#cadet answers shit

[kitchenwizardkisser7]

Allie says ur desperate

[sadiecoocoo]

Please reblog for more results :)

[leviraaaaaa]

Levi nation, how we feeling today? 😔🫶

“What am I to you, Levi?”

The question was sudden, soft words reaching through the silence that had been until then. Levi looked up.

“What?”

You tilted your head, stretched on his sofa. You laid on it so casually, with your head resting on your folded arms, leaning against the armrest, one would think you were right at home. In your hands, you held a book, but he knew it had been on the same page for a while and that you hadn't been reading a word from it. No. He knew because your eyes had been on him instead.

“What am I to you?” You repeated when he didn't answer.

He looked at you as you watched him with a subtle eagerness behind your eyes. He was unable to form a reply. Why did you always say the most unexpected shit out of nowhere? You were so casual about it too, looking at him as if you merely asked him how his day was.

“What the fuck.” He muttered.

“What?”

He sighed, leaning back as he closed his pinched his eyebrows together. He chose this, he reminded himself for the hundredth time in his life, he brought this upon himself when he picked the most infuriating cadet to be his second. It was his fault and no one else's, that everyday he had to tolerate you and your ridiculousness. Why the hell had he done that?

“Stop with the stupid fucking questions.” He groaned irritatedly.

“Maybe if you answered them, I'd leave you alone.”

“Did you come here to distract me?”

You laughed softly. “Am I distracting you?”

“Don't think I haven't felt you staring at me.”

Your face showed no sign of embarrassment whatsoever at the very true accusation, instead there was amusement in your eyes. You leaned in, determined.

“Do you like me Levi?”

It's the way you looked at him. You knew. Of course you knew. He blinked, his chest suddenly tight. Suddenly, the room was suffocating. He looked anywhere but you.

“..in what way? Because you as a person is pretty shit."

But no, you see right through him. There was disappointment in your face. You sighed. “Liar.” You looked away from him, slumping back on the couch and draping an arm over your face. “I'm making this so easy for you, Levi. So fucking easy.”

He didn't have to look at you to know what you had meant.

Coward.

It was so easy, wasn't it? All he had to do is admit. To tell you yes. But he couldn't. Not even that.

“What if I die in tomorrow's expedition? How would you feel then? Knowing you had the chance and you didn't take it?” Your voice was casual, but there was reproach underneath. Levi flinched. It was a very real possibility. You hit right on the nail.

“Bull.” His expression darkened. “Don't say shit like that. We aren't even supposed to interact with titans.”

That was literally not the point, you thought annoyedly. But of course. Levi, the king of confrontation. What were you expecting? No, you hadn't expected much better from him in the first place, did you?

Your voice was tired when you spoke again.

“Are you ever going to tell me?”

You looked so exhausted. There were no expectations in your eyes. It was your way of giving him a way out, he realized, to let him know you didn't expect an answer from him. That he could just remain silent if he wanted to.

And he wanted to.

But he looked at you and felt something tight in his throat.

“...Maybe.” He murmured finally, his voice so quiet you could barely hear him. But your eyes widened. “Someday.”

You pushed your hand off your face, sitting up to look at him with surprise. You gazed blankly for a moment. That was as close as a confession you'd get.

You smiled.

“Someday.” You echoed.

—

Levi was sleeping.

Somehow he was aware he was sleeping.

There was a blunt ache somewhere in his chest. But he couldn't remember being hurt. His face felt dry, lips chapped, his eyes heavy. He was asleep, but he still felt so tired.

“Do you like me, Levi?”

He stirred, his consciousness returning back to him slowly as his mind registered the voice. He knew that voice. He knew those words. Like a twisted echo of something he couldn’t escape. A feeling of familiar sinister dread crept to his stomach.

Don't look. He tells himself. Don't look. If he didn't look, you'd go away.

He does anyway.

You're back on his couch, grinning slyly at him. When he looked at you, you’re smiling at him, eyes twinkling with amusement as if you were sharing a joke with him. An inside joke that only the two of you will understand.

You were sprawled on your stomach, the way one would to sunbathe. With both your arms on the armrest, you had your chin resting atop them, staring at him with those eyes. As though you belonged there, as though you’d never left. It was such a casual scene. Such a normal scene. Yet, he felt nauseous.

There was a vacancy in his chest, a suffocating emptiness. He hated it when you did that.

What made it worse you didn't even expect a fucking answer. You knew him too well for that. You came here every night for no other reason than to entertain yourself with his helplessness, like a sick, twisted little game.

“Must you do this every night?”

He asked. He could hear his own pleading tone, like he was begging you. He knew how pathetic he sounded, how miserable he must have looked. But you were grinning at him like he said something funny, it was such an obvious answer after all.

“Were you ever gonna tell me?” You asked him.

Fuck. Fuck.

“I would've.” His head hurt. He felt hollow. “You know I would've.”

“You didn't though.”

“I would've.” He repeated. Yet, he was doubtful of his own words, Would he have?

“Someday.” You hummed, reminding him, taunting him. It was a knife to his chest. He couldn't breathe.

Someday. The accusation was obvious underneath your casual tone. Someday. Just not today. Not then. Not now. Not ever.

“You're not being fair.”

“Oh.” You sighed softly, almost mocking him. “But Levi, when were you ever fair to me?”

He shook his head, your words creeping inside his brain like a parasite. “Leave. Please.”

You let out a chuckle, like it was the funniest thing you'd ever heard. Then you pushed yourself off the couch, standing up straight. You took your time, stretching your arms lazily like you had all day in the world, shooting him a soft smile. Then with every step you approached him with, he could feel his heart sinking. A little. A little. A little. More.

He let out a shaky breath, squeezing his eyes shut. He knew exactly the words you would say next. Every night. It was the same every night. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“But I'm not here.”

Your voice was soft beside his ear. A haunting whisper. He felt your fingers trailing the edge of his jaw, tilting his face towards you. Your hands slid down his neck and he shivered, opening his eyes to meet yours, all your playfulness gone. Now you just looked sad.

“Why are you doing this to yourself, Levi?” You said sadly, his name was soft in your lips, you said it like it was so fragile. “Why don't you let me go?”

You were so close. So fucking close. It took everything in him to not reach out, to not pull you in. He was stiff, pressed against the back off his chair, trying his best to put distance between. But it was no use. He was only a man, after all.

Your next words were a warm whisper against his lips, just a breath away.

“Wake up, Levi.” You told him. “Wake up.”

And when he opened his eyes, he was staring at the dark ceiling of his bedroom.

9 months, 2 weeks and 4 days since the day he'd lost you. 9 months, 2 weeks and 4 days of sleepless night. It had been 9 months, 2 weeks and 4 days of dreaming about you.

[evilminji]

I just Literally Galaxy Brained :D???

Oh? My? God?

So here I am, on a Star Wars kick, when I Ponder my beloved Danny Phantom. As ya do! Who? I wonder? Could I mix into the star wars universe?

WHEN IT HITS ME.

You know who LOVES kids? Just... will Burn Down Planets for this kid they literally JUST met? Mandolorians. Know where you can find a SHIT ton of those, genetically? The GAR!

Those are CLONES, baby! WE got a Clone! She's feisty and adorable! Smol! Bites! Got them big ol tooka eyes and itty bitty hands! Likes to fly, explore, and fight! She's BASICALLY born for this!

Tell me they would collectively look at this tiny feral child, with her poofy lil hair and chubby cheeks, fangy lil grin and biting tendcy, and go "is BABY!" Come on, tell me. I'll call you a liar.

And you KNOW the Force and Ectoplasm are probably messy EXs. Dani could TOTALLY use they "why should you allow me in? .....because they're not the boss of you" argument to GREAT effect.

Here, Skywalker. Kenobi. Watch this mysterious child... foooooor.... uh, Reasons! Yes. I, the Force, definitely have valid reasons for doing this! I am NOT just being a petty bitch! #SoundsLegit

But? Gasp! The child is a Cadet?! A BABY Clone! Of WHO? A legendary warrior king, from what context they can gather. Made by his enemy. Sent to kill him. Forgiven then adopted. Ooooh, lots of life lessons there. Clone rights and forgiveness and such.

But more IMPORTANTLY, to the GAR?

BABY CLONE! Is BABY!!!

We are ALL Buir now! All of us. Biggest family in the galaxy. Dani is cool with it, congrats New Fenton's! On the Be-Fenton-ing! Tremble in FEAR, scrubs! It's OUR HOUSE NOW!! Mwahahahaha! *cackles from her perch on top of a table*

But... wait... what is that glowing stuff that you're getting low on?

Oh? This? New beloved Highly Unhinged Jedi Friends and Clone Dads? Oh it's just my LIFE SAVING MEDICINE that I NEED TO LIVE that I never told you about! :D

*horrified silence*

*PANIC*

It's okay. It's OKAY! Everybody STOP SCREAMING! W-well just reverse engineer... *machine makes the equivalent of a Dunno noise* FUCK! Okay! New plan! Dani, sweetie, lil warrior, what do you remember about your medicine? What does it DO, exactly?

Unstable clone.

Okay! Okay, that's a start! THEY are stable clones. Right? Right!

.........r-right? Are... are they SURE? Cause, I mean, it's ONE thing when it's just THEIR health on the line... but when it's their YOUNGLING? Their lil tooka Dani? Their ade? Are they SURE? How sure. Bet HER life on it sure?

....no. No they are not. They don't trust the long necks NEARLY that much. Time do do a DEEP deep scan. Best they can find. They got to make SURE. Boba might be the only STABLE clone... assuming the sleemo even told the truth about that.

And? They LEARN some stuff.

Like about the chip in their head's. Supposedly an "inhibitor chip". Sends Skywalker into a karking rage, cause that looks a whole lot like a slave chip to HIM. Dani says they can CHECK. Then doesn't wait for an answer as she sticks her HAND into someone's head to just... pluck it out. Hand it over to be sliced.

Dani, sweetie, c-can you do that for the rest of us? Sure!

But! The race is ON. To either figure out how to contact the original, stabilize Dani, or synthesize Ectoplasm in a universe that DOES NOT HAVE IT. All while unknowingly? Absolutely Fenton CURB STOMPING Ancient Sith Plans into oblivion.

As is the Fenton Way.

This IS The Way~☆

@hdgnj @babbling-babull @the-witchhunter @hypewinter @mutable-manifestation @legitimatesatanspawn @lolottes @spidori

[loveandpeaceanddoughnuts]

Levi x Scout!Reader - oneshot hurt/comfort, use of y/n, minor injury

Levi reaches out in half-sleep to pull you close and jolts fully awake when he doesn’t feel your body in the bed beside him. His heart pounds and he breathes deep, trying to shake off the burst of adrenaline. The sheets on your side are cold- you’ve been gone a while.

He slips out of bed, wrapping his coat around him as he lights the closest lamp. “How many times have I told them not to do this shit?” He grumbles, more to remind himself that you’re okay, that this has happened before, than out of any real anger.

And it has happened before- you stealing away to suffer alone rather than let someone else, even your partner, see you hurt. You’re not in the rest of the quarters, not in the hallway when he sticks his scowling face out the door to check.

“Fuck’s sake.” Levi shoves on his boots and heads straight for the training grounds, grimly confident that he’ll find you there.

You’re sweating under the pale moon, launching attacks at a sparring dummy that’s seen better days. Your knuckles are split- you didn’t bother to wrap them before starting to swing. A nightmare drove you here and you’re deep in your mind, seeing the faces of enemy soldiers on the worn, straw-stuffed head of the dummy.

The face before you is suddenly replaced with Levi’s, and you just barely manage to pull the next punch before it lands squarely on his clenched jaw. You still clip him on the chin and he takes it, his head snapping to the side, sleep-tousled fringe falling across his eyes.

“Hey, y/n. Rough night?” He deadpans.

You’re panting, breathless with exertion and the shock of him sneaking up on you. “Take a wild guess.”

He doesn’t answer, just looks down at your bloody knuckles and frowns. “Seriously?” He catches your wrists before you can pull away and turns your hands over, inspecting them in a tense silence. “Tch. Even shitty cadets don’t train barehanded.” You yank your hands away as he continues. “You know better. You wanted to hurt, is that it?”

“You weren’t there. You didn’t see their faces, Levi, it was my fault!” He steps closer, cautiously, like he thinks you might bolt.

His voice is quieter but still firm. “Then hit me.”

“What?” It knocks a bit of the fight from you, and you lower your fists warily.

“You’re right, I wasn’t there. But you’re on my squad, I gave the order. You're just a soldier following commands. Hurt me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Your voice cracks.

“I’m not.” He’s right in front of you now and he tugs his jacket open, exposing his chest to you and the empty field. “You wanna lash out, go ahead.” He spreads his arms like an invitation.

Your eyes sting with frustrated tears and you turn away so he doesn’t see them fall. “Fuck you, Levi. You know I can’t.”

“Y/n, look at me.” You shake your head, refusing to meet his gaze. His hand cups your cheek to bring you back. Levi’s eyes, still bleary with sleep, are softer now. “You don’t have to carry this alone anymore. Why didn’t you wake me?”

You can’t answer, afraid that if you open your mouth you’ll only be able to sob. The bright, guilty rage that had driven you out here was beginning to fade, but the shame it left behind was a different pain. A pain Levi knew well. He doesn’t ask you again.

Instead he gathers you into his arms as you cry, strong hands stroking your hair, your cheek against his steady heartbeat. Levi carries you gently back into the barracks, back into your room, into safety and the dim glow of lamplight.

He hushes the apology you begin, thumbs the tears from your cheeks without comment. He only lets you go when your shuddered breaths have smoothed back to normal, the worst of it over.

Levi disentangles himself from you with a murmured reassurance that he'll be back soon. He returns bearing two steaming mugs and an armful of bandages, disinfectant, and...cleaning supplies?

He rolls his eyes at your confused look. "You got blood on my jacket, brat. Can't let the stain set." He won't bother with his clothes, though, until he's finished gingerly cleaning your bloody knuckles and wrapping them in clean bandages.

You wince into your tea as he works, trying hard not to show more weakness in front of him. Especially not pain from wounds you caused yourself. Levi notices, and without adjusting his scowl he presses a quick kiss to your hands before wrapping the last layer. "Stop that."

"Hm?"

"Stop beating yourself up. The world fucks us badly enough. It doesn't need your help." He turns away to start scrubbing at the bloodstained jacket. "And I need to sleep through a night without worrying that you've run off to do something idiotic."

The hint of a smile creeps onto your face. "You worry about me?"

Levi's gray eyes narrow. "Of course I do. What kind of a question is that?" He pokes your forehead. "Or is there only room to think about yourself in that stupid head of yours?"

"I love you too, Levi."

He reddens and looks away. "Yeah, well. Next time wake me up."

"Promise."

[rottenpumpkin13]

What's the latest tea from Kunsel? 👀 🍵

When asked to spill gossip, Kunsel becomes an unskippable cutscene.

Kunsel: "Finally. I've been sitting on these for weeks."

Kunsel: "Zack appropriated the men's bathroom on the east wing of the SOLDIER base as a petting zoo. He's even charging people to pet the animals. It's booming, too. I heard he's even got a waiting list to pet tonberries."

Kunsel: "Word on the street says Reno's been delivering crates into the SOLDIER lounge labeled 'medical supplies,' but bystanders said they heard pills rattling. Sephiroth bought the stuff from him, which shocked a few people. They think it's illegal stuff. Real ones know it's the premium ibuprofen. The good stuff, not that cheap crap they give out at Medical."

Kunsel: "Angeal? I saw the guy walk out of the men's room, clear as day, with a faint lipstick mark on his neck. Thing is, no one went in or out besides him. So either his date is some kind of vent escape artist, or—my favorite theory—he's making out with ghosts now. Can't rule it out. He's weird enough."

Kunsel: "Oh, and Sephiroth. He's been spending his free time in the archives lately. Like, a lot of time. Apparently digging through old personnel files and Shinra history books. You know, looking for answers about his origins. Man, I would not want to be there the day he finds what he's looking for."

Kunsel: "There's a betting pool in SOLDIER about when Lazard's next mental breakdown will be. Current odds favor next Tuesday, but only because the bouncy castle Zack ordered online arrives next Monday."

Kunsel: "Genesis has apparently been writing self-insert fanfiction. Heard someone found a draft on his desk. It’s basically Loveless, but the protagonist is just him, but taller and with a better sword. There's also a Sephiroth kissing scene somewhere in there."

Kunsel: "Reeve's set to lose his shit any day now. Someone swears he might be Cait Sith. You know, the little robot cat? It sounds insane, but listen to this: during a meeting with the president, Reeve supposedly slipped up and said, in a full-blown accent "shove yer plans, Shinra, they're shite!" President didn't even blink, he was so alarmed

Kunsel: "And Hojo's been ordering tons of bananas. Like, crates of them up to R&D. No explanation, no context. Just bananas. Honestly, that's one I don't want to dig into. Whatever it's for, it's definitely bad news."

Kunsel: "Oh yeah! I ran into that blond cadet in the air ducts this morning. Cloud Strife. Man, he's so cool. I wish I had the balls to hover above the vent in Sephiroth's office and whisper "Your mother isn't Jenova. Go to therapy" down at him until he thinks it's an auditory hallucination, has a nervous breakdown, and takes the rest of the day off."

[angstywaifu]

Black Dahlia - 46. Coffee Talk

Summary: Just some cute Dahlia and Garrick post RSC Land Nav. A/N: Another bonus post because you guys are ridiculous with the follows this year. Enjoy! Black Dahlia Masterlist | Masterlist | Links | Tumblr Community

I shiver as something ghosts over my shoulder, rousing me from my sleep. I go to roll over to see what’s the cause of it, but my answer is given to me when a large arm drapes itself over my hip, pulling me back against a warm and hard chest.

I relax in their arms as the familiar scent of Garrick washes over me. “Maybe I need to get kidnapped more often.” I joke, Garrick’s arm tightening on me as he holds me against him.

”I’d rather you didn’t.” He grumbles against my shoulder before pressing another kiss to my bare shoulder. “Had me in a fucking panic till I realised you’re squad and Bodhi were all gone. Fucking RSC.”

I roll in his arms, finally getting a look at Garrick whose eyes soften as they meet mine. I note the slight shadows under his eyes, he looks exhausted. Though wouldn’t surprise me if he’d gotten very little sleep. It had only been a few weeks, but it hadn’t taken me long to notice how quickly and soundly Garrick slept when I was around. Especially when he’d just started staying in my room or taking me to his every night. Anytime I'd tried to kick him out or leave he'd practically manhandled me back to bed.

”I was fine. We got out mostly unscathed.” I tell him with a shrug, which has him narrowing his eyes at me.

”You nearly didn’t though. Want to explain that one?” He asks with a raised eyebrow, his body tensing up.

Shit. Of course he would have heard about that somehow. He probably ran into Bodhi or Imogen last night before coming to my room.

”I had it under control.” I explain.

”Then why did Proth and Cath have to burn that infantry cadet if you had it under control?” Garrick’s eyes narrowing at me as he questions me.

”Because sometimes violence isn’t always the answer. Didn’t exactly want my head on a silver platter because I killed an infantry cadet.” I tell him as I lower my eyes to his chest, raising my fingers to trace over the relic on his arm.

Garrick’s body relaxes under my touch, feeling the anger leave him as he raises his hand to cup my cheek. “He wasn’t just some infantry cadet though. Was he?”

My body goes rigid, something I know Garrick notices as I look up at him, seeing the questioning look in Garrick’s eyes. “How much did he tell you?”

It’s already clear it’s Bodhi he’s talked to based off his comment. Imogen hadn’t been close enough to hear most of the conversation, only coming in at the end to comment about not needing me to be like Dain.

”Just mentioned there was more to the incident and I should ask you.” He admits as his eyes search mine. At least Bodhi had kept his word in regards to letting me tell Garrick the story.

I nod slowly at him before pushing my self upright, leaning back against the headboard as Garrick moves to sit in front of me, giving me his full attention as I wrap my arms around my legs as I hold them to my chest. Garrick doesn’t blink an eye as I tell him the same story I told Bodhi, just sitting and listening as I get it all out. But I can feel the anger practically rolling off him in waves. I know how much he's holding back as his hands ball into fists. Telling Bodhi was somehow easier than telling Garrick. Bodhi had be a constant friend by my side all year. He'd seen right through any wall I'd put up. It was like Bodhi already knew me better than I knew myself. But opening myself up to Garrick was mildly terrifying. As if sensing my nerves he reaches out and clasps my hand in his as I finish my story.

”So you’ve been shunned since then, for something you didn’t even do? Your own father and brother?” Garrick asks me after a few moments of silence.

I give him a tight lipped smile and nod. “It took me years to realise no matter what I did to show I was sorry, to show that I would do anything to take back accepting that dare, that he would never accept me as his daughter again. Not even my own grandfather could convince him. And once he was taken care of, I had no one.”

”What do you mean taken care of?” Garrick asks, sitting up fully as if what I’ve said has peaked his interest.

”All I know is my father sent him and his squad out to an outpost. One nowhere near enemy activity that suddenly got over run. No survivors except for one dragon. Everyone else gone. They say it was Gryphon fliers, but…” I furrow my brow. What did I think happened? It was clear it wasn’t Gryphon’s. But we had no other enemies. No other kingdoms that could have travelled that far and caused that much damage for us to not be on high alert. And the only ones that could were fairy tales. Not real.

”But what?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. Something just doesn’t add up. Everytime I ask I get yelled at for meddling where it’s not needed. And Proth is vague on the details when I ask him.”

“What do you mean Proth won’t tell you?” Garrick probes as his hand tightens on mine.

”Proth was there.” I tell him. “Proth was the dragon that survied. My grandfathers dragon.”

For a split second I swear I see Garrick’s eyes widen before he catches himself. Almost as if the news of who my dragon belonged to interested him. He was probably just shocked to learn Proth had been part of my life long before I came here and bonded him. It was extremely rare for dragons to know their riders prior. Even rarer for them to bond within the same family. Something that seemed to concern leadership whenever the detail came up.

”Seems he’s your guardian angel.” Garrick jokes, slipping back into his usual joking tone as he pushes off the bed. “Now let’s go get you some food. You’re probably starving after RSC and I’m not being around you if you haven’t had coffee in your system.”

I roll my eyes at him before taking the hand he offers me as he pulls me from my bed. He wasn’t wrong. We’d had limited food while out on land nav, and I was in desperate need of a coffee. Bodhi had taken the brunt of my early morning anger on our second day of land nav when I didn’t have coffee. Imogen had pissed herself laughing when I’d snapped at him over a stupid comment he’d made.

It seems we’re the last to get to the dining hall, most of it starting to empty out already. Being a Sunday most people got in and out quickly to take advantage of a free day if we got it. It just so happened today was one of those days. Bodhi waves us over to a table that has most of our squad minus our first years, plus Imogen and Quinn who seemed to have joined them.

”About time you two joined us.” Imogen notes with a smile and wiggling her eyebrows at me, causing Quinn to snicker at her comment.

”Sorry, someone was worrying about where I’d been for the last two days.” I tell her as Garrick mumbles something behind me as we take our seats with everyone, Garrick pulling me into his side as he rests his arm around me. Possessive asshole.

Bodhi looks between us confused before shaking his head and standing as he grabs his mug and an empty one from the middle of the table. “Right. Anyway I’ll be back. How do you like it Dahlia?”

”Oh you know depends on my mood.” I start, playing along with Imogen’s implied comment even though I know what Bodhi is actually asking. “Sometimes just plain sex is fine, but sometimes you gotta mix it up with some choking or being tied up.”

Bodhi looks between Garrick and I in shock, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red. The rest of the table bursts into laughter, Kai nearly spitting his drink across the table, and Imogen looking like I’ve given her the best moment of her life as she smiles at me.

”You’re coffee Dahlia. I was asking about your coffee. I did not need to know what you and Garrick get up to in your room!” He exclaims, sending everyone into a fit of laughter.

”Oh we haven’t got there yet, but now I have some ideas for later. Thanks Durran.” Garrick quips as he reaches across and takes the apple sitting on Bodhi’s plate, smirking up at him before Bodhi walks off to get more coffee.

@imtoanonymousforyou @simplyme-fornow @omalmal @lalaluch @wolfbc97 @leptitlu @fullmoon-94 @the-fandom-ness @fan-of-many-bands @awkardnerd @heeseungthel0ml @acourtofsmutandstarlight @fairchild06 @freyagallileaevans @pit-and-the-pen @hannraumari @elliot-rain @thestarseternaal @stupid-and-contagious01 @hyperfixation-train-station @lxnvmvrzx @thebreadisthetruevillian @red0202 @fangirling-galore @craftytrashprincess @taliyahvermillion @xadenswhore @fenixyrie @lagrandeourse @hellodarling1357 @iambored24601  @thegiftofacreativemind @fanfictionjunkie1112 @mysticalfuncollectorus @ohlookitsasinglepoeceofpopcorn @emoravenwolf

[girl-lostconnection]

do you ever believe helldiver reader would get out? ever leave the business alive? willingly?

Alive? Yes. Willingly? No

It’s like…they know how fucking bad their branch has it and therefore they are fiercely protective of younger cadets they encounter. They are fiercely protective of their branch in general, kind of the “are you a Helldiver? No? Then shut the fuck up, only we can talk shit about each other” is the general mood they have.

They have this unhealthy attachment to their branch because they know how fucking bad it gets there and they see that there are less and less people every year enlisting. But there still are people enlisting. And they have this kind of “but what if I’m not there to help/answer SOS beacon/protect/teach them”.

What if someone needs them and they aren’t there? What if they get out and someone who might have lived if they stayed — dies?

It’s mad thing to obsess over but Helldiver!Reader is very much far from being the picture of mental health. (Stable? That’s for horses)

Also, take into the account that their space ship is their baby. The crew that operates there, every nook and cranny and supply there — it’s all the product of years of blood and sweat and tears and nightmares. They built this thing from nothing into something.

They bought the weapons and stratagems and enhancements and updates. They gave a decade of their life to this ship. It’s all the home they have.

And it will get taken away if they choose to leave — they don’t get to keep it. They don’t get to keep armoury or weapons or anything else.

So to step down would be to leave EVERYTHING they know behind. Everything that they think makes them who they are.

And after losing so much of themselves, after losing so many teammates and seeing so many good proper divers die and their ships getting blown to pieces as punishment…I don’t think Reader has it in them to leave willingly.

I can say you right now for certain that they would hold onto it all with everything they have, you’d need like a specialised team to pry this life out of their grip.

But imagine someone taking it all away from them and kind of forcing them out? Well, that’s a different conversation to have (and some really nice potential angst)

[rainybubbles]

How do you accidentally confess to COD men ?

Soap, Ghost, Alejandro, Gaz, König, Alex, Price

(Sorry in advance for my mistakes, English is not my mother tongue. So sorry if it's badly written)

S O A P :

-"I can't lose you, Soap. Shit, you're important to me," you say while crying.

-"...I'm flattered, but can you focus on fixing my leg first?" he says.

-You blinked awkwardly.

-Let's start over and try to understand this, shall we?

-Well, you were a nurse working on a military base.

-When all the doctors asked you to wake up at 3 AM, you knew something had happened. You ran to the infirmary and saw Soap.

-He was heavily injured.

-Your heart skipped a beat.

-You and Soap had known each other since his enlistment.

- You were just an apprentice nurse, and he was a cadet. He always burnt something, and you were there to look after him, even when he accidentally burnt the ass of his sergeant.

-You had a crush on him since that time, but you decided a long time ago not to act on it.

- Soap was clearly not interested in you, and he had gone out with a lot of people.

-You can definitely say you're not his type at all, and you like your bond the way it is.

-But now, seeing him like this, it was different. Your heart was overwhelmed, and your mouth spoke before you could filter what you said.

-"I can't lose you, Soap. Shit, you're important to me," you say while crying.

-"...I'm flattered, but can you focus on fixing my leg first?" he says.

-You blinked awkwardly.

-"Yes, I'm sorry. I'm not ethical at all. You need help, and I'm talking nonsense."

-You helped the doctors and quickly went outside when you finished, in order to think about what had just happened.

-"Shit, it was so awkward. I really thought we were in a movie or something," you said, angry at yourself.

-"Well, honestly, it was fun to see you like that. I mean, it could have been the climax of a movie if Ghost had started to play the violin, and a slow-mo started on your face," a voice joked.

-You turned around and saw Soap.

-"You're supposed to lay down. You can't walk."

-"What can I say? Seeing you make miracles," he says with a smirk.

-You sighed and walked towards him, offering your arms to lead him to a bed. He smiled.

-"I'm sorry for what happened. I shouldn't have said that," you said.

-"But you mean it?"

-"That's not the point. It was not the moment, and I know the answer. It was just cringe."

-"...damn, loving me is cringe?" Soap said teasing you.

-"That's- you know that's not what I mean."

-"Yes, I know. I feel the same, by the way."

-"But you..."

-"It's been three months, I realize. I know it's longer for you."

-"You noticed," you realized, all these years thinking you were good at hiding it were in fact obvious to him.

-"Yes, but you decided not to tell anything, so I never acted on it. But I...I feel the same now, and you almost confessed, so can you give me a chance?"

-"You mean when you can take me on a date and not bleed to death?" you said, looking at his injuries.

-"Yes," he chuckled.

-"Okay," you whispered, scared that it was a dream.

-"Okay," he repeated with a smile.

G H O S T :

-"WHAT DO I DO NOW ?!" you screamed and looked at your friend.

-"Just...explain to him."

-"Oh yeah and how do you explain why I send him a fucking eggplant emoji at 4 AM without anything ?" you screamed panicked

-"Tell him the truth." your friend casually says.

-"He won't believe me. Like 'hey I sent you this emoji not because I want to fuck you, but because my brother sent me a lot of memes with eggplant so every night we sent this emoji to each other laughing. And I made a mistake and sent this to you, not him. Nobody does that. He won't believe me." you sigh."Oh fuck, he rode the text."

-"Well...he's your crush no ? I mean you talk about him often so if anything happens it could be good."

-"Yes he is, but I don't want to confess, not now. Fuck, I only met him like three times and only thanks to Soap. We're just acquaintance. I only have his number because I'm Soap's emergency contact."

-"And now he thinks you want to fuck him." your friends resumes

-"Thanks for your help." you say sarcastically."Shit he's writing, what would he say ?"

-"Well I bet on a peach emoji."

-You looked at your friend and showed them your middle finger.

-"What if I make things awkward and-"

-"You are always awkward."your friend interrupts you.

-"...thanks for your support." you said ironically.

-"I mean the worst is that he says no and when you'll meet again the only thing he remembers will be this fucking emoji. That's fine."your friend says.

-"No. I don't want to be the eggplant emoji in his mind."

-"It's too late."

-A ring interrupted your conversation.

-"It's him." you said looking at your notification.

-"And ?"

-"He sent a comma."

-"A comma?" your friend asks lost

-"Yes."

-"what does it mean ?"

-"I DON'T KNOW ! Does it mean he stops to breathe, or I should breathe or-"

-"Or he made a mistake and typed wrong."

-"No, he's good with his hands."

-"I don't want to know how you know that." your friend says looking at you

-"...I wasn't implying anything weird. He's a fucking military." you answered.

-"Ok. So what do you do ?"

-"I could send a comma too ?"

-"Yay revise your punctuations with Y/N and Ghost." your friend says ironically.

-"I...oh fuck, he sent another text."

-"And ?" your friend asks

-"Does the eggplant be used to convey a desire to meet me or is it some weird shit like Soap does usually,"you read out loud his text

-"he texts like a grandpa." your friend comments

-"Fuck you." you say.

-"Calm down, I'm just saying the truth. You should answer it's because you want him."

-"No way, I told you we're acquaintances. I have a crush yes, but we don't know each other well and I-"

-Ting.

-Another text from him.

-"Because it's okay in both cases." he texted you.

-"Oh fuck." you say with your eyes widen.

-"You can say that again !" your friend laughs.

A L E J A N D R O :

-Being a soldier means living in a community. And even if sometimes you're lucky and have your own little room, it's obviously not a hotel.

-So when Alejandro was doing a patrol to check everyone was asleep, he didn't expect to overhear you.

- But it was normal, the walls were thin and he could hear Rudy's snore from here.

-So yes, he heard you talking in your sleep.

-Except it was a fever dream you were having, and it was his name you were whispering.

-He froze.

-He didn't want to intrude, so he stepped back, but it was too late.

- He heard you clearly because of those thin walls.

-The next morning, when all his soldiers were eating together and you were present he couldn't stop looking at you. He didn't know what to do.

-He was not a moron, and he didn't want to confront you about that, but keeping this silent was also horrible.

-"Everything is good, Ale?" Rudy asks.

-"...I overheard something."

-"Let me guess, two soldiers making out? It's like the fourth time this week. Are they rabbits or what?" Rudy sighs at the new cadets.

-"No, it was not two soldiers," Alejandro answers.

-"Oh." Rudy realizes, "oh. Well...it's also common to do it solo. Why are you making this a big deal?"

-"Because they say my name."

-Rudy chokes on his bread and starts laughing.

-"Why do you find this funny?" Alejandro whispers angrily.

-"Because you seem all flustered. You're usually a smooth talker, but you seem so shy about it. It's not the first time a soldier has a crush on you, Alejandro."

-"I know, but it's different."

-"And why is it different?"

-"It's them."

-Rudy smirks.

-"I see."

-"But I can't say I overheard them, but I want to tell them I feel the same. How do I do this when all I could think when I see them is this memory?"

-"Be honest, you don't know how to lie. You're an honest man, Alejandro."

-"You're right, I have to tell them," Alejandro says. He's brave, he can do that.

-"They're coming, good luck," Rudy says and winks.

-You sit at your usual place, greeting everyone, and look at Alejandro.

-"Is everything okay?" you ask him when you notice his expression.

-"I overheard you," he says blankly out of nowhere.

"...can you be more clear, because I have no idea what you're talking about?" you say lost.

-"Last night, I was checking if everyone was asleep and I overheard you saying my name in a feverish dream."

-You raise your eyebrows and smirk.

-"Is that so?"

-He notices the smirk.

-"Why are you smirking?"

-"Because I was on cleaning duty this night; it's Mina who was in my room."

-"Oh."

-"Yes. I guess you have to talk to her," you say.

-"You're right. Sorry, I didn't know."

-"That's okay, but if I may ask, what were you planning to do after telling me this?" you tease him.

He notices your playful tone and smirks back.

-"That you don't need to dream, you can have me in real life."

-"Smooth, really smooth, Alejandro."

He smiles.

-"So it's a yes?"

-"Yes, but you still have to talk to Mina. I wasn't joking; it was her in my room last night."

G A Z :

-It was a night mission.

-You were waiting with the 141 for the order to go.

-It's been hours since you were waiting, and you knew after this mission you probably couldn't see the 141 again.

-Because you were in a different unit, and your collaboration was only for this mission.

-So you knew it was probably the moment to shoot your shot with Gaz.

-You inhale and go to his figure lying in the dark.

- "Gaz, I know we get along with each other. I can't count how many nights we spent just talking to each other on the base or even how many times we laugh together.I...I'm interested in you in more of a friend way. I know it's horrible to say that now, but afterward, it will be too late. So yeah." You say.

-Silence.

-You only hear silence as the figure doesn't move.

-You feel your heart aching.

-Shit, is he rejecting you in silence without saying anything?

-You look at the ground.

-"I think you should activate your vision nocturne, soldier. Gaz is at your right."

-Shit.

-Shit, shit, shit.

- You open your eyes wide.

-You...you just confessed to Price thinking it was fucking Gaz.

-"Shit, I'm so so so sorry. I didn't mean that obviously. I-"

-"Calm down, soldier. And go talk to him. We still have time here, but look at who you're talking to." Price teases you.

-You nod and walk towards Gaz ashamed.

- "Are you okay?" Gaz asks.

-"I just made the worst mistake of my life."

-"What did you say? Did you say to Price he had a nice ass or what?" Gaz jokes to light up the mood.

- You stay silent.

-Gaz opens his mouth. "No, you-"

-"It wasn't his ass. But yeah, I basically confessed to him, because I mistook him for someone else. ?Because obviously in the dark without night vision you can't see anything."

-Gaz laughs.

-"Stop laughing, it's horrible. I'm the worst, he probably will report me."

-"No, he knew it wasn't for him, didn't he ?"

- "Yes, but it...I'm feeling so ashamed."

-"With who do you think mistake him for?" Gaz asks.

-"I don't answer that question. I have made enough confessions for today."

-"Come on, tell me."

-"Nope."

-"Let me guess then."

-"We're only five here, I don't want to let you guess."

-"Soap?"

-"Gaz, I said no."

-"Because if it's him, I don't think he-"

-"You. It was you." You say to shut him up. "Happy, now?"

-He stays silent. You look at him.

-"Yes," he says, smiling. "Even though I'm jealous that Price got the whole speech, it felt like I'm only having the crumbs." He teases you.

-"Shut up," you smile.

-"But I'm happy, I feel the same."

-"Good, because I have enough rejection for today."

-"Ohhhh, Price's rejection is not a good experience?" He jokes.

-"I could never again look at him in the eyes," you say.

K Ö N I G :

-"I thought you were just getting to know him," Soap says.

-"Yes. And that's why I was doing."

-"So could you explain how König ended up with his vest burnt if you were just talking ?" Gaz says skeptical.

-"I...well I was lighting the vanilla candle and he was here, with his eyes and I-"

-"You were checking him out and didn't pay attention to the matchstick, isn't it ?" Soap asks.

-"I was absorbed by his eyes ! They're like so beautiful and he was so close, I-"

-"You burnt his vest." Gaz says.

-"Thanks for the reminder, Gaz. I know now my chances are ruined with him. Shit. The worst is that I can't tell him why I accidentally burnt his vest, so now he thinks I hate him."

-"Well you could find an excuse." Soap says.

-"What excuse could explain a burnt vest, Mr. explosion ?" you asked.

-"You wanted to test if his vest was fireproof." Soap tried

-"..." you said.

-"..." Gaz said.

-Soap sighed.

-"Ok it's not a good one. But I'm trying to help, okay ?"

-"I have to tell him the truth. I don't want him to think I hate him. He's so gentle with us."

-"He's here. Go !" Gaz said as he pushed you.

-You opened your eyes wide. You didn't expect you would have to do that so soon.

-You walked anxiously towards him.

-When he saw you, he stepped back a little.

-It hurt you, but it was fair after the incident.

-"Hey, König, I- I wanted to explain what happened."

-He looked at you and just nodded, waiting for your explanation.

-"In fact I burnt your vest because I was admiring your eyes.I was gazing at you. And I didn't concentrate at all on the candle and I let the matchstick fall. I'm sorry."

-He opened his mouth. He didn't know what to say.

-"I- you were gazing at me ?"

-"Yes, I find you beautiful. But it's not an excuse for what happened. I should have paid more attention to the candle" you said honestly.

-"Thanks for the compliment and the apology"

-"I hope that you don't have any grudges, or you don't think I hate you. I wanted to make it clear."

-"Oh no, well, I know it was an accident. You seem..." he stopped himself to find the right word to described how much you were screaming and scared "terrified ?"

-"Yes." you confirmed.

-"So I knew it was not intentional, but I didn't understand why. But now I know."

-"Cool, so we're okay ?" you asked.

-"You don't want to know ?"

-"Know what ?"

-"If I find you beautiful too ? If I'm gazing at you sometimes ?"

-"Oh, no. I mean I didn't expect anything, so don't feel pressured or anything and-"

-"Because I do." he interrupts you.

-"Oh."

-"Yes."

-"So if I ask you on a date ?"

-"Yes."

-"Cool, cool, cool," you said anxiously but happy

-"Tonight ?" he asked.

-"YES ! I mean, yes of course."

-He smiled under his mask and left. You walked back to Soap and Gaz.

-"So ?" Gaz asked.

-"I have a date."

-"WHAT ?" Gaz said.

-" WHY DID Y/N HAVE A DATE WHEN THEY PUT HIM ON A FIRE AND I CAN'T EVEN HAVE ONE ?!" Soap whined

-You laughed. You didn't know why, but you definitely knew you were lucky he said yes.

A L E X :

-You were a barista at a coffee shop. You were taking Alex's order as usual, since he was a regular when your colleague interrupted you.

-"I prepared the order of the regular hottie you were talking about."

-You looked up at Alex.

-You looked at your colleague.

-He opened his eyes wide.

-"Oh shit" your colleague said.

-"I'm sorry Alex." You said, "This one is on the house and the next time my colleague will serve you. Sorry again." You gave him his coffee and left in the backs now not only your chances were ruined, but you could be possibly fired.

-Shit, it was unprofessional to talk with your colleagues about your crushes on some clients.

-But this was worst because the said client knew that now.

-He knew he was the hottie.

-"Hey", your colleague said after few minutes "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

-"That's okay you couldn't guess he was here. In fact you could because it was his order, but yeah..."

-"But I'm happy."

-"Happy ?" you said a little angry by his remarks now.

-"He let you that." he said giving you a paper.

-"What..." you took the paper and saw a number :"glad to be called a hottie by a hottie, call me."

-"oh wow"

-"It's like a romantic movie !"

-"Absolutely not."

-"YESSSSSSSS" your colleague teased you.

-"I'm just glad to not be fired right now."

P R I C E :

-You were an interpreter. During a long, boring brief, you were chatting with Gaz.

-"Nikolai, Lasswell, Price. Kiss, marry, kill," he says.

-"Lasswell is married, Gaz." you answer.

-"Then Ghost."

-"I kill Nikolai."

-"You dare to kill him!" Gaz says shocked.

-"I mean, I like him. He's a good guy, but I don't know him well. So yes, kill him, kiss Ghost, and marry Price."

-"Your judgment is so biased," Gaz says laughing.

-"Biased?"

-"You only marry Price because you like him."

-"Yeah, that's the point of the game. It's based on preferences, Gaz," you say.

-He smiles.

-"You don't deny what I say."

-"It's because that's obvious, I have a thing for him. Plus, everybody knows Price is like the perfect husband material."

-"Hmm, thanks for your comment," a voice says.

-You and Gaz look at each other.

-The whole room is staring at you.

-Lasswell points the microphone at your right, which is still on.

-"Fuck," you say and your voice echoes throughout the room.

-"Sorry about that," Gaz says, and he switches off the microphone.

-"We are so dead," Gaz says.

-"I am so dead, you mean. I'm surprised if they don't replace me with another interpreter at the end of the day."

-The meeting ends, but as Gaz and you are leaving, you hear Price calling you.

-You hesitate but walk towards him.

-"You know what I'm about to say."

-"Yes, Sir, it was inappropriate, and we should have paid attention to the brief. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. As you can guess, my goal was not to let this slip," you answer.

-Price nods.

-"Good. You can leave."

-You leave the room.

-You thought it was the end, Price clearly rejects you.

-Yet a few weeks later, when the mission ended, Price approached you.

-You were sitting at the bar with the 141 celebrating the success.

-"So you're not working with us anymore," he said.

-"Yeah, that's the end of my mission." You answered, smiling.

-"So it's not inappropriate if I ask you on a date?"

-"A date? Wait, you-"

-"I keep my work and personal life separated."

-"Shit, so if you didn't say anything, it was because we were colleagues."

-"And because it was fun to see you defeated," he chuckles.

-"You're mean." You laugh. "But that's a yes."

If you want more my Call of Duty masterlist : here

My masterlist : here

[thegreymarveljedi]

Relaxing Days

(Crosshair x Reader)

This one is kind of an OOC Crosshair cause I think he’s just a touch starved, misunderstood man. I took this idea from a previous fic in my drafts and turned it into some soft Crosshair smut!

(Divider done by @snotbuggle)

Warnings: SMUTT, first time! Reader, slight insecure reader, oral (f and m receiving), face sitting, nipple play, pet names, Crosshair is a soft boi, check ins, consent is key, p in v sex, fluffy ending.

Words: 5.5K+

The snarky sniper of Clone force 99 or The Bad Batch, had taken a liking to you almost immediately after you joined the squad as their general. You seemed to be one of the only people outside of his squad of brothers that he trusted with his life. And that was saying something because it usually took him a long time to trust people but with you, it took merely a day.

When you first joined the squad, the others were sceptical but welcoming nonetheless, never having had a proper general to answer too. Wrecker was the first to warm up, knowing that he could joke with you and never be judged. The others were shocked when it was Crosshair who warmed up to you next, finding comfort in your presence and being nice to you. Tech had even tried to take Crosshairs temperature and run a few test before the sniper scowled and smacked him away.

It happened after you returned to Coruscant, back from a long, strenuously mission that you broke through Crosshair’s hard exterior. You matched his stubbornness head on but still showed him unwavering kindness, even if he had been cold to you when you first joined. He respected you even more when he realized that you wouldn’t take his shit, conceding his respect and reciprocating your kindness.

After that, he began to open up to you. He would crack jokes with you much to the surprise of his brothers. But that helped them to feel more comfortable with you as their general. You had even over heard Hunter say to the Tech and Echo once, “if Crosshair likes her, then how bad could it be?”

Crosshair would tell you stories about their cadet days and about missions they took on before you had become their general. Even at late hours of the night, he would come knocking on the door to your quarters, asking to talk or just wanting to be held, to cuddle when he couldn't sleep. You never objected, letting the misunderstood, touch starved trooper in, holding him close until the sun shone through your window in the morning and sometimes even after that.

The rest of the squad took notice of Crosshair’s more relaxed behaviour as the weeks went by, noting that he had much less of a temper now that you were around. He would join the team in joking around and was much less bothered by Wrecker’s childish antics, even initiating some jokes.

The Batch was pleasantly surprised by how kind Crosshair was to you but, Hunter especially, was happy to see his little brother finally somewhat relaxed. He was glad that Crosshair had found someone who he felt comfortable with and even if it wasn’t him or any of the other batch members, at least he had someone.

Through his hard exterior, you could see that he was a soft, misunderstood man under there, looking for a purpose, looking to be loved by someone. And you showed him that he had a purpose in life other than to be a soldier, that he deserved love and that you loved him.

~Time Skip~

Locked in a heated makeout session, you and Crosshair were in your quarters aboard the Negotiator 2.0 spending time together. The other members of the Bad Batch were off doing their own thing, unaware of what was currently going on between their General and sniper behind closed doors.

After another successful joint mission with the 212th, General Kenobi thought it best to give the men a much needed break, sighting their good work. Everyone had been excited for the rest as they awaited their next orders. That's what led you and Crosshair to this moment, some quiet time alone in your quarters. You and him hadn't gotten to spend a lot of alone time together because of how many non stop missions you had been sent on.

You had been a couple for a few months now and, with the exception of Hunter, because nothing got past him, no one knew. You were courting in secret because it wasn’t something you wanted everyone to know just yet. And with you being a Jedi and Crosshair a clone, it would get you both in trouble if the wrong people found out about your relationship. That’s why you and Crosshair agreed to keep your relationship on the down low.

Since then, you and Crosshair had been sneaking around, trying to find more and more places for you fun "games". This wasn't the first time you've been like this but it's never really gone all the way.

You were nervous for your first time having sex, never having had it before. Yes, you and Crosshair had engaged in foreplay with hand jobs and fingering but nothing past that. You were afraid you wouldn't be good enough for him, not having the experience her had in this department as well as other reasons.

Right now, you were sat on top of Crosshair’s lap, straddling him as his hands massaged your thighs. Your hands were wrapped around his neck, playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck. You pulled away from the kiss breathless, resting your foreheads together and smiling at each other. Crosshair had such an amazing smile and you were saddened that he didn’t show it off more. Then again, if you got to see it everyday then you’d be happy.

“Crosshair?” Your voice was quiet, almost like you felt the romantic atmosphere would disappear if you were any louder. The man below you responded with a short ‘hmm’, his lips travelling down to kiss at your neck.

"I think I’m ready," you whispered to him, taking hold of his face and bringing it up to look at you, holding it gently in your hands. His eyes went wide as he pulled away from you slightly, searching your eyes for reassurance. He knew that this was new territory for you, attachments and relationships forbidden for Jedi though most were not celibate. But you had confided in him that even if sex was a loop hole, you didn’t want just anyone, you wanted a connection with someone.

"A-are you sure Cyar’ika? I mean I am too but I just want you to be fully ready so you won't reg-" Crosshair began to ramble but you cut him off with short, reassuring kiss to his lips. The lips that had whispered so many loving words to you in the late hours aboard the marauder, flying through hyperspace or between missions in your quarters on Kamino.

"I'm sure Crosshair. I want you to be my first," you said, shrugging off your top robes as reassurance for him, making him smile and nod. He slowly helped you pull the remainder of your robes off, pulling your undershirt up over your head, discarding the piece of clothing on the floor.

Crosshair’s upper armour was soon to follow, hands working diligently to remove it with your help. You moved down to his legs, removing the armour adorning his slim yet muscular thighs. You were careful when removing it, being mindful that the clones took pride in their armour which was no exception for the Batch. Once his armour was full removed, Crosshair pulled you back up and onto his lap, hands finding their way to your ass.

The top half of his blacks soon followed his armour to the floor as you lifted the shirt up and over his head, feeling his lean yet muscular body as you went. Crosshsir wasn't a super big man, his genetic makeup modified to be of a slimmer size to better suit his position as the team sniper. Even if he wasn’t a large man, he was still muscular and fit, tall and agile. No matter what he looked like, you loved him just the same.

You smiled as he moved his hands up and down your sides, still looking a little hesitant, as if unsure that you were fully ready and committed to this.

“Are you sure this is what you want mesh’la? Because I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to stop if you change your mind.” Crosshair said, wanting to hear you say it one more time.

You kissed his soft lips again, trying your best to convey to him that you really wanted to do this before pulling away to take off your breast band, throwing it to the floor with your shirts and the rest of your clothing.

“I’m sure Crosshair. Please, I want you.”

Crosshair looked down at your breasts hungrily, his eyes meeting yours, silently asking for permission to start. You nodded shyly, closing your eyes before taking hold of his wrists and bringing his hands up to massage your chest. You moaned softly as he took one of your hardeneding buds between his thumb and index finger, tweaking and rolling it.

His unoccupied hand moved up your body to your lips, tracing his thumb along your bottom lip before you engulfed it into your mouth to suck. Yours eyes met again, not breaking contact as you sucked his thumb. It was such a sensual act to Crosshair that he let out a chuckle before groaning at your eagerness. He pulled his finger out of your mouth slowly, being sure to hold your lip open before moving his other hand down to play with your neglected nipple.

“Fuck Crosshair, that feels so good.” With his fingers doing such a great job on just your breasts, you felt as thought you would cum just from nipple simulation. His fingers were long and the pads soft, making his hands perfect for jobs like this. You moaned as he took one nipple into his mouth and began to suck softly, picking up the pace as satisfied moans continued to fall from your lips. As he worked on you chest, you started to grind you hips against his crotch, making him moan around you nipple.

Crosshair pulled away from your chest with a slight pop, moving his hands down to your hips. He gripped your love handles gently yet firmly and began to meet your hips with his, grinding against your clothed core making you both moan.

"Cross, Fuck," you moaned, burying your face in his neck to try and muffle your sounds. You kissed and nipped at the skin of his throat, feeling his Adam’s apple bob with your affections. You moved your hands down to his pants, pulling at the drawstring of his blacks and feeling the waists of them slacken slightly.

You had never told him so but he looked sexy in just his blacks. He always looked sexy no matter what he was wearing and now, you could see him fully nude which would finally complete the fantasy you had envisioned many time before. You groaned as the image slotted itself in your mind, the picture making your core wet and ready for him.

Crosshair moved his hands down to the hem of your pants, unbuckling your belt and pulling it off, tossing it to the floor. You smiled at him and got off of his lap, standing up beside the bed before slowly, teasingly, sliding your pants down your legs. Crosshair watched with bated breath as you stripped off your last layer, stepping out of them and leaving you in your black panties.

Crosshair watched in awe, seeing you in nothing but your panties was an image he was determined to commit to memory. His hands reached for your hips again, running them up and down as he admired your gorgeous physique.

“Mesh’la,” he murmured, entranced by your beauty. Your cheeks were tinted a light pink as you too in his words, feeling bashful about the way he was looking at you though you did nothing to cover yourself.

Crosshair let a smile grace his lips as he stood up with you, removing his hands from your hips and pushing the bottoms of his blacks down and off, leaving him in his boxers. You watched with hungry eyes as his black came off, getting down on your knees in front of him. Your eyes met again and you never broke the contact as your hand came to palm his clothed erection, feeling his cock flex through his boxers.

Crosshair moaned softly, running his fingers through your hair as you palmed him, "S-stop teasing (Y/N)," he whimpered, a sound that you never imagined would come out of the snarky snipers mouth. He was always very careful with his words and the things that came off his tongue, but in this moment, hearing such a vulnerable sound come from him made you giddy.

You smirked up at Crosshair, feeling your confidence grow as you slowly pulled down his boxers, letting them pool at his ankles. He stepped out of them and kicked them to the side, resuming his position in front of you. You looked up at him with innocent eyes, your hand coming up to stroke his cock. Crosshair sighed in relief, legs shaking slightly as he moved back to sit on the bed, you following him dutifully.

You ran your hands up and down Crosshair’s thighs, kissing up his inner thighs until you reached his cock. You made eye contact with him again as you brought your tongue to his tip, kitten licking it while your other hand stoked his base. Crosshair sighed as he threaded his fingers through your hair again, just resting it there and not pushing you further. You carefully and, quite skillfully, took him into your mouth and began to bob your head up and down.

"Oh dear maker!" Crosshair moaned almost breathlessly, trying and failing to keep his hips still. He gently and gently thrusted his hips, encouraging but not forcing you to take more of him in your mouth. You smiled around him before taking his entire length, right down to base, in your mouth. You gagged slightly, never having done this before but trying your best to make it good for him. And Crosshair was long, and had some girth to him which made it more difficult but you persevered.

"Oh kriff cyar’ika, that feels so good," Cross moaned, continuing to thrust into your mouth, hitting the back of your throat. You squeezed his balls as you took him, feeling the heavy weight of his sack pulse as his hips stuttered. He gripped your hair and held your head down at his cock pulsed, not being able to hold it in any longer.

“Can I-“ he barely got the words out as you nodded, deepthroating him as he came with a shout, his cum flooding your throat. You gagged as he came, sucking on his cock through his orgasm as he began to soften in your mouth.

Crosshair removed his hand from your hair, panting as he came down from his high, legs twitching and chest heaving. He reached down slightly and held your chin in his hand, watching as you swallowed his load. You pulled off his cock with a small pop, a string of saliva connecting you to his softening length as you too in deep breaths, wiping your lips with the back of your hand.

Crosshair groaned softly, his hands reaching under your arms, pulling you up off the floor and into his lap again. He kissed you deeply and you happily obliged, your tongues moving together. Cross didn’t care that he could taste himself on your tongue, still in the afterglow of what was one of the best orgasms he had ever had. You could feel him hardening again, his enhanced genetics meaning he had stamina to spare. You smiled into the kiss, giggling as you pulled away and buried your face in his neck.

"What is so funny kitten?" Crosshair asked, his voice thicker than normal, gruff and sexy to your ears. You whimpered softly into his neck just from hearing the words roll off his silver tongue, the tongue you wanted to badly to feel against your cunt.

"You," you said, smiling into his neck and placing small kisses along the side. He chuckled and pulled you away from his neck, kissing you deeply once more before coaxing you stand again. Crosshair ran his hands up your tights to the waistband of your panties, pulling them down your legs to reveal your beautiful pussy to him. You shyly crossed your legs once your panties were on the floor, a pink hugh tinting your cheeks.

“Don’t hide cyar’ika. You’re beautiful,” Crosshair said, pulling you back into his lap. You were sheepish, not meeting his eyes again until he tilted your chin up to him.

“I’m being honest (Y/N). You’re so unbelievably, breathtakingly beautiful ner sarad,” he said and kissed your lips gently. It was a loving, affectionate kiss that held so much meaning and warmth behind it that you couldn’t deny his words.

“Thank you Crosshair,” you whispered against his lips, knowing that he wouldn’t lie to you especially about this.

Crosshair began trailing kisses down your neck toward your breasts once more where he engulfed your left nipple in his mouth again, while his left hand came up to play with the right one. You moaned a little louder than before, voice high as he ravaged your chest, laying a claim to your breasts like a man starved of milk.

Crosshair pulled off with a small pop before laying back on the bed, pulling you with him as he adjusted himself on the pillows, "come here cyare," he said, the term of endearment rolling off his tongue like a prayer.

You seductively crawled on top of him so you were situated on his firm chest, staring down at him and waiting for his next move. He smirked again and gripped your ass, pulling you higher up his body until you were straddling his face. You gasped at the sudden display of his strength, hands coming up to support yourself against the wall. You looked down into Crosshairs determined eyes, finding desire and hunger in his eyes as they flickered between yours and your cunt.

"I want you to ride my face mesh’la. Wanna taste you so bad," he growled against your thigh making you moan and nod. Crosshair smirked, quickly bringing your pussy down to his face, and lapping at your folds with vigor.

You moaned unabashedly as he got to work on your sensitive core, licking, sucking and biting your lower lips. To Crosshair your moans were like a music to his ears, singing his praises and praying to him to go faster. You were still hesitant to put your full weight on him, afraid that you would suffocate him.

Crosshair must have felt your hesitation, as he wrapped his arms around the back of your thighs and pressed you down against his tongue. You yelled out an obnoxiously pornographic moan as he latched onto your clit, sucking hard on the sensitive bundle of nerves. You brought one hand down to his head, running your fingers through his short silver hair.

“Oh fuck Crosshair! Fuck that f-feels amazing,” you managed to get out between pleasured sounds, throwing your head back as he furiously sucked on your clit.

Before you could fully process what was happening, Crosshair entered a finger into your soaked pussy, pulling a deep, guttural groan from you. You looked down again to see his piercing hazel eyes looking back up at you as he devoured your cunt while he finger fucked you. He then added a second and third finger after a few more moments, stretching your entrance open in preparation for his cock. You panted above him and began to grind against his fingers and face, chasing your incoming orgasm.

"You stretch me so well Cross, so fucking good," you moaned and threw your head back again, the hand in his hair tightening. Crosshair smirked and sped up his movements, thrusting his fingers faster as he sucking on the hood of your clit.

"Oh Fuck! Oh maker C-cross, I'm so C-Clo-" you didn't get finish you sentence as Crosshair crooked his fingers inside you, hitting your g-spot dead on with a precision only he had. You screamed as you came on his tongue and fingers, Crosshair lapping us your sweet juices as if they were his last meal. Your chest heaved with your head thrown back as you came down from your intense high, Crosshair slowly removing his fingers from your cunt. He carefully lifted you off his face, guiding you back down his body to your snug fitting position on his lap.

He sat up and held you as you caught your breath, hearing him whisper sweet nothings in your ear to help bring you back. A dazed smile graced your face as you listened to him speak, his voice soothing you as reality returned to your vision.

“You’re alright love. I’m here,” Crosshair whispered, rubbing circles on your back. He took a deep breath in and a deep breath out, guiding you to follow his breathing patterns as your brain fog cleared. You followed the movements of his chest, feeling safe in his arms as he brought you back.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, interrupting your tender moment together. Your heart beat quickened, the fear of getting caught weighing heavy on your mind. You weren’t afraid to admit that you were with Crosshair, but it was against the code to for attachments so it was Obi-wan at the door, you were both royally fucked.

"Who is it!" You called out, removing yourself from Crosshairs lap and sliding off the bed. You quickly forced your bath robe into your hand, wrapping it around yourself before walking to the door.

"It's your favourite clone!" The voice of one of your best friend’s came from the other side making you turn to Crosshair and mouth to him to hide. He rolled his eyes and begrudgingly nodded, quickly stepping into the fresher, hitting the button to close the door behind him.

The door to your room slid open to reveal Commander Cody standing on the other side, arms crossed and a worried look in his soft hazel eyes, "I heard you scream so I wanted to come and check on you," He said, giving you a once over from head to toe to make sure nothing was wrong.

You mentally face palmed because you knew that someone would catch you if you were too loud. You nodded and pulled the rode a little tighter around yourself, being mindful that you were naked underneath and your neck was most likely littered with love bites, "Yup! Just fine! I just dropped my lightsaber on my toes and it surprised me is all!" You lied, just coming up with a quick one to cover for yourself though your voice was higher than normal.

Cody nodded, still looking sceptical but not wanting you push you further, "Ok, if you say so. Also, have you seen Crosshair? Wrecker’s been looking for him, something about wanting to place a bet on something," He added, his posture relaxing ever so slightly. You shook your head quickly with a shrug, trying to come up with a cover for Crosshair now.

"Have you checked the training deck? He’s usually there upping the target practice high score for you boys," You asked and rocked back and forth on your heels, hoping they hadn’t checked there yet. Cody bit his lip, feeling a little silly that he hadn’t thought about that before uncrossing his arms with a sigh. He shock his head before giving you a short hug, holding you in his arms a little longer than her would anyone else.

"I'll have the boys check there now. Thanks vod’ika," he said, giving you a cheeky smile as he stepped back into the hallway. You smiled back at him and patted him on the back, knowing that for now you were safe, "No problem Cody! I hope you find him.”

“I’m sure we will,” Cody said with a chuckle and gave you a two finger salute, walking down the corridor and disappearing around the corner. When the door slid shut, you sighed, re-engaging the lock before peeling the robe off your body. Crosshair emerged from the fresher, a scowl on his face as he came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist, burying his face in your neck.

"Damn reg, killed the mood," Crosshair snarled, his possessive nature shining through just a little. You playfully slapped his arm but soon realized what he meant. You could no longer feel his hard cock on your ass, but instead a soft lump of flesh resting against your behind.

"First of all that's my best friends and technically your CO-” you said and turned to face him, smiling slightly, "-and second-" you reached your hand down between your body, gripping his softening cock. You began to stoke it slowly, teasing and seductive making him groan, "-we can always bring the mood back," you whispered breathlessly in his ear, listening to him moan as you jerked his cock.

He was hard again within a few minutes, your touch being everything he needed to get back in the mood once more. You smiled at your handy work before using the force to give him a push, pushing him back towards the bed. He fell onto it with a surprised yelp, listening to your giggles as you came back over to him and straddled his hips again.

Crosshair grinned and sat up a little, watching as you positioned your cunt over his cock. He took hold of your hips before you could sink down on him, his eyes meeting your ask you gave him a curious glance.

“One last time cyar’ika, are you sure you’re ready for this?” He asked making you giggle again. You leaned down and kissed his lips, running one hand through his hair as the other one remained wrapped around him.

“I’m sure Cross. I want this, I want you to be my first,” you whispered against his lips and slowly lowered yourself down on him, moaning as he stretched your pussy, cunt swallowing him greedily. Crosshair groaned at the tightness of your core, gripping your hips firmly before bringing you down on his cock fully in one fluid motion.

You cried out, head falling forward onto Crosshairs shoulder as you panted for breath, "W-what was that f-for?" you voice quivering as you spoke, the surprise of the movement melting away and making way for an unforgettably pleasurable sensation. It felt so good and he hadn’t even begun to move yet.

"Get it over with- kriff- it’ll hurt less," Crosshair said, moving his hips in slowly circles before he began to shallowly thrust up into you. You moaned, unrestrained and cock drunk, hands finding purchase on his shoulders as you moved up and down on his cock, feeling his tip against your cervix.

"You’re so tight mesh’la," Crosshair moaned, moving his hands from your hips to your ass and grabbing at the round globes for more leverage, "you like having my cock buried in your tight pussy? Does it feel just as good as it does in your dreams?” he whispered in your ear making you moan louder.

"Keep sweet talking like that and I'll cum before we've even really started," You said somewhat breathlessly, your hips meeting Crosshairs as he thrusted up into you. It felt amazing, almost like heaven and for your first time, you were sure that no one could ever be as good as Crosshair.

Crosshair sped up his thrusts, his hips slapping against your ass forcefully as his high drew closer and closer. He was embarrassed with how quickly he was going to cum but then again, you were so warm and tight around him, he couldn’t help it.

“Fuck cyar’ika, I’m gonna cum,” he groaned out, his hips stuttering slightly as you moaned on top of him.

“I’m almost there Cross, fuck you feel so good inside me,” you moaned out, hands on his chest before a yelp left your throat as Crosshair rolled you onto your back. His cock remained buried inside your cunt and with the new position it felt as if he was reaching deeper and deeper.

“FUCK!” You screamed as crosshair sped up his thrusts, chasing his orgasm just as he was yours. He brought his hand down between your bodies and began to rub your clit once more, drawing a scream from your lips at the over sensitivity.

“Crosshair!” You moaned as you came, your walls convulsing around and drawing his cock in, holding it inside your pussy. That threw Crosshair over the edge, his cock pulsing inside you as his seed shot deep into your cunt. You could feel his spend painting your walls white, the warm sensation of it making you see stars.

Crosshair slowed the movement of his hips, letting every last drop of his seed out inside you. You both panted as he laid down next to you, holding you in his arms as you both came back to reality. You stayed there for a few minutes to catch your breath before Crosshair carefully pulled out, causing a whimper to leave your lips. He whispered an apology to you and kissed your forehead, getting up and quickly walking to the bathroom.

He came back a few seconds later with a glass of water and a damp cloth, slowly sitting you up. You made no protest against the movement, body and mind still up in the clouds in the after glow of your orgasm. He thoughtfully clean you up, smiling apologetically as you whimpered, still sensitive from your first time. Crosshair kissed your forehead again, using the cloth to clean himself off before tossing it into the clothing shute and handing you the glass of water.

“Drink up mesh’la. You need it especially after such activities,” he said, the smile not leaving his face. You nodded and drank the water slowly, watching Crosshair as he picked his armour up off the ground and placed it by the door with genuine care. You smiled down at the glass of water in your hand, thinking about how caring Crosshair was being with you. You watched as he then picked up your clothes off the floor and discarded them in the clothing shute. He walked over to the dresser in the corner of your room, opening the top drawer and pulling out a clean set of underwear for you.

You finished your water and put the glass down on the nightstand, smiling slightly in embarrassment as Crosshair came over to the bed. He carefully pulled you to stand on your shaky legs, helping you into your underwear before scooping you up and laying you back down in your bed.

He quickly retrieved a new pair of boxers from his pack, pulling them on before sliding into the bed next to you. Crosshair pulled the covers up over your bodies, pulling you closer as you snuggled into his chest. You sighed contently, feeling warmth envelop your body as you pressed up against his frame underneath the blanket. Even if Crosshair normally ran a cold body temperature, right now her warm, a comfortable, post sex warm.

"That was amazing Crosshair, thank you." You said and laid one more gently kiss to his chest, drawing circles around the 99 tattoo on his left pec. He smiled softly down at you and placed a kiss to your forehead once more, running a hand up and down your back.

"I love you, ner mesh’la cyare. Thank you for making this an amazing and unforgettable experience. You truly know how to make a man happy," Crosshair said with a chuckle and looked down at you with the charming smile you had come to love.

"I love you too. I’m glad it felt good for you, I was afraid I wouldn't be go enough for you with how inexperienced I am,” you said, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear shyly. Crosshair had been with other women before, all of the Batch members had, and all those other women had more experience. But you loved Crosshair, and you hoped to be enough for him.

Crosshair looked at you bewildered before holding your chin softly in his hand, building you to look him in the eyes. He looked down at you with such love and adoration, hand instead moving to hold your cheek as he stroked it with his thumb, "Non sense ner kar’ta, that felt absolutely fantastic. I'm glad I got to be your first and you were absolutely amazing. I have never found a woman who made me feel as loved and cared for as you. You are more than good enough for me," Crosshair said and placed a delicate kiss to your lips,trying his best to convey his love before he pulled away from it.

You smiled and snuggled into his chest farther, enjoying the contrast of his now cool smooth skin against your heated palm. You drew circles on his chest, enjoying the feeling of his heartbeat against your cheek. Crosshair kissed the crown of your head, holding you close and whispering sweet nothings into your ear. Soon you both drifted to sleep in each other's arms, content with how the night had come to a close.

Let me know what you think of this! If you want to see more soft Crosshair, let me know in the comments!

[kitchenwizardkisser7]

Im good.

Bet ya dont know who i am tho

-overly tired anon

ur either @four-corners-dude or @0dividedby0haha I think??

[red5tars]

minors + ageless blogs dni or you will be blocked

*taps mic*

gaz who hears about a cadet disrespecting price.

cw: dub-con, insulting price

he does his best to remain level-headed on base, especially when he has so many people looking up to him. he’s been in their shoes, is still in their shoes and that’s because of price.

in fact, kyle wouldn’t be here without him, so he can’t help but feel indebted to him.

that’s why he has to enact vengeance when he hears some little shit is talking shit-

“ol’ geezer’s about a foot away from the grave. needs to retire before he bypasses his glory days-“

so, he sets off to find them, storming through the halls of the base. it takes him a while, but then he hears a faint insult.

“-bet he’s already senile-“

and the last thing kyle expected was to hear such horrendous things come from such a sweet little thing. he recognizes you, a military brat. price briefed him about you, little nepo baby who thinks they’re above it all. fortunately, kyle wasn’t in charge of your squadron, never having to cross paths with you.

till you insulted his captain.

you hardly even notice kyle (the name was the only thing that got passed down to you, not the skills), only noticing him when he’s a foot from your table. the two lackeys beside you freeze, but you hardly acknowledge him.

“can i help you?” it’s condescending, the way your lips push out the words. an air of disinterest surrounds you, making kyle clench his fist.

“heard you were badmouthing the captain, is that true, cadet?” kyle asks, trying to stay civil. on the other hand, you couldn’t care less, merely rolling your eyes.

“i was, don’t think that’s any of your concern though is it, sergeant?” a coy smile stretches across your face, eyes drifting to your lackeys. it’s supposed to be funny, but they aren’t laughing.

kyle takes a deep breath, counting to ten before speaking again, “it is my concern, cadet. if we catch you being disrespectful again, it could result in your-“

“oh who cares what you have to say, dick rider?”

it’s almost as if the whole world goes silent when you say that.

kyle stares at you for three uneasy minutes, your fellow cadets quietly shuffling away as the man stares you down. the weight of this situation has yet to fall down on you.

you cock your head, “well? got anything to say, sarge? hm?”

and while he doesn’t have anything to say, he has something to do.

actions speak louder than words, after all.

rather than speak some sense into you, he’ll just fuck it into you. strong hands gripping your waist as your back arches off the bed, fingers entangling in his sheets. you make a pretty sight, despite the ugly shit you spew.

and when you’re on the verge of cumming, sloppy walls hugging so tightly, trying to memorize every bump, vein, curve of his dick, he pulls out.

he answers your whine and whimpers with a breathy, “until you say you’re sorry, and mean it,” your mouth clamps shut, a half baked apology already on your lips, desperate for release (cute), “then you can cum, brat.”

the next morning, kyle brings you to price’s office to apologize.

it’s obvious you’ve been kicked off your high horse, given the way you tremble and the fragrant stench of sex that entered his office the same time kyle and you strolled in.

he can only smile with pride, knowing that his sergeant put you in your place.

which is beneath them.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Pride! Jim & Spock? Can be in the Sybokverse or on their own eitherway is perfect!

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5

“I believe I have the right to face my accuser.”

Jim is going to tear this asshole apart.

There’s muttering throughout the crowd, the auditorium filled to the brim for one cadet’s academic dishonesty disciplinary hearing. These are always open to be attended by the accused’s peers, but usually no one bothers, having far better things to do on a Friday morning. Jim is flattered, honestly.

Admiral Archer nods and everyone turns as one of the instructors stands and walks stiffly to the other podium.

Jim is honestly taken aback. A Vulcan giving him shit over this? He squints, trying to place him, suddenly sure he’s seen him somewhere before. Possibly just in the halls, but the familiarity feels deeper than that. He’s met a lot of Vulcans, to be fair.

“Cadet,” he greets.

“Defend the logic of your accusation,” he says, falling into familiar vernacular and only barely keeping himself from saying it in formal Vulcan. This guy might appreciate it, but Archer won’t, and Chris had told him not to be too much of an asshole.

The Vulcan raises an eyebrow. “The purpose of the test is to assess your response to no win scenarios. Altering the parameters, while admittedly an impressive feat of programming, shows both your lack of understanding and your casual disregard for the institution of Starfleet.”

“I don’t believe in no win scenarios,” he says confidently, flashing a smile to the assembled admirals that, in different circumstances, tends to get him laid.

He stiffens. “Your belief in them does not change their existence. In an impossible situation, you must react to the circumstances given to you. Anything else is entertaining delusions.”

“Bullshit,” Jim says immediately and sees Chris pinch the bridge of his nose. Oops. This is a perfect time to go into the speech that he has prepared, about how if he was actually trying to cheat he would have been more subtle about it, about how cheating was his answer to the question presented by the test, and how that applies to how he would really react as a captain.

But then the Vulcan gives him the bitchiest look he’s seen in – well, about four days, but he’s suddenly so sure where he knows him from.

~

Spock doesn’t understand how someone with so little regard for both etiquette and moral standards has survived this long in the academy. He’s intimately familiar with the doors that having a famous father can open, but surely there must be limits.

James Kirk opens his mouth, presumably to continue his insulting and inappropriate defense of his actions, then his eyes narrow, widen, and he demands, “Spock? S'Chn T'Gai Spock? Son of Amanda Grayson and S'Chn T'Gai Sarek?”

For a moment, all he can do is stare. “Have we met?”

His syntax when first faced with him had made him think that James Kirk was familiar with Vulcan, as unlikely as that seemed, but now he’s sure. Not only because of the correct pronunciation of his family name, but in how he has addressed him. Vulcan society is matriarchal. It is correct to identify him first as his mother’s son, and also appropriate to leave off his father’s title as ambassador when identifying his family origin, as his father’s position is supposed to be secondary to his mother’s. His mother married into his father’s clan, but that doesn’t change formal conventions.

Even on Vulcan, he is rarely identified correctly.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” James Kirk says, then takes out his communicator and starts typing.

What.

“Cadet Kirk!” Admiral Archer barks. “Put that away and comport yourself as your position demands or we’ll be here for more than accusations of your cheating.”

“Apologies, Admiral,” James Kirk says, placing his hands behind his back and looking like he’s taking this seriously for the first time. “If you’ll just allow a couple minutes-”

Spock’s communicator goes off.

“Commander,” Admiral Archer says warningly.

“One moment, please,” he says, his stomach rolling as he takes out the communicator. He’s hoping that this is another of James Kirk’s tricks, because when he’s placed it on silent only his family can contact him, and his mother marks all of her correspondence as non urgent. There is no good reason for his father to contact him.

He opens it up and blinks twice, to be certain of what he’s seeing.

Sybok has sent him a text base message. His elder brother never sends him text based communication, as he believes that Spock will not respond timely or authentically, and so only video calls him. Usually at inopportune times.

stop being mean to jimmy :(

He is a genius. Several things suddenly make sense all at once.

He is of course aware of his older brother’s dear friend who he only refers to as Jimmy. In the tragedy of Tarsus IV, when all should have been lost and the corrupt governor threatened to kill half the colony and did kill a not insignificant amount of them, it was Jimmy and Sybok who worked together to create a sort of resistance and keep people alive long enough to for their jury-rigged signal to make it through.

Receiving that strange message from Sybok after years of silence had let him, and their father, know that something was wrong and alert Starfleet.

Jimmy, who had been a minor at the time, and so his identity had been kept from the public at his request, and who had visited Sybok on Vulcan but Spock had examinations at the time and had not been permitted to travel across planet to meet him.

James Kirk looks at him, a smile hovering around the corners of his lips.

James Kirk. Colloquially known as Jim. Jimmy.

Spock had designed the Kobayashi Maru with his brother’s experience at Tarsus IV in mind. He had been different after, just as prone to arguing with their father, more prone to arguing with everyone else, but he’d been sturdier too. As if that experience had at once confirmed and destroyed all of his worst expectations of people.

James Kirk does not believe in no win scenarios and he has demonstrated that more aptly than any simulation could.

“I rescind my accusation of academic dishonesty towards Cadet Kirk.”

[fandomrewrites]

Legends Chapter 4: Presentation

Hello Riders! Before I get into this chapter I would like to share this picture of the Gauntlet. It's not my picture, I got it off the fandom Wiki page, credit goes to the artist. The picture helped me better understand how the obstacles were set up so I thought it would be helpful for all of you as well.

I love this chapter a lot, and I hope you guys love it as much as me. Remember to tell me your opinions on the story so far or ask me any questions you may have. I love hearing from you guys! And don't forget to let me know if you want to be added to the taglist.

Chapters 10-12 in Fourth Wing Pairings: Xaden x Younger Sister, Liam x Best Friend, Sawyer x Reader (mentioned) Warnings: Swearing, violence, character death, blood, spoilers from the book series Word Count: 11,785

Legends Masterlist

I talked about you during Presentation yesterday. There's a guy in my squad who asked about my childhood, and the first thing I thought of was how even when you were a kid you never took anyone's shit. Like that one time Xaden and I tried to keep the secret about the Venin from you. You said you were smarter than us and gods I believed you; I still do. -Recovered correspondence from Garrick Tavis to (Y/N) Riorson

The night before Gauntlet training starts, I stand with the other marked ones. This is our third meeting and we've only lost one other cadet since Parapet. "Let's make this meeting quick, the first years need rest since Gauntlet training starts tomorrow. How's hand-to-hand coming with you guys?" Xaden asks as he looks towards Carolyn, Dmitry, Julian, and Carina.

The four nod, sharing looks. "I've seen improvements." Garrick answers, "They've each won a few challenges and lost some, but no serious injuries."

"We're continuing the training multiple times a week, and we won't stop even with challenges pausing." Imogen adds.

Xaden nods, "Good. Any questions?"

"The Gauntlet has one of the biggest death counts in the quadrant, any tips on how to survive?" I ask.

Xaden holds my gaze, "Time doesn't matter. Even on presentation day. Just get through the obstacles safely, don't worry about being fast."

"Doesn't the time determine the order in which you walk presentation?" Ashton asks.

Garrick nods, "It does, but in the past there have been cadets that have walked last and bonded and cadets who have walked first haven't. So like Xaden said, your time doesn't matter."

"There are ropes every six feet, grab them if you need to." Bodhi starts, eyes sweeping over the first years, "Time will be added but they may save your life." His eyes lock onto mine. There's a flash of worry but I smile, reassuring him.

"Any more questions?" Xaden asks. When no one replies he continues, "Good. Head to bed. And good luck tomorrow." I turn to walk back with Liam but Xaden grabs my arm, "Let me walk you."

"Okay," I turn to Liam, "I'll see you tomorrow." He nods, running to catch up with Bodhi. I look back at Xaden, "What did you want to talk about?"

Xaden pauses, "Just be careful tomorrow, I know you'll probably do fine but…"

I smile, "I get it, Xade. I'll be careful."

He nods, "So, I've seen you hanging out with that Sawyer guy a lot."

I smirk, "Well, he is in my squad."

"That's it?"

"I mean…" I trail off before starting again, "Do you really want to talk about this?"

"I just want to make sure you're okay. He's treating you good?"

"I'm very satisfied." I try not to laugh at the look on Xaden's face.

"That's not what I meant." He rubs the bridge of his nose.

I giggle, "Sorry. Sawyer's great, I think you'd like him if you talked to him."

Xaden nods, "Good. That's good. I obviously don't know him well but," Xaden pauses, "You can do worse."

I smile, "That sounds like the Xaden stamp of approval. Wow, I never thought I'd see the day."

Xaden nudges my shoulder, "Listen, I know I'm protective of you and no one is going to be perfect for you in my eyes but I also know you're smart, strong, beautiful and you deserve to be happy. Plus, Sawyer is in your squad, so if you're going to have a relationship with anyone at least it's with someone who can't kill you."

I snort, "There it is. But Sawyer and I… We're not serious. We're friends, we get along. And sometimes we just need to… Let off steam."

Xaden chuckles, "Yeah, let off steam. Thank you for putting it that way." I laugh along with him, "I get it. I've been there, I just want you to pick your partners carefully and Sawyer is a safe option. A good option. I just don't want you doing anything in front of me."

I wrap my arm around Xaden's waist causing him to wrap his around my shoulder's, "Noted. I will try to be aware of my surroundings and not flirt or kiss or anything else around you. If you promise the same."

"Deal." Xaden smiles.

*_*_*_*_*

The next morning my squad stands in front of the Gauntlet waiting for Professor Emetterio. "Well, that's…" Rhiannon trails off. The obstacle course is carved into the side of the cliff that leads to the flight field, the Vale lays beyond that.

"Amazing," Aurelie sighs in awe.

Rhiannon, Violet, and I all turn to look at her, "You think that hellscape looks amazing?" Rhiannon asks, causing me to smile.

"I've been waiting years for this!" Aurelie grins, "My dad - he was a rider until he retired last year - used to set up obstacle courses like this all the time so we could practice, and Chase, my brother, said it's the best part of being here before Threshing. It's a real adrenaline rush."

"He's with the Southern Wing, right?" Violet questions. She turns back to the Gauntlet, studying the obstacle course.

"Yep. Pretty much desk duty for all the action they see near the Krovlan border." She shrugs then points about two thirds of the way up the course, "He said to watch out for those giant posts jutting from the side of the cliff. They spin, and you can get crushed between them if you're not fast enough."

"Oh good," Rhiannon states sarcastically, "I was wondering when it might get difficult."

"Thanks, Aurelie." Violet says. I remain silent, but nod in thanks.

"Still not sure why they call it the Gauntlet," Ridoc pipes up, cupping his hands and blowing air into them to try and keep warm.

"To ensure dragons keep coming to Threshing by weeding out the weaklings," Tynan sneers, folding his arms and casting a pointed look at Violet.

I cross my arms to stop myself from punching him, "Shut up, Tynan."

"Knock it the fuck off." Ridoc snaps at the same time. The whole squad turns in his direction. We've never seen him lose his temper, he's always so happy, cracking jokes and laughing.

"What's your problem?" Tynan pivots turning his full attention to Ridoc, who stands a half a foot taller.

"My problem?" Ridoc scoffs, "You think because you made friends with Barlowe and Siefert that you have the right to be a dick to your own squadmate?"

"Exactly. Squadmate." Tynan gestures towards the obstacle course, "Our times aren't just ranked individually, Ridoc. We're scored as a squad, too, which is how the order for Presentation is decided. Do you really think any dragon wants to bond a cadet who walks in after every other squad in processional?"

"Xaden told me the times don't matter." I say.

"And they're not timing us for Presentation today, asshole." Ridoc adds.

"Stop." Sawyer steps in between Ridoc and Tynan who are still chest to chest. "(Y/N)'s right. Or I guess Xaden. The order for Presentation doesn't matter. The last cadet to walk last year bonded just fine, and some of the cadets in the first squad onto the field were passed over."

"Little bitter about that, aren't you?" Tynan snarks.

Sawyer ignores the barb but I lunge, tired of hearing Tynan speak ill of my friends. Sawyer quickly grabs my waist, pulling me into his chest. "Easy." He whispers into my ear, I stay still but my glare doesn't leave Tynan, who is staring wide-eyed, shocked I almost attacked him. "Besides," Sawyer continues, like I almost didn't just punch Tynan, "It's not called the Gauntlet because it weeds out cadets."

"It's called the Gauntlet because this is the cliff that guards the Vale," Professor Emetterio says, walking up to the squad, "Plus, actual gauntlets - armored gloves made of metal - are slippery as hell, and the name stuck about twenty years ago." He cocks an eye at Tynan, Sawyer, and I. "Are you three done arguing? Because the ten of you have exactly an hour to get to the top before it's another squad's chance to practice, and from what I've seen of your agility on the mat, you're going to need every second."

There's a grumble from the group, Sawyer keeps an arm around my waist, pulling me slightly away from Tynan. He already knows me too well, because despite what Professor Emetterio just said, I still want to knock some sense into the dark haired boy.

"As you know, hand-to-hand challenges are on hold for the next two and a half weeks before Presentation so you can focus here." Emetterio flips a page in his notebook, "Sawyer, you're going to show them how it's done, since you already have the lay of the land. Then (Y/N), Pryor, Trina, Tynan, Rhiannon, Ridoc, Violet, Aurelie, and Luca." A smile curves on Emetterio's face, "You're the only squad to remain intact since Parapet. That's incredible. Your squad leader must be very proud. Wait here for a second." He walks past us, waving to someone high up on the cliff.

"Aetos is especially proud of Sorrengail." Tynan sneers.

Violet snaps, "Look, if you want to talk shit about me, that's one thing, but leave Dain out of it."

"Tynan," Sawyer warns, his grip on my waist tightens as I tense at Tynan's jeer.

"Like it doesn't bother any of you that our squad leader is fucking one of us?" Tynan asks, throwing his hands out.

I roll my eyes, "Not that it's any of your business, but they're not fucking. And so what if they are? Dain's hot. I say get it."

Everyone's eyes snap to me, "I thought you didn't like him?" Rhiannon asks.

"I don't, but I also have eyes." I shrug.

"It matters if it means that Violet gets preferential treatment!" Luca exclaims, "And of course you wouldn't care when you're fucking our section leader."

Before I can stop myself I laugh, "Me? Fucking Tavis?" My laughing slowly stops but a smile lingers on my face, "No sweetie, Garrick is my brother's best friend. I literally grew up with him, much like how Dain and Violet grew up together. Neither of us are fucking people in leadership."

Tynan's eyes widen, "Really?" He asks Violet.

She nods her head, "Really."

"Shit. I'm sorry. Barlowe said-"

Ridoc interjects, "And that's your first mistake. Listening to that sadistic ass is going to get you killed. And you're lucky Aetos or Tavis aren't here."

I quietly laugh, "Oh man, I can't wait to tell Garrick about that assumption of us." Luca's eyes widen but she doesn't say anything.

"Here we go!" Emetterio says walking back over towards us, "You'll get your time at the top of the course, if you make it, but remember, you'll still have nine practice sessions before we rank you for Presentation in two and a half weeks, which will determine if the dragons find you worthy for Threshing."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to let first years start practicing this thing right after Parapet?" Rhiannon asks. "You know, to give us a little more time so we don't die?"

"No," Emetterio replies, "The timing is part of the challenge. Any words or wisdom, Sawyer?"

Sawyer blows out a couple of slow breaths, his hand twitches on the small of my back, "There are ropes every six feet that run from the top of the sheer cliffside to the bottom, so if you start to fall, reach out and grab a rope. It'll cost you thirty seconds, but death costs you more."

"I mean," Ridoc points to a steep staircase set in the cliff, "There's a perfectly good set of steps over there."

"Stairs are for reaching the flight field on the top of the ridgeline after Presentation." Professor Emetterio says. He lifts his hands towards the obstacle course, flicking his writs, pointing at different obstacles. The fifteen-foot log at the start begins to spin, the other obstacles along the course begin to move as well.

"Every one of the five ascents on this course is designed to mimic the challenges you'll face in battle," Emetterio explains, "From the balance you must keep on the back of your dragon, to the strength you'll need to hold your seat during maneuvers, to-" he gestures upward, toward the last obstacle, "The stamina you'll need to fight on the ground, then still be able to mount your dragon at a second's notice."

"What if we don't make it up?" Luca asks the professor. She secures her hair in a loose braid. Mine is already up in a high bun, the same way I wore it when crossing the Parapet. "What's the alternate route?"

"There's no alternate route," Emetterio says. I could have told her that, "If you don't make it up, you can't get to Presentation, can you? Take your position, Sawyer."

Before Sawyer moves, he turns to me, "Are you going to behave?" He raises an eyebrow.

I smile, blinking innocently, "If they keep their mouths shut."

Sawyer sighs, he looks at Ridoc and gently pushes me into his side."Don't let her attack anyone." Ridoc nods.

"I don't need a babysitter, Sawyer!" I call after him

"Yes, you do!" He yells back, as he moves to the beginning of the course.

"After he makes it past the final obstacle, so everyone can learn from this cadet completing the course, the rest of you will start every sixty seconds. And… Go!" Emetterio says to the squad, ignoring mine and Sawyer's argument.

Sawyer takes off, he easily runs the fifteen feet across the spinning log but it takes him three rotations inside the wheel before he jumps out. Other than that I don't see a single misstep in the first ascent. He turns and rushes toward a series of giant hanging balls that makes up the second ascent, jumping and hugging one after another. With his feet back on the ground, he starts up the third ascent, which is divided into two sections. The first has giant metal rods hanging parallel to the cliff wall, Sawyer easily swings arm over arm to reach the bars. From the last bar, he jumps onto a series of shaking pillars before leaping back onto solid ground.

Sawyer makes it to the spinning logs Aurelie warned us about. He's making the course look easy as he runs across the logs. He pauses at the giant chimney formation that sits at about a twenty degree angle. "You got this!" Rhiannon yells.

As if he heard her, Sawyer runs toward the chimney and flings himself upwards, his body creating an X. He starts hopping up the obstacle until he reaches the end and drops down in front of the final obstacle, a massive ramp that's a nearly vertical climb.

Sawyer sprints towards the ramp, his speed and momentum take him two-thirds of the way up. Just before he starts to fall, he reaches up with one arm and grasps the lip of the ramp, hauling himself over the edge. Rhiannon, Violet, and I cheer for him.

"Perfect technique!" Professor Emetterio exclaims, "That's exactly what you should all be doing."

"Perfect, and yet he was still passed over at Threshing," Luca snarks, "Guess the dragons have some sense of taste."

Ridoc's hold on me tightens as I try to step towards Luca, "Give it a rest, Luca." Rhi snaps.

Professor Emetterio raises his eyebrows at me, "Are you ready, (Y/N)?"

I nod, turning to look at Ridoc, "You can let go."

He narrows his eyes, "You're to move right to the beginning of the course. No hurting Luca."

I nod. He slowly let's go of my waist, letting me move away. I turn to send a sickly sweet smile to Luca and Tynan, "I hope you both fall."

"Really, (Y/N)? Right in front of our Professor?" Ridoc scolds. He reminds me of Xaden for a second.

"I'm sure our wonderful Professor has heard worse." I turn to look at Emetterio once I reach the beginning of the course, "Ready when you are, sir!"

Emetterio looks exasperated but I can tell he's trying not to smile. He checks with the person at the top of the cliff then looks back at me, "And… go."

I take off, quickly running across the 15 foot long spinning log. Once I saw the course I knew this first part would be the easiest ascent. My balance is great, so I wasn't worried making it past this obstacle. Jumping off of the log, I quickly jump past all four of the pillars and enter the spinning wheel. The wheel goes through two rotations and on the third I jump through the opening, landing back on solid ground.

I take a quick breath, this first practice round I want to pause after each ascent. This practice session is all about testing the obstacles and knowing what I need to do to survive. My time can improve with the other practices. The second ascent is the 5 buoy balls. I jump up, grabbing the chain above the first ball. I swing the ball and launch myself onto the next one, doing this over and over until I reach the end of the ascent.

I take another breath, assessing the next ascent. I jump up grabbing the iron bar, a hand on each side. I swing hand over hand, moving from bar to bar. When I reach the last one, I swing my body, aiming to land on the first shaking pillar. I wobble, reaching out for the rope in front of me to regain my balance. "You got this!" I hear one of the girls yell. I quickly regain my footing, leaping across the rest of the pillars.

Before I run across the logs Aurelie warned us about, I check behind me. Pryor is doing alright but he's hesitating before trying the third ascent, I watch as he wobbles, but rights himself with the help of a rope. I turn back around and sprint across the rolling logs. I smile when I make it across. That part was easier than I expected.

I take another breath then run at the chimney, launching myself upwards and landing in an X like Sawyer did. I check my hand and feet placement then hop up the chimney. Reaching the top, I grab the lip and pull myself up. I eye the ramp in front of me, take a breath, then run. My hand skims the top, just missing, causing me to slide back down the ramp. I shake out my shoulders, take another breath, then run again. This time my momentum takes me higher, and when I feel gravity begin to pull at me, I throw my right hand up, catching the top of the cliff. I sigh in relief, reaching up with my left hand as well to pull myself over the top.

Sawyer meets me at the top, pulling me into a tight hug. "You did it! Good job!"

I giggle, "Thanks. Some parts weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be."

Sawyer playfully rolls his eyes, "You would think that. Come on, let's go watch the others." We hear a scream just as we approach the edge of the cliff. We share a look then quickly look down, finding Trina who just started the fourth ascent. "You can do it!" Sawyer encourages.

"They go in opposite directions!" Aurelie yells from the bottom. Trina makes it past, causing Sawyer and I to sigh in relief. Pryor and Trina both finish the course, and come to join us at the edge, watching the others. Tynan is stuck on the hanging balls.

"He can still do us all a favor and fall." I mumble.

Sawyer lightly shoves me, "Be nice, he's still our squadmate."

"Yeah and? You're supposed to be able to trust your squadmates, I don't trust him. And I highly doubt he'll ever earn that trust. Same with Luca."

"Swing to the next one!" Trina calls, trying to encourage Tynan.

"I can't!" Tynan screams back.

"Rhi!" Violet yells, "The rope is between the first and second!" Rhiannon jumps up onto the first ball, swinging her body around and grabbing the rope for Tynan. Once he has the rope in his hands, he climbs down.

I snort, "What a fucking baby." Sawyer sends me a look but I can tell he's amused, I hold out my hands, "I know, I know. Be nice."

Everyone is either on the course at this point or has had their chance to practice. I watch as Violet starts on the third ascent. Her right hand loses its grip and she swings face first into the mountain. I cringe, hearing Rhiannon yell for Violet. "The rope is next to you!" Aurelie shouts.

Violet grabs hold of the rope, using it to grab onto the iron swings and continue her way up the obstacle course. Violet pauses before the fourth ascent, Aurelie standing with her. They exchange a few words before Violet runs across, cheering when she succeeds. "Go, Violet! Here I come!" Aurelie calls. She starts moving across the posts, a roar is heard from a dragon flying above, then Aurelie cries out. Her foot slips on the fifth post, she careens forward, belly hitting the sixth post, Violet tries to move forward to help her, but she can't make it.

*_*_*_*_* Garrick

I'm sitting on the couch in Xaden's room, Imogen, and Bodhi next to me. Liam is sitting on the floor and Xaden and (Y/N) are sitting on Xaden's bed. (Y/N) lays with her head placed in Xaden's lap. The six of us don't get a lot of chances to spend time together so when we do have a chance, we take advantage of it.

"So how was Gauntlet training today?" Bodhi asks, looking between Liam and (Y/N).

Xaden lightly taps his sisters forehead, "I heard you lost a squadmate."

(Y/N) nods, "Yeah, Aurelie. She was a good person."

"You holding up okay?" I ask, looking at her with concern.

Her eyes flicker to me, "Yeah, just sucks. I knew I was going to lose a squadmate at some point, we were lucky to keep everyone for this long." She pauses, cracking a smile, "You'll never guess what Luca said."

Imogen raises an eyebrow, "She's the bitchy one right?"

"The one you fought on assessment day?" Xaden asks.

"Mhm." She hums, nodding in confirmation.

"What did she say?" Liam questions.

I reach down to grab my water, taking a sip just as (Y/N) answers, "She thought Garrick and I were fucking."

I quickly pull my canteen away from my lips, choking on my water. Bodhi reaches over, slapping my back, "What?" I choke out.

(Y/N) nods, smirk evident on her face, "Yeah, we got into a whole argument before Emetterio showed up because Tynan was accusing Violet of sleeping with Dain and I said if she wanted to she should 'cause he's hot." Xaden flicks her on the ear, cutting her off, "Ow!" She sits up, turning to look at him, "What the fuck, Xaden!"

"Never look at Aetos like that, that's disgusting." He scolds, glaring at her.

(Y/N) rolls her eyes, "I'm not lying, he is hot! That doesn't mean I like him but I'm not blind. Plus you had a thing with Cat so you can't judge me." Gods, this conversation is going down hill quickly.

"Cat was an arranged marriage!" Xaden defends.

"And yet you still slept with her when you weren't actually married. If I was in an arranged marriage with a she demon I would avoid her as much as possible. But no, you had to get your dick wet."

Oh shit. My eyes widen as Xaden lunges for his sister. (Y/N) yelps pushing herself away from him. Bodhi, Liam, and I move quick. I grab onto Xaden, pulling him away from (Y/N). Bodhi wraps his arms around his younger cousin, making sure he's in front of her and Liam steps in between the siblings, arms raised to ensure they stay separated. I look towards Imogen who is fighting back a laugh.

Honestly, I kinda want to laugh too. And stealing a glance at Liam and Bodhi I can tell they do as well. We don't want Xaden hurting (Y/N), but (Y/N) has a point. And only she would have the balls to say that to Xaden.

"If I let go of you do you promise not to kill your sister?" I ask Xaden.

"If I really wanted to kill her, I don't even need to touch her." Xaden grumbles, his glare staying on (Y/N).

(Y/N)'s jaw drops in shock at her brother's words, "Hey! You love me! As your little sister it's in the job description to be annoying!"

Liam shrugs, dropping his arms, "She's got a point. And honestly, I miss Sloane so much. I can't wait until she's here next year, annoying the fuck out of me."

Xaden rolls his eyes, shoving me away from him, "I'm not going to kill her."

Imogen finally lets her amusement show, chuckling lightly as she asks, "So why did you saying Dain's hot lead to Luca saying you and Garrick were sleeping together?"

"Right," (Y/N) nods, she moves to sit on Xaden's desk. The rest of settling back in our previous spots, except for Liam who moves to sit in the desk chair. "After I made that comment she said that of course I'd be fine with it since I'm fucking our section leader."

"How did you respond?" Bodhi asks, still keeping an eye on Xaden.

"I laughed. Like Garrick could ever get with me."

I cock my head, "What the fuck does that mean?"

Xaden narrows his eyes, "Why the fuck do you care?"

My head whips back to Xaden, "I- I don't." I stutter, "But like what the fuck? I'm great in bed!"

Xaden's eyes narrow further, his glare cold, "Never talk to my sister about your sex life."

"That's not- I didn't-"

"Okay!" (Y/N) interrupts, "No matter how entertaining this is, I'd rather not witness a murder. And Xaden, no need to worry, Garrick can brag about his skills all he wants, I'm still not planning on ever sleeping with him."

Before either Xaden or I can reply Imogen speaks up, changing the topic, "Was your first day on the Gauntlet as eventful, Liam?"

Liam chuckles, shaking his head, "Definitely not. We were lucky to not lose any of our squad and there were no arguments."

Xaden pipes up, calmer than before, "We lost Carolyn on the Gauntlet today." We're all silent for a moment, that's another marked one, dead.

"There's nothing we could have done." Bodhi says quietly. The rest of us nodding in agreement.

Xaden looks at the time then sighs, "It's late. We should head to bed." We slowly start to file out of the room. Everyone is gone except for me and (Y/N), Xaden grabs (Y/N)'s arm before she can exit, "I love you. Even though you piss me off sometimes."

She smiles, "I love you too, Xade." (Y/N) reaches up, kissing his cheek, "Goodnight."

"I'll walk her back to the barracks." I mumble to Xaden, his eyes narrow, "Would you rather she walks alone?" Xaden sighs but shakes his head. That's what I thought. "Night."

I quickly catch up to (Y/N) who turns to look at me once I'm next to her, "Really feeding those rumors of us sleeping together."

I laugh, lightly shoving her away from me, "Shut the fuck up." I pause, "But seriously, why wouldn't you sleep with me?"

"Do you want to die? Xaden would kill you and possibly me if he found out that we slept together."

I raise a brow, "Is that the only reason?"

(Y/N) tilts her head, "That's the only reason I need. I value my life."

"He wouldn't kill you, he's your brother." I argue.

(Y/N) stops in the middle of the hallway, right by the door leading to the woman's barracks. She turns to directly face me, "Do you want to sleep me with, Tavis?" She questions.

My eyes, widen. Deny, deny, deny. "Wha-no."

That was very convincing. I hear Chradh, my dragon, say through our bond. I can practically hear the eye roll in his tone.

"Uh huh," (Y/N) nods, "Then this conversation is irrelevant. Goodnight, section leader." She opens the door, walking away before I can reply.

Even she's not convinced. Chradh speaks once more, laughing.

Shut up. I answer him, scowling.

*_*_*_*_* (Y/N)

The next morning I wake up early, I've decided I want to start running before breakfast. My stamina is good, but it can be better, and after running the Gauntlet yesterday and watching Aurelie die, I know I need to be at my very best. I finish quietly tying my shoes, not wanting to disturb anyone. I leave the room, stretching my arms above my head. "What are you doing?" I jump, looking up to see Dain glaring at me.

"I'm going for a run?" I say, though it sounds more like a question.

"By yourself?" He asks, eyes narrowing.

"Yes, why?"

"Have you ever gone for runs before?"

I raise an eyebrow, "Not here…" There's a pause as we both asses each other. "Can I go now?" I finally ask, pointing around him. He pauses once more, before stiffly nodding and stepping to the side. I walk around him, then turn back to look, confused on why he was asking me about my run. I shake my head, then continue, heading to the courtyard to start running.

I've been running for 20 minutes and decide that I should start heading back so I can get breakfast. It should be starting any minute and I don't want to be too late. Just as I'm passing the Iakobos River a cadet steps out of the shadows. He's a first year like me, I think he's in second wing but I can't remember his name. I nod at him trying to move past, but he steps in my way. "I overheard you talking with Aetos, saying you were going on a run by yourself."

"Yeah, here I am." I say shrugging.

"Traitors shouldn't be here." I roll my eyes, of course he hates me.

"Listen, I don't have time for this. Can't you just wait for Threshing to try and kill me? Or challenge me when matches start back up?"

"Not when I have the perfect opportunity right now." He takes out his long sword. I sigh, not wanting to fight, I quickly slip out two of my daggers, the only two I brought with me on my run.

He lunges, since he's fighting with a sword he has a longer reach than my daggers. I block his strike, stepping in closer. I stick my foot out tripping him but he quickly rights himself. He spins, lunging once more in a series of quick strikes. I manage to block each one but I need to move off defense and end this quickly.

I take a step in his direction, feigning right and moving left. I nick the back of his sword hand. He hisses in pain but recovers quickly. My breath is heavier, my run from earlier tiring me quicker. When he lunges again, his sword catches my side. "Fuck." I take a chance, sending a quick prayer to Zihnal, I throw one of my daggers, aiming for his throat. The dagger lands where I intended. The tall cadet stumbles, a hand flying to his throat.

I walk over to him, sheathing my extra dagger, "I'm taking this, since you wanted to try and kill me with it." I grab his long sword from his limp hand. "And I'll be taking this back." I reach down, grabbing the hilt of my dagger that's buried in his throat. "Say hi to Malek for me." I pull the dagger out, blood spraying across my face. I must have hit the artery in his neck. I wipe the dagger on the boys tunic. Watching as he takes his last breath. I sigh, sheathing my dagger once more and heading back to the quadrant.

There are a few cadets walking around, either heading to breakfast, their morning duties, or back to their rooms. Some do double takes, seeing the hole in my tunic with blood seeping out and the blood on my face. One cadet even leaping out of my way. I pay them no mind. My eyes sharpened into a cold glare as I head towards the dining hall, searching for Dain.

Just as I move around the corner, closest to the dining hall, I bump into him. "Are you okay?" He asks, noticing the blood on my face.

I scoff, "Just the person I was looking for. You have a second to talk in private, squad leader?"

"Are you hurt? Do you need the healers?"

"What I need is to talk with you."

His eyes narrow in confusion, "Okay? How privately?"

I whisper through gritted teeth, making sure that none of the passing cadets can hear me, "That depends on if you want people to know that your attempt to get your squadmate killed failed."

"What?"

"Oh, so that's how you want to play it?"

"Hold on, I never-" He stops himself, "Come with me." He quickly ushers me away, leading me to his bedroom. "What are you talking about? What happened?"

I roll my eyes, "That first year from second squad you sent after me? He's dead by the Iakobos."

"Someone went after you?"

"You should consider acting, Aetos."

"(Y/N), I never sent anyone after you."

I scoff, "Oh, so just asking about where I was going and if I was going alone was just out of per curiosity and a random guy - who I don't even know the name of - who hates me, managed to overhear and then attempt to kill me."

"I asked you where you were going this morning because I never saw you up that early before. And I asked if you were going alone because with your last name a lot of people don't want you here and traveling in groups is safer."

"You really expect me to believe that?" I yell, taking a step towards Dain. My hand flies up to my side, the adrenaline wearing off causing the pain to be worse.

"You're hurt. Let me look." Dain steps forward.

I recoil, "Stay the fuck away from me!"

Dain sighs, "(Y/N), I swear to Amari I never told anyone about your run and I never sent someone to kill you. Now either let me bring you to the healers or let me check your wound."

"I'm fine! I don't need your help." I try to storm past him, but he grabs my arm.

"Let me help." My glare never leaves my face but Dain doesn't back away.

"Let. Me. Go."

"No. As your squad leader, I order you to let me check your wound."

I scoff, "Oh, as my squad leader? News flash, Dain, I don't give a fuck what you are. I can take care of myself."

"I'll tell Xaden."

"Really? Tell him what exactly?"

"That you're too stubborn for your own good. That you won't let someone help you when you're injured. That you were dumb enough to go on a run by yourself when half the quadrant wants you dead."

"Dumb? I'm still alive in case you haven't noticed."

"Yeah for now, but what if that cadet brought along some friends. That wound on your side probably would had been a lot worse. You would had probably been with Malek right now."

I shove Dain off of me, knowing that I'm not indestructible and he's right, but not wanting to admit that out loud. "Fine. Want to check my wound?" I drop the sword, then reach down to pull my tunic over my head, "Go on. Check it."

His jaw ticks, but he nods to his bed, "Sit. Let me get my first aid kit." I roll my eyes, but do as he says. I lean back on my hands so I don't put pressure on the wound. I look down at the cut, the cut is deep enough that I'm going to need stitches.

"I'm going to get blood on your sheets." I say, looking up to him as he approaches, scowl still on my face.

Dain shrugs, "Wouldn't be the first time someone got blood on them." He squats down in front of me, "This may sting a little." He pours alcohol onto a cloth, then gently rubs it over my wound. "What happened?" He quietly asks.

I nod to the long sword that I dropped on his floor, "He had the reach with his sword, I only had my daggers on me. I misjudged and he cut me. So I threw one of my daggers into his neck."

"Well at least you're okay. And now you know not to go on runs by yourself." I purse my lips, "You will go running with someone, right?" He raises an eyebrow. He puts the cloth down, "You need stitches."

"I wasn't planning on it. Do you have a needle and thread in the kit?"

Dain nods, asking, "Running again?"

I roll my eyes, "Going with someone." I reach for the needle and thread that Dain pulled out but he pulls it out of my reach. I narrow my eyes but let him prepare the needle, "It's nice to have some alone time, when you're surrounded by other cadets twenty-four seven."

"Do you have a death wish?" Dain scoffs, "Lay back." He instructs, once I do he reaches for the wound, starting to stitch it back together.

I hiss in pain, "I can handle myself." I say through gritted teeth, "And if you're telling the truth then I don't have to worry about people knowing I'm running alone."

He shakes his head, finishing the last stitch, "I'm not going to tell anyone, (Y/N). You and your brother may not be my favorite people but you're in my squad." He gets gauze out of his first aid kit to cover the stitched up wound, once finished, he checks the time. "Shit. We're going to be late to formation." He stands, moving to his closet and taking out a tunic, "It's going to be big on you but you don't have time to get a new one."

I sit up, taking his tunic from his out stretched hand, pulling it over my head. My senses fill with the smell of leather and soap. When I look at him again, he's holding out an apple. My brows knit together in confusion, "You didn't go to breakfast. At least this way you're not functioning on a completely empty stomach." He holds out a cloth for me as well, "You still have blood on your face."

I reach for the apple and cloth, "Thanks." I mumble. I turn towards his desk, there's a mirror above it and I quickly clean off my face. Then I pick up the discarded sword just as he moves to open his door, holding it for me to walk out first. I take a bite of the apple as we both head to morning formation.

Once at morning formation, we get a couple odd looks seeing that we're arriving together and I'm wearing a shirt that is clearly too big. The attention is quickly taken off of us as Captain Fitzgibbons reads off the death roll, "Calvin Atwater, Carolyn Bennett, Newland Jahvon, Aurelie Donans."

*_*_*_*_* Dain

The next morning I'm up early waiting outside the first year woman's barracks. I'm not sure if (Y/N) was planning on running today or not but I'd rather be here just in case. Sure enough (Y/N) steps out of the room, almost running right into me, "Great. Why are you here?" She scowls.

I resist the urge to roll my eyes, "Going on a run again?" I ask, instead of answering her question. (Y/N) nods, "By yourself?" She nods again. "I'm coming with you."

"I'm sorry. What?" She asks, crossing her arms.

"I'm. Coming. With. You." I look (Y/N) directly in her onyx eyes as I slowly repeat myself.

"Why?"

"Someone almost killed you yesterday."

(Y/N) laughs, "The cadet did not almost kill me, he threatened to kill me and all he left me with was a singular cut before I took his life."

"Do the details matter? Someone wanted to kill you yesterday, and they took advantage of the fact you were by yourself. And clearly you didn't tell any of your squad or your brother about this because if you did I bet at least one of them would be here with you."

(Y/N) takes a step closer to me, standing so we're chest to chest. Her arms brushing against me, "I don't need protection, Aetos. I'm not Violet. I'm perfectly capable of handling people trying to kill me."

I don't back down, eyes narrowing, "Either walk back into the barracks and wait for breakfast, cadet, or run with me. Those are your only two options."

(Y/N)'s eyes narrow in return, "Why do you care?"

"You're in my squad, you're under my protection. No one is killing you on my watch."

(Y/N) scoffs, reaching back to tie her hair into a loose ponytail, "You know what? Fine. Hope you can keep up." She runs fast, probably trying to make me fall behind, but I stay with her.

I stay silent for a while but I need to ask her if anyone said anything about the day before, "Did anyone say anything to you yesterday?" When she doesn't answer, I try again, "Imogen tried to ask why we showed up to formation together. Then she asked why your shirt was too big."

I wait for her response, glancing at her out of the the corner of my eye. When she still doesn't answer, I continue, "I told her it was just a coincidence that we showed up at the same time and I didn't know anything about your shirt." She still doesn't respond. Gods, she's stubborn. "She's really protective of you, you know?"

"Well the fuck aware. I'll deal with it if she asks me." (Y/N) finally replies.

"So did the squad ask?" I question, she nods but doesn't say anything else. As our run comes to an end, I'm breathing heavier than (Y/N), which is saying a lot considering I'm already bonded to a dragon.

You need to run more. Maybe it's a good thing the first year is refusing to tell anyone else. Cath says to me. I roll my eyes but don't respond to my dragon.

"Gods, how do you have such good stamina?" I ask as I wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand. (Y/N) smirks, but doesn't answer. My mind flashes to (Y/N) naked in bed, I quickly shake the thought away, "Really?" I ask exasperated.

Cath chortles, And you claim to dislike her.

(Y/N) laughs, "I didn't say anything."

"It was written all of over your face." I scold. She's attractive, that doesn't mean I like her. I snap at Cath, my jaw ticking.

"You can interpret my facial expressions however you want, Aetos."

I shake my head, "Same time tomorrow?"

(Y/N) sighs, "You seriously don't need to come with me."

"Are you going to tell someone else about the murder attempt?"

"It's a typical day for me. I can handle myself."

"I have no doubt that you can." I step closer to her, she tilts her head to look me directly in the eyes, "But I'm still not letting you go by yourself."

The tip of her tongue darts out of her mouth, wetting her lips, my brown eyes following the movement, "I'll see you tomorrow morning then." She says, before walking away.

*_*_*_*_* (Y/N)

The next few practice runs on the Gauntlet have gone great for me, despite being in minor pain because of my wound. I make it up each time and my time improves as well. I haven't had to reach for a rope again either. Violet and Tynan are the only two left in the squad who haven't made it to the top. I feel bad for Violet but at least Tynan has stopped running his mouth. I'm still holding out hope that on presentation day he'll fall.

It's the day before presentation and the last practice, I lay on top of the cliff, Ridoc beside me. We were the first two to run. Sawyer. Rhiannon, and Violet are standing before the chimney trying to figure out how to help Violet get up. Ridoc and I both decided not to watch since we can't hear them anyways.

"You're going to end up with the fastest time tomorrow." Ridoc says.

"Maybe in our squad, but Liam told me his best time and I doubt I'll beat him." I reply.

"Do you both have to be good at everything?"

I smile, "Yes." Ridoc laughs, shaking his head. A red dragon flies overhead, "Pretty."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Ridoc sighs.

"Sure you will. In a matter of days you're going to be a badass dragon rider. Seeing them fly above you is going to be nothing compared to flying on the back of one."

"Very true, Riorson." Ridoc and I smile at each other, "Gods, I can't wait."

*_*_*_*_*

"Doria Merrill," Captain Fitzgibbons says from the dais, during morning formation. Formation gets tighter every day as we lose more and more cadets. "Kamryn Dyre." It's presentation day, one of the deadliest in the quadrant. "Arvel Pelipa." Imogen and Quinn suck in a breath. First years aren't the only ones at risk, we're just the most likely to die. I send Imogen a sad smile, she nods in response. "Michael Iverem. We commend their souls to Malek."

Formation breaks, "Second and third years, unless you're on Gauntlet duty, head to class." Dain says to the squad, "First years, it's time to show us what you've got." He forces a smile, gaze stopping on Violet.

Imogen looks at Violet, she tucks a strand of pink hair behind her ear, "Good luck today. Hopefully you won't fall…short." She turns to look at me, pulling me into a tight hug, "You got this, (Y/N). Make me proud."

I smile, "Don't I always?" She smiles back, ruffling my hair causing me to slap her hand away. She walks off with Quinn and Cianna.

"Best of luck," Heaton one of two third years in our squad says to us. They tap their heart, right over two of their patches and offers us a genuine tight-lipped smile before heading to class. I've earned a patch for being undefeated in challenges but like Xaden I don't wear the extra patches. Just the ones that say my wing and year.

"I didn't realize Heaton actually knew how to speak." Two lines appear between Ridoc's brows.

"Maybe they figure they should at least say hi before we're potentially roasted today," Rhiannon says, causing me to snort.

"Back in formation," Dain orders.

"Are you coming with us?" Violet asks him. He nods, but doesn't look at her.

A few seconds pass before Ridoc speaks once more, "We're the biggest squad," He's looking around, assessing the other squads.

"What are we down to?" Tynan asks, "Hundred and eighty?"

"Hundred and seventy one," Dain answers.

"For a hundred dragons? But what will we..." Trina starts.

She's cut off by Luca, "Stop letting fear leach into your voice. If the dragons think you're a coward, you'll be nothing but a name tomorrow."

"I hope you're nothing but a name tomorrow." I mumble under my breath. I'm the closest to Dain so he hears my barb, he sends me a look and I innocently smile back.

"Stop it. You need to support your squad." Dain scolds quietly.

"I'll support my squadmates that I actually care about, I'm not a squad leader like you, I don't need to care for everyone in the squad." He rolls his eyes, "Still want to go on those morning runs with me?"

"You're insufferable." He states. "How's your wound?"

"Fine, just like I told you this morning." Dain nods, "You still never answered my question."

"Fourth Wing!" Xaden calls from ahead, "Move out!"

Dain glances at me out the corner of his eye, "I'll see you for our morning run tomorrow. And I still think it was stupid to go for one today." Then he falls back, moving to the back of our formation. Our section is first, Xaden falls behind, walking next to me and letting Garrick lead.

"Good luck, I know you'll do great on the Gauntlet." He says, reaching out to give my shoulder a squeeze.

"I said when I got here that the only way I plan on dying is if a dragon doesn't find me worthy. So let's hope they like me."

"They will. If Sgaeyl likes you - which she does, and she's one of the hardest to please - how can the ones at Presentation not?"

I smile, "Thanks. I love you."

Xaden smiles back, "I love you too." He leaves my side, moving back towards the front of the wing, towards Garrick.

Forty five minutes later, it's my turn on the Gauntlet. I fly over the spinning log and leap from pillar to pillar, quickly hopping into the wheel. I hop out at the second rotation, completing ascent one. I jump onto the first buoy ball, grabbing the chain and swinging from ball to ball.

I take a deep breath before jumping up to grab the iron rails on the third ascent, I climb hand over hand making it to the shaking pillars. I aim my landing perfectly, bending my knees to brace the impact. I jump to each pillar and don't hesitate to run up the fourth ascent. All these morning runs were for this, to keep my stamina up during the Gauntlet, and in future battles.

I make it to the last ascent, I run at the chimney, my body making an X before hopping up and climbing on to the edge before the ramp. I take one more breath then run as fast as I can, when gravity starts pulling me down, I throw my hand up catching the lip and pulling myself up the rest of the way.

Sawyer and Ridoc run at me, enveloping me in a tight hug. They went before me, I'm the third in the squad to go. "Badass!" Ridoc exclaims, "You flew through the course!"

"Seriously, you made it look easy, (Y/N)." Sawyer says.

I giggle, "Come on. Let's go watch the rest of our squad." I make eye contact with Xaden and Garrick who both send me proud smiles. Then I turn to watch the rest of the squad. Trina, Luca, Rhiannon, Pryor, and Tynan all make it up. Violet is the last on the course, she's just made it past ascent four, stopping before the chimney. This is it for her, she hasn't completed this obstacle yet, but I know she can.

"You can do it!" Rhiannon yells to Violet.

"Or you can do us all a favor and fall!" Jack calls out. My head snaps in his direction but before I can move both Sawyer and Ridoc grab onto my arms.

"Let go, I only want to talk with him." I mumble.

"Talk with your fists,maybe." Ridoc mumbles, refusing to let go.

I roll my eyes but look back down as I hear Rhiannon yell, "What are you doing?" Violet is grabbing one of the ropes. She drags it horizontally across the surface of the cliff. She gets the bottom portion onto the chimney, pulling the rope tight. She plants one foot on the side of the shaft and gives the rope a tug.

"Can she do that?" Someone snaps. I turn to see Amber Mavis, the wingleader for second wing. Violet climbs the chimney, using the rope for leverage.

Once she makes it to the top Ridoc shouts, "Hell yes! That's our girl!"

"You got this Violet! One more!" I cheer her on. Violet takes a breath, unsheathing one of her daggers. She's runs as fast as she can towards the ramp, when gravity begins to pull her back down she swings her arm up, slamming her dagger into the ramp, a guttural scream rips through her throat. She reaches up with her other hand, grabbing the lip of the ramp, pulling herself up, using the dagger to step on for extra leverage.

Once up, she lays on her stomach, reaching over the edge to retrieve her dagger. Ridoc, Sawyer, Rhiannon, and I rush over, nearly tackling Violet in a group hug. "She can't do that!" Amber screams.

"Yeah, well she just did!" Ridoc argues.

"You made it! You made it!" Rhiannon cheers.

"Luck," Violet draws in a shaky breath, "And. Adrenaline."

"Cheating!" Amber yells, once more, stomping over to us.

I snap, not caring that she's a wingleader, "Back the fuck up."

Her jaw drops in shock, but before she can reply to me, Garrick steps in between us. She clenches her jaw but stops, "Watch your tone with me, cadet." I roll my eyes. She turns to look between Garrick and Xaden, "The cheater clearly used foreign materials not once but twice! It's not to be tolerated! We live by the codex or we die by them!"

"Gods," I mumble to my squad, "Can I punch her?" Ridoc snorts.

"I don't take kindly to calling anyone in my section a cheater," Garrick says, "And my wingleader will handle any rule-breaking in his own wing."

"Sorrengail?" Xaden calls out.

"I expect the thirty second penalty for using the rope," Violet answers.

"And the knife?" Amber's eyes narrow, "She's disqualified." Xaden doesn't answer, still watching Violet, "Surely she's out! You can't tolerate lawlessness within your own wing, Riorson!"

But Xaden remains quiet, waiting for Violet. "A rider may only bring to the quadrant the items they can carry-" Violet begins.

She's cut off by Amber, "Are you quoting the codex to me?"

"- And they shall not be separated from those items no matter what they may be," She continues like she wasn't interrupted. "For once carried across the parapet, they are considered part of their person. Article Three, Section Six, Addendum B."

I smirk, waiting for Xaden's reply, but it's Amber who opens her mouth once more, "That Addendum was written to make thievery an executional offense."

"Correct," Violet nods in agreement, "But in doing so, it gave any item carried across the parapet the status of being a part of the rider." She unsheathes the dagger she used, "This isn't a challenge blade. It's one I carried across and therefore considered part of myself."

Amber's eyes flare but Violet speaks once more, this time looking at Xaden, "The right way isn't the only way."

Xaden holds her stare, "She has you, Amber."

"On a technicality!" She tries to argue.

"She still has you."

"You think like a scribe!"

"I know." Violet agrees. Amber marches off, clearly pissed.

"Sorrengail," Xaden says, causing Violet to turn to him once more, "You're leaking." He gestures to her hands, "Do something about it." Rhiannon helps Violet cut the sleeves off her tunic to bandage her hands, then we wait for the rest of the cadets to either make it up the cliff or die trying.

*_*_*_*_*

There are 169 first year cadets left by the time everyone finishes the Gauntlet. Even with Violet's penalty for using the rope, we ended up eleventh out of thirty six squads. Liam won the Gauntlet patch, being the fastest one up. I asked Xaden, where I placed individually and I was third, which I was happy about.

The box canyon that makes up the training field is a colorful array of reds, oranges, and golds. Autumn was always my favorite time of year. I love the crisp air and the colors littering the trees; everything looks serene.

The dragons line the valley, standing twenty-five feet tall. They're in a formation of their own, lined up several feet back, close enough to pass judgment as we walk past. "Let's go, Second Squad, you're up next." Garrick calls out. "Into formation." We all move, Rhiannon, Violet, and I ending up near the back.

There's a sound like rushing wind that stops quickly, one of the dragons wasn't happy with one of the cadets. Garrick's eyes skim over the group, stopping on me, "Hopefully Aetos has done his job, so you know that it's a straight walk down the meadow. I'd recommend staying at least seven feet apart-"

Ridoc interrupts, "In case one of us gets scorched."

"Correct, Ridoc." Garrick's gaze turns away from me, addressing the whole group, "Cluster if you want, just know if a dragon finds disfavor with one of you, it's likely to burn the whole lot to weed one out." He pauses, "Also, remember you're not here to approach them, and if you do, you won't be making it back to the dormitory tonight."

"Can I ask a question?" Luca says from the front. I roll my eyes, Garrick nods, but his jaw ticks. He's annoyed, he doesn't like Luca on my behalf plus he's always been impatient. "Third Squad, Tail Section of Fourth Wing already went through, and I talked to some of the cadets…"

"That's not a question," Garrick lifts his brows. I smirk at his tone. He's intimidating to everyone else, but to me he's just a big teddy bear.

"Right. It's just that they said there's two feathertails?"

"F-Feathertails?" Tynan sputters, he's in front of Violet. "Who the hell would ever want to bond a feathertail?"

I roll my eyes, I tend to do that a lot whenever Luca or Tynan open their mouths, they have that affect on people. "Professor Kaori never told us there would be feathertails." Sawyer says, "I know because I memorized every single dragon he showed us. All hundred of them."

"Well, guess there's a hundred and two now." Garrick replies, "Relax. Feathertails don't bond. I can't even remember the last time one has been seen outside the Vale. They're probably just curious. You're up. Stay on the path. You walk up, you wait for the entire squad, you walk back down. It really doesn't get much easier than this, kids, so if you can't follow those simple instructions, then you deserve whatever happens in there."

We follow the crowd of first years, stopping in front of Nyra, the senior wingleader. "They're all yours," Garrick says. He walks past me, squeezing my arm, "I'll see you later." He whispers before walking off.

"Single file." Nyra calls to the squad. I move so I'm the last person in line, Rhiannon and Violet right ahead of me. "Talk."

"Nice day for a Presentation," Ridoc jokes.

"Not to me," Nyra narrows her eyes, "Talk to your nearby squadmates while you're on the path, as it will help the dragons get a sense of who you are and how well you play with others. There's a correlation between bonded cadets and level of chatter."

She pauses, looking at each squad member, "Feel free to look at the dragons, especially if they're showing off their tails, but I would abstain from eye contact if you value your life. If you come across a scorch mark, just make sure nothing's currently on fire before continuing along. See you after your stroll."

She sweeps her hand, stepping to the side. The line starts to move, everyone giving the suggested seven feet before following. We pass a trio of reds first. "I can't even see their tails!" Tynan shouts from ahead of Violet, "How are we supposed to know what breed they are?"

I roll my eyes but keep my mouth shut, "We're not supposed to know what breed they are," Violet responds.

"Fuck that, I need to figure out which one I'm going to approach during Threshing."

"Pretty sure they're the ones to decide, Tynan. Or have you already forgot what Kaori taught us?" I say, I probably should have left that last part out but I might as well be authentically myself. The dragons need to know the real me and make their decisions based on that.

"Hopefully one of them will decide you don't get to make it to Threshing," Rhiannon says so quietly that I barely hear her.

I laugh, "Him and Luca." I reply just as quietly, causing her to laugh as well.

We are now approaching a set of browns. "They're a little bigger than I thought they would be…" Rhiannon trails off, "Not that I didn't see the ones at Parapet, but…"

"So do you know if you're having a niece or a nephew?" Violet asks, trying to distract Rhiannon.

We pass a handful of oranges as Rhiannon replies, "What?"

"I've heard some of the healers can make pretty good guesses once a woman is further along in her pregnancy."

"Oh. No. No clue. Though I'm kind of hoping she'll have a girl. I guess I'll find out once we finish the year and can write our families."

"Ugh," I groan, "I hate that rule. It's so dumb."

"Agreed." Violet pipes up, "It is a bullshit rule."

"You don't think it encourages loyalty to the wing?" Rhiannon asks us.

"Honestly, I just think it's about control." I shrug.

Violet answers next, "I think I'm just as loyal to my sister whether I've had a letter from her or not. There are bonds that can't be broken."

"I'd be loyal to your sister too," Tynan calls out. He turns around, facing Violet, "She's one hell of a rider, and that ass. I saw her right before Parapet and damn, Violet. She's hot."

"Turn around," Violet makes a spinning motion with her finger, "Mira would eat you for breakfast, Tynan."

"I'm just wondering how one of you got all the good traits and the other looks like she got the leftovers."

"Are you blind? Violet's so hot. I think it's just in the Sorrengail genes." I say. I think of Brennan, who is also very attractive.

Violet laughs, "Says you. The Riorson's clearly have some good genes too."

I laugh, "Are you saying me and my brother are hot, Violet?"

She doesn't answer but Tynan speaks up again, "All I'm saying is maybe I'll write a letter of my own to your sister once we get privileges."

"A nephew would be good," Rhiannon says, changing the topic. "Boys aren't too bad."

"My brother was awesome, but he and Dain are my only experience with growing up around little boys." Violet replies. "Though I think Dain was probably a little more rule-abiding than most kids." I snort, picturing little Dain always following the rules. "He likes order and pretty much detests anything that doesn't fit neatly into his plan." She pauses, "What about you, (Y/N)? What was it like growing up with Xaden and Bodhi?"

I quietly laugh, "They was the best. Xaden's always been there for me, even when we were separated. Bodhi too, though Xaden was always a bit more serious than Bodhi. Xaden never tried to stop me from hanging around him and Garrick even when I was being annoying. He's definitely my built in best friend."

"What about Garrick?" Rhiannon asks.

"Garrick too. He could had gotten annoyed so many times with me following them around but he never minded. I remember we used to play hide and seek in the halls of Riorson House, Gods that was so much fun. And Liam…" I trail off, "When Liam and I met we were attached at the hip. I was miserable whenever he was gone. I think Garrick, Bodhi, and Xaden let me hang around them so much because they hated seeing me upset."

"They sound great," Rhiannon replies.

"Yeah, they seem to really love you." Violet says.

I smile but don't answer, my head is filled with memories of growing up in Aretia. "You guys done bonding back there?" Tynan sneers, "Because we're almost to the end of the line, if you haven't noticed." He pauses, "And I still haven't figured out which one I'm going to choose."

"With arrogance like that, I'm sure any dragon would feel lucky to share your mind for the rest of your life." Violet replies.

The rest of the squad is gathered at the end of the path, facing our direction. Their focus is to the right, there's a brown dragon up ahead, though I can't see what's behind it. "What the hell?" Tynan stares.

"Keep walking," Violet orders. Her gaze is so focused she stumbles right into Tynan.

"Get off me, Sorrengail." He hisses, shoving her back, "Who the hell would bond those?"

That's when I see them, two feathertails sitting side-by-side. One gold, the other silver. "They're fucking yellow and gray." Luca's lip curls in disgust, "So not only are they obviously too small to carry a rider in battle, but they're not even powerful enough to be a real color."

I roll my eyes, "There's so much we don't know about dragons, how do you know that there aren't more silver and gold dragons in the Vale? I mean we learned about a white one, and there's no other like her."

"Maybe it's a mistake," Sawyer says quietly, "Maybe it's a baby orange and black."

"They're fully grown," Rhiannon argues, "There's no way the other dragons allow babies to bond. No human alive has ever seen a baby."

"It's a mistake all right," Tynan agrees with Sawyer. He scoffs, "You should bond one of them, Sorrengail. You're both freakishly weak. It's a match made in heaven."

"It looks powerful enough to burn you to death," Violet counters. I want to punch Tynan on her behalf but I can't stick up for her like that in front of the dragons, she needs to prove herself.

Sawyer lunges between Tynan and Violet, grabbing Tynan's collar. My jaw drops, that's unbelievably hot. Especially since he's held me back from punching Tynan so often. "Don't ever say that about a squadmate, especially not in front of unbonded dragons."

"Let him go - he's just saying what we're all thinking," Luca mutters.

"You two are the only ones thinking that." I snap.

Trina places a hand on Sawyer's shoulder, "Don't make a mistake in front of them. We don't know what they'll do." Sawyer drops Tynan's collar. We all step away from each other so we're not grouped together anymore.

"Someone should kill them before they bond," Tynan sputters, "They're just going to get their riders killed, and it's not like we get a choice if they want to bond."

"You're just picking up on that now, are you?" Ridoc shakes his head.

"Well, I think they're beautiful. Garrick's probably right anyways, they're just curious. They can't carry riders, it wouldn't make sense for them to bond. The rider and dragon would both be in danger."

"We should go back," Pryor says, his gaze darts around the group, "I mean… if you think we should. We don't have to, of course."

"For once in your life," Tynan snaps, pushing Pryor to start walking, "make a damn decision, Pryor."

Sawyer goes after Tynan, me following behind, then Trina behind me. "So, Sawyer. After all this time telling me to be nice…" I trail off, teasing the tall boy.

"Do as I say, not as I do." Sawyer replies, laughing.

"I mean, it was kinda hot, seeing you be protective like that."

He glances back at me, "Oh, really? Is that what does it for you, (Y/N)?"

Before I can answer Tynan inserts himself in the conversation, "Please, you can do so much better than someone who had to repeat a year, (Y/N)."

"Sawyer already knows I think he's brave for repeating."

"Brave?" Tynan, whips around.

"Keep walking," Sawyer scolds.

Tynan walks backwards looking around Sawyer to eye me, "Yes, brave. It's brave enough showing up expecting to do three years then live out your life as a dragon rider, but to add an extra year to the college where other cadets constantly try to kill you? It's brave."

"Thanks, (Y/N)." Sawyer says.

"Whether it's brave or not, you deserve someone who didn't have to repeat." Tynan replies.

"Oh yeah? Like who?"

"Well, I bet I'd be better than him."

I roll my eyes, "Only in your dreams, Tynan."

"Oh you've definitely been in my dreams."

"Ugh, Gods, that's disgusting."

"Turn back around, Tynan." Sawyer snaps. Tynan smirks but turns back around.

"You can move a little faster up there, Pryor." Rhiannon calls out.

"Maybe we should slow down and take our time?" Pryor replies, but it sounds like a question, "Or I guess we can go faster if we want to get out of here." A red dragon steps out of line, halting the squad. It opens it's mouth, exposing it's fangs. The fire erupts from along the sides of it's tongue, right at Pryor. The scent of sulfur and burned grass enters my nose.

We pause, waiting for the fire to stop, "Fire's out." Tynan calls, then continues to walk the path. I pass the pile of ash that used to be Pryor, trying to think of something else to talk about.

"Xaden approves of you, Sawyer."

He laughs, "What do you mean?"

"He knows we've gotten close, said I could do worse. That's approval from Xaden if I ever heard it."

"Well that's good to know. Your brother is intimidating as fuck."

"Yeah, maybe to others."

"To everyone, the only reason you're not intimidated by him is because he's your brother." Tynan says from up front.

"Nah, plenty of the marked ones aren't intimidated by him. We just know him better."

"He kinda scares me," Trina says from behind me, causing me to laugh, "Honestly, you're a lot like him from what I can see." We hear another whoosh of fire from behind us, I glance behind me just to make sure it wasn't Trina.

When I see she's still there I reply, "He was basically my hero growing up, so I'm not surprised we seem so similar." We walk past the last of the dragons. Everyone in the squad besides Pryor and Luca make it out.

Taglist: @desprrssooo-espresssooooo

[thatgoblin]

141 Men Losing Their Partner

Summary: Dead Dove Don't Eat.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT PERTAINING TO PREGNANCY, DROWNING, CAR ACCIDENT, MURDER, NO HAPPY ENDINGS.

Price

It had been a normal day for John, texting you at lunch to see what you wanted for dinner. It was Friday, which meant that it would be a lazy weekend after a grueling month of missions followed by an equally grueling week of training with cadets. Nothing seemed out of place as he pulled up to the house he shared with you, a small townhouse that was perfect for the time being, but with talk of a baby, you would need more room soon. 

“Love, I’m home,” John called, holding plastic bags full of Chinese cartons holding low mein and sweet and sour pork. “Love?” There was no answer. The inside was eerily quiet and John knew that quiet meant bad things. In the field, it meant that people were on the move and hiding it, but at home it meant you were either gone or hurt. After being told you would be home and waiting, he was on high alert. 

Guns weren’t a common item, but with his position he had one stashed. Stalking through the house, handgun held out as he cleared rooms, he was moving on instinct. Years of training from doing this through blown up buildings and searching for the bad guys was the only thing keeping him from running through the place and screaming your name. 

When he got to the kitchen, he spun around the corner with the gun raised, slipping on something slick and wet. Catching himself on the counter, his breath left him. 

There was so much blood. More than he had ever seen before, not even when he interrogated or was locked up in a Russian prison or even the fucking battlefield. Nothing compared the scene before him. 

John shook as he set his gun down, starting to hyperventilate as he locked eyes with your lifeless body. You were on the floor, your throat slit and body stabbed to the point that it looked like someone put ground beef on you. This couldn’t be real. It couldn’t. You were the safe place he had from the world. Everything about you had been his soft landing place. He had worked so hard to keep you separated from his job and it was all for nothing. 

Going to his knees, he crawled to you. John’s hands trembled as they touched your face in disbelief. He was unable to take a proper breath, the smell of your blood stinging his senses as he pulled you to him, pressing his face to yours. There was no conscious movement as he began to rock and weep softly. Holding you tight, he stayed there till Laswell showed up. She had been invited over with her wife for a double date. Kate tried to pull him away as her wife called the police, but it triggered him to start screaming. Even when the police showed up, it took an ambo arriving to sedate him for him to let go of you. 

“Be careful with her,” he sobbed as the medics put you on a gurney. “She’s allergic to penicillin. She gets hives. Please, she needs-she needs-”

Kate held him as he broke, going silent. “We were going to have a baby,” he whispered, tears soaking his beard. “We wanted to get a new house and have a baby. We wanted. . . What am I going to do?”

Gaz

You had been on a date with Kyle, a fun outing that was desperately needed after being separated for months. You went to dinner at this greasy burger place then went to an arcade that had a giant purple dragon he swore he would get you. After five tries and lots of swearing, he finally did it. “My hero,” you cooed, holding your prize as you leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Ready to head home? I don’t think this guy is meant to be carried around for long.”

“I am if you are,” Kyle said with a grin, giving you a wink. Wrapping an arm around your waist, he pulled you along to get to the street. He held his hand up to hail a cab, holding you close as you pressed against his body. It had been too long since you had last held him and with having him home for a few weeks, you were refusing to let him go any time soon. 

“Can’t get a bloody cab for shit,” he huffed. You were about to tell him you could call for one when you heard tire screeching. There was no time to react to the car hitting the curb then the pair of you. It was milliseconds and even if either of you had been looking at it, there was no escaping it. 

The car had been speeding when it barrelled over you two. Kyle flew over the hood and slammed into the windshield as you were dragged under the tires. Screams from everyone filled the air as the car stopped for just a moment before swerving off to leave you.

“Ky-Kyle,” you wheezed, laying on the ground. Your middle had been crushed and you couldn’t feel anything below your chest. It hurt to breathe, making you choke and gasp as Kyle forced himself to drag himself to you.

“Doll,” he groaned, his leg at a bad angle and his head bleeding profusely. “Don’t move. Stay with me.”

“Kyle,” you choked out. “Cold.”

“No, please,” he whimpered, collapsing next to you as people gathered to try and help keep you still as others called the ambulance. “Darling, don’t. Please.”

“Love,” you whispered as he took your limp hand. “You.”

“Help is coming, please, just hold on,” he begged as you stayed still and quiet. “Darlin’? Baby? No, no, no, no.” The ambulance didn’t arrive for nearly an hour. Price showed up well before them. He made Kyle stay still as he kept calling for you, holding your hand. Someone had draped their jacket over your top and another person laid their’s over your middle, hoping to give you some decency as Kyle demanded that Price help you. Even when he was in danger of snapping his spine, paralyzing himself for life, he still made you the priority. 

“Gaz,” Price said softly. “She’s gone. I’m sorry, lad.” 

“No, please. She’s just-just quiet,” Kyle sobbed, his physical pain not even compared to what he was feeling when he was made to let go of you for good.

Soap

It had started out as a weekend trip to blow off some steam. You and Johnny had gone to a resort in a warm climate with crystal clear water and amazing food. There was plenty of mixed, frozen drink and tanning lotion for the pair of you to get some nice warm color back into their almost sickly complexions. 

Johnny made sure to get plenty of pictures of you in your bathing suit, specifically your ass. You  gave him shit, but he just laughed and took more. Included in your stay was a boat tour of a cave. It wasn’t the rainy season so it was safe. No sudden surges or unexpected storms. Johnny said he’d been in more dangerous pools in the UK, making you relax and trust that things would be fine. 

You weren’t the strongest swimmer, but you were good enough to get by. Add in a life jacket and Johnny next to you, you felt safe. Untouchable really. What took you by surprise was the rumble of thunder as you got halfway into the tour. 

“Don’t worry, it will miss us,” the guide said, easing any worries that would pop up. Holding Johnny’s hand, you were about to make a comment about the glowing algae when you heard a clicking pop. Turning to him, you were left speechless. 

“You know I’m not good with words, but I think this speaks for itself,” he said, holding up a rose gold ring with a set of yellow diamond leaves. “Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” you said softly. “Yes! I would hug you aggressively, but I don’t want to lose the ring and tip the boat!” You cried with a shrieking laugh. Sliding the ring onto your finger, he pulled you close for a kiss as flashes from the phone the tour guide held reminded you that you weren’t alone. 

“I got everything recorded, Mr. Johnny,” he said with a grin, handing Johnny’s phone back to him. 

“Thanks, Mate,” Johnny said with a grin, keeping you close. As the guide turned the boat around, thunder rumbled again, much louder that time. “We’re still good, right?” He asked.

“Yeah, we’re heading back now, no worries,” the guide said as he navigated the slowly raising waters. You held onto Johnny as the thunder got louder and you could see the lightening was able to be seen from the front of the cave. 

Another rumble lasted longer, making you look around at the water. The rumbled quickly turned into a rushing sound, getting louder in seconds as a monstrous wave slammed into the cave, sending all the water rushing back. The rush slammed into the boat, making the bow lift high. With the guid on the back of the boat and you and Johnny in the middle, the weight distribution didn’t save you from being tossed into the water as the boat capsized. 

You screamed, grabbing for Johnny as you were pulled under. There was no preparation to stay under too long, your lungs burning as you blindly clawed at the bottom of the cave to find the side or top. Bursting through the surface with a choking gasp, you didn’t have time to get another breath before you were pulled back under by the rip that had been made by the current. Not even with the life jacket were you able to break through the water. 

Johnny was able to grab the guide and get him to higher ground in the cave. Dragging him onto rocks, he began to scream your name. Where had you gone!? You were right there! “Where are you!” He screamed, ready to jump back in.

“No, you will drown! It’s not safe until after the storm!” The guide cried as he grabbed Johnny’s arm. 

“My partner is in there!” Johnny snarled, but the guide fought with him, keeping him where it was safe while you were left on your own. As the flash storm rolled on, just a few minutes after it showed up, your life jacket floated out from the back of the cave. It didn’t mean anything, you could still be alive. Despite the water calming, the guide made them stay on the rocks till a rescue boat came in, shining a light on them. “There’s someone still in here!” He yelled as the men climbed into the boat. 

“We know, we have her outside,” the rescue worker said, helping them sit before turning the boat around.

“She’s okay?” Johnny asked, surprised as he never saw you since you fell from the boat. The man was quiet, not looking at him. “Is she okay?” He pushed. “Can you fuckin’ tell me if she’s alive or not!?” He snarled. All he received was silence. When the boat came out and he saw a white sheet laid over a body on the beach, he jumped from the rescue boat before it could stop. Running over, he was screaming your name as the police were taping off the beach. One of the officers tried to stop him, but he easily shoved them aside as he kept screaming. 

You were still and silent as he picked you up, refusing to let anyone near you as he wailed in grief. Holding you, he rocked the two of you as the police tried to control the growing crowd. There was nothing they could do to help him, as news crews began to swarm the beach to get pictures of the grief stricken man holding his fiancee’s body as her hand with the engagement ring dangled free for them to take pictures of and plaster on the front pages.

Ghost

 You were just a month and a half shy of being full term. When Simon had been called to do a mission, you were pissed and ready to fight Price, but Simon calmed you down before you could come at the bearded man with a cricket bat. It wouldn’t be that long and he’d be back with plenty of time for the baby to be born. 

It had only been two days when you felt contractions start. At first you thought it was Braxton Hicks contractions, but then you felt your water break. When you went to the bathroom to check, you found that it wasn’t your water. It was blood and it was soaking your underwear and pants. Calling an ambulance, you unlocked the front door so they could get in. Once you were sure they were on their way, you called Simon’s emergency line. It wouldn’t go to him directly, but he would know what was happening right away at least. Leaving your message, the ambulance arrived soon after.

Crying, you held your stomach as you were strapped to a gurney and rushed to the hospital. You weren’t being told anything, just to keep breathing as the pain grew. With your phone in your hand, you kept checking it to see if Simon was able to call, but there was nothing. At the hospital, you were rushed into surgery as you begged one of the nurses to call the emergency line again to see when Simon could call. She promised she would keep trying as you handed off your phone. Once in surgery, you were put under and the last thing you thought was a plea to any deity listening to save your baby. 

Simon got the message and was gone. He didn’t ask permission or explain. His whole team was with him, though, getting him back home as quickly as possible. It was nearly five hours later in a plane to a helicopter that took him to the hospital with some of his gear and mask still on. Jumping out of the helo before it could land fully, he ripped his mask and vest off to throw to the side as he sprinted to where you were. 

His head was empty aside from the drive to get to you. You had to be okay. You had to be. There was a nurse waiting for him at the stairs, stopping him from running blindly through the hospital. 

“Mr. Riley,” she said, not flinching under his gaze that was fire and rage. 

“Where is my wife?” He growled, towering over her. 

“You’re wife. . . I am so sorry, but she didn’t make it,” the nurse said. Simon could only hear the ringing in his ears that he would hear when he was near a concussion grenade going off. “Her uterine lining ripped and she had lost too much blood by the time she arrived at the hospital.” None of her words seemed to register to her as his team came up behind him. 

Every word was lost on him as he stood there, not responding to anything she said. Not even Price shaking him could bring him to. 

“What about the baby?” He finally asked, coming out of it enough to think of that. “Is she okay?”

“She’s stable and in the NICU. Despite being born rather early, she is healthy and will stay there till she’s considered to term to make sure she has the best chance of surviving,” the nurse said. Simon nodded, going quiet again. 

“I want to see her. I want to see my wife,” he said. The nurse nodded, knowing he would do it anyway he could. His face said it all. Taking him to the OR, she waved others on when they stopped to question why four men were being let into the room. The team held back while Simon moved forward to the white sheet covered table. With steady hands, he pulled the cover back to see your face. You looked like you were sleeping. He would watch you before you awoke for the day and this was the same face. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, stroking your hair. His gloves were long gone, leaving him bare to the world he struggled to hide from. “I’m so sorry. I should have never left.” Leaning forward, he pressed your faces together as he quietly cried. He had lost his family, then found you and it was a breath of life to him. Now you were gone and left him with a small piece of you. He didn’t know if he could do it without you, if he could be someone his daughter needed or wanted. Simon didn’t know how to be a good partner till you came along, so how could he know how to be a good dad without you?

Masterlist

Taglist: @birdstoprey @sebbytheraccoon @pricescigar @alwaysshallow @sae1kie @sleepydang @lexi-zsy09 @ghostlywhiskey @ghosts-cyphera @poohkie90 @neothewitch @shadofireshinobi @sadslasher13 @0alk0msan @xaestheticalien

[callsign-rogueone]

faking it - s.h.

Sawyer Henrick x healer!reader  When Sawyer's friends hear that an infantry guy has been bothering you, they suggest an unconventional way to get him to leave you alone. words: 1.7k 🏷: Iron Flame spoilers in future chapters, feminine healer reader who was childhood friends with Sawyer (no pronouns used here, but future chapters will use she/her), mentions of needles (one immunization), mentions of harassment from an original character, Sawyer has a huge crush on you, and his entire squad ships it, fake-dating trope. here begins the story of Sawyer and Peach! I hope y’all like her 🥺

You fight the urge to yawn as you continue to restock the bandages and straighten things up for the day — you didn’t sleep well, and you’ve never been a fan of the early mornings that the war college requires. 

It could be worse, you tell yourself. You could still be working nights like you did your first year. That was even more exhausting.

There’s a soft knock on the doorframe. “Is Cadet Lowen working today?”

Your classmate bristles, drawing herself up to her full height, but it isn’t very intimidating— she’s even smaller than Violet. “Who’s asking?” 

You laugh, setting the box down and smoothing out the creases in your pale blue robes. “It’s okay, Sarah. He’s a friend.”

He gives her a disarming smile, but she still eyes him with suspicion for a few seconds before she disappears into the other room. 

You instantly start checking him over for injury, but it’s too hard to see anything under all that black fabric and leather.

He smiles. “I’m fine. I just came to give you this. I don’t know if they’re still your favorite, but…”

You take the small paper bag he’s holding, that cute little concerned frown quickly turning into a grin as you see the blueberry muffin inside — just like your mom used to make. “Thank you. What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion. Just making sure you’re taking care of yourself,” he answers, blushing. There’s a moment of silence before he starts to bail out. “I know you’ve been busy, let me get out of your hair-”

You don’t want him to leave.

“Did you get your flu shot yet?” you interrupt.

He laughs at your spontaneity. “I did not,” he answers truthfully.

You put the bag down, moving to go wash your hands. “Sit.”

“I brought you the perfect muffin, and you still want to stick me with a needle?” he asks.

You raise an eyebrow at him. “It’s for your own good, and the good of the quadrant. Unless you can’t take a little pinch…”

He straightens up a bit, scoffing. “Of course I can.”

You smile. You know exactly how to get these army boys in line. Pride is the biggest motivator they’ve got; they’re always eager to prove that they can handle whatever task at hand.

“Your full name and date of birth please, sir?” you ask, picking up a clipboard.

He knows you know it, but he humors you anyway — it’s cute seeing you in nurse mode. “Sawyer Henrick, July 15th, 612.”

You write it down as he unbuttons his shirt, pulling one arm out of its sleeve.

Your heart races at the glimpse of the rider’s relic spanning his back; a swath of bright red contrasting with his pale skin. You certainly don’t remember him being this strong, either — all that crazy shit they make riders do has paid off, you suppose.

You take a moment longer than appropriate to get the tension out of the muscle before making the injection and smoothing a bandage over the skin. “All done.”

“Do I get a sticker?” he asks, clearly joking.

You rip your eyes away as he does the buttons back up, turning to wash your hands again. “Fresh out, sorry. I’ll give you a rain check.”

You need to get him the hell out of here before your classmates start asking questions, and before he melts the rest of your brain. “Thank you for the muffin.”

“Thank you for the flu shot.”

You can’t help but smile at him. “I really missed you, you know. I’m glad our paths crossed again.”

“I missed you too, peach.” There’s a pause as he works up the courage. “Do you want to come to town with me and my squadmates on Saturday? They all really liked you.”

While the land-nav exercise hadn’t gone according to plan at all, you’d still enjoyed your time with them. “I’d like that.”

“Alright,” he says with that shy smile you’ve missed so much. “Meet you at the front gates around three?”

“Sounds like a plan. Now scoot,” you prod gently. “I’m sure everyone is wondering where you ran off to.”

He glances at the clock — he’s definitely going to be late for battle brief, but the scolding from Dain will be worth every minute.

He gives you one last soft smile before he leaves, one you’ll be thinking about all day.

------------------------------------------------------------

Sure enough, he finds you waiting outside at three o’clock sharp.

It’s been years since he’s seen you in civilian clothes. You look exactly how he remembers you, only somehow even more beautiful. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, he supposes.

You’ve swapped out the healers’ robes for something more fitted and more seasonally appropriate, a new pair of denim pants and a sleeveless light purple tunic. You’d even let your hair down for the occasion, leaving it out of the usual no-nonsense style you’re required to wear during your shifts.

Him and his friends are all dressed in their usual solid black. “I guess I didn’t get the memo,” you jest.

Violet smiles. “Don’t worry. It’s nice to see some color every now and then.”

You bring a hand up to swat away a fly, and Rhiannon’s eyes widen. “You guys are allowed to paint your nails?”

“There’s all kinds of rules about what colors and how long they can be, but yeah. I do them every Sunday afternoon. It makes me feel pretty, even with those terrible robes on,” you laugh.

Sawyer pushes down a remark about how you’re always pretty, clearing his throat instead. “Everyone ready?”

There’s a chorus of agreement from the squad. 

It isn’t long before you’re all sitting around a table at the tavern, laughing over stories from your years at the school. “And then I told her that if she wanted to act like that, she should-”

The door opens, the small bell hung on it jingling. Everyone watches you fall silent, pressing your lips together and shrinking yourself as small as you can until the group of infantry passes. They head off to the bartop, out of sight, and you finally let out the breath you’d been holding.

“Are you okay? You look like a sheep that just saw a riot of dragons walk by,” Ridoc says, but there’s no humor in his tone.

You shift in your seat for a moment, uncomfortable, but the way your new friends are all looking at you with genuine concern has you admitting the truth. 

“I stitched up the blond — James — a month ago, and now he thinks we’re soulmates or something. He keeps showing up at the infirmary with his friends, asking me on dates, and I keep turning him down, but he won’t take no for an answer. I’ve considered faking my own death just to get him to leave me alone,” you joke, but it’s obvious that you don’t find it funny. “It’s starting to freak me out.”

Violet frowns. “Have you talked to Nolon about it?”

“I have, but we can’t refuse care to anyone, so we’ve just been saying I’m busy and having the other girls deal with him, but they shouldn’t have to do that. I’ve tried everything. He just doesn’t seem to understand that I’m not interested.”

“Maybe not everything,” Rhiannon offers.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, those kind of guys won’t listen to you, but they will listen to another dude. They need to see another guy on your arm, because they don’t respect you as a person, but they will respect another man’s claim to you.”

Everyone looks at her, quizzical.

“I’m not saying it’s right,” she says, putting her hands up in defense, “I’m just saying it’s true. Get yourself a boyfriend, or a fake one, even, and he’ll back off, guaranteed.”

You chew your lip, pensive. “That might work. But I’ve been too focused on studying to go on any dates. I don’t know anyone who would be willing to…”

“Look to your left,” Ridoc offers dryly, taking a sip of his drink.

You glance over at Sawyer. Are they really suggesting…?

“It’s a logical choice,” Violet adds, shrugging. “You two already know everything about each other.”

You can’t quite read the look on his face, but it’s clear from his reddened cheeks that he’s uncomfortable. You shake your head quickly. “I couldn’t make you do that.”

“You wouldn’t be making me do anything. I’d be helping you, because I care about you, and because that guy’s a fucking creep.”

You’ve never heard him sound so firm before.

Your gaze drifts back to the bartop, where James is still sitting with his friends, several empty glasses in front of them. You’ve never seen him drunk before, but you know it can’t be pretty. 

He laughs, too loudly, likely at some crude joke his friend had made, clapping the other boy on the back. 

You wince, sinking deeper into the worn upholstery and praying they don’t see you, but you stick out in the crowd of riders and infantry — you’re the only person in the room who isn’t wearing all black, save for the bartenders.

“Breathe,” Sawyer coaxes, laying a hand on your knee beneath the table. It simultaneously soothes your anxiety and gives you butterflies, a feeling you can’t really describe.

You take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Sorry,” you manage, offering them a weak smile. “Didn’t mean to kill the mood.”

“Don’t apologize,” Ridoc says gently. “you’re one of us now, and we look out for our own.”

“He’s right,” Sawyer adds. “I promise I will do everything I can to get this guy gone, but I don’t want to cross any boundaries. We don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. You’ll be one hundred percent in control here, okay?”

You nod, entranced by the softness in his eyes as he looks over at you. “Okay,” you agree quietly.

“Attagirl,” he praises, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear.

You think your heart might give out.

“That’s actually really believable,” Violet comments with a soft smile, snapping you out of your train of thought and reminding you that you have an audience.

You tear your eyes away from Sawyers’, picking your drink back up. He moves his hand from your leg, resting his arm on the back of your chair as the conversation resumes, Ridoc bringing everyone back into a light mood again with another terrible joke.

This could work, you decide, but it could also go horribly, terribly wrong.