I’d be against it since marrying her is all a part of your ploy to win against Wayv?”  

All traces of amusement were now gone from the Jaehyun’s face as he turned to Johnny.

“You’ve been keeping an eye on him all this time, right? Nothing suspicious?”

The man nodded in response.

“What about when you two were separated?”

“The only time we weren’t together was when one of us was using the bathroom, but like you instructed, I searched him for  any electronic devices before he entered the bathroom and had Taeil watch over him when I wasn’t able to.”

Jaehyun leaned back in his chair, staring behind the two men. He still didn’t trust Winwin but he couldn’t keep him on watch without there being any new evidence against him. Doing so would lead the others to believe he was making decisions based on his emotions instead of what he thought was best for NCT.  

His thoughts were interrupted when a soft knock came from the other side of his office door.

“Johnny, you will no longer be required to watch over Winwin. Winwin, you are free to interact with whomever you feel inclined, but I will be keeping my eye on you. You are both free to go.”

He watched as the two men exited out the door, catching a glimpse of them stopping to greet whom he presumed to be Taeyong and the girl.

After taking a moment to mentally prepare himself for what was about to come, he called out to them.

“You may enter now.”

Y/N was the first to enter while Taeyong held the door open for her. Jaehyun took note of what she was wearing, faded black jeans and an off-white shirt. It made him wonder why she wanted to wear something of such a low quality, when she could have worn what was prepared for her, but then he remembered what Jaemin had said about her not wanting anything he had to offer her.

Y/N made no effort to hide her avoidance of his gaze. Once she sat down in the chair Winwin had previously been seated in, Jaehyun dismissed Taeyong.  

It was just the two of them now.  

He silently stared at her frightened figure which seemed to shrink further and further into the brown leather chair. He noticed her bruises. They had almost completely vanished from her face and only small patches of discoloration remained.  

He hadn’t forgotten how beautiful she was the night of the performance, though he couldn’t help but observe how much more ethereal she looked than that night before everything went down. Sure, her wounds hadn’t completely healed, and her appearance revealed a tinge of dishevelment, but her flashy costume and makeup from the night of her performance only seemed to distract from her natural visage.  

“Y/N?”  

She looked up at him, finally allowing their eyes to meet and for a split second, Jaehyun forgot why he had called her into his office in the first place. It was only after he noticed her shaky breaths that he was reminded of what he was to say.  

“It has been decided that you and I will get married this month.”

<><><><><>

I was the type of person whose mind went blank whenever she heard something she didn’t want to believe was true. I felt as though I could turn any unwanted reality into a dream I could wake up from as long as I didn’t think about it, or anything else for that matter. If I allowed myself to process the situation, it would be like thinking it into existence. I didn’t know why this was my first instinct. It never changed anything. It only allowed for me to live in denial a moment longer. That was how I reacted to my parent’s death, and to my brother’s betrayal, but those weren’t dreams or even nightmares. I had to accept them for what they truly were. My reality.

Even now, I wanted nothing more than to fall back into that familiar state of disassociation. If there was ever a time to mistake my reality for a delusion conjured up by my unconscious mind, this was it. It was all so bizarre; too preposterous to be real. My rationality was evaporating, and my vision blurring.  

I bit down on the inside of my cheeks, determined to find some sort of grounding. I focused on the metallic flavor that began to coat my tongue. I continued to stare at the man that had found yet another way to afflict me, this time with words instead of fists. I wanted so desperately to snap out of it, yet I didn’t know how. I could feel myself falling deeper and deeper into nihility when a memory of the Madam entered my mind.  

“Those who believe that heaven and hell are opposites of each other are cursed to only experience one at a time. They say you gotta go through hell to get out of it but why not learn to love the heat?”

That was her go-to toast when having drinks with the performers. Why I had thought of that speech, I didn’t know. Maybe my mind was just trying to find a memory to latch onto hoping it would stop me from falling into oblivion. I used the memory as a chance to break my gaze from his. My eyes moved to see the glass of brandy that rested on the desk near his hands.  

I instinctively reached out toward the glass earning a wide-eyed stare from its owner. Without thinking I dipped my fingers inside the glass and scooped out the ice cube that was floating just below the amber liquid’s surface. The ice cube dropped to the floor and I bought the glass to my lips, quickly draining it of its contents. The familiar burn that traveled down my throat managed to return my soul to my body. From how many gulps it took to finish, it must have been a double, not nearly enough to get me drunk, but hopefully enough for the liquid courage to do its job once the adrenaline started to fade.  

I slammed the empty glass down on the desk and stared into the eyes of my captor.

“What the fuck did you just say?”

<><><><>

Jaehyun’s shocked expression disappeared and he began to laugh.  

“That’s what I get for not offering you a drink, I presume.”

My gaze became venomous, calling attention to the severity of the situation.  

Jaehyun noticed this and returned to his humorless disposition.

“You and I will be married this month,” He repeated.  

“You must have lost your mind. You and I? Married?” I scoffed.

“As the leader of NCT, I am required to take a wife for reasons of status. It has been decided that you will be that wife.”

“So? I’m sure there are tons of other women you could marry, why me?” I demanded.

“It has come to my attention that your involvement in Lucas’s death poses a threat to our organization’s image. Seeing as how you were the one to kill him and not one of my men, it’s likely that this could send a serious blow to us. That is, if it gets out that the man responsible for my sister’s death was killed by a mere... dancer,” He divulged, a speck of distaste coated his voice as he uttered the last two syllables.

“You’re crazy. You’re telling me you wanna marry me? How did you find the nerve? And while I still have bruises and a cracked rib that you gave me,” I spat.

I was seething in anger.

“This isn’t a matter of what I want or don’t want. This marriage, along with the wedding itself, will only be for the sake of appearances. If it were my choice, you wouldn’t even be here, but now that Wayv wants you, it’s in my best interest to keep you here, no matter what it takes.”

“You said I was free to leave whenever I wanted!”  

“Well I guess I changed my mind,” He declared using a dismissive tone.

“No, I won’t. I won’t do it.” I stood up, hands gripping the edge of the desk.  

“You don’t really have a choice now do you, Kitten?”

“This is insane. What on earth makes you think that I would willingly marry you? If you’re really just doing this for appearances, then... then I’ll do everything I can to show everyone just how unwilling I am. I’ll act out. I’ll... I’ll-”

“You will do nothing of the sort.” Jaehyun bellowed in a voice, almost intimidating enough to scare me into backing down... almost.

“What are you going to do, kill me?” I challenged.

Jaehyun stood up, allowing his oppressive height to add to his threatening demeanor.  

“You will do as I say whether that is going through with the wedding or anything else for that matter. You will behave from now on because if you don’t, it’s your friend who will pay the price.”

Extinguished by his menacing implication, the fire that ran through my veins was nowhere to be found.  

“W-what are-”

“Remember how you asked me to check on your friend from the other night? Wendy, was it? Well I had my men check the local hospital’s records from that night. It turns out that they treated three patients from the burlesque club the night of your performance and that included your friend. Somehow, she sustained the worst injury of all having received a bullet to the chest. Luckily for her, the bullet missed her heart and was easily removed through the surgery I paid for. She was released from the hospital yesterday.”

“Wendy’s alive?”  

I fell back into the chair, unable to believe how I had forgotten all about my friend these past few days. With everything that had been going on, I hadn’t thought of her since I made the request in the first place.

“She’s alive and will likely go on to live a full and meaningful life especially after having been granted 20 million won to study at the university of her choice... as long as you do what I say.”

I did my best to fight back the tears that were already beginning to stream down my face completely unaware that Jaehyun’s anger had turned into discomfort.

I gave up trying to hold back my tears and brought my hands to my face. After sensing a nearby presence, I removed them to see that Jaehyun had also returned to a sitting position and was offering me a royal blue handkerchief. I stared at him, confused by the gesture.  

“I didn’t want for things to turn out this way either. I understand why you’re upset and I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you because of me. Think of our marriage as an arrangement. Being my wife will offer you a degree of status and wealth, not to mention protection from Wayv. You’ll have to act as my wife at social events, but besides that, you’ll be free to do as you wish without any disruptions from me.” He explained looking away.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?! I’d rather you keep me locked up in that room for the rest of my life than spend one minute married to you!” I shouted, ignoring the handkerchief.

The neatly folded handkerchief was now wrinkled by the harsh grip that held it. The anger had returned to his face.

“Fine! If that’s how you’re going to be then who am I to deny you your wishes? Stay in your room and rot for all I care,” He roared.  

Taeyong quickly entered the room.

“Get her out of my sight and don’t let her out of her room until I say so,” He ordered, abruptly standing up from his desk and knocking over several items in the process.  

Taeyong escorted me back to my room. The only time he said anything was to tell me that he’d try to calm Jaehyun down and that I should probably stay in my room until he’d given me the go ahead.  

I spent the remainder of the night crying. Crying for Wendy, all the things she went through because of me and for the others who got hurt that night. I mostly cried for myself though. My worst nightmare had come true. I was going to have to marry Jung Jaehyun, the leader of Seoul’s most notorious gang, NCT.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

I woke up to the sun shining through my window, something I wasn’t used to, given my early morning training sessions.

It still seemed pretty early though.

I rolled over to look at the clock but saw a note on the vanity table along with a glass of water instead.  

I grabbed the water first, glad to have something to drink as my head was pounding.  

I picked up and read the note while sitting up against the bedframe.  

Y/N,

I talked to Jaehyun. He is sorry and you are free to move around the building unescorted. I asked Jeno to allow you the morning off from training.  

-Taeyong

Memories of the day before came flooding back all at once. It really did feel like I was hungover, but not from drinking too much.

I had no idea how Taeyong managed to get Jaehyun to ease up on me, although he must have since I was now able to leave. I doubted that Jaehyun was actually sorry though. Taeyong probably added that in just to give me some sort of relief.  

I heard noises in the hallway. It was a loud rustling noise. I got up from the bed to investigate. Creaking the door open slightly, I noticed that I really was unguarded. I peeked into the halls seeing nothing but closed doors.  

My curiosity got the better of me causing me to follow the noise until I was standing in front of a closed door. I could hear two people talking, but not very clearly. It sounded like they were having an argument.  

I pressed my ear to the door.  

“I just don’t get why it’s such a big deal. It’s not like we can act all lovey-dovey around the other members anyways,” Said one of voices.  

“That’s not the problem. The problem is that you can’t even tell them we’re dating. It’s like you are ashamed of me or something,” The other voiced whined.

My eyes widened in shock. Was this Jeno and Jaemin on the other side?

I focused on the voices. They both sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place who they belonged to. Luckily, I didn’t have to.

“Mark, I’m serious. If you can’t open up about us to your friends, then we can’t do this anymore.”

Mark?

If that’s Mark, then who’s-

The door opened causing me to stumble back and fall on the floor.

“Haechan, wait!”  

I looked up to see who had unintentionally knocked me over but was met with someone I would have never guessed.

“Donghyuck?”

“Y/N?”

“Haechan, what’s-” Mark came out from behind him before looking down at me.

“Y/N?”

I looked up at Donghyuck.

“Haechan? Wait but you’re Donghyuck.”

“Donghyuck?” Mark quirked.  

Haechan facepalmed.  

“What the fuck is going on?” I demanded.  

Mark looked at me, then back at Donghyuck then down at his hands that seemed to be working him through some sort of calculation.  

“If you know Y/N, and she recognized you but called you Donghyuck instead of Haechan, then... oh.”

<><><><><><><><><><><>

After our run-in upstairs, Donghyuck and Mark told me to wait outside their room while they called Taeyong. He had arrived shortly after and was ushered into the room with them. I stood there outside the room silently. I didn’t even try to eavesdrop for I was worried I wouldn't like what they were saying. As soon as the door opened, Donghyuck practically lunged at me, grabbing my shoulders so I would face him.  

“Holy fuck, Y/N. What kind of trouble did you get yourself into?” he exclaimed before pulling me into his embrace.

The three of them brought me down to the kitchen where we ran into Jeno, Jaemin, Yuta, and Doyoung, who all seemed to be getting ready for breakfast. Taeyong sat me at the table with Mark and asked everyone else in the kitchen to step out for a moment so he could talk to them. I tried asking Mark what was going on and why Donghyuck was here and why he was calling him Haechan but he only told me that I would find out soon enough. After what was most definitely more than just a moment, everyone returned to the kitchen except Taeyong and Donghyuck. When I asked where they were, Yuta simply responded with, “They need to talk to the boss.”

Jaemin and Jeno tried to lighten up the mood but to no avail. Jeno asked me how I was enjoying my day off from training while Jaemin set the table up for breakfast. Nobody spoke a word about the Haechan/Donghyuck situation or even mentioned the other elephant in the room. To be honest, I didn’t know whether to be grateful for not having to discuss the details regarding my recent engagement, or if it merely added to my anxieties.

The two of them finally returned after we had been eating, or more like absentmindedly playing with our breakfast, for over 20 minutes.  

As they sat down at the table, I noticed that Donghyuck’s eyes were glued to me. He looked pained, like a boy watching his pet cat run into a busy highway, knowing he couldn’t do anything to help the poor creature.

“Jaehyun is busy right now but he’s been filled in and has given me instructions on how to handle the matter,” Taeyong began.  

I felt myself relax a little after hearing Taeyong’s words. I felt relief knowing that I wouldn’t have to deal with seeing Jaehyun on top of everything else that was going on.

“It’s come to my attention that you and Hae-” Taeyong hesitated, not exactly knowing how to explain what he was trying to explain.  

“that you and Haechan, or Donghyuck as you know him as, are already well acquainted with each other.”

Taeyong paused waiting for my reaction but given that I was too confused to even know where to start, I stayed quiet.

“Maybe I should just let Haechan do the talking. He’s been caught up on your situation, so he can catch you up on his.”  

Everyone at the table turned to Donghyuck while he continued to stare back at me.  

A soft sigh left Donghyuck’s mouth as he broke my gaze to look down at the table.  

“Y/N, I’m a member of-”

“You’re a member of NCT?!” I blurted out.  

A small smile crept onto his face and a forced version of his laughter entered my ears.

“Surprise?”  

Everyone at the table stared at each other. It was agonizingly uncomfortable.

“I need a shot. Does anybody else need a shot?” Haechan awkwardly got up and walked over to the main part of the kitchen.

“Haechan, it’s 9:20. Nobody needs a sho-” Taeyong began.

“I would like a shot,” I announced, hand suddenly raised above my head.

“Thatta girl. Glad to see this place didn’t snuff out your party girl spirit. Jeno, where do you keep the booze in this place?”  

Haechan began opening the cabinet drawers as he continued his search for anything that would make the situation less uncomfortable than it was.

“There’s a bottle of cooking merlot in the upper left-hand cabinet above the main oven,” Jeno offered.

Haechan opened the cabinet and pulled the bottle out.  

“It’s not quite what I was hoping for, but I supposed it’ll do the trick.”

Haechan hurried to open the bottle, almost knocking it over in the process. Once the corked was freed from its enclosure, Haechan swiftly wrapped his lips around the bottle’s opening and started chugging. He held the bottle in its now tilted position for ten solid seconds before lowering it back onto the counter.

“That should do it,” He muttered, out of breath before grabbing the bottle by its neck and bringing it over to the table. As he handed me the bottle, I couldn’t help but notice that a measurable amount of the red liquid had disappeared from the bottle, not that it mattered. There was still more than enough wine left to get me through the next few hours.

I began to chug the liquid in the same manner that Haechan had, unaware of the impressed and/or concerned faces that surrounded me.  

The bottle couldn’t have been more than halfway full by the time I set it down. I wiped my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt, unbothered by the risk of possibly staining it.  

“You,” I panted, pointing to Donghyuck,

“Tell me what the fuck is going on.”

Donghyuck, or I guess Haechan, did his best to fill me in on... well everything.  

The 127 member that Mark had told me about, was actually Donghyuck all along. He was working undercover as my apartment’s doorman, in order to get information on a former NCT member named Hansol, which is why he went by Donghyuck instead of his real name. Hansol had disappeared without a trace several years ago and 127 had been trying to find him ever since. One of NCT’s sources claimed that they had sighted Hansol entering my apartment complex with one of the building’s residents, a gang leader who usually went under the alias, Feeldog but was registered with the building as Kwang-suk. Apparently, it was rumored that Hansol left NCT to join Feeldog’s gang, UNB, a rumor that Yuta apparently took great issue with.  

“There’s no way. He wouldn’t do that. Not without telling someone at least,” He maintained.

Haechan and Taeyong glanced at each other.  

“What?!” Yuta snapped.

Taeyong sighed.

“It’s just that you and Hansol were so close, it makes sense that you would have feelings of betrayal surrounding his disappearance.”

“So what? You think I’m blinded by our friendship or some shit? That I can’t think clearly? Hansol disappeared and we failed him by not finding him. Who knows what could UNB could have done to him? He could be dead for all we know!”  

Yuta was so riled up that he had to excuse himself from the table. Doyoung, who had remained silent this entire time, left with him.

“He gets like this anytime someone brings him up,” Mark sighed.

“There hadn’t been any sightings of Hansol since or even before the one at your building. That’s why when we got the tip, we decided to send in someone to go undercover,” Taeyong revealed before Haechan chimed in.

“Jaehyun obviously couldn’t send any of the members on an undercover mission since Hansol would have immediately recognized them. Mark and I were the only two members who hadn’t joined 127 until after Hansol disappeared so it had to be one of us. Since Mark was being trained to eventually take over NCT Dream, the Canadian unit, I was the obvious candidate. After that, we needed to figure out how I was going to be able to constantly surveil the building without being suspicious.”

“As a doorman?” I interjected.

“Exactly! It isn’t abnormal for a doorman to take an interest in their building’s residents. They see everyone who comes in or out of the building. They know everyone’s names and everyone’s business. They’re always there so you never think twice when you see them around the building.”

I let out a scoff which prompted Haechan to furrow his brows.

“What?” He asked.  

“So, all this time, you were just pretending to be my friend so that you could blend in?”  

My accusation was immediately purged of all seriousness when a snort escaped from Haechan as he began to cackle.

“Pretend to be friends with you?! To blend in?! Y/N, I did everything in my power to avoid you!”

Now it was my turn to furrow my brows.

“The first twenty times you saw me you were either hungover or drunk. Either way, you found a way to make a scene, calling me Dongfuck, asking me why I was so serious and telling me to loosen up a bit. I was so worried that you would blow my cover that when I saw Feeldog coming down the halls, I agreed to go drinking with you just to get you to leave before he got close.“

I could feel my cheeks start to burn up. Taeyong started to chuckle, only attempting to recompose himself after noticing my glare. I remembered what he was talking about. After what happened with Lucas, I found the Heartbreakers and was able to make enough money to afford rent in a bougie apartment building. But to say that I was in a better place would have been far from the truth. I was an absolute a mess. The only time I was sober was when I had just woken up and sometimes not even then.  

“I knew if I stood you up that you’d only make an even bigger ruckus the next time you saw me, so I decided to just say ‘fuck it’ and go party with you. I didn’t expect to have as much fun as I did.”

I looked up at Haechan and was surprised to see nothing but sincerity in his eyes.

“Okay, but what about you and Mark?” Is he the guy you had told me about?”  

All traces of peacefulness had disappeared from Haechan’s eyes which looked as though they were about to pop out of their sockets. I felt an elbow dig into my side though when I turned to scold its owner, I saw that Mark was shaking his head at me with a look so serious and grave that I could barely believe it had actually come from Mark, himself.  

I shot a look back at Taeyong who seemed more confused than anything, before taking notice of Jeno and Jaemin who both sent each other a casual smirk. I had totally forgotten that they were arguing about the secrecy of their relationship before I unintentionally intervened.

“I just meant... the guy you told me about, the one who loved watermelon more than anything? That was Mark, right?”

Both Haechan and I looked at Taeyong, who was chuckling under his breath.  

“He really does love watermelon, doesn’t he?” He laughed.

Haechan’s eyes returned to their usual state after realizing that Taeyong was still as clueless as ever.

Once I had been caught up on everything, Taeyong excused himself, allowing the table’s remaining occupants to discuss more personal matters.  

“Yes, Mark is the boyfriend I told you about. The one who can’t even man up and tell his coworkers that he’s bi and has a boyfriend.”  

“Wait, what?” Mark quirked, having returned to his default state of confusion.

“Oh, forget it,” Haechan sighed.

<><><><><><><><>

I woke up the next morning to the sound of the alarm clock Taeyong had given me the previous evening. I was glad to have some way of waking myself up in the morning so that Jeno wouldn’t have be the one to do it. I always felt bad for him since not only did he usually have to wake me up, he had to wait for me to get ready too. This way, I could wake myself up and be ready to meet Jeno in the training room before 6:00.  

Before coming here, I was never able to get myself out of bed this early, usually due to being hungover, but I really didn’t want to keep Jeno waiting, especially since he was doing me a favor by becoming my trainer.  

I got out of bed, still sluggish with sleep, and proceeded to put on my workout clothes. I brushed my hair out of my face, pulled it back into a ponytail and headed out the bedroom door.  

Since I was allowed to sleep in the day before, waking up at 5:30 was harder than usual. Just when I was starting to get used to the crazy schedule, Taeyong had to mess it up by telling Jeno to let me sleep in. My eyes could barely stay open as I wandered through the empty halls. I lightly slapped my cheeks with my hands in an attempt to shake away my drowsiness.  

I hoped that Jeno’s training voice would be enough to snap me out of my dazed state, so I immediately entered the training room when I arrived at its door.  

“Goodmorning, Jeno,“ I greeted as I tried to rub the sleep from my eyes.

“Goodmorning, Y/N.”

My breathing hitched and my lazy steps came to an immediate halt.  

All fatigue left my body along with any last traces of serenity I was feeling only moments prior.  

My hands carefully removed themselves from my eyes and dropped to my sides. 

“What are you doing here?”