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#but yeah just. I think that is one of the difficulties of having a friendship that runs so long
ruvviks · 3 months
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made the realization my vampire story would work best as a video game and now i can't stop thinking about it
#personal#like. vtm meets cyberponk. do you understand#it would be very focused on prioritizing... because you do play as a fully established character#but you get a bunch of jobs to take care of and you have to decide what you do first and most importantly how you solve it#you can combine certain jobs to do at once to save yourself time and effort but everything you do comes with consequences#if you ignore a problem for too long or deal with it poorly it will come back to bite you in the ass later. you can lose friends and such#basically you have it all from the start and then gradually like. work your way towards a single ending#locking yourself out of other paths because of the choices that you make etc etc and so on#friendships can help you out but they can also get in the way of other things so you have to think about like#how far you're willing to let yourself get distracted. but also no distractions is also a bad way to go at it because you'll end up alone#it would have a wide variety of endings but i suppose the 'canon' one would be the one where everything works out#because of the whole already established character thing. and also this is not real this is my story so i can do what i want#if it was an actual video game it wouldn't have a canon ending but it's never gonna happen so i can say it has a canon ending#but yeah you can play as heavenly the vampire hunter or as sun the vampire and then you get cool vampire abilities :]#i do like the idea of romance availability but they're different depending on who you play as#valentine can be romanced by both but he's a little brat so idk if you'd want that#isaac can only be romanced by heavenly because isaac is a gay man. valeska can be romanced by sun only because#valeska and heavenly are exes. so you can have a one night stand with her as heavenly and then she ghosts you LMAO#you can go into clubs... you can play carousel with npcs. it would be a very immersive experience#if you hang out at certain clubs too much then other vampire factions will be warier of you when you visit their club instead#you can forge alliances to be allowed into certain areas in town. you can disguise yourself. you have to hide your weapons#there's actual ways you can research locations or people involved in gigs so you can prepare yourself properly and potentially like#learn new things that open up a new way to deal with a situation#sometimes you have to wait until nighttime to be able to go somewhere because it's quieter around those hours. or vice versa#sometimes you have to wait a few days before someone can meet with you but if you miss the meeting you have to reschedule#and then you have to wait even longer. and some quests don't give you that much time so then you'd have to improvise#being spotted in a location can be dealt with by wiping security footage / killing the person who saw you. or just reloading your save#but if you've been spotted and you don't take care of it then that will ALSO have consequences. etc etc and so on#difficulty level in the game would determine how generous the game is surrounding stealth / time for quests / resilience of the guy you pla#and it wouldn't like. necessarily turn enemies into bullet sponges because that's lazy. it's much more fun to change other things
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aliosne · 2 months
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Gotta offload a little bitterness on my birthday eve: if you want to shut yourself up like a little clamshell and say NO, I must NEVER be vulnerable or perceived! and you have someone in your life who’s like sure ok I get that! Im here if you do feel like opening up and here I will demonstrate time and time again that I am a safe person to do so with :D but also I respect your wishes
you don’t get to choose not to take them up on that or renegotiate that understanding and then a decade and a half later get mad at them bc they were supposed to know you actually DID want to be prised open
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bastardlybonkers · 5 months
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i feel like not enough ppl are factoring in the cultural clash between laios and shuro and the many micro agressions shuro faced while being in their group. literally the name 'shuro' in itself is one
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his name is toshiro 😭 lets also not forget that he has his own communication issues, in the opposite way that laios does- thats literally a factor in their argument, that his envy for laios's ability to express himself sincerely manifested as part of his distaste for him.
ig all this to say like, was their fight heart wrenching, especially when reading laios as autistic? absolutely. anybody whos ever been in laios's position knows how much it hurts to realize someone you thought was your friend doesnt actually like having you around, especially when they didnt tell you and you had no way of knowing due to not understanding their cues. but im begging yall to step back and see the nuance of this situation cause im gonna be real a lot of you are kinda just brushing over it acting like everything is toshiros fault and that hes a terrible person when in reality hes an average guy who really, really clashed with laios and it led to a very long misunderstanding due to their supremely opposite methods of communication. even laios and toshiro, after letting everything out in their fight, were able to come to an understanding and start a foundation for an actual friendship built on better communication
ok yknow what Edit: i shouldve made it even more explicit at the end of this post, i hadnt thought i would need to since i started the post with this, but i think a few too many people are missing my point so i just wanna clarify. i shouldnt have said 'really clashed' and left it at that because yeah they did, but it wasnt just their opposite methods of communication, it is also very much that toshiro was experiencing microaggressions via laios. it may have been unintentional on laios's part, but it still happened and wore him down, made it harder for him to communicate on top of both the more subtle social cues that he was raised with and his own communication difficulties. i also want to say that the fandom reaction to toshiro and the complete ignorance of this point is also racist tbh or at the very least ignorant. i understand that the anime did not cover this panel, and neither did the manga, as this was an omake, but im gonna be real with you guys. there are enough context clues within the story to clue you into this. if you didnt pick up on it thats ok, but i think this is a good lesson in picking up subtext in the stories that youre watching and/or reading. kui shouldnt have to explicitly say 'by the way laios was racist to toshiro' for this point to be understood, and at the very least, when the author portrays a character in a sympathetic light (as kui clearly does) it should make you question Why they are doing so and what makes them sympathetic, rather than youre immediate and only reaction to be 'well i hated what this guy did/said so i hate them and they suck'. idk exactly how to finish this, just. idk. question your biases and gut reactions to things you see in media and stories, and think about whether or not theres subtext that youre missing.
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berzahoes · 10 months
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when you know you know | tom blyth
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summary: the idiots finally meet (nepo baby!reader)
an: i can always count on reddit for inspiration bc i rewrote this a bunch of times 😭 also these are just random names for the friends lol @astheni-a
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“don’t look now, but the guy behind you is staring.” your friend, meg, whispered to you. you and a couple of your girlfriends were seated in the food court of the mall. after a while, meg noticed that a group of guys sat a few tables away, one of them occasionally glanced at you.
“he’s cute,” your other friend, layne, joined in.
your other friend beside you, louise, smirked at you. “someone’s got a crush. think about it, we can all go on dates together if he asks you out.”
you rolled your eyes. “i don’t even know what he looks like. meg told me not to look.”
“he has brown hair, probably six feet and really pretty eyes. i think that’s all you need to know about your future man.” meg said.
“you just described almost every boy here,” you replied. you looked down at your drink and noticed it was almost empty so you gathered your trash and decided to go throw it away. “i like being single anyways. i have more me time.”
“babe, we know you don’t like it. just talk to lover boy over there and if you don’t like him then that’s that. we won’t push you to talk to any one else ever again.” layne said.
“just this one time.” you sighed. secretly, you did want someone to love. you never had an official boyfriend. during high school, you were talking with a guy from math class, but you quickly found out he just wanted to meet your famous dad. after that, you had difficulty knowing what relationship and friendships were real.
you stood up with your empty drink cup and walked to the nearest trash can. after throwing your trash away, you tried to look over your shoulder to see what boy meg had been taking about, but you couldn’t figure out who it was. brown hair, pretty eyes, tall . . . that could be anyone.
you sighed and decided to just turn around and look instead of looking like a creep, but just as you turned around, a guy had walked right in front of you almost causing his drink to spill.
“oh my god, i’m so sorry.” you immediately apologize.
“it’s okay, um are you . . . okay?” he asked shyly.
“yeah, I’m good. i’m sorry again. i . . yeah sorry.” you kept repeating as you looked at his eyes. they were a beautiful blue color. you were a sucker for colored eyes. well the british accent was a bonus too.
“i’m tom.” he introduced himself.
“i’m yn. nice to meet you. sorry for almost making you drop your drink. sorry, i apologize too much. it’s a habit.” you chuckled nervously.
get it together, yn
“no, it’s fine, wasn’t really drinking it anyways. so . . are you here alone?” he asked, but regretted it immediately when he noticed it might’ve sounded creepy.
“no, i’m with my friends. i’m sorry, again, i noticed the accent, you’re british. are you visiting good ol’ new york?” you questioned.
“studying here actually. i go to juilliard. what about you?”
“i’m actually from los angeles but i visit here quite often. it’s my second home. but i do travel a lot so i call multiple places my second home. sorry if i ramble, i do that when i start getting comfortable.”
from the table, your friends saw how you talked with a stranger.
“does anyone know how to lip read?”
“shhh! shut up layne!”
“who’s gonna tell her that’s not the guy we were talking about?”
“i don’t want to break her heart. plus he does look exactly like how meg described so a win is a win.”
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sleepy-steve · 2 months
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@steddieangstyaugust 06/08 // “Who did this?” 
wc: 2.5k // rating: T // cw: homophobic slur, hate crime, blood/wounds // tags: post-s4 but vecna dies, eddie lives, hate crime, satanic panic, wound care
divider credits @steddiecameraroll-graphics
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When Eddie woke up in the hospital after days in a medically induced coma, Steve felt a relief so deep it caught him off guard.
He wasn’t sure why the feeling was so intense. Maybe because it was the closest they’d gotten to actually losing someone. Maybe it was because Steve was the one to bring him back from the edge of death. The speeding drive to the hospital spent in cold fear that Eddie might bleed out in the backseat after Steve had given CPR, pushing hard enough to hear Eddie’s ribs crack before he took in a faint wheeze of a breath and his pulse fluttered weakly beneath his skin. 
Either way, when Eddie finally blinked awake—groggy and fearful—relief washed warm and heavy over Steve, eyes filling with tears as he gripped Eddie’s hand tightly and whispered to him quiet words of welcoming, soft praises of having done so well, gentle reassurances that he was safe now. The fear in Eddie’s eyes slowly faded. He gave a small nod—his movement limited—and with it, placed his trust in Steve.
The trust between them maintained, lingered, grew into something strong with each day spent recovering, each whispered fear and secret shared between them, each lingering hand hold. Whatever it was, it was growing, and alongside it, a fear that it was turning into something Steve wouldn’t be able to stop.
Weeks after his release from the hospital, Eddie greeted him with a story of being chased off by friends of Jason Carver—uninjured, thankfully, but still shaken—and Steve felt the rush of overprotection fill his veins like adrenaline, and realised it might be something a little more than that. But no, Steve felt protective over all of his friends. This was no different. He assured himself that the hot spike of fury and need to protect his friend was normal. His reaction was equal to the danger in which his friend was currently in. The perception of Eddie Munson in Hawkins was still… in poor favour. Despite him being cleared of all charges formally, the town had difficulty letting go of this idea that Eddie was a dangerous individual. These were people that tried to kill Eddie, it only made sense that Steve would feel this way. This was just a normal, close friendship. Until it wasn’t.
Steve’s driving toward the trailer park, warm afternoon air flowing through the open windows, a new mixtape from Eddie blasting from his speakers. Tapping the wheel along with the music, Steve takes the turn down towards the Munson trailer, slowing as he sees something that doesn’t quite fit with the landscape. Bright red. Steve’s heart drops. He turns down the music, slowing his car to a crawl. Once close enough, he parks and throws himself out of the beemer, taking in the awful sight before him.
FREAK. DEVIL WORSHIPPER. FAG. SATANIST. REPENT. All scrawled in blood red paint across the front of the trailer. Alongside the repeated words, symbols—upside down crucifixes, pentagrams, crudely drawn demon-like figures—filling up any available space. Steve feels his throat close up, immediately rushing to the door and trying not to knock too aggressively.
“Eddie? Are you in there?” He calls softly. “It’s Steve. C’mon, man, open up.”
Steve listens intently, until he hears shuffling behind the door, the sound of what could be something shifting across the carpet. Finally, the door cracks open.
“Eddie…” Steve says with relief, but the door doesn’t open further. “Are you okay? Jesus, what happened?”
Steve can only see a sliver of Eddie’s face, one eye wide and shining with fear. “Are—are you alone?” Eddie croaks. Hearing the way Eddie spoke makes his throat tighten.
“Yeah. Yeah, it’s just me, man.” Steve keeps his tone as gentle as possible. “Can I come in?”
Eddie only looks at him, seemingly thinking hard, before turning quickly but leaving the door open. Steve steps inside quickly, and the door snaps shut behind him, bolts locking and chain pulled across immediately. Eddie stays facing the door, and Steve sees that his hair is half tied up, and one hand is gripping tightly at his side, fingers digging into his ribs. Despite wanting to ask more questions, Steve keeps quiet, feeling like Eddie might freak out or bolt if he speaks. 
After a minute that feels like an hour, Eddie finally turns.
Steve can’t help the sharp intake of breath, the way his blood turns to ice, the flare of his nostrils in fury at what he sees. Eddie’s left eye—the one hidden by the door before—is black and swollen almost shut. The purpling extends down his cheekbone. A gash at the top of his head is open, blood seemingly hastily wiped away, but still sticky at Eddie’s hairline and down the side of his face. His lower lip is busted near the corner, bright red and swollen, still dripping blood that Eddie unconsciously licks away. With his hair partially pulled back, Steve spots purple and red on Eddie’s throat. He looks to where Eddie still holds tight at his side, and sees how his knuckles too are red and bloodied. 
When he finally looks back up to Eddie’s face, he sees a look of shame. Steve feels a storm brew in his chest. He reaches out, leaving distance just in case. Eddie flinches, instinctively, before stepping forward into Steve’s space. He lets Steve trail his fingers, softer than he would have expected, along his jaw, gently shifting his head around to look at his injuries. Allows Steve to move a lock of hair that didn’t make it into the hairband, carefully avoiding the open wounds. His warm palm settles on the side of Eddie’s face that was—for the most part—uninjured. The gesture so soft, so kind, a tear spills from Eddie’s good eye.
Steve holds steady, keeps his voice low. “Who did this?”
“Steve…” Eddie whispers. “I… I tried—tried to—” He can’t finish the sentence, words catching in his throat, breath speeding up as more tears run down his face, pooling against Steve’s hand.
“It’s okay,” Steve says, soft and reassuring. “I’m here, it’s okay. I got you.”
Eddie shuffles forward, close enough that Steve can feel his short panicked breaths. Steve slowly opens his arms, hesitating, before Eddie lets himself lean against his chest. Lowering his arms with care, Steve places his hands on Eddie’s back like he’s handling glass, feeling the sharp gasp and the tremble in the other man’s body. Eddie sags against him, curled so his face is against Steve’s shoulder. He feels his heart pound with rage at whoever did this. He feels something else as well, a shame in himself for not having been there, for not protecting Eddie. If he’d gotten there earlier, could this have been avoided?
Steve pulls away, despite wanting to do the opposite—wanting to hold Eddie so tight, envelop him in care, to let him know that he’s safe—and looks over him again, taking stock of the wounds. “Can I help?”
Eddie nods, breath still shaky but much calmer, and allows Steve to guide him back to his own kitchen. Steve grabs a chair, motioning for Eddie to sit, and turns to where a first-aid kit is already opened on the counter. Alongside it, a towel with blood on it and a bottle of saline.
“Did you try to clean yourself up?”
“Wouldn’t—” Eddie hisses as he sits. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
Steve looks back at him with concern.
“C’mon, man,” Eddie says with a wince. “You know what it was like for me.”
Guilt sits in Steve’s gut. He did know. Watched, more than once, when Eddie would end up surrounded by jocks—outnumbered—and one would deliver resounding punches to his face and stomach. Eddie would only ever spur them on. “Come on! That all you got? Give me another. You know how much I like it.” Words wet with blood, teeth shining with it. Eyes lit up despite the bruises forming around them. He’d get under their skin, letting them leave with disgust.
Steve doesn’t respond, instead turns back to the counter, grabbing a roll of paper towels and the saline. Holding the damp square up, Steve waits, and Eddie gives him another nod. Steve gets to work, wiping away the sticky blood around the head wound. Eddie hisses between his teeth when Steve moves over it, trying his best to be gentle. “Sorry,” Steve whispers.
“S’okay,” Eddie rasps.
The silence settles between them for a while, Eddie’s breathing finally slows to a normal, if slightly shallow, rate. Steve wants to ask again, to know who did this, but waits. Focuses on the job at hand, cleaning the remaining blood away from Eddie’s lip.
With all the blood cleaned up, Steve turns to the freezer and pulls out a bag of peas, wrapping them in a kitchen towel. He hands it to Eddie, who gingerly holds it up to his black eye, sucking in a sharp breath at the contact. The bruising on Eddie’s hands looks bad too, but they’ll have to come back to that. Looking over the first-aid kit, Steve pulls out some antiseptic wipes and adhesive bandages.
“These are gonna sting a bit,” Steve says, ripping open the wipes.
Eddie huffs a laugh. “Least of my concerns.”
Steve gives him a half smile. At least he was joking around a bit. He starts to clean around the head wound, noticing how Eddie’s good eye squeezes shut when the alcohol makes contact, and tries to move quickly. “It’s not too deep, shouldn’t need stitches.”
“How d’you know?” Eddie mutters, still wincing at the sting.
“Had my fair share of head wounds,” Steve says, still focused on the wipe in his hand.
Eddie doesn’t respond, just looks up at him with his uncovered eye. Steve moves down to Eddie’s lower lip, softly swiping at the cut, noticing the blood still in his mouth, the purple bruising that extends down to his jaw.
“Are you gonna tell me?” Steve turns to the counter, grabbing the butterfly stitch bandages. “Who did this to you?”
“Does it matter?” Eddie asks. “What’re you gonna do? Go beat them up, defend my honour?” His voice is heavy with sarcasm.
Steve gives him a quick look, before peeling the bandages off the wrapping. “I might.” 
Letting Steve turn his head slightly, careful not to touch any of the wounds, Eddie keeps his good eye locked on him. Seemingly assessing him. “Just the same bullshit…” His voice is thick, his eye glassy with fresh tears. “They still think I did it. That I killed Chrissy. Nothing is ever gonna change that for them.” Eddie inhales shakily. “If not that, they’ll find some other reason to hate me. Easy target.”
“We’ll find a way,” Steve says. “Even if it means. I dunno. Even if we have to leave.”
Steve holds the cut closed, and begins applying the strips, tongue between his teeth as he concentrates, ensuring they don’t get stuck in Eddie’s hair. Eddie is watching him carefully again. “You’d do that?” Eddie asks, voice soft. “Leave—with me?”
Lowering himself to Eddie’s eyeline, he places a hand on his shoulder. “Isn’t much I wouldn’t do for you, Eddie.”
It’s far more earnest, far more vulnerable, than either of them have been with each other before. Eddie doesn’t say anything, just frowns slightly, like he’s trying to figure something out. They sit in silence as Steve works, only the sounds of their breathing and the unpeeling of more bandages in the room. All of it feels so… intimate, Eddie allowing Steve to take care of him, to clean his wounds and patch him up. They’d been close since Eddie woke up in the hospital, but not like this.
“Alright, that should do it,” Steve says, scrunching the bandage wrapping. He then looks to Eddie’s hands. “Lemme see.”
Eddie holds out his free hand, and Steve takes it in his, turning it as he assesses the damage. He flattens Eddie’s fingers, then softly curls them, handling him like something precious and breakable. “Any pain?” 
Eddie shakes his head in response. Reaching over for a new antiseptic wipe, Steve keeps Eddie’s hand in his, reluctant to let it go. He cleans the small cuts—splits from punching, if Steve’s own experience told him anything. He applies a small band-aid, before motioning for Eddie to swap, taking his other hand away from the bag of peas. Repeating the process, stretching and curling Eddie’s fingers and cleaning the wounds, Steve tries to ignore the intrusive thought that tells him they’re holding hands. Now wasn’t the time for that.
Feeling Eddie’s eyes on him, Steve finally releases his hand. Clears his throat. “Can’t do much about this.” Steve gestures to Eddie’s lip, wishing instead he could let his thumb trail along the side of it. “Any others? You were holding your side before.”
Setting the bag of peas aside, Eddie moves with effort to pull up his shirt. Steve kneels down immediately. Where Eddie’s barely healed scars are still red around his ribs, deep purple bruises paint his chest and waist. Extending a shaking hand, Steve stops himself from touching, instead hovering over the skin. His breath shakes as he tries to remain calm. Whatever was keeping his emotions held back is broken at the sight.
“Eddie…” Steve looks up at him, pain in his eyes.
Dropping his shirt back down, Eddie looks away. “It’s fine. Nothing’s broken.”
“Nothing about this is fine, Eddie,” Steve tries to catch his eye again. “We already almost lost you once. I don’t think I could handle it if…” Still kneeling, Steve cautiously takes both of Eddie’s hands in his. “I can’t lose you,” he says, voice breaking.
Eddie frowns again, this time with something like pain in his expression. “I’m here, Steve. I’m okay. Thanks to you.”
Steve nods, tears welling and ready to spill over. “I just… I wish I could protect you better.”
Eddie leans closer, pain momentarily forgotten. “You’ve done more than enough,” he breathes, and their faces are so close together. 
Glancing down at Eddie’s lips, and back up to his eye, he feels himself leaning in. He stops, lips parted, waiting. Eddie closes the gap, pressing his lips tenderly to Steve’s. A shudder runs through his body, and Steve kisses back as gently as he possibly can, feeling heat where Eddie’s lip is split and bruised. One hand trails up to cup Eddie’s jaw, barely brushing against the stubble growing there. Eddie rests a hand on Steve’s chest, feeling the way his heart races. 
They part, Steve still kneeling on the ground and looking up at Eddie. He leans in for another gentle kiss, twice more, hopefully conveying all he wishes he had the words for. As Eddie looks at him, smile pulling at the cut on his lip, Steve makes himself a promise.
For the rest of his life, he’ll do anything to keep Eddie safe.
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starbylers · 1 year
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It’s so telling that Mike and Will are the only friends in the entire show who fight about their friendship itself. Mike and Lucas fight about El in s1, Dustin and Lucas (kind of) fight over Max in s2. But Mike and Will are the only ones who've repeatedly had arguments about the nature of their relationship—the way it’s changing and how deeply it affects them both. That’s the root cause both times they fight. You will never catch any other friendship on the show throwing around lines like:
Did you think we were never gonna get girlfriends?
We're friends! We're friends!
You’re mad that I didn’t talk to you?
We're not kids anymore.
You called maybe a couple times meanwhile El has like a book of letters from you!
It's not my fault you don't like girls!
We used to be best friends.
It’s such a suspicious dynamic to set up between two supposedly platonic besties. Like why are you the only friends on the entire show who have immense difficulty functioning as friends when one of you is in a relationship?
And yes, part of it is Will’s feelings but it’s important to keep in mind: both times Will gets angry/upset at Mike it is solely and justifiably related to Mike’s inability to be a good friend to him when El is in the picture. Will’s issue has always, always been Mike treating him badly as a friend. Yeah, he also gets jealous, and we see that in his longing stares and emotional breakdowns. But he never expresses that towards Mike directly, or ‘expects to be treated like a girlfriend’ as I’ve seen some people say. He just rightfully wants to be treated with respect and not be ignored (yeah he’s obviously more upset than he would be if not for his romantic feelings, but both times the actual accusations he makes to Mike’s face are completely reasonable friendship complaints), and the second he expresses that to Mike? Boom it’s omg Will we’re just friends!! Why would I send you letters WE’RE FRIENDS I have a GIRLFRIEND! Did you actually think we’d play DnD in my basement forever with no girls?? We’re not kids! *Proceeds to join Hellfire the second El leaves* and you realise it’s actually Mike who crosses the line and turns these arguments into bitter fights about how growing up and girlfriends means their friendship has to change. This is further proved by the fact Mike is always the one to apologise first—Will seems to initiate their fights (justifiably, as I said) by expressing his unhappiness whereas Mike escalates their fights into something different and he acknowledges that.
This is slightly incoherent but my point is there’s a reason Mike and Will’s relationship is portrayed so dramatically and emotionally in comparison to every single other friendship in ST! (Hint: it’s because they’re not just friends 🫢).
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happilyhertale · 1 year
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I have an aemond targaryen x reader fic idea in mind for ya! what about an aemond x fem!reader in which the two have always had a close friendship with each other since they were children, similar to alicent and rhaenyra's (reader would, of course, be the daughter of rhaenyra). the two would ride on dragonback together and do things childhood friends always did. although, that friendship crumbles after the terrible night that aemond lost his eye and the day reader is named heir to the throne.
years later, reader returns with her family as queen and with her dragon in tow. aemond and her reunite. not once did the two ever forget each other, aemond spent days and nights thinking of his best friend while reader dreamed of seeing the wonders of the world with him, maybe even more.
slight angst, fluff and smut pls? 💜💜💜
(also, I know her being queen probably doesn't make sense timeline wise but...yeah!)
Everlasting love - Aemond Targaryen x female!reader
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Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x fem!reader
Author’s note: Hey you (:
This One Shot Story was requested by the wonderful @chainsawsangel💜
And is at the same time the steamy Aemond one shot as a thank you for 1000 followers 🖤
I hope you will enjoy it! English is my second language, soo.. please forgive me if I made any mistakes (: 18+ NSFW
Word count: 5.8 k
Other stories of mine
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You came into this world on a warm and radiant summer day. The sun shone brilliantly above, and the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs of Dragonstone echoed in the distance. You were the first precious offspring of your mother, Rhaenyra Targaryen, and your father, Laenor Velaryon. Thankfully, the birth went smoothly, and just a few days later, your family returned to King's Landing.
You were born not long after Aemond Targaryen, the second prince of the realm. The two of you were said to be very close as infants. Aemond was quite a restless baby and needed a lot of comfort, which often kept Queen Alicent up at night. To give her a break, Aemond was placed in the care of nurses. However, they had great difficulty calming him down and simply got used to the constant crying.
Rhaenyra was deeply pained to witness the suffering of the newborn baby, who also happened to be her half-brother. Unable to bear the sight any longer, she devised a plan to ease his distress - by placing you, a peaceful and attentive infant, in the cradle with him.
She gently placed you next to Aemond in the cradle. At first, you felt a bit annoyed when you saw him, but Aemond's crying immediately stopped. He became interested in you and studied you closely, eventually even giving a small smile. Rhaenyra was pleased to see this and watched over the two of you with contentment. And thus, the two of you rested together in the cozy cradle.
As you rested in your cradle, nestled alongside two dragon eggs, the space felt a bit snug. But every time someone tried to take one of you out of the cradle, the other immediately started to cry.
When you were just six years old, your dragon egg finally hatched in the comfort of your cozy chambers. As you sat by the warm fire, you kept the egg close to ensure your new companion would feel just as snug as it would have with its birth mother.
As you were quietly flipping through the pages of a book, you heard a sudden cracking sound. At first, you assumed it was just the sound of the wood in the fireplace. But the sound repeated itself, followed by a piercing scream that filled the air.
Startled, you looked up and saw a small dragon facing you. You cried out with joy and hurriedly crawled towards the egg. A guard came in because he was startled by your sudden cry. But you paid no attention to him, you were overjoyed. You helped your dragon to free himself from the egg. You broke down the hard shell to make it easier for her to come out. You held out your hand to her and she climbed up. The joy on your face was evident and didn't fade away.
You carried the dragon in your arms and went directly to Aemond's chambers. He was overjoyed for you and enamored with the tiny creature.
You two spent the whole evening saying "Dracarys", hoping it would breathe fire, but nothing happened. You giggled incessantly. When Rhaenyra came to put you to bed, you both persuaded her. You wanted to sleep in bed with Aemond and your dragon with you. Your mother was not at all pleased, but eventually gave in.
You cuddled up with Aemond in his bed, with your dragon nestled between you both. She lay curled up like a small kitten, adding to the cozy atmosphere.
"What are you going to name him?" whispered Aemond to you.
"Him? I think it's a girl..," you chuckled.
Aemond rolled his eyes, "Very well, what do you want to call her?"
You smiled, "I've thought of a few names... But I think Blackfyre is a good name"
Aemond chuckled, "An interesting choice... but I think it's good"
Aemond's dragon egg never hatched. Although you tried to provide him with positive encouragement by explaining that hatching is out of one's control and that some dragon eggs don't hatch at all, it was still very difficult for him to accept this outcome.
But every time you entered the dragonpit, Aemond would accompany you. He was there when you gave Blackfyre her first orders and it pleased him to see how obediently she responded.
He was also there when Blackfyre had her first meal. Each time you both visited, Aemond's happiness was palpable. As a result, Blackfyre grew accustomed to having both of you around.
And so you were with him when your brothers and Aegon surprised him with the pink dread. You were shocked that they would treat Aemond so badly. You comforted Aemond afterwards. He didn't deserve that. But he was deeply depressed. You then argued with your brothers and told them how stupid they were.
And so you sneaked into the hall before dinner. No one else was in the hall yet, but the table was already set. You quickly went to Aegon's place and saw the wine jug. You managed to catch some pee from Blackfyre in the afternoon. It wasn't much, as most of it ran down your hand, but it would do. Now you stood at Aegon's place and poured the dragon pee into the jug. You grinned. Quickly you looked around again before pulling snot up deep from your throat and spitting it into the jug as well. Hearing footsteps from outside, you quickly scurried to your seat. You hear the heavy wooden door open with a loud creak. You look at the door and smile. Your grandsire, King Viserys, came into the hall. With him were Lord Otto and Queen Alicent. Lord Otto and King Viserys seemed to be talking. Queen Alicent smiled at you.
"Hello my sweet," she said softly as she passed you. Queen Alicent was always kind to you. Often she caught you and Aemond trying to steal cakes or biscuits before dinner. But instead of telling your mother about your inappropriate behaviour, she would put on a stern face, let you keep your loot and quickly send you away before anyone else could see you. "Your Highness," you replied with a smile.
When Aemond came into the hall at some point, he still looked sad. He quietly took a seat beside you, seeming lost in thought. Soon after, Aegon arrived and took his own seat. You had been observing him attentively.
"What are you staring at?!" he snapped at you.
"Don't talk to her like that!" suddenly rang out from Aemond.
"Oooh... do you have to be strong in front of her now..." but Queen Alicent interrupted him.
"Aegon! Stop it, now!" she said sternly.
Aegon just snorted and poured himself some wine.
You slowly leaned over to Aemond, "Watch Aegon," you whispered.
"Why?", Aemond asked you irritated.
Aegon put his cup to his lips.
"I might have added some dragon's pee and snot in his wine," you said quietly.
Aemond laughed out loud, causing everyone to turn and look at the source of the noise. You held back a laugh, as you didn't want to draw attention to yourself. Meanwhile, Aegon had emptied his cup and was already pouring himself another drink. He seemed annoyed as he looked in your direction.
Aemond chuckled softly. He looked at you sweetly, "Thank you," he said softly to you. You grinned.
By the time you were ten years old, Blackfyre was big enough to ride. She was a big dragon that grew very fast. Your mother was strictly against you riding Blackfyre. She simply wanted to ensure your safety and was worried that you might accidentally slip off the dragon's back.
But it didn't stop you from riding Blackfyre. Of course you took Aemond with you. Blackfyre was the first dragon you and Aemond rode.
One day, word arrived that Laena Velaryon had passed away. She had made the difficult decision to end her life as a dragon rider during a difficult childbirth. You are now expected to journey to Driftmark to pay your respects at her funeral.
Before you left, you were with Aemond when his father, King Viserys, told him that they would travel to Dragonstone after the funeral. He said that Aemond could claim a dragon there if he was bold enough.
You quickly took hold of Aemond's hand to offer comfort. Although he didn't say anything, you could sense the hurt in his eyes caused by his father's words.
"Don't listen to him," you told Aemond afterwards, "He is indeed the king... but he is not always right. He does not know you. And of course you would be bold enough! You could claim any dragon!"
Aemond had to smile. But you still saw the disappointment in his gaze.
When you were on Driftmark for the funeral, everything happened very quickly. Aemond had no intention of travelling to Dragonstone. He wanted Vhagar. And he got Vhagar.
In the evening he sat with you in your chambers. He had promised that he would sneak into your chambers at night when everyone was asleep. But you only saw him again in the hall. In the middle of the night you woke up. Aemond was not in your chambers, but you heard loud conversations and shouting. Cautiously you got up. Quietly you went out into the corridor. You followed the voices and arrived at the hall. Everyone was gathered there. And then you saw Aemond. He was injured. A maester was sewing something in his eye. You went to him, but were held back by Daemon. He held you back with his arm and looked down at you. He just shook his head gently and pushed you carefully behind his big body. You didn't even take your eyes off Aemond.
Instead, you snuck into his chambers at night. He was lying on his bed, asleep. He had been given a lot of poppy juice, yet he had whimpered in his sleep. You climbed onto his bed and wrapped your little arms around him. He slowly stopped whimpering. You still had a calming effect on him, as you did in the cradle.
At bedtime, you made a habit of applying ointment to his scar to help ease the pain and aid in the healing process. Unfortunately, the maesters who had been assisting with this task were not gentle and caused Aemond to flinch in pain. One night, it became unbearable and Aemond was on the verge of tears. Feeling frustrated, you took matters into your own hands the following evening and took the ointment from the maester without saying a word.
"Princess. I must apply the ointment to Prince Aemond. You don't know how to do that"
"You are rough in applying it. You will not touch his scar again", you replied.
"Princess..." but you interrupted him.
"I have already successfully commanded Blackfyre to breathe fire. Would you like to feel that?", you looked coldly at him.
The maester paused. Then he tilted his head slightly and left the chambers.
Aemond sat speechless on the bed.
"You... You don't have to do this..." he finally said quietly.
"Oooh... don't be silly," you replied.
You went to the bed where he was resting, took some ointment from the bowl with your fingers, and gently spread it on his scar. Aemond had closed his good eye tightly, seemingly bracing himself for pain, but to his surprise, it didn't hurt. Gradually he opened his eye and saw you smiling at him with tenderness.
"Better?" you asked softly. He gave a small nod of his head, and from that moment forward, you diligently applied the soothing ointment that had been provided by the maester.
You also encouraged him that he is still the great person he was before the accident. You stood by his side and helped him to overcome his insecurities, even going so far as to help him regain his confidence with a sword.
In fact, you just kept hitting him with the wooden sword until he had enough of it and finally picked up a wooden sword and hit back. It was a challenging process, but you never stopped encouraging him to keep going but to continue now more than ever. To learn anew how he has to attack with the sword. At what angle the opponent must never stand so that he could see him well. And he did not give up.
During the day you encouraged him and at night you held him.
You still went to the dragonpit together regularly. But now Vhagar was with you. Together you often rode your dragons. Vhagar is bigger than Blackfyre, but not by much. Together you explored the skies. Only the rumbling of the dragons and your giggling could be heard from the air. Often you sat in the dragonpit afterwards. You had been lying in the dirt, hiding behind your dragons. But you enjoyed it. You sat there for hours and imagined all the things you wanted to discover. Where you wanted to travel. Of course you want to explore everything with your dragons. Perhaps one day you will fly to Essos. See the remains of Valyria.
When you are six and ten years old, you have been named heir to the throne. You have been chosen as the successor to your mother's throne, which comes as a surprise to you. Even though you are the eldest child, you had always assumed that your younger sibling Jace would inherit the crown. You're now uncertain about whether you're ready to take on the responsibilities of ruling as queen.
Aemond was still very close to you. You even sleep in bed together from time to time. It's just that it's felt a little different now. You had noticed that you often just look at him. As soon as you noticed it, you felt uncomfortable and your cheeks turned red.
Aemond was a little more subtle in his approach. He liked to watch you when you were asleep. When the moon shone into the room and made your silver hair glow. Sometimes he even dared to gently stroke your cheek. Just so he could see you gently wrinkling your nose in your sleep.
When you received the news that you were to become queen, you went straight to Aemond. Aemond was very happy for you, as usual. And in the evening, he surprised you. He came into your chambers through the secret passages, carrying two wine jugs.
"We must celebrate your becoming heir to the throne," he grinned at you. You had to chuckle softly.
You drank almost all the wine and lay together on your bed. Not a minute passed in silence, you talked the whole time. Until he suddenly looked straight at you, "You know... I like to watch you sleep..," His cheeks were red from all the wine, but you saw them get even redder, "..Because when you lie on this side in bed..", He pointed with his hand to the side of the bed facing the window, "..the moon shines on you... And...", he paused and you looked into each other's eyes. He sighed quitley.
"I love you... y/n.. I don't know since when... But... it feels like...", but you just kissed him.
He was irritated at first, but didn't hesitate long and returned the kiss. His lips felt warm and soft. The taste of the wine was on his lips. Your lips were sore and red when you first broke the kiss. You just looked at each other and smiled. You have not said much. Aemond's hand was on your cheek. Slowly he stroked your cheek with his fingers. His thumb gently caressed your lips. Until he leaned forward again and you kissed once more. You couldn't ignore the warmth and pinching between your thighs any longer and slid closer to him. But you broke the kiss again. You looked at each other, your breathing was rapid. Aemond gently stroked your arms. No one said anything. You looked deep into each other's eyes and somehow it seemed clear, you both wanted the same thing. Aemond kissed you gently and rolled onto you carefully. As he lay on top of you and pressed his hips against you, you felt something hard. It pressed right against your warm core. But it felt strangely good when Aemond pressed his hips against you. A soft moan came from you.
That night you sleep together. He was your first man. You were both inexperienced and so you both explored your bodies together. You undressed each other. You let your hands wander over each other's bodies. Every time your hands discovered a new spot, soft moans and gasps filled your chambers. You giggled a lot and kissed a lot more. It was indescribably beautiful. The act itself, when he was finally inside you, didn't last long. But you will never forget how much you felt connected to him all the time.
Aemond held you all night. He lay close to your back. You felt his chest against your body. How it slowly rose and fell. Again and again he gently kissed your neck.
The next morning, as usual, he was no longer there. At dawn he always left your chambers secretly so as not to be caught.
At noon a servant came to you, your mother wished to see you. When you arrived to meet her, she informed you that you would be temporarily relocating to Dragonstone. While she didn't provide any specific reasons, she did explain that this would be an opportunity for you to receive the necessary training and preparation to eventually assume the throne.
But you did not want to go.
"Mother... no... I will not leave the capital," you told her.
"Yes, you will. On Dragonstone you will be prepared to rule the realm one day"
You snorted, "Why can't I be prepared for that here? Here, I could see first-hand how the decisions of the realm are made"
You felt yourself getting angry.
Your mother had shaken her head slightly, "To understand these political decisions, you must first understand the political theories on which these decisions are based. Then you can deal with making decisions. And on Dragonstone, you don't need to fear any distractions"
Tears came to your eyes. But you refused to cry now. You knew your mother and the look in her eyes. The discussion was over.
You went to see Aemond. In his chambers you told him about it.
He simply looked at you. For the first time you could not interpret the look on his face.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked quietly.
Silence reigned in his chambers.
"I... I don't know... My mother said it would be the right thing... To prepare me for my regency... I... I don't know...", you were unsettled.
Aemond clenched his hands into fists, "But you must know if you want to go!"
Aemond was feeling very worried and anxious. He was afraid of losing you because you were the most important and positive aspect of his life.
"Then tell me to stay!" you suddenly shouted at him. You were angry. Those you don't want to hear it from tell you what to do. And the one person you wish would tell you what to do doesn't tell you what to do... that you should stay.
But he just looks at you, "You know I can't do that... I can't say that... You have to do what is right," he said almost coldly. He had to pull himself together not to cross the room, to take you in his arms. He wanted you to stay... that he was the right one for you.
But you understood it differently. That he didn't want you to stay.
So you just nodded, "Very well... If that's what you want. Then I'll go"
Tears welled up in your eyes. He said your name, but you just left his chambers.
That night Aemond did not come to your chambers.
You spend the next few years on Dragonstone. You actually had enough time there to prepare for your duties as queen by studying and learning political theory. However, you can't help but wonder if you could have achieved the same level of preparation by staying in King's Landing and discussing these topics with Aemond…
You miss Aemond. Terribly much. Your memories of your last night together are beautiful, but the fact that you were torn apart makes it all the more difficult to bear. You often lie awake for hours. You long for the times when Aemond would come to your bed and you could talk for hours. You miss his embrace... Whenever you receive a letter from King's Landing, you hope to hear something about Aemond, but unfortunately, you don't get any news. You're afraid to reach out to him because you don't want to be rejected, even though you can't stand the silence.
Meanwhile, Aemond is suffering just as much as you are. He longs for you and misses you dearly. He can't sleep at night because he constantly thinks about you. He is restless at night. He is restless because he yearns for your physical presence - your body, warmth, and gentle breathing beside him.
He needs your presence and comfort by his side. He remembers when he told you to do the right thing and go away, and those words still haunt him to this day. He wishes he could take it back and instead ask you to stay.
But now the time had come for you to go back to King's Landing. Your grandsire, King Viserys, is getting worse and your mother is to take the throne after his death. The flight to King's Landing is quiet. The wind blows through your hair as you watch the water pass beneath you. Blackfyre enjoys the flight. Your brothers and your stepfather Daemon are flying with you. And then you see it in the distance. The walls of the capital appear in the distance.
Aemond is in the library. He is sitting by the window reading a book. When a shadow passes in the sky, he looks up. He sees a big dragon in the sky and it is not Vhagar. A smile curls his lips. He is paralysed for a moment, but then he slams the book shut and gets up from his chair.
As you and your family are welcomed into the courtyard, Queen Alicent and Princess Helaena smile at you. Aemond is not to be seen. You smile politely, but the thought spreads through your mind that Aemond might not want to see you.
But Aemond is too excited. His hands tremble slightly. Like the night you made love for the first time. He walks towards the dragonpit, he wants to ride Vhagar. But when he arrives at the dragonpit, he is distracted. He sees Blackfyre and has to smile. He pauses for a moment as Blackfyre slowly turns her head in his direction. Cautiously, he walks towards Blackfyre, slowly raising his hand. She recognises him and grumbles slightly. As he stands beside her, he gently strokes her neck. He immediately feels her warmth flooding his palm.
"Rytsas gevie...", he whispers (Hello beautiful). She grumbles slightly again.
"Gaomagon ao remember nyke?" he says softly with a smile on his lips (Do you remember me)
When suddenly another voice sounds.
"Sīr ao sepār dekuragon bē naejot iā strange zaldrīzes?" you stand behind him (So you just step up to a strange dragon)
He stiffens for a moment.
"Issa daor bona strange..," he replies without turning around (She's not that strange..)
You have to smile as he slowly turns around. He smiles too and you are speechless. He has grown into an impressive man. Even through his clothes you can see that his slim, tall body must have more muscles. His hair is longer and falls over his shoulder. It is tied slightly so that it does not fall in his face. The scar looks much better, it seems to have healed.
"Have you taken care of your scar?" you ask gently.
He nods slightly. The smile does not leave his lips.
"With the ointment... that I... applied every night?", you whisper.
He nods again, "The maesters wanted to try another one in the meantime... But I didn't want to..." he says softly.
You smile softly.
He slowly approaches you and takes you in his arms without hesitation. You put your arms around his body.
"I missed you," he whispers.
You just nod, wanting to hold back the tears.
After a while he leans back, looks you in the face, "And... have you learned how to rule?" he smiles at you.
You laugh lightly, "Oh get ready for something... my brain has been fed so much information..."
He chuckles softly, "I'm curious..."
You sit down behind Blackfyre, leaning against the walls of the dragonpit and talk. Just like you did when you were children.
When all of a sudden he looks at you, "You know... So much has happened. In the time that you weren't there"
You nod slightly, "I know..." you say softly.
He lets his hands slide over his thighs and sighs. His gaze is fixed on the floor, "I am to wed a Baratheon daughter," he says softly.
It is quiet in the dragonpit. Your chest tightens. It is hard for you to breathe. You have expected this, but still you do not know how to deal with it.
As he slowly turns his gaze to you to see your reaction, you just nod slowly.
Tears welling up in your eyes. Your eyes burn and your throat tightens. You clear your throat. You don't want him to see you like this. When he looks at the floor again, you quickly wipe your eyes with the back of your hand.
After a few moments you catch yourself, "And...? Do you want to wed her?" you ask quietly.
He snorts, "You know very well that I don't want to..."
You nod again, "Yes... But we have to do what's right..."
You look at him and he looks you straight in the eye. At first you see pure pain in his gaze, when suddenly his gaze warms.
He nods slowly, "Fuck it, yeah. I have to do the right thing," he says suddenly.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to yours. The love he had for you inside him had build to its maximum, beyond the point of logic or reason, and he gave himself over to you. His mind and heart become one as the two of you kissed. The world around you seemed to disappear, and all that mattered was the feeling of your body against his, and the taste of your lips against his.
You are startled at first. You feel the emotions in this kiss, how Aemond gives himself to you. But you can't help yourself, you return his kiss and pull him towards you. His hand is on your neck, his thumb gently strokes your cheek as he deepens the kiss. His touch... his hand on your neck, his lips on yours... It is all you feel. He is so close to you in that moment. Your lips, your mouths... You breath your breath into each other's. There are no word's, there is only your kiss.
Slowly you undo the buckles of his waistcoat. You interrupt the kiss. Your lips are reddish from your passionate kisses. You kiss gently along his jaw, down to his neck. nibbling lightly on the soft skin. You hear him moan lightly. Your breath is warm against his neck and your lips on his skin were like a flame.
He takes your face in his hands, you look into each other's eyes. You are breathing heavily. He pulls you close, gently kisses your nose. His hands slide from your face down to your shoulders, slowly he starts to open your dress. Gently he slips your dress over your shoulder. His lips follow his fingers. Soft kisses find their way onto your collarbone. He slides your dress further down and his lips leave a fiery trail on your skin. You moan softly as his lips are on your breast, gently cupping your nipple. He moves his tongue over one of your nipples before taking it into his mouth. You gasp out and again a moan comes from your lips. Gently he sucks on the sensitive skin. His teeth lightly graze your nipple and he bites down gently. You hiss slightly and your hands slide into his hair, you grab him by the hair and pull him closer to you.
His hands pull your dress further down. You feel your arousal rising between your legs. You press your thighs together a little, hoping to experience some satisfaction. You take his face in your hands, pull him to you and kiss him greedily, you are panting. You feel him grinning against your lips. Carefully you bite his lip. He hisses and you chuckle lightly. Your hands slide down his chest and undo more buckles on his waistcoat. He takes off his waistcoat and lays it on the dusty ground. You sit down on the waistcoat and watch him take off his vest. Your gaze immediately falls on his upper body. On his soft skin that now has a few more scars. But you also notice that his upper body is really more defined. You bite your lip lightly. You take hold of his neck and pull him towards you. Wild kisses of a dance of tongues and teeth follow. Blackfyre moves slightly beside you. But she turns a little further in front of you so that you are shielded from all possible glances and her gaze is directed towards the entrance.
Aemond gently pushes you to the ground and kneels between your legs. His kisses become softer and you feel him gently slide his fingers up your thigh. You moan into his mouth as his fingers slide through your wet folds without warning.
"Mmmh... you really missed me," he says softly.
You try to bite his lip again, but he pulls his head away quickly enough and grins. Instead he lets his fingers continue to slide through your folds, spreading your arousal along them. You whimper.
He kisses you again as he leaves gentle but firm circles on your pearl. Your breathing becomes heavier.
"Aemond... please..." you gasp against his lips.
His fingers are instantly away from your folds and you hear a buckle open. Almost immediately you feel the tip of his hard cock slide through your folds. His gaze is fixed precisely on the tip of his cock soaking itself with your arousal. He groans at the sight. He looks at you again and sees you biting your lower lip. He leans forward, devouring more of your kisses. Slowly he pushes forward, guides his hot length into you. You both moan as he pushes further in. He gives you a moment to adjust to his size. Slowly he pushes forward, he gasps.
"Seven hells... you're so tight," he whispers, breathing heavily.
You only whimper. The feeling of him filling you completely is overwhelming.
He continues to thrust, penetrating you further with each thrust. You move your hips rhythmically towards him to meet his thrusts on the way. His thrusts get harder and your breasts bounce every time his pelvis slams into yours. He grunts deeply and grips one of your breasts with his hand. Lightly he squeezes it and bends down. His thrusts don't let up as he encircles your nipple again with his mouth. You cry out and grab his arms.
He looks up at you, "My love... do you want us to get caught?" he whispers.
You bite your lips. He turns his attention back to your nipple. Lets his tongue glide gently around before he nibbles lightly on it again. He moans softly as he notices your walls clench slightly around him. He lets go of your nipple and kisses you again. He leans back a little, gently grips your thigh and wraps it around his waist. You cry out again and try to muffle it in his neck. His thrusts become harder. His eye is closed and he moans deeply as he buries himself in you to the hilt of his cock. Again and again he pushes against your sweet spot. You lie under him and just whimper. You reach for his arms and dig your fingernails into his biceps. "Aemond..." you gasp, "deeper..."
He opens his eye, but the purple in his eye is almost unrecognisable. His eye is blown with lust. Wordlessly he takes your leg from his hip and places it along his torso. Your foot rests on his shoulder and he leans further down towards you.
"Oooh... Fuuuck...", you gasp.
Each thrust hurts, but the pain feels so good. You are convinced that he is going to split you. With a brutal speed, he thrusts into you. With each thrust, his balls slap against your ass and are soaked with your arousal. You whimper as you feel the pressure building in your lower belly.
"I... I'm... so close..." you moan.
Aemond reaches between your bodies and applies pressure to your clit. He notices you clenching hard around his cock.
"Love... come... cum on my cock...", he grunts deeply.
With that he pushes you over the edge. You cry out. He tries to muffle your moans by enclosing your lips with his. Your fingers dig deep into his shoulder. Your walls want to pull his cock in further, want to milk him. He feels his balls twitch. He pulls his cock out of you as he feels his cock start to twitch too. You whimper slightly at the sudden emptiness. He moans and grunts deeply, spreading his seed in the dirt beside you. You are both breathing heavily. Slowly you let your leg slide off his shoulder. Aemond smiles at you, breathing heavily. He looks exhausted, but he is smiling. He lies down beside you.
You look at him and whisper, breathing heavily, "That was better than the first time"
You look at each other for a moment before you both laugh. You turn to him and he puts his arms around you.
After a while, you look up at him, "And... have you seen your betrothed yet?"
He chuckles softly, "No... not yet..."
You smile slightly, "Will you..."
"...I'm not going to wed her," he interrupts you. You look at him, he gently strokes your cheek.
"I don't know how yet. But I will talk to my mother... I..." you notice how he is almost hesitant, almost shy.
"You want to ask if you can wed me?" you ask softly.
He looks at you slightly uncertainly, "Well... If... If you don't want to..."
You just kiss him, "Silly boy..." you whisper.
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icyminghao · 1 year
Text
knocking on heaven’s (your) door
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pairing: leehan x gn!reader genre: fluff, some angst, neighbours!au, highschool!au, childhood friends to lovers, mutual pining, leehan is so whipped it hurts word count: 3.5k
summary: leehan has been by your side your entire life. but when you start seeing him in a different light, will your friendship with him still stay the same?
bonus: in leehan’s eyes
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Leehan has always been your constant. 
From the moment you showed up to his neighbourhood at six years old knowing absolutely no one other than your parents, he was the one person who accompanied and played with you even though you knew he clearly had other preferences for games. You heard him grumbling to his mother sometimes when he thought you couldn’t hear them, but you were always silently grateful that he never stopped playing with you.
When middle school came around, you were worried about what was going to happen to your friendship with Leehan. See, Leehan was an extremely extroverted and easygoing person, who just seemed to get along with everyone without much difficulty. You, however, had to try a little harder to make friends with people due to your shyness. Leehan had made so many new friends just from the first day of middle school, and you found yourself hanging out with him less and less during school as the weeks went by, making you grow increasingly worried that he would abandon you for someone “cooler”. 
“Han, you know you don’t always have to walk home with me, right?” you asked one day as the both of you were walking home from school. Although Leehan hung out with you less while you were in school, he’d always wait for you after school to go home together, and you didn’t know what to make of it. Were the both of you still friends? Or just people who lived next to each other?
“What do you mean? We’re literally neighbours,” Leehan raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Like, you can always go hang out with your friends, I know they usually hang out after school. I can always go home by myself, you know.” you explained, turning to look at his reaction. 
Leehan suddenly stopped, and you didn't realise until you were quite a few steps ahead of him. Jogging back to stand in front of him, your heart beat faster in anticipation (or dread?) at his reply. 
“y/n,” he started, looking into your eyes with so much intensity you found yourself looking down at your feet to avoid eye contact instead, “you’re my best friend. Those people you’re talking about don’t know me better than you do, or longer than you have, so why bother?” 
You looked up to face him. You didn't know why, but the title of 'best friend' somehow warmed your heart and made you feel sick to your stomach both at the same time. “I mean, you could always choose to hang out with them, let them get to know you better, you know?”
“You’re so silly. I’m not bailing on our daily routine just to hang out with mere acquaintances, y/n. Let’s go home now, yeah? I’m starving,” Leehan let out a laugh so melodic your breath hitched for a second, and reached out to ruffle your hair before turning to continue walking down the street like nothing had happened. 
You remained rooted to the ground, mind reeling. Why was your heart beating faster than usual? 
“Hey, stupid! Are you coming or not?” Leehan shouts from a distance away, snapping you out of your trance. 
“I am, I am!” you shouted in reply, running after him.
Whatever this was, you were glad Leehan was still by your side.
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“Are you thinking about loverboy again?” an exasperated sigh snaps you out of your daze, and you look up to see Hikaru looking at you with her eyebrow raised, Jungwon sitting beside her looking unbothered.
“I wasn’t, and who said anything about him being loverboy?” you reply defensively, sitting up to face your friends. Leehan wasn’t the only one expanding his social circle as the two of you grew older, as you found yourself becoming fast friends with Jungwon and Hikaru during middle school, your friendship lasting all the way to high school now. 
“So you were thinking about Leehan,” Hikaru giggles with the kind of satisfaction someone would get after finally getting a math question right after an hour, shaking Jungwon’s shoulders in delight. "you guys are so in love it physically pains me to watch."
"I was not thinking about Leehan! And we are not in love, Hika, don't say that so loudly!" you shush Hikaru desperately, looking to Jungwon for help.
Jungwon simply shrugs, deadpanning, "She's right. You guys are stupidly in love with each other it makes me want to die."
"We aren't! I am not in love with him, and he is not in love with me. We've been neighbours for nearly our entire lives. We’ve seen each other in our awkward phases. There's no way he'd ever be interested in me in that way, ever." you defend yourself passionately, unsure why this topic is even eliciting such a huge reaction from you. The truth is, you have thought about being in a relationship with Leehan, but he seemed so out of your league that you gave up on it early.
"Oh, yeah? Then tell me why he's looking over at you with heart eyes right now." Hikaru glances behind you nonchalantly, and you turn around only to lock eyes with Leehan from across the cafeteria, sitting with five other guys, one of whom you recognise to be Taesan from your Calculus class.
Leehan brightens visibly upon meeting eyes with you, waving animatedly at you like he was seeing you for the first time in a long time. Endeared, you beam back at him before turning back to see both Hikaru and Jungwon looking at you with an 'I-told-you-so' face.
You sigh. "He's just friendly like that, okay? He would have done the same to any other friend of his."
"Who would've?" an ever-familiar voice pipes up, and you jump in shock at the sound as Leehan slides into the seat beside you, greeting your friends as he settles down. You don’t miss the hint of bitterness laced in his voice, but you choose to ignore it in case you were being delusional.
“You scared me, Han! What are you doing here, anyway?” you grumble, trying your best not to make eye contact with Leehan.
“Aw, can’t I pay a visit to my favourite person and their friends just because? Your conversation seemed more interesting than whatever the guys were talking about, anyway,” Leehan teases, his signature smile creeping up his face. You can’t help but stare at him in awe, and Hikaru definitely notices.
“Oh, really?” Hikaru pipes up, raising her eyebrows at you. “What were they talking about?”
“Jaehyun has been trying really hard to set me up with someone, and it was getting annoying, so I figured whatever you guys were talking about had to be more interesting than the pure torture I’d have to go through if I stayed there,” Leehan explains, looking at you the entire time to gauge your reaction. “So, who were you guys talking about before I came here?”
“trying really hard to set me up with someone” you turn over the words over and over again in your head. Of course someone as handsome as him would be looking for love, and of course it wouldn’t be with you. His appearance had completely changed when highschool started, his facial features more defined and his build becoming larger in general. And his nose, his nose. You would spend hours looking at it if you could, that was just how beautiful he was. And his eyes, they always seemed to light up the entire world everytime he smiled, it’s no wonder that he suddenly became so popular in highschool, girls and boys flocking to him like he was free real estate. Why, then, would he ever be interested in a nobody like you?
“y/n? y/n!” you snap out of your stupor to see Jungwon snapping his fingers in front of you, “What were you thinking about? It’s like you went to another dimension or something!”
You glance to your left and lock eyes with Leehan, who is looking at you with such a worried gaze in his eyes one would think something serious happened to you. The thought of Leehan going on a date with someone else creeps up your throat again, and you start to feel suffocated.
“I- I’m sorry, I have to go, I just remembered that I have a Calculus assignment due in thirty minutes! I’m really sorry guys, I’ll see you!” you make up a flimsy excuse hurriedly, standing up and bolting out of the cafeteria before you break down in front of everyone.
“Wait! y/n, is everything okay?” Leehan asks from behind you, but you’re too upset to bother, missing the way he watches you leave with a pained expression.
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You don’t talk to Leehan for the rest of the day.
Well, you didn’t exactly have the opportunity to, considering that you had no shared classes with him that day.
Which is why you had quite the shock walking out of your Calculus class with Taesan only to see Leehan waiting for you by the door, your classmates walking by nonchalantly like it was a regular occurence (well, it was, but you just didn’t expect him to be waiting for you considering what happened earlier).
“I’ll see you tomorrow, y/n! Have fun,” Taesan greets, nodding at Leehan on his way out of school.
“Hi,” Leehan steps forward, shooting you his signature smile, and you forget how to breathe momentarily. “are you okay? You seemed a bit… out of it, earlier.”
The way his eyes soften as he speaks has your heart threatening to jump right out of your chest. You’ve been friends forever. Why does he have this effect on you?
“y/n! There it is again,” Leehan chuckles for a bit, before turning serious, “what’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“It’s- it’s nothing serious, Han. I’m just tired from school and all the exams coming up. Let’s just go home, hm?” You don’t give him the chance to call out your avoidance, walking ahead of him instead.
The walk home is silent, an unusual occurence considering that the usual routine was one filled with laughter and endless chatter all the way back home. You can tell that something’s on Leehan’s mind, but you decide not to probe further and wait for him to talk instead.
"So," Leehan starts as the both of you turn and walk down the street you both live in, "who were you guys talking about at lunch earlier? Do you like someone?"
"We were just talking about some friend of mine, Han, it wasn't anything important. What about you? How's the whole matchmaking thing going?" you change the topic, looking everywhere but in Leehan's direction.
Leehan hesitates. "I... actually wanted to talk to you about this. I'm supposed to go on a date with someone they picked out for me tomorrow, and I wanted to ask whether you'd be okay with it."
You stop in your tracks abruptly, and Leehan continues walking at first, then realises your absence and jogs back to you. You feel a sense of deja vu at the scene unfolding in front of you.
Your heart feels like it'd been shattered against the wall. You break out into a small smile to mask your disappointment. "Han, why do you have to ask me for permission? You're your own person. You can do whatever you want."
Leehan’s shakes his head, eyes softening. He looks like he’s withholding something. “I just thought I should ask you first, since… since we’re supposed to go home together. If I go on that date, I’ll be bailing on our routine.”
You try your hardest to let out a chuckle that doesn’t sound too fake, hoping Leehan doesn’t pick up on it. He doesn’t say anything, and you take it as a sign to continue. “Hannie, why am I standing in the way of you and a potential partner? Go.”
Don’t go, you so badly want to say, but restrain yourself. Why should he sacrifice his love life for someone like you? Compared to him, whose very existence brings so much joy to so many people’s lives, you’re… nothing.
Leehan looks at you with what you make out to be a longing look on his face, like he’s expecting you to say more.
“But y/n, we’ve never not gone home from school together, ever. Even on days where our schedule didn’t line up, we’d wait for each other. If I go on this date, it’d be the first time our routine is broken,” Leehan strangely sounds like he’s pleading with you.
“Are you trying to get me to say no? You can do whatever you want, Han, but I think this is a good opportunity.” you retort, your words laced with a hint of bitterness that you don’t bother masking.
“Who knows if this would be the beginning of the end of our routine if I go? y/n, is this not important to you? This is one of the only moments I get to spend time with you, one-on-one, and I cherish it. A lot. But it looks like it doesn’t go both ways,” Leehan’s brows furrow together as he gets agitated by the second.
You don’t know why you’re being so avoidant, and the next few words come out of your mouth before you can react to stop them, “You think I don’t cherish this? Why are you so worked up about this, anyway? It’s not like we’re dating or anything-”
“And that’s the problem!” Leehan interrupts, raising his voice a little in frustration. He’s never gotten frustrated with you before, and you look on the situation with worry.
“Every second that passes whenever I’m with you pains me more than you can believe because I know my feelings are unrequited. Do you know how hard it is to be standing here in front of you and not be able to reach out and hold you anytime I want, not be able to call you mine, and not be able to put a label on our relationship instead of this infuriating ‘best-friendship’? I was hoping you’d stop me from going on that date, y/n. But you didn’t. I guess that’s enough evidence for how stupid I am to have fallen so, so deeply in love with you.
But no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop. I’ve loved you ever since we were dumb six-year-olds playing house in your front yard, and I still love you now.”
You release a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. Leehan is looking at you with such an intense gaze in his eyes you feel small.
Say something! Your heart screams, but your brain refuses to listen.
Leehan scoffs at your silence and looks down at his feet. “Goodbye, y/n.”
At that, he turns around and walks towards his house, and you’re just now realising that you’d already reached your front porch.
You stay rooted to the ground as you watch his slumped figure enter his house, internally screaming for you to say something while nothing comes out of your mouth.
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Leehan isn’t at his usual spot outside your Calculus class the next day, and you can’t hide your disappointment.
Earlier this morning, you were turned away by Leehan’s lovely mom as she told you apologetically that Leehan had already left for school by the time you knocked on his door, and he wasn’t with his group of friends at his usual spot at the cafeteria today. Even Hikaru and Jungwon noticed the change in your behaviour, opting to rub your back comfortingly and say nothing.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Taesan offers, picking up on your sorry state. “There’s a new cafe that recently opened nearby, we could go there and talk.”
And that’s how you end up sitting across from Taesan in the newly-opened cafe a few blocks away from school, with cups of iced matcha lattes in front of you.
Taesan listens attentively as you recount what happened yesterday, though he seems unfazed, like he’d heard about the situation beforehand.
You pause. “Did he tell you this already?”
“Well, yeah. I just wanted to get your perspective on the whole situation,” Taesan explains, shrugging. “So, how do you feel about him?”
You sigh. You’d had time to think it over yesterday, but your feelings are still as confusing as ever.
“I don’t want to lose him.” you state. “He’s been there for me my entire life, and I have been there for him, too. I just, I can’t imagine having to live on without having him by my side. To be honest, I can’t even imagine sitting here on a date with some other person, because somehow, I always thought-”
Your eyes widen. Taesan smiles.
“God, I’m so stupid. It’s probably too late, right? I messed up so bad, Taesan.” you chastise yourself, burying your face in your hands.
“No, y/n. That guy would probably wait multiple lifetimes for you if he had to.” Taesan smiles reassuringly.
You look up at him, slightly unconvinced.
“As much as he was upset at you yesterday, did you really think he was going to leave you here alone? He asked me to accompany you today,” Taesan explains, “well, that is not to say that I wouldn’t have hung out with you if he didn’t ask, y/n, I think you’re pretty cool. I guess there just weren’t really many opportunities, since your time after school has always been reserved for each other.”
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You’ve never run back home faster than you just did before.
After Taesan’s revelation, you got up abruptly, thanked him, and bolted out of the cafe and all the way to Leehan’s front porch. Bracing yourself, you knock on his door. You can only hope he’s home this time.
You hear some shuffling from inside the house, and the door opens soon after. You come face to face with Leehan, clad in a dark blue hoodie and a pair of sweatpants that just made him look so domestic.
“Hey,” you start, albeit a little awkwardly, “the date ended so fast?”
“I didn’t go on that date, y/n.” Leehan states in a matter-of-fact tone. Oh, you think, chastising yourself internally.
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
The both of you apologise at the same time. After a beat of silence, you and Leehan break out into a fit of giggles, and for a moment, you think everything is fine again. Just like before this all happened.
“Leehan, I wanted to apologise for my behaviour yesterday. Our daily routines mean everything to me, and not having you walking beside me today showed me that.”
Leehan opens his mouth to say something, and you speak first before he does.
“I’m in love with you, Leehan, I’m sorry it took me so long, but I’m so in love with you, I can’t bear to imagine what it would be like if you’re not going to be by my side anymore-”
“It’s Han,” Leehan interrupts, not saying anything else.
“Huh?”
“You’ve always called me Han,” Leehan’s eyes soften as he looks at you so fondly you think your heart is going to explode, “I’m sorry I said being in love with you was stupid, because it isn’t. I’m in love with you too, y/n. What took you so long?”
Leehan slowly leans closer until your noses touch, and his eyes wander from your lips to your eyes. You give him a small nod.
You don’t know who initiates it, but soon his lips are on yours, and you feel like your whole body is being lit on fire. Leehan’s lips felt like home, and you’re left wondering what really took you so long as you smile into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck.
You pull away for breath and Leehan’s lips chases after yours, eliciting giggles from you. You lean forward to give him a peck on the lips.
“Hi,” you beam at Leehan. “I’m in love with you.”
“Hi,” Leehan looks so in love you think you might die. “I’m in love with you, too.”
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“Are you staring at loverboy again? Come on, y/n, do something already!” Hikaru sighs in exasperation, looking on the whole situation with frustration.
Jungwon perks up. “Hey, he’s coming over.”
“Hey, guys, what are you talking about?” Leehan comes to sit beside you, wrapping an arm around your shoulder.
“Nothing much, just about how Woonhak led the basketball team to win the season last week. He’s really cool, I’d love to talk to him someday,” you make up an excuse, preferring to die than to admit that you had been staring at him.
“Woonhak?” Leehan scoffs, “I can beat him in a one-on-one anyday, y/n, I’ll show you.”
You look over at Hikaru to see her face scrunched up in very, very obvious frustration, and you almost feel sorry for her.
“Hey, Leehan! We gotta roll,” you hear Taesan from behind you, and you turn around to give him a smile in greeting.
“Well, I gotta go. I’ll see you later, baby,” Leehan ruffles your hair, standing up and turning around to leave before stopping and turning back.
“I’m leaving my partner in your care, guys! See you around,” Leehan smiles before turning to leave for real.
“y/n…” Hikaru looks at you with the most hardened glare you’ve ever seen, and you sigh. You’re dead.
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a/n: andddddddd knocking on heaven’s (your) door is finally here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i hope you guys enjoyed this fic, i tried my best hehe
taglist: @luvistqrzzz
masterlist
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foliosriot · 11 months
Text
Love’s The Death Of Peace Of Mind — Pt. 3
pairing: noah sebastian x reader
warnings: angst and more angst
tags: @thisbicc @lma1986 @mrscevans @catj422 @thebadchic @blackveilomens @likeavilliansposts @veronicaphoenix @circle-with-me @lilhobgobbler @loeytuan98
masterlist. tdopom masterlist.
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Today is the day.
Today is the day Noah comes over so you two can talk and work through what happened to your friendship, and your relationship overall.
You’ve been pacing around your apartment for the past few hours, music playing loudly from the TV in the living room. Purposefully taking a break from Bad Omens you have Sleep Token on repeat instead. But the change didn’t help much. You ended up skipping Give anyways.
Now you’re just anxiously fiddling with the bottom hem of your sweater as the entirety of Sleep Token’s discography comes to an end. The sudden lack of music makes you pause your pacing.
Then, because your brain has been torturing you all day — and this wouldn’t be anything short of it — you hurriedly turn on THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND. The opening track has you immediately calming down, and there’s a part of you that fucking despises that.
But you’re still pacing as you listen to the album, your lips moving as you wordlessly sing along. Your fingers are constantly playing with your sweater’s hem, and you may have just realized it’s one of Noah’s that he must have left here on accident. You have half a brain to make your way to your room to change before there’s knocking at the front door.
It scares you, nearly has you jumping out of your skin. And as much as you want to pretend like you aren’t home, or crawl to bed and roll yourself into a cocoon of blankets, you know you can’t avoid this any longer.
You don’t think to pause your music or turn it off entirely until you’re already opening the front door to reveal Noah standing before you. He gives you a soft smile, though you can tell he’s nervous and probably riddled with anxiety just like you are. But you quietly greet him and step aside to allow him entry.
It’s jarring to see him in person like this. Last time you saw him face to face was the last time you’d been … together. The two of you had been here, at your apartment, and you suddenly have difficulty shoving away that memory.
A hand at your throat, applying just enough pressure to make you pleasantly lightheaded. Your fingernails leaving thin red lines down freckled shoulders and a tattooed back. Hickeys and roaming, greedy hands turning into gentle kisses and softly uttered praises. Neither of you acknowledging the blatant shift in your movements, but you continue giving and taking equally anyways.
You’re pulled out of your thoughts when you nearly run into Noah, who had stopped once he entered the living room. You take a step or two backwards to see him staring at the TV screen still alive with Bad Omens. With his music. With the songs he wrote about you.
The sad smile that appears on Noah’s face is fleeting at best. But it’s gone in a flash when he eventually looks away. You take that as your chance to run to the remote and turn off the TV, relieving both of you of the obvious torment you had been experiencing.
In the quiet of your small living room you hesitantly sit down on one end of the couch, to which Noah copies your actions. He sits on the other end, and it sparks even more buried memories of yours. You’re almost certain Noah is remembering those as well.
“You like the album, then?”
Noah’s voice startles you. You jerk slightly but you quickly recover to meet his eyes. He’s already looking at you, and shit — if this doesn’t feel like déjà vu.
“Uh, y-yeah, I really like it,” you stammer. “But I already Motionless In White’s new album is gonna be even better.”
You aren’t sure why you say it. But the slight teasing in your voice is definitely there, no matter how weird it may have felt rolling off your tongue. And the way Noah is looking at you has you thinking he knows you’re messing with him, if the slight quirk of his lips is anything to go off of.
You both stay silent after that. Your chest is tightening the longer the quiet drags. And you can feel Noah’s gaze on you, his eyes taking in the sight of you for the first time in a long time. Or maybe it’s because you’re wearing his old sweater.
“What happened to us?”
Noah’s gentle voice jerks you out of your head. You slowly look to him expecting to see him watching you still. But he had averted his eyes, and he was now staring at the picture frames nailed to the wall above the small shelf that has all of your DVDs, CDs, vinyls, and tapes. It almost feels like a tidal wave when you realize there are photos of the two of you on display.
“Do you want the full truth or the half-truth?” you ask him as your fingers migrate back to that stupid bottom hem.
“Full truth.”
He’s still taking in the wall of memories, not looking away for even a moment. Your throat bobs as you prepare yourself to talk.
“Noah, I need you to know that you are my best friend in the entire world,” you begin quietly. “Even if we haven’t talked for awhile. You are one of my favorite people on this planet, and I don’t know what I would do without you. What happened between us is on me, and I really need you to understand that.”
“If this is just an elaborate way to say ‘it’s not you, it’s me’, save it,” Noah says, his tone cold. “I gathered that when you stopped talking to me.”
Okay. You’ll admit: that hurt.
But it’s true, and you need to let him know why.
“No, it’s not that.” Your eyes are beginning to burn with gathering tears. “Ever since we met I’ve struggled to understand what I feel for you. I thought we were just friends, but, over the years, there were things you would say or do that made me think otherwise. So I guess I kinda played in to it. Then that night at your place, and the times after that, I … It made me think there was actually something between us. But after the last night together I freaked out and distanced myself from you because I was scared you didn’t feel the same. I couldn’t keep denying my feelings for you, so I distanced myself so neither of us would get hurt.”
You sniffle before continuing. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about this since that first night. And then the album dropped and I lost control over what I have been feeling for years. I never wanted to push you away like that. I was being selfish and and I was so fucking scared, and I never bothered to think about if you would be hurt in the process.” You bite your bottom lip as a few tears crawl down your cheeks. “I’m sorry, Noah. I’m so fucking sorry for what I did. I never wanted this.”
Noah is quiet. He’s still facing away from you, and you’re beginning to think this was a bad idea. But he shifts slightly, his head moving slowly in your direction. Then he stops, and you think you see a tear or two staining his cheek.
Your skin is starting to itch profusely as you anxiously wait for Noah to say anything. You’re growing uncomfortable and you wish time would just freeze.
But then Noah speaks, his voice awfully quiet.
“I thought there was something too,” he starts. And it is blatantly clear that he had begun to cry as well. “Honestly, I would have been totally fine with the first night being a one-time thing. And then it happened again and again, and I thought that must have meant something. But when you ignored me after the last time I thought you had just used me and didn’t want to see me again. Like, you somehow knew how I feel and couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge it.
“Now knowing how it tore you up as well almost makes the pain a little more bearable,” Noah continues with a halfhearted laugh. “I guess I just don’t understand why it happened the way it did. We could’ve talked and worked through it, like we always fucking have. So why was this the thing that drove us apart? I mean, we definitely have feelings for each other. We both thought there was something for years, and it’s been confirmed. So, I guess the question still stands…”
Noah’s words have your heart lodging itself into your throat. More tears have fallen from your eyes, each one streaking down your face and slipping from your chin as you keep your eyes on Noah.
“I don’t know why that was what drove us apart, Noah,” you admit in a broken voice. “But I want to fix it. I really want to fix this rift we’ve made. ‘Cause I— I-I miss you.”
You watch Noah finally turn his head so he’s looking straight you. His eyes are slightly bloodshot and there are a few apparent tear stains on his face. But he looks hopeful and content with your response.
“I miss you, too,” he murmurs. “And I wanna fix whatever happened, regardless of the outcome.”
Noah gives you a soft smile that you return without a second thought. You sit staring at each other for a minute before you have to force yourself to finally glance away. Taking a deep breath you pull the ends of your sleeves over your hands and fingers, then wipe at your eyes.
The worn fabric of your Noah’s sweater rubs against your skin and leaves red in its wake. You catch Noah looking at you for a moment before he obviously processes what you’re wearing.
“Is that my sweater?” he queries quietly.
“Oh, yeah. I think you had left it here on accident once,” you begin rambling. “God, I didn’t even realize I was wearing it until you got here. I can give it back to you—“
“No. Keep it. It looks much better on you.”
Noah’s words have your face heating up. You go silent as he gives you another one of his small yet softest smiles. Your mouth hangs open for a few seconds, then you’re snapping your teeth together as your heart continues racing relentlessly.
His own face is reddening with blush, but you don’t comment on it. Instead, you reach back for the TV remote and wordlessly turn on Howl’s Moving Castle. The movie has been a shared comfort for both you and Noah, and you know he would love to watch it with you after so long.
You struggle to hide your grin as you get comfortable against the couch. Out of the corner of your eye you can see Noah has been stunned into silence at the movie selection. But you ignore him as much as you can as you listen to him kick off his shoes and settle into his own spot on the couch, the beginning of the beloved movie illuminating the screen.
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thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed! likes and reblogs are very much appreciated <3
a/n: ok i’m planning on AT LEAST one more part, so let me know if you wanna be tagged when it’s out!!
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clarisse0o · 2 months
Text
Camp Wiegman-Part 12
Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle
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Alternative Universe : Military School
Word : 6k
Masterlist
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Tuesday, November 3; 6:15 AM - Ona and Alexia's room.
I stand straight as a rod beside my bed. Bronze has just entered. I’m glad I haven’t lost my morning routine. I didn’t face any difficulty except that waking up was hard and abrupt due to the alarm. Luckily, my day of rest yesterday helped me recover and find motivation again. The disagreement with Bronze was quickly forgotten. I woke up alone. She had let me sleep while she went back to work. I found out when she returned just before noon to have lunch with Engen and me. She wanted us to eat before the midday bell. At least she spared me the rush hour. After that, she allowed me to stay in her room for the rest of the day as long as I didn't venture out. I promised it wasn’t my intention. I once risked it, and it didn’t end well for me. I just wanted to keep busy with movies, which I did until dinner time. I had to stop to eat with the two instructors, as agreed with Bronze. It was hard to change her mind. I was disappointed to end the day by returning to my room. I enjoyed hiding in her room. It had become my den, isolating me from the world. Needless to say, I was worried about reintegrating with the students. Bronze accompanied me to discreetly help me bring back my things. All it took was stepping into my room for any unease to vanish, thanks to Alexia. She welcomed me like a little whirlwind, not wanting to let go. It seems she eagerly awaited my return. Bronze had kept her updated regularly, but it didn’t stop her from worrying and missing me. Today, I return to the real world. Classes resume at eight. I have a knot in my stomach just thinking about it. I still don’t feel ready to return, but I have no choice. I show no signs of distress and patiently wait for Bronze to finish her inspection. It’s almost strange seeing her so impassive and expressionless again. It wasn’t like that in her room.
You can go.
Alexia doesn’t hesitate to head to the exit. I follow, but Bronze stops me by holding my arm. I turn to face her.
How are you feeling?
Better... No more fever, no nausea. I don't have much muscle pain either... I replied.
So, are you ready?
Uh-huh. I don't have a choice anyway.
Good.
I look at her attentively, squinting slightly. She’s not like usual. I don’t know what’s different, but something seems off. There’s only one way to find out...
So, how’s my work after a week? Is it done properly, Commander? I teased.
The princess finally follows the rules; that’s good, she retorts without a hint of humor.
I frown. That’s not the response I expected. I thought she’d play along. I examine her more closely. Now that I pay attention, her eyes seem swollen. And she has visible dark circles.
Are you okay?
We recently had a discussion about friendship, Batlle. It didn’t end well, so stop trying to be friendly and go eat, she orders.
She’s clearly not herself. It’s been a long time since she called me by my last name. And for such a small matter. It’s not like I asked a personal question. She’s not well, and I can’t do anything about it. I let her go, feeling powerless. I stare at the door for a moment, completely frustrated. She just brushed me off.
Ona, you coming?
I pull myself together at my roommate's call. I expected her to be gone already. Well, whatever. Bronze is right after all. She’s not my friend. It’s not my place to worry about her, even though I do and would have liked to be there for her.
Yeah, sorry. I'm coming, I say, returning her smile.
Our relationship has evolved since she learned I’m a former junkie. I feel I can trust her. I’ve grown attached to her. She seems to feel the same. She keeps saying we need to make up for the lost time of this past week.
What did Bronze want? she asks.
Just checking if everything’s okay, I shrug. She’s just doing her job.
I see.
She smiles at me in a way I can’t quite describe. I don’t dwell on it. I’m eager to get to the cafeteria. I’ll see the others, and my appetite is back. This will be my first breakfast after a long week of abstaining. I intend to savor it. When we reach the table, everyone is happy to see me. They ask if I’m feeling better. It seems no one knows about my withdrawal except Alexia and Leah. Wiegman and the four educators in charge must have covered it up as a flu absence. At least I’m spared the cliché stories about my past and pitying looks. Everything goes well this new morning. I just have a lot of questions about Bronze, who completely ignored me when she passed our table. I hope it’s not my fault. I don’t see what I did wrong, except for that conversation the other night. She didn’t seem resentful yesterday. Amidst all this, time flies. It’s almost time to return to class. We walk through the hallways to our first lesson.
I’ll join you, I tell Alexia. I need to use the restroom.
As you wish, but hurry up. It’s almost time.
Yeah, I’ll be quick.
I leave her to enter the nearest restroom. I need to gather my thoughts for the start of this morning. I first use a stall, then wash my hands. I take the opportunity to splash water on my face. Why am I in such a state over something so minor? I feel weird, like I have a bad premonition. Damn responsible person. She annoys me by making me question so much. I hit the counter in frustration. I wipe my face and leave the restroom. I sigh, seeing the empty hallways. Great, now I’m late. Perfect for a return. I walk slowly and heavily toward my classroom. A few minutes won’t make a difference since I know I won’t be allowed in anyway. When I reach the door, I knock. It opens shortly after.
Miss Batlle makes her grand return and in style, the teacher remarks right away. You start well after more than a week of absence.
Sorry for being late.
Save your pretty words and go to the instructors’ office, will you?
Of course. I know the way! I retorted sarcastically.
What did I say? I wouldn’t be accepted. I reverse course to the office of Bronze and Engen, which I know very well. I had to do archiving with Bronze there on my first day before moving boxes upstairs. I knock on the already open door to announce my presence. It’s a large space where two desks face each other. There are several filing cabinets. Nothing exceptional. There are more than one such room on the first floor. Six to be exact. One for each instructor pair. Naturally, I’m assigned to my responsible person’s. I enter the room, and Engen looks up to greet me. She’s alone, which is strange. Bronze should be here.
Batlle, she calls, surprised. Already on the first day? What brings you here this time?
Late, I grumble, sitting on the chair in front of her desk.
Late? I saw you in the halls earlier. Did I allow you to sit?
Urgent need, I half-lied. I’m not standing until Bronze arrives. Especially since I just got back.
Bronze won’t be here today. I’ll handle you for the day.
What? I blurted out in surprise.
Is that a problem?
Now this is the last straw! She raises her head from her paper, arching an eyebrow. She’s not the problem. It’s Bronze’s absence. It’s a first! She’s never missed a day since I arrived.
Okay, what’s wrong with her? Is it me?
Excuse me? she frowns. What are you talking about?
Why is she absent?
She’s entitled to a day off, isn’t she? Especially after the week she had because of you. And why am I even telling you this? It’s none of your business.
I noticed she wasn’t well this morning...
I lower my head, feeling uneasy under Engen’s scrutiny. I have regrets and don’t even know why. Maybe I spoke too much when I hear her chuckle. I must look ridiculous. I bury my head in my collar, not daring to look at her.
I don’t know which of you two worries more about the other, she murmurs.
What?
Did I hear right? Bronze worries about me? Why would she? She was asking me to keep my distance this morning... So, she talks about me to Engen. This thought warms my heart.
It has nothing to do with you, Batlle. She just has a day off to rest from her week, she explains. Anyway, that’s the end of it. How many hours are you missing due to your refusal?
Two.
Well... she murmurs, thinking. Since she’s absent and she fell behind because of you... You have two hours to sort and alphabetize Bronze’s files, she says, pointing to my responsible person’s desk.
Bronze is more original with punishments.
Stop arguing, Batlle, and get to work.
Just as friendly as Bronze... I sigh and change places, settling into my manager's office chair. Engen looks at me strangely before a sly smile stretches across her lips. She doesn't ask me to move, surprisingly. She continues her work while I focus on the task she assigned me. I don't even know where to start given the number of files scattered on the desk. I don't ask for help and try to do my work without flinching. This place is literally changing me. Just a few days ago, I would never have accepted a punishment without complaining.
Tuesday, November 3; 6:45 PM - Cafeteria
I sit down at my seat, placing my tray on the table. My first instinct is to look at Bronze's table on the educators' side. She wasn't there all day. I know because I was late again this afternoon. Engen had to take care of me. I like her a lot, but Bronze is irreplaceable when it comes to creative punishments. I straighten up in my chair when I finally see her. She's there, at her table, with Engen! We are directly across from each other. It feels like our spots were meant to be. She talks to her colleague without acknowledging me. I hope Engen doesn't say anything. She noticed my remorse because she assured me all day that I had nothing to worry about. I let go, realizing I won't get any sign from her, and try to follow the conversation happening around the table.
"Seriously, it's you?" says Alba.
"You're really in trouble, girl ! They're looking for the culprit, and it looks bad according to the rumors!" adds Lotte.
"I don't care at all," says the one in question, who is none other than Leah.
"What did you do this time?" I ask, getting to the point.
"Oh, nothing very interesting. I just tagged the sign and the walls of the establishment."
"What!?"
"It's not just laps around the field you'll get this time," laughs Alexia. "What are you playing at, seriously? Are you trying to compete with Ona for the number of punishments or what?"
Without thinking, I stand up from my chair under the incomprehensible eyes of my friends. It's my only chance. Too bad if I regret it later. Hopefully, I won't feel bad in the meantime. I walk to the educators' area. I find myself between the two instructors and stare directly into Bronze's eyes. I know Engen is also looking at me, but she's not the one I'm interested in.
"It was me," I blurt out into the void.
"It was you what, Batlle?" Engen intervenes.
"The tags. I did them."
"What the—"
Bronze raised her hand to signal her colleague to be quiet. For the first time since this morning, her eyes land on me. Her green irises pierce through me, giving me goosebumps.
"Really?" she finally asks. "I leave you alone for one day, and you manage to do something like this? Why come forward only now?"
"To take responsibility for my actions. It would be stupid for someone else to face the consequences in my place," I respond confidently.
She looks me up and down. I really don't know if I made the right choice by accusing myself without reason. One thing is certain: it was the only way to get her attention.
"Very well. Go clear your tray," she orders. "I'll deal with you tonight, no matter what state you're in. And you won't even be able to complain tomorrow morning when you wake up."
I manage a smile. My plan worked! My God, it worked! I nod and backtrack to my table. I almost trot with impatience. I'm met with confused looks from everyone at the table.
"What just happened?" asks Alba.
"I pleaded Leah's case by accusing myself."
"What?!" Leah reacts. "But why did you do that? Besides, you're not even really in a state to—"
"Don't worry about it," I cut her off. "Be glad you won't get punished!"
I reassure her ass he knows about my situation regarding the withdrawal. I feel good for a first day, so it should be fine. I think I'm the only person who is eager to get a punishment from Commander Bronze.
"Later, guys."
I go to clear my tray where Bronze is already waiting at the end of the line. I feel her eyes on me the whole time; it's unsettling. Once I'm done, she turns her back to head towards the exit. I follow her without thinking. I take advantage of the silence to observe her. I'm glad to see she has regained her color since this morning. We pass by my room where she orders me to put on sportswear. The commander is back, and I'm almost happy about it. I hurry to change, and we head to the gym. I bite my lip to avoid complaining. I asked for this. It will help me get my muscles working again after lying in bed for a week. Leah will really owe me one for taking the blame for her! We wander through the corridors of the establishment, which are almost unfamiliar to me. I haven't had many sports classes as Bronze often punished me at the same time. We stop in front of a large door that she opens. She pushes me to discover the room. I take a step back, not seeing anything in the darkness. She prevents me from fleeing with an arm around my back and pushes me inside. I'm quickly trapped with her in the room. She turns on the lights to reveal the setting, leaving me speechless. My God, tell me I'm dreaming. We are in the climbing room. What is her goal? I turn to gauge my instructor. She smiles with a raised eyebrow.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. We're starting with this, and then we'll see."
Oh my God... I feel dizzy. I hate climbing. I look at the top. It's really high. There must be at least ten meters of height there!
"What do I have to do?" I ask to be sure.
"It's obvious, Ona. You're going to climb up there," she says, pointing to the top of the wall.
"Are you kidding me?!"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" she retorts. "Stop talking to complain, or I'll have worse in store for you later! You'll do the one at the back. I'll belay you."
"Belay me?"
"Yes, I'll hold you with a rope. I could very well let you climb alone, so be glad."
"Bronze... I can't... I'm afraid of heights," I admit.
"Not my problem," she says indifferently. "You should have thought about that before. Here, take this."
My throat tightens when she hands me a harness. She really has no pity. I imitate her and reluctantly put on the harness. We move to the back of the room to reach the last route. Damn... What mess have I gotten myself into this time? I'll never make it. I'm really afraid of heights and not just a little! Just being on a chair already scares me. I inspect the wall in front of me, covered in numerous holds. Just imagining myself up there makes me dizzy. I look to my left to see an insurmountable wall named Bronze.
"Sorry, but I really can't..."
"It's not negotiable, you should know that. Just don't look down and trust me. Come here."
She ties the loop of my harness with the route's rope. She does it with such ease. I can no longer escape. She gives it a sharp tug to check the knot's solidity. I'm starting to panic. Bronze seems so comfortable with any sport, but that's not my case. She finally takes the other end of the rope to attach it to a metal loop she ties to her harness.
"There, we're ready. You can start. I gave you the easiest route. The holds are big and easy to reach. »
I sigh as I face the climbing wall. The last time I climbed was back in high school, and I was far from being any good. I start to climb, using one handhold, then two, then three... and I'm already stuck. I'm less than a meter off the ground, and I don’t know where to put my foot next.
"To the right, Batlle," she directs me.
"That's way too far!"
"Of course not. Use your legs to climb, not just your hands. You’ll never make it otherwise."
"What kind of punishment is this, seriously?" I snap.
"Alright, enough complaining. Climb that damn wall now. We’re not leaving until you reach the top."
And I know she's serious. Bronze likes things to be finished. Especially punishments. There’s never been one that I’ve abandoned halfway. I place my foot on the hold she indicated and muster all my remaining strength.
"See, you can do it when you try."
I continue climbing higher and higher. I had to stop several times after making the mistake of looking down. Bronze had to reassure me and encourage me to keep going. I have no idea what time it is, but it’s definitely late. I struggle to grasp another hold, and finally, I reach the top! I let out a proud yell, which makes Bronze laugh. It’s the first time I’ve succeeded, and it’s all thanks to her. She made sure I didn’t give up. I sigh in relief.
"Can you lower me down now?"
"No."
"What do you mean, 'no'!?"
I wish I could see her face, just to know if she’s joking. Her voice doesn’t sound like she’s joking. Unfortunately, I can't verify it. I cling to the wall, trying not to let go.
"No. I’m not letting you down. Not yet."
"This isn’t funny! I’m really scared and can hardly hold on. Everything hurts!"
"I’ve got you. You’ll stay up there until you explain why you took the blame for something you didn’t do."
"Excuse me!? What makes you think that? I did it!"
"Those tags were done Sunday night, Ona. Last I checked, we spent the evening together. Besides, the drawings look like they were done by a kindergartener. It would be a disgrace for someone who practices art as a hobby. To top it off, we already found out who the culprit was just before dinner."
Damn it! She got me like a rookie. Here I am, stuck against this wall like an idiot. She brings me back to reality.
"So, Ona. Don’t mess with me and tell me the truth!"
I’m literally backed into a corner. I close my eyes and rest my head against the wall. I have no choice, I have to talk. My limbs are giving out, and my head is spinning. I’m trembling all over. I’ll lose my grip soon.
"I wanted to get your attention..."
"Get my attention?" she repeats, surprised. "Why?"
"You ignored me all day, and I noticed you weren’t doing well this morning... I was afraid it was because of me, even though Engen assured me otherwise."
"You can’t be serious, Ona? You got yourself accused of something so serious just to get to me!?"
"It seemed to be working until now..."
"You’re such an idiot!" she says bitterly. "But you’re brave, I’ll give you that. Alright, let go of the holds. I’ll lower you down."
"I can’t."
"Don’t be ridiculous. Let go!"
"I’m scared!"
She sighs as I cling tighter to the wall. I can’t help it; it’s stronger than me.
"Ona, there’s a reason I made you climb up there."
"Oh really?" I sneer bitterly.
"It’s a trust exercise. I need you to trust me, not just in climbing."
"Stupid exercise!"
I’m on the verge of a panic attack. I’m holding back tears that are welling up in my eyes.
"Ona, please, I won’t let you fall, I promise."
My trembling won’t stop. It’s an awful feeling. I close my eyes to fight against myself. I know I can trust her. I don’t know what I’m waiting for. I take a deep breath before letting go without thinking. I squeak as I swing back and forth, hitting the wall. She stabilizes me before slowly lowering me down. I force myself to open my eyes to see myself floating in the air. My heart is pounding with fear, but it’s not so bad after all. I’m relieved once my feet touch the ground. I collapse against the wall, trying to regain my composure. Bronze smiles at me and crouches down to untie my knot. She really got me this time. She knew it wasn’t me. She just wanted to corner me to make me talk. She surprises me by placing her hand on my forehead to check my temperature.
"You haven’t had any more episodes?"
"No, it was fine today..." I murmur.
"Hmm. Engen told me that you were late. Was that also to get my attention?" she teases.
"The first one wasn’t. Well... not intentionally. The second was to check if you were absent for the day."
She raises an eyebrow before bursting into laughter. It’s a genuine, pleasant laugh. She shakes her head before leaning against the other wall. It’s true it would’ve been smarter to choose the other wall. The climbing wall’s features hurt my back, but I’m too exhausted to move now. I watch her pull her legs up and wrap her arms around them. It’s a very childlike position for her. I savor the silence that follows. I realize I missed her presence today. It doesn’t stop me from feeling stupid for confessing my obsession with her. I watch her stare at an invisible point in front of her, looking completely absent. Several minutes pass before she speaks again.
« Why?"
« What do you mean, « why »? »
« Why did you want to get my attention? » she repeats, finally looking at me intently. « It’s really confusing. Just a week ago, you hated me. »
I lower my head, thinking. She's right. It is confusing given everything I’ve said to her. I don’t even know when my feelings changed. I nervously play with my fingers. Admitting my true feelings would reveal too much. I sigh as I look at the ceiling.
« You’re the only one who cares about me here. Well, no. You’re actually the only one who’s cared about me for years, I correct myself. I appreciate the attention you give me, even if it’s sometimes annoying to have you on my back. I’m sorry for getting so worked up the other night. I felt like everything I thought was wrong and was afraid you’d become cold again like in the beginning . »
« What exactly were you thinking? »
"Well... I thought you were only helping me because you were ordered to. That you were doing it professionally and not because you liked me. »
« Of course, I’m doing it professionally, but not just that, Ona. By accepting Wiegman’s offer, I volunteered to supervise you and enforce the rules. That’s all. The rest is from me. »
I feel remorse now. I lower my head to hide my embarrassment. I’ve been making a fuss over something that doesn’t exist. I suddenly feel really foolish.
« If I really didn’t care about you, I would have let them send you to a rehab center like Wiegman and your mother planned, she adds. I dissuaded them because I trusted you, and I was right to. »
« Thank you…"
« I’m not doing much. »
« Yes, more than you think. »
« Like what, for example? »
« You’re the only one who can stand up to me. You punish me without mercy and manage to make me comply with orders I would never have followed before... You’re also the only one who pushes me to succeed in what I undertake. You show that you trust me, and that reassures me », I conclude.
I’m a real idiot. She wants the best for me, and I keep digging myself deeper. I watch her as she remains silent. She seems lost in thought.
« You have a very contradictory personality, you know? »
« What do you mean? »
« You act like a tough girl who doesn’t care about anything and is afraid of nothing, but after spending time with you... I’ve discovered that you have a serious lack of self-confidence. My punishments have chipped away at your armor. »
I don’t respond. There’s nothing to say since she hit the nail on the head. Bronze is very observant. She just figured out that side of me without me wanting her to. I bite my lip.
« I wanted to thank you for what you did for me this week. »
« It’s normal. »
« I must admit it really pissed me off to see you so down this morning. You don’t hesitate to help me when I have issues, and I can’t even do anything for you. I thought about it so much that I went over every situation from last week, fearing I had done something wrong. »
I need to get this off my chest so she knows how I feel. I felt bad for her. I’m aware that our relationship is evolving, but I hope our attitudes won’t change. I really enjoy annoying her. It’s become my favorite pastime here. It’s fun, and I love that she takes care of me... Even if the punishments aren’t always great.
« I got dumped last night. »
I look at her in disbelief. I don’t know what surprises me more: the fact that she’s confiding something very personal or that she broke the rules. I had already asked her questions about herself, and she had kindly brushed me off.
« The commander dares to break rules? » I reply with humor. « And seriously, did someone actually want you?! »
« Of course they did! » she huffs, hitting me on the shoulder.
« Sorry, »I chuckled. « It was too tempting! »
I managed to get a small laugh out of her. She rests her head against the wall and closes her eyes. She really seems affected. I should have noticed this morning.
« He’s just an idiot. He doesn’t know what he’s missing. »
« Oh really?" she chuckles, looking at me.
« Absolutely. Even though you’re a super annoying commander... I imagine that outside these walls, you must be a nice person. I got a little glimpse of that this week. »
« I’ll remember those words. »
« Hey! That’s out of the question! I’m trying to cheer you up here! »
I managed to get her to laugh a little more. It’s nice to hear, and it reassures me at the same time.
« You say that, but you don’t even know what happened. For all you know, I could be the worst bitch. »
« Is that so?"
« I don’t think so. Only with you when you annoy me. »
« That’s mean. »
« Realistic. »
I smile at her response. I love having these casual, spontaneous conversations with her. I know it’s short-lived, so I’m enjoying it. As soon as we leave this room, I’ll have to deal with the commander again. She’s too obsessed with the rules to be any different.
« How long were you clean before last weekend? »
I sit up at this question. It seems like we’re in a moment of trust. I turn to face her and let my head rest against the wall. Her eyes are looking at me intently, very interested in my forthcoming answer. She’s taking a risk by asking me to open up... I sigh and play with a strand of my hair.
« I left the rehab center on September 18. One year after I entered. »
« Just a week before you came here? » she’s surprised.
« I guess my mother preferred to send me to this hole at the other end of the country rather than risk seeing me relapse, » I chuckle bitterly.
« I’m glad she did »
« Really? » I frown.  « I could have done without a military school. Just like the rehab, actually. It was really my worst experience. »
« Drugs are just a never-ending spiral once you taste them. I hope you won’t fall back into it. »
« It was just a rough patch, that’s all…"
I murmur this as I pull my knees to my chest. I’m very thoughtful about everything I’ve been through.
« «You complain about school, but if she hadn’t sent you here, I wouldn’t have met this cheeky kid you are. »
« That’s true, » I say with a shy smile. « You’re right. »
We enjoy the calming silence after all these emotions. It’s been a long time since I confided in anyone other than Mapi. She didn’t even have to drag it out of me. Mapi got the full story. She won, as she’s now the only one who knows everything. It’s no wonder she’s my best friend. She’s the only one I trust implicitly. I know she’ll never let me go, or she would have done so already.
« Still, I know about your love life before your first name. »
« In your dreams, I’m not telling you ».
« Why? You’ve already broken many rules tonight. One more or less…"
« You’ll find out sooner or later, but not tonight. You already know more than you should. »
I give up to keep the good mood going. I’m curious to know, but it will have to wait. I’ve tried to find out, but no one knows. It feels like a golden rule, but it seems ridiculous.
« If you don’t tell me, then tell me why such a beautiful girl is still single? »
« I don’t think t— »
« Oh come on », I interrupt. « You can talk about it to someone. And besides, who am I going to tell? I have no friends here. »
« No friends? What about the Putellas sisters or Leah and others? » she lists.
« Well, alright... I might have friends... Actually, I didn’t really want any attachments... I hate relationships; they always end up causing pain. Except Alexia didn’t get that memo... She can be very endearing. »
« We’re not so different after all, » she murmurs.
« Why do you say that? »
« I’ve been criticized for not being present enough and not investing enough in my relationships, she confesses. That weekend I couldn’t come home was the last straw. I’m not good with attachments either. I’m actually more of a feelings handicap who runs away at the first sign of trouble. »
« So I’m to blame."
"What? No, of course not! » she quickly responds. « It was planned that I wouldn’t come home the weekend you returned. Wiegman ordered me to keep an eye on you the whole week. I informed them of my absence well in advance. It was just that things were already bad before, and the news didn’t sit well. It’s in no way your fault, I assure you. »
I am to blame, even if she says otherwise. If she had returned, she might still be in a relationship. Can I be selfish for not wanting things to change? If none of this had happened, we wouldn’t be here sharing private conversations. I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. I feel comfortable around her. I no longer feel exposed when confiding in her.
« Do you promise that everything we’ve talked about stays between us? » she asks.
« Of course », I promise. « And I’m not the type to break my promises. »
Time continues to pass. I hope it’s not too late. I’m dead tired, though. This first day has really worn me out. To think that just yesterday I spent the entire day in bed.
« I’m going to take you back to your room, she breaks the silence by standing up. You need to rest. »
« Do you work tomorrow? »
"I suppose I have no choice if I want you to behave. You might try to get my attention. »
« Oh, come on, I chuckle. »
I can tell she’ll bring up this story more than once. I accept her hand that helps me up. We put the equipment back in place before leaving our confessional space. Students are still hanging around in the hallways, which means it’s not yet past ten o’clock. Bronze accompanies me to my room, and I’m glad to see that it’s empty.
« Well then... Good night », she says.
« Thanks for everything, Bronze, » I reply softly.
« See you tomorrow, Batlle. »
I smile as she ruffles my hair. I don’t like the gesture, but coming from her, it doesn’t bother me. Once she’s gone, I head to the bathroom for a quick shower and put on my pajamas. I don’t waste any time sliding under the covers afterward. I’m physically and emotionally exhausted from the day, even though it’s better now. It was a special exchange, and I’m glad I’m the only one who knows about it. I get lost in my thoughts, but it doesn’t stop me from falling asleep effortlessly, with a smile on my lips.
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520cafe · 11 months
Text
sour grapes. the moon is beautiful tonight
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“thanks for tonight blade! did you enjoy yourself?”
with a gentle smile on your face, you averted your gaze to him. however in blade’s ruby-like eyes, his perspective captured the way your eyes gleamed at him as well as the way they possessed the constellations of stars in them.
“yeah, i did.” he replied rather stoically and emotionlessly but, it does not go unnoticed by you. after all, you knew the type of person he was.
“you can’t fool me blade, i already knew you weren’t a fan of mechanical fever.”
instantly, blade quickly coughed into his hand as if he was “guilty” of what you have accused him of. to you, he felt like a book that would slowly reveal its pages one by one.
“if we’re doing something together, it should be something we both enjoy right?” in a way, a part of you felt guilty for having dragged him to the concert but you were appreciative of his time, even if blade somewhat forced himself to push through the concert.
“but still, thanks for taking me blade.. i had fun.”
“yeah.. no problem.”
blade silently muttered before he looked back up at the night sky, with the sea of stars reminding him of your eyes. it was as if the moon and the tiredness of the night was starting to reveal his vulnerability to you, with his heart racing and the difficulty in hiding his tensed expression.
“[name].. do you remember high school?”
his raspy and deep voice speaks up. where did that question come from all of a sudden? feeling suddenly tense by the spontaneous change in tone, you slowly look towards him only to see him avoiding your gaze this time and continuing to admire the noir sky.
“yeah.. i do, what about it?” it could not be helped at the fact that your voice became quiet and shaky. this was a topic that you wanted to avoid at all costs: if you and dan heng were established exes, then what was of you and blade?
“after seeing you again, those memories just keep flooding back to me. again, again and again like some broken record.”
all you were able to do was to stay silent and let blade vent out his feelings. it did not help the fact that there was a small voice in the back of your mind, telling you things that you do not want to hear.
“a part of me just wishes that.. there was at least something between us, instead of—”
“blade, it’s getting late isn’t it?”
“[name]…”
that small voice in the back of your mind was correct, and now it was practically screaming at you. whatever you and blade had at the time of your senior year of high school, it was the last thing you want you think about; especially when you were still trying to figure out your feelings for dan heng, which was highly conflicting and contradicting.
“come on blade, let’s go back to the dorms.”
it’s quite difficult to describe what kind of relationship you and blade had at the time. it was one that was intimate, romantic and dependant on each other and yet, there wasn’t an exact label to that either. both of you were relying on each other just to overcome an obstacle that was called a “heartbreak.” even when you somewhat got over dan heng, it seems that blade just couldn’t get enough of you, even if you didn’t feel the same way.
a situationship: one that is undefined, it is more than a friendship but less than a romantic one.
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🍇 SOUR GRAPES 〈 25 the moon is beautiful tonight
━━ MASTERLIST. ╱ PREV. ╱ NEXT.
╰► SYNOPSIS. after being in the same tight-knit friend group for over a few months now, suspicions begin to rise when march, seele and bronya start to notice the awkward tensions between you and dan heng. little did they know, you and dan heng were once high-school sweethearts who shared a romantic and fairytale-like past where the pages only lasted for a year. this heartbreak led you to meet another unfortunate victim of cupid but that chapter flew away as quick as stardust. yet, it appears that you two were also destined to cross paths once more.
╰► [ a/n ] : yikes forever also woahhh “relationship” reveal for [name] and blade!!!!!!! ahahahaha… 🧍‍♂️”from the start” by laufey anyone? 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️
━━ TAGLIST (closed) @lauvwar-r @sunsethw4 @shizu-c @amyena @zephestia @loudeggbananaranch @lunavixia @twistedrxses @shinjuuz @danhenglovebot @flos-veritatis @sammy-hammy @kiwidoves @aeongiies @heartswonder @lilactaro @lunnaeclipse @bladesdarling @hansel-the-pierrot @astro-pioneer @aquatikk @obervation-subject-753 @vellichxrr6782 @rubberduckieyourtheone @viovya @stayriki @ceylestia @starryeyedkoko @theflameofyoursoul @kalims @liminalimmortal
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wearethewinx · 1 year
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I SAID I wanted to talk about Aisha:
It's been theorized that Aisha doesn't want to be a princess. I strongly disagree. She takes her role as the princess of Andros extremely seriously, and imo she clearly WANTS to be a good ruler. Yes, she snuck out to dance sometimes and refused her arranged marriage, but that NEVER stopped her from doing her Princess Duties, and she doesn't have baggage around the decorum of her station. She deploys it effortlessly when beneficial and takes it off just as easily. She drops everything at a moment's notice to return to Andros at the slightest sign of trouble to Be Their Princess
She is DEVOTED and LOYAL. Like, maybe the most of all the winx? She knew Flora for like, a week, and that was enough friendship currency for her to BREAK INTO HELIA'S ROOM AND PAW THROUGH HIS SHIT. Yeah Stella committed identity fraud for Bloom on day 1, but that's Stella. Aisha is responsible! Considers her actions carefully! EXCEPT when a friend needs a favor
That devotion includes her parents. Aisha's respect for her mother is paramount, even after the betrothal fiasco, and that's not just a passive thing. She proudly says "source: my mother told me and she's NEVER wrong" in class. I really wish we got to see more of Aisha's relationship with her parents
She knows a lot about poetry and speaks many languages. Again, I just wish we saw more of this
Basically homeschooled
Her royal education doesn't seem to include magic? Which is SUPER interesting to me. Every other princess we meet except Diaspro is canonically some kind of magic student, but Aisha seems self-taught. While every other princess in the magic dimension is learning to be a fairy or sorceress, the princess of Andros is learning diplomacy, fencing, languages, poetry, dancing, etiquette. That says a lot about Androssi royalty!
She's gentle
GENUINELY KIND OF A MAN HATER
I feel like Aisha is often flattened as 'the strong one' (and I do have personal beef w/ how people incorporate that into her design- she's sporty, not a bodybuilder. Dancing, motorcycling, and surfing are not activities that lend themselves to big bulky biceps!!) and I really think that's a boring disservice to her. IMO she's the sort of person who would really appreciate and treasure little friendship tokens, and spend a lot of time just. Trying to do nice things for the winx, and solve their problems. She treasures quiet time spent together.
Helia loving her (despite Aisha thinking he's a loser) because she knows a lot of philosophy and has a good command over her Vibes. Her and Brandon Doing Sports together bc the other Winx aren't interested and the other specialists annoy her too much, and them becoming catty frenemies. Aisha knowing about the history of Domino and the legend of the Dragon Fire, and bonding with Bloom over it. Bloom drawing a picture of the Winx together and Aisha keeping it forever. Aisha still being scared of the dark and Stella giving her a magical light. Musa helping Aisha plan something special to celebrate the Day of the Rose. Tecna Musa and Aisha bonding over the difficulty they have being openly emotional. Flora and Aisha fretting over eachother's well-being and bonding over their shared sense of responsibility to their families
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moonlight-prose · 1 year
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finding excuses to be alone with each other with miguel??
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ME VUELVES LOCA
a/n: my first ever miggy fic!!! babes i am so fucking excited to be writing for this man. our dms are literally just filled with thoughts about him and that gave me so much inspo to write this. i've tried to get his voice down, but honestly i don't think i nailed it quite yet. still i hope you enjoy! (the title is named after such a beautiful song by lupita infante. i definitely recommend her music.)
note: thank you to @sunflowersteves for beta reading and easing my mind that this sounds like miggy. you're lovely darling.🖤
summary: "for weeks you’d been playing this cat and mouse game. trying to put off the attraction you felt in the hopes that this would dissolve into friendship once more."
word count: 0.9k+
pairing: miguel o'hara x reader
warnings: not explicit, tad bit of angst (because it's me), fluff, the beginnings of love, soft miggy.
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If there’s one thing you can say for certain it’s this: finding a lick of privacy in the otherwise crowded Spider Society was near impossible. In fact it had surpassed being in the realm of near impossible to never achievable. Wherever you turned there was a Spider in need of help. Asking for the one person who always managed to get dragged away from your secretive plans.
Miguel wasn’t one to push off someone’s request for help. Yet the many inconveniences that pulled him away from you seemed to only drive him towards one solution. Doing what he could to steal away every moment that he had with you. He wasn’t oblivious—he knew people could see the way you looked at each other. Yet asking him the truth was never an option, and you were always swift in an escape plan whenever the question arose.
He didn’t mind you evading the truth. Given that he wasn’t one to be entirely open with everyone—he found you keeping whatever you had private admirable. Hell he even encouraged it.
Except for today that is.
“Miguel I know it’s a lot to ask but—” He felt his back stiffen at the sound of Peter’s voice behind him; the expectation of a request not far behind.
You had sent him a message asking him to meet you in an empty office twenty minutes ago, and he was adamant on making it there on time. But that possibility seemed to drift farther and farther away the longer he stood here. Peter’s cheery expression only soured Miguel’s. He had half a mind to make up something and escape, but the urge to help continued to gnaw at him.
“What?” he asked, attempting to keep his voice calm—steady.
“This mission is kind of well a little harder than most. Not that it’s impossible. I mean nothing’s impossible. But I was wondering if you—”
A message from Lyla let him know that you were indeed five minutes away from being stood up yet again. Something weighed heavy in his chest, a feeling he was used to harboring when it came to you. And he hated it. Shutting his eyes briefly he staved off the annoyance that built the longer Peter yammered on about the difficulty of one mission. If it were any other time, if you weren’t waiting patiently for him to show up, then he’d have agreed.
But that wasn’t the case.
“Dios mío,” he muttered, finally turning around. “Peter you’re capable right?”
The man froze. “I mean…yeah I’d say I was.”
“Then you don’t need me.”
“Yeah but Miguel—”
“I’ve got another mission to handle.” The excuse flowed with ease off his tongue. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d done this—having made up every excuse in the book just to steal away time with you. He was certain you had done the same, knowing you were meant to be helping Gwen with something in the labs.
Peter seemed to catch onto the urgency of Miguel’s tone, but not in the way he hoped. A sly smile spread across his lips as he leaned in to nudge Miguel on the shoulder. If there ever was a moment to grasp onto any level of peace in his body—now was it. He was halfway to throwing Peter out of his office.
“I get you,” he said, backing away with his hands up. “The mission is much more important.”
“Get out.”
Peter was gone before Miguel could finish the word out—finally giving him the peace and satisfaction he desired. Instructing Lyla to close up everything behind him, he made his way towards the empty office—hoping you were actually still there. He couldn’t exactly blame you if you weren’t. It was rough finding ways to meet up, away from everything and everyone here.
Finding excuses seemed to be your way to go about things.
The door was shut and locked by the time he reached it, but that was easy enough to bypass. Given that you were most likely resting on the inside he figured it would be better to slip in silently. Sure enough he found you settled in a chair, your eyes opening to see him shutting the door softly behind him, a grin on his lips.
“I’m a mission huh?” you mumbled, standing and stretching with a groan.
He snorted, his eyes falling to the way you bent—watching you step closer. “Didn’t have anything else to say.”
“I suppose I could be a mission.”
“Yeah? And what was your excuse?”
You shrugged, leaning against the desk with a grin. “I told Gwen I was needed for repairs.”
“On what?”
Crossing your legs, you watched him take a step. “Don’t think it matters? She wouldn’t have believed me anyways.”
For weeks you’d been playing this cat and mouse game. Trying to put off the attraction you felt in the hopes that this would dissolve into friendship once more. But you could see it in Miguel’s eyes that he wasn’t interested in friendship. Hell he wasn’t even interested in taking things slow. Neither were you it seemed.
“I guess they know,” he muttered, his thighs pressing against your knees.
You smiled, reaching up to trace the Spider insignia across his chest. “Guess they do.”
“What now?”
Pulling him closer, you tried to keep yourself calm when he willingly fell into your hold, his body hunching down to meet yours. “We figure it out later,” you whispered, your nose barely brushing his. He grinned the sharp point of his fangs poking through. “Good.”
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Hiii could you make a dating Talbott Winger headcannons I love him so much and I really think he’d be like the I hate everyone but you trope
A/N: I'm sorry that it took such a long time for me to write but I was battling with stress and life lately, and now that I'm fine, I started to have so many ideas but I need to finish request and write the chapters that had been waiting for ages in my documents lol.
And thank you everyone, who waited patiently!
P.S: I don't remember whne this ask was sent so I'm gonna put this on my "Summer Celebration" post!
Requests are OPEN!
𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑇𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑜𝑡𝑡 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑠...
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We all know Talbott is a silent boy, he prefers to stay away from trouble unlike a certain person that has his interest, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't have an adventurous side of him.
Yet, I still believe that he likes to have some kind of... control? When doing something? Like, yeah, he takes risks.
Just not extreme risks
Or, if you were to introduce him to some muggle vehicles, I think he would love to ride a bike with you and watch as your laugh would be carried to hus ears as the sight of you all happy and glowing would consume him.
Yeah, our boi definetly has a way with words.
Except the point that he made you swear to never talk about the first time he tried it as you showed how to bike, and he fell hard while being busy admiring you in return.
You, of course, accepted it with a giggle but not without crossing your finger because Bill demanded he had to know everything about your date.
He also swoons whenever you beat someone's ass in dueling. There were many times you rocked people's shits, especially Merula's since she always demanded one only to loose, to the point that no one actually stood a chance against you and refused to train.
Proud boyfriend Talbott and proud mama Bill moment 🥺😭
Like really, there isn't something you would do/make that he wouldn't be proud of and supportive
Crochet? Amazing, could you make a hat or a swan plushie? Draw? Excellent! Maybe you could teach me a few things, dove? You want to deceive the first years by playing an innocent game? Well, it's not like him... But he would be down with it anyways, especially after the ultimate "puppy eyes" weapon.
For some reasons, I see his whole vibe with you as Harry Style's "Golden" song 😭😭🥰🥰
It's literally the song that phrases your relationship!
"I know you were way too bright for me/ I'm hopeless, broken, so you wait for me in the sky..."
" Don't wanna let you know I don't wanna be alone/ But I can feel it take a hold, I can feel it take a hold..."
"I can feel you take control, I can feel you take control/ Of who I am, and all I've ever known lovin' you's the antidote..."
Since he didn't have his parents from a young age, and that they were killed right in front of him, Talbott had difficulties with associating himself with people around him.
That doesn't mean he hated them, or didn't want to talk. He did, he really did... He just didn't know how, and was scared that they would be gone too.
Especially early in your "friendship" that he often denied, but secretly liked the taste of the word on his tongue, he pushed and pushed people away, especially you... until only he was left.
But hey, it was a good thing that you were a persistent little shit because not only you were able to befriend him and show the true colors of life, show him that many people cared about him, you also took his heart and soul for yourself... like, for good.
Yeah, Talbott is definetly one of those rare guys who would stay loyal to his partner until the day he died and then even more.
If there was one thing you never expected from him by how he seemed so reserved, it was the fact that he was clingy when alone. Like, eagle boy would do anything to cuddle, hold hands with you, kiss and hug and do anything you ask for.
His hand holding is much more frequent than other forms of PDA. Talbott isn't very keen on them, since he hates attention, but hand holding under the table disecretly happens a lot.
He sits with you during breakfast and dinner, evennif you were in a different house, and your friends tease you for it affectionately.
He especially hold your hand thightly when he feels overwhelmed, or sad because of remembering his mother... to feel grounded, because he often feels like he lives in auto mode where he doesn't actually know what he is doing and doesn't have control.
That's when you step in.
When that happens, and Talbott usually tries to make it all go away through drowning himself in his studies, you would often look for him in thr library. But since he didn't want you to disturb your own peace just to find him, and he also didn't want to be found in a fragile state, he would go for less predictable areas.
He knew it saddened you whenever he refused to talk about his problems, he was aware and it broke his heart too... But he was scared.
You were the best thing that happened to him, even when he thought and still thinks he wasn't worth being loved, even when he thought he wouldn't find any ounce of happiness... Because why would he? He didn't have anyone left from his family at such a young age, his other relatives didn't care much and he was bad at socialising.
He fought and fought, but for what?
But then you came, stubbornly wanting to be his friend... Alongside the huge friend group you brought, and now he had a lot to loose but also a lot he gained.
He didn't understand why someone like you, the hero of Hogwarts, would find anything in him to activelly seek out to be friends with him...
But whatever it was, he was glad. Glad for your stubborn heart, glad because thanks to you, he found a new family.
You healed his aching heart with your sweet smiles, reassuring words and selflessness. Slowly but surely, you settled deep in his heart and after time, he realized he loved you... Immensely.
He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment obviously, but maybe... he always loved you, while watching from afar... While you won Quidditch, solved the mysteries about the Vaults, saved the school one many times... Or how you achieved more than average witch in your age, or how you risked your whole school life just to help him find the necklace of his mother.
Perhaps he realized right then and there that yes, he was in love with you and yes, he was already too deep to get out of that hole that was love.
And he didn't want to, for he was used to darkness when you came with the light of your eyes and heart, and saved him.
He could never be that boy he once was, and he didn't want to. Because now, he had you and a future to hold on to.
You both were the ones who confessed first, under the night sky as you both blushed at the cliche sight but you were content, happy to call this amazing, kind, thoughful and strong boy your lover.
Like I said before, there are a lot of things he wants to do with you: Travel together, have late night dinner dates, go to a beach, have a little cabin at the outskirts of Scotland...
But above all... There is one thing he wants to do with you the most one thing that often has him blushing and unable to sleep.
Grow old with you.
NOW TO THE FUN PART, ENOUGH DEPRESSING
Whenever you try to find him, out of class and studying sessions you both have, he is in the Owlery and all the owl LOVES him! Like really, whenever you two hang out in the school grounds, a flock of them comes and finds him and perches on both of your shoulders happily while picking on your hairs or hiding behind them in a way of playing with you.
He loves jewelries, mostly necklaces and bracelets, so whenever you buy something for yourself, he demands one too.
And he also loves matching with you too, so any necklaces, he's matching with you. It's one of the subtle ways of telling everyone that you/he was taken.
All the teachers and your friends knew you two would be end game, from how in love you both seemed and how Talbott started to smile genuinely after such a long time.
But what sealed it for you both was when he asked you to come to the Owlery, that he had an important thing to say and hive to you.
Imagine your surprise when he looked at you so softly and offered the necklace that had his mother's swan feather, accompanied with the pendants of his initials.
"This necklace used to be the sign of all the things I lost, a reminder of death... But I know my mum would have wanted you to have it, the girl who means so much to me, who I imagine my life to be spent with... I want this to be the sign of our love and my loyalty to you, for you to carry on your neck and hopefully never take it out... If you will have it and me..."
Like I said, he is a one-woman kind of boy and when you start a relationship and things started to get serious and deep, Talbott wouldn't shy away from hinting at marriage and a life together.
Because if this didn't show you the depth of his love, I don't know what would.
Another cute gesture he does with you, especially in like 6th or 7th year, is to wrap his arms around you from behind and put his chin on top of your head after laying a tender kiss there. ( why do boys get so much taller in like a few months when I'm stuck at the same height for the rest of my life 😭)
You two often visit and stay until late in the Owlery. That place had become some kind of a safe space for you both, where you can be with each other in silent, read books or simply feed the owls happily.
OMG HIS FAVOURITE WAY OF SPENDING TIME WITH YOU IS READING ❤️😍
You liked reading books by yourself, but when your boyfriend had a raspy voice and was food at imitations of the characters, you didn't have to do anything except laying back on his chest as you buried yourself in his smell as he read to you, thightenung his hold on your frame.
But just as you loved being read to, he actually likes it as well. He is just bad at showing and telling that. But whenever you see him looking at a book, then at you with a pout, you know what he wants.
And who were you to deny him of that when he looked so cute?
Madam Pince, even though she resented you for pranking her and was close to banning you from the library, was now looking at you and your boyfriend softly because one, you finally weren't there to break the rules but rather trully reading and two, you also helped her clean the library with Talbott too.
But none of you needed to know.
Now that I mentioned her, all the teachers have had bets about your love life. Like when one of you will confess, when you will have a kiss, when you will have a date etc.
And quite creepily, Minerva and Flitwick almost all the time knows when and where and wins quite a few galleons.
Snape couldn't care less, because he hated your guts... Or mayyybee he was slightly interested since you gifted him a cake and offered good mornings every day even though he would snap and he started to not hate you but just dislike.
Sprout was just happy to see her two favourite students together, alongside with Minerva, and offered her blessing with an enchanted flower that would never wilt.
But Dumbledore? Oh, he always knew from the start and didn't bother with such childish act... but he had bets going on with others in the ministry soo~ (Don't get me wrong, I still hate him.)
You know when Hermione said that girls could get in boys' dormitory but they couldn't enter girls'?
Yeah, there were many times you did that, at the beginning for cuddles... And later in your last year, for different things *wink wink*
Ehem, another act he loves doing are ( and I need to say, if a man did that to me, I would simply melt) taking your hand in his and putting it on his chest, where his heart is and kissing your forehead and lingering his lips there for a few seconds more.
Just imagine the feels and how hard your heart would beat I-
FLOWERS! YOU BOTH GIVE EACH OTHER FLOWERS ALL THE TIME!
You giving him flowers actually has a funny story because you thought he wouldn't like them, especially early in your relationship
But you couldn't help but think that daisies would look good on his dark, long hair
So you hastily went to Hogsmeade, came back in a hurry and sent a letter to him through your owl to meet you in the Owlery
It was definetly worth seeing the dark red tint on his skin when tou explained why you wanted to give him them
"I wanted to show you that I care and love you a lot, and flowers are a great way to show it, especially since I enchanted them!.. And by your reaction, I'll do that more in the future!"
And yes, you did so... Even after being married for such a long time, eventually having kid/s and in your 60-70
And he never stopped blushing and returning the gesture just as sweetly, always adding a little blessing and thanks to Merlin for bringing you into his life
This headcanons are already taking so long so I'll stop here before it gets out of control lol
And I'll go and continue crying at the corner because I don't have a Talbott in my life 🥺
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sleekervae · 17 days
Text
The Bride [1.0]
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Masterlist
Pairing: billy the kid x fem!reader
Summary: Billy leaves the Seven Rivers Gang
Warnings: cursing, slander, violence, shooting, death
Word Count: 4,641
Tag List: @poppyflower-22 @ponyslayer
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Billy stood at the edge of the gathering, his face set in a determined expression as he addressed Jesse, Bob, John, and the rest of the gang. The murmurs and laughter of the group fell silent as he spoke up.
“Where you been, Billy?” Jesse's voice cut through the quiet, tinged with suspicion.
“Around,” Billy replied evenly.
“Yeah. And where's that?” Bob asked with a hint of irritation, his gaze narrowing.
Billy took a deep breath, knowing this was a conversation he had to have. “I came to tell you something. I’m quitting Major Murphy’s payroll.”
A tense silence settled over the group, the weight of Billy's words sinking in. “I’ve accepted a job with the Englishman, Tunstall. I’m leaving today.”
John's face darkened, his eyes blazing with anger. “Well, you are a little piece of shit, ain’t you? Huh. What’d I say? Hmm?"
Jesse, struck between shock and his own fury, stepped forward, "Billy, I’m your oldest friend. We’ve ridden together a long time. We had some good times, we had some bad times, but our friendship… has always remained. I can’t believe that you’re gonna quit on me now. It don’t make any sense.”
Billy met Jesse’s gaze steadily. “I’m sorry, Jesse. This wasn’t an easy decision to make. I’ve made up my mind.”
“Yeah. That you’re a traitor and our enemy,” Bob spat out.
"This is all that girl's fault, I reckon!" another one snapped, "He took one look at her and it was game over!"
“This has nothing to do anybody else. I just came here to tell you in person.” Billy reasoned, his eyes remained resolute. “Some of us have been friends. When this is all done, we can be friends again.”
Bob's laughter was bitter and cold. “Is that what you’re hoping? That we’re gonna be friends?” He scoffed, the sound echoing harshly as his hand come over his holster, “Do you really think we’re just gonna let you leave? After what you’ve just done?”
Jesse stepped in, trying to defuse the situation, “Boys, boys. We’ve all slept, starved, fought with The Kid. See, he’s trusted himself amongst us. He didn’t sneak out. He came right out and told us. Let him go his way.”
Jesse’s eyes remained fixed on Billy, the fury in them still burning bright. “Our time will come.”
Billy nodded, acknowledging the truth in Jesse’s words. “Yeah. It will.”
As Billy turned to leave, Jesse’s gaze lingered on him, a mixture of anger and reluctant respect in his eyes. Despite the bitterness of the moment, he couldn’t deny the courage it took for Billy to face them directly. The tension in the air was thick, but Jesse’s voice softened as he muttered under his breath, “Chickenshit.”
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Eleanor darted around her small room, her hands trembling as she hastily stuffed her belongings into a worn leather trunk. Clothes were half-folded, crumpled, and tossed in with barely a glance. The once neatly arranged items now lay in chaotic disarray. She grabbed a small stack of letters from her desk and scribbled furiously, the scratching of her pen almost frantic.
Billy, I’m sorry. I can’t stay. I don’t know where I’m going, but I can’t stay here. I hope you find happiness, even if I can’t be part of it. All my love, Eleanor
She folded the note and slipped it into an envelope, her hands shaking.
Quickly, she moved to another piece of paper.
Dear Mr. Tunstall, I must resign from my position effective immediately. This decision comes with great difficulty, but circumstances have forced my hand. Sincerely, Johana Delile
With a sharp exhale, she folded the resignation letter and set it on the desk. Her heart pounded in her chest, each thud resonating with the urgency of her departure. She grabbed the last few items—a photograph, a book, a small box of keepsakes—and shoved them into her bag.
Just as she was about to snap the trunk shut, a loud knock echoed through her tiny room. Eleanor froze, her breath catching in her throat. The noise was sharp, unyielding, and it made her heart skip a beat. She stood still, her hand hovering over the latch of the trunk, the last vestiges of her resolve crumbling in the face of unexpected visitors.
Her mind raced, trying to process who could be knocking at her door now, and why. She glanced at the clock, realizing she was out of time. The knocking persisted, more insistent. Panic set in as she took a deep breath, her hand trembling as she slowly reached for her switch blade, the echo of each knock reverberating in her ears...
Billy's heart raced as he approached Tunstall's store. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the street, and his mind buzzed with a mix of relief and anticipation. His encounter with Jesse and the gang had been rough—bitterness and anger had hung heavy in the air, but now, with that chapter behind him, he was eager to share his news with Eleanor.
He swung open the door to the store. The interior was dim, lit by the warm glow of lamps that cast flickering shadows on the shelves of goods. Billy's eyes searched for Eleanor, but the store was empty except for Sam, who was behind the counter, arranging a stack of papers.
“Sam!” Billy called out, trying to keep his voice steady despite the lingering tension from earlier. “I’m here to see Johana. I’ve got some good news to share.”
Sam looked up from his work, his brow furrowing in concern. “Billy. I'm sorry but -- Johana's not here,”
Billy’s heart sank. “What do you mean, she's not here? She's off?”
"No, she just... didn't show up," Same replied, his expression troubled. “She usually keeps to her schedule pretty well. I'd go check on her, but I'm the only one on today. I can't leave. I thought she might have been delayed, but it’s been a few hours now. I’m worried,”
Billy’s mind raced. The excitement of sharing his news with Eleanor had shifted to concern. He stepped further into the store, glancing around as if expecting her to appear at any moment. “Can you think of anything? Maybe she said something about her taking off in passing?”
Sam shook his head. “Nothing. I haven’t heard a word. She didn’t mention anything unusual before she last left. The only thing that's happened is the army caravan riding into town,”
Billy’s heart pounded in his chest, "The US Army?"
"Is there another one?"
The mention of the army caravan immediately set off alarm bells in his mind. If the army was rolling in, then there was a good to fair chance Captain Harbinger was closing in. Maybe he's spotted her? Maybe he grabbed her?
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he looked at Sam. “When did they arrive?”
Sam’s face was indifferent as he replied, “Just last night night, I think. I saw them pull in and set up camp across the street,”
Billy’s thoughts raced. The coincidence of the caravan arriving just a day before she went missing was too significant to ignore. He couldn’t shake the feeling that her disappearance might be connected to the soldiers’ arrival.
“Did she say anything about it?” Billy asked urgently.
Sam shook his head. “I was already gone. Is she wrapped up in some kind of trouble?”
Billy’s worry deepened. He could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him, "You could say that," He had to find Eleanor, and he had to do it quickly. He gave Sam a nod, barely registering his thanks as he turned and headed back out the door.
As he rushed toward the boarding house, every step felt like a battle against the rising tide of panic and dread surging through him. His thoughts were a chaotic whirlwind of fear and urgency. Eleanor's safety was at stake, and the realization of how dire the situation had become fueled his desperation.
He pushed himself faster, weaving through the bustling streets, his breath coming in sharp, ragged bursts. The sight of the army caravan loomed like a dark omen in his mind, each passing moment heightening the sense of impending disaster. He scanned every shadow, every alleyway, praying for a glimpse of Eleanor or a sign that she had escaped whatever threat was closing in on her.
The stakes had soared to a terrifying height, and the weight of his mission bore down on him with crushing intensity. His heart pounded furiously against his ribs, the urgency of the moment leaving no room for second-guessing. With every beat, he felt the crushing fear of arriving too late, of failing her when she needed him most. He pushed onward, driven by the desperate hope that he wasn’t too late to save her from whatever danger loomed just out of sight.
Billy burst into the dimly lit lobby of the boarding house, his eyes scanning the room for the desk clerk. The clerk looked up from behind the counter, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern at the sight of Billy’s frantic demeanor.
“Excuse me,” Billy said, his voice edged with urgency. “I’m looking for Johana Delile. Have you seen her? It’s really important.”
The clerk’s face tightened. “You just missed her. She left with her bags not ten minutes ago,”
Billy’s heart dropped. “Left? Where did she go?”
The clerk shook his head, apologetically. “I don’t know. She didn’t say where she was headed, just asked me to bring up her bill so she could pay. I’m sorry.”
A rush of frustration and fear surged through Billy. “Damn it,” he muttered, turning on his heel. “Thank you.”
He dashed back out into the street, his mind racing with possibilities. Eleanor was gone, and with the army caravan in town, he knew he had to find her before it was too late. He felt the gravity of the situation settle over him, pushing him forward with a renewed sense of urgency.
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Eleanor’s hands were shaking as she finished packing the last of her belongings onto her horse. The familiar, comforting routine of preparing for travel was now tainted by a sense of imminent danger. She glanced over her shoulder, her breath hitching when she heard the unmistakable voice she dreaded most.
“Hello, Eleanor,”
The blood-curdling tone made her spine go rigid. She spun around, her heart pounding in her chest. Captain Harbinger stood there, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over her. His eyes were cold, and the cruel scowl on his face sent a chill down her spine.
"Captain," she started casually, hoping to keep things pleasant, "Been a long time. You're moustache is longer,"
“It's been a long time, indeed. Over a year I’ve been looking for you,” Harbinger said, his voice dripping with menace. “You didn’t think you could just run away from me, did you? I paid for you. You’re mine.”
Eleanor’s mind raced, her thoughts scattered as she tried to stay calm. “Harbinger, please. You don’t have to do this. I... I have money. Lots of it. I can pay you back what you paid my father!”
Harbinger’s eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. “Pay me back? You think you can just pay me back after everything? I won’t have it. You’re coming back with me to Rosario, and you’ll be my wife whether you like it or not.”
She glanced at her packed belongings, then at the horse. Her escape route was close, but Harbinger’s presence made it impossible to act without getting caught. “I’m not going back with you,” she said, her voice steadying despite the fear clawing at her. “I have a life here. I—”
Harbinger’s eyes flared with anger, cutting her off. “A life? You had a life before I paid your dowry. And what a waste of a life it was—slaving away in a stuffy office, hucking mud and shit out of the stables, and cleaning up after your father’s drunken stupors. He was your burden. I freed you. And now, you’ll do as you’re told.”
The venom in his words struck Eleanor like a physical blow. Her fear began to twist into searing anger, her heart racing with fury. She could feel the rage bubbling up inside her, fueled by the insult to her father—the only family she had left.
“My father was no burden!” Eleanor spat, her voice shaking with both fear and anger. “He had his problems, sure. But he was twice the man you'll ever be!”
Harbinger’s smirk grew wider, his eyes gleaming with malice. “He was nothing but a stumbling drunk. I could've offered him a bottle of whiskey and he would've handed you over to me without question.”
Eleanor’s hands trembled as she reached into her pocket, pulling out her switchblade with a swift motion. The cold metal glinted in the sunlight as she brandished it, her anger transforming into a fierce resolve. “I ain't coming back with you. I'd rather be laid out to die and have the coyotes on me then ever even consider being your wife,”
Harbinger’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face as he took in the sight of the blade. “Eleanor, put that away. You don’t know what you’re—”
“I know exactly what I’m doing!” she interrupted, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her.
Harbinger’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of disbelief crossing his face as he took in the sight of the blade. He smirked, pulling out his gun with a deliberate slowness. “A knife? Really? You bring a knife to a gunfight?”
Eleanor’s resolve hardened, but her fear was palpable, “John Riley murdered his wife last night, and if you think I'm coming back with you only to end up the same way, you got another thing coming to you!”
Harbinger’s smirk twisted into a cruel grin as he leveled the gun at her. “You think you’re tough with that little thing? Come on, then! Let's see how brave you are!” he held his arms out, "I'm wide open!"
Eleanor wanted nothing more then the gouge his eyes out, to draw her knife over his neck and slit his throat from ear to ear. She would've enjoyed it to, because without certainty, she would've been free. She could bury him somewhere, he'd disappear, become a legend, and she could move on in peace.
But alas, Eleanor couldn't move. Because at the same time, Eleanor had never killed anyone. That was a line so many people in her life as crossed, she herself couldn't bring herself to move.
Before she could react, Harbinger came at her, the gun striking her hand with a brutal impact. The switchblade flew from her grasp, clattering against the ground. Harbinger seized her wrist, his grip ironclad as he wrestled her down. Her horse, spooked, took off into the desert.
Panic exploded within Eleanor as she struggled against him, but his grip was like iron, unyielding and merciless. His face was close enough that she could feel the heat of his breath, the rancid stench of his breath mixing with her own desperation. “You’re coming with me, whether you like it or not,” he growled, his voice a cold, menacing promise.
The fight felt interminable, the searing sun casting harsh shadows on their tangled forms. Each second dragged on, each movement a battle against the suffocating despair. Harbinger’s grip tightened with relentless force, his strength sapping Eleanor’s resolve and hope. Her vision blurred with tears of frustration and fear, the fight slipping from her grasp as she felt her strength drain away under his brutal hold.
Just as Harbinger was about to secure her, a shout cut through the chaos. “Hey! Get your hands off her!”
Billy’s voice was a roar of anger and desperation. He charged in, tackling Harbinger with a force that sent both men sprawling to the ground. The gun skidded away as Billy grappled with him, his fury evident in every move.
Eleanor scrambled away, her breaths ragged as she looked up to see Billy wrestling Harbinger off her. She saw him pull the man from her, throwing punches with a ferocity born of deep concern.
Harbinger fought back, but Billy’s determination and strength were unmatched. With a final shove, Billy threw Harbinger to the ground, panting heavily as he stood over him.
“Stay the hell away from her,” Billy growled, his eyes locked on Harbinger with a fierce intensity.
Harbinger’s eyes flickered with sudden recognition as he looked up and saw Billy rushing towards them. The realization hit him like a jolt, and a cruel smile twisted on his lips. “Well, well, well,” he sneered, “If it isn’t the infamous Kid Antrim himself.”
He turned back to Eleanor, his eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction. “Looks like I’ve struck gold,” he said, his voice dripping with malice. “Not only do I find my runaway bride, but I also snag the outlaw they’ve been hunting.”
His gaze shifted back to Billy, a malicious glint in his eyes. “And here I thought today couldn’t get any better. You two are just making it too easy.” he staggered to his feet, spitting out blood, "Let me guess, she told you some sob story about running away from a loveless marriage and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker. She’s quite the little lady, isn’t she!" He laughed, a grating sound that sent shivers down Eleanor's spine.
Billy glared at Harbinger, his fists clenched by his side. "Leave her out of this, Harbinger. You know nothing about her or me," he growled, his voice a low rumble.
Harbinger just laughed again, the sound like nails on a chalkboard to Eleanor's ears. "Oh, but I know more than you think, Kid. And I'm going to enjoy killing you in front of her," he said, his eyes taking on a dark, maniacal gleam.
Billy barely had time to react before Harbinger's fist connected with his jaw, sending him staggering backward. The impact echoed through the dusty clearing.
Billy’s head spun, but he quickly regained his footing, his eyes blazing with fury. He lunged at Harbinger, landing a solid punch to his ribs. The two men clashed with a ferocity that was almost primal, exchanging blows with a violence that sent dust and debris flying into the air.
Harbinger grunted as he took a punch to the stomach but retaliated with a brutal swing of his fist that caught Billy square in the face. Billy stumbled, his vision blurring momentarily. Harbinger seized the opportunity, grabbing Billy by the collar and throwing him to the ground.
Eleanor’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the brutal struggle between Billy and Harbinger. With her switchblade clutched tightly in her trembling hand, she knew it was too small to make a real impact in this deadly confrontation. Desperation fueled her actions as she launched herself at Harbinger, trying to wrestle him away from Billy.
Harbinger’s powerful shove sent her crashing to the ground. Eleanor hit the dirt hard, her skin scraping against the rough surface. Pain flared as she felt the sting of cuts and scrapes, and her lip split open, blood mingling with the dirt. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she struggled to push herself up, her mind racing for a way to help Billy despite the agony of her injuries.
Billy scrambled to his feet, wiping blood from his nose. His fury only heightened when he saw Eleanor in the dirt, and he charged back at Harbinger with a renewed determination, landing a series of quick, powerful punches. Harbinger, despite his size and strength, was momentarily overwhelmed by Billy’s relentless assault.
Eleanor’s mind raced, desperately searching for a solution. She scanned the surroundings for anything that might help. Her eyes fell on a nearby pile of wooden crates and a small barrel of oil. An idea sparked, and she rushed over to the barrels, struggling to lift them.
The fight between Billy and Harbinger continued, the two men locked in a deadly struggle. Billy’s blows were becoming more desperate, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. Harbinger, though bruised and battered, was relentless, driven by a dark, twisted satisfaction.
Eleanor finally managed to tip over the barrel of oil, spilling its contents onto the ground. She grabbed a nearby crate, her heart pounding as she carried it over to the edge of the clearing. With a deep breath, she struck a match and tossed it onto the oil-soaked ground, creating a fiery barrier between herself and Harbinger.
The flames erupted with a fierce crackle, sending a wall of fire shooting up between Eleanor and Harbinger. Harbinger’s eyes widened in shock as the fire cut through the air, the heat pushing him back. He stumbled, momentarily distracted from his fight with Billy.
Billy seized the opportunity, launching himself at Harbinger with a final, desperate attack. The two men tumbled to the ground, the fire roaring around them as Eleanor watched with bated breath. She knew this was her chance to escape, to finally break free from the nightmare she’d been trapped in.
The blaze crackled fiercely, casting an ominous glow over the struggling figures. Harbinger’s face was a mask of pure rage as he tightened his grip around Billy’s throat, his fingers like iron bands cutting off Billy’s breath. Billy's struggles grew weaker, his face turning red as he fought to break free.
Just as Harbinger’s grip threatened to crush the life out of Billy, a chilling click echoed through the chaos. Harbinger’s eyes shot open wide, his expression shifting from fury to confusion. He released Billy momentarily, glancing around to locate the source of the sound.
The firelight flickered across Eleanor’s face, her eyes fierce and resolute. In her trembling hand, she held Harbinger’s revolver, the barrel pointed directly at him. Her heart pounded in her chest, the weight of the gun heavy but grounding.
"Get away from him," Eleanor’s voice rang out, steady despite the tremor in her hands, "Or I'll kill you."
Harbinger’s gaze snapped back to Eleanor, his face contorting into a mask of sheer anger. He lunged towards her, but the gun was now firmly in her grasp. The realization of his missing weapon sent a wave of panic through him, even as he tried to mask it with bravado.
“You don't have the nerve!” Harbinger growled, but the sound was cut off by the sharp crack of the revolver as Eleanor fired a warning shot into the air. The bullet whizzed past his ear, a clear and resounding declaration of her resolve.
The shot caused Harbinger to freeze, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and disbelief. He took a cautious step back, his hands raised in a gesture of reluctant surrender.
Eleanor stood her ground, her voice unwavering despite the danger. “I don’t care what you do with me, but you don’t hurt him. He’s an outlaw, sure. But he’s more of a man than you’ll ever be.”
Harbinger’s rage flared at her words. “I’m going to enjoy making an example out of both of you. You think your little threats scare me?” He moved closer, his posture menacing as he reached for the revolver Eleanor was holding.
Billy, still gasping for breath, struggled to his feet, his eyes locked on Eleanor with a look of desperation. “Eleanor, wait…”
Eleanor’s heart raced as she held the gun steady, her fingers wrapped tightly around the handle. “Stay back!” she hollered, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “The town's people are gonna show up any minute and see what you've done!”
Harbinger’s laugh was low and dangerous. “You think I'm worried about these simpletons? You started the fire, after all. Who do you think they're gonna' believe? A decorated army captain, or a hysterical woman with a gun?”
Eleanor’s resolve hardened. With a steady hand, she took a deep breath and fired the revolver. The shot rang out, echoing through the night, and Harbinger’s expression transformed from one of arrogance to shock as the bullet struck him squarely. He staggered backward, clutching at his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
He fell to the ground, his body convulsing in a final, desperate spasm. Eleanor kept the gun trained on him, her hand shaking but her aim steady. Harbinger’s eyes, once full of menace, were now clouded with the realization of his own mortality.
Billy staggered to his feet, equally shocked at what he'd just witnessed. Eleanor killed a man. Five-foot-nothing, big-mouthed Eleanor Aubert, killed a man right in front of him.
As Harbinger lay on the ground, his strength waning, he glared at Eleanor with a mix of hatred and disbelief. “You… you’ll never be safe,” he gasped, his voice barely a whisper. “I’ll make sure… you pay for this…”
Eleanor’s gaze remained firm, her heart pounding in her chest. “You’re done,” she said quietly, her voice a mixture of relief and sorrow. “Consider our wedding officially off,”
Harbinger’s eyes closed, his body going still. The night was silent once more, the echoes of the confrontation fading into the darkness. Eleanor lowered the revolver, her hands trembling as she stared at the lifeless form of the man who had brought so much pain and fear into her life.
Billy moved to her side, his expression one of concern and gratitude. “Eleanor, are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with worry.
Eleanor nodded, her gaze still fixed on Harbinger, “We need to get rid of him,” was all she replied.
Billy's eyes followed her gaze to Harbinger's lifeless body, a grim understanding settling over him. “Alright,” he said, his voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. “Let’s take care of this.”
Together, they dragged Harbinger’s body away from the scene, their movements deliberate and somber. The darkened landscape stretched before them, a stark reminder of the harsh world they inhabited. The road to Lincoln was long, but they were determined to see this through.
As they made their way to a secluded spot far outside of town, the silence between them was heavy with unspoken thoughts and shared relief. The task of burying Harbinger was both a necessity and a final act of defiance against the man who had tried to control their lives.
When they reached a desolate area, far from prying eyes, they began to dig a grave. The earth was dry and resistant, but their determination made quick work of it. Billy’s movements were methodical, while Eleanor’s hands shook slightly with the lingering tension of their confrontation.
Finally, they laid Harbinger’s body to rest, covering it with dirt and stones to ensure that it would remain hidden from any who might seek to find it. The act was a quiet, solemn ceremony, a way to put an end to the nightmare that had plagued them.
As they finished, Billy placed a hand on Eleanor’s shoulder, offering a supportive squeeze. “It’s over,” he said softly. “You're free now.”
Eleanor took a deep breath, her gaze lingering on the freshly disturbed earth. “Yes,” she replied, her voice steady but tinged with exhaustion. “It’s all over.”
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cowboybarzy · 1 year
Text
see it with the lights out — mat barzal
masterlist (read part 1 first!!)
ty for the love on this so far!! I hope part 3 will be out in a week and then part 4 after that :)
word count: 2k warnings: drinking/being drunk
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TWO — you can feel it on the way home
october 14th
"No, it's okay. I just miss you," you told your boyfriend over the phone.
"I miss you, too. See you next weekend, though, yeah?"
"Yes. Can't wait. Love you."
"Love you, too," Lando said before hanging up. You put your phone away and tried to ignore the teasing smile Liana, Mat's sister, was giving you. She stepped back into the bathroom to finish getting ready.
You were back in New York for a few days for Mat's season home opener. Liana was staying with you in your apartment for the week she was here, which their parents took a hotel room, since the two of you were also very close. She was a few years younger than you and Mat so for a while she was his annoying little sister and you both excluded her, but eventually as Mat got busier with hockey you came to love her like your own sister.
"Honestly, I'm just surprised you're still with him," she said after a few minutes, stepping back into the room. Before you had time to react to that statement though, she elaborated. "We all just thought when you moved to New York you'd both finally get over yourselves and start dating."
"Who?," you asked confused.
"Who?," she said dramatically, dropping her makeup brush from her face. "Please, (y/n). We all know you and Mat have been doing it for years."
"What?!" You almost screamed. A laugh burst out of you, but a new emotion came up as well. One you couldn't quiet put your finger on. "We're friends."
"Oh, please! As if you haven't done it. What the hell were you doing in his bedroom all these nights then?"
"Wha- We-. No! We're friends. That's it!" You had difficulty forming sentences, confused as to why she was accusing you of sleeping with her brother.
"So you've never even kissed?"
"No!" Now she was sporting the same shocked look as you. That was technically a lie. You and Mat had kissed once, but it was during a game of truth or dare when you were 15 so that hardly counted. You chalked the butterflies and electric touch you shared up to teenage hormones and alcohol and only thought about that kiss in your deepest dreams.
"Wait, who else thinks we're more than friends?"
Liana hesitated for a bit before answering. "Uh, your family, my family. Pretty much everyone who knows the two of you." Your jaw dropped. You couldn't believe it. "Yeah. We all talk about it behind your back all the time."
"Oh my god," you moaned humiliated and buried your face in your hands. "Why?"
"I don't know. You always act like you're a couple and there's a vibe."
"You're basing this off of a vibe?"
"Yeah! Especially since everyone feels it. We just thought you didn't want to do long distance, that it was just a casual thing, when he moved to Seattle and then here that's why you didn't tell us. And then when you moved here we were all just waiting for the call to tell us you were together." Your head fell in your hands again. "I'm pretty sure your dad started a pool to see how long it would take. Well, turns out we all lost."
"I assure you Mat and I are just friends! Always have been, always will be." She raised her eyebrows, shaking her head.
"I don't know girl, I'm sensing a lot of love between you. It's kind of gross actually how you energy you give off every time you look at each other."
"Well, then your senses are off. I'm in a great relationship. Lando's great. We have a lot of fun together. I... love him." You stumbled over the word 'love' as a lump in your throat formed. You were having difficulty saying and believing yourself as you started to question your relationship with Mat. You were just friends, right? Years of friendship flashed in your mind. There were times you thought about kissing him or when you thought you were attracted to him, but he was always dating girls almost the polar opposite of you so you never thought too much about it. You often cuddled on the couch while watching a movie or were affectionate with each other but a lot of your female friendships were the same so why would this one with Mat be any different just because he's a guy.
"Okay. If you say so." Liana returned to the bathroom and came out a few minutes later ready to go.
With a final few sprays of perfume you were ready to head out as well to catch the train to UBS arena. Liana sensed your mood and didn't bring the topic up again.
You met their parents and the rest of the Isles ladies and families at the arena. You went to the family area first, where they were hosting a bit of a welcome back party with lots of food and drinks for the players families. Sydney, Matt Martin's wife and your favorite life of the party, immediately came over with lots of hugs and interest about your last few months. You hadn't seen any of them since the last season ended and even before then not much since you started dating Lando.
"I still can't believe you hung out in Monaco all summer. I'm so jealous."
"I was there like a week total. But yeah, it was so much fun."
"Mat and Lando got a long?," she asked as if she already knew the answer.
"They did! Why is everyone asking me that?" She chuckled.
"Just a lot of male energy." You shook your head with a forced smile. What Liana told you not too long ago rang in the back of your mind and you felt nauseous all of the sudden. Why was the thought of you and Mat being together romantically suddenly such a big deal? You'd always seen him as a friend but now the second you thought of him your heart started pounding.
"Nope. All good." You forced another smile. "Excuse me."
When you somewhat gracefully exited the family area you purposefully chose to head to the bathrooms further away to avoid running into more people. You needed a few minutes to collect yourself and sort your mind from all of the confusion.
Again, flashbacks and memories from the years of friendship with Mat surfaced your mind. However, you were looking at them through a different lens. Every touch, every smile, every fight brought up a different emotion than it did in the moment. Your heart swelled at the thought of him and you started craving his touch.
But Lando… The guilt over your little crisis crept in and only made this whole situation worse. When you met Lando, you were done with school and were just trying to figure out what you were going to do with your life. You loved that your job offered so much flexibility and opportunity to work remotely, but you couldn’t really see yourself doing the whole mundane 9-5 thing yet. And Lando was able to give you that carefree travel lifestyle that you were craving so you jumped into a relationship. It all moved very quickly. You relationship was serious enough that you could honestly say that you loved him, but not enough to have thought about a future with him. You never indulge in the thought of where your relationship was headed so you just enjoyed the moment. You were young. Now was the time to do it.
With that conclusion in mind, you pulled yourself together in the bathroom stall and got your phone out to text Mat. He should still be able to see it before he had to get ready to step on the ice for pregame.
you: made it! score a goal for me tonight, will ya :)
mat: will do my best
mat: see you after if you don’t get too drunk
you: hey! that was one time! those cocktails are strong!!!!
mat: lmao I was told you had 5…
you: I had a bad day:/ and you were losing…
mat: won’t happen today ;)
you: good! break a skate and don’t show off too much
mat: never :)
***
The game actually did go very well and Mat scored his first goal of the season like he promised. You were sat in the lower bowl with Mat’s parents and sister and some of the other family members. While Buffalo did score first in the period, the Isles came back with three goals in the next two and won the game.
This just made the after party a lot more fun. You all met up at the players favorite bar, not too far from the arena for a chill after party. Or at least it started out chill but escalated to a club vide rather quickly as the boys were riding that first win of the season.
When Mat had joined you, things were awkward at first when you saw him, but only because you made them like that. He didn’t even notice anything was wrong. He was glowing and grinning like a champion and hugged you like that as well, spinning you around until you got dizzy.
But you remembered your little pep talk in the bathroom that solidified you decision. He was your friend. Nothing more. Because you had Lando. With the help of a few drinks, acting more natural around Mat became easier.
You danced and laughed and watched him get increasingly more drunk with each song that played. Eventually you had enough and pulled him to a private corner to talk. He never drank like that, especially not during his season. “What the hell is wrong with you?,” you yelled at him over the music.
“What?,” he slurred, leaning against the wall for support.
“That! Why are you so drunk?”
“Where’s your boyfriend tonight?,” he countered as if he didn’t hear you.
“What?” The change of topic threw you.
“Your boyfriend. London. Landon. La…” He kept mumbling random names as if he was trying to find the right one.
“Lando,” you corrected him in a snappy voice.
“What kind of name is that?” He laughed, drunkenly, and almost fell over had you not caught him and pushed him back against the wall.
“Says Mat with one ‘t’.” He shrugged.
“Where is he anyway? Too busy for you?” You rolled your eyes and could feel yourself getting angry at him. While it was true Lando was busy this weekend with promo stuff for McLaren, it wasn’t a big deal.
“Yes. He’s an athlete with a busy schedule. You should understand.”
“He’s always too busy for you. You’re always gone to see him but every time I call or text you’re never with him. He always has this or that. Why are you with him?”
Here it was. What he wanted to say months ago he could finally get it out. “What is your problem with him? He’s not done a single thing to offend you. Yes, he’s busy but I don’t care. I have plenty of things to do and see while he’s doing his job. You should be happy for me.”
“How can I be happy when you’re not with me?! And I know that fucking selfish of me to say but I fucking miss you!” You grew soft at his admission, but only for a second, because he continued. “He doesn’t know you like I do. How can he make you happy when he’s never around? His job is so dangerous, he could die at any moment. Then what? If he gets fired then what? You’d still be with him?”
“Fuck, Mathew, so what? You’re job isn’t that much more reliable than his? You constantly on the go, too! You could get fired or injured at any moment, too. So what? What the hell is your issue?” You didn’t realize you started yelling. When he didn’t respond you lightly pushed him out of anger to try and force a response out of him. “So what, Mathew? Give me a real answer. I’m so sick of this. Of you being so passive aggressive for no reason. What? So what? What is your-” His eyes darkness and he pushed off the wall to stand taller.
“He doesn’t fucking love you like I do.”
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